RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Thursday June 20, Will Status Of RIOC Leadership Be Resolved? 2024 Fiscal Year Annual Report, $213 Thousand 3 Year Holiday Lights Contract & Bike Ramp/Lane Contract Termination Among Items On The Meeting Agenda

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors

will meet Thursday June 20 in the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street) beginning at 5:30 pm.

You're invited to attend, ask questions and share concerns about Roosevelt Island during the opening Public Session before the start of the RIOC Board meeting. Sign up to speak here.

As reported earlier this month, RIOC Deputy General Counsel and Interim Leadership Team member Gerrald Ellis announced he will be leaving RIOC at the end of the month.

Will the status of Mr Ellis and RIOC leadership be addressed at tomorrow's RIOC Board meeting?

Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy shares this message she sent to RIOC Board Chair/ NY State Division of Homes & Community Renewal (DHCR) Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas:

Roosevelt Island needs Gerrald Ellis.

In the six months Ellis has been acting head of RIOC, he has been an approachable, hands on manager..

He has extensive knowledge of real estate, law and finance.

He has a great relationship with the community and has repaired many relationships that former heads of have ignored. He is working to Attack the backlog of problems that have been ignored for years

We need Gerrald to continue leading RIOC to the betterment of the island we live on.

Ms Visnauskas replied:

Thank you for the note Judy. Gerald has been a great asset for RIOC. He has recently accepted a new job at a private firm. We will be seeking to hire a new Deputy Counsel to replace him.

I asked NY State Governor Kathy Hochul press office:

I am preparing a follow up to my June 3 story about RIOC Deputy General Counsel/Interim Leadership Team member Gerrald Ellis announcing his departure from RIOC at the end of the month.

The overwhelming consensus among the Roosevelt Island community, including residents and business leaders, is that Mr Ellis has done an excellent job in his role on the Leadership team and certainly far, far better than RIOC President Shelton Haynes who is currently on paid leave pending the conclusion of an outside law firm's investigation of him regarding allegations of certain workplace wrongdoings. Mr Haynes and General Counsel Gretchen Robinson are currently suing members of the Governor's staff, DHCR, RIOC and RIOC Board members for racial discrimination.

The investigation has been dragging on since last January preventing the interim RIOC management team from making certain hiring and project decisions necessary for effectively running RI, to the dismay of the community . The consensus of many in the Roosevelt Island community is that it is in the best interests of the community for Mr Ellis to remain and for Governor Hochul to approve Mr Ellis as RIOC President.

Does the Governor have any comment for the Roosevelt Island community on RIOC leadership and if she will approve Mr Ellis as ROC President.

Have not received a reply from the Governor's office.

Among the Agenda Items for the June 20 RIOC Board meeting are approval of a 3 year contract totaling $213,000 for annual Holiday Lights decorations and the termination of a contract regarding the proposed Bike Ramp/Lane. 

Also on the Agenda is:

... Chair’s Motion for Executive Session to Discuss:

a. proposed, pending or current litigation; and

b. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation....

Here's the full Agenda for the June 20, 2024 RIOC Board of Directors Meeting.

Board materials with supporting info for agenda items are here.

4th Annual Roosevelt Island Film Festival Screenings June 27 To June 30 - Showing Documentary Film "Isle Wilde" Featuring Roosevelt Island Resident And Wildlife Rehabilitator Rossana Ceruzzi

The Fourth Annual Roosevelt Island Film Festival screenings are taking place June 27 - 30 at the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (548 Main Street).

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According to the Roosevelt Island Film Festival:

Roosevelt Island Film Festival is dedicated to the discovery of American and International filmmakers from around the world. The festival seeks to discover, support, and inspire quality independent feature films and short films, showcasing exceptional work to audiences and highlighting the categories of Female Filmmaker, NYC Filmmaker, Comedy, and International Filmmaker.

Among the films being shown at the Roosevelt Island Film Festival is Isle Wilde, a documentary short featuring Roosevelt Island resident and Wildlife Freedom Foundation founder Rossana Ceruzzi. 

The filmmaker Daniel Schloss reports on Instagram:

Excited to premier “Isle Wild,” a short documentary I made with @amootlevin - It follows animal rehabilitator Rossana Ceruzzi, founder of @wfffoundation , as she fights to save one of the last remaining wild areas in NYC.

Here's the Isle Wilde trailer.

According to Ms Ceruzzi:

Isle Wilde is premiering Sunday June 30 at 4:30 pm at Main Street Theatre, closing night of the Film Festival. There will be a closing party at Grannie Annie's Bar & Kitchen at 6:30 PM.

