Update To RIOC's Roosevelt Island Hurricane Irene Briefing - Designated Evacuation Center In LIC Is Safe and Clean, Need To Prepare and Plan For Next Emergency Says RIRA Plannng Chair/Cert Team Member Frank Farance

Image of 9/1 RIOC Hurricane Irene Briefing Board From Frank Farance

As reported in this prior post, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) held two post Hurricane Irene briefings last Friday, one for RIOC Directors and several Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) members in the morning and another briefing immediately thereafter for the Roosevelt Island media. RIRA Planning Committee Chair Frank Farance attended the first briefing and sends the following report (RIRA President Matt Katz and RIHS President Judy Berdy also attending this briefing and shared their comments here).

Image of 9/1 RIOC Hurricane Irene Briefing at Lighthouse Park From Frank Farance

From Mr. Farance:

I've put my most important point first: it is really important for Roosevelt Island residents to know that our designated evacuation shelter at Newcomers HS in Long Island City is a CLEAN/SAFE facility. Gwen Ryals and I, as CERT members, were helping staff the shelter.

 

Image Of Frank & Gwen during Lunch Break at Evacuation Center From Frank Farance

It's geared for families, children, seniors, and mobility impaired. They even have a tea set and toys in a children's area to make it hospitable.

 

 Image of Children's Evacuation Area at Facility From Frank Farance

The food was OK, we can live on school cafeteria food for a couple days.

 

 Image From Frank Farance

Image From Frank Farance

Mr. Farance noted that one school cafeteria was used for eating and another cafeteria was a sleeping area. The Gym was used for one of the sleeping areas and a family sleeping area was off camera to left.

Mr. Farance continues:

Back to the RIOC presentation ...

Matt Katz, Howard Polivy, and I have been the three residents over the long term to follow RIOC on emergency planning. We've changed hats a couple times, but I think the three of us have been on the same page for a very long while (2005, before CERT?) on this. Over time, we've learned some things from RIOC, PSD, OEM, SEMO, and the managing agents.

At Friday's meeting at Lighthouse, Mr. Katz reminded RIOC that they used to convene quarterly meetings with representatives from all the managing agents, RIOC, and Island institutions to discussed emergency planning. The meetings became less frequent, now they are non-existent. We really need to get back to having this forum on a regular basis.

Here's a brief history:

- In the blackout of 2003, there were a good number of mobility-impaired people who needed help. The Roosevelt Island Search And Rescue (RISAR) came about to address these and similar needs not handled by RIOC, PSD, or EMS. Since then, the managing agents have done a better job of tracking their individual tenant's needs.

- In summer of 2005, OEM came to Roosevelt Island to socialize the city-wide plan for Ready New York. OEM asked residents What Is Your Plan? OEM was surprised that the meeting devolved into the residents turning the tables and asking OEM: What's ***Your*** Plan?

- In 2006, resident volunteers formed the RI CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). Approximately 30 residents were trained over 6 months. We participated in drills through late 2007.

- We learned from RIOC and through our CERT training that NYC OEM is the key coordination point: only the Mayor or the Governor can order an evacuation. In other words, RIOC only has scope to manage/plan certain things: street lights and security for power outage, shoveling for snow, and other small scope issues.

- Like all emergency responders, RIOC has plans and did execute plans for its Incident Comment system (CERT and OEM use similar language and structure).

- Over time, this hole (How To Evacuate Roosevelt Island On Short Notice) in planning has never been resolved. The residents on the RI CERT are aware of this, RIOC is aware of this but defers to OEM, and this is low priority for OEM. Assemblymember Kellner's letter can help, but we need to coordinate this with Roosevelt Island expertise (RIOC, PSD, RI CERT, institutions, managing agents, merchants, etc.).

- Some of the big holes in planning an evacuation include: how to manage traffic flow. In the past year, NYC DOT added these really unhelpful white plastic cones on the RI bridge. If we need to evacuate, they need to be removed immediately so we have a full three lanes of traffic on the bridge (incoming, emergency, outgoing - just like City Island). We need to ***DRILL*** this kind of traffic coordination problem. If you've seen the traffic flow on July 4th events on Roosevelt Island, it's a multiple hour big-mess (understatement). Hospital shift changes are problematic, too. This is just moving a couple thousand people. Now add the emergency vehicles and people bringing cars to load and evacuate -- a much bigger problem.

