Roosevelt island's RIVAA Gallery (527 Main Street) is celebrating Black History
Month with an exhibition titled "Essence Créations" from February 2 - February
26. You're invited to the exhibition's opening reception on Saturday, February 4 from 6 - 9 PM.
Beginning February 2, 2023 RIVAA Gallery will present work by a diverse group
of artists for Black History Month.
The exhibition “Essence Créations” focuses on positive and creative expression
in the visual arts.
Curated by Lorraine Williams, the exhibition includes the Pax Rawanda
Embroideries with Juliana Meehan, Andrew Nichols, Ida Owens, Albert Dépas,
Mona Coichy Haigler, Aziza and others.
We look forward to welcoming you either to our opening reception on February
4, from 6-9 or anytime throughout the exhibition which remains open until
February 27, 2023.
"Essence Creations" Thursday, February 2, 2023 - Sunday, February 26, 2023
Reception: Saturday, February 4, from 6-9 pm, 2023
Hours: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am -5 pm Wednesday and Friday from
6-9 pm
... Black History Month started as black history week. It was founded by Carter G Woodson
in 1926. He chose a week in February because it also encapsulated the
birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass which were two days African Americans
have been celebrating going back to the 19th century. So for 50 years it
was a week long celebration. Then in 1976 as the nation was celebrating its
200th anniversary, people decided that this week long celebration should
encompass the entire month of February....
... We can trace African American history in New York all the way back to the period of
enslavement. Many people don’t realize that by 1700 New York had more enslaved people than any
of the other colonies. Most of the enslaved in New York worked as domestics and maids and butlers. Some of them worked on the dock, unloading ships. New York
abolished slavery in 1827, which was quite late for some of the northern states which had already taken that step
including places like Massachusetts....
Here's more on African American history in New York City
NBC New York reporter Ryan Baker recently visited the Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins. He reports on the fascinating history of the Smallpox Hospital and a possible future use of the site being proposed by Friends Of The Ruins as a Memorial to:
... those we lost to COVID-19 as well as scientific advances and the frontline workers fighting viral and infectious disease....
Learn more about the mysteries of the Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital and Friends Of The Ruins proposed memorial from this prior post.
... RIOC originally projected the Sportspark renovations to be completed by
the
Spring of 2022
but that was pushed back to September and then the Fall of 2022....
... During the September 29,2022 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting, RIOC President Shelton Haynes reported
the Sportspark Facility substantially completed but target opening date delayed
until late Fall/Winter.
During the October 20, 2022 RIOC Board of Directors meeting,
Mr Haynes said the Sportspark renovation
is about 95% complete. RIOC is waiting for punch lists work to be
completed and Department of Buildings and FDNY inspections. Mr Haynes added that RIOC hopes to open
in a couple of months, if not sooner...
... The facility’s grand opening is slated for Late-Winter 2023, equipped with a new aquatics and management teams;...
... Sportspark, which I know everybody's excited about, is a project that we are sure the
community will love. We have a new team in place and enhanced services.
We're still working with
New York City agencies to get inspections done which will be easier after the holiday season.
We did send out a notification last week that in January we will provide a lot of
pertinent information so after the holidays please check your advisories.... updates on permitting, pricing and
other pertinent information will be provided at that time....
On December 29, I got a sneak peek at the renovated Sportspark swimming pool and basketball court from outside through the widows as well as the two new Pickleball courts and posted the video on Roosevelt Islander Instagram Page.
A few days later the Sportspark windows were completely covered up preventing anyone from looking inside.
The good news is that Sportspark may be opening sooner rather than much later. RIOC announced yesterday the appointment of new Sportspark management.
According to a RIOC Tweet today:
President & CEO @SheltonJHaynes announced the appointment of Joseph Natale as Director of Sportspark and Philip Flynn as General Manager of Sportspark at Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
(RIOC) President & CEO Shelton J. Haynes today announced the
appointment of Joseph Natale as Director of Sportspark and Philip Flynn
as General Manager of Sportspark at Roosevelt Island Operating
Corporation.
“Joseph and Philip both
bring their unique experience to RIOC, having been rising stars in their
respective roles in the private and public sector,” said RIOC President & CEO Shelton J.
Haynes. “Joe’s wealth of experience at Equinox has already paid
dividends as he shares his transformative ideas to bring Sportspark to
industry standards. Phil too brings to RIOC over a decade’s worth of
experience at premier not-for-profits – giving him a unique advantage in
navigating state government coupled with his astute background in
programming.
"First, I'd like to
thank RIOC President & CEO Mr. Shelton J. Haynes for the opportunity
to be a part of RIOC and join such a motivated team,” stated Joseph Natale.
“What excites me the most about overseeing the new and improved
Sportspark is the ability to offer our members best-in-class
programming, a high level of member service standards, and new amenities
never seen at Sportspark. The member experience will be at the
forefront of everything we do."
Natale
is an 11-year veteran of the fitness industry, initially starting as a
personal trainer and working his way up into management for nearly the
past decade. Most recently, Natale held various roles at Equinox,
including Assistant General Manager, General Manager, and Senior Manager
of Personal Training. Natale’s ability to lead and develop teams,
streamline operations, and create an exceptional member experience are
all values RIOC seeks for the future of Sport spark. Natale holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Management of Sports Industries from the
University of New Haven and earned a number of certifications, including
NASM-CPT and NSCA-CSCS.
General Manager Philip Flynn commented,
"First and foremost, I want to thank RIOC and President & CEO
Shelton J. Haynes for giving me the opportunity to help uplift Roosevelt
Island in my new role. I am beyond excited for Sportspark to open and
show off all the new upgrades to the residents of Roosevelt Island. My
goal is to be another resource for the community with a strong focus on
health and wellness at the center."
