Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2011 Co-op City Times
Vol. 46 No. 3
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Grant money for cogeneration plant helps fund ongoing capital projects BY JIM ROBERTS State grant money that will total $2 million, won by Riverbay Corporation through a competitive grant program, is helping to pay for the ongoing capital projects that are continuing to rebuild Coop City and maintain the community as one the best housing buys in New York City. Riverbay Corporation won the $2 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2006 to help pay for the construction of Co-op City’s 40-megawatt cogeneration plant. The first $800,000 of the grant came after the cogeneration plant became operational and Riverbay will receive another $600,000 in this month, and the final $600,000 the following January.
The $2 million will be used to help continue the ongoing capital projects being carried out throughout Co-op City, according to Peter Merola, Riverbay’s Director of Finance. Because of the enormous size of Coop City, capital projects are completed over several years and can cost millions of dollars. One of the major projects, the replacement of windows, will continue to move forward in 2011. So far, 113,112 new windows and 4,721 doors have been installed in cooperators’ apartments. Plans for the future call for another 25,236 windows and 972 doors to be installed in the seven remaining buildings in the coming years. Thanks to the cogeneration money from electricity savings, (Continued on page 4)
Parking lot accident claims life of long-time Co-op City resident BY JIM ROBERTS A long-time Co-op City resident who raised three children in the community lost his life in a tragic accident in the Bartow Shopping Center on Monday, January 10.
Jerrold Chaleff, 71, was walking in the parking lot of the shopping plaza around 8:30 a.m. Monday when he was struck by a motorist driving a Ford Focus. Chaleff (Continued on page 2)
Local elected officials say that Tucson tragedy will not affect public appearance policies BY BILL STUTTIG Three of Co-op City’s elected officials, each of whom regularly make public appearances in Co-op City and other communities in their service district, called the shooting in Tucson, Arizona last Saturday that left six people dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life, an isolated incident that will not change their practices and policies regarding public appearances.
Congressman Joseph Crowley, State Assemblyman Mike Benedetto, and City Councilman Larry Seabrook each independently vowed not to change their policy regarding their accessibility to the public. Congressman Crowley, who said he is a close friend and colleague of Congresswoman Giffords, having strongly supported her in her first bid for election to (Continued on page 5)
Riverbay Holiday closings Riverbay’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, January 17th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Shareholders may contact their local CSO for services, and the Co-op City Public Safety Department at (718) 671-3050, and 9-1-1 for emergencies. Because of the holiday shortened work week, the deadline for submission of all community club articles and Directors’ viewpoints will be by 8 a.m. Tuesday, January 18. Material received after this time will not be considered for publication in the Saturday, January 22nd issue of the Co-op City Times. Articles may be submitted by fax to (718) 3202595; emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com, or slipped under the door of Room 21 in the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. We wish our readers an enjoyable holiday weekend.
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Another foot of snow; no problem BY BILL STUTTIG Having been forewarned by the forecasters, Riverbay cleanup crews came to work forearmed, some as early as 4 a.m. Wednesday, to clean the newly fallen foot of snow from Co-op City’s miles of sidewalks, pathways, shopping malls and common areas before the business day began. Many areas were cleaned before daybreak. “Given the amount of snow A snow plow clears the plaza of the Broun that the city received, the period Place Townhouses Wednesday morning. Photo by Bill Stuttig of time that it fell worked out well for us,” explained Riverbay General Manager Vernon Cooper, “in sidewalks being clean and passable that the storm stopped early enough in before 9 a.m. the morning to allow our men and General Manager Cooper added: women, who came in as early as 4 a.m. “As usual, our staff did a wonderful job to 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, to start of continually and thoroughly clearing clearing paths for people and vehicles walkways, roadways and pathways in before rush hour traffic. In fact, we order to facilitate passage by pedestrihave staff members who have stayed ans and motorists throughout the comhere overnight, in fear of not being able plex. In fact, the directors and supervito get to work the next morning, partic- sors of the departments responsible for ularly on those occasions when they are snow removal always multi-task during asked to get to the property as early as this process; not only are they assigning 5 a.m.” workers to designated areas and makOsbourne Pearson of the Buildings ing sure that they have all of the equipand Grounds Department who super- ment and materials that they need, they vised crews as they circulated through- also drive in vehicles with plows out the community early Wednesday attached so that they too clear paths morning, said the clean-up started at 4 along the sidewalks, roadways, in a.m. even before the storm began to let garages and they even manually shovel up. Staff members were asked to come snow when necessary. in early to get a head start on the mas“I would like to commend the men sive job before most of the community and woman in the Buildings and arose, and the workers responded, (Continued on page 3) resulting in most of the pathways and
Changes at Cooperator Services and Parking Facilities Department BY ROZAAN BOONE Effective this past Monday, January 10, several changes were made within the Riverbay Cooperators Services Office (CSO) as a result of the promotion of one of its area managers. Warren Mitchell, who had served as the Area Manager of CSO 3 for the past 5 years, was promoted to Director of the Riverbay Parking Facilities Department. A Riverbay employee of approximately 15 years, Mitchell will be responsible for the administration of the community’s 8 parking garages. At the same time, Noel Ellison, the former Director of the Parking Facilities Department, takes on new duties as Area Manager of CSO 1, where he will be responsible for Buildings 1-14 and also Debs Place, Defoe Place and Cooper Place Townhouses.
Riverbay’s General Manager Vernon Cooper said: “We believe that rotation of assignments and cross training people go a long way in helping to expand one’s knowledge and experience and it is an activity that we pursue all of the time. A rotation in the CSO Department is overdue and we believe it will be beneficial to all of the managers in question. We are also confident that Mr. Noel Ellison will be a good fit in this department and will lend his experience and knowledge of housing management in general and of the Riverbay Corporation specifically, in an effort to maintain and even increase the level and quality of service that this department provides to the residents of this community.”
(Continued on page 2)