Thursday, October 1, 2026
On May 30, the sweltering Sunday before Memorial Day, dozens of village, town, county and state officials gathered with residents on East Rockaway’s waterfront for the renaming and dedication of White Cannon Point at the Main Street canal’s Talfor Boat Basin. The area, which includes a recently refurbished deck and railings and community gazebo, was officially renamed Mayor Joseph F. Carrigan Point.
“I think he’s earned it,” said Carrigan’s wife, Herma. “He certainly has done plenty for this village.”
The first speaker, Deputy Mayor Richard Meagher, who served under Carrigan during his four-year tenure as mayor, said that generations to follow will know that “Joe was a champion throughout his life, and not just during his time as mayor.”
Meagher detailed Carrigan’s years in the Navy during the Korean War, his career as East Rockaway’s postmaster and his 50 years of service with the village Fire Department, where he was chief for a time. He cofounded the East Rockaway Raiders Pee Wee Football team and was a member of the Recreation Commission for 15 years. After serving as a village trustee and as deputy mayor, Carrigan was elected mayor in 2003.
“Everything Joe has done his entire life has been for the betterment of this community,” said Mayor Ed Sieban. “From the time he helped his mom and dad out when they were the postmasters of the village, to when he took over as postmaster himself, through his years as chief of the Fire Department and through the years that he served his country in the Navy ... I am proud to say that this point will be known as Mayor Joseph F. Carrigan Point.”
State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) recalled that when Carrigan was mayor, he heard from him “at least once a week, if not more, about East Rockaway and about the special projects that were going on.”
