Co-op City Times 12/05/15 by Co-op City Times

Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.

Use of Co-op City apartments that are grounds for eviction

Vol. 50 No. 49

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Shareholders who cease maintaining their Co-op City apartments as their primary residence face eviction in accordance with the terms of their occupancy agreement and state regulations. According to the occupancy agreement of the Riverbay Corporation, which is signed by every new incoming shareholder, the shareholder agrees: “Not to sell, assign, transfer, mortgage, encumber or create any charge upon this Agreement, nor sublet the leased premises or any part thereof or cause the leased premises or any part thereof or suffer the same to be used for any business, commercial or professional purposes or for any purposes other than as a private dwelling apartment of the primary residence of the Member and his immediate family. The Member further agrees that no boarders or permanent guests shall be permitted.” Section “FOURTH,” Subsection 10. Furthermore, the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR), the state supervisory agency for Mitchell-Lama developments such as Co-op City, in Section

BY ROZAAN BOONE

1712-5.3 (a) of its regulations, itemizes several grounds for termination of a lease by the housing company, one of which is item #12 which states, “Tenant, cooperator, or other individual does not occupy the dwelling unit as his or her primary residence;” and item #13, “The dwelling unit is used for illegal or immoral purposes, including but not limited to the unlawful trade, manufacture, distribution, storage, and/or sale of marijuana or any controlled substance as defined in Public Health Law, Section 3306, and Penal Law, Section 220.00.” While the state regulations outline several other grounds for the housing company to terminate the lease of a shareholder, this article highlights the use of apartments for illegal or immoral purposes and failure of the shareholder not to maintain the dwelling unit as their primary residence. Increasingly, ads are showing up on Craigslist and other websites advertising apartments either for sale or sublet in Co-op City, as well as apartments being used for

Truman Mustangs to play in PSAL Bowl Championship tonight in Brooklyn

BY BRIAN WILLIAMS AND BILL STUTTIG

In perhaps one of the most remarkable one-season turnarounds in New York City high school football history, the Truman Mustangs, coming off a 2 win and 8 loss season just a year ago, punched their ticket to the New York City Public High School Bowl Championship Game by beating Jamaica High School, 36 to 12, last Sunday at Truman’s Field in Co-op City. The decisive victory in the semi-final playoff game advanced Truman to the championship game for the first time since 2010. Just as it was back then, the team is led by head coach John Shepherd and a talented staff of assistant coaches and also a talented group of players led

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by a dominant running attack featuring two outstanding runners – Ramon Jefferson and Trevor Carson – and a stingy defense. Today, the Mustangs will play for the city’s Bowl Championship against the defending champions, Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School, at Brooklyn’s MCU Park in Coney Island, the summer home of the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team. The Mustangs earned the right to play today by dominating a tough Jamaica team last Sunday. From the outset, the Mustangs controlled both sides of the ball with a suffocating defense and a diverse offense that used both the ground (Continued on page 3)

We wish our readers a happy Chanukah!

25¢

Public Safety enhances procedural training for all staff Beginning this month and continuing through the end of the year, all Public Safety officers and supervisors, from Chief Frank Apollo on down, have or will receive extra training on proper procedures to follow when dealing with the public during a wide variety in police-related situations that offi-

BY BILL STUTTIG

packages that might require follow-up attention and investigation by CCPD and/or other outside agencies. The classes for the officers and supervisors – which also included the participation of Riverbay executives who are not directly part of the Public Safety Department – have been and continue to be led by renowned attor-

Attorney and long-time Riverbay legal consultant Michael Marinaccio leads Public Safety supervisors and Riverbay executives in a seminar on the proper documentation of police work. Photo by Bill Stuttig

cers encounter each day. In addition, all of Co-op City’s lobby attendants have received additional training on attentiveness and the proper procedures to follow when encountering such wide variety of situations with an emphasis placed on recognizing and dealing with suspicious situations or

ney Michael Marinaccio, an attorney, former Bronx prosecutor, and a partner with one of the region’s most renowned law firms, Culleton & Marinaccio. Mr. Marinaccio told the Co-op City Times earlier last month: “We are doing (Continued on page 2)

Annual Tree Lighting & Singalong set for Wednesday in Dreiser Auditorium B

The Riverbay Fund will present a Tree Lighting and Singalong on Wednesday, December 9 in the Dreiser Auditorium B. Admission is free and all are invited to attend. Prior to the Tree Lighting and Singalong, Santa will be available for photos from 5-7:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., Riverbay Board Director and Pastor of Faith @ Work Christian Church, Deborah Jenkins, and Pastor Mike Tolone, Pastor of Newsong Church, will lead the audience in prayer, followed by lighting of the tree and singalong. Pastor Mike will also contribute a hot chocolate bar, representatives of Fidelis Care will distribute cookies, and the Riverbay Find will give out free Scholastic and Disney reading books to all children.

The Riverbay Fund thanks all sponsors who have contributed to make this program possible.

Training

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015 (Continued from page 1)

this so everyone is familiar with the current state of the law and the regulations in the patrol guide. We want to make sure that Co-op City is ahead of that curve on issues that are kind of hot button issues right now and other issues as well.” “It is a good idea that from time to time, you review training practices,” Mr. Marinaccio added. “It is not that they are not adequately familiar with it, but from time to time, just like everyone else in all lines of work, they need refresher courses.” The supervisors and officers are being refreshed on “the permissible scope of police intrusion. As police officers, we need them to be able to properly prepare police paperwork on this and other issues and to be able to adequately testify. This is not only in the context of criminal cases. I have been familiar with Co-op City for a long time and I realize that the large majority of cases here fall under the category of protect and serve and the officers need to be able to prepare paperwork and testify in a variety of

contexts. This is a city of 50,000 people and in my experience with the community, I come into contact with Co-op City more with negligence claims and slips and falls than with criminal matters and arrests. Fortunately for Co-op City, the crime rate here is very low, but still the training needs to be the same as far as justification of all police actions.” Mr. Marinaccio added that the proper articulation of the reason behind any police encounter with a member or members of the public in making the initial contact at the outset of the encounter is key to offsetting any potential problems or escalation of confrontations and the follow-up legal problems those misunderstood encounters can produce in the weeks and months that follow. “In most of these cases, the officer is going to be called upon to explain the justification for his or her actions and they have to be able to articulate that,” Mr. Marinaccio explained. “Not only taking the proper action in the field, because that is their training – but making sure those actions are translated into

illicit business endeavors. Michael Munns, Riverbay’s Senior Attorney, said shareholders cannot sublet their apartment because it must be used as their primary dwelling. For the most part, vigilant neighbors report abuses to the occupancy agreement to their CSO Office. They oftentimes report when the shareholder of record has moved out, but is illegally subletting the apartment, or when there’s a lot of traffic in and out of an apartment at all times of the day and night. Complaints to the CSO office may be made anonymously and should contain as much details as possible. Helpful information, if known, includes, approximate date shareholder moved out,

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Subletting

where shareholder moved to, names and family composition of illegal subletters or any other information that may help establish that the shareholder has moved out of the apartment. Riverbay investigates complaints of possible illegal subletting or an illegal business operating out of an apartment and if reasonably confirmed, legal action is commenced to evict the shareholder. Munns said that if a shareholder is evicted for violating the primary residence provision of the lease, the shareholder faces costs and fees including, attorney fees, court costs, marshal fees, locksmith fees, moving and storage costs and possible adverse credit ratings.

the proper filing of police paper work and the ability to testify and explain that this is the action that I took and this is why I took it. If you can’t do that, then it can lead to problems. This is what is expected of professional officers. Knowledge is power, and the more they know about the scope of their actions, the more effective officers they will be.” Chief Apollo explained that the patrol supervisors and other supervisory personnel, including detectives, were the first to receive the additional training and all the officers will receive the training in the coming weeks. The training takes the form of an approximate two-hour seminar led by Mr. Marinaccio. The training for the lobby attendants was led by Riverbay’s Training Director Shelda Williams during a recent three-hour seminar during which a wide variety of subjects was covered, including the need to always be attentive and alert and the importance of customer service and professionalism and, most importantly, following the

If You See Something, SAY SOMETHING!!! Co-op City Public Safety - 718-671-3050

DR. LEWIS WOLSTEIN Podiatrist — Foot Specialist • Practicing in Co-op City since 1975 • Board Certified in Foot Surgery • ALL conditions of the foot treated

ATTENTION - ALL COOPERATORS IN GARAGE # 5 NOTICE OF ELEVATOR SHUTDOWN

• We

accept most health insurance plans

• Participating in the Medicare Diabetic Shoe Program

Please note that Elevator #1 (front elevator) will be shutdown for flooring replacement.

Date: Monday, December 7th (Weather permitting) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Every attempt will be made to have the elevator restored into service as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and apologize for any inconveniences caused.

—RIVERBAY MANAGEMENT

proper chain of command when reporting potential problems or suspicious activity as quickly as possible. “Quick and efficient reporting by our lobby attendants can potentially save lives,” Chief Apollo explained. Chief Apollo added: “Training is an important factor in the scope of law enforcement in that it improves professionalism, as well as keeps our officers and lobby attendants updated on the latest laws, procedures and protocols. A well-trained Public Safety Department is invaluable to the community as it creates a foundation of trust and confidence on both sides of the spectrum. Our goal is to provide the community with outstanding police services, and one way to do that is to make certain our staff remains well trained. I would like to thank our training director, Lieutenant Shelda Williams, and Attorney Mike Marinaccio for providing the most recent training to our Public Safety personnel thus allowing us to continue to provide outstanding community policing services to the residents of Co-op City.”

• Evening and Saturday appointments

Dr. Lewis Wolstein

Call:

“Se Habla Español”

718.671.7226 100 DeKruif Place

Building 8 • Ground Floor Section 1 • Co-op City • Bronx, NY 10475

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

2nd Combing Co-op City Find out what’s going on in Co-op City here...

NCNW 11th Annual Holiday Drive

NCNW will be collecting new, unwrapped hats, scarves, gloves and socks for newborns to high school-aged teens residing at a local shelter in the Bronx. NCNW is also collecting new, unwrapped toys (no guns), Pampers, Pull Ups and canned goods. Donated items can be dropped off at the Dreiser shopping Center, Room 14, on Saturday, December 5th, 12th and 19th from 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. and Wednesday, December 16th from 1 p.m. — 4 p.m. For further information, please call (917) 399-2643.

Annual Kwanzaa celebration

The Coalition of African American Churches & Community Organizations will present its 19th annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Sunday, December 27, at 3 p.m. in Room 31 of the Bartow Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY. All are invited. There will be entertainment, a Kwanzaa ceremony, African dancing, and the Karamu Feast. There will also be a variety of vendors, as well as games for everyone’s enjoyment. Refreshments will be served. Traditional African attire should be worn, although it is not mandatory. This event is free and your participation is required to make this cultural, family festivity a success. Please attend.

BVA art exhibit at Baychester Library

An exhibit of the artwork produced by the Baychester Visual Arts Association is currently on display at the Baychester Library in the Bartow Community Center. Stop by and support local artists. You will be impressed by the talents of some of your neighbors. The exhibit will run until January 5, 2016.

Happy Hanukkah Dec. 6 - Dec. 14

FRONT PA G E

Retired Riverbay employee Nancy Cosgrove passes on BY ROZAAN BOONE

Nancy Cosgrove, a retired member of the Riverbay Corporation family, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2015 at the age of 82. Nancy worked in the Riverbay Office Services Department for 29 years, beginning her tenure as the mailroom clerk until 1995 when she was promoted to senior mailroom clerk and served in that position until her retirement in July, 2011. As news of her passing spread throughout Riverbay this week, Nancy’s colleagues and Riverbay family who all held her in high esteem were moved to express their fondest feelings about her. Riverbay’s interim General Manager Noel Ellison said: “Nancy was one of the most selfless people I knew. She was always willing to sacrifice for family and friends. She was truly a beautiful soul who has now adorned the wings of an angel.” Francine Berkowitz, who was Nancy’s supervisor, said: “Nancy was a very caring and devoted member of our team. We missed her from the day she retired and miss her even more now.” Eva Lazaar, a former Co-op City Times advertising sales representative who began her employment with Riverbay Corporation in 1988 and retired in March, 2010, said that her

Truman Football

and air game to move the ball down the field, especially on key third down plays. The first score of the game came when Quarterback Imotep Cromer hit wideout Cory Hall with a touchdown pass. Trevor Carson scored the two-point conversion for the early 8 – 0 lead. At the end of the first quarter, Quarterback Cromer hit Dayvon Ford with a 23-yard pass putting the Mustangs into scoring position as the first quarter ended. As the second quarter began, Carson scored on a run from just inside the 10-yard line and again scored the two-point conversion for a 16-0 lead. On its next possession, Jamaica started to move the ball down the field, but a touch fourth stop by the Truman defense ended that drive. Both defenses began taking over the game, giving up little ground until late in the first half when Quarterback Cromer struck again, this time hitting star running back Ramon Jefferson with a 45 yard touchdown pass resulting in a 22 – 0 halftime lead. The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter as Truman continued to use a ground game and accurate passing for another eight points and 30 to 6 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Truman’s outstanding offensive

Nancy A. Cosgrove

first assignment following her probationary period after she was first hired was as an assistant to Nancy in the mailroom. “She was very strict,” Eva recalled. “If you worked for Nancy, you had to toe the line because it mattered to her how the work was presented, and everything was done by hand in those days. She always came to work no matter the weather. She was very old school.” Eva shared that Nancy was friendly, caring and outgoing and she always called everyone to make sure her

friends were ok, she loved to take care of others. “We were lunch buddies, but we also went out socially, especially during the last ten years, she would go with my husband and I to the oldies dances,” Eva said. “If our friend Johnny Z was deejaying, she always wanted to be there. She also always wanted to buy tickets to and accompany me to my Evander Childs High School reunions and even came along to the closing reunion event at Villa Barone in 2008. “Nancy touched a lot of people; she’s in many people’s hearts and she won’t be forgotten.” Frank Torres, Integrity Control Lieutenant for the Co-op City Public Safety Department, began his employment at Riverbay in the Office Services Department in July, 1995 where he was stationed in the file room. “I remember Nancy to be full of joy, with a heart of gold and she was truly an angel,” said Lt. Torres. “Her grandchildren benefitted from that and they should forever be grateful to have someone like Nancy to care for them as she did. They were her everything.” Lt. Torres said that he found Nancy to be “very independent, young at heart and there was nothing that anyone could do for her that she couldn’t do for (Continued on page 4)

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Truman running backs Trevor Carson and Ramon Jefferson, pictured above with Truman running backs coach Brian Williams, helped lead the Truman football team and its dominant running attack into the NYC Public High School Football Bowl Division Championship game tonight. The game will be played at Brooklyn’s MCU Park beginning at 7.

performance was capped off by senior running back Ramier Williams, in his last home game in his Mustang career, pounding the ball repeatedly into the Jamaica defense and finally scoring the game’s final touchdown for Truman for a 36 to 6 lead. The game ended 36 to 12 after a later fourth quarter touchdown by Jamaica. Damone Bailey, Dayvon Ford, George Obaseki, German Camilo, and Milton Wilson were the defensive standouts on

the afternoon. The championship game begins at 7 p.m. tonight at MCU Park, near the beautiful Coney Island waterfront. All Co-op City residents are encouraged to make the trek and cheer on the local high school football team as they try for their second championship in six years. If you are going to the game, dress warmly as December ocean breezes can be quite cold even on a seemingly mild night.

Nancy

herself.” Lt. Torres added: “She was a shortstatured woman with broad shoulders and now the good man above has a good soul. I’d like to express my deepest condolences to Nancy’s family. She will forever be missed and never forgotten.” Eunice Braithwaite, another coworker and close friend, recounted that she first met Nancy when she began her employment as an office clerk at Riverbay in May of 1999, and was stationed in the mailroom. “We were very close, we were like sisters,” said Eunice. “If she had a problem, she would come to me for my opinion and I always helped her with whatever she wanted to do. She was a very sweet person, did not complain and most of the time when someone wanted a job done and we were assigned to it, we were both on the same page and worked in tandem to get it done. Nancy also liked to go out to eat.” In fact, Nancy was a regular patron at Red Lobster in Bay Plaza and many evenings, she could be found there with any one of or a group of her co-workers from Riverbay enjoying dinner. Announcing her transition, Nancy’s family wrote to the Riverbay Corporation community: “Not only was she (Nancy) loved by her family, but as we have come to see and has been demonstrated by so many others, she was also loved by everyone she came in contact with. Whether it was her infectious smile, her sense of humor or generosity that drew you to her, the pull was undeniable.” In addition to working for Riverbay Corporation, Nancy was also a resident of Co-op City where she lived in Building 22 with 3 of her grandchildren, Christina, John and Julian, who she raised and considered her own children. “She loved all of her grandkids, but those three were close to her heart,” said Eunice. “She raised them and considered them her own children.” At the time of her passing, Nancy lived in Riverdale, NJ with her daughter, and was a member of St. Mary’s

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015 (Continued from page 3)

Church in Pompton, NJ. “Although Nancy lived with her children and grandchildren, Riverbay employees were a second family to her,” said Debra VanZandt, another of Nancy’s co-workers. Joan Rubin, who has worked for Riverbay for 10 years, said Nancy was the first person she met when she came in for her interview. After she was hired, Nancy told her that she had been “rooting” for her to get the job. “She was very encouraging and welcoming,” said Joan, who currently works in Office Services. Tanya Cruz, who also worked with Nancy in the mailroom, said that Nancy was “fierce.” “She never went out without her make-up on and her hair done. She was absolutely fabulous,” Tanya said. Nancy is survived by her loving children, Betty Brady, John Rossi and Margaret Rossi; grandchildren Nancy, Michael, Jennifer, Christina, John, Kristen, Erika, Julian and Teresa; eight great-grandchildren, and her son-inlaw, Patrick. She was predeceased by her sister, Gale Levy, and her daughter, Ellen Hagen. Funeral services for the late Nancy A. Cosgrove were held yesterday and she was laid to rest at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa, New Jersey. “She was a one of a kind daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and great grandmother,” said Nancy’s granddaughter Christina. “Overall, a beautiful person and she will be missed by so many. Our wish is that when you think of her, you smile and remember the joy she brought into all of our lives.” Nancy Cosgrove held a very special place in the hearts of everyone she touched here at Riverbay Corporation. Her generosity, genuine love and concern for others, her love of life and the fullness with which she lived her own life and carried out her duties and responsibilities, and the caring and compassionate way in which she embraced others, are an example to all. She will forever remain in our hearts. Fly on, sweet angel.

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 (8) 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.

