Co-op City Times 2/03/2024 by Co-op City Times

Honoring the struggles, achievements and history of African-Americans

Vol. 59 No. 5

Saturday, February 3, 2024

HCR Projects 8.1% Carrying Charge Increase May be Necessary to Balance Riverbay’s 2024/2025 Budget %< 52=$$1 %221(

Riverbay’s application to the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) seeks approval for a 2.1% carrying charge increase, but the agency is projecting that an 8.1% increase may be needed to balance the corporation’s 2024/2025 budget based on the uncontrollable factors cited in the Riverbay application – skyrocketing insurance costs, utilities and real estate taxes. HCR representatives attending the Tuesday, January 30th carrying charge conference held with Co-op City shareholders emphasized, however, that a ¿QDO GHWHUPLQDWLRQ KDV QRW \HW EHHQ PDGH RQ WKH DPRXQW RI WKH LQFUHDVH ZKLFK the HCR Commissioner will issue at a later date, although the earliest that an increase would be implemented is April 1, 2024. *HRUJH 6LPRQ +&5¶V 0DQDJHU 2I¿FH RI ,QWHJUDWHG +RXVLQJ 0DQDJHment, and Co-op City’s state representative, facilitated Tuesday evening’s virtual meeting which was attended by approximately 33 shareholders, 14 of which were call-in’s to the conference. Mr. Simon introduced Riverbay Executive General Manager Marvin L. Walton to present on behalf of Riverbay Corporation regarding the need for the increase. In his presentation, Mr. Walton gave an overview of the corporation’s 2024/2025 budget, explaining that the WRWDO LQFRPH SURMHFWHG IRU ¿VFDO \HDU 2024/2025, which starts on April 1, 2024 is $274,953,900 and expenses are SURMHFWHG DW ZKLFK UHVXOWV LQ D GH¿FLW RI RU (Continued on page 4)

MTA to Hold Metro-North Penn Access Info Session in Section 5 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is hosting a Penn Station Access Co-op City Information Session in Section 5 on Wednesday, February 7, 7-9 p.m. in Room 45 of the Einstein Center, 135 Einstein Loop. The Metro-North Penn Station Access project is a critical transit equity project that will bolster equity, regional connectivity and reliability by providing four new ADA-accessible passenger stations in the East Bronx, according to the MTA. One of those new stations will be built in Co-op City. Join the MTA this coming Wednesday, Feb. 7, in Section 5 for an information presentation and Q&A to learn more about the Penn Station Access Project and the Co-op City station design and location.

Mayor Adams Announces $43 Million Plan to Improve Gender Equity In NYC %< %5$1'21 257,=

Mayor Adams announced a $43M plan to improve gender equity efforts in New York City last Thursday, January 25. The plan, called Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity, aims to address gender equity for women, transgender and gender expansive New Yorkers in NYC by focusing on four key aspects: economic mobility, health care, access to stable housing and preventing gender-based violence. Funding for the investment is provided by “city dollars, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, and federal grant funding,” as RXWOLQHG E\ WKH 0D\RU¶V 2I¿FH To improve economic mobility, the Mayor’s plan will focus on establishing professional pipelines to high-paying careers by connecting women ZLWK SURIHVVLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW SURJUDPV ¿QDQFLDO (Continued on page 11)

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Low Turnout For HCR Carrying Charge Conference 3UHVLGHQW¶V 5HSRUW

Sonia Feliciano Dear fellow shareholders, Our virtual DHCR carrying charge increase meeting on January 30, 2024, brought out a community of 33 residents along with eight Management, DHCR, legal, and myself. There were also about 15 emails to DHCR from shareholders with comments. I am disappointed that out of over 15,000+ apartments, we had a low turnout. Shareholders present asked good questions on bad debt, Con Edison sales, and vacancy rates both, residential and commercial. You all received the Housing and Community Renewal packet. We did not have an increase in our carrying charges in year 1 (2023). We currently pay $255.87 per room of which a requested increase of $5.37 per room, equivDOHQW WR FRYHUV D 0 GH¿FLW LQ \HDU '+&5 LV UHFRPPHQGLQJ DQ EDVHG RQ WKH &RQVXPHU 3ULFH ,QGH[ ZKLFK PHDVXUHV LQÀDWLRQ LQ the price of goods and services over time. It is representative of consumer spending patterns and changes in price. Those prices represent the change in consumer prices. There are increases that we cannot control, but our highest items over time are utilities, insurance, water, and sewer. Riverbay looks at the previous (Continued on page 2)

Reminder: 2024 Window Guard Forms due February 15 The Annual Window Guard form mailed to Co-op City households must be completed and returned by Thursday, February 15, 2024. You are required WR ¿OO RXW DQG WHDU RII WKH UHVSRQVH FDUG SODFH WKH FRPSOHWHG FDUG LQWR WKH SUH paid envelope and drop it in the mail. You can also respond by phone, online or by faxing the completed card. Please follow the instructions included in the mailing.

CCPD: Person of Interest in Package Thefts The Co-op City Department of Public Safety is working to identify and locate the individual in the photos above. He is a suspect in the ongoing investigation regarding package thefts. If you see him, call Public Safety at 718 671-3050. If you have information on his identity, notify Co-op City Detectives via the CCPD TIPS Line at (718) 879-6311. If there is no answer, please leave a contact number. All reports can be treated DV FRQ¿GHQWLDO

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Co-op City Times COMBING

Find out what’s going on in Co-op City here...

Blood Drive in Einstein, Feb. 10 Riverbay Corporation and the NY Blood Center are co-sponsoring a Blood Drive on Saturday, February 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Room 45 of the Einstein Center. Please remember to eat, drink and bring ID.

Free Health Screenings on Feb. 10 Saturday, February 10, Amen Ministries and Church of the New Vision will present “A Blueprint for Wellness” at the church, 135 Einstein Loop, from 10 a.m.4 p.m. Register by scanning the QR Code below or contact amenministriesrev314@gmail.com or ljscott_2000@yahoo.com. This event is free. Services offered include Pre-Bio Metric Health Screening, Covid-19 vaccine and flu shots, eye exam and blood pressure testing. Bring family, friends and guests. All are welcome.

Be An Engaged Shareholder

Shareholders are encouraged to submit input on how to improve services and service delivery as well as other ideas that impact the quality of life of Co-op City residents. If you have a suggestion you’d like to share with the Riverbay Board and/or Management, visit the Home page of the official Co-op City website, coopcity.com, scroll down to the bottom and click on the “Comments & Suggestions” link or scan the QR Code here to be connected.

Front nd Page

MTA To Host Public Hearings on Congestion Pricing BY BRANDON ORTIZ

New Yorkers will have the opportunity to express their opinions on the MTA’s Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) when the MTA hosts several public hearing sessions later this month. There will be a total of four hybrid public hearing sessions beginning on February 29. Below are the dates and times of each session: ● Thursday, February 29, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. ● Friday, March 1, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ● Monday, March 4, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ● Monday, March 4, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Individuals who are interested in speaking during the session can register online at new.mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/cbd-tolling-hearing, by calling the Public Hearing Hotline at 646-252-6777 or by doing so in-person at MTA Headquarters. Online registration for participants will open one week before the scheduled meeting date. Additionally, participants who wish to sign-up to speak in-person, have until the same day of the meeting to do so. Registration for each meeting officially closes 30 minutes after the meeting begins. Participants will each have a limit of two minutes to speak. For those who plan on attending a public hearing session in-person, they will each be held at the MTA Headquarters, located at 2 Broadway, on the 20th floor in the William J. Ronan Board Room. All four hybrid public hearing sessions will also be livestreamed on the MTA’s Youtube channel, youtube. com/@mta-live, and on the CBDTP website: mta.info/ CBDTP. Individuals have the option to submit a written comment as well. The public comment window first opened on Wednesday, December 27, and will close on Monday, March 11, 2024. Interested individuals can submit a comment on the Central Business District Tolling Program online, through the mail or by leaving a voice message. For online comments, visit contact.mta.info/s/forms/ CBDTP. Email comments can be sent to cbdtp.feedback@ mtabt.org. The mailing address for written comments is: CBD Tolling Program, 2 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10004. For voicemail comments, individuals should call 646-252-7440. Once the public comment period closes in March, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Board “will review the public comments,” as described by the MTA. After reviewing those public comments, the Board “will consider adopting a ratemaking regulation that includes any updates to the proposed tolling structure for congestion pricing that may follow the public comment period,” also according to the MTA. The MTA anticipates officially implementing the Central Business District Tolling Program some time in 2024. For shareholders who are unfamiliar, the entire suggested fare structure for the Central Business District Tolling Program can be found online at new.mta.info/ document/129191. Below is a general overview on how different vehicles will be affected under the MTA’s congestion pricing program: • Tolls will only be charged when vehicles enter the CBD. Drivers will not be charged again for remaining or leaving the zone. • Automobiles will be charged $15 for entering the CBD. • Motorcycles will be charged $7.50 for entering the CBD. • Trucks will be charged $24 or $36, depending on the size of the truck, for entering the CBD. • Buses not affiliated with MTA public transit will be charged $24 or $36, depending on the type of bus, for entering the CBD.

• Weekday daytime period for regular tolling exists between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. • Nighttime discount of 75% off the CBD toll rate between the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends. • A daytime crossing credit for commuters traveling through one of the four tolled tunnels to enter the CBD. The credit for motorcycles would be $2.50, cars would be $5, small trucks would be $12 and large trucks would have a $20 credit. The credit only applies to daytime CBD tolls. • New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) taxis, and for-hire vehicle services would not be charged for entering the CBD. Instead, customers of those taxis, green cabs and black cars would incur a $1.25 toll per ride into or from the CBD on top of their trip’s fare. App-based for-hire vehicles would charge their customers $2.50 extra per ride into or from the CBD. • Emergency vehicles, vehicles carrying people with disabilities and specialized government vehicles would be exempt from the toll. • Low-income drivers would be eligible for a 50% discount on the daytime CBD toll after their first ten trips in one month. The Traffic Mobility Review Board was in charge of developing the final set of tolling structure recommendations for the CBDTP and released their recommendations during an MTA Board meeting on November 30. Governor Kathy Hochul detailed the impact that the CBDTP will have on New York City last summer, following the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the plan. “Congestion pricing will reduce traffic in our crowded downtown, improve air quality and provide critical resources to the MTA,” Gov. Hochul said. “I am proud of the thorough Environmental Assessment process we conducted, including responding to thousands of comments from community members from across the region.”

Fresh Produce Party Distribution in Section 5

Where’s the Party? ... The fresh produce party, that is! Every Saturday morning, directly next to the MMCC (Mosholu Montefiore Community Teen Center), fresh produce is delivered and distributed by faithful Co-op City volunteers and @grassrootsgroceryny. This past Saturday, Romaine and mixed lettuces, fresh and canned crushed tomatoes and green bananas were distributed to shareholders in Section 5. Everyone is welcomed. Join us every Saturday as we gather as a community in helping to drive out hunger! Reminder – Canned and dried goods are accepted 24/7 as donations and placed on the pantry side. No perishable or non-food items, please. Ask us about how you can volunteer via email: coopcitycommunityfridge@gmail.com. See you at the fridge with your shopping bag or cart. –Yolanda Ramirez Photos by Linda Brown

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Carrying Charges ––––– (Continued from page 1) and hence the purpose of the carrying charge conference on Tuesday night. Referencing “Corporate Expenses” in the chart displayed in his presentation, Mr. Walton said that the real challenges for the corporation are insurance, utilities and real estate taxes, which include shelter rent taxes and commercial real estate taxes – all areas where a large percentage of the money is needed. Executive General Manager Walton also spoke about the development’s $17.5M annual water bill, explaining that Co-op City participates in the city’s 0XOWL )DPLO\ &RQVHUYDWLRQ 3URJUDP 0&3 DQG DV VXFK SD\V D ÀDW UDWH IRU LWV UHVLGHQWLDO ZDWHU XVDJH EDVHG RQ D ¿[HG FKDUJH SHU XQLW ZKLFK EUHDNV GRZQ to approximately $93 per month, per unit. Prior to participation in the MCP, Co-op City’s residential water bill was well north of $20M, Mr. Walton said. Going through the 2024/2025 Riverbay budget, Mr. Walton called shareholders’ attention to departmental expenses, a projected $148M expenditure, 63% of which is for personnel costs and 37% of other-than-personnel costs. “So, 63 percent of the personnel costs equates at $93.5M, which is for salDULHV DQG IULQJH EHQH¿WV ´ VDLG 0U :DOWRQ ³7KH RWKHU LV RWKHU WKDQ SHUsonnel services, and it equates to approximately $5M, so that’s all the other items outside of personnel. This is pretty typical when you look at any budget across the board, personnel cost is usually 75% or higher. We’re at 63 percent on average just for our personnel costs.” Riverbay’s Director of Finance, Averil James-Bonnette, reiterated the need for the 2.1% carrying charge increase because the housing company’s projections of expenses exceed revenues. She outlined Riverbay’s big ticket items, namely, utilities, insurance and shelter rent tax, which are outside of Riverbay Corporation’s control. “These are expenses that we must pay so whenever there is an imbalance in the budget, we need to seek a carrying charge increase,” Ms. James-Bonnette said. Mr. Simon then informed shareholders that although the housing company has asked for a 2.1% carrying charge increase, HCR’s projection shows that ZRXOG PRVW OLNHO\ EH UHTXLUHG DOWKRXJK WKLV LV QRW \HW D ¿QDO QXPEHU because ultimately, HCR’s Commissioner would make that determination, and if an increase is approved, in what amount. During the meeting, Mr. Simon introduced Robert Landy, HCR’s vice president of Financial Operations, who informed shareholders that in making their projection, HCR keenly reviewed Riverbay budget and there were a couple of stand-out factors, namely, utilities, insurance and real estate taxes – expenses that Riverbay has no control over. He pointed out that these expenses are not unique to Riverbay, however, and are being experienced across the board at other developments. Insurance, for one, has doubled, tripled and, in some cases, quadrupled, he said. When Riverbay’s request for an increase was subPLWWHG ODVW \HDU WKH ¿QDQFLDO ODQGVFDSH ZDV VLJQL¿FDQWO\ GLIIHUHQW DQG VR 5LYerbay’s projections may be a bit more conservative than HCR’s today. The conference then moved into the Q&A phase. Below is a summary of some of the questions asked by shareholders during the conference and the respective responses. Shelby Pryor, a long time shareholder who moved in with her parents who were original cooperators and, as an adult, purchased her own apartment in Section 1, said she has never seen so many vacant storefronts in the section. She also asked why is it that every time the city Rent Guidelines Board approves a rent increase, Riverbay seems to follow suit? Ms. Pryor went on to say that she read in the newspapers that Co-op City received $621M in 2022 WR UH¿QDQFH LWV PRUWJDJH DQG DGGUHVVHG UHSDLUV ZLWK QR LQFUHDVHV WR VKDUHKROGers. She also questioned why it is Riverbay cannot raise rates on ConEd when ConEd increases their utility rates on its customers? Executive General Manager Walton explained that in April 2022, Riverbay &RUSRUDWLRQ UH¿QDQFHG LWV H[LVWLQJ PRUWJDJH ZLWK D QHZ 0 PRUWJDJH DQG SXOOHG GRZQ 0 LQ HTXLW\ WR EH HDUPDUNHG VSHFL¿FDOO\ IRU QHFHVVDU\ FDSLWDO SURMHFWV 7KLV QHJDWHG SODFLQJ WKH ¿QDQFLDO EXUGHQ RI D SRVVLEOH GRXEOH digit increase on shareholders at that time to cover necessary capital repairs and approximately $40M to fund replacement reserves under the terms of the old mortgage. Mr. Walton said that Riverbay’s utilities increase year-over-year and that this is not only occurring here at Co-op City but at Mitchell-Lamas across the state. However, steps have to be taken to balance Riverbay’s operations budget so that the doors can be kept open and services rendered to shareholders. “We are, however, putting safety nets in place so that we can continue proYLGLQJ VHUYLFHV PRUH HI¿FLHQWO\ ´ VDLG 0U :DOWRQ Ms. James-Bonnette added: “There’s a distinction to be made between the UH¿QDQFLQJ DQG RSHUDWLRQV 7KH UH¿QDQFLQJ SURYLGHG 0 DQG WKHUH DUH UHstrictions on that. Operations is what we need to provide services and to keep the campus going, so we should not confuse the two. They are two distinct pots of money.” Shareholder Wanda Randu of Section 2, a 29-year shareholder of Co-op &LW\ DVNHG DERXW EDG GHEWV VSHFL¿FDOO\ LI WKH DGGLWLRQDO LQFRPH WKDW LV EHLQJ sought through the proposed 2.1% carrying charge increase is being driven by outstanding delinquency of shareholders. “The budget is not necessarily driven by bad debts; it’s driven by our overall need to support our budget and included in that need is bad debt as well as increased costs in insurance and utilities…,” said Ms. James-Bonnette. “So there are two points – one is, it is not driven solely by bad debts but it’s driven by a number of factors including rising costs of materials and supplies, including rising costs in insurance, and rising costs in utilities. All of that is driving our need… All of this has been driven by the fact that we do not have enough income to cover our operational expenses at Riverbay.” $ VKDUHKROGHU LGHQWL¿HG DV -RVH VDLG WKDW DOWKRXJK KH LV DZDUH WKDW SULFHV

