Saturday, June 25, 2016

Roosevelt Island Residents Get First Shot At Online Registration For Macy's July 4 Fireworks Celebration Viewing At FDR Four Freedoms & Southpoint Park - Sign Up Opens 5 PM Sunday June 26


According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FIREWORKS CELEBRATION

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2016 5PM—10:30PM EDT

SOUTHPOINT PARK & FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FOUR FREEDOMS PARK

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Pre-registration for Fourth of July tickets is being made available to all Roosevelt Island residents. Registration will begin for island residents at 5 PM this Sunday, June 26th. General registration will follow on Monday, June 27th at 5 PM.

There is a maximum of four (4) tickets per person. Children under four years old do not need a ticket. There will be no tickets available offline. Tickets will not be available at the event.

To register for tickets and for full event guidelines and rules, please visit our website at http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/JULY4TH2016.pdf
Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano tweeted this photo of the Macy's 2015 July 4 Fireworks seen from the FDR 4 Freedoms Park.


So, Roosevelt Island residents, be sure to register online tomorrow (Sunday June 26) before anybody else to get your tickets to view the July 4 Fireworks from Southpoint or FDR Four Freedoms Park

UPDATE 6/26 - As of 5:45 PM,

Image From Mission Tix

the tickets are sold out.
UPDATE 6/27 - Earlier this morning, I sent the following messages to RIOC President Susan Rosenthal and the RIOC Directors:
The July 4 Roosevelt Island July 4 Fireworks Celebration viewing at Southpoint & FDR Park online ticket registration for Roosevelt Island residents opened yesterday at 5 PM.

By 5:45 PM the online registration site said that tickets were "Sold Out".

Is that accurate? Were all 3500 tickets signed up for by 5:45?

Are there any tickets remaining?

Since a single person could obtain up to 4 tickets, do you have any info on how many persons signed up for tickets and how many tried but failed after the tickets were sold out?

Any statement from RIOC on this subject?
and:
As a follow up to earlier email below.

The online registration site now says tickets on sale starting June 27 at 5 PM.

Attached is screen shot from 10:45.


Is that a mistake?

Or were some tickets not available to Roosevelt Island residents at last night's registration?
At 11:30 AM today, received this Advisory from RIOC reporting that a limited number of July 4 Fireworks Celebration tickets will be made available for online registration beginning at 5 PM today. According to RIOC:
FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FIREWORKS CELEBRATION

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2016 5PM—10:30PM EDT

SOUTHPOINT PARK & FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FOUR FREEDOMS PARK

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Tickets for the Fourth of July will be made available at 5 PM today, Monday, June 27th.

A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS REMAIN AVAILABLE. There is a maximum of four (4) tickets per person. Children under four years old do not need a ticket. There will be no tickets available offline. Tickets will not be available at the event.

To register for tickets and for full event guidelines and rules, please visit our website at http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/JULY4TH2016.pdf
UPDATE 7:30 PM - A reader reports that all tickets were sold out by 5:10 PM.

UPDATE 6/28 - From the Twitterverse:
UPDATE 6/28 - From RIOC:
FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FIREWORKS CELEBRATION

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2016 5PM—10:30PM EDT

SOUTHPOINT PARK & FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FOUR FREEDOMS PARK

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Additional tickets for the Fourth of July are being made available Wednesday, June 29th at 7 PM. Please log in to register at that time.

There is a maximum of four (4) tickets per person. Anyone reserving more than their allotment will have extra tickets rescinded. Children under four years old do not need a ticket. There will be no tickets available offline. Tickets will not be available at the event.

To register for tickets and for full event guidelines and rules, please visit our website at http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/JULY4TH2016.pdf
UPDATE 6/29 - The additional tickets available at 7 PM were sold out as of 7:02 PM. A resident characterized the ticket distribution process as:
... a joke.
UPDATE 6/30 - From RIOC:
STANDBY TICKETS

FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FIREWORKS CELEBRATION

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2016 5PM—10:30PM EDT

SOUTHPOINT PARK & FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FOUR FREEDOMS PARK

Due to the overwhelming demand, a limited number of standby tickets will be available at Firefighter’s Field on Monday, July 4th between 6-8:30 PM. Standby tickets will be given out on a first come, first served basis until capacity has been reached. Standby tickets will be one per person. Attendees must be present to receive standby wristband. YOU MUST CHECK IN FOR A STANDBY WRISTBAND AT FIREFIGHTER’S FIELD TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR STANDBY TICKETS.