Treasurer’s Quarterly Report

7/1/2015 – 9/30/2015 Mortgage, Reserves & Escrows – During the quarter, Riverbay paid for the mortgage, reserves and escrows to Wells Fargo Bank as follows: $1.2 million paid into General Operating Reserve/Reserve for Replacement and SONYMA/HDC insurance escrow, $.7 million paid into the Insurance Escrow, $.7 million paid into the HUD Mortgage Insurance Escrow, $1.7 million paid into the Real Estate Tax Escrow, $3.2 million was paid towards the mortgage principal and $3.5 million was paid for mortgage interest. As of 9/30/2015, the principal balance on the mortgage was $584.7 million. During the quarter, Riverbay performed $2.9 million worth of work on the complex that was funded from the Reserves. Outside Audit – Riverbay Corporation’s fiscal year ended on 3/31/2015, the Finance Department preparation for the annual audit by the outside Auditing firm continued during the quarter. Due to delays in bidding for the new contract and the approval process, the outside auditing firm who would normally have been onsite in late June through late July for their field work portion of the audit, now didn’t start until September. This will conclude with the issuance of the certified annual financial statements which were to be filed with HUD by their July 31st deadline, but HUD has been advised that there will be a delay this year. Financial statements should be released in early December. Payments – During the quarter, there

were 6,355 invoices processed for $51.9 million, 1,295 checks issued for Operating Expenses that totaled $48.6 million, another 47 checks were issued for Capital Project Expenses that totaled $3.4 million, and $4.4 million was debited from Riverbay’s checking account for payroll taxes. Receipts – During the quarter, Riverbay Corporation received revenue of $54.8 million. This is an increase over prior quarters as the effects of the June 1st carrying charge increase, along with the garage parking rate increase, began. Other Items – The Income Affidavits were mailed to shareholders in late March and were due to be returned by April 30th. These filings were processed during April and May and any household whose income exceeded the limit for their apartment were assessed a surcharge effective July 1st. These affidavits were filed with the HCR in mid-September as HCR requires. Those shareholders who had discrepancies on their 2010 and 2011Income Affidavits as compared to their Income Tax returns had been sent letters requesting a certified transcript of their Income Tax return. Riverbay is receiving and processing these submissions and thus far has collected $320,000 from shareholders who underreported their household income. For those who do not comply with the request, they will be assessed a 50% surcharge in accordance with New York State HCR regulations. Budget Transfers — There were no budget transfers during this period.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Riverbay’s CSOs are residents’ first step in securing essential services Riverbay’s Cooperator Service Office (CSO) has an office in each of the three community centers—Dreiser, Bartow and Einstein—which is charged with providing essential services to residents of Co-op City in a timely and efficient manner. Each CSO office is staffed with an Area Manager, Assistant Manager, Secretary and two Maintenance service representatives who provide myriad services to cooperators, including addressing everything from service requests to housekeeping and social services. Also, in addition to inspecting damaged apartments, walls and floors due to fire or floods, CSO staff take floor measurements for replacement and follow up with the flooring and plastering/painting departments, and with the Risk Management Department for personal damages to apartments which result from fire, air conditioning leaks and pipe breaks. CSO processes requisitions and work orders for disbursement to Maintenance. CSO also interacts with other departments on a daily basis based on cooperators’ requests for services, for example, window replacement, lobby glass and apartment window glass replacements. CSO personnel allocate hall closets to cooperators interested in such rentals and maintain the waiting list for those rentals. They also prepare lease agreements for shareholders with freezers and dishwashers and forward all pertinent information to the Rent/Bookkeeping office. Senior shareholders who require social services assistance are referred by CSO staff members to in-house case workers at JASA’s Naturally Occurring

Retirement Community (NORC) program. The CSO staff document these cases through the preparation of confidential reports. Another important function of CSO is to process community complaints as they are received by logging and notifying the shareholder of such complaints through correspondence, and then forwarding the complaint to the Riverbay Board’s Cooperator Appeals Committee for a hearing, as well as attending these hearings if the shareholder requests their presence. In addition, CSO sends letters to shareholders for poor housekeeping, noise complaints, illegal appliances, throwing objects out of windows, mats outside of their apartment doors and dogs in the apartments. Riverbay’s interim General Manager Noel Ellison said: “It is important for residents to understand that CSO is basically the connecting point to the corporation and has the best ability to get most things done. We have a team of individuals who have been trained and are extremely capable and, most importantly, highly dedicated to the service, so we encourage people to call them first when they have issues and if they find that after repeated times that they have not been able to get their issues resolved, they should seek other avenues, but it is most important to understand that, in most cases, those other avenues will go to CSO to get a decision on what needs to be done. So, calling CSO first not only makes the corporation more efficient and accountable, but it saves time for the cooperators who need to get something done.”

Greetings to all residents in Buildings 15 through 25, as well as those residents in Asch Loop, Adler and Broun Townhouses. We want to take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves so that you can avail yourselves of the services provided through our offices. If you have questions, complaints, or are in need of general information, please do not hesitate to contact the Cooperator Services Office staff. With diligence, patience, and concern we are available for your convenience, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Vanessa Aldea – Area Manager (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3408 Tanysha Farley – Assistant Area Manager (718) 320 – 3000, Ext. 3406 Tashia Ephraim – Secretary (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3407 If you are in need of maintenance services, please contact your maintenance representatives, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wilber Valenzuela – Buildings 15 through 19 and Asch Loop Townhouse (718) 320 – 3300, follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #2 for your building

Tamira King – Buildings 20 through 25 Adler and Broun Townhouse (718) 320 – 3300, follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #2 for your building Being aware that many shareholder work during our hours, there is 24 hour emergency maintenance available to you which can be contacted, Monday – Friday, 4 p.m. – 8 a.m. and Saturday – Sunday all day at (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3447 or 3448.

A. Singh, DDS

DENTAL CARE

(Continued on page 9)

Dentures Repaired & Relined While You Wait Greetings to all residents in Buildings 1 through 14, as well as those residents in Cooper, Debs and Defoe Townhouses. We want to take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves so that you can avail yourselves of the services provided through our offices. If you have questions, complaints, or are in need of general information, please do not hesitate to contact the Cooperator Services Office staff. With diligence, patience, and concern, we are available for your convenience, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Custom Dentures • Toothache • Can’t Sleep at Night • Root Canal • Extractions • Crown & Bridges • Cosmetic Bonding Laminates • Emphasis on Gum Disease (Bleeding Gums) • Implants • Cosmetic Dentistry

Lois English – Area Manager (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3458

We Accept Insurance including: 32BJ, Healthplex, 1199 & 1180 Union, PBA, CSEA, MetLife, Con Edison, NY Nursing Assn., HIP Dental, U.F.T., SIDS, GHI, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna.

Reinaldo Fraticelli – Assistant Area Manager (718) 320 – 3000, Ext. 3457 Kellie Lewis – Secretary (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3459 If you are in need of maintenance services, please contact your maintenance representatives Monday – Friday 8AM – 4PM.

Yvette Grant – Buildings 1 through 7 and Defoe Place Townhouse (718) 320 – 3300, follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #1 for your building

Kendal Ravenall – Buildings 8 through 14 Cooper and Debs Place Townhouse (718) 320 – 3300, follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #1 for your building Being aware that many shareholder work during our hours, there is 24 hour emergency maintenance available to you which can be contacted Monday – Friday, 4 p.m. – 8 am and Saturday – Sunday all day at (718) 320 – 3330, Ext. 3447 or 3448.

MTA HEALTHPLEX

120-1 Benchley Place (Building 24) Co-op City • Bronx, NY 10475 OFFICE HOURS: By Appointment. Saturday & Evening Hours Available.

718 379.4800

SPECIAL OFFER

EXAM • X-RAY • CLEANING

A. Singh, D.D.S. 120-1 Benchley Place (Building 24)

718.379.4800

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Letter to the Editor

Thank you, Rivers Run Community Garden

(The following letter was sent to the Rivers Run Community Garden by a 4th grader at P.S. 153 following their visit to the garden in October.)

Dear Rivers Run Community Garden: Thank you so much for an awesome trip! It taught us many interesting things. All schools should be coming

there to plant such beautiful things! I am so excited for the Spring trip, and also thank you for the refreshments. My favorite part of the trip was to grow our own plant. It gave my classmates and I an opportunity to grow our own plants. I do not actually plant that much at home because I’m pretty busy every day, but this trip let me plant my own things. Thank you for also letting

us plant daffodil bulbs and grass seeds in the chicken’s garden. I have many questions to ask when the 4th grade classes come back. Again, I’m very thankful that you let us come over to your community garden. I hope that one day all of Co-op City will get to see your wonderful garden and will get to do amazing activities here. —Y. Bote

Upcoming Elevator Inspections

The electrical contractor has to tie in new wires to circuit breakers. There will be no electricity to the apartments on the above mentioned floors during this time. The shutdown will not affect the elevators, public hallway, heat or hot water. The laundry room will remain open. Date: Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Elevator Shutdown in Building 8 The electrical contractor has to tie in new wires to circuit breakers. There will be no elevator service during this time. The shutdown will not affect the electricity to the apartments or hallways. There will be heat and hot water. There will be no basement service and the laundry room will be closed until 3:00 p.m. Please be advised that Public Safety will be on site. Date: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Electrical Shutdown – Building 8 22nd – 27th Floors The electrical contractor has to tie in new wires to circuit breakers. There will be no electricity to the apartments on the above mentioned floors during this time. The shutdown will not affect the elevators, public hallway, heat or hot water. The laundry room will remain open. Date: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

As soon as the repair has been completed, electricity to your apartments will be restored.

As soon as the repair has been completed, elevator service will be restored.

As soon as the repair has been completed, electricity to your apartments will be restored.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience in this matter.

—CSO (Dreiser Loop)

Important Notice to Shareholders of Building 19 Article SIXTH of your Occupancy Agreement provides, in part, that your lease automatically renews for an additional three (3) year period. You need to do nothing if you want your lease to extend for another three (3) year period. If you will be moving out at the end of your lease, notify Riverbay, in writing, Attention: Sales Support Office, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475, ninety (90) days prior to lease expiration.

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

Bill Stuttig

Associate Editor

Jim Roberts

Business Manager

Jennifer Piovanetti Operations Manager

Ralph Henriquez

Production Manager

Elevator Category 1 and Category 5 inspections are required by city law. These inspections will be conducted in Co-op City according to the schedule below. Each inspection will take 1- 1½ hrs. to complete. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to ensure the safety of your elevators.

Electrical Shutdown – Building 8 10th – 21st Floors

Co-op City Times

Building 19

Current Lease Expiration Date

New 3 yr. Expiration Date

Building 19 140 Alcott Place

Mar. 31, 2016

Mar. 31, 2019

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 handsigned by the writers and include their addresses and phone numbers, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the authors. 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 in the Co-op City Times office in Room 21, Bartow Community Center, by 3 p.m. every Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. 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 Corporation 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, New York 10475.

If the Co-op City Times Was Not Delivered: Call 347-439-5632 on Saturdays ONLY, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Public Safety Report Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

CCPD alerts residents of credit card chip scams

BY LIEUTENANT PAM APOLLO

The Co-op City Department of Public Safety receives updates from various agencies regarding trends in scams. Scam artists are a very clever group of people. They take their knowledge of human nature and combine it with current information in an attempt to find new victims. Recent studies have shown that certain types of scams, especially internet scams, increase every year. By being aware of potential scams, readers can reduce their chance of becoming a victim. The latest scam we have learned about involves the new transition to credit cards with imbedded chips. These chips are a great fraud prevention device. It is ironic that they could become part of a scam. Never give any information out to anybody contacting you and requesting it. Call the number on the back of your credit card or on the sticker on a new card to activate your card. The same precaution applies to emails that appear to come from your bank. Sometimes the address can be off by one letter and direct you to a fake website hosted by scammers. Scammers are hoping you have just received a new card and are eager to activate it. By being alert, you can avoid being a victim of this scam. Never give anyone personal information, such as bank account numbers, PIN numbers, date of birth or Social Security number. Never wire money or send a Green Dot card to anyone you do not know or have only met through a dating website. Never send money for plane tickets, bail money, medicine for a sick family member or any other reason to anyone you do not know well. Also, be leery of fake websites offering to give you something for nothing. Always be sure to enter a website directly into your browser, never click on a link from an email. Sometimes one letter off can take you to a fake website. Some people may read about these scams and wonder how anyone could possibly fall for them. Scam artists are very persistent; they blanket a large number of potential victims until they find their prey. The internet has made it extremely easy for scam artists to target millions of potential victims with a single touch of a button. Telephone or regular mail scam artists work a little harder, but do eventually find their victim. Bold scammers have even been known to approach their potential victim in person at their door or in a public place. A scam I heard about and then actually received myself is a Pay Pal scheme. The email states that you are almost finished completing your registration for Pay Pal. The email looks legitimate and it asks you to enter your Pay Pal username and password. It then prompts you to enter your bank account number. When you call the customer service number, it tells you to mail a Green Dot card to an address. A friend of mine did not realize there was a problem until that point. When I received the same email, I investigated the email right away as I was not trying to set up a Pay Pal account. Upon scrutiny, the email came from an email address at e.paypal.com, very close to the actual email address. In any case, when you are doing business with a legitimate company, enter the website into your browser yourself; do not use search engine results or click on a link from an email. Pay Pal is a legitimate company which offers an extra level of protection for online payments, but a scammer pretending to be Pay Pal can be a real threat to your financial identity. Another type of scam we have seen either calls or texts someone’s phone and tells them that a family member is in danger unless they wire money to a specified person. In most cases, the scammer does not even know who the victim or their family members are.

Many calls or texts are initiated until someone falls for the scam. Wiring money to someone you do not know is almost never a good idea. If something seems out of order, notify authorities. In a “sweepstakes” based scam, the victim receives a real looking check. New technology makes it possible for this forged check to appear realistic. The quality of the forged check is so realistic that it can even fool banks or check cashing establishments. The problem comes in when the bank attempts to retrieve the funds associated with the check and finds that there are none. By this time, the victim may have already wired money to another state or country attempting to receive an even larger sum of money. Unfortunately,

the victim may be responsible for the funds received from the fraudulent check. Remember, a legitimate contest or sweepstake will never make you pay money to receive your prize. Another scam involves a person claiming to be from a government agency and claiming to have unclaimed funds belonging to the intended victim. For a fee, the “government employee” can help you obtain these funds. While there are legitimate means of obtaining unclaimed funds, the government does not send employees out to solicit the owners of these fees. If you believe that you are entitled to unclaimed fees, (Continued on page 30)

Public Safety Blotter: Nov. 20 - Nov. 29, 2015

Nov. 20 - Garage 4 Basketball Court One male was arrested for Trespass. He was transported for further processing and issued a Universal Summons. Nov. 21 - 140 Benchley Place One male was arrested for Loitering. He was transported for processing and issued a community complaint. Nov. 28 - 100 DeKruif Place One male was arrested for Unlawful Imprisonment,

Assault 3 and Resisting Arrest. He was transported to Central Booking for further processing. Nov. 29 - 140 Alcott Place Two males were arrested for Trespass and issued Universal Summonses. Nov. 29 - 120 Erdman Place One male was arrested for Disorderly Conduct issued a Universal Summons and a Community Complaint.

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY

Tell your friends, relatives and employers about:

2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475 • 718-320-3300 Riverbay Corporation is an equal opportunity employer.

For information on CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ONLY, please contact: Lenya Garcia at Lgarcia@riverbay corp.com; AND Barbara Penn at Bpenn@riverbaycorp.com. Please note that emails should be sent to both parties. Please DO NOT email resumes for EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES to the aforementioned emails. For EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, please see bottom of the employment listings for specific directions.

CONTRACT SUMMARY

Contract 3035, High Temperature Hot Water Engineering Services: Provide detailed Engineering Services necessary to design and act as the Owners Engineer during the execution of the Project to restore a portion of a buried Thermacore Hot Water Distribution system that has experienced a localized failure. Bids Due: December 10, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Bonding: Bonding is not required Insurance: Insurance is required Contract 3023, Installation of Building Transformers

Pre-Bid Meeting: December 2, 2015 at 2 p.m. Bids Due: January 5, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Bonding: Bonding is required Insurance: Insurance is required

Contract 2861, 2862 & 2863 (REBID), Exterior Renovation for Shopping Centers: Exterior restoration of the three (3) shopping centers located in Co-op City Pre-Bid Meeting: December 3, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Bids Due: December 29 at 2:00 p.m. Bonding: Bonding is required Insurance: Insurance is required Contract 8635, Architect for New Elevator Build in Bartow Center Pre-Bid Meeting: December 3, 2015 at 11 a.m. Bids Due: December 22, 2015 at 2 p.m. Insurance: Insurance is required If you are interested in bidding on this project, email: bpenn@riverbaycorp.com.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

There are no employment opportunities to list this week. Please check back again next week.

