Eventful And Busy First Day On The Job For NYC Mayor Eric Adams - Times Square New Year's Swearing In Ceremony, Takes Subway To Work, Witnesses Assault, Homeless In Subway Car, NYPD Officer Shot, Extends Indoors Vaccination Proof Emergency Order And Makes First Address To The City

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An eventful and busy first day on the job for new NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

⁦@NYCMayor⁩ calls 911 to report an assault in progress as he awaits a train from Brooklyn to City Hall. He does not identify himself as the new mayor pic.twitter.com/ebHyPNX7dt

— Julia Marsh (@juliakmarsh) January 1, 2022

Here at City Hall for his first day as ⁦@NYCMayor⁩, Eric Adams said he’s going to do what every day New Yorkers do — take the subway, work hard. pic.twitter.com/PvGYoGifg9

— katie honan (@katie_honan) January 1, 2022

In one car you have a somewhat drunk man trying to chat with @NYCMayor, another person yelling at him and someone else sleeping on the train. pic.twitter.com/8wixgJcT1I

— Courtney Gross (@courtneycgross) January 1, 2022

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LIVE NOW: @NYCMayor Eric Adams and @NYPDPC Keechant Sewell brief the press outside the @NYPD103Pct in Jamaica, Queens. https://t.co/hEP0bQJ5iT

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 1, 2022

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The first Executive Order will continue the existing state of emergency orders put in place by the previous administration.

The second order will extend the Key to the City order, which requires proof of vaccination for several indoor settings. pic.twitter.com/hQZOB6cEd0

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 1, 2022

Our focus in the weeks and months ahead will be on beating back the #Omicron surge and putting our city on a path toward an equitable recovery. We'll work day in and day out to get that done.

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 1, 2022

Good luck Mayor Adams! 

UPDATE 1/2/22 - The second day:

Yesterday, Adams took the subway. Today, he bikes @CitiBikeNYC. Hopefully soon, he’ll use the Roosevelt Island tram!

But seriously, if he rides public transit continuously—and doesn’t hide in an SUV—it will help him stay in touch with New Yorkers. And it shows a love for NYC. https://t.co/Y4iWasFE6s

— Billy Freeland 🚴‍♂️🚠 (@BillyFreelandNY) January 2, 2022

🎵New York, New York🎵#GetStuffDone

pic.twitter.com/ycESCtNflF

— City of New York (@nycgov) January 2, 2022

HAPPENING NOW: @NYCMayor Adams joins @NYCSanitation and @nycemergencymgt leadership to hold a briefing on tomorrow’s winter weather. https://t.co/bhkHInInBW

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 2, 2022

LIVE NOW IN HARLEM: @NYCMayor Adams and @NYPDPC Sewell brief the press after a roundtable on gun violence at Our Children’s Foundation. https://t.co/wKcajRndp1

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 2, 2022

Best Wishes From Roosevelt Island For A Happy And Healthy New Year In 2022 - Good Riddance 2021, Next Year Will Be Better!!!!!

This was said last year too, but let's start 2022 with hope for a much better year than last.

Hopefully, next year we'll be able to celebrate the New Year. Enjoy my traditional last song of the year from Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes together with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band .

We're havin' a party
Everybody's swinging
Dancing to the music
On the radio
So listen, Mr. DJ
Keep those records playing
'Cause I'm having such a good time
Dancing with my baby

 

Best Wishes to you all for A Happy and Healthy New Year in 2022.

Roosevelt Island Asks RIOC Board During Public Session About RIOC President Outside Consulting Work, Withholding Info About Racial Discrimination/Sexual Misconduct, Staff Salaries Not Made Public, FOIL Requests Unanswered, Traffic Safety, OMNY For Tram & Pickleball Court - No Reply, Only Silence From RIOC Board & Staff

As reported December 28:

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will meet 5:30 PM Wednesday December 29, via video conference.  

You can watch the Board meeting here and ask questions or share concerns about Roosevelt Island issues during the opening Public Session before the start of the meeting. Submit your written question or comment here.