Please visit http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/JULY4TH2016.pdf for full event details. Thank you.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Tech Solution May Have Been Found For New York City 911 Emergency Response Time Delays To Roosevelt Island Says RIOC President - Input All 96 Addresses Into The System


Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Susan Rosenthal reported yesterday to the June 23 RIOC Board of Directors meeting that after reaching out to the NYPD 911 Operations and Information Technology Departments, a technology software solution may have been found to fix the problem of NYC 911 emergency ambulance response time delays to Roosevelt Island.

As reported previously, NYC 911 Operators ask callers for Roosevelt Island cross streets before dispatching help to a Roosevelt Island resident, worker or visitor in need. The problem is that Roosevelt Island, unlike most of NYC, does not have cross streets, which causes confusion and delays in response time.

Ms Rosenthal said that as of yesterday, the technology solution proposed is to input:
... the 96 addresses on Roosevelt Island...
into the 911 system, so that:
... when one of those addresses come in, it will say Roosevelt Island...
and the 911 Operator will know where to dispatch the emergency vehicle.

Ms. Rosenthal added that we should know by next Tuesday, June 28, whether inputting the 96 Roosevelt Island addresses into the 911 system will solve this problem.

June 28 happens to be the date of a Roosevelt Island Town Hall meeting with NYC Council Member Ben Kallos, NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and NY State Senator Jose Serrano where the issue of 911 emergency response time delays will be raised by concerned residents.

Below is the video of Ms. Rosenthal's President's Report to the RIOC Board which includes the 911 Emergency response discussion as well as info on:
  • New Roosevelt Island Ferry Dock location (still to be determined),
  • Hazardous seawall railings repair, 
  • Cultural center repair, 
  • New RIOC web site and
  • July 4 Fireworks viewing registration.


Ms Rosenthal had previously sent this May 23,2016 letter about problems with Roosevelt Island 911 emergency response time to NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Joanne Jaffe:
Chief Jaffe,

As Acting President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), I am writing to express my great concern regarding an incident that occurred on March 15, 2016, when a Roosevelt Island resident died of a heart attack while waiting for EMS to respond. When 911 was first contacted on that date, the operator insisted that the caller provide a cross-street, as the dispatch computer located Roosevelt Island in Queens County. The caller expressed that there was no cross street and that Roosevelt Island is located in Manhattan, but to no avail. Approximately fifteen minutes later, when EMS still had not arrived, 911 was contacted again, but by then, it was too late.

As you are aware, Roosevelt Island is situated in the East River of Manhattan, and though technically considered part of Manhattan, it is vehicle accessible by bridge from Long Island City. It also consists of a single roadway, known as Main Street and there are no cross streets on the Island.

The Chief of our Public Safety Department, John McManus, has been in contact with senior management at the Office of Emergency Management regarding this incident and he is coordinating a meeting with OEM, senior leadership of the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and the New York City Emergency Medical Service, to discuss this matter further and to prevent the event described above, from happening in the future.

I am looking forward to working with you and the other entities and am hopeful that our collaboration and continued discussions will resolve and correct any issues that caused this unfortunate incident on March 15, 2016.
 According to NYC Analytics 911 Performance Reporting:
Anatomy of a 911 Call

All 911 calls are first answered by an NYPD Police Communications Technician (PCT). The PCT determines the nature of the emergency and routes it to the proper dispatcher (NYPD, FDNY or FDNY EMS) who determines the appropriate responders for the incident and dispatches them to the scene.

The reports on this page only cover calls that the City received through 911. Emergency incidents can come to first responder agencies from outside 911 including from fire alarm systems, street observations, and inter-agency requests for assistance (e.g. NYPD calls for an ambulance).

Due to the complex and varied nature of the calls to the City's 911 system, the process of responding to those emergencies involves seven different systems that work together to handle any type of incident that may occur. OCEC partnered with the Mayor's Office of Data Analytics to measure all the time segments involved in responding to an emergency to determine the average response time to all categories of call types. This information allows us to look at how much time each stage of the process takes and find ways the process can be improved to reduce overall response time and maintain a high level of performance during disasters.

Figure 1 is a high level schematic of the call taking and dispatching process.


Figure 2 is a detailed schematic of the call taking and dispatch segments and the agency responsible.

Hopefully, inputting the 96 Roosevelt Island addresses into the 911 system will solve this problem.