have been going up, carrying charges have as well since 2020. “And it is becoming unaffordable to live here anymore,” Jose stated. “It’s ridiculous how much we have to spend every month and soon after this increase, most of us will have to pay $2,000 for our apartment…Is the future bleak, and what is the possible solution – to potentially move out?” Mr. Walton responded: “The future is bright for Co-op City. We are doing things now that hopefully over time, even in the short term, will show some of the improvements that we’re doing and hopefully reduce down the costs that we have, but it’s still important to hear the underlying message in the request here – insurance, utilities and taxes. The major areas that are so uncontrollable by Management. But those things that we can control, we’re going to do better as we proceed forward.” Mr. Walton went on to speak about a number of initiatives that Management has in motion. “We partner very closely with the Board,” he said. “We’re partnering with the building associations to really help improve the conditions here on the campus.” Speaking directly to Jose, Mr. Walton said, “We would love for you to remain here so you can see the potential growth that we have here. Although the growth is coming, we have immediate needs to help get us there. And this is why as we proceed forward, we’re going to be as transparent as possible in showing and sharing with you the different projects that would be taking place on the campus. We have a lot of improvements that are planned for the future and the goal isn’t to continue to raise our carrying charges… because we are not looking to make it unaffordable, but we have to address those immediate expenses that we have, and keep and maintain the doors to be open so Co-op City can be viable.” “My comment is, we know it’s a Mitchell-Lama, it’s affordable, and our goal is to keep it affordable,” Ms. James-Bonnette said. “But in the process, we do have to consider quality of life, providing quality services to you. Keeping the development in tip-top condition. And so, all of these things cost us. We want to deliver quality service to you, and there’s a cost to everything, but at the end of the day, the mission is the keep this as affordable as possible and to enhance the quality of life, and so therefore, a 2.1 percent increase will steer us in that direction.” Jose asked if the improvements Management discussed will lower carrying charges in the future. Mr. Walton noted that although the question was a good one, he could not provide an answer because it’s an “uncontrollable.” (Continued on page 5)

DR. LEWIS WOLSTEIN Podiatrist – Foot Specialist • Practicing in Co-op City since 1975 • Board Certified in Foot Surgery • ALL conditions of the foot treated • Evening and Saturday appointments • Most health insurance plans accepted Se Habla Español

Call:

718.671.7226 100 DeKruif Place

Building 8 • Ground Floor Section 1 • Co-op City • Bronx, NY 10475

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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 signed 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. 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 are solely the writer’s and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp.

– • Letters to the Editor • –

Voting – No Unconditional Promises

Immigration

To the Editor: First and foremost, thanks to the Board of Directors for allowing cooperators to view the last meeting. We are now in the new era of Zoom (we see you close up) and of interest is body language, attire and cell phone usage while others are talking. Thanks to Management for such an informative format outlining how you are managing our precious middle income Mitchell-Lama housing complex. As someone working with unhoused New Yorkers lingering in the shelter system, what we have on these 300-acres plus is worth fighting for. Please consider using this format on a monthly basis. In my opinion, with Metro-North coming, we are not exempt from the reality of gentrification. New York City has a history of taking over and displacing entire neighborhoods. Not only do we have to be concerned about legal cannabis being sold in our community, but there has been some discussion about a betting house in the Bronx in the area where Trump Golf Links is located. Having a train stop in Co-op City will change things. In my opinion, we also need to be mindful of the “privatization” debate emerging again. I am personally aware of areas in New York where private co-op developments have been bought up by wealthy firms who then sublease them out to the highest bidder. I relocated from one! So what’s my point? We cannot ever again allow our precious vote to be discarded because a Board will not extend the voting deadline. What ethic group died for the right to vote? Cooperators cannot allow this to happen in 2024 without making some noise now. If you were aware of the amount of rent landlords are charging low and no income New Yorkers, you would shake your head. Become a Board member! The Board Training for newcomers is awesome. Let’s fight together to keep Coop City a haven for middle and upper middle income New Yorkers. —Evelyn M. Turner

To the Editor: Today, for all practical purposes, we no longer have a southern border. Many illegals from China entered our nation by boat. And we no longer have a national language for communication. Neither do we have a common culture. None of these changes happened accidentally. We were warned of the consequences of illegal immigration in the mid-80’s. We have huge amounts of narcotics carried into America through illegal immigration. Human trafﬁcking is another national catastrophe. One of my daughters has been working for many years opposing human trafﬁcking. The issue is dramatically underreported by the media. We also have many criminals and terrorists entering our country. It is tremendously unfair that U.S. citizens have to get passports to leave or return to our shores, but illegals can just walk across the borders. Failing to enforce proper regulations leaves us open to a great variety of serious communicable diseases. Because of non-enforcement of federal immigration laws, our inner cities are now overrun by illegals. The current administration’s policies have only made a bad situation much worse. I doubt if Secretary Mayorkas will be impeached and convicted, but I believe he should be. Polls show that the American people consider immigration to be one of the most important current issues. —David Hammer

Deepest Condolences Please join us in keeping John Lowe, Riverbay’s director of Risk Management, in your prayers as he mourns the loss of his beloved wife, Laura. Laura is survived by her husband, parents and siblings.

Congratulations, Matthew!

NYC Summer Youth Application Now Open The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development’s 2024 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Application for young people 14-24 years of age is available online at https://application. nycsyep.com. The application deadline is March 1, 2024. This program offers career exploration, project-based learning, work experience, community building and the opportunity to earn money. Selection is based on a lottery, and submission of an application does not guarantee an offer of summer employment. To ﬁnd out more about SYEP, contact Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

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

Rozaan Boone Editor-in-Chief

Jennifer Piovanetti Operations Manager

Ralph Henriquez Production Manager

John Crow New Media Producer 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 signed by the writer and include their address and phone number, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the author. Writers will be limited to one letter per topic. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be submitted to the Co-op City Times by 3 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Email cctimes@ riverbaycorp.com or mail to 2049 Bartow Ave., Room 21, Bronx, NY 10475. 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 Corp. 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.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Matthew Miller’s proud parents, Andrene and Michael Miller, held a celebratory graduation dinner for their son on Saturday, January 27, which was attended by family, friends and local elected officials. Among the attendees were Bronx BP Vanessa Gibson, Assembly Members Michael Benedetto and Al Taylor, and Riverbay Board President Sonia Feliciano, Board Director Rod Saunders and his wife, Shirley. Also, in attendance was Latae Davis, Matthew’s girlfriend.

We welcome letters to the editor, only from Co-op City shareholders, at cctimes@riverbaycorp.com. Letters should address issues of interest to the Co-op City community. Comments should be fact-based and responsible. Letters should not personally attack others and must be written in a respectful manner. Only signed letters will be considered for publication. The Co-op City Times does not publish anonymous material. Submissions must include the writer’s address and phone number – which will be kept conﬁdential – so authenticity and residency of the writer can be veriﬁed. Thank you for your cooperation.

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

CCPD Offers Illness Prevention Tips for Duration of Flu Season Now is the perfect time to get a flu shot if your doctor recommends it. No one wants to take a chance of contracting the flu. Some flu symptoms may mimic Covid-19 symptoms. Contracting the flu, in addition to Covid-19, is something no one should have to experience. By taking a few simple precautions, you can greatly reduce your risk of exposure to flu. Many of these precautions can also be effective at reducing your risk of contracting Covid-19. The Department of Public Safety offers these tips to keep you safe during the cold and flu season. If you have never gotten a flu shot, this may be a good year to start. The healthier everyone can be, the better. Disease awareness heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The flu is starting to receiving media attention, which has not been the case since the “Swine Flu” epidemic of 2009. Every year, scientists attempt to predict the pending flu strains and produce an effective vaccination. We do not know yet if the devised vaccination will be 100% effective against all of the current flu strains that may affect the population. Some years’ vaccines are in short supply after the media increases flu awareness. It is always best to get your vaccine before supplies run low or you actually catch a full blown case of the flu. Do not put off getting your flu vaccine. Once you get the flu, it is too late. If you have ever had the flu, you know it is not something you would like to experience again. Fortunately, the large number of people receiving flu vaccinations and public awareness regarding disease prevention may have slowed the spread of flu and other illnesses. The symptoms and degree of illness caused by the flu virus and Covid-19 vary for each individual. Some people will become very ill while others sustain only minor symptoms. Your general health and other risk factors will determine how any illness will affect you. Persons with other underlying health problems can face serious complications in connection with Covid-19 or the flu. High risk groups include the elderly, young children, pregnant women, obese persons, diabetics, asthmatics and those with compromised immune systems. Those at high risk of complications should see their doctor and consider being vaccinated against this year’s strain of the flu. Vaccination has proven to be highly effective in preventing flu infection. Your doctor is your best resource for information regarding flu vaccinations or other vaccinations you see advertised on television.

The media may be focusing on Covid-19 reporting at this time. Illness prevention is always a good idea. The single most important step everyone can take to prevent contracting Covid-19, the flu or any other illness is frequent and thorough hand washing. This is especially important for school-age children. Children may sneeze or cough and then come in contact with items other children may touch. Children may then touch their face or their mask area allowing flu germs to enter the eyes, nose or mouth very easily. By washing your hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap, you minimize the risk from this type of exposure. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer should be utilized. Hand sanitizer is available in small containers which can easily be carried in a pocket or purse. Some of these decorative, small containers have cases designed to be clipped onto a lunch bag, backpack or belt loop. If you or any member of your family exhibit flu or Covid-19 symptoms, be sure to stay home from work or school, get plenty of bed rest and increase fluid consumption. These are very important steps in preventing the spread of various illnesses. This gives the body the chance to rest and recover as rapidly as possible. Any school closings or outbreaks in the New York City schools can be found on the NYC website, www.nyc.gov/flu, or www.nyc.gov/coronavirus. Please be sure to notify your child’s school if your child becomes ill with the flu or any other contagious illness. Follow the advice of your doctor to determine when it is safe for your child to return to school. Taking the drug “Tamiflu” or “Relenza” greatly decreases the severity of the flu virus if taken within 24 to 48 hours of exposure to the flu virus. See your doctor, especially if you have other underlying medical conditions or health risks. Don’t always expect a doctor to prescribe antibiotics for every illness. In many cases, antibiotics do nothing but make illnesses resistant to antibiotics. Upsetting the balance of your good intestinal bacteria can result in serious illnesses. It is still a good idea to rule out illnesses such as strep or flu. The Center for Disease Control no longer recommends taking flu medication for exposure to flu. It is only recommended for persons who actually exhibit flu symptoms. Check their website for more information at www.cdc. gov/flu or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Do not allow media attention to create

Public Safety Blotter

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY

Public Safety Report

January 21 – January 27, 2024 January 21, 2024 140 Bellamy Loop A cooperator reported parking her vehicle on the side of Building 21C. Upon returning the next day, she observed that her vehicle was removed from the parking space by unknown individuals without her permission. January 22, 2024 2420 Hunter Avenue CCPD responded to a call about males loitering in the stairwell on the 22nd floor. Upon arrival, CCPD observed two non-resident males loitering on the stairwell who were properly identified. The shareholder of record was issued two Community Complaints for her relative and his friend loitering in the stairwell. January 24, 2024 900 Baychester Avenue A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package was removed from in front of her apartment door by an unknown individual without her permission. 900 Baychester Avenue A cooperator reported a confirmed delivered package that was removed from in front of her apartment door by an unknown individual without her permission.

January 25, 2024 100 DeKruif Place A cooperator reported a confirmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission. January 26, 2024 120 Asch Loop CCPD responded to a fire in the laundry room. Upon arrival, CCPD observed a large amount of smoke coming through the dryer vents and immediately evacuated all cooperators in the laundry room. FDNY responded and extinguished the fire with no injuries to report. Riverbay Maintenance was on scene for clean-up with the elevators being restricted from going into the basement. 920 Co-op City Blvd. A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package was removed from in front of her apartment door by an unknown individual without her permission. 140 Elgar Place A cooperator reported a confirmed delivered package that was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission.

(Continued on page 8)

For information on CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ONLY, please contact: Lenya Garcia at Lgarcia@riverbaycorp.com; and Anatoliy Budnitskiy at abudnitskiy@riverbaycorp.com. Please note: emails should be sent to both parties. Please DO NOT email resumes for EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES to the aforementioned emails. For EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, please see below for speciﬁc directions.

CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES There are no contract opportunities to list this week. Please check back.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES For employment opportunities, please visit these following sites:

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www.Glassdoor.com

www.ZipRecruiter.com

https://bit.ly/3SgI9Go

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Candidates may review full position descriptions and apply at any site. Current Riverbay employees should submit a transfer request and resumé directly to the HR department. Thank you for your interest in working for Riverbay Corporation.

