Happy Thanksgiving To All From Roosevelt Island, RIDA Thankful For Help Feeding Community During Covid 19 Pandemic - Holiday Tradition Continues With Arlo Gurthrie's Alice's Restaurant

Happy Roosevelt Island Thanksgiving Day wishes to everyone. 

I hope you all have the best Thanksgiving possible under the present Covid 19 Pandemic circumstances and that Thanksgiving next year will be more normal. 

Since Thanksgiving is still a day all about about Tradition, here is my traditional Thanksgiving Day post started in 2007:

... listening to Arlo Guthrie's rendition of Alice's Restaurant on WNEW-FM was, for me, a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition.

A former station DJ remembers Thanksgiving and Arlo Guthrie this way on the blog All Mixed Up Radio.

Every year a couple of days before Thanksgiving, it starts. It's slow at first, and then turns into a non-stop avalanche of phone calls. And no matter how many times a station runs promo announcements telling people exactly when it will be played, the calls still come.

"What time are you playing 'Alice's Restaurant?'"...

Yes, in the olden days people used to listen to music on the radio. Imagine that!...

Here's Arlo Guthrie singing Alice's Restaurant with scenes from the movie.

Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" Thanksgiving classic germinated from this incident. Here, as reported out by the @BerkshireEagle newspaper: pic.twitter.com/6TNJO2aSpO

— Joe Mahoney (@TipMahoney) November 25, 2020

Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA) President Wendy Hersh has a Thanksgiving message to our community:

Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude. Celebrating this Thanksgiving this year in the midst of a pandemic is very stressful having to be away from people that you’d normally draw close to. 

But as much as this year has been the worst, it’s also shown us how we as humans can be a lot better when we actually try. These past months have been rough and chaotic, but we have gotten through it together and have so much to be thankful for. 

We at the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association would like to take time today on Thanksgiving, to thank everyone who has supported us through this pandemic for the last 8 months. From our daily meal deliveries 6 days a week to Grocery bags and emergency boxes to our now ongoing pantry....we couldn't have done it without the help of so many. 

From Doryne Isley of C & C Management who continuously supported us and gave us whatever we needed; Chuck & Hector and the wonderful C & C Maintence staff for always being there for us in a minutes notice ; Lisa, Pat and Yulissa from Carter Burden (senior center) for their continuous assistance and allowing us to use their space; Pastor Carolyn Marko and her amazing staff from 9 Million Reasons for always providing us with enough food to feed our community; all of the wonderful volunteers that have selflessly given their time and energy to help us feed our community. 

There is no food pantry tomorrow, but there will be one next Friday in spite of Covid-19 numbers going up. Only difference may be that residents will be given boxes of food that we will pack up for safety reasons. We will play it be ear...we want to keep everyone safe...both residents and volunteers.

We appreciate all of you ....and wish you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving...

Here's more on RIDA's efforts, together with community volunteers,

                                               Image Of RIDA, Evangel and NYC CERT Members Prior To Delivering Food Saturday May 2

helping feed Roosevelt Island during the pandemic.

Happy Thanksgiving Roosevelt Island!

Happy Thanksgiving From Roosevelt Island - Tradition, Family, Food, Football, Parade, History And Alice's Restaurant

Image of Rockefeller Center Turkey from The Onion

Happy Thanksgiving Day wishes to everyone out there in Roosevelt Island land and elsewhere. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

 Image From libnot

Since Thanksgiving is a day all about about Tradition, here is my traditional Thanksgiving Day post - if something can be a tradition having started just in 2007. I guess 7 years is now a tradition.

In addition to family, great food, the Macy's Parade, Miracle on 34th Street, March of the Wooden Soldiers and football, listening to Arlo Guthrie's rendition of Alice's Restaurant on WNEW-FM was, for me, a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition.

A former station DJ remembers Thanksgiving and Arlo Guthrie this way on the blog All Mixed Up Radio.

Every year a couple of days before Thanksgiving, it starts. It's slow at first, and then turns into a non-stop avalanche of phone calls. And no matter how many times a station runs promo announcements telling people exactly when it will be played, the calls still come.

"What time are you playing 'Alice's Restaurant?'"...

Yes, in the olden days people used to listen to music on the radio. Imagine that!

Here's a snippet of Alice's Restaurant with Arlo Guthrie and Johnny Cash



and the full song with scenes from the movie.



