HAPPY BIRTHDAY
OUR FIRST POST IS TO WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE ABOVE PICTURE WAS TAKEN LAST YEAR FROM SOUTHPOINT PARK ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND. THERE IS A GREAT YOU TUBE VIDEO OF THE 2005 FIREWORKS DISPLAY FROM SOUTHPOINT PARK .
THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION (RIOC) CHARGES $18 TO ENTER SOUTHPOINT PARK IN ORDER TO VIEW THE FIREWORKS DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT IS A PUBLIC PARK FREE OF CHARGE AT ANY OTHER TIME. RIOC CLAIMS THAT, UNLIKE OTHER PUBLIC VIEWING AREAS FOR FIREWORKS SUCH AS THE FDR DRIVE OR BROOKLYN HEIGHTS PROMENADE WHICH ARE FREE, SOUTHPOINT PARK IS STATE LAND WHICH DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY MONEY FROM THE CITY TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH KEEPING THE AREA OPEN FOR VIEWING THE FIREWORKS.
IF THIS IS SO PERHAPS RIOC CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE RECENTLY OPENED EAST RIVER PARK, A NEW YORK STATE PARK ON THE WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT, WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR VIEWING OF FIREWORKS?
4 comments :
Do they publish the amount of money raised? How do they account for it? Do we know it is really used for that purpose?
Are private groups permitted to reserve Southpoint Park for their functions
Islander: What's up with the monument in Southpoint? I've heard umors about some monument to be installed which will use up a lot of the available space, but haven't seen any details.
Anonymous - I believe that RIOC has produced some sort of financial statement for previous Fourth of July events. I will try to get this information and post.
carl - Contact RIOC for information on private events at Southpoint Park.If you would like some additional assistance please feel free to email me - rooseveltislander@gmail.com
jmbo - There are plans to build a monument to FDR designed by the famous architect Louis Kahn at the southern tip of Southpoint park. This monument is to say the least extremely controversial. I will be posting on this subject soon.
Below is link by advocate of FDR Memorial.
http://archweb.cooper.edu/exhibitions/kahn/history_01.html
Below is link to Main Street Wire article on FDR Memorial.
http://nyc10044.com/wire/2510/fdrmemorial.html
Thanks to all of you for participating in this blog by sharing your comments. Please continue to do so.
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