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024 Director’s’ Viewpoint –

Daryl Johnson

Board Meeting Review, 1/24/2024 We had a board meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. So, let’s review some of the resolutions that were presented during this meeting. Insurance Resolutions Previously, I wrote about how a broker made $82,500 because he made a recommendation to purchase Workmen’s Compensation from the NYS Insurance Fund. Nevertheless, we already had a policy with them. So, in my opinion, we could have simply renewed that policy. As mentioned before, the NYS Insurance Fund was created to provide the lowest cost for Workmen’s Compensation insurance to employers. So, other insurance companies cannot touch their prices. Regardless, Riverbay wanted some brokers to bid on this matter. So, the brokers sent quotes to Riverbay. Thereafter, all of their quotes were higher than the quote from NYS. And, then, one broker recommended that we purchase insurance from NYS. So, take a guess what Riverbay did. Well, Riverbay accepted the advice from that broker. Then, Riverbay knew exactly when that policy was going to expire. So, this policy was presented to this board for a vote just days before the expiration date. Therefore, the board had no choice but to vote yes to approve this renewal policy. So, that broker made $82,500 for that recommendation. The insurance resolution that was presented during our meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, was also problematic. This multimillion-dollar policy was for General Liability insurance. So, let’s review a few things to see exactly how this resolution was created. The ﬁrst issue was that bids were requested from just three brokers. No problem, right? Wrong! The ﬁrst broker didn’t even respond to the bid. The second broker “submitted a non-bindable conditional proposal.” So, we couldn’t use that broker. Therefore, not surprisingly, a bid from only one broker was viable. However, as mentioned before, our board meeting was held on January 24, 2024. And, this multimillion-dollar policy for General Liability insurance was set to expire on January 31, 2024. So,

again, the board had to approve this resolution. The commission? Unfortunately, management didn’t respond by the time that this viewpoint was written for the actual commission that the broker was going to receive. Rental Rooms For Co-op Organizations We have nice community centers here. However, for the most part, some of our community rooms are vacant all day, every day. So, would it make good sense if these rooms could be used to provide really nice services for everyone here? Absolutely! For instance, some parents are paying outrageous sums of money every day for someone or a group to watch their children. However, can you imagine how things could be if we were to work with NYC to create a plan to use some of our rooms to care for children? For instance, some of our rooms can be used for educational programs, play, and other good purposes. And, those children can have a lot of fun and create some really good memories. We have several certified Co-op City organizations here. And, for the most part, they are willing to offer their services to our community. So, as mentioned before, I would love it if these groups and Riverbay could work together for the benefit of our community. This way, they can put on shows and really nice events here. Thereafter, these shows and events can be televised and watched by everyone for free. However, a resolution was just passed that will allow them the use of some rooms once per year. Thereafter, they will have to go into their pockets or raise hundreds or thousands of dollars just to put on an event here. Personally, I think that this is a terrible way to treat these organizations. So, I think that our board needs to review this matter again. Mayor Eric Adams Visits Co-op City On Monday, January 22, 2024, Mayor Eric Adams had a big meeting in the Dreiser Mall. And, I was amazed to see the huge police presence inside and outside of this mall. Moreover, I was glad to see the good relationship that he has with the NYPD and all of his agencies. You can find this meeting on YouTube: ‘Mayor Eric Adams

CCPD Report –– (Continued from page 7) panic in regards to the flu virus. This year’s strain of the flu virus is no more serious than previous strains of flu. By taking precautions, you can minimize your risk of exposure to the flu virus. Your health goes hand-in-hand with your well-being and safety. Remember, Covid is still with us. Be sure to take necessary precautions, especially when entering indoor spaces without room to social distance. Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Wearing a mask can be helpful, even if not mandatory. Co-op City has free Covid testing with an option of obtaining free anti-viral medication. Search “Free Covid Testing NYC” for pick-up testing kits within Co-op City. In addition, there are other locations in the Bronx and throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Always remember not to drive if you consume alcoholic beverages. Even one drink is too many if you are going to drive. Also, be sure to buckle your seatbelt, obey speed limits and avoid distractions when driving. Schools are open, drive safely. Never pass a stopped school bus in either direction when it has the red lights flashing or the Stop sign out. Always remember, if you see something, say something. Call 911 and the Department of Public Safety at (718) 671-3050. Callers may remain anonymous when giving information. The Co-op City Department of Public Safety would like to thank all persons who have called in suspicious activity or sent information via our website. Visit CCPD on X, @CCPDnyc, to see what is happening here in Co-op City. Although Riverbay Corporation lifted the mask mandate throughout the community, it is still important to be proactive in preventing the spread of Covid-19, the flu and other contagious illnesses. Hand washing, the use of hand sanitizer and not touching your face are strategies to help prevent the spread of a wide variety of illnesses. Please follow the latest guidance provided by the CDC and the New York City Department of Health regarding illness trends and recommended vaccinations. Also, remember that Co-op City has people with many different types of health conditions, spanning a large spectrum of age ranges. These people may continue to wear masks. Please respect their choice and do your best to maintain social distance, especially indoors. Do not forget to stay home if you are sick. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Hosts Community Conversation.’ Then you can scroll down to see our meeting. Or, you can type in this link to go to this meeting: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=7qWklXuCv7o&t=54s There were two big lessons that we can use from that meeting. The ﬁrst lesson is that Mayor Adams stood up and proudly talked about how he chose a diverse group of leaders—male and female—for his administration. Therefore, we need to apply this example to the contractors that we hire here. The second lesson is that he told his administration to cut their budgets by 5 percent. Nevertheless, he received some complaints. But, overall, he knew that our city services would not be diminished by those cuts. This is the type of no-nonsense approach that we need here. Close Our board and management have to get serious about not allowing employees to present questionable resolutions. Additionally, the poor excuses for not cutting our budget have to stop. Thank you. Contact Information Please send a letter to: Board Director Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Currently, here is my ONLY email account: djohnson@riverbayboard.com. I will never ask for or accept money from anyone. Therefore, please do not respond to any message with my name on it that requests money, money transfers, gift cards, personal information, or anything from you. And, please do not ever send money or anything to anyone because you saw my name on a false message. Also, please call me ONLY at 718-671-4544 if you would like to have a brief discussion with me. And, please hang up your phone immediately if someone calls you and says that they’re Daryl Johnson or is associated with me and asks you for money or anything else. Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Carrying Charges ––––– (Continued from page 5) but they used to work 24/7. They are no longer 24/7, they usually work from probably morning to the afternoon,” said Greg. “So it looks like that was a decrease in staff. Is there a breakdown here for departmental expenses? I just want to understand what’s going on there.” Even though Mr. Walton had presented a snapshot on this topic in his presentation at the beginning of the conference, he said that a fuller report and the breakdown would be published in his February Management Report in the Coop City Times so shareholders can see what each department’s budget is. Repeating the explanation of departmental expenses, he said that $148M is projected for departmental expenses – 63% of it is personnel costs which are VDODULHV DQG IULQJH EHQH¿WV ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKHUH DUH ¿YH XQLRQV DW 5LYHUED\ VR D lot of those expenses are driven by collective bargaining agreements (CBA’s) that are negotiated and therefore a done deal. Thirty-seven percent is other-than-personnel costs, such as supplies. He also corrected published reports that there are 28 departments. For the record, Mr. Walton said, there are 24 internal departments at Riverbay Corporation and three that report to the Board for a total of 27. “I’ve been here nine months and one thing the Board charged me with doing LV ORRNLQJ DFURVV WKH HQWLUH FRUSRUDWLRQ DQG DGGLQJ RSHUDWLQJ HI¿FLHQFLHV ´ VDLG Mr. Walton. “I didn’t do that coming in the door because before you can change anything, you have to understand it, right? You have to seek to understand before you can change – that’s in process. That may take me a good year. I do see some overlapping. So the future is bright for Co-op City because I believe WKHUH DUH RSHUDWLQJ HI¿FLHQFLHV WKDW ZH FDQ LPSOHPHQW KHUH EXW LW FDQ LPSDFW services. …All of the garage attendants were released – That was part of the whole budgeting process, those positions were surrendered last year to balance the budget.” Regarding the lobby attendants, Mr. Walton said the positions were eliminated because with the new lobby doors which Riverbay spent approximately $10M on, even when the attendants were in place, they were only a deterrent in that they could not patrol the buildings. “It was a number of things, so the Board made a conscious decision and said that these are positions that we could do without,” he said. “Same thing with the garages. Now we don’t have to collect money at the gate. You can use your credit card in the pay machines we put up when you are exiting the garage, just like you do when you’re in lower Manhattan. Each of you who have reserved spaces, you have the little doohickey inside of your car that will open the gate for you, so there was no need to spend unnecHVVDU\ PRQH\ RQ VWDI¿QJ WR GR ZKDW ZH KDG WHFKQRORJ\ WR UHSODFH WKHP ZLWK ´ Shareholder Tami followed-up asking if there are any data points that show

Co-op City is a safer community without the lobby attendants, and Mr. Walton responded that if anyone were to search the 10475 zip code online, you would see it has some of the lowest crime rates in all of New York City. “That’s not a fallacy, that’s a fact,” he said. “And we have that because of the phenomenal work that we do within our CCPD department.” He continued that there were a lot of budget cuts last year and because of that, there was no Public Safety class. “And these are things that we can’t do, shareholders, going forward,” cautioned Mr. Walton. “We are balancing the budget on the backs of those successes that we have and we can’t do that no longer… I’m sure if you knew that we would not be having our normal 24-member class, you probably would have been concerned about that. With the limited staff that we have, we still are able to police this campus to the greatest extent that we can and keep our numbers down every month. …when you walk across to Bay Plaza, the numbers shoot north. That’s because we have a dedicated force here and we work very closely with the Four-Five as well, we’re partnering with them so we’re doing all that we can to make sure that the quality of life on this campus is the best in the Bronx, that’s why you constantly hear this is the best deal in the Bronx and I have to agree.” Wrapping up, Mr. Walton relayed that shareholders have been well informed about the uncontrollable factors the corporation is grappling with –– insurance, utilities and taxes. He noted that some things can be done on the insurance side to make improvements so that when the insurance companies come out to tour the campus, they can see Riverbay has made strides to possibly lower their rates, “but it’s still a hard item to control; we can do what we can on the inside to try to cushion the blow so the increase is not too astronomical that we cannot afford it,” he said. Mr. Landy offered: “The recurring theme that I keep hearing throughout the course of the conference is our utility costs whether it’s water, electric, gas, what have you. The utility costs are included in the carrying charges. If the community can work together, remind residents to shut air conditioners off in the summer and just be conscientious of the utility usage, … if everyone would just watch their utility usage, it could greatly help reduce the overall expense. Utilities are a large heap of the operating budget, roughly about 25 percent or so. So when considering that, that is one area where it is a great importance if our shareholders can help. …That will go a long way. “The other item that is brought up in here tonight is participation in Board meetings is encouraged, bring suggestions, observation, that will help a lot.” Summarizing, Mr. Simon thanked all the shareholders who attended the (Continued on page 11)

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024 Director’s Viewpoint

Rod Saunders

Mayor to Explore Feasibility of Crediting Riverbay for Providing City Services Because Riverbay Board directors are asked to submit their directors’ viewpoints by close of business on Mondays (except for the Board President), events such as the Mayor’s Community Conversation taking place on a Monday evening could not be published until the following week’s edition of the Co-op City Times. Having said that, the coverage by the Times was excellent. A little known fact though, relates to how cooperators got to view the meeting in its entirety over our Optimum/Altice community cable channel, or by using the master antenna hook-up. Management was in agreement with contacting the Mayor’s office to obtain a copy of the event, and was sent the YouTube link version, which turned out not to be fully compatible with our network broadcast system. The Co-op City Times’ production manager, Ralph Henriquez, had the foresight to download the YouTube transmission onto a compatible format, thus allowing for the televised viewing of the event to cooperators. Well done, indeed! The Mayor’s office was, for the most part, in charge of the event, and was responsible for sending out the emailed RSVP invitations. All responses were circled back to the Mayor’s Community Relations Office with the understanding that an immediate reply was essential because space would be limited. My observation was that there were 15 tables, seating ten to a table, with two NYPD Community Affairs officers seated at each table. While I cannot speak for others, I personally had not previously attended a Mayor’s Community Conversation before, so the format allowing you to ask a question of the Mayor was a new and unique experience for me. My Segue Question to Mayor Adams Interestingly enough, the majority issue/question at my table focused around the coverage of Coop City’s campus by the 45 Pct. and our own Co-op City Public Safety Department. I was chosen to be the presenter of our table’s one question, however, before it was my table’s turn to ask our agreed upon question of Mayor Adams, the vice president of the Building 6 Association asked the Mayor (I’m paraphrasing – not quoting) if he could help Co-op City residents by returning our Lobby and Garage Attendants back at their positions which

make many cooperators feel safer. When it was my table’s turn to ask our agreed-upon question, I did, and then I was able to segue to a comment which included a question relating to the aforementioned Lobby & Garage attendant question. As written about in last week’s Co-op City Times, I explained to the Mayor and those in attendance during the Mayor’s Community Conversation, that the removal of the Lobby & Garage attendants from their positions was made by the Board in an attempt to keep our shareholders’ carrying charges at an affordable rate. No one foresaw the increases by the NYC DEP on our water bill, or our insurance coverages, our asbestos removal process, the supplies we use for repairs and restorations, and just about everything else we purchase, or contract. Board Directors Are Shareholders Too In speaking with cooperators directly after and days after the Mayor’s Community Conversation, it is apparent that not all cooperator/shareholders are aware that the lion’s share of our (Riverbay Corp.’s) operating budget comes from the carrying charges we pay each month. While the vast majority of cooperators understand that, it appears many are more likely to draw the conclusion that Riverbay Board directors are disinterested individuals who vote for reasons that are not in the best interest of shareholders. Riverbay Corp. is a limited profit corporation. Our commercial leases contribution to the operating expenses help us out, but is not a significant contributing factor. The Real Game Changers As I stated to Mayor Adams, our water bill is currently $18 Million per year and likely to rise again in the near future. The amount that it costs to haul our garage and recyclables to one location is approximately $3 Million per year. The cost to provide our own public safety is approximately $13.5 Million per year. Adding officers to meet some of the demands that cooperators have been asking for, combined with contractual obligations, will see that figure rise. Receiving a multi-million-dollar credit from the City of New York would be

For up-to-date communication from Riverbay Corporation, read the Co-op City Times, delivered to your building lobby and the community centers on Saturdays, tune in to the Crawler on your home TVs and lobby monitors, and register for Phone Tree notiﬁcations.

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extremely beneﬁcial to Co-op City residents. To be sure, there are other multi-million dollar checks that Co-op City (Riverbay Corp.) pays out to the City of New York that could be refunded, or eliminated for a host of reasons. The good news is that Mayor Adams gave the audience and I a “very positive” answer to looking further into my suggested proposal. I am looking forward to the Mayor’s ofﬁcial response to providing Co-op City shareholders some form of impactful trade-offs of our expenses. Open Board Meeting Discussion on the Proposed Cannabis Dispensary At the January 24th Open Board meeting, I asked to amend the Agenda to include a discussion on the proposed cannabis dispensary located at 675 Co-op City Blvd. (the former Chase Bank building). I request that the Board have a discussion to determine whether or not we could have a consensus vote to oppose the proposal. As it turned out, Board members clearly did not share the same opinion regarding the proposed cannabis dispensary. Without consensus to either oppose or approve, there will not be a written opinion from the Riverbay Board to the Cannabis Control Board. Interestingly enough, on the same night that our Riverbay Board was meeting, the Cannabis Control Board was scheduled to meet on 13 businesses, three of which were cannabis dispensaries. On that evening, the meeting was cancelled without comment. In conclusion, I want to inform the cooperators residing in the Benchley Place cul-de-sac, that the NYCDOT has replaced the NO STANDING sign at the Co-op City Blvd./Bellamy Loop bus stop. Your vehicle will be ticketed if you park contrary to the sign’s directions. Thank you for taking the time to read my viewpoint. I can be reached at: rsaunders@riverbayboard.com.

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Adams ––––– (Continued from page 1) literacy programs and financial resources. Data from the Mayor’s Office showed a pay disparity between men and women, particularly for Black and Hispanic women. Overall, women are paid 86 cents for every dollar earned by a man in New York. That figure drops for Black women, who earn 64 cents for every dollar earned by a male counterpart, and 57 cents for Hispanic women, respectively. The plan aims to improve support for victims of domestic violence by expanding the Mayor’s End Domestic and Gender Based Violence’s (ENDGBV) Home+ program. ENDGBV Home+ “provides personal security devices and resources” for victims of domestic violence, as explained by the Mayor’s Office. In addition to efforts to reduce domestic violence, the Mayor’s plan will also concentrate on reducing violence toward women, especially LGBTQ+ women, nonbinary individuals and women of color. The $43M plan will also offer supportive programs that help women access stable housing, especially for women who were victims of domestic or gender-based violence and women who were formerly incarcerated. In terms of health care, Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity will work to improve mental health education and outreach efforts in addition to removing current obstacles that prevent women from receiving reproductive, sexual or chronic health care. More specifically, the plan will concentrate on reducing maternal mortality rates for women of color. New York State Senator Samra Brouk released a report last summer that shed a revealing light on the disparity between maternal mortality rates. Data from State Senator Brouk’s report showed that Black women in New York were more than three times as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after delivery when compared to white women. Data compiled by the city for the Women’s Health report found that between 2016 and 2018 72% of pregnancy-related deaths for Black women could have been avoided with proper care. The report also found that 65% of pregnancy-related deaths for Latina women during that same time period could have also been prevented.

