NYPL: Roosevelt Island – 9/2007 Update

The NYPL has updated the Roosevelt Island Branch site to note its current hours which added a few extra hours on Tuesdays and Fridays with the branch now opening up at 10am and not at 1pm.

Current Hours:

Of the events scheduled for this month as usual for this branch the “Baby Lapsit / Toddler Time” program repeats every Wednesday at 11am throughout the month. Per the website the reading of “The Hobbit” on 9/27 is being “funded through the Cultural After School Adventure Program by New York City Council Member Jessica S. Lappin and The City of New York.”

Scheduled Events:

09/09/07 “All-Star” NBA Game at MSG to Benefit Goldwater Hospital

If you are a basketball fan and are free tomorrow, Sunday, September 9, 2007, head over to Madison Square Garden for a 3:00 pm “All-Star Classic” which directly benefits our neighbors at Coler-Goldwater Hospital (Goldwater). The “All-Star Classic” is the 17th Annual Wheelchair Charities Hoop Game organized and sponsored by Wheelchair Charities Inc.

According to the Sacramento Kings website:

“The “All-Star Classic” was started in 1991 and has received support from numerous professional basketball players throughout the years. Confirmed players at this year’s event include Ron Artest, Renaldo Balkman, Andre Barrett, Sam Cassell, Speedy Claxton, Gerald Green, Adrian Griffin, Stephen Jackson, Andre Owens, Ronnie Price, and Justin Williams.

Wheelchair Charities, Inc. was founded by Henry J. (Hank) Carter in 1973 and is a non-profit organization which assists in-patient and out-patients at Goldwater Memorial Hospital on Roosevelt Island. The previous “Classics” have raised more than $1.6 million, which has been used towards the purchase of motorized wheelchairs, computers, televisions, specialized beds and specially equipped buses. Wheelchair Charities’ mission has been to improve the quality of life for paraplegic and quadriplegic patients at Goldwater Memorial Hospital for rehabilitation.

During this year’s game, Ron Artest will be presenting a wheelchair to a young boy who became a quadriplegic after being shot six times, and wheelchairs will be presented to two other individuals as well. For more information, please visit http://www.wheelchaircharitiesinc.org/index.htm.

Tickets can be purchased at the MSG Box office or from Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and range in price from $10 to $254.50.”

Sep 11-14: Late Night Manhattan Bound F Trains to Skip Roosevelt Island

For four nights starting Tuesday, September 11th through Friday, September 14th there will be no Manhattan bound F train service stopping on Roosevelt Island from Midnight, 12:01 am through 5:00 am.

I think Roosevelt Islanders can definitely handle this. If they keep these interruptions to the overnight and not disrupt day time service on the weekends we’re certainly not going to argue.

If anyone needs to go to Manhattan during these hours take a Queens bound train two stops Roosevelt Avenue and hop on a Manhattan bound F train which will be running on the V Line through the 47-50th Street stop.

Candlelight Vigil Planned at Roosevelt Island 9/11 Memorial

This Tuesday, September 11, 2006, Roosevelt Island will commemorate the day with a candlelight vigil outside the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at the Memorial Plaque and Tree at 7:00 pm. Visitors from Oklahoma City will be joining the ceremony. The vigil is sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Residents Association.

NYC Puts Coler-Goldwater 2006 Data Online

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation today released data regarding city hospitals for key indicators comparing its hospitals to state and nationwide averages. Among the hospitals reported on is Coler-Goldwater in the Nursing and Long Term Care section.

The areas reported on for Coler-Goldwater and comparable City facilities includes (1) Preventing Pressure Ulcers, (2) Pain Management, and (3) Preventing Falls. Click on these links for the full reports in each area.

On average Coler-Goldwater did better than the national average in all areas. The only area where Coler-Goldwater did worse was regarding Pain Management for the first half of 2006. This ratio is defined as the average percentage of short-stay nursing home residents who reported moderate pain daily or extreme pain at any frequency within 7 days of admission. Coler-Goldwater’s percentage for the period of January 2006 through June 2006 is reported as 26% versus the national average of 21%.