Flynn
possesses over a decade’s worth of experience working in the
not-for-profit sector. Flynn served as the Athletic Director for Sid
Jacobson Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Roslyn, NY, the only
full-service JCC on Long Island’s North Shore dedicated to serving every
aspect of community wellness, regardless of age or ability. At the JCC,
Flynn was charged with the development and implementation of all sports
programs and activities. He promoted sports programming growth, safety,
member satisfaction, and member retention through sports program
participation and facility excellence. Flynn holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sports Management and a Masters degree in Sports Management
with a Minor in Economics and Sports Marketing from the State University
of New York at Cortland. Flynn was a DIII athlete in both soccer and
track while attending the State University of New York at Cortland.
But still no information from RIOC on a Sportspark opening date, programming, scheduling or pricing.
On January 24, I asked RIOC President Shelton Haynes and Assistant VP of Communications Akeem Jamal:
I'm working on a story about the opening of the Sportspark facility.
I'd like to interview you about the project and RIOC plans for upcoming programs and community use schedules.
I would also like to take a tour of the facility and take video.
Could we do an interview at Sportspark in the next few days.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams submitted the op-ed article below to local NYC community media including Roosevelt Islander Online.
According to Mayor Eric Adams:
Community Op Ed: A Working People’s Agenda
Last week, in Queens — the borough I grew up in — I reported to New Yorkers on the state of our city. I outlined what we’ve accomplished in the year since I took office, and my vision for the future. We are going to build a city for working people, one that is more affordable, safer, cleaner, and more livable.
We focused on four essential pillars: jobs, safety, housing, and care.
Because without a strong working class, this city cannot survive.
Working people need good jobs and pathways to get those jobs. And those jobs need to be able to support a home for New Yorkers and their families.
That is why we are reimagining our workforce system, connecting 30,000 New Yorkers to apprenticeships through a new Apprenticeship Accelerator. It’s also why we are creating the jobs for the future, through our first of its kind biotech start up incubator that will be home to the next generation of transformative companies, and our Kips Bay life sciences hub, which will help create jobs and train New Yorkers for high demand careers in the life sciences, healthcare, and public health.
And we are ensuring that more city dollars go to minority and women-owned businesses as well as creating a new Nursing Education Initiative to support 30,000 current and aspiring nurses over the next five years.
And while we are finally seeing crime begin to decline in New York City, we must continue to make our streets safe, and it starts with getting New York City’s Most Wanted off our streets.
We are going to get the roughly 1,700 known offenders responsible for a disproportionate amount of the city’s violent crime off the streets.
And we are going to keep our streets safe by holding reckless drivers accountable. We are going to go to Albany to get legislation passed that increases the penalties for serious crashes, running red lights, and impaired driving.
Our city cannot be livable unless it is clean and sustainable. So we are investing millions to make our city cleaner and greener.
Last year we launched the country’s largest curbside composting program in Queens in order to Get Stuff Clean, and by the end of 2024, composting will be citywide and year-round. We are electrifying our city vehicles, and we have reached a deal with Uber and Lyft to have a zero emissions fleet by 2030.
And we are going to build on the success of our Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs by creating permanent community spaces in each borough.
We must have homes for working people. We are working to add 500,000 more homes across all five boroughs—so that everyone has an affordable place to live. We are going to build in every borough and every neighborhood. And that means creating housing in areas that currently only allow manufacturing and office uses while protecting good jobs in the center of our city's economy. We are going to make Midtown Manhattan a true live-work community. And we are building more housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods and near transit hubs. I recently announced plans for 6,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs around four new metro stations in the Bronx. And at Willets Point we're working to build the largest new 100 percent affordable housing development in 40 years — that’s 2,500 new, affordable homes for New Yorkers.
Building new houses is essential for our future, but we also need to address the housing crisis today. So we are going to protect tenants and help New Yorkers stay in their homes by investing over $22 million in tenant protection programs.
We must also ensure that the social safety net is there for working people, so we are expanding it; making it easier for New Yorkers to access public benefits and healthcare. This is an agenda for working people.
As we pursue these programs, we want to keep New Yorkers up to date on the very latest. That’s why we’re launching a new initiative to talk directly to New Yorkers about the issues you care most about. You can sign up for this email newsletter at nyc.gov/hearfromEric to receive breaking news and updates on city initiatives — all tailored to your personal interests. Whether it’s a new park opening, or a new Open Streets in your neighborhood, you’ll be the first to know.
Mayor Adams was asked about Roosevelt Island governance and other issues during a January 6, 2023 community press roundtable. Watch the video here.
Last Friday evening January 27, RIOC hosted a Blackwell Park Re-design
community meeting to share current plans and seek comments from the Roosevelt
Island community.
On very short notice, about 25 residents attended the meeting at the Good
Shepherd Chapel. RIOC President Shelton Haynes was not in attendance. Instead,
RIOC Director Of Capital Planning & Projects Prince Shah made the
presentation for the $5 million project which is, as of now, anticipated to
begin construction in the Fall of 2023.
Here's video of the meeting which began with an introduction by RIOC Assistant
Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal and overview by Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cunneen.
The project and online community survey results are summarized in these slides
from the RIOC Presentation.
Mr Shah did an excellent job with the presentation and noted why this particular
project is so important to him personally.
Mr Shah said that RIOC intends to keep the Roosevelt Island community informed
as the Blackwell Park re-design project moves forward.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
