Things To Do This Weekend in New York City and Roosevelt Island - Moonlight Bike Tour, Holiday Train Show W/Thomas the Tank Engine, Van Gogh & RI Tour

You Tube Video of NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show from David Hartman and PBS

Looking for fun things to do on Roosevelt Island or in some other part of New York City this first weekend of 2009? Here are some suggestions.

Free NYC recommends a moonlight bike ride later tonight through Central Park with Time's Up. According to the group:

This is a fun, relaxing auto-free ride through Central Park. Enjoy the tranquillity of the park & its beautiful ponds & waterways: a nature lover's dream. Totally safe. Bike guides front & rear.

Meet at 10 p.m., Columbus Circle (SW corner of Central Park) on the first Friday of the month, every month. (There is also a Prospect Park Moonlight Ride.)

The ride moves at a very leisurely pace with a few stops to enjoy the scenery. We usually finish before midnight, back at Columbus Circle. Total mileage is under 10 miles. We do not require lights (although if you have them you should bring them), and any kind of bike will work.

Sometime this weekend, try to visit the Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night exhibition before it closes on January 5 at the Museum of Modern Art. Writing about the Van Gogh exhibit, The Smithsonian Magazine says:

... What van Gogh fixed on, by daylight or at night, gave the world many of its most treasured paintings. His 1888 Sunflowers, says critic Robert Hughes, "remains much the most popular still life in the history of art, the botanical answer to the Mona Lisa." And van Gogh's visionary landscape The Starry Night, done the next year, has long ranked as the most popular painting at New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This inspired the museum, in collaboration with Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, to mount the exhibition "Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night" (through January 5, 2009). It will then travel to the Van Gogh Museum (February 13-June 7, 2009)...

Parents can take the kids to have their picture taken with Thomas the Tank Engine at the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show this weekend. According to the NY Post:

CHOO-CHOOSE THE BRONX

Trains - All weekend!

The New York Botanical Garden Train Show chugs along until Jan. 11, but Thomas the Tank Engine rolls into town tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and hangs around only until Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. before continuing down the line. Adults can check out an elaborate miniature train that travels around mini city landmarks (like Yankee Stasdium, above) while kids visit with Thomas, take part in arts and crafts activities and become certified honorary engineers. Adult tickets are $20 and kids 12 and under pay $10. 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard, The Bronx; nybg.org, 718-817-8716

On Roosevelt Island this weekend, the Farmers Market will be open as usual on Saturday as is Gallery RIVAA, the Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association which is exhibiting the Winter of Change group show. Also, RIOC has produced a great self guided tour map (PDF File) of Roosevelt Island for any visitor or resident looking to stroll the Island and learn something more about it.

Good weekend transportation news. The MTA is reporting normal Roosevelt Island F Train subway service in both directions and RIOC is not reporting any Tram service advisories either.

Check out some other ideas on what to do in New York City this weekend from the NY Times Urban Eye, NY Post Weekend Calendar and Newyorkology.

Best Wishes For A Happy and Healthy New Year From Roosevelt Island - Countdown the Seconds With Jim Carey & Party with Southside Johnny And Bruce

You Tube Video of Jim Carrey Celebrating the New Year on David Letterman Show

There's no better way to party out the past year then with a traditional last song from Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes together with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band .

We're havin' a party
Everybody's swinging
Dancing to the music
On the radio
So listen, Mr. DJ
Keep those records playing
'Cause I'm having such a good time
Dancing with my baby

You Tube Video of Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen Having a Party in 1978 - Lyrics are by Sam Cooke.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Reports For December 23 Thru 30 - Burglary, Larceny, Trespass and Theft of Tram Service

Image of burglar stealing television from apartment wiz

RIOC is posting the most current Daily and November Monthly Roosevelt Island Public Safety Incident reports on their web site. Also, available on the RIOC web site is a breakdown of Roosevelt Island Public Safety incidents by location and category for the month of October. Below are the Roosevelt Island Daily Public Safety Reports for December 23 - December 30 2008. Incidents included:

• Burglary - money and jewelry stolen, forced entry (12/23,24)
• Larceny - money missing from apartment (12/24,25)
• Theft of Tram service - adult male using student pass
• Disorderly conduct/Drunken Driving (12/27)
• Three people stuck in subway elevator (12/28)
• Youths throwing rocks at cab (12/28)
• Property Damage to Southpoint MTA substation gate (12/29) and
• Trespass - 6 juveniles and 6 adults in Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings (12/30)
  

12/23/08-7:00 AM to 12/24/08-7:00 AM

Smoke alarm- Burnt food in apt. No injuries or damage. UA notified.

