Co-op City Times 06/01/2024

2024 Riverbay Voting Period Ends on

Friday, June 14

1,557 ballots received as of May 31, 2024

BY ROZAAN BOONE

The voting period of the 2024 Riverbay Board of Directors election will end in two weeks on Friday, June 14, at 9 p.m. – the deadline for electronic ballots to be returned to YesElections and for mailed ballots to be postmarked in order to count in this year’s election.

This year’s quorum is 5,035 ballots. As of press time yesterday, YesElections reported receiving 1,557 ballots – 884 paper ballots and 673 electronic ballots, according to Riverbay General Counsel Jeff Buss. This is representative of 31% of the ballots needed for quorum.

Shareholders who have not received an election ballot or who require a replacement ballot, should contact Riverbay’s independent election vendor, YesElections, by calling (855) 701-9657 or send an email to help+riverbay@ yeselections.com

“Hello neighbors! The participation in this year’s election is electrifying. We have 12 candidates, standing room only Candidates’ Forums, and festive

Riverbay Board Election

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Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Wait List Opens June 3

NYCHA will begin accepting applications for the Section 8 wait list on Monday, June 3, at 12 a.m., through Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 p.m.

Eligible shareholders are encouraged to apply online at on.nyc.gov/section8-application. Paper applications will only be made available as a reasonable accommodation.

The online application may be accessed from a computer, smartphone, or tablet with internet access. If you do not have internet access, you may visit a local library.

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Candidates Debate Community Engagement Strategies and Safety Concerns at Second Forum

BY DANIELLE CRUZ

The second Candidates’ Forum for the 2024 Riverbay Board of Directors Election was held on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. in the Dreiser Center. The forum was moderated by Board Directors and co-chairs of the 2024 Election Committee, Anika Green-Watson and Claudia Sampson. For this forum, the Election Committee received over 40 questions from shareholders, which were narrowed down to seven questions for the candidates.

Eleven of the 12 certified candidates were in attendance. Each candidate was given a chance to present a minute-long opening statement and they were given a minute and a half to respond to the questions asked.

The following is a summary:

Q. Share your vision for the development of effective strategies to achieve a balanced budget for the corporation.

Bernard Cylich: The only way to receive a balanced budget is to consider what income we get, what expenses we have. The expense is not under our control. Inflationary pressures is always there. Ninety-seven percent of our income comes from you, shareholders. What income, additional income can we get from outside, other than the cooperators? Well, we consider then, for example, we have some property that we’re considering leasing. Perhaps we can get some income from there. But more than that is that we get efficiency in our power plant and introduce solar panels. We have (Continued on page 9)

Directors’ Duty to Embrace Mutual Respect

Greetings, fellow shareholders, By this time, you have received your ballots and are making decisions on who to vote for. I hope you have kept yourselves informed on those individuals who are seeking your vote and those who want to return for another three years to the Riverbay Board of Directors.

If you elect to vote only for quorum purposes, then do not vote for candidates and/or the referendum.

NYC Parks Dept. Presents Plans for Givans Creek Woods at CB #10 Meeting

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

Bronx Community Board #10 is inviting shareholders to join a virtual meeting on Thursday, June 13, to hear a presentation from the New York City Parks Department regarding upgrades to Givans Creek Woods Park.

The meeting will take place at the Community Board #10 office located at 3165 East Tremont Avenue, but as space is limited at the office, shareholders are

couraged to join the meeting virtually

Cisco Webex

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

As a Board, we are not perfect. There are times when things get heated. However, showing respect for one another is an important part of accepting someone for who they are even if you do not agree with them.

When speaking and acting as a representative of the Riverbay Corporation and Co-op City shareholders, Board members need to hold themselves to a standard that their neighbors, children, and grandchildren respect. They need to ensure that their statements and behavior foster the purposes of the Board, advance the greater interests of the community, and uphold their standing as leaders of our diverse community in high regard.

An outstanding Poet, American author, and Civil Rights activist once said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I am honored to have served on this Board for the past eight years with directors who uphold the values of mutual respect, integrity, and care for our community. Three of these directors are seeking our votes for re-election as well as three shareholders who hope to win your support to serve on our Board, and I am proud to endorse their candidacy.

In this year’s 2024 Board of Directors election, I am pleased to support the following six candidates for the Riverbay Board of Directors, and here is why: These six individuals know that Board members are not necessarily the most experienced, they have an understanding of the business, living here for so many years and working in their respective disciplines bringing in a level of expertise. They are leaders who demonstrate integrity and are not afraid to tell the truth and stand up for the beliefs that are important to a community. It is all about leadership and value, being a problem solver, and not sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do the work. They will be present and show inclusivity, having the concerns of those they respect (our community) always at the forefront of the decisions they make. They are not about the photo opportunity just to get in the picture if it has no meaning. These individuals have an even temperament, enabling patience. They can commit, they are open-minded, and have a good understanding of important things. They are independent thinkers, and team players who will always contribute to the mission of the Riverbay Corporation. They don’t have to be stars, but they have to have the heart to communicate while making the best decisions for our community. Below are the leaders of my choice for the 2024 Board of Directors.

Kevin Foggie – Kevin is an active member of the Building 19 Association;

Quality of life issues are very dear and near to him and he will lend the support needed to carry out policies and recommendations on public safety. Kevin is open to learning as one does not come in knowing it all. Most importantly, he understands and will continue to dialogue with the community about the needs of our shareholders to best serve them.

Sheila Richburg – Sheila is the current president of the National Council of Negro Women Chapter in Co-op City. She has served the needs of the community well, through her organization’s support of wellness, scholarships for students, events that capture and align our community through educational forums, economic empowerment, positive cultural expression, and tradition. As a Life Member since moving to Co-op City, I believe in their message of empowering all women. Sheila has, through her presidency, shared this message with the entire community. Her expertise with programs which is shared with the entire community will complement her advocacy to build a better Co-op City.

Ezekiel Springer – Zeke, as we know him, is the president of the Building 32 Association. He has worked with his executive board to ensure needed repairs to the building were made for a better look for Building 32. He is a Quality Control expert for his company, inspecting and testing of processes before aligning them with the company’s legal standards.

Mary Pearson dear to her and our community. For example, she helped with the Transit Bus initiative, worked herself to the bone to stop the ramp in Section 5, put up by Management to keep herself relevant. Because of this, she lends valuable support to provide solutions to problems that occur in our community. Mary

She is a staunch advocate for improving our quality of life.

Andrea Leslie – Andrea wants to come back and we should give her the keeping shareholders in their homes ensuring that they are not displaced in any way that could cause them detrimental harm. She also works with folks who

what she does and always sees the shareholders as part of the greater family of Co-op City.

Bernard Cylich – Bernie has a lot of institutional knowledge. He has been devoted to the cause of making Co-op City a great place since coming to Co-op

struction Committee and with his team is always looking for ways to improve his priorities.

Vote for Team Impact to preserve the survivability and sustainability of our great community!

I encourage you to read the newspaper and tune in to the rebroadcasts of the forums on the Crawler to get to know the candidates and to vote wisely.

We are Shareholders First – We Matter ***

Saludos compañeros accionistas,

A estas alturas ya habréis recibido vuestras papeletas y habréis tomado decisiones sobre por quién votar. Espero que os hayáis mantenido informados sobre las personas que solicitan vuestro voto y las que quieren volver por otros tres años al Consejo de Administración de Riverbay.

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GOT FOOT PAIN?

Co-op City Times

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Today! Annual Co-op City Community Fair

The annual Co-op City Community Fair will be today, Saturday, June 1, noon to 7 p.m. on the Greenway at 140 Benchley Place. There will be vendors, entertainment, food and much more. Come enjoy this family-oriented community event. For vendor information, contact the Riverbay Community Relations department at community@riverbaycorp.com

Election Committee Notice to Building Associations, Certified Clubs & Organizations

The 2024 Riverbay Board Election Committee reminds building associations and certified community clubs and organizations that the election Rules and Regulations prohibit the use of their Riverbay-provided facilities for election-related and/ or campaign-related activities in the ongoing Riverbay Board of Directors election.

Building Associations and certified clubs and organizations may not use their meeting rooms or other gathering spaces provided by Riverbay Corporation to host candidates’ meetings or forums, or for campaign-related activities, programs and/ or fundraisers.

Election Rule E (3) states: “No candidate or organization may use the facilities or public meeting areas, community rooms, lobbies, hallways, mail rooms, building association rooms, or similar areas of the Riverbay Corporation for gatherings of more than ten (10) individuals at one time, or for campaign rallies or activities, except as provided herein…”

Failure to adhere to the election rules can result in loss of your Riverbay-provided privileges and/or possible penalties. Should you need clarification on the Election Rules and Regulations, you may contact the 2024 Election Committee at Riverbay2024Election@riverbaycorp.com

2nd

PS 160’s Third Annual Inventors’ Fair

BY MARIA NIX-MILLER

On Thursday, May 29, Maria Nix-Miller, first grade teacher, facilitated the 3rd Annual Inventors’ Fair at P.S.160 The Walt Disney Magnet STEAM School in Education Park, in honor of National Inventors Month.

Photos by Maria Nix-Miller

The event provided space and opportunity for the school’s scholars in grades 2-5 to showcase their personal experience through the engineer and design process.

“Scholars were more imaginative and their projects spoke to habits of character being nurtured within the classroom,” said Ms. Nix-Miller. “There was evidence of collaboration, perseverance, ingenuity, and empathy. Several projects spoke to the needs of those with physical disabilities, others spoke to the need to simplify parts of day-to-day life, while other projects stood out for the mechanical thinking behind them.” Every project highlighted the power of young scholars seeing themselves and others their age stepping out of the role as students and excelling as an inventor, engineer, designer, presenter, and 21st century influencer.”

Participating Inventors from grades 2-5 included Maurine Lokossou, Daniella Sotindjo, Kaylee Lagat, Temitola Pereao, Zoe Nunez, Layla Smith, Daniel Nelson, Kaiden Jacques, Omari Orane, Brooklynn Bond, Saadone Bennekaa, Amanda Hersame, Kiara Lake, Laylah Green, Adelina Zepeda, Jessica Adjei, Aliyah Chambrie, Kristen Opoku, Sarai Pelle, Jennifer Marfo, Caitlyn Adjei, Louisa Sintim, Jayla Brown, Samuel Jimenez, Christiana Aiwn, Lena Jenkins, Elijah Deas, Carson Durrant, Nathaniel Dunn, Jayden Sarpong, Maqdar Saleh, Zoey Sfeir, Jordyn Martin, Thomas Colt, Islam Quick, Evangeline Ledesma, Shamoyia Wright, Erianna Cruz and Adan Zepeda.

Winners of the 3rd Annual PS160 Inventors’ Fair are Adan Zepeda, Evangeline Ledesma, Erianna Cruz, Samuel Jimenez, Sarai Pelle, Jennifer Marfo, and Kristen Opoku.

“Every project highlighted the power of young scholars seeing themselves and others their age stepping out of the role as students and excelling as an inventor, engineer, designer, presenter, and 21st century influencer,” said Ms. Nix-Miller.

NYCPS Outlines Next Steps for Class Size Reduction Plan

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) released the annual Class Size Reduction Plan for the upcoming 20242025 school year on May 28.

Combining $45M in Contract for Excellence funding from the NY State Foundation Aid program with $137M already earmarked, a total of $182M will be used to implement class size reduction strategies outlined in the plan released this week. Schools considered “high-need” will receive a larger portion of the $182M in funding.

The main goal for this year’s iteration of the Class Size Reduction Plan is to “improve the percent of classes at or below the new class size caps by 3% across all districts,” according to NYCPS. In other words, the plan aims to increase the number of schools with classroom sizes that fall under specific class size caps.

This year’s Class Size Reduction Plan includes specific class size caps for different grades. Below is a list of each size cap:

• Kindergarten: class size cap of 20

• Grades 1-3: class size cap of 20

• Grades 4-5: class size cap of 23

• Grades 6-8 (Title I Schools): class size cap of 23

• Grades 6-8 (non-Title I Schools): class size cap of 23

• Grades 9-12: class size cap of 25

• Performing Groups (music classes) and Physical Education in grades 6-12: class size cap of 40.

In order to reach the reduction target, NYCPS said schools will utilize various reduction strategies such as hiring additional staff, repurposing existing school spaces, enhancing teacher programming, implementing virtual learning and redistributing existing funding. NYCPS highlighted that school principals will have “flexibility” in deciding which class size reduction strategies to choose.

NYCPS Schools Chancellor David Banks discussed the Class Size Reduction Plan for 2024-2025 on May 28.

“Our draft class size reduction plan for the 2024-2025 school year outlines clear, actionable steps to ensure we remain in compliance with the class size law,” Chancellor Banks said. “Further, it provides targeted support for high-need schools and supports robust teacher recruitment – powered by $182 million in new school funding. By working collaboratively with the United Federation of Teachers and the Council for School Supervisors and Administrators, we are committed to creating optimal learning environments that will set our students up for success.”

Governor Kathy Hochul signed an amendment to an existing law in 2022 that required school districts in cities with a population of more than one million to develop and implement a plan “to reduce class sizes beginning September 2023 and to be achieved by September 2028 for all classes,” as described in the legislation.

Under the legislation, NYCPS is required to produce annual reports detailing the progress of their class size reduction plan. The legislation also stipulated that NYCPS must continue displaying “adequate progress” toward reducing class sizes or risk losing some state funding.

For the 2023-2024 public school year, NYCPS provided the following citywide data on class size reduction efforts:

• Grades K-3: 31% of classes were at or below the size cap

• Grades 4-5: 42% of classes were at or below the size cap

• Grades 6-8: 32% of classes were at or below the size cap

• Grades 9-12: 45% of classes were at or below the size cap

Out of all five boroughs, the Bronx claimed the top spot in the city with roughly 54% of classes at or below the size cap. District 11, which includes Co-op City, ranked 21 out of 32 school districts with 41% of its schools’ classes at or below the size cap.

Ultimately, the goal of NYC’s class size reduction strategies is to reach 100% of public schools compliant with the class size caps by 2028, with incremental improvements each year.

Como Junta Directiva, no somos perfectos. A veces las cosas se ponen feas. Sin embargo, mostrar respeto por los demás es una parte importante de aceptar a alguien por lo que es, incluso si usted no está de acuerdo con ellos.

Cuando hablen y actúen como representantes de los accionistas de Riverbay Corporation y Co-op City, los miembros del Consejo de Administración deben atenerse a una norma que respeten sus vecinos, hijos y nietos. Deben asegurarse de que sus declaraciones y su comportamiento fomentan los propósitos de la Junta, promueven los grandes intereses de la comunidad y mantienen en alto respeto su conducta como líderes de nuestra diversa comunidad.

Un destacado poeta, autor estadounidense y activista de los derechos civiles dijo una vez:

“He aprendido que la gente olvidará lo que dijiste, la gente olvidará lo que hiciste, pero la gente nunca olvidará cómo les hiciste sentir.” –Maya Angelou

Es un honor para mí haber formado parte de este Consejo durante los últimos ocho años con directores que defenden los valores de respeto mutuo, integridad y cuidado de la comunidad. Tres de estos directores solicitan nuestros votos para la reelección, así como tres accionistas que esperan obtener su apoyo para formar parte de nuestro Consejo, y me enorgullece respaldar sus candidaturas.

En la elección del Consejo de Administración de 2024 de este año, me complace apoyar a los seis candidatos siguientes para el Consejo de Administración de Riverbay, y he aquí por qué: Estas seis personas saben que los miembros de la Junta no son necesariamente los más experimentados, tienen una comprensión del negocio, viviendo aquí durante tantos años y trabajando en sus respectivas disciplinas aportando un nivel de experiencia. Son líderes que demuestran integridad y no temen decir la verdad y defender las creencias que son importantes para una comunidad. Se trata de liderazgo y valor, de ser un solucionador de problemas y de no quedarse al margen esperando a que otro haga el trabajo. Estarán presentes y mostrarán inclusividad, teniendo siempre presentes las preocupaciones de aquellos a quienes respetan (nuestra comunidad) en las decisiones que toman. No buscan la oportunidad de salir en la foto si no tiene sentido. Estas personas tienen un temperamento equilibrado, que les permite tener paciencia. Son capaces de comprometerse, tienen una mentalidad abierta y comprenden bien las cosas importantes. Son pensadores independientes, y jugadores de equipo que siempre contribuirán a la misión de la Corporación Riverbay. No tienen que ser estrellas, pero sí tener el corazón para comunicar y, al mismo tiempo, tomar las mejores decisiones para nuestra comunidad. A continuación fguran los líderes que he elegido para el Consejo de Administración de 2024.

Kevin Foggie – Kevin es un miembro activo de la Asociación del Edifcio 19, es un ofcial de correcciones de tránsito con habilidades y conocimientos en la ley de policía. Las cuestiones relacionadas con la calidad de vida le son muy queridas y cercanas y prestará el apoyo necesario para llevar a cabo políticas y recomendaciones sobre seguridad pública. Kevin está abierto a aprender, ya que uno no llega sabiéndolo todo. Lo más importante es que entiende y seguirá dialogando con la comunidad sobre las necesidades de nuestros accionistas para servirles mejor.

Sheila Richburg – Sheila es la Presidenta del National Council of Negro Women Chapter en Co-op City. Ella ha servido bien a las necesidades de la comunidad, a través del apoyo de su organización al bienestar, becas para estudiantes, eventos que captan y alinean a nuestra comunidad a través de foros educativos, empoderamiento económico, expresión cultural positiva y tradición.

Como miembra por vida desde que me mudé a Co-op City, creo en su mensaje de empoderar a todas las mujeres. A través de su presidencia, Sheila ha compartido este mensaje con toda la comunidad. Su experiencia con los programas que se comparten con toda la comunidad complementará su defensa para construir una mejor Ciudad Cooperativa.

Ezekiel Springer – Zeke, como lo conocemos, es el Presidente de la Asociación del Edifcio 32. Ha trabajado con su Junta Ejecutiva para garantizar que se hicieran las reparaciones necesarias en el edifcio y que éste tuviera un mejor aspecto. Es experto en control de calidad para su empresa, inspeccionando y probando los productos antes de garantizar que se ajustan a las normas legales de la empresa.

Mary Pearson – Mary es una luchadora. Lucha por causas que le son cercanas y queridas. Por ejemplo, ayudó con la iniciativa Transit Bus, trabajó hasta la extenuación para detener la rampa de la Sección 5, colocó folletos, hizo vídeos y tablones. Mary lee todo lo que le envía la dirección para mantenerse al día. Debido a esto, ella no sólo puede prestar apoyo para dar soluciones que los problemas que ocurren en nuestra comunidad. Mary está luchando contra Metro North, no porque viene, sino para permitir un mejor fujo de tráfco para nuestros residentes a través del movimiento de la plataforma y la estación oeste. Ella lucha por la causa de mejorar nuestra calidad de vida.

Andrea Leslie – Andrea quiere Volver a la Junta y debemos darle la oportunidad de seguir luchando por las necesidades de la comunidad. Ella trabaja duro para mantener a los accionistas en sus hogares asegurándose de que no sean desplazados de ninguna manera que pueda causarles un daño perjudicial. También trabaja con personas que necesitan más gestión fnanciera ayudándoles a través de la abogacía. Le encanta lo que hace y siempre ve a los accionistas como parte de la gran familia de Co-op City.

Bernard Cylich – Bernie tiene muchos conocimientos institucionales. Se ha dedicado a la causa de hacer de Co-op City un gran lugar desde que llegó a Co-op City en 1970. Fue Presidente en el momento en que recibimos un préstamo de refnanciación del HUD de 124M permitiendo a Co-op City arreglar la infraestructura donde las familias pueden benefciarse de las mejoras que se están haciendo. Bernie es el Presidente del Comité de Construcción y con su equipo siempre está buscando maneras de mejorar la tecnología aquí en Co-op City. Mitigar las condiciones de las inundaciones ha sido una de sus prioridades.

¡Vote por el Equipo Impacto para preservar la supervivencia y sostenibilidad de nuestra Gran Comunidad!

Les animo a leer el periódico y a sintonizar las retransmisiones de los foros en el Crawler para conocer a los candidatos y votar sabiamente.

Somos Accionistas Primero – Nosotros Importamos

Once the application period closes, NYCHA will randomly place 200,000 applications on the wait list. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee that your application will be placed on the wait list.

To learn more about applying for the Section 8 wait list and eligibility requirements, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/section-8/applicants.page or call NYCHA’s application hotline at (718) 218-1525.

My name is Jonathan Soto, and I am running to represent you in the New York State Assembly in the Democratic Primary on June 25th.

Let me be clear: Co-op City’s priorities are my priorities, because what’s good for Co-op City is what’s good for the Bronx.

FOR OUR COOPERATORS

The 8.1% carrying charge increase is an existential threat to all cooperators.

I’m committed to being an advocate and f ghting against the insurance companies that are price gouging Mitchell Lama developments and the fossil fuel companies that are raising energy and utility costs – which are contributing factors to the 8.1% carrying charge increase.

FOR OUR SENIORS

Co-op seniors deserve to retire comfortably in their homes without fear of being priced out.

Co-op City will remain an oasis of afordability.

I will sponsor legislation in the New York State legislature to increase the income eligibility for SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption). Li f ing the household income cap for SCRIE eligibility, currently set at $50,000, will help cooperators facing carrying charge increases.

Our Seniors on fxed-income will be taken care of.

FOR OUR CHILDREN

Our children deserve fully-funded schools and youth programming. Run by the Bronx, for the Bronx.

Budget cuts have not only squeezed Truman High School, they have devastated public education across the Bronx. I know that every budget that defunds our children’s schools is not only a policy failure, but a moral one as well.

Our children will get the resources they need to succeed.

City Times / June 1,

The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, not to third parties. All letters must be signed by the writers and include their addresses and phone numbers, which will be

in that week’s

– • Letters to the Editor • –

Pickleball, a family friendly, low impact game

To the Editor:

We spent a substantial sum upgrading our handball courts –courts that are seldom used.

As it turned out, most of the older players in Co-op City who used the courts prior to 2012 (myself included) have grown too old to play such fast moving and high intensity sports as handball or paddleball. At 70 years old, I simply stopped playing. The younger players from back then have moved on or out of Co-op City. Time marches on.

This past Saturday while passing the Asch Loop courts, I noticed that Pickleball was being played. In addition to the players, a large group of players was waiting their turn to play. It was great seeing the courts alive again on a bright and sunny day.

Riverbay has finally upgraded one of our underutilized courts to Pickleball. So I thought.

Riverbay had nothing to do with it. As it turned out, the nets were portable and belonged to one of the players. In addition, the boundaries were red tape, measured for accuracy by the players.

The cost of rust-proof, in-ground Pickleball posts and nets system online is $299–$499.

I recommend the Board of Directors have Management purchase and install two in-ground post and nets at the Asch Loop courts.

I have no doubt, if we were to install two in-ground Pickleball Posts & Nets Systems, the players will come.

—Joe Cassese

Grateful for Thoughtful Neighbors

To the Editor:

I want to take this opportunity to thank my neighbors of the Co-op City community. Day 2 of the Garage #7 front elevator upgrade; the rear elevator went out of order. Therefore, Garage #7 was without an elevator. As I walked to the front of the garage, a lady entered and I told her the rear elevator was out as well. She proceeded up the ramp to her car; I have no idea what floor she was on.

In the meantime, two fellas enter the front on their way to their cars, and offered to go and retrieve my car as I was on the upper floors, and they saw that I had a pulley cart.

Next thing I knew, the lady who went up the ramp came driving back into the garage after leaving and said, “Uh huh, I am here.” I thought for sure she and the two fellas knew each other. Would you believe my neighbor said that she could not just leave me standing there knowing that I needed a ride to the upper floor, that she had to come back to take me to my car?

In essence, I had three neighbors who offered and did help. Now, that is a reason why I just love this community and want the community to know how grateful I am and may the Lord Bless them all, and again, I thank them one and all.

—H. Overman

Important Notice to clubs, and religious and community organizations

The articles of recognized organizations are published weekly at no cost to your organization, but at a considerable cost to Riverbay, in order to inform your members and the community at-large about your organization’s programs, services and events, not as editorial space for personal comment, opinions, or to make political endorsements or critical comment during the Board election.

There is limited space in the paper each week as well as limited resources and funds, but every effort is made to accommodate the many certified clubs, religious institutions, and other community organizations that submit articles for publication.

To better accommodate everyone, weekly submissions to the Co-op City Times MUST NOT exceed 500 words. Articles that do not conform will be edited for content and space availability. At the same time, articles that significantly stray from their purpose of informing the community of the respective organization’s programs, services and events will also be edited or omitted altogether.

Remember also that the deadline for submission of articles from clubs, religious institutions, community organizations and building associations is 3 p.m. each

Monday. Articles that are received after this deadline will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, and as space allows.

The deadline for Directors’ viewpoints is 5 p.m. on Mondays.

Submissions must be emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or hand-delivered to Room 21 in the Bartow Center.

Remember to pick up the Co-op City Times on Saturday morning from the newspaper bin in your building lobby and read it for important news affecting your homes and community. When removing newspapers from the bins, please take from the top of the bin and leave the rest of the newspapers neatly stacked in the bin. Pulling a newspaper from the middle or bottom of the stack results in an untidy mess.

You may also read and follow the Co-op City Times online at http://issuu/com/cctimes, or by scanning the QR Code here to be connected.

Co-op City Times

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

Rozaan Boone Editor-in-Chief

Danielle Cruz Managing Editor

Ralph Henriquez Production Manager

Jennifer Piovanetti

Operations Manager

John Crow New Media Producer

Sheldon Green

Multi-Media Advertising Manager

Brandon Ortiz Media Assistant

P.M. Campbell

Media Assistant

The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, not to third parties. All letters must be signed by the writer and include their address and phone number, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the author.

Writers will be limited to one letter per topic. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be submitted to the Co-op City Times by 3 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Email cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or mail to 2049 Bartow Ave., Room 21, Bronx, NY 10475.

Views and opinions expressed in letters and Directors’ Viewpoint are solely the writer’s, and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp.

Advertisements and classified advertisements in the Co-op City Times do not necessarily reflect an endorsement from Riverbay Corp. of goods and services, but present greater options to cooperators of products and services available. The Riverbay Corporation does not assume any responsibility nor is it a party to any contract or agreement between the cooperator and the vendor. All matter published herein is copyrighted by the Co-op City Times Permission for reprints of advertising or editorial contents produced by the Co-op City Times must be obtained in writing from Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Ave., Bronx, NY 10475.

Public Safety Report

Embrace Summer Fun While Adhering to Safety Rules

As the summer of 2024 has officially begun, Co-op City residents are reminded to celebrate the onset of summer with safety and respect for community rules.

Bicyclists must pay special attention to the rules pertaining to bike riding within Co-op City. Riding bicycles, electric bicycles or scooters is strictly prohibited near buildings, shopping centers, and any areas with posted signs. These rules are enforced to prevent hazards to pedestrians. The NYPD actively issues moving violation summonses for traffic infractions committed by bicyclists, and Public Safety Officers will issue Community Complaints for violations, which can result in fines. Parents should ensure their children are aware of the restrictions on ball playing in prohibited areas. Violations of this nature, like bicycle infractions, carry monetary fines that double for repeated offenses. Additionally, consuming alcohol in public is against New York City law. Offenders will receive Universal Summonses, and repeated violations may result in a $300 Community Complaint fine.

