Co-op City Times 02/05/2022 by Co-op City Times

Vol. 57 No. 06

Saturday, February 5, 2022

Riverbay’s New Director of Finance BY ROZAAN BOONE

This week, Riverbay’s Executive General Manager Bob Klehammer announced the promotion of Ms. Averil James-Bonnette to Director of Finance. Ms. James-Bonnette has been serving as the corporation’s Acting Director since the retirement last August of Riverbay’s long-serving for. “It is my honor to announce that Averil is being promoted to Director of Finance,” said Mr. Klehammer. “For the past several months, she has been managing the department in an acting capacity. During that time, she has demonstrated her ability to deal with multiple issues during a Averil James-Bonnette challenging period for the corporation. With her past experience as the director of Internal Audit Mr. Klehammer added that Ms. James-Bonnette understands the organization, mission and goals of the corporation. He said: “She has discussed with me her ideas to improve the procedures and technology in her department which will enhance both the provision of resident services and business ef-

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Riverbay Scores Major Legal Victory Against Former Managing Agent BY ROZAAN BOONE

Judge Gerald Libovits issued summary judgements in Riverbay’s favor on two agent, Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc. (MSI), and directed that the third be settled by jury trial to determine compensatory damages to be awarded to Riverbay. And, although a trial date has not yet been set, the court granted the trial case a “preference” and ordered that it should be heard promptly. managing agent.

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Baychester Monopole Owner Loses Appeal -

on your promotion to Director of Finance of the largest housing cooperative mous vote, the directors engaged you as our Internal Auditor expressing our

of New York Appellate Division, First Department ruled late last month that Avenues on which a giant monopole sits, did not properly appeal to the New

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all permits on this site.

SCRIE Recert. Update (See page 6 for details)

No Surprises Act (See page 9)

Mayor Adams' Plan to Address Gun Violence in NYC

The district manager said he is following up with the city’s Law departissued for any other sign structure that exists on the property,” he said. “For now, let’s enjoy the fact that when we make noise on issues in our backyard, there’s no stopping us. I think all of us have the shared objective that we would like to see the ‘monopole’ deconstructed entirely.” ––Rozaan Boone

Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Congressman Bowman Press HUD to

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

The Mayor’s plan, called a “Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” has several key policies and proposals for amendments to current laws centered around removing illegal guns from the city, making the city a safer place for everyone and establishing more support systems in communities hardest hit by gun violence. “Today, we are releasing our ‘Blueprint to End Gun Violence.’ And I want to be clear: this is not just a plan for the future — it is a plan for right now. Gun violence is a public health crisis. There is no time to wait. We must act. The sea of violence comes from many rivers. We must dam every river that feeds this greater crisis,” Mayor Adams said. “We are going to involve every community, every precinct and our state and federal partners. New Yorkers will see and feel these changes quickly. We will ramp up enforcement, deploy

New York City Mayor Eric Adams

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BY ROZAAN BOONE

Secretary Marcia Fudge during a phone call to advance processing and approval to take advantage of low interest rates. “New York’s co-ops are fundamental to the vitality of this city but have faced unique challenges throughout the coronavirus crisis, and need more help,” said improvements to be made. The deal would improve the lives of those who live there and provide affordable housing for generations to come, and I won’t stop stable, and affordable community in our nation. I am grateful for the opportu(Continued on page 9)

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

James-Bonnette

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(Continued from page 1)

integrity, professionalism, sensibility, promising to bring 21st century technological tools to that department and a commitment to exhaustive, investigative tation. You turned around that department and produced, as you had pledged, comprehensive exhaustive studies of scores of departments with well-founded recommendations. Those recommendations have contributed to enhance the operation of our corporation. “My best wishes as Director of Finance. I am certain you will continue to meet many new challenges as well as make major contributions to the well-being of our cooperative.” Board President Cylich saluted Mr. Klehammer for the well-deserved recognition and promotion of Ms. James-Bonnette. Ms. James-Bonnette began her employment at Riverbay Corporation in October 2015 when she came on board as the Internal Auditor. Prior to her

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In November 2019, Ms. James-Bonnette changed roles moving to the Riverbay Finance department where she served as Deputy Director following the retirement of the corporation’s controller, Lou Salegna. And, since Mr. Merola’s departure last year, she has been overseeing the operations of the Finance department. stitute of Internal Auditors. “I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that Riverbay has afforded me since I was hired in 2015,” said Ms. James-Bonnette. “I sincerely thank Mr. granting me the opportunity to serve as the corporation’s Director of Finance. This position carries with it tremendous responsibilities, but I embrace the challenges and hard work ahead. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors for the support that they have given me throughout my tenure at Riverbay. I look forward to continue working with the dedicated Finance staff to improve

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Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Co-op City Times 2nd COMBING

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

2022 Co-op City Little League Registration Registration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 5, 12, 19, and 26, from noon - 3 p.m. in the Dreiser Center, Rm. 17. Boys and girls ages 4 through 16 are eligible to participate. For more information, visit coopcitylittleleague.com.

February CB #10 Meeting The next meeting of Community Board #10 will be held virtually on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. and all are invited to attend. The dial-in number for the meeting is (646) 992-2010. Access Key: 179 615 4388.

Mobile Covid Testing Van NYC Health & Hospitals’ Test & Trace Corps operates a Mobile Covid-19 testing unit daily in Co-op City from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on a rotating basis, as follows: Mon. & Tues. – 177 Dreiser Loop Wed. & Thurs. – 135 Einstein Loop Fri., Sat. & Sun. – 2049 Bartow Ave. Appointments are not required. Walk-ups are welcome. Scan the QR code on the side of paperwork, or a health care professional can assist you on board.

Dreiser Testing Center The Dreiser testing site located at 105 Dreiser Loop offers free Covid Rapid Testing from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are not required.

Weekly Food Pantry Agatha House, in partnership with Riverbay Corporation, operates a weekly food pantry at the Dreiser Community Center every Thursday at 1 p.m. Please bring a shopping cart, wear a mask and observe social distancing.

Did you know... “Bar Fights,” written in 1746 by Lucy Terry, an African American poet and activist, is the first known poem written by an African American?

Co-op City Father & Son Inducted into Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors Last weekend in Atlantic City, which began on Thursday, well over 2000 people braved the blizzard to attend the Action Martial Arts Magazine Mega Weekend held at the Tropicana Hotel. The program actually began last Thursday and several celebrities vision along with martial arts legends and Matthew Miller with trophies former boxing champions were in attendance. During the course of the weekend, several martial arts seminars were offered for registrants along with autograph and photo opportunities. As part of the scheduled events, a number of martial arts tournaments took place, one, in particular, was the annual “War At The Shore” in which Co-op City’s Mike Miller (l) & Matthew own Matthew Miller, Miller (r) now 19 years old, and representing Co-op City’s Martial Way Kung-Fu Center, competed and came home with honors. After a two year absence from competing in martial arts tournaments because of the Covid pandemic and being away at university upstate, Matthew competed in the Black Belt adult division and won the championship in the weapons division, placed 3rd division. Sparring against a well-established internavery well in a very close, intense match, regarded as On Saturday evening, Jan. 29, Matthew and his father, Michael Miller, were honored at the event’s banquet with more than 100 other honorees and over 2,000 guests at the affair. Matthew Miller received an award for his outstanding achievements in martial arts while Michael Miller received an award for being an “Honored and Esteemed Martial Artist.” Both Matthew and Michael, along with the other honorees, were inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors. “I didn’t want Matthew to compete at the tournament because of his two-year absence from competing but he insisted, and I was glad that he did,” said Mike. “I was truly honored to be awarded that evening but was even happier for my son, Matthew. I once again would like to thank his teacher, Sabonim Chris Robinson for his excellent teaching and conKung-Fu school here in Co-op City.” Be mindful & aware of your surroundings at all times. See Something, Say Something. CCPD: (718) 671-3050 NYPD: 911

Front Page

Highlighting A Co-op Creative BY P.M. CAMPBELL

Carla M. Cherry is a Co-op based veteran teacher, student and poet whose work has been featured in various publications from MemoryHouse to Bop Dead City. She has Gnat Feathers , and ThirtyDollars and a Bowl of Soup, published by iiPublishing and available on many platforms. This is an excerpt from her poem “Flourish” written “in celebration of the Bronx as well as a critique of botanical Carla M. Cherry sexism” Sometimes while I am walk down my block I hear somebody say … What is that smell? Sometimes somebody stepped on ginkgo biloba seeds-orange, round like cherries, smell like rotten peaches Ginkgo biloba grows full in Northern sun inhales pollution, exhales fresh air. Unbothered by winter’s rock salt. Leaves like fans. If you're born here, you rep for your city. Where I’m from, we cross our arms for the BX. but baby, they got nothing on the arboreal explosion of yellow every autumn. The ginkgo biloba thrives in tight spaces resists disease and when it comes to soil type it isn’t fussy. It’s just like those of us who grew up in shoulder to shoulder apartment buildings shared walls thrumming with congas and R&B base who ride racing iron horses over coffee cups stashed under the seats, copies of AM New York left on top coughing and sneezing outside the elbow, 5 million pairs of hands on poles, cigarette stank breath and smoky clothing wide hips and/or man-spreading legs tight against yours cuz God knows we’re all tired and need a seat? An open book or your phone are the best targets for your eyes, and if you’re still on after 10 p.m. you’d better move if you see somebody stumbling and bent over at the waist. Urban planners recommend the male ginkgo bilobas to avoid the slime of stepped on female seeds. But where I live in the Bronx our concrete and streets ain’t just for sneakers, man-sweaty basketballs. High heels, open-toed sandals, jellies, they got you. Buildings stand up to the bounce of Big Ma, Abuela aunties calling us to come back upstairs (Continued on page 12)

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Lawsuit ––––––––––––

(Continued from page 1)

1. That MSI was defamed in several statements published in the Co-op City Times, the news media and at public meetings. 2. That a trespass occurred when Riverbay refused

and every one of those claims,” Mr. Buss said. “The

3. MSI sought an injunction to prohibit Riverbay from completing a competitive bidding process to hire a new managing agent.

favor on the remaining claim alleging breach of its management contract, and dismissal of Riverbay counterclaims, Judge Libovits denied those requests from MSI as well. Mr. Buss explained: “Marion Scott based its

aging agent

“Judge Lebovits … threw out nearly every claim made by Marion Scott, granted summary judgment in terclaims, and directed that the amount of damages to be awarded to Riverbay be determined by a jury,” Mr. Buss told the Riverbay Board, adding that the Judge issued his decision from the bench after ex

request. “The Judge considered multiple occasions on which, allegedly, defamatory statements were made [in the Co-op City Times] and dismissed each

tion, and for an order reinstating Marion Scott as managing agent.”

In counterargument, Riverbay claimed that the regulatory issues were irrelevant to the question of were sustained, and the court agreed. “Judge Lebovits concluded that substantial fac tual issues existed for a jury to determine that Marion

prior determination that Marion Scott implemented an illegal employment practice in violation of State

tract would be deemed to have expired eight months after their services had been suspended by the Board. Marion Scott argued that those two items mandated

highly compensated Riverbay employee for the bene

period following its suspension. Marion Scott had previously won that argument when Riverbay was

tracts without prior Board approval. Based on those

stituted in for the appeal. We won the appeal and

rare judicial procedure called ‘reverse summary judg

court for discovery. After discovery was completed, Marion Scott renewed the same argument, relying

of our three counterclaims.” (See below for transcript of Judge Libovits’ decision.)

