Co-op City Times 12/21/2024

BY DANIELLE CRUZ

The Riverbay Board of Directors held an Open Board Meeting at the Dreiser Auditorium on Wednesday, December 18. Before the Board voted on several resolutions, shareholders were able to address the Board and Riverbay Management during the Gallery Session.

Ten shareholders signed up to ask questions, ranging from concerns about the lighting in certain areas of the community, potential carrying charge increases and smoking in buildings.

After the Gallery Session concluded, the meeting was called to order by Board President Rod Saunders, who started the meeting by presenting his President’s Report to the community.

At the start of his report, President Saunders con-

Training Academy.

President Saunders also shared with the community that when Governor Kathy Hochul visited Co-

Increases & More Discussed

BY ROZAAN BOONE & DANIELLE CRUZ

At the December 18, 2024 Open Riverbay Board of Directors meeting, 10 shareholders signed up to address the Board on a wide range of topics during the Gallery Session.

Below is a summary of shareholders’ questions and the answers that were presented by Board directors and Riverbay Management.

speaker, Ms. Barbara Rose, who stated that although the Dreiser area is much cleaner, there is still room for improvement and that more frequent cleanings are necessary. Ms. Rose also asked for Co-op City’s diversity to be taken into consideration when decisions are being made on restaurant leases so that a larger cross-section of the community can be served. She also bemoaned the fact that there is only one synagogue in Co-op City.

“The culture, it’s like, we [white, Jewish members of Co-op City] don’t count anymore, that’s how I feel,” Ms. Rose said.

MTA Expands OMNY for ReducedFare Riders

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

Reduced-Fare riders will now have the ability to tap and go after the MTA announced an expansion to OMNY on December 13.

The MTA started mailing out more than 1.5 million Reduced-Fare OMNY cards to current program participants last week to replace the former Reduced-Fare MetroCard. With the inclusion of Reduced-Fare customers, the MTA is another step closer to transitioning away from MetroCards.

(Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 8)

On behalf of Douglas Elliman Property Management, Managing Agent, I am delighted to present the Management Report for Riverbay Corporation for the period ending November 30, 2024. This Management Report provides updates with the following elements:

Department

• Heating Services In the Community

• Garage Elevator Modernization\

• 2-year Budget Planning

• Convector initiatives

graduated from the Co-op City Public Safety Inhouse Academy. With these new additions to the -

day, December 14, 2024, below is a summary of recruitment efforts for the upcoming Academy:

• A total of 37 recruits were scheduled for agility portion of the process.

(Continued on page 4)

Reduced-Fare riders are entitled to a 24/7, 50% discount, for all subway trips, as well as local, limited and select bus service. Express bus trips are also 50% off for reduced fare riders except during the weekday morning hours of 6 to 10 a.m. and evening hours of 3 to 7 p.m. Reduced-Fare riders can also apply their 50% discount toward the Metro-North Railroad for a one-way peak fare except during the weekday morning hours of 6 to 10 a.m.

(Continued on page 3)

On Monday, December 16, Riverbay Executive General Manager Marvin L. Walton announced the selection of Joshua Blake as the new Riverbay Deputy General Manager. Mr. Blake has been a long-time employee of Riverbay Corporation, previously serving as the Director of Janitorial.

myself, I am here to represent and support the interests of all the shareholders here in Co-op City. I am willing to

look forward to the contributions that Joshua will bring to

Photo by Brandi Simpson

Management Report

Joshua Blake

Board Meeting ––– (Continued from page 1)

initiative, he invited her to stop by again in July and attended a presentation about how Co-op City intends to address climate control and utilize alternative energy.

Moving on with his report, President Saunders also thanked Councilmember Kevin Riley and Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, who chairs the Committee on Housing and Buildings, for their support of the J-51 tax break program that was recently passed by City Council. The J-51 program allows eligible residential apartment buildings to apply for a property tax exemption and abatement when undergoing renovations and upgrades.

However, President Saunders pointed out, the program will not apply for renovations required under Local Law 11, which requires buildings to have their façades inspected every five years. According to President Saunders, during the last inspection cycle, the corporation spent $77 million in repairs. The J-51 program will however provide tax breaks to building renovations made in compliance with Local Law 97, which requires buildings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 0% by 2050.

Wrapping up his report, President Saunders then went on to encourage shareholders to read the Co-op City Times, not only to get up-to-date information about the community, but to also look at the ads for local businesses.

After his report, President Saunders turned the mic over to Riverbay Executive General Manager Marvin L. Walton, who presented a summary of his Management Report and provided updates to the community about the ongoing efforts to staff the Public Safety department, heating in the buildings, leaks in the underground pipe system, and the Garage Elevator Modernization Project. (See full Management Report on page 1.)

During his Management Report, Mr. Walton also congratulated the 15 new CCPD officers and announced that with the new officers, the CCPD staffing shortage dropped from 49% or 53% to 34% or 37% of the 93 open peace officer positions. He also shared that Management is continuing their efforts to fill the 24 seats available for the next training class and have currently identified 23 recruits.

Mr. Walton then went on to address the heating issues in Building 27 and explain why some shareholders have been experiencing excessive heat in their apartments. As Mr. Walton explained, the buildings in Co-op City are all split up into three different heating and cooling zones, so an imbalance in one building can lead to the rest of the buildings within that zone also experiencing an imbalance. In this case, shareholders in Building 27 were experiencing no heat, and after the issue with the pumps was fixed, the Power Plant then had to increase the heat within that zone in order to raise the temperature in Building 27. When that happens, the Power Plant then has to work to re-balance the temperature in all the buildings within that zone, a process that can sometimes take up to two weeks to complete.

