Riverbay Election Supplement on pages 27-37
Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2010 Co-op City Times
Vol. 45 No. 20
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Second Official Candidates’ Forum Monday in Einstein Community Center BY ROZAAN BOONE The second of two official Candidates’ Forums scheduled by the 2010 Election Committee for the Riverbay Board of Directors election will be held on Monday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. in Room 45 of the Einstein Community Center and all fourteen candidates running in this year’s race have been invited to attend. The first forum took place last Wednesday, May 12, in Auditorium B of the Dreiser Community Center. According to the 2010 Election rules, if a candidate cannot attend the forum, he or she can provide the Election Committee with a reason for the absence, and, with the permission of the candidate, the Chair of the Election Committee may announce that reason to the attendees of the forum. “Once again this year, the Election Committee decided on two Candidates’
Forums to give as many shareholders as possible the opportunity to see and hear from the candidates so that on Wednesday, May 26, they can cast an informed vote,” said Director Bill Gordon, Chair of the Election Committee. “In as much as it is important for the candidates to attend these forums, it is also crucial that shareholders come out to hear from the candidates and ask questions of them.” To publicize the Candidates’ Forums, prominent notices have been placed throughout the community as a reminder to shareholders of the event and its importance. To further increase interest in this year’s election and to help guarantee a quorum on election day, Wednesday, May 26, the Riverbay Board has approved offering (Continued on page 2)
Crowley reports HUD’s final review of revisions to federal 223f loan program possible by June BY ROZAAN BOONE Congressman Joseph Crowley informed Riverbay’s management this week that the pending revisions to the 223f regulation to allow Riverbay Corporation to apply for refinancing
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Officials fight proposed senior center cuts by Bloomberg BY JIM ROBERTS The senior centers at Dreiser and Einstein could be closed later this year unless cuts proposed by Mayor Bloomberg to the city’s Department for the Aging are restored to the city’s new budget for the coming year. However, elected officials, the executive of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA), the agency that operates the centers in Co-op City, and Riverbay’s management are all rallying to stop the cuts from ever happening. A list of 50 senior centers to be closed throughout New York City, prepared by the Department for the Aging (DFTA), includes the Dreiser and Einstein Senior Centers. The Bartow Senior Center would
continue to receive funding from the city. The senior centers in Co-op City are sponsored and operated by JASA and funded by the city. The cuts were proposed by Mayor Bloomberg as part of his fiscal year 2011 budget. The city expects to lose between $6 million to $12 million in state funding for seniors, leading to the proposed closing of the 50 centers that serve 1,600 seniors daily throughout New York City. An official familiar with the department’s budget process indicated that the list of 50 senior centers is a proposal at this point and that no final decisions have been made about which centers (Continued on page 2)
Statement from General Manager Vernon Cooper regarding Wednesday’s hot water service interruption “We would like to sincerely apologize to the shareholders for the delay in the delivery of their hot water service this past Wednesday. The semi-annual repairs are necessary to keep the system
operating efficiently on an around-theclock basis. These repairs only can be performed during the periods that occur (Continued on page 2)
through the federal program is in its final clearance stages at HUD and should be issued by the end of June. The revisions expand the Federal (Continued on page 4)
Department of Buildings: Intensified scrutiny following fatal accident led to closure of specific balconies citywide BY BILL STUTTIG A spokesman from the Department of Buildings confirmed to the Co-op City Times yesterday that a fatal accident in March involving the structural failure of a balcony on a mid-town Manhattan apartment building led to last week’s order to close specific balconies on residential buildings throughout the city. Tony Sclafani, a press spokesperson for the city’s Department of Buildings, said in explaining the recent partial vacate order which has led to the closure of more than
1,000 balconies on seven Co-op City buildings, “Following the tragedy that occurred in March, the Department of Buildings intensified its scrutiny on issues related to building exteriors across the city.” He added that the partial vacate orders pertaining to the balconies of the seven affected buildings in Co-op City, is part a city-wide issue that is not exclusive to Co-op City, but affects buildings and developments throughout the city. The (Continued on page 4)
Burnt Out … A 2002 Nissan Altima parked on the third floor ramp of Garage 2 caught fire and was burnt beyond recognition shortly after 10 a.m., Thursday morning. The Altima was destroyed and another car parked two spaces away had some minor damage. Firefighters closed off Dreiser Loop for more than an hour while it extinguished the blaze. According to Noel Ellison, Riverbay’s Director of Parking Facilities, repairs must be made to the ceiling immediately above the fire. Six spaces near where the fire occurred and three others on the floor directly above the affected area will be closed off temporarily. Temporary lighting has also been set up in the immediate affected area. A Fire Chief on the scene said there were no reports of injuries. Photo by Bill Stuttig