Fall for Arts Festival - 2006 Video

Roosevelt Island on October 6, 2007 will host it’s Annual Fall for Arts Festival. The deadline for performers and artists to submit their applications is today, September 7th, per the RIOC website. The Festival last year attracted a number of local performers and artists showcasing their work in addition to individuals from off the island. Per the RIOC website, there will be a final meeting regarding the Festival on September 27th at the RIVAA Gallery.

The below video is part of a larger video I taped of a puppeteer performing for the children and adults alike. This video focuses on the Ballerina and perhaps should have been shot closer to the puppet but I felt at the time I wanted to capture the performer and how she brought the puppet to life. My then two year old was captivated by the DVD I made and it was played constantly. The performance was shot just around the corner from the 501 Main Street sign.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I will try to find the performer’s contact info and post it here for those interested. The other puppet she performed with was a magician. Both puppets were beautiful and obviously hand made.

I really hope this year’s festival has more programs for young children. The arts and crafts were fun but after that and the puppet show some of the kids got bored. The art wall on the lawn at Blackwell Park was great to look at into the late Autumn on the way to the Tram and Subway each day.

In The Papers: The Wire - Sept. 8, 2007

The September 8, 2007 issue of the Main Street Wire is available on line for those looking to begin their weekend early. The top headlines include:

(1) RIRA Sets February “Plebiscite” To Propose Nominees for RIOC”
(2) Oklahoma City Survivors Will Join Islanders at Tuesday’s 9/11 Ceremony
(3) Six Merchants Get New Leases in “First Step”

Inside the Wire you will see a letter to the editor (page 3) from RIRA Communications Chair Frank Farance continuing his crusade to force the PSD to obey its own rules. A picture of that wheelchair bicycle I reported on Aug 3rd this summer is on page 8. Various articles recall 9/11 with pictures and memories including a picture of the Wire issue that first covered the tragedy. Orphans International advertises, on page 9, it’s 9/15 benefit Concert set for 7pm at the Manhattan Park Theatre. Page 16 offers a combination ad / announcement from Island Cats regarding their upcoming 9/15 adoption event.

As normal expect to see your free issue of the Main Street Wire delivered to your apartment door handle or mailbox this weekend.

The Octagon Sabrina & Amherst College

A few months ago I was up at Lighthouse Park and upon my return to Northtown via the Western Promenade I encountered the sculpture of Sabrina. She sits just West of the Northern Wing of the Octagon. No plaque explained her presence, who she is, or who the sculptor is.

A cursory search of the name Sabrina mixed with sculpture leads the inquisitive to Amherst College and the deep history of Sabrina on that campus. A off hand conversation with an Octagon resident at the playground yielded the fact that Octagon developer Bruce Becker is an alumnus of Amherst College providing the connection to why this statue is here.

The early history of the statue at Amherst is quite amusing written by an alumnus of the Class of 1910. It appears that the statute is now kept hidden to protect her from the constant class rivalries that resulted with her being kidnapped, displayed in precarious locations and re-hidden. She was rolled out in 2005 after the Class of 1980 pledged, in honor of their 25 anniversary, to donate a huge sum of money to the college and be named the official Sabrina class.

Amherst Alumni website pages confirm that Bruce Becker is a member of that Class of 1980. So this Sabrina is apparently Mr. Becker's homage to his alma matter and its traditions. A post script is that Amherst had its own Octagon building so perhaps Mr. Becker was destined to rebuild Roosevelt Island's Octagon.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Tonight - Sep. 5, 2007

This evening, September 5, 2007 at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street, starting at 8:00 pm, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association will hold its monthly meeting. The agenda is featured above in the photo provided. Sorry the only agenda I could find was this photo of an agenda posted on a local kiosk and I was not in the mood to retype it. Double click on the photo to enlarge it.