“That’s not a one-day process, that’s not a two-day process. It normally takes about 14 days to get a balance back on,” Mr. Walton explained. “So, it’s important that you all know that, because you may be getting excessive heat, but there may be another apartment that’s not getting any heat. So just bear that in mind, no excuses, just being transparent with you all so you can understand what’s going on.”

Mr. Walton also encouraged shareholders to contact the Call Center (718320-3300) if they are experiencing any issues with their heat or anything else in their apartments.

“It’s so important that if you have anything going on in your apartment that you initiate a call to the Call Center, because that’s our central repository,” Mr. Walson said. “And then we can dispatch out the Maintenance technicians to come and deal with those issues.”

Moving on with his report, Mr. Walton also explained that repairs are underway to fix two high temp hot water leaks in the community. One leak occurred near Building 25 and repairs for that leak started on Thursday, December 19. The second leak occurred between Adler Place and Building 21, that area is currently fenced off and the investigatory digging will begin after the holidays.

Mr. Walton also gave an update on the Garage Modernization Project and shared that all of the elevators have been repaired and upgraded and that they are currently waiting for the NYS Department of Buildings to perform the necessary inspections.

“Our goal was to have them all modernized and finished by the end of December, we met that goal,” said Mr. Walton. “However, now it takes the inspections to take place and that’s scheduled for January, between now and the end of January.”

To close his report, Mr. Walton also announced to the community that Joshua Blake has been selected as the new Deputy General Manager for Riverbay Corporation.

After the Management Report was concluded, the Board moved on to the several resolutions on the agenda.

First up, were the lease resolutions, which were read by Parking & Leasing Director Danielle O’Connor. (Resolutions can be found on pages 19 & 22.)

Lease Resolution #24-72 was read first and pertained to a lease renewal for a dental office at 120 Alcott Place. After a vote, the resolution was approved, with 13 Directors voting yes and 2 Directors absent from the meeting.

The next resolution was Resolution #24-73, which was for a new lease agreement with Congressman George Latimer for an office in the Dreiser Community Center. After a vote, the resolution was approved, with 13 Directors voting yes.

After the Board concluded their votes on the lease resolutions, President Saunders called up Riverbay Risk Management Director John Lowe, to present Insurance Resolution #24-69. This resolution pertained to a renewal of Riverbay’s Workers’ Compensation Policy with the New York State Insur-

ance Fund, for an annual renewal premium of $2,372,960, plus a service fee of $95,000, for a total cost of $2,467,960. The renewal would be for 12 months, starting on January 1, 2025, and ending on January 1, 2026.

Mr. Lowe also pointed out that compared to last year, the policy price did decrease 5.20% and will save Riverbay $135,445. One reason for the decrease was due to the number of manpower days lost decreasing over the years.

“Over the last 40 years, Riverbay has severely reduced manpower days lost, and I attribute that to our Safety department, led by Tony Barzelatto,” said Mr. Lowe. “Over the last three years, we’ve gone down from 3,092 manpower days lost down to 564… We bring people in and we find out why they got injured, what has happened and what can they do to learn from that.”

After Mr. Lowe presented the policy, Director Daryl Johnson asked if it was possible for Riverbay to buy the compensation policy directly from the New York State Insurance Fund and raised concerns about the service fee.

Mr. Lowe and Director Saunders both replied and said that Riverbay currently does not have the means to buy the policy directly from the state, as a broker’s license is needed.

After the Directors asked their questions, Resolution #24-69 was put up for a vote. The resolution was passed with ten Directors voting yes, three Directors voting no, and two Directors absent.

Next on the agenda was Resolution# 24-70, which was presented by Human Resources Director Inelle Cooper. This resolution pertained to a five-year collective bargaining agreement between Riverbay and District Counsel No. 9, IUPAT, AFL-CIO.

After a vote, Resolution# 24-70 was passed, with all 13 Directors present voting yes.

Resolution #24-71 was up next and pertained to a five-year collective bargaining agreement between Riverbay and the Office & Professional Employees International Union, Local 153.

After a vote, the resolution was passed, with all 13 Directors voting yes.

The next resolution was Resolution #24-62, which was read by Restoration Director Edgar Perez. This resolution was a change order request for an existing contract with TF Andrew Carpet One for the purchase of ceramic tiles. The resolution asked for a six-month extension of time, with no additional cost being requested, as they continue to seek the best ceramic tile products for the best pricing.

After a vote, the resolution was passed, with 12 Directors voting yes and one Director voting no.

Last up was Resolution #24-68, which was presented by Co-op City Times Director Rozaan Boone. This resolution pertained to a contract for the weekly distribution of the Co-op City Times around the community. It is a two-year contract and would cost Riverbay a total of $145,080, plus tax.

Mrs. Boone went on to explain that the Riverbay Procurement department sent bids out to eight companies and only the current vendor responded. This is also the first time in four years that the vendor has increased their price, and that was due primarily to the scope of work changing in the contract.

“The scope of the work was changed in this new contract for the delivery to the townhouses,” Ms. Boone explained. “The current procedure is for the newspaper to be rolled and placed inside the hinge of the screen door. Shareholders have complained about the paper getting wet in inclement weather and falling to the ground when the screen door is open, and if it has not picked up immediately, scattering and littering the grounds. So, with the new contract, we’re asking the vendor to have the newspapers folded and slipped into the mail slot of each unit to better protect them. Delivering to the high-rise buildings and community centers will continue to the newspaper bins in the lobbies and the centers.

This year, the Board also requested a procedural change in the delivery of the newspapers. Instead of the vendor dropping stacks of newspapers off on the grounds of the property, the Board requested that the stacks be brought into the vestibules of the high-rise buildings, which also added cost to the contract.

After reading the resolution, a vote was called Resolution #24-68 was passed. Twelve Directors voted yes, and one Director voted no.

After two first readings of resolutions, President Saunders closed out the meeting and wished shareholders a happy holiday.