Carrying Charge ––– According to the Women’s Health report, “a death is considered preventable if the Maternal Mortality Review Committee determines that there was at least some chance of the death being averted by one or more reasonable changes to patient, family, provider, facility, system and/or community factors.” The plan will also launch new mental health services overseen by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) designed to support pre/post-natal women who live in neighborhoods with high rates of maternal and infant mortality. Equally important, the Mayor’s plan will administer more funding for the Abortion Access Hub hotline, which can be reached on weekdays at 1-877692-2482 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., as well as medication abortion services provided by the DOHMH at NYC Sexual Health Clinics. Mayor Adams also announced the relaunching of women.nyc, a “one-stop shop website” with resources and information dedicated to empowering women. Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity will also integrate what the Mayor’s Office called “women-focused programming, planning, and partnerships” into the overall city workforce. Mayor Adams emphasized the importance of the $43M plan and how it will help New York City become a national leader in gender equity. “As a child, my mother worked three jobs just to make ends meet, and for too long, women like her have been left behind, failed by systems that pay women less than their counterparts, overlook and even diminish their health needs, and neglect their safety. This plan builds on our administration’s existing efforts by creating a clear path to holistically and comprehensively address the inequities women face today. New York City leads the nation in many ways — now, it’s time we lead on gender equity and take the steps to make this the most women-forward city in America,” Mayor Adams said during the announcement of the investment.

(Continued from page 9)

carrying charge conference. He restated that DHCR will review all the comments and questions asked at the conference, as well as those received by regular mail and email. He said the agency will adjust the budget figures when appropriate, and reminded everyone that the HCR Commissioner will make the final determination on the increase. He also told shareholders that other than the housing company’s financial needs, also to be factored into the decision making would be the effect that the increase would have on shareholders’ ability to pay and marketability of the apartment. Mr. Simon then encouraged senior shareholders to take advantage of the NYC HPD Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program, informing them that applications can be picked up from Management Office in Bartow Center. “Riverbay nor DHCR administer that program. This is HPD,” said Mr. Simon. “If your application is approved for SCRIE, it will take about 90 days for HPD to make the appropriate adjustments. HPD will make the determination on your qualification. If you think you may not be eligible, put in for it anyway, because there are times that people do get in.” Mr. Simon then addressed the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE). “For information on that program, you may call 3-1-1,” he said. He then thanked Management; his HCR colleagues, Mr. Landy and Mr. Sing Wong; and Coop City shareholders for attending the carrying charge conference before adjourning the meeting.

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Building 9 Association Greetings, Building 9 Association family and friends. Again, we thank all members who came out in support of our ‘New Year Celebration’ on January 13. On Thursday, January 25, New York State Assembly Member Michael Benedetto hosted a legislative lobby visit in the Building 9 A-side (pictured at left). Assemblyman Benedetto also spoke with assembled shareholders prior to the start of our election meeting on that date. The Building 9 Association held its bi-annual election meeting on January 25. The election results are as follows: president: Linda Collins, unanimous; vice president: Wanda Randall, unanimous; secretary: Evelyn Mavins, unanimous; assistant secretary: Karen Blanchette, unanimous; sergeant-at-arms: Janet Yarrell, unanimous The membership voted unanimously to continue in place an exception to RXU E\ODZV ZKLFK SHUPLWV WKH RI¿FH RI WKH WUHDVXUHU WR UHPDLQ YDFDQW DV WKH HQWLUH ([HFXWLYH %RDUG ZLOO EH UHVSRQVLEOH IRU IXO¿OOLQJ WKH UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV RI WKDW RI¿FH DV SHU SDVW SUDFWLFH 7KH RDWK RI RI¿FHUV ZDV DGPLQLVWHUHG E\ 5RVHPDU\ %DLOH\ The election results will be posted on the lobby bulletin boards. Our gratitude and best wishes are extended to our past Executive Board members whose terms expired: Barbara Cloud, Linda Holley and Rosemary Bailey. We could not be where we are as an association without their generosity of spirit, effort, ideas and time. We thank members in attendance: Linda Collins, Karen Blanchette, Evelyn Mavins, Janet Yarrell, Wanda Randall, Rosemary Bailey, Dinora Tirado, Linda Holley, Harold Stancil, Shirley McCann, Robert Rosario, Janice Warner-Rosario, David Manning, Liz Manning, Matse Jenkins, Neil Offen, Marva Malone, Jazmin Rodriguez, Wendy Pimentel, Gabriella Concepcion, and Camryn Ross. Members, please continue to support the Building 9 Association as we endeavor to move forward with information, meetings and special events. Our Annual Membership Drive will begin in April. We are calling all volunteers to participate. Details will be provided at our upcoming meetings. “A goal without a plan of action is just wishful thinking.” – Anonymous ––Linda Collins

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Building 6 Association Greetings, neighbors. Happy Black History Month. I hope when you read this, it finds you in good standing. Last Saturday, we had our first Family Game Night which was fun-filled with neighbors of all ages. Game Night will be every last Saturday of the month from 4-9 p.m. in the Association Room. Please remember that the CPR class is Friday, February 9, in the Association Room from 5:30-7 p.m. You must RSVP before 2/5 since slots are limited. Call 347-3667690. The March date for Self Defense Class will be announced soon. Stay tuned to the weekly article and Association bulletin board. If you or any neighbor has an educational class you want to bring to the neighbors, feel free to contact any of the e-board. The Building Association’s goal is to foster community pride in the building and Co-op City overall as we implemented our Adopt a Neighbor Program. Several of the Social Committee members checked in, ran errands and brought bags of fresh produce to our sick and shut in neighbors. We wish all a speedy recovery because its takes a village. As I invite all neighbors to get involved in the building, when many do little things, one person doesn’t have to do a lot; it’s all about teamwork. As always, I pray for safety over all. God Speed. “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” –Archbishop Tutu —Lauren K. Lassiter

IMPORTANT NOTICE to Certified Community Clubs and Organizations The deadline for submission of articles from clubs, religious institutions and community organizations and Board directors’ viewpoints is 5 p.m. each MONDAY. Articles received after this deadline will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, and as space allows. Submissions should be emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com, or dropped off to Room 21, Bartow Center.

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Velocity Track Club of New York

National Council of Negro Women

On Sunday, January 21, Velocity Track Club competed in Ocean Breeze Youth Freedom Games at Ocean Breeze. There were approximately 75 teams from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York State. The competition was intense; it felt like a national championship track meet. Medals were awarded to the top three athletes in their event/gender. Normally, at a USATF meet of this size, they would give medals to the top six athletes. However, they weren’t expecting this large turnout. 7KLV ZDV RXU ¿UVW PHHW IRU WKH QHZ <HDU DQG PDQ\ DWKletes moved up into another division with older athletes, which made the competition harder. VTC accepted the challenge and left it all on the track. We were blessed with three medals. More importantly, we had 17 athletes out of 24 break their PR (personal record) in 24 events. Six athletes broke their PR in two events. The following athletes earned medals: Karly, Gold in the Race Walk. Lyon Gold in the Long Jump and Derrick, Bronze in the Long Jump. 7KLV ZDV 'HUULFN¶V ¿UVW WLPH SHUIRUPLQJ WKH ORQJ MXPS The following athletes broke their PR: (2 events) Franklin, Mason, Dwight, Chase, Elaia, and Aniyah. (1 event) Xoan, Derrick, Different, Quasie, Liam, Jennifer, MakayOD (]PHUHOLV 0DGLVRQ 7 DQG 0DOLD *UHDW MRE WR DOO Our next track meet is on Sunday, February 4, the AAU Jersey City Development Meet #4 at Jersey City Armory. Come out and see our future Olympians. —Coach Winston Dinkins

NCNW Co-op City Section – On Monday, January 22, Co-op City welcomed Mayor Eric Adams to a “Talk with Eric” townhall meeting. A full complement of the Mayor’s leadership WHDP DV ZHOO DV RWKHU HOHFWHG RI¿FLDOV and representatives from Community Boards 10 and 12 were also in attendance. Members of NCNW were in attendance and took the opportunity to welcome the Mayor to the community. NCNW National – On the same day, January 22nd, our national body reaf¿UPHG LWV FRPPLWPHQW WR UHSURGXFWLYH MXVWLFH RQ WKH VW $QQLYHUVDU\ RI 5RH vs. Wade which is no longer the law of the land. Roe was never enough when barriers like cost, childcare coverage, health insurance, and having to travel to providers kept people from accessing much-needed care – issues Black women have experienced for years. Recent attacks on our reproductive rights have only increased these barriers to essential health care. On the anniversary of that historic GD\ 1&1: UHDI¿UPHG RXU FRPPLWPHQW WR HQVXULQJ WKDW ZRPHQ KDYH DFFHVV WR critical reproductive healthcare and their right to maintain their bodily autonomy. January 25th was “Don’t Disconnect Us Day.” What does this mean to NCNW? Digital equity and access are values NCNW cherishes in the mission of championing the needs of Black women and their communities. Recognizing the integral role of internet access in the wellbeing of Black families, NCNW has been a vocal advocate in this arena and a staunch supporter of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which represents a pivotal effort in addressing digital inequality in the United States. However, without additional funding, vulnerable communities are about to lose the ability to connect to the internet. Without funding of ACP, our communities will plummet to a state of digital exclusion in a world that depends on the internet to stay connected in our modern world. NCNW is calling all who care about the success of Black women to reach out to your Congressional Members to educate them that without funding, the ACP program will end Feb. 7, 2024. Youth Committee – 7KH ¿UVW ELJ SURJUDP WKDW ZH ZLOO EH SUHVHQWLQJ WKLV \HDU will be our 21st Annual Black History Celebration that will take place on Saturday, February 24, in the Bartow Community Center. Our Youth Committee is seeking talented youth groups and young adults interested in volunteering to show case their talent in song, dance, stepping, playing an instrument, poetry, Spoken Word, drama skit, etc. Please contact the NCNW Youth Committee at 914-8265644 or send a video of your performance to ncnwcoopcitysocial@gmail.com. Social Media – 5HPHPEHU \RX FDQ ¿QG XV RQ RXU ZHEVLWH ZZZ QFQZcoopcitysection.com; on Facebook: NCNWCoopcityBethune; on X, formerly known as Twitter: @NCNWCoop City; on Instagram: NCNW Co-op City, and email: ncnwco.opcity@gmail.com. —Joyce Howard

American Legion Post 1871 Community Involvement This “show and tell” edition highlights RXU REMHFWLYH EH\RQG WKH UHDOP RI “veterans helping fellow veterans” to being more involved in our community affairs. Our limited but quality and motivated resources will also stride to lead in community involvement, such as town hall talks, resource fairs with elected leaders, mentoring and sponsoring Americanism programs and helping organizations in community food services. Co-op City Talk With Mayor Eric Adams On January 22 in Dreiser Community Center, Commander Codrington attended the town hall meeting to advocate for atlarge issues affecting residents of Co-op City. From his seat he supported the consensus question to the Mayor, on the topic of mental health. The forum provided the opportunity to also submit write-in questions. Of concern to veterans, even those living in Co-op City, is to reduce the rate of veteran suicide. This is often caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He leveraged the write-in opportunity to highlight the American Legion “Be the One” suicide prevention, https://www.legion.org/betheone campaign. The Mayor is requesting support from his Department of Veterans’ Services to collaboratively measure the progress of mental health programs aimed at veterans in our community. Congratulations Matthew Miller: An exemplary Community Youth and Future Leader! Last Saturday, along with other community and political leaders, we celebrated the graduation of Matthew Miller. He is a recent graduate of SUNY Albany. What MR\ DW WKH HYHQW DV VWRULHV ZHUH WROG DERXW WKLV ZHOO PDQnered young man, who, one semester earlier, achieved his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Finance and Marketing. For his exemplary achievements before, during and after graduation, Matthew has attracted many supporters. Among them is Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson who is also a graduate of his alma mater and one of the dignitaries in attendance. At this congratulatory dinner, Matthew also received a New York State Proclamation from Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. Mid-Winter Conference, Albany, New York At the 105th Annual Department Mid-Winter Conference, our Post committed to become more involved in the Americanism Little League Baseball, oratorical contest, and Boys and Girls State Community programs. More information to follow in a future article. Co-op City Baptist Church Commences Food Distribution Program CCBC will start its food giveaway on the second and fourth Friday of the month between 1-4 p.m. while food is available. Community residents are encouraged to bring bags for food distribution. Recognizing that the community is an important part of our existence, we fully endorse this good-will program. Some of our Legionnaires, also members of CCBC, will be involved in the logistics to make this program another success for the betterment of our community. Contact Us: American Legion Post 1871, 135 Einstein Loop, Room 41, Bronx, NY 10475; (718) 320-8165; email: post1871@oponline.net; website: https: www.legion.org. ––Antonio Codrington

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024 Director’s Viewpoint

Mary Pearson

Building Bridges We’ve got a heck of a lot of bridges in and around Section 5. I can see five from my perfectly positioned apartment. The off-in-the-distance Throgs Neck and Whitestone are a stretch, but I’ve got a great view of the three very-closely-placed-together movable bridges (drawbridges) that cross the Hutchinson River into Pelham Bay Park. The northernmost is the Hutchinson Parkway Bridge at Bartow Ave. The one in the middle – the Pelham Bay Railroad Bridge – at the bottom of Co-op City, is the one scheduled to be replaced by Amtrak. And the Pelham Bay Bridge, the one we ride over to get to City Island or Orchard Beach, is the one furthest south. Despite all the action near it, nothing’s going to happen to the Hutchinson Parkway bridge itself. Well, nothing that doesn’t already happen – that being, opening up for boats to continue chugging up the river and annoying drivers in the process. No, nothing’s planned for this bridge located close to the place where Bartow curves southward into Section 5, where the nearly-finished Hutch North exit ramp stands ready to open. But when that exit ramp does open (it’s labeled Ramp U, by the way) and our Hutch North–traveling, Bay Plaza–heading neighbors from the south and west sections of the Bronx get wind of it, and find their short cut through Pelham Bay and Section 5 is no longer a viable route? Then we’ll see. See what? See what happens, traffic-wise, to a goodly portion of Co-op City, probably, and to Section 5, definitely. Traffic from I-95N Exit 9 at Palmer travelling up the Hutchinson River Parkway East (HRPE) toward Bartow will initially decrease once Ramp U opens. I believe the ramp is a very good thing for Section 5, in my slow-to-the-realization opinion. I was, after all, out with my Death Ramp to Killer Curve sign, along with a few dozen others, protesting Ramp U at the construction site on 3/26/22. But by the

