Co-op City Times 12/14/2024 by Co-op City Times

Governor Hochul Visits Co-op City to Announce Proposed Infation Refund

BY DANIELLE CRUZ

Ahead of her January State of the State Address, Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference on Monday, December 9, in the Dreiser Auditorium, to unveil a proposal to send “infation refunds” to New York taxpayers.

The infation refund would be a one-time check sent out to New Yorkers. Individuals earning up to $150,000 a year would receive a check for $300 and joint fllers earning up to $300,000 a year would receive a check for $500.

The proposed refund, if approved by the state legislature, would beneft about 8.6 million people in New York, including about 3.6 million in New York City. During the press conference, Gov. Hochul said the checks are meant to provide some relief to New Yorkers struggling to provide for themselves and their families amid the rising cost of rent and essential items, like groceries and medicine.

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2020 Income Verification Deadline Extended to Jan. 31, 2025

Shareholders who received income verifcation letters for tax year 2020 from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) now have until January 31, 2025 to respond by bringing or mailing proof to the Riverbay Finance department. Failure to respond will be assumed to indicate unreported excess income and will result in a retroactive maximum surcharge of 50% being applied to their monthly maintenance accounts for the period starting July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. There is also an additional $150 administrative charge.

The 2020 Income Affdavits of shareholders who received an income verifcation letter could have been fagged for several reasons:

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MTA to Host Open House in the Bronx on 2025-29 Capital Plan

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

New Yorkers will have a chance to learn about the MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan and speak with MTA offcials during an open house in the Bronx on Monday, December 16.

This latest open house will take place at the Bronx Library Center, located at 310 East Kingsbridge Road, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday’s event will be the fourth in a series of open houses the MTA is hosting to educate riders on the agency’s upcoming plans for capital improvements.

Participants in the open house will have the opportunity to view posters, pamphlets and videos on the 2025-2029 Capital Plan. MTA representatives

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See Page 3 for Co-op City’s Comic Con; Pages 14-16 for more photos of Holiday Cheer!

Open Board Meeting in Dreiser on Dec. 18

An Open Board meeting has been scheduled by Riverbay Board President Rod Saunders for Wednesday, Dec. 18, starting at 7 p.m., in the Dreiser Auditorium. Shareholders who would like to address the Board and Management are asked to arrive early and sign up to speak at the Gallery Session, which will take place from 7-7:30 p.m.

Prior to the start of the Board meeting, shareholders will be able to meet with Riverbay department heads and representatives from 6-7 p.m. to discuss any peartinent matters relative to the respective departments. See meeting Agenda below.

TO: RIVERBAY CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FROM: ROD SAUNDERS, PRESIDENT

PLEASE BE ADVISED that an Open Board Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Riverbay Corporation will take place on Wednesday, December 18, at 7 p.m. in Dreiser Auditorium

DATE: Wednesday, December 18th, 2024

TIME: 7:00 p.m

PLACE: Dreise.r Community Center PROPOSED AGENDA

1. Gallery Session (7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)

2. Roll Call

3. Approval of the Agenda

4. Approval of the Board Business Meeting Minutes of November 20th, 2024

5. President’s Report

6. Management Report

7. LEASE RESOLUTIONS:

#24-72- Lease renewal Dr. Jacqueline Samuels #24-73 - New Lease Congressman George Latimer

8. INSURANCE RESOLUTION: #24-69 Workers Compensation Policy

9. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS: #24-70 District Council No. 9 #24-71 Local 153

10. SECOND READINGS: #24-62 Purchase of Ceramic & Other Bathroom Products Change Order I-Contract 3727 A #24-68 Distribution of Co-op City Times

11. FIRST READINGS: #24-75 Change Order #1 - Environmental Consultant Services with Genesys

12. ADJOURNMENT

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

New York City public schools are investing even more in their students’ professional development after announcing an expansion to the FutureReadyNYC program on December 2.

Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos delivered the news together. FutureReadyNYC is a program designed to provide NYC public high school students with a head start on their professional development.

Specifcally, FutureReadyNYC provides high school students with an

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Santa and his elves visited Co-op City at the “Holidays Around the World” event on December 6 in the Dreiser Auditorium, sponsored by Riverbay Corporation. Photo by PM Campbell

Gov. Kathy Hochul Photo by Brandon Ortiz

“I know life in New York City is expensive and your salaries may sound nice, but they don’t go very far,” said Governor Hochul. “And for some families, that $500 can mean a month’s worth of groceries. For seniors on ﬁxed income, you can sit there at least a couple times and not say medicine or a heating bill. For a young person starting out and they’ve got student loan debt, or the high cost of rent, that could just help them a little bit.”

In total, the refund checks would deliver about $3 billion in direct payments to New Yorkers and, according to the Governor, would be funded by a higher-than-expected surplus of sales tax revenue collected from taxpayers in recent years.

“Now the past three years, New Yorkers, because the price of everything has gone up, you’ve had to pay more in sales tax than even my budget director… expected,” said Governor Hochul. “I believe that this extra inﬂation driven sales tax revenue shouldn’t be spent by the state. It’s your money and it should be back in your pockets.”

Riverbay Board President Rod Saunders also spoke during the press conference, where he thanked Governor Hochul for coming to Co-op City and also expressed his support of the proposal.

We here at Co-op City, a working-class community of over 40,000 people, certainly know what the beneﬁts of having monies back in your pocket would be,” said Riverbay Board President Rod Saunders. “To be able to get tax credit, to be able to get dollars back, is woefully important because every single dollar counts.”

Democratic US Representative-elect George Latimer was also present at the press conference and expressed his approval of the proposal.

“This is taking money that the state has received because of the inﬂationary circumstances and channeling it back to the people that spent the money on sales tax when they want to buy the product,” said Mr. Latimer.

Governor Hochul also said that this proposal is part of her 2025 affordability agenda and that her State of the State address on January 14, will focus on the cost of living and other initiatives geared towards helping New Yorkers afford essential items.

Before checks are sent out, the refund will have to be approved by the state legislators when they review Governor Hochul’s 2026 state budget proposal next year.

If the proposal is approved, New Yorkers will begin receiving refund checks next fall.

will also be there to answer any questions individuals may have on the plan. Equally worth mentioning, individuals can also learn about fare discount programs during the open house, in addition to career opportunities for minority, women, disadvantaged and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

Ofﬁcials on the MTA Board voted unanimously to approve the 2025-2029 Capital Plan on September 25.

The $68.4 billion plan invests in various aspects of the MTA system from critical infrastructure upgrades to purchasing new buses and trains. Roughly 90% of the $68.4 billion will go toward repairing and rebuilding the MTA’s infrastructure.

Some of the notable investments include new railcars, modernizing old signal technology, repairing the four-mile stretch of tracks called the Grand Central Artery, upgrades to subway stations, new fare gates, station accessibility upgrades and expanding the MTA’s zero-emission bus ﬂeet.

On December 6, MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer discussed the 2025-2029 Capital Plan and the impact he hopes the improvements have for New Yorkers.

“Our next Capital Plan will provide the Bronx with ADA improvements, new escalators and elevators, state of good repair work throughout the borough and more,” Mr. Torres-Springer said. “By investing in the Bronx and delivering the work better, faster, and cheaper than ever before, we’ll ensure the entire region can rely on great public transit for generations to come.”

A large inﬂuence in the development of the 2025-2029 Capital Plan was the alarming data gathered in 2023 when the MTA conducted a thorough 20-Year Needs Assessment, which detailed the biggest infrastructure needs across the entire $1.5 trillion transit system.

Here’s a quick breakdown on some key facts found from that assessment:

* Sixty-nine percent of the subway system relies on signaling technology that is more than a century old.

* Ninety-ﬁve percent of the structure support and framing of the Grand Central Artery is either in poor or marginal condition.

* Fifty-three percent of Metro North station platforms along the Harlem Line are in either poor or marginal condition.

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Holiday Package Deliveries

Shareholders making online purchases are strongly encouraged to utilize alternate delivery locations supplied by online services. Direct delivery to lockers, hubs, and secure alternate delivery locations will decrease inconvenience, reduce crimes of opportunity and provide a reliable method of securing items.

CCPD Toy Drive

Spread joy this season! CCPD’s annual toy drive is underway. Every gift makes a difference. Donations can be dropped off at the CCPD Stationhouse in the Bartow Center until December 21.

Toy Giveaway

Join Riverbay, the NYPD, State Senator Jamaal Bailey and local elected officials for a holiday toy giveaway on Thursday, December 19, in the Dreiser Auditorium. The giveaway begins at 5 p.m., while supplies last. First come, ﬁrst served and a child must be present to participate in the giveaway.

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Holidays Around the World

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

Riverbay Corporation held a “Holidays Around the World” event on December 6 in the Dreiser Auditorium from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The holiday celebration was supported by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Representative-elect George Latimer, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, City Council Member Kevin C. Riley, and State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. Additionally, the Uptown Riders, Apple Bank, Threshold Church of Christ, and MetroPlusHealth distributed hand-outs. Riverbay Executive General Manager Marvin L. Walton, and Assistant Executive General Manager Cary Smith III spoke about the value of the holiday season in Co-op City. Volunteers and representatives from Chick-fil-A served food, and gifts were distributed to children. Towards the end of the event, the Christmas tree and Menorah were lit to celebrate the holiday season. Photos by PM Campbell & JASA

Co-op Comic Con

An Emergency Preparedness Workshop

To read and follow the Co-op City Times electronically, log in to the Issuu platform by typing in “issuu.com/ cctimes,” or scan the QR code here to be connected.

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

Riverbay hosted “Co-op City Comic Con” in the Dreiser Auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event featured vendors, authors, and independent comic creators from Co-op City and outside of New York. Some attended dressed as their favorite hero, while others stopped by to just browse graphic novels, posters, jewelry, action figures, stickers, and more. Marvel films, “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame,” were also shown during the event for attendees and fans to enjoy.

Photos by P.M. Campbell

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

An Emergency Preparedness Workshop was held on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 1:30 p.m., in the Dreiser Auditorium. It was organized by Riverbay in partnership with Homeland Security and Emergency Services: Citizens Preparedness Corps and was sponsored by Governor Kathy Hochul with the New York National Guard. During the workshop, the facilitators discussed resources for natural and manmade disasters, as well as strategies for responding to them. They also distributed preparedness kits, which included flashlights, gloves, first-aid kits, batteries, goggles, and more, at the end of the workshop.

Photos by P.M. Campbell

FutureReadyNYC –––––

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opportunity to “learn important job skills, get paid work experience, earn early college credit and get certiﬁcates for jobs that pay well and are in demand,” as explained by NYCPS.

With the Mayor and Chancellor’s announcement, FutureReadyNYC will be adding 36 additional schools to the program for a total of 135 schools, as well as two new career pathways in the HVAC and social service professions.

FutureReadyNYC uses a multifaceted approach to prepare students for the professional job market and equip them with the knowledge to be ﬁscally responsible adults. There are ﬁve main pillars of the program, according to NYCPS:

1. Personalized Advising – Students can work one-on-one with an advisor to develop a career plan.

2. Career-Connected Instruction – Students begin learning about professional careers in their freshman year and continue with hands-on classes through their senior year.

3. Early College Credits & Valuable Credentials – Students can take classes to earn college credit or begin working to complete a job speciﬁc certiﬁcate.

4. Work-Based Learning – In addition to career preparation training and paid experiences, students will have an opportunity to network and meet professionals in their desired career ﬁelds.

5. Financial Literacy – Students learn the importance of ﬁscal responsibility and debt to be better prepared for handling their ﬁnances as an adult.

FutureReadyNYC offers participants six career pathways they can pursue: business and ﬁnance, education, healthcare and technology, plus two new career pathways in human social services and HVAC and building decarbonization.

Mayor Adams underlined the importance of FutureReadyNYC and providing an avenue for NYC public school students to explore their futures, during the program announcement on December 2.

“Education must prepare our young people for the 21st century economy by helping them learn the skills they need to succeed,” Mayor Adams said. “That is why we launched FutureReadyNYC in 2022, our signature program that connects students to rigorous, tailored coursework, real job credentials, paid workbased learning, and puts them on a pathway to good-paying careers. Today’s announcement expands this opportunity by adding even more pathways, such as HVAC and decarbonization, as well as human and social services. It also increases access to a total of 135 schools across the city, allowing us to reach 15,000 students who will now have a chance to get experience in these critical ﬁelds.”

Chancellor Aviles-Ramos later echoed similar sentiments to the Mayor and discussed how the program represents an investment and commitment to the futures of NYC public school students.

“Through the expansion of FutureReadyNYC, we are taking bold steps to ensure that every student in New York City has access to the skills, experiences, and mentorship they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving workforce,” Ms. Aviles-Ramos said. “By introducing pathways in HVAC and decarbonization and human and social services, we’re not just preparing our students for jobs, we’re empowering them to lead in the industries that will deﬁne the future of our city.”

Locally, shareholders with children should be aware that Truman High School is one of the 135 citywide FutureReadyNYC schools.

• Income reported on the 2020 Income Afﬁdavit is less than income reported on the 2020 NYS Income tax return by $500 or more

• Shareholder or occupant listed on the Income Afﬁdavit did not ﬁle a 2020 state Income Tax Return

• Social Security number provided was not found in the NYS Taxation and Finance’s ﬁles

• Social Security number was found in the state Taxation and Finance’s ﬁles, but the name does not match

In some cases, the NYS Taxation and Finance Department may not have been able to read what was written on the Income Afﬁdavit or information was submitted incorrectly or is missing.

Children or dependents requiring veriﬁcation can use the tax transcript of the parent or guardian who claimed them as dependents.

Ranch Caribbean Grand Opening in Dreiser Center!

Co-op City Times weekly delivery

The Co-op City Times is delivered every Saturday morning to the high-rise building lobbies and three community centers.

When removing newspapers from the bins, please take from the top to avoid leaving a messy and unsightly stack behind.

Delivery to the townhouses continues to each unit door. Residents should bring in their paper promptly after delivery to avoid it scattering in high winds or getting soiled in inclement weather.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Velocity Track Club

The Velocity Track Club had another outstanding performance this weekend! On Saturday, December 7, we competed in the AAU Cross Country Youth National Championship at the McAlpine Creek Park, in Charlotte, NC. On Sunday, December 8, we competed in the AAU NJ Meet Series #1 in Jersey City, NJ.

We had three athletes (pictured right) compete against the best AAU Cross Country athletes in the country! Medals were awarded to the top 25 athletes in their division/gender. We were blessed with one medal. Thanks to Xoan, who took 20th place out of 169 athletes. Ezmerelis and Lyon didn’t medal, but they had an outstanding meet of the season, the Nationals. Congratulations to all!