Applications are given out at the following address from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Riverbay Corporation Administration Office, 2049 Bartow Ave., Bronx, NY 10475; OR Resumes can be faxed to 718-320-3672 with the Job Title and Job Reference # on the TOP RIGHT CORNER of the resume. *Riverbay Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer* Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, creed, ethnicity, alienage, citizenship, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or sexual preference, marital status, military status, disability or any other recognized protected basis under any applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Please inform Human Resources if you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

This is Our Land - Part 9

Evelyn Turner

Please note our management company parents and their children. Director’s Viewpoint has created a need for yet another Cooperators who were walk“unbudgeted” consultant known as an ing have been personally Environmental Health and Safety Conimpacted by Autism. Second Vice President sultant. Most recently, they were able to Suicide get approval for paid lobbyists for $7,500 This Director has recently monthly. It is not known at what point the received a certificate in a program called SafeTALK. message will be sent that we are not a We have had incidents of suicide in our community. Suicide is a significant problem in every family and “piggy bank.” In my opinion, it will be the 3rd leading cause of death among college studifficult to keep “Maintenance Fees” in dents. It is reported that in the United States every 15 check if we continue to hire “consultants” to assist our paid management company minutes a suicide occurs. SafeTALK is a program to do their job. that prepares helpers to identify persons with Walking for Autism thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first This Director, accompanied by 5 other aid resources. Anyone interested in this type of trainCo-op City residents, joined the walk for Autism on ing should contact me for referral information. It is not Saturday, April 5. Reportedly, today Autism affects 1 illegal to share notes – It’s NOT giving advice. Other in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys, in particular. It is docVisit Building 15A to see what the new lobby doors umented that boys are nearly 5 times more likely than looks like. girls to have autism. Presently, no medical test can The majority Board members have approved crediagnose autism. It is the fastest growing serious ation of a youth center in the lower level of the Bartow developmental disability in the United States. It was a wonderful experience supporting and walking with Community Center. However, no money or consultchildren, parents, and professionals to raise funds and ants have been made available to make anything hapawareness of this disability. We are very fortunate to pen for youth and young adults in OUR community. live in a city that is rich with resources to assist Directors are receiving calls about arrests of girls, as

Hi, neighbors of Building 25. As stated in previous articles, I would like our weekly news articles to reflect safety, peace of mind for all of us, community involvement. Our building association meets every third Tuesday of the month generally from September

Building 25 Association

through June at 7:30 p.m. If you cannot make it to meetings due to scheduling or other obstacles in your way, please log onto our building email address at building25ca@gmail.com and address your emails to any or all members of Building 25 Association. During the holiday season and always, let’s take time

well as boys! The rate is increasing. When the weather gets warmer, outlets are limited. Hopefully, the basketball, baseball and tennis courts will be up to par. HUD will be conducting an evaluation of how we are spending and making promised upgrades. Prayer Accepted Thanks to one of our spiritual leaders who always prays for the Board and Management. Thank you, as prayer is needed when a Director alleges that cooperators are “exposed to more and more sensationalism or ridiculous ranting by those whom I suspect, know not what they are doing.” Also, that a few viewpoints are attempting to transform him into “la la land, where time doesn’t exist.” Pray for the Director who feels that some of his fellow members are irresponsible. I ask that cooperators don’t succumb to cynicism and desperation as election time is coming up. Those Directors who care enough about sharing information do so on a regular basis and have the courtesy to share a phone number and email address for your convenience. Some Directors take cooperators for granted and, in my opinion, assume they are too powerful to fail and refuse to provide committee reports and transparency. You may contact me at: Evelyn M. Turner, 917324-1033, or evelyntinez@aol.com.

out to pray for peace on earth and good will to everyone. I will close with the following quote: “A Holiday candle is a lovely thing; it makes no noise at all, but softly gives itself away; while quite unselfish, it grows small.” —Eva K. Logue —Wanda Bailey

CSO’s “We are the shareholders’ information source and point of contact within Riverbay Corporation,” said Vanessa Aldea, Riverbay’s CSO Senior Manager. “In addition, we provide a wide range of services. Our interaction within interdepartmental is crucial in providing services with minimal amount of inconvenience to shareholders.” Co-op City shareholders can also contact their respective CSO for guidance in properly disposing their garbage in the compactor rooms, including adherence to the city’s recycling laws, as failure to do so may result in a fine. “Failure to properly recycle our garbage will result in fines to Riverbay which impacts shareholder s in that it is an additional cost,” said Aldea. “It is, therefore, very important that every cooperator adheres to the recycling rules, and separate and dispose of their garbage properly. Shareholders should also be aware that Riverbay participates in recycling programs that result in money being reimbursed to the corporation which amounts to additional income and savings to shareholders. Disposing of your garbage properly is definitely a win-win situation for all.” New cooperators who may not be

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015 (Continued from page 5)

familiar with the CSO office and its services are given a descriptive package during their Orientation session which includes pertinent information on this office. The CSO also sells small, over-thecounter items, such as towel bars, aerators, drawer rollers, hinges and glass shelves for medicine cabinets to cooperators and maintain an inventory of such items. Shareholders do not need an appointment to speak with their respective CSO as they can walk in with their service request. In addition, they may also call their respective CSO. “Once we receive a service request, we will go ahead and make out a Work Order accordingly,” said Aldea. Cooperators who live in Buildings 114, may contact CSO 1 in Dreiser, Room 6, at (718) 320-3300, and follow the prompts. CSO 2 covers Buildings 15-25 and is located in the Bartow Community Center, Room B. The office may be contacted by calling (718) 320-3300, and follow the prompts. CSO 3 covers Buildings 26-35 and is located in Room 37 in the Einstein Center. The office can be reached by calling (718) 320-3300 and follow the prompts.

Greetings to all residents in Buildings 26 through 35, as well as those residents in Earhart Townhouses. We want to take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves so that you can avail yourselves of the services provided through our offices. If you have questions, complaints, or are in need of general information, please do not hesitate to contact the Cooperator Services Office staff. With diligence, patience, and concern we are available for your convenience, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Valerie Hayes – Area Manager (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 2452 Margaret Echevarria – Assistant Area Manager (718) 320 – 3000, Ext. 3596 Evelyn Ward – Secretary (718) 320 – 3300, Ext. 3595 If you are in need of maintenance services please contact your maintenance representatives Monday – Friday 8AM – 4PM.

Kathy Bell – Buildings 26, 27, 30, 31 and 33 and Earhart Townhouse (718) 320 – 3300 follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #3 for your building

Linda Williams – Buildings 28, 29, 32, 34, 35 (718) 320 – 3300 follow prompt #3 for the maintenance office and prompt #3 for your building Being aware that many shareholder work during our hours, there is 24 hour emergency maintenance available to you which can be contacted Monday – Friday 4pm – 8am and Saturday – Sunday all day at (718) 320 – 3330, Ext. 3447 or 3448.

REMINDER: The Garage Waiting Lists are posted on the Riverbay website at www.riverbaycorp.com. Click on “Neighborhood” and select “Garage Waiting Lists” to view.

Management Coping With Challenges Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

closed-cell foam insulation is In a comprehensive report presented to Director’s Viewpoint removed, and the corroded the Riverbay Board meeting on November steel pipe is patch-welded. 18, President Cleve Taylor noted manageWhen that is completed, the ment’s recent challenges, accomplishments, Treasurer water valve is re-opened, the and shortcomings. system re-filled and the pumps A major challenge has been the persistto the zone are restarted. The insulation is replaced, the ent leakage from the underground high temp plastic tube is repaired, and the ground is restored. hot-water pipes. Since June, 2015, one corIn the leak near the Cooper townhouses, the pipe roded pipe has been leaking 100,000 gallons was buried in sand. To protect our crew from potential of hot water, costing Riverbay more than cave-ins, a contractor was hired to shore up the ground $20,000 per month. Over the past 5 years, around the affected pipe. Because the contract was 17 such leaks, sometimes several leaks over $37,000, it had to be approved by the state’s simultaneously, have occurred. Fourteen of Homes and Community Renewal, a procedure that them bubbled up in the same section of pipe delayed the repair for several months. In a further twist, near the Cooper Place townhouses. Our another leak was discovered in the section of pipe just power plant staff, acting like a fire brigade, after it had been fixed. It took several weeks to determine has repaired one hemorrhage after another. Only recently, the exact location of this leak: it was encased in a concrete two new leaks were discovered on above-ground pipes just anchor with the three other pipes. Because jack-hammersouth of the cooling towers feeding Section 5. ing the concrete to expose and repair the pipe might have Twenty-Six Miles of Underground Pipes damaged other pipes, management decided to install a 500Twenty-six miles of underground, large-diameter water foot bypass around the concrete anchor. Our Contracts pipes, manufactured by Thermacore, emanates from our Department prepared a Request for Proposal for an engipower plant. One system, a high temp hot-water (220 neering company to design the bypass and submitted the degrees Fahrenheit) in a closed-loop system is connected to RFP to HCR for approval. Several months later, following heat exchangers in every high-rise and townhouse cluster. HCR approval, Riverbay solicited bids from engineers. These exchangers heat a separate set of pipes with potable Not until October, however, was an acceptable bid city water that provides water to our sinks and bathtubs, but received. Again, the process was delayed, as the bidder is below scalding temperature. Yet another system emanatstalled and then refused to sign our standard contract. ing from our power plant is a closed-loop, dual-temperaRiverbay had no recourse but to solicit new bidders. These ture water system that is pumped directly to our convecbids are due on December 10. tors. History of Leaky Underground Pipes Finding – And Fixing – Power Leaks Why are pipes leaking? This question has baffled us A power plant operating engineer who observes water since the first leaks were discovered. In 1997, the original loss in one of the three closed-loop zones understands that a leak has sprung. When staff members are unable to locate pipes were replaced in Sections 1-4; in Section 5, in 2001. the leak visually, they call in Admiral Conservation The original pipes, manufactured by Ric-Will, began to Services to perform a detection survey. Once a leak is leak and fail after only 6-7 years of operation in the midlocated, power plant workers uncover that section of pipe 1970s, during the rent strike. Because pipes would spring with a back-hoe. A shutdown is scheduled, preferably at leaks next to previously repaired ones, management stopped covering the grounds once a leak was repaired. night. If the affected zone feeds the educational park, the Our Greenway resembled a lunar landscape. While negoshutdown takes place when schools are closed. tiating with the state Housing Finance Agency, in 1975-76, After the shutdown, water must be drained before any further work is done. The outer plastic tube is cut open, the the rent strike leadership brought to the HFA’s attention

what they thought were a number of construction defects (CDs). HFA, the mortgagee and monitor of the building of Co-op City, agreed to hire the engineering firm Perkins and Wills to identify CDs. P&W presented a list of 50 CDs, including the Ric-Will system. HFA conceded responsibility for the faulty construction. But not until 1992—after an aggressive grassroots campaign, organized by the Co-op City Council, that included letter writing, demonstrations, picketing, and even threats of sit-ins—did HFA and the state Legislature agree to deposit $104 million into a superfund account to finance repair of the CDs (Riverbay deposited an additional $25 million). Under the supervision of Riverbay’s General Manager, new pipes replacing the Ric-Will system were installed, in record time and under budget. To our dismay, several years later, in 2006, some of the new pipes began to spring leaks as well. Because we had a warranty, the installing contractor replaced that section of pipe. A few months later, the new pipe also sprung leaks. Again, the company replaced the pipe at no cost to Riverbay. After investigating the problem, a forensic metallurgist engineering firm hired by Riverbay, Lucius Pinkins, concluded that water penetrating through breaks in insulation caused outer surfaces to corrode and pit, producing leaks. Such corrosion has occurred only in the hightemp water feed. Fast Forward To deal with the problem, Power Plant directors are in touch with the metallurgist to learn what preventive measures, if any, Riverbay can take to stop these leaks. The pipes are out of warranty and all repair cost is being borne by Riverbay. Cost Saving Waiver Recently, Riverbay’s new expeditor, Jose Mendez, met with HCR representatives and obtained an important costsaving waiver. HCR has agreed that requirement of submission for approval of all solicitation for work and contracts may be valued above $100,000, rather than from $25,000. This will remove some bottlenecks in facilitating contract work. Stayed tuned. Happy Channuka to my Jewish neighbors.

Procedures for disposal of electronics

Connect with Co-op City - Riverbay Corp. on social media

Bernard Cylich

Shareholders disposing of most large electronics must bring them down to the basement area designated for bulk garage as a new state law which became effective earlier this year makes it illegal for these items to be discarded with regular trash. The New York City Department of Sanitation has informed all New York City residents, including building owners and managers, that as a result of the e-waste ban, Sanitation workers will no longer collect electronics left at curbside. Here in Co-op City, even though garbage is picked up from the residential buildings and the dumpster pads throughout the community by Riverbay workers and taken to the Peartree garbage facility and then from there, Sanitation picks up and carts away the community’s garbage, the new law makes it illegal for most electronics to be discarded along with regular trash, so it will have to be separated out. The Environmental Protection Agency has pointed out that electronics are the fastest growing category of solid waste in the United States and they contain both valuable and harmful material in which case it is very important that they are recycled responsibly. “This new law will help keep electronics, and their potentially harmful components, out of our waste stream,” said Kathryn Garcia, NYC’s Sanitation Commissioner. “By recycling electronics, New Yorkers can help decrease disposal costs and protect the environment.” Riverbay’s interim co-General Manager Noel Ellison said, “Since Riverbay is always ready to do our part to protect the environment for future generations, anything we can do regarding recycling and, in this

Advertising works!

case, electronic disposal, we hope will help keep the cost of technology down for the world in the future.” Residents in the townhouses will continue to place their e-waste (electronic waste) at their respective dumpster pads, however, for pick up by Riverbay. Once the electronics have been picked up by Riverbay, they will be taken to the Peartree garbage facility where they will be sorted and placed in bins for the city’s Sanitation Department to pick up. According to the city’s Department of Sanitation website, electronics covered under the e-waste ban are: • Computers, including items such as tablets and ereaders. • Televisions, as well as cathode ray tubes. • Small Scale Servers. • Computer peripheral, which include monitors, electronic keyboards, electronic mice or similar pointing devices, facsimile machines; document scanners and printers. • TV peripherals, such as VCR’s, Digital Video Recorders, DVD players, Digital Converter boxes, Cable or Satellite Receivers and electronic or video game consoles • Portable devices, including Portable Digital Music Players, tablets and e-readers (considered computers). Appliances, for example, microwaves and toasters; light bulbs, cell phones, loose/rechargeable batteries, gps devices, and loose cables are not specifically covered under any local or state regulations, according to the Department of sanitation website and residents may continue to dispose of these items with regular trash.

Call 718.320.3300, Ext. 3384 for our affordable rates.

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Twitter: @Co_op_City

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Public Safety’s annual holiday food drive

CCPD has kicked off its annual Food Drive, organized by Sgt. Nat Diaz, in conjunction with City Harvest, a charity which collects and distributes donated food to the city’s less fortunate throughout the year. Last year, the community donated one and a half tons, or 3,200 pounds, of non-perishable food items, well over the goal of 1,500 pounds. This year, the goal again is to exceed the 1500 pounds. Donation bins have been set up in the lobbies of mall 1 and mall 3, as well as at Public Safety headquarters in the Bartow Community Center which is open 24 hours a day. If you can, please donate unexpired canned or non-perishable goods. Donation will be accepted until December 31.

Co-op Insurance

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

The Wright Agency: Serving Co-op City for 34 years!

Riverbay Requires Current Co-op Shareholders to Obtain Coverage!

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Other Lines of Insurance: • Auto

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Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

We Need A Management Company Here

Unfortunately, the final decision by HUD and the NYS Homes & Community Renewal agency (HCR) to bring in new management is still up in the air. But, as you'll see, this delayed decision is not helping this community. We Have a Problem In a May 15, 2015 letter, HCR informed the board that six months had elapsed since we had a managing agent. The letter, by their deputy counsel, then proceeded to outline agreements that are being violated by our board. Then, the letter stated that, "further delay in selecting a management agent runs the risk that Riverbay will receive a “notice of nonmonetary default…" The letter concluded by giving us until June 30, 2015 to finalize a contract with a managing agent. Well, June 30 has passed and now we're in December. But, the festive time that we should be having is quickly turning into a season of disappointment. One Board Meeting That Went Bad The board meeting that we had on November 18 didn't go over too well with lots of cooperators here. Speaking out, a lot of cooperators who watched that broadcast have expressed their disappointment with several members of our management team. "They made excuses for everything. They take too long to do anything. Riverbay needs a professional management company to take over," are just some of the things that I can print in this paper. Now, as mentioned before, it would have been great to have a self-management team here. But, lots of people are now convinced that we do not have the appropriate team in place to manage this

Daryl Johnson

community. And, one of the main complaints is that some of our managers do not have the management skills to run this place in a proper manner. Also, a lot of cooperators feel that these managers do not have the proper motivation to do a good job here. Our interim general manager is trying his best to make some improvements here. But, he needs the other managers to do their jobs properly to move this place forward. To counteract this problem, some board members have suggested that we bring in additional managers to continue this self-management operation. But, think, how many managers will we need to run this place? Will we spend more than $1.5 million—enough for a management firm—to employ them? Then, what are we going to do when they start making excuses for everything? As I said before, this is a shame. And, the board needs to really deal with this problem. Latest Holiday Scams Did you see the online videos of people pushing and fighting during the Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales? If yes, then you should know that this is the type of behavior that is now expected for shopping on these days. Therefore, a lot

of people have decided to simply stay home and do all of their shopping online. And, with a few clicks, they just spent $4.5 billion during those two days. Taking note of this spending activity are thieves that are targeting these online shoppers. And, they've created some horrible scams that must be shared with this community. Scam #1: Scammers are sending out phony texts and emails about suspicious activity on your credit card account. "You must call this number to review your account," is the ploy. You will be asked for your personal data when you call the number on that text. Or, you will receive a virus that can severely damage your computer as soon as you click on a link. Scam #2: There are online stores that are completely bogus. And, these stores advertise their merchandise at extremely low prices. One man placed an online order for a coat that was discounted from $700 to $287. As soon as the online order was placed, he received a poorly written email that requested a copy of his ID card and his credit card. The man became suspicious and immediately cancelled his credit card. Please be aware that some of these fake stores are also selling phony gift cards. And, in many cases, some of these stores will simply keep your money and never ship your order to you. Scam #3: Some fraudsters are posting bogus jobs so that you can make some additional cash. And, when you go to their sites, you are asked for all of your personal information. Or, there are sites that will ask you to send money from a Western Union account or a prepaid account to

them. Scam #4: Some fraudsters are sending out bogus emails, with fraudulent logos and wording from popular delivery services, to get people to click on specific links. In some cases, you will be asked for your personal information after you click on a link. In other cases, your computer will be infected with malware after you click on that suspicious link. Then, the fraudsters can track all of the sites that you visit on your computer. And, they can get your passwords and other data once you visit your online bank. Thereafter, they can transfer money from your online bank accounts to their private accounts. Close These are some of the worst scams ever. So, please be careful when you go online to do your shopping and never click on a bogus email message. Thank you. Questions or comments? Please send a letter to: Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Board Director, c/o Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Or, please send a message to me at darylhjohnson@optonline.net (There are absolutely no problems with this email address. So, please double-check the spelling of this address if your message bounces back to you.) Also, please call me at 718-671-4544 if you don't receive a response from your message. You can also join me on Facebook by typing in: Daryl H. Johnson. Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.

The Williamsbridge Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc. (NANBPWC) is an organization dedicated to community service in the areas of health, employment, education and economic development. The Adult Club meets at Dreiser Center on the second Friday of every month. Young women 18-35, who are in or preparing for a business/professional career can become members of the

Young Adult Club. Our annual Entrepreneurship, Technology, Health and Leadership Workshop was successful. The topics for the workshop Interviewing Skills, participants discussed the challenges of applying for jobs online and in person. Technology Applications (Apps), participants downloaded Apps for business cards, etc., and financing a Business, Amalgamated Bank personnel presented several options in which the bank

would work with an entrepreneur to provide financing for a business. If you are interested in serving an internship or Community Service Project, please contact the club at the address listed. We are looking for young people who want to increase their skills. If you know of a youth age 13 – 18 who would be interested in joining our Youth Club, please forward the information to us. Please check this column for ongoing information.