Tickets are available on the RI Film Festival website - Isle Wide is part of Block 13.

Here's more info on the Roosevelt Island Film Festival and Ms Ceruzzi rescuing an injured hawk on Main Street in 2021.

It's High, It's Far & It's Gone, First Inning Home Run At The 2024 Annual Roosevelt Island Baseball Little League Coaches Game Last Saturday At Capobianco Field - It's Nice To Know We Can Still Play A Little Bit Of Baseball Says Shortstop And League Commissioner Arya Shirazi

The Roosevelt Island Baseball Little League (RIBLL) played their annual Coaches game last Saturday, June 15 at Capobianco Field.

According to RIBLL Commissioner and Coaches Game shortstop Arya Shirazi:

We had our coach's game which is always a highlight. We play it between the Minors Championship and the Majors Championship. We had a great turnout, I think it was 13 on each side so about 26 coaches on a beautiful day. I was the captain of Team Revolution and I think that we acquitted ourselves well. 

The game ended in a 7-7  tie. Everybody played well. It was a spirited game. The number one goal is no injuries and we accomplished that so it's a successful game. It's just fun to be able to get out on the field and kind of show our players that we can't only tell them what they should be doing, occasionally we can show them how to do it as well. 

It's nice to be able to go out there and know that you can still play a little bit of baseball. Great fun and a great way to kind of wind down the season....

Watch a little bit of the RIBLL Coaches Game including a towering opposite field home run and a pretty good slide into home. But without instant replay, we don't know if Coach Bart touched second on his way around the bases or not. 

Nice job pitching by 81 year old Jimmy (Pop Pop) Starace too. Jimmy's been teaching Roosevelt Island Little League Red Chilies team players and Coach Scot's field players to pitch for 8 years. Jimmy drives from Staten Island every weekend to help his grandsons and all the kids on Roosevelt Island.

Here's the final out, good sportsmanship team handshakes

and post game interview with Commissioner Arya Shirazi.

The RIBLL All Girls Game is 2 pm Saturday June 22 at Capobianco Field.

As reported earlier this month, the RIBLL received a $5 Thousand grant from SNY (the television home of the NY Mets) for being an outstanding NYC baseball league.

The 2025 season starts up next spring.

One Roosevelt Island Tram Cabin Will Be Taken Out Of Service June 17-18 For Maintenance Work To Prevent Sudden Stopping And Swinging of Cabins Says RIOC - Resident Reports Sudden Tram Cabin Stopping And Swinging Happened Again This Evening

A Roosevelt Island Tipster reports and shares video from the Manhattan Tram station this evening shortly after 5 PM:

Tram brakes seem to have been triggered. It stopped suddenly and has swinging like this for a minute or so. Was swinging pretty hugely for a second after it  stopped but didn't catch that on the video. Just started going again but was stuck for a minute or two.

 

It restarted normally - no stops or maintenance.  Was fine heading back to the Island.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced on June 12 and again earlier today:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

We have been informed by Tram operator Leitner-POMA that they will need to take one Tram cabin out of operation on Monday, June 17th and possibly Tuesday, June 18th to perform maintenance work on the Tram’s communication system.

During this work, POMA will be making upgrades and adding a new fiber cable to the system, which will help strengthen the communication signal between the cabins and stations. This in turn should help quell the communications interruptions that were periodically causing the cabins to sway. Once the work is complete, it will need to be tested and inspected, which we expect will also cause periodic outages on Wednesday, June 19th. We will be sure to keep the community informed about that process as it occurs.

Island residents should expect longer than average wait times for the Tram while this work takes place, so please plan your travel accordingly. We encourage all riders to consider utilizing the F-Train, Ferry, or Q102 bus if your travel permits, and to check our new Tram Station Livestreams before departing to see how long the lines are at each station.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we perform this necessary work. We will return both cabins to service as quickly as possible.

-RIOC Transportation

Here's more on the swinging Roosevelt Island tram cabin problem from prior post. 

Astoria A/K/A Rosie The Wild Turkey Living Comfortably And Exploring Roosevelt Island Bringing Joy And Smiles To Many People - But A Few Are Harassing The Turkey Throwing Rocks And Shooting Water Guns At Rosie

As reported May 16:

A wild turkey has been roaming around NYC in recent weeks, spotted on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens.This week the turkey has been seen exploring Roosevelt Island....