We had nine athletes (pictured below) compete in the AAU NJ Meet Series #1. The competition was good, with teams from NY and NJ. Medals were awarded to the top three athletes and ribbons were awarded to the athletes who won 4th, 5th and 6th place. Velocity was blessed with seven awards. The following athletes earned awards: Chase was our top winner, he earned two gold medals, winning the 800 and 1500 meter races. Madison T, earned two awards, a Bronze medal in the high jump, with a new personal record,door meet. She took 2nd place in the 1500 meter race. Aniyah competed in the 55 meters hurdles for the second time and medaled again, earning her a bronze place award in the 55 meters dash. Congratulations to all! -

Thank you.

—Coach Winston Dinkins

Ranch Caribbean restaurant held a Grand Opening on Friday, Dec. 6. The restau-

Photos by Brandon Ortiz

Important Notice

to clubs, and religious & community organizations

The articles of recognized organizations are published weekly at no cost to your organization, but at considerable cost to Riverbay, in order to inform your members and the community at-large about your organization’s programs, services and events, not as editorial space for personal comment, opinions, or to promote businesses, products and services or make political endorsements or critical comment during the annual Board and/or local and national elections.

To better accommodate everyone, weekly submissions to the Co-op City Times MUST NOT exceed 500 words. Articles that do not conform will be edited for content and space availability. At the same time, articles that signiﬁcantly stray from their purpose of informing the community of the respective organization’s programs, services and events will also be edited or omitted altogether.

The deadline for submission of articles from clubs, religious institutions, community organizations and building associations is 3 p.m. each Monday. Articles that are received after this deadline will be considered on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrstserved basis, and as space allows.

The deadline for Directors’ viewpoints is 5 p.m. on Mondays.

Submissions must be emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or hand-delivered to Room 21 in the Bartow Center.

Remember to pick up the Co-op City Times on Saturday morning from the newspaper bin in your building lobby and read it for important news affecting your homes and community. When removing newspapers from the bins, please take from the top of the bin and leave the rest of the newspapers neatly stacked in the bin. Pulling a newspaper from the middle or bottom of the stack results in an untidy mess.

It has also been brought to our attention that individuals are removing stacks of newspapers from the bins for personal use. Please be considerate to your neighbors who look forward to reading the newspaper. If you are identiﬁed, you will be issued a Community Complaint.

Co-op City Times

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

Danielle Cruz Managing Editor

Brandi Simpson

Junior Associate Editor

Ralph Henriquez

Production Manager

Jennifer Piovanetti

Operations Manager

John Crow New Media Producer

Sheldon Green

Multi-Media Advertising Manager

Brandon Ortiz Media Assistant

P.M. Campbell

Media Assistant

Send Us Your Letters: 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 signed by the writer and include their address and phone number, which will be kept conﬁdential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the author.

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 submitted to the Co-op City Times by 3 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Email cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or mail to 2049 Bartow Ave., Room 21, Bronx, NY 10475.

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.

You may also read and follow the Co-op City Times online at http://issuu/com/cctimes, or by scanning the QR Code here to be connected; and on X, @coopcitytimes; on Threads @coopcitytimes, on Instagram, @coopcitytimes and BlueSky, @coopcitytimes.

Important Notice to Shareholders of Building 29

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.

Building 29 A, B, C 4200, 4220, 4240 Hutchinson River Parkway

Current Lease Expiration Date: February 28, 2025

New 3-Year Expiration Date: February 28, 2028

Advertisements and classiﬁed advertisements in the Co-op City Times do not necessarily reﬂect an endorsement from Riverbay Corp. 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, NY 10475.

If the Co-op City Times is not delivered: Call 407-666-8317 on Saturdays only, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Public Safety Report

BY SGT. JOSEPH VARGAS

CCPD’s Holiday Toy Drive

Co-op City Public Safety Department (CCPD) has always been an advocate for community policing and the bridge between cooperators, law enforcement, and social justice. While Co-op City Public Safety ofﬁcers ramp up police presence and specialized holiday patrol posts throughout Co-op City shopping malls, main streets and bus stops, we are participating in the season of giving with our Annual Holiday Toy Drive.

Each year, CCPD sponsors a collection of toys on Black Friday, and continues to collect till the week of Christmas when ofﬁcers come

Public Safety Blotter

December 1 – December 7, 2024

December 01, 2024

140 Casals Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without her permission.

120 Einstein Loop – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown individual without permission.

120 Carver Loop – CCPD responded to a call from a person loitering on the 18th ﬂoor stairwell. Upon arrival, CCPD observed a cooperator hanging out on the stairwell. The cooperator was issued a Community Complaint for Loitering and escorted out of the building.

December 02, 2024

100 DeKruif Place – A Riverbay employee dropped off a backpack blower at DeKruif circle and it was removed from the location by an unknown individual without permission.

99 Earhart Lane – A cooperator reported parking their vehicle inside Garage #8 and upon return to retrieve the vehicle, they observed that the vehicle was removed by an unknown person(s) without permission. CCPD and NYPD were notiﬁed of the incident.

600 Baychester Avenue – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby near the mailbox by an unknown individual without her permission.

140 Benchley Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from in front of their apartment door by an unknown person(s) without permission.

99 Earhart Lane – A cooperator reported returning to their parked vehicle inside Garage #8 and observing that their vehicle was removed by an unknown person(s) without permission.

100 Benchley Place – A cooperator reported a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby by unknown person(s) without permission.

140 Benchley Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from in front of their apartment door by an unknown person(s) without permission.

December 03, 2024

100 Elgar Place – A cooperator

reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

100 Dreiser Loop – CCPD responded to a call of a male wandering around on the 15th ﬂoor. Upon arrival, CCPD observed the male exiting the staircase at the front lobby. The male, who is a cooperator and did not live in the building, was detained/questioned and was issued a Criminal Court Summons for Trespass.

140 Debs Place – A cooperator reported a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

100 Debs Place – A cooperator reported on two Optimum Cable employees performing work inside of their apartment and after the employees left the apartment, cooperator noticed that jewelry was missing from the bedroom.

100 Asch Loop – CCPD observed a cooperator and a friend loitering on the 20th ﬂoor stairwell. The cooperator received two Community Complaints for Loitering.

120 Elgar Place – A cooperator reported on a conﬁrmed delivered package that was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

December 04, 2024

100 Asch Loop – CCPD observed a cooperator and a friend loitering on the 20th ﬂoor B stairwell. The cooperator was issued two Community Complaints for Loitering.

120 Elgar Place – A cooperator reported on a conﬁrmed delivered package that was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

December 06, 2024

100 Casals Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

100 Alcott Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

120 Alcott Place – A cooperator reported that a conﬁrmed delivered package was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person(s) without permission.

Co-op City Department of Public Safety: (718) 671-3050

Tips/Concerns/Comments: info@ccpd.us

Follow on X: @CCPDnyc

Visit us at: www.ccpd.us

together and sort, pack and deliver new toys to nearby afamily shelters for children who otherwise do not have a choice during this holiday season. For three days, Co-op City ofﬁcers serve as Santa’s helpers coordinating with shelter staff to set up a presentation day within the shelters in a specially festive decorated room full of toys where children can come with their families to choose a brand new toy and share an exciting holiday moment.

Last year, CCPD delivered over 350 toys to children in three family shelters during the holiday season. Public Safety was only able to achieve this because of the Co-op City residents and businesses who donated. This year, Co-op City residents’ donations reached a new level with a Toy Drive special event for Co-op City families held on December 6th where donations were additionally given to the CCPD Toy Drive. This extraordinary generosity will allow the Riverbay community to successfully connect and reach the children of several NYC shelters again this year.

Collection continues through December 21st at 2049 Bartow Avenue Station House within the Bartow Mall Community Center. We appreciate the entire Riverbay community’s continued gifting and giving heart.

Anonymous Calls to Public Safety

From time to time, cooperators may witness someone violating the housing company’s rules and regulations, however, we understand that some may be apprehensive about reporting the situation for fear of their identity being divulged to the violator in question.

Please know that you may request to remain anonymous when you contact the Co-op City Public Safety Department (CCPD) regarding said issues and the Public Safety dispatchers, ofﬁcers and supervisors have been instructed to accept these

calls and investigate accordingly.

If, however, you feel forced to surrender your identiﬁcation in order to lodge your complaint, immediately request to speak with a supervisor.

Rest assured that you should feel comfortable placing these calls to our Public Safety Department, as oftentimes residents are the ﬁ rst to know when an incident has taken place and, in most cases, who the individuals involved are.

Thank you for your cooperation.

––Riverbay Management

OPPORTUNITIES AT CO-OP CITY

For information on CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ONLY, please contact: Lenya Garcia at Lgarcia@riverbaycorp.com; and Anatoliy Budnitskiy at abudnitskiy@riverbaycorp.com. Please note: emails should be sent to both parties. Please DO NOT email resumes for EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES to the aforementioned emails. For EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, please see below for instructions.

There are no contract opportunities to list this week. Please check back.

OPPORTUNITIES

For employment opportunities, please visit the following sites:

www.Indeed.com https://indeedhi.re/

www.Glassdoor.com https://bit.ly/3SgI9Go

www.ZipRecruiter.com https://bit.ly/3Se8bdw

Candidates may review full position descriptions and apply at any site Current Riverbay employees should submit a transfer request and resumé directly to the HR department.

Thank you for your interest in working for Riverbay Corporation.

Director’s Viewpoint

Bernard Cylich, Secretary

Riverbay Fund – We Must Do Better

Reading a Board member’s Viewpoint in last week’s Co-op City Times (12/7/24) reminds me of a joke I heard years ago: A defendant standing before a judge is grilled: “When have you stopped beating your wife?”

The poor guy is cornered. That’s how I felt reading the questions posed by the writer.

Under the subheading, “The Riverbay Fund,” the writer asks, “Will you support them [the Fund] if they demand that Riverbay pay them $150,000 every year?”

In my opinion, the question the writer poses is disingenuous, provocative, slanderous, and malicious.

For the record, on November 9, 2016, Riverbay Board of Directors adopted the following:

RESOLUTION #16-62

“NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED that management is authorized to disburse funds of the Corporation, in amounts not to exceed $150,000 per year, to the Riverbay Fund, to support the Fund’s youth and community programs.”

That resolution is clear: The Riverbay Corporation Board, not the Fund, directs management to disburse $150,000 annually to support the Fund’s youth and community programs. The author implies, wrongfully, that the Fund has authority to dictate to Riverbay that it sends money to itself. The Fund has no such authority.

Riverbay monies disbursed to the Fund have enabled it to finance and sponsor an array of programs enriching the lives of our cooperators throughout the years. These programs have included the July fireworks, skate nights, Tunes on Tuesday, Wicked Wednesday, student scholarships for Renaissance music lessons, food banks, health fairs, financial assistance to community organizations, basketball clinics, Spelling Bees, Spanish Heritage programs as well as Kwanzaa celebrations, and community Christmas tree lighting and many more. These events have enriched the lives of cooperators.

As a not-for-proﬁt institution, unlike the Riverbay Corporation, the Fund is eligible to apply for grants from New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development for reimbursement for the events it sponsored. In the past, the Fund has also been successful in obtaining a million dollars from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to replace inefﬁcient lights in our garages with brighter ones.

In addition, the writer ignores the programs that the Fund brought to Co-op City. In my opinion, the writer’s question subtly suggests that Riverbay donated $150,000 to the Fund for self-serving purposes.

The author continues with another disparaging question based on totally fabricated assumptions:

“Will you support them [the Fund) if they say that Riverbay cannot see their books or how they’ve spent their over $150,000?”

Again, to quote from the same Riverbay Resolution:

“LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the above disbursements are conditioned upon the Treasurer of the Riverbay Fund, within thirty days of the Fund’s receipt of the ﬁrst above disbursement, preparing and delivering to each member of the Riverbay Corporation Board of Directors and the Riverbay Corporation Chief Financial Ofﬁcer a monthly accounting of all aforementioned disbursements of funds, detailing the amount disbursed and the purpose of the disbursements.”

Note that resolution does not call for the Fund to offer Riverbay its ﬁnancial books, if requested. There is no record that Riverbay — whomever that may have been — requested to see the Fund’s (ﬁnancial) books nor that the Fund denied such a fabricated request. Following this argument is like reading pages from Alice in Wonderland.

However, the resolution does require “the Fund to deliver monthly the accounting of all aforementioned disbursements of funds to Riverbay Corporation Board members.”

During my short tenure (May 2023 to February 2024) as the Treasurer of the Fund, I submitted detailed monthly Fund income and disbursement reports, accounting for every dime received from Riverbay Corporation to the Riverbay Corporation Board. I reported this at a public Riverbay Board meeting on September 25, 2024, and subsequently did so in my Viewpoint. Later, I emailed a compilation of all those monthly reports to Board members. No Board member has made any comments regarding those reports, nor requested additional information or clariﬁcation.

Why did the President and ﬁve other Board members vote to adopt Resolution #24-52 (9/25/24), a measure that was defeated? The resolution stated that the Riverbay Corporation “immediately stop temporarily providing any funds to the Riverbay Fund because,” the backers claimed, “the Corporation is not satisﬁed with the Fund’s reporting.”

The supporters of that failed resolution did not offer a shred of evidence to substantiate their claim. By rejecting that motion, the Board thus rejected an attempt to rescind Resolution #16-62.

Nevertheless, the President appears to violate the will of the Board, without obtaining legal opinion on the matter. The leader of the Board has unilaterally claimed that Resolution#16-62 was adopted when the Riverbay Fund had different by-laws. However, Resolution #16-62 did not place any conditions on the

Important! Please Respond.

structure of the Fund. Therefore, it is in my opinion that the President’s refusal to implement Resolution #16-62—he has stopped signing any disbursement checks to the Fund; has ordered Management to end its cooperation with the Fund; has demanded that Jeff Buss’ law ﬁrm cease providing pro bono services to the Fund; has told Board members they must resign from the Fund—is not legally supported.

Why have the President and ﬁve other Riverbay Board members attempted to rescind #16-62?

Is it a political vendetta? I don’t know.

But I do know that these precipitous, unilateral actions by some members of the Board may have severe consequences. They may deny offering our cooperators rich cultural, sports, health, and educational programs; may deny ﬁnancial help for community organizations, as well as deny music scholarships for our students. Cooperators depend upon the sense of community that has long been our hallmark. However, I believe that such actions will splinter our community, weaken our unity and our ability to face a new President-elect who has voiced that he will undermine our democracy and cut back on hard-won beneﬁts.

We must do better.

We must keep our eyes on the prize.

Wishing all a Happy Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Felix Navidad, and a Healthy, Peaceful New Year.

Co-op City Emergency Alert System Phone Tree -Update form

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BBB Scam Alert

The Naughty List: BBB’s 12 Scams of The Holidays

With the year quickly winding down,the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has compiled a list of the top 12 holiday scams.

When shopping or donating this holiday season, watch out for schemes trying to swipe your cash or steal your personal information.