- Hurricanes aren't easy to predict, so evacuation either comes very early (but useless and disruptive) or late. I've tracked weather on Roosevelt Island for 30+ years and Hurricane Irene was *atypical* in that its storm track 3-4 days in advance varied very little (from Coney Island to Levittown) over the prediction period. So the successes we had on Irene, might not occur on other hurricanes. The hurricane on Labor Day weekend of 2008 comes to mind (Hurrican Hanna?) where it unexpectedly gained speed up the East Cost and arrived sooner than expected: Virginia at 04:00 Saturday morning, NYC around 09:00 that same morning.

- Without DRILLING this evacuation exercise, we have no idea how long it will take and people might die in a real emergency. I can't predict where the glitches will be, but a DRILL helps discover them.

- Many people want an evacuation shelter on RI. As Mr. Chironis pointed out, if you are evacuating from something, you need to go to a BETTER zone than the one you are already at. So PS/IS 217, Sportspark, and The Child School would all be undesirable for those reasons. Yes, it is possible for people on high floors (above 10th) to evacuate, even though the rest of the Island does not. It might be easier to take people to Newcomers HS (a clean/safe facility in Long Island City).

On Friday, RIOC made a presentation on Hurricane Irene After-Action Review. It was attended by a dozen or so RIOC staff, Mr. Martinez led the presentation. Mr. Matt Katz asked about evacuations, Mr. Robert Atterbury of Assemblymember Kellner's office chimed in. Dr. Ferrera, head of The Child School, had graciously offered his space.

I think RIOC and PSD did a great job. The guys clearing the storm drains the days before are geniuses. I was back and forth from the Newcomers HS emergency shelter several times throughout the 48 hours of the storm and from what I saw, things were going OK on the Island.

I've heard some grumbling that RIOC had a separate presentation for the media. The presentation I saw was, I think, just a dry run for the media and RIOC did well. I think RIOC did a pretty good job planning and executing their incident command center, which manages their activities. Mr. Martinez was well prepared.

I've heard some complain that RIOC President Leslie Torres was not on site during the storm. Ms. Torres is a parent with kids' school schedules, family vacations, and such. If the corporation thought Mr. Martinez (RIOC VP of Operations) could handle it, then I think he was the right person to do so. Ms. Torres wouldn't have added any significant help. Everyone that needed to participate was directly under Mr. Martinez' command. This is a different situation than the City where Bloomberg was necessary to coordinate.

Many of us have heard the complaint that RIOC has no evacuation plan. This isn't within RIOC's scope. We need someone at OEM to initiate this planning and they need to contact local experts (RIOC, PSD, RI CERT, managing agents, hospitals, merchants) to help plan this properly. At the Lighthouse meeting, several people noted that Gristedes and M&D Deli should be thanked for providing extra service to residents before and during the storm <-- I agree, they should be thanked.

Some people asked about the phone lines and the loss of PSD's phone service. I spoke to Mr. Mike Moreo about this and how to do this better next time. I'm not blaming RIOC because we've all been told this: cooper phone lines do better. True in most cases, except this one where flooding in the 53rd street tunnel shorted out many phone lines for Islanders.

At the Lighthouse, this led to a secondary topic: how to coordinate among residents with these kind of communication problems. The buildings built to State codes don't require annunciator systems, so there is now PA system to tell people what to do. This is a topic of discussion in the quarterly meetings Mr. Katz had suggested.

I added links to the Kellner letter and OEM Roosevelt Island presentation mentioned in Mr. Farance's report.

The NY Times reported on lessons learned by New York City from Hurricane Irene for future emergencies:

Changes both large and small will be made to the way New York City responds to hurricane emergencies in the future, including how evacuations will be publicized and executed, after officials learned valuable lessons from the unprecedented emptying of the waterfront as Tropical Storm Irene bore down on the five boroughs....

During the Roosevelt Island Hurricane Irene media briefing, I asked RIOC Vice President of Operations Fernando Martinez what lessons RIOC learned from Hurricane Irene for future Roosevelt Island emergencies. Mr. Martinez replied that there were many. When asked for some specifics he said that a simple example of a lesson learned involved the proper type of chain saw to be purchased for removing downed and damaged tree. When asked for another example he said that would be for another day. The video of this exchange is here at the approximate 26 minute mark.

Come Learn What Is Going On At Roosevelt Island and Add Your Voice To The Process -Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Returns Tonight 8 PM At Good Shepherd Community Center

Image of June RIRA Common Council Meeting

After taking the July and August summer months off, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) monthly meeting returns tonight, September 7, 8 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street lower level).  Below is the Agenda for tonight's meeting.




As always, prior to the start of each meeting there is a public session in which any resident can come and address the Common Council Delegates on any issue of concern.