The only order of business requiring action is the RIOC Board Initiative scheduled to be discussed within the Committee Reports scheduled to start at approximately 9:05 pm. I would expect Frank Farance’s report for the Communications Committee to be lively based on his posters and RIRA blog entries of the past week.

I had hoped to attend but my employment requires me to stay in my office in Manhattan. Perhaps the blogging world will be represented by the Roosevelt Islander so check out his blog tomorrow for any possible updates. I believe this is a Main Street Wire week so we should get a full accounting by Dick Lutz of the meeting by Saturday morning.

UPDATE Sept. 7th : As expected the Roosevelt Islander was able to attend and his report of the RIRA meeting can be found HERE.

NYC Run for Congo Women - Roosevelt Island 9/29

On September 29, 2007, Rosevelt Island will host the Run for Congo Women. The day will include a 5K run around the island as well as opportunities for the public to fully learn what is happening in the Congo. The run will commence at Firefighter's Field, head North to the Lighthouse, and then return South concluding at Southpoint Park. The day is sponsored by Women for Women International. Registration can be done online or at the event itself.

The focus of the event is to raise money, $1 million across several runs nationwide, and awareness of the atrocities continuing even today against women across the Congo. Even though the war has “subsided” women on both sides of the conflict are being physically and sexually abused to the point their bodies are being permanently scarred and the women rendered permanently incontinent and infertile. See “fistulas”. These women are usually shunned and cast out by their families due to no fault of their own but due to the shame of their loved ones. To read more go this website.

The run was to be followed by a showing of the soon to be aired PBS special titled “LUMO” which will premiere on POV on September 18, 2007. Lumo is the story of “a young woman’s struggle to heal in a nation beset by war”. Due to the timing of the run (830am registration) it appears that technically showing the film in daylight is not easily done. I wonder if the construction of a tent around three sides of the screen would allow the images to be seen? Either way the film has garnered numerous awards and recognition and should not be missed.



So for those island based runners who are going to be on the island anyway sign up, secure a bunch of your friends and family to sponsor you and make a pledge in support of a very worthy cause as well as to honor your participation. For those runners who have plans off island consider postponing them for this run. It should be a rewarding and enlightening day.

Update & Corrections:

Women for Women International is not sponsoring the event but all monies raised by the event are being contributed to the WfWI Congo Women's Fund. The event is being sponsored by local businesses, private donors and Crunch gym.

RIOC Pres. Steve “Spidey” Shane: “Not on Our Watch”

The following was posted by Overheard in New York on August 16, 2007. I can easily imagine this conversation having heard some doozies while on the Tram myself especially when kids or tourists are involved.

“Boy: Mommy, what will happen if the tram falls into the river?

Mother: We will all die, darling. But I told you not to be afraid of dying!

Boy: But Mommy, I'm only eight! I'm too young to die!

Mother: Well, darling, stuff happens!

--Roosevelt Island tram”

The post title was “Roosevelt Island Operating Company: Not on Our Watch”. Does RIOC President Steve Shane have a Spider-man costume in his closet?

New York Observer: "On the Tram"

New Roosevelt Island Resident George Gurley wrote an article titled “On the Tram” appearing in the September 10, 2007 edition of the New York Observer. The above artwork accompanied the article.

I enjoyed the article especially the following excerpts:

“Bet this is my 43rd Tram ride and it still feels like a roller coaster. Still confident we’d survive if the cable snapped. Jump up in the air right before it hits the water, hold my breath, swim right through the broken glass, save a couple people, get called a hero in The Post.”

“So friendly and irony-free. No hipsters. Overheard some people on the Tram the other day laughing about Seinfeld. “Remember the one where Elaine was doing that dance”—like that would happen in the East Village. Guy was singing along earnestly to a Beatles song in the deli—like that would happen in Brooklyn. Only one deli on Roosevelt Island. One bar. One liquor store. One restaurant. One grocery store. There’s a Duane Reade opening up!”

“Taxis go to Roosevelt Island but they don’t leave.”