You can avoid most of the scams on this list by taking a few simple precautions. Always exercise caution with social media ads promoting discounted items, holiday events, job opportunities, and donation requests, as well as direct messages from strangers. If you are asked to make a payment or donation by wire transfer, through a third party, or by prepaid debit or gift card, treat it as a red ﬂag.

Be mindful of these scams that could cut into your holiday cheer: Misleading Social Media Ads

As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see products advertised.

Always research before you buy. BBB Scam Tracker receives daily reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for, or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised.

The 2023 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that online purchase scams were the third riskiest scam reported by consumers in 2023.

Before ordering, check out the business proﬁle on BBB.org and read the reviews.

Social Media Gift Exchanges

Each holiday season this scheme pops back up. The older version was called “Secret Sister.” Newer versions of this scam revolve around exchanging bottles of wine or bourbon; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts online. Another twist asks you to submit your email to a list where participants get to pick a name and send money to strangers to “pay it forward.” There is even a twist about “Secret Santa Dog” where you buy a $10 gift for your “secret dog.”

In all these versions, participants unwittingly share their personal information, along with those of their family members and friends, and are further tricked into buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown individuals. It’s also an illegal pyramid scheme. Stick to buying your friends’ gifts from trustworthy businesses, and check BBB.org before you buy.

Holiday Apps

Apple’s App Store and Google Play list dozens of holiday-themed apps where children can video chat live with Santa, light the Menorah, watch Santa feed live reindeer, track his sleigh on Christmas Eve, or relay their holiday wish lists.

Review privacy policies to see what information will be collected. Be wary of free apps, as they can sometimes contain more advertising than apps that require a nominal fee. Free apps can also contain malware. Be sure to read reviews as well.

Fake Toll Collection Texts

If you’re planning to drive a long distance to visit family or take a vacation this holiday season, watch out for fake road toll collection texts, which have been on the rise this year.

In this con, scammers impersonate a state road tollway collection service and text you saying you owe a road toll fee and provide a link to click to make your payment. If you receive at text, don’t click the link. Instead, if you think you may owe road tolls, verify your outstanding balance with the legitimate agency.

Free Gift Cards

Nothing brings good cheer like the word “FREE.” Scammers have been known to take advantage of this weakness by sending bulk phishing emails requesting personal information to receive free gift cards. In some of these emails, scammers impersonate legitimate companies and promise gift cards to reward their loyal customers. They may also use pop-up ads or send text messages with links saying you were randomly selected as the winner of a prize. If you have received an unsolicited email with gift card offers, do not open it. Instead, mark it as spam or junk and delete it. However, if you opened the email, do not click on any links.

Temporary Holiday Jobs

Employment scams were identiﬁed as the number one riskiest scam for people ages 18-44 in 2023. If you’re looking for seasonal work this holiday season, keep an eye out for opportunities that seem too good to be true.

Retailers typically hire seasonal workers to help meet the demands of holiday shoppers. Shippers and delivery services are top holiday employers because of the increase in online orders that need to be delivered before Christmas. Job seekers need to be wary of employment scams aimed at stealing money and personal information from job applicants.

Impostor Scams

Impostor scams can take many forms, especially during the holiday season when you may be purchasing and returning gifts. When shopping online, be on the lookout for fake, look-alike websites created by scammers to trick people into downloading malware, making dead-end purchases, and sharing private information.

If you’re reaching out to a business on social media for customer support, watch out for fake social media accounts pretending to be a customer service representative for a business. When in doubt, go to the business’s website and ﬁnd their ofﬁcial social media handles, or use the information on the site to reach out.

Fake Charities

The last few weeks of the year are a busy time for charitable donations. Donors are advised to look out for fraudulent charities and scammers pretending to be individuals in need.

Avoid impromptu donation decisions to unfamiliar organizations. Responsible organizations will welcome a gift tomorrow as much as they do today. Verify a charity at BBB’s Give.org or on the Canada Revenue Agency website. Where possible, donate to the charity through their website and use a credit card.

Fake Shipping Notiﬁcations

More consumers making online purchases during the holidays leads to an increase in the number of notiﬁcations about shipping details from retailers and carriers. Scammers use this surge to send phishing emails and texts about package deliveries with links enclosed that may allow unwanted access to your private information or download malware onto your device.

They may also try to trick people into paying new shipping fees. Never click a link in a text or email that you’re not expecting. If you want to track a package, ﬁnd the original email or text conﬁrmation you received directly from the store and use that link.

Advent Calendars

Each year, there are more and more advent calendars being sold; CNN has a list of over 41 calendars, and many are in hot demand. In past years, BBB received reports to Scam Tracker about advent calendar ads on social media not delivering as promised. Some were not received, and others received inferior products or incomplete orders.

Consumers should research before they buy, read reviews and look up the company on BBB.org before purchasing. BBB also has a shopper’s guide to help you purchase that niche advent calendar.

Holiday Wishlist Items

Low-priced luxury goods, jewelry, designer clothing, and electronics are almost always cheap counterfeits and knockoffs. The same applies to popular toys. This year, the Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, Barbies, Bluey toys, and brain teasers and puzzles are some of the items in high demand. Be very cautious when considering purchasing popular toys from resellers on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms.

Puppy Scams

Many families may be considering adding a furry friend to their household this year. However, be on the lookout for scams. Many would-be pet owners turn to the internet to ﬁnd their future cat or dog, but experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored pet advertisements may be fake. Be sure to see the pet in person before making a purchase.

Stay connected, Co-op City!

Be sure to check the Riverbay Crawler daily (ch. 12 on MATV, and ch. 591 on Altice) for updates and information.

Shareholders who are not signed up for Phone Tree alerts are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Phone Tree alerts provide important notiﬁcations relative to the Co-op City community. The application to sign up for Phone Tree alerts can be found on the website, coopcity.com, on Resources page under “CSO.”

Seniors who would like to sign up with CCPD’s RUOK program for a daily telecheck, can use the application on the CCPD page on the website.

In addition to the Co-op City Times and the Riverbay Crawler, connect with the CCTimes and CCPD on X, @coopcitytimes and @CCPDnyc; and with the CCTimes on Threads, Blue Sky and Instagram, @coopcitytimes. Be sure to subscribe, like and follow us to help grow our online readership.

Director’s Viewpoint Mary Pearson, Assistant Secretary

Equity and Equality

What’s the difference between equity and equality? Equality is everybody having the same everything. There’s no use even aiming for equality. But equity? Now that’s something to strive for.

The equity I’m referring to is not a money issue, it’s a human issue, defned as fairness or justice in the way people are treated. It’s the Golden Rule in action.

A human resources site honed this distinction between equity and equality: “Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances.”

But it’s not good enough to just recognize and acknowledge that there are imbalances that need adjustments. Believing in equity requires lots of that continuous Golden Rule action.

Properly seeing and fghting inequity takes time and fnesse and the ability of the haves to notice and admit that they are so much better off than the have nots, or as the naceweb.org site puts it: “The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.”

The site’s homepage includes an Equality vs Equity visual. Three plump stick fgures of papa bear/ mama bear/baby bear heights in a variety of colors (turquoise, maroon, and mustard) are each standing on a box. That’s the example of equality. Each is getting a boost – the same boost – needed or not. In the equity visual, the tall fgure has no box to stand on, the middle size fgure remains standing on the one box, but the small fgure stands on top of two boxes. Each gets what each needs.

So last Monday, Governor Hochul wanted to make an announcement of an initiative she was planning, and she wanted to make it in Co-op City. An early morning e-mail arrived Saturday from the Offce of Governor Kathy Hochul: Greetings to the Riverbay Co-Op Board of Directors. (Co-Op! ARRGH!!)

But it was good news. Exciting news. It was a sneak peek at her upcoming State of the State address. It was a Special Announcement on Cost of Living that could provide: “tax relief, tax refunds and other fnancial assistance for middle class New Yorkers” by putting Money in YOUR Pockets

How much money are we looking at here? If you fle an income tax return, the Governor wants to send you an Infation Refund check – $300 for an individual or $500 for a family.

And when do we start checking our mailboxes for these one-time-payment checks? According to the press release: If this proposed Infation Refund is passed by the State Legislature, payments will be made starting Fall 2025.

The interesting twist is the source of the extra cash – all three Billion dollar$$$ of it – that the Governor is looking to redistribute. The Infation Refund money would come from the unexpectedly huge amount of sales tax the State’s been collecting these past few years.

Due to the last fve years of catastrophes (Covid, the Ukraine war, supply chain issues, and good old fashioned corporate opportunism), the cost of most everything has gone through the roof. The more a taxable item costs, the more sales tax is charged. The Governor’s plan is to give back some of those over-the-top sales tax dollars that New York’s middle-income taxpayers have paid.

Commiserating with the struggling middle-class, Governor Hochul spoke of the stress of trying to make ends meet, of falling behind, of falling deeper in debt. And then, in a very relatable way, she reminisced about what it was like for her as a child being born into a working-class family of eight where money was always tight. She spoke of the day-old bread and week-old Twinkies outlet store and being dragged to the discount clothing store so her mom could make the weekly layaway payment and being embarrassed by it all.

The Governor began her address with these two sentences: On my frst day as your governor, I swore I would fght for New Yorkers every single day. Putting money back in your pockets has been the focus of my frst three budgets and that will never change.

The Governor spoke of her past middle-income pocket-flling efforts. (Details of those

Building 33 Association

Good day, shareholders.

The Building 33 Association would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to the shareholders who have contributed to the building dues. We understand that the economy is challenging and parting with hard-earned money can be diffcult. However, we kindly ask you to remember that the funds we collect are primarily used for children›s festivities, lobby decorations and Christmas gifts for the porters. We are close to our goal and any additional contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations, Raheem “Radio” McGee (pictured at left), our former porter, on your new journey. Radio, we are all rooting for you and praying for your success and safety. Riverbay has commenced the installation of natural gas detectors in our apartments in accordance with Local Law 157. This law mandates the installation of natural gas detection devices in residential buildings by May 2025. We encourage you to be present at home when you receive the notice regarding the scheduled installation of these devices in our building. It is advisable to be at home or have your packages delivered to secure lockers, particularly during the holiday season. Thieves are working tirelessly to steal the items we purchase with our hard-earned money. It is disheartening to witness such actions. The most effective way to prevent our belongings from being stolen is to deny them access to our possessions.

Lastly, I would like to remind all shareholders to consistently clean up after their dogs and to make a concerted effort to prevent them from urinating on the pillars located beneath the building’s portico.

The building association would like to wish everyone a pleasant week. It is our hope that you remain optimistic as we navigate the upcoming four years without adversity.

Take care and walk good.

––Andrea D. Mayo

benefts can be found on the state website: $5.5 billion in supplemental payments, tax relief and rebates, as well as expanding access to childcare assistance and paid leave for families and pregnant women.)

That middle-income give-back took place over the last three years and she intended to keep doing it. But, according to the thanks-for-coming message (that got to my email inbox even before the room cleared), she needs help from her middle-class constituents to make those checks rain.

It’s only a done deal once the state legislature weighs in, which is why the email was immediately sent out to the attendees: 1.) We need your help spreading this news today, so we can make the Infation Refund happen for millions of New Yorkers! and 2.) Thank you for helping us spread the word and make the Infation Refund a reality!

Our congressman-elect George Latimer was one of those attendees. He was there to praise the Governor and her American Dream-preserving plan. What governor Hochul has done is very simple and it’s very important: she’s done something about it.

[It’s] simple and it’s brilliant. It’s the exact correct way to do something concrete. It’s not just political rhetoric.

Mr. Latimer went on to predict the Governor’s initiatives will be well received by the state legislature where he once served with “people that feel the same concerns.”

So help spread the word. Help make life a little easier for your neighbors and maybe even for yourself. Have a good week. Don’t shop till you drop. And feel free to contact me, MPearson@RiverbayBoard. com /718-219-2211.

ACROSS

Statepoint Crossword - Theme: Happy Holidays

1. F, unit of electrical capacity

6. *Buche de NoÎl, e.g.

9. What infuencers do?

13. Yemeni’s neighbor

14. Another word for Tokyo

15. Singer Ross of “Where Did Our Love Go” fame

16. Laundry room fre hazard, pl.

17. Much of it about nothing?

18. Furnish with a fund

19. *“A Bad Moms Christmas” actress Bell

21. *Tiny Tim creator

23. Tibetan ox

24. Khrushchev’s domain

25. *Goo on real Christmas tree

28. Sketch

30. *Poinsettia’s motherland

35. “____ ____Good Men”, movie

37. Brussels’ org.

39. Plant fungus

40. Reluctant

41. Klutzy

43. *”It’s beginning to look ____ ____ like...”

44. Domains

46. Bog down

47. Oxen connector

48. Under epidermis

50. Mums’ mums

52. Over, poetically

53. Alleviate

55. ____ Mahal

57. *Tanne in “O Tannenbaum” (2 words)

61. *It is feliz to Feliciano

65. Radioshow host: “Hello, you’re ____ ____”

66. Knot-tying vow (2 words)

68. Dispatch boat

69. Carthage’s ancient neighbor

70. *Egg___

71. Oil lamp dweller

72. Fishing poles

73. Bigheadedness

74. Painter Degas

DOWN

1. Lore people

2. Mideast ruler

3. Hindu princess

4. Jittery

5. Farthest from point of origin

6. Ground beef description

7. Like Lemmon and Matthau together

8. Merchandise

9. Swim’s alternative

10. Dwyane, once of Miami Heat

11. Any day now, to Shakespeare

12. Swerves

15. King’s order

20. Increasing

22. Philosophy ending

24. Undo, as in strings

25. Green side

26. Before, in the olden days

27. J.M. Barrie’s Pan

29. “Howdy, ____!”

31. Internal picture

32. Meltable home

33. Singer Sam of “Twistin’ the Night Away” fame

34. Weasel’s aquatic cousin

36. *“Last Christmas” band, with !

38. Edible pod

42. Busybody, in Yiddish

45. Mountain range

49. Certain fraternity house letters

51. Cruel

54. Œle de la CitÈ river

56. Tripped the light fantastic

57. *Number of ghosts in “A Christmas Carol”

58. *“He’s Just Not That ____ You”, movie

59. Police’s surprise

60. Habitual twitches

61. Not happening (2 words)

62. Minor bumper damage

63. “Heat of the Moment” band

64. Opposite of talker?

67. *The Grinch’s Max

Director’s Viewpoint

Daryl Johnson

This Delivery Comes With Big Bucks

As a board director, I would love to produce viewpoints to show everyone that Riverbay is conducting business in a good and proper manner. However, there are some things that I personally see that are wrong. Therefore, I cannot and will not support these matters.

Do The Right Things

Do you understand that our shareholders own the Riverbay Corporation and Co-op City? Do you understand that you elected ﬁfteen board directors to represent you in all matters? Do you understand that you have the power to remove every director on our board? Now, if your answers are yes, then I want you to be strong and take on a feeling of empowerment as you read this viewpoint.

