POW/MIA Flag Joins US Flag Flying Over Main Street Roosevelt Island Thru Efforts Of Resident West Point Grad & RIOC - Today Is National POW/MIA Recognition Day

Until July 18, 1979, no special commemoration was held to honor America’s POW/MIAs, those returned and those still missing and unaccounted for from our nation’s wars. Learn the history of National POW/MIA Recognition Day: https://t.co/bZWcP55Kz2 pic.twitter.com/YrRrA1Et0q

— Vietnam Vet Memorial (@VVMF) September 20, 2019

Below is a 2017 post about the Roosevelt Island POW/MIA Flag.

Have you noticed the black and white flag flying beneath the American Flag at the Roosevelt Island Blackwell Turnaround on Main Street and wondered what it was about?

The flag symbolizes the American Prisoners Of War and Missing In Action during the Vietnam War. According to the National League of POW/MIA Families:

In 1970, an MIA wife and member of the National League of POW/MIA Families recognized the need for a symbol of our POW/MIAs....

... Other than "Old Glory," the League’s POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1982. On March 9, 1989, a POW/MIA flag that had flown over White House on National POW/MIA Recognition Day in1988 was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as a result of legislation passed overwhelmingly during the 100th Congress. In a demonstration of bipartisan Congressional support, the leadership of both Houses hosted the installation ceremony. On August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, which recognized the League’s POW/MIA flag and designated it “as the symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation”....

Image From National League of POW/MIA Families

How did the POW/MIA Flag get raised on Roosevelt Island? It was on the initiative of Roosevelt Island resident Ross Wollen with the assistance of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal and Director of Transportation Cy Opperman.

Mr. Wollen, a resident of Rivercross for almost 40 years, graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point NY in 1965. Over the years Mr. Wollen has hosted West Point Cadets and his Classmates on Roosevelt Island as they visit NYC for various events and reunions.

Among his frequent guests is Robert Jones, a West Point Classmate and good friend who joined the US Air Force as a Fighter Pilot upon graduation, and like almost all of the members of the 1965 Class spent time in the Viet Nam War several years after leaving the Academy. Mr. Jones was shot down over North Viet Nam close to his final mission, severely injured, captured and spent over five years in captivity, as a POW at various prison camps including the infamous Hanoi Hilton. There he was quartered, when not in solitary confinement or being privately tortured, with the Navy pilot, now Senator, John McCain.

Mr. Wollen wished to recognize and honor the service of his friend and West Point classmate, Robert Jones.

Read more »

Man In 30's Assaults Roosevelt Island Youth Knocking Child Off Bicycle Yesterday Causing Injuries Resulting In Treatment At Hospital - Offender Fled Scene, Contact PSD Or NYPD 114 Precinct If You Have Any Info

The Roosevelt Island Public Safety Incident Report for yesterday listed:

09/19/19 – 1919 – 500 Main Street - Assault – PSD/NYPD/EMS responded. Referred to NYPD.

I asked Roosevelt Island Acting Public Safety Department Acting Chief Kevin Brown for more details.

A Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) spokesperson replied:

On Thursday September 19, 2019 at about 8:20 pm there was an assault of a juvenile at 500 Main Street.

A juvenile walked into the PSD office and notified officers that an unidentified male in his thirties had knocked the juvenile off his bicycle. The offender fled the scene and his whereabouts are unknown.

The juvenile suffered injuries as a result of the alleged assault and was removed to Mt. Sinai hospital for treatment. The juvenile’s parents were notified and went to the hospital. Members of the NYPD’s 114th precinct went to the hospital to file a NYPF police report from the juvenile.

The perpetrator was captured on video and the video has been given to the NYPD for further investigation. Anyone who has any information about this incident is encouraged to contact PSD at 212-832-4545.

Free Monthly Organic Gardening Workshop Hosted By Roosevelt Island NY Public Library And RI Living Library, Next Workshop Saturday September 21 - You're Invited To Learn About Fall Plantings, Cuttings & Plant Division

The Roosevelt Island NY Public Library (524 Main Street) and the Roosevelt Island Living Library are hosting free monthly workshops on organic gardening.

The next workshop in the series is this Saturday September 21 beginning at 12 PM.

According to Living Library Founder Bonnie Sherk:

On September 21, 2019, Saturday (12.00 PM-1.30 PM), enjoy free workshop on organic gardening presented by Roosevelt Island Living Library & Roosevelt Island Public Library! Funded by RIOC Public Purpose Fund and conducted by A.L.L. Garden Instructor China Bushell, these workshops are one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn and create your own organic garden.

