Co-op City Times 12/28/13 by Co-op City Times

Happy New Year and Happy Kwanzaa from the Co-op City Times!

Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.

Vol. 48 No. 52

Proposed Bartow elevator could be up and running by next fall Work could begin this spring on construction of a new elevator to help cooperators, particularly seniors, who walk through the Bartow Community Center. Unlike the Einstein and Dreiser Community Centers, the Bartow Center, which contains most of the Riverbay administrative offices, never has had an elevator to carry visitors between the first and second levels. The New York City building code in the 1960s did not require an elevator in Bartow, and the original Co-op City developers did not include one in the original construction plans. But the time has come to build one and Riverbay officials are hopeful that the new Bartow elevator could be giving shareholders a lift by next fall. “Because Co-op City is the nation’s largest naturally occurring retirement community, and because we have an aging population, it is becoming more BY JIM ROBERTS

and more difficult for a lot of our residents to go up and down the staircases in Bartow,” said Joe Boiko, Riverbay’s ombudsman and also the manager of the elevator construction project. “Not only is it a struggle for some of our cooperators to go up and down the steps, some of them have their shopping carts as they go to the stores here and they have to maneuver the staircases which can be dangerous,” Boiko said. “Unfortunately, we have had incidents of people falling and getting hurt on the stairs.” Over the last few months, preliminary discussions regarding the proposed Bartow elevator seemed to be leading to an elevator that would have been built outside in the plaza. But the final drawings developed by the engineer for the project have now moved the elevator inside the existing building foyer. (Continued on page 2)

Riverbay New Years’ holiday closings and Co-op City Times deadlines

Riverbay’s administrative offices will operate with full staff until 1 p.m. and with reduced staff until 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31 with the exception of the Rent Bookkeeping office, which will operate with full staff until 5 p.m. because Tuesday will be the last business day of the month. On New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1st, all Riverbay offices and community centers will be closed. On the holiday, Wednesday, shareholders may contact Riverbay at (718) 320-3300, and follow the prompts for emergency maintenance, and the Co-op City Public Safety Department for

MTA finalizing its Co-op City bus study; findings should be released next month

Saturday, December 28, 2013

emergencies at (718) 671-3050, as well as 9-1-1. Because of the holiday shortened work week, Directors’ viewpoints and community organizations’ articles must be submitted on time by their respective deadlines. Club articles are due by 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30 and Directors’ viewpoints are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30. Material submitted after these times will not be considered for publication in the Saturday, January 4, 2014 issue of the Co-op City Times. We wish our readers a happy Kwanzaa and Three Kings celebrations, and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

BY BILL STUTTIG As promised, a comprehensive study of the state of Co-op City’s bus service and the effectiveness of how it meets the current and future needs of the community, its residents and the surrounding expanding commercial development, is now in the process of being finalized, according to a spokesman for the MTA. Responding to an inquiry from the Co-op City Times about the status of the promised study, MTA spokesperson Marisa Baldeo said, “We are in the process of finalizing the study and we expect to share the results next month.” The study was first announced as the

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MTA released its financial plan for the next three years on July 22nd of 2013 stating as part of that public information public release, “In an effort to evaluate the adequacy of existing bus service in Co-op City, NYC Transit and MTA Bus will also be launching a joint bus study. In this study, which is expected to take five months, New York City Transit and MTA Bus will undertake a comprehensive review of existing bus operations and ridership in the vicinity of Co-op City to assess the reliability of existing service and where there may be opportunities for

2013 in Review: January to June (Continued on page 2)

The following is an account of the major events occurring in or affecting Co-op City during the first six months of 2013 as reported by the Co-op City Times. Next week’s issue will feature an account of the second half of 2013. January: 2013 began with a report from Riverbay’s Department of Public Safety which showed that crime was down in Co-op City in most major crime categories including a 39% drop in robberies, a 60% drop in burglaries a 25% drop in auto theft and a 50% drop in criminal mischief. Long-time Co-op City Councilman Larry Seabrook was sentenced to five years in federal prison following his conviction in 2012 on charges related to misappropriations of public funds. Federal judge Deborah Batts, who announced the sentence on January 8, said of the long-time Councilman “Instead of holding himself to a higher fiduciary standard as a Councilman, the defendant held himself above the law.” Prosecutors were hoping for a nine-year-prison term. Seabrook began serving the sentence in March. Early in the afternoon on January 13th, two young men were victimized by a shooting at the rear of Building 28A in Section 5. One of the victims was a Co-op City resident. They were both BY BILL STUTTIG

rushed to Jacobi Medical Center where they were listed in stable condition. On January 16th, more than 1000 residents attended a luncheon hosted by Co-op City’s managing agent to learn about the numerous capital improvement projects made possible by the recent $621.5 million refinancing loan through Wells Fargo Bank and guaranteed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. On the afternoon of January 22nd, a 15-year-old boy brazenly and foolishly tried to hold up the Amalgamated Bank branch at the Bartow Shopping Center by stating to a teller that he had a bomb. The teller handed the boy a bag of cash which also contained dye packs that exploded in the face of the boy as he walked outside the bank and attempted to open the bag, leaving him red faced both literally and figuratively. He dropped the bag of cash and ran towards Asch Loop but was caught by Public Safety and 45th Precinct officers moments later. (Continued on page 3)

Elevator

“We feel there is a very important need to install an elevator in Bartow, so we’ve been working with engineers for the last several months to build an elevator there,” Boiko said. “We’ve had some challenges as to where to build it, but we believe at this point that we have a location.” The new elevator would carry visitors to Bartow from the second level outside the art gallery down to the first level opposite of the current staircase in the front of the Bartow hallway near the main entrance. “We’ll have to open up the floors and ceilings, so it is a big job,” Boiko said. The design documents

MTA study

improved connectivity.” Aside from the press announcement, MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast personally wrote to Bx. Community Board 10 Chairperson John Marano informing him and the Community Board about the planned comprehensive study. Prendergast’s correspondence came as a result of a letter Marano and the Community Board sent to him specifically requesting a full study of the area’s transportation needs, especially in light of the opening of the massive Mall at Bay Plaza in 2014. The estimated time for the completion of the comprehensive study was announced to be five months or by the end of the year which prompted the inquiry by this newspaper as the MTA’s own-stated deadline passed. Assemblyman Mike Benedetto said this week after he was informed that the study would be a month late: “I am quite annoyed that the MTA has not met its own timetable. Now, the citizens of Co-op City must wait a bit longer to hear the results of the study and see if they will finally get the bus serve they deserve. I can only hope that the wait is worth it.” Co-op City General Manager Vernon Cooper said, “We have consistently tried to take proactive steps to encourage the MTA to restore the bus services that impacted the residents of Co-op City. In the past, with the help of elected officials like Assemblyman Benedetto, we’ve been able to meet with representatives of the MTA and other governmental agencies which gave us a forum to express our concerns about the cuts and give reasons for having full service restored, particularly as it relates to how these cut backs impact our elderly residents and our youth, including Access-a Ride for wheel chair bound and other handicapped people. “Therefore we were very pleased to learn that the MTA planned to conduct a survey of the bus routes that connect Co-op City to other parts of the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens; and now the expansion of stores taking place at Bay Plaza, only increases the need for such a survey, because of the additional traffic that the new stores will cause to come into the community. In fact, a MTA survey is in line with requests that we have made to the Department of Transportation, as it relates to additional vehicular traffic in and out of the community, now that new stores are coming to Bay Plaza. “We eagerly await the results of the survey conducted by the MTA and hopefully said survey will help to demonstrate the point that we’ve been trying to make since the bus cuts.” The July announcement of the planned study came at a time—coincidently or not — when the community was loudly voicing its impatience with the MTA regarding its failure to restore bus service that was cut from the community in 2010, reportedly due to the transportation agency’s financial shortfalls at the time. Amidst reports of the agencies improved financial status and the announcement of restored service in other communities, protests began increasing in Co-op City and some of those protests were getting the attention of prominent elected officials and city-wide media. As part of a formal announcement made on July 22nd, two days before the MTA official Board meet-

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013 and bid package has been received from the engineer for the project, and after the state approves the plans, bids will be sought with the final approval then coming from the Riverbay Board of Directors. Boiko said he is hopeful that work can begin in the spring with the project expected to take approximately six to seven months to complete. City Council member Andy King is seeking grant money to partially pay for the project, Boiko said. In addition to the Bartow elevator project, Riverbay is including another elevator job in the bid. The total bid will also include work on the equip-

ment, parts and machinery in the two high-rise elevators in Building 14. Although the cars in those elevators were modernized as part of the overall elevator project done eight years ago, the actual elevator equipment was not upgraded then because of a fire in the motor room. The parts used in those two elevators have now become hard to find and the elevator equipment there needs to be upgraded, Boiko said. “By bidding the Bartow project and the Building 14 equipment for cars 3 and 4 together, we hope to draw more bidders and better pricing,” Boiko said.

ing and a rally of Co-op City residents outside MTA headquarters on Madison Avenue, the MTA announced the study as part of its financial plan. The announcement of the study was met by leaders in Co-op City with skepticism and viewed by some as a smokescreen or a delaying tactic for answering the community’s repeated requests for restoration of service. When told about the skepticism in the community regarding the validity of such a promised study, the MTA released details about the exact nature of the impending study, including: an examination of operational performance which takes in the rate of adherence to posted bus schedules, the quality of service during peak and non-peak hours, the frequency of bus breakdowns, changing patterns in ridership within the community, possible changes to avoid unnecessary transferring, assessing access to key destinations both inside and outside the community and whether riders are reaching these destinations as efficiently as possible, possible areas of the community that are being underserved and lines that are overcrowded signaling a need for greater service. In his letter to the Community Board, the MTA Chairman stated directly “The study will look at nine NYC Transit and MTA Company’s local, express and Select Bus Service routes that serve Co-op City. These are routes that provide internal circulation; connect Co-op City to the rest of the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens and link Co-op City to the NYC Transit subway network. “We will make use of the extensive amount of data recently made available from BusTime, as well as

MetroCard and other sources, to examine many aspects of current bus service, including operations performance and quality of service, ridership patterns and how the current service and schedules match ridership patterns and levels. In sum, all aspects of bus service to Co-op City will be analyzed and all necessary modifications will be recommended.” Aside from the impending release of the MTA study of Co-op City’s bus service, Bronx Transportation Commissioner Constance Moran informed Co-op City General Manager Vernon Cooper last week that the city’s Department of Transportation will be evaluating road conditions in the Co-op City area in need of improvement and that evaluation should be completed by the end of January 2014, about the same time the MTA bus study should be released. In addition, Assemblyman Benedetto announced this week that he is putting together a meeting with the government agencies and commercial developers involved with the impending Mall at Bay Plaza, to try to get answers regarding plans to handle the increased traffic into and out of the Bay Plaza area that will be created when the new Mall opens. The new Mall would more than double the amount of retail space that currently exists in the already congested Bay Plaza shopping center. Benedetto said that he hopes participants at that meeting will include the following agencies and organizations: the State Department of Transportation; the city Department of Transportation; the owners and developers of Bay Plaza, Prestige Properties; Trump Development; Paragon Outlets, and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office.

(Continued from page 1)

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Combing y op Citnext Co-Drive Blood 17th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration

The Coalition of AfricanAmerican Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc. invites the community to attend its 17th Annual Kwanzaa celebration on Saturday, December 28, at 3 p.m. in Room 31, 2049 Bartow Community Center, Bronx, NY. Kwanzaa is the seven-day (December 26-January 1) African celebration of family, community and culture as personified in Africa “First Fruits” or harvest celebrations. Coalition members attending the celebration are requested to bring an offering of a large, main dish of food (no pork, please) or dessert, etc. to share with others. Your attendance and participation are required to make this family/community/cultural festivity a success. There will be a Kwanzaa Ceremony, vendors, dancers, drummers, and the Kwanzaa feast. This event is free.

Bereavement Support Group continues in January

Church of the Savior’s Bereavement Support group for Co-op City residents coping with the loss of a loved one or close friend will take a recess this holiday season and pick up its regular weekly meeting schedule on Monday, January 6th. Members in need of counseling during the recess period are asked to call the Rev. Dr. Robert Smith at 1917-504-4058.

Jubilee Day Celebration

The NAACP Co-op City Branch invites the community to attend its Jubilee Day Celebration on Saturday, January 14, at 2 p.m. This event will be hosted by the Church of the New Vision located at 115 Einstein Loop North, Bronx, NY. This is a FREE event open to the community. Refreshments will be served and a free-will offering will be taken. Jubilee Day commemorates the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves from bondage. Your attendance is required to make this family/community/cultural celebration a success.

Year in Review

That same week, the Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced that St. Mary’s School on City Island, attended by hundreds of Co-op City children, was one of 22 elementary schools being closed by the diocese at the end of the school year. Co-op City parents who sent their children to the school were forced to find a new school for their children to attend in September. In late January, Riverbay received the final $600,000 payment of the $2 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority which was awarded to Co-op City for the installation of new energy efficient equipment in the co-generation plant. A letter from the city’s Public Advocate Bill de Blasio to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection questioned the department’s policy of forcing the community to undergo extensive asbestos abatement procedures and air monitoring at an annual cost of nearly $4 million for the residents here. De Blasio, who later in 2013 would be elected Mayor of New York City, wrote to DEP Commissioner Brendan Sexton, “I remain concerned that on the basis of inadequate evidence, the Department of Environmental Protection has placed onerous and unnecessary obligations on the tens of thousands of Coop City residents.” February: A relatively mild winter thus far ended in early February as the first major snow storm of the season hit on the second weekend in February. Riverbay began training employees in the installation of Ground Fault Interrupters and smoke detectors in compliance with HUD’s requirement for each Co-op City home to be outfitted with them within a year. By the end of this year, most of the work was completed, the majority of it by Riverbay employees working extra hours. Alert neighbors who noticed they had not seen their elderly neighbor for several days and newspapers piling up outside her door called Public Safety who then quickly entered the home to find an elderly woman lying on the floor in desperate need of medical attention. The calls from the attentive neighbors definitely saved the woman’s life, Public Safety officials said. In mid-February, Riverbay announced plans to begin a new repair procedure whereby a supervisor would be assigned responsibility for each case where shareholders reported that repairs were done incompletely or unsatisfactorily. The new program was designed to speed up the process by which home repairs would be completed effectively to the satisfaction of the

2nd shareholder. In late February, Riverbay met with merchants to hear their concerns regarding sharp increases in New York City’s commercial property taxes. On February 22nd, a resident of Building 18 was pulled from his home by firefighters responding a heavy smoke condition in the apartment. The resident, who was found unconscious, was taken to Jacobi Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Because of the quick response, the man’s life was saved and fire damage was contained to the affected apartment. The Bronx District Attorney’s office and Riverbay announced a strengthening of their working relationship in striving to have the owners of Co-op City homes where drug trafficking has been known and proven to take place evicted from the community in a timely manner. Over the past few years this relationship has resulted in having several drug traffickers and their associates removed from the community. Long-time Co-op City resident Eloise McDaniel Bailey received the honor of being named to her former South Carolina high school’s Hall of Fame 60 years after she was part of that school’s successful girls’ basketball team season of 1953. March: A Bronx man was stabbed twenty times in an altercation believed to have been started at a party in a Building 1 apartment early in the morning on March 3rd. The victim was discovered in a stairwell by Public Safety officers and rushed to Jacobi Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and released. At the same time, 45th Precinct investigators rounded up all 31 guests at the house party and brought them in to the stationhouse for questioning. Two days later, a suspect was arrested in Co-op City and charged with the violent assault. On March 8th, the day before we were to move our clocks ahead one hour for spring and Daylight Savings Time, Co-op City and the entire region was hit with a surprise late season snow storm dumping more than eight inches of the white stuff. On March 14th, attorneys for Riverbay and two elevator companies under contract to Riverbay reached an out-of-court agreement to expedite badly needed repairs on two of the community’s out-of service elevators and complete the due maintenance on 18 other elevators in danger of also being placed out-of-service. The settlement ended a legal battle over which company was responsible for the repairs that resulted in delayed repairs and shareholders doing without full (Continued from page 1)

FRONT PA G E

elevator service in two buildings for several weeks. The two long out-ofservice elevators were back running within a week. On March 20th, the Riverbay Board of Directors unanimously approved a 1% carrying charge increase to begin in October with no increase for the following fiscal year. In September, the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal would approve the Board’s recommendation and the slight carrying charge increase took effect as scheduled in October. A transformer failure in Building 10 caused an electrical feeder serving nine buildings and portions of three townhouse clusters to trip off line for approximately two hours during the overnight hours early on March 19th. The petition period for the Riverbay Board of Directors elections began in mid-March and 14 candidates picked up petitions by the end of the first week. By the end of the petition period 17 candidates had announced their intention for run for the Board of Directors, including all five eligible incumbents. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was the guest of honor at a town hall meeting for seniors held on March 28th in Dreiser Community Center. Quinn, who was running for the Democratic nomination for Mayor addressed the gathering of more than 300 but left before the community received the chance to ask her some questions. April: In the first in a series of events involving Coop City increasing the pressure on the MTA to restore its lost bus service, in early April State Assemblyman Mike Benedetto cited an increase of $358 million in New York State allocations to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the State’s budget, and personally wrote to the then Acting Chairman of the MTA, Fernando Ferrer, and requested that Co-op City receive its fair share of the increased funds in the form of restoration to much of the service which was cut from the community in 2010. The $358 million, which is a 9% increase in state allocations provided to the MTA in the previous year according to Benedetto’s office, was actually $40 million more than the MTA was expecting to receive. Tireless police work and the uniting of the resources of the 45th Precinct and Co-op City Public Safety Department led to the arrest of a Co-op City resident suspected of murdering another man by shooting him four times in the head late on the evening of April 6th near Dreiser Loop. A former Co-op City resident who lived in the Baychester community was found dead in the middle of the street with four bullet wounds in his head near the (Continued on page 4)

