The Fire Safety meeting was the first in a series of presentations that are being put together by Doryne Isley of the Roosevelt Island Housing Management Company. The presentation was, of course, by the New York City Fire Department. The first meeting was superb, covering much useful information of which I was unaware. It is likely that you might have learned something new, too.

However, there was only a handful of you there.

We have had two serious apartment fires on the Island in the recent past, one in Eastwood and another in Westview. We're not immune. No one is.

I know you're always busy, and that at this time of year we are all even busier.

Doryne is going to try to hold each of the upcoming meetings in the evening, and will publicize them thoroughly again. Please do everything in your power to make the time for at least one person in your household to go. It might cost someone's life to miss it.

The 114th Precinct community meeting was well worth attending, and it's clear that a presence at that meeting by a neighborhood is noticed by the precinct. I'll be getting advance notice of the meeting schedules and will make sure they are mentioned in The WIRE. One needs a car, but we'll do our best to provide as much transportation as we can.

The meeting was largely on the Precinct's new Street Crime Unit which focuses on drugs, guns and car theft. They covered the details they would like to have if you are reporting street crime, asking that you be sure to write everything down that you observe, and note as much detail as you can in describing perpetrators and their cars.

They ask that you call 911, and not Public Safety if you observe any situation in which an officer should be armed. Interestingly, we were told that there's no referral to Public Safety if you do call 911.

They reported an increase in both domestic violence and senior violence, and an increase in the Precinct's vertical patrols (patrols inside buildings). They do not do vertical patrols on Roosevelt Island because they believe they are done by Public Safety.

The third meeting I want to tell you about was held by Keyspan, the new owners of the Ravenswood electric generation plant that we know as Big Allis. Actually, Big Allis is the name of one of the generators, the largest in NYC. The plant generates about 25% of NYC's electricity.

Keyspan is working towards a twelve percent increase in their electricity generation capacity through the addition of an expanded facility. They are seeking approval for the expansion from the New York State Sitting Board of the Public Service Commission. Peter Vallone, President of the New York City Council, has deeply involved himself in this area as regards consumer protection on health and environmental impact. RIRA will align itself with Mr. Vallone on this issue, and seek his help on this particular development.

Although I'm an asthma sufferer myself, I had been unaware that this part of Queens is known as Asthma Alley due to the high incidence of respiratory problems until I read of Vallone's activity in The New York Times. Come to think of it, my childhood asthma didn't come back until I moved here.

The current facility burns oil to generate electricity. The new facility will burn the much cleaner natural gas. Vallone feels that permission should not be granted to new facilities unless the permission is dependant upon stricter controls on the older ones like Ravenswood.

The meeting was pretty much your standard Public Relations presentation, and yet another occasion where the audience was weightier than the presenters. There were a number of very cogent questions whose answers left a lot to be desired.

One fascinating point arose in that 17% of every dollar spent on electric power in New York goes to local and state taxes, although the utility is prohibited by law from disclosing who gets what. This is obviously an important revenue stream to the City and State, and yet these are the very people who are responsible for utilities' regulatory control.

We'll keep you advised.