Transcript of New York Supreme Court Judge Gerald Lebovits’ decision against MSI MOTION

president of Riverbay, made these statements while detailing allegations against plaintiff in support of tion as to that article is dismissed and the motion is

provide affordable housing to moderate and middle

about these articles gives a reasonable reader any in dication that they are anything other than the opin the reader notice that it is the words of a single per message. Also the articles were written entirely in life to help turn things around.” Also “I have been

tracts for its maintenance, repair and improvement as well. With some exceptions plaintiff provided its delity bond in an amount equal to two months rent or maintenance collection. action alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards tice implemented by plaintiff was a per se violation

life is the Bible.” These sorts of statements verbate those articles. They are expressions of opinion as op posed to assertions of fact. And they are privileged no matter how offensive they can be, and they can not be the subject of an action for defamation of,

ject. The totality of the article supports the conclu sion that the impression created on a reasonable and would be reader was that they were the opinions of

sity. The statements made at a shareholder meeting in the article itself, which is at issue here, does not impute truth to them nor would a reasonable ob server believe that they are anything other than a

of action is dismissed. The motion for summary judgment dismissing it is granted. The fourth cause of action the plaintiff from completing a competitive bidding process to hire a new managing agent. The issue is moot. Riverbay has already hired a different managing agent, Douglas Elliman, four years ago in a pro cess in which the plaintiff itself participated along with other companies.

ership or possessory right of the property allegedly conduct. That it caused Riverbay to be sued in the Riverbay employee for its own purposes. The article reported on the Riverbay Board of Directors emer

person or corporation for publishing a fair and true

preliminary injunction is granted without opposition. With regard to the third cause of action, plain tiff accuses defendant of defamation, and defendant moves for summary judgment to dismiss this cause

ceeding that featured the Riverbay board of directors

Co-op City Times over which Riverbay has complete

made by a person in the discharge of some public or private duty. Here at the Riverbay emergency board meeting Mr. Taylor, acting in his capacity as

articles published by this newspaper. First, in one of

duct to proceed. Taylor made these statements as president of Riverbay in the discharge of his duty.

miss the cause of action for those three is granted.

employment contracts.

suspended as the managing agent. Later Riverbay sought bids for a new managing agent, and Douglas Elliman was hired as the new managing agent. There are two motion sequences, eight and nine.

tion that passed with a vote of 12 to two, allowing

article which were made by Mr. Taylor. These quo tations come from the board meeting, and a com

argue that it has any property rights or a valid pos sessory interest in the property it claims it was tres

nine moves for summary judgment under the second

With regard to its motion for summary judg ment on the second cause of action, plaintiff argues that Riverbay breached its contract by terminating

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Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Judge’s Decision

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sued in Federal Court in a class action consisting of former employees alleging their employment contracts violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. That was the decision of Judge Koeltl at 35 F.Sup.3d 513, August 1, 2014. It is undisputed that MSI was responsible for these employee contracts and that Riverbay was not. New York State regulations hold that plaintiff, as the then managing agent of Co-op City, was responsible for all “day-to-day operations, management and employment related matters” under NYCR Section 1725-3.3, and that Riverbay should not interfere with their performance of these duties. The contract between the parties provides that plaintiff is “responsible for compliance with all applicable laws”, that would include local, state, federal laws, codes and ordinances. And Article 9 provides that the contract may be terminated “by Riverbay”... “effective immediately”...” if the managing agent shall fail or refuse to comply with or abide by any rule, order, determination, ordinance or law of any federal, state or municipal authority.” So, Judge Koeltl found the contracts to be in breach of the Fair Labors Standard Act and thus in violation of New York State and Federal Law. And all that means is that plaintiff, who is in charge of and had sole responsibility for the illegal employment contracts, violated the law. And because violation of the law grants Riverbay authority to terminate its within its rights to terminate plaintiff maybe. The issue is that a letter from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal advised Riverbay that plaintiff was improperly removed as the managing agent and should be reinstated. Although DHCR had the authority to reinstate plaintiff itself, it did not and subsequent replacement. This inaction and subremoval of plaintiff allegedly pursuant to a contract they are best resolved by a jury determination. tion, two breach of contract as to other contractual requirements and the third is negligence. First plaintiff seeks summary judgment dismissasserts it has no duty to indemnify defendant for graph 16 of the contract provides that plaintiff would “defend, indemnify and hold harmless Riverbay, anything related to the Fair Labor Standards Act it was pressured to pay. The same paragraph of the contract calls for the payment of fees for “personal injuries, illness, wrongful death and property damasserts that violations of the FLSA and the New York Labor Law do not conform to any of this, but as the Court previously noted a few moments ago, the contract called for plaintiff to adhere to all applicable law, and plaintiff was found to have breached New York State and Federal Law. This implicates the breach of contract portion of the clause in the contract, but it remains to be determined whether Riverbay itself breached the contract by terminating plaintiff. If such a determination is made, then a serious question would arise whether Riverbay would be entitled to breach of contract based on this the Court cites the L-U-E case, 94 A.D.3d 386. Department held that – that a contractual indemnimature to determine whether plaintiff is obliged to indemnify Riverbay for expenses and costs related -

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dismissing that counterclaim is denied. counterclaim asserting that plaintiff breached its contract by approving the contracts without Rivercording to the record, it was noted that as of that date millions of dollars in contracts were placed every regulations and the contract between the parties hold that insurance contracts be bid upon whenever possible, and that all insurance contracts in excess of $100,000 be approved by a board resolution signed by the board president, forwarded to the DHCR for contrast plaintiff claims that the contract did not contain any mention of board approval for contracts in excess of $100,000. However, the contract provides that “the managing agent is authorized after approval by a majority of Riverbay board of directors”...”to procure contracts for the proper maintenance, repair Document 191, page 7, Section D dealing with contract procedures. Furthermore, 9NYCRR 17728-4.3 which governs actions by housing company managers like plaintiff, provides that “prior approval by the New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal is required for purchases or contracts of $100,000 or more.” So, besides a clear contract and statutory language, plaintiff has admitted that it approved of tens of millions of dollars worth of don me. And it is unlikely that this would ever be allowed to occur without some form of approval from either Riverbay or relevant New York State aulaw require approval for contracts, and defendant procured contracts without any form of approval. Just a moment. Although defendant is the non movsummary judgment on the counterclaim that plaintiff breached the contract by not obtaining Riverbay board signoff prior to approving the contracts. Finally defendant – plaintiff rather moves for terclaim asserting that plaintiff was negligent with nances, avoid labor disputes and ensure compliance argues that the governing contract exempts it from liability arising out of the payment of wages or compensation, namely that Article 6 provides that it shall not be responsible for wages or compensation. This does not exempt plaintiff from responsibility under New York State regulations as the then managing agent of Co-op City for all “day-to-day operations, management and employment related matters with– 9 NYCRR Section 1725-3.3. In the past the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal had removed a Riverbay board president this policy by intruding into employment matters. Article 6 of the contract between the parties also provides that the managing agent shall hire “all

responsible for recruiting, selecting, hiring, supervising, evaluating and terminating all staff and also that it would “negotiate and administer contracts”. The labor relations section provides that plaintiff was responsible for promoting a “positive working relationship environment to execute the best possible labor agreement.” Last, all “applicable personnel...under staff at Riverbay... will report to the executive general manager” who is “employed by” document number 256 under “job descriptions, du-

ties and responsibilities”. In August of 2014 Judge Koeltl, as I mentioned earlier, issued a decision in an action over labor employment issues brought by many Riverbay employees against both plaintiff and defendant. The District Court held that both parties violated the FLSA and similar provisions of the New York Labor Law. Ultimately Riverbay alone settled this action for $6,250,000 because plaintiff declined to pay. Federal Court found that “There is no dispute” that the employees were paid for compensation time instead of cash for overtime hours. That was page that this was “not expressly authorized and courts have generally concluded that this is...not permitthat regarding the two plaintiffs, their compensation time claims are “uncontested... from which no reasonable inference can be drawn other than these two plaintiffs were provided comp. time in lieu of cash overtime for time worked...constituting uncompensated overtime under the law...and plaintiffs are entitled to summary judgment for liability under fedFurthermore, the Court stated that regarding four, F-O-U-R, plaintiffs they had a “proper basis for summary judgment” for their claim of failure to be paid nighttime differential pay which also violated federal and state law.” That was page 530 of Judge So, Judge Koeltl found enough evidence of labor and employment violations to justify granting summary judgment. The contract between the parties here, plaintiff and defendant, provides that plaintiff is “responsible for compliance with all applicable laws.” NYSCEF Document 256, page 14. The labor practices found to be illegal in Federal Court involved employment practices between 2001 and 2013, a period when plaintiff acted as managing agent of Co-op City and had complete control over labor policies and practices. The fact that Judge Koeltl found the contracts in breach of the FLSA and the New York Labor Law, and thus in violation of state and federal law, means that plaintiff, who was in charge of and had sole responsible for the illegal employment contracts violated the law. plaintiff full control over employment related matsummary judgment is denied. Indeed, once again although defendant is the nonmoving party, the remanaging the employment related matters for Riverbay compel this Court to grant Riverbay, the defendant and nonmoving party summary judgment on its negligence counterclaim. So this case is not over. There remains a trial to be held. And the jury will consider damages on the counterclaims that the Court has – on which the Court has granted, reversed summary judgment for defendant. I wish counsel well and all their loved ones. And thank you very much. MR. KHADER: Your Honor, will this order from the bench be uploaded or should we request it from Ms. Sacco? THE COURT: There will be a gray sheet probably handwritten summarizing what the Court did for the reasons stated on the record. It is traditional or typical for counsel to order the minutes and then – and then use them appropriately to enforce the order listed in the gray sheet. MR. KHADER: Thank you. *** the above-captioned stenographic minutes.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lori Ann Sacco

Co-op City Times /

NYC Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) will

assisting shareholders. Shareholders may contact the as-

Exemption (SCRIE) for shareholders who had to reapply because their applications were mailed to the incorrect address and, as a result, they received denial letters. As previously reported, HPD, administrator of the SCRIE program for Mitchell-Lama shareholders, is aware of the address error, and is allowing those who were denied, to resubmit their application and supporting documents. plication can email RiverbayFinance@riverbaycorp.com or come to the reception desk in the Bartow Administration Building at 2049 Bartow Avenue for an application. Since

an appointment. If no one is available, leave a detailed message and the call will be returned.

cation application as soon as possible. For assistance completing and mailing the new application, please contact JASA at (718) 320-2066 for an ap-

Co-op City Times For shareholders who qualify for the exemption, it will be retroactive to the cut-off date, Dec. 31, 2021. In the meantime, shareholders who are reapplying (pre-January 2022) carrying charge bills by the 10th of the month to avoid late charges. Their current SCRIE subsidy is effective until March 2022, and by then, they should be reinstated, in which case, SCRIE will pick up the increase portion of their monthly carrying charges from January ever, will result in the shareholder being back-charged the SCRIE subsidy from January 2022.

Co-op City Times

Community Protestant Church and NY Common Pantry’s Nourish supplemental food program are teaming up to provide free food packages to eligible seniors on Thursday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Eligible participants must be over 60 years old, be a New York State resident, and have monthly income of no more than $1,396 or $16,744 annually. Social Security award letter, bank statement or self-declaration income may be provided. Community Protestant Church is located at 1659 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469. For more information about this program, please call (917) 982-2562.

In response to the recent rise in COVID-19 transmission in New York City, The New York Public Library has paused all in-person programming and events at their locations through . Branches are still open and offering general library use and seating, unlimited browsing, laptop and computer access, and more. Find an open location near you at NYPL.org. Masks are required for people ages two and up at all NYPL locations. Co-op City Times

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do not panic. Staying calm will increase chances of survival. Remember that smoke rises. It also kills. Even if you can tolerate the smoke while standing, it is safer to crawl to the door. Brace your shoulder or foot against the door and open with extreme caution. Should you be confronted with a high concentration of super-heated air or smoke, immediately close the door. If the hall is passable, use one of your pre-designated escape routes. Do not waste time gathering personal belongings – shut the door and take your key. Do not use the elevator. It may stall due to heat or loss of power. If you must use an inside stairwell, check for smoke before entering the stairwell. If the stairwell is safe to enter, WALK downward, do not run. Hold onto the wall or handrail to prevent falling. If you must remain in the apartment, wet towels and/or sheets and place them around the door. The best thing an shareholder can do is to practice safety at all times – never block windows or doors with heavy furAfter you have safely exited the building, go to your outside meeting place and stay there. Call the Fire department. If someone is trapped in the building, notify the Fire department. sheets around the door to keep smoke out. Call the Fire department and tell them where you are. Fire department evacuation of a high-rise building can take a long time. Communicate with the Fire department to monitor evacuation status.

Times

We welcome letters to the editor only from Co-op City shareholders at . 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 ity and residency of the writer can be Thank you for your cooperation.

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

CCPD Advises Everyone to Buckle Up with New Seat Belt Laws in Effect for the Past Year

Public Safety Report

BY LIEUTENANT PAM APOLLO

The Department of Public Safety would like to remind all readers that as of Nov. 1, 2020, New York State has enacted a new seat belt law. This law has been in effect for just over one year. It is necessary for all passengers, regardless of age or seat location, riding in a motor vehicle to be properly buckled in with a three-point seatbelt. This law adds that adults sitting in the rear seats of a vehicle must wear a seat belt. Previously, only passengers under age 16 seated in the rear seat were mandated to wear a seatbelt. Adults were only previously required to wear a seat belt if seated in the front seat of a vehicle. This law may seem annoying, but it will actually save lives. We often hear of drivers being ejected from vehicles. In ordinary circumstances, an occupant will not be ejected from a vehicle if wearing a properly fastened seatbelt. Today’s vehicles are designed to withstand a variety of different types of collisions, including rollover crashes, while keeping the driver and passengers safe, if restrained by a seatbelt. Seatbelts will prevent the wearer from being thrown from the automobile in the case of a collision. Today’s automobiles are designed to keep the passenger compartment intact in the event of a collision. Without a seatbelt, you will not remain within that safety zone. Unsecured persons in a vehicle continue to travel at the vehicle’s speed until they strike a solid object within or outside the vehicle. Internal organs of the unbelted person then collide with the skeletal system causing serious internal injuries. An unbelted person also serves as a projectile and can cause injuries to other persons in the vehicle. A person properly restrained stays within the vehicle’s safety zone and comes to a slower stop, thereby minimizing injuries. When used correctly, wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45%, and risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50%. For those riding in the rear of vans and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) during a car crash, rear seat belts are 73% better at preventing fatalities, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wearing a seatbelt properly means wearing it across your lap and chest. Placing

Public Safety Blotter

January 23 - January 29, 2022 January 23 – 100 DeKruif Pl. CCPD Emergency Service Unit responded for a female in distress. FDNY EMS responded and transported the female to Jacobi Medical Center for treatment. January 24 – 4120 Hutchinson River P’kwy East A shareholder reported an assault by her boyfriend as well as her vehicle her injuries.

