Roosevelt Island Softball: Prelim Sched - May, June, July

------Original Message------

From: Frank Farance
Sent: May 8, 2009 6:40 AM
Subject: Roosevelt Island Softball: Preliminary Schedule for May, June, July

Folks-

I have the permits, based upon our discussions last Sunday.

Here's the summary:

- Co-ed league
- Slow pitch, 6-12 arc, 1-1 staring count
- Play at Capobianco Field (across from PS/IS 217)
- Sundays, 9AM-1PM
- May: 17, 31
- June: 7, 14, 21, 28
- July: 12 (championship)

Shortly, I'll have more information about team registration.

My contact info is:

E-mail: frank@farance.com (be sure to put "softball" in the Subject: line)

-FF

Is Increasing Main Street Parking Rates the Answer?

Is the answer to Main Street's parking woes raising the parking rates so parking on the street is more expensive than parking in Roosevelt Island’s Motorgate? This was one of several proposals put forth by the students that participated in the Columbia Transportation studio. See the April 18th Main Street WIRE, for detailed coverage of the proposals. In theory I can see how this can make sense with respect to individuals who are looking to park for several hours.

I am not disagreeing with Frank Farance, our RIRA President, in his argument within this week’s May 2nd dated Main Street WIRE, that increasing the rates would be unfair to short term parkers who are loading or unloading etc. But to be honest many of those individuals from what I have seen double park or park in no parking zones for the short period they need and while a number are told by PSD to move their vehicles many finish their loading / unloading without incident. I do think Frank missed the Columbia student’s point that it is the long term parkers that they were trying to target. But to fair to his point, the students may not have been familiar with the short term parkers.

According to today’s Gothamist, the NYC Department of Transporation, started a pilot program in Park Slope, Brooklyn, of increasing parking rates during peak hours only. Perhaps that is a compromise that would work on Main Street? Your thoughts?

[Image from Gothamist.]

Is Roosevelt Island, Improv Everywhere's Next Target?

The great thing about local niche bloggers is we like to learn what is going on and scheduled for our neighborhoods and to then let our neighbors know all about it. The bad thing is a concern regarding ruining a great surprise or a good thing. Improv Everywhere has indicated on their site that they plan an Mp3 event on May 23rd at 4pm on Roosevelt Island. Hence my dilemna.

What's an Improv Anywhere Mp3 experiment you ask? Let's just say it's a lot of people (a lot) wearing headphones and doing what the voice them to do. And watch out if you are in the area they are told to be in. Link here.

Knowing that the Roosevelt Islander and I both love writing about such events I am hoping we don't ruin the fun. Even Frank Farance of RIRA even knows about the event and has posted a comment on the Improv Everywhere blog itself about his interest. Although Frank wants to make sure they get the right permits so PSD doesn't try to disrupt the impromptu gathering that I believe is the whole point of the exercise.

So read this blog post, then forget about about it, but watch for the fun that day. Can you do that?

Progress is Four of Six Nominees to be Seated.

Some will undoubtedly say that the fact that two of the elected six nominees for the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Board of Directors are not seated is a loss. While it is a loss it is certainly not a defeat. The Main Street WIRE is reporting this afternoon that the Office of the Mayor of New York will be announcing that it will appoint Howard Polivy, of the elected RIOC Six, as one of Mayor Bloomberg’s two appointees to the RIOC Board.

The fact that now collectively four individuals directly elected by their fellow island residents will be seated on the Board is a great step forward and certainly progress that should be built upon. The Maple Tree Group has worked for this event for years and they should be heartily congratulated for getting us there.

It may be years, if ever, that direct elections will ever result in seating a full slate of residents but the fact that the door has been opened alone signifies a change worth celebrating. No other State Authority has such a Board as no other Authority directly affects the lives of residents as part of their domain so it was only right and time for this time to come but it should be expected that an Authority such as RIOC will always be subject to the decisions of the Governors and Mayors that can make these appointments so it should never be a surprise when they exert their power limiting such gains. But it can not be argued this is not a gain and as such this appointment and confirmations should be celebrated.

Our thanks go out to Frank Farance and Erin Feely-Nahem even though they will not serve in the positions we elected them for. We appreciate their participation and I am sure like them we all will be paying attention to the actions of their appointed colleagues as down the road there will be future elections that this accomplishment has opened the door to.

Roosevelt Island Placard Parking Issue Makes Daily News

Link HERE for story at the Daily News.