Information concerning the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. (NANBPWC) may be found at www. nanbpwc.org or Facebook: Thewilliams bridgeBPWC or our mailing address: Williamsbridge Club, P.O. Box 6, Co-op City Station; Bronx, New York 10475. Our phone contacts are Joetta Brown, 718.328.2302, or Sandra Hall, 917.972. 7732. —Joetta Brown

Compactor Room Holiday shopping time has arrived. PLEASE take your boxes downstairs – DO NOT leave them in the compactor room. They are a safety hazard, as well as a fire hazard. A quick ride in the elevator down to the basement will dispose of your boxes. The only items that belong in the compactor room are newspapers and magazines on the shelf and rinsed out cans, bottles, and jars in the plastic bag. Your raw garbage goes down the chute, along with folded up pizza boxes. It is a lot easier to take the boxes downstairs,

than to cut them open and fold them to put on the shelf. In addition, the boxes you get from Costco, BJ.'s, etc., to take your groceries home also need to be taken downstairs. Be a courteous, considerate cooperator. Laundry Room As cooperators from other buildings have written in about these same issues, I will reiterate. Our laundry carts are disappearing. You cannot borrow them. If you walk out of the laundry room with a cart, you have stolen it. A shopping cart from one of the numerous stores in our neighborhood

will be less costly than a community fine, and save you the embarrassment of having your record annotated with the purpose of the fine. As previously mentioned, the $5 annual dues per family, and the money raised from our fundraising efforts, pay for decorations for our building, refreshments for our meetings, candy for Halloween, and a SMALL holiday gratuity for two lobby attendants, four porters, and the man who does repairs in your apartment, such as unstopping toilets, etc. We have had to cancel fundraising trips due to lack of partici-

pation, and every year, our dues collection brings in less money. Please show your appreciation to the hard-working porters who work very hard to keep our building clean, with at times, a complete lack of cooperation from some cooperators, to our lobby attendants who attempt to keep the wrong people out of our building. We also don't help the situation by holding the doors for people we have never seen to enter our building. Building 32 is fortunate to have a great staff, so let's let them know we appreciate their efforts. —Lorna Smith

About Us: The Ghanaian Association of Co-op City (GACC) is a notfor-profit organization with the purpose of promoting the general welfare of the Ghanaian community in Co-op City. The objectives of the association include providing educational programs to members, building a capacity for greater involvement in the activities of the community, and providing a platform to address issues of common concern to members and the Co-op City community.

Planning for 2016: We have begun planning the program of activities for next year 2016. Please share your ideas, suggestions and concerns. Provide feedback on 2015 activities and bring ideas and suggestions of programs & activities you would want the association to focus on as we plan for 2016. As discussed in our November General Meeting, we want to increase our attention on programs and activities for the children and the youth. We need your ideas and support in engaging the

children and the youth in meaningful and promising endeavors. They are the future; let us prepare them well for the opportunities and challenges ahead! Christmas Party & Love Fest: This year’s Christmas party is scheduled for Saturday, December 26th, Boxing Day, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Invite your family and friends to join us as we celebrate the successes of this year! Dues: Members are reminded to pay your dues. You can now pay using a credit card.

Director’s Viewpoint

Williamsbridge Club

Building 32 Association

Ghanaian Association of Co-op City

T-Shirts: If you don’t have the association t-shirt yet, please get yours for only $15! You may get additional t-shirts for family and friends. Please Join Us: We need your support. Please join us. We invite you to come to our next general meeting. Call 347-773-3499. UNITY IS STRENGTH! JOIN US TODAY! LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! Coop Ghanama OR www.facebook.com/ gacc2013. —Seth Osei-Fosu

Building 10 Association

Here is the latest Building 10 Association news! Please remember our Building 10 Association toy drive to ensure that the children of the Bronx, living in shelters, have the joy of a gift during the holidays. Toys are being collected in the Building 10 association room. The schedule for the collection of toy donations is every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. -12 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Please donate an unwrapped toy and help us bring a smile to the faces of those children living in a Bronx shelter this holiday season. You will see association members in the lobby in early December accepting donations for building maintenance personnel. This contribution is your holiday gift to say thank you to the people who take care of our building and grounds. Association members will be in the lobby and available from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on the dates below. Bring your donation on any date to these locations and times: December 10th, Building 10B; December 11th, Building 10C; December 15th, Building 10A. The New Year will be filed with events. The Youth Committee is looking forward to hosting a Youth Movie Night on January 9th for children age 7 years old and up. Parents must accompany their children and be present! Remember, our first General Membership meeting for 2016 is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 in the association room, in rear lobby of Building B. Following the Open meeting, we will have a New Year celebration on Saturday, January 16th, with more details to follow. We look forward to seeing you at our events and meetings. You are our strength and inspiration! Happy Holidays from the Building 10 Association! —Ron Campbell

Building 12 Cooperators Civic Association

Greetings! Our next meeting on Monday, December 14th will be a short meeting with some cheer and best wishes. The building dues envelopes have been handed out. If you have not received your envelope, please give us a call. As far as building issues are concerned, if your floor or compactor room has not been cleaned, let me know. We will start to decorate the lobby by the end of the week. Best wishes to all who are celebrating a special event this month. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has suffered a loss or is sick and shut-in. If you see something, say something. To contact CCPD (Public Safety), call 718-671-3050. We can be contacted at MLSAH @aol.com or 718379-7841. —Sonja Maxwell

From the CSO Dept.:

Noise at night

Every cooperator has the right to enjoy the sanctity of their apartment. We ask all cooperators to be kind and keep noise down during the late evening hours. Those who do not are subject to a community complaint and possible fine. Please be courteous to your fellow cooperators. Thank you for your cooperation.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Building 30 A&B Association

This past Saturday, my fellow cooperators and myself put up our holiday decorations. I cannot thank enough all those who came down to our lobbies and helped put up our decorations. While there will be no movie night, or Pokeno during December, there will be a general membership meeting of the building association on Thursday, December 10th. Our guest speaker will be board member Reverend Jenkins. We will also discuss our annual holiday party on December 19th. The door opens at 7 p.m. with meeting starting promptly at 7:30. For those who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and new additions this week, congratulations. Those under the weather, get well soon. —Linda Werner

Debs Place Townhouse Association

End of Year Get-Together The Debs Place Townhouse Association will hold its year-end get-together this Thursday evening, December 10, beginning at 7 p.m. in Room 1 of the Dreiser Center. All Debs Place townhouse residents are invited to celebrate the holiday season with an evening of good cheer as 2015 draws to a close. There will be good things to eat and attendees are invited to bring some goodies to share. The association, as has been the custom in recent years, will not meet in January and therefore, the group will next meet on February 11, 2016 with a speaker invited to keep us informed. The association’s executive committee extends their best wishes for the holidays to all of the residents of the Debs Place cluster, as well as to our friends and neighbors in the entire community. —Nels Grumer

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Broun Place Townhouse Association

From Broun Place Townhouse Association: First, to all celebrating Hanukah, tomorrow, with sundown, the first candle will be lit. We send Hanukah greetings to all. Next, it is officially holiday shopping time. We can have a great time shopping, but please be alert for scammers and shopping deals that are not! Cooperators are known for their compassion, but there are storytellers. Listen carefully and confirm information before you give or make a purchase. Big news on the proposed construction for a new entrance into Co-op City, Section 5, as for years this has been hoped for. You drive up the Hutch looking for the exit and there is none! However, Hutchinson River Park East is a mess of traffic. It is no longer a short-

cut. Plans must involve modifications for that area and along “killer curve.” Personally, I am reading and re-reading Mr. Stuttig’s article ’til I get a mental visual of the plan. Like Mr. Prince, Mr. Doyle, and Ms. Maxwell, in principle and theory, I would like this developed as it fulfills a longtime need. The problem is the traffic on the Hutchinson River Parkway East! We will attend all open meetings on this project. Since distributing our tear-off flyer, we have increased our current membership by half. Thank you for joining. We hope you attend association meetings. At the next meeting, we will invite Cooperator Services. Your continued Broun Place membership and participation is what we are after; we look forward

to hearing your problems and to sustaining Broun Place and Co-op City. The dues are $12 per apartment, you can submit to any Board member. A receipt for dues will be provided by our Treasurer. Be on the lookout for people who are breaking our community rules, but please, don’t “YOU” intervene. Report your observations to Public Safety, 718671-3050, or drop a note to an executive committee member. Give specifics in your report and get the name of the person you are speaking with. We hope your patios and terraces are prepared for fall winds and winter weather. Cover your tables, chairs and grills. Almost every corner of our neighborhood has a garbage can, use them for broken umbrellas, branches, and loose

papers. Please pick up litter and follow garbage recycling rules. For our use, there are huge, conveniently placed dumpster bins and garbage cans throughout Co-op City. Discarded appliances belong in closed bags; place them in back of the dumpster pad or in the green bin. We are fortunate here in Co-op City, New York, USA. For us in Broun Place, neighbor to neighbor, we respect each other and practice the golden rule. With that in mind, we send our prayers for the families suffering in Paris and all over the world who are without food, clothing, medicine, a roof over their heads and schools for their children. Only with a peaceful settlement and compromise can folks go forward and resume their lives. —Eva Lazaar

Fr. Taylor and the congregation of St. Joseph's cordially invite you to worship with us in Co-op City at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level. All are welcome. Weekly Schedule: Sunday service with Holy Communion and Sunday School are both at 9 a.m. Every 4th Sunday, our children participate in the reading of the lessons and every 5th

Sunday, our young adults assist in the service. Bible study is held each Wednesday at 7 p.m. Choir rehearsal is on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) meet immediately after service on the 1st Sunday of each month. Membership is open to all women of the church and dues are $2 per month. The men hold their meeting after serv-

ice on the 2nd Sunday of each month. We look forward to welcoming everyone to service at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 6, when we will celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. This will be a service of Advent songs and readings. Outreach Program: We continue to collect non-perishable food for the feeding program at Grace Episcopal Church

in West Farms. Please remember to donate. For additional information on all of the above, please call the church at 718-320-0844, or visit our website: http://www.stjosephsepcbronx.org. “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name for that is pleasant.” (Psalm 135:3) —M. Chambers

Next Defensive Driving class The next Black Forum defensive driving course will be next Saturday, December 12, Room 1, Dreiser Comm-unity Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lower your liability insurance cost by 10% and remove up to 4 points from your driver’s license. Please make your check in the amount of $35, payable to “the Black Forum of Coop City,” and mail to P.O. Box 563, Bronx, N.Y. 10475 at least 1½ weeks before the class, or you can walk in on the day of the class but you must have $35 in cash to pay for the course. Turkey raffle Get your ticket today. $1. Call (718) 320-8035. Winners will be listed in the Saturday, December 19th issue of the Co-op City Times and also called to pick up their turkey.

Black Forum Aerobics and Zumba It’s time to get in shape, get healthy and feel healthy. Body by Andrea’s aerobics classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays, and Zumba on Thursday. Classes are in the Dreiser Aud., 7:30 p.m. To register, please call (718) 3208035. Nominal fee for each class. Black Forum’s Lyons Mane Track Club Lyons Mane Track Club is now indoors in the Dreiser Auditorium. Register now by calling (718) 3208035. Youth ages 8-18. Practice on Mondays & Wednesdays. Cooking classes starting soon If you enjoy cooking or would like to learn how to prepare healthy meals for yourself and your/or your family, please call (718) 320-8035. Sound Off, Co-op City, coming soon

We will be starting Sound Off, Co-op City, for all cooperators to express themselves on the issues facing our community. Meetings will be held once or twice a month. More to follow. If interested, please call (718) 320-8035. Food distribution sites On Thursdays, residents of Build-ings 27, 28, 29, 32 and 33 must pick up food at the New Vision Church, 115 Einstein Loop, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Likewise, residents of Building 26, 30, 31, 34 and 35 must go to the Evangelical Church, 2350 Palmer Avenue, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Thursdays to pick up food. For information, please call (718) 320-8035. Emergency Food Program We are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Room 20 in the Dreiser Center. Also, due to budget constraints

The MetroCard Bus will be visiting all three Co-op City locations next month, enabling customers to sign up for or refill their Reduced-Fare Metro Card, purchase or add money to an existing MetroCard, and purchase E-Z Pass On the Go tags. On Thursday, December 17, the MetroCard bus will be at the Bartow Mall on Co-op City Blvd. (in front of the Bingo Hall and the eyecare center), from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; at Dreiser Loop (Park on Debs Place) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and at Einstein Loop (Elgar Place) from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

MTA New York City Transit advises its customers that there are two kinds of traveling MetroCard Service Centers: the MetroCard Bus and the MetroCard Van. Both vehicles make regularly scheduled stops in all five boroughs each month. The MetroCard Bus, which stops in Co-op City, travels around the city, stopping at senior citizen centers, shopping centers and along major bus routes. Customers can handle all of their MetroCard needs, whether it is applying for or refilling a Reduced-Fare MetroCard, buying or refilling a regular MetroCard or

asking MetroCard-related questions. Senior citizens and people with disabilities may apply for the Reduced-Fare MetroCard on the Bus. They will need photo ID and seniors must show proof of age (at least 65 years old). The MetroCard Van, like the Bus, travels around the city with helpful onboard staff ready to sell Unlimited and Pay-Per-Ride Metro Cards, add money to regular and Reduced-Fare Metro Cards and answer questions. ReducedFare MetroCard applications are available. EZ Pass On The Go tags are also available for purchase on both the Bus

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

Black Forum

and shortage of available food, you must live within zip code 10475 to participate in this program. You must also have your card with you and bring two clean plastic shopping bags. Please also have your current photo ID, such as a non or driver’s license or any photo ID card with proof of address. You will then be issued a card in order to pick up food in the future. We Need You - Join Us Today Membership is $5 per year/person. Call (718) 320-8035 or write to Black Forum, P.O. Box 563, Bronx, NY 10475; email: coopcityblackforum@ gmail.com or tonyshome10475@ gmail.com. Help us keep independent community organizations alive in Co-op City. Everyone is encouraged to join. Call or visit us, Room 20 in the Dreiser Community Center. —Tony Illis

MetroCard Bus to visit Co-op City in two weeks

and the Van. The MetroCard Bus and Van do not operate on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Customers may also want to explore the EasyPay Reduced-Fare payment option. EasyPay lets customers link to their credit or debit card to their Reduced-Fare MetroCard so it refills automatically. For more MetroCard information, please visit the MTA’s website at www.mta.info and click on Fares and Tolls.

If you SEE something, SAY SOMETHING!!! 718-671-3050 • Co-op City Public Safety

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Building 13 Association

TODAY - Women Keeping It Real: Saturday, December 5, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 100 Casals Place (Bldg. 13) association room. We are scheduling a guest speaker, hopefully at this meeting or the next. We want women to know the many options available to them emotionally, intellectually and financially. Women Keeping It Real is fun-filled and loaded with exhilarating conversation. New participants are welcome. We are open to the community and beyond. Remember! You must be 18 and over to participate. Special thanks to Omar De Los Angeles for his informative presentation at our association meeting. We will work together to keep our building looking good, pick up after ourselves and dispose of items in

the proper manner. Taking care of a residential, 33 story building is a tremendous undertaking. Our building staff takes pride in this building with the shareholders. Additionally, they help us in various ways throughout the year. To show our gratitude and appreciation, donations will be collected on December 3rd, 4th, 5th and December 10th in the lobby. Check the bulletin board for collection times and updated information. Our Children’s Holiday Party is scheduled for December 19. Additional details will be discussed at this meeting. The Adult Party will be held December 27, times to be determined. If you would like to participate or make a donation, contact information is listed

at the end of this article. We recently had the final session of the Fantastical Side of Being workshops. If you missed the gallery, open mic or video presentation, we hope to have it posted on our website shortly. Checks for Building 13 events should be made payable to Building 13 Assoc. Inc. and mailed to Building 13 Assoc., 100 Casals Place #32K, Bronx, NY 10475. For information, contact Gail Sharbaan, Treasurer, at 718-671-3801 or Leslie Peterson at 718320-1370. Our website is http://www.bldg13assoc.com or e-mail us at building13assoc@yahoo.com. As always, thanks for making our team work. —Leslie Peterson

Holiday Potluck Party: We will be having our holiday potluck party on Saturday, December 19th starting at 6 p.m. Bring your favorite holiday dish and enjoy great times and food with your neighbors! We will also holding a drawing for a gift card for all the units that have paid building dues. Upcoming events Pokeno Night on Wednesday, December 9th.

Bingo Night on Thursday, December 17th. Events will be from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. in association room. Upcoming meetings Building meeting on Tuesday, December 15th. Our Bingo and Pokeno nights are doing well. People are having a great time and lots of fun. These events will be continuing into December.

Thoughts and prayers for any other of our sick and shut-in neighbors. Get well soon. We have a Facebook page: Building 33 Association. We also have a website: www.building33.org and you can email us at: bldg33Assoc@gmail.com. You can also call or text our Building 33 hotline number, 347-7460608. —Tobias Garcia

Holiday greetings to all of our Co-op City families, friends, neighbors, merchants, and especially our new residents. The leaves have changed to beautiful fall colors throughout Co-op City, so get out and enjoy the beauty of our neighborhood, by taking a leisurely stroll on the greenway or to our beautiful shopping mall. We send loving wishes to all of you celebrating birthdays, wedding anniversaries, new births, and other celebrated events during the month of December. Well wishes for a speedy recovery to all homebound, sick, and hospitalized persons. Our deepest con-

dolences are sent to those families who have experienced the recent loss of a loved one. May you be blessed during this difficult time of bereavement. Thank you to all of our cooperators residing in Building 26, who generously donated to our annual Holiday collection for our custodial staff who are very appreciative. They send a heartfelt thank you to everyone. Our annual holiday party is Friday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the rear lobby of 2420 Hunter Avenue. Please RSVP by calling Pat Cipollaro at (718) 3222217, by Monday, December 14. You must be a

Building 26 Association dues-paid member to attend. Looking for volunteers to assist with setting up the party and for the clean-up afterwards. Interested persons, please call Pat Cipollaro at the aforementioned telephone number. Hope to see you so we can all celebrate some holiday cheer. Let’s all work to help keep Co-op City clean by properly disposing trash into the nearest garbage receptacle. If you see something, say something by calling 9-1-1 for emergencies and 3-1-1 for all non-emergency incidents. —YuVonne Lewis

I hope it will be a December to remember for Building 6. There will be a Building 6 Association meeting on Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in our building association room right across from the back door of our building. We will have a guest speaker from Co-op City Security Department to answer any security questions we have for our building or around Co-op City. It will be a great meeting for sure. We will have porters’ and lobby attendant’s Christmas collection soon. We are going to Sing Holiday songs in our lobby on Wednesday, December 23 at 8 p.m. Come down and join us to celebrate the Holidays. Santa Claus will be in our lobby greeting kids and taking photos with them this Christmas holiday. We are planning a Christmas Party for the kids in our building, too. We are going to have our building Holiday Party in January. We are going to have a brand new Christmas Tree with lights in our lobby for Christmas.