But be aware that RIOC Board Members and staff usually do not respond to questions during the Public Session though they sometimes may do so or address the subject during the actual Board meeting. 

 Comments submitted to yesterday's RIOC Board Meeting Public Session were on subjects including:

• Request for a Pickleball court, 
• Traffic Safety ideas, crosswalk improvements, reduce car traffic on Main Street
• When will MTA OMNY be installed at Roosevelt Island Tram Station
• Outside consulting work by RIOC President Shelton Haynes in 2018 allegedly without receiving State approval
  
• RIOC managers allegedly withholding information of racial discrimination and sexual misconduct
• RIOC not answering Freedom Of Information requests for over 6 months or providing incomplete answers
  
• RIOC failing to make public information about the Corporation's officers salary compensation in proposed 2022-23 Budget in violation of corporation bylaws.

There was no response from RIOC Directors or staff to any of these submitted comments read by RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson.

Watch the video below of the Public Session followed by the RIOC Board meeting in which the RIOC Board approved the 2022-23 Budget and appointment of Debra Kustka to the Position of Vice President of Operations of the Corporation.

RIOC Board Meeting - December 29 2021

A resident submitted this question wanting to know why RIOC does not enforce mask mandates at local stores which was not read.

I asked  2 questions, neither of which were read:

The NYC Mobile Covid 19 Test and Vaccine Van brought to Roosevelt Island by NYC Council Member-Elect Julie Menin and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright was needed and welcomed by Roosevelt Island residents.

But why did RIOC not make better plans for handling the long wait times of 3-4 hours in very cold weather outside in Good Shepherd Plaza for our elderly, disabled and other residents? The Test Line was long but there were only about 45 people on line at any one time.

Residents suggested created a numbering system so the tests could be scheduled and waiting on line time would be shortened.

Another resident suggested having line across the Street in the covered Roosevelt Landings Arcade.Or doing the Tests inside at the Chapel or elsewhere?

Does RIOC have any plan to improve the logistics of residents waiting next time the mobile test van comes to Roosevelt Island?

FYI - PSD Sergeant Hazelwood and the other officers assigned to the waiting line did a very good good job handling a difficult situation.

and:

RIOC has not answered numerous inquiries regarding the May 16,2021 drowning death of a swimmer at Sportspark pool.

What was the cause of the drowning death?

What was the response of Sportspark personnel to the drowning including any attempts to save the victim? Did RIOC have appropriate safety equipment available at Sportspark for a drowning victim? I understand that a swimmer who was a Doctor attempted CPR on the drowning victim - is that true? Did RIOC or any Sportspark personnel attempt any CPR or other lifesaving measures?

What safety procedures or policies has RIOC implemented in the 8 months following the drowning?

What was the age of the swimmer. Was the swimmer a resident or regular user of the pool?

Why has RIOC refused to answer questions about the Sportspark drowning incident?

RIOC President Shelton Haynes said during his President's Report to the RIOC Board that residents concerns about the long lines for the Covid 19 tests at the mobile site will be reviewed and addressed.

RIOC Directors and staff refusal to address residents concerns submitted to the Board Public Session on a consistent basis makes a sham to any claim of RIOC openness and transparency in communications to Roosevelt Island residents. As one resident who submitted a question to the RIOC Public Session yesterday that was not even read to the Board stated:

Rioc doesn’t do a good job. They don’t care about the residents of the island.

When RIOC does not respond to resident concerns, what else can you say?

Roosevelt Island Is One Of Safest NYC Communities But Package Theft Popping Up During Holiday Season Says RIOC PSD Chief To RIRA Public Safety Committee Meeting - Only 12 Roosevelt Island Felonies Thru November, Watch Discussion Of Roosevelt Island Public Safety Issues

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department (PSD) Chief Kevin Brown regularly attends meetings of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee (PSC) chaired by Erin Feeley-Nahem continuing the community policing policy practices established by former PSD Chief Jack McManus.