120 Dreiser Loop CCPD Emergency Service Unit responded for an elderly female in dis-

tention.

January 25 – 100 DeKruif Pl.

ported that items were missing after workmen were within the apartment 100 Erskine Pl. CCPD Emergency Service Unit responded for an individual in mental distress. Shareholder stated they were stressed from an argument with their spouse. FDNY EMS on scene and transported the shareholder to Jacobi Medical for evaluation and treatment. 120 Bellamy Loop FDNY and Con Ed responded to the front of the building for the odor of gas. Con Ed advised the odor emanated from the gas line and remained on scene to correct the condition. January 27 – 140 Alcott Pl. FDNY responded for a smoke condition. FDNY reported that an unknown lit object was thrown into the garbage chute causing the smoke. After further investigation, the condition was corrected. No damage to Riverbay property reported. January 28 – 140 Casals Pl. by an unknown individual from her front door. Debs Pl. Townhouses balcony. After further investigation, the male was aware that the apartment was vacant and was seeking shelter from the cold weather. He was subsequently arrested. 140 Benchley Pl. A shareholder reported that his oversized package was removed by an unknown individual from the mailbox area of the lobby.

the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back reduces the effectiveness and is also illegal. According to NHTSA, of the 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle crashes, 47% were NOT wearing a seatbelt. According to NHTSA 2017, an estimated 14,955 lives were saved by seat belts. New York was the first state to pass a law which required vehicle occupants to wear seat belts, a law that came into effect on December 1, 1984. Airbags are not a substitute for seatbelts and are designed to be used in connection with seatbelts. An airbag comes out of the steering wheel or dashboard at a speed of 250 miles per hour. Without a seatbelt, the force of an airbag can cause serious injuries to the front seat passenger and driver. Wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle equipped with airbags will minimize injuries in otherwise life-threatening collision. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of children. It is very important that all drivers are aware of the rules and regulations regarding the appropriate restraint system for passengers of all ages. Using the proper car seat greatly increases children’s safety when they ride in a vehicle. Every person riding in a vehicle should be appropriately buckled up every time you drive your vehicle. Remember, children 12 and under must always be seated in the back seat of your vehicle. Children under 9 years of age should be in a car seat for their age and weight. Children under the age of two are required to be in a rear facing car seat designed for their height and weight. New York’s Occupant Restraint laws require the following: Children up to the age of 4 must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat that is attached to a vehicle by a seat belt or universal child restraint anchorage (LATCH) system. Children less than age 4 but weighing more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap/shoulder safety belt. However, a child safety seat that accommodates higher weights can be used. Children ages 4, 5, 6 and 7 must be properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system, one for which the child meets the height and weight recommendations of the child restraint manufacturer. An appropriate child restraint system is one that meets the child’s size and weight recommended by the manufacturer. A vehicle’s safety belt is not a child restraint system. Children riding in booster seats must be secured with a combination lap/shoulder seat belt; NEVER secure a child in a booster seat with only a lap belt. It is recommended that booster seats be used until your child is 4 foot 9 inches tall or weighs 100 pounds. Children over age 8 and adults must be restrained in a seat belt whenever they ride in a vehicle. All passengers must be properly restrained at all times, regardless of age. Children 12 years and younger should ride in the back seat. Simply buckling up your child in the back seat reduces his/her risk of death by 33%. Never put a rear facing infant seat in the front seat of any auto. Almost every vehicle manufactured today has driver and passenger side airbags. Some cars have manual or weight sensitive disable switches but mechanical devices can fail in some situations. The airbag can propel the car seat into the seat back with enough force to seriously injure or kill the child. Never hold a child on your lap (Continued on page 27)

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY For information on CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ONLY, please contact: Lenya Garcia at Lgarcia@ .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,

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

For employment opportunities, please search “Riverbay Corporation” at the following sites: www.Indeed.com www.Glassdoor.com Candidates may review full position descriptions and apply directly at either 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 5, 2022 Director’s Viewpoint –

Sonia Feliciano, First Vice President

Call Center Update and Laundry Room Service and Etiquette Dear fellow shareholders, Hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy. In September of 2019, Riverbay opened a Call Center as a way to improve service delivery by streamlining our processes to allow our cooperators the ability to reach personnel for various concerns. This allowed cooperators to make appointments, discuss issues personal to them with respect to their homes or building. We used newer technology to bring about a more 13 agents and have steadily increased this number to address the volume of calls that come in, especially during the air-conditioning season. Unfortunately, we are still dealing with concerns that continue to hamper the stellar service we, as cooperators, expect and deserve. When we look at service delivery, we take into account that the Call Center supports calls that come in for Restoration, Finance, Maintenance, Extermination, Contractors, Central Stores and Human Resources while managing resources with 19 employees during a pandemic. As residents, we are the heart of our community. The Call Center, under the direction of several key personnel (Associate Director Lutitia Matthias, Director Vanessa Aldea and Deputy General Manager Warren Mitchell) are identifying areas of opportunities that we hope will drive a better working center that will take us into the air-conditioning season with minimal interruptions in obtaining services. The Call Center is in constant contact with all demation that allows them to better communicate with our cooperators. Management is constantly training our agents building on skills sets to create a better trained staff. We use empathy and creative problem solving as a way to personalize every call and make adjustments as needed to improve service. We are

also looking to integrate the emergency night desk so we don’t have messages that say “you have reached Co-op City police.” Management continues to work with our agents to create a better connection to our cooperators along with having checks and balances in calling our cooperators at random to ask them if We still have supply issues due to the pandemic that is a pain point for us due to the delays it creates in delivering services. Missed appointments is a great concern and we are working to minimize this. Keeping our shareholders informed has to be our main focus. I am not going to make excuses, but instead share with you opportunities in managing expectations as we move forward towards giving our cooperators what they need to ensure their quality of life, good quality housing and living, and home safety. Our expectations are that if you see something that is not correct, if you are met with resistance, or even a lack of sense of urgency, say something. Many have expressed concerns with broken washing machines and I share your pain. Our Janitorial director, Joshua Blake, is in constant contact with CSC, our contractor. Our expectation is that we have two repairmen on duty to address repair issues that are brought to Management’s attention on a daily basis. It is expected that we have two repairmen on during the day and one on weekends. Here are some concerns: • The inverters on the machines go bad because of over loading, over soaping and misuse. • The pumps go bad because of objects left in pockets, coins, clips, etc. • Motors on the dryers go bad because of overloading and misuse. • The smaller machines do not require a lot of water or detergent due to the drain valve connection to the outer drum removing the dirt for maximum effect. Therefore, pouring buckets of water does not make your clothes cleaner, it disables the machine. • We should have 12 laundry carts in the laundry room, but in some buildings, we see less, mostly

because they are taken out of the laundry room and not returned. • If the TV is out of service or broken, we are allowed replacement of the tv. The Janitorial person who goes in every day to report the disabled machines should report it, but as cooperators, we should as well. What are we doing, and can do, to ensure we have minimal outages: • Janitorial is posting signage on laundry etiquette in English and Spanish in all buildings. • Check clothing before putting into the washing machines for items that can potentially cause a breakdown. • Be considerate of your neighbor. If you are washing or drying clothes, be mindful of the time as there may be someone waiting to use the machine. When cooperators remove someone else’s clothing, it may create a problem. We don’t want or need neighbors having altercations with other neighbors. Remove your clothes at the designated time to allow everyone fair use of the machines. • Management averages 35 breakdowns a day which is considered normal out of 1,300 machines. Janitorial continues to review and address alternatives to repair delays. If the machines are beyond repair, they must be replaced. • We will be reintroducing the laundry etiquette video on our Co-op City channel 591. • We are looking at ways to regulate access to the laundry room. Many complain that outsiders are using our machines. The machines are solely for the use of cooperators who live here. As shareholders, we have to be respectful of each other. As a community, we have to watch out for one another. If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me on 917-992-7311. You can also reach me sfeliciano@riverbayboard.com. Stay well and be safe. We are Shareholders First – We Matter.

Moderna Vaccine Receives Full FDA Approval BY BRANDON ORTIZ

fully FDA approved. August. against the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the second vaccine approved to prevent COVID-19. The public can be assured that Spikevax(Moderna) meets the FDA’s high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality required of any vaccine approved for use in the United States,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement this week. “While hundreds of millions of doses of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine have been administered to individuals under emergency use authorization, we understand that for some individuals, FDA approval of this vacto get vaccinated.” As a reminder, the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is administered in two doses given four weeks apart. A booster shot ing their second dose of the vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is also authorized as a single dose booster for individuals using a mix and match approach with their Covid-19 vaccinations. The most common side effects reported for Moderna vaccine recipients were: pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, nausea or vomiting, swollen lymph nodes under the arm and fever. time understanding the potential risks of two rare side effects from the Moderna vaccine called myocarditis and pericarditis.

by the body’s immune system responding to a viral infection or another cause heart muscle, according to the CDC. The FDA found that most of the individuals with myocarditis or pericarditis had their symptoms resolved, according to their review of the data, while some individuals required intensive care support. carditis and pericarditis in individuals 18 years of age and older,” the FDA said. them. Additionally, individuals can text their ZIP code to 438829 for a list of vaccine sites near them.

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

No Surprises Act Protects Individuals from Surprise Medical Bills BY BRANDON ORTIZ

A new law went into effect last month that protects individuals from incurring surprise medical bills. The new law, which is called the No Surprises Act, is two-fold. First, the law protects individuals who are covered under group or individual healthcare plans from receiving unexpected bills from providers who are not a part of the individual’s healthcare network. Second, the new law establishes an independent review process for individuals to dispute healthcare charges and provides dispute opportunities for uninsured or self-pay individuals who incur unexpected medical bills. demographics to have protection against surprise medical bills by law, and now that law has expanded to protect all consumers. Surprise medical bills can happen when an insured individual receives care from a facility or provider that is not a part of their healthcare coverage. The individual is then stuck paying more money for that care than they would have with an in-network provider because their provider will only pay a portion of the bill. Additionally, that same person could also be billed by the out-of-network provider for the difference between the total bill and the amount their healthcare plan already covered, which is a process called balance billing. Fortunately, under the No Surprises Act, balance billing is considered a surprise medical bill and individuals are therefore protected against such bills. Uninsured individuals or individuals who decide not to use their health insurance for a particular ser-

HUD

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application, which could transform Co-op by bringing in over $100M in revenue for capital repairs that are long overdue.” Last April, at a press conference held in Co-op City, Senator Schumer and Congressman Bowman announced they had penned a joint letter to Secretary Fudge requesting HUD to streamline the application community. Since that time, work has continued tional documents and follow-up meetings among HUD, Co-op City’s mortgage lender Wells Fargo, Riverbay executive management team and attorneys representing all parties including Riverbay General Counsel Jeff Buss. “I’ve worked with Senator Schumer to advocate mained in close touch with Riverbay Corp.,” stated Congressman Bowman. “Just last week, we met with the Riverbay Corporation lawyer to inform him of our next advocacy steps and from that conversation, it was clear that the Federal department that oversees housing must urgently fast-track Riverbay Corp.’s application to maximize relief and support for Co-op City shareholders. I am calling on Secretary Fudge to expeditiously approve this application on behalf of our neighbors in Co-op.” In their April 2021 letter to Secretary Fudge, Senator Schumer and Congressman Bowman wrote: “Given the current low interest rates, Co-op City cantly save on interest payments going forward and provide funds for immediate and long-term capital improvements, such as replacing aging convectors. would provide between $90 and $100 million for immediate capital repair, and annual savings of $800,000 in mortgage payments.” In the Management Report to the community pub-

vice can often ask for a good faith estimate up front of what that care will cost, according to the new law. faith estimate, then the individual has 120 days to Below is a rundown of what kind of protections insured individuals can expect from the No Surprises Act: if the service is an out-of-network provider.

ments for most emergency and some non-emergency services. Individuals also cannot be charged more than the in-network cost-sharing for services. for specific services such as anesthesiology or radiology, which are sometimes administered by out-of-network providers despite being inside an individual’s in-network facility. vide potential patients with easily accessible information regarding the patient’s billing protections and who to contact if the person feels that a provider or facility has violated their protections. Patient consent is also required to waive billing protections, meaning patients must both receive notice of and consent to balance billing. Individuals interested in learning more about the No Surprises Act can go online to cms.gov/nosurprises or call the Center for Medicare and Medicaid

Free Income Tax Prep Assistance for Seniors Assemblyman Michael R. Benedetto, in conjunction with the Iona College Accounting Department, is once again offering free income tax preparation for seniors 62 years of age or older who reside within the boundaries of his district (Co-op City, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, Pelham Bay, and City Island). Tax documents can ginning on Monday, Feb. 7. This service is limited to seniors who meet the following criteria: Simple tax returns only! Complete copies of 2018 federal and state returns must be included Name, Social Security number, and date of birth of all people claimed on the return as taxpayers and dependents Please disclose if there have been any changes in taxpayers or dependents from your 2020 return, such as birth or death of a taxpayer or dependent. Seniors are encouraged to bring all their tax at 3602 East Tremont Ave., Suite 201, or 177 Dreiser Loop, Rm. 12, between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Service is limited to respond as soon as possible. Tax returns are prepared by student volunteers from Iona College as a service to the community. All returns will indicate that they were prepared by a non-preparer. For more information, please contact Assemblyman Benedetto’s

(Continued from page 1)

Co-op City Times, Executive General Manager Bob Klehammer described pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that have negatively impacted Riverbay Corporation’s budget as well as steps taken over the past two years of ers while continuing to provide services. In a Q&A depending on when the new mortgage loan closes, it could provide Riverbay with approximately $120$123M in proceeds since the community has paid down that amount over the last ten years. “The loan proceeds can only be used for future capital projects as outlined in a recently completed Capital Needs Assessment (“CNA”) that we are required to perform every 10 years under the terms of our existing mortgage,” Mr. Klehammer explained. Fiscal Year 2022-2023 for current capital projects and provide relief to Riverbay’s operating budget primarily higher natural gas prices,” Mr. Klehammer wrote. erbay to fund its reserve accounts, which, according to the CNA completed late last year, would amount would be a combination of maintenance increases and decreases in our operating budget, primarily by a reduction in staff and services.” Mr. Klehammer cautioned that Riverbay’s cost of doing business will continue to go up given rising prices for fuel, supplies and materials that the corporation requires to deliver services to shareholders, along with ongoing supply chain challenges. “As such, a reforecast of future budgets will be necessary as we may need to adjust costs based on the changing circumstances,” said Mr. Klehammer.

capital budget, Management will have more latitude when reforecasting FY 2021/2022 and a cushion for

a long and exhaustive process that spanned several tion HUD to open the 223F program to co-ops and condos. Prior to August 2011, the 223F program, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), was only open to rentals, not condos and cooperatives, such as Co-op City. Then there was more extensive work to familiarize HUD with Co-op City’s supervirequesting top loss guarantees from the city and state of New York. Senator Schumer was integral in those initial negotiations as well on behalf of Co-op City. require waivers from HUD in that some qualifying requirements may be impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. City with $60M for then-immediate capital projects over the course of the loan, improving shareholders’ quality of life through critical capital repairs and reducing future monthly carrying charges. With interest rates expected to go up this year, the push is on to get HUD to move along review and theless, Wells Fargo projects the loan may close at

of our debt service should be close to what we are paying now and what is already included in our budget,” Mr. Klehammer reported. “Also, with the loan proceeds to be deposited into a reserve account, the corporation will have the funding in place for all and beyond.”

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022 Director’s Viewpoint –

Michelle Marbury, Second Vice President

I Do, You Do, We Do, We All Do, We All Prosper Open up… When you are “open,” you can unlock the doors to endless

opportunities. Open your heart… Open your mind… Open the door to what is possible for you… Greetings, Shareholders, Co-operators, Residents, Neighbors, Friends and Partners. Start here… Our Votes Matter; Our Organizations Matter To follow the lead of the “Black Voters Matter” Movement, our goal and creed must be to increase power in predominantly Black and Brown communities. Effective voting allows a community to determine its own destiny. The key to effective civic engagement and community power is understanding, respecting and supporting local infrastructure. Black and Brown Voters Matter not only on Election Day, but on the 364 days between election days as well. Black and Brown Voters Matter *everywhere,* including rural counties and smaller cities/towns (i.e., Co-op City – a city within a city) that are ofcal parties and the media. So, share this with your family and friends now, please don’t wait. Keep up-to-date on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (I will offer more information in upcoming viewpoints). Our Own Infrastructure It is not only for the largely popular rallies that we must show up in big numbers – we must show up for our building associations and committees. It is there that we should be receiving information about our community. It is easier now than ever before, you don’t even have to leave your front door. Just pull up to your computer screen or take your phone out of your pocket and click the link. Don’t understand that? “Now’s a good time to learn,” as my grandmother used to tell us.

This is how you will become informed. This is how you bring in our young people. Grab your grandson and granddaughter and have them “join the Zoom meetings with you,” tell them you need their “techy (pronounced tek-kee) wisdom.” This is how we can solve our challenge of uniting the generations. When you get involved and involve your children, their children, etc., this is how the Board can grasp what you want and communicate what you want back to the governing authorities (i.e. Riverbay Management). This is how we can bring the information and knowledge back to you. Countless others of you are standing by, watching and listening. I am asking you to step up and do JUST - A - LITTLE - BIT more. Understand How “We” Work Each Riverbay committee is chaired and cochaired by a Riverbay Board member. Each building can and should be represented in these committees. When you “show up,” this will give you information to take back to your respective building association. You then share the information you retrieve from the committee meetings with your neighbors and fellow shareholders and, at the next committee meeting, you bring your feedback and, hopefully, you will have answers and positive responses to your needs. Do you see how this works? It’s not about putting a Board of Directors in place and then seeing what we will do. It’s about being a responsible shareholder after seating a responsible, caring, knowledgeable Board (which you have done), then interacting with your Board and committees not just to complain, but to learn and to contribute your talent or the smallest of ideas and as a result of that, you will be contributing to your community and making your community a better more sustainable place to live. You will be laying the foundation of the next 50 year celebration. Let’s go! My Promise, Your Undertaking Previously, I promised to talk more about the

structure of building associations and their importance to this community. I am doing that. Will you meet me half way by doing your part? Make a list of phone numbers of each of your neighbors, and create a list for each apartment (just on your , in the event of an emergency. These actions strengthen us, protect us and show our children how to live in a cooperative community. Make a copy of the list that you create. Keep it with your building association. If your building does not have its association in place, then you do it. Need help? Come aboard a Zoom Meeting with another building association. I am happy to offer the services of Building 21 and the Section 4 Partnership of Co-op City. Look for those articles and it’s as easy as sending us an email. We are here to help. This is “our duty” collectively. This is how we use what we’ve got, to get what we want, so that we have what we need going forward. This is our chance to save this community for generations to come. Happy Black History Month! 25th Annual Celebration today at 3 p.m.! We hope you will join the African-American Association of Co-op City today at 3 p.m. for its 25th Annual Black History Program. We will celebrate our fallen heroes of the struggle for justice and civil rights in all areas of life. Some, you will know; some, you will learn about. All worthy of your time and increased historical knowledge. That’s today at 3 p.m. Arrive early, space is limited. AAACC Zoom Meeting link and information: Meeting ID: 828 8641 7953, Passcode: 187413, Dial-in: 1-646-558-8656. Thank you for reading my viewpoint. I can be reached at mmarbury@riverbayboard.com. Shareholder, Co-op City community, it has never meant more than now. Let’s get it done! Each one of us divided by all of us equals a force for good.

Jan. 29 Nor’easter Packed Heavy Snow and High Wind Gusts

Photos by P.M. Campbell and Judy Bernstein

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Gun Violence ––––––––––––

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and get our courts at full capacity. And we will invest in those longer-term Mayor’s plan.

the Mayor went on to say. its tirety online at nyc.gov: Policing: Creation of Neighborhood Safety Teams

District Attorneys: Expedite Cases Involving Gun Charges a new policy that would move cases involving guns or gun violence to the top

The New York Post.

Appeals For Changes to Federal Laws:

gun violence occurs.

Spot Checks at Key Entry Points Into the City into the city. Crisis Management System (CMS): Equip CMS violence interrupters With Proper Resources

More Career Opportunities For Young People: Summer Youth Employment and Engagement Program for Summer 2022 -

Focused Approach to Community Hiring Practices

Bail Reform: Give Judges the Ability to Take a Defendant’s Dangerousness into Account defendant who may pose a potential threat to the community.

More Transparency from Judicial System

If you SEE something, SAY SOMETHING!!!

718-671-3050 Co-op City Public Safety

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022 Director’s Viewpoint –

Mary Pearson, Assistant Secretary

Continuing Saga The Bus Stop. I’d like to tell you that the BxM7 saga is over, but it isn’t. We still have cars parking in the bus stop at all hours and we are still threatened with its possible loss if we continue to let that happen. I’ve seen cars parked in the stop since the snowstorm. But the snows have melted so… Call 311 – especially if you have a view from your apartWhen the prompts ask, “What’s yer problem, lady,” or something of the sort, tell the robot “illegal parking.” You’ll be directed to an agent. Tell the agent cars are parked in the bus stop on Einstein Loop East. Could patrol cars please come by to ticket them. The address? That’s 135 Einstein Loop, Bronx, NY 10475. The RAMP. It looks like it’s all but a done deal that the Hutchinson River Parkway northbound exit ramp to Bartow Ave. will be constructed. We were promised otherwise but our boyfriend lied to us. All of the Board and 99 and 44/100% of the community is against it. The holdouts mistakenly believe a ramp won’t. A ramp would disrupt the bike path, bring extra noise and pollution to our cooperators in Chevron Building 32, serve only the Bay Plaza Shopping Center and Mall, and do it on the taxpayers’ dime. But the biggest issue is “unintended consequences.” It’s feared that the construction of this ramp could cause harm to our underground infrastructure: The conduits that supply Section 5’s 4,458 families with their telephone and cable lines, heating and air conditioning means, water, and electricity. The whole enchilada. If, say, the electric lines are damaged, that means no elevator, no water being pumped up to the We’ve been assured the construction will have no impact on our underground infrastructure, but our Board president’s not buying it. He’ll continue to

downsides and the downsides of this project far outweigh the positive upside. There’s an upside? The Ramp could – just maybe Bartow Avenue. That could – just maybe – make driving home to the Bellamy, Cooper, and Dreiser Loop garages a tad easier. But I doubt that Albany gives a hoot about any of that. The Metro-North. So why is Albany so hot on the idea of ramming the Ramp down our throats; something we neither need nor want? The excuse is, it will enable drivers coming from outside the area to more easily reach the Co-op City Metro North Railroad station. There would be no need for that if additional south-of-the-tracks station platform access were incorporated into the plan along with the Erskine-side-of-the-tracks access. (Email me for a “Presentation” arguing that point…to death.) Nobody crowded area – milling about looking for parking that does not exist – when there’s a simpler alternative. But do you know what we do need? Garage 9. No matter how you slice it, even if Borough President Vanessa Gibson gets her way and pop up at each of the four new Metro North stations, Section 5 needs another garage. Garage 9 cannot continue to be a pipe dream. Management’s been asked to provide the long-awaited feasibility plan to make it happen, and when it does, please be assured: . Section 5 Waterside Walkway. Resolution #2124 says, in essence, “give the area a four-season water view, fer jiminy sakes.” It passed unanimously in May 2021. Fifteen yeses, no nos. Not to be confused with the Waterfront Park that has been wrangled over for years, all it would take to make this Waterside Walkway come to be, would be to extend the path,

Better Business Bureau Scam Alert

This Book Exchange is More Than it Seems If you love to read, you’d jump at the chance to receive dozens of books in the mail. But think twice before you respond to a social media post about a suspiciously generous book exchange. It’s really a pyramid scheme! How This Scam Works You see a post or get a message on , , or another social media platform about a book exchange. The post may come from a trusted friend or a family member. All you need to do is provide your name, email, and the names and contact information of a few book-loving friends. Then, you’ll send one book to a stranger who already signed up. In return, you’ll receive 36 books from people around the globe. Cool, right? Wrong. This kind of gift exchange is actually an illegal pyramid scam. The book exchange may work initially, but eventually, new people will stop participating or responding to the messages. Then, new recruits will never receive the books they were promised. In addition, you’ll have handed over your personal information – and that of your friends – to a complete stranger. How to Avoid Fake Website Scams • Ignore plays on your emotions. Don’t fall

for pleas to participate in a book exchange because you’ll be “brightening someone’s day” or “paying it forward.” Think about it logically. Is it sustainable to give one book and receive 36 in return? Offers like these are sure signs of a pyramid scheme. • Too good to be true? There’s probably a catch. We all like to get things for free, but don’t let this cloud your judgement. Keep in mind that any program that offers big returns for a small contribution is probably doing something illegal. • Guard your personal information. Never give your name, address, email, or other sensitive information to a stranger. This will make you vulnerable to other scams and identity theft. • Report social media posts that promote pyramid schemes. If you spot a pyramid scheme on social media, report it by clicking “report post” or “report photo.” Report Scams If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Learn how to spot a scam at BBB.org/SpotAScam.

plop down some benches, and clear the brush. I used to add “plant a few more trees” but that’s really not necessary. We have gorgeous trees along the waterside in Section 5. Pretty new fencing would probably have to wait until shoreline climate change resiliency money comes through. But in the meantime, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see the water in a season Now that the fencing’s coming down, planning could start. That’s right. When I stopped grousing last year over the overly extensive fencing slapped up to save time and money, cutting off the existing pathway, I was not just , I was by Management, aka Bob Klehammer, that we’d get started on the project this spring. The Groundhog has Spoken – Bring on the Goats! (Long story.) 1.) If residents of Triple Core Building 29 don’t want benches by the building, no one’s forcing them on you. 2.) Folks worried about kids hanging out? Wouldn’t you rather have them hangout by the water than under your portico? 3.) Worried about the expense? Money’s tight but we’re not talking about a lot of money. When it passed last May 26th, we were told we didn’t even need a resolution, it could be handled in-house. So, let’s handle it! Board Development. The last time we were sent away for a weekend-long Board training, it cost each apartment 67 cents. This year, we Zoomed instead and it was quite effective. Personally, though spending money to sharpen the Board’s skills is, to me, a wise investment of time and money, I prefer attending meetings where you just need to dress nicely from the collarbone up. I say: plan shorter, more frequent sessions, and send me a pizza. There’s no place like home. Stay well. Stay safe. I can be reached by voice or text at 718-219-2211 or by email at mpearson@riverbayboard.com.