Come help us put up Christmas lights and decorate our lobby for the holiday season. If you have any other holiday ideas you want to see or do, please let the building

president know or the Building 6 Association. Remember, if you see something, say something. —Jeffrey Schwartz

Building 33 Association

Building 26 Association

Building 6 Association

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Coalition to Save Affordable Housing

General Membership Meeting The Coalition to Save Affordable Housing will be hosting its Annual Pot Luck Holiday Party celebrating the end of an amazing year of noteworthy achievements. Since it’s our last scheduled monthly General Membership meeting of the year, we hope you can attend. The meeting will be held on Monday, December 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Room 28 of the Bartow Community Center. All members, neighbors, and friends are invited to attend. The meeting agenda will be brief as we plan to make

the event as festive as possible. In addition, there will be a raffle for door prizes. Surely, you’ll not want to miss out on the fun. Bring a friend, a neighbor or just come alone to mix and mingle! But, don’t forget to bring a dish, or a dessert with a beverage to share with your friends and neighbors. We’ll provide the set-ups. The Coalition to Save Affordable Housing’s mission is to ensure that our community not only remains affordable and viable, but also a safe and welcoming place for everyone to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We’re looking forward to your joining us at our Annual Potluck

Holiday Party. Light refreshments and music will be provided. So mark your calendars! Don’t forget: it’s Monday, December 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Room 28 of the Bartow Community Center. Also, be sure to visit us at ctsah.net, as well as our FB page to learn more about the Coalition to Save Affordable Housing (CTSAH). Let us know if you like what you see. Leave a comment so that we’ll know you were there. See you at the Annual Pot Luck Holiday Celebration! —Sebastian Ulanga

The Co-op City Democratic Club joins with Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams, Pastor of Co-op City Baptist Church to say “Thank you” to the Honorable Marcos Crespo, Chairman of the Bronx County Committee for their donation to the Missionaries of the Church to help our community with all their Thanksgiving day activities. The Missionaries prepared home cooked meals for the sick and shut-ins, as well as serving those members of the community who would otherwise be alone for

whatever the reasons on such a joyous day when we should be with family or friends. The Co-op City Democratic Club is collecting “Toys for Tots” just as we did last year and delivered them to the shelter for homeless families. Last year, we noticed how poorly dressed some of the children were, so this year, we will include clothing (new clothing). We are asking you to be generous with your donation; please spend at least $10, but not more than $25 on toys or

clothing size 3T to size 6 or 7 - UNWRAPPED. Our next meeting of CCDC will be held on December 8, in Room 28 of the Bartow Community Center at 6 p.m. You can bring your donations with you that evening. For those of you who find it difficult to walk after dark, you can bring your donations during the day to Room #3 in the Dreiser Center between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. —Shirley J. Saunders

Hi, neighbors. Thanks to all who attended our last general meeting on Tuesday, November 17th. Our guest speaker was Noel Ellison, interim General Manager of Riverbay. He gave a very informative presentation. He spoke about his improvements for the betterment of our community since his inception in his present position. We thanked him for making Garage 4 handicapped accessible. Now cooperators with wheelchairs, shopping carts and the like can enter and exit the garage without difficulty. Several issues were voiced to Mr. Ellison who responded appropriately. Thank you, Mr. Ellison, for

such outstanding supervision. PLEASE ATTEND our next general meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 22th at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served. ELECTION TIME: In January, we will be electing new officers for the building association. All positions are open: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and Sergeant-at-Arms. You must be an outstanding member of the association to participate. Please watch the bulletin board for updates. May all your occasions during this Holiday Season be healthy, prosperous and blessed. May it also be

Co-op City Democratic Club

Building 18 Association

enjoyable and safe. We will be in the lobby collecting monetary donations for our porters in early December. We need assistance with collecting the donations. Please watch the bulletin board for dates and times. Our deepest sympathies to all bereaved families and to the sick and homebound. We wish you a speedy recovery. Happy Holidays. PLEASE STAY ALERT! IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! —Gertie Brown

Cooperators United of Co-op City

At our meeting on Tuesday, November 17th, we discussed Bartow traffic and what are our plans going forward. It was an active discussion with many suggestions. The most important take away is that we (all of us) must become more active in reaching out to our politicians, write articles in the Co-op Times regarding our traffic issues and to keep our neighbors informed at our monthly building/townhouse meetings. We heard some distressing news from Community Board 10 that the NYS Thruway and the NYS Department of Transportation plan a series of exit eliminations that will further impact our community. We will be sending the 34-page plan to each of you via email and for those of you who do not have email, by regular mail. From what I have seen of the plans, there is no reference to the proposed Metro North project. Basically the plan, referred to “X731.27 Mobility Improvement on N/B Bruckner Expressway” is to: a) Extend the fourth northbound travel lane from City Island Exit 8B to the Hutch Exit 9; b) Reduce the number of entry and exit points from seven to four in the vicinity of the Pelham Parkway Interchange and, c) Eliminate the northbound 1-95 Pelham Parkway Interchange (the traffic that currently exits Hutchinson River Parkway(HRP) East 3B to Co-op City and Bay Plaza by providing a northbound exit ramp off the HRP to Bartow Avenue. They claim that under the proposed plan, traffic will continue on the HRP exit to Bartow Avenue avoiding the Pelham Parkway and northbound I-95. This proposed plan was discussed and drawn-up without input from our community. After hearing of the plan, Eleanor G. Bailey and I sent an email to all parties involved stating that before any proposed changes can be made, they must be discussed with our Co-op City community. Here we go again. Being ignored and insulted. Neighbors, if we do not raise our voices and fight for our community, no one else will. If you think that the plan being proposed does not impact us, think again. Although we will probably not meet in December,

we will keep you informed via email and regular mail. Community Board 10 does not meet in December. They will reconvene in January 2016. We are asking all of you to read this plan. Please mail your suggestions and comments to me at MLSAH@aol.com. At our next Cooperators United Meeting in January, we will discuss all suggestions and comments and put them in the form of a presentation to our politicians,

Community Board 10, NYS Department of Transportation and NYS Thruway Authority. We must speak (although many voices will be heard) as one voice for our community. We can be reached at MLSAH@aol.com or 718379-7841. Have a happy and safe Holiday and a happy New Year. —Sonja Maxwell

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

African American Association

General Membership Meeting – The next meeting will be on Thursday, December 10. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please read our weekly column for updates. Also, if you wish to join or update your membership, please send a check or money order (DO NOT MAIL CASH) of $15 for a single membership or $25 for families to: AfricanAmerican Association of Co-op City, P.O. Box 702, Co-op City Station, Bronx, NY 10475. Donations are welcomed. Like us on Facebook: Coopcity Afrianamericanassoc/ Email us at: aaaccpower@gmail.com. —Kevin Lambright

Holiday greetings to all!! In celebration, our next meeting will be an all-out celebratory extravaganza!!! There will be many invited special guests. The biggest guest will be you!!! There will be a one-time only $10 membership drive special. There will be live entertainment, food, beverage and a 50/50 raffle. Everyone is invited. All Riverbay Board members; all Co-op City organizations; the Riverbay Fund; all church choirs/singers/dancers/actors and more. We will see you all there on Thursday, December 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Dreiser, Room TBA. The association sponsors the follow-

ing ongoing programs and encourages your participation. Children’s Programs – For information about the early morning school drop-off program and the after-school programs, call 718-379-5555. Yoga & Pilates Mat Classes – Classes resume on Tuesday, 9/15, 7:15 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 2. Lose weight, tone and strengthen your muscles with exercises that reduce stress through breathing techniques. For more information, call 718-671-8364. Belly Dance Classes – Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m., Dreiser Center, Room #2. For a nominal fee, you will have fun and stay

in shape. For more information, call Xonia, 646-301-9438. Evening Line Dance Classes – Dance to Soul, Latin, and Gospel music on Thursdays, 7 p.m. in Dreiser Center, Room #2. Call Cynthia, 917-903-7073. Music, Rhythm & Dance – Most Fridays 7:30 p.m., Dreiser Center, Rm. 15; most Saturdays, 10 a.m., Dreiser Center, Room #2. Call Keith, 917-561-6211. Adult Study Group – The Institute for Youth meets on the 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m. The Book Study Group meets every 3rd Sunday, 1:00 p.m., Dreiser Center, Room 15. Please call to confirm, 718-379-5555.

During welcome remarks at the 14th annual Uncommon Height Gala recently, NCNW National Chairperson Ingrid Saunders Jones shared the organization's new forward-looking vision under her leadership. "Our overarching priority is to build on our legacy of advocating for African Americans through public outreach and increasing the efforts around social engagement, civic participation and public policy review," Jones stated. "We are more committed than ever to strengthen the African American family and build our communities. That can only be achieved by education, economic empowerment, public policy and collaboration." As one of the oldest organizations dedicated to advancing opportunities for

African American women and their families, NCNW is an "organization of organizations" with 240 community-based and collegiate sections, 37 affiliates, connecting 3 million women worldwide. Jones said it is through its vast network that the organization will be able to achieve its goals with greater impact while attracting more young people to take on NCNW leadership. "It is only through working together that we are able to reach, influence and effect major change," she said. "We are stronger together." This is the vision of our national organization. Meanwhile on the home front, here in Co-op City Section, we are starting our Christmas Holiday Drive in which each year we ask the Co-op City

community to support our efforts to provide winter hats, scarfs, gloves, socks, diapers/pull ups, and toys to the children at the Phipps Center in our neighborhood. These items are for newborns through high school age children/teens. Canned goods are always appreciated by the families. Our donations always seem to get to the children right in time before the significant drop in temperature and the parents and children do express their appreciation. Your donations can be dropped off in room 14, Dreiser Community Center on Saturdays, December 5, 12, 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Wednesday, December 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Barnes & Noble in Bay Plaza every holiday season allows NCNW to wrap holiday gifts purchased in their store.

Shoppers often tip the wrappers because of the added convenience that we provide. This collaboration with a commercial partner in our neighborhood serves us both. Members, our annual dues were due at our October meeting. If you have not yet paid, please mail your check payable to: NCNW Co-op City Section to P. O. Box 93, Bronx, NY 10475. Better yet, bring your dues as well as your donations to Phipps Center to our next membership meeting on Sunday, December 13, at 3 p.m. in Room 11, Dreiser Community Center. If you are participating in our “grab bag,” be sure to bring your gift as well. Happy birthday to all our members who were born in the month of December. —Joyce Howard

Please join us on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 8:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Our next general membership meeting is December 10th. The Sunshine and Membership Committees raffled off turkeys and wine at the November meeting. Congratulations to our winners: turkeys - Iris Rosado, Caroline Rivas, Angel Rodriguez, Nellie Rodriguez, Vicky Joubert; wine – Iris Rosado, Luz Peña, Lourdes Suarez, Hector Falcon, Lourdes Lopez, Nora Rivera, Peter Garcia, Aida Gonzalez, Dinorah Tirado, Carmen Telemaco,

Gladys Rivera and Amelia Ayala. Many thanks to the Sunshine Committee for the turkeys and to the Membership Committee for the wine. Our Christmas Party is scheduled for Saturday, December 12th. The Cultural and Social Committees are combining their efforts to make this a very special evening. With performances by Johnny Ray 'Salsa Con Clase' and Charlie Donato y Son Ideal and music by DJ Salsero, tickets are $30 in advance. Please contact Alfonso Gonzalez at (347) 249-3403 for more information.

Don’t miss this great event - bring your maracas, güiros and palitos! The Visitation Committee’s monthly visit to Bay Park is planned for December 20th at 1:00 p.m. The December ‘Social Friday’ gathering will take place on Saturday, the 26th, at 7:00 p.m. The ‘Social Friday’ Committee will be hosting the annual New Year’s Eve Party, beginning at 7:00 p.m., in Dreiser Auditorium C. Admission will be $20

for adults, $10 for children under 12 years of age. Please contact Jose Lopez at (347) 202-7930. Bring your noisemakers, hats and party-gear! Additional information for all of our upcoming club events, as well as details concerning the club in general, can be found on our website: http://spanamcccc.synthasite.com. You may also contact the club at (718) 379-7017 or email us at SpanAmCCCC@gmail.com. —Carmen Rodriguez

Our program, The Fabric of Complicity, featuring the exhibition Confederate Currency: The Color of Money has concluded. We have made many new friends and would like to especially thank Ms. Jaysura for her thoughtful article for the Co-op City Times covering our opening day. Special thanks to Ms. Elaine S. for her donations, and to David Osborne, the historic site director of St. Paul’s Church in Mount Vernon, for his presentation on the “Five Presidents” who had intimate history with this region. Of course, we would not know the impact made without cheerful Linda who stopped by regularly, bringing new people with her. It was mind opening to share stories and history notes which will be well remembered and passed on. The exhibit was emotional for some and we want to again thank you for sharing your stories about your experience with cotton and sharecropping.

For those that would still like to purchase the exhibition catalogue, Confederate Currency: The Color of Money, which was reduced to $30, it has returned to its normal rate of $50. This hardbound tabletop edition shows in full detail, background notes, bills and paintings by the artist John W. Jones, and will make wonderful perfect gift. Plans for a Cotton Pickers’ Monument is underway in the Mississippi Delta. We will post updates on our site about how families can purchase Legacy Bricks with their family’s name for the memorial grounds. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and please “Like us” so that you can see updates. Thank you! www.facebook.com/ DrammehInstitute Follow our exhibition blog for updates: http://drammehcenter.tumblr.com/ Email: drammehcenter@gmail.com —Iman Drammeh

National Council of Negro Women

Spanish-American Community Club

Drammeh Center

Follow Riverbay Fund on Facebook at www.facebook.com/riverbayfund and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/riverbayfund.

VISION CARE SPECIALIST

DR. DAVID HORN, O.D. FAAO • FELLOW, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY

• COMPLETE VISION CARE - EYE EXAMINATION

• OCULAR DISEASE TREATMENT

• EYEGLASSES

• GLAUCOMA TREATMENT

• CONTACT LENSES

High Fashion Frames on Premises. “Your Vision Health Is My Concern.” Much of Learning Is Done Through The Eyes. Insist on a Professional Eye Examination.

120 ALCOTT PLACE

(Bldg. 17 • Sect. 3) • Co-op City

718-379-8029 Medicare and many insurances accepted. DOCTOR’S HOURS: MONDAY: 1:30 - 7:00 PM • WEDNESDAY: 2:00 - 7:00 PM FRIDAY: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM • SATURDAY: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT!

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Co-op City Sports

Velocity Track Club New York’s blessing continue at the 2015 Footlocker Regional XC (Cross Country) Championship and National Qualifier. The event took place at Historic Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, New York. The Northeast Region consists of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and U.S. citizens in overseas military installations. Qualifiers will have an opportunity to compete in the Footlocker National Championship on December 12th at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA. Medals were awarded to the top 30 athletes in their event/gender. Plaques were awarded to 1st and 2nd place teams. Lovely shirts were given to every participant. The meet was well organized and the competition was fierce. Velocity Track Club represented New York well! Most of our athletes broke their personal record (PR). Darius Gordon started it off in his 1st high school race. All season, he was trying to run under 19 minutes in the 5k (3.1 miles). At Van Cortland Park, he ran the 5k in 18:49, great accomplishment. Then Tre’von James, who never ran a 5K race, ran it well enough to earn him a 23rd place and a medal in the 13 & 14 boys division. Danielle Jackson ran a strong 3k (1.8 miles) race and finished 19th to earn her a medal in the 11 & 12 years old girls division. In the 10 & under girls division, all four of our girls medaled. If we had one more girl, we may have won a plaque in the girls 10 & under championship (must have 5 participates to enter). The following girls were Adonijah Washington, 23rd place; Allyson Wright, 20th place; Tiarra Jackson, 19th place and Hope Perez, 17th place. Our 10 & under boys were outstanding! Not only did all 6 medal, most PR and they won the Boys 10 years & under Team Championship. Plus, we had the

Velocity Track Club New York

Velocity Track Club sporting their medals and team championship plaque

Gold and Bronze medalist. The announcer at the meet stated that this may have been the best race of the day! The Gold Medalist and Regional Champion is Dontae Lindo. The Bronze Medalist was Jordan Ingram. The biggest surprise was 7 year old Pierce Parker, who took 12th in his 1st 3k race. His age division normally runs a 2k (1.2 miles) race. In 15th place was Julian Caldwell, in 22nd place was Dillion Hampton and 23rd place was Ejirie Igbuya. Also, Dillion & Ejirie, 1st time running a 3k race, they are also 8 years & under and would normally run the 2k race. Great job, teammates. Parents and coaches are proud of you. Our next meet will be the AAU (American Amateur Union) Cross Country Na-

Let us know… If you have news you’d like to share with your neighbors, please give us a call at (718) 3203300, Ext. 3375/6; email: cctimes@ riverbaycorp.com or fax (718) 320-2595.

Please Refrain From Littering. Keep Co-op City Clean! Thank you!

tional Championship on Saturday, Dec-ember 5th. We will fly into Atlanta, GA. on Friday and then drive to Danville, AL. Please pray that we have a safe trip. Velocity Track Club New York is a 501 (c) 3 not-forprofit. One hundred percent of your donation will go to help our children. For additional information, you can go to our website Velocitytrack.org or contact me, Coach Winston Dinkins, at 914-441-6196 or email me at watclt@ aol.com. —Winston Dinkins

CO-OP CITY FOOT CARE CENTER SECTION 5 • BUILDING 29C 4240 HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY EAST

(718) 671-2233 DR. LOUIS JACOBS, DIRECTOR ALL FOOT CONDITIONS TREATED The in-office surgical correction of BUNIONS • HAMMERTOES • INGROWN TOENAILS PAINFUL CORNS and CALLOUSES The treatment of traumatic foot injuries, heel spurs, bursitis and arthritis of the joints of the feet, toenail and skin infections, as well as other conditions.