Public Safety Officers also issue summonses for Disorderly Conduct, which includes fighting, loud or boisterous behavior, and blocking pedestrian walkways. These actions are considered lease violations and are taken seriously to maintain community order. Barbecuing in public areas of Co-op City is prohibited, and strict guidelines from the New York City Fire Department forbid using charcoal or propane on terraces or patios of multi-family dwellings. Fireworks, which are both illegal and dangerous, are subject to a Zero Tolerance policy. Residents are encouraged to report any related illegal activities to 3-1-1, with rewards available for information leading to arrests.

As the summer season begins, residents should exercise caution near pools and beaches. Due to potential closures or limited lifeguard availability, it’s essential to stay vigilant and ensure children understand the dangers of swimming without supervision. Additionally, when driving, always wear a seatbelt and avoid distractions. Designate a sober driver if alcohol consumption is planned, as DWI enforcement will be heightened throughout the summer. In public spaces, remain alert to suspicious activities or items. If you see something, say something by contacting 911 or the Co-op City Department of Public Safety at (718) 671-3050. Callers can remain anonymous when providing information. Summer Time – Interesting Facts and Statistics

Temperature Extremes – Hottest Temperature Recorded: The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134°F (56.7°C) in Furnace Creek Ranch, California, on July 10, 1913.

In the United States, the average summer temperature is around 71.5°F. In Australia during their summer (December to February), the average temperature is about 84°F in Sydney.

Longest Day of the Year: The summer solstice, occurring around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 in the Southern Hemisphere, marks the longest day of the year. On this day, some places in Alaska and Norway experience up to 24 hours of daylight. At the Equator, there is about 12 hours of daylight year-round, and in the Northern Hemisphere, there is up to 16 hours of daylight during the summer solstice.

Public Safety Blotter

May 19 – May 25, 2024

May 21, 2024

170 Dreiser Loop – A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission.

May 22, 2024

100 Debs Place – A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission.

May 23, 2024

120 Casals Place – A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package was removed from in front of her apartment door by an unknown individual without her permission.

600 Baychester Avenue – A cooperator reported a confirmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission.

May 24, 2024

120 Darrow Place – CCPD responded to a major flooding condition caused by a broken pipe within the wall of a cooperator’s apartment. The Maintenance department

ascertained several water damaged apartments on the E line along with the A and B staircases, lobby area and both elevators. CCPD assisted cooperators in getting access to their apartments. Service to elevator number 4 resumed at 5 a.m. with elevator number 3 remaining out of service. Maintenace was on scene for clean-up.

100 Alcott Place – CCPD responded to a call of a large amount of water coming from the rear of the building. Upon investigation, CCPD and FDNY discovered that the source of the water was coming from the D line which affected apartments on the C and D lines down to the first floor. Maintenance responded, corrected the condition and stayed for the clean-up.

May 25, 2024

140 Carver Loop – CCPD responded to a flooding condition that was caused by a pipe burst in the crawl space near the elevators. Maintenance shut off water from the pipe and cleared the flooded areas. Both elevators remained functioning with no damage to report.

Summer is the busiest travel season in many parts of the world. In the United States, around 100 million Americans travel during the summer months. Some of the Top Summer destinations include Paris, France (known for its summer festivals and attractions), Hawaii, popular for its beaches and tropical climate, and Rome, Italy, famous for its historical sites and summer cultural events.

Each year, extreme heat causes more deaths in the United States than any other weather-related hazard. On average, there are about 702 heat-related deaths annually. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and other health issues. It’s crucial to use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and wear protective clothing during summer activities. Summer is wildfire season in many parts of the world, particularly in California, Australia, and the Mediterranean region. In 2020, California alone saw over 4 million acres burned due to wildfires. Water usage also spikes during the summer months due to activities like watering lawns, filling pools, and agricultural irrigation. In the United States, residential water use can increase by 30-50% during summer.

Summer is a prime season for music festivals worldwide. Notable examples include:

• Glastonbury Festival (UK): Attracts around 200,000 attendees each year.

• Coachella (USA): Draws over 250,000 attendees across two weekends.

• Olympic Games: Held this summer in Paris, France.

Many bird species migrate to cooler regions during the summer. For example, the Arctic tern travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic, covering over 44,000 miles annually. Summer is the peak growing season for many plants. Sunflowers, corn, and tomatoes are among the crops that thrive in the warm summer months. Summer tourism contributes significantly to the global economy. For instance, Europe sees a major influx of tourists, contributing billions of euros to local economies. Many businesses hire seasonal workers during the summer, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors. In the United States, over 1.5 million teenagers find summer jobs each year.

Summer is a season of extremes from soaring temperatures and long days to bustling travel and tourism. It significantly impacts various aspects of life, including health, the environment, and the economy. Awareness and preparation are key to enjoying and making the most of the summer months safely and sustainably. Co-op City prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive community. Respect for one another and acknowledgment of our differences is paramount. Greet your neighbors with a friendly hello. Let’s work together to make this summer enjoyable and safe. By following these rules and guidelines, we can ensure a summer filled with fun, respect, and safety. Stay Co-op City Strong and safe!

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY

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

There

www.Indeed.com https://indeedhi.re/ 3SgTKEr

For employment opportunites, please visit these following sites:

www.Glassdoor.com https://bit.ly/3SgI9Go

www.ZipRecruiter.com https://bit.ly/3Se8bdw

Candidates may review full positon descriptons and apply at any site Current Riverbay employees should submit a transfer request and resumé directly to the HR department.

Thank you for your interest in working for Riverbay Corporaton.

Director’s Viewpoint Kevin Lambright, Treasurer

Chicken & Waffes: Vote!

Though

Although we’ve been down this road many times before, there’s always some interesting twist to camouflage the ignorance. Though so many people love it, I could never understand how chicken and waffles ever became a “thing.” That combination makes me nauseous. You see, I’ve only known syrup to go on my waffles and I definitely don’t want syrup on my fried chicken. But in situations like that, it’s just a matter of what you like and that’s ok. We all have our preferences. Most of us are mature enough to make our own choices. Here in America, it’s our inalienable right to make our own choices. That doesn’t mean that we can freely infringe on someone else’s ability to do the same. Even if we believe they are right or whether we believe they are wrong.

Here in our community, there seems to be a strong liking of chicken and waffles, aka his slate vs. her slate. At the end of that debate, there is a final decision by the people who are dining. Our community seems to thrive on controversy and gossip (Is it really just our community?).

Fools Strategy/Narcissistic Strategy

Some people believe that if you vilify your opponent, people will see you as the hero that will come save them from these evil doers. All you have to do is find one or two flaws that your opponent seemingly cannot defend and you’re in! That is the type of ignorance that fuels the egos of some.

Then, there is a tactic we call manipulatory indulgence. This is where you graciously acknowledge at least one good truth about your opponent that is clear for everyone to see. But then you tear them down with four or more horrid mistruths and

it doesn’t end there. Because you finish with “and that is unacceptable.” That is their sweet syrup on a plate of greasy fried chicken & waffles. A great way to confuse the diner but yet the diner acts on the last point that was made.

Whether you truly understood that or not, you can rest assured that I will be supporting all six of The Impact Team(Ezekiel Springer Jr., Kevin Foggie, Sheila Richburg, Andrea Leslie, Mary Pearson and Bernard Cylich) in this year’s Riverbay Board Election. “There is none so blind that refuse to hear nor so deaf that refuse to see.” (Read that at least twice). Then go vote!

Simple Things Complicated People

By now, you recognize that this viewpoint is meant to stimulate and recognize the awakened. Others may see it as rhetoric and stopped reading after the first three sentences, for there will be no sensationalism or attempt to provide you with common information. Most important information is already provided by those we pay to execute daily tasks.

There is no question that we as a community will continue to battle the challenges of everyday life. At times, it is a seemingly massive overburden. How we handle it will determine the boundaries of our skill and mindset. These are the very same principles that garnish our everyday successes in our households. So vote!

Lost in Translation

So many of us seek to find things outside of our community because we overlook opportunities in our own back yard. Our community is filled with so much skillset, talent and resources that we need not look outside to enjoy these untapped fruits. We have a Community Relations department, a bevy of

Below is the information needed to join the presentation virtually:

Meeting Link: tinyurl.com/375r85ur Meeting Number: 2339 744 3173

Meeting Password: 6FAsbgsKK73

Meeting Dial In: (646) 992-2010

Participants in the meeting will hear NYC Parks Department’s plans for the future of Givans Creek Woods Park. Called the Givans Creek Woods Park Pathway Construction project, the objective of the plan is to make public access upgrades to the park. Specifically, the project will “construct a pathway at Givans Creek Woods Park,” according to the Parks Department.

Currently, the project is in the preliminary stage and the Parks Department is seeking a letter of support from Community Board #10 in order to move forward with the process. Participants in the meeting may have a chance to provide their feedback on the presentation but only at the discretion of the Community Board #10 Parks and Recreation Committee.

Anyone who does not get a chance to express their opinion on the presentation during the meeting but would still like to do so, can write to the NYC Parks Department or visit tinyurl.com/4ff4umn8 online to provide their feedback on the project. The mailing address for those who wish to send a letter is: The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065

Givans Creek Woods is bounded by the New England Thruway and Tillotson Avenue on the west side, Rombouts Avenue on the north, and adjacent to Co-op City Boulevard near Section 1 on the south and east sides respectively. The park is 10.7 acres in size and features “upland forests of oak and hickory, a low-lying wooded wetland, surrounding meadows, and rocky outcrops covered with mosses and lichens,” as described by the Parks Department. The park also has a wide variety of biodiversity with “more than 150 species of plants and 45 species of animals living in the park,” including some New York State protected plants such as Flowering Dogwood, Wild Pink and native ferns

Co-op City is Your Home!

Get involved with your building association, join a community group, write a Letter to the Editor about quality of life concerns and VOTE in the annual Board of Directors election!

diversified organizations, a weekly newspaper delivered to our buildings, a CSO representative for every section of Co-op City, a Human Resource department with periodic job opportunities, etc. So vote!

The truth is, every successful thriving community ever established did so by becoming self-sufficient from within. They built their infrastructure with people unity first! Once they established unity, everything else began to fall in place economically, politically and socially. They fight every struggle and opposition together as a unit. They never publicly fight even when they didn’t agree on issues or terms. They understood that they all basically wanted the same thing. Some just had different ideas of how to get to the goal but all agreed to work together for the betterment of the common goal. So vote!

Less Lip More Hip

This too should be our strategy. This is why I am here. The question is, are you willing to join those of us seeking success in our community? Are we willing to do what it takes to be victorious? When we talk amongst ourselves, let’s talk about positive solutions that we can bring to the table together. Let’s become active in committees set up to do just that. Let’s attend building association meetings not to bicker and gossip with attitudes, but to formulate progressive calls to action. So vote!

Your opinion matters to me. Please write to me or the CC Times to express your opinions. You have that right. Moreover, you have that obligation. I look forward to your correspondence and feedback. I can be reached at: klambright@riverbayboard.com or by phone at 646-721-8185.

Memorial Day Ceremony Held in Co-op City

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

The American Legion Post #1871 and the Riverbay Fund co-sponsored the annual Memorial Day observance on Sunday, May 26, in Harley J. Mosley Sr. Veterans Memorial Park in Co-op City.

During the solemn ceremony, the audience heard from a variety of speakers who honored deceased soldiers and their families.

“We’re here to remember all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend and preserve our way of life,” said Post 1871 Commander Antonio E. Codrington.

The ritual has taken place in Co-op City since the 1970s under past leaders like Harley J. Mosley Sr., the longest serving commander of the American Legion, after whom the park is named. A Memorial Day ceremony was even held during the pandemic with only two individuals laying the wreath. Every year, the Post honors veterans as well as their families and communities affected by their sacrifice.

The event started at 3 p.m. with an invocation, which touched on the event’s significance, welcomed the audience and thanked everyone for attending. Olive Glasgow, a longtime member of the American Legion who recently turned 100, was also present. This was followed by the “Posting of Colors,” and the Pledge of Allegiance.

In addition to Commander Codrington, other speakers included Riverbay Board President Sonia Feliciano, Board Director and past President of the Riverbay Fund Claudia Sampson, NAACP Co-op City Branch President Leslie Peterson, former Commander of Jewish War Veterans of the Bronx Leonard Weinstein, Bronx County Commander Gene DeFrancis, President of the Ladies Auxiliary Francis Wilson, State Assembly Member Michael Benedetto and Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Photos courtesy of Leslie Peterson

The event concluded with a meet and greet in the Bartow courtyard. There, attendees were offered sandwiches, soda, and water as they mingled with one another.

“The goal for next year is to stay the course but hopefully we can triplicate the attendance record,” Commander Codrington said.

Givans Creek Woods ––––– (Continued from page 1)

Photo by NYC Parks Dept.

Forum #2 ––– (Continued from page 1)

already a contract with a company to do that, but we held it up because we want to see whether we could get a better deal. That’s another aspect of where we can get additional income. But it’s hard unfortunately. And we have… issues that we have we have to tackle is the insurance rates. Last year, we had a 25% increase in insurance rate and we answers to it and I think the only way you do it is to unite the community.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: In order to get a balanced budget or try to get a balanced budget, we have to watch costs, we have to mitigate the outside costs that we cannot afford. And we need to ask for legislation for that cost effectiveness. The water bill went skyrocketing through the roof and only the

do about gas and oil that we use, but we have to watch our budget, we have to look for waste, and wherever there’s waste, we have to root it out… If there’s no one that can help us within, we’ve got to bring in more income. As far as stores, there’s quite a few properties here in Co-op City that’s not being we can always use more stores and retailers coming into our community.

Sheila Richburg: Some of the strategies that I would recommend as a Riverbay Board director look at our local, our federal, as well as our state funds for monies to come into this community. I would also… assess the budget along with Management, line by line, to see if there are any areas that we can save. I would also look at our insurance premiums and see if we can lobby the federal government to see if there’s any way that insurance premiums on a global level can be decreased. I would also… work with our Restoration department to try to restore our cooperative apartments quicker, so that we can… have them rent it quicker.

Kyshawn White: In order to tackle our budget crisis, we need to effectively have a multi-tiered that Co-op City, most of its revenue is derived from our carrying charges. But we have to look at other ways to innovate within our power plant, look at corporate donors to be able to give us block grants, to fund us. We also have to look very carefully at imposing on us, particularly as it relates to green energy, of which they are crippling Co-op City with unheard of demands… to convert into electric stoves and other areas, that the city and the nation is just not ready for. We also have to look at our companies that are gouging all of their customers across the United States, not just us, giving them unimaginable premiums that people cannot afford to absorb. The insurance companies have an obligation to pay the claims that are made against them and not to punish those who make those claims.

its normal rate because of one incident that is not the norm for our community. We have to begin through department by department and cut what is not necessary and keep that which is essential to helping us run properly.

Kevin Foggie: I also have a strong emotional to be representing us. I, too, would really like to put the pressure on them. We’re talking about trying to balance a budget. It’s a simple 101 math. Money in must be greater than money out. If it’s not, you end think is just deceiving, if you will, and I would like to use that word, during election time, we hear all of the promises and all of the things that our electAnd then when election is over, I’ve actually gone

and knocked on doors. I can’t get an appointment, I can’t speak to anyone. I think the biggest problem that we have, we’re not putting enough pressurement. You want to get a balanced budget? Affect the votes. You want to get what you need here? will get some answers. There’s no reason why with all of these shareholders, this volume, we can’t get no sense to me.

Leah Graham: As a program analyst, I am very result driven and I pay attention to details. Also, when I was on the Board, I don’t know, about eight years ago, I chaired the Budget Committee. And and there were some enhancements that were made during my tenure. But let’s talk about how we can minimize these ongoing increases that are affecting not qualify for SCRIE. They make good salaries, have good pensions, but they just don’t qualify for SCRIE. And as we continue with these increases, we’re going to price people out who really love this community like I do. So in terms of how we would structure this budget, we would absolutely look at every single budget item. And that means getting behind the numbers because when you’re looking at a budget from the front part, you just see the different line items and you see these costs so you don’t really know what’s affecting them. But me, if I was elected, I would be working with the other budgeting, and we would put together a strategic plan, get behind the numbers, ensure that our contracts are better managed because a lot of our contracts are really not structured. We went from $37 million to $77 million with local law…

Andrea Leslie be to work closer with our Internal Audit departthat we’ve not been doing, compliance with different laws, and those things. Sometimes, if we’re not in compliance with things, or we’re not doing or we’re not acting in particular ways or spend-

working closer with. We should also be trying to increase our ratio in terms of income. We have a 20/80%, because of the kind of co-op that we are. We can receive income from 20% other than carrying charges. And we should be working harder to

– we’ve been doing that and some of it is working – going through different departments, trying have less departments.

Jacqueline Smith: We have to decrease. We have to do a forensic audit on our 25 departments and identify redundancy, are there any task… where we can give them to different departments. And unfortunately, we might have to look at offering early retirement. We have to bring back the Budget Committee. I understand Riverbay has Compliance Committee. We have to look at how many change orders are being put in, that’s very Co-op City Times was 120 pages. We need to hire an advertising manager and increase the advertising in the Co-op Times. We need to sell advertising on the TV monitors in your buildings. That is a stream of revenue. There are developers looking at a particular piece of land that we own. We could rent them that land to build senior citizen housing and collect fair market rent. There’s a lot of money out there.

Mary Pearson: As Kevin said so eloquently… money in has to be more than money out. Money out cannot be magically wished to be less every year. It is going to go up every year. We have to try to do what we can to the parts that we have in-

tire reason to be is to provide homes, not to make a

how mistrustful some people are at the Board or at Management or at staff. We don’t have a fat cat that is taking a big chunk of our money and putting

Aaron Carnegie: I hear you do a lot of blaming of the politicians. I think we need to remember something. We just got … $51 million from the politicians for the 2024/2025 session to help keep our books balanced. We have Local Law 11. We have, unfortunately, been plagued with unfunded mandates, which means that there are laws we have to pay for. We have Local Law 11; that starts back up in 2025. And we, hopefully we can budget correctly, where we don’t go over, where it’s gonna be $78 million again. It shouldn’t be, we

ternative sources. There are many sources that we can go for. We have a 501c3 that’s not acting correctly, going after grants or some of these projects that we’re doing …

Shanauzelda Montgomery: We really need to don’t know what’s going on until we see where we are and then we need to make cuts appropriately. We’re not trying to lay people off and we’re not trying to have people lose their jobs, but I’m also not trying to have my seniors displaced and out ofcials. We are spending over $100 million in salaries alone. So, we have 27 departments. We really need transfer some of those departments… have them work in other areas. We really need to cut a lot of what we have. I always say we are not a Fortune 500 company. We need to do what we need to do. We pay insurance for our apartments as well. So the insurance premiums and the companies that are gouging, we’re still paying for our own insurance people have to pay through their insurance company for that. It’s not a cost at Riverbay, unless it’s the hallways or whatever, but I know we’re paying for that because we have insurance, we are told to get insurance. Also, renovating apartments using in-house staff. We don’t need to hire someone outside that’s gonna take 30 days. We have all the materials inside Co-op City… We can renovate those apartments with in-house staff and get that revenue coming in. We can also get grants and stipends…

Q. How do you plan to increase community engagement?

Bernard Cylich: That has been my contention since I got up on the Board. At one time, we had a Congress. We had 147 delegates that met monthly and they deliberated on the conduct of this corpo-

that time because there was a sponsoring board and that Congress, was functioning. We need that again because 15 Board members do not, cannot represent 15,000 families. And they’re part of the league. People feel, well, we are cooperative but

know who the candidates are and we don’t participate. You’ll never hear of us. So, I propose that we establish a Congress again in the Co-op City (they have one in Rochdale), where we have representation from every building. And we give them all Committee on Youth, on Security, all these committees that can engage cooperatives, and make some proposed decisions to the Board, and then I believe the community will feel that they are part of the cooperative, that they actually are participating in a cooperative movement, not just by name only.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: I agree with Bernie that help with getting people in the buildings together and giving people an idea that they’re part of this

(Continued on page 13)

Director

’s Viewpoint

Daryl Johnson Board Meeting Review, 5/21/2024

We had a board meeting on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Then, portions of this meeting were published last week in the Co-op City Times. However, we need to deal with a few issues that occurred during this meeting.

The Real Deal

Televising meetings are a great way for a board to show their transparent nature to their community. However, board members must understand that they should be ready to deal with issues that might arise during a board meeting.

Therefore, we need to review some issues that occurred during this meeting so that they will not occur again. For instance, our board had a closed door meeting about a year ago. Then, some board members erupted and displayed anger towards other board members. Then, it was on!

A board member then resigned after using some strong words against another board member. So, was the problem resolved at that time? Yes.

Statements were also made during this board meeting about the $51 million that we’re supposed to receive from NYS. But, why does NYS have to bail us out if we’ve been making more than $250 million for the past few years? Look, Riverbay blamed increased prices for natural gas and for insurance for their budget crisis.

Then, Riverbay made a decision to overlook their $100 million payroll. And, what about their outrageous payments to contractors for apartment repairs? What is the name of one landlord or housing company in the USA that will issue $5,000 worth of materials and a payment of $12,000 to a contractor to restore a 1-bedroom apartment?

Similarly, Riverbay deliberately made decisions to call for board meetings at the very last moment when insurance policies were going to expire. This way, our board had to approve those new policies and the huge insurance commissions that were going to be paid out.

What about those huge payments that were made to contractors for building repairs and the Dreiser auditorium? Now, from my perspective, there seems to be a central theme that involves all

of these matters.

Another point of contention with our board meetings is the amount of time that we spend on discussing a management report and our board resolutions. But, can you believe that management created preliminary ‘briefing sessions’ so there would be little or no discussion about these matters during our board meetings?

Regardless, what is the purpose of having these preliminary meetings if a management report has to be discussed for about an hour during a board meeting? Furthermore, what is the purpose of all of this talk during our board meetings when this very long management report is being published in our newspaper at a significant cost to our community? So, management needs to consider a better way of how they want to communicate with our community.

Bottom line: Our cooperators should receive good information when they attend a board meeting. Therefore, we should not allow any type of nonsense to go on during our meetings. Also, our board agenda should have time limits for every section. This way, everyone will have a good idea when these meetings will end.

Underutilized Source of Revenue

We have four channels—591, 592, 593, and 594—on our television system. And, unfortunately, they don’t make any money. However, can you imagine how much money we could make if we could provide good content and then sell televised commercial slots to all of the stores in and around Co-op City?

For instance, our cooperators provide a lot of business to our three shopping centers and the Bay Plaza mall. So, all of these stores should be appreciative about the good choices that our cooperators make when they want to purchase food, services, and other items. Therefore, these stores should always think about expanding their business, bringing in more customers, and making more money.

So, Riverbay needs to have an understanding of these business concepts. Then, Riverbay needs to develop a good plan to help these businesses. Can we create and publish effective advertisements in our newspaper for these businesses? Can we place

It’s Graduation Time!

Shareholders, if you have a graduate or a student who excelled this past school year, let us know so their accomplishments can be shared with your neighbors.

Send your submissions to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or call us at 718-320-3300, x3375/7.

good content and good commercials from these stores onto our four channels?

Look, we have 50,000 cooperators that live here. So, Riverbay should be reaching out to these stores to get them to offer better prices and services to our cooperators. Can these stores provide coupons and other promotions to our cooperators? Thereafter, is there a possibility that they can increase their business here?

Bottom line: The Co-op City Times is a good newspaper. However, I personally feel that this newspaper can help a lot of businesses and make a lot of money. Then, we have four television channels that we should review. So, we should try to add good content to at least one channel. Then, lots of stores can advertise on our channel. I personally think that everyone can enjoy a lot of success with our channels.

Close

Lots of companies pay thousands of dollars to television stations to advertise home appliances, fitness products, and other things. So, let’s make this happen.

Thank you.

Contact Information

Please send a letter to: Board Director Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Currently, here is my ONLY email account: djohnson@riverbayboard.com.

I will never ask for or accept money from anyone. Therefore, please do not respond to any message with my name on it that requests money, money transfers, gift cards, personal information, or anything from you. And, please do not ever send money or anything to anyone because you saw my name on a false message.

Also, please call me ONLY at 718-671-4544 if you would like to have a brief discussion with me. And, please hang up your phone immediately if someone calls you and says that they’re Daryl Johnson or is associated with me and asks you for money or anything else.

Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.

June 3rd Deadline

Approaches

for Co-op City Scholarships

Assembly Member Michael R. Benedetto has announced the annual Co-op City Scholarship competition, an initiative to help students who live in Co-op City achieve their dreams of attending college.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be Co-op City residents in their senior year of high school, currently serving or have served their community in a volunteer capacity, and have a C+ grade average or better.

Each year, the Co-op City Scholarship Fund awards scholarships of $500 each to use for school-related expenses like books or tuition. The Fund has awarded more than 35 students since its inception in 2011, according to Assemblyman Benedetto.

Applications for the scholarship can be picked up at the assembly member’s offices at 177 Dreiser Loop, Room 12. Applications are due on Monday, June 3, 2024.

For more information, contact the assembly member’s office by calling 718320-2220 or by email to Tremaine O’Garro at ogarrot@nyassembly.gov

Bryce!

We are proud to announce that Bryce D. Colclough of Bldg. 16B has graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Binghamton University School of Management on May 10th. We are all so very proud of Bryce for all of his hard work and wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. Congratulations!

––Mom Kendra and Larry, dad, Divine, brother Tyreek, grandparents Ronnie & Gwen, Tasha and Terrance.

Stay Vigilant

Be mindful of your surroundings at all times.

Joseph!

Congratulations and best wishes to my son, Joseph E. Parker, who graduated with honors from Hostos Community College on Thursday, May 30. Joseph received the Cocco De Filippis Family Scholarship to continue his studies as an Artist. The Cocco De Filippis Family Scholarship is awarded annually to two fully matriculated Hostos students who have demonstrated community engagement, academic achievement and a minimum GPA of 3.0. As a single mother, I am so proud of my son. Joseph’s latest achievement is fulfllment of my dream when we moved in Co-op City in July 2004. I was looking for a quiet environment to make it possible to focus and study, and this is our moment of proof – mission accomplished! Joseph has excelled as a student and his graduation with Honors is the most recent celebration!

—Paulina A. Parker

Director’s Viewpoint Rod Saunders

This Year - We Get It Done!

I’m certain that each of my colleagues on the Riverbay Board of Directors are – or will be – asking every shareholder to participate by voting in this year’s Riverbay Board of Director’s elections. This year, in addition to the 12 candidates who are seeking election (or re-election) to the Riverbay Corporation’s governing body, the ballot that you have received in your mailbox has two other components added to it.

Proud to Support

In this year’s 2024 Riverbay Board Elections, I am proud to support Community First team members: Jacqueline Smith – Leah Graham – Shanauzelda Montgomery – Kyshawn White.

I am supporting Jacqueline Smith because I know how hard she worked to gain a seat back in 2022. I (and others) know the toll it took on Jacqueline as she helplessly witnessed the physical suffering of the love of her life, who unfortunately passed away. I’m clear on what is being spread around about her inside and outside of the confines of Co-op City. Did she misspeak? Absolutely. What actually transpired occurred after she had endured 8 hrs. at the South Bronx Juvenile Detention Center, dutifully attending the Board meeting, which turned into an additional four and a half hours of intense disagreements between 14 Board directors, beginning with a vote to halt the 2023 Riverbay Board Elections, and ending with the insistence of one Board director to overturn a vote by the 2023 Election Committee (on advice of Counsel), and sustained by the disinterested attending Board directors. In leaving the meeting in total disgust, Jacqueline Smith misspoke. Again, in personally being in that meeting, at that time, in that moment, I can tell you with hesitation that I have definitely witnessed hearing some really serious language, however, it never left the Board Room!