Co-op Creatives

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clothing racks on Fordham Road crammed with dresses and leggings built to hug the brown and black body positive. Why should we experience beauty and life without the mess that comes with being female? I once bled onto the seat of a taxicab but damn you should meet my son a 6 foot vessel of golden brown skin, light, compassion, poetry. He is my sun, my shade when I am joyful, and my shelter on the sad days.

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

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No More Slipping, Sliding, Dentures That Don’t Fit!

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Building 9 Association Greetings, Building 9 family. Please continue to wear high quality masks. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says health care workers can wear an N95 mask up say how often the average person can safely wear one will vary depending on how it is used. Wearing a mask to run to the supermarket is different from wearing a mask all day at work. Choose wisely. The Omicron Covid-19 variant is evolving its own sub-variant B.A.2. Be vig- Executive Board members Linda Collins, Barbara ilant. Cloud, Rosemary Bailey and Linda Holley. We wish healing for the hurt and encouragement for the discouraged. Remember those who have lost loved ones and those who are shut-in. A kind word or a brief visit can go a long Sadly, Building 9 has lost two more of our bright lights. Ms. Ann Elizabeth Hare (9A-side) passed from this life on January 15. She was 96 years old. She is survived by her sons, Tony and Bruce. I will always remember Ms. Hare wearing her make-up and her pearl necklace even when she was only going to the lobby to check the mail. Ms. Hare passed peacefully in her sleep. Also, Ernest, Big ‘E’ (9B-side) passed away on January 23. Big ‘E’ was a friendly and funny family man. He was dedicated to wife, Amy, and son, Little Ernest. Big ‘E’ was well known in the community and he will be missed by all. at our annual meeting on January 27. Thank you to our members who braved the 19°F temperature in order to support our Building 9 Association election process: Mary Walker, Theresa Gorden, Janice Rosario, Robert Rosario, Janet Yarrell, Pamela Bryant, Jackie Lattie, Shirley Johnson, Angela Battle, Marva Malone, Liz Wong-Manning, Wanda Randall, Rosemary Bailey, Linda Holley, (Vice President), Secretary (vacant), Treasurer (vacant), Linda Holley (Sergeantat-Arms), and Rosemary Bailey (Sergeant-at-Arms). Wanda Randall adminisis on sabbatical. The Building 9 Association president reserves the authority to U.S. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, N.Y.S. Assemblyman Michael Benedetto and N.Y.C. Councilman Kevin Riley are doing a fantastic job providing access to Covid-19 rapid testing kits and N95 masks to our community. We thank them for their continued support and efforts on our behalf. Your family can still obtain four rapid tests via mail from the federal government online at www.rapidtests.gov if you have not done so already. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson Be blessed, be well and be safe. ––Linda Collins

Building 20 Association Please be advised that the Building 20 Association will hold a virtual Zoom meeting on Thurs., Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. The invited speakers will be Ms. Michelle Marbury, Second Vice President of the Riverbay Board of Directors and Riverbay General Manager Mr. Noel Ellison. We will also discuss the importance of voting in the upcoming elections for the Riverbay Board of Directors. The Zoom Meeting ID and passcode will be posted in the Building 20 lobbies I look forward to seeing you. ––Darlene A. Keesley

Building 21 Association The next 21 Association General Session Gathering will be: Thursday, February 24 via Zoom at 7 p.m. (Note: Fourth Thursday of each month.) They are a necessity. Every Floor of every building should have assigned All we ask of anyone kind enough to be a Floor Captain is as follows: 1. Contact Numbers bers and distribute to each neighbor. 2. Co-op City Times 3. 4. Promote – Meetings, clubs and gatherings. 5. Encourage your neighbors to: Public Safety: 718-671-3050; CSO: 718-320-3300 6. That is all! That is it! , you have three ways of gaining information. Email: 21association@gmail.com. Call: 347-504-1821. Attend the monthly general meetings via Zoom video conference. Everyone from all buildings plan to come and join us at Building 21. Bring a friend. “Each one of us, multiplied by all of us, equals a force for good.” ––Michelle Marbury

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Velocity Track Club Velocity Track Club is truly blessed! On January 30, Velocity Track Club’s Bryce Hickman competed in the U9 (under 9 years old) Fastest Kid in the World 55-meter race in the Millrose Games at New Balance Armory in Fort

Building 25 Association schedule to attend our January monthly meeting.

The athletes in the U9 Fastest Kid in the World 55-meter race were treated to collect their belongings prior to the race. The athletes also had the opportunity to see Olympians such as Athing Mu, twice a gold medal winner in the Tokyo Olympics; World Record holder Christian Coleman;

Velocity Track Club’s Bryce Hickman at the Millrose Games.

Olympic bronze medalist Noah Lyles and Olympic Champion and shot put world record holder Ryan Crouser. Bryce Hickman won the

mother. Great job, Bryce, New Balance Armory and Millrose Games Team. Velocity Track Club wishes to say thank you to our anonymous donor. We truly appreciate the donation. God bless you! Our next meet will be on Sunday, February 6, at the NJ-AAU Jersey City Rec Series at Jersey City Armory, NJ.

plan, reporting problems with any employee’s poor workmanship, problems work, Call Center waiting issues, not hanging up and either waiting on the line

shareholders to pay attention when workers are working in your apartment and

are under the weather, we hope you get better soon and with the death toll rising due to the pandemic that we just cannot seem to shake and other illnesses, we -

our building email address at accessing the building email address, please let us know. ––Wanda Bailey

go to our website, Velocitytrack.org, or contact me, Coach Winston Dinkins, at ––Winston Dinkins

–Christian Connett

Please check on your elderly or homebound neighbors during this inclement winter weather!

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Building 13 Association

Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment

We hope everyone weathered the recent storm, was safe and secure at home. erbay Grounds department was able to stay on top of the situation. They made

from or came out of. You made it through an eighteen-month challenge. You and reported. Our Vice President Wendell Mattison and mini building and anything that would hinder tahe entrance door from closing. If your door needs

that love conquers all. ness allows us to see things through the eyes of others. Gratitude allows us not

on YouTube.

will enable us to forgive because we were forgiven at some point in our lives. to get it right. So, why not begin today? After all, it is a new day and a new year. tinue this journey of resetting and moving toward. Are you caring for someone in? Do you foresee yourself caring for a loved one very shortly? Did you enter role of a family caregiver?

it immediately. us abreast of items needing to be addressed in and around our building. If you

session via Zoom

Reminder: You will be receiving your annual Window Gguard form and

for help. You are not alone in this journey of caring. Please note: Visit our Facebook page: ––Diane Cooper

––Leslie Peterson

Building 27 Association Hello, neighbors. It has been a few cold days. Please wrap up accordingly. The virus is also still raging out there. The children are able to go to school without

AVOID ACCIDENTS! Serenity and Peace With so many tragedies in the midst of our hearts, our sympathy and condoall who lost their lives. Somehow, may all evil be turned around in this nation and trouble of this nation. BxM7 Express Bus Location Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, shareholders who refuse to Happy birthday to those celebrating this month. We also offer our condolences life just a little easier. “There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.” –Woodrow T. Wilson. ––H. Overman

When driving in the Parking Garages, please follow all posted directional signs and speed limits, and stay aware of your surroundings.

18 Director’s Viewpoint –

Daryl Johnson

Take Charge of Your Apartment How is it that a child can grow up, move out, deliberately mess up their life, and then think that they can make a demand to move back in with their parents? Moreover, how is it possible that the same son or daughter that moved back in is now causing a lot of problems for their parents? Time For Some Tough Love How does it make you feel to watch horrible stories on the news about grown family members acting out in their parents’ home? Some of these grown family members may have been raised up in a proper manner. Regardless, they’ve made some bad choices and now they’re back home with a bad attitude. Rent? The parents were so nice that they’re not charging rent. Job? The son or daughter has refused to look for a job. In fact, they did everything to sabotage their own appointments and interviews. Then, they went back home and said: “Oh, that appointment didn’t work out.” Nonsense! At home, they stay in their room with the door closed. And, in some cases, that door might be concealing a lot of really bad things. For instance, are they hiding illegal drugs in their room? What about guns and other illegal items? Well, honestly, some parents might not have a care in the world about what goes on in their apartment. So, they will never make a fuss when they might have strong suspicions about a few things. For instance, weed? Their neighbors can smell the stuff coming from that closed room. But, hey, no problem. Question: Do you think that illegal items might be in their room if they posted their personal business on some social media accounts? Maybe! Therefore, some parents might decide to see what’s going on in that room. And, that’s when some big problems might arise in that home. Will that once really nice child turn on the parents? Will the parents be afraid to go into their own home? Will the parents have to call the police to deal with their son or daughter? Thereafter, what will

happen after the police arrive at that home? Look, this scenario can have good results or extremely bad results. So, I want to encourage all parents to know what’s going on in their home. Peacefulness? If you’ve been through a lot in your life, then do you think that there should be peace in your home at this point in your life? Do you think that you should have to go home and have negative feelings that something horrible might be going on in your home? A job? Does your son or daughter have detailed plans to get a job. Exit strategy? Do they have an exit strategy to move out? If not, then you might have to sit them down and have a serious discussion with them. family incident and then get blasted away when they go inside of an apartment? This case was extremely bad. My condolences to their families. ple are furious with the illegal guns and the owners that are using these guns to shoot and kill people. will be concentrating their efforts on 20 of the most dangerous neighborhoods in NYC. Thereafter, lots of undercover cops will be forming a new group known as Neighborhood Safety ing to make a difference in several communities. Now, things are going to get interesting with this new technology to catch criminals. According to Mayor Adams, that technology will include everything “from facial recognition technology to new tools that can spot those carrying weapons.” And, shockingly, he pointed out during a press conference that some older criminals are giving guns to younger people to commit crimes. So, if caught, the younger people will go to family court instead of criminal court. Horrible!