Chief Brown reports to the PSC about recent PSD activities and learns about Roosevelt Island Public Safety concerns and issues from PSC members during these meetings. The dialogue is valuable in keeping lines of communications open between PSD and the Roosevelt Island community as well as an opportunity for the community to hear the perspective of PSD on a variety of issues.

Chief Brown told the December 21, 2021 RIRA PSC meeting attendees:

... I believe that this is one of the safest communities in New York  City. The crime stats say that this is one  of the safest communities in the city. 

We had one grand larceny and two assaults for three  crimes for the month of November and for the year  we've had 12 felonies ... which means that the numbers in our  community are are very very low...  

... The one thing that is popping up on the Island are packages being stolen during the Christmas season....

pic.twitter.com/oTudKQwqsc

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) December 29, 2021

Among the issues discussed at the December 21 RIRA PSC meeting with Chief Brown were:

• Dangerous streets, potholes and sidewalk conditions,
• Bike Safety Signage and Placement,
• Delivery Packages Left In Building Lobbies Being Stolen
• Building Vertical Patrols
• Homeless living in Motorgate
• Will PSD Enforce Mask Mandate For Roosevelt Island Store Employees
  
• Issuing Summons For Street U Turns
  

Below is the current staffing, hiring process  and employment training orientation for the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department.

Contact RIRA PSC Chair Erin Feeley-Nahem for more info or to attend a future meeting.

Sponsored Post - The Roosevelt Island Racquet Club Invites You To Start The 2022 New Year With Adult Beginners Tennis Instruction And Learn About The Variety Of Programs Available For Roosevelt Island Residents - Great Exercise, Meet New People & Discover The Game

The Roosevelt Island Racquet Club invites you to start the 2022 New Year with their Adult Beginners Tennis Instruction and learn about the Variety of Programs available for Roosevelt Island residents. 

Pam Glick, the new General Manager of the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, describes some of the Tennis programs available for Roosevelt Island residents

together with former GM Steve O'Keefe.

Get on the courts and in the game! 

Adult QuickStart Tennis makes it happen! 

Start your fall the fun way – with tennis customized for adult beginners! You’ll get great exercise, meet new people and discover the game. Once you pick up a racquet, you may never want to put it down! 

Here’s what you’ll get, right here at RIRC. 

• Beginner and Advanced Beginner Adult Programs 

• Learning that’s fast & fun 

• Basics like rules, stroke technique, basic singles & doubles strategy 

• Move on to racquet & rally skills 

• Plus much more!

Just $249/for 9 full hours of group instruction! 

Sign up today! Classes are forming year-round.

Contact Pam Glick at pglick@advantagetennisclubs.com or Tony Huber at thuber@advantagetennisclubs.com or  call 212.935.0250 ext 811

Schedule your free tour and level evaluation.

Roosevelt Island Proposed 2022-23 Budget And Appointment Of New VP Of Operations On Agenda For December 29 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting - You Can Watch Meeting Via Video Conference And Submit Question Or Comment

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will meet 5:30 PM Wednesday December 29, via video conference.  

You can watch the Board meeting here and ask questions or share concerns about Roosevelt Island issues during the opening Public Session before the start of the meeting. Submit your written question or comment here.

But be aware that RIOC Board Members and staff usually do not respond to questions during the Public Session though they sometimes they may do so or address the subject during the actual Board meeting. 

Among the items on the December 29 Agenda are:

• 1- Approval of the Proposed RIOC Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 (Board Action Required)
  
• 3- Appointment of Debra Kustka to the Position of Vice President of Operations of the Corporation (Board Action Required)

Here's the full December 29 RIOC Board meeting agenda.
and Proposed RIOC 2022-23 budget.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Nancy Brown And Her Home Health Care Aide Featured In City Limits Article - What’s Driving the Shortage of Home Healthcare Workers in NY? Low Wages, Advocates Say

Long time Roosevelt Island resident Nancy Brown and her home health care aide Marilyn Thomas features in this article. https://t.co/NidygVx8Ds

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) December 27, 2021

According to City Limits: 

Nancy Brown and Marilyn Thomas have been together for 24 years. Brown, who just turned 80, has been severely disabled since she was 7. Thomas, Brown says, “has to take care of me because I can’t take care of myself.”...

