Visitors from Oklahoma City joined over 100 Islanders for the observance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/01 tragedy.

The Main Street

WIREWIREWIREWIREWIRESaturday, September 24, 2011

v32,#2Next issue in two weeks:

October 8

Briefly...• Subway service from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island is aboard

M trains, weekdays, 6:00 a.m.-12:00 midnight, until further notice.Riding toward the Island, take an F as far as 47th-50th Street, then transferto the M, on the same track, to reach the Island, during those hours.

• RIOC has moved Fall for Arts, now scheduled for October 15 onthe Rivercross lawn.

• A date to save: A Town Meeting on the future of Main Street Re-tail is now scheduled for Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m., in GoodShepherd Center.

• You can help make the Island part of the City’s bike-sharing plan,online at nyc10044.com/z/3p.

The Main Street

WIREWIREWIREWIREWIRESaturday, September 24, 2011

Visitors from Oklahoma City joined over 100 Islanders for the observance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/01 tragedy.

A Gardenof Light

At the 9/11 memorial event, luminaria were lighted foreach Islander lost on 9/11/01, and placed aroumd the

Memorial Garden in Good Shepherd Plaza.

Pho

to:

She

rie H

elst

ien

by David StoneRoosevelt Island is another mys-

terious entity that I’m pretty sureis a myth on par with SNL ticketsand the end of construction. I’dbe surprised if the Census Bureauwould risk sending anyone to ex-plore that unknown land.

So wrote Harry Huggins in theFordham University Observer, astudent newspa-per, reflectingon the City’soutspoken ob-jections to the2010 Censusand why somedata may bemissing.

Residents likeLinda Heimer, alongtime activ-ist, believeHuggins isn’t sofar off in specu-lating aboutCensus Bureaunegligence re-garding Roose-velt Island.

C i t y - w i d e ,“The numbersare totally in-c o n g r u o u s , ”g r u m b l e dMayor MichaelB l o o m b e r gwhen the Cen-sus bureau re-leased figures in March.

Manhattan Borough PresidentScott Stringer wasn’t as generous.“These new Census figures are pre-posterous,” he said, going on toexplain that the count “has severeramifications for the City, when itcomes to redistricting and the dis-tribution of crucial social servicesto those most in need.”

But what about Roosevelt Islandspecifically, now that the decennial

tionships, whether marriages ornot, do not count as families as op-posite-sex couples do. Uniformlyacross the United States, the Cen-sus Bureau requires at least oneother related person in the house-hold to make it count as a family.

Why They’re So WrongPreparing for the redistricting

hearings, so critical to our repre-sentation byelected offi-cials, LindaHeimer deviseda simple methodof analysis as asort of realitycheck againstthe CensusBureau’s fig-ures.

Her method isso logical andeasy to applythat you wonderif the CensusBureau usedsomething likeit to test theirown results, andif they didn’t,why not?

Here are theresults that TheWIRE derived,using Heimer’smethod for esti-mating Roose-velt Island’s

population.Step One: In 2000, the Census

Bureau reported Roosevelt Island’spopulation as 9,520. We were in3,202 occupied housing units, withan additional 49 units (1.5%) that

Island Is Dealt a Blow by a Flawed U.S. Census; Results AreVery Likely to Affect Representation in Washington and Albany

federal survey’s conclusions arefinally known? Do the numbersmake sense or have we been short-counted by the feds? Will we re-ceive less aid than we deserve?Will our representation in State andfederal legislatures be less thanfair?

A cursory look at the raw num-bers for Roosevelt Island suggests

many of us will agree with Brook-lyn Borough President MartyMarkowitz. Referring to the City’soverall counts, he said that the Cen-sus Bureau “made a big, big mis-take.”

HighlightsHere’s what the Census Bureau

says about Roosevelt Island in2010:

• We’ve grown. Fast. Over thepast decade, the official count of

Roosevelt Islanders leaped nearly22.5%, from 9,520 to 11,661. At alegislative redistricting hearingWednesday morning, Heimer pre-sented a strong case that even thisis a substantial undercount. (Moreon that later.)

• Roosevelt Island’s ethnic bal-ance is shifting, and is more in linewith Manhattan than with the other

boroughs. We’ve become morewhite, as has Manhattan. Blacksare leaving Roosevelt Island, too,but not at the bigger island’s 12.5%rate. Blacks remain our largest mi-nority, at more than 21% of thepopulation, greatly exceedingManhattan’s 13%.

• The Asian population contin-ues to soar, doubling in the lastdecade, while the other major eth-nic group, Hispanic and Latino,grew slightly, even as their num-bers shrank in Manhattan.

• “Families in households” heregrew from 77.7% of residents to83.7% in 2010. This increase wasdocumented without considerationof same-sex couples, whose fam-ily arrangement is not recognizedby the Census Bureau. That is, forstatistical purposes, same-sex rela-

were vacant. Results from somesimple math are straightforward.On average, 2.97 people lived ineach occupied housing unit.

Step Two: Add in the new hous-ing units, 1,200 in Southtown plus500 at The Octagon, to get 4,951units. Then subtract 412 (the 8.3%of units reported vacant in 2010 bythe Census Bureau), and you get4,539 occupied. Easy. No gim-micks, and it’s close to the officialreports.

Step Three: Using simple mathagain (total reported population of11,661 divided by 4,539 occupiedhousing units), there’s an averageoccupancy of 2.57 people per unit.Don’t be misled by numbers thatseem small. That’s a statisticallyhuge 13.6% decrease in averageoccupancy from 2.97 in 10 shortyears – with no known reason forthe change.

Although the Census Bureaudoes not report a comparable fig-ure for all combined housing units,their specific numbers are evenworse. According to the Bureau,owner-occupied housing here hasan average of only 1.98 residentsper unit. Renters are less lonely at2.22 people per unit. Both numbersare far below our averages in 2000and the Census Bureau’s own na-tional calculation of 2.60 occu-pants for an average household in2010.

Roosevelt Islanders like to bragabout our uniqueness, but are wereally all that different?

Heimer’s method of calculationcan produce even more startling re-sults. If we assume, for example,

At Wednesday’s redistricting hearing, Linda Heimer, Residents Association President Matthew Katz, andNancy Cruickshank asked that Roosevelt Island be mapped into a Manhattan district with which there is a“community of interest.”

See Census, page 8

2 • The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011

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Letters PLetters PLetters PLetters PLetters PolicolicolicolicolicyyyyyThe WIRE welcomes letters of local interest to the community,and to/from officials. Requests for a Name Withheld signature willbe considered, but the writer’s name, address, and phone numbermust be provided for verification and for our records; letters submit-ted anonymously will not be published. Email toMainStreetWIRE@usa.net or submit on a disk left at the conciergedesk at 531 Main Street, addressed to The WIRE. If you email, ex-pect a confirming response and, if you receive none, resend and call212-826-9056 to alert us. Alternatives: Typed copy left at 531 MainStreet; allow extra time for typesetting. Clearly handwritten letterswill be considered, if brief. We are not able to take telephonedictation of letters. All letters are subject to acceptance andediting for length and clarity. Recommended maximum length,350 words; longer letters considered if content merits the space.