I am supporting Leah Graham because I know exactly what talents she brought to the Board during her previous tenure as a Board director, and when you combine her unique experience in contracts & contract compliance, Leah will be an outstanding asset to the Board in helping us to better understand and utilize the talents of the Compliance Officer who Management recently hired for the Corporation. Based upon the “known” upcoming contracts, both capital and other, Leah Graham is the right fit at this very important time!

I am supporting Shanauzelda “Shana” Mont-

gomery who will no doubt bring the same intensity to the Board Room that she brings to every Forum she has appeared at. First and foremost, Shana has been consistent in her ongoing support for our senior population. It is of the utmost importance that Co-op City continues to keep outstanding programs for seniors that we so gratefully enjoy, however, there’s much more to be had. Getting our youth involved with our seniors in community related programs would be an awesome addition to Coop City’s quality of life. In being a union delegate, Shana will add to the Board’s better understanding of how Riverbay Corp’s union contract negotiations are being handled. The Board has always been fair to, and supportive of our employees, and we are going to continue to do so. Having said that, we must also consider the source of the Corporation’s payroll. Back in 2017/18, the Riverbay Board of Directors decided to drop the Education & Youth Committee from the Board’s jurisdiction and instead, place in under the jurisdiction of the Riverbay Fund, Inc. As a teacher, Shana could bring about the restoration of more youth-oriented programs, positioned back under the Riverbay Board of Directors.

I am supporting Kyshawn White because right from the beginning, he stated that the Community First Team’s primary focus was to “safeguard the voting rights of shareholders in all forthcoming elections.” That was my “you had me at hello” moment. Kyshawn has expressed his assessment for the need for best business practices. He has stated that by merging managerial responsibilities, combined with Board oversight, will culminate with the continued enhancement of our cooperator’s quality of life. His outspoken appeal for oversight and transparency is in line with the direction of Riverbay Corp’s new Management team. I believe that Kyshawn White’s understanding of what Board directors responsibilities are, he will be a Board director who will help build consensus, as well as ensuring that Management’s responsibilities and goals come to fruition. I fully support

Kyshawn White’s pragmatic perspective and vision for Co-op City’s future.

In the final analysis, I believe that the Community First Team deserves your vote. I believe that Leah and Shanauzelda (Shana) deserve the votes you gave to them last year, if not more so this year. You already know they will respect your vote. I believe that in electing Jacqueline Smith who is adamantly in support of always safeguarding our votes, and by voting Kyshawn White on to the Riverbay Board of Directors, the community would have made the right choice.

The Other Two Items

The Board considered putting on a resolution that would ban smoking anywhere on our campus grounds, inside of our buildings. That includes everyone’s apartment as well. I suggested, and the maker of the resolution agreed, that the Board of Directors should vote on that issue “after” the shareholders had an opportunity to weigh in on the matter.

Now is your opportunity to do so. You may fillin the circle for YES – if you wish to ban smoking from all Co-op City buildings & grounds, or you may fill-in the circle for NO – if you do not want to ban smoking in the buildings or on the grounds of Co-op City.

The second item is for those of you who choose not to participate in the policy making leadership of our community, but you recognize that your friend and neighbors do. Therefore, to help shareholders reach a quorum, you might wish to choose the Optional: fill-in the “I am casting a ballot for purposes of quorum only.”

Thank you as always for taking the time to read my viewpoint. I can be reached at rsaunders@riverbayboard.com.

Forum #2 ––– (Continued from page 9)

community, you are one of us. We are together. We need to come together. We don’t want you to just come home from work, go home, close the door, and that’s it. We need you to be a part of this. We need to participate. Everything that we can do together, we’re a community. We have to understand that.

Sheila Richburg: I agree with more opportunities for community engagement. I am a part of the Riverbay Fund, so we are responsible for community events that happen. I think that is one way to have more community engagement. Also, community forums. I think there should be more opportunities like this with the community involved. The community comes out and we can have conversations. I know there’s other things happening in the community… we have different forums for the community to speak to the Riverbay Board of Directors. And I think that’s important, so that the directors can hear you and the directors can act on your actions.

Kyshawn Whiteson why the community is not engaged, is because we don’t respect their vote or their voice. People are not being heard. As we look across our nation, even our city right now, as we come into election season in November, most people are not even engaged because the politicians and the people that we continue to elect don’t represent the voice of the people. They come with their own ideas, they come in with their special interests, kind of subvert their will to what they want to do, and the people sit frustrated time after time again. I am here today with Community First to let you know that your voice will be represented. You will no longer feel apathetic. Your voice will not be misheard or dismissed. An election will not be canceled. You will be heard and your voice will be heard within the Riverbay Board as well as you will see the changes that you want implemented. We will take our skills, our knowledge, our intellect, and our hard work to make sure that everything that you want for your community, we are here to represent you. You are not just the owner of Riverbay and Co-op City. You are also the customer, and it is about time that the customer is treated with respect because we are now the undercover boss. We are walking around and we are making sure that everyone is attentive to our needs.

Kevin Foggie: I think there are a lot of things that are already in place so that the community can be involved. For those that are technically inclined, you have QR codes that’s in the Co-op City Times. If you scan it, you can put up your questions, your complaints. You have building association presidents, and there is a hierarchy. There is a reason why we have these kind of committees. The shareholders just need to have access to their representatives of their building, and the representative of the building will then have access to others that are in Management, and it just goes up the chain. I think there are things in place already where you can be involved. At the last forum, we asked how many of you actually read the Co-op City Times where few hands went up. What I’m saying is, things are already in place. There is a hierarchy. All we have to do is access it. So, you want involvement? You are involved. The resources are there. Hold the building presidents accountable. Hold the Board of Directors accountable. Hold the Management accountable. Just let your voices be heard.

Leah Graham: I have a laundry list on how we can be more engaged, right? … We keep asking for garage attendants. We need to do that, right? Another thing that I noticed that people ask for, Section Five was that bathrooms renovated, right? When you’re happy, you want to be involved. We should be doing things to make this community more engaged. We talk about, we have our election rules, 13 pages of rules that kind of make me feel, keeps me from engaging the community. I can’t walk around and engage people. I can’t walk in my

should be improving, enhancing our election rules

that will allow us to engage the community more effectively and get them involved. A lot of times people don’t even know we’re having an election because it’s so quiet. We need to be making it a big deal. Also, with the orientation for new cooperatives, when I went to one of the orientations as a Board director, we answered questions like, “What channel is your laundry room on?” And providing a lot of different services. Also, making an app where we can… read our Co-op City Times on an app. So we kind of need, there’s a lot of different things that we can do to engage this community. And if you elect us, we will make it happen.

Andrea Leslie: My feeling, in order to get the community involved is from the very start. We have an orientation that is very rule driven. Making new shareholders aware of every rule that they should not break… We don’t have, we’re not allowed to have Board members there, community organizations there. I think if we get those people involved from the very beginning when someone is moving in and to have them understand the cooperative spirit that we’re here, then I think that we would have all the more engagement. If we’re having Board members at the orientations, if we’re having community organization members, that will make someone understand that they’re not moving in as a rental, they’re a shareholder, there are activities for them to be involved in, right from the very that I think we need to start incorporating in is some they can get involved with your neighbor. Some-tains. Make that a suggestion and orientation from the very beginning to get people involved from the very beginning. That’s how you get that vote.

Jacqueline Smith: One of the strategies we want to bring back is, I moved into Section Five in 1971, and one of the things Co-op City had from the beginning was the Community Relations Committee. The Committee was comprised of at least one representative from each section. That was the committee where the voices from each section was heard, their ideas were taken, they were involved in community planning. Also, what we’re gonna bring back is we used to have a biannual meet and greet in Dreiser Auditorium. It is where shareholders came together to greet the new shareholders, meet all the church representatives, all our store vendors, our legislators. In order to build community, you have to engage. That’s what engagement means. We have to have events. We used to have educational events in Co-op City. We used to have places where people could go and learn. You have to provide that. You have to provide the facility. You have to provide the effort…If you send the Community First Team to the Board, we promise and pledge that that is the forefront if we want our community to go forward and thrive. We have to put that effort to invite you into the process. Our greatest strength in Co-op City is not Management. We’re not adversarial, but our greatest strength, our best diversity is the shareholders. Co-op City doesn’t have to be a memory.

Mary Pearson: I think this event and this election is really an incredible way to get the community together because on this ballot, we have a referendum. Are you for banning smoking in apartments, tobacco, or cannabis, or are you against it; vote yes or no ... That is an incentive to come out and vote. Every Election Committee is a different Election Committee. They make different rules and decisions of what to do. Very kindly, they allow me to hang up signs, to make signs and have the building presidents hang them in the lobbies with a very pretty balloon, last minute. How many saw the balloon and the sign and came out tonight? I know a lot of people came out because Building 26 did a great push to get people to come out tonight and to just in general vote. Okay, so we have that, the referendum is good, we should have it more often and we should have referendums about all extras, all extra things we want to buy.

Aaron Carnegie: I heard about bringing back the Congress. I was a little too young to be back

in that forum, but… we have building associations now. We are engaged with our building associations. Now some people here may or may not go to their building associations, or if you do, you notice it might be a little light at times for people being there. That’s because they show up when people are important to them. Who’s important to them? Who you want engagement from? The Board members. Have them come to the building association meetings. As a Board member, if I’m elected, I will be going to building association meetings, if invited. We kind of don’t have that right now. Some Board members don’t come out, they just stay there. The other thing I would like to do is, in terms of the building, the orientations for new shareholders, allow the building association presidents there, especially if they are having people come to their building because they need to, from the beginning, know and understand what you want from them. They are used to not engaging in the community. They are used to having an apartment lifestyle. This is a shareholder lifestyle. They are totally different.

Shanauzelda Montgomery: The problem with this country is to feel not wanted and not needed. We have a tendency to make our seniors and our children feel, because they no longer are where they should be, that they’re not wanted or needed. We need to engage the community, engage our seniors, and engage our students. It’s like a few people are making all the decisions for everything that’s happening in the community and no one is asking the community exactly what they want. We discard the senior citizens. We don’t think much about the students and the children, so of course if you’re disengaged because no one is including you in the conversation. I said it looks beautiful in here, and thank you, I know I said it last year, about you know, sprucing things up and making things a big deal, and we need to do that when we’re outside. We’re hanging posters up of councilmen because they’re running, but we can’t hang our own posters up, we can’t have pride in running for our election. We can rally the community and say, let’s get balloons, let’s make this a huge deal, not just inside here, but outside, using our community rooms just for Bingo nights… for everyone to just gather, to talk, to meet your neighbors. I think we’ve done a poor job with including the entire community, and as I said, I think a few people are on everything… They’re making the decisions for the entire community, and that’s why the community is disengaged.

Q. Have any of you served on the Board before? If so, what was your experience like? If you have not served on the Board before, talk about another Board or community organization you’ve served on.

Bernard Cylich: In 1977, we had ended the rent strike and I was part of the leadership. At that time, the HCR sent the Strike Committee an initial acting Board of Directors. There was 10 of us, and then on that committee on the Board. I had some problems with the leadership and I just could not serve under that kind of leadership and I did step down. I could tell you more, but the time wouldn’t allow it. Then I did serve again in 1995 when I came in sixth and the Board member had stepped down, he left and I took his place after four months of serving with the Board... At that time, it was Iris Baez who was chair. Now I’m on the Board and one of the things I’m proud of is when we became the leaders of the corporation, we found we were almost on the verge of bankruptcy because the previous we stopped it. And subsequently, we had to suspend the Management and the Risk Manager. And now we are on an impressive trajectory where the increases in your carrying charges have been much less than the consumer pricing...

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: Well, I’ve never served on the Board before, never had that honor yet, but I’ve been a member of my building association since 2016. I became the secretary soon after and it

(Continued on page 15)

CELEBRATE DAD

Forum #2 –– (Continued from page 13)

was great scheduling talks. I scheduled, that’s how I met Bernie, I scheduled Bernie to come. I scheduled Daryl Johnson to come. I scheduled our fire chief, Anthony Barzelatto, to come, and scheduled several politicians to come and speak and they made a great impression on me. Bernie came, he made a great impression on me and I was just like, okay, maybe it’s time to run for the Board. And I tried to run in 2022 and I didn’t win, it happens. But, you know, I’m very persistent. As you see, I’m back here again. You get knocked down twice, you get up twice. So hopefully that doesn’t happen again. But I had great experiences as a building association secretary, now president. Like I said, we scheduled many events, many speakers – a lot of fun being a part of that… Sheila Richburg: I am currently involved as the president of the National Council of Negro Women, as stated earlier today. During my tenure, the National Council of Negro Women has grown from 52 members to now 97 members under my leadership. During my four years, we put on webinars about economic empowerment, health, social justice. We have health fairs, where there were over 500 people in attendance. I am a nurse, so I am really dedicated to health inequities and having as many organizational events as we can to help improve health outcomes in our community. As you know, the Bronx is the leading borough in most diseases. Also, a few weeks ago, we went to one of our … congressmen’s office to advocate for bills, bills for our community to make things better. I’m also involved in many other organizations. I will talk about my building association really briefly. The building association I joined from week three coming to this community. I have been involved in writing… Kyshawn White: The past 16 years, I have led the Second Providence Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. Prior to that, I served for 16 years as vice president within the Corporate Investment Bank of Deutsche Bank Trust Company of America. I came to a small, struggling, fledgling congregation. I built that congregation up. We built our building that was falling down, dilapidated, to a brand new multi-use structure with affordable housing as well as a new state-of-the-art church facility and community facility for Harlem. I have the experience to know how to work with people who are hurting. Multigenerational. I have to deal with all the time and be there to help and to encourage those from our seniors to those who are middle-aged, to our young adults, even to our infants and children. I know what it means to care for people on the bottom level and one of the reasons why I am running, along with Community First, is to serve you. I am one of you. I’m the same person who came into our building every day, who worked and put their head down and just tried to put food on the table for their family and I understand what each and every one of you are going through and I want to be your representative on this Board so that your voice is heard. We are here for you…

Kevin Foggie: As a youth pastor, I’ve headed many, what we would call, outings and during these outings we would have sessions with the youth and my focus was always trying to reach that generation that I could not understand the lingo or the language. So, I began to just learn what they wanted and it taught me how to be an excellent listener. So from a youth pastor, as I became effective in that, they then promoted me to Elder and then I became an Elder and what I did with that, we had a different way of approaching Sunday School. It wasn’t so regimented where we went by the book, we began to just try to expound, if you will, or explain on a level that didn’t try to seem to be so intellectual. So, one of my assets is listening and trying to break it down so that even a baby can understand it. A lot of times we get so caught up in our education and our degrees and we speak at a level that people just can’t communicate with us because they don’t have the same vocabulary. So, I’m very effective in listening then breaking down the information that I have for you. And with that, I think we can really get some things done because of the community…

Leah Graham: I served on a council panel. I currently serve on a contracts acquisition panel. And I have over 10 years as an advocacy analyst. I served

as your Board director for six years from 2010 to 2016. And those were some really great times. I sat among some, what I call, amazing leaders like Othelia Jones, Helen Atkins, Mr. Gordon, and a highly intellectual President Cleve Taylor. During that time, we have done quite a bit in this community. One of the things that I did when I was serving as your Board director, I attended various building association meetings, and I loved doing it. I always received invites and I would hustle there right after work and communicate with those in front of me. And it was a great experience. I also was on the team who helped facilitate the fixed loan that we got from HUD, because we were in an interest-only loan and it was really causing some financial strain on our community so we were successful in doing that. I also helped facilitate the televised Board meetings that we all have now. I also again I was chairing the Budget Committee.

Andrea Leslie: As a Board member, I’ve been more proud of the political activities that we’ve had. This Board, more than any other Board, has been involved in a number of bus trips we’ve taken to Washington, D.C. on behalf of some issues that we were addressing. I’ve been part of… the Riverbay Fund Board. I’ve been more proud to, not just for Co-op City, but part of CU4ML, which is an organization of co-ops that are part of Mitchell-Lama. And we’ve gone to different co-ops trying to help them and help other members to become board members. And political activity is more what I’m interested in. That’s how you get some people involved. And so that’s some of the things that I’ve done as a Board member here, … as part of organizations outside of Co-op City on behalf of co-ops and Mitchell-Lama co-ops.

Jacqueline Smith: My mother was an original shareholder in Section 5. She was involved with the Urban League lawsuit that allowed a certain culture of color of skin in 1971 to get into Co-op City in abundance. It was with great pride and dignity that I was elected to the Board of Directors. When I first got there, I was so honored to be there and I hit the ground running. But I was little surprised, but as the time went on, every resolution, or many of the resolutions, everything became 8-7, 8-7, 8-7, 8-7, 8-7. Unfortunately, in June of 2023, my fiancé was dying in the hospital and I had to resign. Because the fight was still in me, it was 8-7, 8-7, and 8-7, but my mother raised me to be strong. But I felt my place was with Clarence and I’m glad I did it. It’s with great thought and dignity I ask God for discernment. My supporters called me and they said your job is not done. And with that, I decided to run again.

Mary Pearson: I’ve served on the Board for about four and a half years altogether. And some of my nicest, most satisfying experiences were working in a committee with Anika Green-Watson, working on the room rentals. We reevaluated the room rentals when they were opened up for outside renters which is one of the ways that we were trying to, in fact Management brought it to us, trying to increase revenue. I worked with Monique Coleman, on the Insurance Committee. There were others, but we were the two that were really working on it, and we saved maybe not a boatload of money, but about half a billion dollars for the community. I’ve worked with Andrea Leslie on the Disability Committee and I met a lovely woman and her son through that. And then I got the BXM7 to move back where it belonged, to move back to Einstein East. That was terrific and it got over the finish line with the help of Leslie Peterson. So, we all worked together…

Aaron Carnegie: I’m not on the Board as of yet. I’m currently president of Building 27, which has been a joy. I brought, I don’t want to say new, because I’m not sure if they did it before, but we have a movie night now… And I use it as an educational tool right now. I bring movies about people they haven’t seen or know about. The last movie that we saw was “Invisible Beauty,” story of Bethann Hardison. In that particular movie… people showed up, but no one knew who she was, how important she was or is, I should say, to Black history, to the fashion industry. And they were pleasantly surprised when the movie was over, they’d never heard of her. And we had a packed room. That was probably my proudest

moment because I was able to educate my building on something that they didn’t know. My building is, mostly everyone is older than me, and it was a joy to bring that to them. Unfortunately, we lost two of our stalwarts of our building…

Shanauzelda Montgomery: I’ve never served on the Board of Directors for Riverbay, I’m hoping to. I served on a Scholastics advisory board where we went into Scholastics with other teachers from around the country to revamp their website to make it more efficient for teachers. I’m part of the school improvement plan for the community and for my school, where we make sure that students are receiving what they need to receive and making an academic plan for teachers as well as the students. I served on a DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We partnered with Bronxville and Scarsdale to just try to speak about being sensitive when you have Black and Brown children in your classroom. I’m a delegate for the New York State Teachers Retirement System, where I write resolutions as well as vote on them for what’s in the best interest of teachers and especially retired teachers. I’m also one of the New York State United Teachers Delegates and again, writing resolutions as well as voting on them for the well-being of teachers. I started an organization, mimicked after My Brother’s Keeper, called My Sisters Keep Her Healthy, Enriched and Responsible, with my school and other schools. I’m on the Reading First grant where we try to get books for students that are in need and try to make literacy a number one priority.

Q. Except in extreme cases, do you believe that contractors should be penalized for not completing a job within the contracted time limit.

Bernard Cylich : Actually, there’s a penalty clause in every contract and the contractor is required to complete the job as stipulated in the contract. So, there’s no such question as that they are not fulfilling their responsibility, because they’re penalized. Actually, this penalty was instituted when we… became leadership on the Board and we insisted that the contract be so designed with this stipulation. And I think we did fine one contractor quite a bit of money because he did not fulfill the contractual obligations in completing the job within the time frame of the contract.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: With the penalty clause in place, yes, we should penalize contractors who do not do the work that we require of them in a timely fashion. Simple as that.

Sheila Richburg: I believe that with a penalty clause in place, it has to be instituted case by case. I think sometimes when contractors begin work and… they may find other things that need to be done. I think we should evaluate the work and we should initiate the penalty clause if it is necessary, if we find that it’s needed. That’s why we have people in charge of the work, so that they can evaluate and see if this penalty clause is necessary.

Kyshawn White: Recently, we just in this past October, completed the construction of a new worship facility and building. It is paramount that contractors be held accountable and penalized, for sometimes their poor and their negligent behavior. One of the things that happens in a building project is there has to be proper oversight over contractors. Contractors will overbuild, contractors will make change orders. We experienced this as I led my congregation and our church in this building project all throughout COVID when everything was shut down and we had to continue. Quality control is key. One of the things that we have to do is have in-depth inspections. In Co-op City, one of the things that I have noticed is these patchwork repairs, little painting over of things and then having to repair it again and again and again. Sometimes, while I can’t say, this is just my opinion, maybe possibly it’s done on purpose … Instead of getting to the root of the problem and doing it strategically, looking at it, analyzing it and fixing it from the ground up. It’s better to measure a thing 15 times and cut it once, than to measure it once and cut 15 times. You destroy things over and over and over again and of course to rebuild them and we need to hold our contractors accountable and

(Continued on page 17)

Director’s Viewpoint

Leah Richardson

Valuable Sources of Information & Endorsements in

Kudos to the Co-op City community for turning out in numbers for the Riverbay Board of Directors Forums. We must make our voices heard. However, it is equally essential to ensure that the information shared is accurate. I observed that some candidates provided incorrect details about Management and Board activities. Please factcheck your statements before presenting them to the community to prevent misunderstandings.

For reliable information, I encourage you to refer to the Co-op City Times, the lobby crawlers, and the Riverbay Corporation website. Additionally, your CSO Office and Building Association President are valuable sources of accurate information. All shareholders should have received an occupancy agreement when they purchased their apartments, which serves as a comprehensive guide to

Voting ––––– (Continued from page 1)

your rights and responsibilities.

“An occupancy agreement is a legal document outlining the terms and conditions under which a party may occupy a property. In the context of apartment renting, it specifies the rights and responsibilities of each party involved, covering all contingencies, financial responsibilities, and legalities during the occupancy period.” Please call your CSO office for a copy if you do not have one.

Endorsements

Congratulations to all the candidates who took the initiative to represent our community. While it is often a thankless job, serving your community is invaluable. I endorse the Community First Team and Aaron Carnegie, believing their experience, accountability, transparency, passion, and property management knowledge will benefit our community. Each candidate brings skills that will help im-

decor throughout the community,” said Director Anika Green-Watson. “The 2024 Riverbay Board Election is in full swing!! If your building lobby or townhouse green is not decorated, you still have time to join in. If you missed any of the three Forums, they are being rebroadcast on the crawler. If you have any questions for the Election Committee, the best way to reach us is at: riverbay2024election@riverbaycorp.com. Let’s meet quorum by Friday, June 14th! Happy voting.”

YesElections began mailing official 2024 green ballot envelopes to Co-op City households on Wednesday, May 24. Each is identified as “Riverbay Board Elections Official Ballot” on the front of the envelope.

Shareholders who have questions about the ballot are asked to contact YesElections by phone or email using the information above.

Those returning completed ballot envelopes must place them in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided with the ballot. The envelope must then be deposited in a USPS mailbox or taken to the Post Office. Under no circumstance should the ballot be returned to Riverbay or placed in the carrying charge box in the community centers. Completed ballots must be returned directly to YesElections, Riverbay’s independent election vendor.

Eligible shareholders of record as of April 1, 2024 are voting to fill up to six seats on the Board this election cycle.

The 2024 certified candidates are Jacqueline Smith, Mary Pearson, Aaron Carnegie, Shanauzelda Montgomery, Bernard Cylich, Ezekiel Springer Jr., Corazon Fernandez, Sheila Richburg, Kyshawn White, Kevin Foggie, Leah Graham and Andrea Leslie. There is one vote per residential unit by a shareholder of record.

This year, shareholders are also voting “Yes” or “No” on a referendum question on an indoor smoking ban of tobacco and cannabis products within all residential apartments.

Additionally, for those who do not wish to participate in the Board election or the referendum, there is an option to cast your ballot for quorum purposes only. Regardless, shareholders are encouraged to exercise their democratic right to elect Board representatives of their choice to the community’s policy making body – the Riverbay Board of Directors.

Please note that if you vote for candidates and/or on the referendum, you cannot check the option to vote for quorum purposes only. Conversely, if you check the box to vote only for quorum purposes, you cannot also vote for candidates and/or on the referendum. You can either choose to vote for candidates and/or the referendum, or cast your ballot for quorum purposes only.

Shareholders filling out paper ballots are cautioned not to vote for more than six candidates as instructed on the official ballot. Shareholders voting electronically will receive a warning if more than six candidates are selected and the process will not move forward until the error is corrected.

Ballots can be returned in one of two ways. They can be mailed in the pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope provided with the ballot, in which case the envelope must be postmarked by June 14, 2024 to be counted in the election. Or, shareholders may choose to vote electronically using a tablet, computer or smartphone. To do so, type “riverbayvotes.com” into the address bar on your browser, enter the unique PIN and Code from your ballot, and follow the onscreen instructions. Electronic ballots must be received by YesElections by 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14.

Election information and updates are printed in the Coop City Times and posted on the Riverbay Crawler. Shareholders are encouraged to tune in regularly to keep up with election-related news.

The Crawler is accessed on channel 12 (MATV) and channel 591 (Optimum).

Three consecutive election supplements introducing the Board election candidates and their views were published in the Co-op City Times beginning on Saturday, May 4, followed by May 11 and May 18. Last week, the first supplement was republished for those who missed the first print-

prove our quality of life and fiscal health.

Directors on a corporation’s board have fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders, encompassing the Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, and Duty of Obedience. However, community engagement is equally crucial in making informed decisions. It not only enhances the efficiency, legitimacy, and transparency of decision-making but also promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants.

The flow of accurate information fosters trust within the community. The Board welcomes community participation in the decision-making process. We need you to continue bringing matters to our attention to improve your quality of life, and we will address your concerns with Management. I look forward to working with the new Board directors and continuing to serve our community.

ing on May 4. This week, in the newspaper issue dated Saturday, June 1, the second supplement is reprinted on pages 26-35. Next Saturday, June 8, the final election supplement, originally published in the May 18th Co-op Times, will be republished.

In addition to the physical newspaper which is delivered to building lobbies and community centers on Saturdays, the Co-op City Times can also be read online at issuu/com/cctimes or by clicking the link at the bottom of the Home page on the corporation’s website at coopcity.com. For faster connection to the issuu.com platform, you may scan the QR code affixed to the delivery bins in your building lobby. Alternatively, you may read the paper on X, @coopcitytimes.

Starting on page 1 of this issue is a summary report of the Q&A session at the second Candidates’ Forum held in the Einstein Center on Wednesday, May 22. A summary of the first Candidates’ Forum which took place on Saturday, May 18, in the Dreiser Auditorium was published in the May 25, 2024 newspaper. The first forum is also being rebroadcast on the Riverbay Crawler at 10 a.m., 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. daily. In addition, it can also be viewed 24/7 on the corporation’s YouTube channel, https://bit.ly/3h6CrF7.

The second Candidates’ Forum will be added to the Crawler for rebroadcast by early next week, followed by the rebroadcast of the third forum, held Wednesday night, May 29, in Room 31 of the Bartow Center.

At the YesElections portal at riverbayvotes.com, shareholders can view short videos and bios submitted by the candidates to further familiarize the community with their candidacy and platforms.

If the required number of shareholders vote by June 14, the Election Committee will review and certify the results on Wednesday, June 19, and the official results will be posted publicly on Thursday, June 20. The deadline to file electronic challenges to the election results is 5 p.m. on Friday, June 21. The new Board members will be sworn in on Wednesday, June 26, and begin serving their three-year terms.