We’re going to have an open board meeting on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. And, we’re going to discuss and vote on several resolutions. However, in my opinion, there’s one resolution that should not reﬂect the way that we should be conducting business here.

This resolution is about the distribution of the Co-op City Times. So, let’s review this distribution process. On Saturday mornings, a driver has to pick up bundles of this newspaper from a printing company. Then, the driver and a crew will place the bundles into bins in our buildings and into our commercial centers. Thereafter, they have to distribute this newspaper to our townhouses.

So, do you think that this work is difﬁcult? Now, if your answer is no, then do you think that we might have lots of cooperators and other folks that can do all aspects of this work? To help you with your response, do you think that we could get these folks to sign up if they knew that they could make at least $175,000 a year?

So, that means that a driver can make at least $3,365 every week. Then, that driver can get a small crew that wants to make some extra cash to

distribute the Co-op City Times in about two hours. Therefore, can a driver make a good proﬁt if they pay a good rate to their crew members and set aside some money for other expenses? Of course!

Now, let’s review this resolution in this realistic way. Then, you make your own decision about this manner of doing business here: “WHEREAS, the Procurement Department solicited eight qualiﬁed vendors to submit bids for the Distribution of the Co-op City Times; and WHEREAS, one (1) proposal was received and reviewed in detail by the Project Manager, …”

So, management received only one proposal, out of eight, for the distribution of the Co-op City Times. Really? How is this possible? Well, let’s look at the specifications for submitting a proposal to see what possibly happened. The first section of the bid specifications stated: “The contractor shall include a list of the last five projects that it managed of similar facilities, scope, size & cost of work. …”

Can most vendors create a proposal that has similar facilities, scope, and size like Co-op City? No! Therefore, these speciﬁcations can only be met by vendors that have previously distributed our newspaper here. So, do you see a major problem here? This section is worth 35 points.

Section 2 of the bid speciﬁcations states: “Bidders cost of services – This criterion will evaluate the contractor’s cost of services/goods of the base contract.” This work is only conducted on Saturday mornings for about 2 hours. So, do you really think that your costs would be very high? Anyway, this section is worth 30 points.

Section 3 states: “Bidder’s ability to undertake the entire scope of work – This criterion will evaluate the contractor’s ability to address the entire scope of work of project and ability to provide the necessary onsite personnel with ability to perform work proﬁciently & contractor’s means and methods.” Do you understand that a vendor has to simply place our

newspaper into bins and to hit our townhouses? Big deal? No!!! This section is worth 25 points.

Section 4 states: “Bidder’s ability to comply with bid instructions – This criterion will evaluate the contractor’s submission of complete bid documents and requests. …” This section is worth 10 points.

Bottom line: At least $175,000 is on the table just to distribute the Co-op City Times. But, do you see why some vendors have made a choice to stop doing business with Riverbay and to not even respond to their bids? As a cooperator, how do you feel about this matter? Personally, I do not like what’s going on here.

We have 130 vehicles here. So, do you think that we can save a lot of money if we were to assign several drivers to drop off the papers and complete this task with our porters? Absolutely!

Our preliminary budget for the next two years is terrible. So, we must have a serious discussion about this management agency staying here.

Contact Information

Please send a letter to: Board Director Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Currently, here is my ONLY email account: djohnson@riverbayboard.com. I will never ask for or accept money from anyone. Therefore, please do not respond to any message with my name on it that requests money, money transfers, gift cards, personal information, or anything from you. And, please do not ever send money or anything to anyone because you saw my name on a false message. Also, please call me ONLY at 718-671-4544 if you would like to have a brief discussion with me. And, please hang up your phone immediately if someone calls you and says that they’re Daryl Johnson or is associated with me and asks you for money or anything else.

Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.

Bronx County Chorus

Bronx County Chorus proudly announces the holiday concert celebrating the 85th anniversary of Bronx County Chorus. Rehearsals began in early September to prepare for this diverse program. The theme of the program is “Joy to The World: Holiday Music from Around the Globe.” The event features familiar choral music from various holiday traditions from around the world. The program focuses on both, diversity and unity. It includes selections from Handel’s Messiah that are forever associated with Christmas as well as Hannukah traditional numbers that will warm your spirit for the Hannukah miracle. There are several numbers that include multiple familiar traditional holiday songs. An excellent group of instrumental and vocal virtuoso solo artists joins the chorus to spread the spirit of the season.

Do not miss this free holiday concert, at 4 p.m., at the First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck, 3075 Baisley Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461. Mr. Miles Fellenberg is our music and chorus director. He is leading the group through its 85th anniversary celebration concert with very talented well-known musician Ava Nazar, Assistant Director.

Bronx County Chorus is a unique chorus within Bronx County and is proud to say that all featured soloists are actual members of the group. Our dues per semester are $40 for individuals, $60 for couples and $30 for each additional member in the same household.

This season ends with this 85th annual Christmas concert on December 15. Again, this free holiday winter concert, “Joy to the World,” is celebrated on Sunday, December 15, at 4 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck, located at 3075 Baisley Avenue. Looking forward to seeing you there.

––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

Neighbors Spreading Holiday

Building 20 Association

Happy holidays!

The Building 20 Association offcers are planning holiday festivities for Thursday, December 19, at 7 p.m. in the Building 20 Association meeting room. All Building 20 residents are invited to attend. Please bring a dessert or drink to share.

At the General Meeting on November 21, plans were made to decorate our building lobbies for the holidays. Buildings 20A and B were done and look wonderful. Thank you to Ms. Lois for the donation of decorations to the Building 20 Association. Building 20C is scheduled to be decorated on Saturday, December 14, at 11 a.m. Building 20C residents must show up in the Building 20C lobby for the decorating to begin. The meeting time and place will be posted in the Building 20 bulletin boards, emailed, and phoned to all members on record. Thanks to the efforts of Sylvia, Yvonne, Daisy, Brenda, and Reva on the fantastic decorating in Buildings 20A and 20B lobbies.

Mr. Victor Dickson, Jr., Property Manager, spoke at our November 21 meeting and responded to our questions. The issues included: (I) Identifying the person who tossed trash bags containing raw garbage in our basement. Public Safety should allow us to view the security cameras. (II) Painting unsightly apartment doors and elevator frames. (III) Updating us on the water damage repairs to the Building 20C, G-line apartments. (IV)Updating us on Local Law 157, requiring the installation of natural gas detectors. In addition, the revised bylaws were distributed and will be emailed to the absent members. Finally, everyone congratulated our 50-50 raffe winner, Ms. Sandy Mitchell.

The 28th Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration is happening today, December 14, at 3 p.m., in the Bartow Community Center, Rm. 31. There will be a Kwanzaa Ceremony, Griot Recognition, entertainment, vendors, a Karamu feast, and more. Admission is free and requires that you bring an offering of a store-bought dessert, juice, or fresh fruits to share with others. Bring your family and friends for an amazing Kwanzaa experience.

Please stay safe and be a good neighbor.

—Francine Jones

Building 2 Association

Season’s greetings, neighbors!

As December unfolds, the Building 2 Association is delighted to prepare for the holidays by decorating our lobbies and decking our halls with boughs of holly. We are all so excited to announce a lineup of fun-flled community events that promise to bring joy and togetherness to your hearts.

Holiday Crafts Event: Join us on Sunday, December 15, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for an afternoon of cheer. Create holiday cards and decorations that can adorn our lobbies. What a lovely way to spread the festive spirit throughout our community.

Monthly Association Meeting: Save the date for Tuesday, December 17, at 7 p.m. Come and share your thoughts and ideas as we cover topics of important community updates and initiatives. This month, we will have Council Member Kevin Riley as a guest speaker. Your presence and input are vital as we work together to enhance our shared spaces.

Checkmate Society’s Chess Club: Feel free to schedule a time to meet on Wednesday, December 18, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Test your strategic skills while you engage in play with fellow enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned player or a curious beginner, there is a place for you at the board.

Food Pantry Distribution: On Sunday, December 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., we will distribute fresh produce and goods to support community members in need. Please stop by if you know of someone who could beneft from this outreach program. All are welcome!

We are so grateful for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you attend any of these events. Let us make this holiday season one to remember. Help us to help you build positive and lasting memories throughout this glorious time of year!

––Adelina Martinez

Holiday Cheer in Our Lobbies!

Building 27 Association

Hello neighbors, winter is here. We are thankful for the much-needed rain. MetroCard Bus – Scheduled to be at Einstein Loop from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on December 30.

Bldg. 27 Assoc. – Aaron Carnegie, president of the Building 27 Association, was advising over the past week as Building 27 has been having heating issues. Aaron has made Management aware of the situation and heat has been restored in our building. However, if you are still having heating issues, please call Maintenance at the Call Center and they will come to your apartment.

Porter Collection – A collection for our Building 27 staff/porters in all three buildings, 27 A, B and C, was this past Thursday, December 5, and Friday, December 6. If you missed the two dates, please contact the Building 27 email. We want to express that we appreciate our hard-working porters and Maintenance crew, who continue to ensure our buildings are clean and maintained.

Thank You – Thank you to our fellow faithful shareholders who volunteered to receive the shareholders’ donations both nights. Building A: Aaron, Nelson, Ardell, Robert, Dawn, Diane, Yvette, Sonny, Lydia O. Building B: Thalia, Sharon, Fred, Lydia, Mamie, Yolanda, Hattie. Building C: Evelyn, Joanne, Shirley. Year after year, your faithful participation keeps our building in the spirit of giving and cooperation. The shareholders coming and going willfully gave, as they always do. Thank you!

Tree Lighting Section 5 – The Section 5 tree lighting will be today, Saturday, December 14, at 5 p.m., at the Einstein Center. This will be a joyous occasion, from caroling to exciting giveaways. This will be an event you do not want to miss.

Holiday Day Party – Our holiday party will be January 11, 2025, welcoming our neighbors into the new year. Happy birthday to all celebrating this month. To those in bereavement, you have our sympathy. We wish all the best of health and safety. Contact Lydia Rondon at 718-583-3040 and she will gladly acknowledge your birthday by sending you a card; she is excellent in sharing good will. Also notify her of any illness, or if a neighbor has passed away or transferred to a nursing home.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be change until it is faced.”

–James Baldwin

––H. Overman

Hello, shareholders!

Building 17 Association Building 21C Association

On November 30, our lobby was beautifully decorated for the season. A big thank you to the decorating team: Marcia, Daisy, Shon, Patricia, Cheryl, and Yvonne, for their hard work and creativity! Save the date: On Saturday, December 21, join us for a meet and greet with Santa from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the lobby.

(See page 16 for more holiday pictures)

Wishing everyone a joyful and festive holiday season!

—C. Best

Photo by Melody Miranda

Broun Place Townhouse Association

Good day, Co-op City neighbors. Thanksgiving 2024 is a beautiful memory now. Hopefully, you had a joyous Thanksgiving, enjoying a great dinner with family or with friends. Now in Broun Place, holiday lights shine brightly.

Hardy congratulations to the new officers and graduates of the Co-op City Public Safety Dept.

We offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Louie Loscalzo. Louie was an employee at Riverbay Corporation for forty-plus years, and was well known to all due to his fun, friendly and outgoing personality.

Broun Place borders on the greenway, and we are aware of residents crossing to access Dreiser Loop and Bartow Avenue to get to various activities. This is your home, all of it. Please respect it, do not litter, leave bikes or walk on our patios.

The association is making our annual holiday gift collection. Drop your signed envelope through the mail slot of 31B. Photos of your holiday decorations will be submitted to the Co-op City Times. Bravo for the news that the front elevator in Garage 6 is working better than ever. Neighbors, please resume using it. Also, especially during this season of giving, do not forget to donate your gently used items using the recycling bins at the front and rear of the garage buildings.

Read the Co-op City Times to get information about holiday garage parking, recycling and many community issues. We hope for more cultural opportunities for cooperators to participate in.

Please read the Co-op City Times and participate in our community. We are glad to read that talks are going on about the e-Bikes and that questions were brought up at the Riverbay Board meeting. Something needs to be done to protect residents from the hazards of these bikes. We need more guidance and rules regarding allowable places to leave bikes that are not hazardous.

Use water sparingly. Even though we had a good soaking with the rain, the

Building 26 Association

Spreading Holiday Cheer and Memories – The holiday season is in full swing and Building 26 is glowing with festive spirit! Tonight at 5 p.m., join us for our 2nd Annual Tree Lighting Event. Dress warmly, bring your loved ones, and enjoy an evening filled with holiday magic alongside your neighbors. It’s the perfect time to create lasting memories and kick off the season together!

Santa’s Visit: A Weekend to Remember – This past weekend, Building 26 was visited by none other than Santa Claus himself! Families experienced true holiday magic as children shared their wishes, handed Santa their letters, and posed for unforgettable photos. The joy and laughter were heartwarming, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming.

Due to popular demand, we are excited to announce that Santa has arranged another visit, authorized directly from the North Pole! Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

To accommodate Santa’s tight schedule as he prepares for his big trip, this event requires pre-registration. Scan the QR code here to secure your spot and ensure your little ones don’t miss this special moment.

Year-End General Meeting – As we wrap up 2024, we invite all members to attend our final general meeting of the year on Tuesday, December 17, at 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments, discuss future plans, and strengthen our community ties. We hope to see you there!

Holiday Safety Tips – Whether you’re traveling or staying home this season, here are some tips to keep your holidays safe and stressfree:

If Traveling:

1. Double-check your travel documents and itineraries.

2. Secure your home by setting timers for lights and ensuring doors and windows are locked.

3. Keep an emergency kit handy with essentials like snacks, water, and a phone charger.

If Staying Home:

1. Be mindful of holiday lights—turn them off before bed or use timers to prevent overheating.

2. Avoid overloading electrical outlets with too many decorations.

3. If you have a live tree, water it regularly to prevent it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Warm Wishes for the Season – As we celebrate this wonderful time of year, we want to thank each of you for making Building 26 a vibrant and connected community. Your participation, enthusiasm, and support make all the difference. From all of us at the Building 26 Association, we wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year filled with health, happiness, and success.

—Tanya Cruz-Cooke

drought is not over. There are ways to economize your use of water. For example, match the amount of water to your load of dishes or clothes. Perhaps flushing the toilet should be monitored too.

You may have noticed that the path at the bottom of the Broun Place cluster near the greenway is now blocked off. This is the opposite side that had been blocked leading to Adler for a year. Is this a new pipe-break? There was ground water on the paths bordering the greenway.

Our association hopes everyone received their issue of the Co-op City Times Call the following number to report non-delivery, 1-407-666-8317. Call, Saturdays only, between 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dog owners, please keep them quiet and clean up behind them. To report a problem, the CCPD phone number is 1-718-671-3050. The new black pedestrian garbage pails look great. We appreciate them and hope they last as long as the red ones. We urge you to read your Co-op City Times and have a great week.

