I think it is important to let the community know how hard it was for us at
RIDA to find an agency willing to come to Roosevelt Island to supply us with
food to give out. They have been supplying us with food since the beginning
of the Coronavirus Pandemic, enough to feed 220 families each week.
I am so appreciative and thankful for them. I continue to give back in
every way that I can. I donate to them personally and if people have a
donation for RIDA, I have asked them to donate it to 9 Million
Reasons.
In addition to supplying the Roosevelt Island food pantry, as well as other
NYC food pantries, the 9 Million Reasons program also provides clothing for
homeless people in Long Island City shelters. If you are able to donate warm
winter coats, gloves, scarves and hats in good and clean conditions
to 9 Million Reasons, Ms Hersh asks you to bring the clothing to the Senior
Center outdoor garden (546 Main Street) on Wednesday or Friday mornings.
A Need for warm winter clothes, among other essentials
9 Million Reasons runs the largest community food pantry in New York City.
When our organization was founded in 2016 to serve local neighborhoods, we ran
a Saturday-only food pantry as one of the many programs offered. When New York
City went into shut down in March 2020, we extended our food pantry program to
a daily operation to meet the urgent challenge of rising food insecurity
during the pandemic. With this expansion, 9 Million Reasons is able to serve
over 70,000 clients weekly via three avenues: walk-in pantry, home delivery,
and, since participating in the USDA Farmers to Families program, bulk
distribution to a network of 257 smaller food pantries, community
organizations, mutual aid groups, and housing projects. The Roosevelt Island
Disabled Association, which serves the elderly, the disabled, veterans, and
other vulnerable community members, is one such partners, receiving supplies
of essential groceries, canned goods, and personal care items twice per week.
These deliveries have been consistent since the beginning of the pandemic in
April.
Since the start of the pandemic, 9 Million Reasons has helped 512,863 families
or 1,641,131 people (which equals 15,385,890 pounds of food, or 12,821,575
meals) furnish their dinner tables and relieve some pressure from their much
burdened lives, in New York City, Yonkers, Long Island and parts of New
Jersey.
In addition to fighting against food insecurity, 9 Million Reasons actively
cares for those struggling with another urgent matter in our neighborhood,
homelessness, as most hotels in Long Island City have been turned into
shelters. 9 Million Reasons’ homeless outreach program includes providing
people in need with warm winter clothes, among other essentials. 9 Million
Reasons cannot achieve these great milestones without the support from
generous individuals and organizations - so, we kindly ask you, within your
domain, to join our mission. One way you can support our mission is by
donating winter garments in good condition, such as scarves, coats, sweaters,
hats, gloves, and winter boots. To make a donation, please drop off your
donated items with the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association. If you’d like to
make a monetary donation to 9 Million Reasons,
please visit our gofundme page to donate. Should you desire to join our effort through volunteering,
please visit or Eventbrite page.
We are forever grateful for your continued generosity, especially during these
trying times.
Last May, I spoke with RIDA's Wendy Hersh and Evangel's Carolyn Marko about their collaboration to help feed needy Roosevelt Island residents.
If you have any winter clothing to donate, please consider dropping it off at the Senior Center outdoor garden (546 Main Street) on Wednesday and Friday mornings for the 9 Million Reasons homeless ourtreach program.
The
Roosevelt Island Garden Club
and Haki Compost Collective joined together last week to help residents recycle
their Christmas Holiday Trees and avoid adding the trees to landfill. Residents
were able to bring their trees to the Garden Club entrance or the Saturday Haki Compost Food Scrap drop off site as these 2 young people (Leire & Itziar)
did.
The dust has settled on our Christmas-tree-rescue operation and the numbers are in... This year, we recycled 61 trees, just about double what island volunteers managed to keep out of landfill last year. Not to mention the inspiring number of Roosevelt Islanders seen carting their own trees to a drop-off site, both by car and by bike.
Throughout the week, Roosevelt Island Garden Club and Haki volunteers made the neighborhood rounds, snagging as many trees as we could find while residents brought their own trees to the garden and food scrap drop-off site. Saturday became a carting bonanza as we took all 61 trees to two different @NYCParks #Mulchfest locations, an active chipping site in Astoria Park and a quieter drop-off at Queensbridge Park.
A huge thank you to @jf.lindentree from RIGC for being the driving force of this initiative, literally and figuratively. With just a handful of dedicated individuals, we can make holiday magic happen throughout the year. Here’s to smashing our own records again next season!