More nostalgia. Take a look at some of these Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats from 1927 thru 1968 via Buzzfeed.

 Image of 1927 Felix the Cat Macy's Thanksgiving Float From Buzzfeed

Image of 1935 The Marx Brothers Macy'sThanksgiving Float from Buzzfeed

 Image of 1940 The Tin Man Macy's Thanksgiving Float From Buzzfeed

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everybody!

Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy shares a Thanksgiving  story from Roosevelt Island's past when it was known as Welfare Island and housed a penitentiary. Also, former blogger Roosevelt Island 360 tells us about the first Roosevelt Island Thanksgiving in 1975.

Giant Turkey at Rockefeller Center - Happy Thanksgving From Roosevelt Island - Meet You At Alice's Restaurant!

Image of Rockefeller Center Turkey from The Onion

I was walking through Rockefeller Center the other day expecting to see the great Christmas Tree when instead there was a humongous TURKEY about to be stuffed with all the fixins right above the skating rink. Could it be possible? I was very hungry at the time and may have been focusing a bit too much on dinner but this was ridiculous. What did others think?

"I knew the crowds were going to be huge, but I wanted my son to be here on the day all the stuffing went in," said Cleveland resident Dean Carlson, who was visiting New York with his family. "You should have seen the look on his face when they peeled back the skin with that giant skidder. This is something he'll remember for the rest of his life."

Just kidding, getting ready for the holiday and thought I would have some fun. The Rockefeller Center Turkey image and quote are from the funny folks at The Onion.

I hope everybody has a Happy Thanksgiving. RI 360 posted about the first Roosevelt Island Thanksgiving in 1975. Take a look.

Here's my Thanksgiving Post from last year. Arlo Gurthrie's Alice's Restaurant has always been a part of Thanksgiving for me so I am repeating the post.



In addition to family, great food, the Macy's Parade, Miracle on 34th Street, March of the Wooden Soldiers and football, listening to Arlo Guthrie's rendition of Alice's Restaurant on WNEW-FM was, for me, a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition. A former DJ from the station remembers Thanksgiving and Arlo Guthrie this way on the blog All Mixed Up Radio.

Every year a couple of days before Thanksgiving, it starts. It's slow at first, and then turns into a non-stop avalanche of phone calls. And no matter how many times a station runs promo announcements telling people exactly when it will be played, the calls still come.

"What time are you playing 'Alice's Restaurant?'"

Some of the lyrics:

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant
Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was on - two years ago on
Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the
restaurant, but Alice doesn't live in the restaurant, she lives in the
church nearby the restaurant, in the bell-tower, with her husband Ray and
Fasha the dog. And livin' in the bell tower like that, they got a lot of
room downstairs where the pews used to be in. Havin' all that room,
seein' as how they took out all the pews, they decided that they didn't
have to take out their garbage for a long time.

You Tube link to short 2 minute video version above is here.
For those of you who want to go back in time and see the full 18 minute version of Alice's Restaurant, You Tube link is here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Happy Thanksgiving from Roosevelt Island - Meet You at Alice's Restaurant

In addition to family, great food, the Macy's Parade, Miracle on 34th Street, March of the Wooden Soldiers and football, listening to Arlo Guthrie's rendition of Alice's Restaurant on WNEW-FM was, for me, a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition. A former DJ from the station remembers Thanksgiving and Arlo Guthrie this way on the blog All Mixed Up Radio.

Every year a couple of days before Thanksgiving, it starts. It's slow at first, and then turns into a non-stop avalanche of phone calls. And no matter how many times a station runs promo announcements telling people exactly when it will be played, the calls still come.

"What time are you playing 'Alice's Restaurant?'"

Some of the lyrics:

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant
Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was on - two years ago on
Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the
restaurant, but Alice doesn't live in the restaurant, she lives in the
church nearby the restaurant, in the bell-tower, with her husband Ray and
Fasha the dog. And livin' in the bell tower like that, they got a lot of
room downstairs where the pews used to be in. Havin' all that room,
seein' as how they took out all the pews, they decided that they didn't
have to take out their garbage for a long time.

You Tube link to short 2 minute video version above is here.
For those of you who want to go back in time and see the full 18 minute version of Alice's Restaurant, You Tube link is here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL