Free Roosevelt Island Pet Allergy Seminar Sunday October 20 At 5 PM From Haute Vet

Veterinarian Doctor Catherine Reid is conducting a Roosevelt Island free pet allergies seminar at Roosevelt Landings on Sunday October 20.

More information available at Haute Vet and registration for the seminar here.

UPDATE 10:30 PM - Dr. Reid advises that the seminar has been rescheduled to November 3.

UPDATE November 3 - Seminar has been rescheduled to 5 PM November 10.

Free Family Art And Design Workshop At FDR Four Freedoms Park Sunday Afternoon October 20 - Next 3 Sundays Too

Image From FDR Four Freedoms Park

The FDR Four Freedoms Park sends the following invitation to the Roosevelt Island community to attend:

... a new series of FREE family art and design workshops starting this Sunday, October 20th from 1:00- 3:00pm at FDR Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island.

Working with teaching artist and design educator Ann deVere, participants will make their own sketchbooks, prints, posters and models inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms, and learn about the unique concepts and history behind the park's design while experiencing the poetic beauty of American architect Louis Kahn’s only built environment in New York City.

The workshops will all take place at FDR Four Freedoms Park (1 FDR Four Freedoms Park, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044), rain or shine. All ages welcome. Groups are limited to a maximum of 25-30 participants.

Workshop outline:

Sunday, October 20th 2013, 1-3pm

FDR Four Freedoms Park Family Sketching Workshop and Tour

Participants will create sketchbooks reflecting on the park’s history and design.

Sunday, October 27th 2013, 1-3pm

FDR Four Freedoms Park Family Printmaking Workshop

Participants will make prints capturing what the four freedoms mean then and today.

Sunday, November 3rd 2013, 1-3pm

FDR Four Freedoms Park Family Design Workshop

Participants will design posters exploring FDR’s vision for essential human rights.

Sunday, November 10th 2013, 1-3pm

FDR Four Freedoms Park Family Design/Build Workshop

Participants will build models of a room for the future inspired by Louis Kahn’s design.

Cool Jazz From Katie Seiler At Roosevelt Island New Voices New Sounds Monthly Friday Night Series At Gallery RIVAA - Next Performance November 15

Here's a small taste of this evening's first New Voices New Sounds Series of Jazz performances at Roosevelt Island's Gallery RIVAA. Katie Seiler performs Something To Live For by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington as well as Wayne's World which she wrote.



New Voices New Sounds is monthly Friday night jazz series at Gallery RIVAA.The next performance is November 15.

Great Panoramic View Of Roosevelt Island And NYC East River Waterfront As Seen From Long Island City Penthouse Apartment - WOW

Photographer Michael Reiss snapped this photo of Roosevelt Island and the NYC East River Waterfront

Image From Michael Reiss

from a Long Island City penthouse during October 12 Open House NY.

Click on the picture to enlarge. Then say WOW.

Great photo!!!!

The Model Apartment Theater Fundraising Party For Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation Tuesday October 29 - Roosevelt Island Resident Mark Blum Stars In The Play

Cast Including RI Resident Mark Blum (far right) in “The Model Apartment From Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Are you interested in going to an excellent Off-Broadway play starring a Roosevelt Island resident and donating to a local organization as well? Here's how you can do it.

According to the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation (RIJC):

A theater party/fundraiser of The Model Apartment is announced by The Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation.

The play is about a retired husband (Roosevelt Island resident Mark Blum)

Image Of Mark Blum and Kathryn Brody In The Model Apartment From Broadway World

and wife, both Holocaust survivors, who move to Florida to begin a new life. They find the past is still a vital part of their present.

A few tickets are available at the price of $70, which includes a reduced group ticket price, plus a tax-deductible donation to the RIJC.

Please contact Janet Falk at janet.l.falk@gmail.com to reserve your ticket(s).

Please make your check out for $70 per ticket to the RIJC and bring it to the theater at 59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, on Tuesday, October 29 at 6:40 pm for the 7:00 pm performance. Tickets will be distributed at the theater.

Following the show, you are welcome to meet Mark Blum, toast his performance and discuss the show at the home of Janet Falk and Mickey Rindler.

We look forward to a memorable evening.

The Model Apartment was described by the NY Times reviewer as:

... the first (and first-rate) New York revival of a very fine playwright’s masterwork, it’s important that you find the time. Max and Lola, you see, are going to make one of the most horrible chapters in world history feel very real and personal to you, though at first you won’t have a clue that this is what they’re doing...

and:

... it has been directed with care by Evan Cabnet, with acting to match by the four-member cast of Mark Blum and Kathryn Grody (as Max and Lola), Diane Davis and Hubert Point-du Jour....