––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

Building 28 Association

Dearest shareholders, I am thrilled to share that we recently hosted another successful event that brought joy and holiday spirit to our community. Santa made a special appearance. The children were excited and so appreciative of the toys. They enjoyed a festive atmosphere filled with toys, a bag full of goodies, fresh cookies and steaming hot chocolate. Thank you for your continued support as we create memorable experiences for our community. We look forward to more successful events in the future!

Big thank you to Brenda Brown, Rosie, Petey, Bobby (fresh baked cookies) Nadine, Christabel, Tanya and Mr. Santa for coming through.

––Idalia Reyes

Cooperators United

Greetings, fellow Building Association and Townhouse Association presidents. We wish a happy and safe holiday season to you.

Monday, December 16, will be our next scheduled meeting of Cooperators United in Bartow Community Center, Rm. 31, at 7 p.m. Our invited guest speaker will be Matthew Cruz, Bronx Community Board 10 District Manager. We requested an update on the status of the Mayor’s City of Yes initiative by the New York City Council, the development status of 801 Co-op City Boulevard, the Metro North Station, the new MTA double-parking camera ticketing program, etc. Please join us.

Governor Kathy Hochul visited Co-op City to share her proposed cost of living initiatives. She shared her proposals for the New York State Infation Refund initiative that would send direct payments to everyday New Yorkers if approved; $300 for single flers with incomes below $150,000 and $500 for joint flers with incomes below $300,000.

Our organization is for Building Association and Townhouse Association presidents only. We usually meet the last Monday of each month for your convenience, except when there are extenuating circumstances, in Bartow, Rm. 31, at 7 p.m.

Your attendance and support are a crucial part of what we do for our community. We look forward to seeing you at future meetings.

This is your organization. Please feel free to offer your suggestions for guest speakers and matters of concern to you that you would like to have addressed.

—Linda Collins

Black Forum

Emergency Food Pantry – 920 Baychester Ave., Bldg. 1A (opposite basketball court). The pantry is open on Thursday, and Friday from 11a.m.-12:45 p.m. for grocery distribution. Guests are eligible to pick up food once a month. All guests must present a pantry card, at least four to six clean shopping bags with handles and a shopping cart to receive food. We will not place food in black bags because they pose a safety hazard. Section 5 guests should visit the Co-op City United Methodist Church at 2350 Palmer Avenue to pick up groceries. This distribution site is open Thursdays from 11a.m.-1 p.m. The groceries are supplied and distributed by Black Forum. Religious affliation is not required. Masks are a must!

Note: Because of budget limitations, only guests living in zip codes 10475 and 10465 will receive service, although 10465 guests can only get a oneshot package of groceries. Also, new client registration and re-certifcation for returning guests into the pantry program is currently closed.

New Client Registration and Recertifcation for Returners – The Black Forum Food Pantry will reopen for registration and recertifcation in January 2025 for 10475 residents. All current pantry guests must recertify to continue receiving food assistance. Additionally, guests who have never registered or previously registered but did not recertify in 2024 are eligible to sign up.

To register or re-certify, individuals must be 18 years or older and present a valid NYC ID (zip code 10475), NY State Driver’s License, or NY

Building 13 Association

Happy Holidays to Everyone – From The Building 13 Family

A little birdie told me Santa is coming to town on Saturday, December 21. Frosty has arrived and is currently holding court in the cul-de-sac outdoors. There have already been a host of community events in December in preparation for Christmas on December 25, Hanukkah on December 26 and Kwanzaa on December 26. However, this past week, the most exciting, aside from the lighting of trees and many decorated areas on our grounds (great job by our Grounds department), is the graduation of 15 new CCPD offcers. We welcome them to the Co-op City family and wish them success in their new endeavor. It takes a certain type of person willing to protect his fellow citizens and I have been told we have that in our new offcers.

To learn more about the festivities and the proud families, see your Co-op City Times. To stay up to date with what is happening in the community, read your lobby bulletin board, check out the screen on the TV for events and advertisements, your crawler on channel 591 and of course your local newspaper, the Co-op City Times. Co-op City does it best. You do not want to miss out!

We want to thank folks who have offered to volunteer to help decorate, participate in collections and prepare for our holiday party. We are defnitely in the spirit.

Collection Dates 2024: We will be taking a collection for the staff in our

State Non-Driver’s License. Passports, Medicaid and Medicare cards, employment identifcation, and Access-A-Ride identifcation are not accepted. All household members must be present with valid identifcation and reside within the 10475 zip code. The intake forms will only include the number of household members who are able to show up in person at the offce.

Those living in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 should register or re-certify at 920 Baychester Avenue. Section 5 residents should go to 2350 Palmer Avenue.

Produce Distribution – Black Forum is distributing fresh produce on Thursday, December 19, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m., at the 920 Baychester Avenue location for all registered pantry guests. Please bring four to fve strong, clean bags, your 2024 pantry card, and a shopping cart. Supplies are limited and may run out at any time. We may need to stop accepting new arrivals in line once the supply starts to run low. It is best to arrive before 12 p.m. Form a line away from the front door, and a staff member will approach you to collect your pantry card.

Offce Closure – The last distribution date for 2024 is Thursday, December 19 (Section 5 location) and Friday, December 20 (920 Baychester Ave location). We will resume operations on Thursday, January 2, 2025 for registration and re-certifcation.

—D. Illis

building lobby for maintenance and porters. Flyer posted in lobby. All donations are appreciated. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 9, 10 and 11. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 16, 17 and 18.

Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you have a question, you can contact Wendell Mattison, VP of the Building 13 Association, at 917-330-1380.

The date set for our holiday “After and Before” celebration is Saturday, December 28, beginning at 7 p.m., in the association room. Our DJ Valerie is ready to keep you on your feet. We will be posting the fyer in a couple of days. Why late in the month? Over the years, we have tried to be respectful of commitments folks in our building have to various organizations. We cleared a path that allows us to join the fun together, hence the “After and Before Party.” Our party is after Christmas, but before the New Year. We have voted to cater our event this year but extras are always welcomed. We will defnitely want donations of desserts.

“It’s better to walk alone than to walk with a crowd going in the wrong direction.” –Malcolm X

Visit our Facebook Page at: “Building 13 Association, Inc.” Contacts: Leslie Peterson, president, at 718-320-1370, or Wendell Mattison, V.P., at 917330-1380. Thank you for supporting our team.

––Leslie Peterson

Building 6 Association

Season’s greetings, neighbors. I hope when you read this it fnds you in great standing. The Building 6 Association has been very busy with the holiday collections for the building personnel. We attended the graduation for the class of new CCPD offcers, the facilitation of the mental health workshop, distributions of fresh produce, and spread holiday cheer, all while getting ready for our annual holiday mixer on Saturday, December 21, from 5:30-9:30 p.m., in the Dreiser Center, Rm. 1.

We are accepting donations. Please contact President Lassiter at 347-366-7690 before December 21, so there will not be double the effort. This event is open to all Co-op City residents. The next association general meeting will be on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 with special guest speaker CCPD Interim Chief Frank Torres. He will be taking all of your security and quality of life questions. Please submit them prior so everyone gets a fair chance to air their concerns.

Neighbors, if you are feeling bouts of anxiety during this holiday season, please call 988, it’s open 24/7.

If you see something, say something. Call 911 or 718-320-3300 for CCPD.

As always, I pray for safety over all. Godspeed.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” –Coretta Scott King

—Lauren K. Lassiter

Crossword Puzzle ––––––

from page 11)

Greetings, fellow cooperators.

Building 10 Association

New Cooperators – Welcome, all new cooperators. We look forward to seeing you at the next general membership meeting.

Tag Sale (Today) – The Building 10 Association tag sale will be held today, December 14, from 2-5 p.m., in the Building 10 Association Room located in the rear of 120 Debs Place. We will also have a silent auction featuring NY Yankees memorabilia. Please contact Jeannie at 917-566-7804 or Jewel at 917-488-5237 for more information.

Holiday Gift Collection for Building 10 Staff – The holiday gift collection for the Building 10 staff will continue every Friday until December 20, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m., in the Building 10 Association Room, located in the rear of Building 10B. We will also be collecting on Saturday, December 14, from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. If you miss the collection, you can slip your donation under the association room door.

Lobby Decorations – We are looking for volunteers from each building to decorate the lobbies for the upcoming holiday season. If you are interested, please slip a note under the association room door with your name and phone number.

Tip of the Week: Neighbors – Check on your neighbors. The holidays can be a diffcult time for some people. A simple smile or a “hello” can

The NAACP marches to defend democracy and combat racism and discrimination in communities across the country. We meet the fourth Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. The NAACP Co-op City Branch Offce Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Please note, our next membership meeting will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2025. If an emergency arises, a meeting will be held via Zoom. Help Us Protect Nonprofts –Tell the Senate to Reject H.R. 9495

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9495 (aka the “Kill Nonprofts Bill”), a bill that the incoming administration could use to undermine and dismantle nonproft organizations it disagrees with, including the NAACP. This legislation would give the government unchecked power to revoke the tax-exempt status of groups that challenge its policies or interests. Any tax-exempt organization could be unfairly labeled as “terrorist supporting,” silencing their advocacy and crippling their ability to serve communities. We cannot allow this assault on democracy to move forward.

NAACP

“We need your help, contact your senator today and demand they oppose H.R. 9495 or any version of the bill – both now and in the future. Our ability to advocate, organize, and fght for justice is on the line.” ––P. Willoughby, Chief of Policy and Legislative Affairs

Contacts: The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives H-232, The Capitol Washington, DC 200515

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives H-204, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515

For 115 years, the NAACP has led the fght for civil rights. We have been here before, in fact, we

Effective Monday, August 5, the Riverbay Bookkeeping hours will be as follows: Mondays – Thursdays: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (For in-person service)

From 2 p.m.-5 p.m., shareholders can come in to the Riverbay administrative offce and make an appointment to see a bookkeeper for the following day.

brighten someone’s day.

If You See Something, Say Something – For emergencies, call Co-op City Public Safety at 718671-3050 and NYPD at 911. For non-emergencies, call 311. You can also contact CCPD at their anonymous tips hotline: 718-879-6311.

Suicide Prevention – If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or in emotional distress, the number to call for help is 988; you can call or text. Someone is available 24 hours a day.

Questions, Comments and Suggestions – You can contact the Building 10 Association via email at Building10Assoc@gmail.com or drop a note in the suggestion box in the laundry. We are also on Facebook, “Building 10 ABC Association.” Like our page and get notifed of all the happenings in and around Building 10.

We would like to wish all who are born this month an incredibly happy birthday. Celebrating an anniversary this month? Happy anniversary! To the homebound and sick, we wish you a speedy recovery. To all who have lost a loved one recently, we offer our deepest condolences.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” –Nelson Mandela

Have a great week.

––Jewel Crawford-Duncan

were built for this. The 2025 NAACP priorities are clear:

• Advancing racial justice means fghting against discriminatory practices head-on to build a more equitable society for all.

• Creating an inclusive economy that works for everyone and one that prioritizes inclusion.

• Building health equity for Black families by expanding access to affordable, high-quality healthcare and addressing the disparities affecting our communities.

• Promoting environmental justice to protect communities from the harmful effects of pollution and to reverse climate change.

• Ensuring equal access to education through resources and advocacy to guarantee our children the educational opportunities they deserve.

• Protecting women’s rights by defending access and autonomy in reproductive healthcare, workplace protections, and beyond.

• Securing voting access to protect the fundamental right for all to participate freely in democracy.

We want to extend our condolences to all who have lost a loved one and wish a speedy recovery for those who are on the mend.

Follow us on Facebook: “Co-op City NAACP” Membership Campaign: Become a member, gift a membership or upgrade your membership. Take your advocacy further by joining in the fght for our sacred right to vote. Annual membership: Adult, $30; Youth, $10; or Silver Life, $750. Make your check/mo. payable to NAACP Co-op City. Mail to: NAACP Co-op City, 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 36, Bronx, NY 10475 To leave a message, call the offce phone at: 718-320-3210 or email: naacpccity2210@gmail.com.

––Leslie Peterson

If your matter is urgent, bookkeepers are available by phone or send an email to RiverbayFinance@riverbaycorp.com Fridays: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (For in-person service) These hours will be in effect until further notice.

––Riverbay Finance Department

American Legion Post 1871

Omicron Chapter Inc. Honors Veterans on Pearl Harbor Day

Last Saturday, December 7, Chi Eta Phil Sorority Inc., frst chapter chartered in NYS, remembered and honored the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From this historical legacy of valor, only 16 Pearl Harbor survivors remain on the 83rd anniversary of this deadly event, which we should never forget.

The Omicron Chapter Inc. is the New York City chapter based in Harlem. With their motto of “Service for Humanity,” the organization is composed of registered professional and student nurses. Like Pearl Harbor Day, the year 1941 is also of signifcance to the roots of this organization. Mabel Keaton Staupers was the catalyst in launching the campaign to integrate Black nurses into the Armed Forces Nurse Corps. In 1941, the effort culminated with the admission of Black nurses into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, the start of full integration into all other service branches. Today, the goal of this organization, with endorsement from our Post, is to also promote the admission of Military Nurses into the Harlem Post.

Pictured below, ffth from the right, is Soror Wanda Williams Johnson, president of the Omicron Chapter Inc. as well as

2nd National Vice President and US Army Retired Lt. Colonel, Samantha Agee, pictured sixth from right, and the rest of offcers and members from Chi Eta Phil Sorority Inc. Post 1871 Legionnaires Amongst the 16 Veterans Honored

During the 1st Annual Jazz Brunch, “Honoring Our Veterans” at the Marina Del Rey banquet hall, Omicron Chapter Inc. honored 16 Veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces.

Pictured at right is Legionnaire Antonio Codrington, fanked by BIO reader Soror Carol St Hilaire, Ad Hoc Jazz Brunch Committee, (left) and President Wanda Williams Johnson (right).

Pictured bottom right, with Danny Acevedo, Honoree US Army and Director of Recruitment NYCHHC Harlem, is Legionnaire-Honoree Joan Davis. She also accepted the plaque presented to Legionnaire Ismael Perez, who was excused due to higher family matters.

For the commemorative event, the plaque given to recipients mainly conveyed the signifcance of the day by recognizing veterans who continue to give-back to their community. The “Veterans Appreciation Award” was presented with the words, “We greatly admire your dedication to serving our country.”

The takeaway for the afternoon was the camaraderie and unity as highlighted by Soror and Brasileus/President Johnson. In her speech, she recognized the honorees who served in the United States Armed Forces and those who continue to defend our national freedom. Soror Johnson also thanked family and friends in attendance for their unwavering remembrance of Veterans for their courage, dedication, strength and services to keep our nation safe.

