Last weekend I took a stroll around the newly renovated Blackwell House. All the barriers and fences have been removed, and this iconic landmark now looks as it once did many years ago. It did my heart good. The porches are again whole, with the rotting and splintered wood removed. The roof and windows now keep out the elements. Along with many of you, I remember events held in this 18th Century farmhouse, and I hope the day isn’t too far off when the interiors can accommodate organizational events, private parties, and the like. We are the repository of centuries of New York history and, as stewards of that history, RIOC and the community have worked together to preserve this trust.
Critters and the Common Council
During that same meander I found myself walking past 501 Main Street towards the West Channel Promenade. To my surprise I encountered a large, furry rodent-like animal that I took to be a large guinea pig or a small beaver. It scurried into the ground cover behind Rivercross before I could ask it what sort of creature it might be. Understand, the strongest beverage I had consumed that day was a diet Pepsi, and the flu shot I had just received isn’t known for psychedelic effects. And so I’m pretty sure this wasn’t a hallucination. Now, beavers are a symbol of New York (they appear on our State flag), but I thought they had pretty much disappeared since John Jacob Astor made his fortune off their backs. Can anyone clear up this mystery for me?
The RIRA Common Council has completed the first half of our two-year terms of office. As in past years, attrition has whittled our numbers down to around 21 delegates from the almost three dozen that can be seated from the residential districts. In each Council, members have reconsidered their promises, signed off on in their nomination forms, to serve out their full terms if elected. We are all volunteers, after all, there is nothing binding us to this obligation, and each of us interprets this commitment of time and energy differently.
But there are now vacant seats from many of the building complexes that may be filled mid-term by interested residents. If you have been looking to work on behalf of this community, there are a variety of issues and projects in RIRA for you to sink your teeth into. Contact me, a representative from your building, or any Council member for information.
Police, Parties, and Parks
RIRA met last week for our monthly Common Council. We’ve encountered difficulty in convening the quorum necessary to conduct business of late, and I hope that a smaller, more cohesive group will correct this problem. In this case, we were obliged to wait a half-hour until the necessary number arrived. This was especially irksome as we had several guests from the 114th Precinct cooling their heels prior to the Public Access portion of our agenda. We invited NYPD Captain Ralph Forgione and several community officers to visit and respond to questions from the Council. It was a far-reaching discussion, covering parking and traffic issues, liaising and training issues with Public Safety, and emergency planning and reporting concerns. Since Roosevelt Island is politically part of Manhattan, the 19th Precinct is actually our precinct of record; the 114th in Queens responds as a practical matter, but our crime stats are reported in Manhattan. Screwy but true!
We voted to fund a 30th anniversary Open House for RIRA, to be held at the Gallery RIVAA on Saturday, December 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. The bash is open to the community, so please drop by and wish us well. We also considered a request for support from our new neighbor, Marianne Labriola (and her organization, Open Heart/Open Voice), whom you may have met at the Fall for Arts Festival; she sang beautifully in the evening concert at the Good Shepherd Community Center. Marianne has applied for a modest Public-Purpose grant to support a monthly concert series that would be provided to the community free of charge. The Common Council voted electronically over the last weekend, endorsing the request unanimously. Roosevelt Island offers a cornucopia of the arts far in excess of what one might expect in so small a community. This is by far the most ambitious concert series ever envisioned here, and we wish Marianne well.
Speaking of 30th anniversaries, congrats to Rivercross on reaching that ripe old age. Sherie and I attended their party, as elegant as all Rivercrucians’ parties are, and had a ball. There was food being offered in every nook and cranny of the three lobbies, with a variety of entertainers, both on- and off-Islanders, keeping the mood convivial. Thanks, neighbors, you really know how to throw a party!
In my last column, I spoke at length on the decisions being made regarding the Kahn Memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Since then, The New York Times has come out in an editorial also endorsing the project. I responded in an on-line Letter to the Editor last Monday, asking when someone in authority will listen to and acknowledge a community that has made it clear that it wants some other memorial to FDR. Is anybody listening?
RIOC Elections and Rumors
Last week the RIOC Elections Working Group, composed of RIRA and Maple Tree Group activists, offered an Orientation to candidates for the RIOC Board of Directors. The purpose was two-fold: to present current Directors to the candidates and to offer pointers on how best to reach the Island-wide electorate. Only two RIOC Board Members, Charlee Miller and Mark Ponton, responded to our invitation to attend. They offered candid descriptions of what is expected from the Board, what the time requirements are, and how the resident Board Members might be more proactive and exert more influence over RIOC. Thanks, Charlee and Mark.
I hogged much of the second part of the program, having had the experience of three Island-wide campaigns for the RIRA Presidency. In a nutshell, my advice was: Start campaigning early. Take every opportunity to speak to voters – in every building complex, at the Farmer’s Market, at the Tram and subway – everywhere Islanders congregate. Cover the Main Street kiosks, building bulletin boards, storefront windows, with eye-catching campaign posters. And when they’re torn down (and they will be!), put up more. Prepare for the candidate events by becoming familiar with Island issues, and take advantage of the offer of free space in The Main Street WIRE to do the best writing of your life. The bottom line for candidates, both declared and potential, is: if you don’t take this opportunity seriously, why should anyone else? Unlike the RIRA Common Council, where volunteers can opt out despite a written commitment not to, the Governor’s appointees will need to bring a more serious approach to their voluntarism.
Finally...
As I write, there is disturbing information coming from the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) involving tax-equivalency (PILOT) payments that could radically change the nature of the privatization efforts of Rivercross, Island House, and Westview. At this point, I haven’t enough information to do more than pass along rumor, something that Roosevelt Island always has too much of. I suspect there will be concrete information available in the news pages of this newspaper and we shall read it together. Sometimes, there seems to be a conspiracy among those sworn to protect affordable housing here to do just the opposite. I will hold my peace until, hopefully, my fears prove to be unfounded or, tragically, they turn out to be true. Those of us under the guns of this potential calamity are holding our breaths.