The Turkey has been named Astoria on social media

Our #1 favorite bird of Spring 2024 is Astoria the Wild Turkey. She became instantly famous by showing up on East 49th Street in midtown Manhattan on May 7, visiting Saks Fifth Avenue, and staying a week in the area before flying to Roosevelt Island. 🦃 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HET4ZZCLcd

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) June 13, 2024

but here on Roosevelt Island, many call her Rosie. 

Rosie has brought joy, an appreciation for our wildlife and a smile to the faces of the many people who see her roaming around Roosevelt Island.

Except, there are a few people who have been harassing Rosie.

A Roosevelt Island resident reported this morning:

I felt like sending you this message, because I feel like you are a good voice for our Roosevelt Island community. Thank you so much for your social media presence.

Yesterday afternoon as I was headed to the subway station, I saw the wild Turkey. It has become a lovely and surprising sighting every time I get to see it.

There was a family of five in front of me, including a boy in his late teens and his father. The boy threw a rock to the wild Turkey. I was appalled by this and called him out. His father jumped to his defense very aggressively saying things like “relax man, it’s just a turkey”. They couldn’t understand why I would stand up for a living creature.

I was so offended and disturbed by these behaviors and attitudes. I wanted to share this with you, so maybe you can send a message of care for animals, especially our unlikely visitor.

Another local person reported observing and stopping several children from shooting water pistols at Rosie. 

Let's leave Rosie alone and enjoy her presence on Roosevelt Island from a safe distance.

Saturday 6/8… went to find my girl Astoria the Wild Turkey on Roosevelt Island 🦃🫶🏻 she was in her tree pic.twitter.com/ytK5xY7XV1

— mern (@mariannesimpson) June 10, 2024

Astoria, the Wild Turkey seems pretty comfortable in the grass on Roosevelt Island, with a nice view of Manhattan. Taken on 5.30.24.#wildturkey #birdcpp pic.twitter.com/YB6BLK2NrZ

— Sheryl Checkman (@DiveArtist) June 7, 2024

Astoria, the wild turkey at Roosevelt Island: Hey, who doesn't love a good dust bath?
(Well, I don't, but I'm not a turkey.) https://t.co/F5dId5fsZc

— bangkokdave (@bangkokdave) June 2, 2024

Astoria the Wild Turkey loves 🫐, today on Roosevelt Island. 🦃 💙 pic.twitter.com/dDb75aLfrT

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) May 20, 2024

Roosevelt Island resident and Wildlife Freedom Foundation President Rossana Ceruzzi reported May 16:

It's a wild female turkey. She has been "traveling" for 3 weeks now. The first time I was called the bird landed on the street in Astoria and was walking on the sidewalk. Then she moved to a park. Later I got a few calls from Manhattan. And now she is visiting Roosevelt Island.

Please remember she is a wild Turkey and not a domestic Turkey. They should never be approached. Wild Turkeys are the largest upland game bird in North America and they reproduce this time of year.

Double Latin Grammy Nominated Cuartetango String Quartet Performs Excerpts From "The Rites Of Love" A New Ballet By Leonardo Suarez-Paz Friday June 14 At Roosevelt Island Good Shepherd Church, Poetry, Instrumental And Vocal Works Too - Get Your Tickets Now

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The Cuartetango string quartet will perform excerpts from "The Rites of Love," a new ballet by Leonardo Suarez-Paz on Friday June 14 at the Roosevelt Island Chapel of the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). According to Suarez Paz Tango:

Join us for a one of a kind program by the double Latin Grammy nominated Cuartetango string quartet in the acoustically superior historic Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The string quartet will perform excerpts from "The Rites of Love," a new composition by Leonardo Suarez-Paz which will premiere in late 2024. The evening's program will also feature poetry, instrumental and vocal works by Astor Piazzolla and post-Piazzolla composers.

Cuartetango has been featured multiple times at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chautauqua Institution, live at the Latin Grammy Awards, Teatro Colon Opera House and many other venues. Award winning artists include Leonardo Suarez Paz (violin I, voice, direction), Francisco Salazar (violin II), Jon Weber (viola) and Danny Miller (violoncello).

WHERE: The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street, New York NY 10044

TICKETS: Advance Regular Admission Tickets $20, Advance Senior/Student Tickets $15, Same-Day Tickets $30

Click here to purchase tickets. 

Leonardo Suarez-Paz is a Roosevelt Islander and has performed previously at Good Shepherd.

