Operated by Constellation Culinary Group, The
Café @ Cornell Tech
brings to Roosevelt Island tasty and hearty options for breakfast, and lunch.
This bright and sunny café offers a chance to start the day off with a strong
cup of Parliament Coffee or Espresso. Breakfast options ranging from
croissants and muffins to eggs and pancakes. For lunch, sandwiches, salads,
personal gluten free crust pizzas/flat-breads, soups, bowls and hot entrees.
The Café is proud to serve offerings from Cornell Dairy in case you want to
grab a pint of their ice cream for the road.
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8AM – 7PM
Saturday & Sunday 11AM-5PM
**Menu Subject To Change Based On Availability and Seasonality**
Check out this week's Cafe @ Cornell Tech Weekly Menu
As we welcome 5783, and start our 2022 - 23 year, you are invited to join Rabbi Joel and the RIJC to celebrate, rejoice, and reflect on the New Year with friends, family, and neighbors, long-timers and newcomers alike.
We’ve been welcoming the New Year here on Roosevelt Island for over 40 years.
We will celebrate Rosh Hashanah a little differently this year, as we will not be in our usual space in the Cultural Center, but rather in the Rivercross Community Room, 531 Main Street, where we have met many times before, as well as outdoors too.
We appreciate your RSVP to us in advance if possible, so we can plan appropriately for both in-person and remote participation. With regard to up-to-the-minute Covid requirements and guidance, the Honor System will prevail for indoors — if you are vaccinated & boosted, masks/face coverings are optional; if you are not, they are required.
Our Yom Kippur information for October 4 & 5 will be available early next week.
We look forward to seeing you in just a few days. Suggestions & Questions are always welcome.
ROSH HASHANAH
*** FIRST NIGHT: Sunday, September 25th, 6:30 pm -
Outdoors, By the Picnic Tables & Benches by Good Shepherd Chapel
Welcoming Meet & Greet
Opening Evening Services / Evening Prayers with Rabbi Joel
Kiddush
Apples and Honey
(In case of rain, we will be in the Rivercross Community Room, 531 Main Street,
just south of the Chapel & Tables)
*** FIRST DAY: Monday, September 26th, Rivercross Community Room / 531 Main
9:30 am — Morning Services, led by Rabbi Joel
11:00 am — Children’s Service, led by Amber Levanon Seligson, 531 Main Street
1:00 pm — Families’ Meet-up, Discussion & Conversation with Rabbi Joel
2:00 pm — Tashlich, outdoors, at the Meditation Steps
(Just south of Rivercross, facing west)
An online petition to
"Save Firefghters Field"
was started yesterday by Roosevelt Island residents seeking to stop a proposed
plan by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) to place a temporary Southtown dog run in a portion of Firefighters
Field.
The current Southtown Dog run
is located next to Firefighters Field but needs a new location because it is
scheduled to be removed soon due to construction of Hudson Related Building 9
which is expected to begin in the Fall.
To RIOC and All those Who Represent Our Island Community:
We are members of the Roosevelt Island community who are concerned with
RIOC’s abrupt decision to scrap their plan to put a “temporary” dog park
beside the ferry landing. The new plan, only recently announced with
intentions to start work immediately, to relocate said temporary dog park in
a field allocated for sports and recreation, namely Firefighter Field,
leaves the community in the lurch. Firefighters Field is used for organized
youth sports such as soccer and baseball, as well as adult sports like
volleyball and softball, ultimate frisbee, and informal games of catch, to
name a few uses. It is also the sight of the annual community Easter Egg
Hunt, and a place where schools and youth groups hold games games and field
days.
While we acknowledge and support the need for better dog parks on the
island, it is illogical to take away an existing sports field, and the only
such one in Southtown, for this purpose. Children’s mental health has
suffered enough during the pandemic, when yellow tape went up on the fields
and playgrounds and human use of these spaces was prohibited. We are finally
getting some normalcy back, and parents are relieved to see the joy return
to their children’s lives.
We demand a better solution that dog owners and families can all feel good
about. As yet another building goes up, the need to preserve the open space
we have left becomes all the more urgent. Please, stick to the plan you
announced last May for the ferry location under the bridge, or else find a
more viable alternative that the whole community can live with.
Yesterday, I asked if RIOC had any comment on the Save Firefighters Field
Petition.
RIOC Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal replied today:
Currently RIOC is finalizing plans that will be released next week for a full
update on the temporary relocation of the dog park and plans to construct the
historic new dog park.
I followed up asking RIOC:
What is the reason for the temporary dog run not to be located in area near
the Ferry Dock as originally stated by Shelton?
I’m told it is because the soil in the area was found to be contaminated? Is
that true? Were soil tests done? What type of contaminants were found?
Also, has the Roosevelt Island community of parents, kids, dog owners and
Firefighters Field users been consulted and provided feedback regarding Rioc
plans for the Dog Run?
Before Covid, I started a series of live storytelling events called The Meth. When Covid hit, I had to put The Meth on pause and now it's back....The Meth is back!
Please join me, Greg and Tara on Saturday September 24th, as The Meth comes to Astoria at the Archdiocesan Hellenic Cultural Center located at 27-09 Crescent Street, Astoria, NY 11102
Roosevelt Island Garden Club
(RIGC) member Julia Ferguson reports on a new community planting project taking place at
the Cherry Tree Grove on the East River waterfront promenade across from the Rivewalk
Commons.
According to Ms Ferguson:
RIGC has been working on a collaborative community outreach program. The focus
of the outreach series is Roosevelt Island as an Ecosystem in which soil,
climate, water, and plants, trees and landscape interact with humans, animals,
insects, birds to sustain life on our little urban island.
Learning about how ecosystems work with specific
examples, and planting native plants to provide habitats for beneficial
insects and
Bring beauty to the island, and increase biodiversity....
I spoke with RIGC members Julia Ferguson and Jack Burkhalter earlier this summer as they were working on the Cherry Tree Grove planting to learn more about the project and their future Roosevelt Island Ecosystem collaborative plans.
Contact rigardenclub@gmail.com
if you are interested in volunteering for the fall planting at this
site.
Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Community Emergency Committee Chair Frank Farance reports:
RIRA Community Emergency Committee meeting on Preparedness,
Flooding, and Climate Change webinar Thursday September 22
2012 Hurricane Sandy Flooding Near Coler Hospital on Roosevelt Island
Long time community activist and RIRA member Frank Farance presents
his monthly talk on Roosevelt Island emergency preparedness. Since
April 2021, I have been providing a monthly presentation on the 4th
Thursday each month at 8-9 PM. Each month address a different
topic, including seasonal hazards and preparedness. This month's
topics include
Specific Actions for: Government, Community, Organizations,
Housing, Individuals
Closing, Q&A
Flooding if a Category 2 storm were to hit Roosevelt
Island
Frank Farance is a supervisor in the American Red Cross of Greater
New York, Disaster Action Team (DAT), which has responded to fires
on Roosevelt Island. He is also a National Weather Service Weather
Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador. He is a graduate of FEMA's National
Emergency Management Advanced Academy (NEMAA) and he is highly
trained in many areas of emergency management.
Under a preliminary plan for NYC Council redistricting, Roosevelt Island and a
sliver of the Upper East Side will be moved from NYC Council District 5 in
Manhattan currently represented by Julie Menin to NYC Council District 26 in
Queens currently represented by Julie Won....
During the
Four Freedoms Democratic Club September 14
meeting held at the Sanctuary Events/Cafe on Roosevelt Island,
NYC Council Member Julie Menin
was asked about the status of the
NYC Council redistricting plan. Ms Menin said that the new redistricting maps would be released on September
22 and that District 5 would lose some part of the current district. Ms Menin
did not know what portion of her district would be lost.
Yesterday, the the NY Times Twitterverse reported:
Do new redistricting maps show Roosevelt Island remains in Manhattan CD 5
with
@JulieMenin
or move to Queens CD26
@juliej_won
Takeaways of New City Council Map Set to Pass Redistricting Commissionhttps://t.co/UpAL4TEUkz
My latest w.
@samarkhurshid, in which we reveal the fate of Hell's Kitchen, southern Brooklyn, the
UES, Roosevelt Is., the Kingsbridge Armory, and more in the draft map.
@GothamGazette
This morning, I asked Council Member Julie Menin if she had any new info on
the proposed NYC Council redistricting. Ms Menin replied:
I am going to reserve full comment for when the official maps are released
Thursday, but I am thrilled that this leaked map restores Roosevelt Island,
Sutton Place, and the Upper East Side to Council District 5.
I testified in front of the Commission strongly advocating that they restore
these areas to a Manhattan-based District and keep communities of interest
intact. It is so important that community voices and input be heard in this
process and my district came out in full force on this issue to make their
voices heard.
We are still are waiting for the map to drop tomorrow to confirm the
information from the Gotham Gazette, but as of now we believe Roosevelt
Island has been restored. The Council Members have not seen the map yet from
the Districting Commission.
The New York Districting Commission votes to release revised maps for the 51
City Council districts at a hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting. Meeting will be
available for viewing live on Commission website at
nyc.gov/districting.
WHERE 22 Reade Street, first floor, NY, NY 10007
WHEN Thursday, Sept. 22, 11 a.m.
We shall see tomorrow if the new redistricting map shows Roosevelt Island
starying in Manhattan Council District 5 or moving to a Queens Council District.
The Districting Commission will publish the second draft of maps Thursday
morning, and they undo most of the major changes from July’s first draft ...
but expect a third draft. “The chance we accept it wholeheartedly without
changes is close to zero.”https://t.co/vb4a663xZL
During the September 14 Four Freedoms Democratic Club meeting on Roosevelt
Island, Ms Menin also talked about:
NYC Council Universal Child care legislation she introduced,
$21 million she brought back into District 5 and
the need for affordable housing which may require approving taller building
than previously allowed in the Upper East Side district, among other
issues.
UPDATE 9/22 - Roosevelt Island resident and founder of the local Main Street
Dems political club Joyce Short organized community efforts to keep
Roosevelt Island in a Manhattan City Council District. Ms Short said last evening:
Roosevelt Islanders truly rose to the occasion, producing more comments
to the Districting Committee than any other area of NYC.
A big thanks to
Lynne Shinozaki, Ellen Polivy, and everyone else who pitched in on this
effort!
We're not quite out of the woods yet... or should I say "out of
Queens yet?"
City Council will either vote "yay" or "nay" to the new
map created by the Districting Commission tomorrow, 9/22.
But in light
of the overwhelming opposition we produced, it's unlikely that the issue
will be revisited, even if City Council turns down the new ACCmap. Stay
tuned, however. It's not over 'til it's over!
UPDATE 12:15 PM - Back to the drawing board for redistricting maps.
"We will reconvene to discuss our next steps," Districting Commission Chair Dennis Walcott says, noting that the new draft map will not be sent to the City Council as it would have if approved.
... The commission will now work on a new map of Council districts, which it must pass to present to the current Council for approval or rejection with notes. If the Council approves the map, it goes into effect for next year’s elections, where all 51 Council seats are on the ballot. If it rejects the maps, the commission must take its feedback into account, hold additional public hearings, and then pass a final map without any outside approval needed. The deadline when the final maps are due is December 7....
The Chabad Of Roosevelt Island invite you to Rosh Hashanah services Sunday September 25 - Tuesday September 27 and Yom Kippur services Tuesday October 4-5 at the Roosevelt Island Cultural Center (548 Main Street).
All programs will be held at the Cultural Center. The Small Studio, 548 Main Street unless otherwise noted). For more info: Chabad of Roosevelt Island.
Nechama Duchman adds:
We are having a round Challah Bake for women and girls - traditional Rosh Hashanah foods
Shana Tova, have a happy and sweet New Year - 5783.
September 12, 2022, marks the second anniversary of Haki Compost Collective’s
community-driven management of Roosevelt Island’s food scrap drop-off site
(FSDO).