time I left behind that giant calling card of a sign in Albany’s hallowed halls on 4/5/22, my focus had changed. We didn’t need to stop the HutchN/Bartow exit ramp. We needed to rally for a HutchS/Bartow entry ramp. And we still do! (Please consider that a Call to Arms when the time is right.) Northbound HRPE traffic? Some relief. But southbound traffic traveling down the HRPE to I-95 S or to the Hutch North? Oh, Mama!! The only remedy is the reinsertion of the as-originally-planned Hutch-South-at-Bartow sister ramp to sweep away all the new excess traffic. The official rationale for building Ramp U – though clearly intended to benefit Bay Plaza in the interim – is to provide Hutch N drivers an additional way to reach the Kiss & Ride, drop-off-only, railroad station. But, moving on to movable bridge #2. The Pelham Bay railroad bridge is the one being replaced. The plan is to build a higher, four-track railroad bridge to replace the current one – eventually. Section 5 will eventually and inevitably face construction noise and parking loss. We must take every opportunity to have those concerns heard. (We have an opportunity this coming Wednesday.) The planned, much higher, four-track bridge made the MTA alter its plans for the coming station, pushing it four blocks west, closer to, and underneath, the I-95 overpass. That situates the station away from the original location where wetlands do border the tracks. This allows a great opportunity to call for south-of-the-tracks station access and a Park ‘n Ride. (Consider this an immediate Call to Arms!) To finally see the arrival of the Co-op City Metro-North (M-N) station – one day this decade – would be amazing. I’ve heard people were told the station would be coming soon when they moved in in 1968. Now they’re saying fall of 2027. What a boon it would be, taking us from the Co-op City Station to Penn Station in half an hour. But ... How

long will it take for people outside of Section 5 to get to the Co-op City Station? There’s still only one planned station entrance, on the Section 5, Co-op City side of the tracks at Erskine Pl. The plan still requires either traveling through Section 5 to reach the station or to choose to board the train elsewhere. Many ﬁnd the inconvenience of a single north-side-of-the-tracks’ entranceway unacceptable. Bringing us to bridge #3 (Pelham Bay Bridge) and the remnants of Ramp C. Once the station is complete, for City Island folk wishing to reach the train by car – or potentially by bus – Pelham Bay Bridge is the way. You’ve heard me bemoan the loss of Ramp C? Its remnants could still be a way to limit trafﬁc for us in Section 5, a gift to City Island, and a time-saver for train passengers from the surrounding area. But that’s only if what’s left of it is allowed to remain the most complete and convenient road to the road to the tracks. City Island activists and beyond must be encouraged to clamor for a south-of-the-tracks park ‘n ride and station access. We need all the allies we can get to give the Kiss & Ride plan for Co-op City’s M-N station the kiss of death. The last PSA/M-N/MTA Zoom outreach in January had some hopeful moments. MTA spokesman, Director of Public Affairs Joe O’Donnell, seemed more willing to hear and address certain Co-op City issues. Let’s keep up the pressure this Wednesday evening. And while we’re at it, let’s build some bridges. Come to the PSA/M-N/MTA outreach info session this Wednesday, February 7, 7:00 to 9:00 P.M., in Einstein Center. And if you see Co-op City misspelled on the station drawing... point and holler: Ay yi yi! Want more info? Go to: https://Bit.ly/Section5ProjectX. Also, you can reach me at 718-2192211 or MPearson@RiverbayBoard.com. See you Wednesday.

Building 10 Association Greetings, fellow cooperators. New Cooperators – Welcome, all new cooperators. We look forward to seeing you at the next General Membership meeting. Talk With Eric: A Community Conversation – On January 22, I attended a townhall-style meeting with NYC Mayor Mr. Eric Adams. The mayor came to Co-op City to hear our concerns within our community. There were discussions regarding more visibility from the 45 Precinct, a community center for our youth, the use of the pool at Truman High School, and maintenance of the properties surrounding Co-op City, among many other topics. If you would like to see the meeting, you can go online to YouTube and search, “Talk with Eric Adams in Co-op City.” Annual Window Guard Notices – The annual Window Guard notices are in the mail and must be returned by February 15th. You can respond by mail, fax, phone (646-392-7233) or online at www.safebuildingsnyc.com. If you failed to receive the notice or misplaced it, please contact your CSO ofﬁce for more information. Just A Few Reminders – Remember to turn on your car headlights when driving in the garage and please follow all directional signs. Turn your car off, lock it and take your keys with you. Please wipe up spills in hallways, elevators, and lobby ﬂoors. Promptly remove your completed laundry from the washers and dryers. If You See Something, Say Something – For emergencies, call Co-op City Public Safety at 718-671-3050 and NYPD at 911. For non-emergencies, call 311. You can also contact CCPD at their anonymous tips hotline: 718-8796311. Suicide Prevention – If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or in emotional distress the number to call for help is 988, you can call or text. Someone is available 24 hours a day. Questions, Comments and Suggestions – You can contact the Building 10 Association via email at Building10Assoc@gmail.com. We are also on Face-

book, “Building 10 “ABC” Association.” Like our page and get notiﬁed of all the happenings in and around Building 10. We would like to wish all who are born this month an incredibly happy birthday. Celebrating an anniversary this month? Happy Anniversary!!! To the homebound and sick, we wish you a speedy recovery. To all who have lost a loved one recently, we offer our deepest condolences. Smile…It is contagious. Have a wonderful week. ––Jewel Crawford-Duncan

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Broun Place Townhouse Association

Building 2 Association

January 2024 is almost over and you can agree it has been a most difficult month. We have been put to the test between extreme weather and life happenings. I saw a quote from Lady Bird Johnson, a former First Lady and Second Lady, respectively, who was interested in the environment, “Where flowers bloom, there is hope.” It is short, easy to memorize and meaningful. The Kindaichi-Lazaar family thanks each and every one who wrote a card, called or did something to support us through this time of grief. Many are our Broun Place neighbors. Thank you very much. Our daughter was the victim of an aggressive cancer. If you knew her, you loved her. Also, may the Richardson family suffer no more sorrow. Our treasurer, Ms. Richardson’s beloved brother-in-law, Mr. Van Johnson Sr., passed one day after his son, the Mayor of Savannah, Georgia, had his swearing-in ceremony. Again, Mr. Johnson was the father of five and grandfather of eight. His final resting place is Calverton Cemetery. We send sincere condolences to the Johnson family. The community conversation in our auditorium hosted by New York City, Mayor Eric Adams met all the marks for being well-run and answering questions that could not be answered by our Board of Directors. It was also easily accessible on the computer. Remember to please step-up, clean-up and show pride in our neighborhood. There are litter bins on the dumpster pads and in the basketball court. Use those receptacles correctly. Pedestrian cans are for disposal of garbage happening as you drink water or eat snacks. I pick up what I see as I come across it. You could too while you are walking, and thus bottles, bags and paper are picked up. Also, if you see a crime or something you know is against our rules and regulations, call CCPD. To Public Safety, thank you for responding to our calls. Neighbors, do not forget your vaccines. The flu vaccine, RSV and Covid-19 booster are valuable and important as you go about your day. They truly help save lives. Please join me in wishing Mrs. Ayano Miranda, teacher, mom, daughter, devoted sister, aunt and former cooperator, a very happy birthday. You may let me know if you have a tiding to publish here. We send best wishes and hopes for complete healing to all those who are recovering from suffering and illness. ––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

We’re thrilled at Building 2 Association to announce our bi-monthly food giveaways every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. Our next Food Distribution is set for today, Saturday, February 3rd, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (or until supplies last). The entire community is invited; don’t forget to bring shopping carts and reusable bags. Connect with us on Instagram (@building2assoc) as we’re now active on Social Media. Membership dues are in full swing, and Building 2 residents can conveniently pay by scanning our QR code here: The mission of the Building 2 Association is to enhance community bonds within our building and the local area while fostering pride in our shared space. Mark your calendars for our upcoming General meeting on Tuesday, February 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the community room in the rear of 2B (920 Co-op City Blvd.). Feel free to bring along neighbors. For inquiries or to volunteer, reach out via email at building2assoc@aol.com or leave a voicemail at 347514-7291. Thank you! —Al Quattlebaum

Black Forum Emergency Food Pantry 920 Baychester Ave., Bldg. 1A (basketball court). The pantry is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m. for grocery distribution. Guests are eligible to pick up food once a month. All guests must present a pantry card, at least 4-6 clean shopping bags with handles and a shopping cart to receive food. We require guests to wear masks when visiting the pantry. Section 5 guests should visit the Co-op City United Methodist Church at 2350 Palmer Avenue to pick up groceries. They open on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.1:00 p.m. Religious affiliation is not necessary to receive food. New Client Registration & Re-Certification For Returning Guests The period of registration and re-certification is now open through April 2024. Guests must be 18 years or older to apply or recertify. The required identification is as follows: NYC I.D. (zip code 10475), NY State Driver’s license, or NY State Non-Driver’s license. Passports, Medicaid and Medicare cards, employment identification, and Access-A-Ride identification are not accepted. At the time of registration or recertification, every member of the household must be present and produce valid identification. Every member of the household needs to have the same 10475 address. The intake forms will only include the number of household members who are able to show up in person at the office. Those living in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 will register or recertify at the 920 Baychester Avenue location. Those living in Section 5 will register or recertify at the 2350 Palmer Avenue location on Thursdays. Upcoming Trips In 2024, Black Forum will sponsor an exciting season of events! Here’s what’s to come: Saturday, February 17 – (Masks required) Winds Creek Casino, Bethlehem, PA; $55. Rebate: $25. Full payment is due by February 2nd; Saturday, June 8 – Caesars Atlantic City Casino, NJ; $55, Rebate: TBA. Full payment is due by April 26; Saturday, August 17 – The Nordic, RI and Foxwoods Resort Casino, CT; $225. First payment ($75) is due by March 15, 2nd payment ($75) is due by May 24, 3rd payment ($75) is due by June 28. The Nordic is a popular hangout with an endless supply of lobster, crab, prime rib, filet mignon, shrimp, salads, veggies, and much, much more. Saturday, October 19 – Black Eyed Sally Southern Cajun Kitchen with MGM Casino; $120. First payment ($60) is due by September 6, 2nd payment ($60) is due by October 4. We are accepting payments for trips now. Non-refundable payments will only be accepted in the following forms: cash, personal checks, and ONLY postal money orders. Please call 917-209-5334 to book trips and arrange payment drop-offs. All proceeds, through the Black Forum of Co-op City organization, fund the Emergency Food Pantry, which has been feeding the community for over thirty years. We truly value your unwavering assistance. Contact Us: coopcityblackforum@gmail.com. —D. Illis

Building 13 Association And just like that, it is February. During this month, we celebrate along with President’s Day, Black History Month. Black History is a part of American history and every day there is something new to learn. Various organizations will have programs to assist in educating the community and especially our youth. Check the bulletin boards in your building and read the Co-op City Times for information regarding events. Earth Day: We talk about the weather but let’s also consider how climate change plays a part. Research from climate experts around the world has shown that more dramatic extremes in both hot and cold temperatures are a symptom of climate change. To learn more, make sure to join/participate in the Earth Day Parade scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2024 in collaboration with the Co-op City Little League. As of this writing, all cooperators should have received the annual Lead Paint, Window Guard and Fire Safety Information official notice. Each unit has its own response code for identification purposes. There are several ways to complete the form, by mail, phone, fax, or online. The forms must be completed by February 15, 2024. If you have not received your envelope with the notice, please contact our area CSO, Ms. English, at lenglish@riverbaycorp.com. Building 13 Election: Nomination for offices shall take place at the regular Membership meeting in February. The Election shall be at the Regular Membership meeting in March. The newly elected officers’ term shall commence April 1st following installations and shall be for a term of two years. You must be a member in good standing (paid member) and have attended the Association meeting a minimum of three times in each of the prior years. Guidelines for Eligibility and Election for office is currently posted on the bulletin board. Date for February meeting will be posted in the building lobby bulletin board. Those shareholders who have provided their email address and/or their cell number will also receive a call or text regarding the meeting date and time. Reminder: The RRCG (Rivers Run Community Garden) and the Section 2 presidents along with SFD (Summer Fun Day) members are in the planning stages for Earth Day and Summer Fun Day so save the dates. The Earth Day Parade was mentioned in a paragraph above and Summer Fun Day is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2024 (Rain Date: June 23rd). There will be fun activities and new adventures and, of course, all are invited to these free events. “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community.” –Cesar Chavez Visit our Facebook page at: Building 13 Association Inc.–Co-op City. Our website is http://www.bldg13assoc.com or e-mail us at building13assoc@yahoo.com. Contacts: Leslie Peterson, president, at 718-320-1370; or Wendell Mattison, V.P. at 917-330-1380. Thank you for supporting our team. —Leslie Peterson

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Section Five Association

Building 19 Association

We have been spared of a snowy winter for two years now. Please stay vigilant; there are new variants and Covid is on the rise again. The hospitals and facilities are mandated to wear masks again. Talk With Eric – Co-op City was given the opportunity by invite to attend the Town Hall meeting with our Mayor Eric Adams on Monday, January 22, at the Dreiser Center. The Mayor brought his staff and commissioners. District Attorney Darcel Clark and Bronx Boro.ugh President Vanessa Gibson were in attendance. It was a full house, and three members of SFA were in attendance, Nelson Sweeting, Carol Arthur and Andrea Mayo, both ladies represented their table. 0D\RU $GDPV FRYHUHG WKH ÀRRU E\ UHDFKLQJ RXW WR HDFK SHUVRQ DVNLQJ TXHVWLRQV DQG UHVSRQGLQJ ZLWK DQ DQVZHU RU UHIHUUHG WR WKH FRPPLVVLRQHU WKH TXHVtions was applicable to. Rod Saunders pointed out to Mayor Adams that Co-op City shareholders pay for many entities, such as security, sanitation, water bills DQG LQTXLUHG LI &LW\ +DOO FRXOG FUHGLW &R RS &LW\ IRU WKH VHUYLFH ZH SURYLGH WR WKH FRPPXQLW\" 0D\RU $GDPV DQVZHU WKDW KH ZLOO ORRN LQWR LW WR ¿QG D ZD\ WR HDVH &R RS &LW\¶V ¿QDQFLDO EXUGHQV DV WKH FLW\ GLG IRU 6KRUHKDYHQ 7KH 7RZQ Hall meeting started timely and ended timely; it was really interesting and informative. The townhall meeting was on YouTube. The Citizen Police Academy – Information received, there are three seats available if anyone is interested. This is a 6-week program with classes on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Police Academy in Queens. You will get an understanding of the NYPD policies and procedures and limitations of their power. First class will be 2/27/2024. Transportation is provided to and from meetings. Contact the 45th Pct. Community Affairs at 718-822-5449. Good luck! The Students – from IS 160 are beginning to hang out in our shopping mall LQ 6HFWLRQ WURXEOH DQG ¿JKWLQJ DUH EUHZLQJ :H QHHG WR JR WR WKH VFKRRO VWDII DQG WKH %RDUG RI (GXFDWLRQ WR LQTXLUH ZKDW LV EHLQJ GRQH WR PRQLWRU WKHVH middle grade students. Public Safety is seen on the Mall site, however these students ignore Public Safety, which means we have a problem. Saturday Volunteers – are needed for food distribution at 10:30 a.m. at the Co-op City Fridge. Interested in volunteering? Contact Coopcitycommunityfridge@gmail.com. One may reach Nelson Sweeting, president of SFA, at 646-644-4055. Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. —Henry Ford —H. Overman

At our Building Association General Meeting held on Friday, January 26, we had our elections that are conducted in the even year, every two years. Leon Tulton, the outgoing president of the Building 19 Association, spent seven years as our building president. His engagement provided information to the Building Association, keeping us informed of community concerns, whether it was attending Community Board 10 or 45th Precinct Council meetings. Leon always brings back information to the members. The members provided him with a SODTXH IRU KLV LQYDOXDEOH VHUYLFH WR WKH %XLOGLQJ $VVRFLDWLRQ :H DUH KDSS\ WKDW he has accepted another position within the Executive Board continuing his involvement and engagement in building matters and Co-op City life. The new Executive Board members are Sonia Feliciano, president; Francine Brown, treasurer; Charlotte Codrington, assistant treasurer; and Leon Tulton, secretary. Mr. Antonio Codrington was our parliamentarian providing his expertise in Robert’s Rules of Order and proper procedures for the conduct of the election process. We have an open position of president-elect and hope that any member in good standing will come forward and want to serve. We are all excited at the start of 2024 with the goal being let’s “get involved,” share ideas that we can all collectively participate in. Building community in our Association allows us to get to know one another. This creates special bonds with our neighbors. Thank you to all who came to the meeting. You are all invited to our Committee meetings and General meetings. The date and time will always be posted by our elevators. These meetings are for all members. We need your contributions, help and ideas. Please be on the look-out for our next Committee meeting in two weeks. Our next General Meeting is March 22, 2024. “Come in as neighbors, leave as friends.” —Sonia Feliciano

