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Third Annual Disabilities Expo In Co-op City
Vol. 52 No. 40
© Copyright 2017 Co-op City Times
Saturday, October 7, 2017
For the third year in a row, the Dreiser Auditorium was transformed for a day into an exposition hall of products and services specifically designed to serve New York City’s large disabled population. A brainchild of the Riverbay Disabilities and Accommodations Committee (DAAC), working together with the Co-op City Seventh-day Adventist Church and the office of State Senator Jamaal Bailey, and Darinka Vlahek of AHRC, the expo brings a wide variety of companies that make products to serve the disabled, agencies which support the disabled and community leaders who have a passion and knowledge of issues and services which help the city’s disabled population to remain fully functional and a vital, contributing part of the city and community in general. Cheryl Silvera, one of the principal organizers of the day, said that this year’s expo Chair of Riverbay Disabilities Committee Andrea was not as well attended BY BILL STUTTIG
Leslie, left, fields questions at the Disabilities Expo.
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All Hands On Deck During Power Plant Changeover
Twice each year, like clockwork, Co-op City’s Power Plant switches between heat and air conditioning as the seasons change. To shareholders, the transition seems seamless. The air turns off and the heat kicks in as fall arrives. But behind the scenes, there’s a flurry of constant activity at the Power Plant during the critical two-week “outage” period when things have to get done. “We’re working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, during this outage for two weeks,” said Power Plant Director Brian Reardon. “We need about 10 to 15 days to do all the work to get ready for the winter – to get the chillers configured for the winter, to clean and inspect the cooling tower, to do inspections required by the city of the boilers that run the heat.” Riverbay uses a combination of in-house staff and outside contractors to do the work. Outside vendors come onsite for specialized technical work above the expertise of employees. While the gas turbines and other Power Plant equipment is down to do maintenance work, welding contractors repair valves identified as not working properly while the boilers are off-line. Inspections on some other equipment that can only be done during the October or May outages have to be done by outside third-party certified inspectors. (Continued on page 2) BY JIM ROBERTS
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Annual College and Career Fair Gives Co-op City Youth a Vision for the Future
While most college and career fairs offer high school students a chance to talk to college and job training program representatives about their immediate future, the annual Co-op City College Career and Resource Fair, under the leadership of long-time Board Director Evelyn Turner, takes it a step further. “We want to offer our children – including our elementary school students – a chance to shape a vision about their future,’ said Ms. Turner, “a chance for them and their parents to see a possibility or career path that they might not have considered or thought to be attainable. If you expose young people to the many career opportunities that are out there for them, then they start to have a vision and see a path to a rewarding career and a rewarding life. That can make the difference between a young person who flounders and a young person inspired and motivated.” Today’s College and Career and Resource Fair is the sixth annual fair held each October in the Dreiser auditorium. Scores of college representatives come to the fair each year to meet prospective students from Co-op City. But beyond that, professionals volunteer their (Continued on page 4) BY BILL STUTTIG
Riverbay Corp. Begins Collection Drive For Victims For Hurricanes Harvey, Irma & Maria Riverbay Corporation began a hurricane relief drive this Wednesday so that Co-op City shareholders can do their part to assist victims of the recent devastating storms that swept through several Caribbean islands and American states and territories. The request to initiate a donation drive came from Riverbay Board President Linda Berk who reported that she had been approached by several shareholders eager to do their part to help the millions of victims of this very active hurricane season which has resulted in three powerful storms thus far – Harvey, Irma and Maria – devastating lives and destroying homes and infrastructures in their paths. "The cooperative spirit in Co-op City is alive and well as we rally around our fellow Americans in dire straights to help with essential supplies in their time of need," said Board President Berk. "I spent several weeks in the Virgin Islands this summer and the islands I left behind, full of lush greenery, flowers, Caribbean blue waters with beautiful yachts is gone. These islands and Puerto Rico have been devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Their needs are so great, we can't do enough! The desire to help is infectious, and we, as a community, have stepped up to meet what needs we can fulfill." The collection drive kicked off this past Wednesday, October 4, and will continue for two weeks until Wednesday, October 18. Three collection boxes have been placed at the Dreiser CSO, room 6, and the Einstein CSO, room 37, each clearly marked and designated for specific items. The CSO boxes are only availRiverbay donation box at Public able during business hours on Monday Safety, filled with donations from through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. caring shareholders. Donations can also be dropped off Photo by Brandon Ortiz around-the-clock at Co-op City Public (Continued on page 4) Safety Department (CCPD) headquarters in BY ROZAAN BOONE