What shareholders need to know about noise complaints

Shareholders experiencing undue and/or incessant noise coming from a neighboring apartment or home, are advised to call Public Safety, (718) 671-3050.

After the call is received and the location is noted, officers will be dispatched to the home of the shareholder calling in the complaint. When the officers arrive at the home of that shareholder, the shareholder should cooperate with the officers so they can confirm that there is noise from a neighboring home that is loud enough to be considered a violation of Co-op City by-laws designed to ensure each home’s quality of life.

After the investigating officers confirm the noise and determine it to be loud enough to be considered a violation, then a Community Complaint will be issued to the shareholder of record of the offending home.

The fine for the first offense is $100 and doubles for each fine thereafter.

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Riverbay

Office Closing

Riverbay offices will be closed for the Christmas holiday on Wednesday, Dec. 25. Because of the holiday-shortened work week, articles, letters and Directors’ viewpoints submitted for publication in the Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 issue must be received by 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 23. Material received after this time will not be included in the Dec. 28th issue of the newspaper

For emergency Maintenance, please call (718) 320-3300, select option 2. For CCPD, call (718) 671-3050; and NYPD, 911.

We wish our readers Happy Holidays! Be safe in your celebrations.

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.

Read & Follow the Co-op Times Online

CO - OP CITY TIMES 2ND FRONT PAGE

Scan QR code to read the Co-op City Times online at issuu.com/cctimes

NYC Kindergarten Application Closes January 24

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

Parents have until January 24 to submit their child’s kindergarten or kindergarten gifted and talented application.

In New York City, all children are guaranteed a kindergarten seat in a city public school the same calendar year they turn 5 years old.

To apply, parents can go online to MySchools.nyc, call 718-935-2009 or visit a Family Welcome Center. Family Welcome Centers are important resources that help families with the admissions and enrollment process. For Coop City shareholders and parents, the Family Welcome Center in the Bronx that deals with Co-op City’s school district, District 11, is located at 1230 Zerega Avenue, Room 24, Bronx, NY 10462. The Family Welcome Center serving District 11 can also be reached via email at: ZeregaFWC@schools.nyc.gov.

Parents are free to list as many programs as they desire on the application, but should be aware that the order in which they rank the programs is important and could determine which spot their child ultimately ends up getting. The New York City Department of Education expects to release both kindergarten and kindergarten gifted and talented offers on April 2, 2025.

Each individual kindergarten program has a specific amount of seats available. Kindergarten programs that receive more applicants than available seats will then make their offers to children “who have the highest admission priority,” according to NYCDOE.

Admission priorities are given to certain applicant

OMNY ––– (Continued from page 1)

Individuals are eligible for the Reduced-Fare program if they are 65 or older, or have a qualifying disability. Here’s a general list of the types of disabilities that would deem a person eligible for the program, according to the MTA:

●Individual currently receives Medicare benefits for any reason other than age

● Individual receives Supplemental Security Income and has serious mental illness

● Individual is blind

● Individual is deaf or suffers from hearing loss

● Individual has an ambulatory disability

● Individual has a cognitive disability

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber discussed the major milestone during the announcement of OMNY’s expansion on December 13.

groups before others. Here are some examples of admission priority given to an applicant applying to a certain school:

● An applicant currently lives in the same school district as the school.

● An applicant has one or more siblings who is already a student at the school.

● An applicant currently attends a pre-K program at the school.

Parents can check their child’s admissions priorities by using their MySchools.nyc account. MySchools.nyc also allows parents to see the admissions priorities of each school and the kind of applicants accepted to the same program during the previous year. This tool helps parents narrow down where they should apply to by showing them which schools their child has the best chance of getting into.

Once a child is accepted into a kindergarten program, parents should keep in mind that their child then has the option to remain at that same public school until that respective school’s final elementary grade.

Additional information on the kindergarten application process can be found online at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment.

The NYC public school kindergarten admissions process is not the only admissions cycle underway as both the middle school and high school applications process are currently ongoing. High school applications closed on December 9 and middle school applications closed on December 20.

Looking ahead to next month, the Pre-K and 3-K applications will open on January 15 and close on February 28.

son Rail Link. Student OMNY cards will also allow for free transfers between the services listed above, leaving free ride totals for a single day unaffected. Unlike with student MetroCards, student OMNY cards will remain valid for an entire year including the summer.

In related MTA transit news, Governor Hochul announced on December 17 that the MTA was expanding service for 24 bus routes in the upcoming spring. Two of the four service enhancements of bus routes in the Bronx directly affect the Co-op City community. The Bx23, Bx28 and Bx38 will run more frequently starting in a few months. Specifically, the service improvements aim for “increased frequency or running time adjustments that promote greater service regularity,” according to the MTA.

your Art to Co-op City Creatives!

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.

“Over 80% of full-fare customers have switched to OMNY because they know it gives New Yorkers the greatest bang for the buck. It’s a major milestone that we can now offer to all Reduced-Fare customers who are some of our most frequent riders,” Mr. Lieber said.

Individuals can apply for the Reduced-Fare program in-person or via mail. For the in-person option, individuals need a valid form of identification, as well as documentation of their disability if they are under 65. To mail in the application, individuals should first download the form on the Reduced-Fare program website at new.mta.info/fares/ reduced-fare, and then include any relevant documents. The mailing address for physical applications is: MTA NYC Transit, Attn: Reduced Fare Program, 130 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201-9625.

Earlier this year, the MTA introduced student OMNY cards on July 25. Students can use their OMNY cards 24/7 and the card offers four free trips per day. Previously, student MetroCards were limited to three free rides per day between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. only on days where a respective student’s school was open for classes.