According to the 2024 Election schedule, should the required number of ballots, 5,035, not be received by 9:00 p.m. on June 14, the voting period will be extended from 9:01 p.m. on June 14, until 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, or until the quorum is achieved. The election results will then be reviewed and certified by the Election Committee on Monday, July 8. The deadline to file electronic challenge to the election results in this scenario will be Wednesday, July 10, at 5 p.m., and the newly elected Board members will be sworn in on Wednesday, July 17.

To incentivize engagement in the Board election, the 2024 Election Committee invites building and townhouse associations to enter the building lobby and townhouse greens decorating contest. Three prizes will be awarded to the best decorated as determined by shareholders’ votes. See information on the Riverbay Crawler and below on this page.

Forum #2 –– (Continued from page 15)

we should withhold their payment from them if they don’t do the job that they contracted them to do.

Kevin Foggie: Absolutely, contractors should be held responsible. It’s nothing less than we would expect our children or adults at a job. Nothing has changed. I think, now I haven’t served on the Board so I don’t know how it’s actually run, but this is clear, you need a project manager. You need timely inspections. And my brother, who works in construction, I learned something from him when he would get his jobs. And he told me the difference between, he called it piece work, where you get paid, as long as you’re on the job, you’ll keep don’t complete it in the allotted amount of time, you can’t just walk away from the job, again, the penalty clause. So, we have to have a way where there’s a project manager that we’re holding accountable for the project, then with the inspections but built into it, we need to make sure and I think sometimes this comes when you deal with union and nonunion. If it’s a non-union contractor, they’re hiring people let’s say off the street, we don’t know; but a union, there are certain rules involved with that. So, I’m very big on union labor, and I know sometimes it will cost more, but you get better results because they understand the penalty.

Leah Graham: Contracting. It depends how you write a contract. We have to look around this community. Lots of contracting, but we’re not really happy with the work. It’s all about the way the contract is written, right? We are supposed to put many clauses in contracts, including those that would penalize any contractor if the work is not done a certain way. It’s very important that we hold them accountable and protect this community. We can always have clauses where we can end the contract just for convenience, right? If they’re not performing up to par. The other thing that I notice here in this community, the way that our contract structure is designed, we should have the right people writing the RFP, right, preparing the bids that have to go out. And we have to specify exactly what it is that we’re looking for. I don’t care if someone hires union or non-union. I’m looking for technical knowledge and experience to do the job. And we should have someone on staff that’s monitoring and managing these contractors, ensuring that the work is done, not paying them unless they have proven that the work is done correct and properly. So, I totally agree that there should be more clauses in our contracts that will better protect this community and that does include penalties as well.

Andrea Leslie: We already are doing that. As a matter of fact, since I’ve been on the Board and more recently, we changed for procurement how contracts were written and there are penalties and we can say right now, we’ve now hired a Compli-

and a… Internal Auditor, we’ll be able to monitor more where penalties are required and needed and we’ve had a number of contracts with issues. With the Legal department working with us, we’ve been able to correct and change some of those things and contractors have the understanding that they come, they’re not in compliance, especially now that we

more penalties if contractors are not in compliance.

Jacqueline Smith the water came down in my closet ... It was a twoday process for them to come, go to the balcony on

has come down in the closet ... There’s been a bucket in my foyer underneath my chandelier since April 14th. There is no management oversight of the contracts that we currently have with outside vendors, because no supervisor ever came to check the outside vendor’s work. ... I’m not an adversarial person with Management. The First Community Team look forward to work with Management and

weeks ago, I was reading the Co-op City Times and I saw resolutions for two change orders. I’m not accusing anybody of anything. What I’m saying to

you cooperatives, I grew up here, I thrived here and I dearly want to retire here. We have to send people to the Board to work with the current Board members that want to work together to take a look at these things. Penalties is not the only thing. Oversight.

Mary Pearson: Contractors, we are required don’t think that’s good enough. I think we need to

that all of a sudden notices that it’s not going their way. They do the job shabbily and off they go. If you hire a union, they’re not going anywhere. If the job’s not done right, they will repair it. They will change it. Just look at our staircases outside of the community center going up to the pharmacy… They use the same template no matter where it is. Okay, so that’s what I want to do. I want to change

if it’s responsible, let them come in 20% higher. We’re going to save money in the long run.

Aaron Carnegie: Yes, they should get a penalty. But what we really, really have got to start doing, especially for work in our apartments, they need to be inspected before and after. Because what happens is… when you have it inspected, there’s a quality that needs to be there. If it’s not good, unfortunately, they need to do it again. And we should not be paying for them to do it again.

Shanauzelda Montgomery: As they pass the torch down, it’s of course a yes, yes, and a yes. Riverbay is a gold mine. Honestly, Riverbay is an absolute gold mine and anyone who comes here for a contract knows they are going to be paid very well. And they take advantage of that and they’re gouging us. So, we really need an oversight, we

ditional orders to where they make money, or they see a little scratch on something, but they feel they gotta tear it all down and to rebuild just to repair a scratch. We have to have oversight of these things. Contractors and people in general that wanna make money for their companies, they’re going to do what they are allowed to do. And if we continuously allow them to take advantage of our community, that’s exactly what they’re going to do… We say we take the lowest contracts, but the lowest is not always the best contract, right? So people that are good for you are not necessarily good to you. So, if they know you can come to Riverbay and you can get rich, because of the budget we have and everything else, that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in right now. Because they’re taking advantage of us and we need to stop that and we need to hold them accountable. So it’s absolutely yes, yes and yes.

Q. How will you address shareholder concerns related to the need to increase Public Safe-

Shanauzelda Montgomery: I said this last year and in the beginning, we need to just bring them back. We need to do what we need to do in thatpacity, as well as the people that we need in the garages. I think it’s really important. I think it’s a safety issue. We used to have the CCPD that rides around on bicycles. We used to have them riding around in the garages late at night, two or three o ‘clock in the morning when they know people are either coming home from an event or whatever. I think it’s just very important that we understand our budget and we understand the priorities and the things that we need to prioritize for our budget. It can no longer just be okay we have to cut this. When you cut safety, you’re risking car thefts, you’re risking vandalism in cars. We see cars with car windows broken, shattered. We see wheels slashed. We just need to ramp up our security, as well as around the perimeter…But I’m a big advocate for security and for bringing our Co-op City Police Department back in full force, 100%. We need them and we need the budget for that…

Aaron Carnegie: In 2023, the Board did not budget for CCPD’s recruiting class… That is one takes 18 months for a CCPD to be trained and gone

We just had a recruiting class that started, I believeskip that we did, that was not budgeted for, we will -

up, but unfortunately that is the reality. So, I am begging you, remember that when you vote, because now it takes time to get our safety back on track. Because they did not budget for them, trying to save a buck…

Mary Pearson

93 we are down to 39. Retention is very hard, as soon as they get their guns, they move on to Suffolk County, NYPD. Our Co-op City PD, the P stands for public safety, it does not even stand for police. A lot of the people who want to be police bad guys. Around here, our CCPD is really more in picking old ladies up off the ground when they fall down. And that’s just the reality. Or pointing at the dog poop. Or not pointing at the dog poop. It’s not a glamorous thing. I think we should have a two-tier security system. Keep our guys and gals with the guns. Spread them out with the cars here and the cars there. One in each of the three sections. Because we’re in three sections, Dreiser, Bartow and Einstein. And I think we should have just a plain security group of people. So… employees that do the stuff like walking our greenways and making sure you put your dog on a leash, the stuff like that, the less glamorous but very needed extra eyes for security…

Jacqueline Smith

So, we have to do a forensic audit on the departthing is we need to get back to community policing Co-op City, in Section Five, we had a one-to-one institute the community policing program we don’t have. We need that very much. Walking around getting to know your shareholders helps trementhe budget to have regular training classes, is that CCPD needs to bring back sweeps in the building on schedule in the staircases. Every other building, every section, day and night, we have people in the staircase. We can schedule it. We know that’s a big task, but they did it for 20 years straight. The last thing and I did research this, you said facts only. Quite a few people are instituting this. It takes $12,000 to train one CCPD. If you come and you pass and you accepted a job at Co-op City you sign a contract and we say we’re going to give you three years of the top training that other counties do less. leave before three years you pay back the percentage of that training.

Andrea Leslie: I know that everybody would love to have garage attendants and lobby attendants and actually, the lobby attendants program we had was not adequate. If you were going to have lobby attendants, then it needed really to be seven days a week, 24 hours and you have to bear in mind that the lobby attendants was not responsible for sweeping the building, that lobby attendant’s position was right in front of the lobby and nothing else. The lobby attendant’s responsibility was not to open the door for anyone they know or anyone else. The garage attendant is also a situation. We can always get that back, but it costs money… What we’re do-

telling us that even when we no longer have garage attendants and lobby attendants, our crime rate has dropped. So, we have to bear that in mind when we’re trying to balance our budget and what it is that we’re going to pay for as our money comes

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in and our money needs to go out. So, it’s not that we’re not concerned about security, but we have to balance all of that. Some of that we don’t want to be just perception. It has to be actual facts, in terms of safety.

Leah Graham: One of the things I think, in order to increase public safety, is to never take that money out of the budget. Never do it. That’s really the key. The fact that… we have many contracts are way over budget, millions and millions of dollars over budget, and no one is held accountable. So, to me the way to increase public safety for me, I would be partnering with public safety. I would be partnering with Management. We would be looking we have encountered. Again the reason we don’t fully staffed, public safety is supposed to have like

of a decision that was made in the boardroom. It should never be out of the budget. You need directors that understand the importance of public safety. And the other thing when we talk about garage attendants, we should look for whatever we need to do. Move money from here to there. Again, if

understand budgeting and strategic planning to ensure the safety of this community.

Kevin Foggie: This is a very interesting question because there’s a lot of variables. The more information you have, the better you’ll be equipped to really get a handle on this. As an ex-correction ofwith the title. The problem you’re having here? It’s a revolving door. Many of them are coming here just to get a gun license and then after they get their gun license, guess what? NYPD has a better offer. Let’s get real. Everybody’s looking for a quality of life. We have families to feed and goals and aspirations. If somebody’s willing to give me more

You want public safety here? Here’s my issue. I pay taxes. Why is the mayor telling me we can’t get NYPD here because there’s hardly any crime? I pay taxes for that. What’s the problem? We can’t even get one squad car? That’s unacceptable. And again, I’m saying put the pressure on the elected ofonly but so much we can do, but we pay taxes. We are entitled to things just because we’re citizens of the United States.

Kyshawn White: First thing is that term, community. Community is about engaging the people. We throw about… the term, community policing. But I don’t see any community policing. I see police. I see police cars. But I don’t see the actual police engaging with the people. Co-op City police have to get out of their cars and begin to walk inside of the buildings and the parks and the neighborhoods and engage the community. They have to begin doing vertical sweeps removing the people who are smoking weed in our stairwells, who are pulling out the light bulbs in our stairwells, who are sleeping in our stairwells because they feel comfortable, because Co-op City police are not there. We can make excuses all day long. Every one of us in our private vocations are forced to do more with less. We work on a job where people are laid off all the time and we are still expected to deliver the same results with less people. Co-op City police is no different. They have to deliver the results. That’s why we pay them. Excuses are not necessary, they have to work hard for the community because we all do, we are all held responsible in that way and Co-op City police should not be absolved of that either. They have to work harder; they have to make more or less.

Sheila Richburg: I also believe that our CCPD department should be looked at. I know that we’re -

more bodies. Like I said at the other meeting, we

guns there will be more bodies, there will be more bodies to control our buildings, to do the vertical sweeps, to cover some of the duties that our lobby attendants and our garage attendants did. I be-

I was glad to hear that our crime has gone down. We want to maintain that. We want to maintain the safety in our community. I know sometimes when I come home late at night, I miss having the garage attendant because there’s no one to watch me go to my building. So, it’s a sense of safety. We don’t know what will happen these days. Since COVID we know there has been a lot more mental health issues and having someone to watch you in case there’s a problem is very important.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: Remember at the beginning when I said that crime is down in Co-op City by 18%? That was after the lobby attendants were eliminated and the garage attendants were eliminated. It would be nice but that was just cosmetic and making you feel good but it wasn’t an actual

maybe in the coming budget, they’re budgeting for 39 positions. Hopefully that is the case; 24 recruits are on their way, but keep in mind if you want garage attendants, if you want lobby attendants, that’s more money. That’s more in your carrying charge. Just keep that in mind. I think cameras, more cameras ... are more cost effective. More cameras in the lobbies, more cameras in the garages, cameras in the stairwells. People mentioned verticals need to happen, verticals are happening. I’ve got an in with CCPD, verticals are happening. Do more verticals need to happen? Of course, yes, more verti-lieve the people they’re picking up in the staircases when they do vertical sweeps. More foot patrols of course, get people out of the car.

Bernard Cylich: Clearly, people make opinions based on perception, but I’ll give you some facts.

… That has not been reduced, all right… For April, 3,644 vertical patrols. Garages, 880 inspections of the garages. Now we have that, we’re down to 54 11 per shift, 11 per shift, 35 buildings, eight garages, three supermarkets, 320 acres of property, where do you want them to be? Everywhere, all time, all at once? Let’s agree. You want more, we in the budget. And one more thing, you need to increase the pay to hold these guys here, because as soon as they get their permit, they go out to Nassau

Would you like us to do that? We can increase the carrying charge, as it is.

Q. We have purchased some items that come with large price tags, but also come with issues and room for improvement, such as key fobs, viwill you ensure that future items purchased will be investigated and researched to ensure they work for our purposes?

Shanauzelda Montgomery: We will allow the experts to do that. The Board members now chose these things, or whomever chose these key fobs, a lot of the things that are not working. The Board, you guys chose it, or Management chose it, or someone there chose it, so it’s not how we’re gonna make sure. We need to go with the best of the best.

else. We need to make sure that they’re giving us the price that they’re supposed to give us. And we need to have documentation on how these things actually work. We need to see other areas and other developments that are similar to ours. Did they get it? Who else purchased these items? Are we going test … to purchase these items? Are they bidding lower, coming in low because we have so many apartments, so many buildings? Like I said, anyone can come in here and give a contract and prom-

ise us everything. But are we doing the research to not somebody’s cousin, or somebody knows this person that you’re giving them the business. We the items that we need to make ourselves secure and to do what we say that they’re going to do forthat we’re purchasing and what other places that are similar to ours have success with these items. Aaron Carnegie: The biggest problem that we purchase, in my personal opinion, are the key fobs. Unfortunately for those who don’t know, they are hackable. So, someone could easily hack those key fobs and come into our building. So, they provide almost zero levels of security. The other problem is when we buy items, we don’t think of how else the items can be useful. For instance, let’s say that we actually had a key fob that was not hackable. How else can we increase our security and… how else can we use the key fobs to solve a problem? Well, how many of you have gone to a decent hotel where your key fob or key activated the elevator and that’s the only way the elevator went upstairs? Now you got a way to stop unwanted people going inside the building, if we had gotten the right key fob and the right elevator. Also, we have a problem with the washing machines. Why? We have people from outside coming in using our washing machines who don’t live in the community. So, if we had decent key fobs, we could have used the key fobs to start the washing machine and the only way for the washing machines to be activated would be through a decent key fob. Unfortunately, now we don’t have that.

Mary Pearson: Well, I thought what Aaron was saying was really amazing, but I don’t know if there’s a company that does that, that incorporates this key fob to do this job and that job and the other. And it is not the job of the Board to go out and research every item that we need to purchase. I am on the Local Law 97, that’s the law that’s saying that we have to reduce our carbon emissions and we have to keep it down so that our power plant does not end up being obsolete. I’m not for getting a waiver to say we’re too big to fail, give us a free ride. No, we have to be the poster child to get innovation, to catch up with the aspiration. People complain about the washers. That was a good point, that people come in outside and you can use the key fob. But the ADA doors, we needed to be ADA compliant. That had to happen. I thought it was a horrible roll out. I was on top of them too much saying, the door, the door. Where’s the fob? Where’s the this? But there are certain things we needed. There are certain things we can’t do. We are so big. We have such wind to keep the door solid enough to not go open in the wind. And yet not be so hard, you can’t push it out.

Jacqueline Smith: So, this question speaks to what strategies I would have for the future. So, I would ask the president to speak with Manage-

create an ad hoc committee of different people, some from the Board and those that are experts. A strategic meeting. One, to research in depth what we’re purchasing. Two, come back to the ad hoc Communications Department so that a communication strategy can be devised, so that we can roll it out to the community so they can understand what that would be developed in this ad hoc committee is to create a 90-day evaluation process of a certain

we can generalize whether or not, before the contract rolls out or whatever we have in the contract, that it’s a good thing that we buy. So, we have an opportunity to go back and do something about important when you do a strategic project such as that. And I look forward, if you send the Community First Team to the Board to work with Manage-

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Forum #2 –– (Continued from page 18)

ment, the current Board members, to start operating in this manner, like major real estate corporations act.

Andrea Leslie: Whenever there’s a large purchase of an item, we have done before, asked … Management, … to do the research with the information back. That is how we generally make a decision over what we’re going to purchase. We’re not day-to-day operators of the corporation… When we have large purchases, by HCR regulations, depending on what the purchase is, they cannot make purchases without actually coming to the Board for approval for certain things without a particular price. And we are required to have biddings for items. We don’t sole source. There are times, rarely, that we sole source items, but most of the time, items are built on research before we make a decision on purchasing.

Leah Graham: To ensure the quality of highpriced items requires market research and that reenter into contractual agreements on behalf of our corporation. Now, I don’t know anything about this

exactly what they do. So, they would have done some market research in the industry, they would have reached out, they would have requested information and that’s really where you send out information to all the different companies asking for their feedback. You’re describing what you’re looking for. We know what we need. We knew what kind of lobby doors we needed. We knew what kind of whatever it is that we might need. If we hire the right people to do the job, we do not don’t have those individuals that have the skill to do the market research to ensure that the items we are buying are appropriate. If we had those people, not only would they do the market research, they would negotiate pricing, they would write the contracts, they would have our clauses in the contract to protect this corporation. So that’s how I think it would be handled.

Kevin Foggie: I just have to concur with just about everything I’ve heard thus far. In corporations, they have what they call R&D, a research and development team. We need something very similar to that. What you need are experts that do the work for us. We’re not required to know everything that there is to know. That’s not our function. But we should have access to resources where we can reach out to people that do. I marvel when they

they put it down. I marveled at that. And the interesting thing was, I went and did a comparison of I saw it at the store. And I know someone that got the next level up and because the padding is differ-

curring more expense by ripping up the tar, laying down cement. All it took was the next level vinyl model with a little more padding. We need quality control. Get an R&D team, experts, quality control.

Kyshawn White: One of the issues that I’ve heard in this about large purchases is that I haven’t heard your voice, the voice of the cooperator. In this corporation, our hierarchy is the cooperators dictate and tell the Board. The Board dictates and tells the management company. Management company does execute what the Board and the cooperators have decided. How can we make large purchases and you not be included in what will affect your very lives and your units? Last night I was very disturbed as they talked about the new convectors that they’re gonna be placing inside the building. And a gentleman got up and he seemed to have more expertise about how to power the AC, how everything worked inside of the units than the very people who were talking about putting the convectors in. How can that happen when we spend millions and billions of dollars on an item that obviously the people who are putting it in are not properly educated on. Or maybe he just didn’t

Co-op City Times / June 1, 2024

understand what he was saying in the meeting as one of the cooperators had to get up and correct him about how the power works because the outlets are built into the convectors in the rooms. You have to be consulted. Not on every minor issue, but on major issues and major voices. Your voice should be heard. It is your units that these things are coming into. It is your building. You need to have a voice.

Sheila Richburg: I believe that Riverbay Management and the shareholders, along with the Board of Directors should be able… I believe Riverbay Board Management has departments that should look into these major purchases. I believe that they should reach out to the experts and also do due diligence, due diligence, due diligence. We need to research and research again. I know when I make small purchases, we have the ability to look at reviews. So, we look at reviews when we do these major purchases. I believe that we should vet the vendors, we should vet them highly, and we

can within our budget. Unfortunately, even before I moved here to Co-op City, I heard about these vendors taking advantage. I think they believe that Co-op City has money. But I believe if we do our due diligence, our research and we utilize the experts, we may not make decisions that we might regret later.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: I agree with much of what’s been said up here. As a Board member, I would lean heavily on the Compliance Manager and also trusted experts within each department. I would like for them to investigate and research into the contractors and into their supplies and supplies and vendors, of course. The suppliers need to bring their product in and basically perform for us. See if these products are high quality, they’re the right products that we need and that they perform undertors, that sort of thing. And pretty much, I would like to see what the deal is with this compliance manager and hopefully that is someone we can lean heavily on going forward.

Bernard Cylich: I’m chairman of the Construction, Power Plant, Restoration Committee. We meet regularly and we did review some of these proposals made by Management and there’s actually six proposals. One of them I introduced and that is automatic shutter valves. Anyway, they installed it in two apartments and they will examine them. These are all pilot programs and if you read it… Management has been reporting about this, these pilot programs… We didn’t purchase anything. We’re still investigating. The jury is still out what we’re gonna choose. We don’t know yet. However, yes we need electricians and I’m an electrician. I know it’s a problem with the convector. We haven’t decided yet… but we have yet to determine our needs. Now, there’s other things too. We’re inlooking for, we’re going to visit a plant …up in Peekskill. There’s other things we’re looking for in regard to additional power sources, a geothermal. All these new innovative energy sources, we’re investigating in this committee...

Q. What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing Riverbay and how would you address them as a board member?

Shanauzelda Montgomery: Safety. The increase. Community engagement are big issues and we just have to work together as a team. And when we’ve said several times here, we really need to -

we can bring in. How can we bring in some additional revenue? So, the big expenses are not taken up by the shareholders’ cost. We seem to get the brunt of the, everything that’s happening in Co-op City, it’s trickled down to the shareholders every time. So, we really need to just take a look at that and before we pass down this additional cost to the shareholders in a form of an increase, we need to look at different ways that we can cut expenses. I

told you guys about safety. Safety is a big issue, safety is an issue for our senior citizens, it’s an issue for our children, it’s an issue for everyone in the community. So, I really believe… I’m hearing a lot about CCPD and what they do and what they shouldn’t do, what they should do in terms of the garage attendants and what they shouldn’t do. It’s a matter of a visual safety. Just seeing somebody there and coming home and seeing somebody greet you at the door or just there makes you feel more comfortable. It may be a deterrent from someone following you to see someone in the building or following you from the garage.

Aaron Carnegie: The three biggest issues for alternative sources of income and I’m going to say the special thing is the dog issue. Right now, that dog issue is mainly because of the rules that we face when we say we are a no, it’s actually a no pet policy, believe it or not. So, we are a no dog policy. That’s not really a policy. What we actually need okay, we are a dog policy. Now we set the rules. No dog over 20 pounds, no rottweilers, no pit bulls, no this, no that. Now we are able to set the rules. Now we can’t get sued… by someone who is handicapped, because guess what? Everyone can have a dog. You can’t sue us saying that we’re pointing you out when we’re not. Also, you can use it to generate income… every dog should have a collar, a Riverbay tag, if you will. They don’t do that now. You can charge for that tag. You can charge $300 for that tag. That’s a way of generating income that doesn’t come from your pocket, but also it may deter people from actually getting the dog.

Mary Pearson: Okay, the big, big issues, the big issues. Of course, money is always a big issue and I’m not even going to go there. For me, Section 5’s biggest issues are the MTA’s Metro-North Station plan to have everyone who needs to take the train having to travel through Section 5 to get the train. Steadfastly saying we can’t have a south of the track access or parking lot because it’s marshland back there. After a year and a half of screaming, “It’s not marshland,” the MTA spokesman said, yes, yes, yes, it’s not. I understand it was moved, it’s not marshland. And you can have your access and you can have your parking, but we’re not paying for it because our $1.6 billion check is not big enough to pay for that extra access That’s one, the next thing the killer curve exit just opened a couple of days ago. Doesn’t look too scary to me so far. Come Christmas, it’s going to be a nightmare. What we need is to put back on the table the sister ramp that takes people out of our community, down Hutch south. Big priority for me. Another priority is bad bus service for Section Five and Section Three. We never replace the 29, that has to be looked into.

Jacqueline Smith: Co-op City’s budgeting planning is a two-year process. For 24/25, 25/26 your three pressing issues are going to be budget, safety, and I’m going to say community relations, okay? You can have whatever you want in your budget. I was speaking to my team, I was walking around the community, and that’s what I said to them. We have tough choices ahead. So, if you continually say you want something, like Kyshawn said, we have to hear you, but then we’re going to come back to you in that budget and we’re going to say, in order to get this, you got to give up that, all right? The most pressing thing is you need a Board member to tell you the truth. We must get a cash reserve. We have no money on hand. You don’t evenure out a way to get $30 million to $40 million in cash reserves. Co-op City is Murphy’s Law. What will happen will happen. We have a large property, but we can do it. Our greatest resource is our community. The Board is comprised of voluntary shareholders who bring their skill set, whatever it is. But there’s a lot of skill sets in this audience. Whether I win or not, there are committees that I can join to help out. So, if you bring the First Community Team to the Board, along with Manage-

(Continued on page 20)

ment oversight, fiduciary responsibility and working with the current Board members, we really can get the job done.

Andrea Leslie: I think number one is our aging infrastructure. Everyone is used to having air conditioning, water and don’t pay attention to the aging infrastructure. Co-op City is over 50 years old and we have a lot of infrastructure that needs repair, maintenance, and that, I think, is a number one thing. Because you have lights and not realizing that the basements are flooding, there are pump rooms that need replacing. Those things have to be addressed, or we will not have a sound community. We have to pay attention to that. That is, I think, the number one thing. I believe that community engagement is something that we need to be addressing, but it’s not a financial, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a major financial issue for us to deal with. Working with Management in terms of addressing that aging infrastructure, I think, is the number one thing that we need to be addressing and then prioritize from there on. We have a budget that’s supposed to be dealing with our construction, our capital projects and that is what we really need to be paying attention to. And we do have a reserve. It’s mandated by our mortgage.

Leah Graham: Pressing issues here is, one most important to all of you, these ongoing carrying charge increases. Within the last two years, I think we’re up to 15.7% increases. So we need to control spending. The second thing I have here is not being involved in day-to-day. We hired a managing agent. We’re supposed to evaluate the managing agent. We’re supposed to ensure that the deliverables and the contracts are being handled. And that way, the work that’s supposed to get done gets done. It’s important to measure success. And if we’re not successful, then the managing agent can’t possibly be successful. The next thing I have here is hiring a contract specialist. Someone who has the knowledge, skills, certification, maybe even a warrant, that knows how to develop and design contracts to keep these costs down. We spend lots of money on contracts in this community. Too many change orders taken in low bids, where we can do firm fixed price and negotiate other contracting efforts. And then increase cash flow. And lastly… is to unite the Board and not divide us.

Kevin Foggie: Infrastructure, safety, and budget, I’m going to leave that for the experts. I know my wheelhouse. What I’m more concerned with are the cooperatives. I’m talking about quality control. There should be something in place where, after the workers come to our dwellings and we sign that piece of paper there should be a follow-up. Because I recall many times when I get a paint job done it looks great, so I signed the paper and they leave. I get up the next morning, I’m like what is this? Which lets me know they use inferior product. So now Management has a piece of paper saying oh the work is done, great nobody’s complaining. So, I would like to see a system that when I recall in for the complaint it is connected to the initial work order number that I initially had to show that somebody has to come back out and redo the work that your paperwork is now showing satisfactory, well done. It needs to be follow-ups after and inspections. So, we’re big on that. We need inspections but follow up. Are you satisfied with the work that was done a week ago?

