As the New York Times reported in early May, “Astoria, the Wild Turkey is a Manhattan Celebrity.” Well, maybe so, but photo evidence shows that she prefers a certain neighborhood in the borough. This calls for a name change.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Should This Turkey Be Stuck with “Astoria?”
While still an oddity in the urban quarters bordering the East River, “Astoria” visited Roosevelt Island. The Roosevelt Islander reported on it on May 16th. Others saw her inspecting the grounds too, and Jim Luce snapped a photo…
Luce found “Astoria” making the rounds near the subway station in the last days of May, but there was no proof that she used or even approved of mass transit. She likely flew across the East River because the Tram was crowded with pushy tourists.
That’s a serious glide over troubled water… just to visit Roosevelt Island.
But “Astoria” did not make a one-off. As Janet Falk proved, she was back this month. Maybe she never left.
Conclusion
As our most popular wild turkey shows her clear preference for the semi-urban settings on Roosevelt Island, “Astoria” hardly seems proper anymore.
We are officially proposing “Rosie” as a more appropriate name. Perhaps RIOC will honor her with a proclamation. And doing things the right way – that is, politely – Roosevelt Islanders of all political persuasions are urged to address her by her proper name.
“Good morning, Rosie,” for example, but don’t be shocked if she ignores you. She may be wary of something that happens every November.
What about you? Have you met Rosie?
“I Can Ask”
Chair Fay Christian opened the Operations Advisory Committee on February 12th, reading out member names from a prepared sheet that omitted Melissa Wade. It didn’t feel intentional, but it struck me as odd precisely because it came from something prepared. Lydia Tang gently corrected her, noting that Wade was, in fact, a member of the committee. Wade met the moment with grace, or perhaps she simply wasn’t bothered by it.
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