The Editorial Page

To the Editor:I just noticed that the powers-that-be have removed

the yield-to-pedestrians sign at the crosswalk from10 River Road to Gristedes and the post office. Forobvious reasons, I think that was a dangerous deci-sion.

Joan Robbins

To the Board of Directors of The Child School:As a resident of Roosevelt Island, I am writing to

call your attention to recent actions by your Directorthat will have negative implications of far-reachingconsequence for Island governance and The ChildSchool. This community has worked successfully foryears to gain a voice in our affairs – to democratizethe governing process – and Mr. Ferrera, in a remark-able display of insensitivity and cynicism, has drivena stake through the heart of all that has been achievedby actively soliciting and obtaining, via political fa-vor, appointment to the Board of Directors of theRoosevelt Island Operating Corporation, which gov-erns Island affairs.

His decision, far from advancing the laudable goalsand learning agenda of the institution he was hired todirect, will have the opposite effect, by in one strokeerasing the good will painstakingly built up by TCSsince its arrival here on the Island. Basically strong-arming his way onto the RIOC Board, he is now atoxic political lightning rod. He has naively injectedhimself into the center of Island politics and draggedTCS and the Governor of New York with him. Theseevents demonstrate that Mr. Ferrera has little or norespect for or understanding of the governance of thisIsland or its history.

The Roosevelt Island community, recognizing theschool’s positive educational mission, has worked toaccommodate and welcome it and its students to thisunique neighborhood and to help integrate it into thefabric of Island life; all the more reason to be dis-tressed by what is now needlessly unfolding.

How will the political machinations of the schooldirector and, by extension, the school itself be under-stood by your students? Is it a good civics lesson? Isit a “teachable” moment? Will it teach them thatpower politics via political connections and accessnot available to ordinary folks is the proper way toachieve things in life?

Mr. Ferrera made an egregious mistake that willnot turn out well for him or TCS. The “teachable”moment can be to admit it. Human beings make mis-takes. Having the courage and good sense to acknowl-edge and learn from them helps us to grow and be-come better people, better citizens. He should imme-diately resign from the RIOC Board of Directors andfocus his energy on advancing the best interests ofhis students and the institution he directs by workingwith RIOC and Island community institutions as agood neighbor, not as a political bully.

For a more complete understanding of the firestormthat has been ignited here, please refer to the mostrecent issues of the Roosevelt Island communitynewspaper, The Main Street WIRE [online atnyc10044.com/wire/3119/WIRE.HTM and in later-numberedissues].

John Weatherhead

To the Editor:Anyone who has lived on Roosevelt Island for more

than a couple of years has seen plenty of the awfuldecisions of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corpo-ration (RIOC), made with a minimum of informedconsent by its own Board members. We have a healthyyearning for open decision-making free of personalinterest.

However, I believe that Frank Farance’s spiriteddefense of such principles in his recent letter to TheWIRE, in which he criticizes RIOC Board membersfor participating in privatization discussions, is mis-placed.

Here are some facts – almost all have been reportedmany times in The WIRE:

• The concept of privatization has been widely en-dorsed by the residents of all three of the remainingMitchell-Lama buildings.

• The basic set of privatization guidelines that captenant profits, and maintain affordability for both cur-rent and future residents, are also well known, and gen-erally accepted by tenants, landlords, RIOC, andNYHCR (New York Homes and Community Renewal).

• RIOC has supported these guidelines for years.Any assertion that a minority of RIOC Board mem-bers who reside in one building are somehow modi-fying this plan in their own favor is simply misguided.The only thing that has kept these buildings from pro-gressing to the final stages of privatization is not hav-ing the agreement of the Empire State DevelopmentCorporation (ESDC), the last entity in the alphabetsoup of agencies that includes RIOC and its parent,DHCR. It’s hard to say what Cuomo’s appointeeswill do, but the basic guidelines remain unchanged,and RIOC’s role in crafting contractual details endeda long time ago.

• Thanks to the despicable sacking of RIOC Boardmember Jonathan Kalkin in favor of a carpetbaggerfrom The Child School, there is no-one on the RIOCBoard who cares about privatization except for theBoard members from these Mitchell-Lama buildings.Mr. Kalkin is a Southtown resident and was the Chairof the Real Estate Advisory Committee.

• If there is no movement toward a privatizationplan that is approved by State authorities, IslandHouse and Westview landlords will have every rightto take their buildings out of Mitchell-Lama them-selves without any tax-abatement deal. They will sim-ply jack up the rents on all the tenants to whateverthe market will bear, and if our neighbors can’t af-ford it, that’s not the landlords’ problem.

It is painfully obvious that the five elected RIOCBoard members and a couple of our elected politi-cians are the only friends we have. If we want tostrike a deal that is best for our neighbors, our-selves, and the Island, we’d better work with them.If we allow the entire privatization process to staymired in bureaucracy much longer, and criticize any-one who can help us because they may have a “vestedinterest,” many of us may wind up watching fromquite a distance. Either we hang together or hangseparately.

Steve Marcus

To the Editor:I want to thank all the Roosevelt Island friends of

my son, David Eaton, for their heartfelt and sympa-thetic response to the August 27 WIRE notice of hisautomobile accident. (On July 1, his car was side-swiped by an 18-wheeler on I95 in Florida. He suf-fered severe traumatic brain injury and was in a comafor two weeks.) On August 10, he began rehabilita-tive brain therapy at the Park Terrace Care Center inRego Park, Queens.

Seeing and hearing the people he knew onRoosevelt Island is a primary therapeutic need asDavid reorients himself to the world. In order forhim to recover fully, he needs to see familiar facesand hear familiar voices to rebuild shattered brainconnections.

Please visit David as often as you can, 10:00 a.m.to 8:00 p.m. Park Terrace is accessible by car (exitthe LIE at 108th Street, go left under the expresswayto the second light at Van Doren Street, then right to59-20); or use public transportation (F E, R, M, or Nto 71st Street-Continental Avenue, then the Q23 busto the firehouse on 108th Street (Horace HardingExpressway), then walk three blocks in the oppositedirection of service road traffic to 59-20 Van DorenStreet). Call 718-592-9200 or find full directions atwww.park-terrace.com. Feel free to call me at 212-832-9884 for further info.

Roy Eaton

Letters deadline for October 8 issue:Tuesday, October 4, 5:00 p.m.

LettersLettersLettersLettersLetters

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needs volunteerdistribution help oroccasional backup inseveral buildings. It takesan afternoon or eveninghour on the Fridays that thenewspaper comes out. It’sa valued service, and it’spretty good exercise, too.Lend a hand.

Call Sherie Helstienat 212-935-7534.