Kyshawn White: First and foremost is profit management and the budget. To get our revenues and expenses in a line, that we are able to be fiscally responsible with the finances that we do have. Number two, Board accountability to the shareholders. To make sure that the Board is accountable to each one of you, to represent the community. One of the things that is horribly happening within our, not just our community, but also state and nation, is we have these meetings where people show up, but their voices are not being heard. Their concerns are not being made. We have our city having a meeting about congestion prices, where they let the people talk, but they’ve already made the decision already. So, it’s absolutely null and void of why they even had us to show up. They just speak about things that they’re never gonna implement. Also, we need to make sure that the service facing entities of Co-op City are responsive and respectful to the cooperators. There are too many instances of us calling… the numbers and hotlines to get services done. Will we be disrespected? We’re going down to the offices like parking and others and we’re not properly being respected as shareholders. We’re being ignored, we’re being passed around and we need to make sure that we have quality control for those who are serving our community…

Sheila Richburg: I believe the most pressing issue are the leaking convectors. I believe we have to get a hold on top of the leaking convectors. These

convectors have been leaking… since they were placed. So, it’s a bleed to the community. Our resources are spent mostly during the summer months on trying to put a band-aid on this issue. I know during the summer month when you call for Maintenance, everything is backed up because resources, manpower, it’s spent on trying to manage the leaking convectors. I also believe that you’d be able to budget it if you’re not spending such a large part of your budget on managing and paying for related issues to the leaking convectors.

Ezekiel Springer, Jr.: Two of the biggest concerns of mine, and I’m gonna think out of the box a little bit because, of course, convectors, that goes without saying, safety another one that goes without saying, but I’m going to talk about the water bill. The water bill is killing us, it doubled to deal with the water bill. And the city’s commission is basically created by the mayor. We need the mayor to talk to that commissioner who handles water for New York City and somehow give us a break, give us some tax credits, give us something to alleviate the doubled water bill. Also, insurance, our liability insurance I think that tripled and that’s because the insurance companies, as we stated earlier, they can just do what they want because of all the disasters that have happened in the country. The wildfires in California, but an insurance company in New York City gouges us because of that and that’s what’s draining our cash reserves, trying to deal with these double and triple increases from water and sewage and the insurance. And lastly, just impress upon the 45th Precinct to do more patrols here, working with CCPD. Get more than one patrol car.

Bernard Cylich: I think perhaps people have missed this, two weeks ago there was a report in regard to the water board… The water board makes a decision based on the mayor demanding rent from that board and that’s one way of the mayor getting tax money in a back door. All right, so when they raise the fee for the water bill that’s goes to the city… and helps Adams with his budget. Now let me tell you what my favorite thing is, is the youth center. We have 9,000 young people here. We don’t have a youth center. Since I’ve got on the Board, we’ve campaigned for a youth center. Finally, we got some pledges from our City Council person and he wanted numbers. We finally gave him numbers, but we hadn’t heard from him since. And I’m just wondering what’s going on, because we pledged to go ahead and put in a capital project for the youth center, but we hadn’t heard from since. And I’m just concerned that this is just playing on us while, remind you, the state found $60 million for the YWCA right across the highway for the young people here. That’s good. Following the Q&A, each candidate was given an opportunity to present a closing statement.

Stay tuned to the Riverbay Crawler for a rebroadcast schedule for Candidates’ Forum #2. Forum #1 is currently showing on the Crawler at 10 a.m., 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. daily. The Riverbay Crawler is on channel 12 (MATV) and channel 591 (Altice/Optimum). Forum #1 is also available on the Riverbay YouTube channel, https://bit.ly/3h6CrF7

Co-op City Times / June 1, 2024

Goose Island Seniors

The Motown Story – Sat., June 8, at the 177 Dreiser Loop, Auditorium B. Price: $60, VIP: $75 + tax. Motown impersonators, buffet included, 3 p.m.-10 p.m.

Villa Roma Resort – Tribute to Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, Tue., June 11. Wait list only. Price: $125. Balance due. Bus pick-up: Einstein Loop at 7:45 a.m., Asch Loop at 8:15 a.m. and Dreiser Loop at 8:30 a.m.

Tribute to Whitney Houston – at Tropicana Casino A.C.; Thu., June 27. Wait list only. Price: $150. Bonus: $25 slot play and $20 food voucher. Deposit: $50 to reserve seat on bus. Balance due Wed., June 5. Bus pick-up: Einstein Loop at 8:45 a.m., Asch Loop at 9:15 a.m. and Dreiser Loop at 9:30 a.m.

Virginia Beach Get-away – Tue., July 9-Fri., July 12. Call: 646-579-1701.

Wind Creek Casino – Thu., July 18. Price: $65, $25 slot play. Wait list only. Nordic Lodge Seafood Feast, Tanger Outlet, Foxwoods Casino – Sat., Aug. 3rd. Price: $220. Sold out.

Resorts Casino AC – Thu., Aug. 8. Price $65, $10 slot play.

Holiday Hills Picnic – Prospect, CT; Tue., Aug. 20th. Wait list only. Price: $130; $50 deposit to reserve seat on bus. Balance due: Wed., July. 17th. Make checks to Goose Island Seniors.

Norwegian Cruise – Hawaii, Sat., Aug. 31-Sat., Sept. 7. Call: 646-579-1701.

Resorts Casino A.C. – Thu., Sep. 10. Price: $65, $10 slot play.

Latin Day at Brownstone – Thu., Sep. 26. Price: $145, $50 deposit. Balance due: Wed., Aug. 28.

Las Vegas Trip – Fri., Oct. 11-15. Call: 646-579-1701.

Motown Holiday Party – Windows on the Lake in Long Island; Thu., Dec. 12. Price: $145; $50 deposit. Balance due: Wed., Nov. 13.

Notary – with Yvonne Menefee. Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5 p.m., 135 Einstein Loop, Room 39. Call: 718-379-9613.

Bingo – Mon., Wed. and Fri., 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Members only. Admission: $5 for 3 cards; $0.25 each additional card; 12 games and jackpot. Refreshments.

Game day – Tue. and Thu., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Dominoes, Bid Whist, movies, socializing and more.

To all Members: Happy Birthday to our members who celebrate their birthday in the month of June: Rosaura Cruz, Linda Bannerman-Martin, Gloria Fields, Evelyn Jefferson, Joanne Chaney, Valerie Santos, Joan (Jackie) Ross, Charles H. Oruam, Joanne Chaney, Eleanor Gibson, Sheila Mathis and Julia Rivera.

Sick and Shut-in – Mary Pilla, our former president, sends her love to everyone. Call her at (718) 753-1816.

Our club is at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39, Bronx, NY 10475, the Section 5 Community Center, (718) 379-9613, Stephen cell: (347) 847-1941. Our email address is goose.island@optonline.net; $StephenCarlSr.

Good health to all.

—Stephen Roberts, Sr.

Building 6 Association

On a serious note, the ballots for the Riverbay Board of Directors have beensible. You have the option to vote online. If you do not vote for personal or religious reasons, they have an option to vote to just make the quorum. It is to conduct our elections directly come out of shareholder’s pockets in a time ofutes. Please voice your choice.

As this year has been a very successful one for the Building 6 Association, we will be winding down for the summer break in which our last meeting will be Thursday, June 13, in Dreiser, Room 1. Our special guest speaker will be NYC Councilman Kevin C. Riley. Light refreshments will be served with adent Lassiter at 347-366-7690 so everyone has the chance to participate and be heard. If anyone wants to join the Youth Committee, please contact Treasurer Simon, 646-309-4932, or Chairperson Mosley, 646-309-9913.

Save the Dates

Sunday, June 2comed. The event will be held in the Association Room, presented by Dr. Gabby and President Lassiter. This will be fun for all creatives.

Neighbors, feel free to pose a complaint and or compliment to President Lassiter. As always, I pray for safety over all Godspeed.

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” –Archbishop Tutu

––Lauren K. Lassiter

National Council of Negro Women

Harambee Committee – The Harambee Committee is moving forward with plans and enthusiasm for our upcoming Harambee Celebration to be held on Saturday, June 22, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Course. This year’s theme is “Freedom! To Live! To Serve! To Thrive!” This year’s honorees will be Councilman Kevin Riley, Dawna Michelle Fields, Lynette Wright, Christopher Robinson and our Co-op City Youth Section. Tickets are now on sale for $125 each and can be purchased through Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harambee-celebration-tickets-853970367357, or by making your check payable to NCNW Co-op City Section and mailing to NCNW Co-op City Section, 3300 Connor Street, P.O. Box 93, Bronx, NY 10475. We are actively accepting journal ads and donations. If you are interested in purchasing a journal ad, please email: coopcityncnwharambee@gmail. com to receive more information on how to submit your request. We are also looking for vendors for this event. If you know any vendors, please provide the contact information to our fundraising committee by email to ncnwcoopcityfr@gmail.com. Any questions, comments, or concerns, please email the Harambee Committee chairs, Akeisha Neely and Lisa Wade-Stewart, at: coopcityncnwharambee@gmail.com

NCNW Co-op City Section –year will be next Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. It will be a hybrid meeting with in-person members meeting in Room 11 in the Dreiser Community Center, 177 Dreiser Loop. The Zoom link for our virtual members will be sent out by email. This meeting will be very important because we will be voting on our

person so that you can cast your votes in person! We have also been asked to wear “something orange” to our June meeting in recognition of “gun violence awareness”.

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month – Gun violence and school shootings are a uniquely American epidemic. Guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens. One out of 19 deaths are age 19 or younger. Guns that are not properly stored have contributed to school shootings, suicides, and deaths of family members, including infants and toddlers. We must all come together to prevent children from having access to deadly weapons in their homes.

NCNW National – Registration is open for the 61st Biennial NCNW Convention in Baltimore. We are excited about the convention which will be held October 9 – 13 in Baltimore, MD. Convention activities and event workshops will take place in the Baltimore Convention Center and the host hotel will be the Baltimore Hilton. Register and secure your room today.

Social Media – www.ncnwcoopcitysection.com; on Instagram: NCNW Co-op City and email: ncnwco. opcity@gmail.com.

Joyce Howard standing. The Social Committee has had a busy week with volunteering for the Bronx Health Science school’s carnival this past Friday and then again on Sunday serving the veterans of the American Legion Post 1871. Community service is key to keeping our community engaged.

Greetings, fellow cooperators.

New Cooperators – Welcome, all new cooperators. We look forward to seeing you at the next general membership meeting.

Riverbay Board Election – The Riverbay Board Election has begun and will end on Friday, June 14, at 9 p.m. You can vote by mail or online. Please see your ballot, which you will receive in the mail for more information.

Emergency Resolution #24-26 – This resolution will be on your Riverbay Board election ballot. This resolution asks if the Riverbay Corporation should ban indoor smoking of tobacco and cannabis products within all buildings in Co-op City. Please vote.

General Membership Meeting – Our next Building Association meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 6, at 7 p.m. in the association room located in the rear of Building 10B. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

Summer Fun Day – Save the date! Summer Fun Day will be held on Saturday, June 22, from 12-5 p.m. Location: intersection of Casals Place and Carver Loop.day, June 23. More details to follow.

Building 10 Association Dues – The collection of Building Association dues for 2024 began on March 1. Building Association dues are $10 per apartment. We

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has profoundly affected the struggle for civil rights and equality. Join the NAACP to help us do the work. We march to defend democracy. Membership is the Lifeblood of the organization. We meet on the fourth Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. (currently virtual), barring any unforeseen circumstancMondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Save the Date: June 15, from 3-5 p.m. at the NAACP

Learn the changes made to the forms along with how and when to complete and submit the application. Mrs. Overton, a high school guidance counselor and college advisor, will facilitate the workshop. Flyers should be posted in your building bulletin board.

NAACP Update on May General Meeting –NAACP Branch President Leslie Peterson wants to thank all members that attended the Co-op City American Legion Post 1871 Memorial Day event, held on Sunday, May 26, at the Harley J. Mosley Sr. Veterans Memorial Park in recognition of our fallen heroes. The Co-op City American Legion Post 1871 Commander Antonio Coddrington sent us a note of thanks for our patriotic gesture and participation in the memorial ceremony. We thank them for their service.

NAACP Swears in Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT: Appointed as a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, Ms. Weingarten brings a wealth

civil rights and social justice. She said, “A lifelong member, I look forward to continuing our relationship with the NAACP on behalf of the 1.7 million members of the AFT and the students, parents, and communities we serve, as a member of the National Board of Directors.”

UA Local Union #1 Trade Education – Fund Plumbers Apprentice Program re-opens June 10, 2024. Earn while you learn, 5-year program with salary, bencall: 718-752-9630.

Primary Election Day is June 25, 2024.

Early voting dates are Saturday, June 15 – Sunday, June 23.

The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is June 15, 2024. The primary list of candidates are for federal, 718-299-9017 or 866-868-3692.

Your Right to Vote: The NAACP remains committed to ensuring every Black American can cast their ballot in November! We are working to educate, engage and mobilize millions of Black voters throughout the 2024 election cycle.

You can follow us on Facebook: Co-op City NAACP. Our membership campaign is ongoing. Become a member, gift a membership or upgrade your membership.

our sacred right to vote. Annual membership: Adult $30, & Youth $10, or Silver Life $750. Make check/mo. payable to: NAACP Co-op City. Mail to: NAACP Co-op City, 135 Einstein Loop, Room 36, Bronx, N.Y. 10475 3210 or email: naacpccity2210@gmail.com

––Brenda Brown

Building 10 Association Building 13 Association

are still collecting Building Association dues. Please note, the money collected is and refreshments.

If You See Something, Say Something – For emergencies, call Co-op City Public Safety at 718-671-3050 and NYPD at 911. For non-emergencies, call 311. You can also contact CCPD at their anonymous tips hotline: 718-879-6311.

Suicide Prevention – If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or in emotional distress, the number to call for help is 988, you can call or text. Someone is available 24 hours a day.

Questions, Comments and Suggestions – You can contact the Building 10 Association via email at Building10Assoc@gmail.com. We are also on Facebook, -

ings in and around Building 10.

We would like to wish all who are born this month an incredibly happy birthday. Celebrating an anniversary this month? Happy anniversary!

To the homebound and sick, we wish you a speedy recovery.

To all who have lost a loved one recently, we offer our deepest condolences.

Have a wonderful week.

––Jewel Crawford-Duncan

This is a reminder that the Riverbay Board Director Ballots have been mailed and the voting period is now open through June 14. Please vote. Note, there is a question being asked for which community input is of value. This has to do with smoking on the premises. Take the time, attend the forums, submit your questions and vote.

Join Us Today – On June 1 from 6-8 p.m. in our Association Room at 100 Casals Place, bring your (canvas preferred) sneakers and let us do some fancy foot artwork. Join former art teacher Elena as she shows how Earth Day’s Mother Nature shoes were done. We will provide the paint.

Build the Block – The 45th Precinct will present your on Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. at Dreiser Loop at Circle of Christ Church, lower promenade. We speak about the Neighborhood Commupublic safety concerns.

College Financial Aid – Saturday, June 15, from

NAACP Co-op City FAFSA workshop will be headed by a high school guidance director and college advisor. Please RSVP by June 8 to naacpcoopbb@ yahoo.com or call 646-234-4065. Include contact information.

Summer Fun Day (SFD) – SFD is scheduled for June 22 from 12-5 p.m. in the Carver Loop area of Section 2 and open to all who wish to participate. Fifty -

ginning at noon. We thank Councilman Kevin Riley and NYC DYCD for their support in making this event happen. Appreciation also to Assemblyman Benedetto

Discount Furniture and McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral for their generous support uniting this community.

We also want you to come and watch the special puppet show that will be presented by the Parks Desee their show on our Summer Fun Day will be distributed shortly. Come and enjoy the festivities as we dance, sing, play games and create lasting memories of Co-op City. Hear the beats by DJ Sid Nice, One Man Band Juan Ortego and the steel pan music of the islands. Archery, yes, a bow and arrow are worthy of a try. See how good you are and hit the bullseye. Carnival games and the obstacle course awaits your presence. Bring your food or get a taste. Freeet. Save the date and join the fun.

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” –Lyndon B. Johnson

Visit our Facebook page at: “Building 13 Association Inc.–Co-op City.”

Our website is http://www.bldg13assoc.com, or e-mail us at building13assoc@yahoo.com. Contacts: Leslie Peterson, president, at 718-320-1370; or Wendell Mattison, V.P., at 917-330-1380. Thank you for supporting our team.

––Leslie Peterson

• Same-Day Service

• Pick-up or Delivery

• 7-Days a Week

• Curbside Available

•CHICKEN

$6

•CHICKEN WINGS: $12

•TURKEY WINGS SMALL: $21

•SPARE RIBS: $12

•PORK CHOPS: $12

•BEEF STEW: $24

•CHOP MEAT: $15

•PEPPER STEAK: $40

•TRIPE

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$40

$15

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•OXTAIL: $50

•GOAT MEAT: $20

•GROUND

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2024 Riverbay Board Election 2024 Riverbay Board Election

2024 RIVERBAY CANDIDATES

1. Jacqueline Smith

2. Mary Pearson

3. Aaron Carnegie

4. Shanauzelda Montgomery

5. Bernard Cylich

6. Ezekiel Springer Jr.

7. Corazon Fernandez

8. Sheila Richburg

9. Kyshawn White

10. Kevin Foggie

11. Leah Graham

12. Andrea Leslie

Wednesday, April 17

Monday, April 22

Saturday, May 4

Saturday, May 11

Saturday, May 18

Saturday, May 18

Monday, May 20

Wednesday, May 22

Saturday, May 25

Wednesday, May 29

Saturday, June 1

Saturday, June 8

Friday, June 14

Wednesday, June 19

Thursday, June 20

Friday, June 21

Wednesday, June 26

2024 Board Election Schedule

Certification Date for Candidates

Candidates’ Orientation Meeting, Bartow, 8 p.m. (Virtual)

Publication by Co-op City Times of first Election Supplement

Publication by Co-op City Times of second Election Supplement

Publication by Co-op City Times of third Election Supplement

First Election Forum, 3 p.m., In-person & broadcast live from Dreiser Audit.

Annual Meeting, Election Period & Voting begins

Second Election Forum, 7:00 p.m., Einstein Center, Rm. 45, In-person & recorded for rebroadcast on the Crawler

Re-publication of first Election Supplement in the Co-op City Times

Third Election Forum, 7:00 p.m., In-Person & Broadcast live, Bartow, Rm. 31

Re-publication of second Election Supplement in the Co-op City Times

Re-publication of third Election Supplement in the Co-op City Times

Election Period ends at 9 p.m. (If no quorum, see Extended Voting period)

Election Committee Public Meeting to Certify and Announce Final Count of Ballots (In-person & Live Broadcast, 7 p.m., Rm. 31, Bartow Center)

Public & Electronic posting of Official Results, 10 a.m.

Deadline to file electronic Challenges (5 p.m.)

Swearing in of Newly Elected Board Members

Candidates’ Statements appear on pages 27-32

NOTE: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED WITHIN ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE CANDIDATES AND NOT THOSE OF RIVERBAY CORPORATION.

BALLOTING

Voting will be conducted by mail-in or online ballot

Monday, May 20 –Friday, June 14, 2024.

BALLOT RETURN PROCEDURE

To ensure the integrity of the election, ALL mail-in ballots must be returned DIRECTLY to YesElections in the stamped, pre-addressed envelope provided with your ballot. Under no circumstance should your election ballot be mailed back or delivered to Riverbay Corporation, or enclosed with your carrying charge payment.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Friday, June 14, 2024 Online votes may be cast beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 20, and ending at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2024. Please follow the directions included with your ballot to cast your vote online.

Election Committee Notice – Ask the Candidates

There will be three official Candidates’ Forums in the 2024 Riverbay Board of Directors election. The Election Committee is accepting questions from shareholders to be asked at the forums. If you would like to ask a question at the May 18th forum, you may submit it by email to Riverbay2024Election@Riverbaycorp.com, or fill out an election question form at https://tinyurl.com/ycy7e4rd and either submit it electronically

or print and submit it to CSO by the close of business on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. The submission must include your name, building, apartment number and the question to be asked.

The three Candidates’ Forums will take place on: Sat., May 18, 3 p.m., Dreiser Auditorium; Wed., May 22, 7:30 p.m., Einstein, Rm. 45; and Wednesday, May 29, 7:30 p.m., Rm. 31, Bartow Center.

Extended Voting Schedule

Extended Voting Period (if no quorum)

Friday, June 14, 2024 Continue election (as of 9:01 p.m.)

Friday, June 28, 2024 Election period ends at 9 p.m.

Monday, July 8, 2024 Election Committee Review and Certify Final Count of Ballots (Bartow, Rm. 31, 7 p.m.)

Tuesday, July 9, 2024 Public and Electronic Posting of Official Results, 10 a.m.

Wed., July 10, 2024 Deadline to file Electronic Challenges to Election, 5 p.m.

Wed., July 17, 2024 Swearing in of Elected Board Members, Bartow Center, Rm. 31, 7 p.m.

Additional Extended Voting Period (if no quorum)

Friday, June 28, 2024 Continue election (as of 9:01 p.m.)

Friday, July 12, 2024 Election period ends at 9 p.m.

Wed., July 17, 2024 Election Committee Review and Certify Final Count of Ballots (Bartow, Rm. 31, 7 p.m.)

Thurs., July 18, 2024 Public & Electronic Posting of Official Results, 10 a.m.

Friday, July 19, 2024 Deadline to file Electronic Challenges to Election, 5 p.m.

Wed., July 24, 2024 Swearing in of Elected Board Members, Bartow Center, Rm. 31, 7 p.m.

Andrea Leslie

Dear fellow shareholders: I ask for your vote in the upcoming Board of Directors election. I am running for re-election to the Board because I want to continue the progress we have made in modernizing our aging infrastructure, in improving our quality of life, and in making our corporation fnancially sound.

For more than thirty years I’ve been a New York City employee. Daily making a difference in the lives of New Yorkers who may need assistance in dealing with various government agencies, or who are seeking appropriate help for a family member in distress. The people I assist are sometimes my Co-op City neighbors.

My role as a member of the Board of Directors gives me the opportunity to assist fellow shareholders who may, for instance, face eviction. In fact, I’ve become a liaison/ambassador for Co-op City, helping shareholders to remain in the community they love. I also work to bring much-needed funds to Riverbay Corporation. If re-elected, I will continue this partnership, which has been benefcial for both Riverbay and its residents.

I believe that “Team work makes the dream work.” Therefore, I will continue to be a team player in community efforts to promote our activism. For decades, the spirit of activism has motivated shareholders to express their views to our representatives on the City Council and in Albany. It is what enables our community to receive our fair share of public funds and services.

I commit to working with the Board and Management to maintain a fscally responsible budget.

I pledge to continue to keep Co-op City the best deal in town.

I ask that you vote to re-elect Bernard Cylich, Mary Pearson, and myself, Andrea Leslie, and to elect Sheila Richburg, Ezekiel Springer Jr., and Kevin Foggie, all on the Impact Team.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Good day, shareholders and friends, With the ongoing carrying charge increases and the recent 8.1%, it’s time for a change in the boardroom. The Community First team and I have the experience to help bring about much needed quality of life improvements within every Section of Co-op City.

Last year, the board voted not to extend our election a second time. Even though we have extended elections for the last 5 years, what changed? Five of the Board directors who voted were candidates in that election and therefore, remained seated.

Does 94% of those who voted, not matter? Some of these directors are running again. How does that make you feel? Our carrying charges paid for that election. Despite the cost and the election at 94% quorum with less than 300 votes left, they did not extend our election a second time.

Let’s make our vote count; vote Community First, and here’s why:

As a team, we are committed to representing cooperators by addressing your needs as you have expressed them. We realize the ongoing carrying charge increases have negatively affected many in our community, especially those on a fxed income; particularly those who do not meet SCRIE requirements. This is why we need to vote.

Our community is a $200 million corporation that deserves Board directors like Community First, who understand budgeting, fnance, management and contracts. The days of electing people with only passion do not pay the bills and will not control ongoing increases, but experience does.

By electing Community First, you will get a team who is eager to collaborate with other hard-working directors to ensure our community and corporation thrives.

There are six available seats, and by electing the four of us, we will serve this community with integrity and transparency. This year let’s aim to meet quorum.

Respectfully.

Andrea Leslie

Leah Graham

Leah Graham

Kevin Foggie

Dear members, I am honored to present myself as a candidate for Board of Directors. With over fve decades of residency within this community, I share a deep understanding of the needs, the challenges and desires we face for the optimal quality of life that we expect as shareholders. My commitment is clear: to be an advocate for the shareholders, demanding accountability and ensuring responsibility of the Management and its employees, who are fnancially compensated for their duties.

I frmly believe in the power of unity paralleled with transparent communication. If I am elected, I pledge to ensure that your voices are heard and that the decisions made by the Board truly refect the needs of our community, apart from any personal agendas. I am confdent that together, we can do better and will accomplish the objectives that we set.

My name is Kevin Foggie, and I have resided here in Co-op City since 1971. I have attended the schools here in Co-op City, and together with my wife, we have nurtured three beautiful children, each of them currently making their positive contribution to society.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. I look forward to the possibility of serving you on the Board of Directors.

Elect the Impact Team: Bernard Cylich, Andrea Leslie, Mary Pearson, Ezekiel Springer, Jr., Sheila Richburg and myself, Kevin Foggie.

In the evolving landscape of the Co-op City community, the Community First Team stands frm in our belief that adapting policies to meet the changing needs of our residents is paramount. We are dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of cooperators not just during election season, but consistently throughout our tenure.

Our agenda encompasses several crucial areas of focus:

First, we prioritize the stabilization and pause of future increases in carrying charges. We pledge to ensure responsible governance practices, which includes protecting against future carrying charge increases that unfairly burden fxed-income seniors and cooperators.

Secondly, we are committed to the upgrade and repair of convector systems and the proper maintenance of residential units. We understand the signifcance of ensuring that all residential units receive the necessary upkeep and repairs to maintain the high living standards within our community. Addressing issues with convector systems is essential for the comfort and safety of our residents. We are unwavering in our dedication to implementing necessary upgrades and repairs to enhance living conditions.

Thirdly, we support public safety initiatives. We believe that strengthening community-public safety efforts is vital to foster trust and collaboration between Co-op City Public Safety and cooperators.

Lastly, we advocate for the reinstatement of the Community Relations committee. Reinstating this committee will facilitate constructive dialogue and engagement, promoting inclusivity and responsiveness to the diverse needs of our community.

In conclusion, our platform is centered on policy reform aimed at enhancing the overall well-being of Co-op City. We are committed to fscal responsibility, accountability to shareholders, and ensuring the safety and security of all residents.

We urge you to support the Community First Team, comprising of Kyshawn White, Leah Graham, Jacqueline Smith, and Shanauzelda Montgomery, as we tirelessly strive to serve the best interests of Co-op City.

Kevin Foggie

Kyshawn White

Kyshawn White

Sheila Richburg

Greetings to my fellow shareholders of our beloved Co-op City community. I am honored to request your vote to serve as Riverbay Board director. Having lived here in the Bronx for many years and raised fve wonderful children within this community, I understand intimately the importance of effcacious budgeting.

I will commit to ensuring and overstand that responsible fnancial management directly impacts us all. As shareholders, we reasonably expect to be able to afford our monthly bills, maintain daily comforts and have effcient governance/management to ensure the longterm viability of our community.

