Saturday's LatinXtravaganza Festival at FDR Four Freedoms State Park is
cancelled due to the high probability of rain.
Out of an abundance of caution and safety concerns for you and all the
attendees, as well as our vendors and performers, Four Freedoms Park
Conservancy has cancelled Saturday’s festival at the park. Thank you for
your understanding and we hope to see you in 2024!
Also, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) has rescheduled the Saturday
October 7 Fall For Arts Festival to Sunday October 8.
We have decided to move Fall for Arts one more time from Saturday (10/7) to
this Sunday (10/8) given the rainy Saturday forecast.
Fall for Arts will now run from 10AM to 5PM Sunday, October 8th on
Meditation Lawn and feature food, activities, and incredible artists at
work. If you are one of the artists selected for this year’s event but
cannot make it on Sunday 10/8, please reach out to RIVAA Gallery at
submissions@rivaagallery.org as soon as possible to let festival organizers
know.
Hopefully, this will be the last time we have to move the event due to
weather. We look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday!
On the occasion of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, the
Four Freedoms Park Conservancy
will host a “LatinXtravaganza” family festival curated by Pulitzer Prize
finalist and Brooklynite
Xochitl Gonzalez
at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island, October
7 from 11:00 am to 4 pm.
A newly commissioned mural by
Mata Ruda
entitled “Esta Tierra Es Nuestra Tierra” (“This Land is Our Land”),
celebrating the diversity of Latino experience in America and featuring Latino
New Yorkers representing FDR’s Four Freedoms, will be unveiled. The
“LatinXtravaganza” family festival is
FREE with registration.
The Festival will include wonderful activities, including a Latino Banned Book
Library from Lush and a pop-up bookstore from Cafe con Libros. It will also
feature Children's Story Time by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, a musical performance
from Bomba y Plena, dance lessons with
Ballet Hispánico
and Salsa Salsa Dance School, a domino tournament organized by
NYC Dominoes, live
mariachi music, poetry readings, food trucks, face painting, a set from DJ
Christian Mártir and a composting exhibit by iDig2Learn.
“When I first contacted Xochitl about the idea of curating a public art
installation and event at FDR Four Freedoms State Park, she seized the
opportunity. By transforming a presidential monument designed completely in
white granite by the great American modernist Louis Kahn, she recognized that
her words, sentences and paragraphs that are her craft could be put to
influential public purpose,” said Howard Axel, Chief Executive Office of Four
Freedoms Park Conservancy. “Working together, Mata Ruda and Xochitl created an
important, temporary intervention, just 1,500ft from the United Nations, that
reminds every visitor to the park of a more accurate and inclusive history.”
“In the absence of our own official monuments, murals have allowed us to
assert and celebrate our histories, origin stories and heroes,” said Xochitl Gonzalez, cultural critic, producer, screenwriter, and New York Times
bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming.
“Not as they are seen from the outside, but from within. It felt, given this
context, the most appropriate medium to reflect the multitude of voices in our
community, and when I encountered Mata Ruda’s work, I knew that we would be in
caring, passionate hands.”
“It is really important to figure out how these versions of history – the
white granite presentation of history and the rich, under-celebrated history
embodied by the Nueva Yorquinos on our mural – can exist side by side. This
public work seeks to reclaim our space through a generative, additive,
annotative process rather than one of subtraction and erasure,” Gonzalez
added.
“Despite our history in this country that can be counted now in centuries,
this myth of Latino ‘otherness’ perpetuates. This unique opportunity to
visually transform part of the New York City landscape with a celebration of
us felt like a small, but meaningful restorative act towards correcting the
erasure of nuestra voices,” said Gonzalez.
The mural features Latino New Yorkers, embodying FDR’s Four Freedoms: freedom
of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom
from fear.
Dr. Marta Moreno Vega: Freedom of religion – As a writer, educator, cultural
leader and Yoruba priestess, she has done unquantifiable work to
destigmatize and contextualize Santeria and other Afro- diasporic faiths.
Lorena Borjas: Freedom from fear – She protected countless transgender women
from being trafficked, of falling ill, or being deported.
Candido Arcángel: Freedom from want – For 14 years, the Brooklyn bodega
owner turned his basement into a makeshift homeless shelter for men who had
fallen on hard times.
Olga Garriga: Freedom of speech – From our past, a Brooklynite turned
freedom-fighter, jailed for speaking in defense of Puerto Rican liberation
under the gag laws of the late 1940s.
The last figure on the mural is a dreamer who represents an “every man” who
refuses to be relegated to the margins. “I decided to work with a variety of
brown earth tones against the blue shadow. Conceptually, my thinking is that
these tones will contrast with the white granite steps – challenging the
classical, “Western” architecture of the site,” said artist Mata Ruda. “With
the title “Esta Tierra Es Nuestra Tierra,” the earth tones so closely weave
with the concepts of the piece and resemble clay, dirt, soil and adobe. It
also ties in with the medium I work with to paint the pieces – adobe powder,
plaster, and wood stain.”