Playbill has more on Roosevelt Island resident Mark Blum's acting credits.

New Voices New Sounds Roosevelt Island Friday Night Music Series AtGallery RIVAA Starting Tomorrow Night With Katie Seiler And AllegraLevy - See You There

Image From Gallery RIVAA

According to Gallery RIVAA

Following a successful season of First Sunday Jazz Salon at the RIVAA Gallery, the Roosevelt Island Visual Art's Association is pleased to announce NEW VOICES , NEW SOUNDS @ RIVAA

NEW VOICES, NEW SOUNDS is an innovative and artistically curated music series that showcases fresh talent that is destined to make their mark on the New York jazz scene. With progressive and contemporary sounds that are rooted in the jazz tradition, these new voices bring fresh perspective and an innovative interpretation of the jazz canon to Rooseveltt Islands RIVAA Gallery.

NEW VOICES, NEW SOUNDS begins its fall series on October 18th, and continues on two more Friday evenings at 7 pm: November 15 and December 13th

Image From Gallery RIVAA

Admission is a suggested $5 donation at the door.

Artists:

Katie Seiler and



Allegra Levy

See you there.

Choosing A New York City Kindergarten For Your Roosevelt Island Child Panel Discussion On November 5 and 10 - Get Answers From Parents With Recent Experience

Are you a Roosevelt Island parent about to choose a kindergarten for your child? If so, two upcoming question and answer sessions hosted by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network and Main Street Sweets are for you.

Just RSVP by October 28 to the email adress listed at the bottom of the flyer.

Here's an excerpt from Getting In ... Kindergarten, a documentary aired in 2007 on The Learning Channel describing the NYC Kindergarten admission process.



Also, info from prior posts on the Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 Gifted and Talented program including a plea from a Roosevelt Island parent to establish the program and a tweet from Inside Schools:

I added a video to a @YouTube playlist http://t.co/AFuLCEQEWp P.S./I.S. 217 Roosevelt Island
— Insideschools (@Insideschools) October 17, 2013

More information available from PS/Is 217 portal and the school's PTA web site.

Update From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato On Future Temporary Closing Of Roosevelt Island Sportspark After Shutdown Of HHC Steam Plant

Concerns have been expressed recently by some Roosevelt Island residents regarding the closing, even temporary, of the Sportspark facility

Sportspark Image From Google Maps

when the Steam Plant

 Image Of Roosevelt Island Steam Plant

closes. As previously reported, there is an online petition to:

SAVE SPORTSPARK FROM CLOSING WHEN THE STEAM PLANT SHUTS DOWN!!

which has 253 signatures in addition to a printed petition bringing total signatures of more than 400 to date.

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato provides this update today on the Sportspark facility:

In response to inquiries concerning closure of the steam plant, RIOC has been working on both a temporary and permanent solution to heat the facility. Sportspark’s current heating system depends on the steam plant being operational. When the steam plant closes, RIOC intends to use a temporary oil-powered boiler to heat the facility until a permanent heating system is installed.

We do not currently have a definitive date from New York City Health and Hospital Corporation ("HHC") for the closure of the plant. We have, however, communicated the need for HHC to provide us immediate notice when the closing date is determined. We expect the facility will be closed for no more than five days during installation of the temporary system.

We have commenced our efforts with respect to designing, procuring and constructing a permanent heating system. This process is anticipated to take approximately a year, during which time we will continue to use the temporary boiler system as needed. When the permanent system is ready for installation, Sportspark is expected to be closed for no more than two weeks to allow for the necessary construction.

We additionally note that we have not had conversations with Cornell about Sportspark or its heating.

We will be sure to promptly provide the Roosevelt Island community with specific dates and times concerning the closure of the plant and related heating work at Sportspark when we have such information. It is of great importance to RIOC to keep the facility open and available to the community as often as possible.

More on the Sportspark temporary closing at this post which includes video of Ms. Indelicato and RIOC Directors discussing the issue during August 22 Real Estate Advisory Committee meeting.

The Online Petition is here.

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Cited For Critical Deficiencies By NY State Inspectors - Owner John Catsimatidis Responds That Conditions Corrected And Store Passed Follow Up Inspection

Image Of Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket

Last Monday, several readers alerted me to this NY World article regarding conditions in NYC supermarkets. According to the NY World:

... Welcome to your neighborhood supermarket.