Check it out as it’s quite fun.

Manhattan Bound F Train Late Night Weekend Service Update

Starting September 1, 2007 through October 22, 2007, the F Train will NOT be stopping on Roosevelt Island between Midnight and 5:00am each Saturday night through Monday mornings. The F Train will be running as per the above notice on the V line during the posted hours.

So if things work right for each Monday morning, rush hour service will be restored to normal and we will only experience normal delays and crowding as we try to get on the F Train at Roosevelt Island going into Manhattan.

The Roosevelt Island Resident Association Blog – A New Blog on the Block

RIRA Communications Committee Chair Frank Farance apparently started a new blog, linked HERE, back in January but only now has started advertising its existence…and what a way to start. I learned of its existence from a poster on one of the bus shelters and on a couple of the poster kiosks.

The poster addresses an issue concerning a RIOC employee and parking privileges. It’s quite a confrontational poster and more direct than I expected from RIRA. The poster indicates it is the opinion of Frank Farance personally. I am not sure if that means he also personally paid for the posters or whether RIRA paid for them.

The below snag of the blog’s September 2, 2007 post heading duplicates the posters intent. The poster and the blog post feature a picture of the employee (a RIOC Public Safety official), a picture of his SUV, and a picture of the SUV's license plate.


I think the blog will be a great resource to both RIRA and the community. If all the posts address issues of concern this directly it should be quite an interesting read for those visiting the website.

Three New YouTube Videos about Roosevelt Island

The Roosevelt Islander found two new YouTube videos of Roosevelt Island and the Tram and posted them to his blog early this morning, Monday, September 3, 2007.

Great finds Roosevelt Islander.

I admit at first felt I should not post here about these videos but since this blog’s base is of video life here on the Island I wanted to at least provide the links. Readers can view the videos directly on YouTube or on the Roosevelt Islander to also enjoy his commentary and other related content.

The first is of a stroll on the Roosevelt Island Promenade by a new island resident / YouTube user alaindecarolis .

The second is of a night time ride on the Roosevelt Island Tram posted by YouTube user atombot.

Perspective

The third video is one of the Tram entering the Manhattan Tram Station from the perspective of an individual standing on the street below. Just to give you the idea of how close the cabins land to the street.



Direct YouTube Link. Video shot by bridgeandtunnelclub

As with all the YouTube videos I embed here on this blog I try to provide links back to the videographers YouTube homepage in case you like their style and are interested in other videos they have posted online.

Boating Incident by the Roosevelt Island Bridge

The Gothamist is reporting that at approximately 12:20 pm this afternoon, Sunday, September 2, 2007, there was a boat in distress in the East River’s Eastern Channel by the Roosevelt Island Bridge. I have seen no other reports about this incident.

As anyone who lives here knows the tides that control the flow of water up and down the East River can be quite strong so that is always a possibility for many unexperienced boaters. Again with no supporting reports it is unknown what lead to this incident and what information the Gothamist based their report on.

Welfare Island Car 601 Where Are You?

One of the very last working trolley cars in New York City was Car 601 which serviced Roosevelt Island, then Welfare Island, as part of Local service across the Queensborough Bridge. The above photo is of Car 601 when it was in service. The trolley cars ran along what is now the pedestrian walkway across the bridge.

Photos of Car 601 and other cars that serviced Welfare Island can be found on Dave’s Railway Pics. The above photo is from the Ed Havens Collection.

Today the car sits at the Trolley Museum in Kingston, New York. The picture of Car 603 in its glory is by Bill Brandt. Today Car 601 is definitely showing years of neglect from sitting outside with no maintenance.

This photo was by Frank and posted on Railroad.net. It will forever be tied to the history of this island. Now we know where you are. Thanks 601.

NY Times (9/02/07): Living On / Roosevelt Island

The New York Times Real Estate section this Sunday, September 2, 2007, will includes an article, by C.J. Hughs, titled “An Island Joins the Mainstream”. The article is part of their “Living In” series here retitled “Living On” due to the neighborhood’s island status.

