Best Wishes From Roosevelt Island For A Happy And Healthy New Year In 2023 - Cheers, We're Having A Party, Everybody's Swinging, Dancing To The Music On The Radio

Best Wishes to all for a Happy And Healthy New Year in 2023.

Whether you're staying at home for a quiet New Year's Eve or out partying, there's no better way to celebrate the end of the past year than with a traditional last song 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

Cheers

and Best Wishes for the 2023 New Year.

Sponsored Post - Please Consider End Of Year Donation In Support Of Roosevelt Island Organizations Doing Good Work For Our Community - Wildlife Freedom Foundation, Main Street Theatre, RIVAA Gallery, iDig2Learn, 4 Freedoms Park And RI Historical Society

If you're interested in making an End Of Year Donation, please consider supporting local Roosevelt Island organizations doing good work for our community including:

The Wildlife Freedom Foundation

Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance

RIVAA Gallery

iDig2Learn

 FDR Four Freedoms Park

 and the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.

Best Wishes For A Happy New Year From Roosevelt Island's:

• Wildlife Freedom Foundation,
• Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance,
• RIVAA Gallery 
• iDig2Learn
  
• FDR Four Freedoms Park and
  
• Roosevelt Island Historical Society

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at the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (281 Main Street).

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RIOC Public Safety Blotter Reports December 21 Roosevelt Island Sexual Assault, RIOC Responds This Afternoon To Inquiries About The Alleged Incident - Watch Video Of RIRA Public Safety December Meeting With Chief Brown

Yesterday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes, Public Safety Department Chief Kevin Brown and Assistant Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal: 

12/21/22 -2218 – 540 Main Street – Sexual Assault – EMS, PSD Responded – Transported to Hospital

Will RIOC comment on the sexual assault incident listed in PSD Incident Report above?

What happened? Was there an arrest?

This incident will be of great concern to the Roosevelt Island community and I want to make sure that the reporting is accurate.

Will RIOC comment on this matter?

Did not receive any response and followed up again this afternoon to RIOC asking: 

I’m following up on yesterday’s email below regarding a December 21 sexual assault at 540 Main Street reported in the PSD daily blotter.

This is of great concern to residents. Will Rioc provide information about what happened including if there was an arrest?

Today, a NYPD Press Spokesperson told me they had no information on the matter.

I’ve also asked several residents who usually know or can find out and they had no info either.

At 4:14 pm today, RIOC sent out this advisory:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community,

This is an update in response to community inquiries concerning an alleged sexual assault incident on 12/21/22 at 10:18 PM. Emergency Medical Services responded to an unknown individual in the area of 540 main street. Upon arrival, the individual on the scene declined to provide their information and declined assistance from NYPD. After further investigation – there was no police report filed, and the NYPD 114th precinct Detective Squad was not notified of an act of sexual assault.

The Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department and NYPD take any allegations of sexual assault or general wrongdoing seriously. Should you wish to make an anonymous report, please get in touch with the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-577-TIPS or submit an online tip.

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department

 Upon reading the advisory, one resident asked:

How did this get on their blotter if nothing took place? 

This is practically identical to the claim they made concerning the last incident.

Another resident added:

I try to give Chief Brown & PSD the benefit of the doubt on some criminal activity but they continue to test us.  And this Advisory tests their credibility.

 

Does  “... In the area of 540...“ mean In the Building Lobby?  Near the Cultural Center Staircase?  Poorly lit Dark Space Further down the road to the river?

 

Wondering who exactly called 911 if the victim didn’t?

540 Breezeway is hard for PSD to miss.  Doubt any PSOs were out at that crosswalk but is possible.  Even when they are there they miss stuff...

 

And, most importantly, isn’t this the 2nd time this year this kind of assault was reported & nothing happened?

The PSD & RIOC have the responsibility to be transparent & report critical events related 

to the SAFETY of the PUBLIC.  Chief Brown can remind us, at those Public Safety meetings & other settings, how low the crime rate is & how safe we are ... But they never send out or post some reminders about our personal safety.

RIOC's relatively new Vice President of Communications, Akeem Jamal, has made it extremely difficult for the local Roosevelt Island media to obtain information about important issues of concern to the Roosevelt Island community. In response to a prior Public Safety incident last October, Mr Jamal replied to my inquiry: 

... In the event of community concern in the case of such an incident, RIOC would work to advise the public should there be a need. In the future, if you would like information regarding any incident or have other inquiries, please submit a FOIL request. 

This email serves as notice that RIOC will no longer respond to these incidents or other matters unless a FOIL request has been submitted.

I've asked Mr Jamal why he refuses to answer press inquiries on issues of concern to Roosevelt Island residents.

Mr Jamal's answer was:

RIOC wants to control the narrative.

Roosevelt Island public safety issues were discussed with RIOC PSD Chief Kevin Brown during the December 22 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee meeting. Among the issues discussed were:

• Very low crime rate on Roosevelt Island, 
• Shoplifting at Duane Reade, 
• Problems at the new Hudson Related Riverwalk Park affordable housing building (Hudson Related is bringing in a social worker to try and solve some of the problems among tenants), 
• Main Street Traffic and parking issues,  including truck and bike deliveries, 
• PSD staffing, two officers are joining NYPD,
• Dog poop,
• and more.

Watch the video of full meeting.

These meetings are open to the public to participate.

Contact RIRA Public Safety Co-Chair Erin Feely-Nahem if you are interested in attending the next meeting.

Pickleball Craze Is Coming To Roosevelt Island - After Request By Local Residents, RIOC Installs 2 Outdoor Pickleball Courts At Sportspark - Are 2 Courts Enough?