As for service, student OMNY cards are valid in the subway, local buses, limited buses, select buses, the Staten Island Railway, the Roosevelt Island Tram and the Hud-

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

With thousands of residents from all across the globe, Co-op City is home to artists of all kinds. Shareholders have written books, performed poetry, directed films, created murals, and they all deserve a spotlight. The column, “Co-op City Creatives,” serves not only to showcase shareholders’ art from Sections 1-5, but to also take a deep dive on what makes that artist unique. If you consider yourself an artist, regardless of age, medium, or education, send your work to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com with the subject “Co-op Creatives” and include your phone number so you’ll have the chance to be interviewed and your work displayed in the Co-op City Times.

• 24 arrived but only 23 were allowed to proceed with the testing.

• 8 emailed unable to make agility testing.

• 5 NCNS (no contact/no show).

• 22 recruits successfully passed the agility testing and 1 failed

• Please note: One (1) recruit who had to withdraw from the prior class was added to this recruiting class.

The 23 recruits advanced to the next step in the process. Heating Services In the Community

In the past month, most of the Co-op City has experienced excessive heat. The Power Plant heats to the coldest building, so an imbalance in one building can lead to the rest of the community having their temperatures raised. To address this, the Power Plant has been rebalancing the zones, temperatures have already begun to become normalized and will continue to improve.

Those living in Building #27 experienced reduced or no heat from the end of November into December. We thank you for your patience as it took time to resolve this issue. An extra thank you to shareholders and their families who called in their issues to the Call Center, after which, Maintenance dispatched technicians to apartments to help diagnose the issues. A new pump and fushing out the building’s pipes corrected the issue; an investigation is still underway to fnd the root cause.

Finally, we currently have two (2) known High Temp Hot Water leaks in the community. Repairs of the High Temp Hot Water leak north of Building #25 will take place on Thursday, December 19, 2024. There will be no hot water

Riverbay Corporation has summarized New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal’s (DHCR) rules and regulations on succession rights to avoid misinterpretation.

DHCR has specifc rules governing the transfer or assumption of ownership of apartments within Mitchell-Lama developments, which are spelled out in 9NYCRR Part 1727-8.1.

The Succession Rights Policy is intended to help a cooperator be aware of the protection provided to a family member or a ‘life companion’ in the event a cooperator moves or dies. DHCR regulations provide that eligible persons may continue to live in an apartment after the death or move-out of the cooperator. Riverbay’s policy follows DHCR rules.

It should be noted that while new ownership can only be assumed if the primary owner of the apartment moves out or passes away, according to the rules and regulations, only persons who meet all of the regulatory requirements may obtain leases and stock certifcates in their own name as successors.

As a general rule, whenever there is a change in the number of persons living in the apartment, Riverbay should be notifed within ninety (90) calendar days of any such changes through the use of an Interim Affdavit Form, which can be obtained from the shareholder’s respective Cooperator Services Offce (CSO). This is important for those occupants to potentially have succession rights at some point in the future. The annual fling of the Income Affdavit accomplishes this, as well as fling an Interim Affdavit in between annual flings.

If the primary shareholder moves out permanently, any member of the shareholder’s family or life companion may apply for succession, and if approved by DHCR, sign a new lease, and be issued a stock certifcate. However, this person must meet certain requirements.

• They must have resided with the shareholder in the apartment as their primary residence for a period not less than two years; or for one year if the succeeding shareholder is a senior citizen or disabled person, immediately prior to permanent vacating of the apartment by the shareholder.

• In cases where the shareholder occupancy is less than two years before the primary shareholder passed, the succession applicant must have lived in the apartment from the inception of the tenancy.

• The succession applicant must have been listed on the Income Affdavit and/ or Interim Income Affdavit during the relevant period of time.

Per DHCR rules, the “relevant period of time” must be documented by two (2) annual affdavits i.e. annual affdavits for the two prior years before the shareholder passed or permanently vacated. Or, interim affdavit plus annual affdavit for the two prior years before the shareholder passed or permanently vacated, if the successor moves in between annual flings.

DHCR’s rules defne “family member” as a husband, wife, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-inlaw, son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the primary cooperator.

DHCR’s defnition of “family member” also includes any other person/s residing with the primary owner in the apartment as a primary resident who can prove emotional and fnancial commitment and interdependence between such person/s and the primary owner.

“Primary residence” is defned as the housing accommodation in which the person actually resides and maintains a permanent and continuous physical presence. Proof of such residency must consist of the Income Affdavit or Interim Income Affdavits together with other evidence, for example, certifed copies of tax returns, voting records, motor vehicle registration and driver’s license, school registration, bank accounts, employment records, insurance policies and other pertinent documentation.

“Life companion” and “extended family” is defned as any other person re-

from 9:00 a.m. to midnight during this needed repair. Notifcations were sent to those households impacted by this planned outage. The other leak between Adler Place and Building #21 is fenced off and investigatory digging will begin after the holidays.

Garage Modernization

All garage elevators are complete, and we are waiting for the NYCDOB to perform the necessary inspections for Garages 1 & 2 rear elevators and Garages 4 & 5 front elevators. These inspections are scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2025. Management appreciates the patience of our shareholders and families during this much-needed project in the community.

2-Year Budget Planning

The Board Directors and Management are progressing along with fnalizing the budget projections for the 2-Year Operating and Capital Budget for the Corporation. Upon completion of this process and approval by the Board Directors, the fnal comprehensive budget will be shared with the community and a fnal submission to DHCR in February 2025.

(Management Report continues on page 11)

siding with the shareholder as a primary resident who can prove emotional and fnancial commitment and interdependence between such person and the shareholder. Evidence of this can be the Income Affdavit or Interim Income Affdavit fled by the primary shareholder, as well as evidence of longevity of the relationship; sharing of or relying upon each other for payment of household or family expenses; joint ownership of bank accounts, personal and real property, credit cards, loan obligations, sharing a household budget for purposes of receiving governmental benefts; engaging in family type activities by jointly attending family functions; and formalizing of legal obligations by such means as executing wills, naming each other as executor and/or benefciary, granting each other power of attorney, etc.