RIRA is composed of members of the Roosevelt Island community elected by their fellow building complex residents every two years. RIRA has no real power or authority other than an advisory role as the voice of the Roosevelt Island community. RIRA's voice of the community role is recognized and encouraged by our elected representatives and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC).

RIRA is not without controversy. Some residents have expressed an opinion that RIRA does not represent them, that it is a closed, insular group of people looking out for only their own interests.

I think that view is wrong. RIRA represents those people who participate in the process, show up to meetings or if they can't attend meetings, just make their concerns known. In this respect, RIRA is just like every political entity in the United States - if you don't show up and participate in the process, it is difficult to have your concerns addressed.

Responding to this comment from a reader of a previous post:

The executives of RIRA - Pres, VP, Treas, Sec'y - are all from WIRE buildings.  Most of the committee chairs - WIRE buildings.  The MTG is composed primarily of WIRE building residents.  There's nothing wrong with WIRE residents disproportionately represented in executive/chair positions - as long as the same people do not keep popping up year after year.  There should be term limits for executive/chair/RIOC board member positions to prevent cliques from forming.

RIRA Communications Chair Vini Fortuna wrote:

You are right about the officers (Pres, VP, Treasurer and Secretary). They are all from the WIRE buildings. (Here is the list http://www.riraonline.com/abou...

However, that's not true for the chairs anymore. You can find the chair of each committee on their pages in our website (www.riraonline.com). Here is the list:
Communications: Vini (me) - Southtown
Gov. Relations: Bill Long - Octagon
Housing: Helen Chirivas - Island House
Island Services: Aaron Hamburguer - Southtown
Planning: Frank Farance - Island House
Public Safety: Erin Feely-Nahem - Westview
Social, Cultural & Educational: Lynne Shinozaki - Manhattan Park
Constitution & Bylaws: Dave Evans - Southtown

What I want to say is that I believe things are changing. Slowly. At least, the committees are changing and the relative proportions of the buldings. I agree that it can be frustrating to see the same people over and over again at the head of RIRA. One big problem is that it's not easy to be the president. It takes a lot of time and effort, and requires a lot of experience on the island, which essentially eliminates new blood.

And if you impose term limits, we may end up with no one in the executive positions! Remember that all the members are voluntary. No one receives anything for that and they dedicate their (sometimes little) free time

It seems to me that's a hard problem to solve, but I would love to hear suggestions to solve it.

On another front, I believe RIRA has a huge communications problem. RIRA doesn't communicate with the community well. People don't know what RIRA is doing. People hear about RIRA on Frank's rants. There's a lot misinformation. The lack of communication doesn't help, and that causes the perception of hidden agendas and secrecy. But that's not the case. Unlike some may think, you don't see deliberate efforts to hide information and act behind other people's back. The problem is just that the information doesn't get out there.

As the Communication Chair, I've been spending a lot of effort to fix that. I've already set up the website (www.riraonline.com), the Facebook (www.facebook.com/riraonline), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/riraonline) to help opening the communication channels with the community. We also have a calendar of RIRA events and meetings (www.riraonline.com/calendar). So the plumbing have been laid out. Now it's time to get the information flowing. My next step is to get RIRA members (specially chairs) to get content online. I want people to know everything that is going on on RIRA. My ultimate (maybe ambitious) goal is to  get residents to trust RIRA, and get more involved. If we are able to make the community more engaged, maybe we'll have more volunteers and candidates for the association, and the extra members and diversity will result in better representatives, solving some of the problems you pointed out.

I think that people like Vini and other RIRA members should be thanked for the time and effort they put in to try and improve the Roosevelt Island community in which they live. Sure, sometimes it's a messy and tedious process, some personalities may be more difficult to deal with than others, but that's how a representative political body functions.

Here's an interesting discussion with RIRA President Matt Katz. Mr. Katz was recently interviewed for the Community Board 8 Speaks program. He talks about the role of RIRA as well as the history, governance and current issues facing Roosevelt Island.

RIOC Real Estate Committee Meeting Today To Discuss Status Of Island House Privatization/Affordability Plan and Ground Lease Extension - In Executive Session Closed To The Public, What's Going On?

Image of Roosevelt Island's Island House Entrance

Received this advisory from Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Real Estate Development Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.

AGENDA

1. Chair's Motion for Executive Session to Review and Discuss the Status of Privatization/Affordability Plan and Ground Lease Extension for Island House

A previous post discussed the circumstances when the RIOC Board can meet in Executive Session. An excerpt:

... a public body cannot close its doors to the public to discuss the subject of its choice, for the law specifies and limits the subject matter that may appropriately be discussed in executive session. The eight subjects that may be discussed behind closed doors include:

... (h) the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof....