This weekend's workshop is about fall plantings, cuttings, and plant division. The workshop will begin in RI Public Library to discuss the workshop subject with the help of Library's resources and display materials. Later, participants will get a chance to learn more about organic gardening in RI Living Library Gardens, behind new RI Library site, 504 Main Street.

The Roosevelt Island Public Library adds:

... This workshop will show us how to increase our yields thru fall planting, and what, and how, to plant these vegetables and bulbs. We will also learn how to make fall cuttings thru plant division, and how to begin to prepare the garden during fall for future winter weather...

Future workshops include:

• Oct 12, 2019 What to Plant in Fall for next Spring’s Season
• Nov 16, 2019 Winterizing your Garden & Planning Next Year’s Garden Layout

Enjoy Free Organic Gardening Workshop this Saturday (Sep 21, 2019, 12 PM - 1.30 PM) with RI Living Library and RI Public Library. @Rooseveltisland #environment #organicgardening pic.twitter.com/V8GEvfHYWG

— A Living Library (@alivinglibrary) September 19, 2019

Here's video of A Living Library's China Bushell



May 28 Public Purpose Funds community review presentation describing the gardening organization's Roosevelt Island programs.

Good News, Roosevelt Island F Train Service To And From Manhattan This Weekend, Tram & Ferry Service Too - Watch Video Of MTA Rep Talking Roosevelt Island Subway Service

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

to and from Manhattan this weekend.

Both Roosevelt Island Tram cabins are operating and here's the NYC Ferry Roosevelt Island Astoria Route Schedule. 

During June 13 Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting organized by Council Member Ben Kallos, MTA representative Markus Book spoke about Roosevelt Island F Train subway service. Watch the full MTA Roosevelt Island presentation below.

Roosevelt Island Public Library Hosting Talk By Susan Quinn Author Of Eleanor And Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped A First Lady Thursday September 19 - Seating First Come, First Served

Roosevelt Island NYPL Branch (524 Main Street) Information Assistant Sasha Jones reports:

I wanted to reach out about a program of local interest that we're hosting tomorrow,Thursday, September 19. Susan Quinn, the author of Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady, will be presenting a lecture on her research about Eleanor Roosevelt's relationship with Lorena Hickok.

According to the Roosevelt Island Public Library:

Stonewall50: Eleanor & Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady

Thursday, September 19, 2019, 6 p.m.

Join us for a visit from Susan Quinn, the author of Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady. Quinn will speak about her work, a warm, intimate account of the love between Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickok—a relationship that, over more than three decades, transformed both women’s lives and empowered them to play significant roles in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

Praise for Susan Quinn's Eleanor and Hick: “The love affair between first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena “Hick” Hickok has never been treated with as much care or attention as in Susan Quinn’s Eleanor and Hick. Here, Quinn deftly traces the dissimilar but converging paths of these two complex women and gives new life to their intimate, dynamic relationship, against a backdrop of tremendous social upheaval.”— NPR.org, Best Books of 2016

“A poignant account of a love affair doomed by circumstance and conflicting needs. Combining exhaustive research with emotional nuance, Quinn dives deep to convey the differing characters of president and first lady.”—Richard Norton Smith, The Wall Street Journal

Seating is first come, first served.

Here's a snippet from from the author Susan Quinn about Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady



from C-Span's Book TV.

Governor Andrew Cuomo And State Senator Jose Serrano Invite You To Roosevelt Island Emergency Preparedness Training Session Thursday September 19 At Cornell Tech Campus - Learn How To Get Ready For An Emergency, Protect Your Family And Receive Free Disaster Preparedness Kit

Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano invites you to participate in a free Emergency Preparedness Training Session tomorrow, Thursday September 19 at the Cornell Tech Campus. According to Senator Serrano:

In recognition of Emergency Preparedness Month, Governor Cuomo's Citizen Preparedness Corps and Senator Serrano will continue their series of FREE Emergency Preparedness Training Sessions throughout the 29th Senate District with an event at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island. The training will take place on Thursday, September 19th from 3:00 - 4:30 pm and is designed to help prepare residents and their families for natural disasters and emergency situations. Event co-sponsors include Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, City Council Member Ben Kallos, and Manhattan Community Board 8.

All attendees will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Disaster Preparedness Kit! Participants must register in advance. CLICK HERE to register (select the September 19th Cornell Tech event).

For more information and for assistance with registration, please call Senator Serrano's District Office at (212) 828-5829.