Aided- An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Aided- Child struck with a snow ball by another. Other child fled. EMS refused by mother. Search for child subject yielded negative results.

Criminal Mischief- Hole in the wall. Search for the subject yielded negative results. UA notified.

Alcohol Open Container- Subject arrested by PSD.

Trespassing- In building. 5 subjects and one with illegal substance and all arrested.

Burglary- Signs of forced entry in apt door. Jewelry and money taken. Search for the subject yielded negative results. NYPD responded and report filed.

12/24/08-7:00 AM to 12/25/08-7:00 AM

TRESPASS- PSD AND NYPD RESPONDED FOR SUBJECTS TRESPASSING IN THE BUILDING. PSD ARRESTED FOUR SUBJECTS
FOR TRESPASSING. NYPD ARRESTED SUBJECT FOR POSSESSION OF Marijuana.

BURGLARY- TENANT returned from work and noticed items were missing from apt. Door showed signs of forced entry NYPD AND PSD responded.

AIDED- PORTER cut himself while doing his work. aided was transported to hospital by another coworker.

WATER LEAK- PSD officer responded to apt for water leak. Super corrected the condition.

AIDED- PERSON fell out of a wheelchair. PSD officers responded and assisted aided back in his chair. Refused medical attention.

FOUND PROPERTY- PSD officer found keys in mail box. KEY returned to owner.

WATER LEAK- TENANT reported to psd water leak in apt. SERVICE responded and corrected the condition.

LARCENY- TENANT returned from work and stated he was missing money from his apt . NYPD and PSD responded. No signs of force entry.

12/25/08-7:00 AM to 12/26/08-7:00 AM

Larceny - Tenant reports left apartment secured, upon returning next day unknown subject took money off his desk. NYPD on scene, took report. No sign of force entry.


Aided - PSD Observed EMS in front of building. Female tenant having a possible stroke. EMS transported to the hospital.

Aided - PSD responded for male having a seizure in the hallway. EMS transported to the hospital.

Found Property - Anonymous male walked into PSD with a set of vehicle keys. NYPD on scene did a computer check. Owner was notified and picked up the keys.

Graffiti - Male tenant reports graffiti writing on the 7th floor of Eastwood. PSD Officers responded and observed several doors had graffiti on the doors. PSD Conducted a search for possible subjects with negative results.

12/26/08-7:00 AM to 12/27/08-7:00 AM

Aided- PSD and EMS responded to tenant apartment. Tenant called 911 complaining of severe leg pain. EMS transported to hospital.

Criminal Mischief- PSD receive complaint of graffiti on the 7th floor. Three apartment doors had writing on them, super notified. Search made with negative results.

Theft of Service- PSD officer observed male subject 43yrs old entering tram with a student pass summoned and released.

Arrest- PSD officer observed two male subjects with open containers, subjects became irate and belligerent by flailing his arms. Escorted to PSD summoned and released.

12/27/08-7:00 AM to 12/28/08-7:00 AM

Alcohol/Open Container/Minor/Disorderly Conduct-2 Subjects arrested by PSD.

Aided- An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Disorderly Conduct/ Resisting Arrest/ Unlicenced Operator DWI/Driving Wrong Direction-Subject drove vehicle wrong way and was stopped by PSD. Odor of Alcohol and a beer visable. Subject incoherent and odor of alcohol on breath./ Investigation revealed suspended license. Subject arrested by PSD.

Unsecured Vehicle- In the Garage. No record of the owner per Central Parking. PSD checked the vehicle periodically.

