The Roosevelt Island Daily News
With plenty of NYPD officers on hand and a plan that avoided subway overcrowding, celebrating two birthdays was fun and pain free on Roosevelt Island. Even RIOC, after infuriating much the community, chipped in with a laughable goof.
First, unexpectedly, we celebrate a birthday of local significance. Yesterday, the Roosevelt Islander blog turned 14, a remarkable achievement of perseverance and community commitment. In perspective, the tireless blogger reminded us of his first ever post, on July 4th, 2007.
Appreciate that best by recalling that George W. Bush was president, Barrack Obama was a promising young star, Trump was just an over the top egotist and nobody’d ever heard of COVID-19.
In that article, the Roosevelt Islander promised good things to come, taking a swipe at RIOC for charging $18 a pop to view Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks from pre-Four Freedoms Southpoint.
4th of July Fireworks from Roosevelt Island
Although RIOC shenanigans made the 4th of July less pleasant for many Roosevelt Islanders, thousands scrambled for the best viewing locations they could find.
Above is RIVAA president Tad Sudol’s shot from Westview, but many more popped up on Facebook, Instagram and other online perches.
And then, RIOC chucked in one last bit of buffoonery…
“Hey, all you 4th of July revelers! While we’d love to host everyone, we’re quickly reaching capacity for the Roosevelt Island 4th of July Family Fireworks Celebration,” they wrote at a little past 8:00 p.m.
“Please be advised that, if you’re planning on making your way to the island, capacity may be reached before you get here and you may not be admitted into the event and/or able to gain access to Roosevelt Island via the Tramway.”
It looked like an attempt at due diligence, except they sent it to their limited RIOC Advisories mailing list. Who did they think they were going to reach at that late hour?
So, who were they telling not to come to the Island where they live? And what was that about the Tram? Were they looking at a shutdown. What?
“This is a joke, right?” one RIOC-weary Islander wrote. “Hey, All You… ?”
There was no follow up, although visitors continued pouring onto the Island for the next hour.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Roosevelt Island Weekly Recap: Community Life, Local News, and Everyday ConnectionsOur Roosevelt Island weekly recap covers local news, community events, and the threads of daily life connecting neighbors on and off the island.
- Queens News Highlights and Roosevelt Island Community ConnectionsExplore the week’s Queens news highlights and Roosevelt Island community connections, from public safety to housing, historic places, and local events.
- How Queens News Shapes Life on Roosevelt Island This WeekExplore how Queens news shapes life on Roosevelt Island, from major fire responses to local court cases and housing initiatives, reflecting the rhythms and routines of our shared city life.
- Queens Community Updates: Transit Projects, Public Safety, and Neighborhood EffortsQueens community updates including transit projects, public safety developments, and neighborhood efforts, with special relevance for Roosevelt Island residents.
- How Roosevelt Island Responds to Change and Challenge Across the East RiverExplore how Roosevelt Island responds to change and challenge across the East River, reflecting on community adaptation, safety, transit, civic life, and neighborhood rhythms.
Rivercross and the Quiet Green Light
Rivercross privatization was enabled in 2010. This matters now because the same governance structures that allowed Rivercross to privatize without formal conflict controls are still in place. The same public authority oversees land leases, settlements, and redevelopment decisions that affect every resident on Roosevelt Island today.
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