Roosevelt Island Summer Outdoor Movie Series Showing Original Rocky Tonight At Southpoint Park

The Roosevelt Island Summer Outdoor Movie Series at Southpoint Park continues tonight

 Image of Roosevelt Island 7/5 Rooftop Films Southpoint Park Outdoor Movie From Olya Turcihin

with the showing of the original Rocky

starring Sylvester Stallone.

Image From RIOC

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Come out to Southpoint Park Saturday, August 10th to watch the featured film- Rocky. The fun starts at 7 PM, with music and movie trivia. Amazing food, popcorn, drinks and ice cream from Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets will be available for purchase. Bring your friends and family to the FREE event, this is one movie you don't want to miss! **Rain Date: August 17th** This event is sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. Sincerely, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Enjoy the movie and spectacular views!

MTA Says Regular Roosevelt Island F Train Service To And From Manhattan This Weekend, RIOC Says No Roosevelt Island F Train Service To Manhattan This Weekend - Are You Confused?

The MTA reports that there will be regular Roosevelt Island F Train service to and from Manhattan this weekend.

However, according to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

The MTA has advised that there will be no Manhattan bound F trains this weekend, August 9th- 12th from 11:15 PM Friday to 5 AM Monday

For service to Manhattan, take the Queens - bound F train to Roosevelt Ave and transfer to a Manhattan bound F train.

The Tram will operate on a rush hour schedule (every 7.5 minutes) Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM until 10 PM during the F train service disruption.

For up to the minute F train service updates, visit www.mta.info or call 511. To sign up for real time alerts on planned service changes, visit MYMTAALERTS.com.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

I hope the MTA is right.

Roosevelt Island Singer/Songwriter Emily Mure Double Dip Ice Cream And Music Concert Returns Tonight At Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets

Emily Mure Performing June 28 At Roosevelt Island Ice Cream and Music Concert

Singer/songwriter and Roosevelt Island resident Emily Mure is making a return engagement at Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets (559 Main Street) tonight at 7 PM for a Double Dip Ice Cream and Music Concert. According to Ms. Mure:

Playing a little local gig on Roosevelt Island solo at Main Street Sweets at 7PM (Friday the 9th). And my friend and great songwriter Chris Fuller may play a few songs too. Afterwards, I'm heading to Bar 4 to play a little late night set for the LC Fest and to celebrate the awesomeness of Bar 4!

Ms. Mure performed a wonderful concert last June at the Ice Cream Shop.

Here's video of what it was like at the Roosevelt Island Ice Cream Concert and the making of Emily Mure's new album Odyssey.



Joining Ms. Mure for a few songs at tonight's Ice Cream Concert is  Roosevelt Island singer/songwriter Chris Fuller.

Who knows, with Emily, Chris, Schucks Road and others we do not yet know about, Roosevelt Island may turn into an Indie Music Scene - the next Austin Texas maybe?

Vampire Weekend and Tame Impala have already been here - who's next?

13 Arrested For Unlawful Assembly At Firefighters Field Last Sunday Afternoon - NYPD Reports Use Of Gang Signs, Language And Impeding Access Of Others

The 8/4 -5 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Incident Report noted:

08/04/13 - 1450 - 425 Main St. - Unlawful Assembly - NYPD arrested numerous male subjects.

A NYPD Press Spokesperson adds:

13 males arrested for using gang signs and language Sunday afternoon and impeding others from access at Firefighters Field.

The 8/4 - 5 PSD Report also indicates:

08/04/13 - 2233 - 888 Main St. - Grand Larceny - PSD report filed. NYPD refused.

PSD Director John McManus states that the Grand Larceny was a bicycle stolen from an Octagon Building Bike Rack. That makes the second bike stolen from Octagon bike rack in a week.

Roosevelt Island Squirrel Snacking At Local Starbucks Outdoor Patio

This squirrel was courteous enough to stay on the ledge and grassy areas.

I have seen other squirrels very aggressively jump on the chairs or tables looking for food.