Aided- An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Aided- An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Assault Subject bite male victim. EMS refused. Subject arrested by PSD.

12/28/08-7:00 AM to 12/29/08-7:00 AM

Unsecured Vehicle- In Motorgate garage. No record of the owner. PSD conducted periodic checks of the vehicle.

Property Damage- Blackwell Playground a toddler swing seat on the ground. It was secured in PS D. RIOC notified.

Vehicle Damage- A vehicle parked in the Motorgate garage had damages. Owner believed it was caused by vehicle parked next to it. NYPD refused.

Aided- 3 people stuck in the Subway elevator. FDNY responded and removed them. No injuries and EMS refused.

Found Property- Black purse. It was secured in PSD. Owner notified and retrieved it.

Smoke Alarm- Burnt food in apt. UA notified and porter opened windows in the hallway to air out the smoke. No injuries and no property damage.

Criminal Mischief- Hole in the wall. search for the subject yielded negative results. UA notified.

Retrieved Property- Tenant brought in a Fed Ex package left in the building. owner was notified and retrieved it.

Hazardous Condition- Numerous lights out in Motorgate Garage. Central Parking notified. PSD conducted periodic checks of these areas Levels "6C" and "6D".

Aided- Child fell in apt and sustain pain to hand. EMS transporter her to the Hospital.

Investigation- 3 youths who ran from an area where rocks were thrown to a cab were escorted to PSD. Parents notified and retrieved youths.

Unlawful Poss. of Marijuana- Subject arrested by PSD.

Aided- Adult male accidently cut his foot. EMS responded and he refused transport
to the Hospital.

12/29/08-7:00 AM to 12/30/08-7:00 AM

Vehicle Accident - A parked vehicle has scratches another vehicle parked next to it may have caused it. NYPD notified. Both owners will work it out on their own.

Property Damage - At South Point Park the gate that leads into the MTA substation damaged on the left side. RIOC notified. Unknown what caused it.

Aided - An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Smoke Alarm - Burnt food in apt. No injuries and no property damaged. UA notified.

Investigation- Possible insect problem in apt. Tenant sprayed insecticide causing heavy odor. UA notified and will follow up.

Graffiti - At South Point Park on the circuit Breaker Box. Search for the subject yielded negative results. RIOC notified.

12/30/08-7:00 AM to 12/31/08-7:00 AM

Aided- Female fell and sustained a laceration to left knee. EMS refused. PSD escorted female home.

Aided- An ill person was taken to the Hospital by EMS.

Unsecured Vehicle- In Motorgate Garage. Owner was notified and secured the vehicle.

Trespass- 6 juveniles and 6 Adult subjects in Eastwood. All subjects arrested by PSD. Juveniles were released to their parents.

Report From The Roosevelt Island Obama Health Care Forum - Prioritize Affordable Home Health Care Instead of Hospitalization and Nursing Homes

Roosevelt Island Obama Health Care Forum at the Good Shepherd Community Center

Tom Daschle attended one of last night's Obama Health Care Forums designed to help develop fresh new ideas for improving America's health care system in Dublin Indiana and not the one held last night here on Roosevelt Island. According to the NY Times:

Former Senator Tom Daschle, whom President-elect Barack Obama has called the “lead architect” of the new administration’s efforts to expand health insurance and rein in medical costs, attended a community meeting Monday where he got an earful about expenses that were too high and coverage that was too little....

Had Mr. Daschle attended last night's Roosevelt Island Obama Health Care Forum conducted by Doctor Jack Resnick (one of the rare NYC doctors who still makes neighborhood house calls) he would have seen an extremely informative and well attended meeting that focused primarily on providing affordable home health care as an alternative to hospital and nursing home care for elderly and disabled persons. Dr. Resnick's presentation can be summarized from the video below and his web site, The Roosevelt Doctor.

Independence at Home:
Saving Lives and Resources Through Health Care in the Home

Our health care system is broken. It costs too much and provides low quality care.

It's not enough to fix the financing of the system. We need to make health care better, safer, and more cost-effective.