Bottom line: I hope that some people will make a choice to not get involved with criminal activities. Amazon packages are still being dropped off in our lobbies. Just recently, they left a pile of packages in a lobby. Then, they went on about their business. Amazon has lockers in several locations in and around our community. So, it might be a good idea to start using these lockers instead of having these packages delivered to your apartment. Or, you can consider having your packages delivered to a business address. Thieves are known to follow delivery people. In fact, some thieves have been known to follow these delivery trucks. Then, the thieves will simply steal a package shortly after it gets placed down on a porch. This way, hey, no one else can steal that package. Similar antics have occurred right here in Co-op City. Thereafter, some cooperators may have wondered how their package was stolen so fast. Then, calls were made to our Public Safety Department. Bottom line: Why go through all of this nonsense for your packages? Therefore, please consider having your packages delivered to a locker or to a business address. Parents, please make sure that you know what’s going on inside of your apartment. Now, yes, some of your adult family members might object to your tough love. However, please remember that they can move out. Thank you. Please do not send a letter to me at this time. However, you can send an email to me at: djohnson@riverbayboard.com. Also, please call me ONLY at 718-671-4544 if you would like to have a brief discussion with me. Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you. Affiliated Benefits_Ad_Final_Layout 1 1/10/22 2:52 PM Page 1

It was with great shock and concern that we were informed that Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, noted anthropologist, educator, museum professional, author and international voice on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion, will be stepping down as the 7th President and Chair of National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) effective on February 1, citing a desire to pay closer attention to her health. Since her election as President and Chair of NCNW in November 2018, Dr. Cole has brought her unique energy to the organization whose mission is to lead, advocate for and empower women of African descent, their families and communities. She presided over a critical pivot from in-person to virtual program delivery early in the pandemic and used her vast netprestige and philanthropic support. During her presidency, with major support from the Centers for Disease Control, NCNW launched Good Health WINs to spread trusted information about Covid-19 and overall health equity. NCNW joined the United Nations Red Card campaign to stop violence against women and girls, and vigorously supported positive voting rights reforms, resulting in Dr. Cole’s arrest at the Hart Senate Building in 2021. During the three years that she has been at the helm of NCNW, membership has increased by 14% and the number of community-based sections has increased from 289 to 330. Dr. Cole is widely known as the only person to have served as the president of Spelman College and Bennett College, our nation’s only two historically Black colleges for

women. Dr. Thelma T. Daley, currently one of four Vice Presidents of NCNW, will serve as President and Chair of the Board until the organization’s bi-annual national elections occur later this year. Our second membership meeting of the new year will be held on Sunday, February 13, at 3 p.m. by Zoom. Mark your calendars now! Contact us at ncnwco.opcity@gmail. com for further information. Thanks to our friends, families and neighbors who supported us in our Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser that we had at the end of January. We were able to reach our fundraising goal for the beginning of 2022. Save the date, Saturday, February 26, for the 21st Annual Black History Celebration presented by our Youth Committee. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and to ensure the safety of members and guests, this program will be virtual. The theme for this year will focus on health and wellness. We are currently looking for youth to show how they practice healthy habits such as a yoga or meditation demonstration or creating healthy meals. We are also looking for poets and musicians. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please email: ncnwcoopcityyouth@gmail.com. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, we will be sharing a lot of information about heart disease this month.

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Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

African-American Association 25th Annual Black History Month Program: Today at 3 p.m. Our next Zoom event gathering is scheduled for today at 3 p.m. It will be in the form of a Zoom webinar to keep us all safe and well. Come Celebrate our Tribute to the Ancestors: Hank Aaron, Virgil Abloh, Midwin Charles, Tommy DeBarge, Garth Dennis, Robert Lee Elder, Marcel Theo Hall a.k.a. Biz Markie, Bell Hooks, Gregory Edward Jacobs a.k.a. Shock G, Vernon Jordan Jr., Chi Modu, Jovita Moore, James Mtume, Sidney Poitier, Colin Powell, Robert Ross a.k.a. Black Rob, Desmond Tutu, Cicely Tyson, Melvin Van Peebles, Michael K. Williams, Malikah Shabazz, Robbie Shakespeare, Earl Simmons a.k.a. DMX, Demaryius Thomas, Mary Wilson and Wanda Young a.k.a. Wanda Rogers. , We encourage your participation. If your email has changed, drop us a line at aaaccpower@gmail.com. This is our annual Black Film Festival that is usually held in the Bartow Center from noon until the evening, but this year, it will be a virtual event starting at 3 p.m. Be a card carrying member of the AAACC – Be the vision you want your people, your children and your world to see. Membership is $15.00 per year for a single membership and $25.00 per year for your household. Email: aaaccpower@gmail.com or call: 929-430-3255. Our mailing address is: African American Association of Co-op City, P.O. Box 702, Co-op City Station, Bronx, NY 10475. Kindly send a check or money order only. Moving forward towards Black History Month – In February, we are planning to host an event to give you an opportunity to meet our entrepreneurs and vendors. In the meantime, they have agreed to extend discounts to our members. For more information regarding our vendors, email us at the address below. The African-American Association was organized with the following objectives: our lives; City and the African-American community in general; tion, through educational lectures, educational forums, study groups, etc. and to enable critical analysis and intelligent decisions based on fact; arships and social activities for our youth. The African-American Association sponsors the following programs: Belly Dance Classes with Xonia Wilson – Contact: Xonia, 646-301-9438 Evening Line Dance Classes with Cynthia Dixon – Contact: Cynthia, 917903-7073 Salsa Class with Keith Witherspoon – Contact: Keith, 917-561-6211 Yoga & Pilates Classes with Meena Sharpe-Hicks – Contact: Meena, 917863-1507 Save These Dates! Today! Sat., February 5 – 25th Annual Black History Month Film Festival Sunday, February 20 – General Meeting and Vendor Day Saturday, March 19 – Co-op City Spelling Bee Saturday, April 19 – Holistic Health and Wellness Fair “We’ve got many rivers to cross.” ––Michelle Marbury

MTA Real-Time Service Updates The most up-to-date information on MTA service status is always available at www.mta.info. For immediate notice of service changes, sign up for email or text alerts at www.mymtaalerts.com. For weekend subway service changes, visit web.mta.info/weekender.

Broun Place Townhouse Association Hi, neighbors. We hope you all got through the January storm without incident. February means a special salute to Black History Month. Look in the January 29 issue of the Co-op City Times, page 9, for the advertisement containing the program from the African-American Association’s event dedicated to African-American cultural works in cinema. Your Co-op Times contains direction and detail on how to get your home test and all testing sites and vaccine sites in the community. Thank you to Board Director/First Vice President Sonia Feliciano for emailing Building and Grounds in Co-op City and Pelham Bay Park? It is currently being televised on many channels. Broun Place residents, stop throwing your kitchen garbage bags over the fence and leaving them around the site. Stop leaving bags of used bottles on the pad. People are not in search of recyclable bottles in winter. Recently, my husband and I cleaned up the dumpster pad. It was just in time before the snow. Expect please stop littering. Use our pedestrian garbage cans to keep our grounds clean. It has been observed that deliverers are driving up on the pedestrian brickwork. Instruct your deliverers that they must park in the cul-de-sac. Did you know if you text your zip code (10475) to 438829, you can identify vaccine locations closest to you? You can also call: 1-800-232-0233 for the same information. Defend yourself, mask-up. It works to protect against Covid 19. Cover your nose, wear your mask outdoors and indoors. Tucking your mask under your chin or wearing it on your wrist does not work. pneumonia, Measles, Whooping Cough and Polio. We do not know their recipe but we trust them. The data shows the Covid-19 vaccine works too. Evidence shows it is the people who do not take the vaccine that are the ones suffering and requiring hospitalization. Your health, not personal freedom, is at stake. Neighbors, encourage getting boosters, believe and trust the science. We must stop mixing politics and good sense. visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine. Also, seniors, register with the Riverbay “RUOK” Emergency contact programs. This is critical for those living alone or with a in an emergency. Thank you to Lieutenant Pam Apollo for her excellent reports, for example, the press release on scams of two weeks ago. Remember, never give your personal information to anyone before thoroughly checking them out. Find the Co-op City Times online at: http://issuu.com/cctimes. Happy birthday to former cooperator, Ayano Kindaichi Miranda. May she enjoy her special day and all the days to come. You too can announce your important events. Keep dancing and better days are ahead! Wakanda forever! ––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022 Director’s Viewpoint –

Francine Reva Jones

Black History Month Program Zoom into the Black History Month Program at 3:00 p.m. today. Zoom ID: 828 8641 7953; Passcode: 187413 or dial telephone number: 1-646558-8656. There will be an amazing “Tribute to the Ancestors.” There are several Co-op City organizations that have supported our Co-op City community with uplifting events since its inception. One of them is the African-American Association, currently headed by its president, Michelle Marbury. The AAA will be presenting its Milestone 25th Annual Black History Month event featuring a “Tribute to the Ancestors” today at 3:00 p.m. I hope you can join us. Several Co-op City children will participate. It will be an opportunity for them to learn about our heroes and sheroes and their contributions to our nation. At a time when books are being banned from our schools, we should take every opportunity to teach children about great Black leaders and entertainers. We will commemorate last year’s fallen ancestors by revealing their contributions, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan Jr., Bishop Desmond Tutu, Sidney Poitier, Robert Lee Elder, Melvin Van Peebles, James Mtume, Mary Wilson, Bell Hooks, Virgil Abloh, Tommy DeBarge, and others. I look forward to your attendance. Carter G. Woodson study the history of the African diaspora. He founded the Journal of Negro History in 1916 and has been called the “father of Black history.” In 1926, Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” February was chosen because of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12th) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14th). Thereafter, the week was extended to the month of February. Backlash The January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation gave Blacks the freedom to work and achieve for themselves. Then came the backlash of the Black Codes of 1865, proclaiming that Blacks could not own property or guns. They could not vote; and if

they had no job, they could be arrested and forced to work for no pay. Whenever there was progress in the Black race, there was backlash by those who refused to recognize that equality and justice were meant for all Americans. Another example of this was Black Wall Street. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Greenwood was a thriving Black district where Black people had work hard to purchase homes, churches and to establish businesses. On May 31, 1921, there was a race riot and a white mob burned down the district of Greenwood. More recently, according to the ABA, the former president of the United States issued an executive order excluding from federal contracts any diversity and inclusion training interpreted as containing “Divisive Concepts,” “Race or Sex Stereotyping,” and “Race or Sex Scapegoating.” Among the content considered “divisive” is Critical Race Theory. In response, over 120 civil rights organizations and allies signed a letter condemning the executive order order violates the guarantees of free speech, equal protection and due process. Other acts of backlash are: Voter suppression, i.e., removing voting drop boxes, no early voting, reducing the voting days and hours, requiring addito manipulate an electoral area, usually by altering its boundaries, in order to favor one party or class. These are all reasons why you should participate in the voting process and vote for the candidate of your choice, be they a politician or a Riverbay Board director. Good people need your support. This candidate is your representative who will make decisions on your behalf. The annual Riverbay Board of Directors election takes place in May of each year. If you would like to become a member of the Board of Directors, you ing. If you don’t wish to run for the Board, be sure Over the past few years, resident voter apathy has required the Election Committee to extend the election for two weeks due to its failure to reach

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the required 1/3 quorum of eligible voters in the community by making a pledge to vote in this year’s Board election. The Election Committee has provided voting incentives. However, this is a waste of our shareholders’ money, but it is one of the ways to encourage residents to vote. Cooperators should be ready and willing to vote. As the chairperson of this year’s Election Committee, I hope that this year will be different and that 100% of our eligible shareholders will vote. Cooperator care and participation are necessary for a community to remain strong and vital. Voting shows that you care. Please attend your building association meetings. If you don’t have a building association, try to organize one yourself. Show that you care. If you need assistance, please contact me. Health and Wellness Please remember to continue wearing a mask or face covering in public places to protect yourself and others from the Covid-19 virus and variants. Closing Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. (By Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) Thank you for taking the time to read my viewpoint. I can be reached at FJones@riverbayboard. com. Have a wonderful week ahead.

Iglesia Evangelica MU de Co-op City Co-op City United Methodist Church Open doors, open hearts and open minds “If you say, ‘the Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” –Psalm 91:9-1.1) UMCC is a Bible-centered congregation with tunities for spiritual growth, fellowship and service to God and our community. We are a multi-ethnic, multicultural and bilingual congregation. All are welcome! We are changing with the times and now offer online service. We are located at 2350 Palmer Avenue, across from Building 30 (entrance on Boller Ave.). Parking is available on Palmer Ave. Our pastor is Rev. Arnaldo Sánchez-Orta. For more information about our services, please contact our administrative secretary, Marta Medina, by phone: 917-740-0256 or by email: coopcityevangelicalumc@gmail.com. Remote schedule for Sundays. Come and receive a blessing. We would love for you to join us on Sundays. We are currently sharing our services online through our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UMCofCoopCity/. We are also holding services via Zoom. For more information, visit our website at www.coopcityumc.com. We are planning on reopening in-person services; check this article weekly for updates. If you would like to join our worship service through Zoom, please use the following information to log in: Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/9044685745. Or, by phone: 1 (929) 436-2866, 904-468-5745#; Meeting ID: 904 468 5745 Food Pantry: The food pantry distribution center at our church serves Section 5. Ongoing registration and distribution of food are on Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Those registering must present one of the following government-issued up-to-date ID’s showing a 10475 zip code: Driver’s, Non-Driver’s, or NYC ID. Anyone 18+ of age can register. Only one participant per household may register. Blessings. ––Marta Medina

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

AARP Chapter #4997

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Retirees of Dreiser Loop

Sick and Shut-in

Hello, Retirees!

General Meeting

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Read and follow the Co-op City Times online at http://issuu.com/cctimes Issuu app available for iOS and Android devices.

