To the Editor:

I have been a reverse commuter from Roosevelt Island for a few years now and observer of traffic management by the Public Safety Department.  I believe a more proactive traffic enforcement program would be beneficial.

It seems to me that several of the policies employed by Public Safety produce results that are diametrically opposite of those intended, including the following:

Every weekday morning I walk to the garage.  For the past few years a member of the Public Safety Department has been sitting in a vehicle observing whether drivers coming down the ramp from the bridge come to a full stop and ticketing some (not all) of those that do not.

During the peak arrival hours for hospital employees, between 7:30 and 8:00, the line of cars waiting to stop at times backs up to the top of the ramp and sometimes to the bridge itself.

My informal eyeball survey indicates that only ten percent of cars do, in fact, need to stop to permit pedestrians to cross the street at the bottom of the ramp.  Since all cars have come to a stop at that sign, many have been delayed and are rushing to get to their jobs.  The unintended result is that after coming to a full stop drivers then do not stop at stop signs on Main Street, creating a traffic hazard.

A solution might be for the Public Safety Officers on duty to get out of their vehicles and direct traffic at the bottom of the ramp, only stopping cars when pedestrians are present.  This proactive traffic management action would save driver's time and increase obedience to traffic signs on Main Street.

The second issue has to do with the absence of any indication for drivers heading south on Main Street as to where they can turn around.  Currently, drivers dropping off passengers must travel a total distance of over one mile to turn around at the Tram station.

I have seen many drivers, mostly taxi and limo drivers, stopped by officers when making illegal U-turns to get off the Island.  A sign indicating that the U-turn area was ahead would improve adherence to the "no U-turn" signs.

A reinstatement of the turnaround near Blackwell House would be even more useful.

To the Editor:

One recent sunny and beautiful early evening in Blackwell Park, children were playing peacefully and I was watching them with a cell phone in my hand, talking with my wife.  Suddenly, I was hit in the back of my neck, near my right ear, by a stone fired from a slingshot.  Turning, I saw two kids with the weapons, which can be deadly.

I started to run after them, but dropped my cell phone, and it smashed.  One of the kids was on the run.  The other was hiding behind a tree, saying, "I didn't do that.  I didn't do that."

I grabbed the boy's arm, still holding the slingshot, and took him to a Public Safety Officer who was on the Main Street sidewalk.  The officer told me, in so many words, "you can't touch him because he's a minor."  The Officer said, "If someone called us about a man grabbing a kid by his arm and taking him somewhere, you would be arrested, and if the father of the kid saw you grabbing his arm, you might be beaten by the father."

What would you do when a kid who could be the one who shot you from behind with a deadly weapon is there in front of you saying, "I'm not the one who hit you"?

The officer also said a victim should not try to catch perpetrators, because they might be carrying a knife and there could be injuries.  I guess he was speaking the truth.  But he also mentioned how busy Public Safety is, said, "We only have about four Officers each shift, and we are working overtime without getting paid for overtime."

We need to do something about this, as soon as possible, for the safety of our community.  Please write letters to RIOC President Robert Ryan (591 Main Street).

I called 911 to file a police report while the Public Safety Officer was searching for the kid who ran away, still carrying his slingshot, but he couldn't be found.  The Officer took the other boy and me to the PSD Youth Officer.  The Officer told me the Youth Officer knows the boy, said I shouldn't worry and should let Public Safety do its job.  He let the boy go because he is a minor.

The next day, I found my neck felt wrong and visited the Emergency Room at New York Hospital.

This could have been more serious.  Had I been hit in the eye, I could have lost my sight.  The youngsters involved are still out there, still with their slingshots.  And they know they cannot be touched because they are minors.

To the Editor:

It was great to have ArtFrenzy extended to our Island.  Congratulations and thanks are in order to all of those who made it happen, as well as to all the artists who participated in it.

