November 19, 2005

To the Editor:

We are so lucky that Jessica Lappin won the election for City Council, representing Roosevelt Island. It means the $2.85 million in City capital funding for enlarging our pitifully small New York Public Library (NYPL) branch will be safe – if ever NYPL and RIOC President Herbert Berman will get on the ball and start enlarging our Library.

Sharon Stone’s recent letter to NYPL describing the difficulties for Library patrons in wheelchairs brought almost immediate results. The barriers and gates were quickly removed. Perhaps a massive letter-writing campaign can get the ball rolling on the enlargement, as well.

To help with such a campaign, residents should write to: Susan Kent, Director of Branch Libraries, 476 Fifth Avenue, Room 212 Hssl, New York, NY 10018-2788, with an optional copy to Councilmember Jessica Lappin, 333 East 55th Street, NYC 10022.

Thanks for helping.

Mary Camper-Titsingh
Community Advocate
NYPL Roosevelt Island Branch

To The Editor:

As usual, the lack of coordination involving services on Roosevelt Island is appalling. On Saturday, November 12, the F train to Manhattan did not run and, on Sunday, November 13, the F train to Queens did not run. It would have been beneficial to the residents to have the Tram run on a rush-hour schedule for those two days. On several trips, the operator asked the riders to wait for the next Tram.

The information about the subway closures was available to the public in advance. It would appear that those who make decisions for this Island regarding our services have never been required to plan ahead. Their salaries arrive regardless of performance.

Rochelle Liss

To RIOC President Herb Berman:

Thank you for your efforts and improvements for our growing Island. We need an official bus stop for the Q102 at the Tram. Currently out of a courtesy to riders many bus drivers stop at the Island Tram Station while other drivers do not because there is no official bus stop sign posted at the Tram station. Since the Tram now accepts Metrocard and the buses accept Metrocard it is logical that the Tram becomes an official Q102 Metrocard stop with sign posted. Why the powers that be have not done this already is a mystery.

I hope that all you have to do is make one call to have this easily and quickly accomplished. I am writing to you rather than one of the politicians because this would be a nice feather in your cap rather than a source of bragging rights for a politician.

Martin Atkins

To the Editor:

I feel it is a necessity to write to The WIRE about the security on Roosevelt Island after some events occuring in the last two and a half weeks. A little over two weeks ago, I was robbed of an Ipod in which my Ipod was snatched by a person who jumped out of the passanger seat of a car to snatch it, jumped back in as they sped off with it. Less than a week later, I received a call from the police at about midnight, whom I had been in contact with since I was mugged, notifying me that someone had been beaten up on the Island, in which two people jumped out of a car, beat someone up, then sped off.

I had never felt unsafe walking around the Island, but after incidents occurring, not once, but twice within less than a week’s span in such a small community, for the first time I have started to feel unsafe, and feel that security needs some improvements. During the day, the center of town has plenty of officers around, which is fine. However, from the area around Manhattan Park buildings (which is where I was mugged) all the way down to Coler-Goldwater hospital, there is seldom any form of security except officers occasionally driving by. These areas are often deserted and, without security, someone could easily get mugged.

Then there is the security at night. Less than a week ago, I was on the Red Bus at about 11 p.m. and I saw only one officer in the whole town. This had me thinking, especially since the incident which occurred after I was mugged happened fairly late at night. Especially at that time of night, with no security, something can very well happen. I am not saying that it is possible to put an officer on every block, it’s not, but the point I’m trying to make is that, in the future, officers should be more scattered throughout the Island at all times to keep the Island, as a whole, safer.

Rory Sasson

To the Editor:

Want to see a real crime committed on Roosevelt Island? Then sit back in silence allowing RIOC to demolish the steam plant, one of our potentially most valuable assets. Pataki, Berman & Co. may have their sights set on just that, envisioning no doubt turning the space into a picnic area or parking lot.

What’s so special about the power plant? It could one day well be the answer to this Island’s expensive energy problems.

During the last big energy crunch of the ’70s, the old RIRA Energy Committee, comprised of eight resident engineers plus this writer, submitted a lengthy proposal, which won a NYSERDA (State energy authority) $150,000.00 contest to conduct a feasibility study as to whether our steam plant could be cogenerated. Cogeneration signifies two distinct functions: Instead of the plant supplying our two hospitals as it now does with only generated steam heat/hot water, if cogenerated it could, in addition, supply electricity. The State’s engineers decreed the plant a "beautifully run gem," fully capable, when retrofitted with the proper equipment, of providing far less expensive hot water and electricity to the entire Island and Tram, including any further new buildings. We on the Committee met with the heads of the City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation, who then gave us permission to run the plant. We were in the process of finding a backer when the energy crisis abated, negating further effort. But the consensus of the Committee was that we could easily have formed a non-profit corporation, run the facility ourselves (with day-to-day operations handled by an engineering firm), in what would be a dedicated community service aimed at providing the Island with significantly cheaper energy.

The era-changing advent of hydrogen fuel cells is, of necessity, coming up faster than we might have imagined. If our steam plant were cogenerated with such cells, our energy troubles would forever be over. Think of it – clean, safe, affordable energy with no side-effects and no chance of future blackouts! How would you fellow residents like to see Island energy costs cut by more than half, especially relevant these days with the looming specter of individual submetering being put in our apartments? Or would you rather pay upwards of $150 a month for such as electric lights, appliances, heat in winter and air conditioning in summer? Ask any Manhattan Park resident how much extra over rent must be paid out each month.

So, Pataki, Berman & Co., are you going to deprive us of such a potentially monumental benefit? Are you allied with our current energy provider to the point that, in order to perpetuate the alliance, you would abolish our facility much to our future financial detriment? Are you catching this, Albany?

RIOC and its Board of Directors have all these years kept Roosevelt Island residents in the dark about plans for this Island, have afforded us no true democracy through proper representation, and now may well be gearing up to foist upon us this severe deprivation – the no-less-than-criminal act of demolishing our steam plant!

Barbara Potts
Former Chair, RIRA Energy Committee