Stay tuned.

Good News, Roosevelt Island F Train Service To And From Manhattan This Weekend, Roosevelt Island E Train Service Too - But No Late Night Roosevelt Island F Train Service From Manhattan June 27 - July 1

According to the MTA Weekender, there will be Roosevelt Island F train service


to and from Manhattan this weekend.

Also:
E Trains run via the F in both directions between W 4 St and 21 St-Queensbridge

Weekends, 11:45 PM Fri to 5 AM Mon, Jun 24 - 27
But:
F Jamaica-bound trains run via the M from 47-50 Sts to Roosevelt Av Late Nights, 11:45 PM to 5 AM, Mon to Fri, Jun 27 - Jul 1

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

Roosevelt island Summer Outdoor Movie Showing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Tonight, June 24, At Firefighters Field - First 2016 RIOC Outdoor Movie For Summer

The 2016 Roosevelt Island Outdoor Summer Movie Series at Firefighters Field

 View From Above July 11, 2015 Mary Poppins Roosevelt Island Firefighters Field Outdoor Movie

begins tonight with the showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.



According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)
IT’S AN OUT OF THIS WORLD FRIDAY!

This Friday, June 24th, join us for a screening of the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Firefighter’s Field at 7 PM. There will be music, trivia, prizes and lots of space action! You are welcome to bring blankets and lawn chairs. There will be food on-site, available for purchase.

Schedule of screenings this summer:

Friday, June 24th- Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Saturday, July 9th- Labyrinth

Friday, July 22nd- Inside Out

Friday, August 5th- Across the Universe

Saturday, August 6th- The Goonies

Friday, August 19th- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

This free event is sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.

Image From RIOC
Enjoy the movie and beautiful view.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

ABC News Video Report Today On Bike New York's Adult Learn To Ride Program At Roosevelt Island

ABC News visited Roosevelt Island today to check out Bike New York's Adult Learn To Ride program being held at the Basketball Court next to Capobianco Field. Take a look.



Click here for the video report.

The next Bike New York Adult Learn To Ride Program on Roosevelt Island is July 5.

Yay, Blackwell Park Sprinkler Working, But Problems With Blackwell Park Playground Equipment Says Roosevelt Island Mom - Baby Swing Broken, Equipment Retaining Water Attracting Mosquitoes And Kids Getting Fingers Stuck

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Roosevelt Landings Common Council Member and Mom Susy del Campo Perea reported yesterday:

Blackwell Playground Sprinkler Is ON!!! Yay!


Just one is on, but at least one is working.

Remember to help by keeping the Sprinkler drainage clear of any object that can clog it because if it gets clogged, RIOC might have to turn off the sprinklers in order to fix it (and we know that it takes time for RIOC).

We now have one of two sprinklers working, one baby swing for the whole island and a broken swing for toddlers. The piece broken is the plastic bucket seat.


The 2 baby play structures


in Blackwell Park retain water when raining or when watering the surrounding grass. This happens all year long. The structures are installed incorrectly. They have drainage canals but they do not work because of the way they were installed (crooked).

It is now mosquito season.  In that area, we have a lot of mosquitoes due to the water sitting there for days. These play structures are the ones for babies and toddlers (as the sticker says 0-36 months). Nobody wants their baby touching water that is dirty and has been there sitting for days.

Also, the 2 blue poles in the middle of the playground


are extremely dangerous. The holes that they have are big enough for toddlers and kids to put their fingers through but also the fingers are getting stuck.

The two poles are nothing but 2 Dangerous located in the middle of the play area where kids have bumped into them more than one time (the height is perfect for kids bumping their heads with those).  Please remove them completely (not fixed but removed). While waiting for the poles to be removed, the holes (2 per pole) can be closed or screws with caps can be installed to avoid a finger injury.

Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting With NYC Council Member Ben Kallos, NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright & NY State Senator Jose Serrano Tuesday June 28 - Ask About 911 Emergency Response Delay Time To Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island's elected officials are hosting a Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting 6:30 PM, June 28 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street)

Come ask your questions and share your concerns with NYC Council Member Ben Kallos, NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and NY State Senator Jose Serrano.