Stanford, Cornell, et al.It’s heating up – this competition among institutions for

Roosevelt Island’s Goldwater Hospital property.Stanford University, quick off the starting block, has taken

all the right steps: Announcing a solid interest within days,interfacing with the community, designating funds, and ex-ploring all the possible ways it might make a good fit for NewYork City and Roosevelt Island.

Cornell, coming late to the game, further stumbled in itsidentification of the natural community of interest here, sit-ting down for a meeting with Sal Ferrera of The Child School,perhaps trying to tap into a font of political influence. (Ferrera,you’ll recall, is the non-resident who recently wangled a con-flict-freighted appointment to the RIOC Board without a com-munity nomination.) Cornell, apparently, simply failed to seethe tactical value of working with people who actually live here.

Both Cornell and Stanford have hired professional strate-gic help. They’re serious.

For the moment, a number of other institutions have theappearance of uncertain also-ran, including New York City-based schools. Being light on their feet is not a hallmark ofgrand educational institutions, though Stanford has certainlydemonstrated Silicon Valley savvy in its approach.

Resident efforts to become a part of the game are beingled, ably, by a Residents Association Common Councilor, DeniseShull, whose broadly based committee has taken up the Sili-con Island sobriquet. For Islanders and Shull’s group, the prob-lem is figuring out what the residential community can offer anewcomer. Utterly powerless because the Island’s politicalstructure is stunted by the administrative presence of NewYork State in the form of the Roosevelt Island Operating Cor-poration, a key question for residents is this – For institutionswanting a green light from the City to develop here, what doresidents bring to the table that can ensure a strong, mutuallybeneficial town-gown relationship as things move forward?

Enlightened institutions will understand that a strongworking relationship with the community can only help. Butwinning the competition for the Roosevelt Island space willnot depend on that; the winner will be decided by the City,which has always controlled the Goldwater property. A resi-dent organization whose attention is directed to this mattercan offer encouragement and friendly guidance – but cannotcontrol or veto a final selection.

Yet, an active resident organization can demonstrate itspower to coordinate, beneficially, a host of interested parties –developers, RIOC, resident organizations, the City, the State,and the City-State relationship – in a way that produces awarmly welcoming environment with many rich possibilitiesto be leveraged cooperatively. Shull identified energy andtransportation needs, to name two, and it takes no imagina-tion at all to see how active master-managing of cooperationin those realms could have a warm welcoming effect.

Even so, the resident entity needs to identify, clearly, whatit can contribute that is important to the competing institu-tions, get it out there to be seen, and then work with the com-petitors to demonstrate that the residential community hasnot just a stake in the future of the Goldwater property, but anempowered ability to offer much in an exchange of value witha final winner.

DL

Monday9:30 Ballroom Dancing11:00 Tai Chi2:00 Dance & Drama5:30 Yoga with Nurit (not 10/3)

Tuesday9:30 Chinese Massage (not 9/27)10:20 Shoppers’ Bus11:00 Blood Pressure2:00 Paint & Sculpt7:30 Games (RISA)

Senior CenterFriday

9:30 Yoga Stretch10:30 English as 2nd Language1:00 Korean Games6:00 Ballroom Dancing (last Fri

each month)7:00 Games (RISA)

Special EventsRISA Meeting, Thu Oct 6, 7pmFarmers Market trip, Wed Oct

12, 10amCasino Night, Sat Oct 22, 6:30-

10:30pm, 8 River Rd. (Ad,page 9.)

The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011 • 3

The WIRE publishes The RIOC Column and The RIRA Columnas a service to RIOC, RIRA, and the community, and does not control or censor either.

See RIRA Column, page 10

Wednesday9:30 Yoga Stretch10:20 Shoppers’ Bus10:30 Computers10:30 Spanish1:30 Scrabble

Thursday9:30 Stronger Bones (not 9/29)10:45 Ping Pong12:30 Movie

Matthew Katz, PresidentRoosevelt Island Residents Association

e-mail: MatthewKatz@verizon.net

TheRIRAColumn

– Every Day –Subway service from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island is aboard M

trains, weekdays, 6am-12midnight, until further notice. (F trainsrun on the M track, 47-50th Streets to Queens Plaza; M trains runon the F track and serve Roosevelt Island.)

– This Weekend –Refereed Basketball League starts Fri Sep 23 at Sportspark. To

register, call 212-832-4540, ext 321 or email OMaragh@rioc.com. (Ad,page 6.)

Await, an evening of theater, dance, and music conceived by DagmarSpain, Fri Sep 23, 7:30pm, Gallery RIVAA, 527 Main St. $5 do-nation; cheese and wine at reception.

Run for Congo Women, today (Sat Sep 24), 8:30am registration,Firefighters Field. $25.

Music of Autumn for Japanese shakuhachi flute, performed by IslanderGerald Starlight, tomorrow (Sun Sep 25), 3pm, Jacques MarchaisMuseum of Tibetan Art, 338 Lighthouse Av,. Staten Island. Info:718-987-3500 or tibetanmuseum.org. (Also on the Island; see Oct 1.)

– Coming Week & Next Weekend –Island Kids semeseter begins, Mon Sep 26. (Ad, page 6.)Changed: Fourth Annual PTA International Dinner, originally

scheduled for Wed Sep 28, now scheduled for Fri Oct 14.CB8 Speaks, Thu Sep 29, 9:30pm, TimeWarner channel 34, FIOS

ch33, RCN ch82, with Residents Association President MatthewKatz. Also available anytime, online, at nyc10044.com/z/3i.

Introduction to Microsoft Excel, Fri Sep 30, 10:30am, Library.Adults 50+. Registration required.

Changed: Fall for Arts Festival at Southpoint, originally sched-uled for Sat Oct 1, now scheduled for Sat Oct 15.

Seven Against Thebes, Sat Oct 1, 2pm, Roosevelt Landings Amphi-theater.

Music of Autumn for Japanese shakuhachi flute, performedby Islander Gerald Starlight, Sat Oct 1, 4pm, Gallery RIVAA,527 Main St. Info: amc.net/geraldstarlight or 212-368-6630.

Opening reception for Portraits, a RIVAA group show, SatOct 1, 4-7pm, Octagon Gallery, 888 Main St.

Oedipus Rex, Sun Oct 2, 2pm, Roosevelt Landings Amphitheater.

– Continuing –Relative Tensions, a show of art by Anca Pedvisocar, Gallery

RIVAA. Through Sun Oct 2. Gallery hours Sat-Sun, 11am-5pm; Wed & Fri, 6-9pm.

Extended Sportspark hours for youth 16-25, every Fri-Sat,9pm-midnight. (Ad, page 6.)