Senator Serrano is hosting additional Emergency Preparedness Training Sessions at various locations throughout the month of September. For additional dates and locations of events,...

Click here to register.

Also, NYC Office of Emergency Management has some Preparedness Tips too.

Storytime For Kids On The East River With Roosevelt Island Library And NYC Ferry Saturday September 26 - Sold Out For Now But Please Do More And For Adults Too

How cool is this. The NYPL Roosevelt Island branch library and NYC Ferry are teaming up for Storytime on the Ferry:

Introducing a brand new initiative, get hype! Join us for storytime on the ferry! It's the river, only better! Make sure you register while space is available;

https://t.co/iznm65wQif pic.twitter.com/ZhwjUe5J2a

— RooseveltIslandLib (@LibRoosevelt) September 10, 2019

According the the Registration Page:

Roosevelt Island Library Presents Storytime Aboard the NYC Ferry

Date and Time

Thu, September 26, 2019

11:13 AM – 12:35 PM EDT

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a storytime outside of the library… on a moving boat perhaps? Well this is the event for you! Join us for a one-of-a kind special edition version of storytime aboard the NYC Ferry! We will board at 11:13 AM on Roosevelt Island and ride to Wall Street and back to Roosevelt Island where we will disembark! We will not need to disembark at Wall Street but adults will need to have their return ticket purchased and ready to present to the Deckhands. The ride time will be roughly 80 minutes and we should return to Roosevelt Island by 12:41 PM! Children under 44 inches will ride for free! Please RSVP in advance!

Unfortunately, it appears the event is Sold Out.

Hopefully, Roosevelt Island Storytime Aboard the NYC Ferry will return with new dates - perhaps in the evening for adults too?

Here's a virtual NYC Ferry ride from Long Island City to Roosevelt Island



and then to



Astoria.

Roosevelt Island Youth Soccer Program For Kids 5-18 Starts October 1 At Newly Renovated Octagon Soccer Field - Tryouts Scheduled For Saturday September 21, Register For RI Soccer Program Now

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) reports that the 2019 Fall Youth Soccer Program begins Tuesday October 1 at the new renovated Octagon Field.

According to RIOC:

Youth Soccer- Fall Program

Roosevelt Island's most popular sport, soccer, will begin the 2019 season with tryouts Saturday, September 21st at Firefighter's Field beginning at 8:30 AM. The program, which was temporarily relocated to Firefighter’s and Capobianco fields last fall, will return to its original home, Octagon Soccer Field, in October. Register here!

This year’s season will officially begin on Tuesday, October 1st with practices held Tuesday and Friday evenings from 6- 8 PM and games played on Saturday's from 8:30 AM- 3 PM. The season will conclude with championship game play on Saturday, November 16th. The program will be compiled of teams in the following age divisions:

Kinderkickers (5 - 6 year-olds)
Minors (7 - 8 year-olds)
Sophomores (9 -10 year-olds)
Juniors (11-13 year-olds)
Seniors (14 -18 year-olds)

As previously reported, the renovated Octagon Soccer Field will re-open by end of September and the second phase of the renovation is currently underway which::

... will reconstruct paths and seating areas to meet ADA requirements, reconstruct the bathrooms, provide a new shade pavilion near the bathrooms, install new spectator seating and upgrade the planted areas....

The new artificial turf has been laid on Octagon Field



so play can resume while work continues on Phase 2 of the renovation.

Roosevelt Island youth can register here for the Soccer Program.

You're Invited To Magnificent Mushroom Workshop With Curiouseed Tuesday September 17 Presented By Roosevelt Island Seniors Association And iDig2Learn - Sign Up Now For Fundamentals Of Fungi Free Event, Space Limited

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn Founder Christina Delfico reports

RI SENIOR ASSOCIATION & iDig2Learn Present

Magnificent Mushroom Workshop

Featuring ​Jie Jin aka JJ mushroom grower and founder of ​Curiouseed​.

Learn the fundamentals of fungi and the secrets of spores - plus build a take-home mushroom jar.

A few spots are left.

Don’t miss out on meeting JJ, a mushroom grower from Curiouseed, tomorrow 9/17 from 6-8pm at 546 Community Center at 546 Main Street. RSVP extended through tonight 9/16. Reserve your space and contact: riseniorsa@gmail.com

National Geographic introduces us to what we don't know about Mushrooms



More info about Curiouseed at their website.

Reserve your spot now for the Roosevelt Island Magnificent Mushroom workshop and contact: riseniorsa@gmail.com