Of course, composting has a much longer history on Roosevelt Island. Thanks
to the efforts of a few dedicated community members and a partnership with
local compost processor @BigReuse, our neighborhood has touted green bins
for food scrap collection since 2015. In that time, Roosevelt Islanders have
prevented a whopping 251,907 lb of organic waste from going to landfill.
In 2020, however, both the COVID-19 shutdown and the growth of community
spirit around composting necessitated a new form for the Roosevelt Island
FSDO, and Haki Compost Collective was born. Today, our neighborhood FSDO is
a vibrant community hotspot anchored by a team of local volunteers. Not only
is our FSDO a place to participate in sustainable practices, it’s also a
place to gather, connect with each other, and learn about and engage with
the world around us.
Thank you to all who have made Haki the beautiful web of people, action, and
memories it has become. Cheers to two years of community in compost!
A community-led
initiative, Haki Compost Collective has diverted over 100,000 pounds of food
scraps from landfills in just 2 years. ✅https://t.co/HiQflyU9EU
Roosevelt Islander, Dawit Kiflemariam, wrote this article to inspire other
neighborhoods to start a compost collective like Haki did.
Dawit was one of the original idea people behind the creation of Haki
Compost Collective during the pandemic when budget cuts halted the Food
Scrap Drop-Off program citywide. He now works at NWF.
Also, please take this short 1 minute survey created by the Haki Compost
Collective so we can better serve our community.
The link to the survey is here.
You can bring your food scraps to the Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Food Scrap
Drop Off Site every Saturday morning to mid-afternoon next to the Farmers
Market behind the Good Shepherd Church.
In June 2021, Haki Compost volunteer and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico
described Haki's compost activities to a visiting group of
Big Reuse Compost Bike Tour riders.
was in bad shape one evening last week. Lethargic and non responsive. I took her to an emergency room in Manhattan where she was diagnosed as having ingested marijuana. The Vet said Maggie was the third dog to present with that syndrome that day.
I have long noted the ugly presence of cigarette butts all over our Roosevelt Island. I have also noted they are mostly filtered. The Vet explained that marijuana paper is quite thin, as opposed to the filters left over from tobacco, and when the butt is stepped on it rips, exposing the remaining weed.
Since Maggie's illness I have spotted what looked like the remnants of weed paper on the Main St. sidewalk and the East Promenade.
I believe this is a very serious problem and will get worse as pot smoking increases. It seems that our canine population is also increasing.
All dog owners must be warned and vigilant.
UPDATE 9/20 - Here's August 16, 2022 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee meeting discussion with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Chief Kevin Brown on Marijuana smoking.
The New York City Department of Transportation today released its list of 2022
Gridlock Alert Days, which will include the week of United Nations General
Assembly (September 19th to September 23rd). Drivers should expect extensive
street closures and delays across Manhattan for the duration of next week,
when DOT strongly recommends that drivers use alternative travel modes.
"As the end of the year approaches, we know the exact days when we expect
our streets will see the most traffic and unwelcome congestion,” said DOT
Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "New York is proud to host the United Nations
and welcome delegations from so many nations, and during next week’s UN
General Assembly, we are letting New Yorkers know the key to avoiding the
congestion next week is to try walking, mass transit, or riding a bicycle to
get to their destination.”...
Due to the proximity of Roosevelt Island to the United Nations, security
precautions during the UN General Assembly Session means the diversion of
all East River boat traffic to the Roosevelt Island East Channel Queens side
with heavily armed Coast Guard and NYPD vessels patrolling the East River.
For Roosevelt Island residents, the diversion of all East River Boat traffic to the East Channel means intermittent closings of the Roosevelt Island Bridge
causing traffic delays
getting on and off Roosevelt Island so that recreational boats can pass under the Bridge.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) issued this advisory today:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will take place from Sunday, September 18th through Saturday, September 24th.
During this time, the Roosevelt Island Bridge will open on demand from 6
AM to 8 PM. Please be advised that each opening should take anywhere
from 10 to 15 minutes to be completed.
As a reminder, during the opening and lowering of the Roosevelt Island Bridge, some delays may occur.