Most Union and Insurance Plans Accepted. HIP CMO (Montefiore) Health Plan Accepted. We participate in Postal Workers, Mail Handlers, Letter Carriers, Verizon Workers, 1199, GHI, Blue Shield, Empire Plan, Medicare, Travelers, United Health Care and many other union and major medical plans. Se Habla Español MEDICARE ACCEPTED • HOUSE CALLS BY APPOINTMENT

Diabetic Patients with Medicare may be eligible for shoes.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

Greetings! It’s almost that time…Our Holiday Luncheon at the Marina del Rey featuring the Carol/DAD Productions is scheduled for Thursday, December 10, from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Price: $75 includes transportation. Buses will be leaving at 10:45 a.m. SHARP from Dreiser Loop (in front of the tax store). Travel Events: (Lorants Coach Bus located Dreiser Loop, in front of H&R Block) ● January 13 & 14, 2016 (Wed. & Thurs.) Foxwoods Resort Casino, CT. Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods is the nation’s first Tanger Outlets collection of premium brands under one roof! Price: Double $130/Single $175. Deposits

required: Double $65/single $90. Final balance due (double $65/single $85) by Monday, December 7th. Lorants Coach bus. Depart: 11 a.m. Contacts: Serita G., 347-564-5722/ Barbara W, 718-3200500. ● March 24, 2016 (Thurs.) Sands Casino Resort, Bethelem, PA. Just steps from the casino floor, hotel, and event center, the outlets feature all of your favorite selections at a fraction of the price. Price: $35 ASAP. Lorants Coach bus. Depart: 8:45 a.m. Contacts: Serita G., 347-564-5722/Barbara W., 718-3200500. Theatre Committee: (price includes transportation):

● Sat., Dec. 19th, 6 p.m. show. Price: $35. Home For Christmas, Dempsey Theatre. (W. 127 St.). Contact: Eleanor Barlow, 718-324-7847. ● Thurs., March 10, 2016, 7 p.m. show. Price: $117. Color Purple, Jacob Theatre. $50 deposit required. Final payment due ASAP. Contact: Eleanor Barlow, 718-324-7847. Good And Welfare Heartfelt condolences to Helen Mitchell on the loss of her great-granddaughter, Destiny Dawson. Those of you still under the weather, know that you are thought of warmly and wished brighter days. Call Josephine Flowers, 718-320-0539, regarding ill-

The Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc. will be hosting our 19th annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Sunday, December 27, at 3 p.m. in Rm. 31, 2049 Bartow Community Center, Bronx, NY. All are invited. There will be entertainment, Kwanzaa ceremony, African dancing, and the Karamu Feast, vendors, games, and refreshments will be served. This event is free. Kwanzaa is the seven-day (December 26—January 1) African Celebration of family, community and culture as personified in African “First Fruits” or harvest celebrations. Kwanzaa incorporates the spirit, value and practice of Ingathering, Reverence, Commemoration, Recommitment and Celebration and evolves around seven principles, one for each day of Kwanzaa, called

Nguzo Saba. The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (selfdetermination), Ujima (Collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba, (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). The Coalition members attending the Kwanzaa Celebration are requested to bring an offering of a large, main dish of food (no pork, please) or dessert, etc. to share with others. Please contact the President or Ms. Francine R. Jones (718671-5957) to advise her what your food offering will be. Also, traditional African attire should be worn, although it is not mandatory. Your attendance and participation are required to make this family cultural festivity a success. Please inform the coalition of any sug-

gestions that you may have. Ms. Virginia Stewart is the President of the coalition. Phone number, (718) 671-4506. The coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life of cooperators while providing educational and culturally enriching programs for the community. We also act as one voice for all coalition members where there are issues of common concern and human rights. We also sponsor Friends & Family Day and Kwanzaa celebrations, free for the community. Members of the Coalition include the following: AfricanAmerican Association; Co-op City Baptist Church; Retirees of Dreiser Loop; Harriet Tubman Independent Democratic Club; NAACP, Co-op City Branch; St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church and Zodiacs Track Club.

Please support our efforts by sending us a tax deductible contribution made payable to Coalition of African-American Churches and Community Organization of Co-op City, Inc., P.O. Box 619, Bronx, NY 10475. Churches and organizations that desire to join the coalition may apply for membership by either writing or calling (718) 671-4506 or (718) 671-5957 for a membership application, which should be returned with a letter on your church/ organization’s letterhead and signed by the Minister/President. Read the coalition’s weekly column for information about events and issues. Remember the Coalition’s Motto is “Coming together is the Beginning, Keeping together is Progress and Working together is Success.” —Harman T. Leacock

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 75-3111, Einstein Station, Bronx, NY 10475 President: Jerome Rice Office telephone: (718) 320-3210 Address: 135 Einstein Community Center, Room 36 Executive Committee Meeting – December 9th at 1:00 p.m. Membership Meeting - December 20th at 3:00 p.m. All welcomed. Voter Registration forms available in English & Spanish. VOTER REGIS-

TRATION IS AN ONGING ACTIVITY. Our goal is to register ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS 18-45 years. Save The Dates December 20th – Branch Membership Meeting & Holiday Party December 27th – Kwanzaa Celebration/Coalition January 9, 2016 – NAACP NYSC 1st Quarterly Meeting. Location: TBA January 16, 2016 – Jubilee Day Celebration hosted by Walt Disney PS

160 and the PTA. January 24th – Membership Meeting January 30th – Kevin Shaw Jr. Memorial Scholarship event February 2016 – Black History Month Essay & Art Contest with prizes at PS 160 (work in progress, date TBA) REMEMBER! Our branch is here to address the five game changers in the community. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the oldest civil rights organization

and its mission and goals are STILL RELEVANT! Ensuring the political, educational, economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate discrimination. “All lives matter, whether your skin is brown or your uniform is blue.” – Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP “Justice is what LOVE looks like in public” –Dr. Cornel West —Jerome L. Rice

nesses and bereavements. Remember – Your DEPOSIT, along with your name and telephone number, is required to reserve your trip &/or theatre seat. A check/money order addressed to RETIREES OF DREISER LOOP will be accepted ONLY. Committee members will be available in Dreiser clubroom 19 (718-379-0377) on Mondays and/or Thursdays, 2:30-5:00 p.m. Life is too short; enjoy and have fun. Forgive your friends; love by heart. Laugh out loud; do everything that makes you smile. Enjoy each day and be cool. —Delores Debnam

Coalition of African American Churches & Community Organizations

NAACP Co-op City Branch #2210

COMMUNITY PROTESTANT CHURCH OF CO-OP CITY

1659 eaSt gUn Hill ROad bROnx, ny 10469 Rev., dR. Calvin e. OWenS, paStOR

(718) 862-9172 OFFICE (718) 862-9179 CHURCH

An interdenominational Church of love and understanding, consisting of people of many faiths, races and cultural backgrounds, seeking to live the spirit of Christ with relevance. CHURCH SCHedUle WEEKLY:

CHURCH SCHOOl - SUnday, 9:00 a.m. WORSHip SeRviCe: SUnday, 11:00 a.m. bible ClaSS & pRayeR meeting - WedneSday, 7:30 p.m.

MONTHLY: COmmUniOn - 1St and 3Rd SUndayS

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Baychester Visual Arts Association On December 1st, BVA will exhibit artwork at the Baychester Library in the Bartow Community Center and will be there until Jan. 5, 2016. Come and see the artwork done by BVA members. We know you will be impressed and maybe you may want to take art lessons at BVA. BVA’s next session of art classes began on Tuesday, November 24 in Room 5, Dreiser Community Center. You can choose from the 2 class schedules which are 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. The fees are as follows: Annual membership is $35 a year

and a session of 10 classes is $60. This is the best bargain in the Bronx – maybe even the city – given the quality of instruction offered. Mr. Moses Groves, BVA’s own art instructor, will be the artistic guide for these classes. Mr. Groves is an accomplished artist who has studied at the Art Students League and NYU. He has exhibited work in the New York and New Jersey area and has won awards for his artwork. If you are interested in taking these classes, you can call M. Groves at 201-862-0847 or come to Room 5 in

American Legion Post 1871 Home to all who served

the Dreiser Community Center on Tuesdays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. BVA is a non-profit, self-supporting organization that needs your support to continue offering high level art instruction at these bargain prices. So come join BVA on this fabulous artistic trek, take a class, make a tax deductible donation, and feel the satisfaction of being a creator and/or patron of the arts. All checks should be made out as indicated above. Science is for the body and art is for the soul. —Sylvia Lochansky

Greetings to all of our Post members who are homebound and recovering from various medical operations. We wish you a speedy recovery. Happy birthday to all our members who will be celebrating this month. Our Post is always looking for new members to join, so if you are a VETERAN from any branch of the military, stop by. Bring your DD-214 with you. Post 1871 is located in Section #5 in the community center in 135 Einstein Loop, Room 41. Our office telephone number is (718) 320-8165; our email address is post1871@optimum.net. This is a reminder for the Post members who signed up, a "FREE" breakfast will be given by Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson on December 7, Monday, at 8:00 a.m. at Macedonia Community Center, 103 West 2nd Street, Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10550. Please wear your Post

cap, jacket and shirt to show what Post you’re from. Know that Christmas will be here before you know it. Many Post members will be flying across the country to visit other family members. If you happen to lose your luggage, don't delay reporting it, even if the lines are long. Most airlines require you to file a report within a very short time period. If you miss the deadline, your claim may be denied. Do you know when to say no to antibiotics? Antibiotics don't kill viruses. Doctors routinely prescribe antibiotics when the drugs aren't necessary, so reported in a recent Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 adults. If you have a sinus infection, sinusitis is usually viral. Bacterial sinus infection often clears up in a week or several, if they are not treated. If symptoms are severe and do not improve after ten days, see your doctor. Our Post is open for all of our Post members to relax by watching T.V., shooting pool or just talking

with your friends telling war stories and drinking a soda or cold bottle of water. Our Post has on hand all of the current military papers for every branch of the service, so you can read up on all the new changes that will take place for FY 2016. So stop by and pass the time away by enjoying a comfort away from home with other veterans and friends. Two good movies to see when you get a chance are The Hunger Games Part 2 Mockingjay and Creed, about a boxer who proves that he can box and not have to use his father’s name. Both movies are heavy with action. Quote for the day: Respect your elders. They graduated from school without the internet. To me, "drink responsibly" means “don't spill it.” This information was provided to you by your Post information officer. —Richard I. Lawson, Jr.

Well, the Christmas season is upon us! "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is blaring on the radio, and if your children are like mine, they're already making their lists! If this is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year," then why does it seem to leave us wanting more? Why do we feel so overwhelmed? We look forward to the gifts, music and traditions, but the presents and the parties are never enough. So what do we really need? Starting this Sunday, we begin our brand new series called "A Thrill of Hope" because hope is what we need! Here's what you can expect when you come to our Worship Experience! Newsong Church is a multi-cultural church that believes God has a purpose and a plan for your life. We exist to reach people who are far away from God, and teach them how to follow Jesus step-bystep. That's why you will find our Sunday Worship Experience to be so warm and friendly, we genuinely care about you! We're not concerned about where you've been, but where you're going. You see, we've all got a past, we've all made mistakes, and we still do. When you step into our worship experience, you won't find a bunch of "Holier-than-thou" people pretending to have it all together. Instead, you'll find that we're all broken people, but we're allowing God to put us back together. We're not perfect, but God is! As God puts us back together, we're realizing that although our past has shaped us, it does not define us! We're finding out that not only does God love us with a radical and unconditional love, but that He loves us just as we are! At Newsong Church, we believe that the Bible is the greatest book ever written, containing the greatest story ever told, and that each of us are part of His-story! In fact, we have a saying at our church: "If you're not dead, God's not done with you!" We don't just believe this for the adults, but for our children as well! At Newsong Church, we're so passionate about our children learning about Jesus, that we created a church just for them called Kidsong! At Kidsong, our children learn about Jesus in a safe, fun, age-

appropriate learning environment! We also have a fully staffed nursery! We hope that you will join us this Sunday! Our Worship Experience is located at 177 Dreiser Loop in Auditorium B. Parking is available in the parking garage, just bring your ticket in for validation. Deaf interpretation is available during our adult worship experience. If you have any questions, you can contact us: Church Office: 140 Alcott Place Bldg.19. Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Phone: 718-708-8385

For more information, check out our: Website: www.newsongchurchnyc.org Email: info@newsongchurchnyc.org You can also interact with us on social media! Facebook: www.facebook.com/newsongchurchbx Twitter: @newsongchurchBX Instagram: @newsongchurchBX Our Newsong family is here for you; stop by this Sunday and experience the difference! God bless you! —Pastor Mike Tolone

Newsong Church

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Evangelical Church of Co-op City – UMC Open Doors, Open Hearts and Open Minds

Come & Visit Us – We welcome you to God’s House – Your House – One Family in Christ. We are a congregation with spirit-filled worship, offering a variety of opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship and service to God and our community. We are a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and bilingual congregation and all are welcome. Services are at the church at 2350 Palmer Avenue, across the street from Building 30. Parking is available. Our phone number is (718) 320-3795, and leave a message if there is no answer. Pastor Magaly Beltré is at the church on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Sunday Services – The first Sunday of the month is a bilingual service with communion at 11:30 a.m. Each Sunday, the English Service is at 11:30 a.m. and

the Spanish Service is at 1:30 p.m. Children: Sunday School will be at 10 a.m. for all children ages 4 to 12 years. Bring your children, so they may learn what the Bible says and have fun with all the other activities. Prayer Night (English) & Prayer Morning (Spanish): The Lord said, “Whenever two or more are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20. Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday mornings at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Come and bring your prayer needs so we can pray together. Remember that prayer brings many blessings, which God has promised to all his children who have a personal relationship with Him. Friday Family Night: Friday night is the time for the family to come and

have Bible study in English and Spanish. There are also other activities. The youth have a special time with the 4:12 Youth Group (ages 13 – 21). It is truly a joyous time for all. Women’s Fellowship: is the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Men’s Fellowship: is the last Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Crescendo Christian Music School: Are you interested in learning how to play an instrument or sing? Come join the music school. Piano, guitar, drums, violin, voice and other instruments. Registration for the fall season is here and cost is very reasonable. Registration is free. Call Maestro Frank Colon, (917) 753-3644, to set up a time to come and

register. Students range in age from 5 to 100 years. Trip to see Samson at Sight & Sound: We are going to Lancaster, Pa. to see the new show of Samson on Friday, June 3, 2016. Cost will be $146/person, children 12 & under are $106/child. Please get your $50/person deposit(s) in quickly since we expect to have seats go fast. Call Barbara at (347) 603-7473 to let her know that you are interested. Lighting of the Manger Scene: This Sunday, 12/6, at 5 p.m., we will be lighting the manager scene outside the church to celebrate the advent of Christmas. There will be singing and hot chocolate after the lighting. Hope you can come for the fun. —Barbara Penn

Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams and the Co-op City Baptist Church family invite you to join us tomorrow at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. for worship service. We invite you to worship, study, and pray with us. The Co-op City Baptist Church is located at 135 Einstein Loop, Room 50. Our telephone number is 718-320-3774. Visit us on the web at www.coopcitybaptistchurch.org. Join us for a mid-week spiritual pick-up at our mid-week worship service on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. Bible

study is on Wednesdays at 1:00 and 7:30 p.m. Bible study will also be held on Wednesday, December 16 at 5 p.m. Prayer Service is held on Fridays at 12 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, December 19, the Sunday School will hold its annual Christmas Program at 10:00 a.m. Please join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the reason for the season. You are invited to join the Scholarship Ministry on August 13 – 21, 2016 as they travel to Memphis, TN.

This 9 day, 8 night trip includes 14 meals, 8 breakfasts and 6 dinners. You will have admission to the National Civil Rights Museum, dedicated to Martin Luther King’s struggle for equality; admission to STAX Museum of American Soul Music and additionally admission to the Memphis Rock and Roll Soul Museum and much more. A $100 deposit is required before January 10, 2016. Full payment is due on or before May 8, 2016. The cost for double occu-

pancy is $835. For information and reservations, call 718-671-7507, 718379-0564 or 718- 320-3774. 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. —Hattie L. Lucas

Pastor Anne L. Palmore and the congregation of the Church of the New Vision extend a warm and friendly invitation to everyone to worship with us every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. We are a church where inspirational messages from the Word of God, the Bible, are delivered every Sunday morning. The church is designed to meet the spiritual needs of our community by offering anointed singing and preaching, and a general atmosphere of Christian love and friendly hospitality. We also invite the youth of our community to attend our Sunday Morning

services, which are designed to meet the spiritual needs of our young people. Parents, please send your children to learn of the Lord Jesus. Prayer Service takes place every Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., followed by Bible Teaching from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Be with us to learn the truth from the Word of God. List of Events Come cruise with us in 2016, leaving from NYC on the Fun Ship, Carnival Sunshine, Aug. 1-9. Itinerary: Amber Cove, Dominican Rep.,

Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. Cost per person: Interior $1,340, Ocean View $1,420; Balcony $1,710 (tax and port charges included). A $50 non-refundable deposit is due now; monthly payment accepted; 50% due Feb. 21, 2016; Full balance due May 11, 2016. For payment or information, contact Sadie James, (718) 652-8943, or Hermena Smith, (718) 708-5035. Saturday, December 19th - Sight & Sound Theatre presenting The Miracle of Christmas. Saturday, April 9, 2016, Sight & Sound Theatre presenting

Co-op City Baptist Church

Church of the New Vision

Samson. Adults: $150 and youth 12 and under, $145. One-day package includes: round-trip transportation, all you can eat at Old Country Buffet, all taxes & gratuities, show and outlet shopping. For tickets, call church at 718-671-8746. The Church of the New Vision is located at 115 Einstein, Bronx, NY 10475; Telephone: (718) 671-8746 or (718) 320-0409. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 753037, Bronx, NY 10475. Please visit our website at www. churchofnewvision.com. —Carole Haque

CO-OP CITY BAPTIST CHURCH 135 EINSTEIN LOOP (Section 5) • Rooms 50-51 Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams, Pastor

(718) 320-3774 • Sunday School – 9:15 a.m. • Sunday Worship Services – 8:00 & 11:00 a.m. • Midweek Worship – Wednesday @ 12 Noon • Bible Class – Wednesday @ 1:00 & 7:30 p.m. • Prayer Service – Friday @ Noon & 7:30 p.m. COMMUNION SERVICE EVERY FIRST SUNDAY. YOUTH DAY EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY. ALL ARE WELCOME TO WORSHIP WITH US.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

On behalf of our Pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin E. Owens, and our church family, welcome to Community Protestant Church, a church of love and understanding, located at 1659 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469; telephone (718) 862-9172. Church Schedule Sunday School - 9:00 a.m. Worship Service - 11:00 a.m. Communion Service - Every first and third Sundays Prayer Meeting and Bible Study – Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The following programs are at the Church’s Annex: 2053 Asch Loop North (Co-op City) Morning Prayer Services - Tuesday, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Neighborhood Bible Study - Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Extension of Prayer and Worship Service – Every first, second and third Fridays at 7:00 p.m. “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.” Psalms 101:6 Spiritual Food for Thought: God’s eyes are searching the earth to find and reward those who are faithful. He seeks those who are reliable and trustworthy in establishing his kingdom – those who are stable and stand firm in the truth without wavering. God is looking for true believers who are not only hearers but doers of his Word. On behalf of Pastors Boyce and Carol Landrum and the Greater Love family, we welcome and invite you