Wheelchair Basketball, Sat, 10am-1pm, Sportspark.Open-Rec Basketball, Sat, 2-6pm, Sportspark. All ages; free.Swimming at Sportspark, Mon-Fri 6-10am, Mon Wed Thu Fri 7:30-

10:30pm, Sat-Sun 12-3pm. Adults (18-up) Tue 7:30-10:30pm, Sat-Sun4-7pm. Adults $5, ages 4-17 $3, free for seniors 60+ and infants 3 andunder. Schedule of classes and activities at nyc10044.com/z/0j.

Baby Story Time, stories for ages 0-18 months, Mon, 10:30am, Li-brary. Registration required; first come, first served.

RIOC’s Community Office Hours, Mon, 3-5pm, 591 Main St.UNO for teens, Mon, 4pm, Library.Toastmasters, 2nd and 4th Mon, 7:30pm. Info: 212-751-9577.Knitting & Crochet Group, Tue, 10am, Library. Adults.Living Library After-School Program, Tue Wed Thu, 3-6pm, PS/IS

217 Beacon. Open to all. Information: 347-724-5529.Ping Pong: Open Play, Tue Fri, 6-9pm, Sportspark. Class, Wed,

6-9pm, Sportspark. All ages; free.Sci-Fi Discussion Group, first Tue of month (except October), 6:30pm,

Library.Poetry Hour (adults), last Tue of month, 6:30pm, Library.Toddler Story Time (ages 18-36 months), Wed, 11am, Library. Regis-

tration required.Constituent Service Hours for State Senator Jose Serrano and/or staff,

first Wed of each month, 4-7pm, RIOC offices, 591 Main St.Island Office Hours for Assemblymember Micah Kellner and/or staff,

second Thu of each month, 3-7pm, RIOC offices, 591 Main St.Game On @ Roosevelt Island for ages 13-18. Thu, 4pm, Library.Robots for Kids ages 6-13, Thu, 6:30-8pm, Youth Program, 506 Main

St., 2nd fl. Information: 917-751-2900.Reading Aloud, Fri, 3:30, Library. Ages 3-5, 5-12. Families.

– Future Weeks –Roosevelt Island Residents Association Common Council meets,Wed Oct 5, 8pm, Good Shepherd Center. Public session at begin-

ning for brief resident/guest comments/announcements.The Main Street WIRE – Sat Oct 8. Advertising deadlines: Display

ads, Wed Sep 28; decision date for circulars/inserts, Tue Oct 4; 5,500copies due Thu Oct 6. Additional issues in2011: Oct 22; Nov 5, 19;Dec 10. 2012: Jan 14, 28;Feb 11, 25; Mar 10, 24;Apr 7, 21; May 5, 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 28;Aug 25; Sep 8, 22; Oct 6, 20; Nov 3, 17;Dec 8. News phone, 212-826-9056; urgent

matters, 917-617-0449. Email press releases to MainStreetWIRE@usa.net.Advertising (display and classified): 917-587-3278.

Aha Effect, an exhibition of art, opens Sat Oct 8, Gallery RIVAA.Gallery hours Sat-Sun, 11am-5pm; Wed & Fri, 6-9pm. ThroughNov 6.

Opening reception for Aha Effect, Sun Oct 9, 4-7pm, Gallery RIVAA.Fourth Annual PTA International Dinner, Fri Oct 14, 6:30pm,

PS/IS 217 Cafeteria. (Moved from Sep 28.) Adults $15, children$10; family rates available. (Ad, page 12.)

See RIOC Column, page 10

More ComingUp on page 9

We’ve left summer behind (reluctantly, in my case)and, as I write this, we find ourselves in an autumn ofbalmy weather and blazingly blue skies. I can handlesome more days like these! I’m riding around theIsland on my spiffy new bicycle, an anniversary giftfrom my spouse, and the first bike I’ve owned since Iwas 13. I hope New York City gets behind Transpor-tation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan’s plans forexpanding bike lanes. I’ve seen what a humanizingeffect this has onsome of the world’smajor cities (Amster-dam comes to mind),and we can use someof that.

Did you attend the9/11 memorial obser-vance two Sundaysago, at the site of theplaque and tree behind Good Shepherd? There musthave been over 100 people in attendance, includingour friends from Oklahoma City, survivors of the fed-eral building bombing there. The Voices of LightGospel Choir, Islander Asher Elbaz, and I providedthe music with a finale from trumpeter AndyFehrenbach. I thought the resident group did a su-perb job of organizing the remembrance. My thanksto everyone for making this a fitting 10th anniver-sary.

Our Cultural CornucopiaWe are a tiny Island with a minuscule population,

and yet we host an array of cultural events that manylarger communities might envy. Gallery RIVAA ishosting a one-woman show by Anca Pedvisocar thatwill run through tomorrow. Last night, the gallerypresented an evening of theater, dance, and musiccalled Await, conceived and directed by DagmarSpain. Last weekend, we were regaled by two su-perb concerts at Good Shepherd Center, including anevening of Mendelssohn trios presented by R&RConcerts and an afternoon of violin and piano musichosted by the Good Shepherd Sunday Concert Se-ries. And, folks, they were free (contributions ac-cepted). Just between us, I would like to see more

RIRA councilors and resident RIOC directors sup-porting their neighbors by attending Island offerings.

I’ve heard that Fall for Arts, an Island autumn in-stitution, will move to Southpoint Park after this year.Currently, it is scheduled for Saturday, October 15,on the lawn south of Rivercross, as in past years. I’veenjoyed eachyear’s presenta-tions, especiallywhen I was per-forming, and I hopeto see y’all there.

By the way, I wasable to take a spe-cial tour of the FDRMemorial ‘room’ atthe Four FreedomsPark, now underc o n s t r u c t i o n .Standing on thegranite platformoverlooking theriver, I was struckby how muchlarger it seemedthan in the draw-ings and modelspreviously pre-sented. Very impressive. My hope is that the land-scaping that will connect this project to the Wild Gar-dens/Green Rooms part of Southpoint will coincidewith the construction already under way.

Southern DevelopmentThat’s what we’re calling the potential for a major

research facility on the Goldwater site. As you know,this residential hospital is scheduled to close its doorsby 2014. RIRA has commissioned a subcommitteeto work with the City’s Economic Development Cor-poration (EDC) to consider the 18 universities world-wide that are in competition. We have met withStanford University and find we have similar goals.We shall meet with Cornell University this week totake each other’s measure. We are looking for a rela-

Home-delivered meals – 212-744-5022, ext. 1203

I hope you are all adjusting nicely to the coolerweather. I know one concern that many of you haverelated to cold weather is how chilly it gets on theTram platform. I am happy to report that this winter,the Tram platform on both the Roosevelt Island andManhattan sides will have an enclosure that will beheated on cold days. You can read more about TramStation updates and about other Roosevelt Island newsbelow.

Tram Station Entrance RenovationWe recently commenced construction on the

Roosevelt Island-side Tram station entrance steps. Weare widening themfrom three feet to ap-proximately six feet,in order to ease con-gestion, especiallyduring the morningand evening com-mutes. All work willbe conducted daily,following the morn-ing rush hour, and is scheduled to be completedshortly. During this construction, the ramp beyondthe existing stairs will serve as the temporary entranceand exit.