More information on the circumstances under which RIOC is permitted to hold an executive session closed to the public available from the NY State Department of State Committee on Open Government.

It has been extremely difficult to obtain information regarding the privatization/affordability plan and ground lease extension for Roosevelt Island's Mitchell Lama Buildings at Island House, Westview and Rivercross. To date, none of these buildings have been privatized out of the Mitchell Lama program and only the Rivercross Building has received a ground lease extension from RIOC Board of Directors in January 2011. The reason given for Rivercross receiving a ground lease extension from RIOC was so that the Rivercross mortgage could be refinanced at a low interest rate to raise funds for building improvements. According to the January 2011 RIOC Board minutes regarding this issue (Page 9):

... In response to Mr. Kraut’s question, Mr. Leitner noted that, under the proposed agreement, as stated in term sheet item nine, the base ground rent paid to the Empire State Development Corporation (“ESDC”) would remain the same, while the amount paid to RIOC will increase by 4% compounded annually. Mr. Shinozaki noted that the entire building’s rent is less than that of some individual residential units in other buildings on Roosevelt Island. Mr. Kalkin noted that the low rent was consistent with the purpose of Mitchell-Llama properties to create and preserve affordable housing....

Here is the Rivercross Ground Lease Extension Resolution from RIOC and Term Sheet. Some Rivercross residents have expressed concerns that the new mortgage negotiated by the Rivercross Board is a bad deal for residents who plan on staying long term at the building.

None of the 9 RIOC Board members live in Island House or Westview. 4 of the 6 Roosevelt Island resident RIOC Directors live in Rivercross and all 3 current members of the Real Estate Committee live in Rivercross. At the time that the Rivercross Ground Lease extension was granted by RIOC, 2 of the 3 Real Estate Committee members lived in Rivercross.

By noting that 4 Rivercross residents are on the RIOC Board and voted for the Rivercross Ground Lease extension does not indicate in any way whatsoever that anything improper occurred though some residents, not only Mr. Farance, have raised conflict of interest questions concerning this RIOC Board vote.

The conflict of interest question gets asked because so little information is made public to explain what, if any, role the RIOC Board of Directors and Staff have in deciding issues regarding the privatization/affordability plans for the Roosevelt Island Mitchell Lama Rivercross, Westview and Island House buildings, what role New York City and State agencies play in the process and what is the current status of the privatization process?

If anyone knows, please tell.

New Weekend Nightime Program For Roosevelt Island Youth 16 -25 Years Old Starting September 9 At Sportspark - Basketball, Ping Pong, Exercise Equipment, Wii Games & More, Sign Ups Begin Today

Image of 2010 Pubic Safety/RIYP Basketball Game at Sportspark

Received the following announcement from Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Community Relations Specialist Erica Wilder:

Every Friday and Saturday for a 6 week trial period, beginning Friday, September 9, 2011, we will extend the hours of the Sportspark gymnasium in order to provide recreational activities for young adults between the ages of 16 and 25.

Mr. Romano Reid and Ms. Erin Feely of the RIRA Island Services subcommittee met with RIOC to discuss their concerns regarding the level of delinquency and late night disturbances caused by Roosevelt Island youth. The meeting was attended by RIOC board members Ms. Faye Christensen and Mr. Howard Polivy, RIOC executive staff and several directors. The group discussed the idea of providing R.I. youth with options after 8 PM. This is the time when, according to PSD Director Keith Guerra, youth are preoccupied with unconstructive activities. The Sportspark Young Adult Recreation Hours will be held every Friday and Saturday night from 9 PM to 12 AM. All interested youth will be required to register and take a photo ID. They will then receive an ID card that will allow them access into the facility and participate in activities. Specifically, they will have free access to the basketball courts, the ping pong room, exercise equipment, Netflix, computers with internet access and the Wii gaming system. Public Safety officers will patrol the facility during the hours of operation.

At the conclusion of the 6 week trial period, our staff will assess participation levels and determine whether or not we will continue the program.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

A subsequent announcement from Ms Wilder added.

 Mr. Romano Reid and Ms. Erin Feely are members of the Roosevelt Island Resident Association's (RIRA) Common Council.

I inquired of Ms. Wilder:

Thank you for the information regarding this new program for Roosevelt Island young people at the Sportspark.

As a follow up, can you report who or what group (RIOC?) is organizing and running this program, how is it being funded, what is the program budget and what criteria is being used to determine if this 6 week program is a success or not?