CBS News Reports On Verdant Power Roosevelt Island East River Tidal Energy Project - Verdant Collaborating With Cornell NYC Tech On Marine Energy Project And Virtual Power Plant

Image of Verdant Power Water Turbine Being Installed On Roosevelt Island August 2012

CBS News reported today on Verdant Power's Roosevelt Island East River Tidal Energy Project. According to CBS News:

... In the middle of the river sits Roosevelt Island, a narrow, 150-acre strip of land that serves as the home base for a company called Verdant Power. Verdant has spent the last decade trying to harness the current flowing past the island to create a new kind of green power source - one that comes from underwater turbines that look a bit like giant electric fans.

"They look a lot like wind turbines, except they're smaller because they have to fit entirely underwater," said Dean Corren, Verdant's director of technology....

Last August, I interviewed Verdant Power President Trey Taylor as their 5th generation water turbine prototype was being installed in the East River. Here's what Mr. Taylor had to say.



According to Green Energy News:

Cornell University and Verdant Power Inc., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the intention of entering into a long-term relationship centered on research and other activities related to Marine & Hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies. Verdant Power's MHK project on Roosevelt Island in New York City is the first commercially licensed tidal energy plant in U.S. It remains the only project in the world where an array of tidal energy turbines has successfully been deployed and operated. Cornell University is building Cornell Tech, its new applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island. Cornell's researchers and Verdant Power share the vision of an array of underwater turbines in the East River off Roosevelt Island, permitted by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Pilot License (#P-12611).

Verdant Power's Trey Taylor also spoke to me about future plans on Roosevelt Island and with Cornell NYC Tech to develop a "virtual power plant".



It's true - Roosevelt Island is at the forefront of American technology innovation. As Mr. Taylor says, "that's pretty cool"

Roosevelt Island East River Fishing - Big Catch Spotted Today

From the Roosevelt Island Twitterverse:

First time seeing such a big catch off Roosevelt island this am! @Rooseveltisland pic.twitter.com/umYornZIR7
— drewhyun (@drewhyun) August 7, 2013

More on Roosevelt Island East River fishing from Joe and his friend



as well as this tale about fly fishing at Roosevelt Island's Lighthouse Park and Don Quixote.

Here's a big East River fish caught by Uncle Joe on Roosevelt Island

Image from Yfrog

in 2010.

Roosevelt Island Law Enforcement Issues, Problems And Solutions To Be Addressed By New Non-RIRA Residents Committee, If You Want To Be Involved Come To First Meeting Tonight

Roosevelt Island activist Frank Farance disagrees with certain actions, policies and procedures of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee (PSC). The PSC invited Mr Farance to form a separate committee to address the issues he believes are important. Mr. Farance has done so and reports:

I am forming a committee of community volunteers (residents, merchants, organizations, etc.) to address law enforcement issues on Roosevelt Island. This would involve a broad spectrum of issues, including Public Safety, RIOC, NYPD, NY District Attorney's Office, and other entities. Issue would include policy, procedures, incidents, and so on. I've already spoken to RIOC PSD Interim Director McManus and he is interested in hearing our views.

By necessity, this committee will not be a RIRA committee. With RIRA President Ellen Polivy's perspective that all motions require "ratification" by the Common Council, RIRA committees will be delayed in their responses and, possibly, prohibited in their responses. In my opinion, much of problem relates to a variety of conflicts of interests (such as Ms. Polivy and Ms. Strong-Shinozaki, who have spent much effort protecting their husbands on the RIOC board), special interests, and other interests (such as committee members and family having jobs at RIOC/PSD).

Really, the community deserves much better. At the last RIRA PSC meeting, the chair and her husband went overboard in flawed procedures, bias, and non-neutrality to advocate their own positions ... a nice display for newcomers on why this needs to be outside of RIRA.

Our first meeting will be Wednesday August 7, 2013 at 8:15 PM in the 555 Main (Island House) Community Room. I look forward to your participation in an environment that, hopefully, will be more productive. If you have suggestions for issues/etc., please contact me directly.

Lastly, I note that I still remain a member of the RIRA PSC and will continue to participate.

Roosevelt Island Parents Network Advocacy Adds More Baby and Toddler Swimming Classes At Sportspark - Good Job By Parents And RIOC

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Member and head of the RI Parents Network Eva Bosbach reports on the expansion of the baby and toddler swimming program at Sportspark.

 Roosevelt Island 2012 Baby Swim Class

According to Dr. Bosbach

After two years of advocacy by the Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network, consisting of more than 220 families, RIOC started swimming classes for babies and toddlers at Sportspark last spring. The affordability ($5 per class), together with the possibility to join on a drop-in basis – a firm commitment for a whole program is often difficult with small children – made it possible for many Island parents to join the classes with their children. Between 15 and 22 families attended every Wednesday morning at 10:30. Because of the day and time, those classes could usually be attended only by stay-at-home parents.

Later this year, after another advocacy effort and supplying RIOC with a list of preregistered families and preferred time slots, we were happy to report that RIOC added classes that can be attended more easily by working parents as well. First, RIOC set up two 30-minute classes on Sundays at 11:00 and 11:30 a.m. and, later, a third class at 10:30 a.m., based on the high demand. Each time slot can accommodate up to 13 families and, so far, they have been full or almost full. Please come join us at Sportspark on Sundays at one of these times until Labor Day, provided that your child is between 6 and 36 months of age.

On behalf of the Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network, I would like to thank RIOC for making it possible for us, in an affordable and uncomplicated way, to teach our children to swim and to like the water right here on Roosevelt Island. We would especially like to thank Donald Lewis, Steven Chironis, and Eddie Perez, who helped to establish the classes at Sportspark, as well as instructor Kenneth Ryan Sherrill, who is doing a great job both inside and outside the water. Another thank-you goes to Aaron Hamburger and the RIRA Island Services Committee for their help and support. We hope that, in the future, it will be possible to keep both a weekday and a weekend class running to meet the diverse demands of our Island community. Thank you, RIOC!

No More Construction Scaffolding For Roosevelt Landings Main Street Arcade, Windows Gone And New Ceiling Installed - Do You Like The New Look?

Image Of New Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood Main Street Arcade

As reported last week, the construction scaffolding over the Roosevelt Landings Arcade

Roosevelt Landings Scaffolding For Arcade Renovation

was scheduled to be completely removed by yesterday.

It was - here's what the Main Street Arcade now looks like

with new ceilings, fresh paint

and without the Arcade windows.

What do you think?

Westview Arcade renovation is about to start.

No Roosevelt Island F Train Service To Manhattan Late Nights Monday To Friday August 5-9 and August 12 -16

According to the MTA:

F Coney Island-bound trains run via the E from Roosevelt Av to 5 Av/53 St Late Nights, 11:45 PM to 5 AM, Mon to Fri, Aug 5 - 9 • Aug 12 - 16

Trains resume regular service at 47-50 Sts.

No Coney Island-bound F service at 21 St-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Av/63 St and 57 St.

Schucks Road Shoot Music Video While Running For You On Roosevelt Island - Wrote First Song by Candlelight In Roosevelt Island Apartment During Hurricane Sandy

Who were these two banjo picking, guitar strumming guys running down Roosevelt Island's East River Waterfront West Promenade towards the Queensboro Bridge the other day.

No, they were not trying to catch the Tram, the F Train or being pursued by Public Safety. The guys, Brandon Pheltz and Mike Perrie Jr. are the members of Schucks Road and were shooting a music video here on Roosevelt Island.

They are pretty good. Take a listen.



According to The Living Room:

On a cold night in October, Brandon Pfeltz and Michael Perrie Jr. formed Schucks Road while stranded in the blackout of New York City during Hurricane Sandy. Their first song was written by candlelight while the rain pounded against the window of their apartment building on Roosevelt Island....

More on Schucks Road at their web site and Facebook page.

Apparently, Roosevelt Island is the home for some talented musicians like Shucks Road and Emily Mure.

Hey, The Lumineers and Avett Brothers started somewhere too.