News Release: Lappin & NYS Nurses Hold Vigil at Goldwater Hospital

The following is the text of a news release from NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin:

Lappin and New York State Nurses Association hold vigil at Coler-Goldwater Hospital

Council Member Jessica Lappin joined with the New York State Nurses Association and a representative from Assemblyman Micah Kellner’s office on Thursday morning for a vigil outside the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facilities to protest management’s decision to eliminate alternate work schedules.

Two years ago, the hospital management allowed nurses to choose between working five 8-hour shifts or more flexible 12-hour shifts three to four days a week. The 12-hour shifts proved to be a popular choice and helped recruit many new nurses to the hospitals. In fact, other HHC hospitals are moving toward adopting the alternate work schedule for that reason.

After two years of successfully implementing this schedule, the management is now forcing everyone to return to a five-day schedule. Considering our city’s nursing shortage and the fierce competition amongst hospitals to hire and retain nurses, this seems like a foolhardy decision.

This change will also drive nurses away from these hospitals at a time when a hiring freeze prevents new nurses from being added. As a result, nurses who plan to remain at the hospital expect to see their workloads rise even further with no relief in sight.

“We need to look at what’s best for the patients of this hospital and what’s best for the nurses who work there. Neither of those groups are being well served by this switch,” Council Member Lappin said. “I strongly urge the hospital to rethink its decision.”

“The decision to eliminate the alternative work schedule at Coler-Goldwater punishes the hard-working nurses who devote their lives to caring for their patients and the patients themselves,” said Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner. “Coler-Goldwater must reconsider its options during this time of hardship and make the choice that does the most good for all involved.”

“I’m committed to my patients here a Goldwater, but I’m also committed to my family,” said Keron Capleton, an RN at Goldwater for 16 years. “By eliminating the alternate work schedule, the hospital is forcing me to choose between the two.”

----------------------------

For more info contact the Office of Council Member Jessica Lappin at (212) 788-6865. Picture provided by John Moore of Jessica Lappin's office.

Transportation Forum Produces Community Provided "Solutions"

The Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer organized Roosevelt Island transportation forum produced a list of short term and long term solutions as suggested by the attending audience as well as the priority of each solution. In an innovative method of collecting data via RF point and click technology, the organizers with the help of the Hunter College Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, turned what is usually a standard speech dog and pony show with the expected rantings of upset community members into an event where the public provided the content and the elected officials (Micah Kellner and Jessica Lappin) spoke minimally. RIOC President Steve Shane spoke but offered nothing new for the community that he had not already stated at the recent Tram info event.

The only real problem was the transportation experts did not speak at all and the public was not given the opportunity to put these folks on the spot. Also while the solutions offered are nice in theory we heard nothing from the elected officials or the transportation officials as to the reality of any one solution being actually attainable or not.

Scott Stringer closed the event stating that this event was only the beginning of the discussions and tonight was more a gauge of where he and the other politicians should start on our behalf. The only problem is we only have until the Tram goes out to start determing what can be improved in the short term. Lets schedule the next meeting soon to keep the feet of these pols to a deliverable fire date to answer the realities of the solutions offered otherwise what was the point of taking away a particular good opportunity to simply rant.

The short and long term solutions and prioritization are below and each can be linked through to Flickr for larger views.

SHORT TERM SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS per the COMMUNITY

SHORT TERM VOTE

LONG TERM SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS per the COMMUNITY

LONG TERM VOTE

Oct 21st Stringer Sponsored Community Forum re Transportation Issues

This coming Tuesday, October 21st, Roosevelt Island residents will have another opportunity to discuss transportation issues affecting the island this time not just with RIOC regarding the Tram but with our elected officials and each of the government agencies that run and maintain our bridges, subways, and buses.

The Community Forum is being lead by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and as this post appears to also include Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jose Serrano, Assembly Member Micah Kellner and City Councilmember Jessica Lappin.

According to a representative from Borough President Stringer’s office the agenda is not yet final but one of their goals is to make the forum as interactive as possible including discussions of issues as well as possible solutions.

As opposed to Community Board 8’s Roosevelt Island transportation forum which took place in Manhattan at the Blood Center this forum is scheduled to take place here on the Island and as such can expect a much better turnout than the less than a dozen who attended the CB8 meeting.

All residents are encouraged to attend as this is a great opportunity to ask questions and hear from all parties plans for next year when the Tram is offline for several months. The timing of this meeting is appropriate as at least one of the referendum proposed by RIRA for the November elections includes the Tram.

Lappin Contacts DOB re Eastwood Window Project

The Office of NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin (District 5 – D) has received a number of calls regarding the current Eastwood window project with respect to safety concerns where no construction sheds have been constructed.

According to Ms. Sarah Resnick Attia, Community Liaison for the Council Member, Ms. Lappin’s office has contacted DOB to look into the issue and has also spoken with Mr. Geofrrey Fishman, the managing g agent at Urban American to let him know that several constituents have filed complaints with the Council Member’s office regarding concerns at the site.

Lappin Begins 2009 Campaign Locally with a Picnic

With no discernable Democratic or Republican challengers making themselves known on Roosevelt Island, City Council Member Jessica Lappin is hosting a BBQ picnic this coming Thursday, August 14th at Lighthouse Park from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

The suggested donation to the event and to Ms. Lappin’s campaign is $15 and checks should be made payable to “Lappin for Council”.

Ms, Lappin represents District 5 on the City Council which includes Roosevelt Island.