Mark Your Calendar

Today, Dec. 14: at 5 p.m., lighting of the Christmas tree in Section 5. Our Post to provide Color Guard.

Saturday, Dec. 21: at 12 p.m., Christmas Gathering.

Contact Us: American Legion Post 1871, 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 41, Bronx, NY 10475. Phone: 718-320-8165; Email: post1871@oponline.net. Website: www.legion.org.

—Antonio Codrington

December’s Delectable Produce at the Fridge in Section 5

Did you know that with every new month and/or season comes delicious and tasty produce treats to experiment with?

Just drop by every Saturday morning by the @coopcityfridge in Section 5 and be pleasantly surprised.

Gentle Reminder: Bring a bag or your shopping cart and join us by the Mosholu Montefore Community Center for Teens.

Our dedicated volunteers are always present to greet you with a warm smile.

Have time to volunteer? Help us support the movement to “DRIVE OUT HUNGER!”

Yolanda Ramirez

Stay Vigilant

Be mindful of your surroundings at all times.

Photos by Linda Brown

Community Protestant Church

Rev. Dr. Calvin E. Owens and the Community Protestant Church family welcome you to worship with us. We are located at 2053 Asch Loop, Bronx, NY 10475. You may contact us by phone: 718-862-9172, fax: 718-671-4416 or email: Administration@thecpcchurch.org.

Worship Schedule

In-person Sunday Morning Worship, 11 a.m.; Sunday School, 9:15 a.m.

Every Wednesday – “Hour of Power Noon Day Prayer,” at 12 p.m. on the conference call line, 712-432-3900; Access code: 343284#.

Every Wednesday – 7 p.m. Bible Study Online via Zoom. Log in on Zoom. com or dial One Tap Mobile, 646-931-3860 or 929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 837 7258 6522

Holiday Services

Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25, at 9 a.m.

Year End Service – Tuesday, December 31, at 6 p.m.

The Advent season continues and on Sunday the second purple candle was lit. Also known as the Bethlehem candle, this candle symbolizes peace and preparation. Please read Isaiah 40: 3-5. First, He gives us inner peace. Not only do we gain the inner peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have peace knowing God will heal this world and will come again. After the Choir sang the selections “Joy” and “Emmanuel” under the direction of Rev. Tyrone Richardson, it was preaching time. The topic was “The Three D’s of Joseph,” taken from Matthew 1:18-25. In his sermon, Pastor Owens examined Joseph’s position, his dilemma, devotion and duty during the birth of Christ. Pastor spoke of Joseph’s dilemma of marrying a pregnant woman; his devotion and his duty to Mary to protect her and to keep her safe. But most importantly he spoke of Joseph’s devotion and duty to God. To be devoted to God is to know that when you are in a mess and don’t know what to do – go to God. Only God has the power and wisdom to provide a way out. All we have to do is trust Him.

We cordially invite you to praise the Lord with us, beginning with Adult Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Come experience and explore all the new possibilities at Community Protestant, a church of love and understanding.

To all of our sick and shut-in members, please know that we are praying for you and for your speedy recovery. We also extend our continued heartfelt condolences to all who are in a season of mourning. We send our happiest and best happy birthday wishes to everyone celebrating their birthday this month.

“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Isaiah 54:10

—Lexa M. Mingo

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

St. Joseph’s is located at 155 Dreiser Loop, lower level, Co-op City, Bronx, NY 10475. Email: stjosephsepc@aol.com. Church phone number: 718-3200844. Priest-in-charge: Fr. Simeon Johnson; cell phone: 917-227-4303.

In-person worship service for the Third Sunday of Advent will be conducted by Father Simeon Johnson at the church on Sunday, December 15, at 9 a.m. as well as via teleconference.

Please do not forget to tune in for the usual teleconference weekday prayers at 12 p.m. To participate by teleconference, dial 1-425-436-6344, Access Code: 509-898, followed by the # sign.

Pledge Cards for the new year 2025 are now available. Please collect, complete and return yours to the church as soon as possible. These cards refect our fnancial pledge for the year and are used to create our budget as well as refect our offer to volunteer our time and talent where and when possible.

Church Calendar

Sunday, December 15, Service of Lessons and Carols

Sunday, December 22, Family and Friends Day. Please invite your parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends.

Condolences: Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our bereaved members, families and friends who have recently lost loved ones. Please keep them in your prayers.

Sick and Shut-in: We extend our well wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery. If possible, please visit them, call them on the phone, or send them a card.

Birthday Greetings: Best wishes to everyone celebrating a birthday this month. We are collecting food (cans and dry goods) for the pantry at Grace Episcopal Church, West Farms. If you can, please contribute for those in need.

Grace and peace!

––Merville Chambers

Newsong Church

“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.”

Daniel 11:2 (NIV)

Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll calls Daniel 11 “one of the most remarkable chapters in the entire Bible.” Why would he say that? Because in the frst 35 verses of Daniel 11, there are 135 very detailed prophecies that have already been fulflled! God gave Daniel a vision of what was going to happen a couple hundred years into the future; the Bible calls that prophecy. Daniel’s prophecy becomes our verifable history! God can show Daniel future events because to God everything is history! This should bring you and me peace, knowing that God is in complete control. He holds all things together, and He is working things out for your good and His glory!

You can rely on the word of God and hold to its promises for you!

Join us this Sunday as we conclude our series in the Book of Daniel!

About Us – Newsong Church is a life-giving church here in Co-op City! We believe every person can know God, fnd freedom, discover their purpose, and make a difference in this world! No matter what you’ve been through or where you come from, you are welcome here. Join us for Sunday worship and see why God’s family is no ordinary family. Check us out at 135 Einstein Loop!

Sunday Worship Experience – Every Sunday at 11 a.m., our Sunday worship experience starts with celebration. We make music to please God and to build others up. Colossians 3:16 says, “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” We sing to bring glory and honor to God and celebrate who He is and what He is doing in our church!

Deaf Church, Rm. 35 – Our deaf worship experience is in ASL so that our deaf and hearing impaired can worship and fellowship in their own language!

Kidsong, Rm. 49 – We’ve created a place where children can have fun and learn about Jesus on their own level!

Against The Flow – Every Friday, at 6:30 p.m., Rm. 42. ATF is Newsong’s student ministry. Today’s middle and high school students will lead the next generation of the church and change the world. Our goal is to graduate students into a lifetime of following Jesus.

So, what are you waiting for? There is a God in heaven who loves you and has a purpose and plan for your life! Do you live outside of Section 5? Remember, a church alive is worth the drive! Come and fnd hope. Come and fnd healing. Come and fnd freedom.

Mailing Address: 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 42

Phone: 917-342-2559

Email: CentralTeam@newsongchurchnyc.org www.newsongchurchnyc.org

Prayer Request Line: Text “Prayer” to 877899-7323

Social Media: Facebook/IG/X: @newsongchurchbx; YouTube: Newsong Church NYC —Pastor Mike Tolone

The Church of St. Thomas The Apostle

177 Dreiser Loop, second foor, Rm. 2.

Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The clergy and members of St. Thomas invite you to worship with us. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

It is customary at St. Thomas to have a service of Nine Carols and Lessons during the Advent season. This year’s service will be held this Sunday, December 15. This is always an enjoyable service featuring congregational singing of favorite Christmas carols, as well as readings and solos provided by members of the congregation. We hope to see you there this Sunday.

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent. As we await the coming of the Lord, we are reminded: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:3)

Third Sunday of Advent: Sunday December 15:

• 11 a.m. Communion Service

• Fellowship with light refreshments following the service

Bible Lessons:

• Malachi 1:11, 3:1-4

• Mark 1: 1-8

Prayer: O Christ our Lord, we pray for strength to increase and multiply within our hearts thy heavenly grace; that we loving thee above all things may faithfully serve thee in all good works; thou who livest and reignest in the unity of the Father and of the Holy Spirit, one God, throughout all ages of ages. Amen.

—Rev. Dorian Miceli

Building 25 Association

Hello, Building 25 shareholders! We wish everyone peace and joy this holiday season. Congratulations to the 15 new offcers who completed their training, graduated, and are now members of Co-op City’s Department of Public Safety. We wish them success in their endeavor to build effective partnerships with the residents of Co-op City, and to ensure a safe community for all of us.

Our building association meeting, 12/17/24, is cancelled for this month. We are focusing on decorating our lobby and preparing to start the holiday collection for our building service workers. We will be posting the dates and times for the holiday collection in the lobby near the elevators soon.

Reminder: Four free Covid-19 tests are available for delivery by USPS. Households may order the test kits at Covidtests.gov or by telephone:800-232-0233, TTY 888720-7489.

We encourage our fellow cooperators to share their ideas, concerns, accomplishments, etc. by using the association’s email: bldg25association@gmail.com, or the suggestion box, in our laundry room. We will acknowledge and respond to your notes as quickly as possible. Building 25 Association welcomes new members. The yearly building association dues are $5, per family.

Sick and Shut-ins: We wish you comfort and peace of mind.

Condolences: To our neighbors who have lost a loved one recently, may fond memories bring you moments of comfort.

Season’s greetings to everyone!

—Evelyn Herbert

Building 9 Association

Greetings, Building 9 Association family and friends. Happy holiday season to you.

We will not convene the general membership in December due to our 9A and 9B lobby decorating events, 9A and 9B building staff collection efforts, and other year-end responsibilities.

We are in the process of preparing for our members only 2025 New Year Celebration scheduled for January.

We would like to give a special shout-out to shareholder Victoria Miles for her outstanding lobby decorating vision and assistance to VP Wanda Randall in Building 9A on Saturday, December 7. We thank our Nine Diamonds Janet Yarrell, Theresa Gorden, Barbara Cloud, Shirley McCann, Shirley Johnson, Marva Malone, Darlene Walker-Reid, Wanda Randall, Evelyn Mavins, Dinora Tirado, Elizabeth Manning, and Matse Jenkins for their dedication of time and effort collecting for our Building 9 staff.

We need volunteers to join in the decorating efforts for our 9B lobby. Please contact us with your availability. We thank you in advance.

We have extended an invitation to the Riverbay Cor-

poration Director of Extermination Services to attend our January meeting. Please join us to learn more about efforts to address your concerns.

Please be advised that infraction warnings have been issued to drivers for double parking along bus routes. Also, be aware that additional traffc cameras have been approved throughout the city. Drive responsibly. It is peak holiday package delivery season. That means it is also peak package pirate season. Please manage your deliveries. Enlist a neighbor, use a third-party delivery drop-off location, schedule your deliveries with specifc instructions, etc.

On Monday, December 9, Governor Kathy Hochul visited Co-op City to share her proposed cost of living initiatives. She shared her proposals for the New York State Infation Refund initiative that would send direct payments to everyday New Yorkers of $300 for single flers with incomes below $150,000 and $500 for joint flers with incomes below $300,000.

“For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eye on us.” —Amanda Gorman

—Linda Collins

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

Season’s Greetings, retirees and friends, We want to thank everyone who attended our annual holiday luncheon that was held on December 12 at the beautiful Marina del Rey. We appreciate your support in making this a joyful and fun-flled event. A wonderful time was had by all who attended. Thank you to our entertainment committee members Daisy Young, Jay McKenzie, and Ted Byrd for making this a successful event. Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA, Thursday, February 14, 2025. Seats are still available. Tickets are $65 with a $25 slot-play-giveback. The bus pick-up is in front of H&R Block, leaving promptly at 8:30 a.m. Return drop offs at Einstein, Asch, and Dreiser Loop. Contact Serita at 347-564-5722 for more information.

Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Overnight – May 29-30, 2025. Additional information to be announced soon.

Happy Birthday – We wish all our December celebrants an incredibly hap-

py birthday and continued peace and happiness throughout the year. Condolences – Please keep those who have recently suffered a loss in your thoughts and prayers.

Good and Welfare – Our healing thoughts and prayers go out to Serita Grayson and others who may be ill and/or recuperating from surgery. Please notify Lorraine Parker at 718-671-6403 of any member illnesses or deaths.

Membership Committee – Annual membership dues are $25. Personal checks payable to the “Retirees of Dreiser Loop” can be mailed to: Retirees of Dreiser Loop, 177 Dreiser Loop, Rm. 19, Bronx, NY 10475. Questions may be addressed to Mary at 718-655-9170.

General Meeting – Our next meeting will be held in the new year on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 1 p.m., in the Dreiser Center, Auditorium C.

––Georgina Rodriguez

Goose Island Seniors

Holiday Toy and Coat Drive – at Sec. 5 Center, 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Price: $25. Includes holiday brunch, entertainment and more. Call: 646-579-1701.

Goose Island Holiday Party – Fri., Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. in our club, Rm. 39, at 135 Einstein Loop, Section 5 center. Members only. Covered dish. Bring something or $20 at door. December birthday members free.

2025 Resort World Casino – in Monticello, NY., Thurs., Feb. 6, 2025. Price: $70. Bonus $25 slot play and $15 for food. Bus pick-up: Einstein Loop, at 8:45 a.m., in front of pizza store and Dreiser Loop, at 9:15 a.m., by hardware store.

Black eyed Sally’s and MGM Casino – cancelled.

2025 Uptown Motown Show at Tropicana AC – Thurs., March 27, 2025. Price: $160. Bonus: $25 slot play and $20 for food; $50 deposit to hold seat on bus. Balance due Wed., Feb. 26, 2025.

2025 Live Casino and Mall – in Philadelphia, PA., Thurs., April 24, 2025. Price: $70. No bonus.

2025 Hunterdon Hills Playhouse “Swing” – in Hampton, NJ., Thurs., May 1, 2025. Price: $180. Includes luncheon and show; $50 deposit to hold seat on bus. Balance due Wed., March 26, 2025.

2025 Holiday Hills Senior Day – in Prospect, CT., Tue., Aug. 19, 2025. Price: $150; $50 deposit to hold seat on bus. Balance due Wed., July 2, 2025. 2026 Norwegian Greek Isle Cruise – May 18–27, 2026. Price: $3293-3945.

AARP Chapter #4997

We are ready to say goodbye to 2024 and pray for a better year, if possible, for 2025. AARP would like to thank all our members, families, partners and associates for the work they assisted us with and the support they have extended to our chapter. We could not have increased our following without the new members as well as the aid of the existing members who brought them to us.

