New City Island civic group seeks greater input, better ideas
The fi rst public meeting of new civic group City Island Rising took place at a coffee bar on the evening of Thursday,
April 11 and included a brainstorming session where input was gathered from all who chose to attend.
Schneps Media / Patrick Rocchio
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2019 9
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
City Island Rising, a newly
formed civic group, held its
fi rst public meeting on Thursday,
April 11.
One of the goals of the new
organization is to foster dialogue
between people living
in the small seaside community,
as well as to roll out the
welcome mat to both longtime
residents and newcomers, said
founding members.
The fi rst meeting was a listening
session for this reason,
with the group espousing its
beliefs that a “rising tide lifts
all boats” and a “can do attitude
and can do spirit,” while
offering an improved channel
of communication between the
island’s residents.
The meeting’s sign in sheet
contained over 70 signatures,
and a number of interested residents
who couldn’t attend that
evening watched the initial
meeting via live streaming,
said Dan Treiber, a CIR founding
member.
“We are very intentional
about our ‘from the ground up’
philosophy,” said Treiber, adding
that a goal of the session
was to bring about an environment
where “everybody feels
included.”
The fi rst public gathering of
the group focused on the community’s
strengths, challenges
and issues, as well as the participants’
general concerns.
The suggestions don’t always
have to be feasible, but all ideas
are important, said Treiber.
Islander David Diaz, who recently
moved to the island from
Throggs Neck, is one of the organization’s
initiators.
“They just want to do the
right thing,” said Diaz, of the
people who attended the fi rst
meeting. “I wasn’t expecting
the turnout that we got, and it
just shows me that there are
people on the island who care.”
Diaz, who spent his lifetime
in the borough at Eastchester
Gardens and in Throggs Neck,
and who is an environmental
activist, said that his personal
concerns of beach access at the
end streets and traffi c from the
island’s many eateries were addressed
at the meeting.
The people who are heading
the organization expect the
community to be proactive and
defi ne solutions together as opposed
to waiting for outsiders
to help, he said.
Theresa Cavinee’s main
concerns are the availability
of childcare, transportation
issues and working with the
NYPD, keeping the island clean
and pollution to a minimum,
youth activities and parking.
She said she would like to
see the establishment of a youth
center or programming for the
island’s teen population.
Another founding member,
John Doyle, said that CIR will
utilize 21st century methods,
adding that he was very pleased
that the crowd assembled was a
broad representation of City Island’s
population.
The group, which held its
fi rst meeting at Clipper Coffee,
plans to hold monthly or
bi-monthly meetings at local
businesses, building stronger
bonds between merchants and
community.