Also, is the Roosevelt Island Youth Program involved in this initiative? If not, why is that?

Ms. Wilder replied:

To answer your questions:

1) Who or what group (RIOC?) is organizing and running this program?
The young adult recreation hours will be operated by RIOC. Community groups and residents are welcome to present outreach programs during the Sportspark Evening Adult Hours. Mr. Romano Reid and Ms. Erin Feely of the RIRA Common Council, has expressed interest in coordinating outreach efforts in conjunction with RIOC staff and PSD.
2) How is it being funded, what is the program budget?
Management has budgeted $7,000 as one-time cost for furniture and equipment that will also be used for general use at Sportspark. We have also budgeted 6 hours per week for (1) Sportspark staff attendant and (1) public safety officer.
3) What criteria is being used to determine if this 6 week program is a success or not?
After the (6) week trial period, RIOC management will evaluate the extended hours based on participation and address other issues that may arise if any. We will also be polling participants.
4) Also, is the Roosevelt Island Youth Program involved in this initiative? If not, why is that?
The Sportspark extended hours is geared toward the young adult population on R.I. between the ages of 16-25. The extended hours will be available to this specific age group as another recreational outlet. This program was not intended to compete with the R.I. Youth Center in any way.

If you should have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.

UPDATE 2:55 PM - Registration information from RIOC:

This Friday, September 9th, will be the opening night of the new "Young Adult Hours" at the Sportspark Gymnasium, located at 250 Main Street, for young adults ages 16-25. Once registered, participants will have free access to the basketball courts, ping pong room, exercise equipment, Netflix, computers with internet access and the Wii gaming system. The Young Adult Hours will be held every Friday and Saturday from 9 PM- 12 AM. Sign-up begins TODAY! Please call Mike Smith, Manager of Parks and Recreation, at 212-832-4559 to schedule a time to sign-up and for more details.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Visitors Tour Roosevelt Island This Labor Day Weekend - This Is What They See

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Labor Day Visit

After a trip on the Roosevelt Island Tram, our visitors sample the Trellis Diner Menu (looks like they focused on the Chicken Teriyaki), learned about the Octagon Tower and Rotunda, walked along our waterfront promenade to Lighthouse Park, viewed an exhibit at Gallery RIVAA and before returning to Manhattan on the Tram, checked out the historic Blackwell's House.

Hope they had a good time.

Labor Day weekend is over and so is summer.

Bring on the Fall.

Roosevelt Island Hurricane Irene Media Briefing From RIOC, Reviews Staff Performance During Storm, Assesses Damage After Storm and Lessons Learned For The Future - Are We Prepared For An Emergency Evacuation?

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Hurricane Irene Briefing From RIOC

 On the afternoon of Friday September 2, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Vice President of Operations Fernando Martinez provided a post Hurricane Irene briefing for the Roosevelt Island media - myself and David Stone of the Main Street WIRE. Mr. Martinez provided a brief statement reviewing RIOC's operations during the storm and it's aftermath. Mr. Martinez then took questions from Mr. Stone and myself. Questions were asked and comments discussed concerning:

• the existence and feasibility of a Roosevelt Island disaster emergency evacuation plan, 
• the extent and cost of damage to Roosevelt Island, 
• damage to the Smallpox Hospital, Lighthouse and Southpoint Park,
• what lessons were learned,
• public safety incidents during the storm,
• problems with the phone and communications systems,
• retail stores closed prior to storm,
• red bus and tram operations,
• where was RIOC President Torres during the storm,
• use of the RI311 See Click Fix system to report problems,
• RIOC's use of their social media to distribute information during the storm and
• damage to RIOC staff personal property.

Earlier that morning, Mr. Martinez and RIOC staff conducted a post Hurricane Irene briefing

Image From RIHS President Judy Berdy

for RIOC Directors Sal Ferrera and Fay Christian as well as Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz, Planning Committee Chair Frank Farance, Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy and Assembly Member Micah Kellner's staffer Robert Atterbury at Lighthouse Park.

Image from RIHS President Judy Berdy

I asked Mr. Katz to comment on the briefing he received. Mr. Katz replied:

While the meeting was very complementary to the RIOC staff, we agreed that questions of how and when to implement safe evacuation procedures remained to be addressed. In addition, the unexpected loss of telephone lines to both RIOC and Public Safety negated the presence of their personnel all weekend in both offices. This was an eventuality that couldn’t be anticipated, but certainly contingency plans for the loss of landlines must be considered prior to the next major weather event.

