Riverbay Election Supplement on pages 31-42
Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2013 Co-op City Times
Vol. 48 No. 18
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Management Forum unveils new projects for Co-op City’s future BY JIM ROBERTS With millions of dollars of structural repairs now accomplished, and completion of the historic refinancing of Co-op City’s mortgage that has stabilized the community’s finances, the next major project on the horizon is the redevelopment of the community’s shopping and community centers. Speaking at a management forum in the Dreiser Center Auditorium on Thursday morning, May 1, Herb Freedman, a principal with Marion Scott, Inc., the managing agent of Riverbay
Corp., told the several hundred shareholders at the meeting that the time has come to modernize the retail and community spaces here. “We’ve come a long way in the last number of years, and the essential construction that was identified ten years ago is essentially complete now,” Freedman said. “That’s the windows, that’s the balconies, the brickwork, most of the roofs are finished. “The next major thrust that we have to (Continued on page 2)
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First Candidates’ Forum Wednesday in Dreiser Center; Sign up to speak between 7-7:30 p.m. BY ROZAAN BOONE The first of two official Candidates’ Forums for the 2013 Riverbay Board of Directors election will be held on Wednesday, May 8, in the Dreiser Auditorium B at 7:30 p.m. and all certified candidates running in this year’s Board election have been invited to attend. All shareholders who would like to ask questions of the candidates must sign up between 7-7:30 p.m. “Our intent is to begin the meeting promptly at 7:30 p.m. so once that time arrives, no more names will be added to the list,” said Director Eleanor Bailey, Chair of the 2013 Election Committee. “I therefore encourage anyone who would like to speak to come early and place their names on the list.”
The second of the two official Candidates’ Forum will be held the following Monday, May 13, also at 7:30 p.m. in Room 45 at the Einstein Community Center. “In addition to the building meetings which the candidates are encouraged to attend, the Election Committee has also scheduled two official Candidates’ Forums of which every shareholder should try to attend at least one,” said Director Bailey. “This is your opportunity to see and hear from the candidates who will be representing you on the Riverbay Board and it is very important that you make an informed decision when you vote on Wednesday, May 22 in the Riverbay (Continued on page 4)
CCPD Chief to be honored by 45th Pct. Community Council Wednesday BY BILL STUTTIG MANAGEMENT FORUM MEETING - Riverbay General Manager Vernon Cooper
addresses shareholders at a Management Forum held on Thursday, May 1, at the Dreiser Auditorium. Cooper and other Riverbay officials explained many of the new initiatives now underway at Co-op City. Photo by Jim Roberts
Public Safety to supplement coverage with NYPD officers BY JIM ROBERTS In order to provide Co-op City residents with an extra level of security during the busiest times of activity for the community’s own Public Safety Department, CCPD Chief Frank Apollo is starting a new program that will add three part-time officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) for designated shifts. The officers will be provided through the NYPD’s Paid Detail Program, which is used by many companies and retailers to provide extra security during their busy hours of operation. “What makes this a good idea is that it will provide an extra deterrent against crime for our community until our new academy is ready for duty,” Chief Apollo said. “It’s the NYPD and the CCPD working together in unison.” Co-op City would hire three fully equipped and uniformed off-duty NYPD officers during designated shifts. The officers will work under the direction of
Co-op City Public Safety Supervisors, as well as an NYPD Paid Detail coordinator who supervises these off-duty NYPD officers as part of their job function with the NYPD. Co-op City will place these officers in areas outside of the community’s buildings and shopping centers that are seen as problematic locations, Chief Apollo said. The placement of the NYPD Paid Detail officers will allow Co-op City Public Safety officers to concentrate on other areas in the community, such as the interior and exterior of locked and secured buildings and Community Center locations. The NYPD Paid Detail is designed to help supplement the existing Co-op City Public Safety patrol officers until the class of new Public Safety officers is trained and has graduated on to active duty, Chief Apollo said. These NYPD (Continued on page 8)
Citing his development of the Riverbay Public Safety Department as building a reputation of integrity, dedicated service and a willingness to work in partnership with the 45th Precinct on all quality of life and crime issues, the 45th Precinct Community Council will
recognize Chief Frank Apollo at its annual breakfast on Wednesday, May 8th at Villa Barone Manor in Throggs Neck. 45th Precinct Council President Bob Bieder said the council chose Chief Apollo as an honoree because, “Chief (Continued on page 3)
FINAL CALL BOXES INSTALLED – Riverbay employees installed one of the last four emergency call boxes between Buildings 4 and 5 on Wednesday. The workers installed the conduit in the ground that supplies the wire for the telephone and power for the light on the top of the box. There will be a total of 24 boxes throughout the community, according to Riverbay Director of Technical Services Rick Schmidt. The boxes connect directly to a Public Safety dispatcher who will send the necessary assistance to the site. Photo by Jim Roberts