The other path through which a successor can be named to the apartment

28th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration, December 14

Photos by Yvonne “Lovely” Grant

– • Letters to the Editor • –

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 writers and include their addresses and phone numbers, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the authors. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be in the Co-op City Times office in Room 21, Bartow Community Center, by 3 p.m. every Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Views and opinions expressed in letters are solely the writer’s and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp.

Install Indoor Mailboxes in Buildings

To the Editor

Last year, there was a mailbox in front of Building 16B. However, ever since work was completed around the building, the mailbox was removed. I called the Coop City post office who relayed that the mailbox will not be replaced.

I am proposing that a mailbox for outgoing mail such as Maintenance bills and other small envelopes be placed in each building lobby or at least the lobby in Building 16B.

The rationale is that shareholders will most likely send in their Maintenance bills earlier than they did, shareholders may avoid late fees for late mailings, shareholders will not have to leave the premise and comfort of their home during the cold winter to make a trip at the Maintenance office. Shareholders will also save themselves time from looking for mail boxes on cold winter days to mail out small envelopes to anyone. This will be the perfect place to post small items in envelopes as the mailman congregate in the building lobby to unload incoming mail into residents’ mail boxes. At the same time, s/he may be able to grab outgoing mail from a prospective outgoing mail bin or outgoing mail box.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

—

Sancharie Singh

Quality of Life Issues

To the Editor:

I want to start off by stating that I am grateful that Coop City has its own Public Safety department. Many of us, including me, live here because of CCPD. As someone who walks/runs along the Greenway surrounding Sections 1-4, I feel safer when I see officers patrol on foot. Unfortunately, that is not often enough. Quite a few of us use our Greenway as a route to and from home and having a larger police presence on foot patrol would make doing so safer.

There are other quality of life issues I would like to see enforced:

• Loitering in front of buildings.

- Cooperators or guests should not feel unsafe walking to the front entrance of the building, nor should they be forced to use the side/back entrances.

• Smoking/Hanging out in stairwells.

- I realize this is a difficult one to enforce, but preCOVID, officers would sweep the stairwells on a regular basis. There are more people, or so it seems, hanging out and smoking in the stairwells.

• Dog waste is a concern; Riverbay has gone above and beyond by providing waste bags, which honestly, they should not have had to do.

- CCPD should dispatch officers to patrol the greenway surrounding Sections 1-4 from 6 a.m.-8 a.m. and again 5 p.m.-7 p.m. when many people walk their dogs.

- I believe individuals outside of Co-op City are walking their dogs throughout the property. CCPD should be allowed to ask individuals walking their dogs for the dog’s tag # to verify that the dog is legally registered with Riverbay.

Again, I am appreciative of CCPD and am aware that not all matters can be resolved. I hope that we can work together on some of the quality-of-life issues mentioned above.

—H. Malone

We Don’t Own Co-op City

To the Editor:

There is one problem with a Director’s viewpoint published in last week’s Co-op City Times. The Director wrote, “Do you understand that our shareholders own the Riverbay Corporation and Co-op City?”

Unfortunately, we do not own it. When we move in, we make a large payment which is not a down payment toward ownership. It is just a large security deposit. We do not have any equity interest in Co-op City. When we move out, our security deposit is returned less the cost of any restoration that needs to be done due to our use of the apartment. We do not build up any equity.

—Stewart Berman

Awareness is Crucial

To the Editor:

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day is January 20, 2025. There will be a gathering at the Metropolitan Church in Washington, DC. Will Co-op City be represented? Will you attend in order to continue making Dr. King’s Dream a reality?

There are issues that need the involvement of all Americans, especially the African-American community. The most recent incident that needs examining is the decision in the Jordan Neely/Daniel Penny case. On May 1, 2023 in the NYC subways, Daniel Penny, a white man, caused the death of Jordan Neely, a Black man, when he executed a chokehold.

The charges against Daniel Penny were second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The jury was deadlocked. Rather than having a hung jury, the Judge reduced the charges to criminally negligent homicide and I was shocked when the jury acquitted Penny.

To worsen matters, Penny was invited to join the U.S. President-elect and VP-elect at a ball game a few days later. I believe this action was an insult to the Neely family and a message to the Black community that vigilantism is acceptable.

Looking back to July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, a Black man, was also killed in a prohibited chokehold by a white Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo in Staten Island, NY. Panteleo was fired in 2019 after a department trial found he used an unauthorized chokehold.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, was also killed while in police custody by a white Police Officer Derek Chauvin in Minnesota. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22.5 years.

There are many other issues that Americans need to address such as maintaining democracy, maintaining Medicare and Medicaid, women’s reproductive rights, mass deportation, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), among others. We need unity in the fight for justice in America.

President Joe Biden recently pardoned many prisoners. If you know anyone in prison who is there unjustly and/or for political reasons, you should contact President Biden and your U.S. Congressional representatives immediately to request their release.

Evil will prevail when good people do nothing!

—Francine Jones

(See page 10 for more Letters)

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

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.

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.

Non-Delivery Number

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

Parking Enforcement in Co-op City

BY SGT. JOSEPH VARGAS

Circling the block eight or more times before finding appropriate parking is a common phenomenon for residents in New York City, as well as for cooperators and visitors in Co-op City. Although Co-op City offers more parking areas and garages in one small geographical location than most areas of the city, it can still be daunting. Both the NYPD traffic enforcement and Co-op City Public Safety Department (CCPD) enforce the parking rules within Co-op City. Although courtesy and some level of flexibility are offered in certain situations, there are specific parking conditions that are obligatory for CCPD Officers to address when observed. These parking conditions may cause a hazardous and severe inconvenience to our cooperators.