NAACP Mission Statement: Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social and HFRQRPLF HTXDOLW\ of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. Known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), it profoundly affected the struggle for civil rights and the course of 20th Century American history. Church of the New Vision and NAACP Co-op City Branch invite you to a Black History Month Celebration, “African American’s and the Arts,” on Saturday, February 24, at 3:00 p.m. at 115 Einstein Loop. This is a FREE community event. All are welcome. SYEP/Summer Youth Employment Program 2024 for NY youth residents ages 14-24 years. Application deadline: March 1st. Apply now! For further information, go to: https://application.nycsyep.com/. Youth Scholarship: The Bronx Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has published their 2024 Youth Scholarship. Applications must be postmarked by February 23rd, 2024. Please share this with anyone you know ZKR PD\ QHHG LW <RX FDQ ¿QG RXW PRUH E\ FRQWDFWLQJ scholarship@dstbx.org. Byron Allen presents TheGrio Awards: The Grio Awards honor icons, leaders and legends who have impacted the Black community and culture. What is a grio? Grio is short for griot – an African storyteller. Griots were artists, mostly traveling poets and musicians, who served as guardians of traditions and bridges between generations. They train to excel as orators, lyricists and musicians. The griot keeps records of all the births, deaths, marriages through the generations of the village or family. Do not miss this fantastic program being televised on Saturday, February 3, at 8:00 p.m. Check local listings. 2024 NAACP 55th Image Awards will broadcast live in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, at 8:00 p.m. Check local listings. Voting: This election season, we hold the most powerful tool to make democracy work for Black Americans: our vote. The issues that affect our community will make or break how we continue to thrive in this country. We can ¿[ $PHULFD¶V EURNHQ GHPRFUDF\ Vote. For more information on the NAACP’s work to mobilize Black voters, visit naacp.org/vote. NAACP 2I¿FH KRXUV Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.-noon. Commemorative pins and journals available to purchase. Follow us on Facebook: Co-op City NAACP. Become a member, gift a membership or upgrade your membership. Membership is the lifeblood of the organization. Join the NAACP to help us do the work. We march to defend democracy. Take your advocacy further by joining LQ WKH ¿JKW IRU RXU VDFUHG ULJKW WR YRWH $QQXDO $GXOW <RXWK RU 6LOYHU /LIH 0DNH FKHFN PRQH\ RUGHU SD\DEOH WR NAACP Co-op City. Mail to: NAACP Co-op City, 135 Einstein Loop, Room 36, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. To leave a message, call the RI¿FH SKRQH DW or email naacpccity2210@gmail.com or naacpcoopbb@yahoo.com. —Brenda Brown

Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP study found that women’s caregiving is essential in supporting the long-term care system. Women have multiple roles as mothers, daughters, sisters, counselors, providers, and protectors. Women shoulder more responsibility now in and outside the home than ever before. An estimated 66% of caregivers are female. The average caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who works outside the home and provides her mother with 20 hours per week of unpaid care. Although men also assist, female caregivers may spend as much as 50% more time providing care than male caregivers. Caregivers are at risk for caregiver burnout or caregiver fatigue. One may experience fatigue, anxiety, depression, and overwhelming emotional and physical stress, which can lead to cardiac instability. Uncontrolled stress can cause panic attacks, chest pains, rapid heartbeats, hypertension, and shortness of breath. Not getting enough rest, eating a balanced diet, or taking time for yourself FDQ LQFUHDVH WKH SRWHQWLDO IRU KHDUW GLVHDVH 3UDFWLFLQJ UHOD[DWLRQ WHFKQLTXHV VXFK as deep breathing and meditation, helps reduce stress levels and promote a sense of calm and well-being. Take time for self-care: Make it a priority to engage in activities that you enjoy and that help you relax. Find what works best for you in terms of managing stress. Remember, it is important to seek medical advice if you experience symptoms of uncontrolled stress or if you have concerns about your heart health. Your healthcare provider can provide personalized guidance to help you manage stress effectively and maintain a healthy heart. (YHU\ \HDU WKH ¿UVW )ULGD\ RI )HEUXDU\ is dedicated to National Wear Red Day as an awareness day for American women to understand their number one health threat: heart disease. Women are encouraged to know their blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol levels, and body mass index (BMI) to understand their health risk for heart disease better. Women must nurture themselves as profoundly as they nurture their families and communities. National Wear Red Day is supported by the American Heart Association and is celebrated in conjunction with National Heart Health Month. It focuses on raising awareness of women’s heart disease and stroke risks. About 80% of cardiovascular diseases may be prevented by understanding your IDPLO\ KHDOWK KLVWRU\ DQG NQRZLQJ WKH ¿YH FULWLFDO KHDOWK QXPEHUV 7KHVH QXPEHUV can help healthcare providers determine the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. Maintaining a heart-healthy diet, incorporating daily physical activity, and not smoking can be the best weapons in preventing heart disease and stroke. By wearing red on this day, individuals can spark conversations about heart health, educate others about risks and prevention strategies for heart disease, and promote WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI OLYLQJ D KHDOWK\ OLIHVW\OH ,W LV D SRZHUIXO DQG XQL¿HG ZD\ WR unite communities, spread awareness, and ultimately save lives. Please join us Thursday, February 15, for COME’s monthly 45-minute Zoom “Let’s Talk” information session at 7 p.m. Presenter: Lynda E. Morfa Outreach and Digital Coordinator Caregivers Program, Neighborhood Shopp. Join Zoom by clicking the bottom on the website, www.comeoutreach.org. ––Diane Cooper

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Building 32 Association

Building 25 Association

The Building 32 Association will open its Association Room doors to shareholders with cool, quality goods and services for our Crafts Fair event on February 10. Market 32 will be open between noon-5 p.m. If you’re a shareholder and have an entrepreneurial spirit with things worth purchasing, please call Rochell at 917-406-1304 to rent a table. Large tables (6ft. length) are $25 for rent and regular tables (4ft x 4ft card table) are $20 for rent. Act fast because there is an extremely limited supply of tables and space left. Also on the Agenda: Openings for the Association’s Executive Board are once again available. If you would like to be hands-on with the Building 32 Association and your community, please attend our March 12, 2024 General Meeting at 7 p.m. There, we will have elections for open positions. Currently, open positions are president, vice president and possibly treasurer. Please continue to watch this space. We hope to see you soon. —Ezekiel Springer

Greetings all, and Happy Birthday to our friends and neighbors celebrating their birthday in February. Cheers to you! By now, cooperators should have received their Annual Lead Paint, Window Guard & Fire Safety Information booklet in the mail. It contains speciﬁc information regarding “Fire and Emergency Preparedness” for our building. Please take a few minutes to review this important information and submit your Window Guard form before February 15, 2024. Building 25 Association strives to serve and act on your behalf and welcomes your input and support. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your ideas and concerns. Our email address is bldg25association@gmail.com. We also have a suggestion box in our laundry room. We extend our condolences to those in our Co-op City community who have lost a loved one recently. And, to those who have been under the weather, we hope you will feel better soon. Our next meeting will be held February 20th at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room under the portico. We look forward to seeing you. —Evelyn Herbert

Stay Vigilant Be mindful of your surroundings at all times.

Building 27 Association Hello, neighbors, we trust all is well. Stay vigilant, cautious and wear your masks in crowds. Hospitals and facilities have mandated mask wearing once again. Rain, rain, we need, we all notice leaves/looking like dry bananas falling off our trees. I was told it was due to lack of rain. Weather – Rain is causing flooding in unlikely places. Even on Bartow Avenue under the underpass, there was flooding we came up on unexpectedly. We could not back up, we just had to drive through. So be cautious of that. Metro-North – Upcoming information session and Q & A to be held in Section 5’s Einstein Center. The date and time: Wednesday, February 7, 7 to 9 p.m. Co-op City Community – Was invited by invitation to attend a community conversation with Mayor Eric Adams. This meeting was held on Monday, January 22, at the Dreiser Community Center. The Mayor introduced himself as elected to solve the problems of the city and he has chosen his staffing and commissioners to help him – (GSD) get things done. Each staff member, commissioner, including our D.A. Darcel Clark, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and officers attended. The set up of Q&A session was well-structured. There was one spokesperson representing each table on a particular question or statement. Mayor Eric answered each and, if needed, referred the question

to his staff/commissioner who the question was applicable to. Also, several follow-ups were recommended by the Mayor – this is GSD. The conversations were quite informative, important and on critical matters. Rod Saunders pointed out the services Riverbay Management and community provide, such as security, sanitation, water bill, shouldn’t Co-op City be credited as Shorehaven was? The Mayor promised to work on a resolution to help. Also, the Mayor advised us to approach the local elected leaders for such needs as trafﬁc signs, etc. Happy Birthday to all celebrating this month. We offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to the families who lost loved ones. We wish all the best of health and safety. Contact Lydia Rondon at 718-583-3040 and she will gladly acknowledge your birthday by sending you a card. She is excellent in sharing goodwill. Also notify her of any illness, or a neighbor has become deceased or transferred to a nursing home. For our community to be a better place to live is for the people of the community to understand and accept their personal responsibility for what happens. –Davis Merritt, Jr. —H. Overman

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

The Church of St. Thomas the Apostle

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

'UHLVHU /RRS VHFRQG ÀRRU 5RRP Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The congregation and clergy of St. Thomas invite you to worship with us. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) This Sunday is the second Sunday before Lent. It is a day of devotion to the +RO\ 6SLULW RXU VDQFWL¿HU 7R EH VDQFWL¿HG LV WR EH PDGH KRO\ DQG VHW DSDUW from the world. When we let the Holy Spirit into our lives, the gifts of the spirit we receive are made evident by the fruits that are produced from them. We are given the strength to follow the commandments given to us by Jesus: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength; this is WKH ¿UVW FRPPDQGPHQW DQG WKH VHFRQG LV OLNH XQWR LW QDPHO\ WKLV 7KRX VKDOW love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30,31) Second Sunday before Lent, February 4 Ɣ 11:00 a.m. – Communion Service Ɣ Fellowship with light refreshments following the service Bible Lessons: Ɣ 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-11 Ɣ Mark 12:28-34 Prayer: O God the Holy Ghost, we pray thee to direct, sanctify and govern both our hearts and minds in the ways of thy laws and in the works of thy commandments: that through thy most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be pure in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Father liveth and reigneth forever. Amen. —Rev. Dorian Miceli

Greetings, retirees and friends, Happy February everyone. Hmmm! Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow yesterday on Groundhog Day? If he did, we would be in for six more weeks of winter weather. Hopefully, he did not, and we are in store for early spring. Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA; Wednesday, March 13; $60 with $25 bonus slot play. Payment is due by February 14. Bus pick up at 8:30 a.m. on Dreiser Loop in front of H&R Block. Return trip drop-offs at Einstein, Asch, and Dreiser Loops. Atlantic City Overnight Trip – Tropicana Casino/Hotel; Wednesday, May 29-30. 1 night hotel stay and tribute to the “Jersey Boys and Girls” show; $295pp/double, $345pp/single; $15 bonus slot play & $25 food voucher. Deposit of $100 required by February 14 with the remaining balance due March 19. Bus pick up at 9 a.m. on Dreiser Loop in front of H&R Block. Return trip drop-offs at Einstein, Asch, and Dreiser Loops. Carnival Cruise 2024 – Eastern Caribbean 9 day/8 night cruise (traveling to Amber Cove (Dominican Republic), Grand Turks, and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas) on the beautiful new ship Venezia leaving from NYC on July 16 (cruising through July 24, 2024). Please contact Serita at (347) 564-5722 for information regarding these trips. Serita will be available in Room 19 from 1-3 p.m. to accept payments on Wednesday, February 14. Membership Committee – We are now accepting annual membership dues for 2024. Please remit your check for the $25 annual dues made payable to the “Retirees of Dreiser Loop” and mailed to: Retirees of Dreiser Loop, 177 Dreiser Loop, Room 19, Bronx, NY 10475. Please note “new member” or “renewing member” and the year(s) for the payment in the memo line on your check. Questions may be addressed to Mary at (718) 655-9170. Happy Birthday – Cheers to all our February birthday celebrants. We wish you an incredibly happy birthday and continued peace and happiness throughout the year. Condolences – Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have recently experienced the loss of loved ones. Good and Welfare – Please keep all of those who are sick and/or shut in in your thoughts and healing prayers. We hope they will soon see brighter days ahead. Please notify Lorraine Parker at (718) 671-6403 of any member illnesses or deaths. General Meeting – Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7, at 1 p.m. in the Dreiser Center Auditorium C. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you there. —Georgianna Rodriguez

Goose Island Seniors Goose Island Valentine Party – Wed., Fed. 14, at 1 p.m. in our club room, #39. Members only. Covered dish. Bring something or pay $15 at door. Free for Feb. birthday members. Mohegan Sun – Cancelled. Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA; Tue., Feb. 20; $60; bonus: $25 play. Pick up: Einstein Loop, 7:45 a.m.; Asch Loop, 8:15 a.m., and Dreiser Loop, 8:30 a.m. Payment due Feb. 6. Make checks to Goose Island Seniors. Vaccination required. Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA; Sat., Feb. 24; $60; bonus: $25 play. Pick up: 8:15 a.m., Einstein Loop; 8:45 a.m., Asch Loop, and 8:55 a.m., Dreiser Loop. Info: 646-579-1701. Sight and Sound (Daniel) – Bethlehem, PA; Thu., April 25. Price: $215. Miller’s Smorgasbord Restaurant. For information, call 646-579-1701. Sight and Sound (Daniel) – Bethlehem, PA; Tue., May 7. Balcony seats (2 or 3 steps down). Price: $195. Deposit: $50 to reserve seat on bus. Balance due, April 17, 2024. Make checks to Goose Island Seniors or Zelle to 347-8471941. Golden Corral restaurant before show. Vaccination required. Villa Roma – Tribute to Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, Tue., June 11, 2024. Waitlist only. Price: $125. Down payment, $50, to reserve seat. Balance due by May 20, 2024. Make checks to Goose Island Seniors. Mail to 135 Einstein Loop, Room 39, Bx., NY 10475 or Zelle to 347-847-1941. Vaccination required. Tribute to Whitney Houston – at Tropicana Casino, June 27, 2024. Price: $150. Bonus: $25 slot play and $20 food voucher. Wait list only. Deposit $50 to reserve seat on bus. Balance due: June 5th. Holiday Hills – Prospect, CT; Tues., Aug. 20, 2024. Price: $130; $50 deposit to reserve seat on bus. Balance due by Wed., July 17. 2024 Norwegian Cruise – Hawaii; Aug. 31 – Sept. 7, 2024. Call: 646-5791701. 2024 Las Vegas Trip – Oct. 11, 2024. Call: 646-579-1701. Notary – with Yvonne Menefee. Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.-5 p.m.; 135 Einstein Loop, Room 34 or 39. Bingo – Mon., Wed. and Fri., 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Members only. Admission: $5 for 3 cards; $0.25 each additional card; 12 games and jackpot. Refreshments. Game day – Tue. and Thu., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Dominoes, Bid Whist, movies, socializing and more. To all Members: Happy Birthday to our members who celebrate their birthday in the month of February: Ida (Mitiz) Cleare, Zelma Usher, Maria Mendez, Aida E. Grant, Lauren Frederick, Zoraida Garcia, Janice L. Walcott, Tommy E. Williams, Joyce Chaney, Lucila Correa, Yvonne Menefee and Aida Gonzalez. Birthday cake celebration at Valentine’s party, Feb. 14. Sick and Shut-in ± 2XU IRUPHU SUHVLGHQW 0DU\ 3LOOD LV GRLQJ ¿QH DQG VD\V hi to everyone. Call her at (718) 753-1816. Ella L. Thorne is in Workmen’s Circle, 3155 Grace Ave.; 718-379-8100. Our club is at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39, Bronx, NY 10475, Section 5 Community Center; (718) 379-9613, Stephen cell (347) 847-1941. Our email address is goose.island@optonline.net; $StephenCarlSr. Good health to all. —Stephen Roberts, Sr.

