RIRA President On Roosevelt Island Tram Shutdown, Robots's Kids Workshop & Upcoming RIRA Meetings

Image of February 2010 RIRA Meeting

Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Frank Farance sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

1. Transportation Problems with Tram Shutdown. We’ve heard from RIOC that everything is going smoothly. I’m sure there will be some glitches, but I don’t see any right now. Former RIRA President Matt Katz has been looking out for the school children who return home by Tram in the afternoon, and RIOC has made a bus available.

2. Robots' Kids Working on a Window Display for Merchants. The kids have the robots moving at their command (most of the time), and they are working on more advanced computer skills (e.g., using a camera and displaying information based on external events) and their estimation efforts (e.g., estimation, trial, and error). As a demonstration of their work, they will be using some real-life events (data on bus and subway schedules) and displaying them for the community. With the help of the Boy Scouts, there will be displays in some of the merchants’ windows to show expected bus schedules (Red Bus, Q102, RIOC shuttle bus, F train) and any alerts/exceptions. While the kids are having terrific fun and learning lots, you might actually find their displays useful or entertaining. We’ll try it for a month and get feedback. In my last column, I forgot to mention that we meet on Thursday evenings 6:30-8:00 on the second floor at the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (506 Main Street).

3. Upcoming RIRA meetings. Upcoming RIRA meetings. The next Common Council meeting is March 3 at 8:00 p.m. in the Good Shepherd Community Center, lower level. Former RIRA President Steve Marcus is chairing the Public Purpose Funds Grant committee, and will present their recommendations to RIRA for discussion, approval, and forwarding to RIOC.

The RIRA President's message is also published as the RIRA column in the 2/27/10 Main Street WIRE.