I had to work that Saturday, and then had a friend coming from the West coast for a one-day visit that Sunday, on her way back to Europe.  Too many things to do, too little time, so we only got to see the exhibit in PS217.

Not only the works of art were most interesting, but also the space was perfect.  That is a gorgeous building.  It invites one in.  All the light and the beautiful view of the river and trees make it a delightful place to be in.  It occurred to us that it is a perfect space for an art gallery!

We had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Jacoby as well as with Ms. Barile-Knox.  The work of Ms. Jacoby's in the window at Westview had already started a discussion between my friend and me about sitting for meals with friends and family.  Ms. Barile-Knox's unique way of telling a story through her quilts fueled the human relations and the need for a constant contact with art theme further.

My friend and I went on to other parts of the city after that.  But we both left convinced that one should try to make the space at PS217 open to art and to the public when it is not being used for classes, on a regular basis.

Would that be feasible at all?  I know I am not the only one to hope so.

To the Editor:

I was sorry to learn of the possibility of a lawsuit against Kaie Razaghi of the Trellis restaurant.  Although I am just a newcomer with only two years on the Island, from what I have seen, Trellis has tried hard to be a good neighbor and fit into the community.

The restaurant industry is one of the most difficult and complex to succeed in.  Beyond what is visible to the public are a maze of fire department, health, building and safety codes that must be met.  Inventory is perishable, equipment breaks down, hours of operation are long, turning a profit is achieved by only one out of four.  This industry is notorious for its high failure rate.

I write this letter only to point out that having a restaurant on Roosevelt Island is an asset which is enjoyed by many and could be either lost or turned into one that changes hands twice a year as each new owner fails to make a go of it.  The reality of the modest economic climate here on the Island means that a huge powerhouse operation that could quickly respond to community suggestions that cost tens of thousand of dollars to implement cannot be supported here.  If Mr. Razaghi was forced out of business – a real possibility – I would not assume that the next operator would be able to rise to and maintain the standards that the prospective plaintiff desires.  Economic realities will always limit what can be achieved and maintained.

I hope that an agreement that takes those realities into consideration can be reached.

To the Editor:

Several weeks ago my cousin and I were sitting on a bench in the rock garden behind 546 when my cousin had a seizure.  There wasn't a soul around so I called as loudly as I could for help.  After a while a gentleman in a nearby building responded, asked where we were and what was wrong.  He called 911.  We couldn't see one another through the tree branches.  After that a young woman came down the 536 ramp asking if she could help.  She went to Public Safety.

I want to thank that gentleman for his help.  All turned out well.

Neighbors are so important.  Bless them.

Governor George Pataki
State Capital
Albany, New York

Dear Governor Pataki:

I know you don't have any staff to answer letters, but maybe someone can read this as you decide whether to run for Governor again.  I suggest you don't count on any votes from Roosevelt Island.

When I moved here in 1978, I called it Paradise Island.  It was without fault, breathtakingly beautiful.

I never thought anything could make Dr. Jerome Blue look good, but your appointee, incompetent, overpaid carpetbagger Robert Ryan, has managed it.  It's now Trash Island.

We have one street, Main Street.  For the last six months it has been strewn with paper, never removed.  About two months ago, realizing that Mr. Ryan considers this appropriate to the slum be wants to make of us, I wrote him a letter about it.  I suggested that our highly-paid Public Safety Department could remove the papers or enter the stores behind the papers and order them to clean up.

Result?  Nothing, except, seeing that Main Street is supposed to collect paper, kids now drop their gum wrappers on the street.

But don't get me wrong.  Mr. Ryan is not idle.  His Dictatorship decreed that Trellis Restaurant, which has always celebrated summer Friday and Saturday dinner hours with music, is forbidden to do so.  [Editor's note:  After some delay, during which a petition was circulated by residents, the permit for weekend music at Trellis was granted.]

I was wrong about your vote – maybe 15 blind or housebound residents might vote for you.  The rest of us are planning a huge Goodby Robert Ryan celebration.