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Huge turnout for lively and focused mayoral candidate debate Vol. 48 No. 34
© Copyright 2013 Co-op City Times
Saturday, August 24, 2013
25¢
BY BILL STUTTIG President Obama cabinet member Adolfo proved that he did his homework before record of service in the past respective Carrion, who is the only one of the six not offices and their history creating jobs and coming to Co-op City specifically menIf any elected official mistakenly running for the Democratic nomination in serving the needs of middle class and tioning his support of the community in believed that Co-op City was no longer working class people. their fight to restore much of the local bus the September 10th Primaries. Carrion will a unified and significant voting force, Weiner, by far the most controversial run as an Independent candidate in the genservice cut in 2010 and his support of they were starkly corrected Monday of the six candidates because of his eral election on November 5th. returning Educational Park to a campus evening when more than 1,500 Co-op Two leading Democratic candidates refusal to leave the race due to personal of schools specifically designed to serve City residents crammed into the Dreiser conspicuous in their absence were City scandals uncovered over the past year, the students and parents of Co-op City as Auditorium to hear how six candidates, it was originally intended. running to be New York City’s Carrion, in his opening statenext Mayor, plan to help the comment said, “Co-op City repremunity if elected. sents the best of who we can be Described by nearly each of the and the aspirations and dreams of candidates who attended as the most the city,” pointing to its success well-attended and focused candidates’ forum yet to be staged anyas an affordable housing opportuwhere in New York City this entire nity for the middle and working election season, residents here heard class for more than four decades. how each candidate would handle a The first question asked of the number of concerns specific to candidates by co-moderator GorCo-op City, as well as city-wide don was what each candidate issues largely on the minds of most would do to improve transportation residents here. services in Co-op City. The forum was co-sponsored by Carrion, the first to answer, Riverbay Corporation, Transit pointed to the unsafe streets and Forward, a transportation services the difficulty to get to and from advocacy group, and the Co-op Co-op City safely by using public City Democratic Club. The club’s transportation, particularly late at President, Shirley Saunders, served night. He pointed specifically to as the co-moderator along with his support as Borough President Riverbay Board President Bill for a Metro North stop in Co-op Gordon. City, and as the other candidates Questions were sent into the Six candidates for New York City Mayor take part in a Mayoral Forum in Dreiser Auditorium Monday did, called for full restoration of organizers by shareholders and evening, August 19th. They are (l. to r.): Adolfo Carrion, Erick Salgado, Anthony Weiner, Sal Albanese, William bus service in the community. organizers then prepared, in some Thompson, and John Liu. Bill Gordon and Shirley Saunders (far right) served as the moderators for the event. Photo by Bill Stuttig (Continued on page 4) cases, a composite of the questions sent in over the last two weeks. Participating candidates included former Council Speaker Christine Quinn and New York City Comptroller William Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Thompson, current New York City Each candidate was given two-minutes Comptroller John Liu, former Congressfor an opening statement to outline their Shareholders have until Tuesday, September 3, to send written comments to the man Anthony Weiner, former City past accomplishments and their vision for New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) about the proposed 1% Councilman Sal Albanese, BroooklynNew York City for the next four years. carrying charge increase scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2013 through based pastor Erick Salgado, and former During their opening statement, each March 31, 2015. Bronx Borough President and former focused on their personal background,
REMINDER: DHCR comment deadline on proposed carrying charge increase
City approves 2 more of Riverbay’s applications for J-51 real estate tax abatements for community-wide improvements BY ROZAAN BOONE Riverbay Corporation received word earlier this week that two more of its applications for J-51 tax credits worth more than $4.6M have been approved by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Barry Zweigbaum of the firm Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP, which was hired to file for the credits, notified Riverbay’s Management this week that HPD approved two more certificates granting real estate tax abatement benefits to Riverbay. Since Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc. became the managing agent of Co-op City, fifteen applications for tax abatement credits have been approved providing Riverbay
with more than $42,000,000 in abatement benefits. As improvements are completed, applications are filed for additional abatement benefits, and additional applications are pending. Riverbay’s Finance Director, Peter Merola, explained that once all of Riverbay’s applications are approved by HPD, the corporation should receive approximately $1.7 million annually in real estate tax abatement credits for the next 10.8 years. “These tax credits will reduce Riverbay Corporation’s real estate taxes for the next 10.8 years and help to keep the carrying (Continued on page 2)
(See page 9 for notice)
Raising a racquet … The children and coaches of the Co-op City Tennis Club raise their racquets in salute of the volunteers, organizers and supporters responsible for another successful summer program. More than 100 Co-op City children between 5 and 18 years old came to the tennis courts each weekday morning this summer to get free tennis instruction mixed in with some tutoring and a reading program that rewarded children for reading books during the course of the summer. Lorraine Rohlson-Alexander, Director and co-founder of the program, recognized her volunteers, coaches and, most importantly, her main financial supporter, City Councilman Andy King. Myishia-Taylor-Myke, Councilman King’s chief of staff, was on hand to accept the program’s gratitude and address and encourage the children during one of the last sessions of the summer. Photo by Bill Stuttig