Membership

Condolences Sick and Shut In Happy Birthday

––Georgianna Rodriguez

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Building 22A and 22B Association

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

We made it through the big snow storm. This month is Black History Month. The African-American Association of Co-op City is planning to host events honoring their history, so check their articles in the Co-op City Times for more information. Good news, the scaffolding has been removed but will remain around Buildings 20 and 21. Vaccine: Keep testing, getting your booster shots and wearing your masks inside buildings. Compactor Room: Continue recycling. Laundry Room Etiquette: Good job. Please continue to report all out- of-order machines. Our prayers to all who lost loved ones. Check on the elderly, the sick and shut-ins. Happy birthday to all. If you see something, say something. Thank you. ––Betty Leak

St. Joseph’s is located at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level, Co-op City, Bronx, NY 10475. Greetings! Due to the ongoing pandemic, St. Joseph’s Church has suspended services until further notice. However, we continue to worship via teleconference on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Father Johnson also conducts daily weekday services at noon. You are invited to participate in these services by calling 1-425-436-6344, Access Code: 509 898, followed by the # sign. Fundraising Cake Sale – The Episcopal Church Women of St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church is having a Cake Sale on Saturday, March 26, starting at noon. Please come down and join us for this event. Buy and take home some of our delicious baked goodies!! Grace and Peace! ––M. Chambers

Section 4 Partnership

Pentecostal Tabernacle

Calling all Building Association presidents, vice presidents and staff The next gathering of the S4P is on Friday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m. We must all, in every section and every building, show up for our building associations and committees. We may be on Zoom or Webex or other modes of video conferencing and for that reason we should all show up. You do not even have to leave your home. You cannot beat that commute. We all owe it to our shared community. Think about this and make a silent pledge to get involved this coming year. We will email you the link to join the meeting. If we do not have your email address, see below and contact us. S4P Mission Statement: – The Section 4 Partnership’s purpose is to promote a community of more than just neighbors, but as one family of many cultures, that proactively embraces greatness and promotes neighborhood interaction. The goal of the organization is to offer solutions that will educate, elevate, inspire, and mobilize our community in unity, to sustain affordability and growth in order to remain environmentally sound and vibrant for generations to come. 50th Anniversary T-Shirts! – These shirts make a great gift any time of the year. If you do not have one, make sure you get one or two! Many buildings are celebrating 50 years of existence, making up the largest cooperative in the country. We have 50th Anniversary t-shirts. The shirts are beautiful and on sale now with the Section 4 Partnership logo on the back. You will be proud to wear it. If you would like one or two, contact us by emailing: section4partnership@ gmail.com or phone: 347-915-4939. “All of us divided by each one of us equals a force for good.” ––Michelle Marbury

Black Forum Emergency Food Pantry – 920 Baychester Ave., Bldg. 1A (entrance faces basketball court). The pantry opens 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. Look at the last date on your pantry card. The next pick up would be one month from the last pick up or after. It is a 30/31-day rotation on average. Black Forum will text registered guests if items outside of regular distribution become available. All guests must present a pantry card to receive food. Remember to bring at least four clean shopping bags with a handle and a shopping cart. We require masks and physical distancing. New registrants can receive food the same day they register. Please show a valid ID NYC card, a non-Driver’s, or Driver’s license with a 10475 address to register. 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. Registration is open at this location for Section 5 residents. on January 4. You must recertify in order to pick up groceries in 2022. No exceptions. Required documentation is as follows: NY State Driver’s license, NY State Non-Driver’s or NYC I.D (zip code 10475). Passports, Medicaid Cards, Medicare Cards, Job I.D.’s and Access-A-Ride I.D.’s are not acceptable. Restaurant Meal Distribution – The restaurant meal distribution has been extended. Black Forum of Co-op City will again partner with local restaurants to provide fresh meals for Black Forum guests on Thursday, February 3, and Thursday, February 10. The goal is to distribute high-quality fresh meals to the community while supporting local restaurants during COVID. The dishes are straight from restaurant menus and individually packaged. Vegan options will not be available on either day. NOTE: Guests registered with the pantry should bring their pantry cards; guests can pick up meals on both Thursdays. Defensive Driving Class –Classes are TBA until our normal meeting space reopens once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. An online version of the course is available at the Empire Safety Council website, https://www.empiresafetycouncil. com/. Use the promo code “WRIGHT” to receive a discount. Contact Us – Reach out to us at coopcityblackforum@gmail.com. ––D. Illis

The Pentecostal Tabernacle is located at 100 Co-op City Blvd., Building 22A, Bronx, NY 10475. We invite you to join in worship. All services are held online until further notice. To join, please call 720-740-9746, Access Code: 8876631. Sunday’s service starts at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning fasting and prayer service held from 11 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Regular prayer meetings and Bible study held every Wed. evening at 7:30 p.m. Praise and worship service will be held on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Focus: lowship, praise and prayer. Knowing the truth is vital to believers, but knowledge without application or practice is of little, if any, value. Practice is what gives value to Apostolic doctrine. To know what is right but fail to do what is right is sin. James 4:17 states, “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” As we consider the things that brought unity to the early church, we will be observing the same thing that brings unity to the church today. Truth never changes, and these core principles establish unity among believers as we, like It is important that we maintain fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:7 states, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.” As we continue to praise God and maintain a prayerful life, we will be able to grow stronger in God. Prayer will help us to overcome temptation. Jesus said that men ought always to pray and not to faint. It is important for believers to pray together and worship together. Doing so builds strong bodies of unity and enhances the corporate work of the church and strengthens every believer. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God. The newly baptized believers at Pentecost went forth spreading the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere. Acts 2:38-40 states: “Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation.” May the truth and blessings of the church ever continue through the mercy of Jesus Christ who purchased our redemption with his own blood. Contact number: 718-324-0334. ––Rev. R. Sibblies

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Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Bartow

Fri., Feb. 11

Thurs., Feb. 10

Wed., Feb. 9

Tues., Feb. 8

Mon., Feb. 7

Room 31 unless otherwise noted

Einstein

Room 49 unless otherwise noted

Line Dance w/Ellie, in person, 10-11 a.m., Rm. 45. No Events

Arthritis Exercise Class w/Damion, in-person, Rm. 45, 11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m.

Dreiser

Room 7 unless otherwise noted

Chair Yoga w/Charles Tyler 10-11 a.m. Zoom, virtual only for now. Dial-in: 1-646-876-9923 Meeting ID: 995 6534 1173 Passcode: 855423

Health & Wellness Support Piano Class, in-person, 11 a.m.Group 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Virtual. 12 p.m.

No Events

Bereavement w/Dorine 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Must call or email to register: 929-399-1387. Zoom Smartphone & Tablet Class, 2-3 p.m. Dial in #: 1-646-876-9923 Meeting ID: 889-6644-6693 Passcode: Bartow Arts with Laura 10 a.m.-12 p.m., via Zoom and phone. Must call or

email to register: 929-3991387.

NORC Aerobic Classes Every Fri., 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Mobile: 929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 986 8235 8691; Passcode: 849150

Alternate Kosher Meals are also available

Kosher Beef Stew Barley California Blend vegetables Whole Wheat Bread, Fresh Fruit and Juice

Arts with Laura, 10 a.m.12 p.m. via Zoom and phone. Must call or email to register: 929-399-1387. Tai Chi for Arthritis w/Pofina Veresyuk 1 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 45. Health & Wellness w/Ann 10-11 a.m.

Zumba w/Ola, 1-2 p.m. Meeting ID: 992 Boneless Chicken 3169 6108, Passcode: 503637; Dial-in: w/Mustard sauce 1-929-205-6099; Virtual & in-person Brown Rice w/ Computer Learning Zoom meeting w/ Mushrooms Ralph, 6 p.m. Dial-in: 929-205-6609, Meeting ID: 936 8132 9040, Passcode: Roasted Peppers 259554, virtual only. Whole Wheat Blood Pressure 1st & 3rd Tues. Bread 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 2 Fresh Fruit Digital Photography Class and Juice In-person, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Tai-Chi, in-person, 2-3 p.m., Rm. 2.

Stretch and Tone w/Ola Rm. 38, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. In-person.

Weight Mgt. Support Group w/ Gigi, 2nd Wed. of the month, 1-2 p.m. Conference call: 929-2991045, Passcode: 1386 Bingo, 1 p.m., Rm. 2, in-person, or join Zoom, Meeting ID: 828 4139 6474, Passcode: 194662 Dial-in number: 1-929-205-6099 Self Defense Class, in-person 2 p.m., Rm. 2.

Bodies in Motion w/Ola 11 a.m.-12 p.m., in-person Line Dance w/Cynthia Rm. 45, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Arthritis Exercise Class w/ Damion, every Thurs., 11 a.m. -12 p.m. Zoom Meeting ID: 986 0021 6442, Passcode: 573762.

Line Dancing w/Ellie 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Dreiser Loop Senior Center, Rm. 2. Must wear mask and maintain social distance during class.

Computer Class w/Victor Room 40, 2-3 p.m., in-person.

Spanish Class, in-person, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

ZUMBA w/Ola Rm. 45, 1-2 p.m.

Knitting & Crochet Rm. 2, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,

Line Dance w/Cynthia Rm. 45, in-person, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

For information, please call: (718) 320-2066

(Schedule subject to change without notice) Payments for trips @ 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.

Please call 718-320-2066 for an appointment. –– Mondays, starting Feb. 28, Bartow Center, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Rm. 31; Wednesdays starting Feb. 16, 9:30-10:30 a.m., then 10:30-11:30 a.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2; and Thursdays, starting Feb. 17, 10-11 a.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2. –– 9-11 a.m. Zoom meeting. Dial-in number: 929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 920 9563 1147; Passcode: 024057. –– 11 a.m-12 p.m., third Thurs. of every month. Dialin: 929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 991 1390 5105, Passcode: 170462. puter –– Thurs., 6-7 p.m. Join Zoom meeting.

Art Class w/Dmitry 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Meditative Moments (Meditation Class), 9-10 a.m., Rm. 2

Pasta Primavera Cucumber Salad Whole Wheat Bread Fresh Fruit and Juice

Asian Beef Brown Rice Oriental Blend Vegetables Whole Wheat Bread Fresh Fruit and Juice

Non-Kosher BBQ Pork Chops Brown Rice Steamed Broccoli

Curried Chicken Baked Red Potato Wedges Normandy Blend

Curried Veggie, Chickpea and Quinoa Stir Fry Carrots

Chicken Fajitas Cilantro Lime Rice Spinach and Basil Pesto Steamed Spinach

Orange Glazed Chicken w/rosemary, Orzo with vegetables, Winter Blend vegetables, Whole Wheat Bread, Fresh Fruit and Juice

Baked Tilapia Brown Rice Steamed Kale

Fee for lunch is $2.00 & $5.00 for guest

ALL meals served w/margarine and fresh milk

*Menu subject to change without notice. Alternate Kosher Meals are also available Bartow Center (929) 399-1394 Dreiser Center (718) 320-1345 • Einstein Center (718) 671-5161

Dial-in: 929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 862 5043 9695; Passcode: 896989. –– Will meet virtually every Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon. Meeting dates are Feb. 25; March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. Please email amoncrieffe@jasa.org to register for this activity. –– Fridays at the Einstein Senior Center, Rm. 38. Feb. 11, 18 & 25; March 4. To register, please call ple per day allowed. –– In-Person at Dreiser Center, Rm. 7. Every Tues. for 8 weeks, 1-2 p.m. For registration, please contact: Julissa Reynoso, 646-946-1252;

Laura Brea, 646-982-8254, or Paola, 718-320-1345. –– Bartow Center, Rm. 31, Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m. Tickets will be available free of charge to this event at the Einstein Center, Rm. 45 on Jan. 31, or Feb. 14, 1-2 Pickup starts at 9:30 a.m. and picks up at every 15-minute interval. Pick up is at Bartow on Asch Loop near the library. Friday, Feb 18, 6-8 p.m. Zoom link: TBA. Monday, Feb. 21, in observance of Presidents’ Day.