One issue of concern that should be discussed is the 911 emergency response time delay to Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Susan Rosenthal sent this May 23,2016 letter about problems with Roosevelt Island 911 emergency response time to NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Joanne Jaffe:
Chief Jaffe,

As Acting President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), I am writing to express my great concern regarding an incident that occurred on March 15, 2016, when a Roosevelt Island resident died of a heart attack while waiting for EMS to respond. When 911 was first contacted on that date, the operator insisted that the caller provide a cross-street, as the dispatch computer located Roosevelt Island in Queens County. The caller expressed that there was no cross street and that Roosevelt Island is located in Manhattan, but to no avail. Approximately fifteen minutes later, when EMS still had not arrived, 911 was contacted again, but by then, it was too late.

As you are aware, Roosevelt Island is situated in the East River of Manhattan, and though technically considered part of Manhattan, it is vehicle accessible by bridge from Long Island City. It also consists of a single roadway, known as Main Street and there are no cross streets on the Island.

The Chief of our Public Safety Department, John McManus, has been in contact with senior management at the Office of Emergency Management regarding this incident and he is coordinating a meeting with OEM, senior leadership of the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and the New York City Emergency Medical Service, to discuss this matter further and to prevent the event described above, from happening in the future.

I am looking forward to working with you and the other entities and am hopeful that our collaboration and continued discussions will resolve and correct any issues that caused this unfortunate incident on March 15, 2016.
Also, resident Matt Katz raised the issue of Roosevelt Island 911 emergency response time delay during the June 13, 2016 Cornell Tech Town Hall Meeting.



Come to the June 28 Town Hall and ask questions about 911 emergency response time to Roosevelt Island or any other question you may have.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Follow Progress Of Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus Construction From Live Queensboro Bridge Web Cam - Great Views Of New York City East River Waterfront Too

Image From Cornell Tech

Below is a screenshot taken today from the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech campus construction site web cam positioned on the Queensboro Bridge.


Click here for a live shot of the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech campus construction site and NYC East River waterfront.

Roosevelt Island used to have web cams looking south from Southtown facing the Tram Station and looking north from the Octagon building but those web cams are no longer active.

If you have a Roosevelt Island web cam or know of one, please let me know and I am happy to share the link.

RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting June 23 - Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Flood Resiliency License Agreement, Leitner Poma Tram Contract Amendment, Youth Center Funds, 2016 Annual Report Approval & More On Agenda


The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will be meeting 5:30 PM Thursday, June 23. Below is the Agenda:
AGENDA

JUNE 23, 2016 MEETING OF

THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE CULTURAL CENTER THEATER, 548 MAIN STREET,

ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NEW YORK

5:30 P.M.

I. Call to Order

II. Roll Call

III. Approval of Minutes

1. April 14, 2016 Board Meeting (Board Action Required)

2. May 19, 2016 Special Board Meeting (Board Action Required)

IV. Old Business

V. New Business

1. Presentation of RIOC's Audited Financial Statements for Fiscal Year 2015-16

2. Approval of Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2016 (Board Action Required)

3. Approval of Report on Procurement Contracts for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2016

(Board Action Required)

4. Approval of Report on Investments for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2016

(Board Action Required)

5. Approval of Property Report for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2016 (Board Action Required)

6. Ratification of Contract with Hawkins Webb Jaeger, PLLC for Engineering Consulting

Services (Board Action Required)

7. Authorization to Amend Contract with Attri Enterprises, Inc. for the Rehabilitation of

Roosevelt Island Bus Garage/Warehouse (Board Action Required)

8. Authorization to Enter into Contract with New Flyer Industries, Inc. for the Purchase of Two

Xcelsior D40LF Diesel Buses (Board Action Required)

9. Ratification of Amendment of Contract with Leitner-Poma of America O&M, Inc. for

Operation and Maintenance of the Roosevelt Island Aerial Tramway

10. Ratification of Expenditure of Funds for Roosevelt Island Youth Center

for Fiscal Year 2016-17 (Board Action Required)

11. Authorization to Enter into License Agreement with New York City Health and Hospitals

Corporation for Resiliency Work Adjacent to Coler Hospital (Board Action Required-

Materials to Follow)

12. President’s Report

13. Committee Reports

a. Audit Committee

b. Governance Committee

c. Operations Advisory Committee

d. Real Estate Development Advisory Committee

VI. Adjournment

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Looking For A Public Roosevelt Island Copy Machine? Roosevelt Island NY Public Library Branch Now Has A Working Copy Machine

Roosevelt Island has been without a public copy machine since the closing of the Cards & Gift store in June 2015 and the Roosevelt Island NY Public Library branch copy machine being out of service since last summer.