Our Tour Committee and our chapter are continuing to share information about the four trips that are planned, so far, for 2025. Trip one is on March 17 to see the Uptown Motown Tribute Show at the Tropicana Casino. The cost is $159 per person with givebacks and time to enjoy the casino. Trip two is from May 13-15 to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. This is a three-day, two-night trip by motor coach with lodging, tours, some meals and gratuities included for $599 per person. Trip three is July 17, a one-day trip to the Tomasello Winery and Atlantic City. On this day, we will have a wine tasting, lunch and then proceed to Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. The price for the day is $139 per person. Trip four is from October 3–10 on a cruise, the Queen Mary 2, leaving from New York City and traveling up through Canada and New England. We return from Canada on a fight into JFK airport. There are various prices for the cruise of eight days and seven nights. Flyers are available in our offce or by contacting Ms. Wright, 718-379-3370, or Ms. Brown, 718-379-7962. Departures for any trip by AARP leave from Dreiser Loop near the H&R Block offce. All our trips have insurance that you can purchase for your protection and we suggest that you take advantage of the opportunity.

Our fnal General Membership meeting of 2024 was held on December 9, and we enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship, food and fun. Our offce will be closed for the holiday from Monday, December 23, through Thursday, January 2. We resume our normal hours on Monday, January 6, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The offce is open Monday–Thursday, 1 a.m.-3 p.m., at 177 Dreiser Loop, Room 0, second foor. Phone: 718-320-1946. Email: aarp4997@gmail.com. Our frst General Membership Meeting for 2025 will be held on Monday, January 13, 2025. During our vacation time, families will be getting together for fun and visits. There is already an increase in whooping cough, walking pneumonia and Covid-19 cases in the United States. We are being warned to protect our own health and safety. Consult your personal medical advisor and discuss the value of vaccines for your remaining safe and health.

We are here to serve – not to be served.

––Ann Purnell

Call: 646-579-1701

Notary – with Yvonne Menefee, Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39. Call: 718-379-9613. Bingo – Mon., Wed., and Fri., 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Members only. Admission: $5 for 3 cards; $0.25 each additional card; 12 games and jackpot. Refreshments. Game day – Tue. and Thurs., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Dominoes, movies, socializing and more. Refreshments.

To all members: Happy birthday to our members who celebrate their birthday in the month of December: Nellie Rivera, Janie Williams, Jose Lopez, Brenda Brown, Wilfredo Lopez, Janet Coles, Louise (Cookie) Hernandez, Jackie Washington, Clara Howell, Mary (Pat) Randolph, Barbara Owens, Michael Olivas and Elaine D. Whitty. Birthday cake celebration at the Holiday Party on Dec. 20.

We are collecting $30 dues for 2025. Down-payments accepted.

Sick and Shut-in – Mary Pilla, our former president, sends her love to everyone. Call her at 718-753-1816.

Our club is at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39, Bronx, NY 10475, the Section 5 Community Center. Phone: 718-379-9613. Stephen cell: 347-847-1941. Our email address is goose.island@optonline.net. $StephenCarlSr. Good health to all.

—Stephen Roberts, Sr.

Co-op City United Methodist Church/ IEMU de Co-op City

Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.

Come and Visit Us – We are a multi-ethnic and bilingual, Bible-centered congregation with spirit-flled worship. We offer a variety of opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and service to God and our community. Services are held in person at 2350 Palmer Avenue, across from Building 30. Parking is available. You can also participate with us via Zoom (904 4685745) or Facebook Live (UMC Coop City). –Pastor, Rev. Sara Girón-Ortiz.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fll me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 NIV

We live in a world that can often seem dark, dreadful, and full of hopelessness. As a result, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements suggesting that consuming various materialistic things can make our troubles disappear and bring us happiness. However, this type of happiness is merely an emotion that changes with our circumstances. As Christians, we understand that genuine joy, fulfllment, and hope are found only within the context of a fourishing relationship with our Creator.

David’s praise for the many things that God has done for him is refected in the verse above. He celebrates his relationship with God with joy, recognizing that apart from the Lord, he has nothing good. The Lord is always with him, and not even death will separate him from God’s love and protection. This is because his eternal destiny is secured, and one day, he will experience unending delights, joy, and peace.

The message of rejoicing in God’s gift of salvation is timeless for all who are declared righteous by God because of our faith in Christ. God is the only lasting source of hope we have for meaning in this life and for life beyond death. Whatever your circumstances, let us rejoice in the Lord and praise Him for guiding our path in this life and for His gift of salvation, which gives us hope during this season of Advent and beyond.

May the God of hope help us keep believing so that we can experience His joy and peace. May the Holy Spirit help us to keep our eyes on God, not on our circumstances and provide us with the courage to share this message of hope with the despaired.

Come and Receive a Blessing: All are Welcome!

Tuesday: English Bible Study at 6 p.m., via Zoom (904 4685745).

Thursday: Prayer Service at 10 a.m.; Pantry at 11 a.m.

Upcoming Events – Save The Dates

Sunday, December 15: English Service at 11:15 a.m.; Escuela Dominical at 11:15 a.m; Servicio en Español at 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 21: United Women in Faith Christmas Party! From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ladies, lets celebrate and support.

Sunday, Dec. 22: Bilingual Service/Servicio Bilingue at 11: 30 a.m. Narrative of Jesus Christ. Breakfast will be provided from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., for all. Bring a friend.

—Grace Abadia

Co-op City NORC Program Invites You for These In-Person & Virtual Activities

Bartow OAC is collecting items for children in grades 3-5 for their Holiday Giveback Program. Slightly used or brand-new children’s coats, other wear, books, bags, and personal items are excepted. Dropoff at Bartow OAC, Rm. 31, until Tues., Jan. 7, 2025

Bartow OAC – Trader Joe’s, 12/17; BJ’S/LIDL 12/18. $6 per trip & pick-up starts at 10 a.m.

Dreiser OAC has tickets to see “Louis Armstrong Musical, A Wonderful World” on Broadway, Thurs., Feb. 20. Tickets are $90; payment due by Feb. 3. Common Pantry is scheduled for Tues., Dec. 17, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Not accepting new names at this time.

Coping w/Memory & Cognitive Changes – Presented by the Alzheimer’s Association in partnership

w/JASA, is meeting weekly on Fridays for nine weeks starting 1/7/25. Education & Orientation: 1/14/25 –3/4/25. Weekly Group Discussions: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. In the JASA NORC Offce. Pre-registration is required by 1/13/25. Call 1-800-272-3900 to request a pre-registration interview scheduling call.

Caringkind – The Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiving Rep. will be in the Bartow main offce every third Monday of the month, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for Alzheimer & Dementia Consultation/Health Care Proxy & Power of Attorney Consultation and other services. Please Call 646-744-2921 for an appointment.

Steel Drum Classes – JASA NORC Offce, on Wed., 1-3 p.m.

Technology Class – Thurs., 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dial in number: 929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 862 5043 9695, Passcode: 896989.

Line Dance w/Bartow Swingers – Wed. & Fri., 12-1 p.m. Dreiser Loop, Auditorium A.

Notary JASA NORC Offce – Weds. & Thurs., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-320-2066 for an appointment. Notary Dreiser OAC – Weds., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-320-1345 for an appointment. Rm. 7.

Please call Einstein OAC for – Hair Styling, 1st & 3rd Wed. of the month, 9-11 a.m. Braids, haircuts, shape-up, twist, ponytails, curls and more. Facials & Manicure, every Mon., 1-3 p.m. Call 718-671-5161 for appointments.

LUNCH & DINNER MENUS

Alternate Kosher Meals are available

BARTOW CENTER CLOSED

(NORC) Line Dancing w/ Bartow Swingers (ONLY) 12-1 p.m., every Monday

Walk w/Odessa

9:30-10:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure, 12-1 p.m. (1st & 3rd Tues.)

Health & Wellness w/Ann 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Adult Coloring, 12-1 p.m.

Smart Phone & Tablet Class w/Julesa, 1:45-2:45 p.m. Dinner Hour: 3-4:30 p.m.

Stay Well Exercise w/Odessa, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.

Bereavement Hour w/Dorine (1st Wed./month),12 p.m.-1 p.m.

Line Dancing w/Cynthia Wed. & Fri., 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Dinner Hour: 3-4:30 p.m.

Arthritis exercise w/Damion, 10-11:15 a.m.

Visual Arts w/Laura, (via Zoom) 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Knitting/Crocheting w/Lynne & Betty, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Card Games w/Frankie, 1-2 p.m.

Dinner Hour: 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Massage Therapy

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Manicure, 10:30 a.m-12 p.m.

Line Dance with Cynthia 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.

Drama Club w/Dazee Windley 2-4:30 p.m., back of the JASA NORC office

Dinner Hour, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Intergenerational Arts & Crafts w/Denise, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Salsa with Rasheed 10 a.m.-11 a.m., will meet in Dreiser, 2nd floor, Rm. 4

Word Games

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Bingo on Saturdays 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., in the back of JASA NORC of fce

Costco, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Mindful Mornings Tai Chi 9 a.m.-10 a.m.

Line Dance w/Sassy 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Book Club, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Ageless Facials & Self Care 1-3 p.m. (Appts. Only)

Movies w/Dennis, 1-3 p.m.

Never Too Old to Learn Spanish, 10-11 a.m., Rm. 35

Bridge to Care Arthritis Exercise w/Damion, 11 a.m.12 p.m., Rm. 45

Technology Lab w/Steve 1-2 p.m.

Trip: Alvin Ailey Performance 12 p.m. pick-up

Hair Care 4 U 9-11 a.m. (appointment only)

Stretch/Tone w/Ola 10-11 a.m.

Bodies in Motion w/Ola 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Visual Arts, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Salsa Dance w/George, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Chit & Chat, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Fit for Life Exercise w/Gail, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Notary: Schedule appts. in Rm.

48. Thurs.,11 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 718-671-5161

Coloring for Calmness, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Chess Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Blood Pressure Screening, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Health & Wellness 2.0 - The Goal Setting, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Let’s Get It On Zumba 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Leisure TV, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.

Stay Well Exercise w/ Denise 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Rm. 2

Chair Yoga Class w/Charles (Virtual) Meeting ID: 863 1492 4183; Passcode: Dreiser23

Blood Pressure w/Linda 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 4

Piano Sing Along Class 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 2

Smartphone & Tablet Literacy class w/Julesa, 1:15-2 p.m.

Game Time-Dominoes, 10-11 a.m. Art w/Lovie 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (Twice a month)

Cardio Exercise w/Gail 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 2

Leisure Games w/Clara 1-3:30 p.m.

Zumba w/Ola, 1-2 p.m., Aud. C

Tai Chi w/Jimmy, 2-3 p.m., Rm. 2 Computer & Tablet class w/Ralph (Virtual) 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Game Time: Jenga, 9-10 a.m.

Arthritis Exercise w/Damion 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Aud. C

Movie Afternoon 1:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Rm. 4

Drama Club 1:30-3:30 p.m., Rm. 4

Self Defense w/Jimmy, 2-3 p.m., Rm. 2. (Twice a month.)

Current Events, 10-11 a.m.

Leisure TV, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Body in Motion w/ Ola, 1-2 p.m., Aud. A Spanish w/Angelica, 1-2 p.m. (Twice a month)

Sip & Paint Event, 1-2:30 p.m., Rm. 2. Limited space, signup required Manicure Services w/Maria 1-3:30 p.m. (Twice a month)

Walmart, Monroe, NY, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Currents Events, 10-11 a.m.

Sewing Class w/Joy, 9-11 a.m., Rm. 2

Knitting & Crocheting w/Loretta, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Line Dance w/Sassy, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Aud. A Bingo, 1:20-2:50 p.m., Rm. 4

Menu fee for lunch is $2 & $5 for guests. All meals served w/margarine and fresh milk. Menu subject to change without notice.

For information, please call: (718) 320-2066. Schedule subject to change without notice.

Payments for trips can be made where noted, Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and 2-4 p.m. only. Funded by: The NYC Department for the Aging, the NYS Office for the Aging and Riverbay Corporation. Must be 60 or older to become a JASA participant.

Menu Fee for lunch is $2 & $5 for guest. All meals served with margarine & fresh milk. Menu subject to change without notice.

LUNCH: KOSHER: Breaded Vegetable Cutlet, Couscous, Vegetable Mix; NONKOSHER: Beef Salisbury Steak w/ Mushroom Sauce, Cilantro Lime Rice, California Blend Vegetables

NO DINNER SERVED

LUNCH: KOSHER: Baked Mushroom Chicken, Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Green Beans; NON-KOSHER: Homestyle Vegan Whole Grain Mac & Cheese, Steamed Broccoli

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER:Moroccan Salmon, Rice w/ Vegetable, Tossed Salad w/Dressing, Banana; NON-KOSHER: Beef Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Sauce, California Blend Vegetable, Cilantro Lime Rice, Apple

LUNCH: KOSHER: Moroccan Salmon, Rice w/Vegetables; NON-KOSHER: Fish w/Fresh Salsa Relish, Brown Rice, Steamed Kale

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Baked Chicken w/ Mushroom, Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Potato, Steamed Green Beans, Canned Pineapple; NONKOSHER: Homemade Vegan Whole Grain Mac & Cheese, Steamed Broccoli, Orange

LUNCH: KOSHER: Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce; Spaghetti, Capri Blend Vegs NON-KOSHER: Curried Chicken Legs, White Rice, Cooked Cabbage w/Shredded Carrots

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti, Capri Blend Vegs., Orange NON-KOSHER: Fish w/Fresh Salsa Relish, Brown Rice, Steamed Kale, Apple

LUNCH: KOSHER: Baked Chicken Quarters, Potato Kugel, Normandy Blend; NON-KOSHER: Pork Tenderloin w/Zesty Cilantro Sauce, Baked Red Potato Wedges, Steamed Sliced Carrots

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Breaded Vegetable Cutlet, Brown Rice, Green Bean Salad; NONKOSHER: Curried Chicken Legs, White Rice, Cooked Cabbage w/Shredded Carrot, Banana (10 GRAB & GO)

Saturday: Lunch served at 12:30 p.m. until fnished: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Baked Chicken Quarters, Potato Kugel, Normandy Blend Vegetables, Canned Peaches NON-KOSHER: Pork Tenderloin w/ Zesty Cilantro Sauce, Baked Red Potato Wedges, Steamed Sliced Carrots, Orange

Rivers Run Community Garden

Happy Holidays! It was such a pleasure to see all of you at the end of year celebration on Thursday. Fun, food and gratitude was had by all.

Thinking of gratitude. We must give a shout-out to our partners, Bronx Health Science H.S.! Not only do they help us in the garden, but they also assist with teaching environmental studies at the elementary schools and so much more. I am proud to say some of these wonderful bright and intelligent students spent the weekend at Yale Model Congress, where the Bronx was represented for the frst time ever! We are so proud!

Please tell your friends and family about this amazing place where we not only grow fruits and vegetables, but also grow knowledge and friendships. Rivers Run Community Garden, located on Co-op City Blvd., next to the baseball feld, is a movement towards improved mental and physical health. We provide all types of workshops, including nutrition, meditation, edible and medicinal wilds identifcation, planting, construction, and crafting. We are the outdoor classroom for local schools, day cares, residents, and neighbors. We are a place of beauty and peace. Visit. Stay. Experience us.