The article is your standard real estate review of the island’s Mitchell-Lama history, the rental levels and costs, and also talks about the newer market rate apartment buildings and construction growth. I suppose it is the newer market rate apartments and the existence of our Starbucks and the pending Duane Reade that justify the “Joins the Mainstream” designation.

The article includes your standard Tram shot of the newest Riverwalk construction site and the riverfront facing Manhattan as well a few graphics. As is normal for the “Living In” series there are discussion of the schools, transportation, and area history. Pretty standard review.

The Roosevelt Island Historical Walk – A Do It Yourself Walking Tour

These days if you passed one of the markers for the Roosevelt Island Historical Walk, a joint project between then Eagle Scout candidate and island resident Neal Tandon and the RI Historical Society, you would most likely wonder whether the marker was vandalized or just succumbed to the ravages of time. I look at these signs and see a project that needs revitalization. As a member of the RIHS I hope to encourage and participate in such a project.

When we first came to the island I knew little of its history and these signs and the associated website gave me a glimpse into the island’s past in little chunks that I found enjoyable and quite interesting.

Starting Oct. 1st - Abrasive Blasting Paint Removal on Roosevelt Island Bridge

Starting on October 1, 2007 or soon thereafter contractors will begin abrasive blasting procedures to remove the paint on the RI Bridge. The blasting per the 30 day notice posted today on the RIOC advisory webpage indicates that the blasting will be fully contained to protect the public. Per the Reconstruction Project brochure (which was stuffed in the plastic containing a recent Main Street Wire) vehicle and pedestrian access across the bridge will be maintained at all times.



The blasting process is scheduled to be completed by August 2009 (not 2008 but 2009) and could conceivably be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This statement is not stated in the brochure which indicates that general work will be between 7am and 7pm. So for the folks living on Main Street facing the bridge be prepared for noise along the lines of the abrasive blasting noise one hears by the 59th Street Bridge.

Another 360 View from Southpoint Park

This video was shot from Southpoint Park on Roosevelt Island. The video clearly shows the fantastic views this park offers of Manhattan and Queens. While I can support the goal of creating a memorial here to Franklin Delano Roosevelt the prospect of destroying this 360 degree view would be a travesty. I usually am one to always want more trees but to add them here and block these views would be criminal. Can we honor Teddy instead and leave it like this?

Direct YouTube link . Video by Federicofabrizio

Can an F Train Report Card Get Us More Trains?

The NY Times is reporting that based on the report card given by riders of the 7 Train that the number of trains running, before and after rush hour, will be increased as train overcrowding was the number one complaint reported. I am not sure how this helps as the complaints probably refer to rush hour but at least it is a step forward for 7 Train riders. Second Ave Sagas has the complete 7 Train report card.

I would have to guess the F Train would do no better in the overcrowding department as rated by Roosevelt Island rush hour riders.



I have not heard anywhere on any front how and when the MTA will report on the status of the on-line rider report cards the MTA has set up for all lines (discussed previously here). All I have heard about via the blogs are reports regarding the paper report cards distributed and collected for a few select lines.

Roosevelt Island commuters let’s not wait for paper surveys to be distributed. Make your voice heard and go to the MTA’s on-line survey for the F Train and start making some noise. Starting Tuesday the truth that Summer is over will be evident once you hit that platform and you know it will not be pretty.

amNew York Story: Retail finds Roosevelt Island

Today's amNew York features a story in their Real Estate section.. The photos featured are of the new Duane Reade and a shot of the Riverwalk buildings under construction taken from the Tram. The articles focuses on the dichotomy of living here without substantial retail operations relative to the population and location. Apparently the reporter consulted our own Roosevelt Islander on his experiences of living here.

Roosevelt Island and “Just Ask the Locals” Tourism Campaign

NYC Mayor Bloomberg yesterday kicked off a new marketing plan to boost tourism here in NYC. The plan referred to as “Just Ask the Locals” features local celebrities who live here in NYC and gives tourists carte blanche to use the site and to physically ask New Yorkers questions during their visits here.

