No official announcement yet, but the 4th of July barges filled with Macy’s fireworks will anchor just south of Roosevelt Island again in 2022. We have some details, but with RIOC shrouded in secrecy, not as many as most readers would like. Especially after last year’s miserable debacle.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Fourth of July, Last Time
It’s not easy to forget. Last year, RIOC botched the chance for Roosevelt Islanders getting another closeup view of fireworks exploding overhead at he southern tip of the Island. Only the 1,500 FDR Four Freedoms State Park could safely allow got the chance, RIOC botched even that.
The good news is that Four Freedoms will open their gates again. Safety precautions limit visitors to 1,500, but there’s still Southpoint Park, right? Even though RIOC’s squirreling away tickets for loyal friends kept almost everyone else out of Four Freedoms, their handling of Southpoint was worse.
For reasons never disclosed, RIOC refused to allow anyone to enjoy the 4th of July in Southpoint Park.
And for 2022, Do We Hear an Echo?
No, we don’t, but that’s not reassuring because just one month out from the event, RIOC has announced nothing. Even confirmation of the East River return came from third parties.
But concerns are high because the Communications Team, responsible for last year’s screwup and praised by President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes, has since dissolved under him. Not a single person with experience in staging public events remains on staff.
Instead, multiple sources tell The Daily, Haynes handed planning over to his longtime, can-do-no-wrong friend, Assistant Vice-President Altheria Jackson, and another intense loyalist, Mary Cunneen. Those names don’t inspire confidence.
During her time with overall responsibility for operations, Jackson has overseen Sportspark, including a mysterious drowning and its coverup, as well as the embarrassing dog runs and more.
Cunneen? She fronted RIOC’s Swift Emergency Medical COVID Testing operations. That cost the community hundreds of thousands while yielding scant results, which were lied about. And piles of questionable spending are now under investigation by the Inspector General.
Neither has any experience of which we or any of our contacts are aware in events of this kind. Suspicions are that Haynes merely picked the pair from a shrinking circle of loyalists without many other options.
That’s all we know for now. Stay tuned.
Toss in a couple of bucks for The Daily’s expenses. Thanks.
more from the roosevelt island daily news
- Queens News and Community Updates Affecting Roosevelt Island ResidentsFor Roosevelt Island residents, Queens news and community updates are both close and relevant. From local incidents to new openings and street safety, see how city events shape our days.
- How Roosevelt Island Reflects New York’s Big Moments This WeekThis week, see how Roosevelt Island reflects New York’s big moments, from citywide sports wins and parades to local voting and youth programs.
- How Roosevelt Island Reflects a City on the MoveDiscover how Roosevelt Island reflects a city on the move, capturing the currents of New York through neighborhood routines, sports celebrations, and community moments.
- Keeping Steady Through City Currents: How Roosevelt Island Residents Stay ConnectedNew York’s shifting news often impacts daily routines on the island. Discover how Roosevelt Island residents stay connected through city changes and local events.
- Neighborhood Notes: Weekly Changes and Community Moments Across Roosevelt Island and BeyondNeighborhood notes on weekly changes and community moments across Roosevelt Island and neighboring areas, including emergency response, community events, new developments, and local reflections.
I Take the Tram Because I Have To
There are people on this Island you learn to recognize long before you ever learn their names. Like the real estate man with the blue goatee, the one whose name I keep forgetting, though I could pick him out of a lineup any time of day.
3 COMMENTS