I commit to uphold the fduciary duty as director of approving a fscally sound budget utilizing any cost saving opportunities available. Effciency is one of the answers to keeping carrying charge increases as low as possible.

I pledge to work collectively in committee to explore innovative solutions and research alternate sources of revenue to address our needs without sacrifcing the quality of life that we cherish. My goal would be to provide effective oversight to maintain the delicate balance between affordability and the fnancial health of Co-op City.

If given the opportunity, I will work to maintain customer service satisfaction. I resolve to maintain a transparent, innovative and effcient service delivery model utilizing available technology.

This digital technology should work in tandem to manage and track service statistics. Having a transparent shared digital management system will afford accountability, track delays and offer follow-up data.

In conclusion, I humbly ask for your vote during this election. Your vote is key to choosing the candidate/s who will ensure successful oversight of our cooperative.

Please vote for me, Sheila Richburg, to serve as your Riverbay Board director, member of the Impact Team.

Other team members are Bernard Cylich, Andrea Leslie, Mary Pearson, Ezekiel Springer, Jr. and Kevin Foggie.

Thank you.

Jacqueline Smith

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (MLK, from his 1963 book, Strength to Love). Hello, my name is Jacqueline Smith, and I am running for a seat on the Riverbay Board of Directors. I am running with three exceptional individuals who are transparent, outstanding, dedicated candidates. The Community First Team shares the same hope that many Co-op shareholders possess.

A yearning for a new approach, consisting of professional oversight, grounded in skilled overseeing. An undertaking comprising of a bright, thriving future advanced by board transparency, contract compliance, a CCPD Community Policing Policy, a welcome orientation for new shareholders and a 21st Century restoration fair for long time cooperators. No, to not respecting your vote! Yes, to Shareholders having a say in their community via vote participation. MLK said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” (I have a dream, 1963). This is your moment! Brave wins!

As a trusted servant for the shareholders, I had the opportunity to serve on the Legislative Committee, MTA Ad-Hoc Committee, and the Best & Brightest Committee which saluted Co-op City students’ academic excellence. It was quite heartwarming to see dedicated neighbors work side by side on these committees. Their success was a declaration that with transparent leadership along with engaged cooperators anything can be achieved. The Community First Team, if given your vote, will stay the course and commit to a more “Proactive Approach over a Reactive Response. To accomplish these ideals and goals, we need your support, and your vote! What Riverbay used to be doesn’t have to be a memory! Please elect Jacqueline Smith, Leah Graham, Shana Montgomery and Kyshawn White.

Sheila Richburg

Jacqueline Smith

Mary Pearson

Dear neighbors, I was reading my T-shirt the other day – my angry, long-sleeved black Protest T-shirt. (It’s still too chilly for the short-sleeved purple one.)

Aside from sleeve length and color, the shirts are identical. (And very wordy. Just like me.)

I’d planned a long day of complaining about Project X and the Metro-North Railroad vs Coop City so I was wearing my pro-justice tee

I had designed and printed up the shirts around 2015, around the time Bernie Sanders started his presidential run. The Senator’s message has always been – Government should work for all of us not just the wealthy few.

My T-shirts agree, and say so in 224 words, listing 99 causes of the 99% in white print on a dark background.

Since the whole list can’t ft in this piece, I’ll summarize.

It starts with the fve justices: Racial, Social, Criminal, Economic, Environmental. Next comes every kind of human rights – individually listed. That’s followed by lists of things to fght for or against; groups to stand with or oppose. All stuff that needs to be protected or abolished.

Most of these endeavors remain works-in-progress. But in the decade since, a few (a very few) have either come to be or have measurably moved toward justice in our (arguably) moral universe.

Ten years ago, I highlighted some of those T-shirt goals with permanent red marker. (Black Lives Matter. Peace. Affordable Housing.) I’ve been busy wishing and working to make them so ever since.

The frst Candidates’ Forum is a week from today in Dreiser at 3:00 p.m. Come and hear about these right-here-at-home issues and more from the Impact Team: Andrea Leslie, Bernie Cylich, Zeke Springer Jr., Sheila Richburg, and Kevin Foggie and me.

And come read my T-shirt!

Thanks and sweet wishes,

Mary Pearson

718-219-2211

Aaron Carnegie

As a candidate for Riverbay Board director, I am passionate about addressing multifaceted issues crucial to our community’s well-being.

In addition to enhancing quality of life and security, I plan to prioritize fnancial stability through saving money and exploring alternative income sources.

One of my key initiatives is prudent fnancial management. By conducting thorough cost analyses, negotiating favorable contracts, and implementing effcient budgeting strategies, we can save money without compromising on essential services or amenities. This approach ensures that our resources are utilized wisely, benefting all residents and maintaining a sustainable fnancial trajectory for our community.

I will advocate for exploring alternative sources of income to supplement our revenue streams. This could involve advocating for lowering the price for certain unused or underutilized community spaces for events or rentals, initiating community-driven fundraising campaigns for specifc projects, or exploring grants and partnerships with external organizations. Diversifying our income sources not only provides fnancial stability but also opens up opportunities for investment in long-term community development projects.

My experience in management, coupled with a deep understanding of community dynamics, positions me as a capable and strategic leader for the Riverbay Board Director role. I am committed to transparency, accountability, and collaborative decision-making, ensuring that shareholders’ input is central to our fnancial and operational strategies.

By electing me as your Riverbay Board director, you are not only supporting initiatives to elevate quality of life and enhance security but also endorsing a proactive approach to fnancial stability and growth. Together, we can build a stronger, more prosperous community for generations to come. Thank you for considering me for this important role and remember your vote matters, don’t waste it.

Mary Pearson

Aaron Carnegie

Greetings, community of shareholders.

Social unrest and uncertainty have led to challenging living conditions for many individuals; our community is no exception. We are experiencing increased food and living expenses, as well as elevated crime rates. If elected, my priority would be maintaining affordability and safety for our community without compromising our way of life.

During these challenging times, we must be proactive and implement policies that safeguard our community from criminal activities. These policies should include the continued use of advanced surveillance technology in and around Co-op City. In addition, strict access control to our buildings, laundry facilities, and garages should be implemented. We must bring back lobby and garage attendance and allow CCPD to collaborate and train attendants to ensure safety. Furthermore, we must restore CCPD to its full capacity, including bicycle and garage patrols, and increase visibility in our neighborhood.

It is no longer acceptable to claim that Co-op City is the most affordable housing option in the city to justify increases. As shareholders, we pay community expenses, not rent. However, yearly maintenance increases have made it diffcult to afford living here. Therefore, we need to reduce maintenance costs and ensure Co-op City remains affordable.

We must implement accountability-driven and transparent budget review processes to ensure Co-op City funds are spent responsibly. Furthermore, steps should be taken to ensure Co-op City remains fnancially stable and sustainable.

The previously estimated maintenance increase of 2.1% was deemed insuffcient by HCR. Instead, shareholders are now required to pay an increase of 8.1%, which is a signifcant deviation from the initial projection. This is unjust to shareholders, particularly those with low and fxed incomes who rely on Co-op City’s affordability. Our goal is to reduce maintenance expenses by enhancing operations and promoting fnancial responsibility. Please vote for Shanauzelda Montgomery and the Community First Team!

Bernard Cylich

In early 1900, Jewish socialist labor leaders, immigrants from Russia, organized young female garment workers, who labored long hours under sweetshop conditions. The women waged ferce battles against heartless bosses; were attacked by company goons, and cops, and often were jailed. They won union recognition, decent wages and working conditions. However, after work they returned to slums.

Labor leaders acknowledged they could not win affordable decent housing at the bargaining table. Instead, they sponsored cooperative housing, free from landlords, would be built not as commodity but as housing. In 1926, a broad coalition of labor leaders successfully lobbied Albany for the adoption of the frst housing tax relief. Subsequently, the frst cooperative was built in the Northwest Bronx, sponsored by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, overseen by Abraham Kazan.

For the next 40 years, Kazan organized coalitions, lobbied Albany for more cooperative housing legislation. In 1955, the Mitchell-Lama bill was adopted, resulting in the building of 105,000 apartments in the state – 15,000 in Co-op City. The program offered cheap land, 35-year fxed, low-interest loans, low property taxes; income limitations to purchasers, equity cap on resale, initiated SCRIE and DRIE programs; it retained a transparent, non-discriminatory waiting list (it’s why M-L housing are the largest middle income integrated cooperative housing in our nation).

Co-op City, with 35 hi-risers, seven townhouse closures, on 320 acres, 80% open space; 15,000+ light, airy apartments with parquet foors, and A/C; 8 garages, 3 shopping centers, a theater, schools, a power plant, a library — was the fruition of Kazan’s vision. It’s a beacon to our nation as the largest affordable, integrated cooperative.

Elect the Impact Team to keep Co-op City the best deal in town.

Vote for Sheila Richburg, Andrea Leslie, Mary Pearson, Ezekiel Springer, Jr., Kevin Foggie, and myself, Bernard Cylich.

Shanauzelda Montgomery

Shanauzelda Montgomery

Bernard Cylich

Ezekiel Springer Jr.

Hi, I’m Ezekiel Springer Jr. And when I walk the Section Five Greenway, I’m heartened to see so many of my fellow shareholders enjoying the sun, fresh air, and the exercise.

Lately, my walks have become fraught with concerns about carrying charge increases and violent crimes committed in our community. I’d like to return to a time when these concerns held little space in my mind on my walks. To make that happen, I’ve decided to get off my couch and make an impact on our community as a candidate for the Riverbay Board.

They say Co-op City is the best deal in town. They also say Co-op City has some of the lowest crime rates in the Bronx. Okay. I love a good deal and safe streets. That’s why I’ve made these my top priorities.

If elected, I plan to keep Co-op City affordable. That means no privatization and holding the Board and HCR accountable when it comes to rate increases without a legitimate explanation.

If elected, I plan to keep Co-op City safe. I will support CCPD with solutions on increasing visibility and lobbying for more manpower and equipment. I pledge to work closely with representatives from the 45th Precinct on increased presence and how best to continue their partnership with CCPD.

If elected, I promise to make a positive impact on Co-op City. That’s why I’ve joined forces with the Impact Team. Please elect to the Riverbay Board the entire Impact Team: Sheila Richburg, Kevin Foggie, Mary Pearson, Andrea Leslie, Bernard Cylich, and me, Ezekiel Springer Jr.

Tired of sitting on the sidelines? Then come out and vote for us! Don’t let security fears and carrying charge hikes price us out of our community.

I’m a proud mom of three beautiful children. Living in Co-op City for 19 years, mostly in Section 5, now in Building 5. I’m a supervisor at the United States Post Offce. Fun fact, I use to be a mail carrier in Co-op City, I know Coop City well. I enjoy biking, I’d bike all over Co-op City. So, when the City of New York created the Hutchinson River Greenway Bike path in Section Five, I was initially happy because it made it easier to ride my bike to the beach. However, with growing micro mobility (eBikes, etc.) I have concerns. Security and quality of life lapses being at the top of my list.

I think the Board of Directors and outside management team must be held accountable. Our community is littered with eBikes, they’re thrown around everywhere like garbage. Theft: (2) Porch/Door pirates growing theft of our delivered packages with no end in sight. Brazen thieves fnd Co-op City residents an easy mark. Delivery companies did their job delivering our packages, now Co-op City security need to do theirs. Securing every building from thieves, assaulters or vandalism must become our priority once again. It’s too easy to gain access to our buildings and property. Mice and Roaches: (3) Vermin problem diminishes our Co-op City community experience. Sending an exterminator to our homes to play whack-a-mole with rats and roaches is ridiculous and fnancially stupid. We are making exterminators rich! Where’s the Board of Directors and their management plan to eradicate the problem? Not treat it! I hate mice and roaches. I’m a clean freak yet all buildings are fghting a losing battle. If elected, I have a plan to eliminate if not rigorously mitigate this health and sanitary issue. Fellow residents, don’t tolerate this! Elect: Corazon Fernandez.

Ezekiel Springer Jr.

Corazon Fernandez

Corazon Fernandez

2024 Riverbay Board Election Rules and Regulations

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO THE RIVERBAY CORPORATION’S 2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

A. GENERAL RULES

1. The Election Committee of the Board of Directors of the Riverbay Corporation (hereinafter, the “Election Committee” or “Committee”) shall be established during the month of January of each calendar year, or as soon thereafter as feasible.

2. The election of Directors of Riverbay Corporation will commence on Monday, May 20th, at 6:00 a.m. and continue through 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14th, 2024 (hereafter “Election Day”). If an offcial mail in ballot is received before May 20th, 2024 it shall not be disqualifed based on timeliness and, if otherwise valid, shall be counted. The Election Committee reserves the right to extend voting hours. The Annual Shareholders Meeting will occur virtually and if possible, in person, on Monday, May 20th, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

3. The election will be for at least fve residents to serve on the Board of Directors of the Riverbay Corporation, and as many as may be needed to fll any expired terms.

4. The election shall be supervised by the Election Committee.

(a) The Chairperson(s) of the Committee, (hereinafter “Chairperson/s”) shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Riverbay Corporation (hereinafter “Board”), who is not a candidate in the election. The Chairperson/s shall be appointed by the President of the Board (the “President”), and approved by the Board.

(b) The Chairperson/s shall recommend to the President the appointment of such additional residents as the Chair/s deem prudent for membership on the Election Committee.

All members shall be resident shareholders, appointed by the President and approved by the Board.

(c) The Committee shall be assisted by Riverbay’s General Counsel.

(d) No member of the Committee or their immediate family shall in any way engage in any campaigning either for or against a candidate or slate of candidates. Committee members shall, to the extent reasonably possible, refrain from publicly commenting upon any issue in the campaign and shall not engage in any activity that may create the appearance of partiality.

The Chairperson/s of the Committee shall refrain from writing viewpoints during the period commencing one week prior to the Date of Certifcation and continuing through the date of the election, including any extended period.

(e) A member of the Committee who violates the provisions of Paragraph A (4)(d) or whose family member violates the provisions of Paragraph A (4)(d) shall immediately be removed from the Committee.

(f) Nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting a member of the Committee or a member of his/her immediate family from voting.

5. There will be one vote per occupied unit by residents who were shareholders of record on April 1st, 2024 Quorum shall be determined based upon one share per occupied unit and not based upon a percentage of dwelling units.

6. Voting, by mail or electronically, shall be deemed to be “in-person” and will commence at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 20th, 2024 and conclude at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14th, 2024, unless extended in accordance with these Rules. If an offcial mail-in ballot issued by Riverbay is received before 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 20th, 2024 it shall not be disqualifed based on timeliness and shall be counted if otherwise valid.

B. RULES FOR ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES

1. A candidate must be a resident shareholder as indicated on the candidate’s stock certifcate, occupancy agreement, and the current Occupants Annual Affdavit of Family Income.

Candidates must continue to reside in Co-op City for the entire term of offce in order to serve as a Director.

2. No more than one resident shareholder of a single unit may be a candidate for the Board; and no more

Adopted March 26th, 2024

than one resident shareholder from a single unit may concurrently serve as a Director.

3. No candidate may be indebted to Riverbay on the date candidates are certifed or on the date votes are counted. If a candidate is indebted to Riverbay on any of those days, the candidate will be disqualifed. In addition, all candidates must remain current throughout the election period for unpaid carrying charges or other debts to Riverbay until the candidate is sworn in if elected. A candidate shall not be indebted to Riverbay for purposes of this rule if their monthly carrying charges and maintenance are fully paid by the 10th day of the month in which it is due. At the close of business one day prior to the certifcation of candidates and weekly thereafter, Riverbay’s Finance Director will provide a written list to the Chair of the Election Committee of all candidates’ indebtedness to Riverbay, if any.

4. Prospective candidates may, after signing the required authorizations for background checks and upon verifcation that they are current on their indebtedness to Riverbay, be certifed as candidates for election to the Board if they:

• are shareholders of record;

• maintain their primary residence at Riverbay,

• are current in their fnancial obligations to the Corporation,

• do not hold a political party position or public offce subject to the New York State Election Law,

• have not been convicted of a crime against the Corporation,

• have not been removed from the Corporation’s Board of Directors, or from employment with the Corporation for cause; and

• are otherwise in compliance with the requirements and qualifcations of the Corporation’s by-laws, governing documents and their occupancy agreement.

(a) Prospective candidates shall sign and complete a Statement of Intent in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A, and submit the executed Statement of Intent to the Election Committee by email, addressed to Riverbay2024Election@riverbaycorp.com, on or before midnight on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024. In the event that the prospective candidate lacks access to email, then the prospective candidate shall return the completed Statement of Intent to the Public Safety Department, attention Riverbay 2024 Election Committee. On the following business day, the fnancial status of the prospective candidate will be checked and a background check shall be initiated.

(b) A candidate who is current on a written arrearage agreement shall be considered current on charges to Riverbay if such candidate is not otherwise indebted to Riverbay.

(c) In addition to the Statement of Intent, prospective candidates must also execute and return with the Statement a document acknowledging the candidate’s receipt of the Rules, the candidate’s agreement to abide by the Rules, and an authorization to perform a background check of the candidate by the Riverbay Legal Department.

C. RULES FOR CERTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES

1. The Committee will verify a prospective candidate’s eligibility as valid or reject them as invalid by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024. Notice of the Committee’s certifcation will be published in the Co-op City Times on Saturday, April 20th, 2024.

2. The Committee shall hold a virtual briefng on the Rules for all candidates or their designees on Monday, April 22nd, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.

3. A random drawing will be made to determine the order of placement of candidate statements and free campaign ads in each of the three election issues of the Co-op City Times and the order of speakers at each candidates’ forum. Candidate names on the ballot will automatically rotate. The name of each candidate on the ballot must correspond to the name of the candidate as it appears on his/her occupancy agreement and

signature card, or the name by which each candidate is commonly known.

D. CAMPAIGNING STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

1. Except as provided in Rule E (3), no audio and/ or video equipment, other than personal electronic devices, may be used at Election Forums, outdoors in Co-op City, or in building lobbies, elevators, or common areas, by candidates or by those campaigning for candidates in connection with the election.

2. The posting of all campaign signs, literature and other material (posters, gummed stickers, etc.) in Coop City is prohibited except on personal property, or within a shareholder’s premises, with the owner’s permission. This specifcally includes, but is not limited to, lobbies, elevators, bulletin boards, walls, doors, garages, vehicles, commercial stores located on Riverbay property, and common areas.

(a) Residents, employees, candidates and their supporters may remove any improperly posted non-electronic campaign material, as a service to Co-op City, and the Committee will cause a notice to this effect to be published in the Co-op City Times

(b) Candidates shall, if requested by the Committee, remove or modify any electronic campaign material or data posted to any website, social media platform (eg. Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat) or similar electronic forum, under the Candidate’s control, if the Committee, in its opinion believes that said material is false, defamatory, deceptive, or constitutes a personal attack on another candidate. Examples of a personal attack include, but are not limited to, comments upon a candidate’s physical appearance, disability, religious beliefs, gender, race, mental state, mental capacity, or false assertions of criminal acts. In addition, Candidates shall, if requested by the Committee, disassociate themselves from, and request that any third-party or third-party website, account on a social media platform, or similar electronic forum, cease and desist from the publication of any emails, materials or posting relating to the election or any candidate for election, if the Committee, in its opinion, believes that said material is false, defamatory, deceptive or constitutes a personal attack on a candidate.

(

c) Candidates shall not (i) use social media or email anonymously or under an assumed name, (ii) engage in personal attacks on fellow candidates or shareholders, or (iii) make defamatory statements. Any such conduct shall be a violation of these rules and the candidate may be subject to sanction by the Committee.

(d) Candidates and/or their supporters shall not use robo-calling or similar systems to contact shareholders for campaigning or election related purposes.

3. Except for the material prepared and published by Riverbay as described herein, all campaign material used, posted, transmitted or distributed by or for a candidate must include the name, address, or post offce box of the person or organization who issued such email or campaign material, and in the case of an organization, the name of the chairperson or treasurer.

4. Campaign literature may be slipped under apartment doors between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., and campaign handouts are permitted.

5. The unauthorized use of the Riverbay logo in any form is prohibited for use in or on campaign materials.

6. No member of the Election Committee, the Board, or any of Riverbay’s employees, management staff, or contractors, can participate in, or receive any prize(s) or award approved by the Board during the election period for the purpose of increasing shareholder participation in the election.

7. Riverbay shall not be liable for any defamatory statements made by any candidate, or by any person or entity in the course of the election campaign, nor shall Riverbay be required to insure, defend or indemnify any such candidate or conduct. Candidates agree to indemnify Riverbay for any and all costs and expense incurred by Riv- (Continued on page 34)

2024 Riverbay Board Election Rules and Regulations

(Continued from page 33)

erbay, including attorney’s fees, incurred by Riverbay in the defense of any defamation claim arising out of any statement or publication of any kind made by said candidate, or by any person or entity acting on their behalf, during the election.

8. It is inappropriate for any person or entity doing business, or soliciting business with Riverbay, including present or prospective managing agents, contractors, vendors, professionals, unions, their employees, commercial tenants, or persons having a direct or indirect interest in such companies, to make campaign contributions or pay campaign expenses, whether in cash or in-kind, of persons running for the Board. Directors of a corporation act in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the corporation and are required to place the corporation’s interest above their personal interests.

Accepting campaign contributions from parties who contract with the corporation creates at least an appearance of a conflict of interest and, in most circumstances, an actual conflict as well. Any candidate who knowingly accepts campaign contributions or payment of campaign expenses, direct or indirect, in cash or in-kind from any person or entity doing business or soliciting business from Riverbay, including but not limited to the managing agent, or any vendor, union, commercial tenant, professional or contractor, their employees, or persons having a direct or indirect interest in such companies, will be disqualified.

9. No campaigning shall commence until after prospective candidates have been certified. This includes, but is not limited to distribution of campaign materials, canvassing, public meetings, etc. Any campaigning occuring prior to certification will lead to disqualification from the election.

E. USE OF CO-OP CITY FACILITIES FOR CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

1. There shall be three official candidates’ forums conducted in person, if possible, and virtually. The first forum shall take place on Saturday, May 18th, 2024 at 3 p.m. in the Dreiser Auditorium. The second forum shall take place on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 at 7 p.m. in the Einstein Auditorium. The third forum shall take place on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 at 7 p.m. in Room 31 at Bartow.

(a) The Committee shall televise the forums over Riverbay’s public access channel and re-broadcast them on the web throughout the election period using Riverbay’s Webex account. The transmission by Riverbay of any statement made by any person at the forum shall not be an endorsement of any such comment or statement by Riverbay and Riverbay shall not be responsible for, nor shall it indemnify, any person or candidate who makes any false or defamatory statement.

(b) All certified candidates will be invited to participate in the forums in accordance with the rules and procedures established by the Committee. If a candidate cannot participate in the forum, and the candidate provides the Chairperson(s) with the reason for nonparticipation, the Chairperson(s), with the permission of the candidate, may take such reasonable accommodations as may be required to enable the candidate to participate, or alternatively announce the reason why the candidate cannot participate to the audience.

(c) The Committee shall establish rules and procedures for the civil conduct of all forums, including the establishment of time limits for questions and answers, the limiting of participation, the editing of statements, and the muting, either visual or auditory, or both, of individuals, including candidates, who, in the opinion of the Chairperson, are disruptive to the orderly conduct of the virtual forum or who engage in personal or malicious attacks, or who make defamatory statements.

2. The use of any outdoor space owned by Riverbay for public gatherings related to the election is prohibited.

3. No candidate or organization may use the facilities or public meeting areas, community rooms, lobbies, hallways, mail rooms, building association rooms, or similar areas of the Riverbay Corporation for gatherings of more than ten (10) individuals at one

time, or for campaign rallies or activities, except as provided herein.

4. At no cost, Riverbay will publish pictures of each candidate and up to three (3) different narrative statements or articles by each candidate in successive print and electronic issues of the Co-op City Times beginning with the Saturday, May 4th, 2024 issue. The Editor shall set the deadlines and technical standards for these submissions. All candidates’ articles will be reviewed by the Committee prior to publication. The Committee reserves the right to delete any material which in its exclusive opinion contains libelous statements, personal attacks, or material misstatement of fact.

(a) In conjunction with the statements described herein, Riverbay will also publish at no charge a ¼ page campaign ad by each candidate in successive print and electronic issues of the Co-op City Times beginning with the Saturday, May 4th, 2024 issue. The same ad will be used in each of the issues and will appear opposite each candidate’s article for that week. The Editor shall set the deadlines and technical standards for these submissions. All ad copy will be reviewed by the Committee prior to publication. The Committee reserves the right not to publish, or to delete any material, which in its opinion constitutes a libelous statement, personal attack, or material misstatement of fact.

(b) Starting on the day candidates are certified and continuing during the period of the campaign, board members who are not running for election shall be free to write Viewpoints of a “non-political” nature, except that a board member may endorse candidates in one viewpoint only. It shall not be deemed to be “political” for a non-candidate Board member to describe the activities and achievements of the Board as a whole, including the activities of any incumbent candidates. In the event Board members wish to publish a joint Viewpoint, they may do so, but only if the Viewpoint has been unanimously approved by the full Board.

(c) Management shall not endorse any candidate or slate of candidates.

However, information of a non-political nature, for example, relating to the operation, management, finances or maintenance of the property, or to an emergency may be published by Management during this period of time.

(d) In the event that an article appears in a print or electronic publication other than the Riverbay sponsored publication, which is currently titled the “Co-op City Times,” in which the actions of the Board as a whole, or of an individual Board member are challenged, the Board, or the individual Board member who is challenged, shall have the right to respond in the Co-op City Times to such challenge, without regard to whether the Board member is a candidate in the election and without regard to the political nature of the comment. Any such response shall be limited to the subject matter of the challenge.

(e) Similarly, a candidate who is not a Board member may respond to a challenge directed at the conduct or action(s) of that individual candidate.

5. Campaign ads other than those provided by Riverbay may be placed in the Co-op City Times, subject to Paragraph D(3), but must be paid in full by money order or certified check at least 48 hours before the normal deadline of an issue. The Committee will review all paid campaign ads prior to publication and reserves the right to reject any copy which, in its sole judgment, contains libelous statements, personal attacks or a material misstatement of fact.

6. (a) The election of directors to the Board is a right of residents of Co-op City.

Employees living in Co-op City are encouraged to exercise their rights as residents of the community during the election within the scope of this policy. All Riverbay employees are reminded that as employees they have a duty of loyalty to Riverbay and should not engage in any activity that raises the appearance of impropriety. Participation in the electoral process must not interfere with employees’ work duties. All employees shall refrain from engaging in any activity that may

be construed as an attempt to abuse their positions as employees to influence the outcome of the election. Examples of acts that may be an abuse of an employee position include soliciting donations for candidate(s), distributing campaign material for or against particular candidate(s), or engaging in any other activity that may reasonably be viewed as an abuse of position.

(b) Candidates who encourage, accept, or knowingly benefit from such prohibited participation are subject to disqualification by the Committee.

(c) This policy does not affect employees’ right to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, or their right to refrain from any or all such activities.

F. BALLOTING AND CERTIFICATION

1. Voting will be by mail and by online, electronic ballots. The form and content of the ballot shall be approved by the Election Committee.

2. In accordance with Riverbay’s by-laws, only one vote per occupied residential unit, cast by a resident shareholder of record residing in said unit, shall be counted.

3. All ballots, including electronic ballots, must be cast by an eligible, residential shareholder of record, and verified by such means as the Election Committee determines to be reasonable, in its sole discretion.

4. Any eligible, resident shareholder of record residing in an occupied unit may vote, but only one ballot may be cast by a unit, regardless of the number of shareholders of record residing within said unit.

