Roosevelt Island Dumb and Dumber is a special case because it’s not funny but plenty worse. Uncaring? Indifferent? Cruel? Take your pick, but it’s one of them.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Roosevelt Island Dumb and Dumber
For the record, this is not new. We spotted it first, last summer, when RIOC offered wheelchairs, not just stairs for navigating but alternated with a trip through mud into an active construction site. That makes it six months of stupid or indifferent, and who knows how much longer it will last?
What makes it worse, even egregious, is that these are the steps RIOC President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes bounces up every working day. While it’s true that the $216K per year exec gets an extraordinary amount of time away from the office, he still saw this at least a hundred times since seizing space in Blackwell House.
Behind this lovely preserved building, the state built a ramp for the physically challenged. But nowhere on any sidewalk surrounding Blackwell House is anyone directed there. Instead, a small muted sign faces away from the main sidewalk.
Because it’s been reported repeatedly for months, there is no doubt that Haynes and his crew are aware of this blatant insensitivity. So, in essence, benign cruelty must be part of the game. Thickheadedness pervades RIOC, but here, Roosevelt Island Dumb and Dumber goes beyond our worst expectations.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- MTA Launches Six-Year Signal and Track Overhaul on A and C Subway LinesThe MTA launches a six-year signal and track overhaul on A and C subway lines, bringing CBTC and major infrastructure upgrades to the Fulton and Liberty Avenue corridors through 2032.
- Long Island City Rent Overcharge Lawsuit Seeks $50 Million Against DeveloperA Long Island City rent overcharge lawsuit seeks about $50 million from Rockrose Development, raising questions about billing practices, tenant protections, and legal oversight in NYC’s fast-changing rental market.
- Astoria E-Scooter Rider Dies After Northern Boulevard Crash in Long Island CityA 22-year-old Astoria e-scooter rider died after a Northern Boulevard crash in Long Island City. Details remain under investigation, highlighting micromobility risks on busy city streets.
- Hate Crime Charges Filed After Vandalism at Fresh Meadows Kosher Bagel ShopHate crime charges have been filed after vandalism at a kosher bagel shop in Fresh Meadows, with prosecutors alleging bias-motivated acts. Hearings are set in New York’s legal process.
- Midtown Subway Shooting Leaves 26-Year-Old Dead; Queens Incidents SeparateA shooting inside a Manhattan subway station left a 26-year-old dead. Police investigate the Midtown incident and separate shootings in Queens as commuters seek safety.
Free at the Door, Paid Somewhere Else
The Red Bus is one of Roosevelt Island’s most popular public services, and for good reason. For residents near the subway and Tram, it may be a convenience. For residents at Manhattan Park, the Octagon, Coler and the northern WIRE buildings, it can be the connection that makes the rest of the Island accessible.
In all my years on the island I have never seen so many leaves all over for so long. I’m thinking that in the past RIOC may have scooped them up and disposed of them. My doormen agree they’ve never had to sweep the lobby so often.
Last week from my window I saw THREE men with leaf blowers cleaning one of the many messy lawns. This one is right behind Blackwell House. Did Haynes not like looking at them?
The housing projects in Queens have better groomed public spaces than we have.
Are you sure you’re being fair? Poor Shelton has to make ends meet on only $216K per year and chief landscaper, Matthew “the invisible” Kibby struggles along on only $109K… How much can you reasonably expect from these suffering public servants?