Circles or smaller roundabouts are common features in our community primarily appearing around towers, some triple cores, and townhouses. Our Coop City neighbors often park within these circles; however, double parking, illegal angled parking and triple parking can cause severe hazardous traffic congestion. Our circles provide CCPD, NYPD, FDNY and ambulance services easy access to our buildings. When the circles are blocked by double parked vehicles, it can prevent emergency services from reaching those in need of immediate assistance.

A parking regulation which is firmly enforced throughout the city, including Co-op City, is fire hydrant parking. It is illegal to park within 15 feet of either side of a fire hydrant, including on the new “floating parking lanes” which occur alongside bike lanes. Parking in front of a fire hydrant increases the possibility of vehicle damage during an emergency and worse, may prevent the FDNY from accessing fire hydrants in the case of a fire emergency. Parking too close or in front of a fire hydrant may also conceal a fire hydrant from FDNY.

Co-op City has a few features unique to our community, including the preservation of our greenways. Community members do not have to go far to have the experience of relaxing on a bench in a local, clean park. One of the ways Co-op City preserves its greenways is the enforcement of limited vehicular traffic throughout our greenways. Riverbay allows only limited greenway ve-

Public Safety Blotter

December 8 – December 14, 2024

December 09, 2024

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

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

December 10, 2024

100 Carver Loop – While on routine patrol, a CCPD supervisor observed a parked vehicle that had both front and back passenger side tires removed by an unknown person(s). The owner of the vehicle was unable to be contacted.

December 11, 2024

140 Darrow Place – A cooperator reported on a confirmed delivered package that was removed from the lobby area by an unknown person without permission.

December 12, 2024

4200 Hutchinson River Parkway – A cooperator reported that a confirmed delivered package that was removed from the lobby area by the mailboxes by an unknown person(s) without permission.

99 Asch Loop – A cooperator reported to CCPD that they returned to their parked vehicle in Garage 4 and observed damage that was done to the vehicle by an unknown person(s). NYPD was also notified.

99 Earhart Lane – A cooperator reported returning to Garage 8 where they last parked their vehicle and observing that the vehicle

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

hicular use for special events, maintenance and emergencies. Driving or parking a motor vehicle on Riverbay property without authorization can result in the vehicle being towed and even a Community Complaint fine of $100 or more for repeat violators.

Dumpster pads are often found near or around a cluster of residential and commercial buildings and are designed to hold large dumpsters for waste disposal. Parking in front of these dumpster pads obstructs access for Riverbay garbage disposal vehicles and personnel. Parking on the dumpster pads prevents official Riverbay vehicles from accessing, loading and unloading on the dumpster pads. Blocked dumpster pads is one of the main sources of congestion and obstruction of traffic flow around the dumpster areas, blocking circles and streets. CCPD is charged with enforcing dumpster pad parking with actions that include citations and possibly towing the vehicle off property. This reduces the risk of accidents, ensures efficient garbage collection and disposal, and minimizes the chance of collision or damage to vehicles on or near a dumpster pad.

Parking solutions are found in Co-op City in the form of our eight large parking lots offered to Riverbay residents and visitors with some of the lowest monthly parking fees anywhere in the City of New York. During special events, to reduce parking congestion, visitors are directed to our garages to park for a limited time.

Co-op City Public Safety Department looks to our cooperators and visitors to assist in the reduction of parking conditions and the continued improvement of Co-op City’s quality-of-life by observing parking rules and regulations. If any member of the community needs assistance or has any questions, you are encouraged to contact CCPD.

SCAM ALERT: Remember not to divulge personal identification, including date of birth, address, Social Security number, bank accounts, bank or credit cards to anyone who you do not know and trust.

was removed from the garage by an unknown person(s) without permission. NYPD also notified.

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

119 Einstein Loop – The manager of the Food Universe Supermarket reported that a person who frequents the store removed several items from the shelves without paying and fled the store. A canvas for the suspect by CCPD yielded negative results.

140 Donizetti Place – CCPD responded to a call for individuals loitering on the stairwell. Upon arrival, CCPD observed three males on the stairwell who fled down the stairs.

A jacket that was left behind contained identification of one of the males who resides with a shareholder. The shareholder was issued a Community Complaint for the male loitering on the stairwell.

December 13, 2024

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

December 14, 2024

100 DeKruif Place – A food delivery service person reported making a food delivery while leaving two food orders inside of their bicycle cart in the lobby and upon return, observed the food was removed from the cart by an unknown person(s) without permission.

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.

CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES

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

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 Kyshawn White, Treasurer

Call for Cooperation and Progress on the Riverbay Board

When I joined the Riverbay Board, I was admittedly naïve. I genuinely believed that we could come together as a team to make a positive difference for our community. Like many of you, I entered this role as a fellow cooperator, motivated by a desire to ensure repairs are done correctly, to improve the quality of life for all residents, and to maintain Co-op City as an affordable, thriving community.

Unfortunately, what I’ve encountered instead is, in my opinion, disheartening – a political swamp filled with skewed ideological beliefs, patronage, and personal agendas that stifle substantive progress. Rather than meaningful collaboration, I have witnessed some of the most childish behavior imaginable, including cliques that prioritize their own interests over the well-being of our community.

As perhaps one of the youngest active Board

directors, I expected to see professionalism and maturity guiding our discussions and decisions. Instead, I’ve found that age often doesn’t correlate with behavior. The cliques and divisions among certain members have made it clear, in my opinion, that their focus is not on the collective good but on preserving personal power or petty alliances. I have even witnessed mass walkouts among directors, refusing to hear out a proposal simply because it doesn’t align with their personal agenda. This type of behavior undermines the democratic process and does nothing to advance the needs of our community.