The scope of work on the steps includes removalof the concrete stairs and the south wall of the stair-case. A new concrete wall and code-compliant stair-way with railings will be installed. The contractorwill be using an air-compressed jack hammer to re-move the stairs. To ensure the safety of pedestrianspassing by, a protective screen will enclose the sitewhile contractors demolish the stairs.

In addition to the stairs, we are planning to reno-

vate the Tram Plaza to improve its overall appear-ance. Plans for the renovation on the Roosevelt Is-land side include:

• Replacement of the railings at the Tram boardingplatform

• The addition of a see-through roof• An enclosure for the Tram boarding area, which

will be heated in the winter• Scraping, sand-

ing, and paintingthe railings

• Installing a newno-slip floor andpatching wherenecessary

• Power-washingthe entire plaza

The Manhattan-side plaza will getthe same renova-tions as above, withthe following addi-tions:

• A new courtesybooth

• New securitygates

• New tread top-pings for the stairs

• New textured warning strips at the bottom of thestairs to help the visually impaired

We have already selected the contractor, and phase 1of the work, which also includes renovations of therestrooms, is scheduled to begin at the end of Sep-

Leslie Torres, PresidentRoosevelt Island Operating Corporation

e-mail: LTorres@RIOC.com

TheRIOCColumn

There is no charge tolist Island events here.E-mail information toeditor@MainStreetWIRE.comor leave it at the lobbydesk at 531 Main Street,addressed to The WIRE.

TM

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4 • The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011

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The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011 • 5

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The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011 • 7

As President Obama spoke at the United Nations on Wednesday, students of art teacher Camille Mouquinho of The Child School / Legacy HighSchool celebrated the International Day of Peace by creating, in sidewalk art, the school’s annual peace sign – some 20 feet in diameter.

8 • The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011

Simply put, Roosevelt Island could lose CarolynMaloney.

For her 18 years in Congress, she has beenRoosevelt Island’s friend and advocate in Washing-ton and on the local political scene.

The federal census shows a population shift thatwill remove two of New York State’s delegation tothe House of Representatives. That means, in turn,that the State’s population must be redistributed –through the redrawing of district lines – among fewermembers of Congress.

While there have been longstanding moves to have

redistricting done by a non-political commission, theNew York State Legislature has not agreed on such amethod, so that task is currently in the hands of twosenators, two assemblymembers, two citizens, and leg-islative staffers. As State Senator Liz Krueger saidWednesday morning at a hearing of that body, “Givenboth past performance and the clear control of [theprocess] by legislative leadership, I am extremelyskeptical that this body is prepared to act to establishfair district lines.”

Translation: Redistricting is an opportunity forpoliticians to redraw district lines to make their seatsand their allies’ seats more secure, and not even poli-ticians trust politicians to do it impartially. There’s apossibility, for example, that Carolyn Maloney’s seatwill be one of those sacrificed to the population drift,

that the housing units counted in2000 maintained their occupancyrate without much change, it wouldrequire that the buildings built andoccupied since then have an alarm-ingly low occupancy rate of only1.3 people per unit.

If the Census Bureau’s numbersare right, Southtown and The Oc-tagon may be the loneliest build-ings in America.

Getting It RightUsing Heimer’s simple method

for calculation, assuming our oc-cupancy rate stayed the same as itwas in 2000 (1.5% vacancy and2.97 per unit), our current popula-tion count would be 14,482 (4,876units x 2.97). That’s a staggering24.2% more than the CensusBureau’s figure.

The occupancy rate for Roose-velt Island in the last decade couldas easily have gone up as down,and Heimer argues that the 2000Census also included anundercount. Both variables areimpossible to resolve.

Joseph Salvo, New York City’schief demographer, says there is noformal way to challenge the Cen-sus Bureau’s numbers, adding thatthe City will “do everything we canto try to show the Census Bureauwhere we think they’ve erred.”

In her analysis, Heimer pointsout that, on Roosevelt Island, Cen-sus takers were often turned awayfrom entire buildings, per the re-ports of both Census takers and

Photo: Maria Casotti

Student Artists Create Annual Giant Peace SignCensus from page 1

and that district lines will be redrawn to create a “safe”seat in a heavily Republican area near Albany.

On the other hand, Governor Andrew Cuomo haspromised to veto the plan put forward by the currentcommittee. Krueger said, “I urge you to break withpast practice, and take the steps necessary to developa redistricting plan that passes muster as not servingthe narrow interests of majority party leaders and in-cumbents, but instead serves to maximize the powerof the people to choose their own representatives.”Translation: Don’t draw weird-shaped districts to pro-tect incumbents.

Krueger – the State Senator whocould end up representingRoosevelt Island if the process at-taches the Island to her East Sidedistrict rather than to Senator JoseSerrano’s Bronx district – pointedout that the age-old evils of politi-cal redistricting are likely to con-tinue. In the past, they’ve resultedin a district shaped like a lobsterclaw, another known as “Lincolnriding a lawnmower, wearing histop hat,” and other examples of out-right gerrymandering. “Districtsshould not be drawn [to] pull to-gether distant and unrelated com-munities for partisan reasons,” saidKrueger.

Redistricting is also an opportu-nity for politicians to “tilt rural.”In 2002, the legislative redistrict-ing committee favored less popu-lous upstate districts over the metroarea, with variations in size all theway up to 10 percent. Result: Morelegislative power for rural areas,less for the City. Said Krueger,“The last redistricting plan re-

moved some neighborhoods from my district where Ihad performed particularly well.” She was re-electednonetheless.

The path through the redistricting thicket leads fromhearings to a plan, to a probable veto by Cuomo, theninto court. In short, it’s messy.

In all of it, there is the definite chance that, in re-working the state legislative districts, change willcome to Roosevelt Island. Our smidgen of popula-tion could be tacked onto a nearby district with whichwe have a community of interest – or to a distant dis-trict that needs a few more bodies.

And, worst of all, depending on just how partisanthe process gets, Roosevelt Island could lose Repre-sentative Carolyn Maloney.

And locally, that’s why the Census matters.

Why the Census Matters

residents, and that many of the 412apartments reported vacant in 2010could be due to lack of access.(There are 18 buildings on the Is-land if you count Roosevelt Land-

ings as three. It is unlikely that thereis an average of 23 vacant apartmentsin each building.) City officials alsoblamed “hard-to-count housing andlarge immigrant populations for the

Former Mayor Ed Koch testifiedat Wednesday morning’s

redistricting hearing. Like LizKrueger, he favors an

independent commission to takepolitics out of the process.

State Senator Liz Krueger

misses that caused an undercount of2.7 to 2.8%.”

Given such comments, and thesensible evidence of Heimer’s cal-culations, the Census strains cre-dulity.