Year in Review

intersection of Dreiser Loop and DeFoe Place shortly before 10 p.m. The heinous and cold blooded nature of the assassination-type murder sent shock waves through the community and the city while it propelled both departments into an around-the-clock effort to try to quickly find the dangerous individual who could commit such a crime. By mid-week the suspect was brought in, questioned and then charged with the murder. Despite an “A” rating from the city’s Department of Education in 2012 and wide array of specialized programs and college and career-oriented courses of study, Harry S Truman High School continued to be severely underutilized by the community which hosts the school, Co-op City. Students coming from Co-op City only represent about 15% of the nearly 1800 students enrolled at the school, according to the school’s longtime principal Sana Nasser and that creates a number of problems for both the school and the community. In midApril Nasser announced a campaign to recruit more of the community’s students to the local high school. On April 17th, a Board resolution calling for creation of a search committee to seek proposals from management companies and/or general manager candidates was soundly defeated with a majority of the Board arguing that such a resolution was premature. Sixteen shareholders who returned their qualifying petitions to compete in the 2013 Riverbay Board of Directors election to fill five seats were officially certified by the Riverbay Election Committee on Tuesday night, April 23, at the candidates’ certification meeting. At meetings held in April and on its website, the city Department of Transportation (DOT) detailed its intention to add bicycle lanes to Bartow Avenue and Co-op City Blvd., while taking away one lane of traffic in each direction of both thoroughfares. Citing a high rate of serious traffic accidents on Bartow Avenue in the Co-op City vicinity and a high rate of speed by drivers regularly using Co-op City Blvd., the DOT maintained, in its online presentation and at community meetings, that adding a bike lane and reducing the number of traffic lanes on both thoroughfares – which surround three-quarters of Co-op City – would calm traffic, reduce the rate of speed and reduce the number of serious traffic accidents particularly on Bartow Avenue. Riverbay officials, while agreeing to the bicycle lanes along Co-op City Blvd., protested that taking away a lane of traffic on Bartow Avenue will exacerbate the existing traffic congestion during busy shopping times. As a result, DOT installed the bicycle lanes on Co-op City Blvd. but postponed the work on Bartow Avenue. May: At a management forum on May 1, it was announced that the modernization of the community’s shopping and community centers would be the next major recapitalization effort for Co-op City. Herb Freedman of Marion Scott Real Estate Inc. said at that meeting

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013 (Continued from page 3)

“The next major thrust that we have to do is to bring our community centers into the 21st Century. They look like they exist in a time warp – they look like they are in the 1950s. We also have vacant land that is available for development and it could be used,” Freedman said. Riverbay Public Safety commander Chief Frank Apollo was one of four distinguished community leaders from throughout the 45th Precinct service area to be honored by the precinct’s Community Council at its annual breakfast held on May 8, at Villa Barone Manor in Throggs Neck. With the opening of the new 780,000 square foot Mall at Bay Plaza projected to be a little more than a year away, project managers for the New York State Thruway Authority presented plans for a greatly expanded exit 11 off of I-95 to allow traffic to flow into the new mall parking areas and not tie up traffic on I-95. While many of the Co-op City leaders in attendance welcomed news of the expanded entrance, the consensus expressed at the meeting was that much more needs to be done, particularly in the area of getting traffic leaving the mall directly onto the highways without impacting the Co-op City community. General Manager Vernon Cooper said after the meeting, “The plan that was presented at the meeting by the State of New York transportation officials was woefully shortsighted in terms of addressing how the additional traffic that will be coming into and out of Bay Plaza will affect existing traffic. What about the difficulty motorists will have getting back on to I-95 and why was there no consideration for the Hutchinson River Parkway, why is there no plan to increase access to and from that parkway for motorists that will shop in the mall?” Co-op City residents facing a 1% carrying charge increase over the next two years, were told that throughout the rest of New York City the average cost of housing for rent stabilized apartments is expected to rise 9.5% in the same time period. Three of the five incumbents running for reelection to the Riverbay Board of Directors were successful in their bid. Helen Atkins, who served as the President of the Board for the past three years, was the top vote getter followed by Bernard Cylich and Andrea Leslie. Bill Gordon, a Board Director in previous years, regained a seat after a 12-month absence from the Board. Leslie Peterson was elected to the Board for the first time. May ended with the community’s annual Memorial Day ceremony in Harley J. Mosley Veterans Memorial Park which featured an unexpected guest speaker this year, controversial Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, which took some of the attention away from the day’s main purpose, honoring veterans who gave their lives in service to this country. On May 29th, more than one thousand Co-op City residents attended a

pair of forums in Dreiser Center at which scores of elected officials demanded that the MTA restore the bus service it cut from Co-op City in 2010. June: At an open board meeting on June 5th at which the newly elected Board Directors were sworn in and seated, one of those new Directors, Bill Gordon, was elected President by a consensus of his colleagues. Long-time Co-op City residents Robin and James Miller released a new book on art and works which detailed their journey into African culture and history and the personal revelations it produced. Work to install GFI outlets and smoke detectors in each Co-op City home, as per the requirements of HUD under its new loan guarantee, began in mid-June in Building 1 through 6. By the end of the year, the bulk of the community had the newly required safety equipment in their homes. Riverbay Public Safety Department

began training 22 new officers over a nine-week period. They were deployed as part of an approximate 100-officer force by September. To prevent the kind on long-term, wide-spread deterioration of Co-op City garages that necessitated the closing and reconstruction of five of the garages a decade ago, on June 18th, Riverbay began implementing a long-term garage surface cleaning and maintenance program beginning with Garage 8 in Section 5. Demand for Co-op City homes seemed to be at its strongest point in the community’s 40 year history as it was revealed at the end of June that there were only seven Co-op City apartments that were unassigned and unoccupied and not in the process of sale and turnover. In total 287 units were vacant but 280 of them were in one of several stages of sale and turnover. Co-op City along with the Transport Workers Union began planning a massive rally outside MTA headquarters in Manhattan in July to protest the MTA’s apparent refusal to restore some of the lost bus service to the community despite numerous requests from the community and its leaders and reports of significant financial recovery for the massive state supervised transit agency.

If You See Something, SAY SOMETHING!!! Co-op City Public Safety - 718-671-3050

CO-OP CITY FOOT CARE CENTER SECTION 5 • BUILDING 29C 4240 HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY EAST

(718) 671-2233 DR. LOUIS JACOBS, DIRECTOR ALL FOOT CONDITIONS TREATED The in-office surgical correction of BUNIONS • HAMMERTOES • INGROWN TOENAILS PAINFUL CORNS and CALLOUSES The treatment of traumatic foot injuries, heel spurs, bursitis and arthritis of the joints of the feet, toenail and skin infections, as well as other conditions.

Most Union and Insurance Plans Accepted. HIP CMO (Montefiore) Health Plan Accepted. We participate in Postal Workers, Mail Handlers, Letter Carriers, Verizon Workers, 1199, GHI, Blue Shield, Empire Plan, Medicare, Travelers, United Health Care and many other union and major medical plans. Se Habla Español MEDICARE ACCEPTED • HOUSE CALLS BY APPOINTMENT

Diabetic Patients with Medicare may be eligible for shoes.

Asbestos Abatement Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

In the New Year, there are several ongoing issues that we must make every effort to address and the issue of conducting asbestos abatement every time we remove old, worn or damaged wood floor tiles inside apartments here in Riverbay must be placed high up on the list. As everyone knows, the asbestos is in the original glue that is applied to hold wood floor tiles in place. The asbestos does not become friable as a result of replacing or removing floor tiles and in fact would have to be burned at extremely high temperatures in order to separate from the glue. Therefore the asbestos abatement that we have been conducting since 2004, every time we touch these floor tiles, is a major unnecessary expense to the housing company and you its shareholders, and causes an undue hardship, given the fact that we must hire asbestos containing material handlers to rip up and discard this material, along with independent air monitors to test the air in and around these work areas during the abatement process, in compliance with policies and procedures established by the City of New York’s Department of Environmental Protection. As we’ve reported to the community many times before, we have easily conducted 800,000 to 900,000 tests over the last 10 years and have never had a test fail due to air borne asbestos. This factor prompted the housing company to sue the City of New York for the expense incurred by Riverbay to have this work done on an ongoing basis which includes reimbursement for the millions of dollars paid out to contractors and consultants in order to comply with this law, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to the City of New York for permits to conduct this work. In fact, the housing company pays approximately $42,000 each year to the City of New York for the approval to have this abatement work conducted by way of permits, in addition to the fees assessed to the housing company for the variance we are granted, associated with this work. Permits have to be filed and paid for on an annual basis and the variance we receive must be filed on a semi-annual basis. Unfortunately, every time we file for a new variance we are subject to more scrutiny and additional

Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc.

Management Corner

restrictions from the City of New York. When we filed for a new variance this month, we were told by a D.E.P. representative that we would have to install the new floor tiles immediately after the asbestos abatement work is done, while the containment center was still up and in place. Doing both jobs at the same time is virtually impossible, with the exception of those jobs where only small sections of floors need to be replaced, which is what we already do as much as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to cooperators. The reason why we would not be able to comply with this directive is because the process of removing the old tiles includes the use of chemicals that wet the floor in order to facilitate the removal of the old tile and to keep down the amount of dust and debris associated with the removal process. In addition on large jobs, doing this work all at the same time would dramatically decrease how many jobs can be done on the same day and most importantly, this change would mean that only the licensed ACM Handlers would be able to install the new floors which would further increase the expense to the housing company by paying the outside contractor to do this work. Our consultants from McCabe Environmental met with the D.E.P. regarding this matter to explain the problems that this change presents and although the D.E.P. representatives have moved off of this position, they are still insisting that, going forward, some type of plastic covering be placed over the work area, after the old tiles are removed and until the new tiles are laid down the next day. We are concerned about this process for several reasons, one is that the change must come back to the Board for approval because it is not presently part of the asbestos abatement company’s scope of work; secondly, we are concerned about the flooring surface now being slippery when you try to walk over it. It is our intention to meet with representatives of the D.E.P. at the beginning

Building 17 Laundry Room Closure Due to a fire in a dryer in the Building 17 laundry room yesterday, the laundry room will be closed until noon today to allow for needed clean-up. Thank you for your understanding and patience. —Management

Basic STAR registration deadline is Tuesday, December 31

Co-op City shareholders who receive Basic STAR (School Tax Relief Exemption) are reminded that the deadline to register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in order to receive the credit in 2014 and in subsequent years is Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Register at the New York State Taxation and Finance Department’s website at www.tax.ny.gov, or by calling the department at (518) 457-2036, Mondays to Fridays, 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

of the New Year to address these concerns, along with our attorney and our elected officials if need be. In fact, we are looking to set up a meeting with representatives from the Mayor’s office along with elected officials as soon as possible to discuss this matter as well as several other issues that actually were presented to our newly elected Mayor as well as other candidates last year when they first came to Co-op City to announce their intention to enter the Mayoral race. We will keep the community informed of our progress regarding this matter. Items to discuss with the new Mayor Some of the other items discussed with Mr. de Blasio last year included the following: Water reclamation project – We use approximately 300,000 to 500,000 gallons of City water each day in our power plant cooling towers. We also have two NYC DEP waste pumping stations in close proximity to the power plant. We would like to take raw waste water, treat it and then re-use in the cooling towers instead of fresh potable water. This process is common in other parts of the country including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is not currently done in NYC and would be groundbreaking with a huge financial benefit to Co-op City as well as the City

5 of New York. Recycle Material — We collect our own garbage and recycle materials from 35 high rise buildings and seven clusters of town houses, we bring it to a central dump where we compact the raw garbage and then Sanitation Department collects from one location, saving the City of New York millions of dollars in costs of labor and equipment, at the expense of Riverbay residents. There is a bill before the Council to require that recycle materials be given to the City of New York. Riverbay should be exempt from this requirement given the cost the housing company bears to run our own garbage collection facility. Bay Plaza Mall – Expansion means additional traffic in and out of Co-op City; we have submitted several letters to the Bronx Department of Transportation requesting that a study be conducted to determine what changes are needed to support the additional vehicular and pedestrian traffic as a result of the expansion, including the additional means to leave the shopping mall by way of the Hutchinson River Parkway, so as to minimize the amount of traffic that must go through the development just to exit the Bay Plaza Mall. As always we will keep the community informed of our progress in these matters.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Letter to the Editor

Why the Bulk Cable sale failed

To the Editor, The bulk cable sale process was bad from the start. What should happen now is the Board should direct Riverbay to write a RFP (Request for Proposal) containing the minimum thing a cable provider must supply to the shareholders, and to Riverbay. And Riverbay should do the following: Distribute it to all qualified cable providers; Analyze all responses, and create a table of pros and cons for each cable provider; Pick the best two or three proposals and publish the pros and cons of each proposal

in the Co-op City Times; Create a shareholder voting process for issue that the Board of Directors requests shareholders to approve; Possibilities are to add the proposal to the shareholder’s rent statement and request them to mark and return; Add the proposal to the ballot for shareholder directors; Riverbay shall negotiate with the winner of the vote to see if the cable providers will change those items that the Riverbay analysis considers a con or negative; Riverbay shall provide to all directors a complete copy of the winning proposal prior to their voting on it;

During the process the Co-op City Times editorial staff shall take no position or support one proposal over another; The Directors and Riverbay should either put up or shut up when it comes to Verizon deploying FiOS. And the Board should pass a resolution something like this: “The Shareholders of Co-op City request that Verizon wire Coop City for FiOS. Riverbay is directed to begin negotiations to assist Verizon in this deployment, and for ancillary services required by Riverbay. Riverbay is directed to provide the same services it currently provides to other cable providers.” —Bruce Gitelson

RIVERBAY HOLIDAY PARKING RATES

Holiday Parking Will Be Available On:

DECEMBER 31ST

The Reduced Rate of $5 Will Apply Between the Hours of 12 p.m. and 6 a.m. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

If you see something, say something! Call Public Safety at 718-671-3050

Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. (718) 320-3300, ext. 3375 cctimes@riverbaycorp.com

Derek Alger

Director of Communications

Rozaan Boone Editor-in-Chief

Bill Stuttig

Associate Editor

Jim Roberts

Business Manager

Jennifer Piovanetti Operations Manager

Ralph Henriquez

Production Manager

The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, not to third parties. All letters must be handsigned by the writers and include their addresses and phone numbers, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the authors. Writers will be limited to one letter per topic. And to give everyone a chance, we will limit writers to one published letter every 30 days. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be in the Co-op City Times office in Room 21, Bartow Community Center, by 3 p.m. every Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Views and opinions expressed in letters and Directors’ Viewpoint are solely the writer’s, and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp. Advertisements and classified advertisements in the Co-op City Times do not necessarily reflect an endorsement from Riverbay Corporation of goods and services, but present greater options to cooperators of products and services available. The Riverbay Corporation does not assume any responsibility nor is it a party to any contract or agreement between the cooperator and the vendor. All matter published herein is copyrighted by the Co-op City Times. Permission for reprints of advertising or editorial contents produced by the Co-op City Times must be obtained in writing from Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Ave., Bronx, New York 10475.

If the Co-op City Times Was Not Delivered: Call 646.261.1761 or 347-439-5632 on Saturdays ONLY, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Letters!

Send us your

Important Notice to Shareholders of Building 7

Article SIXTH of your Occupancy Agreement provides, in part, that your lease automatically renews for an additional three (3) year period. You need to do nothing if you want your lease to extend for another three (3) year period. If you will be moving out at the end of your lease, notify Riverbay, in writing, Attention: Sales Support Office, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475, ninety (90) days prior to lease expiration.

Co-op City Times

Building 7

Current Lease Expiration Date

New 3 yr. Expiration Date

120 DeKruif Place

March 31, 2014

March 31, 2017

s r Edito City Timee. Co-opBartow Av 5 2049 , NY 1047 Bronx

email: cctimes@riverbaycorp.com

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Public Safety Report

Juvenile Reports prepared by Public Safety Officers for offenses committed by persons under the age of 16

BY LIEUTENANT PAM APOLLO

Officers of the Co-op City Department of Public Safety are authorized to prepare Juvenile Reports when offenses of the law are committed by persons at least seven years of age but less than sixteen years of age. The Juvenile Report is a New York City Police Department form which is utilized when certain types of offenses are committed by persons under the age of 16. Preparation of the Juvenile Report takes the place of an arrest for all Violations and some Misdemeanors. When a Juvenile Report is issued it is forwarded to the Youth Officer at the 45th Precinct. The Youth Officer at the 45th Precinct determines what type of follow up is required. Parents of the child are often contacted to monitor future activity. The Juvenile Report can start the process of intervention before serious delinquent activity begins. When a child is taken into custody for the issuance of a Juvenile Report the parents of the child are notified. It becomes necessary for the parent to respond to Public Safety Headquarters with identification to pick up the child. In the event that the child is truant from school, the school is also contacted. School Safety is notified and the child is returned to school. After school hours if the parent cannot be reached, the child is transported to a Juvenile Detention facility. A Co-op City Community Complaint is also issued when the child is a Co-op City resident and the offense was committed within the confines of Co-op City. The Co-op City Community Complaint carries a monetary fine and can be added to the monthly carrying charges. Subsequent violations result in increased fines. Multiple violations can lead to eviction. This helps to maintain a high quality of life and low crime rate within the community. Juvenile Reports are often issued for fighting during the school arrival and departure times. The officers of the Co-op City Department of Public Safety are strategically placed adjacent to the schools for the purpose of protecting the life and property of the residents of Co-op City. Students are directed to walk directly home or promptly board the bus to return home. Parents of school age children should encourage children to respond home without delay and refrain from engaging in fighting while on the way to and from school. Engaging in activities such as snowball throwing often escalates to fighting or other violence. Parents should also make sure students are always in possession of the proper bus pass or Metrocard for boarding the bus. Any theft or loss of bus pass should be reported immediately in order that a replacement can be issued. Children should be directed never to board the buses from the rear door. This act is dangerous and also illegal. It is always important for cooperators to call the Department of Public Safety when they observe any

Co-op City Department of Public Safety (718) 671-3050 www.ccpd.us If you SEE something, SAY something!

suspicious activity, especially during school arrival and dismissal times. Youths observed fighting or attempting to enter the buildings for the purpose of loitering should be reported immediately. Don’t forget, the Department of Public Safety has a lost and found for keys and eyeglasses located at our office at 2049 Bartow Avenue, lower level. Just this week three cooperators were reunited with their property. If you find keys or eyeglasses bring them to Public Safety. Be sure to check here if you are missing these items as well. Don’t forget to use up any money you have left in Flexible Spending Accounts for 2013. Schedule any end of the year medical appointments for the coming week if necessary. In New York State the Expanded “Move Over” law has been in effect since January 1, 2012. This law makes it a violation to fail to move over a lane when approaching a service vehicle such as a tow truck or a stopped emergency vehicle with or without its warning lights on. This violation carries a fine of up to $150.00 and up to two points on your license. The purpose of this law is to protect emergency responders and other service vehicles. This year Co-op City Department of Public Safety has joined City Harvest in its crusade to provide food to the hungry. Collection bins have been set up in all 3 community centers by Public Safety’s Sgt. Nat Diaz. The circular bins are white and gold in color and can be found next to the elevators on the lower level of the Dreiser and Einstein community centers as well as the Public Safety Base next to the Administration Offices at Bartow Avenue. There is24

hour access to the last location. Please donate non perishable items which are not expired. While picking up your holiday items select a few items for those less fortunate. City Harvest picks up the donations and delivers them to those in need. Collection bins will be in place until January 10, 2014. The Co-op City Department of Public Safety is happy to be teaming up with City Harvest, an organization which helps to keep one million at-risk New Yorkers from going hungry. If donating cash is easier or you would like more information, contact City Harvest. Call 1-800-77-HARVEST or visit www.city harvest.org/. In addition to this food drive, City Harvest also rescues unused food from stores and restaurants and delivers it to those in need. Donations are needed year round for this excellent program. The Co-op City Department of Public Safety would like everyone to remain safe this winter. Be sure to drive safely and anticipate changing road conditions. Avoid driving in bad weather if possible. Never drive if you have been drinking. Avoid distractions such as texting or talking on a cell phone, these are the leading causes of accidents in New York State. Look out for cyclists, pedestrians and school buses. If you see anything suspicious, notify the proper authorities. Always remember, if you see something, say something. Call 911 and the Department of Public Safety at (718) 671-3050 or online at www.ccpd.us. Callers may remain anonymous when giving information. See page 8 for Public Safety Blotter

2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475 • 718-320-3300

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY

Tell your friends, relatives and employers about: CONTRACT SUMMARY

Contract P562, Purchase of Hollow & Kalamein Doors Bids Due: January 7, 2014

Contract P563, High Voltage Room Doors & Frames Bids Due: January 7, 2014

For information on CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ONLY, please contact: Lenya Garcia at Lgarcia@riverbay corp.com; AND Barbara Penn at Bpenn@riverbaycorp.com. Please note that emails should be sent to both parties. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Open to all applicants December 27, 2013 – January 10, 2014 Originally posted: December 27, 2013 Job Reference # 13-57

Painter/Plasterer_______Buildings & Grounds Under the supervision of a Janitorial supervisor, selected candidate will perform several duties such as painting, priming, scraping, plastering, spackling and general maintenance in assigned internal and external areas of the Residential Buildings and/or Shopping Centers. Applicant will also need to respond to other assignments from supervisor(s) as necessary. Candidate must have knowledge and experience with all painting and plastering procedures, tech-

niques and equipment; previous contractor experience is a plus. Applicant must possess effective written/oral communication, in English and good interpersonal skills. The ability to follow detailed instructions and work independently is a requisite. Candidate must be capable of maintaining a safe and clean work area as required. Ability to walk for long periods, twist, kneel, push, stoop, lift heavy objects (approx. 50 lbs) and work in inclement weather. Days and Hours may vary. Selected candidate must successfully complete interview/selection process as well as pre-employment screening (driver license review; urinalysis; criminal background check; verification of previous employment)

Applicants for EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES must apply IN PERSON at the Bartow Administrative Office, located at 2049 Bartow Avenue, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. *Riverbay Corporation is an equal opportunity employer*

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Public Safety Blotter, November 27 - December 14, 2013

December 14, 2440 Hunter Avenue A male reported to CCPD that two unknown males assaulted him and fled the area. An investigation is ongoing into this incident. The victim suffered a minor injury as a result December 12, 100 Elgar Place CCPD officers responded to a report of persons loitering in the stairwells. Upon arrival, the officers located three males who could not provide a legitimate reason for being at the location. All three were arrested and charged with trespass. Two of the males also had outstanding warrants for their arrest and were remanded to the Bronx Central Booking as a result. December 11, 100 Debs Place CCPD officers responded to this location to assist a male in retrieving belongings. However, once on the floor, the male became disorderly, yelling and screaming. When officers

ordered the man to cease his actions, he became more belligerent and, as a result, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. December 10, 100 Casals Place A male was arrested by CCPD officers after he apparently assaulted another male. He was also found to have a box cutter and marijuana in his possession. He was charged accordingly. December 08, 131 Einstein Loop Two males entered a store and became embroiled in a dispute with an employee. The males allegedly made threats against him. As a result, the two males were prohibited by the store manager from being able to patronize the establishment. If they enter therein again, the males will be subject to arrest for trespass. December 06, Co-op City Boulevard and Dreiser Loop A resident of Building 5 was

attempting to cross the street when she was struck and fatally wounded by an MTA bus. The street was cordoned off while the NYCPD Highway Patrol conducted an accident investigation. December 06, Elgar Place and Einstein Loop A woman crossing the street at this location was sideswiped by a bus causing injury to her hip area. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for further treatment. December 04, 120 Erdman Place CCPD officers found a male possessing a marijuana cigar. The male was issued a summons and released. November 28, 99 Bellamy Loop CCPD officers responded to a report by a garage attendant that a patron was refusing to pay. Upon arrival, the patron became further belligerent abandoning her car at the entrance and refused instructions to move her vehicle to

allow other patrons access. Upon further investigation, it was also determined the woman had just left a bar and was apparently driving while intoxicated. CCPD officers arrested the woman for driving under the influence and the vehicle was impounded and vouchered. She was also charged with disorderly conduct for blocking vehicular traffic. November 27, 620 Baychester Ave. A female visitor to this location had an apparent disagreement with the male she was visiting. As a result, the male asked her to leave. The female refused and yelled and screamed at the male, disturbing his neighbors. To avoid escalation and to terminate the problem, CCPD officers were called. Upon arrival, officers learned what occurred and then instructed the woman she had to leave. After repeated warnings, the officers arrested the woman and charged her with trespass.

Assemblyman Michael Benedetto hosting New Year’s Day coffee meeting for constituents

Assemblyman Benedetto will be at Scott Place Café at 3604 East Tremont Ave. on Tuesday, January 1 from 9 a.m. until noon. The Assemblyman, from the 82nd District, will be chatting with everyone and anyone who stops by the café and has an issue they want to discuss or wants to just stop by and say hello. “I’m inviting my constituents to come

and have some coffee, have a danish. Let’s break bread and start the New Year off in a nice, easy, casual way,” Benedetto said. “Let’s say hello to each other and wish each other a Happy New Year.” Assemblyman Benedetto expects school-related issues to top the morning agenda. “Education is on the minds of a

lot of people, because next to safe and clean community, people are very concerned about the schools in their community,” Benedetto said. “And it’s one of the things that binds a community together. But we’ll certainly talk about anything people want to bring up. We’re in tough economic times.” Benedetto’s offices are located above

the coffee shop. “It’s a wonderful location,” he said. “I figure why not bring people to this wonderful spot, which is almost perfect for what I have envisioned as a nice, casual morning social event.” Anyone who plans to spend New Year’s Eve celebrating, the event will run until noon, permitting everyone a few extra hours of sleep.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Too many complainers and not enough problem solvers Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

It's the Saturday after Christmas and Director’s Viewpoint cal propaganda in the year. City residents are welcome to join and partake in the soon we will be entering a new year. I Until then, I hope this coming activities of this organization which celebrates the culhope all my friends and neighbors, and Tuesday everyone has a great ture of the African nation of Ghana. For information, all cooperators had an opportunity to and safe New Year's Eve celcall Seth Osei-Fosu at 518-961-0099 or 347-773Second Vice President enjoy themselves and be grateful for ebration as we enter 2014. 3499. what we have. We faced some turbulent times but It has recently come to my attention that the Thank you once again for your enthusiastic have successfully traveled through the tenacity of the NAACP Day Care Center in Section 5 will be closing response to our call for donations to benefit the village rough water. Many others in the world, too many to its doors in January after being an invaluable resource of Abetifi-Kwahu in Ghana. The Black Forum of mention, are not as fortunate as we are. Certain to this community for the last 28 years. For the sake of Co-op City is still collecting donations of light clothimprovements are needed in Co-op City, but for the the parents and children it serves, I believe that the ing, school supplies, kitchen utensils, shopping bags, life of me, I don't know why some feel a need to make Board needs to sit down in the very near future and try cooking oil, paper goods, hand sanitizer, bottled water, special effort to seek out things to complain about, and to find a way to keep this long-standing community first aid supplies, and other non-perishables. For furmuch of the time without knowing all the facts. day care center open. ther information, please call (718) 320-8035. By now, I predict all the hoopla and screaming, and Congratulations to Co-op City’s newest community Give me a shout, call me at (718) 320-8035, or amazing conspiracy theories about Cablevision are organization, the Ghanaian Association of Co-op City email me at tonyshome10475@gmail.com -- no over. The vote, which I strongly felt never should have which began meeting on December 21st. All Co-op attachments, please. Happy New Year. taken place the way it was set up, is over, and I believe that it will come nowhere close to getting the necessary votes from shareholders in favor of a five-year plan, so everything will stay just the way it was. On the other hand, I think we should pressure Cablevision to give us a lower price like the triple play packages offered in Manhattan, One thing I am concerned about is the way management reacts to cooperators and community groups. Too many times, the most harsh action is taken without trying to make any attempt to solve specific problems. I think it's pretty remarkable that management could successfully complete a window replacement program in every building, and yet, many times, seem to forget real human beings live behind the bricks and mortar in this community. I know Rome wasn't built in a day but I believe some may screw up once and are never forgiven like others were, and are forced to live with a guillotine over their head. I've always found we, as Directors, could accomplish a lot more by expressing our opinions in as truthful and objective manner as possible. Excessive negativity and statements bordering the line of truth have never come close to convincing me of anything. However that seems to be the only way some can Business Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm & Sun 10am-7:30pm operate around here. If everything is so bad here, I can't help wondering, why are these people who complain, still living here year after year, especially when some easily have the money to move out and a place to go? It's beyond me. I have never been with this side or that side, or any side. I try to remain on my side, which I believe is the right side. I sincerely wish more people would use a critical faculty concerning Co-op City, and what's best for the community, without running out and playing follow the leader while not giving any thought to what's really going on. But enough of that; this is supposed to be a happy and joyous time of year. I hope it doesn't continue but there's plenty of time for negativity and excess politi-

Tony Illis

Grand Opening

We cordially invite the residents of Co-op City to 1750 E. Gun Hill Road

We have Special Beauty Products & Human Hair, Wigs with LOW Prices!

Building 17 Association

Dear Neighbors & Friends of Building 17, the Executive Board would like to extend thanks to everyone for their support in Building projects for the past year such as the food & toy drive for the needy and also for their great participation with the raffle and the decoration of the lobby. Congratulations to all raffle winners. Hats off to the 15th floor for the continuing spirit with their decorations - job well done! Again we thank all porters, maintenance and lobby attendants for their dedication and service for the Building. Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and safe holiday and looking forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting. Remember: If everyone did a little no one would have to do a lot. —James Payne

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

12 First let me say I wish all a Happy Holiday and Prosperous, Healthy New Year. I have recently returned from vacation and was glad to read that the forums were well attended. My wish is that we show the same interest in other community concerns. Upon my return I have been reading a great deal of misleading information. There are industry standard ways of doing things. In most companies and professions there is a set of guidelines that have been established as a result of trial and error. State and now federal guidelines will rule how something can be performed. When all is said and done there is a rhyme and reason along with legal ramifications that dictate why we proceed in one direction or another. A very Happy New Years to our Co-op City families, friends, merchants, and especially our new residents. We wish everyone a healthy, prosperous, and wonderful 2014. May all your resolutions and dreams come true. Remember to be safe and have a designated driver if you plan on drinking alcoholic beverages. Congratulations to all who are cel-

Please follow guidelines Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

While reading the monthly report, I noticed approximately 2000 families had not returned their window guard form. First let me say by law this must be distributed and returned each and every year. I have had some folks say, I filled it out last year. Each year, these forms must be distributed, filled out and returned if a child ten (10) years of age or younger lives in the apartment. The shareholder should also provide information on whether window

guards need repair, or if window guards are requested even if no children live in the apartment. Shareholders may not refuse window guards if they have a child ten (10) years of age or younger living in the apartment. Forms must be completed every year and if you do not, you are violating the law. Failure to comply must be reported to the Department of Health and violations can be imposed. I also noticed there are approximately 170 families that have not submitted insurance information. Why would you risk getting a summons that would be almost equal to the cost of annual insurance? Someone asked me the other day why can’t we have 24 hour security in our buildings and why don’t the attendants do more. I explained that the

attendants are deterrents. Likewise we can have anything we want; we just have to pay for it. With that being said, I have received requests regarding how a shareholder residing in a townhouse can have an awning installed to protect them from the elements. A great meeting of the River’s Run Community Garden was held last Saturday and everyone seemed especially excited and ready to proceed. The meetings will be held the 3rd Thursday of each month. I would like to extend my condolences to all who have lost a loved one this past year. If you have any questions, please contact me. I can be reached at: Leslie Peterson, Riverbay Board Director, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475 or e-mail me at daddpeterson@aol.com.

ebrating birthdays, new births, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrated events during the end of December. Well wishes for a speedy recovery to all who are sick or shut in. Our condolences to those families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. May they be eternally blessed. And may you and your family also be blessed during your time of

bereavement. Do a good deed today by checking in on your elderly, disabled, and or homebound neighbors. As you shop, it would be nice to also shop for them. You will be blessed abundantly for your good deeds. Please do not forget to submit your STAR application by December 31, 2013. Or call 311 for assistance.

Please help to keep our community clean/green by properly disposing your garbage in the appropriate receptacle. Christmas trees, wreaths, bulk trash, and large cartons are to be taken to the basement. Be vigilant! If you see something, say something by calling 9-1-1 for emergencies and 31-1 for non-emergencies. —YuVonne Lewis

Leslie Peterson

Director’s Viewpoint Secretary

Building 26 Association

Co-op Insurance

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

The Wright Agency: Serving Co-op City for 33 years!

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Building 13 Association Inc. is sending Holiday Greetings to the entire Co-op City community as well as those outside of the community with wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to all. Holiday Party - Celebrate with us TODAY. The After Holiday/Pre New Year Event– will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Music will be provided by DJ Val. Dishes and donations are welcome. Thanks to Doris Sanchez and her team for the great youth holiday party. Women Keeping It Real – Thank you Sgt. Gregory and Officer Rivera for the very informative presentation at our meeting last Saturday. Everyone was so impressed they are requesting another session. We will schedule it in

Building 13 Association

the future so keep reading our articles to stay informed. As usual, you must be 18 and over to participate, light refreshments served and all are welcome. **Soweto Gospel Choir** – From the country of Nelson Mandela, Lehman has invited them back by popular demand! Join us, on February 15, 2014 at 8:00 p.m, at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts for a celebration of song and culture. The 26 singers of South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir celebrate the unique and inspirational power of South African music with deep emotion and rich harmonies that lift the soul. Price: $40 adults, $14 for children under twelve (price includes Lehman’s facility charge), orchestra seats. Send checks payable to Bldg. 13 Assoc. by January 5, 2014. There are a

Donizetti Building 4 Association

Thanks to the few people who helped in decorating the lobbies in the three sections of the building. The response to the request for volunteers was not a positive one but, we got the job done with much delight. This is our building and more cooperative participation is needed and would be very much welcomed. Building Staff Collection Thanks to those who donated to the porters and maintenance staff, lobby attendants and mail-carrier. We would also like to thank those who wanted to give but was unable to do so. Next Meeting Our next general meeting is scheduled for January 9, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. in meeting room rear of Building 4B. All cooperatives are welcomed and are encouraged to come down. Let’s start the New Year off by supporting your Building Association and the building you live in. A guest speaker scheduled for that meeting (TBA).

Brunch (save the date) We are planning a Post-Holiday Brunch for the building on Saturday, January 25, 2014 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All Building 4 cooperators are invited. You may bring your favorite dish to share with your neighbors if you like. Special congratulations to our Vice President Frenchie and wife Danielle on their 50 years of marriage and everyone else who will be celebrating a special event. Get well wishes go out to our sick and shut-ins. Please continue to support our military personnel in your prayers during this holiday season. *Remember this is our home “IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.” **“The Building Four Association executive board wishes everyone good health and happiness as the old year ends and the New Year begins. “SEASON GREETINGS TO ALL” —Yvonne Burrus (DW)

Coalition to Save Affordable Housing

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I wish to extend a warm holiday greeting to all on behalf of the Executive Committee and membership of the Coalition to Save Affordable Housing. Stay warm and stay safe as you celebrate peace and good will. MARDI GRAS DANCE The Fundraising Committee and Executive Board of the Coalition are planning a Mardi Gras dance. Prizes will be given for the best mask. Mardi Gras masks will also be available at the door. Watch future Coalition articles in the Co-op City Times for date, time and place. WATER AND LIGHT CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN The Coalition will join the Co-op City effort for conservation of water and light. Making the community aware of the need to conserve our precious water supply is urgent. Water cost has risen dramatically and is a heavy burden on the Riverbay budget. There is also growing awareness that diminishing water resources is a global problem. CTSAH will campaign to increase awareness of this in our community; April, 2014 will be “Water Awareness Month.” Our general meet-

ing in April will feature water conservation tips and guest speakers with expertise on the cost of water. During the month of April, 2014 we will encourage the wearing of blue and/or green clothing to focus attention on the issue. Then in June of 2014 we’ll observe a “Conserve Light Campaign.” Our June 2014 general meeting will hear conservation tips and guest speakers on the cost of energy waste to cooperators. THE STAR PROGRAM AND BASIC STAR REGISTRATION INFO The deadline for registering for Star (School Tax Relief Exemption) will be December 31. Cooperators can register online at www.tax.nyc.gov or call 518457-2036, 212-504-4080 or 311. Please note that you must register every year and if you move from one apartment to the next you must fill out RP-45 form to update your address and receive the Star credit. CLOSING The Coalition thanks the community for its support, and affirms our dedication to keeping Co-op City affordable for years to come. —Sebastian Ulanga

limited number of tickets so don’t delay. Rivers Run Community Garden I received a text that read as follows: “I woke up this morning thinking about the well planned meeting that I attended last night…” Thanks to all who attended the meet and greet for the community garden. We were all impressed with everyone’s vision and reason for joining such as the young environmentalist/ conservationist, master composter, botanical garden volunteers, plant and herb master growers, a person who is revisiting her dream to become a horticulturist and of course those just wishing to explore their inner self. What we all have in common is the need to share in this great community experience. The next meeting will be at the Dreiser

Center on January 16th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 9 and thereafter the third Thursday of the month. To view a garden video presentation, visit our website and go to events. Time is running out to apply for STAR and receive a credit in 2014. If you have questions or need assistance contact us. Checks for events should be made payable to Building 13 Assoc. Inc. and mailed to Bldg. 13 Assoc., 100 Casals Place #32K, Bronx, NY 10475. All activities are on a first come basis. For information contact Gail Sharbaan at 718-671-3801 or Leslie Peterson at 718-320-1370, our website: www.bldg 13assoc.com or e-mail us at building 13assoc@yahoo.com. Thanks for making our team work. —Leslie Peterson

Next defensive driving course: The next defensive driving course will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014 in Rm. 1, Dreiser Comm. Center, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lower your liability insurance cost by 10% and remove up to 4 points from your driver’s license. Please make your check in the amount of $35, payable to “the Black Forum of Co-op City,” and mail to P.O. Box 563, Bronx, N.Y. 10475 at least 1½ weeks before the class, or you can walk in on the day of the class but you must have $35 in cash to pay for the course. Remember, don’t text and drive. Community garden: If you have a green thumb, or are willing to learn, call us to volunteer, (718) 320-8035. Notice: All Section 5 food pantry participants: All Section 5 residents must pick up their food packages on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Evangelical Church of Co-op City. You must bring your white cards to pick up your food. Volunteers needed for Wednesdays and Fridays. For information, please call (718) 320-8035. Black Forum Lyon’s Mane Track Club: Register your child(ren) 6-18 years of age for the Lyon’s Mane Track Club. Call for information, (718) 320-8035. Volunteers needed: The Black Forum is looking for volunteers to help out 2 days a week at the food pantry from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. You choose the days. Training

will take place on Thursday only. If you are interested, please call (718) 320-8035. Computer help: The Black Forum is looking for an experienced computersavvy individual. If interested, please call (718) 320-8035. Emergency Food Program: We are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Room 20 at the Dreiser Community Center. Also, due to budget constraints and shortage of available food, you must live within zip code 10475 to participate in this program. You must also have your card with you and bring two clean plastic shopping bags. In order to receive food, you must present a current photo ID such as a non or driver’s license or any photo ID card with proof of address. You will then be issued a card in order to pick up food in the future. We Need You - Join Us Today: Membership is $5 per year/person. Call (718) 320-8035 or write to Black Forum, P.O. Box 563, Bronx, NY 10475; email: coopcityblackforum@gmail.com. Help us keep independent community organizations alive in Co-op City. Everyone is encouraged to join. Call or visit us, Room 20 in the Dreiser Community Center. Happy New Year to everyone. Please remember not to drink or text and drive. —Tony Illis

Black Forum

NAACP DAY CARE CLOSING

NAACP Day Care has been a part of the Co-op City community since September, 1985. It is with mixed emotions that Riverbay Corporation reports that as of Thursday, January 9, 2014, NAACP Day Care, located in 100 Erskine Place (Building 31A), will be closing its doors. Following is a list of available Co-op City day care centers: Allcare Provider Services, Inc. 100 Aldrich Street (Bldg. 15A), 718-618-0783 Garvey School (Yellow Schoolhouse) 950 Baychester Avenue 100 Dreiser Loop (Bldg. 9A) 4120 Hutchinson River Parkway (Bldg. 30A) 718-320-3902

Lil Rainmakerz, Inc. 4180 Hutchinson River Pkwy (Bldg. 32A), 347-346-4178

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Peace And Joy For The New Year

It is my hope that all cooperators Director’s enjoyed Hanukkah and Christmas. Today represents the third day of Kwanzaa, the principle of which is Ujima, meaning Collective Work and Responsibility. I hope that you will join us for the Kwanzaa Celebration today. Kwanzaa Celebration The Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc., enthusiastically invites you to attend its 17th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. in Room 31 of the Bartow Community Center. Kwanzaa is the seven-day (December 26-January1) African celebration of family, community and culture as personified in African “first fruits” or harvest celebrations. Kwanzaa incorporates the spirit, value and practice of Ingathering, Reverence, Commemoration, Recommitment and Celebration; and evolves around Seven Principles, one for each day of Kwanzaa, called the Nguzo Saba. The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-determination); Ujima (Collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics); Nia (Purpose); Kuumba (Creativity); and Imani (Faith). There will also be a Special Tribute to Madiba Nelson Mandela (7/18/1918-12/5/2013) who has joined the ancestors at the age of 95. In 1993, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize along with William de Klerk, for their work on the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa. Mandela was best known as an anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. This freedom fighter was the first Black South African to hold the office and the first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. Mandela leaves a legacy as the Champion of World Peace. In addition, there will be a Kwanzaa Ceremony, vendors, the Karamu (feast), dancers and drummers. Everyone is required to bring an offering of a large

dish of food to share with others (NO PORK PLEASE), or a dessert or juice. African garb is preferred, but not mandatory. We look forward to seeing you. Habara gani! Special Holiday Parking Rates Your family and friends that visit you during the holiday season on December 24th (Christmas Eve), December 25th (Christmas Day), December 31st (New Year's Eve), and on the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day), can park in the Co-op City garages for a flat fee of $5.00 during the hours of 12:00 noon until 6:00 a.m. This will make it less expensive and more convenient for your family and friends to visit you. Bulk Rate Cablevision Deal Due to participation by shareholders, the Cablevision bulk rate sale deal has been postponed. The Management company and Cablevision company failed to obtain the two-thirds vote of 10,238 of the 15,372 shareholders. The Cablevision company requested an extension until January 17th in order to obtain more votes. However, the low voter response was seen as a failure by Management to properly present the deal to us, the shareholders. It appears to me that Management wanted a quick and easy acceptance of this deal without taking the necessary steps to present the deal in an organized, respectful manner. I am pleased that cooperators responded by overwhelmingly attending one of the three information meetings and voicing their opinions regarding this deal. From my perspective, the three major concerns were that: (1) Verizon was not given a fair opportunity to be heard, as the choice was Cablevision's three options only; (2) there was opposition to an additional $24 charge being added on to the monthly carrying charge statement, and (3) new technologies could substantially lower rates and cooperators would be locked into a five-year deal with Cablevision. An Apology Clears the Air Thanks to Director Eleanor Bailey for being honest and considerate enough to issue an apology to Ebony

Francine Reva Jones

2013, in all of its triumphs and tribulations, will not come to a close without a celebration of culture, heritage, and love. The Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc., of which the Association is a member, enthusiastically invites you to attend its 17th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration this afternoon, Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 3 p.m. in Room 31 of the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue. There will be a Kwanzaa Ceremony, vendors, the Karamu (feast), dancers and drummers to celebrate the sevenday (December 26-January 1) African tradition. With an emphasis on family, community, and culture, Kwanzaa incorporates the spirit, value and practice of Ingathering, Reverence, Commemoration, Recommitment and Celebration. Everyone is required to bring an offering of a large dish of food to share

Viewpoint

Rae Lambright. Director Bailey was presiding over the September 23rd Community Relations/Youth Committee meeting at which time Ms. Lambright was asked to leave the meeting room due to a discussion and vote that was to ensue and which it was decided that she should be excluded from. According to Ms. Lambright, others, under similar circumstances, were not asked to leave. Ms. Lambright felt that she was unfairly targeted and wrote a letter to the Board of Directors stating her position and also spoke on it at the November 13th Open Board Meeting. Ms. Lambright was ready to quit the Community Relations Committee/Youth Committee over this encounter. However, several concerned cooperators discouraged this action, as Ms. Lambright is a rising young leader in our community and her opinions and efforts have been acknowledged and appreciated. Along with the apology from Director Bailey came a request from her that Ms. Lambright remain an active Committee member because her presence has been a plus. I trust that Ms. Lambright has given this careful consideration and that she has decided to remain. Co-op City has very few young people who step up and participate at meetings or who volunteer their services, as Ms. Lambright does. These potential leaders should be recognized and treated fairly. Acknowledgements The Executive Board of the African-American Association and representatives of the above-mentioned Coalition send their condolences to the family of Gloria Mabry, who died on December 6th when she was struck by a bus at Dreiser Loop and Co-op City Blvd. She and other family members were members of the Association and her son, Jeffrey Mabry, was active in the Coalition. Members of the Building 20 Association will keep Terry Luke in our prayers and hope she will return home soon from Calvary Hospital. We all miss her. I can be reached at: Francine Jones, Board Director, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475; or telephone number 718-671-5957. Here's wishing all my friends and neighbors a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful & Prosperous New Year.

African-American Association of Co-op City

with others (NO PORK PLEASE). African garb is preferred, but not mandatory. We look forward to seeing you. Habari gani! The Association sponsors the following ongoing programs and encourages your participation: Yoga & Pilates Mat Classes — Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2. Lose weight, tone and strengthen your muscles with exercises that reduce stress through breathing techniques. Call 718671-8364. Belly Dancing Classes – Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2. A fun and healthy way to stay in shape! No experience necessary. Call 646-301-9438. Evening Line Dancing Classes – Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2, $8. Also, come to the Line Dance Showcase, 1/11/14, 7 p.m. - 12 a.m., Dreiser Center Aud., $20. Dance to Soul, Latin, and Gospel music. Call 917-903-

7073. Music Appreciation/Singing Classes – Fridays, 7:30 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 15. Sing along with us to sweet soul oldies, R&B, gospel, and popular classics. All levels of vocal abilities are accepted. Computer Laptop Classes – The next class will be Jan. 14th, 7 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 15. $5 fee. Members get one class free. Call 718379-5555. Education – The Institute for Youth Study Group meets on 2nd Mondays, 7 p.m. and 4th Saturdays, 10 a.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 15. Call 718-379-5555. Employment Assistance – Contact us at 718-379-5555 for employment information. Association Meeting – Our first meeting of the New Year will be held on Saturday, January 11th at 4 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 15. If you are unable to attend, look to our weekly column for

Advertising works!

upcoming events. Also, if you wish to join or update your membership, please send a check or money order (DO NOT MAIL CASH) of $15 for a single membership or $25 for families to: AfricanAmerican Association of Co-op City, P.O. Box 702, Co-op City Station, Bronx, NY 10475. Donations are welcomed. Like us on Facebook: “CoopcityAfricanamericanassoc”. The African-American Association thanks everyone who participated in our Christmas party and donated toys to our children’s toy drive. A special thanks is extended to Keith Witherspoon who led the Christmas songs and performed a one-man musical show. We appreciate you and your support of our programs in 2013 and can only hope that you will continue your support of our upcoming events in the New Year! May joy, prosperity, and love lie ahead in the New Year for all! —Mercedes A. Terzol

Call 718.320.3300, ext. 3384 for our affordable rates.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

816 Clarence Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465 • (347) 810-8744 • (718) 620-6500

2013-2014 Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program We are currently recruiting 4-year-olds for our

FREE UPK PROGRAM Universal Pre-K is a literacy-rich program designed to help young children enter kindergarten ready to learn! ABOUT OUR PROGRAM • Rainbow Montessori Academy’s UPK program aims to provide four-year-old children with high quality instruction and activities that promote physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. • Pre-Kindergarten students will attend school from Monday through Friday for 2 1/2 hours per day. • ere is no charge to enroll your child in the UPK program. • Before and after school care will be available for a fee, provided by Rainbow Montessori Academy. • Spanish & Filipino as part of the curriculum. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? • Any child who resides within New York City and who is four (4) years old on or before December 31, 2013.

For further information about the program and registration requirements, please contact us at 347-810-8744 or 718-620-6500. We currently have space for our Infant, Toddler, and UPK Programs.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Broun Place Townhouse Association

As you well know, New Year’s Eve is now fast approaching. Broun Place Townhouse Association wishes all our neighbors a very happy, healthy New Year. We hope everyone had a joyous and memorable Christmas holiday and now neighbors are preparing their New Year celebration and New Year’s resolutions. Thursday, January 23rd from 7 p.m., Bartow Community Center, Broun Place neighbors are invited to join us at our New Year party. Thank you to all the neighbors that donated to our holiday gifts to our Groundskeepers. They have now been presented. It is never too late to join the Broun Place Townhouse Association; $12 is your annual membership. You can always drop membership dues to Apt. 31B, Apt. 10A or Apt. 22A. We remind you again to please mark your calendar for the holiday party on January 23rd. Let’s make this a grand, welcome the New Year party. All Broun Place neighbors are invited to attend. There will be music and prizes, along with light refreshment. Sincere thanks to Secretary, Grace Emanuel and

Treasurer, Lillian Richardson for their work especially Saturday, December 14th when collections were requested while the first real winter storm brewed around us. Thank you again for your generous contributions and a special thank you to those who joined or renewed their membership with Broun Place Townhouse Association Year, 2014. Thank you to the Grounds Department for the great clean-up in Broun Place. The holiday is shining bright here. The new Executive Committee is working hard for the betterment of Broun Place. Again, your Broun Place Officers are Reverend Grace Emanuel, Secretary; Ms. Lillian Richardson, Treasurer; Mrs. Vivian Burrus, Vice President and Eva Lazaar, President. Ms. Lana Spaulding and Mr. Jesse Seise are our new support team. We want to remind neighbors to call Public Safety: “If you see something, say something,” call: 718-3793050. It is helpful to see the new uniformed officers on site, however be alert and warned, during the holiday

season we have to be super alert, some folks as desperate as they are attempt to prey on others. Do not give your personal information out without confirming the authenticity of the recipient and do not open your door without recognizing who is there. Regarding recycling, please use the green street cans for street trash and recycle home garbage properly. Let’s help our neighborhood keep clean and if necessary pick up other folk’s litter. Congratulations to Riverbay Corporation and Marion Scott Industries on being recognized for maintaining and operating the largest middle income cooperative in the world. The Broun Place press release is your space to share your celebrations and events. As always, we send prayers to those healing from an illness or injury. As the year ends we remember and keep in our prayers, all who have passed this year. We also celebrate everyone having a birthday or anniversary. You can let us know if you wish a celebration acknowledged here. —Eva Lazaar

Greetings to all, WOW! What a great meeting on Thursday night. The shareholders of Building 20 came out to the last meeting of 2013. For the last 12 months these faithful shareholders have been supporting the Association; whether good, bad, or indifferent, they have weathered the storm with us, so the Executive Board would like to say "THANK YOU!" At the meeting we were able to discuss old and new business, which was cut short in order to come to the finale of the meeting. As the Building President, and the support of the Executive Board, we decided to give out awards. These awards were given to the Outstanding Professionals who serve our community and building with dignity and respect. Building 20 was glad to honor all the porters and supervision, the lobby attendants, Ms. Jackson (our postal person), Ms. Aldea of CSO II. The other awards honored the shareholders who love their community, and Building 20, and the honorees are: Norma McNeal, Antonio Aponte, Leilta Gowie, for their outstanding awareness; Carrie L. Mobley-Johnson, who has served and fought for this community over the years; and last but not least, Mr. Johnny Dent received the Lifetime Achievement Award, paving the way for African Americans to live in a decent community. Please note that all of our shareholders are important, and we will surely recognize you also in the coming year. In closing, the Executive Board, and Building 20 Association would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays; and here are some pictures we would like to share with you, also. —Edwinna Herrera

…and a little child shall lead them! Hello friends and cooperators! WOW! The buildings are all dressed up for the holidays. Kudos to all of the cooperators from section 1-5 who have contributed their time, talent, money, etc. in keeping the spirit of the “season of giving” alive in Co-op City. Special recognition goes to the following “troop decorators” and loyal team players every year! We welcomed newcomer, David. Imani and Malik Claxton of Benchley Place, come every year to help while visiting their Grandma, Mrs. Hollingsworth in Building 21B. Claxton ‘twin cousins” Jennipher and Jannett Martiena, NOW 9 YEARS YOUNG! started with us at age 5. The Lopez Family, Mama Evelyn, Tristan and Jaylen of 21B, can always be counted on to lend their talents to the Building Association and the beautification of the public space of their home. Prince Lambright from 21A, is always a great help. Original cooperator Ely Wigder was a great addition to the team and Carlissa Louther was amazing. We are so proud and touched by all of these children, who range in age from 9 – 16 years. Good job parents!, with these young “do-gooders.” They are on the right path. We adults should take notice of these young people, and stand committed to our community as they are.

