Fw: WIRE-BULLETIN: Smith, Shinozaki Win Residents' RIOC Board Nominations

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From: WIRE Bulletin
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:22 PM
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Subject: WIRE-BULLETIN: Smith, Shinozaki Win Residents' RIOC Board Nominations
Smith and Shinozaki Capture Islanders' RIOC Board Nominations

Winners in Tuesday's voting for residents' nominees to the RIOC Board of Directors were Margie Smith, with 578 votes, and Michael Shinozaki, with 318. Their names will be forwarded to Governor David Paterson as the community's nominees for open seats on the board. Under law, the Governor appoints board members.

The count:

Margie Smith 578
Michael Shinozaki 318
Lee Edelman 287
Tammy Jackson 187

The Main Street WIRE will have a breakdown of voting in its May 30 edition.

TODAY - RIOC Board Nominee Elections - Please VOTE !

Starting this morning at 6:00 am residents of Roosevelt Island will have their second opportunity to directly influence the direction of this island by directly electing nominees for seats on the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Board of Directors. Once elected, the two nominees, will be submitted to the Governor and Mayor for appointment and if they are appointed the nominee will need to be confirmed by the State Senate.

To read the position statements of each of the four candidates I stronly urge all residents to link to this week's Main Street WIRE if you have not already read the hard copy version distributed to our apartments. Each of the candidates appear qualified and worthy of your review and consideration. They are Lee Edelman, Tammy Jackson, Michael Shinozaki, and Margie Smith.

Voting Location Schedule:

Octagon Residents
6am to 10am vote at the Octagon
10am to 4pm vote at Good Shepherd Community Center
4pm to 9pm vote at the Octagon

Manhattan Park, Westview, Island House, Rivercross and Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood) Residents
6am to 9pm vote at Good Shepherd Community Center

Southtown / Riverwalk Residents
6am to 10am vote at 455 Main Street
10am to 4pm vote at Good Shepherd Community Center
4pm to 9pm vote at 455 Main Street

Please remind your neighbors, spouses, room-mates etc all to vote. For Albany to take these votes seroiusly we need to show a volume of voters to evidence our desire for this process to continue. Note as this is not a state sponsored election, but one sponsored by the residents association, and as such you do not have to be a US citizen to vote but merely a resident of Roosevelt Island.

Will Dem. St. Senate Give RI an Elected RIOC Board

For years a bill introduced by State Assembly Member Micah Kellner and before him Pete Grannis that would provide for a democratically elected RIOC Board would pass in the Assembly but die without a vote in the then Republican controllled State Senate. Can it be possible that now with that same State Senate no longer under Republican control that the bill will reach a vote and maybe even pass?

With all vigor Island residents and our new RIRA elected officers and Common Council should support such a measure letting Micah Kellner and State Senator Jose Serrano know that which they already know that the RIOC Board should be elected directly and no longer subject to the appointments of a sitting Governor and Mayor.

WIRE: Local Roosevelt Island Election Results

The Main Street WIRE has published the election results on line as noted above.

Election Day Comes to Roosevelt Island

Just as the Federal, State, and local elections are taking place today so are the local Roosevelt Island Resident Association elections. Posters hit the Main Street kiosks in earnest only in the last two days as well as door flyers in many buildings. In addition to the executive offices noted above building representatives to the Common Council are elected from each residential building.

Polling Site Confusion re 455 Main Street ?

The Roosevelt Islander published a great summary of where Island residents are supposed to vote in the national and local elections. The RIRA election polling station will primarily be at PS 217 but Octagon residents will also cast their votes at Coler Hospital for RIRA as they will in the general elections.


Apparently there is some confusion with respect to residents of 455 Main Street as some residents have been assigned to Goldwater Hospital and others to PS / IS 217. If you have a official Board of Elections mailer identifying that states you are to go to one location as opposed to another I'd suggest you bring that mailer with you. Per the NYC Board website it appears that all 455 Main is assigned to Goldwater. My suggestion is to go early in case you need later to trek onto the other location. Fortunately the island is really not that big. It will be annoying but please vote.

Two great website:
Poll Locator & Registration Confirmation

"Ballot Marking Devices" Somewhat Discouraged on Roosevelt Island

Yesterday's election turnout by all accounts was light and on Roosevelt Island it was no different than anywhere else. As expected the only primary races (for Democrats) involved the Manhattan Surrogates Couty and Civil Court Judgeship. What was interesting was the presence of a new "Ballot Marking Device" whose use, at least on Roosevelt Island, was somewhat discouraged. With a high population of disabled on the island between the hospitals and residents one would think we might have had even two of such machines and higly trained advocates there to encourage its use.

Upon speaking with the poll workers it was clear that if a voter wanted to use the "ballot marking device" and asked to use it they could not refuse the request but as I was prompted to use it by an interested individual I was softly directed to vote normally via the old traditional lever controlled voting machines. After speaking with a few poll workers it appeared clear that using the new device was not an easy endeavor and I was told when it was tried a few times during the day it did not always work. The instruction card I was shown was not the most clear either.

