John Howell

Ticket to a community success

This Side Up

Posted 10/28/14

Father Robert Marciano came to the screen door. He was wearing a freshly pressed white shirt and looked ready to slip on his priestly garments. He was getting ready to officiate at a wedding.

He …

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John Howell

Ticket to a community success

This Side Up

Posted

Father Robert Marciano came to the screen door. He was wearing a freshly pressed white shirt and looked ready to slip on his priestly garments. He was getting ready to officiate at a wedding.

He flashed a broad smile. “Come on in,” he said, ushering me into the rectory.

“Well,” I explained, feeling I had probably shouldn’t have rung the doorbell in the first place, “this is a rather unusual request.” Father Marciano didn’t seem the least troubled. I imagine he has heard many strange requests, and even some confessions that could be turned into movies.

He showed me into the kitchen. Before I got to the purpose of my visit, I thought some explanation was needed.

“Today’s the opening of Rocky Point…It’s a mob scene down there.”

Fr. Marciano, who is the chaplain for the police and fire departments, was up to speed on the opening. He had been following it on his police scanner and knew traffic was backed up on Warwick Neck Avenue.

“How can I help?”

This was the time for my crazy request.

“Father, would you have any raffle tickets?”

There was a flash of confusion. He was probably wondering whether I wanted him to buy tickets. I explained I was looking for a roll of tickets. You would think a priest about to perform a wedding would have more important things to think about, but he didn’t.

“We should have them over in the church office,” he said. “They’re probably in with everything for the bazaar.”

Without pausing, we headed toward the office in the back of the church. On the way, I filled in the details. The Rocky Point Foundation salvaged a number of plates before the demolition of the Palladium and Shore Dinner Hall. Jean Keane and the staff at the Pilgrim Senior Center cleaned up about 230 of them that are inscribed with the park opening date and the Rocky Point logos. The plates quickly sold out. The money is going to the foundation and its efforts to save the point.

With the plates gone, interest focused on two stainless soup tureens that were part of the foundation display. Lots of people asked if the tureens were also for sale. That prompted the suggestion that they be raffled.

That seemed like a great idea, until the matter of tickets was brought up. Where could you find raffle tickets without traveling across town? Knowing the congregation was getting ready for their bazaar, I thought of St. Kevin Church.

As we got to the back of the church, members of the bridal party were waiting. They were pleased to see Fr. Marciano, but he was on another mission. He brought me to a closet. There were no raffle tickets.

Michelle Ferri, who runs the office, believed there were some in the school, where volunteers were preparing for that evening’s haunted halls and Halloween “trick or trunking.” I was mystified by the phrase.

What would kids be doing?

Michelle said, after roaming the spooky halls of the school, kids could walk from one vehicle to the next, where parents would hand out candy from the trunks.

But would they have raffle tickets?

Michelle went off to look while I ventured into the school’s haunted halls to find parents stringing cobwebs and arranging lights.

Michelle returned with the tickets and handed over a fat roll. I was on my way back to the park.

I expected an hour delay getting into the park, so I traveled the back roads rather than approaching from Warwick Neck. Traffic was flowing. The tickets were delivered and we started the raffle.

On reflection, the willingness – it could even be termed enthusiasm – of so many to make the reopening of Rocky Point a success struck me. City and DEM crews directed traffic smoothly.

About a dozen Warwick Rotary Club members assisted with the sale of commemorative t-shirts and, of course, the plates and the raffle tickets. And so many, from elected officials to complete strangers, shared their stories of the park and volunteered to assist. The day couldn’t have been better.

Fr. Marciano said he wished he could have been there but, if there hadn’t been a wedding at the church, it’s doubtful there would have been a raffle…It makes one wonder about divine intervention.

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