Like many tourism sites it includes a photo of our Roosevelt Island Tram. The above photo is their choice to honor and highlight the Tram. Such photos on such sites are not unusual but they always make me think why doesn’t the City Tourism bureau highlight our island and its history more.

Well we don’t have the high power celeb locals that the NYC Visit site has tapped but we do have the Roosevelt Island Historical Society Visitors Center which is staffed by our locals to answer any questions visitors might have. So stop on by.

Steps from the Roosevelt Island Bridge: Noguchi, Socrates & Costco

While Roosevelt Island may be part of Manhattan for schools and voting issues we are physically connected to Queens via the Roosevelt Island Bridge. So three of my favorite places to walk to in Long Island City Queens via that bridge are the Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, and of course Costco.

The Noguchi Museum has a great set of programs for families including Art for Families for families with children ages 5 -11 and Art for Tots for families with children ages 2-4. Space is limited and reservations are required. The price for each session can not be beat. $5 per family for up to six family members which includes the cost of the supplies for the artwork you’ll go home with each week. And for grown up just looking to enjoy the museum and its outdoor sculpture garden the museum is located at 9-01 33rd Road at Vernon Boulevard.

To call Socrates Sculpture Park just a park does it a disservice. “It is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also serves as a vital New York City park offering a wide variety of public services.” And I say that not just because that is what the website says. It is just a really cool place and always has something going on. It has a great view of Lighthouse Park from the Hallets Cove side of the Park. I just love the windmill chimes and would love to have a set up at Lighthouse Park.

Pedestrian Safety Fencing Planned for Roosevelt Island Bridge

When I first read the pamphlets and DOT webpage about the Roosevelt Island Bridge reconstruction I took the phrase new “pedestrian safety fencing” to refer to the railing of the bridge. I have always been concerned about my kids walking alongside the rail and either dropping toys down to the water or falling through themselves.

It was only after reading the phrase again that I realized it refers to a fence separating pedestrians from passing cars and trucks. OK, I should have realized that from the get go. It never made sense how the original designers (Knappen Tippetts Abbott Engineering Company of NYC) of a bridge projected to expect 640 vehicle crossings a day felt that a pedestrian safety fence was not necessary in the first place. One of the central goals for NYC was that the new bridge would replace the upside-down building and relieve some of the congestion caused by cars and trucks exiting onto and from the bridge to that structure.

This morning I spoke briefly with the community liaison for the reconstruction project and explained I was interested in learning more about the pedestrian fence and the exterior railing. I hope to learn more.

Proposal to House 70,000 on [Roosevelt] Island

OK, so it was a 1961 proposal. I thought it would be fun to bring back excerpts from various historical articles detailing plans considered by New York City or simply proposed to New York City regarding the use and planning for Roosevelt Island prior to NYS leasing this place for 99 years and embarking on the current “utopia” we now live in.

I especially like the segments about the number of amenities and proposed transportation on and off the island for 70,000 people. I can’t imagine the lines for the elevators up to the 59th Street Bridge.

As a graduate of SUNY-Albany the concept of building the structures atop a two level concourse which would house retail and services is not so far fetched as this is what was done on that university campus and part of NYS’s capital complex. The number of schools and libraries sounds great as well. Perhaps this can be tried during the island’s next iteration.

MTA Proposed Fare Increase Fair to Roosevelt Island Tram Riders?

Expect in the next few days to see the news media discussing the MTA’s proposed 6.5% fare increase as the NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is expected to issue a report today blasting the MTA. According to report by NY1 “DiNapoli says the MTA should wait to see how much money it will get from the mayor's congestion pricing plan and Governor Eliot Spitzer's upcoming budget.”

