“RIOC loses respect for the American flag,” a disgusted reader wrote in his email’s subject line. And he he sent photos. “The picture says it all…” Indeed it did.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The American Flag and RIOC
As the symbol of the United States, the American flag should be displayed with respect in all cases. But RIOC, with Governor Kathy Hochul now in charge, never got that message, somehow.
The Roosevelt Island Daily thanks our reader for the tip and the photos.
The American flag is a symbol of our nation’s history, values, and unity. It represents the ideals of democracy, liberty, and justice that are central to our country’s character. The flag also represents the brave men and women who have fought for these principles throughout our history. We should never forget the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom, and we should always be proud to display the American flag.
Why has RIOC disgraced it? You can see this directly outside President/CYA Shelton J. Haynes’s office in Blackwell House.
There are rules
“The flag shall be displayed only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open,” according to New York State Law. But the American flag has flown 24-hours a day for months outside Haynes’s office. It’s at the main entrance to historic Blackwell House where visitors from all over the world arrive for tours of a carefully preserved interior.
What message is RIOC sending here? Moreover, is anyone in charge? Where is the governor whose name appears at the top of the letterhead?
“No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America…”
United States Code: Respect for the Flag
The Past Dictates the Future
In December, Debra Kustka took a position as Vice President of Operations. This falls within her domain. The American flag at Blackwell House has been ripped apart in that tree, day and night, during her entire tenure. While we always feared that President/CYA Haynes and some other six-figure earning executives were afflicted with Elbow from Ass Distinction Disorder (EADD), we hoped new blood might bring relief.
But it didn’t. Kustka seems as dimly committed to our values as Haynes and his vaunted Community Relations team. When all she had to do was send over a cherrypicker with a worker to rescue the American flag… Leaving it up 24 hours a day, ragged and stuck, was thoughtless enough, but letting it go for months on end is a public disgrace.
The condition of that flag is an insult to American values, but it’s worse, a slap in face of veterans who fought and died for the values it represents. The values, the rules are clear, but like so much else, RIOC just doesn’t give a damn.
It’s one more reason why putting an end to RIOC is the best thing that can happen for this community.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Six-Unit Apartment Building Planned for 10th Street in AstoriaPlans for a six-unit apartment building in Astoria call for four stories at 35-25 10th St. See proposed dimensions, apartment sizes and permit status.
- Tuesday’s PSD blotter: noise calls, a harassment reportRIOC’s Nov. 10 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents, all on Main Street, including four noise complaints, a harassment report and one hospital transport.
- Queens Public Library Ransomware Attack: Digital Services Still DisruptedThe Queens Public Library ransomware attack continues to disrupt public computers, digital books and online services, with no confirmed restoration date.
- A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hiredA different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
- Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputesRIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
Stack Work Advances While Answers Do Not
On June 17 and 18, HPD told the first meeting of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant Demolition Community Advisory Group that smokestack demolition had no projected start date. Residents and the CAG would receive at least five business days’ advance notice once a date was set. Scaffolding around the stacks could not proceed until soil removal and backfill were complete and the area stabilized.
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