MTA Roberts to Roosevelt Island: No Increased Service Coming Your Way

MTA NYCTA President Howard Roberts issued a reply, dated February 11, 2008, regarding the call to examine and increase subway service to Roosevelt Island. The reply was in regards to a January 20, 2008 request to President Roberts made by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jose Serrano, Assembly Member Micah Kellner and City Council Member Jessica Lappin.

In short the letter reads that the ridership levels are within capacity and that the request to extend the Q Train to 21st Street / Queensbridge would only slow down the overall system as it would interfere with existing F, E and V Train service.

Please let us know your comments as they are being reviewed by our elected representatives.

Elected Officials "Urge" Gov. Spitzer to Nominate RIOC Elected Candidates

As stated in a joint letter to Governor Spitzer, four elected Federal, State and City representatives urge the Governor to nominate the elected candidates to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Board of Directors as only he can. The letter refers to the historic nature of the vote, the diversity of those "elected", and the large turnout of residents that voted in the election.

Double click the above image to read the full text of the letter in its original format.

Elected Officials Call for Extension of Q Line to Supplement F Line to Roosevelt Island

In a joint letter dated January 20th, 2008, to MTA NYCT President Howard H. Roberts, Jr., it has been requested that the MTA re-evaluate the transit needs of Roosevelt Island and requests that a short term solution be instituted that would include extending the Q Line through 21st Queensbridge until the Second Avenue Subway is operational.

The full text of the letter can be linked to HERE.

The letter is signed by United States Representative Carolyn Maloney, NYS Senator Jose M. Serrano, NYS Assembly Member Micah Kellner, and NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin. The letter is a follow-up to Council Member Lappin's July 2006 letter to the MTA.

The letter opens with the following paragraph:

"As elected officials representing the thousands of New Yorkers who live and work on Roosevelt Island, we urge you to address the developing crisis in the island’s mass transit link to Manhattan and the rest of New York City. Already, Roosevelt Islanders are faced with overcrowding on the island’s sole subway connection, the F line. With thousands more residents projected to join the island’s population in the near future, as well as a prolonged period of downtime planned for the Roosevelt Island tram, immediate action is required to prevent a transportation overload of critical proportions."

The letter closes with the following two paragraphs:

"In your response to Councilmember Lappin you stated that “our recent data continues to show that, on average, the F line operates within passenger loading guidelines.” While this may be true – though it conflicts with the daily experience of Roosevelt Island residents who ride the F line – it strikes us as a somewhat shortsighted view of the problem, in light of the island’s rapid population growth and the impending overhaul of the tram.

Given these realities, it is imperative that NYC Transit seriously consider ways to augment subway service to Roosevelt Island as soon as possible. We urge you to consider extending service on the Q line to 21st St./Queensbridge. If you believe this would not be practicable, we ask that you investigate alternate possibilities for increasing service to the rapidly growing population of Roosevelt Island."

AP Runs Story re FDR Memorial – Roosevelt Island Gets Nationwide Attention

The Associated Press ran a story today regarding the status of the Louis Kahn FDR Memorial planned for Southpoint Park. Roosevelt Island has not received nationwide attention since the April 2006 Tram stoppage that lasted just under 5 months.

The AP story focuses on the funding issue and includes quotes from a FERI representative, City Council Member Jessica Lappin, and Dick Lutz, manging editor of the Main Street WIRE.

Associated Press; MSNBC; ABC News; Philly.com; Forbes.com; MLive.com (Michigan)

UPDATE: The Roosevelt Islander has a great post, linked HERE, regarding the current news coverage and his views regarding the Kahn - FDR Memorial.

NYT Editorial : A Roosevelt for Roosevelt Island

Today's New York Times includes an editorial supporting the construction of the Louis Kahn FDR Memorial:

"The eminent architect Louis Kahn was commissioned to design the memorial, and his concept was simple and elegant. Drawing inspiration from Roosevelt’s defense of the Four Freedoms — of speech and religion, and from want and fear — he designed an open “room and a garden” at the bottom of the island. Trees on either side form a “V” defining a green space, and leading to a two-walled stone room at the water’s edge that frames the United Nations and the rest of the skyline."

"There’s a magic to the project. That the task is daunting makes it worthy of the man it honors, who guided the nation through the Depression, the New Deal and a world war. As for Mr. Kahn, he died in 1974, as he passed alone through New York’s Penn Station. In his briefcase were renderings of the memorial, his last completed plan."

No mention is made in the editorial about the concerns of the residents of Roosevelt Island just praise for the design, FDR himself, and for Kahn.

NY Sun Profiles City Council Member Jessica Lappin

There is very nice profile of Roosevelt Island's City Council Member Jessica Lappin in today's New York Sun. There is also a candid shot of Ms. Lappin with her son. The article stresses Lappin's desire to separate her work life from her personal one. I can appreciate that as I try to keep photos of my own kids out of this blog as well as direct facial shots of children living on the island.

Back on topic, the article is worth checking out as portrays Lappin as a legislator looking to make a difference and not one looking for the quick sound byte / media shot to impress their constituency. She indicates in the article that being a new mother impacts how she looks at the City and I expect how she acts as a Council Member in this City.

In The Paper – Main Street Wire – Sat. Oct. 6, 2007

The headlines of tomorrow’s paper, available now online, linked HERE on line, are as follows:

> RIOC Has Four Tram Options, From $6 million to $21 million
> Inspector General Slams DHCR Work Under Pataki
> 15 Years On, Icla da Silva Foundation Looks Back to RI’s Love Thy Neighbor
> Lappin Gets City’s $1.5 Million for Southpoint Park

This issue also includes articles on Housing Trends by Robert Chira; a story about islander Leandra Ramm; and a recap of his past weekend’s Run for Congo Women.