The March 2004 inclusion of the Roosevelt Island Tram in the NYCTA Metrocard system was a great event in recent island transportation history and it certainly makes my life as a commuter bearable. But you wonder whether each time the fare increases whether the island is getting a fare / fair shake. I need to go back into past issues of the Main Street Wire to see if there were ever any stories about the fee sharing agreement that exists between the MTA and RIOC.

Do fare increases mean RIOC automatically gets more money for each turn of the tram turnstile? Certainly RIOC’s tram operating costs increase as time goes on but you wonder who wins and who loses on these increases. All I know is we’ll be paying more.

Update: 10:00am

According to the March 6, 2004 issue of the Main Street Wire it appears that the deal brokered by then Speaker Gifford Miller ensured that "RIOC [would] receive full income from every swipe" of the Metrocards at the Tram turmnstile. So my question is now will RIOC see the funds that woud come in from a fare increase as "general income" or do these funds have to be pegged for tram upkeep or improvements? At least it means the monies we pay come back to the island. But there are always questions.

The Lurie Art Remnant at Southpoint Park

What now looks like a multi-colored tarp that washed ashore on Roosevelt Island's Southern tip is actually the last remnant of a large scale art event by Ranan Lurie that began within the halls of the United Nations. Think "The Gates" but with flowing banners working their way across the steps and lawns of the UN gardens and then stretching across the waters of the East River culminating on Roosevelt Island.

Unconfirmed rumors have it that the City wants this remnant now removed. Perhaps with "The Encampment" scheduled to be pitched at Southpoint this October it is time to remove the last vestage of the "Uniting Painting".

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The following excerpts are from UN Press Release 5978 issued Oct. 28, 2005:

“Connecting the world by art and goodwill is one of the missions of the “Uniting Painting”, a fine art creation by Ranan Lurie, which will open in the United Nations Headquarters Visitors' lobby on 1 November at 6 p.m.

Conceived by Mr Lurie in 1968, it unites an expanding group of countries in one large international exhibit spanning continents. “Mr. Lurie’s epic painting is a glorious attempt to illustrate the human desire for, and our need for, mutual understanding and togetherness, using the common language of art to -- quite literally -- connect people around the globe”, says United Nations Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor, Chairman of the United Nations Exhibits Committee.

At the United Nations, where it can be viewed until the beginning of 2007, the art starts as a motif painted on canvas panels, descending from the ceiling in the Headquarters main Visitors’ Lobby. The same motif glides onto a carpet specially designed by the artist for the large ceremonial stairs. It then reaches the outdoors, via the Canadian doors, continues across the public plaza down the stairs to the promenade, and "flows" into the East River. The “Uniting Painting” then resurfaces at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, before commencing its journey to connect with the rest of the world.”

To see pictures of the Uniting Painting's creator Ranan Lurie and the project as it unfurled follow this LINK.

Assemblymember Kellner Announces Roosevelt Island Offices Hours

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At RIOC’s last movie night, Saturday 8/25th, both I and the Roosevelt Islander were greeted by New York State Assemblymember Micah Z. Kellner (D) who stopped by to announce to his Roosevelt Island constituents that starting Thursday September 13th he will begin offering weekly office hours here on Roosevelt Island. The hours will run between 3pm and 7pm weekly at RIOC’s offices at 591 Main Street. In addition to discussing his new hours we took the opportunity to also discuss the possibility of Roosevelt Island qualifying for one of the twenty DOT stand alone public restrooms that are planned to be built across New York City.

The above video was shot off the cuff and I offer my apologies to the Assemblyman for the lousy lighting and sound not to mention his last words being slightly clipped in the editing of this video.

Renderings of Roosevelt Island - Possibilities

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Roosevelt Islander today informed us that a new YouTube video of a three dimensional graphic of a three tower skyscraper which the designer places South of the 59th Street Bridge. Over the course of the island's history it has been reinvented and re-imagined numerous times. Curbed is calling this “the finest architectural vision for New York City, and Roosevelt Island in particular, we've ever seen”.

The attached montage is a compilation of renderings historical, past and present. As additional renderings are found this montage will be updated.