Both myself and the WIRE reporter were originally invited to attend the morning briefing with RIOC Directors at Lighthouse Park but received emails two hours before it was scheduled to start that the briefing had been rescheduled for later in the day. When I arrived for the rescheduled briefing at RIOC Headquarters, I was advised that the Directors Briefing had already occued and that I was attending a separate media briefing.

UPDATE 9/4 - I asked Ms. Berdy for  a comment on the briefing she attended. Ms. Berdy replied:

I was invited to the 11 a.m. briefing at the Lighthouse where Mr. Martinez recapped RIOC's actions before, during and after Hurricane Irene. The executive staff of RIOC was present, though they were silent. I complemented all the management present and I am happy that they were here to oversee the safety of the Island.

The communications with all residents is an ongoing problem. Between e-mails, facebook and the Internet, many are still out of information. RIOC had to be reminded to post paper notices advising of the situation.

Thanks to Mr. Ferrera for offering the gym of the Child School for sheltering space. (This will be an ongoing project since there are a lot of conditions to follow to become a "shelter."

I am most upset that the "worker-bees" are not recognized. I want to thank the laborers who, moved fallen trees, cleaned storm drains, moved heavy equipment, readied the parks and roadways and were out there getting wet and dirty before, during and after the storm. Thanks to the PSD officers who tried to keep our roving neighbors from walking under dangerous and newly fallen trees.

Thanks to the building staffs of all the housing that stayed here and made sure their residents were safe and sound in their apartments.

Happily, the Tram re-opened before any NYC mass transit on Sunday afternoon, due to the fact that the tram staff was there all night and immediately set about testing and getting the system up on Sunday.

I am most distressed that RIOC President Leslie Torres left on a trip just before the storm. As a President and CEO of a private corporation she would have been expected (and would have) returned to her desk and been on scene for an urgent situation such as hurricane preparation.

There is no excuse for her absence. Her staff performed very well without her, but she is the boss and it is her job to be here.

Roosevelt Island's Lighthouse Park Is Open Today - Hurricane Irene Cleanup Of Park Completed

 

 Image of Downed Lighthouse Park Tree From Michael Giraud

Roosevelt Island's Lighthouse Park was closed last Wednesday, August 31 due to damage caused by Hurricane Irene. Received this advisory today from Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) that it is now open:

The Light House Park is now Open.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Lighthouse Park was almost completely under water from Hurricane Irene early Sunday morning.

No Lawn Chair or Picnic Blanket For Roosevelt Island Outdoor Moviegoers - They Brought Their Own Bed - Last Outdoor Movie For The Year Saturday Night Is The Incredibles

Roosevelt Island 360 reports that watching a film in bed was brought to a whole new level by these 2 couples at last night's Roosevelt Island Summer Outdoor Movie.

 Image From Roosevelt Island 360

Instead of watching a film while leisurely relaxing on a bed at home, these comfort seeking moviegoers brought their bed to watch the Disney/Pixar flick UP at the Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie showing at Firefighters Field.

 Image From Roosevelt Island 360

Later tonight will be the final film in this year's Roosevelt Island Outdoor Summer Movie Series. It will be The Incredibles.

You Tube Video of The Incredibles trailer

Roosevelt Island Junior Tennis Player DJ Smith Rings NASDAQ Opening Bell Last Week

Image From NASDAQ

Roosevelt Island parents Don & Alex Smith share these photos of their son participating in the ringing of the NASDAQ opening bell in Times Square last week adding:

Roosevelt Landing resident Donald (DJ) Smith rang the opening bell on 8/25 for NASDAQ with tennis pros Robin Soderling, Leizel Huber, David Wagner and the President and VP of the USTA Jon Vegosen and Katrina Adams on USTA Day.

DJ was representing the Harlem Jr Tennis & Education Program and is a member of their advance tournament training team.

Image From NASDAQ

More info from NASDAQ.

Final Two Roosevelt Island Summer Outdoor Movies Showing This Labor Day Weekend With Double Feature Of Up On Friday Night and The Incredibles On Saturday Night

Image from RIOC

The Roosevelt Island Outdoor Summer Movie series makes it final 2011 appearance this weekend at Firefighter's Field with films being shown on Friday and Saturday night.