5. Mailing, tabulation, collection, processing, initial counting and preservation of election ballots shall be conducted by an independent, third-party company, selected by the Board pursuant to a written contract, duly approved in accordance with all corporate and regulatory requirements. A copy of any such contract, as well as the name and address of any such independent third-party, shall be published in the Co-op City Times

6. One ballot will be mailed by the independent third-party on or about May 20th, 2024 to each residential unit occupied by one or more eligible residential shareholders of record at the address set forth for said shareholder(s) of record on Riverbay’s books and records as of April 1st, 2024.

7. In the event that more than one ballot is received from a single unit, only the earliest dated ballot, or the first electronically recorded ballot, shall be counted. All other ballots received from said unit shall be disregarded, but preserved until five (5) days after the period to challenge the election has passed.

8. Unless the voting period is extended or modified by the Board of Directors and/or the Election Committee, any mail-in ballot must be postmarked no later than June 14th, 2024. Any electronic vote must be transmitted and received no later than 9:00 p.m. on June 14th, 2024.

In the event that the voting period is extended or modified by the Election Committee for purposes of obtaining a quorum, the Election Committee may count any valid ballot cast by a shareholder eligible to vote during the modified period, electronically or by mail without regard to the postmarked date.

9. All ballots received, including disqualified ballots, shall be preserved until the time to challenge the election has lapsed.

10. The initial count, as recorded by the third-party independent company, shall be provided to the Election Committee no later than 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19th, 2024. The initial count shall set forth the total number of ballots cast, the total number of votes received by each candidate, the total number of votes cast for each candidate by building, the number of votes disqualified and the basis therefore, and the total number of ballots required for a quorum.

11. The Election Committee shall, in an open, public meeting to be conducted at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, certify the final count of the election ballots.

12. Upon completion of the count, the Committee shall certify to the Board (Continued on page 35)

2024 Riverbay Board Election Rules and Regulations

(Continued from page 34)

that a quorum has been obtained, the total number of votes cast, the total number of votes disqualified, the total number of votes cast for each candidate, and the names of the candidates who have been elected, as follows:

(a) The five candidates who have received the highest number of votes will be certified to the Board as having been elected to full three-year terms.

(b) The candidate receiving the sixth highest vote shall be certified as having been elected to a vacant Board seat, if any, which will have the longest unexpired term.

(c) The Committee shall continue the certification of candidates by certifying the candidate with the next highest vote for each vacancy by the longest unexpired terms, if necessary, until all vacant seats on the Board are filled.

13. Unless an extended schedule is in effect, the Election Committee shall cause the official Certification of the Election to be publicly posted by 10:00 a.m. on June 20th, 2024 or if the Certification has not yet been completed, as soon thereafter as possible after the conclusion of the Election Certification Meeting. Posting may be by electronic means.

14. If a quorum is not reached, the Committee may extend the voting period for two weeks at a time, up to an additional twenty eight (28) days, or implement an extended voting schedule, during which time shareholders eligible to vote in the election who received a ballot but did not cast a vote, shall be allowed to cast their ballot. If a quorum is not reached at the end of the extended voting period, the Board may, in its discretion, either extend the voting period for an additional extended voting period, schedule a new election, or cancel the election. Until such time as a quorum is obtained and a valid election conducted, existing Directors shall continue to hold their office.

G. DISQUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES FOR MISCONDUCT

1. The Committee may recommend the disqualification of a candidate for violation of these rules, or impose an administrative charge, not to exceed $300.00 per violation, on any candidate that it determines has violated, caused or knowingly permitted others to violate these Rules. The Committee may do so on its own initiative, or upon the complaint of another candidate or resident. However, the Committee is under no obligation to initiate a proceeding under this Section, or Section H, unless the Committee, in its sole discretion, believes it to be appropriate.

2. No candidate may be disqualified for election to the Board unless the Committee has provided the candidate with notice of its intention to consider the candidate’s disqualification for election, and conducted a hearing in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section H below.

3. The Committee may impose an administrative charge, without conducting a formal hearing in accordance with Section H, if the Committee has provided the candidate with notice that it may impose such a fee, the reason the Committee is considering imposing a fee, and an opportunity for the candidate to appear before the Committee to contest the imposition of an administrative fee.

4. Notification of the Election Committee’s decision to impose an administrative fee will be delivered both electronically and personally to the candidate at the email address and street address provided by the candidate to the Election Committee.

5. Upon delivery of the notification of a fine, the candidate is indebted to Riverbay and payment is due on the third business day following personal delivery of the notice. Failure to pay shall render the candidate ineligible for election.

6. Any candidate may object to a determination of the Committee to impose an administrative charge, and may, within three (3) days of delivery of said determination to the candidate, request a review of such determination by the Board. The Board, in its discretion, may affirm, modify, or reverse the determination, or decline, without explanation, to review the Commit-

tee’s determination. A request for a review shall not stay a candidate’s obligation to make payment of any administrative charge levied by the Committee.

H. CHALLENGES TO VOTING RESULTS

1. Any aggrieved resident or aggrieved candidate may challenge the certification of a candidate for election, or the results of the election, or the election of any one candidate, based upon election irregularities or the failure of a candidate to meet required qualifications, by notifying the Chairperson/s of the challenge, by an email addressed to Riverbay2024Election@riverbaycorp.com.

2. The challenge must be in writing. Such a written challenge must specifically set forth the reason and the factual basis for the challenge. Any challenge by the Committee shall be on written electronic notice to the candidate, or candidates impacted by the challenge, delivered to the candidate/s by email and personally at the addresses provided by the Candidate when they are certified.

3. A written challenge by a candidate or shareholder eligible to vote in the election must be delivered electronically to Riverbay2024election@riverbaycorp.com no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 21st, 2024. The written challenge shall state the factual or legal basis for the challenge. Failure to file a timely electronic challenge by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 21st, 2024, shall preclude consideration of the challenge by the Committee. In the event a quorum was not obtained by the June 14th, 2024 close of the Election Period, the time to file an objection to the Election shall be extended until one (1) business day after the Election has been certified, to 5:00 p.m. on said day.

4. Should the Committee find the challenge to be without merit, it may dispense with a hearing and reject the challenge in writing.

5. If, after reviewing the challenge, the Committee determines that the challenge sets forth substantial questions concerning the certification of any candidate or candidates, or the results of the election, the Committee may hold a formal hearing, virtually or in-person at the discretion of the Committee, to review the challenge.

6. All hearings under this Section H shall be scheduled upon prior notice to the challenger and to the candidate(s) whose qualifications, certifications, or election are being challenged.

7. The hearing shall commence no later than five (5) business days after the Committee’s receipt of the challenge. The Chairperson may request that a member of the Committee recuse him/herself from the hearing if such committee member has a conflict of interest.

8. Upon notice of a formal hearing by the Committee, the challenger or candidate whose certification is being challenged may submit electronic affidavits to the Chairperson/s, setting forth the charges and facts upon which the challenge is based. Such affidavits and supporting documents shall also be delivered by the challenging party, to the opposing party’s email address, at least one day before the scheduled hearing.

9. At the hearing, either party may present live, or virtual testimony supporting the challenge, subject to cross-examination.

10. The proceedings shall be recorded; however, any person or party requesting a copy or transcript of any such recording shall be responsible for the costs of producing said recording or transcript.

11. No witness will be allowed to present testimony except under oath as administered by the Chairperson/s. No witness will be called on behalf of a challenger, unless the challenger has submitted an affidavit from the witness prior to such testimony providing the sum and substance of the witness’s testimony and served said affidavit upon the Committee and the opposing party in the manner set forth above. The challenger/s shall also be required to appear at such a hearing and may be subject to examination by the Committee or the challenged candidate/s.

12. At any hearing, General Counsel to Riverbay, or an attorney designated by General Counsel, shall advise the Committee. Any candidate or resident par-

ticipant shall be entitled to be represented at the hearing by counsel of his or her own choice and at his or her own expense.

13. At such a hearing, the Chairperson/s shall be the presiding officer and shall make any ruling with respect to the procedure to be followed, or the testimony or evidence to be introduced. The Committee need not follow formal evidentiary rules applicable to the Courts of this State. In the event a member of the Committee present shall dispute any such procedural or evidentiary ruling by the Chair/s, the Chair/s may be overruled by a majority vote of those members present. After testimony by a witness for either party, the opposing party shall have the right to question the witness.

14. At the conclusion of such a hearing, the Committee may uphold or void the election results, disqualify the candidate for a violation of these Rules, apply other sanctions as s,et forth in Paragraph G (1) of these Rules, or dismiss the charges brought. In order to void any election result, or to disqualify a candidate, such violation must be deemed to be material by the Committee in light of the number of votes cast for the candidate and the number cast in the election.

15. If a candidate who is disqualified received one of the highest vote counts, the disqualified candidate shall be ineligible to take office. The candidate who received the next highest count will be certified to the Board in their place. (If more than one candidate is disqualified, the next candidate or candidates with the highest vote will be certified.)

16. The decision of the Committee shall be addressed to the Board, shall be in writing, shall state the basis for its recommendation, and shall constitute the Committee’s final certification of the election results, or the qualification of a candidate.

17. The Board, by majority vote, shall determine whether to confirm or reject the Committee’s determination. The Board shall make any such determination within ten (10) days of the date of any written recommendation of the Committee. The Board’s failure to determine the issue within ten (10) days shall, except for good cause shown, be deemed an acceptance of the Committee’s recommendation.

18. Any candidate or resident aggrieved by the Board’s final determination shall have the right to seek judicial review of the Board’s determination, provided that any such Court challenge must be commenced within ten (10) days of the Board’s decision, or within ten (10) days of the Board’s failure to render a decision.

19. The Committee may call for a recount of all ballots cast, if it is determined by the Committee that such an action is wairnnted. Such recount of the ballots must be completed, and the result certified by the Committee to the Board, within four days of the date the Committee determines such recount is necessary. The results of this recount, upon certification by the Committee, will constitute the final election results.

20. The Committee may call for a new election if the Committee has determined that material irregularities cast doubt on the election results, or in the event the number of votes cast did not constitute the legally required quorum. Such a new election must take place in accordance with these rules on a date within thirty (30) days after the final decision on the challenge and such election held among the previously qualified candidates.

21. By participating in the election process, candidates, prospective candidates, shareholders, and their respective agents, representatives or supporters, agree to fully comply with and be bound by these Election rules.

Sonia Feliciano, President of Riverbay Corporation

Date: March 26th, 2024

Broun Place Townhouse Association

At Broun Place this week, we celebrate the life of Iris Sanchez’s mother, who died a few days ago. The funeral was Wednesday, May 29. Our sincere condolences and hopes that no more sorrow befalls the Sanchez family.

Memorial Day 2024 has gone by with numerous community celebrations. For years, Broun Place has been represented at the Co-op City commemoration but this yearvice, we were able to pass by the Bartow outdoor refreshment patio and there was a good turnout.

Watch the reruns of the election forums to get a sense of the candidates and vote. Read the Co-op City Times to get all the correct information about the election and the voting process and debate events. Election campaign time is underway now. We can do better than last year’s showing. The Co-op City Times has all the information on the candidates and is publishing the conversations weekly. The ballots are in the mail. Ours is mailed. Broun Place Townhouse Association is planning to enter the contest.

For this week’s scam tales, the caller says, “We are calling to help you with your energy bill.” But we do not have energy bills. Please remember that. Do not continue the call. They make it sound real, but it is a fraud, so hang up.

Congratulations to all the graduates and players moving up and prepping for what is next. Healing wishes to all who are recovering and healing after illness or surgery. It does get better and does take time. The Covid-19 that I was diagnosed with on March 25 left me with low stamina and raspy voice. I have not fully recovered. Neighbors, just beware and get vaccinated, it is a new lifestyle.

Thank you to the Power Plant of Riverbay Cor-

came with an emergency shutdown. Because we are a Mitchell-Lama housing development, we got it repaired immediately. Be glad you are living here, and this is not a NYCHA development.

Regarding dogs, steady barking and aggressive behavior is not allowed and dog owners are required to pick-up after their dog. The CCPD phone number is 1-718-671-3050. Having a dog or cat is a responsibility.

will be distributed. Looking forward to that. Let me know who you would like to invite. Perhaps an outdoor afternoon meeting might be agreeable, let me know please.

Remember: “Life has no remote, get up and change it yourself,” and “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone,” both attributed to Ronald Reagan. There is this to consider: “In the end, whatever remains of one’s life – family, friends, those are going to be the things for which you’re remembered,” Dan Rather, CBS News anchor.

––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

Salute to the U.S.A. from the Apollo family in Broun Place.

Memorial Weekend in Co-op City – A Rousing Success! Ceremony Honoring Fallen Heroes

The true meaning and commemoration of Memorial Day in Co-op City started on Friday, May 24, and ended on Sunday, May 26. We participated in a ceremony honoring fallen heroes with Pre-School kids from AllCare Provider Services, Inc. (Learning Ladder Cay Care Center and Pre-School), at the Harley J. Mosely Sr. Veterans Memorial Park. The kids got an early meaning of Memorial Day. During the ceremony, they held lettered signs forming the word: R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R. Thanks to the auspices of director, Dulce Judge, the ceremonial was a success, for example, the place-

We look forward to working with this organization towards contributing to the kid’s learning of good citizenship and leadership. Memorial Day Commemoration – A Gloomy Community Involvement

aside to honor those in the Armed Forces who made the and democracy. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution profess the principles of democracy and protect the rights of citizens.” An example of this message, pictured at right, is 100 years young, Ms. Olive Glasgow. She is a long-standing member and past meaning of this day for her and why she attended.

all to preserve our way of life, it’s depressing to see the low community turnout at this annual ceremonial given the population of Co-op City. This sentiment is also shared by the politicians and community leaders in attendance. A hearty acknowledgement to members of the NAACP Co-op City Branch who came out en masse to give thanks to the brave men and women who paid the highest cost in defense of our freedom. Leslie Peterson, president of the NAACP Co-op City Branch, was on point when she

Among the political attendants, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto remarked on service to our nation by all who served from the 1900’s. He highlighted the 1.3+ million who gave their lives and those wounded by losing limbs, PTSD and mental illness. Westchester County Executive George Latimer shared a personal experience, highlighting the story of his high school friend, John who served in Vietnam at age 19 and died in combat. He stated that at every milestone he hits, he remembers John. Although he didn’t serve, veterans will always be front and center because of his personal pain in losing his friend John.

Our own County Commander Gene DeFrancis was in attendance with other County and Post Legionnaires; Past Commander of the Jewish War on Veterans of the Bronx Leon Weinstein (above) and Past Post 1871 Commander Adeyemi Oloruntoba, all Commanders gave on-point remarks in support of the solemn occasion.

Contact Us American Legion Post 1871, 135 Einstein Loop, Room 41, Bronx, NY 10475; (718) 320-8165; email: post1871@oponline.net; website: https: www.legion.org. —Antonio Codrington

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

Greetings, retirees and friends,

Retirees attended the 45th Precinct Community Council Breakfast on Thurs., May 23.

Carnival Cruise 2024

Ace in the Hole

Membership Committee

Happy Birthday

Condolences

Good and Welfare

General Meeting –

—Georgianna Rodriguez

Entertainment Committee –

Building 22A&B Association

African-American Association of Co-op City

Corrections from last Week’s 11th Annual Spelling Bee Coverage (pictured right)

JASA Co-op City NORC Program Invites You for These In-Person & Virtual Activities

Agatha House Foundation – National Diabetes Prevention Program, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Join our 6 – 9 month program. For more information or to register, call Coach Brittany 917-943-3503.

New date for Common Pantry is June 25th. Location TBD. Common Pantry will not be taking any new names at this time until further notice.

SUCASA Final Show Poetry Reading and Jazz Music w/Americo Casiano Jr. – Wed., June 12, 122:30 p.m. Limited tickets for this event. Pick up your free ticket at the Bartow Center only.

JASA Bartow OAC Juneteenth Celebration –Fri., June 14. Parade starts at 10 a.m. by the library. Ceremony starts at 12 p.m., Bartow Center, Rm. 31. Free tickets at the Bartow Center only.

Bartow OAC Trips – Motown show at Windows on the Lake, Wed., June 26, $150. Stew Leonard’s

BARTOW CENTER CLOSED

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

Walk w/Odessa 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure, 12-1 p.m., (1st & 3rd Tues.)

Health & Wellness w/Ann 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Adult Coloring, 12-1 p.m.

Smart Phone & Tablet Class w/Julesa, 1:45-2:45 p.m.

Dinner Hour: 3-4:30 p.m.

Stay Well Exercise w/Odessa 10-11 a.m.

Bereavement Hour w/Dorine 1st Wed./month, 12-1 p.m.

Line Dancing w/Cynthia Wed. & Fri., 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Dominoes w/José 1-2:30 p.m.

Dinner Hour: 3-4:30 p.m.

Arthritis Exercise w/Damion, 10-11:15 a.m.

Visual Arts w/Laura via Zoom 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Knitting/Crocheting with Lynne and Betty, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Card Games with Frankie, 1-2 p.m.

Dinner Hour, 3-4:30 p.m.

Massage Therapy

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Manicure, 10:30 a.m-12 p.m.

Line Dance with Cynthia 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Drama Club w/Dazee Windley 2-4:30 p.m., in the back of the JASA NORC Office Dinner Hour, 3-4:30 p.m.

Intergenerational Arts & Crafts w/Denise, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Salsa with Rasheed 10-11 a.m.

Word Games

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Bingo on Saturdays

1:30-3:30 p.m. in the back of JASA NORC Of fce

6/12, $6; BJ’s/Shoprite, 6/21, $6; Costco, 6/28, $6. Please pay for trips at the Bartow Center only.

Dreiser OAC Apple Picking – Oct. 9. Tickets are $35, on sale in Room 7, beginning June 3.

Einstein OAC Holiday Hill Senior Day – Aug. 20, 8 a.m. Tickets: $124. New pay arrangements: due June 7. Payments for trips accepted on Mon.’s & Fri.’s, only, 9-11 a.m. at Einstein OAC. Caringkind – The Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiv-

every third Monday of the month, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for Alzheimer & Dementia consultation/health care proxy and power of attorney consultation & other services.

Steel Drum Classes Wed., 12:30 -2:30 p.m.

Mindful Mornings Tai Chi 9-10 a.m.

Line Dance w/Sassy 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Book Club 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Ageless Facials & Self Care 1-3 p.m., Rm. 35 (Appt. only)

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

Bridge to Care Arthritis Exercise 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 45

Creative Arts & Painting 1-2 p.m., Rm. 35

Go Easy on us Computers 2:30-3:30 p.m., Rm. 40

Walk Club, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Hair Care 4U, 9-11 a.m.

Appointments only

Spring in Your Step Stretch & Tone w/Ola 10-11 a.m., Rm. 45

Action Bodies In Motion 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Room 45

Prize Bingo & Board Games 1-2 p.m., Rm. 49A

Visual Arts, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Salsa Dancing, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Walk With Ease, 1-2 p.m.

Chit Chat, 1-2 p.m.

Coloring for Calmness 9:30-10:30 a.m

Chess Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Blood Pressure Screening 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Let’s Get It On Zumba 1-2 p.m.

Technology Class – Thurs., 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dial in number: 929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 862 5043 9695; Passcode: 896989.

Line Dance with Bartow Swingers – 12-1 p.m., Wed. & Fri., 12-1 p.m. Dreiser Loop Aud. A. – Weds. & Thurs., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-320-2066 for an appointment.

Notary, Dreiser OAC – Weds., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-320-1345 for an appointment, Room 7.

Notary, Einstein OAC – schedule appts. in Rm. 48, Thurs., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-671-5161. Please call Einstein OAC for: Hair Styling and third Wed. of the month, 9-11 a.m. Braids, haircuts, shape-up, twist, ponytails, curls and more. Facials & Manicure: every Mon., 1-3 p.m. Call 718671-5161 for appointment.

LUNCH & DINNER MENUS

Alternate Kosher Meals are available

Chair Yoga Class w/Charles (Virtual) Meeting ID: 863 1492 4183, Passcode: Dreiser23, 10-11 a.m.

Stay Well w/Denise 10-11 a.m. Rm. 2

Piano Sing Along Class 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Rm. 2

Smartphone and Tablet Literacy class w/Jules, 1:15-2:15 p.m.

Game Time, Dominoes, 9-10 a.m.

Blood Pressure Screening w/RN Vida, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 4

SAIL w/Gail - Stay Active & Independent for Life, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Rm. 2 Art w/Lovie, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Zumba w/Ola, 1-2 p.m. Aud. A Tai Chi w/Jimmy, 2-3 p.m. Rm. 2

Computer & Tablet Class w/Ralph 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dial in number: 347-893-2966, Meeting ID: 854 2963 5300, Passcode: Dreiser23

Game Time - Jenga, 9-10 a.m.

Su Casa Arts Program w/Gina, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 2

Arthritis Exercise w/Damion 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Auditorium A Afternoon Crafts w/Ines & Julesa 1:15-3:00 p.m.

Self Defense w/Jimmy 2-3 p.m. Rm. 2 (Twice a month)

Resorts World Casino (Queens), 9 a.m. Wellness Mornings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Spanish Class w/Angelica 1-2 p.m. (Twice a month) Manicure Services 1-3:30 p.m. (Twice a month)

SAIL w/Gail - Staying Active and Independent for Life, 1-2 p.m. Rm. 2

NEW Body in Motion w/Ola 1-2 p.m. Auditorium C

Walmart Trip, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sewing Class w/Joy, Rm. 2 Knitting & Crocheting w/Loretta 10-12 p.m.

Alert and Alive w/Cathy & Essie 10-11 a.m., Rm. 4

Line Dance w/Sassy 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Auditorium A Bingo w/Gay Brown 1:20-2:50 p.m., Rm. 4

Menu Fee for lunch is $2 & $5 for guest. ALL meals served with margarine and fresh milk. Menu subject to change without notice. For information, please call: (718) 320-2066. Schedule subject to change without notice.

Payments for trips can be made where noted, Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. only.

Funded by: The NYC Department for the Aging, the NYS Office for the Aging and Riverbay Corporation. Must be 60 or older to become a JASA participant.

LUNCH: KOSHER: Baked Fish Marsala with Mushrooms, Pasta, Prince Edward Blend Vegetables

NON KOSHER: Aromatic Lentil Stew with Carrots & Turnips, White Rice, Steamed

NO DINNER SERVED

LUNCH: KOSHER: Pepper Flank Steak, Vegetable Lo Mein, Oriental Blend Vegetables. NON-KOSHER: Spanish Style Catfish, Chinese Style Spaghetti, Oriental Blend Vegs

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Filet of Sole Florentine, Garlic Mashed Potato, Steamed Carrots, Apple NON-KOSHER: Lentil Stew w/ Carrots and Turnips, White Rice, Steamed

LUNCH : KOSHER: Breaded Vegetable Cutlet, Brown Rice, Vegetable Mix

NON-KOSHER: Jerk Chicken

Black Beans & Rice, Steamed Broccoli

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Breaded Vegetarian Cutlet, Brown Rice, Steamed Vegetables, Banana NON-KOSHER: Spanish Style Beef Stew, Homemade Mashed Potato, Steamed Mixed Vegetables, Orange

LUNCH : KOSHER: Turkey Wraps w/ Cole Slaw, Pasta Salad

NON-KOSHER: TBD

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Tuna Fish Salad, Four Bean Salad, Tossed Salad w/Dressing, Kiwis NON-KOSHER: Jerk Chicken, Black Beans and Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Apple

LUNCH: KOSHER: BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters, Baked Potato, Capri Blend Vegs. NON-KOSHER: Homemade Coconut Breaded Fish, Quinoa, Sautéed Spinach

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: BBQ Chicken Legs, Baked Potato, Capri Blend Vegs, Pears. NON-KOSHER: Curried Chicken Salad, Whole Wheat Pasta Salad, Cucumber & Tomato Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette, Orange. Plus Grab and Go.

Saturday: Lunch served at 12:30 p.m. : BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Pepper Flank Steak, Vegetable LoMein, Oriental Blend Vegetables, Orange

NON-KOSHER: Homemade Coconut Breaded Fish, Brown Rice, Sautéed Spinach, Banana

Building 24 Association Building 21 Association

Dear shareholders,

timely lobby decorations reminding us of the approaching elections and the importance of voting. Co-op City’s Board of Directors’ election is underway and later in June, we’ll have Primary voting for our State and Federal representatives. It’s important that we have a healthy turnout for all our elections. Too many times, I’ve heard our neighbors refer to our carrying charges as “rent.” We are shareholders, not renters. Renters have little or no say in how their homes are maintained. I led a rent strike in the building I lived in before moving here because our landlord was unable or unwilling to perform the maintenance necessary to provide basic services like heat and hot water to the building. Here, we have a say in how things are going and what changes are needed. We must exercise our opinion and involvement muscles. Remember the old saying, “Use it or lose it?” Well, that might apply to our situation here regarding voting. If we continue to be so apathetic about voting, HCR, our state overseeing agency, could decide that we just don’t care enough to elect a Board of Directors and start making all the decisions for us. We mustn’t let that happen.

Affordable housing is a vital hedge against ridiculously high rents. We have to do our part to keep it alive and well. Please vote.

In our next notice, we’ll discuss what we are considering as a means to replace the drab lobby drapery with something new and exciting. Stay tuned.

—Bruce Silberman

Building 33 Association

Vote, vote, vote! By today, most of you should have returned your ballots by mail (postage not necessary) or completed the ballot online (without leaving your home). We must change our attitudes and consider what is happening in Co-op City very important.

Where has the pride gone? This is your home. Help us understand what it would take for you to do the right thing, and for your children to do the right thing as well. I will continue to write about this topic until we change our mindset. Most of you have the attitude that nothing matters, but you are mistaken. We should care about the annual Board elections! We should care about keeping our neighborhood clean. It is important to understand the difference between items that should be disposed of in the garbage chute and those that should be recycled. Additionally, we should pick up after our dogs. It seems like you have brought your bad habits with you from where you came. Make a change. Talk to your children, vote as if your life depends on it, and care!

please email us at building33association@gmail.com. Last summer, we could not enjoy our terraces or sit on the benches because they were everywhere. Cooperators were rushing into the building because they had taken over the entrance. Not a good feeling.

Eligible individuals can apply for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) starting from Monday, June 3, at midnight until Sunday, June 9, attion-8/applicants.page and complete the online application.

If you are a senior in high school, a Co-op City resident, currently serving or have served your community in a volunteer capacity, and have a C+ average, you can apply for the Assemblyman Benedetto 2024 Scholarship Competition for Co-op City students. Each year, the scholarship awards $500 to be used for school-related expenses. Applications are available at the assembly member’s Deadline: June 3.

Enjoy your week! Pick up this week’s Co-op City Times, read the questions and answers of the candidates, and vote!

Take care!

––Andrea Mayo

We had another successful standing room only meeting with our Janitorial supervisor, Mr. Perry. We would like to thank him for spending the time and answering questions from our cooperators.

Our next building meeting is Thursday, June 27! We are having a live and in-person meeting in our gathering room in the back of Building 21B lobby. It will begin at 7 p.m. sharp!

We would like at least one member from every family to come and represent. We will have a guest speaker so please arrive on time.

A reminder that this is your community. We must stay informed and engaged!

We are seeking 11 volunteers to help us with spring cleaning our gathering room. Only the actual volunteers will be privy to the rewards that await them. Email us your name and contact number to be placed on the list for Thursday, and two alternates.

Your Building Association is where you can start to be engaged in your community.

Riverbay Board Elections are coming up. Please make your vote count by voting on time!

Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. You can place dues and/or suggestions in our lockbox located in the laundry room (next to the television). Our yearly dues are $10.