... But not many people are willing to do the kind of work Thomas does—not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t afford to. Almost three quarters—74 percent—of New Yorkers needing home health aides were unable to retain a worker in 2021, according to a report by the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State (CDPAANYS). The shortage forces many older and disabled people to go without the care they need, or remain in hospitals and nursing homes.... 

... Almost everyone agrees that low wages are a key reason for that. Home care workers in New York City made an average of $15.93 an hour in 2020, a report by City University of New York found. This falls far below what experts consider a living wage of $21.77 for a single adult in New York City, let alone for a person with children... 

Click here for the full City Limits article 

Nancy Brown is Vice President of the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA)

Learn more about Roosevelt Island's Nancy Brown from this 2019 video directed by Andres "Jay" Molina of the Coler Hospital Open Doors project.

More on the critical shortage of home health aides due to low wages from CBS New York.

Beautiful NYC Sunrise View Today Of Roosevelt Island Tram Cabins Passing Each Other And Queensboro Bridge

Beautiful NYC sunrise view of Roosevelt Island Tram cabins passing each other and Queensboro bridge. https://t.co/gBIqqjk3gJ

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) December 27, 2021

Sad News, Roosevelt Island Pioneer Frank Bernard Gibbs Passed Away December 21 At The Age Of 87, Community Activist, Loyal Friend, Cabrini Church Usher, Deputy Boxing Commissioner & Sharp Dressed Man - Condolences To His Family, Friends & Neighbors

Roosevelt Island pioneer Frank Bernard Gibbs passed away December 17, 2021 at the age of 87.

According the obituary of Mr Gibbs shared by his family:

Frank Bernard Gibbs was the seventh child born to Charles and Ann Gibbs on September 10, 1934 in the Bronx. Frank was predeceased by his siblings Angelita Brunstorff, Eugenia Mitchell, Inez Gibbs, Bernadette Bovell and twin brothers Isaac and Charles Gibbs. 

Frank lived a full life in his short 87 years on earth. He was a tailor, a surrogate’s court clerk, a deputy boxing commissioner, community activist and loyal friend. He was a devout catholic and served as an usher at St. Francis Cabrini Church on Roosevelt Island. Frank always put his best foot forward. Many will see Frank in their minds eye dressed in a sharp suit and tie, shoes and a hat. He knew how to dress and would say ‘we got to look sharp’. 

He talked of growing up in the Bronx and playing stick ball. Frank would visit the Bronx regularly to reminisce with friends and family. He worked at Strecker Memorial Laboratory on Roosevelt Island before it was developed into a residential community. The island made an impression as he left his beloved Bronx and made Roosevelt Island his home in the 1970’s. 

Frank increased his family of friends and became family to many on this small island. Frank Gibbs made it a point to get involved in his community. He successfully worked to bring a farmer’s market to Roosevelt Island, he was a founding member of the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, he planned countless trips for the Roosevelt Island Seniors to Atlantic City, Ocean City, Niagara Falls, wineries, etc. 

Frank enjoyed life, music, food, laughter and friends. His love of salsa music matched that of a Puerto Rican. He even walked the Puerto Rican Day Parade for many years. He could name drop with the best of them, but did not have to do that. His relationships with politicians and musicians were well documented.  

He leaves to cherish his memories: sister-in-law Shirley Gibbs; nieces Deborah Gulledge, Shirlene Gibbs-Fletcher and Stacey Gibbs; great nephews Darnell Leslie and Georvhari Fletcher; great nieces Syretta Broden (Mathias) and ShirBriya Fletcher; great-great nephews Darren Leslie and Sadiq Broden and great-great nieces Matea and Serena Broden and so many friends.

Condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of Roosevelt Island pioneer Mr. Frank Bernard Gibbs.