 View of Firefighter's Field Outdoor Movie From Above

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)

Haven't made plans for this Labor Day weekend? Come to Firefighter's Field this Friday and Saturday for back to back features of Disney Pixar hits. We'll be showing the rescheduled feature of "UP" on Friday, September 2nd. The fun begins at 7 PM with a DJ spinning music for the kids. Then on Saturday, we'll be coming back with the 6th and final movie of the summer with "The Incredibles". Special guest food vendor, "My Father's Kitchen" who will be selling fish and chips (french fries). So, bring your lawn chairs and blankets to mark your spot for the night. The summer is slowly ending, so don't miss out on your chance to watch the final Outdoor Movies under the stars on Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island East River Seawall Not Broken During Hurricane Irene But Queens Seawall Damaged In Long Island City and Astoria

 Image Of Queensbridge Park Seawall Break From RIHS President Judy Berdy via Waterwire

Our Long Island City/Astoria neighbors across the East River were not quite as fortunate as Roosevelt Island during Hurricane Irene.  Although we had some East River Flooding over our seawall, the seawall did not break like it did at Queensbridge Park.

According to the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA)  9/1 issue of Waterwire:

"That doesn't look right," Judith Berdy noted, looking out her window across the East River on Monday, August 29, the day after Tropical Storm Irene blew through New York City. She squinted. Had part of the Queens seawall fallen into the river?

As president of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society, Ms. Berdy has connections. She called the office of Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens commissioner for the Dept. of Parks & Recreation. She went downstairs, took photos and emailed them to anyone who could help, including the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance...

Read the entire article here including how other parts of NYC were impacted by Hurricane Irene.

Image of Queensbridge Park Seawall Break From Katie Ellman via Waterwire

No Practical Plan In Place To Safely Evacuate Roosevelt Island Residents In Event Of Emergency Says Assembly Member Micah Kellner - Asks Mayor Bloomberg For Meeting To Create Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Plan For Roosevelt Island

You Tube Video of Hurricane Irene East River Flooding on Roosevelt Island

Published report earlier this week on Hurricane Irene East River flooding portions of Roosevelt Island particularly at Lighthouse Park

Image of Roosevelt Island Lighthouse Park Flood From Hurricane Irene by Michael Girard

and the subway pier.

Images of East River Overflowing Roosevelt Island Subway Pier @ 9:30 AM From Eric Schwartzman

These pictures were taken at approximately 9:30 AM Sunday morning and though it is true that by noon the water was gone, the impact from Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene could have been much worse for Roosevelt Island if it had been a more severe storm. (More pictures of Roosevelt Island Flooding here)

Hoping to improve plans for Roosevelt Island emergency disaster preparedness, Roosevelt Island Assembly Member Micah Kellner sent the following letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg:

I would like to commend you and your staff on a great job preparing New Yorkers for Hurricane Irene. The decisions you made saved lives and showed the world the effectiveness of the City’s disaster response plan. Hurricane Irene has also provided a unique opportunity to see gaps in emergency planning, allowing us to correct them before future disasters occur. Specifically, I am concerned about protecting and evacuating the residents of Roosevelt Island, which is located in my district.

Roosevelt Island requires special consideration when it comes to emergency planning; the Island is home to two acute-care hospitals, Coler and Goldwater, and nearly 14,000 residents, many of whom are elderly or disabled. Further, as the Island looks to expand with the possible location of an applied sciences center, with the accompanying residents and staff, it is more important than ever to focus on emergency procedures. Had the City faced a more severe storm that required the evacuation of Zone “B”, there is currently no practical plan in place to safely evacuate Island residents.

Roosevelt Island only has a single ground access point – the Roosevelt Island Bridge – which connects the Island with western Queens. On Saturday, August 27, 2011 as the City was bracing for Irene’s impending arrival, you warned that the City’s bridges, including the Roosevelt Island Bridge, would be forced to close should sustained wind speeds reach 60 miles per hour. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s subway and bus service was suspended as of 12:00 PM. Also, the Roosevelt Island Tram was forced to close at 6:00 PM due to wind speeds that exceeded 45 miles per hour. Should the Bridge have been forced to close, Roosevelt Island would have been isolated from the rest of the City. While many of the evacuations throughout the City were smoothly executed, I fear that if the storm had been stronger we would be facing an extremely different and deadly outcome on Roosevelt Island.

Despite being a Class “B” Flood Zone, Roosevelt Island was not immune to flooding. During this storm, there was severe flooding in Lighthouse Park, which is located at the northern tip of the Island and adjacent to the Coler Hospital campus. The eastern seawall which runs along to the Goldwater Hospital campus, the future site of the applied sciences center at the southern end of the Island, also flooded. In light of Irene being downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching New York and still causing flooding in close proximity to these to these two acute care hospitals on separate ends of the Island, it is safe to say the situation would have been much more dire should a Class 1 or Class 2 hurricane have touched ground.

