Report of Falling Bricks at Coler Hospital

Local blog Roosevelt Island Dogs is reporting that the fences erected partially around selected Coler Memorial Hospital buildings may be due to concerns of falling bricks.

I bicycled around Coler this past Sunday while photographing the island's fire call boxes and the fences are out in force. Had no idea there might be a safety concern and I did not notice any signage to that effect.

Repainted Crosswalks and Yield Signs Along Main Street

I got to give the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation credit as somehow with all the rain these past few weeks they snuck in, as they had reported they would, the ability to repaint the street crosswalks and on street yield signs.

Makes a difference. Whether the cars, buses, trucks are paying attention is another matter.

Update re Shots Fired (on 4/14) Outside 2-4 River Road

The following info updates what is known about yesterday morning's gunfire incident at 2-4 River Road.

In short the individual apprehended claims he was set up and in self defense he wrestled the gun away from his assailant.

------Original Message------
From: Steve Shane
To: Roosevelt Island 360
To: Roosevelt Islander
To: Dick Lutz / The Main Street WIRE
Sent: Apr 15, 2009 11:17 AM
Subject: Shots Fired

Be advised that the apprehended person who fired the shots on Monday night/Tuesday morning has been released by NYPD. He established to their satisfaction that he was the victim of a setup/mugging from a location off Island and that he wrestled the weapon away from the other person involved in self defense, during which struggle the shots were fired and the window shattered.

Another example of why we all should not jump to conclusions.

Stephen H. Shane
President & CEO
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.

Bike Safety Event - A Big Success !

Kudos to the Roosevelt Island Public Saety Department for hosting a sucessful first ever Bicycle Safety event!

According to reports from PSD Director Keith Guerra 244 bicycle helmets were given away to children and those adults requesting helmets and "NYC DOT & Safe Kids NYC has agreed to come back to Roosevelt Island to do it again" based on the great turn out. Again congratulations to everyone involved in this event!

Roosevelt Island Placard Parking Issue Makes Daily News

Link HERE for story at the Daily News.

Back to the Lack of Public Bathroom Issue: Local NYPL Branch in Particular

Now that Related / Hudson has indicated that the last retail space at 425 Main Street is planned for some sort of “food” related tenant it puts to bed some of the rumors that the Roosevelt Island Branch of the New York Public Library will be moving to that space. I now find myself coming back to the need for increased public bathrooms centrally located on the Island.

I first starting making noise on this blog regarding this need, back in August, in regards to the local NYPL branch NOT making available to the public the sole bathroom on their premises. It was hoped that if the NYPL Branch moved to a new space on the Island that access to a public bathroom on the premises would be made available. Currently if a parent has a child needing to go that they either have to run home or go to Trellis and quickly try to descend those slippery worn steps to their bathroom. Running South to the Tram or North to Octagon Park are not options.

The Roosevelt Islander picked up on this same theme in a number of posts and also put forth my suggestion that RIOC apply for one of the planned twenty stand alone public toilets the City intends to construct around the five boroughs. I guess it is time to start making inquiries again. For users of the library it would be so much easier if the bathroom at the library could at least be made available to them.

Perhaps a portion of 504 Main Street once it is converted to the Public Safety offices could be set aside and turned into a publicly accessible restroom. With the public safety officers onsite at least we would be assured that the restrooms would be safe and not used for any illicit purposes. Perhaps when the Charmin toilet paper folks leave their now annual Time Square facilities they could be talked into sponsoring a public lieu here on Roosevelt Island?

Relocating Public Safety Too Close to Youth Program, Playgrounds?

The following is an e-mail exchange I had yesterday with Steve Shane, the President of RIOC, concerning the relocation of Public Safety from its current location to 504 Main Street, the former Christian Lillies School. I had learned of the planned relocation from a recent blog post on the Roosevelt Islander.

After reading the response I received I feel better about the idea, I still have reservations, but will be looking to see if the community’s has any additional reactions to the plan. I am also not exactly sure where the public safety vehicles will be parked if not on Main Street. I expect and hope no part of Blackwell Plaza will be sacrificed to a parking lot. I also am assuming the entrance for any "apprehended persons" will be at the rear / side entrance of the building.

Dear Mr. Shane:

Upon learning of the possible relocation of Public Safety to 504 Main Street I wanted to ask what consideration was given to the fact that this location adjoins the Youth Center and that there is a public playground / sprayground directly behind it?

Upon reading of the need to create "holding cells" and the obvious increase in car and scooter traffc I have concerns regarding the proximity of all this activity to the sland's children.

Thank you.

The response I received (within an hour of my inquiry) from Mr. Shane:

On balance, and in consultation with the director of the Youth Center, we think it a good idea. The proximity of a public safety office to a youth activity is the underlying foundation of PAL activities. The opportunity to get the public safety vehicles off the street (relieving the much discussed congestion), eliminating the need for publicly parading any apprehended persons through a Main Street entrance, creating a much, much better environment for both visitors and employees (the present facility approaches appalling), central location with the build out of Southtown, etc., were all factors considered. The existing playground and sprayground will not be impacted, other than to be sure that safety concerns are carefully met by appropriate barriers. The architectural study to realize the programmatic goals has not yet been undertaken, but will, of course, consider the various other issues and in any event, will be available to be thoroughly vetted by the community.

Stephen H. Shane
President & CEO
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.

Could Roosevelt Island Kids Benefit from a “Safe Haven” Program ?

First off, let me say of the many neighborhoods I have ever lived in Roosevelt Island is among the safest I have seen. This post grew out of my reading a story in today's NY Times that the number of stores participating in an Upper West Side Safe Haven program (it's their sticker posted above) has been dwindling as Mom & Pop shops are replaced by larger retailers. I then started wondering whether we are sufficiently teaching our children where to go in an emergency or if an incident were to occur where they would feel threatened. Certainly they could go to the Public Safety office on Main Street but if that is not close enough would they realize where to go?

In most cases they should be able to run into any business on Main Street, the FDNY SOC center, or to any door station of any of the buildings that have door stations (which is pretty much every building except for Eastwood) so with all these locations the kids should have no issue finding a “safe haven” should they need it. But without proper education they may not realize any of this and feel they can only run home to feel safe.

If however the child saw a Safe Haven sticker on each retailer's door or residential building’s entrance perhaps seeing the sticker would let them know safety is right in front of them if they need it. Just an idea. I’ll pitch it to RIOC and the Chamber of Commerce to see what they think.

My only fear would be that visitors to the island seeing numerous Safe Haven stickers might take it as an indicator that the Island needs greater protection or has a crime problem. As a parent I would rather give my kids a tool they can use and deal with visitor misconceptions second.

What is your opinion?