“…and a little child shall lead them.” We would like to recognize all of the people of Building 21 for whatever part they played in making our decorating celebration a success. Maybe you brought something for our “pot luck snack table” or maybe you stopped by and paid your building dues. Maybe you just came by with a smile and offered a compliment… Whatever the contribution, we appreciate YOU… FYI, all monies collected are turned in to our treasurer and installed in the association’s bank account. If you have any questions regarding the association, you have 3 ways of gaining information. Email your building association at 21association@gmail.com or call your association at 347.504.1821, and you can attend the monthly meetings which are held every 3rd Tuesday in the meeting room in the rear of the B-section at 7pm. Please note: The decorations will remain in place through the Epiphany, January 6th, also known as “3 Kings Day.” They will be removed on Tuesday, January 7th…time to be announced. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad and Happy Kwanzaa! Happy, Safe, Healthy, Joyous Holiday Season to all! We’ll see you around the neighborhood… —Michelle Marbury

Building 20 Association

Building 21 Association

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Management's Role in the Cablevision Plan

Our managing agents have repeatedly stated that the Cablevision plan would not benefit Riverbay or management. However, a recent document dated December 11, 2013, revealed that Cablevision was going to bill management $20 per apartment. Thereafter, management was going to bill each subscriber $24. Previous Comments Our managing agents had a duty to present all aspects of the Cablevision offer to our board at the beginning of this process. Thereafter, our board would have been able to make a better decision about the offer before it was presented to this community. The original offer from Cablevision was for the current subscribers to receive "the Optimum Preferred Package for only $24 a month, including taxes and fees, for the first 2 years, and a 5% annual increase in years 3-5." However, here are several quotes that were allegedly made by Herbert Freedman, manager, which clearly indicated management's efforts to keep this board and this community in the dark over this lower $20 rate. Let's start with the first alleged quote on November 9th: "There is simply NO benefit for the housing company or for your Management." Then, we had this alleged quote from him that appeared on November 16th, "As I've said before, there is nothing about entering this agreement which is important for the Riverbay Corporation or for your management. The benefit is solely for individual cooperators who will save significantly on their monthly cable bill." That comment was followed up with another alleged quote on November 23rd, "It is our view that Riverbay is obligated to present Cablevision's offer to the shareholders in a comprehensive manner and

The Coalition’s next general membership meeting will be held on Tuesday January 7, 2014 at noon, 177 Dreiser Community Center. Room 15. Wishing everyone A Joyous Holiday Season & Prosperous New Year. The Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc. of which your (church/organization) is a member, enthusiastically invites you to attend our 17th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration today Saturday December 28, 2013 at 3.00 p.m. in Room 31, 2049 Bartow Community Center, Bronx, NY. Kwanzaa is the seven-day (December 26-January 1) African celebration of family, community and culture as personified in Africa “First Fruits” or harvest celebrations. Kwanzaa incorporates the spirit, value and practice of Ingathering, Reverence, Commem-oration, Recommitment

then let them decide as a community whether to accept it or not." Comprehensive manner? What? Nonsense! Management knew what was going on. But, you never read one word about their role in this paper until last week, December 21st. The Articles I sent an article about this $20 charge to this paper on December 15th, for publication on December 21st. Thereafter, an explanation about this charge was amazingly printed on the same day, December 21st. 'Voting on Optimum Preferred bulk cable proposal ends,' was the headline. "Although Cablevision would charge Riverbay $20 per apartment, Optimum subscribers would be billed $24 per month on their monthly maintenance to cover sale taxes that have to be collected, as well as vacant apartments and those shareholders who opt not to get cable services such as those on the master antenna," read the article. Now, was this $20 rate discussed at the forums? Was it ever mentioned in this paper before my article appeared? Why wasn't it mentioned? Community Response Regardless of their so-called explanation, management should have disclosed this information, at least to the board. But, they've been very busy getting ballots signed and collected.

And, desperately, they've even resorted to using our Public Safety force to escort Cablevision representatives from door-to-door to collect ballots. Yet, they want everyone to believe their statement, "There is simply NO benefit for the housing company or for your Management." Bottom line: What else don't we know about that agreement? Management Contract Management's contract is finished here. Therefore, the state regulations require that we bid their contract out. Now, I would love to hear your viewpoint on this matter. So, please send a letter to the editor and let everyone know how you feel. Daycare Closing A daycare service in Section 5 announced recently that they would be closing their doors. And, now, a lot of parents are now trying to find suitable daycare services for their children. Therefore, I want all of our businesses here to please reach out immediately if there are issues that need to be discussed. Drinking and Driving The New Year's Eve parties are right around the corner. And, lots of people will be boozing and then, cruising. So, please be careful on the roads and do not drink and drive. Now, as a suggestion, please get a designated driver that will not drink alcoholic beverages. Or, please arrange for car service before your event, if you want to drink alcoholic beverages. Star Credit I ran this piece for the last few weeks to make sure that every cooperator here would have the opportunity to get a credit on their carrying charge statement for next year. But, now, the time is almost up. So, please make sure that you get your application in by December 31, 2013 for your STAR credit.

According to the NYS website, "The New York State School Tax Relief Program (STAR) provides homeowners with partial exemptions from school property taxes. If you earn less than $500,000 and own and live in your home, you are probably eligible for the STAR exemption." "I applied to this program last year. So, do I have to apply again?" The answer is yes. Also, again, please look out for your neighbors, if they need assistance. As mentioned before, there were only 8,714 apartments that received the STAR credit on their April 2013 statement. The cooperators that were approved for the Basic STAR program received a $99.28 credit from Riverbay. The cooperators that were 65 or older, and were approved for the Enhanced STAR program, received a $206.04 credit from Riverbay. Okay, you can call 311 for more information or go to this NYC website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/prop erty/star.shtml. You'll be very happy when you get that nice little credit on your statement next year. Close I hope that you and your family will have a Happy Holiday season and a Happy New Year. Thank you. Questions or comments? Please send a message to: Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Board Director, c/o Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Or, please send a message to me at darylhjohnson@opt online.net (Please double-check the spelling of this address.) Also, please call me at 718-671-4544 if you don't receive a response from your message. Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.

and Celebration; and evolves around Seven Principles, one for each day of Kwanzaa, called the Nguzo Saba. The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (unity); Kujichagulia (selfdetermination); Ujima (collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa (cooperative economics); Nia (purpose); Kuumba (creativity); and Imani (faith); The Coalition members attending the Kwanzaa Celebration are requested to bring an offering of a large main dish of food (no pork please) or dessert, etc. to share with others. Please contact (Ms. Jones) 718-6715957 or (Mr. Leacock) 718-671-9610 by Dec.22, to advise of what your food offering will be. Your attendance and participation are required to make this family/community/cultural festivity a success. There will be a Kwanzaa Ceremony, vendors, dancers, drummers, and the Kwanzaa feast. This

event is free. Please inform the coalition of any suggestions that you may have. Mrs. Joan Murrell is the President of the Coalition. Phone number (718) 3793494. The Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicating to maintaining and improving the quality of life of Cooperators while providing educational and culturally enriching programs for the community. We also act as one voice for all Coalition members where there are issues of common concern and Human Rights. We also sponsor Friends & Family Day Celebrations, and Kwanzaa free for the community. Members of the Coalition include the following: AfricanAmerican Association; Co-op City Baptist Church; Retirees of Dreiser Loop; Harriet Tubman Independent Democratic Club; NAACP. Co-op City

Branch; St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church and Zodiacs Track Club. Please support our efforts by sending us a tax deductible contribution made payable to Coalition of AfricanAmerican Churches and Community Development of Co-op City, Inc., P.O. Box 619, Bronx, NY 10475.Churches and Organizations that desire to join the Coalition may apply for membership by either writing or calling (718) 3793494 or (718) 671-5957 for a membership application, which should be returned with a letter on your Church/Organization’s letterhead and signed by the Minister/President. Read Coalition’s weekly column for information about events and issues. Remember the Coalition’s Motto is, “Coming together is the Beginning, Keeping together is Progress and Working together is Success.” —Harman T. Leacock

Daryl Johnson

Director’s Viewpoint

Coalition of African American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc.

The blessing continues. Velocity Track Club New York is standing tall in the battle of hard competition. On Sunday, December 22 at the 168th Street Armory, we competed in the Colgate Women’s Games semi-finals and the Armory Track Classic. We had 3 girls in the semi-finals and 1 advanced to the finals. Congratulations to Dominique Jackson, who took 2nd in the Mid-school 200 meters. She will compete in the finals on December 28th for a chance to win an education grant. Go Dominique and good luck. After the Colgate Women’s Games semi finals, the entire team competed in

Velocity Track Club

the Armory Track Classic. There were teams from PA, NJ, CT and NY. The competition was fierce and medals were only given to the top 3 athletes. Velocity Track Club athletes adrenalin must have been still high from competing in the AAU XC National, because their performance was outstanding. The 1st race of the competition was the mile run. In the 11 – 12 years girls’ mile race, co-Captain Giovanna Tolbert took 2nd with a time of 5:51. During that time, Captain Pearl WebsterRutledge won the 13 – 14 girls Shot Put with a throw of 34.50 ft. Also in the Shot Put, Daijon James threw his personal best

and took 3rd in the boys’ 11 – 12 division. Dominique Jackson was tired from competing earlier, so we put her in the 55-meter race and she took 2nd in the girl’s 13 – 14 division. Our 11 – 12 years old boys of Jordan Samuels, Kristian Cadiz-Domville, Adrian Swift-Henry and Joseph WebsterRutledge won the bronze medal in the 4 x 200 meter relay. Our 8 & under boys, 4 x 200 meter relay may have been the most exciting race of the day. It was a photo finish with 3 boys at the finish line and Velocity winning the Gold. Julian Caldwell, Jordan Ingram, Jaysiah Moore and Dontae Lindo continued their relay

dominance. Plus, Julian won the Bronze in the 55-meter race and Dontae won the Bronze in the 800-meter race. Anyone interested in joining Velocity Track Club New York, please Contact Coach Dinkins at 914-441-6196 or you email me at WATCLT@AOL.COM.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

“We wish our members, family and friends, peace of mind, prosperity through the new year, happiness that multiplies, good health, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, and joy to fill your holidays.” HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc., of which this organization, RETIREES, is a member enthusiastically invites you to attend its 17th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Saturday, December 28, 2013, at 3 p.m. in room 31 in the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Ave. ATTENTION: The next General membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 1:30 pm, Dreiser Loop Auditorium. TRAVEL EVENTS/2014: (Travel insurance encouraged)

Wed., Jan. 15, 2014, RESORTS WORLD CASINO, at Aqueduct. Price: $30. Seats going fast. Come join in the fun. Rebates: TBD. Mar. 18-20, 2014. We are going back to Atlantic City to The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel. Double: $220/pp & Singles: $285. Rebates: Atlantic Club casino: $20 Slot Bonus + $20 Food Credit + $20 Cash Bonus. On day of return will stop at RESORTS Casino: Rebate $25 Slot Bonus. How Exciting! Contacts: Virginia S/Beverly J, 718 379-0377. Thurs., MAY 8, 2014, Matinee price: $125. A spring trip to see the Biblical story of “MOSES” at the Sight and Sound Theatre plus luncheon at Good n Plenty’s family style dining. Deposit: $75.00 to reserve your seat. Contacts: Serita G. 347 564-5722/

Beverly J. 718 379-0377. Sept. 20-27, 2014, (8 days/7 nights) CALIFORNIA COASTAL CRUISE on the CROWN PRINCESS. Day 1, fly into Los Angeles, board the Crown Princess ship, then we are off to begin our incredible cruise to key sunshiny California cities. On day 8, sail back to Los Angeles for departure home. Deposit required: $325pp for double, $650pp for single occupancy. Contacts: Claudette D. 718 379-4784/Beverly J. 718 379-0377. THEATRE COMMITTEE: Prices includes transportation. Van will depart 11:45 a.m. SHARP. Sat. Jan. 4, 2014, 2 p.m., ALVIN AILEY matinee show. Price: $57. SOLD OUT! Waitlist available. Contact Ione for ticket information. On Thursdays - from 3:00-5:00 p.m., Committee members will be in

clubroom 19. GOOD AND WELFARE Our Sandra W. Jackson is currently in the hospital. We hope that her stay is short and each day brings renewed strength and brighter times. Get well soon, Sandra. Contact: Elinor Gordon, Chair, at 718 379-8755, regarding illnesses and bereavements. Members and friends, we require your telephone number when signing up for shows and/or trips - with deposits to reserve your seat. There could be missed opportunities without a contact number. Please note - Cash payments will no longer be accepted for security reasons effective January 1, 2014. Checks/money orders made payable to RETIREES of Dreiser Loop. FYI - Committee Members will be available Mondays and/or Thursdays after 3:00 p.m. —Claudette Davis

Hi, Neighbors….I thought I was through writing for this year — BUT our Holiday meeting was so great, I had to let others know what they missed. The six (6) Disciples from the usual 12 were there (smile), plus a few others. It turned out to be a good sit, eat and talk meeting. Surprises from Eloise (the coffee-maker and

refreshments person) consisted of her usual coffee, a radio and a bottle of “spirits.” Vera, our jolly member, also brought a bottle of spirits. Dora made home-made sweet potato pie. All of this blended into a fantastic menu. Sound interesting? Well, being there was better. Thanks to all who added their surprises. Going on…the 33rd ,

31st, 30th, 28th and 21st floors were ablaze with Christmas decorations. I was informed that only the 8th floor had decorations. Thanks neighbors for being neighborly and showing you care. Here’s to you lucky December birthday people — two for two – birthday and Christmas. Enjoy both! Thanks to the Cooperators who

contributed to the workers collection. Results will be posted on the Bulletin Board. Please make plans to join the Building 24 Association a part of your New Year’s Resolution. We know you care, so come on down. Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. —Celestine Withey

I would like to thank everyone who came to the party and made it a great success. It was standing room only and the kids had a great time. The Raffle winners were: Todd Pringle for the adult basket, Doris Lyons for the girls basket and Tracey Rodriguez-Diaz for the boys basket. Congratulations to our winners. Presidents Note: I want to thank those that came to the holiday party and building members who participated in making this a great a success. I did have one concern that I need to address; it is mandatory that parents and or

guardians accompany their children to events as there was a safety concern with children going back and forth from the party without any adult supervision. The children’s best interest is always our priority. I would like to thank the shareholders for there donations to gifts for the Riverbay Staff. The association thanks the staff for their hard work and dedication in maintaining the building and assisting us with our day to day needs. I would like to thank my association team for their hard work and dedication in making everything we do a success

including Mr and Mrs. Jose Machin who did an outstanding job decorating the lobby and association room for the holidays. I want to thank Rovina Anderson, Andrea Kennedy and Eleanor Gibson for sitting in the cold lobby collecting donations and selling raffle tickets and assisting at the party. I want to thank Board member and my VP Leah Graham for photography and assistance during the party. I would also like to thank her for her guidance as new president to the building and working with me to better the community. Special thanks to the shareholders who

help with our events specifically Susan, Stuart, Kadiah and Micah. Lastly, I would like to thank my family, especially my wife for her support in everything I do with the association and the community. Please remember during this holiday season that our bonds with family and community make us stronger and allow us to grow and be better people. Remember to think of those less fortunate than us and be grateful for the blessings that you have. Have a Wonderful New Year! Peace Blessings Good Health and Happiness to all. —Ericc Diaz

The Association of Building 33 wants to thank everyone who contributed to the collection for our porters. You were very graceful and kind in your giving. We had Santa Claus in the lobby on Friday, and the children were so happy, they were telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas. They took a picture

with him and received a candy cane, cookies and juice. Mrs. Maude Mason, our asst. treasurer, asked her son, who does not live here, to play Santa, Thank you, Curtis, for your support. Kwanzaa Celebration will be held today at 3 p.m. in the Bartow Community Center, Room #31. A large dish or juice drinks will be your

admission. Please support us. There will be entertainment and prizes. The New Year’s Eve Party will be in the Einstein Community Center Room #49. BYOB. Set-ups will available. Please bring your hats, horns, noisemakers, anything to make noise and bring in the New Year with a bang!