I believe we can use Hurricane Irene as a teachable moment to better identify innovative ways to improve disaster preparedness. I respectfully request that the Office of Emergency Management meet with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and local elected officials to discuss creating a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan for Roosevelt Island.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact me at (212) 860-4906.

Mr. Kellner's full letter is here.

I asked several Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Directors and staff as well as Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz for comment on Roosevelt Island emergency preparedness and Mr. Kellner's letter to Mayor Bloomberg.

Mr. Katz replied:

Some years ago, Howard Polivy, Frank Farance and I were allowed to read RIOC’s contingency planning book, but only after we signed a non-disclosure letter. We’ve been told that evacuation orders will come only from OEM and Newcomer High School is our evacuation center. Our CERT team had volunteers in place to prepare the center for use. Given that, as a Zone B community, we would not be evacuated ahead of time, how would we get a threatened population off-Island in the teeth of a storm? Once upon a time, RIOC’s Michael Moreo, a volunteer fireman in his Long Island community and the force behind the creation of our CERT team, convened quarterly contingency planning meetings that included building managers, Public Safety, OEM, SEMO and me. We asked for an evacuation plan to be made public but were turned down. I’ve asked RIOC to consider at least one meeting after the dust settles to do a post mortem on lessons learned. We shall see.

Last night, RIOC Community Relations Specialist Erica Wilder reported that RIOC will be holding a Post Hurricane Irene Briefing to explain

... RIOC's pre-event planning, operations during the storm and how we managed the recovery operation...

I will report back on that briefing.

Mr. Kellner' letter expresed concerns regarding the use of the Roosevelt Island Bridge during a hurricane. I asked RIOC prior to the storm beginning:

 Mayor Bloomberg has stated that Bridges will be closed if winds reach a speed of 60 mph.

I'm getting questions about whether the Roosevelt Island Bridge will remain open.

Does RIOC expect to close the RI Bridge.

Ms. Wilder replied:

The Roosevelt Island Bridge is under the jurisdiction of New York City's Department of Transportation. In addition to the information outlets that we have provided through our advisories, we ask that everyone receive timely alerts on all New York City bridge closures and other significant events related to the storm via local news/ radio stations, 311 or through NYC's 24hr emergency notification system- NOTIFY NYC (www.nyc.gov/notifynyc) which delivers emergency public information through text, email, or recorded telephone calls.

Mr. Kellner's letter to the Mayor was incorrect in one respect. The Tram did shut down at 6 PM but not because wind speeds were in excess of 45 MPH at that time. Although, RIOC had previously announced they would keep the Tram running until wind speeds reached 45 MPH they shut the Tram down at 6 PM, hours before the Storm arrived. Not sure why they changed their previously announced plan for the Tram.

There was an emergency disaster preparedness meeting that took place on Roosevelt Island in 2006. Here's a video of that meeting and more pictures of East River Flooding of Roosevelt Island from what became Tropical Storm Irene.

Image of East River surge during Hurricane Irene at Roosevelt Island From Duc Le

Image of Hurricane Irene East River Overflowing Roosevelt Island From Duc Le

Image of East River Flooding On Roosevelt Island From W Cruz

Hurricane Irene East River Flooding of Subway Pier From Irina Hage

Hurricane Irene East River Flooding of Subway Pier From Irina Hage

Hurricane Irene East River Flooding of Subway Pier From Irina Hage

Image of East River Flooding On Roosevelt Island From W Cruz

Image of East River Flooding On Roosevelt Island From W Cruz

Image of East River Flooding On Roosevelt Island From W Cruz

Image of Hurricane Irene Flooding Basketball Court From Duc Le

Take A Bike Ride Over The Roosevelt Island Bridge - Not To Worry, No Rain

Previous posts have reported on bicycle riding safety over the Roosevelt Island Bridge:

... It's great that a lane is set aside for cyclists crossing the bridge into Queens. But it would be helpful if the bridge's metal grill were covered by some sort of mat. You may not be aware of this, but -- when it rains -- metal-grill bridges are like sheets of ice if you're a cyclist, especially if you're on a road bike with thin tires....

and the bike riding prohibition signage on the the Roosevelt Island Bridge pathway:

... These signs tell me I can't ride my bike on the path across the bridge...

Here's what it's like to ride a bicycle in the bike lane over the Roosevelt Island Bridge

You Tube Video of Bike Ride Over Roosevelt Island Bridge

and a bike ride tour around Roosevelt Island.

Come share a bicycle ride courtesy of Ride Gotham and You Tube around Roosevelt Island starting on the East Channel facing Queens near the Octagon....