Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - Roosevelt Island July 4 Fireworks TV Simulcast Viewing At Firefighters Field, AVAC Yard Cleanup, Bike NY Painting Party, Octagon Tennis Resurfacing & Sportspark Classes

 Image Of Cleaned Up Roosevelt Island AVAC Area

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

Summer has officially arrived in New York, and Roosevelt Island is bustling with activity. The Fourth of July fireworks have moved back to the East River, but unfortunately for us, visibility will be very poor from the Island. Instead of an event at Southpoint Park, RIOC will be hosting a free community celebration at Firefighter’s Field – please read below for more information. Many other events, such as Roosevelt Island Day and the Summer Movie Series, are also coming up soon. Last year, Roosevelt Island Day served as an excellent introduction for me to the Island and the many active residents who are passionate about this community. I hope you will join in this Island-wide celebration with your friends, family and neighbors.

Our Maintenance, Engineering and Grounds departments have been very busy working hard maintaining the Island’s facilities, roads and fields. Work is also proceeding on capital projects such as the resurfacing of the Octagon Tennis Courts, which is expected to be completed shortly.

Fourth of July Celebration

This year, many in Brooklyn and eastern Manhattan are excited that New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks display has been moved back to the East River. However, the fireworks will be taking place much further south this year and will be located near the Brooklyn Bridge. The visibility from Roosevelt Island will be extremely limited, unlike previous years’ “front row” views. Both Southpoint Park and the FDR Four Freedoms Park will close at 7 p.m. on July 4, however, Gantry Plaza State Park (4-09 47th Rd.) in Long Island City will be open during the fireworks display.

Though the fireworks display may not be highly visible from Roosevelt Island, RIOC has planned a neighborhood holiday celebration at Firefighter’s Field beginning at 7 p.m. All are invited to gather on the field for a free, live simulcast of the fireworks display on a large outdoor screen. A free, friendly karaoke competition will take place before the show starts, and food and drink will be available for purchase. Come and join in the fun with your Island neighbors – we hope to see you there.

AVAC Yard Cleanup

Last Wednesday, June 3, RIOC staff members organized a joint effort with the Department of Sanitation and employees from several Roosevelt Island building companies to clean the yard outside of AVAC, Roosevelt Island's trash and recycling facility. Many thanks go out to the following buildings and management companies who volunteered to provide staff and assistance during the cleanup effort: The Octagon, Manhattan Park, Island House, Rivercross, Eastwood and Urban American. Thanks to this collaboration, the AVAC yard is now clean and tidy.

Bike New York’s Painting Party

On June 14, Bike New York and the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association invite artistic Roosevelt Island residents to gather near the Helix Ramp and decorate their bicycle storage container with paintings. All are encouraged to come and express their creativity while beautifying the neighborhood. Participation is free and requires pre-registration. If you are interested in taking part in this event, please contact Caitlin Goodspeed at  cgoodspeed@bikenewyork.org.

Roosevelt Island Day

Roosevelt Island Day 2014 will take place very soon and excitement for this fantastic yearly event is building quickly. Urban American, in partnership with RIOC and the Roosevelt Island Youth Program, invite you to join in the neighborhood beautification effort and free community celebration on Saturday June 21, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Many wonderful activities are planned for this free event, including an early-morning planting and cleanup, carnival games and rides, outdoor yoga classes, a free concert, giveaways and much more. We hope that you will take part in this celebration of your community and the people that make Roosevelt Island such a unique and special place in New York City.

Octagon Tennis Courts

Work is moving forward on the new playing surface at the Octagon Tennis Courts. The newly-poured concrete pole supports have cured and workers have again mobilized on-site. Although this project is weather-sensitive, construction is expected to be completed on schedule, within the next three weeks. We thank you for your patience as we perform these renovations.

Classes and Programs at Sportspark

Changes have been made at Sportspark’s Young Adult Program. The program was initiated as part of an effort to increase the amount of engaging activities for young Roosevelt Island residents. Every Friday and Saturday evening from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., the sports facility is open to ages 16-25 for weight lifting and basketball. As of last Friday, May 30, participation in the program has been limited to Roosevelt Island residents only. Identification and proof of residency is required for entry. We welcome you to join in and get active at Sportspark.

If the summer heat is making it difficult to exercise outdoors, we invite you to take a look at the free and low-cost programs available for all ages at Sportspark. In addition to offering swim classes, the Sportspark Pool is open every day of the week for two Open Swim sessions in the mornings and later in the day. In addition to the Young Adult Program, the Sportspark Gym offers free Open Basketball play on Saturdays at 2 p.m. and free open ping pong play on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights beginning at 6 p.m. The gym also offers low-cost fitness classes. Information about Sportspark’s classes and other programming is available on our Parks and Recreation website at  rioc.recdesk.com.