Standing tall in the fight against COVID, Roosevelt Islanders lead the way forward into a promising New Year. Sticking together, lining up in the cold, calmly waiting for tests and vaccines, a community committed to a brighter future...
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Fight Against COVID Fills Good Shepherd Plaza
Meeting demand, on Tuesday, the city sent a third-party van to Roosevelt Island for testing as well as vaccinations.
Roosevelt Islanders did not disappoint. In the morning, the line for tests stretched the length of Good Shepherd Plaza, all the way to the East River.
Temperatures in the low 30s challenged anyone standing still for extended periods. And that included PSD officers braving the weather, maintaining lines and offering helpful advice.
Not as long but equally effective in the fight against COVID, the line for vaccinations parallelled the one for testing.
A Roosevelt Island only moment…
But then, in one of those Roosevelt Island only moments, Nisi’s owners came out with a rare gesture of generosity.
“While people waited to be tested by the church on Tuesday, the owner of NISI brought a large dispenser and distributed cups of hot chocolate to at least 100 people on the waiting lines, the testing-truck staff and RIOC Public Safety staff.”
Our thanks to our friend Sylvan Klein for the tip and especially to Nisi for investing in the community again.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
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- NYC Yellow School Bus Shortage Disrupts Back-to-School PlansA potential NYC yellow school bus shortage could affect back-to-school transportation and schedules as classes begin. Learn how families, schools, and city officials are responding.
- Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Suspected in Hunters Point High-Rise: FDNY RespondsA lithium-ion battery fire is suspected in the Hunters Point high-rise incident that prompted a major FDNY response, with a second Queens fire following at Ravenswood. Officials are investigating both events.
- NYPD Shooting on Brooklyn Bridge: What Happened and What Comes NextA look at the NYPD shooting on Brooklyn Bridge: what happened, how the investigation is unfolding, and what NYC commuters can expect as reviews continue.
- Gloria Steinem’s Passing Sparks Personal Tributes on the Upper East SideGloria Steinem’s passing on the Upper East Side was marked by personal tributes and quiet remembrance, reflecting how a national figure’s legacy unfolded in a local community.
You Can’t Be All Three
April 9, 2026, during the full board meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Fay Christian said something that should have landed harder than it did. She wished RIOC were not responsible for the tram. Then she asked what it would look like if it were given to the MTA. That was not a passing comment.
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