Our new Board President, Rod Saunders, has laid out an ambitious and much-needed agenda centered on transparency and efficiency for our community. Yet, his efforts are continually met with opposition that, in my opinion, is juvenile in nature and does nothing to serve the best interests of our residents.

Gallery Session ––– (Continued from page 1)

Board President Saunders explained that every 30 years or so, the nature of every community in New York City changes, with perhaps the exception of one or two.

“I will remind you that when I moved into this community in 1977, the culture was also a little different so clearly, we understand your point,” Board President Saunders said. “No one chased anyone away, and Riverbay rents or leases space to anyone who chooses to come here.”

“But it’s only going one way, right?” Ms. Rose asked.

“That is not our fault,” stressed Mr. Saunders.

The second speaker, Daniel Azizo, expressed appreciation to Riverbay staff members – Nichelle Hodge, evening Janitorial supervisor; Vasilj Kokovic, Janitorial building supervisor; and Riverbay contractor, Vlash Parubi of Adriatric Plumbing – for the response they provided to a flood in Traditional Synagogue last Sunday.

“The three of them came. They saw the water. They assessed the situation. They came up with a game plan, and they were effective. They were spectacular, the three of them,” said Mr. Azizo. “So, I just want to compliment them, praise them. They did a fantastic job. At 8.30 in the morning, we had a major, major headache. By 3.30 in the afternoon, it was just a minor headache. So I want to thank them, and please pass along the fact that the congregation really appreciated what they did that particular day.”

Next, Mr. Azizo asked about the prospect of Riverbay phasing out tan kitchen cabinets currently in Co-op City apartments for the new Riverbay standard white cabinets that was promoted at the Kitchen Cabinet Upgrade Showcase held in September, a program overseen by Assistant Executive General Manager Cary Smith III. Mr. Azizo addressed three economic benefits to doing so:

1. When an apartment becomes vacant, the lead time between vacancy and occupancy, “is shorted,” he said, “because the white cabinets are in if they were replaced, so that allows us to collect maintenance faster because we don’t have to change the kitchen cabinets.”

These internal battles waste valuable time and resources that should be dedicated to addressing the pressing issues our community faces.

I joined this Board with your support because I wanted to bring positive change—not more of the same dysfunction. I urge my fellow Board directors to let go of their petty differences and alliances and refocus on what matters – ensuring Co-op City remains the stellar jewel it has always been. Together, we have the power to uphold this community’s legacy as a model for affordable and cooperative housing. But that requires unity, collaboration, and a commitment to something greater than ourselves.

I believe in getting things done, and I don’t care who does it or gets the credit—I just wish that sentiment was shared by all. With your continued support, we can achieve this. However, those who seek to stifle positive change need to either change or go.

having the new white cabinets, there are also many shareholders who prefer their tan cabinets. “So, to phase it out, we hope that going forward, as people do move out and as we renovate and restore the vacant units, they will become more in uniform because you always do want to have something uniform in your inventory as opposed to having this and this and this,” she said. “So a lot of the things that you did mention were taken into consideration when we were trying to advocate for having the items sold to the shareholders.”

Board President Saunders, who said that he was not entirely sure about the accuracy of all the points Mr. Azizo presented, then asked Edgar Perez, director of the Riverbay Restorations department, to explain how the Board has been proactive since at least 2016-2017 in speeding up the restoration process and how the department now has it down to a “fine-tuned operating machine.”

“Well, the first thing is all the restored units will receive the white kitchen cabinets,” said Mr. Perez. “In reference to having two cabinets, …now the tan ones, if there’s only minor damages, then we’re not going to be able to change the whole thing. It’s just a top cabinet and a bottom cabinet. In the near future, as we start moving these things along, we may end up changing that concept completely. But as of now, we’ve done two years of cabinets, almost 800 apartments. So we’re not there yet to actually turn that leaf over to white cabinets to our whole complex.”

2. Another advantage he pointed out is by transitioning everyone to the white cabinets, then Riverbay staff could be utilized to do the installations, cutting out the “middle man,” which are the contractors currently performing the work. In this way, the turnover time may be significantly reduced so the apartment can be ready sooner for occupancy by a new owner.

3. The third benefit Mr. Azizo discussed is that by installing only the white cabinets, Riverbay would no longer have to stock both tan and white cabinets and their related accessories, which requires more space to warehouse and man hours to oversee and handle them, resulting in economic benefit to the corporation.

Separately, Mr. Azizo asked if a shareholder has, for instance, a flood that requires their cabinets to be replaced and the tan ones are installed, should they move out the next day, would those tan cabinets have to be removed and replaced with the new Riverbay standard white cabinets prior to the new shareholder moving in?

Board Director Leslie Peterson, chair of the Restorations and Residential Sales Committees, explained that one of the factors the Committee took into consideration is that by offering shareholders in occupied apartments the opportunity to upgrade their cabinets to the new white cabinets, this would help speed up the process, should they move out, because the white cabinets would already have been installed in the apartment. “So that conversation we did have, that was one of the reasons why we advocated for being able to sell those cabinets to the other shareholders,” she said.

Director Peterson added that although many shareholders are interested in

Mr. Azizo followed-up asking about the requirement for removing the tan cabinets if the shareholder vacates the apartment soon after they are installed and replacing them with the white standard, to which Mr. Perez responded yes, Riverbay would replace the tan cabinets although they were newly installed.

“So now that’s costing $6,500 approximately that you’re tossing away, plus time,” said Mr. Azizo.

“Not that much; a cabinet doesn’t cost that much,” replied Mr. Perez.