For tickets, please call Pat Bonaparte, (718) 320-1861; Alethea Cherebin, (718) 320-2960 or Evelyn Turner, (718) 320-8088. Hope everyone had a Blessed and Happy Christmas. Get well wishes to the sick and the shut-in. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! —Patricia Mayo Bonaparte

Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy New Year. The cabinet members wish to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has supported the association. Once again I remind you that everyone that volunteers to make sure our building is well maintained in security and cleanliness. We always ask for your support and input. We all go into the New Year with new ideas and wonder how we can do things better in 2014. We are

looking forward to our election in 2014 when we will be voting for a vice president, and Sgt of arms. The other positions are unopposed so they will remain seated in their current position. Our Christmas gathering was hosted this year by Sharon Clarke from the B/side and she did a superb job transitioning our meeting room with Christmas decorations and coordinating this function. All in attendance

enjoyed an evening of dining and chatting with a neighbor. There was plenty of food on the table to be shared after it was blessed by Sharon. There were many friends in attendance but we also missed quite a few due to other obligations. We raffled 3 prizes and thanks to all for the support because this donation will go toward our 2014 scholarship. The 1st prize was won by Apt 20E from the A/side, the 2nd prize

was won by apt 10D also from the A/side, the 3rd prize went to Apt 21B from the B/side. To claim your prize call L. Paul @ 718-671-2958 We are looking forward to seeing you at the next general meeting. Please read the flyers that will be posted throughout the building. We need your input and support. Remember this is our home and we should take care of it the best we can. —Marilyn McDaniel

Building 24 Association

We are Building 23 Association

Building 33 Association

Building 31 Association

Evaluating The Marion Scott Company Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

The work of the Marion Scott Company is now being evaluated by the Riverbay Board. Pertinent to that evaluation is the story of how a painting contractor, Stadium Painting Co., was brought to Co-op City. I noted in my previous Viewpoint, 12/14/13, that according to a 2005 audit report “Stadium Painting Co. was to be “paid [$3.5 Million] under a service agreement, without the benefit of a contract.” This is the same company that former Riverbay Board President Iris Baez was convicted of receiving kickbacks from. THE STADIUM PAINTING CONTRACT Any evaluation of MSI performance must take into account the events of that time. For thirty years before this service agreement with an outside company, painting and plastering had been done by Riverbay staff who were members of the DC9 painters union. According to Riverbay financial records, outsourcing this work didn’t save money. Stadium Painting cost us $4.5 million in the period 2000–2001 and $4 million in 2001–2002. When Stadium quit and management reverted to inhouse work, the cost dropped to $2.85 million and $2.56 million, 36 percent less, for the two years following Stadium’s departure. Why then had the bidding process been by-passed to hire Stadium? Why a service agreement and no contract?

WHY WAS PAINTING OUTSOURCED? There are several other questions about how and why management switched that work from in-house to outsourced. The Audit report indicated that no competitive bidding process was employed in hiring Stadium. And it does not indicate how and why Stadium paint was chosen to perform that work. Was the company chosen because of their experience? Was that company to provide their own personnel to perform the work? Were they to sign an agreement with DC 9 for their personnel? Was the company to provide its own supervision? There are answers to those questions in the court transcript, 5/8/08, of the penalty hearing of Nickloulas (Nick) Vitale, a co-defendant with Iris Baez in the Stadium Painting bribery/kickback case before US District Court Southern District of New York Judge Richard J. Sullivan. Daniel Bonamassa, the president of Stadium, testified that he sought the Riverbay painting and plastering work after he was prodded to do so by his

Office: We are open two days a week, Monday and Thursday. Monday, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.; Thursday, 9:30 11:30 a.m. Flea Market: We are now selling jewelry, many choices of necklaces and earrings and bracelets. Our soft covered books are 25¢ each or 5 for $1, hard covered books are 50¢ each. We have walkers for $10 and $15. We are located in Dreiser

Community Center, 177 Dreiser Loop, Room #13, second floor. We are sad to announce the passing of Dorothy Beale, a long time member of the Handicapped Adults. May the family know of no more sorrow. We are now selling Christmas cards, 20 for $1. Happy Holidays to all of our customers. —Arlene Rodriquez

Bernard Cylich

Director’s Viewpoint

Handicapped Adults Association

No Co-op City Times? Call 646.261.1761 or 347-439-5632; on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

neighbor, Nick Vitale, a Riverbay painting foreman. Initially, he testified that he hesitated to do so because he lacked experience with such big work, had only 6 employees, and did not do plastering. He testified further, that though he had submitted his bid in what he considered a competitive bidding process, he was assured by Vitale that he would be awarded that work as long as there would be kickbacks to Vitale. At a later meeting in Vitale’s Brooklyn home, Riverbay’s Director of Restoration, Peter Jordan, also assured him he would be awarded that work. ESSENTIALLY A HANDSHAKE According to the testimony by Ralph Longo, who was Jordan’s assistant, Board President Baez also anticipated that Stadium Paint would get that work and Bonamassa was not surprised when Riverbay management hired him - not with a contract — essentially with a handshake. Stadium Painting’s President Bonamassa acknowledged that he was not awarded the contract because of his experience or his work performance record or because of his prices. Answering questions, he admitted being hired because of whom he knew and kickbacks he promised. Court records do not indicate that anyone other than Baez, Peter Jordan, Ralph Longo, Mike Pabon and Nick Vitale received kickbacks, but why did Riverbay management offer that work to that company? Bonamassa testified, further, that

the outsourced work would be done by the same workers and two supervisors (Nick Vitale and his father) formerly employed by Riverbay, Riverbay supplied paint and plaster and that Riverbay’s contract with the DC9 Painters union would continue to be honored. IF – THEN WHY? If Stadium Paint employed the same Riverbay painters, plasterers and supervision and continued employing them at union rates, utilized Riverbay supplied paint and plaster why did management favor outsourcing this non-contractual arrangement with Stadium Paint? Was it just a company name for a bookkeeping line? Was Bonamassa simply a kickback conduit between Riverbay and Vitale/Baez/Jordan/Longo/Pabon? A year and a half later Bonamassa quit the Riverbay work, and when management reverted to in-house painting the cost dropped significantly. Why did Baez know that management was going to hire Stadium Paint? Who knew what about the bribery/ kickback schemes other than Baez and co-conspirators? There are million dollar questions that need to be asked and answered in evaluating Marion Scott performance in Co-op City. I’m asking questions, seeking answers. I am wishing all my Co-op City friends and neighbors a happy holiday.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

American Legion Post 1871

Greetings to all of our post members who are homebound and recovering from various medical operations. We wish you a speedy recovery. Happy Birthday to all of our members that will be celebrating their birthday in January: Biascovich Lenard, Jr., Carl Barr, Nehemiah Eutsey, Thomas L. Gatison, Rodney Gouldings, Sr., Lowell A. James, William Martinez, Ruban McCann, Jr., Hector R. Rosado, Lawrence Shaneed and Hector M. Rosario-Flares. If you don't see your name in this issue please bring it to my attention and it will be placed in the next issue of the Co-op City Times. Our Post is always looking for new members to join, so if you are a VETERAN from any branch of the military

stop by our Post. Just bring your DD214 with you to Post 1871 located in Section #5 in the Community Center in 135 Einstein Loop, Room 41. Our office telephone number is (718) 3208165 and our email address is post1871@optimum.net. A big thanks to all of our executive members of Post 1871 for serving the food at the Commander's dinner and thanks to all of our Post members that attended the dinner too. Everyone had a great time that attended the dinner. The dinner was a great thought and gift for our members. Post Commander Jerome Rice voted Salas Stanford the outstanding member of Post 1871 and was presented with a certificate for his work in the Post. The

next EXECUTIVE meeting will take place on January the 8th Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please arrive on time. Good news for the U.S. Navy! President Obama nominated Vice Admiral Michelle Howard for the appointment of the rank admiral, making her the first woman in the Navy history to achieve a fourth star. Her job will be the Vice Chief of Naval Operations and she will be the first African-American women to hold that position. The Vice Chief of Operations is 53 years old, graduated from the Naval academy in 1982 and took command of her first ship in 1999. She was the first African-American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy. This

was some Navy history for our Navy personnel in our Post. I would like to wish all of our Post members and their families a “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Thanks to all the Post members that gave our Post Christmas cards that I happened to read off at the Post. Q: Did you hear about the cooking school valedictorian? A: She passed her final examination with flying crullers. Q: Why is Christmas just like a day at the office? A: You do all the work and a fat guy with a suit gets all the credit. This information was provided by the Post information officer. —Richard I. Lawson, Jr.

Please join us at our general membership meetings, which take place at 8:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of every month in our club room, room 16 of the Dreiser Community Center. Our club's annual Christmas Party, held on Saturday, December 21st, was a huge hit! Attendees danced the night away to the fantastic music of Gilberto Colon y Ensalada de Pulpo, Frankie

Morales & his Mambo of the Times Orchestra, and our own DJ Salsero. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Antoinette Toro, the Social Committee, and all our wonderful volunteers for making this event such a success! The Holiday Season wraps up with the following up-coming events at the Dreiser Community Center:

On New Year's Eve, ring in 2014 in Auditorium 'C' from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. 'Swing y Sabor' will be our live band, with music by DJ Salsero. Tickets are $20. Bring your party hats and noisemakers and enjoy the evening with family and friends. Contact Jose Lopez at (347) 202-7930 for all the details. The Three Kings will be visiting the young members of our community on

Saturday, January 4th, 2014. The Youth Committee will be sponsoring this holiday wrap-up event from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in room 16. Volunteers will be appreciated. Additional information for all of our upcoming club events, as well as details concerning the club in general, can be found on our website: http://spanamcccc .synthasite.com. —Carmen Rodriguez

Spanish-American Community Club

If You See Something, SAY SOMETHING!!! Co-op City Public Safety - 718-671-3050

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

First and foremost — All Building/ Townhouse Association Presidents should give themselves a “STANDING OVATION.” You have kept the momentum going regardless of the number of actual participating cooperators. Thank you for your dedicated leadership. It’s because of YOU that we have such a wonderful community. GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE Many times others take credit for the “low crime rate” in Co-op City. You may hear others boasting and bragging about how safe Co-op City is etc. etc. Rarely do you hear, IT’S THE PARENTS/CARETAKERS/GRANDPARENTS that are responsible for the “low crime rate in Co-op City.” It’s strong, dedicated men and women like Colville Bascom and others who sponsor North Bronx Youth Sports – The North Bronx Cowboys. They keep young men active and engaged. The Velocity Track Club and Zodiac Track Club, keep our youth running, winning and studying, leaving very little time and energy for the onslaught of negativity youth get involved in. Our Little League baseball volunteers are second to none and keep our youth busy and engaged. Thank you. A special thanks to our tennis team volunteers for your forever dedication to youth. A special thanks to ALL whose names I may not have singled out. You, On December 10th, BVA opened an art exhibit at the Baychester library. BVA members artwork will be on display until January 6, 2014. Come to the library and look at beautiful paintings. There will be catalogues available so you will know the names of each artist and the picture they have painted. Our 2013-2014 season is in progress with art classes on Tuesdays, in Room 5, Dreiser Community Center. If you have

End of the year gratitude

too, are the best! A special thanks is extended to the PARENTS & Guardians of Co-op City. You are commended for the parenting skills, money and time spent with and for your children that has kept Co-op City safe and the crime rate low. And to the churches and non-profit organizations, our lone Teen Center, keep up the good work. We hope that you will be blessed with the finances needed to continue the awesome work with our next generation. So pat yourself on the back every time you hear others give praise for what would not and could not happen without you. In 2014, I would like for Cooperators who have no children or they are grown and gone – send a couple of dollars locally. Take care of home first. These clubs may not have the funds for the slick advertisement, however, they need money! Help save Co-op City’s youth. PAUSE IT IS FOR THE “Bulk Rate Deal.” Thank you for sending the Board and Management a message that YOU are in control of this process and YOU

are not ready at this time for what is presented. Again, thanks for your voice. This Director has been receiving letters, and calls not only from cooperators but from our Senator’s office. That said, and because many of you are still not convinced, I have submitted some written suggestions to be shared with the Board. Some of my suggestions are: Cooperators should be given a choice between the two bidders, meaning allow you to hear a presentation from Verizon just like Cablevision presented. That the terms of the deal should be no more than (2) years, (3) at the most with an option to renew. It appears many cooperators don’t like the idea of being locked into a contract for (5) years. Allow both corporations to present at a Town Hall meeting. An independent monitor/voting firm should be hired to mail out ballots with self-stamped envelopes to be returned and counted by them. Many of you don’t trust the process in place. Also, I am suggesting that the Board explore the cost for rental of the “Level” voting machine to be used for the vote. Cooperators will be voting if they want the Cablevision package or the Verizon package. It is this Director’s opinion that Cooperators have the Right to be offered both services and choose which

service they would like to have. These are just suggestions at this point…We need feedback from you as the “deal” for only (1) choice is on hold and like I suggested last week, on “Pause.” DEVELOPMENT OF VACANT LAND This Director was very surprised that MANY of you DON’T WANT TO GIVE UP OUR LIMITED OPEN SPACE. You made it loud and clear that we have enough building, traffic etc. Except for the Bingo Hall you are saying hands off our limited green space. Please share your concerns in writing to the Board. A vote has not been made to give any company the green light. We will make sure that YOUR input is considered before the Yes vote is given to Management to move forward. Again, thanks for your input, and “history lesson” about past attempts. I was reminded that the real estate developers managing our community don’t live here! True that! Thanks for your support during the year. “If you don’t understand white supremacy – (racism) what it is, and how it works – everything else that you understand will only confuse you.” — Dr. Nelly Fuller, Jr. Contact me at: Evelyn M. Turner – Riverbay Corporation – 2045 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475 – 718-3208088 or 917-324-1033.

ever wanted to learn to paint and draw, this is you chance and discover your talent and the satisfaction of creating beautiful artwork. You can choose from the 2 class schedules which are 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. or 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. The fees are as follows: Annual membership is $35 a year and a session of 10 classes is $60. This is the best bargain in the Bronx – maybe even the city – given the quality of instruction offered.

Mr. Moses Groves, BVA’s own art instructor, is the artistic guide for these classes. Mr. Groves is an accomplished artist who has studied at the Art Students League and NYU. He has exhibited work in the New York and New Jersey area and has won awards for his artwork. BVA is a non-profit, self-supporting organization that needs your support to continue offering high level art instruction at these bargain prices. So come join

BVA on this fabulous artistic trek, take a class, make a donation, — tax deductible, and feel the satisfaction of being a creator and/or patron of the arts. All checks should be made out as indicated above. If you would like more information about classes or members’ artwork you can call Moses Groves at 201-862-0847. Science is for the body and art is for the soul. —Sylvia Lochansky

Evelyn Turner

Director’s Viewpoint

Baychester Visual Arts Association

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Church of the Savior

Rev. Dr. Robert A. Smith, Jr. Pastor, Lady Theresa M. Smith, co-founder, Rev. McMillian Assistant Pastor and the Church of the Savior family extend an invitation to every person to worship with us. We are a non-denominational, inter-racial, inter-cultural, intergenerational fellowship of believers. We care about you, not your W2. We are not church as usual. Come as you are, we leave the judging to God. The Church of the Savior family extends love and affirmation to the Co-op City community; a warm welcome awaits you!! Here is a very special invitation to our new neighbors in Co-op City. We love you for who you are, not what you have. Please call us at 718320-0002 or 917-734-4058 for more information. Do you want a place that allows you to meet the living God? Do you want to be connected to people who care about you not what you have on or how much money you make? A special seat and friend awaits you. Church of the Savior is located at 120 DeKruif Place – street level, (under building #7 near Dreiser Loop). Take the 38 to Dreiser Loop and DeKruif Pl.

