In 2021, when RIOC, the state agency that always gets it right, prevented anyone from enjoying picnics or fireworks in Southpoint Park, we were quick to blame the Communications Team. But that group was disappeared by President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes. This year, the meanspirited blockade is back, and it’s all on Haynes and his executive protector, Governor Kathy Hochul.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Haynes/Hochul 4th of July Blockade
Although the bunkered executive team inside RIOC posted the bad news – by implication only – on its website, no one has had the backbone to send out an advisory. Nor has anything been posted on Twitter or Facebook.
Calling it a Roosevelt Island Fourth of July Family Fireworks Celebration, the state agency makes its intentions known by what it’s not saying.
“Non-Ticketed Admission to the Cornell Tech Campus starting at 12 PM. Limited Ticket Event at FDR Four Freedoms State Park, opening at 6 PM,” it reads.
In other words, the same stiff-arm blockade of Southpoint, the public park Roosevelt Islanders pay for, and, before Haynes rolled into town, enjoyed on the 4th of July.
Their decision to low-key the news may limit criticism of Governor Hochul with a primary challenge coming up. Hochul, via factotums in Albany, is as responsible for RIOC as she is any other state agency. They turn highly paid RIOC execs into patronage-protected bobbleheads.
In fairness to FDR Four Freedoms State Park
Four Freedoms unhesitantly allows admission at the maximum allowable level. That limits the crowd to 1,500 because of safety precautions concerning limited access and egress.
And in case you thought RIOC evaded its usual illiteracy, their website cautions, “All attendees who have NOT been vaccinated against COVID-19 are reminded to kindly where a mask throughout the event.” (There has never been a documented case of outdoor COVID transmission.)
And, “Visitors are strongly encouraged to use public transportation,” they advise. “No parking will be available on Roosevelt Island on July 4th.”
The last bit is not truthful, but what the heck? This is RIOC.
Independent reporting for Roosevelt Island needs your support.
The Roosevelt Island Daily thanks you.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Why RIOC’s New Constituent Services Department Is Total Bull-oney
Next up in its Hall of Cringe-Worthy Moments, RIOC’s screaming headline declares, “PRESIDENT HAYNES ANNOUNCES NEW CONSTITUENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITHIN RIOC.” It scores a triple crown of hypocritical, condescending and stupid. How can this highly - Will Roosevelt Island Day Be Diminished Again This Year?
Roosevelt Island Day shrunk after 2019, partly because of excessive COVID-19 concerns, but what happens in 2023? President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes’s organizers can regain some lost community support, returning some enthusiasm for 2023. But the - From Jazz to Hip-Hop: How Harlem Transformed into a Groovy Hub of Music in New York City
The culturally rich neighborhood of Harlem in New York City has been an epicenter for music since the early 20th century. From the birth of jazz to hip-hop, Harlem has served as a breeding ground - Broadway Unmasked: Behind the Theatre District’s Meteoric Rise
Broadway is an iconic part of American culture, a place where dreams come true and stories are brought to life. From its humble beginnings as a small collection of theaters in the late 19th century, - Lunatic Fringe – Is Shelton Haynes Job-Hunting on Your Dime?
Reporting that “He’s at it again” isn’t enough as what looks for all the world like RIOC President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes job-hunting secures a spot cleanly on the lunatic fringe. In a new paid public
[…] 4th of July: Southpoint Park Denied Residents Again By RIOC, This Year […]
[…] we reported on Thursday, RIOC, the state agency that always gets it right, implied that it would shut everyone […]