RIOC Announces 2024 Outdoor Summer Movie Series Films And Dates At Southpoint Park Beginning July 12 With Wonka - Disney's Encanto July 19, Wish July 26 And Finding Nemo August 2

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced today their selections and schedule for the 2024 Summer Outdoor Movie Series at Southpoint Park.

Drumroll please… here are the movies that the Roosevelt Island community voted for to watch during the Outdoor Summer Movie Series! The summer movie series will begin in one month, on July 12th. pic.twitter.com/hzTta7a1sN

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) June 12, 2024

RIOC Installs Tram Webcam Real Time Live Streaming Feeds At Both Manhattan And Roosevelt Island Stations Today - Riders Can Check Line Conditions Before Deciding To Travel On The Tram Or Subway

During a conversation last February with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Deputy General Counsel/Interim Leadership Team member Gerrald Ellis and Communications Director Bryant Daniels, I mentioned that about 10 years ago Roosevelt Island had several active public webcams showing livestream views of various spots on the Island. Among the live webcams at the time was one from Rivercross Crossing at 405 Main Street showing the Roosevelt Island Tram station. These webcams have not been active for many years.

I suggested RIOC install a webcam at both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations so that residents can see how long both Tram station lines were at any given time before making a decision to take the Tram or subway.

Today RIOC announced that they installed the Roosevelt Island Tram webcams as can be seen from the screenshot below.

RIOC reported today:

This past week, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) launched its new Tram Station Livestreams, real-time video feeds of both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations that will allow travelers to check lines and conditions before heading out for their travel. The livestreams can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the RIOC website. To navigate to the Livestream from the RIOC homepage, visit RIOC.ny.gov, click the Transportation tab, then Tram, then Roosevelt Island Tram Station Livestreams.

The Roosevelt Island Tram has become both an essential transportation option for island residents and a notable tourist attraction for people from all over the world. In recent years, the Tram has seen a surge in ridership, which during the busier warmer months can lead to extended wait times and longer lines for the Tram, particularly on the Manhattan side. The Tram Station Livestreams are designed to help riders plan their travel by offering real-time insights into Tram station conditions, which in turn can help lead to better planning with off-island travel.

“This was an idea we heard about earlier this year and thought it would be a great way to help Tram riders, particularly those who live on Roosevelt Island, make more informed travel decisions,” said Gerrald Ellis and Dhruvika Patel Amin, RIOC’s Interim Leadership Team. “The Roosevelt Island Tram is the busiest Tram in the entire world according to our operator Leitner-Poma. We take pride in that, but we also understand that its popularity is a double-edged sword for island residents who just want to get home after a long day at work or school. Now with our Tram Station Livestreams, if you check the feed and see that the line at one of the stations looks particularly long, you’ll know that you might want to try utilizing another travel option, like the F-Train, before heading out on your trip.”

RIOC’s Tram Station Livestreams serve as a valuable resource to help alert the public to current Tramway conditions and anticipated travel times. Livestreams are not recorded and do not transmit any accompanying audio. They shall not be used to monitor or surveil individuals or groups. RIOC shall provide for a level of privacy consistent with applicable laws and in accordance with the requirements of using CCTV systems for traffic management and traveler information purposes in the State of New York.

The project to develop the Tram Station Livestreams was spearheaded by the RIOC Information Technologies Department, led by Abdel Boujoual, RIOC’s Director of Information Technology. The page has also been optimized for mobile users, so riders can check the Tram stations on their phones before travel.

Today, I asked Mr Daniels:

Why is there no webcam showing the Manhattan station platform? It only shows the staircase and Tram Plaza which is good, but knowing how crowded the platform is would be a benefit too.

Mr Bryant replied:

The idea was to locate the cameras in a way that can show if the lines are particularly long. The platform will always get crowded from time to time but if you can see a longer line outside on the plaza area, you can probably expect a longer than average commute.

Good job by RIOC and the Interim Leadership Team. Placing a webcam live streaming feed at the Tram stations has been requested for many years under multiple RIOC administrations and never implemented before. 

Unfortunately for Roosevelt Island, Mr Ellis announced last week that he will be leaving RIOC at the end of this month.

Scenes From Saturday June 8 Roosevelt Island Day - Fun & Informative Day For The Community

Saturday, June 8 was a beautiful morning and afternoon to celebrate the annual Roosevelt Island Day at Meditation Lawn and Blackwell Plaza. Fun for residents of all ages with inflatable rides, games, music , food and various community groups and businesses promoting their services. Here are some scenes.

Good job organizing the event by 

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the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.