Membership Requirements: $20 per year fee and 20 hours of work. There is a waiting list for beds. Members who actively fulfll the 20 hours of volunteer work requirement are moved up on the waiting list. Volunteers are welcome.

If you’d like to reach out to us, please email us at Rivers_run@yahoo.com or call Denise Shelley at 917-2322982 or Gail Sharbaan at 718-671-3801.

—Gail Sharbaan

National Council of Negro Women

NCNW Co-op City Section – At our fnal membership meeting of 2024 last Sunday, December 8, we welcomed three new prospective members to our section (pictured at right) Tina Cooper, Cynthia Seymore and Quanesna Martin joined us at our meeting and Christmas party. We are also proud to learn that the Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City at their 28th Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration will honor our former president, Eleanor Donnley.

Youth Committee – The Youth Committee this year, instead of collecting toys, games, hats, or gloves for children, is collecting winter accessories, pajamas, blankets, socks, toiletries and feminine hygiene products for women in a shelter. We appreciate the support of the entire Co-op City community in this effort as always. Someone will be in Rm. 14 of the Dreiser Community Center on the following days and times to accept your highly appreciated donations: today, Saturday, December 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursday, December 19, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Also at our meeting, our Youth Committee announced that our section made a holiday gift of a $300 grocery gift card and a turkey to a family with seven children in our community. The family was deeply grateful.

Our Youth Committee is calling all talented youth! On February 22, 2025, we will be having our annual youth Black History program in the Dreiser Auditorium. This year our theme is “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now.” We are looking for singers, dancers, poets and instrumentalists. For more information on the winter collection or the Black History program, please call 917-826-5544 or email ncnwcoopcityyouth@gmail.com.

NCNW National – The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) are joining forces to raise awareness about the importance of protecting Black communities across the US from preventable infectious diseases including COVID-19, infuenza (fu), pneumococcal disease, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Diseases like fu and COVID-19 have disproportionately affected Black communities and other racial and ethnic groups in the US, leading to more infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that from 2009 to 2023, age-adjusted fu hospitalizations were 1.8 times higher among Black adults compared to White adults. Despite the higher disease burden among communities of color, vaccination rates for fu and COVID-19 have historically been low. “By getting vaccinated, we can help protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from becoming seriously ill due to fu, COVID-19, RSV, and pneumococcal disease,” said NCNW President Shavon Arline-Bradley. “Vaccines are the best line of defense to help protect against serious outcomes from these respiratory diseases, and every year, people in our communities become seriously ill, and many die because they are not vaccinated.”

Social Media – Remember you can fnd us on our website: www.ncnwcoopcitysection.com; on Instagram: NCNW Co-op City and email: ncnwco.opcity@gmail.com.

—Joyce Howard

Co-op City Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Sheldon E. Williams and the Co-op City Baptist Church family invite you to join us for Worship Service tomorrow at 8 a.m., in-person only, and at 11 a.m., in-person and on Zoom. Sunday School classes for all ages will be held at 9:30 a.m. We are located at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 50 (lower level), Bronx, NY 10475. Telephone: 718-320-3774. Email: ccbc135@optimum.net or coopcitybc@gmail. com. Website: www.coopcitybaptistchurch.org. Masks are required.

The 11 a.m. service is also available on Zoom at https://us04web.zoom. us/j/9623430102 or Zoom Telephone Conference Line: 646-568-7788, Meeting ID: 962 343 0102#, Password: 788175#. You can also go to YouTube, search for “Co-op City Baptist Church” and watch us there.

The church’s free conference call line dial in number is 857-357-0254, Access Code is 660065#.

Rev. Williams asks everyone who calls into the Sunday Worship service to use Zoom through your computer or dial-in using the Zoom information shown above.

This week’s events: Wednesday Bible Study Class at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Zoom. Prayer Warriors Prayer Service on Thursday at 12 p.m. on the church conference call line. On Thursday, at 2 p.m., the Circle of Grace Knit and Cro-

chet Group will meet in person at the church, in Rm. 5. The Friday mid-morning Prayer Service is at 10 a.m. and at 7:30 p.m. is the Friday Evening Prayer Services, both are on the church conference call line.

Our Watch Night Service will be held on Tuesday night, December 31, at 10:30 p.m., via Zoom. Everyone is invited.

The next CCBC Food Giveaway will be distributed on Friday, January 10, 2025, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., in front of the Einstein Community Center. Please remember to bring your own bag and perhaps a cart. Some products can be heavy.

The church has a free app available on your app store by putting in “Co Op CBC.” This app is open to all.

“GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

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.

—Marilyn C. Williams

Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City

120 Erdman Place, (back of 27B’s lobby) Bronx, NY 10475. Chanukah Party

The Traditional Synagogue is happy to announce that our annual Chanukah Party will take place on Saturday, December 28, and will begin immediately following Shabbos services around 12:15 p.m. The party is completely free of charge. Join us in the celebration of this festive holiday.

The synagogue would appreciate donations to keep our shul open. If you would like to help, go to www.Gofundme.com/Traditional-Synagogue-of-Co-op-City to donate, or mail to the Traditional Synagogue, 120 Erdman Pl.

The synagogue has services on Saturday morning starting at 10 a.m. After service, we serve hot/cold Kiddush meals. Entrance to our synagogue for Saturday services is on the side door of Building 27B.

General Information

The Traditional Synagogue is located in Section 5, 120 Erdman Place in the please leave a message.

The synagogue has a Facebook page, “Traditional Synagogue.”

Circle of Christ Church Iglesia Circulo de Cristo

Jesus the Redeemer

The synagogue needs donations. Whatever amount you can donate, big or small, would help. The synagogue needs men to help make a minyan. There are a lot of Jewish men who live in Co-op City who do not come to services. Please come by 10 a.m., so we can take out the Torah.

The Traditional Synagogue is the only synagogue in Co-op City.

Sabbath ends on Saturday, December 14, at 5:21 p.m.

Candle lighting for Friday, December 20, at 4:11 p.m.

Good and Welfare

The congregation welcomes donations in honor or memory of a loved one. Any amount is greatly appreciated. For information about the congregation and its services, please call 646-285-1206.

To All Members

Happy birthday to all our members who will be celebrating their birthday in December. Please send me your name and I will add it to the list.

Fun and Games

After services and kiddush, members play games. Your support for the Traditional Synagogue is greatly appreciated. Wishing all our members and friends peace and good health.

––Bruce Gitelson

Throughout Scripture, Jesus demonstrates his power and authority. Sometimes it is displayed through representation in the lives of Biblical characters. However, redemption through

The story of Ruth and Boaz demonstrates the redemptive power of God’s love to restore Naomi tells Ruth in Ruth 3:3-4 & 6, “Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your

Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down. He will tell you what to do... Ruth went to the

James 4:8, “Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Ruth 3:7-9, down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. In the middle of the night, something startled Boaz; he turned, and a woman was lying at his feet! Who are you? he asked. I am your servant, Ruth, she said. Spread the corner of your garment over me since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”

Mark 6:56, “Wherever Jesus went, into villages, towns or countryside, they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”

Ruth 3:12, “Although I am indeed a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another more closely related than I.”

The difference between law and grace is seen here. This family member could redeem, but was not called by God to do so. The law tells us what to do, but gives us no power to do it.

Ruth 3:15, “He also said, Bring me the shawl you wear and hold it out. When she did, he poured in 6 measures of barley and put the bundle on her.”

He blessed her abundantly before she was his bride. In Jesus, we sit in heaven.

Schedule (147 Dreiser Loop)

New Year’s Eve Celebration, December 31, 7-9 p.m.

First Sunday of the month Bilingual Communion Service, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday: Spanish Service at 9 a.m. and English Service at 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday: Prayer at 10:30 a.m. and Bible Study at 12 p.m.

Wednesday: Non-perishable food distribution, 12-2 p.m.

Thursday: Prayer/Bible Study, 6:30-8 p.m.

Friday: Spanish Bible Study at 12 p.m. and Youth Service (Operation Grace), 6:309 p.m.

Saturday: Women’s Fellowship, second Saturday, 12-3 p.m.

Young Adults, third Saturday, 12-3 p.m.

Men’s Fellowship, fourth Saturday, 12-3 p.m.

Blessings in Christ,

––Pastor Luis F. Ramos Jr.

Church of the New Vision

Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Church of the New Vision and Pastors Kenneth and Deborah Hodge welcome you to worship with us at 115 Einstein Loop North, Bronx, NY 10475. Church phone: 718-671-8746 and Pastor’s phone: 914522-5039. Our scripture verse for 2024 is (Hebrews 12:2 NIV):

who for the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.”

Sunday service at 11 a.m. All are welcome. Masks are required. Noon Day Prayer Line, from 12-12:30 p.m., Mon.–Fri. Wednesday Night Prayer Service and Bible Study, from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. The Conference Line Number is 646-769-9900; Access Code: 3099388#. Please mute your phone.

December 8, 2024 Worship Service Theme: “Everything He Has Spoken Shall Come to Pass”

Scripture: Joshua 21:43-45 NLT, “So, the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had spoken came true.”

Save the Dates

Saturday, December 14 – Youth Holiday Celebration at 12:30 p.m. Join us, there will be fellowship, fun and food.

July 6-13, 2025 – Celebrity Beyond, an eight-day/ seven-nightcruise from Miami. Ports of call: Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Inside Stateroom: $2656 per person; Ocean View: per stateroom to reserve your room. Final payment due March 9, 2025. Package includes: cruise, air*, taxes, fees, transfers, Wi-Fi, drink package and gratuities. (*Air rates may differ based on departing airport). Contact: Hermena Smith at 718-708-5035 or info@ churchnewvisionbx.org to request payment link.

We continue to pray for speedy recovery for the sick and shut-in, and condolences to families who lost loved ones and good health and wellness for all.

Please mail contributions, tithes and offerings to Church of New Vision, P.O. Box 75-3037, Einstein Station, Bronx, New York 10475.

––Brenda

Brown

Pentecostal Tabernacle

The Pentecostal Tabernacle invites everyone to a worship service every Sunday morning at 100 Co-op City Blvd., Building 22A, Bronx, NY.10475 Telephone: 718-324-0334 or 646-345-6707.

Sunday School for all age groups begins at 10:30 a.m. Midday service starts at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday morning fasting and prayer service will be held at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Bible Study and prayer meeting will be held every Wed. night at 7:30 p.m.

Friday worship service at 7:30 p.m.

All night services will be on Zoom, call 6469313860; Meeting ID: 85748454513, Code: 850684#

Focus: Jacob’s attraction to Rachel

Genesis 29: 1-6, 9-11, “Then Jacob went on his journey and came into the

watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, my brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said to them, know ye Labon the son of Nahor? And they said we know him. And he said to them “is he well? And they said, he is well; and behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.” “And while he yet Spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, mother’s brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, lifted his voice, and wept.”

Jacob was attracted to Rachel when he met her at the well. As Jacob conversed with the shepherds, he asked them if they knew Laban; they said yes and pointed out that his daughter Rachel was arriving with her father’s sheep. Upon Rachel’s arrival to the well, Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and

Although several shepherds came to the well while Jacob was there, they away from the well. Jacob was so excited when he realized that he was at the place to meet his cousin and rushed towards the well to roll away the stone and kiss Rachel; immediately Rachel ran to tell her father the good news. As soon as Leban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. A divine plan of God.

—Rev. R. Sibblies

I Wish

I wish that I was young again, would I start my life anew?

Would I follow roads I did before, now that I know what not to do?

I wish I could after all of the mistakes I’ve made and know then what I know now, would I do again all over as I rush to take my bow.

Am I committed to take my blessings and condemned to take my faults, to live my life all over could I afford to pay the cost?

There is an old saying “the grass is greener on the other side” so, I am thankful for the gains I’ve made, GOD knows how hard I’ve tried, and I hope it has pleased some, so do I wish that I was young again or should I just be thankful when tomorrow comes.

––Frank W. Mayes

Coalition to Save Affordable Housing

We invite our members and friends to a Pot Luck dinner on Tuesday, De-

good music and excellent company. In addition, we will be holding a silent auction. Bring your good appetite, dancing shoes, and celebratory spirit.ing for American people. Under a new President-elect who has been hinting hard-fought battles over decades, we will have to be more united than never before to protect our Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, public education, environment protection, etc. The Coalition is certain we in Co-op City will not remain silent but together with the overwhelming majority of America people will raise our voices and we will prevail – protect our democracy, justice, and

Wishing all a Happy Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad and a Healthy, Peaceful New Year.

—Bernard Cylich

African-American Association of Co-op City

Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration Today! Bartow Center, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. It’s Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration Day today! We hope you plan to join us. If you can, in the spirit of Kwanzaa, we ask that everyone bring an offering of a prepackaged beverage and/or a dessert. This is the 28th Annual Holiday Celebration in which we celebrate Kwanzaa. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West, East, and Southeast Africa

If We Don’t Unite Now, When? – We have a new President with a new agenda. We must begin anew as well to unite through all of our events, clubs, organizations and associations. Let us unite on purpose! Now!

Membership applications will be available at the Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Faith). Come prepared to take your place and be in the number for 2025. More information below.

We offer an early community celebration, hence the title “Pre-Kwanzaa,” because so many families have their own Kwanzaa Celebrations. The African-American Association, as a member of the Coalition of African-American

3 p.m., spreading the good news of the day (i.e., Habari Gani) through the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa which are:

• Umoja, or unity.

• Kujichagulia, or self-determination.

• Ujima, or collective work and responsibility.

• Ujamaa, or cooperative economics.

• Nia, or purpose.

• Kuumba, or creativity.

• Imani, or faith.

Come celebrate Kwanzaa which, for many, is a time of learning. Celebrate African-American culture in an attempt to reclaim the knowledge of our history which was taken from us during the middle passage. Come and enjoy the Karamu which is the communal feast where all things are ceremonious symbols of our heritage and its rich tradition.

AAACC Membership – $25/year for single membership and $35/year for family/household membership. Zelle us your payment using our email address. Email: aaaccpower@gmail.com. Call: 646-883-9095. The African-American Association of Co-op City, P.O. Box 702, Co-op City Station, Bronx, NY 10475.

AAACC Programs

Belly Dance Classes – contact Xonia Wilson at 646-301-9438.

Evening Line Dance Classes – contact Cynthia Dixon at 917-903-7073. Co-op City Baptist Church “Gospel Line Dancers” – contact Joyce Smith at 718-320-0714.

“Each one of us, multiplied by all of us, equals a force for good.”

—Michelle Marbury

RIVERBAY ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE

If you have knowledge or a concern of possible violations of law, accounting irregularities, or other suspected wrongdoing affecting Riverbay, you are encouraged to report it to law enforcement, or you may report it through an anonymous hotline by one of the following methods:

• Go to an independent website, www.lighthouse-services.com/riverbaycorp, to complete online disclosure form;