Faith In God Church & Bible Institute

Rev. Dr. Gladys R. Little, Apostle, and Pastor & Evangelist Vernon Little greet everyone in the name of Jesus, that name which is above every name. We want you to know that you are welcome in this house of the Lord! It is His house by ownership: it is our house by stewardship: and it can be your house by membership; so come on in and join with us. May God bless you in this house! The best place for God's Word is our hearts. This comes from reading, meditating on, and memorizing it. Let's look at Scripture to support this. Psalms 119:916 says: 9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips, I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Invitations Sweet Hour of Prayer is today at 3 p.m. Sunday School is tomorrow at 10 a.m. Our Sunday Morning Worship Service is at 11 a.m. Every 3rd Sunday following the morning worship, we serve Holy Communion. If you’re into gospel rap/holy hip-hop, go to www.soundcloud.com and download music from Vernon Little free of charge. He also has videos on YouTube. You will be blessed, encouraged, and inspired. We are located at 171 Dreiser Loop in Section 1. Our phone # is (347) 276-4925. Jesus loves you, and so do we. —Apostle Gladys R. Little

Community Protestant Church Sunday School Breakfast Program For Our Children And Youth Sunday School for children and youth is now in session. Our program begins at 9:00 a.m. with breakfast to follow. We welcome new and returning students and look forward to another opportunity to help train our children for a lifetime of faith and Christian growth. Other Scheduled Events POSTPONEMENT: Please note that the Shepherd’s Ministry’s Raffle drawing scheduled for Sunday, December 6th has been postponed to Sunday, December 13th. The Willing Workers Annual Natural Pecan and Pecan Clusters Sale will be held after service. Stop by their table and pick up a great holiday gift of pecans. Saturday, December 19th, 3:00-8:00 p.m., come celebrate the Holiday Season with our Community Protestant Church family at our Annual Christmas Party sponsored by the North Carolina Team, Bartow Community Center, Room 31, Co-op City. Music by

Greater Love Baptist Church to fellowship with us. Greater Love is a teaching, preaching, tithing, faith and Bible way ministry. We believe that the blueprint for a church that pleases God is: Bible Study, Fellowship, and Prayer (Acts 2:42). These vital elements make up the function and life at Greater Love Church. We are conveniently located at 900 Co-op City Blvd. (Bldg. 2A), on the ground level, Bronx, N.Y. 10475; main entrance - red button. Free parking is available in Garage #1 on Darrow Place Afternoon Prayer Meetings: All are invited to participate in our weekly corporate prayer meeting on Wednesday afternoons at 1 p.m. The anointed servant of the Lord and prayer warrior, Elder V. Archer-Dyer, is available to pray for you and with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Sunday Bible School for Children (ages 5-12): We invite you to bring your child to Sunday School to learn about Salvation and what the Good News is all about. Class begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. A light breakfast will be provided for the children from 11:0011:30 a.m. Family Night: Please join us on Friday, December 18th from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. for our final Family Night for 2015! We will have a “Pot Luck” dinner; all atten-

Samuel Wilson Jr. Donation: Adults - $15; Children under 16 years of age free (must be accompanied by parent or guardian). For tickets, call (718) 994-3751 or (917) 509-2030. The Women’s Guild invites you to join us on our Christmas/New Year Extravaganza, December 22, 2015 – January 3, 2016. A fantastic 12-night southern Caribbean cruise aboard the magnificent Queen Mary 2, departing from New York, Red Hook in Brooklyn. Ports of Call: St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie; St. Kitts, Basseterre; St. Lucia, Castries; St. Maarten, Phillipsburg; Tortola, Road Town. To make a reservation or for additional information about the cruise, please call (718) 320-1435 or (718) 671-5961. The doors of Community Protestant Church are open to all to worship and fellowship with Christian believers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You are cordially invited to come in, join in and receive your blessing. —Evan G. Mitchell

dees as asked to contribute their favorite dish; we want to usher in the holiday season family style. The feature movie presentation is “Black Nativity” starring Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson and more. Weekly Schedule Church Phone: 347-920-5607; Email: glcubc@opt online.net Sunday Bible School: 10:00 a.m. (sharp) Sunday Morning Meditation & Prayer: 11:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 11:30 a.m. Holy Communion – First Sunday Adult Bible Study/Discipleship Class: Tuesday evenings: 7:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting: Wednesday afternoon, 1 – 2 p.m. Training for Service - A Survey of the Bible: class complete. Next class 2016/TBA Deacon Training: Alternate Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. Next: Dec 10th at 7:00 p.m. Mosaic Women’s Ministry: Meets 4th Saturday Family Movie Nite (3rd Friday): Next: Dec. 18th at 7:00 p.m. —Pastor Carol Landrum

Family Owned and Operated • Large Chapel on premises

• Pre-need counseling

• Ample Parking on premises

• Out of town services

• Casket Showroom on premises

• Cremations

A dignified funeral every family can afford. All areas are handicapped accessible

Personalized & Professional Care • 49 Years Serving Our Community Worldwide Shipping including Caribbean, Africa & South America

718-231-7647 Call 24 Hours

Fax: 718-231-7665 NOW WEBCASTING TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABROAD

www.mccalls.net • director@mccalls.net 4035 Bronxwood Avenue, Bronx, N.Y.

Serving all cultures & faiths

Mon., Dec. 7

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Bartow,

Einstein,

Dreiser,

Activities in Room 31 unless otherwise noted

Activities in Room 49 unless otherwise noted Library 9:30am-1pm Dominoes 10am, Rm. 45 Line Dancing 10-11am,

Activities in Room 7 unless otherwise noted

Word Games 9:30-11am Bingo 12:30-2:00pm Arthritis Exercises 11am-noon Library 9:30am-1pm

Weight Management

Rm. 45

Around The Lunch Table 11:30am Word Search

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session 9:30-10:30am

Stay Well Exercise 12-1pm, Rm. 4

Diabetes Support Group

Bereavement Counseling

1:00-3:00pm, Rm .35

Room 25 – 2:00pm Card Games 2-4pm Dominoes 2:30 pm

3:00-4:00pm, Rm. 35

1:00pm – Last Monday of the month Gentle Yoga 1:15-2pm, Rm. 2

Diabetes Support Group

Basic Cell Phone & iPad training 1:30-2:30pm Intermediate Yoga

2nd Monday - 1:00pm

2-3pm, Rm. 2

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session Dominoes 10am

Walking Club

Tai Chi 11am, Rm. 45

10:30-11:30am

Cultural Dance

Caregiver Support Group 1:00pm 1st & 3rd

Matinee Movie

10:30 – 11:30am, Aud. B

10am-noon, Rm. 45

Mind Teasers

Pokeno 1-3pm, Rm. 35

12-1pm, Rm. 4 Zumba 1-2pm, Aud. A

Tues

Card Games 2-4pm Dominoes 2:30pm

Afternoon Movies 1:00-3:00pm w/popcorn

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

Thurs., Dec. 10

Wed., Dec. 9

Blood Pressure 1st & 3rd Wed Rm 31

Dominoes 10am, Rm. 45

Word Games Spelling Bee 10am

9:30-11:30am

Stay Well Exercise 10-11am

Spanish Practice Class

Line Dancing 11am-

10:30am, Computer Lab

12pm

Bingo 12:30-2:00pm Card Games 2-4pm Dominoes 2:30pm

Zumba 11am-12pm,

African Brazilian Dance w/Leona Hull, Room 2 1:00-2:00pm Art Class 1-3pm Yoga 2pm-3pm, Rm. 2

Library 9am-1pm

Dominoes 10am, Rm. 45 Stay Well Exercise

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

Word Games 9:30am11:30am

10-11am, Rm. 45 Spelling Bee 11am

Blood Pressure

Chat Session 9:30am-

Grandparent Connection 1st & 3rd

9:30-10:30am

Computer lab, 10:30am

10 -11:30am 1st & 3rd Thurs., Rm. 8 Line Dancing, 10-11am, Aud. A

Bingo 12:30- 2:00pm

Arthritis Exercise Class

Piano Sing Along 11am-12pm

Card Games 2-4pm

11am-12pm, Rm. 45 Word search 11am12pm Pokeno 1-3pm, Rm. 35

Dominoes 2:30pm Men’s Line Dancing 9 -10am

Word Games 9:30am-

Fri., Dec. 11

9:30-10:30am Sewing 9:30 -11:30am Tai Chi 11am- 12pm Mind Teasers 12-1pm, Rm. 4

Rm. 45

1pm

11:30am

10am-12:00pm

Art 10am, Rm. 45

Library, Exercise Bike, Chat Session

10-11:30am

Card Games 2-4pm

Rm. 25

Piano Sing-along 11am-12pm

Card Games 2-4pm Dominoes 2:30pm

Drama Club 1:304:00pm

Crochet & Knitting

Bingo 1pm

Chat Session 10am Bingo 12:30-2:30pm

Mind Teasers 12-1pm, Rm. 4

Dominoes 10am, Rm. 45

Women’s Line Dancing

Tilapia w/sauce

Beef w/black bean garlic sauce Brown rice w/beans Broccoli w/toasted garlic

Tues, Dec. 8

Apple Juice, Breaded chicken breast, Kasha varnishkes, Steamed peas and carrots, Alt: Tuna Nicoise salad

Crispy baked ‘fried’ chicken Au Gratin potatoes Steamed peas and carrots

Wed., Dec. 9

Spare ribs Orange juice, Roasted Baked potato in skin turkey wing, Mashed Sweet and tangy sweet potatoes, Steamed red or green sauteed collard greens cabbage, Alt: Egg salad

9:30-10:30am

Alert & Alive

10:30-11:30am

Soups, Breads and Desserts

Whole wheat bread Unsweetened apple sauce

Mind Teasers

Bingo

9:30-11:30am Bingo 12:30-2:00pm

Orange juice

Mon., Sweet and sour meatDec. balls, Zucchini rice pilaf Steamed kale, Alt: Baked 7

10-11am, Rm. 2

11am-12pm

Word Games

Tues., Dec. 8

10am-12pm

Non-Kosher Alternate Kosher Meals are also available

Crochet & Knitting

10:00-11:30 in the Bartow Main Office

Pokeno

Date:

Kosher

9:30-10: 11am-12:00pm

Meditative Moments

Blood Pressure 2nd & 4th 10-11:30am, Rm. 45

11am–12pm, Rm. 8

Bingo 1-3pm, Rm. 35

1:00pm, Rm. 4

Pokeno 3-4pm, Rm. 35

Card Games, Dominoes

Mind Teasers 12pm-

2-4:00pm

(Schedule subject to change without notice)

Fee for lunch is $2.00 & $5.00 for guest *Menu subject to change without notice. Alternate Kosher Meals are also available

ALL meals served w/margarine and fresh milk Bartow Center (718) 320-2066, Ext. 2010 Dreiser Center (718) 320-1345 • Einstein Center (718) 671-5161

For information, please call: (718) 320-2066

New Payment Schedule - Payments for trips @ the Bartow office can be made Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Only) Funded by: The NYC Department for the Aging, The NYS Office for the Aging and Riverbay Corporation.

Whole wheat bread Fresh fruit

Orange pineapple juice

Thurs., Baked Sole fish fillet Jumbo stuffed shells w/honey dijon sauce w/meat sauce Dec. Spinach noodle pudding Italian vegetables 10 California blend vegeta-

Whole wheat bread Fresh fruit

bles, Alt: Chicken salad

Fri., Dec. 11

Apple juice Roasted chicken Yellow rice Vegetable mix Alt: Gefilte fish

Breaded Sole fish fillet Baked macaroni and cheese Roasted fresh Brussel sprouts w/garlic thyme

Challah bread Fresh fruit

Upcoming Events/Trips

Trip registration policy: There will be no refunds for all trips. All trips include roundtrip transportation! All trips must be paid in advance – No Exceptions! You can register for all trips starting the Monday after it has been published in the newspaper:JASA will not accept checks under $5.00 Note: Seniors will no longer be allowed to add additional names on the list for trips. If anyone is interested in the trips that are scheduled they must call in themselves! (FREE) LiveOn NY - SCRIE Application Assistance/SNAP (Food Stamps) – Fri., Dec. 18th, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. First come, first served! NY CARES 27th Annual Coat Drive – Nov. 12th – Dec. 31st & Toy Drive – Nov. 16th –Dec. 18th. Drop off at 177 Dreiser Loop, Rm. 7. We accept gently- used and freshly laundered coats for men, women & children & new toys for the children Shoprite – Mon., Dec. 7th, Bartow 9:30 a.m.; Einstein – 9:45 a.m. & Dreiser – 10 a.m. Flu Shots w/Shop N Stop: Tues., Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Bartow Center, Rm. 31, Thurs., Dec. 10th, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Einstein, Rm. 49 and Fri., Dec. 11, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m., Dreiser, Rm. 7. Aldi – Tues., Dec. 8th, $2, Bartow 8:15 a.m., Einstein – 8:30 a.m. and Dreiser – 8:45 a.m. Color Purple – Wed., Dec. 9th, $90. Box lunch included. Pick-ups: Bartow -11 a.m., Einstein – 11:15 a.m. & Dreiser -11:30 (Wait list only). Cabaret LULU: 2015 Holiday Luncheon & Show, Thurs., Dec. 10th.

CANCELLED. NEW DATE: Thurs., Feb. 25, $50, Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem featuring performers from your favorite Broadway shows. Seating for the show starts at 11:30 a.m. & event ends at approximately 2:45 p.m. Pickups: Dreiser – 9:30 a.m., Bartow – 9:45 a.m. & Einstein Loop – 10 a.m. Stew Leonard’s – Fri., Dec. 11th, $5, Bartow - 9:30 a.m., Einstein – 9:45 a.m. & Dreiser – 10 a.m. Central Avenue – Mon., Dec. 14th, $13. 2 hrs. Xmas Tree store, 1 hr. Trader Joe’s & 2 hours Amazing Savings. Bartow Ave. - 9:30 a.m.; Einstein – 9:45 a.m.; Dreiser – 10 a.m. Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Mon., Dec. 14th, $60. Box lunch included. Pick-ups: Bartow – 8:45 a.m., Einstein – 9 a.m. & Dreiser - 9:15 a.m. (Coach bus; wait list only). String Quartet Concert – FREE, Wed., Dec. 9th, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Dreiser Loop Auditorium, 177 Dreiser Loop. JASA Christmas Celebration – Fri., Dec. 18th at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 49, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Entertainment by: DJ Woody and Charles Carrington, Jazz Rhythm & Blues Singer/pianist, Drama group presentation & dance performance by Damien. Surprise gifts, raffle and Santa. Pick-ups: Dreiser – 10:15 a.m. & Bartow – 10:30 a.m. (See flyer for menu). The Mills @ Jersey Gardens (originally Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall) – Mon., Dec. 21st, $15. Bartow - 8:30 a.m., Einstein - 8:45 a.m. & Dreiser – 9 a.m.

A Message from the C.S.O. Dept:

Hammering after 6 p.m., vaccuming after 9 p.m., music or TVs played very loudly at any hours, doors slamming constantly at all hours....these are just

a few examples of what can disturb the peace of fellow cooperators. Please,

let’s work together to make Co-op City a peaceful community.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

AARP Chapter #4997

FYI: Our final meeting for 2015 is scheduled for MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1 p.m. in Dreiser Auditorium “A.” Plans for 2016 will be outlined. Heartfelt condolences to Helen Mitchell on the loss of her great-granddaughter, Destiny Dawson. To our sick, on the mend and shut-in members, and those bereaved members, please know that you are in our prayers. Contact Frances Wilson, Good & Welfare Coordinator, 718-671-5493. 2015 Tour Activities DECEMBER 30 – JANUARY 1, 2016 – Royal New Year’s Eve Gala at the Desmond – Stopping at the Sands Casino w/shopping in Bethlehem, PA; then to the hotel w/dinner and a show; next day, choice of sightseeing, shopping at King of Prussia Mall or activities at the Hotel; New Year’s Eve cocktail party w/5 hour Open Bar; a show and a Surf & Turf dinner; midnight Royal Champaign Toast; before leaving next

day, a Mimosa Brunch w/a show and dancing…FINAL PAYMENT DUE AT DECEMBER MEETING… $559/double; $669/single and $549/triple…Trip insurance available… Contact: Jean, 718-379-3742. 2016 Tour Activities MARCH 28 - 29, 2016 – Sampson: the Strongest Man who ever lived...at the Sight & Sound Theater; w/a stop at the Sands Casino – 2 days/1 night; $293/double; $341/single; $277/triple… Contact: Jean, 718-379-3742. MAY 28 – JUNE 8, 2016 – Alaska Cruise Tour (ISLAND PRINCESS)…11 days/10 nights; Air—Land—Rail—Sea from Anchorage (Alaska) through Denali National Park; Sail 7 days; see Glacier Bay-Skagway; Juneau; Kelchikan; fly home from Vancouver, BC… Book before September 30 - $100/deposit required (price increase after that date). Contact: Jean, 718-379-3742. —Delores Debnam

Goose Island Seniors

I hope everyone had a “fulfilling” Thanksgiving with family and friends. Please donate a few canned goods for the needy. Drop off places are at every community center. A memorial gathering for Zelda Berkowitz will be held at Traditional Synagogue on Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Address is 120 Erdman Place, Building 27B. Refreshments served. We are planning our trips for next year. Watch this column for further information. Our heartfelt good wishes go out to those of you under the weather to have a healthier tomorrow. —Ann Schlanger

Einstein Cancer Fund

Baychester Library Events VISIT THE LIBRARY - A GREAT WEALTH OF INFORMATION

Christmas Eve CLOSING @ 3PM NEW YEAR’S EVE CLOSING @ 3PM UPCOMING EVENTS FOR DECEMBER

Adult Program - Mondays, 10:30 a.m., Dec. 7th (Google Drive); Dec. 21st (Genealogy Workshop)

Knitting - Monday, (All Levels); Dec. 7th & Dec, 21st @ 11 a.m; Dec. 14th & Dec, 28th @ 5 p.m

Toddler Time - Tuesdays, 11 a.m.; Dec. 22nd (Chillin Winter Spectacular) Teen Program - Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.; Dec. 9th (Strawberry DNA Science); Dec. 16 (Spa Day); Dec. 23rd (Duct tape craft); Dec. 30th (Art Afternoon) Hot Spot Lending Event - Wednesday, Dec. 9th @ 5:30 p.m. Schools Out Matinee - Wed., Dec. 30th, 12 p.m. (Disney’s Inside Out) Adult Program - Thursday, Dec.10, 10:30 a.m. (E-BOOKS); Book Discussion Group - Thursday, Dec. 10th, 1 p.m.; (All the light we cannot see) Tech Connect - Thursdays, 10 a.m. Dec. 17th (Computer & Tablet buying guide); Dec. 24th (Shopping Online) Teen Program - Thursday, Dec. 17th (Author visit) Schools out Matinee - Thursday, Dec. 24th, 12 noon (Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer) Kids Program - Thursday, Dec. 31st, 11am (Noon Years Eve Party!!) Adult Program - Friday, 10:30 a.m., Dec. 11 (Basic Internet), Dec. 18 (Advanced Internet), Kids Program - Friday, Dec. 11 a.m. (Rock’n Reindeers); 2:30 p.m. (Borax Snowflakes), Dec. 18th, 3:30 p.m., (Paper plate Santa) Teen Program - Friday, 3:30 p.m., Dec. 18th, (Anime Club) Adult Program - Saturday, 12 p.m., Dec. 12, (How to shop for the holidays) Film - Saturdays, 2 p.m. Dec. 19th (Mistle-Tones!); Dec. 26th (Christmas w/the Kranks) Kids Program @ 2:30 p.m., (Q-tip Ornaments)

The New York Public Library Baychester Branch • 2049 Asch Loop • Bronx, NY 10475 (Fully Wheelchair Accessible) HOURS: Monday & Wednesday, 10-7; Tuesday & Thursday, 10-6; Friday & Saturday, 10-5. Libros En Español (Books in Spanish). HORARIO DE LA BIBLIOTECA: Lunes 10-7, Martes 10-6, Miércoles 107, Jueves 10-6, Viernes 10-5, Sábado 10-5, Domingo Cerrado.