You can continue to bring your food scraps to the Haki Compost Collective drop off site every Saturday at the Farmers Market next to the Motorgate Garage
As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced a Covid-19 Test site will open in the former Roosevelt Island NY Public Library space later this month. The Roosevelt Island Covid -19 Test Provider, Swift Emergency Care, listed a job available at the facility on the Indeed website.
New Yorkers age 65 or older are now eligible for the
#COVID19
vaccine! To learn more or to find out where to get vaccinated, visit
https://t.co/CwLXzcCWDH.
The
#COVID19
vaccine MUST get to some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers — especially our
senior citizens.
We’re launching a citywide outreach effort to
ensure New Yorkers 65 and older can access the free, safe, and easy vaccine.
Hope is here.
#NYCVaccineForAllpic.twitter.com/Sk6yc9hojb
The Vaccine Finder is a one-stop site for New Yorkers to find their nearest
COVID-19 vaccination site. The Vaccine Finder can also provide New Yorkers
with information to schedule vaccination appointments.
To get started, type
in an address, zip code or search “near me” to find a list of nearby
provider locations, links and phone numbers you can use to schedule your
appointment at each location....
But many Roosevelt Island elderly and disabled residents are not able to reach
vaccination locations off the Island.
Can't Resnick, or Duane Reade, or Foodtown, or one of the hospitals, be set
up for this?
Today, Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA) Vice President Nancy Brown
asked for a Covid -19 Vaccination site to be placed on Roosevelt Island.
As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced a Covid-19 Test site will open in the former Roosevelt Island NY Public Library space later this month.
The vaccine is the weapon that will win the war on COVID-19 and we must move quickly & efficiently to get New Yorkers vaccinated as soon as eligible. Meanwhile, rapid testing will control the spread. RIOC is currently working to bring rapid testing to the RI community & beyond.
UPDATE 1/13 - Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney wrote to Mayor deBlasio today supporting a Covid 19 vaccinaiton site on Roosevelt Island. Here's the letter:
Dear Mayor De Blasio:
I write to thank you for your hard work in overseeing the coronavirus vaccination effort in New York City and ensuring that the process is efficient, comprehensive, and equitable. I urge you to further improve access for our elderly and disabled residents by adding a vaccination site on Roosevelt Island.
As you are aware, there are approximately 11,500 New Yorkers living on Roosevelt Island, including a significant number of elderly and disabled residents. These constituents are part of the high-risk demographic for severe outcomes should they contract COVID-19, and they do not currently have access to a convenient vaccination site. The closest vaccination site to Roosevelt Island is in Vernon Boulevard, Queens - over a mile away from most of Roosevelt Island’s residential areas. Seniors and people with disabilities who travel to the nearest vaccination site in Queens must face the risk of exposure to COVID-19 through travel and disproportionate physical difficulties in getting to distant vaccination sites, necessitating a closer location.
I believe that vaccine distribution should be easy, accessible, and free for all. For those reasons, I strongly encourage you to add a vaccination site on Roosevelt Island to service Roosevelt Island residents, including seniors and disabled populations, many of whom are veterans. Including a vaccination distribution site on Roosevelt Island is a vital step towards achieving this goal and to ensuring an equitable rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your leadership in New York City’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
was closed today to investigate mulitple positive Covid 19 test results within
the last 7 days which:
... may have exposed others while at school...
A PS/IS 217 representative reported today:
Due to multiple confirmed cases, our school building will remain closed
through 1/20/2021, and all teaching and learning will continue remotely. Staff
and students may return to school on 1/21/2021.
Blended K-5 students will receive synchronous instruction on their in-school
day. You will receive more information from your child's teachers....
PS/IS 217 Principal Mandana Beckman sent this letter to the school community.
According to the
NYC Department of Health, the Roosevelt Island zip code 10044 most recent 7 day Covid 19 reporting
data for January 2 - January 8 shows of 558 people tested, 27 were positive
for a 4.84% positive rate
Occasionally homeless people find their way to community spaces on Roosevelt Island. It is so easy for people in NY to get into these situations. It has been said that many of us are one or two hard times away from homelessness. A job loss, loss of medical insurance, added expenses, perhaps a serious illness.
I often wish there was something I could suggest to people in these circumstances. Now, maybe there is. City Council Member Ben Kallos, who has for years volunteered in the January 27 street homeless count, reports that a safe haven is proposed for 419 E 91 Street. The mission is to give individuals living on the street safe housing while they get social services and assistance finding long term housing.
This Wednesday at 6:30, Goddard Riverside and the NYC Department of Homeless Services will present to the community board 8 health, seniors and Social Services committee in a zoom meeting.