It was also pointed out to me that the device is not easily tabulated and like regular paper ballots must be counted separately at the end of the day, something the poll workers were not thrilled about. I also got the impression that unless the races were tight counting such ballots would not be a priority. It almost sounds like the counting were to take place there by these workers which I did not believe is how it is done.

I will admit my interest, though prompted by the aforementioned interested party, was one of curiousity. It was only heightened upon learning that the operation of the machine did not appear easy for able bodied voters as opposed to the differently abled voters the machine was created for. My query to the workers was unless they get practice helping voters using the machine how well trained are they to help someone who must use it. I did not get too many replies.

Tomorrow’s Democratic Primary: Surrogates Court

As far as I can see the only primary race that Roosevelt Island residents can vote on tomorrow, September 9, 2008 is that for the Democratic candidate for New York County Surrogates Court. Of the three candidates I have personally seen two campaigning on Roosevelt Island including John Reddy Jr. and Judge Milton Tingling. It may be that Nora Anderson has campaigned here as well but I have not personally seen her.

NYS Assembly Representative Micah Kelner (D-65) is supporting Mr. Reddy and has campaigned with him at both the local subway station and also at Good Shepherd Plaza where I was introduced to Mr. Reddy. I met Judge Tingling at the Farmer’s market two Saturdays ago. Both seemed competent based on the small talk that I have exchanged with each.

An interesting article about the race can be found HERE on the City Hall blog.

Assembly Member Kellner Requests Gov. Paterson to Reschedule RIOC Board Nominee Vetting Process

In a letter, dated April 1, 2008, to Governor David Paterson, Assembly Member Micah Kellner requests the Governor to restart the vetting process and to then formally appoint the six individuals elected by the residents to serve on the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation's Board of Directors. Thank you Mr. Kellner

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.

WIRE Reports Problems with Roosevelt Island Presidential Primary Voting Machines

The Main Street WIRE is reporting that due to problems opening up several voting machines after the polls were closed that the Roosevelt Island vote tallies could not be reported. It is unclear if this means the counts could not be reported this evening or the votes are unable to be counted at all and added to the state-wide votes for each candidate.

Update 2/6 - 9:15am

According to Dick Lutz of the WIRE, the issue was one of timing as the votes could not be tallied before he posted the results on line last night. No word yet as to the when the breakdown of Roosevelt Island's own preference among the various primary candidates will be available.

The Elected RIOC Board Nominees Are…..

Both the Main Street WIRE and PressHD are reporting that the above individuals have won election as RIOC Board Nominnees. Link to the WIRE for detailed election results.

According to the WIRE results page there were 1718 total votes cast. The question now is to wait and see how Governor Spitzer reacts and if he agrees to nominate each of these individuals to the RIOC Board and undergo the confirmation process.

Congratulations to each of the winners and thank you to each of the candidates that ran.

RIOC Board Nominee Election Begins....

Today Roosevelt Island residents can vote in the RIOC Board Nominee election at one of three locations: (1) Southtowners at 455 Main Street, (2) WIRE buildings, Manhattan Park, and 2-4 River Road residents at PS / IS 217, and (3) Octagoners at the Octagon. Proof of residence is all that is required. IOnterested voters do not have to have US citizen status or be previously registered.

US Primary Elections are being held at PS / IS 217 for all registered US citizens and also at Coler Hospital for registered voters living at the Octagon.

The above special edition of the Main Street WIRE can be linked to HERE.

Vote for RIOC Board Nominees Tomorrow

There are a number of new election related videos over at PressHD.com that are worth checking out. Make sure you vote tomorrow. To view any of this blog's past posts about this topic click on through using any of the below tags.

Remember you don't have to be a US Citizen to vote just over the age of 18 with proof of residence.

VOTE NOW or Forever Hold Your Peace

We Need As Many Voters To Vote As Possible....

This coming Tuesday Roosevelt island residents effectively have to vote in large numbers for the RIOC Board nominees or it is likely Governor Spitzer will not nominate any of the candidates to the Board of Directors. As noted in today’s NY Sun this process is an experiment and if the Governor feels that the elected nominees are not sufficiently representative of the Island he may feel he is not bound to his promise to allow us this self representation.

So effectively it is, pardon my bluntness, time to put up or shut up, or as it is put more eloquently above, VOTE NOW or forever hold your peace as this opportunity may never be granted us again.

Steve Shane, President of RIOC, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, stated in the NY Sun article that advocates of the election had overstated their significance. "The reality of their representation is very different than their public posturing," Mr. Shane said yesterday. "They have a state senator, an assemblyman, a City Council member, and no one else has any more than that."

I am not wholly sure I agree with Mr. Shane’s analysis. Yes, we vote for a City Council Member but her authority over matters affecting Roosevelt Island’s operations are limited, I believe, to that of a visiting dignitary. While yes she is an advocate on our behalf and can work to secure funds through the City for various programs on the Island she again can not change policy set at the State level or decided within the walls of the RIOC offices. As such I believe we have less than the rest of the NYC population and until the Island reverts back to NYC or this election is successful this will not change.

I have great concerns regarding the success of this election as I am unsure if the general population of the Island fully understands the position in history we now stand in. If great numbers of Island residents don’t vote this opportunity, As Matt Katz, RIRA President, states in the NY Sun article it may never come again. So please let your neighbors know this election is of great significance and they should make the effort to vote on February 5th if only for this election if not for the primaries themselves.

The WIRE Posts Candidate Statements Online

In today’s Main Street WIRE, all ten RIOC Board Nominee candidates’ personal statements are available. The WIRE has also placed all 10 statements on line. Link through the photo below, or HERE, to the statement page.

RIOC Board Nominee Election Slate Set

The candidates wishing to be elected RIOC Board of Director Nominees have each filed the appropriate paperwork and the final slate has been set. Candidates wishing to run were required to file their paperwork by this past Friday, January 18, 2008.

The final slate includes each of the candidates that appeared at the first Candidates's Night including Ms. Tammy Jackson-Culler who was unable to attend the Candidates Night due to illness. The list includes 1 candidate from the Octagon, 3 from Manhattan Park, 2 from Westview, 1 from Island House and 3 from Rivercross. No candidates submitted their paperwork from either Eastwood or Southtown.

PressHD Publishes Additional RIOC Board Nominee Q&A Videos

PressHD published on-line this evening four additional videos of the RIOC Board Nominees at last week's Candidate's Night held at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Each of the videos is from the Q&A segment of the evening. Of the videos presented three deal with questions that I was not able to transfer to video on this blog previously: (1) Privatization (2) Main Street Vendors and (3) RIOC Board Meeting attendance.

The videos I posted on July 17th captured the candidates' responses to questions posed regarding (a) Maintaining Open Space (b) Rental of Open Space / Sports Fields and (c) Southpoint and the Louis Kahn designed FDR Memorial. It should be noted that my Southpoint video cuts off Dr. Grimm mid-response and the full responses of both Michael Carew and Fay Christian. My apologies again.

The PressHD videos are not complete videos of each Q&A session as each ran about 1 minute per candidate but the videos appear to capture the key comment(s) or thoughts of each candidate.

As very few of the candidates appear to be advertising their campaigns and positions other than Jonathan Kalkin these videos (my own and those of PressHD) are perhaps your only views of the full slate of announced candidates to date. The deadline for filng paperwork was this past Friday night January 18th and I am awaiting confirmation as to the final candidate list. As noted earlier written statements are expected to be printed in this coming week's WIRE.

According to Jonathan Kalkin's website he was interviewed by the NY Daily News so look for links and coverage of that story once it is published. As noted on his site this is encouraging to see that the main stream media is picking up on this election. It will add pressure to the Spitzer adminstration to live up to the expectation that our duly elected nominees will be submitted as the Governor's recommendations for speedy confirmation before the legislature/

RIOC Candidate's Q&A: FDR Memorial at Southpoint

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This video of the RIOC Board Nominee candidate's Q&A focuses on each candidate's opinions regarding the planned FDR memorial to be built at Southpoint Park just South of the former smallpox hospital. It was the 5th question asked by the audience. I have posted already the videos for #4 (Renting Out Public Spaces) and #3 (Preserving public Spaces) below.

The candidates were seated alphabetically from left to right with those individuals who had submitted their formal paperwork on the left (6 of the 9) and those whose paperwork was in process to the right (3 of the 9). They are Michael Carew, Fay Christian, Kathie Grimm, Adrienne Grist, Howard Polivy, Lynne Strong-Shinozaki, Frank Farance, Erin Feely-Nahem, and Jonathan Kalkin.

I should note and apologize as this video cuts off Dr. Grimm and completely missed the last two candidate opinions as my camera's batteries just died and I did not have any additional batteries. Again my apologies to Dr. Grimm and both Michael Carew and Fay Christian.

RIOC Candidates Q&A: Renting Out Fields

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This video is of the 4th question posed to the RIOC Board Nominee Candidates and focuses on their views regarding RIOC's ability and actions of renting out public ball fields and space to organizations from off the Island. This video was shot on 1/15/08 at the first of two candidate nights. The second is Saturday night February 2nd.

The candidates were seated alphabetically from left to right with those individuals who had submitted their formal paperwork on the left (6 of the 9) and those whose paperwork was in process (3 pf the 9) to the right. They are Michael Carew, Fay Christian, Kathie Grimm, Adrienne Grist, Howard Polivy, Lynne Strong-Shinozaki, Frank Farance, Erin Feely-Nahem, and Jonathan Kalkin.