Asher Elbaz composed a song for the 9/11 memoral observance, andperformed it at the Island ceremony two weeks ago.

A Song for 9/11

Phot

o: S

herie

Hel

stie

n

TM

needs volunteer distribution help oroccasional backup in several buildings. Ittakes an afternoon or evening hour on theFridays that the newspaper comes out. It’s avalued service, and it’s pretty good exercise,too. Lend a hand.

Call Sherie Helstien at 212-935-7534.

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMECANDLE LIGHTING TIMESS

Wishing all our friends and neighbors

Happy, healthy and sweet

New Year and meaningful,

uplifting High Holiday season!

425 Main Street #6B, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044

212-652-5660 * Nechama@RIJewish.org Part of the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch Movement

w w w . R I J e w i s h . o r g

Shofar House Calls Is it hard for you to go to Shul on Rosh Hashanah this year? We will

come blow the Shofar for you at your

home. Please call us 212.652.5660 (please call before Wed., Sept. 28)

Meaningful Rosh Hashanah

Experience

Experience your Jewishness in a whole new light - join us for a meaningful Rosh Hashanah experience,

exploring prayers and liturgy, Shofar blowing, the reasons and meaning behind the laws and customs

based on Halacha, Talmud and Kabbalah. Followed by Kiddush and a taste of the delicious and sweet Rosh

Hashanah foods.

No Hebrew Reading Skills Needed No Membership Needed

No Charge

First Day Rosh Hashanah Sep 29th: 10:00 am

Second Day Rosh Hashanah Sep 30th: 10:00 am

At The Living Legacy High School, Commons Room 585 Main Street

(Behind Rivercross, Entrance on the north west corner of the building - directly across the river

from Hospital of Special Surgery)

The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011 • 9

RIRA Networking Breakfast, Sat Oct15, 8am, residential lobbies.

5K Walk/Run Marrowthon, fundraiserfor the Icla daSilva Foundation withNYCRuns, Sat Oct 15, 9am. Informa-tion and registration at icla5k.org. $25;kids $15. (Ad, page 4.)

Open House New York, Sat-Sun Oct 15-16, 9am-6pm; sites to be announced.

Fall for Arts Festival, Rivercross lawn,Sat Oct 15, 11am-4pm. (Moved fromOct 1.)

World of Classical Guitar with DonWitter, Sat Oct 15, 2:30pm, Library.

Latin Jazz (Hispanic Heritage event), SatOct 15, 6pm, Child School Auditorium.

Sturm und Drang, an R&R Concert, SatOct 15, 8pm, Good Shepherd Center.Free; contributions welcome.

Erik Wood Workshop: Animals, WedOct 19, 4pm, Library. Ages 3-5 & 5-12. Registration required; first come,first served.

Book Discussion: Places In-Between byRory Stewart, Thu Oct 20, 6:30pm, Li-brary.

Main Street Retail Town Meeting, ThuOct 20, 7:30pm, Good Shepherd Cen-ter, sponsored by the Residents Associa-tion and Hudson-Related..

Casino Night, Sat Oct 22, 6:30-10:30pm,Manhattan Park Theater Club,8 River Rd., presented by theRoosevelt Island Senior Asso-ciation. Information: 212-752-1518 orwhersh@nyc.rr.com. (Ad, page 9.)

Halloween Parade, Sat Oct 29, time (usu-ally noon) to be announced.

Roosevelt Island Residents AssociationCommon Council meets, Wed Nov 2,8pm, Good Shepherd Center. Publicsession at beginning for brief resident/guest comments/announcements.

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, October 226:30-10:30

a fundraiser forthe Roosevelt IslandSenior Association,

presented byManhattan Parkat 8 River Road

Tickets $50

Prizes: Flat-Screen TV & moreInformation: 212-752-1518

or whersh@nyc.rr.com

ComingUp from page 3

RIOC Board of Directors meeting, WedNov 9, 5:30pm; location to be an-nounced. Public comment period, start-ing at 5:30, precedes formal meeting.

Roy Eaton: I Play for Peace, an R&R Con-cert, Fri Nov 11, 8pm, Good Shepherd Cen-ter. Free; contributions welcome.

Book Discussion: Three Stations byMartin Cruz Smith, Thu Nov 17 ,6:30pm, Library.

Holiday Tree Lighting, Thu Dec 1, 7pm,Blackwell House.

Roosevelt Island Residents AssociationCommon Council meets, Wed Dec 7,8pm, Good Shepherd Center. Publicsession at beginning for brief resident/guest comments/announcements.

RIOC Board of Directors meeting, WedDec 14, 5:30pm; location to be an-nounced. Public comment period, start-ing at 5:30, precedes formal meeting

Book Discussion: The Bin-Ladens bySteve Coll, Thu Dec 15, 6:30pm, Li-brary

The Holiday Concert, an R&R Concert,Thu Dec 15, 7:30pm, Good ShepherdCenter. Free; contributions welcome.

Book Discussion, The Red Pony by JohnSteinbeck, Thu Jan 19, 6:30pm, Li-brary.

Book Discussion, Survivor by ChuckPalahniuk, Thu Feb 16, 6:30pm, Library.

Book Discussion, Outliers by MalcolmGladwell, Thu Mar 15, 6:30pm, Library.

Book Discussion, Our Kind of Traitor byJohn LeCarre, Thu Apr 19, 6:30pm, Li-brary.

Book Discussion, The Yiddish Police-men’s Union by Michael Chabon, ThuMay 17, 6:30pm, Library.

Book Discussion, My Father’s SecretWar by Lucinda Franks, Thu Jun 21,6:30pm, Library.

HELP distribute The WIRE.Call Sherie –212-935-7534.

unClassifieds50¢ a word • 212-751-8214

unClassified deadline for October 8 issue: Tuesday, October 4unClassified deadline for October 22 issue: Tuesday, October 18

Please see ComingUp, page 3, for other advertising deadlines

NEED A MAC TECHIE to update mydesktop on site. Mac only. (If you alsodo PC, don’t call.) 212-751-0804.TUTORING – English professoravailable. Essays / Test preparation /Grammar / Analysis. 646-319-3873.EXPERT PIANO TUNING – by profes-sional musician and Island resident.Prompt service. 718-358-8882; cell646-321-2399. thru 10/2011

CERTIFIED DOG GROOMINGservices, Roosevelt Island resident, byappointment only. Call 212-888-7874.FRENCH TUTORING by expertteacher, individual or group. Call212-355-3848.TRAVEL AGENT – Meet your cruisespecialist on Roosevelt Island atwww.cruisingwithmarilyn.com or call866-304-8640. 2/13

CATCH YOUR CAT – efficient help withyour feline escape artist. Vet-recom-mended, Island references.917-355-1867 /catchyourcat@gmail.com.MATH TUTORING by experiencedteacher living on the Island. Any level.Call 212-829-1406. exp 7/31/10

LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST /Certified Reflexologist – Island resi-dent Diana Brill. Gift certificatesavailable. 212-759-9042.PIANO LESSONS with Irene Clark.PUrrPLE Tiger. Simple, effective, andgreat results! Especially for childrenand seniors.917-655-0028.AVON Representative – RooseveltIsland. www.youravon.com/joannacuevasTUTORING: Spanish/English or viceversa; reading & playing piano music.Any age. 917-655-0028 – Irene.NOTARY PUBLIC – 212-935-7534.GRAND PIANO with MIDI & silentheadphones practice capability.$6,500. Available immediately onIsland. Call Dick at 212-826-9056.BALDWIN PIANO for sale – $2,200.1989 Baldwin Acrosonic Elite uprightpiano, recently tuned, made in theUSA. Mahogany finish in mintconditoin, complete with matchingbench with backstorage in the seat.Cash deal locally only (RooseveltIsland and Upper East Side). Contactpenmcb@gmail.com.