Our mailing address is: PO Box 86, Bronx, NY 10475. Sunday Schedule: Meditation and Adult Bible Study - 9:15 -10:15 a.m. Divine Worship - 10:30 a.m. Come and be blessed; we want an opportunity to love you. See you in church. Our children’s Sunday school will teach and nurture your child/children in the word of God. All sessions are during worship service. Sermon Topic: “The Town of Angels and Shepherds” Reading from Holy Scripture: St. Luke 2:8-19. Thought of the Week: “People are paying thousands for a face lift. Joy will give you a face lift and it won’t cost you a dime!” Weekly Activities – Every person is welcomed. Bereavement Group - Will resume in January Bible Study will resume in January. Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. - Channel 70 Bronxnet. Every other Saturday - Food Pantry. For more information in donating or receiving food, please call

718-925-5052. Because of the increase of persons attending our Food Pantry, we are reaching out to the community for assistance, Here’s how you can help: WE NEED NON-PERISHABLE FOOD. No soda, potato chips, condiments etc... Please check expiration date on all items. You can drop off your donations at the church Mon. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Tues. 6:00-8:30 p.m. or Sun morning 9:00- 10:00. To arrange special drop off time, call Ms. Weir at 347-375-3837. God bless all our donors. Do you or members of your family or friends need affordable health insurance? Good News! Go online www.healthinsurance.gov. Don’t have computer? Go to the local library, they will assist you for free. You can afford not to be insured. Invitation to the Community: Please join us for our early Watchnight Service, Tuesday December 31 at 7:00 p.m. We will be praying for the sick, bereaved, Brothers/Sisters healing from broken relationships and caregivers. Our doors and hearts are open to everyone.

Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams and the Co-op City Baptist Church invites you to join us tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. for worship service. Sunday school for children and adults is held at 9:15 a.m. We invite you to worship, study, and pray with us. The Co-op City Baptist Church is located at 135 Einstein Loop Room 50 (lower level). Our telephone number is 718-320-3774. Visit us on the web at www.coopcitybaptistchurch.org.. Stop The Violence Prayer Walks are held each Saturday in each section in Co-op City. Please join one of these walks against violence in our community when you can. The walks begin at 3 p.m. at the following locations: Library (Bartow); Town House Restaurant (Dreiser) and Basketball Court (Bellamy and Benchley). The Section 5 Prayer Walk begins at 4 p.m. in front of the Teen Center. Please note there will be no Wednesday or Friday services next week. These services will resume the week of January 5. On Tuesday, December 31, at 10:30 p.m. we will hold our Watch Night Service. We invite all to come to worship with us as we bring in the New Year. The Scholarship Ministry invites you to join them next year as they sail to the Caribbean. They will be sailing on the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas going to Kings Wharf, Bermuda, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Labadee, Haiti. This 10 day cruise will be from Thursday, July 17, 2014 to Saturday, July 26, 2014. For additional information or reservations, please call 718-379-0541, 917612-1245 or 718-320-3774. Co-op City Baptist Church extends wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Blessed 2014 to everyone. The Co-op City Baptist Church exists to glorify God and to establish a living community of people who follow the teachings of Jesus the Christ through worship, prayer, Bible study and fellowship. We seek to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the church through ministry. —Hattie L. Lucas

Meeting at 177 Dreiser Loop/Dreiser Community Center—Room 8, 9:30 a.m. (Sundays) Church Telephone (718) 644-0951 email: fatwcc@aol.com Weekly Worship Experiences: 6:00 p.m., Wednesday Prayer Service 6:30 p.m., Wednesday Bible Study Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m. Children’s Church, 9:00 a.m., 2nd through 4th Sundays. Church Motto: “We are Christ-Centered, Family-Focused with, Power and Authority” Church Mission: To empower, educate and motivate men, women, boys and girls to reach their full potential and live abundant lives through preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Come worship with us—where we honor tradition but are not bound by it! PRAYER: I pray for unity, within the community, from the Board of Directors, to Marion Scott Realty and the entire Riverbay staff. I pray that there will always be a recognition and high regard for all cooperators and that all will be treated with respect.

I pray that cooperators will do the same. I pray that all will galvanize around one single goal, to make our unique community as positive and safe as possible. In Jesus’ name, amen. New Year’s Eve Worship: December 31, 2013 at 7 p.m. It is a service of Prayer, Praise and Blessings (Pastor Jenkins will be Blessing Oil). All are welcome! Beginning in January, Faith @ Work Community Development Corporation will continue to lead community-wide Prayer Walks once per month. The first walk will be in Section 5 at 4 p.m. on January 25, 2014. ALL are invited to join us as we pray for healing, safety and prosperity in our community. We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of Good unto salvation of everyone who believes! (Rom 1:16) What great power that is when you realize that you are not in this alone. Our witness is to God’s goodness and not our personal accomplishments. Remember it’s never about us but always about the goodness of the Lord. —Pastor Deborah

Co-op City Baptist Church

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Community Protestant Church

On Behalf of our Pastor, the Reverend Dr. Calvin E. Owens, and our Church family, welcome to Community Protestant Church, a church of love and understanding, located at 1659 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469; telephone (718) 862-9172. CHURCH SCHEDULE: Sunday School - 9:00 a.m. Worship Service - 11:00 a.m. Communion Service - Every First and Third Sundays Prayer Meeting and Bible Study – Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The following programs are at the Church’s Annex: 2053 Asch Loop North (Co-op City) Morning Prayer Services - Tuesday, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.-

11:00 a.m. Neighborhood Bible Study Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Extension of Prayer and Worship Service – Every First, Second and Third Fridays at 7:00 p.m. SUNDAY SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM FOR OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH Sunday School for Children and Youth is now in session. Our program begins at 9:00 a.m. with breakfast to follow. We welcome new and returning students and look forward to another opportunity to help train our children for a lifetime of faith and Christian growth. OTHER SCHEDULED EVENTS: INSTEAD OF WATCH NIGHT SERVICE, COMMUNITY PROTES-

TANT WILL HAVE “AN END OF YEAR CELEBRATION SERVICE” ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31ST FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. All are welcome to join in this special service of prayers and thanksgiving for the past year and looking forward with prayerful anticipation to the coming New Year 2014. HAPPY NEW YEAR As we wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year, our Church Family offers Robert Brewster Beattie’s suggestion for a Happy New Year: “To leave the old with a burst of song, to recall the right and forgive the wrong; To forget the thing that binds you fast to the vain regrets of the year that’s

past; To have the strength to let go your hold of the not worthwhile of the days grown old. To dare go forth with a purpose true, to the unknown task of the year that’s new; To help your brother along the road, to do his work and lift his load; To add your gift to the world’s good cheer is to have and to give a Happy New Year”. The doors of Community Protestant Church are open to all to worship and fellowship with Christian believers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You are cordially invited to come in, join in and receive your blessing. —Evan G. Mitchell

Pastor Anne L. Palmore and the congregation of the Church of the New Vision extend a warm and friendly invitation to everyone to worship with us every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. We are a church where inspirational messages from the Word of God, the Bible, are delivered every Sunday morning. The church is designed to meet the spiritual needs of our community by offering anointed singing and preaching, and a general atmosphere of Christian love and friendly hospitality. We also invite the youth of our community to attend our Sunday morning services, which are designed to meet the special needs of our young people. Parents, please send your children to learn of the Lord Jesus. Prayer Service takes place every

Wednesday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., followed by Bible Teaching from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Be with us to learn the truth from the Word of God. List of Programs and Events: Adult Sunday School is from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Youth Sunday School is also from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion is served the first Sunday of the month. Youth Sunday takes place on the second Sunday of the month. Missionary Sunday takes place on the third Sunday of the month Memorial Sunday (Men’s Day) takes place on the fourth Sunday of the month Seniors’ Sunday takes place on the fifth Sunday of the month.

Singles’ Ministry meets every third Tuesday evening of the month at 6 p.m. Next Generation Choir & Club meets 1st & 2nd Friday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Seniors’ Ministry meets 1st Wednesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. Mid-day Bible Study meets every Tuesday afternoon from 12 to 1 p.m. The Youth Department’s Annual Christmas Sharing Session will be held on Sunday, December 22nd at 9:30 a.m. All are invited to join the youth. Looking forward to seeing you there. Please join us on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 10 p.m. for our Watch Night Service, as we usher in the New Year with songs and praises unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Come join New Vision’s “Partners in

Reading Program” every Sunday afternoon from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Students in Grades 1 through 8 discover the joy of reading while exploring and improving their literacy levels through small groups and reading partners. Parents, we encourage you to bring your children to benefit from this free program, taught by trained professionals. Registration is ongoing. You could contact the church at the number listed below. The Church of the New Vision is located at 115 Einstein, Bronx, NY 10475; Telephone: (718) 671-8746 or (718) 320-0409. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 753037, Bronx, NY 10475. Please visit our website at www.churchofnewvision.com. —Carole Haque

Church of the New Vision

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Mon., December 30

Word Games 9:30 – 11:00 am, Rm. 31 Bingo 9:30 am – 11:30 am, Rm. 31 Library 9:30 am -1:00 pm, Rm. 31 Weight Management Support Group 10:00 - 11:30 am, Rm. 25 ZUMBA Class 10:30 – 11:30 am, Rm. 31 Card Games 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Rm. 31 Dominoes 2:30 pm, Rm. 31

Tues., December 31

Bartow

Word Games 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Rm. 31 Current Events 10 a.m., Rm. 31 Bingo 1-3:30 p.m., Rm. 31 Card Games 2-4 p.m., Rm. 31

Wed., January 1 Thurs., January 2

Dreiser

Library

Crochet and Knitting

9:30am – 1:00 pm, Rm. 49

10:00am-12:00pm, Rm. 7

Dominoes

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

10:00am, Rm. 45

9:30am -10:30am, Rm. 7

Line Dancing

10:00 – 11:00am, Rm. 2

10:00am-11:00am, Rm. 45

12:00pm – 1:00pm, Rm. 4

Stay Well Exercise

Around The Lunch Table 11:30am, Rm. 49

Date:

Kosher

Non-Kosher

Soups, Breads and Desserts

Mon., Dec. 30

Orange Juice Turkey Shepherds Pie w/Mashed potatoes on top of pie Winter squash stewed tomatoes Alt: Tuna & Egg salad mix

Fish cakes Orzo w/vegetables Carrot coleslaw

Whole Wheat bread Healthy Peach Compote

Tues, Dec. 31

Apple Juice Shake & Bake Chicken cutlet Brown rice w/red beans Kale & garlic Alt: Hummus

Arroz Con pollo (Chicken thighs w/sofrito) Yellow rice Sautéed red peppers & onions

Whole Wheat bread Fresh fruit

Happy New Year

JASA closed

Thurs., Jan. 2

Orange Pineapple Juice Baked Salmon w/spinach Sauce Toasted Orzo Mixed vegetables Alt: Grilled chicken

Turkey medallions Yucca w/onions Spinach w/feta & onions

Challah bread Fresh fruit

Fri., Jan. 3

Orange Juice Roast chicken Potato Kugel Carrots & dill Alt: Gefilte fish

Cod poached w/tomato Brown rice pilaf Mixed vegetables

Turkey/Rice soup Whole wheat bread Fresh fruit

Mind Teasers Gentle Yoga w/Anne 1:15 - 2:00pm, Rm. 2

Intermediate Yoga 2-3pm, Rm. 2

Walking and Exercise w/Ms.Gaskill

Basic Cellphone & iPad Training course

2:00 – 4:00 pm

1:30 – 2:30pm, Rm. 7

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Rm. 7 Alert & Alive Rm. 7, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Mixed Cultural Dance 10:30-11:30 a.m. Aud. B Mind Teasers 12 – 1 p.m., Rm. 4 Zumba 1-2 p.m., Aud. A Tuesday Movie w/ popcorn 2-4 p.m., Rm. 7

Dominoes 10 a.m., Rm. 49 Bingo 1 p.m., Rm. 49 Matinee Movie w/George 10:00am-12:00pm Rm 45

Dominoes 2:30 p.m., Rm. 31

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

JASA Closed

Wed., Jan. 1

Fee for lunch is $1.50 & $3.50 for guest

*Menu subject to change without notice. Lunch must be ordered a week in advance.

ALL meals served w/margarine and fresh milk

Bartow Center (718) 320-2066, Ext. 2010 Dreiser Center (718) 320-1345 • Einstein Center (718) 671-5161

Dominoes

Library

Fri., January 3

Einstein

9:00am-1:00pm, Rm. 31

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

10:00am, Rm. 45

9:30-10:30am, Rm. 7

Word Games

Stay Well Exercise

9:30am-11:30 am, Rm. 31

10:00 -11:00am, Rm. 45

Chat Session

Blood Pressure 1st & 3rd Thursday 10:00 -11:30am, Rm. 8

9:30am-1:00pm, Rm. 31

Spelling Bee

Line Dancing w/Ellie

Bingo

11:00am, Rm. 49

10:00am-11:00am, Aud. A

Mind Teasers

1:00- 3:30pm, Rm. 31

Card Games

Po-ke-no

12:00pm-1:00pm, Rm. 4

2:00pm-4:00pm, Rm. 31

1pm - 2 pm, Rm. 49

Drama Club

Dominos 2:30pm, Rm. 31 Men’s Line Dancing w/Voncile 9-10am, Rm. 31 Word Games 9:30 – 11:30am, Rm. 31 Women’s Line Dancing w/ Jenifer 10–11:30am, Rm. 31 Chat Session 10am, Rm. 31 Bingo 10:30am – 12pm, Rm. 25 Sing along w/Charles Carrington 11am-12pm Rm. 31 Card Games 2-4pm, Rm. 31 Dominoes 2:30pm, Rm. 31

DATES

1:30 – 4:00, Rm. 7

1st Mondays:

Tuesdays

Crochet and Knitting 10:00am-12:00pm, Rm. 7

10:00am, Rm. 45

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

Art 10:00am, Rm. 45 10:00 -11:00am, Rm. 36

9:30-10:30am, Rm. 7

Meditative Moments

Bingo 1:00pm, Rm. 49

11:00 – 12:00pm, Rm. 8

Card Games

12:00pm-1:00pm, Rm. 4

Mind Teasers

2:00pm-4:00pm, Rm. 49

2nd and 4th Friday 10:00 -11:30am, Rm. 49

Stew Leonards Super Wal-Mart

Card Games, Dominoes 2:00pm-4:00pm, Rm. 7

Spanish Class

Blood Pressure

WEEKLY TRIPS

Bowling

11:00 am – 12:00pm, Rm. 7

Dominoes

WEEKLY TRIPS 1st Mondays:

Piano Sing Along

Bingo 1 p.m., Rm. 49

1pm – 2pm, Rm. 7

Therapeutic Yoga

1:30pm – 2:30pm, Rm. 8 (Schedule subject to change without notice)

PRICE

PICK-UP TIMES

Bartow Dreiser 9:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 8:45 a.m. $2.50 11:00am 11:30am (for transportation)

$5 $15

Einstein 10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 11:15am

To register for trips, please call: (718) 320-2066

New Payment Schedule - Payments for trips @ the Bartow office can be made Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Only) Funded by: The NYC Department for the Aging, The NYS Office for the Aging and Riverbay Corporation.

Upcoming Events/Trips

There will be no refunds for all trips. All trips include roundtrip transportation! STAR and SCRIE Help is available. Please call 718-320-2066 to make an appointment. The deadline is Dec 31, 2013. Please do not wait until the last minute! Free Diabetes Wellness Workshops for Medicare Beneficiaries – Tuesdays - January 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, February 4th and 11th, 2014 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – 2049 Bartow Ave – room 31. Each session covers a new topic. Sign up today and remember to mark your calendars, so you are able to attend all six sessions. To sign up for the sessions please call the Bartow Avenue office at 718-320-2066 JASA closed New Year’s Day – Wednesday January 1, 2014 - Happy New Year! Stew Leonard’s – Monday January 6th, $5. New time for Pickups – Einstein Loop- 9:30 a.m., Bartow - 9:45 a.m. & Dreiser -10 a.m. 10 seats available. Social Dance Club, Music by Cecilia Tenconi – Friday January 10th – 12:30-2:00 – Bartow Senior Center – 2049 Bartow Ave, Room 31Refreshments will be served Fairway- Monday January 13th - $3 for 3 hrs – Pickups: Einstein Loop – 9:00am, Bartow – 9:15am & Dreiser

Loop – 9:30 a.m. 10 seats available. Empire Casino – Friday January 10th - $5.00 – Pickups: Einstein Loop– 10:00 a.m., Bartow 10:15am & Dreiser Loop– 10:30 a.m., $5.00 voucher to play & $5.00 voucher for a meal Coat Drive - 177 Dreiser Loop – Rm 7, December 5, 2013 to February 5, 2014. If you have any used coats that are in decent condition please bring them to the Dreiser Senior Center Weight Management Support Group – Monday December 30th 10:00am 2049 Bartow Ave, Room 25, facilitated by social workers. Learn techniques and information that can help you maintain a Healthy Lifestyle. For information: 718-320-2066. Caregiver Support Group Tuesday January 7, 2014 - 1:00 p.m., 2049 Bartow Ave., Room 31. The group offers resources as well as an atmosphere of understanding and support, whether you care for a loved one from a distance or in your home. Group is facilitated by a social worker. For information: 718-320-2066. Grandparent Connection – Next grandparent caregiver support group meeting is scheduled for Thursday January 16th at 10:30 a.m. at the teen center in Einstein Loop. For information, you may contact Hattie Lucas 718-379-0433 ext. 2139 or 917-7345935.