This special program marks the launch of an ongoing series, Art4Freedoms. This
new Four Freedoms Park Conservancy project invites artists and social justice
leaders to re-envision FDR’s Four Freedoms for a new generation. Click here for more information on Four Freedoms Park Conservancy.
Though not named as defendants in the lawsuit, Mr Haynes and Ms Robinson
claim in their lawsuit that NY State Senator
Liz Krueger,
NY State Assembly Member
Rebecca Seawright
and
Roosevelt Island Daily
publisher David Stone contributed to a "racist backlash" against them.
The lawsuit also claims that Mr Haynes and Ms Robinson were excluded from
the appointment process of 3 new RIOC Board Members in an attempt to
undermine their authority and "ability to discharge their job functions."
Haynes and Robinson claim the 3 new RIOC board members are antagonistic to
them.
This is a case about how the Executive Chamber for the Office of the Governor
of New York (the “Chamber”) and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
(“RIOC”) have unfairly subjected Shelton J. Haynes and Gretchen K. Robinson
(“Robinson,” and together with Haynes, the “Plaintiffs”), two African American
executives, to continuous and pervasive discrimination by, including but not
limited to, subjecting Haynes and Robinson to frequent unwarranted
investigations by the New York State Inspector General (“NYSIG”) as well as
ordering an independent investigation by an outside counsel – something not
done for other, more serious allegations – based entirely on specious
allegations of wrongdoing. The Chamber did so while simultaneously thwarting
Haynes’s and Robinson’s efforts to fight back against the discrimination and
defend themselves and RIOC against a multitude of defamatory statements made
by a local blogger and a group of disgruntled former employees....
NEW: absolutely wild stuff is happening on Roosevelt Island. The CEO of the island’s governing body is suing his own bosses—Gov. Kathy Hochul’s admin—alleging they stopped him from going after the ex-employee whistleblowers who accused him of corruption:https://t.co/pc6egb0oTu
it's the latest instance of a long history of dysfunction at the state-run corporation, which is still defending itself against a lawsuit brought by ex-employees who claim they were fired after reporting official misconduct:https://t.co/UNWFCMrmo5
On September 18, I sent an email inquiry to Mr Haynes, Ms Robinson and the
RIOC Directors asking for comment on the lawsuit and who was currently in
charge of RIOC.
There was no response.
I followed up on September 27 to Mr Haynes, Ms Robinson and the RIOC Directors
with a second email inquiry asking:
It has been almost 2 weeks since RIOC President Shelton Haynes and General
Counsel Gretchen Robinson filed a racial discrimination lawsuit on September
12 in the Southern District of NY against members of Governor Hochul’s
Executive Chamber as well as the Commissioner and certain staffers of NY
State Division of Homes and Community Renewal.
Also, it has been almost 2 weeks since Ms Robinson announced at the
September 14 RIOC Board meeting that Mr Haynes was on a "leave of absence.
To date, RIOC has made no announcement to the Roosevelt Island community
regarding who is in charge of RIOC. Is there an Acting RIOC President?
I am following up on the September 18 email below seeking comment from you
on the Haynes/Robinson lawsuit.
Specifically:
1- What is the reason for Mr Haynes extended leave and who is now in charge
of Rioc as the President/CEO?
2- Will the Rioc Board allow Mr Haynes and Ms Robertson to remain in their
current positions following the filing of their lawsuit?
3- Mr Haynes and Ms
Robinson allege in the lawsuit that one white RIOC Board member told the
lead attorney investigating Mr Haynes that " they need to end this f******
racist witch hunt now" and "Shelton Haynes is the best executive of RIOC so
far" Will the RIOC Director who said this confirm the accuracy of the
statement and identify themselves to the public?
4 - Do any of the RIOC Directors have a comment to the Roosevelt Island
community on this matter?
5 - Will Mr Haynes and/or Ms Robinson comment on this matter.
These questions are of great concern to the Roosevelt Island community and
are in preparation for an upcoming Roosevelt Islander Online article....
Recently appointed RIOC Board Member Ben Fhala replied on September 27:
Dear Rick and our fellow community members,
On August 31st, Shelton Haynes informed the oversight board of his temporary
leave, set to conclude on October 4th, with a request for privacy on the
matter. As Gretchen conveyed this in a board meeting, I won't delve further
into the details than she did.
Since then, our Chair, HCR, hasn't officially updated us on the interim
leadership, but my understanding is that Gretchen Robinson is assuming the
role. Regrettably, no formal communication has been disseminated to staff
nor Resident board members regarding this transition.
The lawsuit has cast a shadow over our communications and reduced
interactions among board members. New Resident board members like myself
have not received guidance from the Chair nor her delegates on this matter.