BABYSITTING SERVICE – Mature,caring, responsible babysitter. Ages 3years and up. Reasonable rates.American, speaks French. Call917-405-7370 for info and references.Enjoy your night out! DL

ERRANDS: Organizing, SpecialProjects, Personal Assistance. Yourun your life, I’ll run your errands. CallVicki Feinmel, 212-223-1108vfeinmel@verizon.net. DL

NOTARY PUBLIC – Roosevelt IslandDay Nursery, 4 River Road, 8 a.m. to 3p.m. school days. 212-593-0750.MAIN STREET THEATRE & DANCEALLIANCE – Ongoing registration fordance and theatre classes. 212-371-4449. Unique or period clothing &furniture gladly accepted.FOSTER A CAT – Island Cats urgentlyseeks foster homes for cats andkittens, all spayed/neutered with shotsand negative on tests. We providefood & litter. You and the cats supplythe love. Some may be seen on theadoption page of our website atislandcats.org. Call 212-593-1054 ore-mail contact@islandcats.org.CAT SITTER – VACATION IN PEACE– Will feed and play with your cat,water your plants, pick up your mail,etc. 917-587-3278.HELP SAVE LIVES – Volunteer withthe Icla da Silva Foundation.212-593-0474.EXPERIENCED PAINTER/CON-TRACTOR – Excellent Island refer-ences, fully insured. Free estimate.212-751-8214.The WIRE runs on volunteer power!We may need help with distribution inyour building (call 212-935-7534), orjoin us for our Friday-morning stuffingsession (212-826-9056) (we supplylunch), or try your hand at reporting(917-617-0449). Other help isneeded, too. What would you like todo?MOVING AWAY? Please don’t... Butif you must: Use WIRE classifieds tosell the stuff you’d rather not move.Reach every apartment on RooseveltIsland and turn your discards intodollars. 212-751-8214.

Our Town – Cuomo’s Colonial Island – nyc10044.com/z/3nNYC Bike Sharing – Propose Roosevelt Island – nyc10044.com/z/3pDaily News – Stanford’s Charge for Island campus – nyc10044.com/z/3qWNYC – FDR Four Freedoms Park – nyc10044.com/z/3kAtlas Obscura – Roosevelt Island’s AVAC system – nyc10044.com/z/3jNomading Film Festival – Renwick Ruin – nyc10044.com/z/3rAtlas Obscura – Roosevelt Island’s AVAC system – nyc10044.com/z/3jAlso worth a look:Time lapse – Earth from the International Space Station – nyc10044.com/3o

10 • The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011

tionship that will enhance the quality of lifefor the residents while providing the neces-sary attributes and amenities for an academicinstitution. The EDC timeline suggests thata decision will be forthcoming this Decem-ber. I hope the other candidates, if they aretruly serious, will reach out to your Resi-dents Association as well.

The Retail CorridorBy now, everyone has completed the re-

tail survey, right? David Kramer of theHudson Company and his point person,Andrew Jackson, inform us that over 1,300Islanders completed the survey before itclosed. They have made it clear that theywant our input before leasing storefronts andbefore finishing plans to make NorthtownMain Street more attractive. Folks, not ev-eryone who comes to Roosevelt Island asksfor our opinions, and we must take advan-tage of every opportunity to influence fu-ture development.

RIRA has met with the Master Lease hold-ers in an open and frank discussion of wherewe’re going and what we want. I, along withIsland Services and Planning Committeechairs Aaron Hamburger and Frank Farance,have heard many opinions just walkingdown Main Street and talking with ourneighbors. What should be the ratio of mom-and-pop stores to national chains? Whatshould we do about the glassed-in arcadesat Roosevelt Landings and Westview? Howdo we accommodate the non-profits cur-rently using space that might more profit-ably be used for retail? Can we support cur-rent leaseholders who run successful busi-nesses while encouraging unattractive storeswith inadequate and overpriced merchandiseto clean up their act? What is the best useof the large, two-story space at 504 MainStreet? Who stays and who goes?

If you have strong feelings about thesequestions, and I know that you do, you willget to ask our new retail landlords directlyat a community Town Meeting, now sched-uled for Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m.,upstairs at the Good Shepherd Center. Idon’t know what the format will be, but I

expect we will ask you to sign up to speak,with an indication of what you wish to ad-dress specifically. This will allow yourhumble moderator (me) to eliminate repeti-tive questions, to include as many issues aspossible, and to include as many residentsas we can in a finite period. The game planis to mount a non-confrontational conver-sation between the leaseholders and the com-munity. Remember, our mutual goal is toattract vibrant, attractive shops and restau-rants offering needed goods and services atcompetitive prices. It’s a win-win, no?

Our Island and the MediaWe have been subjects of considerable

media attention this month. As I’ve notedbefore, Community Board 8 featured me ontheir monthly television show, CB8 Speaks,and this will air on September 29 at 9:30p.m. on Time-Warner Channel 34, FiOSChannel 33 and RCN Channel 82. We cov-ered a lot of ground in 28 minutes and I be-lieve it summarizes our pressing issues quitewell.

My immediate predecessor on CB8 Speakswas Allen Houston, executive editor of OurTown, the Upper East Side newspaper. Iemailed him to ask why the paper isn’t dis-tributed on Roosevelt Island and why we arenot part of his coverage. As a result of myimportuning, I spent an afternoon with OurTown reporter Megan Finnegan touring theIsland and talking up a storm. Her story maybe found in the September 15 issue and thisis available online via nyc10044.com/z/3n.There were a few factual errors in the storythat I’m sure you cognoscenti will pick upon, but she was spot-on with the issues oc-cupying our time. Let me know what youthink.

And finally, I’ve seen an article by JacobGershman and Joseph De Avila in the Sep-tember 20 Wall Street Journal discussingStanford University’s interest in establish-ing a research entity in New York City, spe-cifically on Roosevelt Island. Let’s not al-low all this unexpected interest to swell ourheads. As always, what will influence ourquality of life will be our own efforts.