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

AARP Chapter #4997

Here’s wishing all AARP Peachtree Chapter #4997 members and friends a healthy, prosperous and exciting New Year. We look forward to seeing our long-time members and new members in 2014. Please make joining AARP Chapter #4997 one of your New Year’s resolutions. By joining, you will help to make the world and your life better – learning about Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits for you now and for your children in the future. FYI: Our first meeting for the New Year is scheduled for MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2014, 1:00 p.m. in Dreiser Auditorium “A”. Please arrive early to pay dues and/or sign up for the below “2014” Tour Activities. Again, we look forward to having you join us in the New Year. NOTE: To our sick, on the mend and shut-in members, and those bereaved members, please know that you are in our prayers. Contact Frances Wilson, Good & Welfare Coordinator 718 671-5493. 2013 TOUR ACTIVITIES December 30 - January 1, 2014 – New Years Eve Gala: 1920’s Great Gatsby – trip includes Deluxe Motor Coach transportation; first stop at the Sands Casino in Bethleham (PA); then to the Desmond Hotel (Malvern, PA) w/dinner after check-in; next day AllAmerican buffet breakfast; side trips

include a choice of sightseeing; or shopping at King of Prussia Mall; or a 4-hour stay at an Atlantic City Casino; New Year’s Eve entertainment w/surf & turf dinner and an open bar; hats, noise-makers and Champagne toast at midnight; buffet breakfast & show before departure for home on New Years Day – BUS DEPARTURE: 8 a.m. SHARP from Asch Loop in front of the Library; arrive by 7:30 a.m. to get luggage tags and bus seating… contact Jean 718 379-3742. 2014 TOUR ACTIVITIES March 31-April 1, 2014 – Sands Casino w/a $20 free play & lunch voucher; then to the hotel w/dinner and a show; full buffet breakfast and then to see MOSES at the Millennium Theater; traveling on Deluxe Motor Coach transportation…$295/double; 285/triple; $345/single (travel insurance to be determined)…contact Jean 718 379-3742. August 28 – September 6, 2014 – Canada & New England Cruise – Sail on the Royal Caribbean, 10 days 9 nights…Double inside cabin: N-$1,108; outside cabin: I-$1,438; Balcony: E-2$1,738; Balcony: E-1-$1,788; Single inside cabin: N-$1,827; Outside cabin: I-$2,487; Balcony E-1-$3,187 — $350 deposit will secure early-bird rates … . contact Jean 718 379-3742. —Delores Debnam

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Healthy Happy New Year. Resorts Casino-January 14th. Cost per person is $33, Casino bonus $25 slot play. Pick up time, 8:00 a.m. at Einstein Loop, followed by Asch Loop and Dreiser Loop. Hunterdon Hills Playhouse-Friday, April 4th for hilarious comedy mystery “Busy Body.” Cost per person is $78. Entrée choice of Yankee Pot Roast, fried shrimps, chicken cordon bleu, summer herb cod, chef’s daily special, baked vegetable lasagna or vegetable kabobs. Selections of homemade breads, salad, mashed potato, potato pancakes topped off with their miniature desserts, coffee or tea. Please send a deposit as little as $5.00 or more to hold your reservation. All balances or full payment must be

paid by March 26th, 2014. “Moses” at the Millennium Theatre, Lancaster, PA., Wednesday, May 14th and Thursday, May 15th. Day 1 – Lunch at the Hershey Farm Restaurant followed by “Moses” and dinner at Millers Restaurant. Overnight at the Hawthorne Inn. After breakfast off to the Sands Casino and bonus package of the day. Cost per person double - $245; triple - $235; and single - $287. Please send your deposit to hold your reservation. All balances of full payments must be paid by March 17th, 2014. For all of the trips, please call Mildred at 718-320-0288, Loretta 718671-2958 or Lydia at 718-671-3005. Mondays through Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Good health is wished to all. —Lydia Ruas

Wednesday, Dec. 25—Goose Island Seniors is wishing all our Friends and Family and all the Members a VERY HAPPY MERRY CHRISTMAS. ALL CENTERS WILL BE CLOSED. Wednesday, April 23—Going to Courtlandt, N.Y. for a Luncheon and Show. “THE RAT PACK.” Also MARILYN MONROE. Price is $69.00. Marilyn Monroe will be ongoing and including members from the audience. Pick-up time is 9 a.m. at our 3 usual bus stops. Einstein Loop, Asch Loop (back of Library) and Dreiser Loop. A $5.00 Deposit will hold your seat. All payments must be in by April 1st. Menu: appetizer, salad, prime rib of beef, chicken marsala, stuffed fillet of sole, dessert, coffee, tea, soda. Also a complimentary glass of wine or beer.

Monday, June 2—Going to Villa Roma, N.Y. for Luncheon and Show. “THE JERSEY BOYS” Wonderful music of Frankie Valle and Four Seasons. Price is $79.00. Pick-up time is 8:00 a.m. at our 3 usual bus stops. A $5.00 deposit will hold your seat. Menu: Fruit Cup Minestrone Soup, Half Roasted Chicken, London Broil, and Tilapia. All meals served with potato, and mixed vegetables, dessert, coffee, tea, soda. For more information, see Ann or Mary at 718-379-9613 from Monday Thursday from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or come to 135 Einstein Loop in Room 39. Also you can call Mary at 718-3794399 in the evening. Merry Christmas to all, and have a Happy Healthy Holiday. —Mary Pilla

Einstein Cancer Fund

Baychester Library Events VISIT THE LIBRARY - A GREAT WEALTH OF INFORMATION WEEKLY EVENTS Wii Gaming - Every Monday, 3:00 p.m. Toddler Time - Every Tuesday, 11 a.m. Teens TAG - Every Tuesday, 4 p.m. Teen Lounge - Every Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m., Chess Club - Every Thursday, 3:00 Teen Lounge - Every Friday, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

The New York Public Library Baychester Branch • 2049 Asch Loop • Bronx, NY 10475 (Fully Wheelchair Accessible)

HOURS: Monday & Wednesday, 10-7; Tuesday & Thursday, 10-6; Friday & Saturday, 10-5. Libros En Español (Books in Spanish). HORARIO DE LA BIBLIOTECA: Lunes 10-7, Martes 10-6, Miércoles 10-7, Jueves 10-6, Viernes 10-5, Sábado 10-5, Domingo Cerrado

718.379.6700 FREE ADMISSION TO ALL

Goose Island Seniors

Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Reflections by Rabbi Solomon I. Berl Spiritual Leader of Young Israel Synagogue

The answer to an old riddle contains a message. Question: Which two things in life are inevitable? Answer: Death and Taxes. The tax season is here. Actually, death and taxes have other things in common. Both involve a settlement of accounts, both are final payments, and in both instances we must face the ultimate authority. As human beings, we meet our Maker, as citizens we face the Internal Revenue Service. Are we more anxious about the confrontation with the IRS than about meeting the Eternal? In this vein, there is an amusing story which will strike a chord with most taxpayers. A pedestrian heard screams for help coming from a house he was passing. Rushing to the open door, he

found a distracted mother explaining that her little boy had just swallowed a quarter. Grabbing the child by the feet, the stranger lifted him up into the air and shook him vigorously. In a moment the coin dropped out of the child’s mouth. The relieved mother was profuse in her thanks. “Doctor, how lucky for us that you hurried to the rescue: You certainly knew how to get the money out of him.” “But madam,” replied the stranger, “I am not a doctor, I am with the Internal Revenue Service.” Although we all complain about the burden of taxes, we have to see them in proper perspective. Taxation serves a vital purpose. It supports the community, takes care of the needy and the disadvantaged, and helps to protect all citizens.

Young Israel of Co-op City

Young Israel of Co-op City (lower level of the Dreiser Loop shopping center) is a house of worship that opens its doors every morning from 6 until 7 a.m. Anyone who wishes to start the daily routine with prayers, during which our spiritual leader, Rabbi Solomon I. Berl, offers a brief Bible teaching is welcome. On Friday evening, Sabbath services begin at 10 minutes after the candlelighting time. Saturday morning serv-

ices start at 9 a.m. Rabbi Berl delivers his sermon at 10:30 a.m. The Rabbi's class on the Torah reading of the week begins one hour before sunset every Saturday afternoon. For office hours or any information you may seek, feel free to call (718) 671-2300 and leave your name, phone number and a brief message on the synagogue’s answering machine, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

A meeting of Co-op City Post 500 is scheduled for January 5th at 10 a.m. at the Town House Restaurant on Dreiser Loop. To all officers of Post 500, the following two important meetings have been rescheduled. Please try to attend them both. Department of New York JWV, executive meeting will now be on

Sunday, January 12th, at 9:30 a.m., at the Manhattan VA Hospital, 423 East 23rd Street, in Atrium Room A. The Bronx County JWV meeting has moved down one week to January 19th at the Bronx VA Hospital, at 10 a.m. held in room B107. Birthday Greetings to Stewart Kogon, Alan Kalter, and Hy Turkin. —Marvin Warm

Jewish War Veterans Post 500

Castle Hill Funeral Directors, Inc.

SHALOM Jewish George Farr - Funeral Director Funeral “The Bronx Jewish Community Home, Inc. Memorial Chapel” (718) 828-9222 (718) 828-1700 1528 Castle Hill Avenue Bronx, New York 10462 Keeping Tradition Under Rabbinical Supervision Services from Our Chapel, Graveside or Synagogue Parking Facilities • Pre-Arrangements

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City

The Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City, Young Israel of Baychester, Section 5 (new address) at Bldg. 27Bat 120 Erdman Place (behind the Lobby), welcomes you to pray with them. Tel. for the Shule (Same old number) 1-718-379-6920. Note: Office Hours are on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Candle lighting on Friday, January 3, 2014 is before 4:21 p.m. Shabbat ends today Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 5:19 p.m. Coming Events: Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. – Please join Rabbi Kronengold and the congregation in prayer. Be part of the minion. Tuesday, December 31, 2013-New Years Eve Wednesday, January 1, 2014 – Welcomes in the New Year. Wishing all good health, happiness and prosperity, Sunday, January 12 at 1 p.m. Sisterhood sponsors an afternoon of

Bingo. Join us please! Sunday, January 19 at 1 p.m. -The Synagogue sponsors a fun afternoon of Bingo. Admission is $3.00 per person and includes snacks and refreshments. Good and Welfare: Do you need a tree certificate sent in “Honor of or in Memory” of a special occasion or a condolence? You can give a living gift for the cost of $15 per tree. For more information you can call Mimi at 1-347-427-4526. We can accommodate you. If you are feeling under the weather, we wish you all a speedy, painless and complete recovery in double quick time. We wish a speedy recovery to Nathan Sherman. Our prayers are with you. December brings Happy Birthday wishes on the 26th to Jerry Berlofsky and Gary Schwartz. Enjoy the day! Your help is always appreciated. Thank you. Shalom! —Miriam Evelyn Berlofsky

Fr. Taylor and the congregation of St. Joseph's cordially invite you to worship with us in Co-op City at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level. All are welcome. Weekly Schedule: Sunday service with Holy Communion and Sunday School are both at 9 a.m. Every 4th Sunday, our children participate in the reading of the lessons and every 5th Sunday, our young adults assist in the service. Bible study is held each Wednesday at 7 p.m. Choir rehearsal is on Thursday at 7 p.m. The (ECW) Episcopal Church Women meet immediately after service on the 1st Sunday of each month. Membership is open to all women of the church and dues are $2.00 per month. We look forward to welcoming everyone at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday,

December 29, when we will celebrate The First Sunday after Christmas Day. Calendar of Events: a) Service of Lessons & Carols Sunday, December 29 b) Service with Christmas Pageant by children of our Sunday School Sunday, December 29. Outreach Program: We continue to collect non-perishable food for the feeding program at Grace Episcopal Church in West Farms. Please remember to donate. For additional information on the above, please call the church at 718320-0844, or visit our website: http://www.stjosephsepcbronx.org “Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! *how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!” (Psalm 147:1) —M Chambers

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

Happy Holidays!!

LAW OFFICE

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

Pentecostal Tabernacle

The Pentecostal Tabernacle is at 120 Benchley Place, Building 24, Bronx, N.Y. 10475 You are invited to attend worship service every Sunday morning. Sunday school for all age group begins at 10:30 a.m. Mid-day worship service starts at 11:45 a.m. Watch night service will be held at 9 p.m. on Tuesday 12/31/2013. Youth service will be held every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. On Friday January 17th, 2014, Never Judge a Book by Its Cover will be making its way to Co-op City at 177 Dreiser Loop Community Center sponsored by Co-op City Pentecostal Tabernacle and HHC Publications. The inspirational Gospel stage play’s story-

line surrounds the Pastor of H.O.P.E. {Heavens} and is written, produced and directed by Hope Hollinsworth Coaxum. Tickets are available online at Eventbrite.com. Contact hope@booksbyhhc.com Pastor Sibblies and Minister Sibblies along with the entire congregation would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & a blessed healthy prosperous New Year. FOCUS: The King Has Come. Astonishing as it may be, the King of all kings was born as a babe in the town of Bethlehem. He was adored and worshiped. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came

wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, where is he that was born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (St. Matthew 2:1-6) The finding of the king: God was still leading the wise men

when they left Herod. They continued to follow the star until they reached the house where Jesus was staying with His mother Mary. They must have felt greatly rewarded for having accomplished their task of a long journey with all its hardship. The wise men no longer have to search for Jesus in the form of a babe, He can be found today regardless of a person’s need. His spirit will fill the heart of anyone who willingly seeks him. We can have a deeper and more meaningful walk with the Lord if we are willing to seek Him through prayer and studying of the word. For further information call (718) 324-0334 or 718-320-4218, (646) 3456707. —Rev. R. Sibblies

The Circle of Christ Church family extends a warm welcome to you and your family and invites you to come and worship with us at 147 Dreiser Loop, patio level (located in the Dreiser Community Center). Thought for this week: “You are a God that performs miracles; you display your power among your people. “ Psalm 77:14. Looking back at this year and recollecting data of all the of moments that were incredibly difficult, yet in hindsight it was all actually wonderful. Because our Lord put his hand in what

seems impossible and turn it for good and a bigger blessing. During a time of the year when we celebrate one of God’s greatest miracles-the birth of Jesus- we get to look back and witness several awesome inspiring miracles. God use the very hard circumstances we went through to display His power. Let’s be in the look out during this holiday season to see the Lord at work. Let’s pray at all time. Dear Lord open my eyes to what you are doing in the middle of circumstances that are outside of my plans and control. Help me to keep my eyes on You and Your

power over all things. In Jesus name, Amen We want to remind you that we are collecting non-perishable items and supplies in order to provide and support families in need of food. We also are providing counseling and referral services for families in the community. If you need or know someone in need, please call 347-945-1992. Please leave a message and we will gladly call you back. Come join us at Circle of Christ Church and experience the Love of God.

CHURCH SERVICE SCHEDULE Wednesday- 7 to 9 p.m. Prayer & Bible Study Friday 7 to 9 p.m. Youth Night and Children’s Bible Club Sunday 11 a.m. Worship and the Word Children’s Church 5 years old to 12 years old Little Lambs- Potty Trained SPECIAL EVENT Every First Sunday of the Month. The service is bilingual. All are welcome. —Rev. Sam Colon

Circle of Christ Church

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

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1. CHURCH WORSHIP SPACE AVAILABLE: St. Paul's Episcopal /Anglican Church on 489 St. Paul's Place off Washington Avenue, Bronx, wishes to rent out its Worship space on Saturdays and other week days. The Worship space can also be made available for rent on Sundays after 3pm. The Church can seat over three hundred people. 2. 7,500 SQUARE FOOT SPACE, comprising a two story attached annex building to St. Paul's Episcopal Church available for rent. The space was used as a Pre-School until June 2012. If interested, call Father Scott on 914-384-2929 for an appointment. 12/28

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Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

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Deadline is MONDAY at 3 P.M., except when there is a holiday, in which case the deadline is moved up one day or as announced. Classifieds advertising the sale of land, homes, or apartments outside Co-op

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ALL STATE DECORATORS

Locksmith

Display Classified: $8 first column inch, $4 ea. add’l. column inch.

Fee is payable in advance. No exceptions. No refunds. Checks or Money Orders ONLY payable to Co-op City Times must accompany ad. We no longer accept cash.

PRINT YOUR AD HERE CLEARLY.

— since 1969 —

• Don’t Pay More At Your Local Hardware Store •

Over 20 words, $6 plus 30¢ for each additional word. $2.40 per line for bold type (3 words max.)

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Makeup

Co-op City Times SUBSCRIPTION FORM $52/Year

Laundry Room Etiquette Please be considerate of others when sharing use of the laundry room. While using the machines or waiting for your clothes to finish: • Please refrain from playing loud music; • Keep an eye on young children accompanying you; 12/28

Painting

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• Do not leave clothes unattended in washers and dryers for long periods of time; • Do not remove carts from laundry rooms; • Do not use the laundry baskets and/or laundry tables to sort dirty clothes.

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The Co-op City Times is FREE for all Shareholders. WHO SHOULD SUBSCRIBE? • Local Businesses • Advertisers • Family Members of Shareholders • Potential Shareholders • Former Shareholders • ANYONE! NAME ___________________________________ ADDRESS ________________________________ CITY ____________________ST____ ZIP_______ PHONE __________________________________ Subscribe for #______ year(s). Send Check or Money Order for $52/year, made out to Co-op City Times 2049 Bartow Ave., Rm 21, Bronx, NY 10475

718.320.3300, ext. 3384 Papers are mailed Monday after issue date.

Don’t Be Fooled By Imitators! * * Co-op City Times / December 28, 2013

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