Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - RIOC Employees Save East River Jumper, Cornell Begins Environmental Review, Quebec Transport Minister Visits Tram and Women's History Month Performance

You Tube Video Of Deputy Mayor Robert Steele Presentation on Roosevelt Island Cornell Project at March 7 Long Island City Partnership

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

I open this week’s column with the story of how RIOC Public Safety Department Officers and groundskeepers saved the life of a man who had jumped into the East River last week.

On the afternoon of February 27, groundskeeper Jamal Perry was sweeping near the Tramway Plaza, when he saw a jacket on the ground that didn’t belong to anyone nearby. He investigated further and spotted a man in the river. Perry notified PSD, which had just received a call about the jumper. PSD immediately dispatched officers Julio Jimenez and Jonathan Martinez. Jimenez threw the man a Life Ring and held a rope that Martinez clung to as he bravely climbed the Seawall onto the rip-wrap and pulled the man to safety. Perry and fellow groundskeeper Nelson Soltren helped pull him back over the Seawall, where Martinez, a certified EMT, attended to the man, who fortunately sustained no major injuries.

“I was just glad I was there to see the jacket,” said Perry. “I love this community and I would do anything to help.”

NYPD and FDNY personnel arrived a few minutes after the man was rescued to treat him and transport him to Mt. Sinai Hospital.

“It didn’t actually hit me until I was on my way home that night that we had actually saved a man’s life,” Martinez said.

It was a great example of bravery, selflessness and teamwork by RIOC personnel. The PSD Officers will be honored at this year's Commendation Ceremony in May.

Cornell Project Takes Another Step Forward

At the March 1, 2012 RIOC Board Meeting, a resolution giving Cornell the green light to move to the next phase was unanimously approved.

The City and State can now move forward with the required land and environmental reviews.

Quebec’s Minister of Transport Visits Tram

Last Saturday RIOC was honored to host a delegation from the Quebec government, headed by Minister of Transport Pierre Moreau. Quebec’s largest city, Montreal, is exploring the idea of building a tram of their own, so naturally they came to Roosevelt Island to see first-hand how a tram can thrive in an urban setting. RIOC’s Vice President for Operations Fernando Martinez and Leitner Poma of America representatives Armando Cordova and Jon Mauch were on-site to welcome our Canadian friends and lead them on a tour of our tram facility. Afterwards, Moreau and his team said they were impressed by our system and operation, which showed them that a tram can be an economical, efficient and environmentally friendly public transportation option. It’s gratifying whenever other global cities look to Roosevelt Island to learn about the innovations we’ve made that enhance urban living.

Women’s History Month Event

In honor of Women’s History Month, we would like to invite you to a two-woman performance Dr. May Edward Chinn, a play about the doctor’s remarkable life. Dr. Chinn was a pioneer in cervical cancer studies and aided in the development of the Pap smear test. She broke barriers, being the first African-American woman to graduate from Bellevue Hospital Medical College and the first to intern at Harlem Hospital. The play was originally produced by the Richard Allen Center for Culture and Art.

There are two performances at the Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance – Saturday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m. Space is limited. Please RSVP by calling 212-832-4540.

More on the East River rescue incident from this previous post.