Roosevelt Island Community Input Needed For Proposed Coler Flood Hazard Mitigation Perimeter Wall - You're Invited To June 10 NYC Health & Hospitals Coler Virtual Community Visioning Workshop To Discuss Design And Construction Plans

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

Please join NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler for a virtual community visioning workshop to discuss the design and construction of a new perimeter hazard mitigation system at its long-term care facility on Monday, June 10th from 6pm to 7pm. This project will address potential flooding vulnerabilities to protect the skilled nursing facility campus from major storm events.

The project team wants your thoughts and ideas for the public space around NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler. Your participation in this workshop will help develop a public space that benefits everyone.

You can register for the session at this link...

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico encourages residents to learn more about the proposed Coler Berm project. According to Ms Delfico:

This is a call to TUNE IN MONDAY, JUNE 10th from 6-7 PM via Zoom to learn about a huge proposed island construction of a wall at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island.

REGISTER NOW to TUNE-IN and receive the follow up on the Coler Coastal Resiliency Project Community Input Needed

Planned for Lighthouse Park and surrounding Coler Hospital, please learn more and weigh in. 

Learn about the people and parkland that will be impacted - Island Impact: Coler Upcoming Construction.

Learn more about the Coler Berm project at the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp Coler Coastal Resiliency Project web page and click here to share your thoughts on the project.

Roosvelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President and Coler Auxiliary volunteer Judy Berdy adds:

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU ATTEND THIS MEETING ON MONDAY.

THIS MEETING HAS BEEN HELD YESTERDAY WITH THE COLER RESIDENTS AND STAFF.

THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED ASKED:

WHY DO WE NEED A “500 YEAR FLOOD MITIHGATION PLAN” FOR COLER?

THE FLOODING IN 2012 CAME FROM THE STEAM TUNNEL UP INTO THE BASEEMENT, NOT FROM THE RIVER. A SEAWALL WILL DO NOTHING IF WATER COMES FROM THE STEAM TUNNEL (WHICH IS NOW CLOSED, BUT NOT COMPLETELY SEALED).

FEMA HAS AUTHORIZED $90,000,000 TO BE SPENT ON THE PROJECT, BUT THESE PROJECTS USUALLY HAVE VASTLY MORE COSTS AND TAKE YEARS TO COMPLETE.

COLER’S ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS RELOCATED AFTER 2012 HURRICANE SANDY AND ALL UTILITIES ARE ON THE SECOND LEVEL OR ABOVE. THERE IS NO VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE BASEMENT, THE ONLY AREA TO FLOOD IN 2012. SOME ADJOINING PARKING AREAS ALSO FLOODED BUT DID NOT ENTER PATIENT AREAS.

THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE AT LEAST 32 MONTHS OF MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION AND DISRTUPTION. GIANT PILES WOULD HAVE TO BE SUNK INTO THE BEDROCK (10-30 FEET DOWN AROUND THE WALLED IN AREAS). IMAGINE LIVING WITH THIS AROUND YOUR HOME FOR YEARS.

ALL TREES AROUND COLER AND PROBABLY NEARBY WOULD BE REMOVED OR PERMANENTLY DAMAGED.

MOST IMPORTANT:

COLER IS A PERMANENT HOME TO 500 RESIDENTS. MANY COLER RESIDENTS DO NOT GO OUT OF THEIR UNITS OR OFF CAMPUS.

MOST OF THE PLANS INCLUDING MASSIVE BERMS (OR HIGH MOUNDS) WOULD BIOCK ANY VIEW FROM THE MAIN FLOOR.

THE EAST SIDE OF THE BULDING WOULD HAVE A MASSIVE WALL TO BLOCK ALL VIEWS EXCEPT THE PARKING LOT FROM MAIN FLOOR.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY, THIS PLAN WOULD DAMAGE THE RESIDENTS AND STAFF.

IT IS TIME TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, COME UP WITH A REASONABLE SOLUTION ANTHE PROPOSE TO COLER AND RIOC A REASONABLE SOLUTION, THEN PROPOSE IT TO THE COLER COMMUNITY AND IT REST OF THE ISLAND RESIDENTS,.

THE COLER COMMUNITY AND OURS ARE VERY ACTIVE POLITICALLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE & WILL MEET ANY CHALLENGE HEAD-ON.

Here's the video

and PDF presentation

of the Coler Resiliency Project by NYC Health & Hospitals Corp representatives to a May 2 Roosevelt Island community meeting.

You can register here to attend tomorow's 6 PM Virtual Community Visioning Workshop.