At least once a year, inspectors from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets visit every grocery store in the state. We’ve combed through their reports to find what the inspectors call “critical deficiencies” — issues the state deems “an immediate threat to the public health and welfare” — in New York City supermarkets over the last five years.

By typing in an address, intersection, zip code or neighborhood, you can see which chain grocery stores have had serious violations between Jan. 2008 and July 2013, and what those violations were. You can also see if conditions in that store have been getting better or worse.

The Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket was among those listed with "critical deficiencies".

Yesterday, I sent the following inquiry to Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket owner John Catsimatidis:

Several readers of Roosevelt Islander Online have sent me this story from the NY World, which is a Columbia Journalism School publication, about "critical deficiencies" at NYC supermarkets that were cited by NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Since 2013 these "deficiencies" were found at the Roosevelt Island Gristedes:

2013:
• One deli food preparation board showed a buildup of encrusted food soil on food contact surfaces. The equipment was then cleaned and sanitize during the inspection.
• One deli meat slicer showed an accumulation of dried encrusted meat residue on food contact surfaces. The deli slicer was then cleaned and sanitized during the inspection.
• The meat band saw machine exhibited a heavy buildup of dark, encrusted meat soil on food contact surfaces. The equipment was then properly cleaned and sanitized during the inspection.
• Bulk salads ( couscous, feta cheese in olives and mixed beans ) in the self-service olives bar were noted at an internal temperature of 58°F for an unknown time. A total of 18 pounds of salads were destroyed under signed waiver during the inspection.
• Cooked chickens and meat loaves in a holding unit in the kitchen exhibited internal temperatures of 105-110°F. Products had been in the unit for an unknown time. A total of 49 pounds of products were destroyed under signed waiver during the inspection....

I was surprised to see these "deficiencies" since following the Gristedes renovation, I have seen great improvement in the store.

Do you have any comment for the Roosevelt Island community regarding this report?

Mr. Catsimatidis replied that he would find out what happened and later that afternoon he and Gristedes Senior VP Charles Criscuolo told me that the 2013 inspection occurred in May and a follow up inspection on July 8 found that the deficiencies were corrected. They added that the Salad Bar internal temperature

deficiency was caused by a manufacturer supplied piece of plastic equipment which has since been replaced with metal that has solved the temperature problem. Also, the employee responsible for the dirty carving board was suspended for several days.

Here's an interview I did with Mr. Catsimatidis during the March 6, 2013 Gristedes Renovation Grand Opening in which he advised the Roosevelt Island community:

... If you have any complaints, let me know...

You can compare the Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket "critical deficiencies" to others in NYC at the New York World article.

Elementary TV Show Filming At Roosevelt Island Bridge Today Closing One Lane Of Traffic Intermittently, Expect Delays - How Much Does A Permit Fee For Filming On Roosevelt Island Cost?

The CBS Television program Elementary



will be filming at the Roosevelt Island Bridge today.

 Image Of Roosevelt Island Bridge Traffic Lanes

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Be advised that due to a Movie shoot on Tuesday, October 15th, 2013, the South traffic and bike lanes of the Roosevelt Island Bridge (East Bound traffic lane) will be closed for a portion of the day between 9AM and 11PM. The North traffic and bike lanes (West bound traffic lane) will be used to alternate traffic during this time.

Expect traffic delays, as occasionally traffic will be held intermittently.

NYPD Traffic Intelligence will be monitoring traffic throughout the day to ensure that residents and visitors will be able to enter and exit Roosevelt Island in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Are you interested in obtaining a permit for filming on Roosevelt Island? If so, here are the rates established by RIOC.

Image From RIOC

Roosevelt Island Fire Hydrant Spilling Water For Past Three Weeks But No Response From RIOC, NYC 311 Or DEP

Roosevelt Island resident Rossana Ceruzzi reports:

There is a broken fire hydrant that has been wasting a lot of water now for 3 weeks.

Image From Rossana Ceruzzi

I have called the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and NYC 311 but the water is still running The hydrant is in the back of Goldwater Building C on the Queens side two buildings after Sportspark.

Image From Rossana Ceruzzi

I also called the FDNY and they went to inspect. FDNY said there is large damage and DEP has to intervene.

Image From Rossana Ceruzzi

It's a shame to waste so much water.

Roosevelt Island Yoga With Keren - Monday Nights At Good Shepherd Community Center Starting Today

Image From Keren Messer

Are you looking for a Roosevelt Island Yoga class? If so, consider Monday Night Yoga with Keren. From Keren Messer:

COME PRACTICE IN A BEAUTIFUL SPACIOUS ROOM, ENJOY EVERY BREATH, MOVE & POSE!

TONIGHT AND EVERY MONDAY!
TIME: 8:00 PM
LOCATION: GOOD SHEPHERD COMMUNITY CENTER (CHURCH, 2ND FL)
PRICE: $17/SINGLE CLASS or $60/4 CLASSES
OPEN LEVEL!

BRING A MAT, BRING A FRIEND!

PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL ME WITH ANY QUERIES AT 212-614-9181.

NAMASTE

More info on Roosevelt Island Yoga from previous post.

Report From Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove, Announces New Masters Program In Connective Media Offered By Irwin Jacobs Technion Cornell Innovation Institute - Aim Is To Transform Industry For Digital Age

Cornell Technion's Dan Huttenlocher and Craig Gotsman Announcing Dual Connective Media Masters Program

Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove sends this report to the Roosevelt Island community.

Last week Cornell Tech made a big announcement that I wanted to share with all of you, because it sheds more light on how we’re approaching several of the most exciting aspects of our academic program: the partnership between Cornell and Technion, our focus on the industries that make New York tick and the campus’ intensive collaboration with companies large and small.

The announcement was the launch of the first degree program to be offered by the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII) at Cornell Tech. This degree program will join the master of engineering in computer science that began in January 2013, and the MBA that was announced earlier this year and that will launch in fall 2014.

Beginning in Fall 2014, the JTCII – a key component of Cornell Tech – will offer a Master of Science degree in Information Systems, with a specialization in Connective Media. Graduates of this dual degree program will receive a degree from Cornell University and from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. We are now accepting applications for a first class of students. There are a lot of exciting aspects of this program, starting with the collaboration between Cornell and Technion.

The JTCII brings the best of Cornell and Technion, offering the unique opportunity to earn degrees from two world-class research universities. The JTCII is organized around hubs focused on New York City’s leading industries, starting with Connective Media, Healthier Life and the Built Environment. JTCII students enroll in a two-year program that allows for not only top technical education, but also full immersion in real-world projects in collaboration with industry. By focusing in one topic area, students benefit from in-depth exposure to leading subject matter experts, in addition to top technical faculty.

It was only natural that the first hub program to launch here in the media capital of the world would be Connective Media. As Mayor Bloomberg and industry leaders said at the launch event last week, New York will only maintain this distinction if our media companies can transform themselves for a digital age and adapt to the new and exciting ways that people are consuming media, from publishing, advertising, news and information, and entertainment.

This novel program addresses the huge need for more tech talent in the media-related businesses that play such an important role in New York City. The Connective Media degree combines technical, social science and media industry expertise in a broad interdisciplinary two-year program, with an immersive semester-long industry project and extensive engagement with digital media companies in New York City. The program will train a new generation of talent to develop technologies, applications and experiences that take advantage of the constant access to, and sharing of, online information in the digital and mobile world. Graduates of the program will be equipped to help lead the digital transformation of the city's and the nation's media industries.

The Connective Media launch also illustrated our commitment to working hand-in-hand with industry. We were proud to announce that a number of leading media companies – both longstanding and newly started – will be collaborating with us on this program. The list includes Hearst, Medium, Facebook, Betaworks, Tumblr, WordPress, and The New York Times.

We are proud to be working with all of them in educating a new generation of tech professionals in this space. The collaborating companies will provide input and guidance this year to refine the curriculum for this new degree. When the program launches next fall, companies in the Connective Media space will provide real-world projects, mentorship, and industry knowhow for students.

I’m also excited to report that we recently hired the first full-time faculty member in the Connective Media hub, Mor Naaman. Professor Naaman is a perfect fit for what Cornell Tech is all about – he is an academic but also an entrepreneur. His startup, Seen (http://seen.co), helps make sense of the real-time Web by summarizing and organizing social media content. In his first year at Cornell Tech, Professor Naaman will split time evenly between teaching and working on growing his startup. (Mor is also a former professional basketball player who I expect to be in high demand for pickup games on Roosevelt Island in coming years).

In this column I focused on the latest news about our academic programs, but I will be back in the next issue with updates on the construction of the campus. I hope everyone is enjoying the start of autumn.

Here's video of the full October 1 Press Conference announcing Cornell Technion Connective Media Masters program and



press release from Cornell NYC Tech.

Cornell NYC Tech was joined by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and leading media companies today to launch the first degree program to be offered by the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII) at Cornell Tech. The two-year masters degree in Connective Media is designed to train the entrepreneurial engineers and technologists desperately needed in the media sector. The Connective Media program will produce the next generation of tech talent to respond to, and drive, the digital transformation of publishing, advertising, news and information, and entertainment. Graduates of this dual degree program will receive a degree from Cornell University and from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Corporate collaborators who will help shape the novel Connective Media hub include Hearst, Medium, Facebook, Betaworks,Tumblr, WordPress, and The New York Times.

“The Connective Media program we are announcing today is the first of the dual degree programs to be offered at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute at Cornell NYC Tech, the innovative collaboration between Cornell and the Technion,” said Daniel Huttenlocher, Dean of Cornell NYC Tech. “This novel program addresses the huge need for more tech talent in the media-related businesses that play such an important role in New York City.”

“The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute is organized around hubs focused on key New York City industries, and there is no better place to start than in themedia space,” said Craig Gotsman, Director of the JTCII. “We are aware of the critical need for deep tech talent to lead the digital transformation within the traditional and new media companies and are proud to be working with many of them in educating a new generation of tech professionals in this space. Thanks to the exposure to the entrepreneurial world that these professionals will also receive as part of their experience at JTCII, they will be in an excellent position to start their own ventures within this space.”

“New York City is the world’s media capital, but we can't take that position for granted because the way media is produced and consumed is changing dramatically,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Media creators and tech companies have a lot to gain from a strong, collaborative working relationship, and I am proud that Cornell and the Technion will be training the next generation of tech talent in New York City to work with the media industry. We will reap the benefits of that partnership in the form of job creation and global competitiveness.”

The JTCII – a key component of Cornell Tech – will offer a Master of Science degree in Information Systems, with a specialization in Connective Media. It is now accepting applications for a first class of students to begin studies in the fall of 2014.

The Connective Media program is aimed at meeting the growing need for technologists in media-related industries, to respond to, and to drive the digital transformation of publishing, advertising, news and information, and entertainment. The Connective Media degree combines technical, social science and media industry expertise in a broad interdisciplinary two-year program, with an immersive semester-long industry project and extensive engagement with digital media companies in New York City. The program will train a new generation of talent to develop technologies, applications and experiences that take advantage of the constant access to, and sharing of, online information in the digital and mobile world. Graduates of the program will be equipped to help lead the digital transformation of the city's and the nation's media industries, and will receive degrees from both Cornell and Technion.

The JTCII also announced a series of corporate collaborators who will help shape the Connective Media hub, including Hearst, Medium, Facebook, Betaworks, Tumblr, WordPress, and The New York Times. The collaborating companies will provide input and guidance this year to refine the curriculum for this novel new degree that combines technology expertise at the level of a software engineer, computer scientist or data scientist, with media industry expertise at the level of product manager, product designer, or editorial staff member. When the program launches next fall, companies in the Connective Media space will provide real-world projects, mentorship, and industry knowhow for students.

"As we re-imagine the media industry, one of our big obstacles is a shortage of skilled and experienced technologists who have deep technical expertise and also understand our industry," said Philip Wiser, Chief Technology Officer at Hearst Corporation. "That’s why we are excited to work with Cornell Tech on the new Connective Media program. The campus’ close collaboration with industry in tackling pressing problems ensures that students are prepared to have a powerful impact on our future."

JTCII recently hired its first full-time faculty member in the Connective Media hub, Mor Naaman. Professor Naaman exemplifies what the campus and Connective Media hub represent – he is an academic but also an entrepreneur. His startup, Seen (http://seen.co), helps make sense of the real-time Web by summarizing and organizing social media content. In his first year at Cornell Tech, Naaman will split time evenly between teaching and working ongrowing Seen.

This is another major milestone for Cornell Tech, which was created as part of the City’s Applied Sciences NYC initiative. The campus welcomed its first fall class last month to its temporary campus in space donated by Google at its headquarters in Chelsea. The Johnson MBA at Cornell Tech was announced over the summer and will welcome its first class in Summer 2014. Plans are moving forward for the permanent campus on Roosevelt Island, set to break ground next year and open in 2017. When completed, the Roosevelt Island campus will house approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students.