718.379.6700 FREE ADMISSION TO ALL

Tuesday, May 10th and Wednesday, May 11, 2016 – A two-day trip to the Sight and Sound Theatre for the performance of Samson in Lancaster, PA. Day One – Leave for Lancaster, PA – 1) Lunch on our own at the Hershey Farm Restaurant, 2) Sight & Sound for the performance of Samson. 3) Check into the Hawthorn Inn. 4) Dinner at Millers Smorgasbord. Day Two – After breakfast, depart to the Sands Casino and bonus of the day. Room rates per person: Double $245; triple $235; single $287. Please send in

your deposits for your reservations, balances can be paid off. All balances or full payments must be paid by March 20th, 2016. For all of the above trips, please call Loretta at 718-671-2958, Annie Eutsey at 718-320-1874 or Lydia at 718-671-3005. For memorial cards, please call Loretta. Please phone the home-bounds and those in nursing homes to brighten up their day. Birthday wishes to all celebrating in the month of December. Good health to all. —Lydia Ruas

REMINDER – ROOF CROSSING

Shareholders are reminded that they should not cross over the roof of their building when there is an elevator outage unless there is an escort from the Co-op City Public Safety Department. Your safety is important to us. Please cooperate.

JASA Grandparent Connection

Thursday, December 17, 10:30 a.m. CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING 135 Einstein Loop Room 35 For additional information or to RSVP, call Rebecca at 718-671-2090, X 2139 or 917-470-5205.

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Reflections by Rabbi Solomon I. Berl Spiritual Leader of Young Israel Synagogue Chanukah has come to have many meanings. Unfortunately, some of these obscure and diminish the beauty and the power of the Menorah candles. The most common — and the most shallow — meaning has reduced Chanukah to a time of gift-giving. Exchanging gifts for Chanukah began, it is usually assumed, to placate small children. They needed, it was thought, some consolation while a barrage of gift-giving was going on all around them. But this blizzard of gifts too often obscures the beauty of the holiday, a beauty which could dazzle a child far more than the transitory pleasure of receiving this year’s hottest plaything. For Chanukah, after all, is a time of miracles. And nothing so captures a child’s imagination and attention than the miraculous. The miracle of Chanukah is that of the small jar of oil that burned for eight

days. The miracle of Chanukah is the victory of religion over the secularism that had so infatuated the ancient Israelis. The miracle of Chanukah is that the Jews’ spiritualism and creativity managed to survive the apathy and idolatry of Hellenism. When the father of Judah Maccabee fled into the Judean hills to wage a guerilla war against the Greeks who had conquered Israel, he called out, “Whoever is faithful to the Lord, follow me.” Now, whoever is faithful to the spirit of Chanukah should remember - even in these times when the festival is so ruled by gift-giving that the holiday commemorates transcendence, that it honors the eternal spirit, that as the Menorah gains in brilliance with each new night that we, too, gain in the knowledge that our lives are constantly open to miracles, if only we have the wisdom and a childlike openness to receive them.

Young Israel of Co-op City

Young Israel of Co-op City (lower level of the Dreiser Loop Shopping Center) is a house of worship that opens its doors every morning from 6 until 7 a.m. Anyone who wishes to start the daily routine with prayers, during which our spiritual leader, Rabbi Solomon I. Berl, offers a brief Bible teaching is welcome. On Friday evening, Sabbath services begin at 10 minutes after the candlelighting time. Saturday morning ser-

vices start at 9 a.m. Rabbi Berl delivers his sermon at 10:30 a.m. The Rabbi’s class on the Torah reading of the week begins one hour before sunset every Saturday afternoon. For office hours or any information you may seek, feel free to call (718) 671-2300 and leave your name, phone number and a brief message on the synagogue’s answering machine, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

REMINDER: Be careful

If you are having work done in your apartment, shareholders – especially those who are elderly and/or who live alone – are reminded that all personal items should be secured in a safe location. This is for your own peace of mind, as well as the protection of the Riverbay workers/contractors coming into your home. Riverbay employees wear identification badges and so do the various Riverbay-approved contractors seeking access to your home. Ask to see identification before allowing anyone to enter your apartment. If you are unsure, you should contact your local CSO at (718) 320-3300 (follow prompts), or Public Safety at (718) 671-3050.

Shalom Jewish Funeral Home, Inc. George Farr - Funeral Director

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1528 Castle Hill Avenue Bronx, NY 10462 www.shalomjewish.com Services from Our Chapel, Graveside or Synagogue Parking Facilities • Pre-Arrangements

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City, Young Israel of Baychester, Section 5 at 120 Erdman Place (behind the Lobby 27B), welcomes you to pray with them. Tel. for the Synagogue, 1718-379-6920. Note: Office hours are on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Shabbat ends today, Saturday, December 5th at 5:14 pm. Candle Lighting on Friday, December 11th is at 4:10 p.m. Coming Events Saturday, December 5th at 9:00 a.m., please join Rabbi Daniel Kronengold and the congregation in prayer and be a part of the Minyon. Sunday, December 6th, we are having our Chanukah Party. Admission is $10. Call to reserve as seating is limited. Lite First Candles tonight Erev of Chanukah, December 6th till Monday,

December 14th. Good and Welfare: We have tree certificates “in Honor of” or “in Memory of” a special occasion or a condolence. You can give a living gift for the cost of $15 per tree. For more information, call the office at 1-718-3796920. We can accommodate you. Our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Zelda Berkowitz. In remembrance, her sister, Arlene, will be at Traditional Synagogue for those who wish to pay their respects on Sunday, December 13, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please call 347-449-5005 if you will attend. If you are feeling under the weather, we wish you all a speedy recovery. Health, happiness, peace and prosperity for our members and for Israel. Your support is always appreciated. Shalom. —Miriam Berlofsky

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City, Young Israel of Baychester, 120 Erdman Place lobby level, Bronx, New York 10475. Our next trip is to the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City on Sunday, December 27th. Everybody in the community can attend our trips and functions. The cost for the trip is $35 per person. Receive a $25 slot bonus. You need a Resort Casino card, government ID, passport, non-or Drivers License to receive the bonus. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Holiday spirit of Atlantic City. See the hotels and boardwalk decorated for the season. Please make an early reservation, payment due by 12/24. On the bus, we provide a drink, snack, play Bingo, 50/50 raffle, and show a movie. We leave Einstein Loop at 8 a.m. by the supermarket; Asch Loop, 8:15

a.m. by the library; and Dreiser Loop, 8:25 a.m. by the hardware store. For reservations, call Gary at 718671-8424. Please make out checks to Men’s Club Traditional Synagogue, 120 Erdman Place, Building 27B lobby, Bronx, NY 10475. This is the last trip of the year, our next trip will be in the Spring 2016. Also this Sunday, December 6th, the Traditional Synagogue is having a Chanukah Luncheon. The cost is $10. We will be serving potato pancakes, tuna, egg salad and jelly donuts, etc. The Luncheon will start at 12 p.m. Come down for an afternoon of fun. The Men’s Club wishes Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Gitelson a MAZOL TOV on the BAT MITZAH of their granddaughter, Chaya Miriam. Wishing all our members and friends a healthy and peaceful holiday season. —Gary Schwartz

Men’s Club Traditional Synagogue

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We welcome your letters to the editor, however, if you would like your letter to be considered for publication, it must be signed, and include your address and telephone number – which will be kept confidential – so the authenticity of the writer can be verified. The Co-op City Times does not print anonymous or unsigned letters.

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Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015

Circle of Christ Church

The Circle of Christ Church family extends a warm welcome to you and your family and invites you to come worship with us at Dreiser Loop, patio level (located in the Dreiser Community Center). La familia de la Iglesia Circulo de Cristo les extiende una calida invitacion a usted y su familia para que vengan a alabar y adorar a Dios juntos con nosotros. Nos encontramos en el 147

de Dreiser Loop, al nivel del patio. (Localizado en el centro comunal de Dreiser.) Thought for this week/Reflexion para la semana Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, but endures forever. Los que confian en Jehova son como el monte de Sion, Que no se mueve, sino que permanece para siem-

pre. Salmo 125:1 English Church Services Schedule Wednesday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Prayer & Bible Study Friday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Youth Night Sunday, 11:00 a.m. Worship and the Word Children Church, 5 years old to 12 years old Little lamb nursery Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m.

Prayer and the Word Horario de Servicios en Espanol Domingo, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., Alabanzas y Predicacion Jueves, 12:00 p.m., Oracion y Estudio Biblico Special Events/Eventos Especiales Christmas Party, Friday, December 18, at 6 p.m. All are welcome. —Pastor Sam Colon

The Pentecostal Tabernacle invites everyone to worship service every Sunday morning at 100 Co-op City Boulevard. Building 22A, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. Sunday School for all age groups begins at 10:30 a.m. Midday service starts at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday morning prayer and fasting service will be held at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Prayer meeting & Bible study will also be held every Wednesday evening starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday evening youth service will begin at 7:30 p.m. Focus: God desires that we honor Him and one another. Malachi 1:6-9 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master, if then I be a father, where is my honour? And if

I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name? He offered polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, wherein have we polluted thee? It is important for us to honour God and teach our children to do the same every day. One would ask, how do I honor God? Proverbs 3; 9-10 states: honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Honor is defined as great respect; our worship of God is an outgrowth of our respect of Him. No one can worship God who does not first honor Him. If there is a deficiency in our honor, there

will be a deficiency in our worship, for honor is worship in its embryonic stage. If we love God with all our heart, we will worship and honor him with our substance. Our ability to give or not to give of our substance is a litmus test of our spirituality. We should be willing to give of our time, talent and substance to God. God will honor those who honor Him, but will condemn those who do not honor Him. King Herod was sitting on his throne and gave an impressive speech to the multitude that was there with him, and they shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of man.” Because Herod accepted and enjoyed the accolades to deity, God smote him with worms and he died

a shocking death because he did not give God the honor. (Read Acts 13:22-23) Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his own greatness, saying is not this the great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of majesty? Because he refused to give honor and glory to the great and mighty God of heaven, he was driven out of the palace to eat grass like oxen, and his body wet with dew of heaven, his hair grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like bird claws. (Ref. Scripture Daniel 4; 30-33) Let us remember to honor the great and mighty King of Kings. For further information, please call 718-324-0334 or 718-320-4218. —Rev. R. Sibblies

Pentecostal Tabernacle

Follow and read the Co-op City Times online at www.issuu.com/cctimes

Public Safety Report

Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015 (Continued from page 7)

seek out the New York State Attorney General’s office and find out how to proceed. Never pay anyone to help you to obtain these funds. The appropriate agency will provide assistance in this matter free of charge. The mere mention of fraud somehow makes potential victims more likely to believe the scam artist. It is not impossible that a bank could call you in the event of fraud, but a legitimate bank employee would not ask you for your account number, Personal Identification Number or other personal data. If you receive a request like this, call your financial institution using a number you are sure belongs to your bank or inquire in person. Banks and other financial institutions are happy if their customers do not readily give out their banking information. In order to protect yourself from these and other scams, realize that legitimate persons will never ask you for upfront fees to obtain a loan or receive a prize. Be leery of a lender who is not concerned with your credit history. Hang up on any caller making a loan offer. Check a lender’s legitimacy with the New York State Department of Banking or the Better Business Bureau. There are reputable lenders that can help you to consolidate your debt in order to make payments more manageable. Those of you wishing to make donations to assist in the event of a legitimate emergency, make sure that the agency to which you donate is legitimate. In the past,

scammers posing as charities attempted to solicit donations for disasters. It is unfortunate, but this is, unfortunately, a fact of life. In some cases, it may be better to donate funds locally at your church, synagogue or religious institution. Be certain the charitable organization you select is in fact using the funds for the intended purpose. It is unfortunate that scammers will take advantage of a tragic situation. If you fall victim to a scam, notify the New York State Attorney General at 1(800) 771-7755 or www.oag.state.ny.us/ and the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 or www.ftc.gov/. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has set up an Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) specifically for the purpose of reporting internet crimes. Their website if www.ic3.gov/. School is open, DRIVE CAREFULLY. Never pass a stopped school bus with a STOP sign displayed or its red lights flashing. This means children are loading or unloading. Be aware of pedestrians and bike riders when operating a motor vehicle. Bike riders must refrain from riding bicycles near buildings and shopping centers. Bicycle riders must give pedestrians the same level of respect that they expect from motor vehicles. Everyone needs to share the road safely. If your Winter Holiday celebration includes consuming alcoholic beverages, do not operate a motor vehicle. ’Tis the Season of holiday parties, but getting stopped at a DWI checkpoint can take the fun away

real quick. Enforcement of drunk driving has increased nationwide in an attempt to reduce Drunk Driving deaths and injuries. Never operate a motor vehicle if you have consumed alcoholic beverages. Always buckle your seatbelt; it will save your life in a serious collision. Avoid distractions and excess speed when driving; these are the two leading causes of collisions within New York State. Always remember, if you see something, say something. If you see suspicious persons in the garage or lurking near parked vehicles on the street, an auto crime could be taking place or be ready to happen, notify the authorities. Call 9-1-1 and the Department of Public Safety at (718) 671-3050 or online at www.ccpd.us. Callers may remain anonymous when giving information. The Co-op City Department of Public Safety would like to thank all persons who have called in suspicious activity or sent information via our website. It is by your actions that the crime rate remains low and a high quality of life is maintained.

Municipal Credit Union (MCU) is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Scholarship Program. MCU will award $66,000 in scholarship grants to college-bound graduating high school seniors: eight memorial scholarships worth $5,000 and 13 grants of $2,000, respectively. Eligibility in the MCU Scholarship Program is open to all MCU members and the children or grandchildren of a member in good standing. Selection is based on academic performance, extracurricular and community activities, references, and an essay expressing personal goals. Additionally, students applying for the scholarships who are also MCU members will also automatically be entered for a $500 statewide Public Relations and Marketing Council Scholarship. “MCU is deeply committed to supporting the youth throughout the communities in which our members work and live,” said MCU President/CEO Kam Wong. “Our Scholarship Program is one way we achieve this by recognizing and rewarding young people for their outstanding academic performance and community service. We hope our scholarships will enable these students to achieve their goals and succeed in their future endeavors.” Applications for MCU’s 2016 Scholarship Program are available at Bronx branches located at 560 Courtlandt Avenue and 755 Co-op City Blvd., on MCU’s website, www.nymcu.org, and also at any MCU branch. The deadline for completed applications to be submitted is January 15, 2016.

MCU will hold a special awards reception in the spring of 2016 to recognize the eight $5,000 scholarship winners. MCU’s scholarship program is part of its larger corporate commitment to youth education and financial literacy across New York City. In addition to these scholarships, MCU also awards valedictorian/salutatorian recognition awards to graduating high school seniors. Municipal Credit Union (MCU) is the oldest credit union in New York State and one of the oldest and largest in the country. Established in 1916 and headquartered in New York City, today MCU has assets of over $2.2 billion and offers a full range of financial services to its more than 375,000 members in New York City, Westchester and Long Island. Eligibility to open accounts at MCU is available to New York City and Yonkers municipal employees; state and federal employees who work in the five boroughs; health care professionals who work in New York State; members of select industry groups; employees of private colleges in New York City and private and public colleges in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester; all students enrolled in a college, university, school, or institution in the City University of New York (CUNY) education system; certain family members, and qualifying retirees. MCU is an equal opportunity lender, and deposits are federally insured to at least $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a U.S. government agency. For more information about Municipal Credit Union, visit www.nymcu.org.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. encourages Bronx residents to make a difference in their community by joining their local community board. The Office of the Bronx Borough President is accepting applications for all 12 community boards from city residents who reside, work or have professional or other significant interests in the Bronx. Applications are available at the Borough President’s Community Board office at (718) 5903914 or at your local community board office. Interested applicants may also get the application online at bronxboropres.nyc.gov. “Participation on local community boards can provide Bronx residents with a forum to share with their community their expertise and talents,” said Borough President Diaz. “There are great things happening in the Bronx that involve the participation of community boards. It is important that community residents participate in the decisions that are building and revitalizing our borough, and our community boards are a great place to do so.” In addition, the borough president encourages young people ages 16 and 17 to apply for community board membership. Last year, he appointed five young people to the community boards, and is working to insure that there is a least one youth member per community board. “I believe that the earlier young people become engaged in community affairs and interact with government officials and agencies, the better they will understand government and become active leaders in their communities,” said Borough President Diaz. “It is important to hear the voices of our youth when planning for our neighborhoods.”

Municipal Credit Union accepting applications for 2016 Scholarships

Next Truman PTA General Membership meeting

The December 2015 meeting of the PTA of Truman High School will be held on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria. This will be a Title I information meeting which will include the following: • Information about Title I • Establishment of the Parent Involvement Structure for Title I • Parent Advisory Council (PAC) or PTA sub-committee • Election of Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer For more information about these positions, please go to www.ptalink.org.

Co-op City Department of Public Safety (718) 671-3050 - www.ccpd.us If you SEE something, SAY something!

BP urges residents to join local Community Boards

Read and follow the Co-op City Times online at www.issuu.com/cctimes

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Co-op City Times / December 5, 2015