RIRA Column from page 3

tember. We anticipate completion of all thework in the fall of 2012.

Public Safety UpdateAs you know, Roosevelt Island is one of

the safest neighborhoods in the City. Butthat does not mean that we do not have oc-casional crime. I want residents to be vigi-lant and careful, but also to recognize thatwe have a great Public Safety Department(PSD). On Thursday, September 15, twoyoung adults were robbed and assaulted nearBlackwell Park by three individuals whoremoved several items from a backpack andpurse, including money and a cell phone.

After descriptions were gathered, PublicSafety apprehended two of the three indi-viduals. They were processed at the 114thprecinct on Saturday, September 17. Thereis currently an arrest warrant out for the thirdindividual.

We have all come to rely on PSD’s quickaction. This is just one example of theirwork in keeping us all safe.

Applied Sciences CampusAs has been reported in numerous news

articles, it seems as though Roosevelt Islandis the front-runner for the location of a new

RIOC Column from page 3applied sciences campus that the City wouldlike to see built. According to a recent ar-ticle in Crain’s NY, “[Stanford] Universityofficials are leaning heavily toward propos-ing a $1 billion campus on the southern endof Roosevelt Island that won’t be availablefor lease and development until the end of2013.”

Several schools have already applied forthe chance to open a NYC campus, includ-ing Cornell University and Stanford Univer-sity. Both Cornell and Stanford have ex-plicitly stated their interest in Roosevelt Is-land.

Final proposals are due to the City in lateOctober, and the City has stated it will makea final choice by the end of the year. Thenew campus would be located on the site ofGoldwater Memorial Hospital (to close in2013), and we look forward to working withthe City as plans for the site unfold.

Young Adults RecreationWe are pleased to announce that there

were over 35 participants this past weekend(Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th from9:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.) for the SportsparkYoung Adults Recreation. Starting this Fri-day the 23rd, in addition to the open lounge(Netflix, Wii, computers and music), pingpong, and the weight room, there will be ref-erees provided for the basketball league. Anyquestions, please email Othniel Maragh atothniel.maragh@rioc.ny.gov or call 212-832-4540ext. 321.

Upcoming EventsWe have several events coming up:• Outdoor production of Seven Against

Thebes and Oedipus Rex, Saturday and Sun-day, October 1 and 2, both shows at 2:00p.m. at the Roosevelt Landings Amphithe-ater.

• Fall for Arts Festival, Saturday, October15, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the lawn southof Rivercross.

• Latin Jazz Concert celebrating HispanicHeritage Month, Saturday, October 15, 6:00p.m. at The Child School Auditorium.

• Halloween Day Parade, Saturday, Octo-ber 29, Main Street.

TM

needs volunteerdistribution help oroccasional backup inseveral buildings. It takesan afternoon or eveninghour on the Fridays thatthe newspaper comes out.It’s a valued service, andit’s pretty good exercise,too. Lend a hand.

Call Sherie Helstienat 212-935-7534.

Jack Resnick, MDSpecialist in Adult Medicine

501 Main Street – 212-832-2310office practice and housecalls for the homebound

Visit our Websitetherooseveltdoctor.com

· check lab results· make appointments· take a survey· internet health resources· get help finding insurance· read opinions

DASHDisabled Association Support for the HomeboundDO YOU NEED...?

• Help with shopping• Medications to be picked up• Someone to talk toCall DASH and one of our

volunteers will come to yourapartment.

917-558-0534

Katherine Teets Grimm, M.D., FAAPBoard Certified Pediatrician

and Pediatric Allergist

We accept Oxford, Cigna, Blue Cross, HIP, Aetna,United Health Care, GHI, Health Net, Multiplan

501 Main Street • Roosevelt Island • 212-753-5505

Office HoursBy appointment

Coverage provided at all times, when office is closed,by Dr. Grimm or by her group, Uptown Pediatrics.

We provide comprehensive health care to children and adolescents.

Dental Arts GalleryContemporary & Esthetic Laser Dentistry

Specialists Available

Benjamin Godder, D.M.D.212-750-3478 • 212-750-3557

115 E. 57th Street, Suite 1520, New York, NYwww.DrGodder.com

~ Over 30 years of experience ~~ Full-time faculty position at NYU College of Dentistry ~

All major insurances accepted including NYU and local hospitals

Nothing you wear ismore important than your smile

Eco-Friendly Drycleaning• Exceptional Quality Dry Cleaning • Shirts Laundered• Expert European Tailoring • Convenient Monthly Billing

MINERVACleaners & Tailors

Established 1969

Proudly Serving Roosevelt IslandFor Over 20 Years

Free Daily Pickup & Delivery

29-09 Broadway / Astoria, New York 11106 Tel / Fax: 718.726.2336

Give your apartment a lift

HOME SHOPPING SERVICEConsultations Available – Use What You Have

No job too small

FFFFFurnitureurnitureurnitureurnitureurnitureUpholsteryUpholsteryUpholsteryUpholsteryUpholstery, Slipcovers, Slipcovers, Slipcovers, Slipcovers, SlipcoversWWWWWallpaper & Fallpaper & Fallpaper & Fallpaper & Fallpaper & Fabricabricabricabricabric

Carpet & Area RCarpet & Area RCarpet & Area RCarpet & Area RCarpet & Area RugsugsugsugsugsAll WAll WAll WAll WAll Window Tindow Tindow Tindow Tindow TreatmentsreatmentsreatmentsreatmentsreatmentsFloor & TFloor & TFloor & TFloor & TFloor & Terererererrace Trace Trace Trace Trace Tilesilesilesilesiles

LightingLightingLightingLightingLightingCarpentryCarpentryCarpentryCarpentryCarpentry

Kitchen RKitchen RKitchen RKitchen RKitchen RenovationenovationenovationenovationenovationPPPPPaint & Faint & Faint & Faint & Faint & Faux Faux Faux Faux Faux Finishesinishesinishesinishesinishes

All AAll AAll AAll AAll AccessoriesccessoriesccessoriesccessoriesccessoriesCloset DesignCloset DesignCloset DesignCloset DesignCloset Design

Ellen LevyInterior Decorator531 Main Street

751-8214

David Lloyd Marcus, Ph.D.Psychotherapy and Counseling

Associate ProfessorNYU School of Medicine

501 Main StreetRoosevelt Island

212-777-8222HOME VISITS AVAILABLE

MOST INSURANCE PLANS, INCLUDING MEDICARE, ACCEPTED

E-mail david.marcus@med.nyu.edu

The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011 • 11

TheFarmer’sMarket

Every Saturdaythe year round

7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,under the ramp

at Motorgate

TheFarmer’sMarket

Every Saturdaythe year round

7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,under the ramp

at Motorgate

12 • The Main Street WIRE, Sat., Sept. 24, 2011

FRIDAY, October 14

PS/IS 217 Cafeteria