Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.
Public Safety begins enforcement of citywide electric bike prohibition
© Copyright 2015 Co-op City Times
Vol. 50 No. 46
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Gas turbine refurbished The Co-op City Power Plant’s gas turbine #1 was returned to the plant and put in operation this past Monday after having been removed in late September for its manufacturer-recommended five-year inspection, cleaning and repair. According to Power Plant Director Brian Reardon, the five-year-old turbine was removed on September 28th and transported to Minnesota for the needed work. Replacement parts were ordered ahead of time to ensure that the turbine could be refurbished quickly and returned to the plant in a timely manner before the winter season begins. Photo by Bill Stuttig
Public Safety finds missing 5-year-old child BY BILL STUTTIG
With the help of a shareholder who alerted the Public Safety dispatcher of a small child wandering around a building late this past Sunday night, two responding Public Safety officers were able to find the missing child and quickly have him transported to an area hospital for needed care and follow-up attention. Public Safety’s Emergency Service Unit officers A. Mendoza and M. Bonilla, who were nearing the end of the Sunday evening 4 p.m. to midnight
shift, responded quickly to the call from the shareholder who reported seeing a small male child wandering around aimlessly near Building 1B at approximately 11:30 p.m. Sunday evening. The responding officers found the child at that location and said the child appeared to have special needs, was unable to communicate verbally and was in an unkempt condition, including no shoes, and appearing generally uncleansed with messy, dirty hair and (Continued on page 2)
BY BILL STUTTIG
After hearing a number of reports from shareholders of the increasing and dangerous use of illegal electric bicycles by food delivery personnel operating throughout Co-op City, the Department of Public Safety has begun enforcing a citywide prohibition on the use of these unlicensed and illegal vehicles. In a recent memo to all patrol supervisors, Chief Frank Apollo ordered his department to begin issuing summonses to businesses that use electric bikes to deliver food throughout the community. Apollo said this week that his decision to begin enforcing the regulations prohibiting the use of electric bicycles within New York City as set forth by the city’s Department of Transportation was made after hearing a number of complaints and reports of near accidents from residents attending recent community meetings at which Chief Apollo was in attendance. Chief Apollo added that the decision to begin enforcement of the city electric
Friday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m.
bike prohibition came only after both he and Co-op City’s Director of Commercial Leasing Kim Umstead personally visited with each business in the community that delivers food to homes and informed them of the laws prohibiting the use of electric bikes, and all other regulations concerning the use of bicycles by food delivery people. During these visits, each of the affected businesses were handed a printed copy of the regulations for the use of delivery bicycles by commercial establishments which includes, among other things, an absolute prohibition of the use of electric bicycles through New York City. The Chief said that in the weeks that followed his visits, he and the department’s officers and supervisors witnessed very little compliance with the stated regulations – placed on the books to protect the safety of pedestrians and the delivery employees of these businesses – and thus the decision was made to (Continued on page 2)
Drammeh Center exhibits “The Fabric of Complicity: The Color of Money.” BY LAURETTA J. JAYSURA
Telecast schedule for Board business meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015
25¢
When was the last time you looked at your dollar bill? Did you know “In G-d we Trust” was not always imprinted on US currency? Come to the Drammeh Center, nestled amid the porticos of 140 DeKruif
Place, ground level, in Co-op City, and see The Fabric of Complicity Exhibit, which opened November 7 (free of charge), featuring colorful and riveting iconography of the artist and author (Continued on page 3)
AGENDA: • Discussion on the continuation of the Ad-Hoc Committee’s Executive Search • Discussion on the status of Elevator Machinery • Construction Committee Report Tune in to Channel 12 (MATV) and Channel 591 (Cablevision subscribers)
Artist John Jones’ painting series entitled Confederate Currency: The Color of Money, is a month-long exhibit at the Drammeh Center, examining how cotton was used to drive northern economies and how perceptions of slavery were reinforced by images engraved on American currency. Join the artist tomorrow, Sunday, at the Drammeh Center at 140 DeKruif Place, ground level, for a book signing at 3 p.m. Photo by Lauretta Jaysura