Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Roosevelt Island Water Fountains Broken, Congratulates Sportspark Employee, Tennis Permits & More
Image of Tram Fountain Closed For Repairs
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.
I hope everyone has had a great start to the month of April. I want to continue periodically using this column to acknowledge the great work that RIOC employees are doing.
With participation in leagues and classes at Sportspark is at an all-time high, it’s a perfect time to recognize Eddie Perez, a RIOC employee who is integral to making our wonderful athletics facility run smoothly. As Sportspark’s Certified Pool Operator and Operations Assistant, Perez is responsible first and foremost for managing the swimming pool and ensuring that it meets Board of Health standards. However, he does so much more than that, from general maintenance and administrative duties to assisting RIOC’s Parks & Recreation Manager Michael Smith in supervising staff.
With Perez’s 15 years of experience at Sportspark, his coworkers like to joke that he “came with the building,” and they have nicknamed him “The President.” When someone – whether it’s a colleague or resident – has a question, they know they can ask Perez, because he’ll invariably have the answer.
“Eddie is vital to the day-to-day management of Sportspark. Nobody knows the place better than he does,” Smith says. “He does everything flawlessly and with a smile on his face.”
One of the reasons that Roosevelt Island is so important to Perez is that it has been his home for 25 years. “I love this community,” he says. “I like living and working in a place where everyone knows my name and people are friendly.”
Perez’s deep commitment to public service extends from his coworkers, to his neighbors throughout the Island and to the greater New York City community. On 9/11, for example, Perez was among a group of RIOC employees who went immediately to Ground Zero, volunteering their time and energy to assist rescue workers however they could.
Perez has seen a lot of change over the years, but he is excited about the momentum that Sportspark has built. “In the early days, things were a little crazy here, but it’s a lot more structured now,” he says. “We’re seeing a lot more people come in these days. The new classes we offer, like Zumba and Boot Camp, are really popular, and residents always love our daily open swim.”
Indeed, Sportspark is clicking on all cylinders, and Eddie Perez is a big reason why.
Fountain Maintenance
The fountain near the Tram station is closed for repairs due to cracks in the tiles. Replacement parts are on back order. Once they are received, we will commence with the repairs. We have also turned off both of the fountains by Blackwell House, because of safety concerns due to rusting and deterioration. The fountains will remain turned off until further notice.
Tennis Permits
RIOC is currently upgrading the process concerning outdoor tennis permits. We expect the upgraded permits to be available soon, but if you would like to sign up to receive an email notice of exactly when permits will be available, please visit www.rioc.ny.gov.
RIOC on Twitter and Facebook
For the latest information about news and events on Roosevelt Island, follow RIOC on Twitter @RIOCny and visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RIOCNY.
3 comments :
I would like to see RIOC invest in cleaning up the locker rooms and dressing rooms and lift the swim cap rule, women should have to put their hair in pony tail if below the shoulders, but the swim cap rule is so wrong, to enforce it is wrong ... if Ms Torres would go and use the showers and have to walk in the dressing rooms she herself would suggest things be bleached ... cleaned and updates. Would not cost that much to freshen up the locker rooms and showers and put some bright paint and color there.
the memberships would go up if it was cleaner and brigher and more updates...so, when will that happen?
I agree with the state of the locker rooms. They are disgusting. They have been disgusting ever since the pool opened to the public. About swim caps: it's also men who are required to wear a cap if their hair is below shoulders. It's a very outdated thing to require (especially if you look at the history of swim caps it's outright sexist) but pretty much all indoor pools have the same requirement.
Is there are timeframe as to when the Blackwell House fountains will be restored? It's pleasant to enjoy these fountains during the summer.
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