By moving care out of hospitals and nursing facilities and into the
home, we can improve the quality of care by

• eliminating hospital-acquired infections
• reducing hospital errors
• providing personalized care from one doctor, not a faceless rotation of specialists
  

What do we need to make home care work?

• Physicians with:
  -24/7 availability
  -Intimate, comprehensive knowledge of the patient
  -Immediate access to the patient's database
• Home Health Aides
  -competent, well-paid
  -multi-functional
  -long-term
  
• Exercise/Physical Therapy -- continuous
  
• Providing hospital services at home, such as IVs
  
• Early Family/Caregiver Care Planning
  
• Live Audio/Video connection between doctors and patients

How will the system pay for it? It's cheaper.

• Hospitalization is the largest portion of healthcare cost
• Insurers could easily pay for all of the above services and still save money
• States are going broke paying for nursing home care through Medicaid
  -- we can save money by moving these patients into their own homes

Link:

CBS News reports that:

Through its Web site, the Obama transition team invited Americans to host health-care forums over the holidays. It provided "kits" that included a sample agenda, tips for a moderator and a plea for "particularly poignant stories to illustrate the need for health care reform."

A videographer documented Daschle's trip -- complete with footage of him walking through Indianapolis International Airport -- to post on the transition Web site. Other groups were encouraged to send photos, videos and reports.

I think Dr. Resnick and Roosevelt Island have plenty of "poignant stories to illustrate the need for health care reform" and hope that the Obama Health Care Transition team pays attention.

Deadline for Roosevelt Island Groups to Apply for Public Purpose Funds is January 30, 2009 - Get Those Applications Done!

Pile of Money Image from KR Connect

RIOC's Community Relations Specialist Erica Wilder sends the following message to Roosevelt Island organizations regarding the allocation of Public Purpose Funds.

To all Non-Profit Organizations and Groups on Roosevelt Island:
Please be advised that the next deadline to apply for Public Purpose Funding for the 2009 fiscal year is fast approaching. If you are interested in applying for additional seed money for your current program, please note that the deadline to apply for the Public Purpose Grant will be Friday, January 30th 2009 at 5:00 PM. To obtain a copy of the application, please visit http://www.rioc.com/grants.htm

The application can be downloaded or completed online. Please submit completed application and necessary attachments to the RIOC office located 591 Main Street. If you are an island based program or organization and do not have non-profit status and wish to apply for funding, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Any questions or concerns regarding completing the application can be directed to me by email or by calling 212-832-4540 EXT# 349.
Best of luck!

UPDATE - 1/13: Ms. Wilder provides some more information on Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Funds:

To answer your question regarding RIRA's involvement:

After I vet the applications for completeness, I then pass completed applications to RIRA's Public Purpose Grant Committee. The committee meets several times to discuss each applicant and raise questions pertaining to their involvement, efforts, needs in the community. Based on discussions pertaining to applicants overall application, budget and amount requested, the committee then votes on which applicants should receive funding that would help with needed expenses.

Can Roosevelt Island Become a Model For Health Care Reform Under the Obama Administation? Come to Tonight's Obama Health Care Forum and Find Out?

Tom Daschle describing Community Health Care Forums

Dr. Jack Resnick has been living and practicing medicine on Roosevelt Island for many years. He now hopes that Roosevelt Island can become a model for President- Elect Obama's incoming administration to reform the American health care system by reducing costs and improving patient services. Dr. Resnick will be holding a Health Care Forum later tonight at the Good Shepherd Community Center. According to the Main Street WIRE (PDF File):

...Resnick will conduct an “Obama Health Care Forum” Monday, December 29, at 7:30, in the Good Shepherd Community Center. The event was organized in response to a call from Senator Tom Daschle, the President-Elect’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. In a YouTube video, Daschle described this period as “a transformational moment.” Resnick wants Roosevelt Island to be central in that transformational moment.

Here is a participants guide and survey for Obama Health Care Community Discussions and an article by Dr. Resnick from the December 15 2007 Main Street WIRE (PDF File Page 1) on affordable home health care that the Obama health care team should examine.

More information on U.S. health care costs is available from NY Times 6 part Economix series via Yglesias.