Please Drive Slowly and Cautiously LQ DOO &R RS &LW\¶V 3DUNLQJ )DFLOLWLHV

AARP Chapter #4997 AARP Chapter #4997 is looking forward to the return of warm months with a trip scheduled for June 18th, to Vynecrest Winery with a stop at Wind Creek Casino. This day includes transportation, winery visit, casino stop and an AllYou-Can-Eat Buffet dinner, all for $139.00 per person. For information and to make reservations, please contact Ms. Wright, 718-379-3370, or Ms. Brown, 718-379-7962. January 2024 is now over, and we have much planned for the remainder of the year. With this being a critical election year, we are starting earlier than usual to make our choices known. On Tuesday, February 6, AARP Chapter #4997 joins National and State partners in Albany. We announced this opportunity at the last General meeting and our members responded immediately. Our quota has been met. The theme is “A Visibility Day Of Action” and we will be visiting RXU HOHFWHG RI¿FLDOV LQ $OEDQ\ WR HQVXUH WKH\ DUH DZDUH RI WKH LVVXHV WKDW ZH DV constituents, feel strongly about. We were able to secure a pick-up location in Co-op City due to the increased enrollment and activity of our chapter. Thank you to the members and Ms. Baker, membership contact, 718-379-2088. Contact her to apply/renew your membership and pay the annual dues of $20 per person. You must already be a member of the National Organization. Our thanks to Riverbay Corporation for hosting the Town Hall, “Talk with Eric” meeting on January 22nd. Members of the community heard directly from Mayor Adams and his commissioners about their views, and much was learned by all. We need to encourage more open and honest conversations IURP HOHFWHG RI¿FLDOV RQ ZKDW WKH\ DUH GRLQJ RU QRW GRLQJ 7KH \HDU RI YRWLQJ has begun, and we will pay close attention to the rhetoric from this point forward. There is no way we should allow noise to take over content and issues that we need to improve or at least maintain. Our next General Membership meeting is scheduled for February 12, 1 S P LQ WKH DXGLWRULXP DW 'UHLVHU /RRS VHFRQG ÀRRU :H ZLOO KDYH D SHUIRUPDQFH WR KRQRU %ODFN +LVWRU\ 0RQWK 2XU RI¿FH LV RSHQ 0RQGD\ 7KXUVGD\ D P S P 5RRP VHFRQG ÀRRU WHOHSKRQH HPDLO DDUS #JPDLO FRP 2XU RI¿FH DQG PHHWLQJV DUH DOO PDVN PDQGDWHG DQG LI you don’t have a mask, one will be provided for you. Please leave a message if you call or email because we do return contacts on our next business day. Our RI¿FH LV DOVR ORRNLQJ IRU YROXQWHHUV IRU WKH RI¿FH KRXUV VR VWRS E\ DQG WDON WR someone about “what you can do?” Mrs. Wilson, Good and Welfare contact, 718-671-5493, advises we have no new members or friends to add to our “prayer list” but the prayers are still for those recovering from illness or loss. We desire that all friends and family continue to move forward in good health. Be aware of your health environment since the viruses are alive and well. We are here to serve – not to be served. —Ann Purnell

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

JASA Co-op City NORC Program Invites You for These In-Person & Virtual Activities JASA FREE Tax Preparation – Income Limit: Single, $32,000; w/ dependents $60,000. Start date: Mon., January 29, back of the JASA NORC 2I¿FH %DUWRZ $YH 0RQ D P S P &DOO IRU DSpointment. Agatha House Foundation – NaWLRQDO 'LDEHWHV 3UHYHQWLRQ 3URJUDP 0HHW *UHHW )UL )HE D P S P %ULQJ \RXU FDUW IRU D SDQWU\ EDJ Join our 6-9 month program. For more information or to register, call &RDFK %ULWWDQ\ Einstein OAC is offering Walk with Ease EHJLQQLQJ )HE S P 5P Bartow OAC BHM Arts/Crafts

Bartow

BARTOW CENTER CLOSED

Room 7 unless otherwise noted

Dreiser

LUNCH & DINNER MENUS

Mindful Mornings Tai Chi 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Line Dance w/Sassy 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Book Club, 11 a.m.-12 noon Ageless Facials & Self Care, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Rm. 35 Appointments only.

Chair Yoga w/ Charles Tyler 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Virtual. 863492-4183, Passcode: Dreiser23 Stay Well w/Denise 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Rm. 2 Piano Sing Along Class, Rm. 2 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Returning – Smartphone & Tablet Literacy class w/Julesa 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.

LUNCH: KOSHER: Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Spaghetti 6DXFH &DOLIRUQLD %OHQG 9HJHWDEOHV NON-KOSHER %DNHG &KLFNHQ 7KLJKV 5LFH %HDQV &DXOLÀRZHU ZLWK &DUURWV Parsley

Einstein

Game Time, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Current Events, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Art w/Lovie, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Twice a month. Bridge to Care Arthritis Exer- Zumba w/Ola, 1 p.m.-2 p.m., cise, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 45 Auditorium A Tai Chi w/Jimmy, 2 p.m.-3 p.m., Rm. 2 Creative Arts & Painting, Computer & Tablet Class w/Ralph 1 p.m.-2 p.m., Rm. 35 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Dial in number: 347-893-2966 Go Easy on us Computers Meeting ID: 854 2963 5300 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Rm. 40 Passcode: Dreiser23

Never Too Old to Learn Spanish, 10-11 a.m., Rm. 35

Stay Well Exercise w/Odessa 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Bereavement Hour w/Dorine (1st Wednesday only per month) 12 noon-1 p.m. Line Dancing w/Cynthia Wed. & Fri., 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Dominoes w/Jose, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner Hour: 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Hair Care 4U, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Coloring Time, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Appointments only Current Events, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Spring in Your Step Stretch Arthritis Exercise w/Damion & Tone w/Ola, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Aud. A 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Rm. 45 Emergency Preparedness Training Presentation by NYS Citizen PreAction Bodies In Motion 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Room 45 paredness Corps, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Prize Bingo & Board Games Drama Club 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Rm. 4 1 p.m.-2 p.m., Rm. 49A

Sat., Feb. 10

Fri., Feb. 9

Thurs., Feb. 8

Walk w/Odessa, on break until Spring 2024 Blood Pressure, 12-1 p.m., (1st & 3rd Tues.) Health & Wellness w/Ann 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Adult coloring, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Smart Phone & Tablet Class w/Julesa, 1:45-2:45 p.m. Dinner Hour: 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Arthritis Exercise w/Damion, 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Visual Arts w/Laura via Zoom 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Knitting/Crocheting with Lynne and Betty, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Card Games with Frankie, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Dinner Hour, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Massage Therapy, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Manicure, 10:30 a.m-12 p.m. Line Dance with Cynthia 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Dinner Hour, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Drama Club w/Dazee Windley 3 p.m.-4 p.m., in the back of the JASA NORC Office Intergenerational Arts & Crafts w/Denise, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Salsa with Rasheed 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Word Games 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Bingo on Saturdays, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. in the back of JASA NORC Office.

S P 'LDO LQ QXPEHU 0HHWLQJ ,' 3DVVFRGH Line Dance with Bartow Swingers ± S P :HG )UL 'UHLVHU Loop, Aud. A. Notary – Einstein OAC, until Feb. 1RWDU\ DSSRLQWPHQWV 21/< 7KXUV D P ± S P 6WDUWLQJ )HE ZLOO EH RQ 7XHV 7KXUV IRU $I¿GDYLW QRWDUL]DWLRQV HWF Please call Einstein OAC ± IRU Hair Styling VW UG :HG RI WKH PRQWK D P %UDLGV haircuts, shape-up, twist, ponytails, curls and more. Facials & Manicure, (YHU\ 0RQ S P &DOO IRU DSSRLQWments.

Room 49 unless otherwise noted

Tues., Feb. 6

(NORC) Line Dancing w/Bartow Swingers (ONLY) 12-1 p.m., Every Mon.

)UL 0DUFK S P 3LFN XS D Free WLFNHW DW %DUWRZ 2$& 5P only. Caringkind: The Heart of AlzheiPHU¶V &DUHJLYLQJ UHSUHVHQWDWLYH ZLOO EH LQ WKH %DUWRZ 0DLQ 2I¿FH HYHU\ WKLUG 0RQ RI WKH PRQWK D P S P for Alzheimer and Dementia Consultation/Health Care Proxy & Power of AtWRUQH\ &RQVXOWDWLRQ RWKHU VHUYLFHV Steel Drum Classes – JASA NORC 2I¿FH RQ :HG S P Medicare Information –Wed., 9 D P S P -$6$ 125& 2I¿FH Notary – JASA NORC Office, 7XHV D P :HGV DQG 7KXUV D P S P %\ DSSRLQWPHQW Technology Class – Thurs., 6:30-

Wed., Feb. 7

Mon., Feb. 5

Room 31 unless otherwise noted

Exhibition ± 6DW )HE 5P a.m.-2 p.m. FREE. Dreiser OAC presents, “It’s a Love Thing,” D FHOHEUDWLRQ RI ORYH togetherness w/dancing, music & speFLDO SHUIRUPDQFHV RQ 7XHV )HE D P 'UHLVHU $XGLWRULXP % 7LFNHWV RQ VDOH DW 'UHLVHU 2$& LQ 5P IRU Bartow OAC Trips – Costco, Fri., )HE %DUWRZ D P (LQVWHLQ D P 'UHLVHU D P Walmart (Woodbury Commons) – :HG )HE 3LFN XSV IRU :DOPDUW DUH %DUWRZ D P (LQVWHLQ 'UHLVHU D P QHDU WKH KDUGware store). International Women’s Day Celebration – w/Cynthia Dixon & Friends,

Game Time, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Visual Arts, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Current Events, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.

Salsa Dancing, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Wellness Morning, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Walk With Ease, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Coloring for Calmness 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m Chess Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Blood Pressure Screening 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Let’s Get It on Zumba 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Spanish Class w/Angelica 1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Twice a month)

Alternate Kosher Meals are available

NO DINNER SERVED

LUNCH: KOSHER: %UHDGHG &KLFNHQ &XWOHW w/ Mushroom & Onion, Roasted Peppers NON KOSHER: Caribbean Squash w/ *URXQG %HHI 6WHDPHG *UHHQ %HDQV DINNER: BARTOW ONLY KOSHER =HVW\ &KLFN 3HDV 6WHZ %URZQ Rice, Tossed Salad w/Dressing, Apple; NONKOSHER %DNHG &KLFNHQ 7KLJKV 5LFH %HDQV &DXOLÀRZHU Z &DUURWV 3DUVOH\ $SSOH LUNCH: KOSHER: Chick Pea Stew, %URZQ 5LFH 7RVVHG 6DODG Z 'UHVVLQJ NONKOSHER: %DNHG )LVK Z %ODFN %HDQ 6DXFH Pasta, Steamed Sliced Carrots

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY KOSHER: %HHI 3HSSHUV Z 3DVWD 6WHDPHG Sliced Carrots, Pear; NON-KOSHER: 9HJDQ &KLFN 3HDV 7XQD 6DODG 5RWLQL Z 7RPDWR %ODFN 2OLYHV %URFFROL 5HG 3HSSHU 6DODG $SSOH

LUNCH: KOSHER: Apricot Glazed Salmon, %DNHG 6ZHHW 3RWDWR &DSUL %OHQG 9HJHWDEOHV NON-KOSHER: Chick Pea of the Sea Tuna 6DODG 5RWLQL Z 7RPDWRHV %ODFN 2OLYHV DINNER: BARTOW ONLY KOSHER: $SULFRW *OD]HG 6DOPRQ %DNHG VZHHW 3RWDWR &DSUL %OHQG 9HJHWDEOH 2UDQJH NON-KOSHER: Curried Chicken, Mashed Red 3RWDWRHV 2ULHQWDO %OHQG 9HJHWDEOHV %DQDQD

LUNCH: KOSHER: Hawaiian Chicken Legs, Sewing Class w/Joy, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., 2U]R Z 9HJHWDEOHV 1RUPDQG\ %OHQG 9HJHWDEOHV Rm. 2 NON-KOSHER %DNHG %UHDGHG )LVK )LOHW Knitting & Crocheting w/Loretta 3HDUOHG %DUOH\ %UDLVHG &ROODUG *UHHQV 10 a.m.-12 p.m. DINNER: BARTOW ONLY Alert & Alive w/Cathy and Essie KOSHER: Hawaiian Chicken Legs, Orzo w/ 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Rm. 4 9HJHWDEOHV 1RUPDQG\ %OHQG 9HJHWDEOHV $SSOH Line Dance w/Sassy, 1 p.m.-2 p.m., NON-KOSHER: Caribbean Squash Aud. A 6WXIIHG Z *URXQG %HHI 6WHDPHG *UHHQ Bingo w/Gay, 1:20-2:50 p.m., Rm. 4 %HDQV %DQDQD

Menu Fee for lunch is $2 & $5 for guest. ALL meals served w/margarine and fresh milk. Menu subject to change without notice. For information, please call: (718) 320-2066. Schedule subject to change without notice. Payments for trips at the Bartow office can be made Monday – Friday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. & 2 p.m.-4 p.m. only Funded by: The NYC Department for the Aging, the NYS Office for the Aging and Riverbay Corporation.