Roosevelt Island is joining the Pickleball Craze with 2 new outdoor courts installed by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) in the area behind Sportspark that used to be a basketball court.

Vox explains Pickleball.

During the October 20, 2022 RIOC Board of Directors Meeting Public Session, Roosevelt Island residents Lorraine Altman

and Vicki Feinmel

 

advocated for Pickle Ball courts on Roosevelt Island.

Ms Altman noted that Ms Feinmel is a recent winner of a Pickleball tournament at a Manhattan court.

During the December 22, 2022 RIOC Board Meeting, RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson announced Pickleball was coming to Roosevelt Island at the Sportspark outdoor court this coming spring. 

According to Ms Robinson:

We are bringing Pickleball to Roosevelt's Island as Mr Haynes previously mentioned. We have decided to dedicate the courts behind Sports Park to that effort and a formal announcement will go out soon but asphalt was laid and striping was completed this month. I believe the court will be completed and accessible in the early spring so that's really exciting.

 

Comments on Roosevelt Islander Instagram Pickleball post include:

• Awesome addition to the community!!
• Outdoor volleyball court should be next
• They are here, and there’s only two of them! And will Off-Islanders be able to use them? Cause we have 6 tennis courts that residents have a hard time accessing because Off-Islanders take over! I can’t play tennis at any other borough with out a permit, but Off-Islanders can just come here and take over our courts! Do you think two PB courts are going to be enough?

The subject of Roosevelt Island Pickleball was even discussed during an August 24, 2022 tour of Roosevelt Island with Mayor Adams and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright.

Are you ready for Roosevelt Island Pickleball?

iDig2Learn Wishes You All The Joys The World Has To Offer Into The New Year And Beyond - Help Us End 2022 Strong, Donate To Celebrate iDig2Learn's 10 Years And Propel Us Into The Next Decade

iDig2Learn Wishes You All The Joys The World Has To Offer Into The New Year And Beyond 

Help us end 2022 strong!

Donate to celebrate iDig2Learn’s 10 years and propel us into the next decade.

We love discovering nature’s wonders and are excited for what’s ahead. Deep thanks to all our partners for helping us expand our impact to all ages and spark our desire (and know-how) to make sure our human impact is good impact.

Wish to support?  

Click this link where our fiscal sponsor and nonprofit Open Space Institute 501(c)3 public charity lists us as one of their Citizen Action Groups ready to accept donations. Be sure to select - iDig2Learn - from the drop down menu to ensure we get your generous gift. Can’t support right now? Follow us and spread the word! Thanks to all who have make this decade fun and joyful! 

Follow us on our iDig2Learn website and Instagram page.

Roosevelt Island Visitors Center Kiosk Greets People From All Over The World On A Frigid Christmas Day - Help Support The Roosevelt Island Historical Society

Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy reports:

It is Christmas day and a good day to be in the kiosk and meet our visitors. I do not know what to expect since the temperature is about 20 degrees out.

Just as I approach the kiosk a couple is looking at the RIOC map sign and I invite tme into the kiosk to defrost. The woman, Alette is almost 90 years old with her 19 year old grandson, Jonathan. They are from Montreaux, Switzerland and are here for a week's vacation. They sit down to warm up, though the kiosk has not warmed up yet to a frosty 50 degrees. We chat and discover Jonathan is studying and working at the Montreaux Jazz Festival working rigging and lighting every summer. His English is great and Alette is used to walking the mountain trails of Switzerland.

They are lots of fun and after a half hour decide to ride the red bus around the island. 

ARLETTE AND JONATHAN, OUR FIRST VISITORS OF THE DAY. 

Marie, a young woman from College Park, Maryland joins me and we chat about restaurants and customer service, since she works in a Japanese Restaurant. Her friends soon arrive, three grad students from Maryland and they are off to explore the island.

A young couple come in and we chat. They are Greek and seek instructions to Astoria for some good "home" cooking. She is a nursery school teacher and he a tech teacher in London. We have a few laughs of British cooking and they are definitely ready for Astoria.

A family from Dubai come into the kiosk, yes Dubai. Mom, dad and 3 kids. The are nearly frozen and we chat so they can warm up. One son is definitely under the weather and the family has already visited Duane Read. He is completely bundled and masked up. I am sure he really wanted to be under the covers. The family is from Pakistan and have lived over 20 years in the Middle East. The teen age daughter has been directing her family's itinerary including the Met and MOMA. She wants to go into design and has a list of must-sees for her family. One the way out we present a I Love NY baseball for the son, though it is not a cricket ball. it will be a great New York souvenir. The family has decided that this is the last trip to New York in winter.

Other families enter the kiosk, 

many asking for a restroom. We do not have the coffee maker on today since using it will probably blow out our fragile electrical system. We sell some pairs of gloves and not much else. We notice that the majority of our visitors are from tropical climates, such as Malaga,Spain, California, Florida and warmer places. Most wanted a little less of the freeze they had been experiencing here. At 4 p.m. my feet are frozen and time to head to Granny Annies for a bowl of hot French Onion Soup.

Roosevelt Island residents are also invited and welcomed at the RIHS Visitors Center Kiosk. Stop by, talk to Ms Berdy and the friendly staff and make a merchandise purchase

to help support RIHS.

Merry Christmas And Happy Chanukkah From Roosevelt Island - Enjoy Holiday Songs From Bing & Bowie, Dropkick Murphy's, The Waitresses, RUN DMC, Great Big Sea & For Those Who Eat Chinese Food On Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukkah from Roosevelt Island.

Enjoy these Holiday Songs from Bing Crosby and David Bowie,

Dropkick Murphys,

The Waitresses,

RUN DMC,

Great Big Sea

and for those who Eat Chinese Food At Christmas.

Happy Holidays Roosevelt Island.