Every year during UN General Assembly week, residents have expressed concern about the intermittent Roosevelt Island Bridge closings potentially preventing emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks
from getting on and off Roosevelt Island. In the past, an ambulance was stationed on Roosevelt Island during UN Week but there was no mention by RIOC in their advisory
about any emergency precautions being taken this week.
During a 2021 RIOC Public Safety Department Emergency Preparedness workshop, Chief Kevin Brown and Deputy Chief Anthony Amoroso described safety precautions undertaken for the opening and closing of the Roosevelt Island Bridge during UN General Assembly Week.
Are these same safety precautions being implemented this year?
East River boat traffic diverted to Queens Side of Roosevelt Island During United Nations General Assembly Week for security precautions. RI Bridge raised to allow recreational boat to pass underneath causing traffic RI delays. https://t.co/UBBx5c6FT5pic.twitter.com/zY909Dgae4
Here's the Roosevelt Island Bridge being lowered today after sailboat passed underneath. It took about 4 1/2 minutes for the Bridge to be lowered into place and traffic to proceed. The video is at double speed taking a little bit more than 2 minutes.
Welcome to Roosevelt Island's local, hometown
Fusion Salon located
at 523 Main Street (212-688-0055).
Our mission has always been to provide exceptional
hair care services for men, women and
children in a safe, modern, relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We provide the
finest selection of
professional hair care products – We
are a Certified Concept Salon featuring expert Hair Care, Cuts, Styles,
Highlights, Color and Keratin Treatment. Our experienced stylists are dedicated,
well trained professionals who provide our clients with a phenomenal salon
experience that will allow you to always look your best.
At Fusion Salon We have created a warm and friendly family atmosphere where
our aim is to always exceed your expectations and to ensure a safe and
superb experience time and time again.
Our employees regularly take a test for
COVID-19. Our employees will wash hands or sanitize after each client, sanitize
station and chairs after each client.
All our Employees have completed Covid-19 training rules regarding
precautions and safety for everybody.
At Fusion Salon we are always happy to discuss your hair care needs or styling
questions. Ask your stylist which products or treatments are most appropriate
for your type of hair. We appreciate how important your hair is and how it
affects the way you feel.
On the 3rd Friday of September, we observe National POW/MIA Recognition Day
to remember those who were prisoners of war and those who are missing in
action. Learn more about
@dodpaa’s
efforts to locate, recover and identify those who are still missing at
https://t.co/VB6NEJ9hujpic.twitter.com/ObMJtizFxX
... More than 80,000 American service personnel are missing from previous
conflicts and 38,000 are estimated to be recoverable. The Defense POW/MIA
Agency remains relentless in its mission to provide the fullest possible
accounting to their families and the nation, until they're home....
... On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we pledge to seek out answers
for the families of service members still missing in action. We commit to
doing all in our power to identify and recover America’s missing sons and
daughters. And we pay tribute to former prisoners of war — individuals who
exhibited remarkable courage, love of country, and devotion to duty to
protect our Nation’s safety and freedoms.
Today and every day, we fly the iconic black and white flag symbolizing
America’s Prisoners of War and Missing in Action above the White House, at
the United States Capitol, on military bases, at memorials and cemeteries,
and at homes across America. It is a reminder that we have not forgotten the
heroism of our POWs and MIAs and that we still hope for their return. There
is no undertaking more fundamental than the rite of remembrance, and there
is no act more sacred or more American than keeping the faith with those who
have sacrificed so much for our Nation....
The black and white POW/MIA Flag flies every day beneath the American Flag at
the Roosevelt Island Blackwell Flagpole on Main Street.
How did the POW/MIA Flag get raised on Roosevelt Island?
... It was on the initiative of
Roosevelt Island resident Ross Wollen in 2017
with the assistance of former Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal and Director of Transportation Cy Opperman. Mr.
Wollen, a resident of Rivercross for almost 40 years, graduated from the US
Military Academy at West Point NY in 1965.Over the years Mr. Wollen has
hosted West Point Cadets and his Classmates on Roosevelt Island as they
visit NYC for various events and reunions.