Despite this cloud, we remain dedicated to RIOC and our community's welfare.
Unfortunately, the dysfunction in RIOC's communications has led us to seek
external help to address community needs.
Recently, I learned of a disabled community member unable to commute to work
due to non-functional ramps on 3 out of 4 of the currently working red
buses. This is distressing, yet I find it challenging to engage with RIOCs
leadership. Unofficially, I understand that the executive team has
instructed staff to "ignore" communications from new Resident board members,
a directive officially confirmed on 08/31 by Aida Morales.
I'm grateful to have been seated on the board alongside Lydia Tang and Dr.
Melamed, who have consistently maintained open communication channels and
have been strong advocates for the community and our stakeholders.
Nonetheless, we, the newly seated resident board members, are committed to
overseeing RIOC's operations and eagerly anticipate joining committee work.
In the interim, we will address issues one by one by engaging with
stakeholders in the community and within RIOC.
Thank you,
Ben Fhala Resident Board Member
Mr Fhala added on September 28:
I have a small correction to make. Lydia Tang and I recently took the red bus
to conduct a brief tour of Sportspark with the intention of saying hello to
the communications team and the HR team located there. Unfortunately, we were
greeted by Aida Morales, who once again reminded us that we are not permitted
to engage with staff members without prior approval from Shelton Haynes. Akeem
Jamal joined to let us know that he needs to get approval from Shelton prior
to speaking with us as well. The HR team on site were forbidden to come out
and say hello.
The primary responsibility of the board is to provide the vision and
guidance necessary for the authority to fulfill its mission and meet its
ethical and legal obligations. It is essential for board members to have a
deep understanding of the authority's purpose and operations. However, it
seems that direct communication with team members or participation in
committees is not the preferred method, but rather through newsletter
updates.
Regarding the correction, I'd like to note that both buses we took had
active and working ramps. I will need to follow up with the disabled member
to determine if the issue persists and if it is isolated to a specific bus
or schedule. Unfortunately, I currently lack a direct point of contact
within the team for operational updates and questions.
There was no response from Mr Haynes, Ms Robinson or other RIOC Board
members.
...any comment on the current situation at RIOC where Board Directors she recommended are not allowed to provide oversight of RIOC by communicating with RIOC staff?
Do you have any comment on the current situation at RIOC where Board Directors are not allowed to provide oversight of RIOC by communicating with RIOC staff? Do you know who is in charge of RIOC at this time?
Have not received a reply yet from Ms Krueger or Seawright.
... During the September 14 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors meeting Public Session, several residents spoke up sharing
their concerns, ideas and solutions with the RIOC Board. Unfortunately, every
time
newly appointed Board Member Ben Fhala
tried to respond to a question or concern from a resident,
RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson
and Board Chair Diana Lopez did their utmost to try and shut him up, but Mr
Fhala persisted.
Here's what happened.
Also, as Mr Fhala was trying to respond to the concerns of a late night health
care worker describing having to sleep overnight because of no subway or tram
service, Ms Robinson said he was speaking:
... as a resident of the Island and not a member of the board.
Mr Fhala responded he was speaking as a board member....
It's interesting to note that Ms Lopez, who is the RIOC Board Chair designee of the NY State Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR) Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, is one of the defendants in the racial discrimination lawsuit brought by Mr Haynes and Ms Robinson.
Also, during the September 14 RIOC Board meeting, RIOC Board members Ben Fhala and Lydia Tang expressed frustration at not being allowed to speak with RIOC staff about issues that the Board is supposed to provide oversight on.
Mr Fhala asked to postpone ratifying an agenda item contract until he could talk with staff members about the item. He explained that since he was not allowed to speak with staff, the Board meeting was the only opportunity to have his questions answered.
Ms Lopez and Ms Robinson objected to postponing the agenda item. Ms Lopez said that RIOC Board members should focus on policy and strategy and defer to RIOC staff on day to day management issues.
Mr Fhala's request to speak with RIOC staff about contract ratification issues is not at all unusual and it has been a common occurrence at almost all RIOC Board Meetings for Directors to ask questions of RIOC staff about proposed contracts as well as other items they are responsible for. Also, RIOC Directors speaking with RIOC staff about day to day management issues has been a common practice for many years until Mr Haynes became RIOC President.
Here's what happened.
Paul Krikler is one of the Roosevelt Island residents who spoke at the RIOC Board September 14 Public Session. Mr. Krikler shares this message he sent to the RIOC Board:
Dear RIOC Board:
We have been through four weeks now of the F Train Rehab Project. During this time the community on Roosevelt Island has come together to help us all deal with the impact of this necessary work on our transit.
It's been very heartening to see the involvement and active engagement from the new Resident Board members, particularly Ben Fhala. It's good to see resident Board members working with the community at a time like this, including participating in public meetings.
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.
According to the FDR Four Freedoms Park:
