Resident anger burst the seams in an incident after a profound RIOC screw up denied Roosevelt Islanders access to prime fireworks viewing, this weekend. But RIOC walked tall, anyway. But in the middle of the street.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily New
“I thought it was hilarious the way they were walking right in the middle of the road all shoulder to shoulder, taking up the whole road,” she wrote.
(Name withheld because of RIOC’s reputation for retaliating against critics.)
“Feel free to use the pic I took of (them) acting like the own the damn place.”
Resident Anger: Confronting Smug RIOC Troop Marching in the Street
The phalanx taking possession of the West Loop Road, usually reserved for cars included RIOC Community Relations Manager Erica Spencer-EL, second from the left. Along for the stroll were two uniformed officers and, behind the tree, PSD second in command, Anthony Amarosa.
Spencer-EL is widely assumed as a leading figure in RIOC’s colossal 4th of July screw up. And this follows earlier incidents at the Youth Center and with Learning Libraries, making her a focus of resident rage.
“I confronted them,” a startled resident reported.
“I just want to let you know that there are a whole bunch of us residents who are pretty upset that we couldn’t get tickets to this event,” she told them.
“We were all online at one pm on the dot and the tickets were sold out by four minutes past.
“And there wasn’t any way to screen to make sure the people registering were island residents. This really could have been handled differently.“
At this point, the RIOC gang stared at her without saying anything, but she wasn’t done.
“And there were supposed to be 400 more tickets that weren’t even distributed,” she told them.
The Roosevelt Island Daily cannot confirm any withheld tickets.
But the resident expressing her frustration got a reaction.
“Erica started gesticulating wildly to the guy beside her (Amarosa), showing her anger.
“Wow, she is really not nice!!!!”
Seeds…
As with so many frustrations, prior misconduct seeded this resident rage.
“I’m also irritated because they never responded to emails about a scouting group participating in Roosevelt Island Day… not so much as an apology or a courtesy response.”
And so goes RIOC and resident anger.
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Early Morning Violence in Queensboro Hill Raises ConcernsTwo incidents of early morning violence in Queensboro Hill—a carjacking and a shooting—disrupted daily routines in August, raising safety concerns as police investigations continue.
- MTA Boosts 7 Train and LIRR Service for US Open Tennis CrowdsThe MTA is boosting 7 train and LIRR service for US Open tennis crowds, providing extra trains and on-site staff at Mets-Willets Point to handle increased riders during the tournament.
- 700,000-home housing gap mapped by neighborhoodNYC’s path forward: meeting the 700,000 home housing challenge offers a roadmap for closing the city’s housing gap, with neighborhood-level solutions and coordinated action.
- Building Queens conference on Long Island City developmentLong Island City’s rapid development is driving discussions at the Building Queens conference, where stakeholders will address construction, housing, and the changing skyline.
- NYC Small Business Grant Program Invests $8.4 Million in Local Community OrganizationsNYC launches an $8.4 million small business grant program supporting community-based organizations to empower local entrepreneurs and boost neighborhood commercial corridors.
The Women Who Held the Ground
The recording arrived before RIOC posted it. On this island, that usually means they’ll release it when they’re confident nobody still cares. ArchRI simply made a copy available, the way people here tend to do once they’ve stopped waiting for institutions to keep their word. It was the first meeting of what is now meant to be a monthly community advisory group (CAG).
