Have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July!
Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2017 Co-op City Times
Carrying Charge Increase Scheduled To Take Effect August 1 Vol. 52 No. 26
Saturday, July 1, 2017
BY JIM ROBERTS
Increased carrying charges are scheduled to take effect on August 1 in order to help pay for major construction projects included in Riverbay’s five-year, $112 million capital plan approved by the Board of Directors earlier this year. The average carrying charge in Co-op City now is $216.43 per room, and the proposed 1.9% increase would add $4.11 to a new average $220.54 per room as of August 1, 2017. The 1.9% increase effective August 1, 2018 will raise the then current average carrying charges from $220.54 per room, per month to $224.73 per room, per month. The 1.9% carrying charge increases will generate $28 million over a five-year period and all those funds will be earmarked for capital projects along with a 5% increase in parking fees that will generate $3.6 million over the five-year period and $700,000 in transient parking fees. The major capital projects on the list in the 50-year-old Co-op City complex include balcony and façade work, elevator replacements, waterproofing of porticos, new lobby entrances, storefronts, concrete beams on roofs, power plant heat exchanger, digital control system for the cogeneration plant, building transformers, fire alarm systems in the community centers, basketball courts and coatings in the garages. (Continued on page 30)
25¢
President’s First Report To New Board (Delivered at the June 28th Board Business Meeting) G o o d eve n i n g , President’s Message holders. I would like Board of Directors, to take this opportuManagement and nity to welcome our staff. I would like to two new members to President take this opportunity the Board of Directo thank everyone tors, Leah Richardwho gave me their supson and Jerome Rice. I port and well wishes for believe it is safe to say that the recent Board elecnone of us knew what to tions. I am honored to expect when we first joined serve my community and the Board, but we have all to have your faith in me stepped up, just as our new to lead this Board. While members are prepared to do I realize there are many as well. opinions at large, I hope I would also like to conthat I will gain the coopgratulate Daryl Johnson and eration, if not support, of Kevin Lambright for their those who may differ as we move re-election to the Board with me. We forward this year. all endured a very long and challengWorking together as a Board and a ing election period and are ready to get community is paramount to everydown to the work of the Board. thing and most beneficial to the share(Continued on page 2)
Linda Berk
See 2017 Election Committee Response To Election Challenge On Pages 4-5
Basketball Rules The Day In Co-op City BY BILL STUTTIG
Co-op City’s renovated basketball courts, along with the athletic talents of dozens of Co-op City youth, were showcased last Saturday in two separate basketball events, one in Section 1 and the other in Section 3. Despite the early morning monsoon, the first event in Section 3’s recently renovated courts began as soon as the rains ended and it featured a three-man basketball tournament sponsored by Co-op City’s Newsong Church as part of its “Street 2 Street” initiative. David Martinez, outreach director for Newsong Church, said that the tournament attracted more than 80 teenagers who were split up into 20 teams – 8 teams in the senior division for 15 to 17 year olds, and 12 teams in the junior division for 12 to 14 year olds. Mr. Martinez said that many of the teenaged players came with already-formed teams, while other individual players were joined together into teams. He said that aside from the players, many adults from the surrounding area came to help run the event and coach the Many young Co-op City residents were taught conditioning exercises and basteams. This included ketball skills during a clinic Saturday at Darrow Place co-sponsored by the some firemen from the Brooklyn Nets and Game Over NYC, an organization founded by two former local firehouse across Co-op City residents—Eric Hicks and Marc Wald—teaching sports skills to young people communities throughout New York City. (See page 9 for more photos.) the street who took an Photo by Tamira King interest in what they were seeing and came over to help. The teams played a double elimination tournament consisting of many rounds of 16 point games. At the end of the day, team Chef Curry were the Senior Division winners. The team was comprised of Kendell Byron, who won MVP for the tournament, Tayvon Malone, and Kenneth Torrain. The Junior Division champs were The Goats, comprised of Ian Kranenberg, Edgar Castillo, Colan Coleman and Nazaiah Richardson who was named MVP of the Junior Division. (Continued on page 30)
Morning Glory
A New Dawn… Morning breaks over Co-op City and resident Margie Echevarria captured all the beauty of the new summer day’s promise from her Building 3 home looking east. Photo by Margie Echevarria