Among his frequent guests is Robert Jones, a West Point Classmate and good
friend who joined the US Air Force as a Fighter Pilot upon graduation, and
like almost all of the members of the 1965 Class spent time in the Viet Nam
War several years after leaving the Academy. Mr. Jones was shot down over
North Viet Nam close to his final mission, severely injured, captured and
spent over five years in captivity, as a POW at various prison camps
including the infamous Hanoi Hilton. There he was quartered, when not in
solitary confinement or being privately tortured, with the Navy pilot,
former Senator John McCain.
Mr. Wollen wished to recognize and honor the service of his friend and West
Point classmate, Robert Jones. According to Mr. Wollen in 2017:
It was in connection with Bob Jones latest visit to Roosevelt Island that
RIOC was kind enough to add the POW-MIA Flag to the Main Street
Round-a-Bout, just under Old Glory, as it flies all over the Country.
Mr. Wollen often tells of Classmate Bob's then deadly serious but now
delightful story of his interrogation by North Vietnamese captors. Jones was
required at gun point to name his unit's several commanders and realizing he
would be tested over and over so could not just make up names he couldn't
remember, Jones volunteered the NY Yankee line up with which he was very
familiar as a young New Jersey fan and having pitched against the Yankees when
they played against Army at West Point in a pre-season exhibition game. Jones
was challenged days later and specifically asked by a North Vietnamese
interrogator the spelling of Jones' Flight Commander. Jones spelled out his
Flight Commander - Yogi Berra. Yogi loved it when told the story in the
1990's.
Here's Mr.Wollen, Mr Jones and their West Point Classmate, US Marine Reg
Dryzga
Image Of Ross Wollen, Bob Jones & Reg Dryzga From Left
To Right
at the Roosevelt Island Flagpole during a past visit.
describing his experiences as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War and his
internment as as a POW in North Vietnamese prison camps including the Hanoi
Hilton.
Here's an excerpt
from Bob Jones West Point Oral History describing being shot down:
...on the way down I'm looking around, and I look out on the horizon,
and I see this airplane. It's a MIG, and I see a plane through the MiG and
he's turning in on me, and I'm looking and I said this guy's gonna come and
shoot me right out of this parachute, and here he comes. And I don't know if
it was the guy that shot us down or one of the other ones, but he's coming
right at my parachute.
So I'm sitting there thinking, well, we carried side arms. I had a little 38
pistol, and I pull out my 38 pistol, and I'm hanging in the parachute,
and I'm like this. And I'm thinking if this SOB is gonna shoot me, I'm gonna
get some shots off at least here. Well, this little peashooter I got is
gonna go out about 50 feet and do this. This guy's got a 20- millimeter
cannon in his airplane, so not much of a challenge here.
But I'm sitting here like this and I'm thinking, well, I got tracers in my
gun because we put tracers in them because there's very few times that we
thought that you're gonna have a gun battle out there with somebody, but
you're gonna use this gun to signal. If you go in heavy trees or something,
you can signal and the tracer will go through the trees and the rescue
people can find you, so I knew I had tracers in this gun. I had five tracers
in the gun, so I'm thinking, well, if I shoot first, he's gonna see
this so maybe he's not gonna shoot me. I don't know. So I stood there like
this and I think I'm gonna let him fire first and I'm gonna unload this gun
off, whatever. So he goes right over the top of me and he was just kind of
thumbing his nose at me, or whatever, I don't know, but he went flying
by....
Today is POW / MIA Recognition Day. The mission of Defense POW / MIA
Accounting Agency (DPAA) is to provide the fullest possible accounting for
our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
A missing man table, also known as a
fallen comrade table, is a ceremony & memorial set up in honor of
fallen, missing, or imprisoned military service members. The table serves as
the focal point of ceremonial remembrance.
pic.twitter.com/Npc7jtXNt9
Also, watch this fascinating video
from the West Point Oral History of Mr Wollen describing his 1964
student interview with President Dwight Eisenhower among other
highlights
According to the MTA, there is no Roosevelt Island F Train service to Manhattan this weekend. Alternatively, you can take a Roosevelt Island Queens bound F train to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave and then switch to a Manhattan bound F train. It's about a 10-12 minute ride from Roosevelt Island to Roosevelt Ave.
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.
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