Last Friday,
Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217
Principal Mandana Beckman informed parents of students that two or more members
of the school community tested positive for Covid-19 within 7 days of each other
resulting in the school building closing for 24 hours on Monday, January 11 to
investigate.
Today, Ms Beckman sent an update adding that others may have been
exposed at the school. According to excerpts from Ms Beckman's January 10 letter
(full letter below)
Subject: Confirmed Case of COVID-19, close contacts quarantined
Dear P.S./I.S. 217 Roosevelt Island at 645 MAIN STREET Community: The NYC
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the NYC Test + Trace Corps
(T2) have determined that a member of our school community has tested
positive for COVID-19, and may have exposed others while at school...
Below are full copies of Principal Beckman's letters.
If a business offers an appealing and desirable product on Roosevelt Island,
residents will come out and spend money for quality offerings, even if
they have to stand on a long line in frigid temperatures.
That's what happened this afternoon as the
Cousins Main Lobster Food Truck
made an unexpected arrival at Roosevelt Island's Good Shepherd Plaza.
Unfortunately, about 45 minutes after the Food Truck began serving hungry
residents, the
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp
(RIOC)
Public Safety Department ordered the Food Truck to shut down and leave Roosevelt Island.
So they were forced to leave Roosevelt Island and set up on Vernon B'lvd in
Long Island City near the Roosevelt Island Bridge. Many frustrated and
disappointed Roosevelt Island residents waiting on line said they would follow
the Truck to Long Island City to order some food.
Matt Katz was the last resident to buy from the Cousins Main Lobster Food
Truck before they were shut down. Mr Katz wrote to RIOC Acting President
Shelton Haynes this afternoon:
I'm writing regarding an old problem that has reasserted itself. I learned
that there was a food truck, Cousins Maine Lobster, parked in front of the
Good Shepherd Plaza today. Not surprising, the line to take advantage of
this new treat stretched halfway down the block despite the cold weather and
bitter winds blowing off the river. As my wife and I finished receiving our
order, two Public Safety officers came over and told them to close up shop
as they didn't have RIOC permits. This has got to stop.
Many food trucks, providing foods not found in our few groceries or even
fewer restaurants, have left, unwilling to pay a second fee to RIOC despite
having already paid for a City permit. Roosevelt Island is, after all, owned
by New York City and only leased to the State for 99 years. City permits
should be sufficient for them to do business here. And further, RIOC needs
to live up to its designation as a "public benefit corporation" and find
more and better ways to serve Roosevelt Islanders. Chasing away food trucks
does not satisfy this requirement. The dozens of my neighbors willing to
brave the elements so as to buy a lobster roll (delicious!) should be
accommodated, not thwarted, by RIOC regulations. You can certainly afford
the piddling loss of revenue. ...
Could food trucks be offered a warning on the first day together with an
application for them to complete on site so that they can return the following
day or following week?
RIOC Acting Presdident Haynes replied to Mr Katz:
Good afternoon everyone,
Thank you for your email Mr. Katz. After looking into this matter, I was
informed that our Public Safety team responded to a complaint regarding a
food vendor blocking a fire hydrant.
The vendor presented PSD with a NYC permit, which is not applicable on R.I.
as we have a separate process from NYC. We are certainly open to exploring
the option of modifying our permit approval process when NYC permits are in
place while taking into consideration other factors like vendor location,
line monitoring and traffic control before approval.
Our team will work with this vendor to secure a permit and invite them back
to vend on the island.
Mr Haynes also replied to Mr Kallos:
We will explore all options as we examine our current permit process. Our team
is willing to work with any vendor to help expedite the approval process and
ensure that we have special locations in place for them. The ultimate goal is
to attract more vendors to Roosevelt Island and we feel that we can accomplish
that.
How tasty were the Lobster Rolls? Vicki Feinmel was one of the few lucky
residents who ordered
before the Food Truck was shut down and told me:
The food was delicious.
Matt Katz agreed reporting:
Having braved the bitter cold and long line in front of the Good Shepherd
Plaza, Sherie and I placed and received our order quickly. We scooted home
to sample our now-revised lunch.
We ordered two lobster rolls, a Maine (with mayonnaise) and a Connecticut
(with butter and lemon) that came to a total of just over $40. The rolls
were smallish but crammed with lobster and absolutely delicious.
I speak as one who has celebrated every birthday for 35 years with a lobster
dinner (I give my lobsters names, usually Hortense if they are
female).
I hope RIOC will have the good sense not to chase these folks off the Island
and that Cousins Maine Lobster will be impressed with our enthusiasm and
return on a regular basis.