Our regular monthly meeting is every fourth Thursday of each month. You may contact us at our email us at 21association@gmail.com.

May god bless and continue to keep you and yours safe.

––Jarasia Wilson

Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment

A study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that more than half of those who provide primary care for parents (and one in four who provide any care) experience stress and strain. Prolonged stress can have severe physical and emotional consequences. Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding experience. However, it can often come with emotional challenges. It may be time to reach out for help. Have you considered joining a caregiver’s support group or seeking counseling? You are not alone.

Take care of your health – Eat nutritious meals. Don’t give in to stress-driven urges for sweets or overindulgence in alcohol. Get enough sleep; if you are awakened at night, try napping during the day to make up your sleep. If you have any symptoms of depression (extreme sadness, trouble concentrating, apathy, hopelessness, thoughts about death), see a doctor immediately.

Maintain social contacts – Isolation increases stress. Having fun, laughing, and focusing on something besides your problems can help you keep your emotional balance.

Don’t feel guilty about needing time off – Remember that your loved one by friends, relatives, or volunteers at home or an adult day center.

Seek support – Some research suggests that bottling your feelings can harm your immune system and lead to physical illness.

Find time for yourself to unwind when stresses pile up. Do something you enjoy, like reading, walking, or listening to music.

Organize – Having a plan will give you more time for yourself. Steps to take: Set priorities and realistic goals. Make a list of what needs to be done (caregiving

Deal constructively with negative feelings – When resentful, think about how to change things. Recognize the anger-guilt-anger cycle and stop it immediately by forgiving yourself for being angry.

Join us on June 20, 7 p.m., for our monthly 45-minute Zoom information and support session. “Let’s Talk” about when nursing home is not an option. Presenter: Cheryl Sanchez, director of Growth Partnership, Archcare. Invite a caregiver. Go to www.comeoutreach.org. Click on the “Let’s Talk” postcard for the Zoom link.

AARP Peachtree Chapter 4997 and Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment will host the Summer Youth Intergenerational Tech Program for the eighth year. The free one-on-one hour sessions are a valuable learning opportunity for our youth and a platform for fostering intergenerational connections. The program will begin on Monday, July 8, and runs until Thursday, August 15. The program is held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 177 Dreiser Loop, 2nd Fl., Rm. 0. Call to set up an appointment, 718-320-1946. Walk-ins also welcomed.

Mark your calendars: COME’s 18th Annual Family Caregiver Gala, Nov. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Maestro’s Catering. This is an opportunity to honor family caregivers in recognition of National Family Caregivers Month. Nominate a friend, neighbor, peer, young person, or family member for The Leon David Simmons Caregiver Award. For more information, contact us at 718-379-3159.

—Diane Cooper

Hello, neighbors. We trust all is well, trees and fowers are blooming, trees and bushes appear to be healthy and people are suffering with allergies. People are still wearing their masks.

Building 27 Association Meeting – Was held on May 23.

Minute of Silence – We took time to honor the sudden passing of two of our long-time dedicated offcers, Treasurer Lillian Sumpter and Events Planner Margie Delgado.

Memorial Day – We pause to thank those who sacrifce that we may live in freedom. We thank all military and their families for their services for peace around the world.

There was discussion about Management’s ongoing effort to fnd more suitable convectors for Co-op City. Many have not yet flled the Window Guard questionnaire. Window Guard forms are available from the Association; you can fll them out and we will take them to CSO.

Building 27 Association – Final meeting before summer hiatus was May 23rd. We were honored to have two distinguished speakers, Sonia Feliciano, president of the Board of Directors, and George Latimer.

Building 25 Association

Greetings, Building 25 shareholders! We hope everyone had a safe memorial holiday weekend. Happy birthday, from our building association to those who will celebrate their birthday in June; congratulations and best wishes to those who will celebrate other special occasions during the month of June. Have fun and stay cool. May the coming week bring you happiness.

The following events/activities need close attention and action from shareholders.

Fire Prevention Presentation from 6:00-7:30 p.m. There are three dates remaining and we encourage our fellow shareholders to attend this presentation sponsored by Riverbay.

June 5 – Bartow Center, Room 31

June 11 – Dreiser Loop Auditorium

June 13 – Einstein Loop, Room 45 Election – 2024 Riverbay Board of Election is in effect until June 14. By now, shareholders should have received their ballot by mail. Information regarding each candidate’s platform has been published in the Co-op City Times, and three in-person candidates’ forums were held. We encourage our fellow shareholders to become informed, complete your ballot, and return it by June 14. Yes, vote! Board of Elections City of New York – Primary Election early voting is from June 15 – June 23. Exercise your right and privilege to vote.

Air Conditioning – Shareholders must clean and fush the drains of the convectors in their unit to help prevent fooding and foor damage.

Building 25 Association meets on the third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted. In that event, a notice will be posted in our building’s lobby near the elevators. We look forward to your attendance at our next meeting. Should you have questions or concerns before the meeting, please feel free to contact our building association at bldg25association@gmail.com. Our building association also has a suggestion box in our laundry room. We welcome your input, suggestions and concerns relating to our building.

Sick and Shut-ins: We hope you are managing and have healing thoughts.

Condolences: We wish our neighbors who have lost a loved one recently, peace of mind, and comfort during this challenging time.

Have a safe and healthy week, everyone!

––Evelyn Herbert

Building 27 Association

Ms. Feliciano informed shareholders that we failed to meet the quorum for 2023, and not voting causes additional money and more time to set another date. Cooperators must understand when the quorum is not met, the sitting Board remains in place. Voting is the only way to make change.

2024 Board of Directors Election – The third and last Candidates’ Forum will be May 29, 7:00 p.m. at Bartow Center, Rm. 31. Voting began on Monday, May 20, to June 14. Shareholders, let’s meet the required 5,035 plus certifed ballots to meet the quorum on the frst

count; if you agree, then vote, vote.

Emergency Resolution #24-26 – Please take note, this will be on the ballot for your vote, that it be resolved the Corporation should ban indoor smoking of tobacco and cannabis products within all residential apartments on the Riverbay campus. Please place your vote. Ballots will be arriving in green envelopes, and voting online is the way to go, if it is available to you.

With Deep Sorrow – The Building 27 Association regrets to announce, our faithful treasurer, Lillian Sumpter, and our baker, Margie Delgado, have passed on. Our sincere sympathies and condolences to the families, and may they both rest in peace. Happy Birthday to all celebrating this month. We wish all the best of health and safety. Contact Lydia Rondon at 718-583-3040 and she will gladly acknowledge your birthday by sending you a card. She is excellent in sharing goodwill. Also notify her of any illness, or a neighbor has passed or transferred to a nursing home.

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” –

Margaret J. Wheatley

—H. Overman

Board President Sonia Feliciano speaks at the association meeting.

George Latimer

Section Five Association

Please stay vigilant. The viruses are still around. Spring is in the air, trees and fowers are blooming all over the place. People are still wearing their mask and that is a good thing. It is nothing like beautiful fowers that has a way of nature to brightens ones day.

Resolution#24-26 resolves that the Corporation should ban indoor smoking of tobacco and cannabis products within all residential apartments on the Riverbay campus. Resolution #24-26 is on the ballot and shareholders must vote for it to become a policy of this Corporation. Make sure your family and friends are aware to place their vote. The ballots are coming in a green envelope any day now.

Co-op City Bldg. 26 Association – Our energetic young ladies and future leaders invite all shareholders to the Candidates’ Forum to show up and show out in Section 5, become acquainted with the candidates and Vote, Vote, Vote.

The Show Up And Show Out/To Vote – Tee shirts were quite noticeable and impressive. These young ladies sponsored a professional and fantastic Christmas Tree Lighting, came out and never looked back! I know Pat is rooting them on from Heaven.

Voting to Elect Board of Directors – The third and last Candidates’ Forum will be May 29, 7 p.m. at Bartow Center, Rm. 31. Voting has begun on 5/20 to 6/14/2024. Remember: We must meet the required 5,035 plus certifed ballots quorum on the frst count. If you agree, please vote, vote ASAP. It appears Coop City is being endowed with more and more talented and skilled persons as never before. Co-op City is their future.

The vice president of SFA, Ms. Carol Arthur, gave information regarding 501C; OMNY Card will be in affect very soon, and we will look into other options; SCRIE/DRIE, she is able to offer assistance; and that all shareholders are eligible for the STAR Program, but you must register.

We regret to announce the passing of the leader and president of the Roosvelt Democratic Club of Coop City, Mr. James Payne. We offer our sympathies and condolences to all families who lost a loved one. We wish all the best of good health. Happy Birthday wishes. One may reach Nelson Sweeting, president, Section5association10@gmail.com, or at 914-709-5395.

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. –Henry Ford —H. Overman

Black Forum

Emergency Food Pantry

920 Baychester Ave., Bldg. 1A (opposite basketball court). The pantry is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Guests are eligible to pick up food once a month. All guests must present a pantry card, at least 4-6 clean shopping bags with handles and a shopping cart to receive food. Section 5 guests should visit the Co-op City United Methodist Church at 2350 Palmer Avenue to pick up groceries. They are open Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Religious affliation is not necessary. Masks are a must! Anyone who does not wear a mask may not be served by the staff at their discretion. This protects everyone.

New Client Registration & Re-Certifcation for Returning Guests – Registration/re-certifcation has now ended.

Trips

Support our community with a fun day out! Your participation in these events help cover the rent, insurance, and supplies needed to keep our Emergency Food Pantry running strong. Help us ensure local families have access to nutritious food and household supplies.

Saturday, June 8 – Caesars Casino Boarding times: 920 Baychester Avenue stop boards 8:45 a.m. and leaves 9 a.m. (sharp); Asch Loop stop boards 9:10 a.m. and leaves 9:25 a.m. (sharp); Ein-

You Could Be President

BY FRANK W. MAYES

Ok! So you graduated from high school this year, well now is the time you can relax, right? Wrong! Now you are about to enter the real world of “trials and tribulations.” You say, “I got time, I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Wrong! Our perception of tomorrow is an illusion, yesterday is defnite, today all possibilities are promising. There are many ways to be successful in life. Here are ten of them.

Beware of your spiritual being: Follow your heart and intention to do the right thing.

Know that you are equal, no better or less than your fellow human being.

Set goals for yourself and never falter.

Give praise to what is right and challenge what is wrong.

Follow all your dreams by not just dreaming, but doing.

Choose your friends wisely, true friends are few, learn the difference.

Be less of a talker, more of a listener, you don’t learn from hearing yourself talk.

Listen, but analyze all opinions.

Always “reach for the sky” to claim your “piece of the pie.”

Be a doctor, lawyer, baker, musician, whatever your heart’s intent, and, oh yes, I forgot to mention, you can even be President.

stein Community Center stop boards 9:40 a.m. and leaves 9:55 a.m. (sharp). Seats are still available for Caesars, $55 (cash only); Rebate: $10. Saturday, August 17 – The Nordic in Rhode Island and Foxwoods Resort Casino in CT, $225. First payment ($75) was due by March 15; second payment ($75) is due by May 24; third payment ($75) is due by June 28. Those who missed the frst payment can make it up. The Nordic is an All-YouCan-Eat with lobster, crab, prime rib, flet mignon, shrimp, salads, veggies, and more; Foxwoods hosts six casinos, 250 gaming tables and 5,500 slot ma-

chines. It’s one of the ten largest casinos in the world and has Tanger Outlet shops on-site. Saturday, October 19 – Black Eyed Sally Southern Cajun Kitchen with MGM Casino, $120. First payment ($60) is due by September 6; second payment ($60) is due by October 4. We are accepting payments for trips now. Nonrefundable payments will only be accepted in the following forms: cash, personal checks, and only postal money orders. Call 917-209-5334 to book trips.

Contact Us – coopcityblackforum@gmail.com ––D. Illis

Community Protestant Church

Rev. Dr. Calvin E. Owens and the Community Protestant Church family welcome you to worship with us. We are located at 1659 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469. You may contact us by phone: 718-862-9172, fax: 718-6714416, or email: Administration@thecpcchurch.org

Worship Schedule

In-person Sunday Morning Worship at 11 a.m.; Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

Every Wednesday, “Hour of Power Noon Day Prayer,” at 12:00 p.m. on the Conference Call Line: (712) 432-3900, Access Code: 343284#.

Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. is Bible Study Online via Zoom. Log in on Zoom.com or dial One-Tap Mobile: (646) 931-3860 or (929) 205-6099. Meeting ID: 837 7258 6522.

Special Services – Sunday, June 9, at 11 a.m., Men and Women’s Day with guest preacher Rev. Dianne Asphall, Associate Minister, Mt. Zion Christian Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, NY. This year, we are asking all women to suit and gold tie.

Save the Date –

Last Sunday, Pastor referenced Psalm 75:1, “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks to you! We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done.” As a church family, we are thankful for all that He has done, for what He is doing and for what He is about to do. There was joy as we sang, “Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand,” and shouting as the Choir rendered, “I Still Have a Praise Inside of Me.” Hallelujah! We have so much to thank the Lord for!

We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Brown family on the passing of Mr. Tyrone L. Brown, son and father of our members Hannah and Tyron. Our prayers are with the Sumpter family as well as to all who are mourning the loss of a loved one. To our sick and shut in, please know that we are praying mightily for you and for your speedy recovery. Happy June! If you are celebrating a birthday this month, we wish you a very happy birthday.

“Thy faithfulness is unto all generations.” –Psalm 119:90

––Lexa M. Mingo

Newsong Church Sola

Fide

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

We’re not saved by our works but through faith. The reformers realized that the gospel isn’t about what we can do to be saved, but about what Jesus has Proverbs 3:5-7 says,

We trust in Jesus the same way we would trust in a parachute if we were jumping from an airplane. You may be thinking…but my faith isn’t that strong. I love what Time Keller says: “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you.” You don’t have to have strong faith… you just need to have faith in the One who is strong!

About Us

Newsong Church is a life-giving church right here in Co-op City! We beand make a difference in this world! No matter what you’ve been through or where you come from, you are welcome here. Join us for Sunday worship and see why God’s family is no ordinary family. Check us out, we’re located at 135 Einstein Loop!

Sunday Worship Experience

Our Sunday worship experience starts with celebration. We make music to please God and to build others up. Colossians 3:16 says, “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” We sing to bring glory and honor to God and celebrate who He is and what He’s doing in our church! Our worship experience starts every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Newsong Deaf Church, Room 35

Our deaf worship experience is in ASL so that our deaf and hearing impaired can worship and fellowship in their own language!

Kidsong, Room 49

We’ve created a place where children can have fun and learn about Jesus on their own level!

Against The Flow

dents will lead the next generation of the church and change the world. At

So, what are you waiting for? There’s a God in heaven who loves you and has a purpose and plan for your life! Do you live outside of Section 5? Re-

Contact Us

Mailing Address: 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 42

Phone: 917-342 2559

Email: CentralTeam@newsongchurchnyc.org

Prayer Request Line: Text “Prayer” to 877-899-7323

Website: www.newsongchurchnyc.org

Social Media: : @newsongchurchbx; : @newsongchurchbx; : @newsongchurchbx; : Newsong Church NYC

Pastor Mike Tolone

Church of the New Vision

Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Church of the New Vision and Pastors Kenneth and Deborah Hodge welcome you to worship with us at 115 Einstein Loop North, Bronx, NY 10475. Church phone: 718-671-8746 and Pastor’s phone: 914-522-5039. Our scripture verse for 2024 is: (Hebrews 12:2 NIV) “

Sunday service at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome. Masks are required and temperature will be taken.

Night Prayer Service and Bible Study from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The Conference Line Number: 646-769-9900; Access Code: 3099388#. Please mute your phone. May 26 Worship Service Theme: “Jesus of Nazareth is Passing By.” Scriptures: Luke 18:31-43 NIV “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the

him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. He called out, Jesus. Son of David, have mercy on me!” (continue Luke 18:39-43)

Save the Dates

The community is always welcome to attend all activities of the church. Saturday, June 29

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 – “Daniel” at the Sight and Sound Theatre (sold out)

Saturday, November 2

We continue to pray for speedy recovery for the sick and shut-in and offer condolences to families who lost loved ones and good health and wellness for all. Your contributions, tithes and offerings can be mailed to Church of New Vision, P.O. Box 75-3037, Einstein Station, Bronx, New York 10475.

––Brenda Brown

Pentecostal Tabernacle

Pentecostal Tabernacle invites everyone to worship service every Sunday morning at 100 Co-op City Blvd., Building 22A, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. Sunday School for all age group begins at 10:30 a.m. Midday service starts at 11:45 a.m.

Wednesday morning fasting and prayer service will be held at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Regular prayer meeting & Bible Study will also be held every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.

All night services will be held on Zoom, call 646-9313-860, ID: 7215591000, Code: 505050#

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. 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 bring unity to the church today. Truth never changes, and these cores principles establish unity among believers as we, like

It is important that we maintain fellowship with one another. 1John1:7 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. We should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. –Hebrews 10:25

As we continue to praise God and maintain a prayerful life, we will be able to grow stronger in God. Prayer will help us 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 bones of unit, enhances and furthers the corporate work of the church and strengthens every individual believer.

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.

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 truths and blessings of the church ever continue through the mercy of the one who purchased our redemption with his own blood Jesus Christ. Let

And not like the man in St. Luke 6:49 who build his house on the ground without a foundation.

—Rev. R. Sibblies

The Church of St. Thomas The Apostle

Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The congregation and clergy of St. Thomas invite you to worship with us. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” –Matthew 18:20

Notice: A meeting of the membership of the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, Inc. will be held on June 23, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The membershiptution and bylaws, and the sale of church property.

memorate the body of Christ and what it means for us. It is important for us to for our sins. As we commemorate the memorial of Jesus’ suffering, death and the redemption from sin that was made possible for us.

Corpus Christi, June 2

• 11:00 a.m. – Communion Service.

• Fellowship with light refreshments following the service.

Scripture Lessons:

• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

• John 6:47, 48, 50-58

Prayer: “O Christ our holy Lord, who in this wonderful Sacrament of the altar hast given unto us the grace of Thy perpetual Presence and an abiding memorial of Thy surpassing love; grant us so to receive this Thy most precious gift, that our hearts may be pure in Thy sight and our lives ever dedicated to Thy service, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God throughout all ages of ages.” Amen.

––Rev. Dorian Miceli

Circle of Christ Church Iglesia Circulo de Cristo

Kingdom Power

How should people be chosen to minister in a church? The Bible gives spe-

Acts 6:1 “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” were heavenly.

From among You: They were known and respected.

Full of the Holy Spirit: the Power of God was evident in their lives.

Full of Wisdom: They knew how to use their intelligence practically to

The Leaders of the Church (the disciples would focus on two things):

Prayer: Calling on God for guidance, illumination, and understanding of God’s directives.

Ministry of the Word: Feeding the sheep with the divine revelation already provided in Scripture.

When God positions those he has chosen there is an immediate effect on the church. But some people want to hold on to their perceived power to the detriment of the church.

1 Corinthians 4:19 “I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Schedule – 147 Dreiser Loop

First Sunday of the month, Bilingual Communion Service 10:30 a.m.

Sunday – Spanish, 9 a.m., and English Service, 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday – Prayer, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Wed./Thurs. – Non-perishable food distribution, 12-2 p.m.

Thursday – Prayer/Bible Study, 6:30-8 p.m.

Friday – Youth Service (Operation Grace), 6:30-9 p.m.

Saturday – Women’s Fellowship, second Saturday of the month, 12-3 p.m.

Young Adults, third Saturday of the month, 12-3 p.m.

Men’s Fellowship, fourth Saturday of the month, 12-3 p.m.

Blessings in Christ,

––Pastor Luis F. Ramos Jr.

Spring Transformation and Plentiful Produce at the Co-op City Fridge & Pantry in Section 5

Have you seen the external Spring transformation at the

lately? If

coopcitycommunityfridge@gmail.com.

Co-op City Community Fridge/Pantry in Section 5

Photos by Yolanda Ramirez, Linda Brown & Antionette Erskin

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

St. Joseph’s is located at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level, Co-op City, Bronx, NY 10475. E-mail: stjosephsepc@aol.com. Church phone number: 718-320-0844. Priest-in-Charge: Fr. Simeon O. Johnson; cell: 917-227-4303.

Greetings! As we continue to make the necessary repairs to our space at St. Joseph’s Church, we thank you for your patience and understanding. We are almost back to normal with our schedule of services and activities, and look forward to an early completion of the repairs.

In-person worship service for the Second Sunday after Pentecost will be conducted by Father Simeon Johnson at the church on Sunday, June 2, at 9 a.m. as well as via teleconference. Please also remember to tune in for the usual teleconference weekday prayers at noon. To participate by teleconference, dial 1-425-436-6344, Access Code: 509 898, followed by the # sign. and grandchildren. This is very, very important!

If you have not yet completed your Pledge Cards, kindly do so as soon as possible. as well as our offer to volunteer our time and talent where and when possible.

Event on Saturday, May 25

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Fundraising Luncheon which was held last Saturday at the Eastwood Manor went very well. Many thanks to all our members, families, and friends for their tremendous support. The feedback indicated that everyone had a good time. Kudos to the Fundraising Committee and the volunteers who did an excellent job.

second prize to the holder of Ticket No. 113, and the third prize to the holder of Ticket No. delight of the winners. Congratulations to all winners!

Condolences: Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our members,families and friends who have recently experienced the loss of loved ones.

Sick and Shut-in: We extend our well wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery. Birthday Greetings: Best wishes to everyone who is celebrating a birthday this month.

We at St. Joseph’s are collecting food (cans and dry goods) for the food pantry at Grace Episcopal Church, West Farms. If you can, please contribute for those in need.

Grace and Peace!

—Merville Chambers

Co-op City United Methodist Church/ IEMU de Co-op City

Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.

Come and visit us. We are a multi-ethnic and bilingual, Bible-centered spiritual growth, fellowship and service to God and our community. Services are held in-person at 2350 Palmer Avenue across from Building 30. Parking is available. You can also participate with us via Zoom (904 4685745); or Facebook live (United Methodist Church of Co-op City). –Pastor David Jolly

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

sorrow, loss, or anxiety due to changes that will impact your spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. In life, there is a guarantee that we will experience a series of changes. Yet, we tend to fear and become anxious about change because we do not feel in control of our lives. The reality is that there is a predictable process that occurs when change happens, which includes a sense of loss and a reason to grieve for how things are not the way we think they should be. At such times, we must remember God’s unchanging love and His faithfulness to us.

In addition, as we charter in unknown territories, our level of anxiety increases. Fortunately, Paul gives us a road map to follow when we feel anxious. So, we thank God for His promise to be with us in every circumstance. We pray and trust that all things will work together for good for those who love Him and keep His commandments. We also thank God for the promise of His peace which exceeds anything we can understand, as we pray for unity, guidance and strength through Jesus Christ.

Come and Receive a Blessing: All are Welcome!

Tuesday: Daniel’s Book Online Bible Study (Zoom: 904-468-5745)

Español at 12:15 p.m.

English at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday: Bilingual Prayer Service at 10:00 a.m.

For the next weeks, we are committed to corporal fasting and praying. Please, join us once a week to pray for our Pastors and our church.

Food Pantry: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Upcoming Events – Save the Dates

Sunday, June 2: Bilingual Service at 11:30 a.m.

After Service Church Meeting, and Rescheduled Memorial Day Picnic. Sunday, June 16: Bilingual Service and Father’s Day Celebration

Saturday June 22: Join Trinity UMC and us to celebrate Pastor Dave’s retirement and to welcome our new pastor, Rev. Sara Giron-Ortiz, at the Morris Yacht and Beach Club, 25 City Island Avenue, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. Please see Sister Karen or Sister Pauline for additional information by May 26.

Sunday, June 23: Bilingual Service. Last Sunday for Pastor Jolly and Pastor Martinez.

––Grace Abadia

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City

The synagogue would appreciate donations to keep our shul open. If you would like to help, go to www.Gofundme.com/Traditional-Synagogue-of-Coop-City to donate or mail to the Traditional Synagogue located in Section 5, 120 Erdman Place in the rear lobby of 27B.

The synagogue will be serving a hot Kiddush meal after Sabbath morning services. Entrance to our synagogue for Saturday services is on the side door of Building 27B.

General Information

The Traditional Synagogue located in Section 5, 120 Erdman Place in the accessible, no steps. Phone #:

The synagogue has Services on Saturday morning starting at 10:00 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 10:00 a.m., so we can take out the Torah.

The Traditional Synagogue is the only synagogue in Co-op City.

Sabbath ends on Saturday, June 1, at 9:13 p.m.

Candle lighting for Friday, June 7, at 8:05 p.m.

Good and Welfare

only $15.00 per tree. If you want to buy a tree, call (347) 449-5005. Mazel tov, to all having simchas. If you’re 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 all our members who will be celebrating their birthday in June. 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 Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams and the Co-op City Baptist Church family invite you to join us for Worship Service tomorrow at 8 a.m. in-person only and at 11 a.m. in-person and on Zoom. Sunday School classes for all ages will be held at 9:30 a.m. We are located at 135 Einstein Loop, Room 50 (lower level), Bronx, NY 10475. Telephone: 718-320-3774. Email: ccbc135@optimum.net or coopcitybc@gmail.com. Website: www.coopcitybaptistchurch.org Masks are required.

The 11 a.m. service is also available on Zoom at https://us04web.zoom. us/j/9623430102, or Zoom Telephone Conference Line: (646) 568-7788, Meeting ID: 962 343 0102#, Password: 788175#.

The Church’s Free Conference Call Line dial-in number is 857-357-0254, Access Code is 660065#.

Rev. Williams asks everyone who calls in to the Sunday Worship service to use Zoom through your computer or dial-in using the Zoom information shown above.

This week’s events: Wednesday Bible Study Class at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. by Zoom. Prayer Warriors Prayer Service on Thursday at 12 p.m.; Friday Mid-Morning Prayer Service at 10 a.m. are all on the church Conference Call Line listed above. The 7:30 p.m. Friday Evening Prayer Service will not meet on June 7.

The Ushers and Nurses Ministry will celebrate their combined anniversary on Sunday, June 9, at the 11 a.m. service. The guest preacher will be Min. Mark Ross, Associate Minister of New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY. All are welcome to attend.

The next CCBC Food Giveaway Ministry’s food distribution will be on Friday, June 14, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 135 Einstein Loop. Please remember to bring your own bag and perhaps a cart. Some products can be heavy.

On Sunday, June 23, our Youth and Young Adult Ministry will have an 11 a.m. power-up worship service celebrating Children’s Day at the church, followed by a concert at 4 p.m. The concert will be held in the Einstein Community Center, 135 Einstein Loop in Room 45. Please note, the concert is free. T-shirts are available for $25. The theme of the day is “Moving Forward.” Everyone is invited to come out and support our youth all day.

The church has a free app available on your app store by putting in “Co Op CBC.” This app is open to all.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” –Psalm 46:1 The Co-op City Baptist Church exists to glorify God and to establish a living community of people who follow the teachings of Jesus the Christ through Worship, Prayer, Bible Study and Fellowship. We seek to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the church through ministry.

––Marilyn C. Williams

Our Fish-Only Store Carries Specimens for 1-Gallon up to Show-Size Aquariums! New Arrivals Weekly. Plants, Drifwood, Rocks and Quality Foods and Supplies, etc. We use the products we sell! Whether thinking of starting an aquarium, or experienced - pay us a visit! No Parking Meters. Minutes Away. Open Late. Unbeatable Prices! 316 City Island Avenue, 914-303-FISH (3474) “WHERE EVERYONE

enforcement, or you may report it through

anonymoushotline by the following methods: Go to an independent website, www.lighthouse-services.com/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); Email: 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).

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.