Saturday: Lunch served at 12:30 p.m. BARTOW BARTOW OAC LUNCH XQWLO ¿QLVKHG: ONLY KOSHER: Baked Chicken Cutlet, in KOSHER: Gravy, Moroccan Style Roasted Mushroom Egg Barley, Banana &KLFNHQ /HJV %URZQ 5LFH 6WHDPHG *UHHQ NON-KOSHER: Baked Fish in Black %HDQV 3OXP Bean Sauce, Penne Pasta, Corn w/Peas NON-KOSHER 6RIW 7DFR Z 9HJHWDEOHV & Sliced Carrots, Orange 5LFH 3LODI %DE\ &DUURWV Z 3DUVOH\ %DQDQD

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Newsong Church The Lord’s Prayer-2 …Hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:9 (NKJV) Last week, we discovered that because of Jesus, we get to come to God in prayer and call Him our Father. Today Jesus teaches us to pray, “Hallowed by Your Name.” There is power in God’s name. The Bible teaches us that God has many names, and those QDPHV QRW RQO\ UHÀHFW +LV FKDUDFWHU EXW WKH\ KHOS us know Him personally. Proverbs 18 tells us that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” God has a name for every situation you may be facing. When we proclaim who He is, we not only worship Him, but we also remind ourselves how powerful and great our God is. Here’s a couple of God’s names for you to meditate on as you pray. God is Righteousness – He PDNHV PH FOHDQ *RG LV 6DQFWL¿HU ± +H FDOOHG PH and set me apart. God is Banner of Victory – He defeated my enemies. God is Shepherd – He speaks to me and leads me. God is Peace – He is my peace in every storm. God is Provider – He supplies all of my needs. About us Newsong Church is a life-giving church right here in Co-op City! We believe that every person FDQ NQRZ *RG ¿QG IUHHGRP GLVFRYHU WKHLU SXUpose, and make a difference in this world! No matter what you’ve been through or where you come from, you are welcome here. Join us for Sunday worship and see why God’s family is no ordinary family… Check us out...we’re located at 135 Einstein Loop! Sunday Worship Experience Our Sunday worship experience starts with celebration. We make music to please God and to build others

up. Colossians 3:16 says, “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” We sing to bring glory and honor to God, and celebrate who He is and what He’s doing in our church! Our Worship Experience starts every Sunday morning at11 a.m. Newsong Deaf Church, Room 35 Our deaf worship experience is in ASL so that our deaf and hearing impaired can worship and fellowship in their own language! Kidsong, Room 49 We’ve created a place where children can have fun and learn about Jesus on their own level! Newsong Church Youth NSCY is Newsong’s student ministry. Today’s middle and high school students will lead the next generation of the church and change the world. At NSCY, our goal is to graduate students into a lifetime of following Jesus. NSCY meets every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Room 42. So, what are you waiting for? There’s a God in heaven who loves you and has a purpose and plan for your life! Do you live outside of Section 5? RememEHU D FKXUFK DOLYH LV ZRUWK WKH GULYH &RPH DQG ¿QG KRSH &RPH DQG ¿QG KHDOLQJ &RPH DQG ¿QG IUHHGRP Contact Us: Mailing Address: 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 42 Email: CentralTeam@newsongchurchnyc.org Website: www.newsongchurchnyc.org Phone: 917-342-2559 Social Media: Instagram: @newsongchurchbx, Facebook: @newsongchurchbx, Twitter: @newsongchurchbx, YouTube: Newsong Church NYC —Pastor Mike Tolone

Circle of Christ Church Iglesia Circulo de Cristo You Can’t Outgive God God instituted a universal law of sowing and reaping. Non-Christians call it karma. We eventually gain what we invest in, whether good or evil. Dr. Charles Stanley includes this as a life principle: “You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.” Proverbs 11:24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. In giving, we align ourselves with God who is the greatest giver. He sustains life throughout the universe and allows us to make free choices daily. Yet he cautions us that givers receive while withholders eventually lose everything. Giving for God’s purposes leads to blessing. Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. It is God’s power working in us. Therefore, God is only limited by the amount of you that you give to him. This includes time, talent, and treasure. Paul says that God’s blessing is immeasurable. It cannot be counted or contained but we have to appropriate it. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. -HVXV VD\V *LYH 1R DPRXQW LV VSHFL¿HG EXW JLYLQJ should be in proportion to prosperity. God creates the faith you exercise when you give to bless you further as you trust him. We demonstrate faith by giving sacUL¿FLDOO\ )DLWK KDV IHHW PRYLQJ LQ *RG¶V GLUHFWLRQ Schedule 147 Dreiser Loop (lower level). During the mid-winter break, CCC children’s church (5-12 yrs.) will be hosting random acts of kindness February 20-22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Register at the entrance. Every 1st Sunday of the month, Bilingual Communion Service

Sunday: Spanish, 9 a.m. & English Service, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: Prayer, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wed. & Thurs.: Non-perishable food distribution from 12-2 p.m. Thursday: Prayer/Bible Study, 6:30-8 p.m. Friday: Youth Service (Operation Grace), 6:309 p.m. Saturday: All Fellowships are postponed until February. Blessings in Christ, —Pastor Luis F. Ramos Jr.

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church St. Joseph’s is located at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level, Co-op City, Bronx, NY 10475. E-mail: stjosephsepc@aol.com. Church phone number: 718-320-0844. Priest-in-Charge: Fr. Simeon O. Johnson; cell: 917-227-4303. Greetings! Due to the ongoing pandemic and related repairs to our space, St. Joseph’s Church has made some adjustment to our schedule of services until further notice. We are gradually getting back to normal. We are almost there! In-person worship service for the fourth Sunday after The Epiphany will be conducted by Father Simeon Johnson at the church on Sunday, January 28, at 9 a.m. as well as via teleconference. Please also remember to tune in for the usual teleconference weekday prayers at noon. To participate by teleconference, dial 1-425-4366344, Access Code: 509 898, followed by the # sign. It is that time of year again when we collect, complete and return our Pledge Cards which are vital in the completion of the budget. These FDUGV DUH PHDQW WR UHÀHFW RXU ¿QDQFLDO SOHGJH DV well as an offer to volunteer our time and talent where and when possible. Please remember to pray about these commitments and do the best that you can. Our Annual General Meeting will take place immediately after the church service. Please make a special effort to come out to service and stay for the General Meeting. This is your opportunity to elect or re-elect your vestry members DQG RI¿FHUV RI WKH FKXUFK Sincere condolences to our members, families and friends who have recently lost loved ones. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace. To our sick and shut-in, we extend our well wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery. Happy Birthday and best wishes to all the January birthday celebrants. We at St. Joseph’s are collecting food (cans and dry goods) for the food pantry at Grace Episcopal Church, West Farms. If you can, please contribute for those in need. Grace and Peace! —Merville Chambers

Family Owned and Operated • Large Chapel on premises

• Pre-need counseling

• Ample Parking on premises

• Out of town services

A dignified funeral every family can afford. • Cremations • Casket Showroom All areas are handicapped accessible on premises Amid ongoing concerns about the Coronavirus COVID-19, McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home is closely monitoring the latest reports from the CDC and is fully committed to providing the funeral and memorial services you expect without interruption, in a clean and hygenic environment.

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Serving all cultures & faiths

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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Co-op City United Methodist Church IEMU de Co-op City Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds Come and Visit Us – We are a multi-ethnic and bilingual, Bible-centered congregation with spirit ¿OOHG ZRUVKLS :H RIIHU D YDULHW\ RI RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU VSLULWXDO JURZWK IHOORZVKLS DQG VHUYLFH WR *RG DQG RXU FRPPXQLW\. Services are held in person at 2350 Palmer Avenue across from Building 30. Parking is available. You can also participate with us via Zoom (904 4685745) or Facebook live (United Methodist Church of Co-op City). You’re always welcome. —Pastor, David Jolly ³)RU *RG VR ORYHG WKH ZRUOG WKDW KH JDYH KLV RQH DQG RQO\ 6RQ WKDW ZKRHYHU EHOLHYHV LQ KLP VKDOO QRW SHULVK EXW KDYH HWHUQDO OLIH ´ ±John 3:16 NIV 'XULQJ WKH PRQWK RI )HEUXDU\ ZH SURXGO\ FHOHEUDWH %ODFN +LVWRU\ 0RQWK ZKHUH ZH¶UH LQYLWHG WR OHDUQ DQG UHPHPEHU WKH KLVWRU\ RI $IULFDQ $PHULFDQV LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV )HEUXDU\ is also the month that brings us a warm embrace RI 9DOHQWLQH¶V 'D\ FHOHEUDWLRQV DQG RYHU FRPPHUFLDOL]HG HYHQWV ,W¶V DQ H[FXVH WR FHOHEUDWH URPDQWLF ORYH DQG SDVVLRQ DV ZHOO DV IDPLO\ ORYH DQG SODWRQLF ORYH $V ZH HPEUDFH WKHVH DQG RWKHU FHOHEUDWLRQV OHW¶V QRW IRUJHW WKH JUHDWHVW ORYH VWRU\ RI DOO WLPH 2QH RI WKH PRVW YLYLG FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI *RG LV WKDW KH LV D *RG RI ORYH DQG GXH WR +LV QDWXUH *RG LV ORYH 7KH HQWLUH %LEOH UHPLQGV XV RI +LV GHHS XQFRQGLWLRQDO $JDSH ORYH IRU PDQNLQG John 3:16 WHOOV XV KRZ PXFK *RG¶V ORYH XV DQG ZKDW +H GLG IRU XV +H ORYHG WKH ZRUOG HQRXJK WR FRPH DV -HVXV DQG WR GLH IRU XV VR WKDW DQ\RQH

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ZHOFRPH Saturday, February 24 – &KXUFK RI WKH 1HZ 9LVLRQ DQG 1$$&3 &R RS &LW\ %UDQFK LQYLWH \RX to a Black History Month Celebration, “African American’s and the Arts,´ DW S P $OO DUH ZHOFRPHG 7KLV LV D Free FRPPXQLW\ HYHQW Wednesday, August 14 – 1RZ DFFHSWLQJ GHSRVLWV WR VHH ³'DQLHO´ DW WKH 6LJKW 6RXQG 7KHDWUH $GXOWV <RXWK :H FRQWLQXH WR SUD\ IRU VSHHG\ UHFRYHU\ IRU WKH VLFN DQG VKXW LQ DQG RIIHU FRQGROHQFHV WR IDPLOLHV ZKR ORVW ORYHG RQHV DQG JRRG KHDOWK DQG ZHOOQHVV IRU DOO <RXU FRQWULEXWLRQV WLWKHV DQG RIIHULQJV FDQ EH PDLOHG WR &KXUFK RI 1HZ 9LVLRQ 3 2 %R[ (LQVWHLQ 6WDWLRQ %URQ[ 1HZ <RUN 7KDQN \RX —Brenda Brown

It has already opened its doors!

The Spanish 7th Day Adventist Church, Co-op City We are located at 177 Dreiser Loop, Co-op City, Bronx NY 10475 Room #127 Our Day of Worship is every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and at the end we have a special lunch. Come with your family and a warm church of good people who love God and their neighbor will be waiting for you. For more information contact Pastor Elias Santana at 347-364-0601 “I was happy with those who told me: To the house of the Lord we will go.” Psalm 122:1 We will wait for you!

Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

Co-op City Baptist Church

African-American Association of Co-op City

Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams and the Co-op City Baptist Church family invite you to join us for Worship Service tomorrow at 8 a.m. in person only and at 11 a.m. in person and on Zoom. Sunday School classes for all ages will be held at 9:30 a.m. We are located at 135 Einstein Loop, Room 50 (lower level), Bronx, NY 10475. Telephone: 718-320-3774. Masks are required. The service is also available on Zoom at https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9623430102 or Zoom Telephone Conference Line (646) 568-7788, Meeting ID: 962 343 0102#, Password: 788175#. The church’s Free Conference Call dial-in number is 857-357-0254, Access Code is 660065#. Rev. Williams asks everyone who calls into the Sunday Worship service to use Zoom through your computer or dial-in using the Zoom information shown above. This Week’s Events Wednesday Bible Study Class at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Bible Study Class by Zoom; Prayer Warriors Prayer Service on Thursday at noon; Friday Mid-Morning Prayer Service at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday Evening Prayer Service. All are on the church’s conference call line. The CCBC Food Giveaway Ministry will be distributing food on Friday, February 9, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 135 Einstein Loop. Please remember to bring your own bag, and perhaps a cart. Some products can be heavy. The Scholarship Ministry invites you to cruise with them aboard the Celebrity Equinox on Tuesday, July 30, to Thursday, August 8, 2024. Ports of call are Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Price for inside double occupancy staterooms is $3,995 per person. Only two staterooms in this category remain. To make the required deposit, contact Ms. Hermena Smith, travel agent, at 646-780-9813. If you are interested in acquiring a balcony stateroom, contact Sis. Claudette Cutlar Day at 718-379-0541. Please be mindful of the date, April 1, 2024. This is the deadOLQH IRU SD\LQJ WKH EDODQFH RQ WKH -XO\ FUXLVH %HIRUH PDNLQJ \RXU ¿QDO SD\PHQW please check with Sis. Day for the amount of your balance. For your convenience, payments and balances will be accepted prior to April 1, 2024. Thank you. The church has a free app available on your app store by putting in “Co Op CBC.” This app is open to all. God will strengthen us as we continue to travel through this storm. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. –Psalm 46:1 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. —Marilyn C. Williams

The African–American Association of Co-op City is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom Meeting today, at 3:00 p.m. Annual Black History Month Film Festival. See log-in credentials below. Note: Due to security reasons, we require that all attendees PXVW EH RQ FDPHUD YLVLEOH DQG LGHQWL¿HG GXULQJ $$$&& (YHQWV DQG 0HHWLQJV or you will be removed from the webcast. We thank you for your cooperation in our attempt to protect the sanctity of our gatherings. To show you how much we care about your presence: We are offering a gift. Our very own stimulus package. In the spirit of Dr. King, we must unite in our communities through our organizations. These are important and pivotal years. We are passionate about the struggle of all people and the importance of banding together to show the generations after us the importance of our push. Our youth must see us helping, supporting and pushing each other into a bright, productive and prosperous future. Our gift to each member is a complimentary four-night hotel stay or cruise. Hopefully, you will be stimulated enough, refreshed and renewed enough that you will join us and enjoy your vacation on us and make an impact just by being a part of the African-American Association of Co-op City. Tell a friend about this incentive. Help us put the AAACC on the map! Join the African-American Association of Co-op City: Membership is $25/year for a single membership and $35/year for a family/ household. You can Zelle us your payment to become a member using our email address. Email: aaaccpower@gmail.com. Call us at: 646-883-9095. The African American Association of Co-op City, P.O. Box 702, Co-op City Station, Bronx, NY 10475. AAACC Meetings & Events Saturday, February 3 (Today) – Black History Month Film Festival, 3 p.m. on Zoom. Meeting ID: 845 2097 5355; Passcode: 523453 February 17 – Open MIC, Fundraiser, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Dreiser, Room 15 March 16 – General Meeting, 3 p.m. on Zoom April 6 – Open Mic, Fundraiser, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Dreiser, Room 15 April 20 –Holistic Health and Wellness Fair, 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Room 31 May 18 – Co-op City Spelling Bee, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Dreiser, Room 4 May 19 – General Meeting, 3 p.m. via Zoom June 8 – Open Mic/Juneteenth Celebration , 4-8 p.m. Dreiser, Room 15 June 30 – General Meeting, 3 p.m., Dreiser, Room 15 Note: The new number to reach the African-American Association of Co-op City is 646-883-9095 The AAACC sponsors the following programs for your participation: Belly Dance Classes with Xonia Wilson – Contact: Xonia, 646-301-9438. Evening Line Dance Classes with Cynthia Dixon – Contact: Cynthia, 917-903-7073. Yoga & Pilates Classes with Meena Sharpe-Hicks – Contact: Meena at 917-863-1507. Co-op City Baptist Church “Gospel Line Dancers” with Joyce Smith – Contact: Joyce, 718-320-0714. Be the change you want for more in 2024. ––Michelle Marbury

Domestic Violence The Department of Public Safety reminds shareholders that if they are threatened or are being subjected to Domestic Violence, help is available. To get help, call 1-800-621-HOPE for the NYC Domestic Violence Hotline, or 311 and ask for the Domestic Violence Hotline.

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024 LOCKSMITH

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Advertise in the Co-op City Times! Classiﬁed Ad Rates from $11/week! sgreen@riverbaycorp.com 718-320-3300 x3379

RIVERBAY ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE If you have knowledge or a concern of possible violations of law, accounting irregularities, or other suspected wrongdoing affecting Riverbay, you are encouraged to report it to law enforcement, or you may report it through an anonymous hotline by one of the following methods: • Go to an independent website, www.lighthouse-services.com/riverbaycorp, to complete online disclosure form; • Call independent third party whistleblower hotline: 1-833-290-0009 (English); 1-800-216-1288 (Spanish); • Email reports@lighthouse-services.com (the email must include “Riverbay” in the subject); • Send a fax to (215) 689-3885 (the fax must include “Riverbay” in the subject of the report).

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Co-op City Times / February 3, 2024

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