Marquee Sports Network today announced the hiring of Jon “Boog” Sciambi as the
Chicago Cubs television play-by-play announcer. Sciambi has served in numerous
roles with ESPN since joining the network fulltime in 2010, most prominently
as the voice of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball for MLB on ESPN Radio, and as the
regular play-by-play voice on Wednesday Night Baseball telecasts for ESPN
since 2014. ...
For those who grew up on Roosevelt Island, it was just like being back in
Little League.
They were playing ball with their friends at Tony Capobianco Field, the park
they grew up playing at. They still talked to friends and family through the
fence as they waited for their turn to bat. If they shanked a foul ball down
the first base line, with some luck they could see the ball splash into the
East River. The only difference was why they were there.
The Fourth Annual Tim Sheehy Softball Classic was this past Saturday, and
was the second half of a week of fundraising efforts by Project Main St. and
Team Gleason. The two organizations seek to improve the quality of life for
individuals living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly
referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease....
and learn about Project Main Street's Roosevelt Island origins from this
podcast interview
with Jon Sciambi.
Congrats again to Roosevelt Islander Jon "Boog" Sciambi,
According to the MTA, Roosevelt Island F Train service to and from Manhattan will be replaced by
the E Train this weekend between 21st Queensbridge and Delancey Street.
17- The trains are cleaner than they’ve ever been, thanks to our enhanced disinfecting regimen.
Watch how we use state-of-the-art technology to keep our system clean and safe. pic.twitter.com/WRae6VMHo6
According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
While we continue to follow social distancing and align our operations with
New York Forward guidance, we also continue to incrementally increase the
number of passengers permitted on the Tram. Tram capacity will increase on
Sunday, November 1st, from 20 to 35 passengers per cabin, and we will
continue to assess and gradually increase in phases.
We understand the need for this mode of transportation, however, the health
and safety of our riders and operators are our priority. We appreciate your
cooperation.
Due to an elevator service outage at the Manhattan Tram Station, the RIOC Red
Bus will provide special shuttle service to and from Manhattan for those with
limited mobility. Schedule information is below:
ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO MANHATTAN
Departs hourly from the Tramway, making all Northbound local stops to
Capobianco Field (opposite PS/IS 217). The first trip will depart at 11 AM.
Last trip will be at 7 PM.
MANHATTAN TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND
Departs on the half hour from the Southwest side of 2nd Avenue, between 58th
& 59th Street and will make all Southbound local bus stops (starting
with 591 Main Street) to the Tramway. The last trip will depart Manhattan at
7:30 PM. Please note, that there is no shuttle bus service from 3 PM – 4 PM
daily.
The Tram Shuttle will run seven days a week until further notice.
2:35pm: "We are watching an attempt at sedition. We are watching an
attempt at a bloodless coup in the U.S. Trump supporters stopping the
constitutional process, the counting of electors. The mayor has invoked a
6pm curfew. More police reinforcements are coming to Capitol Hill."
pic.twitter.com/W4gO1ooc0M
A Trump supporter carries a Confederate battle flag on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol near the entrance to the Senate, as a mob breached the building Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/u2MPKffapr
Every single BLM argument about white privilege and double standards in law
enforcement is being validated in real time right now, as the world watches.
This is a sad day for America. It exposes for all to see the reckless selfishness of President Trump and the cynicism of elected Republicans, who defended his unconstitutional effort to cling to power. They have shamed our country, and delighted our enemies.
Trump well knows that the violent insurrectionists who attacked Congress are his people, even as his media claque pretends to be in doubt. https://t.co/0GlxY09fdn
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Shelton Haynes presented his President's Report to the community during the December 29 Board of Directors Meeting, Mr Haynes announced RIOC plans to engage in public conversations this month on Bike lane/safety/signage issues and will reach out to local community groups on a monthly basis for feedback on a variety of RIOC initiatives.
Mr Haynes also reported:
RIOC reached an agreement with Wildlife Freedom Foundation on the Cat Sanctuaries.
Tram Elevator will be out of service for another couple of weeks, a Red Bus Shuttle will be in service to and from Manhattan
A free, rapid Covid 19 Test Site at the former NY Public Library site will be open this month
Tram elevator out of service for another couple of weeks, red bus shuttle will be in service to and from Manhattan
New Youth Center failed FDNY elevator inspection, should be completed by end of January
A month or two delay in Manhattan Tram Elevator project due to Covid 19 and obtaining parts from Europe
FDR Hope Memorial unveiling soon weather and social distancing permitting
McManus Comfort Station should be done this sprin
Here's the full President's Report from Mr Haynes.
Do you have a non-profit, community event to add to our calendar? If so, Click Here.
WELCOME TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND
Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
