Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2016 Co-op City Times
Energy Spectrum delivers more revenue to Riverbay from Co-op City’s cogen plant Vol. 51 No. 25
BY JIM ROBERTS Navigating through the state’s bureaucratic mazes that regulate the energy industry has been the job of Energy Spectrum on behalf of Riverbay over the past six years.
Board demands answers for behind-schedule capital projects
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Spectrum has been responsible for returning several million dollars in rebates and credits to Riverbay, according to Riverbay Finance Director Peter Merola. The most recent check for $820,000
25¢
In response, progress reported on many fronts
BY BILL STUTTIG The Riverbay Board of Directors, led by President Cleve Taylor, called upon management to provide answers and updates on a series of scheduled capital projects that have fallen months and, in some cases, years behind schedule. (Continued on page 9)
Construction Dept. head Mark Warren leads the Riverbay Board of Directors on a tour of the outdated trailers housing the Construction Dept. Later that Wednesday evening the Board voted to have Riverbay study replacing the old trailers with a new permanent facility. Photo by Bill Stuttig
Public Safety, NYPD investigating shooting, stabbing incidents BY JIM ROBERTS
Officials from Energy Spectrum presented a check for $820,000 on June 15 to Riverbay for revenue generated by Co-op City’s cogen plant. (L-R): Riverbay Finance Director Peter Merola, Riverbay GM Noel Ellison, Riverbay Board Second Vice President Bernard Cylich, Energy Spectrum executive David Neiburg, and Arthur Debowski of Great Eastern Energy. Photo by Jim Roberts
Those efforts by Energy Spectrum, including finding innovative new ways to earn money from the excess energy produced by Riverbay’s 40-megawatt cogeneration plant, have paid off handsomely for Co-op City residents. During the past six years, Energy
was presented to Merola and Board Second Vice President Bernard Cylich for Riverbay on June 15 for providing standby capacity to the New York State Independent System Operators whole-
New prototype lobby entrance nearing completion in Building 15A
BY BILL STUTTIG
(Continued on page 2)
Photo by Bill Stuttig
A new disabled-accessible front door entrance system designed as a prototype to be used in the other 65 lobbies in Co-op City has been installed in Building 15A and is now 99% complete and in the process of being reviewed and tweaked for improvements. Board director Bernie Cylich, chair of the Board’s Construction Committee, told the Board on Wednesday night that the committee has reviewed the new lobby entrance and while the general quality of the materials (Continued on page 4) used in the new entrance is a great improvement over
Detectives from the Co-op City Public Safety Department and the 45th Precinct of the NYPD are investigating two incidents that occurred on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. On June 15 at approximately 7:40 p.m., a group of males jumped a 19-year-old male in elevator number 6 in Building 28C on Einstein Loop. The victim was bleeding from the neck and rushed to Jacobi Hospital where he underwent surgery and is now recovering from his injury, according to Public Safety officials. In the second incident, on June 16 at approximately 4:40 a.m., two rounds were fired through an apartment door in Building 11A on Carver Loop by unknown individuals. No one was injured there. Both incidents are being actively investigated. No arrests have been made as of Friday afternoon at press time.
Riverbay Summer Internships
Riverbay General Manager Noel Ellison addressed this year’s class of Riverbay summer interns at the Saturday Academy of the Riverbay Institute Summer Internship Program held at the Bartow Center on June 11. “This is not just a summer job, this is training for your life skills going forward,” Ellison told the summer interns. “Concentrate on learning the job you’re being paid to do, serve the community, learn to be professional and listen to the life stories that your managers tell you.” He emphasized that safety is always the first and most important priority. “We want you to come in whole and to send you back to your parents whole, day after day after day,” he said. Managers from various Riverbay departments explained the jobs available to the interns, who then spoke to the managers individually. Each student had three choices of which departments they wish to be assigned to, and placement decisions are based on the student’s qualifications, experience and interest. The 2016 Riverbay Institute Summer Internship Program, which provides well-paid ($12 per hour), full-time summer jobs, will run from June 27 through August 31. Only Co-op City youth in high school, transitioning to a technical or trade school program, or attending a college, are eligible. All interns will be evaluated on their performance after approximately one month of experience and at the end of the program. —Jim Roberts