Resident Helen Chirivas asked earlier this week:

Does anybody know if the new photocopy machine ever arrived at the library?
The answer is yes. Roosevelt Island now has a working public copy machine


at the Roosevelt Island NY Public Library branch.

Ms. Chirivas adds:
Additional question: If I'm not mistaken, both the stationery store and the hardware store used to offer fax service. Although most of us do not use fax service anymore - given that most of us have computers/tablets/smart phones and so forth, there may be some of us who do not, or cannot afford, to own a computer, subscribe to an internet provider service and so forth. Both the stationery store & the hardware store closed.

Does anyone know if there is any public fax service on RI? If not, is this something that could be provided by the library - as a courtesy to those who do not have computers/scanners, and so forth?

Monday, June 20, 2016

Dueling Tweets - Is Roosevelt Island Like Game Of Thrones Iron Islands Dump Or A Place With Grass And Trees Good For Your Mental Heath?

Is Roosevelt Island a dump like the Game Of Thrones Iron Islands?

Here's Iron Islands scene from last night's Game of Thrones episode.



Or is Roosevelt Island a place of grass and trees that's good for your mental health?
You decide?

Calling All Photographers For Roosevelt Island FDR 4 Freedoms Park Photo Contest - Show Your Best Picture, You Could Win $500 Adorama Gift Certificate

The FDR Four Freedoms Park tweets:


The FDR 4 Freedoms Park adds:
CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS!

We're launching the 3rd annual Four Freedoms Park Photo Contest! Send us your favorite shots of the Louis Kahn-designed Park for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to Adorama. The contest runs from June 15 through October 15, 2016 and the winner will be announced in December.

Good luck - we can’t wait to see all of your photos!...
More information on the FDR 4 Freedoms Park photo contest at their web site.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Fresh Food For Seniors Program Returns To Roosevelt Island - Place Your Order At Senior Center For Mixed Bag Of Fresh Locally Grown Fruits & Vegetables, Only $8 A Bag

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Fresh Food For Seniors program


returns to Roosevelt Island. Here's how to sign up.


According to Wendy Hersh:
Fresh Food For Seniors

Only $8.00 a Bag!!!!

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer’s Fresh Food for Seniors Program lets you order a mixed bag of fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables from local farmers The program is pay-as-you-go, cash-only, on Monday or Tuesday, one week ahead of each Wednesday delivery date.

HERE’S HOW:

1. Place your order for a pre-packed, $8 bag of fresh food at:
Roosevelt Island Senior Center from 11 am-1 pm

2. Pick up your produce the following Wednesday from 3 pm-6 pm, at the same place, and enjoy the best seasonal fruits and vegetables!

First Order Date: June 27 & 28 Pick up: July 6

For additional information, contact Wendy Hersh at

(646) 361-6469.

All bags must be picked up on deliver date!!!!!
_____________________
Sponsored by Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer
in Collaboration with RIDA (Roosevelt Island Disabled Association)

More on Roosevelt Island Fresh Food For Seniors program from previous post.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Visiting Roosevelt Island Community Garden Tomorrow Morning - Bring Your 2-5 Year Old For Story Time, Planting, Frogs, Worms & More


Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:
RI Parents' Network visit to the Roosevelt Island Community Garden

June 20, 10-11 a.m.

Join us to kick-off the summer with a RI Parents' Network visit to our local community garden! Garden and Board members of the Roosevelt Island Garden Club will welcome us with activities geared towards children 2-5 years old, including story time, information about plants and composting, a walk around the gardens, and we'll meet the fish, frogs and worms!

Free of charge. Space is limited to 16 children. 2 Spots left. Dress for an outdoor activity and bring water and sun protection.

The garden is located across the street from 780 Main Street, which is our local fire station, just north of Motorgate. All children must be supervised at all times and visitors must remain with the group. Thank you to Julia Ferguson and our member mom Beverly Shutes for organizing this for us!

We hope to see you there :),

Please RSVP to eva.bosbach@gmail.com

Eva

Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie At Manhattan Park Lawn Last Night - Next Friday, Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie At Firefighters Field, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Roosevelt Island Twittervers reports:

On Friday, June 24, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) will show it's first 2016 outdoor movie at Firefighters Field - Star Wars : The Force Awakens.

The full schedule for Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie series

Image From RIOC

at Firefighters Field is here.