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Section 5 Association We trust all is well. We went through a trying time; please wear your mask according to the rules of Riverbay for the community of Co-op City. We wish all the best of health. We, as the Section 5 Association representing the concerns of all ten buildings and townhouses in Section 5, want to acknowledge and thank CB #10 District Manager Matthew Cruz for his help resolving the plight of the BxM7 Express bus stop Einstein location no longer being accessible. Shareholders who live in the Einstein vicinity had to walk additional blocks to board the bus. We brought this to the attention of CB #10 District Manager Matthew Cruz who graciously met with myself and Nelson Sweeting representing the Section 5 Association. We met in April of 2021, he viewed the Einstein location, took pictures and assured us he will look into the situation. The task was completed and taken care of by District Manager Matthew Cruz as well as others who were also advocating for the return of our BxM7 Express bus stop. Concerns/Comments – If there are any concerns or positive comments, please let the Section 5 Association know about it and we will share with the community or look into the matter of concern. We hope all are well pleased at the new bus stop location for the BxM7 Express Einstein location. You may send your comments to oaplew789@gmail.com. The Section 5 Association again thanks all who were involved for their support. We are a community and it is great to come together in a time of need. Thank you all. The president of Section 5 Association, Mr. Robert Hedgpeth, sends his appreciation. ––H. Overman

NAACP Mission Statement: Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. “The NAACP is extremely grateful to Justice Breyer for his 28 years of service on the Supreme Court. Justice Breyer’s tenure on the Court was marked by a dedication to equal justice and respect for the rule of law. His record includes support for voting rights, fair housing, equal educational opportunity and fairness in the criminal justice system. Our Supreme Court desperately requires balance. The Court was already predisposed against civil rights. Then Donald Trump, aided by the Senate which broke all traditions and customs, installed three justices who have taken the Court in an extreme direction that threatens our civil rights for a lifetime. It is time to restore the integrity and legitimacy of the Court and its role as protector of civil rights. Too much lies in the balance on voting rights, equal educational opportunity and reproductive choice. This vacancy provides President Biden with the historic opportunity to appoint someone with a strong record on civil and human rights.” ––Derrick Johnson, President and CEO NAACP, on the retirement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The NAACP is founded: Established in New York City on February 12, 1909, the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, a group that included African Americans leaders such as W.E.B Du Bois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett announced the formation of a new organization. Called the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the organization would have a profound effect on the struggle for civil rights and the course of 20th century American History. The conference that led to the NAACP’s founding had Illinois. Additional founding members were Mary White Ovington, Henry Moskowitz, William English Walling, Oswald Garrison Villard, Archibald Grimmie and Mary Church Terrell. Founder’s Day Membership Campaign, January-February 12th: The community at-large is welcomed to become a new member. For members, renew your membership, gift a membership to another or upgrade your membership to become a Silver Life Member. 53rd NAACP Image Awards is on Saturday, February 26, at 8 p.m. on BET. 113th NAACP National Convention, July 13-20 in Atlantic City, NJ. To follow NAACP’s Statements and Trending Topics, go to: NAACP.org. We Need You in the Fight: Each and every NAACP member makes a difference to the complex, ongoing work of advancing racial equality. Join this multigenerational network of activists dismantling structural racism by using your power to take action on the most pressing issues of our time. Become a member or gift a membership: Adults are $30 and youths are $10. Make check/money order payable to: NAACP Co-op City #2210 and mail to: N.A.A.C.P. Co-op City, Einstein Station, P.O. Box 75-3111, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. ––Brenda Brown

Spanish-American Club On behalf of the president and board of directors, we hope you and your family are doing well this new year. Since we will be delaying the resumption of our meetings and events, the board of directors has agreed to extend the deadline for the annual dues. You now have until March 31st to renew. The fee is $30 per household. Friday, April 29, at Maestro's. Tickets for members are $60, and for non-members $80. You must renew your membership beforehand in order to be eligible for the member rate. 2022 Tony Mondesire Scholarship applications are available. Applications are being distributed to member households with students of higher education. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and residents of the Bronx. Students must carry a minimum of 12 credits per semester at an accredited institution for at least one year. Please call (917) 992-7311 to request an application. Applications must be returned by May 15th. The annual 'El Batey' picnic at Glen Island Casino is scheduled for Sunday, July 24. Additional information about the parking permits will be available in the coming months. Facebook (look for 'spanamcccc') and our website: www.spanamcccc.synthasite.com. ––Carmen Rodriguez

Building 10 Association Greetings, fellow cooperators. Zoom Meeting: We would like to thank Mr. Anthony Barzelatto, director of apartment and you must leave, close the door! We would also like to thank Ms. Polly Heckstall, Sr. Account Representative from Allstate Insurance, for the information she provided regarding apartment insurance. A special thank you to our Board Director Leslie Peterson for putting the Zoom meetings together. Laundry Room Etiquette: Please refrain from using the carts, benches and tables for dirty laundry. And please remove your laundry from the dryers and washers promptly at the completion of the cycle so others can use them. Suicide Prevention: If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or in emotional distress, the number to call for help in NYC is 1-888-NYCWELL (1-888-692-9355). The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 1-800-273-8255. 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. Questions, Comments and Suggestions: You can contact the Building 10 Association via email at Building10Assoc@gmail.com. We are also on Facebook the happenings in and around Building 10. We wish all who are born in February, an incredibly happy birthday. To the homebound and sick, we wish you a speedy recovery. To all who have lost a loved one recently, we give our deepest condolences. Have a great week. ––Jewel Crawford-Duncan

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Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Church of the New Vision Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God the Father for His abundant mercy towards us as His people through Jesus Christ the very demonstration of God’s Love towards humanity (John 3:16). As we celebrate Jesus Christ, the very demonstration of God’s Love towards humanity (John 3:16), let us continue to be thankful and grateful for the blessings we have received. May you and your family have a happy and healthy new year. The Church of the New Vision and Pastors Kenneth and Deborah Hodge welcome you to worship with us. Our verse for 2022 is Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from, Me, say the Lord.” There is one service at 11:00 a.m. and Sunday School will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Masks are required and temperatures will be taken. Welcome back. Services can also be viewed on YouTube after 1:00 p.m. Our Wednesday Night Prayer Service and Bible Study starts at 7:00 p.m. on our Conference Line Number: (646)769-9909, Access Code: 3099388. Once prayer has begun, please mute your phone so all can hear with clarity. Sunday, January 29 Worship Service: “These Three Things.” Scripture: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13), (Romans 4:17-21), (Matthew 24:34), (Mark 11:22), (2 Corinthians 5:7), (1 Corinthians 16:13), (Hebrew 11:6), (Titus 2:13-14). Church of the New Vision extends our deepest sympathies and prayers to the grieving families. May God grant you the strength, comfort and peace during We thank you for your contributions, Malachi 3:10. Our mailing address is: Church of New Vision, P.O. Box 75-3037, Einstein Station, Bronx, NY 10475. May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God be with you all. Amen. ––Brenda Brown

Newsong Church It’s Time To Get Back To Fellowship –– Part Two “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” –Acts 2:42-46 NIV People make time for what they care about. Life is busy and it seems like that I must be intentional about making time for fellowship. Did you notice I get to church you will never get there. You have to make the time. Just like you make the time to go to work, and you make the time to go to school. Plain and simple we make time for the things that we care about. Do you want to grow Friday night that you are going to get to church on Sunday morning. Make the time. It is worth it! About Us – Newsong Church is a life-giving church right here in Co-op City! We love God, we love people, and we love demonstrating that love through serving others! No matter what you have 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 are located at 135 Einstein Loop! Sunday Worship Experience – Our Sunday worship experience starts with celebration. Colossians 3:16 says, “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” That is our goal every Sunday! Our Adult Worship Experience starts every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in Rm. 45. Newsong Deaf Church – That is right. We are happy to announce that we now have an adult ASL worship experience for the deaf and hearing impaired in our community! The singing, the message and the fellowship are all in American Sign Language and designed to help you connect with God in your own language! Our Adult Deaf Worship Experience starts every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in Rm. 38. Kidsong – Kids are important to us, so we have created a place where they can learn about Jesus on their level. Every Sunday, pre-k through sixth-grade children experience safe, age-appropriate environments where the Bible is taught in a creative and relevant way. Kidsong starts every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in Rm 49. Against The Flow – A.T.F. 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 A.T.F., our goal is to graduate students into a lifetime of following Jesus. A.T.F. meets every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. 49. For more information about Newsong Church 8385, Website: www.newsongchurchnyc.org; YouTube: Newsong Church NYC; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @NewsongBX ––Pastor Mike Tolone

Traditional Synagogue The Traditional Synagogue sends its heartfelt sympathy and condolences on the passing of Nora Singer, who was a beloved member of our congregation. Those who would like to honor her may send a charity donation in her name to the Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City. The synagogue will be serving a hot Kiddush meal after Sabbath morning services. Saturday morning services will start at 10 a.m. The requirement for wearing a mask and social distancing will be strictly enforced during all synagogue services. General Information The Traditional Synagogue is located in Section 5, 120 Erdman Place in the -

The synagogue has services on Saturday morning starting at 10 a.m. After services, we always have a kiddush. The synagogue has a Facebook page: Traditional Synagogue. The synagogue needs donations. Whatever amount you can donate, big or small, would help. The synagogue needs men to help make a minyan. There are a lot of Jewish men who live in Co-op City who do not come to services. Please come by 10 a.m., so we can take out the Torah. The Traditional Synagogue is the only synagogue in Co-op City. Sabbath ends on Saturday, February 5, at 6:11 p.m. Candle lighting for Friday, February 11, at 5:06 p.m. Good and Welfare – one. The cost is only $15 per tree (if you want to buy a tree, call 347-449-5005). Mazel Tov to all having simchas. If you are ill, wishing you good health. If you asked the Rabbi to say prayers for a sick person, you should make your donation to the synagogue. To All members – Happy birthday to our member Debbie Schwartz who is celebrating their birthday in February. Please send me your name and I will add it to the list. Fun and Games – After services and Kiddush, members play games. Your support for the Traditional Synagogue is greatly appreciated. Wishing all our members and friends peace and good health. ––Bruce Gitelson

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

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COMPUTER CONSULTANT, SALES & REPAIR JB RYAN COMPUTER REPAIR & UPGRADE

2/19

Repair – Upgrade – Data Recovery – Virus Removal – Laptop Overheats – Cracked Screen – Broken Power Jack – Transfer your cassette tape music to CDs. Call James 646-281-4475, 718-324-4332.

Distribution of unsolicited advertisements in Co-op City Co-op City is private property and therefore prohibits distribution of unsolicited advertising material to shareholders’ homes and/or property, including cars parked in the development’s eight garages. If you witness anyone depositing or distributing advertising material on Co-op City’s property, please call Public Safety at (718) 671-3050. Be prepared to give the location and description of the person(s) leaving the material. All unwanted, unsolicited advertising material should be disposed of properly and not thrown on the ground causing litter. Thank you for your cooperation.

WHISTLEBLOWER ANONYMOUS 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 the following methods: Go to an independent website, www.lighthouse-services/riverbaycorp, to complete an online disclosure form; Call the following independent third party whistleblower hotline at 1-833-290-0009 (English); or 1-800-216-1288 (Spanish); Send an e-mail to: reports@lighthouse-services.com; or Send a fax to (215) 689-3885 (the email or fax must include “Riverbay” in the subject of the report).

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

Public Safety

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(Continued from page 7)

while driving or while seated in the front seat. The force of the airbag throwing the child against you could be fatal. You should never take a child out of a car seat if they are fussing. Car seat in the rear seat is always the way to go. Never regard not sitting in a car seat or sitting in the front seat as a reward. Children need to be buckled up in the rear seat of the vehicle properly restrained. Children aged 8 or over, weighing 100 pounds or more and taller than 4 feet, 9 inches may use a seat belt. Children between 4 and 8, shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall, regardless of weight, should use a booster seat. Children 1 to 4 years of age should be in a child safety seat with a ing infant seat in the back seat of the auto. Never use a car seat that has been in an accident; it may have sustained damage that is not visible. Car seats are now made with expiration dates; never use one beyond this date or 5 years after the manufacturing date. you carefully read the owner’s manual for both the car seat and for your auto. The LATCH system is an attempt to simplify car seat installation and make it universal from one car to another. The acronym LATCH Anchorage points and top tether straps to fasten car seats. All vehicles manufactured after 2003 must have at least 2 LATCH points in the rear seat. Seat belts can still be used to install car seats. This is an option for garding the LATCH system and the installation of car seats may be found at the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration at 1 (888) DASH2DOT or on their website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/. with trained car seat technicians. Please call (212) 839-4750 for more information. Drivers should consider taking a Defensive Driver Training Course. These courses teach drivers tactics in becoming a safer driver plus provide an insurance discount and possible point reduction. Due to Covid-19, only the online course is available at this time. The National Safety Council

If You See Something, Say Something!

Working Together To Keep Co-op City Safe! • Report any unusual or suspicious persons or activity to CCPD. • Do not allow strangers access to your building by holding the door. • Be aware of work being done in your building and when contractors are allowed to be on the premises. • Never leave your car or apartment door unlocked. • Do not leave packages or electronics in your car where they are visible. • Remember: You can make anonymous calls to CCPD.

Emergency: 718-671-3050 or 9-1-1 • Non-Emergency: 718-320-3330 www.ccpd.us • @CCPDnyc offers an online, 6-hour course available at www.ddcnsc.org/ny. The course is an interactive, informative course. You have one month to complete the course in as many sessions as you desire. Users have three attempts to score at least 75% on the exam at the end to receive credit. The online

dren are loading or unloading. Be aware of pedestrians and bike riders when operating a motor vehicle. Bike riders must refrain from riding bicycles near buildings and shopping centers. Bicycle riders must respect pedestrians. will not drink. Never operate a motor vehicle if you have consumed alcoholic beverages. Avoid distractions and excess speed when driving; these are the two leading causes of collisions within New York State. 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.

Co-op City Times / February 5, 2022

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Co-op City Times 02/05/2022

Articles inside

SECTION BUILDING 29C 4240 HUTCH. RIVER PKWY E.