Board President Saunders interjected: “… we were mandated by HCR to do that…having said that, we’re in conference with HCR about it. In fact, if something is new, looks good, and the shareholder who’s coming in wishes to accept it, then we may have a waiver from HCR to do that. But that was a mandate from [HCR] Commissioner McCurnin’s letter that has been in effect since 2012 when they wrote a list of things that they wanted us to do, but refurbishing every single apartment completely was part of that order and they have not taken it out of effect until just recently when the management that we have now effectively lobbied them in order so, that … if there were things that [the new shareholder] wanted to be kept, we did not have to do the entire apartment…”

The third speaker, shareholder Francine Reva Jones, congratulated Joshua Blake on his promotion to Riverbay Deputy General Manager. She then asked if missing and worn floor tiles along the corridor in the Dreiser Center will be replaced or if this project is dependent on the budget; and if Board committees were publicized in the Co-op City Times, addingthat one of her neighbors applied for several committees and only heard back from one director, Director Peterson. Ms. Jones also asked if new shareholder orientations are still being held since some new shareholders seem not to know the policies and regulations of the community.

Danielle O’Connor, Riverbay’s director of Parking, Leasing and Storage department, replied that the department has compiled pricing to renovate the hallways in the Dreiser and Einstein Centers, which are both in poor condition, and the expense is included in the upcoming budget to ensure the projects are properly funded.

Mr. Perez confirmed that new shareholder orientations are held twice a month

(Continued on page 9)

Gallery

Session ––– (Continued from page 8)

and at each meeting, there are generally 15-20 attendees.

Assistant Executive GM Smith added that the new shareholder orientation video is available for all shareholders to access on the Resources page (under “General Information”) and the Apply page (under “Residential Sales”) on the Riverbay website, coopcity.com.

Board Director Anika Green-Watson, who co-chairs the Board’s Committee on Committees along with Board Director Leah Richardson, reminded everyone that at the start of the Board year, the Committee published articles in the Co-op City Times, one soliciting applications from shareholders who wish to participate on a committee, followed by updates in subsequent weeks.

“This year, as in years past, we used the Google form and shareholders were allowed to select, I believe, up to four committees, similar as to how we’ve done in the past, and those names were passed on to the chairs of each of the committees,” said Director Green-Watson. “So, the committee chairs would have reached out to shareholders by now, but if you have any outstanding questions, or if you just want to talk general committee questions, feel free to contact me at my Board email, which was published in the Co-op City Times when I posted the articles, but it’s awatson@riverbayboard.com.”

The fourth shareholder to address the Board was Reginald Mabry who began his remarks by referencing an incident that occurred in a previous Board meeting. Board President Saunders stopped Mr. Mabry, stating, “We’re not going to do that,” despite Mr. Mabry’s insistence on being allowed to speak, noting that he had other questions.

Mr. Mabry continued: “So my fault with the Board president is that we have a $19 million dollar water bill, right? The Board president said that he would talk to the mayor, we would like it because it’s existential to Riverbay to try to fgure out if we could get that reduced.”

He went on: “I have a problem with the Board president because he failed in resolving the Riverbay Fund and caused us anxiety and problems with that. Third, he failed recently by having, to try to have a secret meeting to invite another counsel that would cost Riverbay more money than nobody knew about… he is directly responsible because the buck stops with him with the backlog of things like community fnes.”

Mr. Mabry said that he received a $125 community fne in July for smoking a cigar in a tent on the greenway and he has not yet “had his day in the Riverbay court.” He also advocated for more lighting in the community and spoke out about dog owners not picking up after their dogs especially around Buildings 6, 7 and 8.

Board President Saunders informed shareholders that the meeting that Mr. Mabry referred to was not an open Board meeting and was called to discuss Board business. Regarding lighting, Board President Saunders said that the corporation is currently putting up energy effcient lighting in more areas all around the community.

On the water bill, Board President Saunders said that he has already spoken with City Councilman Kevin Riley who has spoken previously about having that conversation and he expects that to take place.

As to dog owners not cleaning up, Board President Saunders replied that the issue is something that shareholders should report because by law, dog owners are supposed to pick up after their dogs. “That is not a Board issue, that’s a community issue,” the Board president said.

“Who made the policy?” Mr. Mabry asked.

“Well, the policy is there – it’s the law,” stressed Board President Saunders. “It’s a New York City law. It’s the Pooper Scooper law. So the point is, sir, that no member of the Board, or no member of this community can make anyone do that, except by reporting when you see it happening. Report it immediately, if you can take a picture of it, then the person can be identifed; we can take it further, but it is not something that any one person can stop. That is something that should be managed by all of us. So once again, when you see something, say something.”

Regarding community fnes, Board President Saunders explained that when the Cooperator Appeals Committee meets, a certain number of shareholders or people who have been given Community Complaints are called in, and Mr. Mabry’s turn has not yet arrived.

Shareholder Jonas Schiff was the next speaker at the Gallery Session. He asked about the referendum question that was on the 2024 ballot in the Riverbay Board of Directors election to ban smoking of cannabis products in the development. “I read the Co-op City Times almost every week that there was a resolution that universally every single director here voted to put to the shareholders to vote on as an amendment to the bylaws,” said Mr. Schiff. “… So I don’t know, who’s taking the ball now, does the Board now have to vote on the resolution that was passed by the shareholders because I’d assume it already passed and the only thing left to do is to enforce it and enact it and whose job is that supposed to be?”

Board President Saunders answered that the referendum was indeed approved by a majority of shareholders who voted in the Board election and the Riverbay Legal department is working on wording of the policy that will be presented to the Board for a vote. If approved, Mr. Saunders informed shareholders, that language will not be included in both the resolution and the occupancy agreement. “So there are a lot of moving parts there,” he said.

Mr. Schiff then asked who would be responsible for enforcing the no smoking ban and he was informed that CCPD would be. He also asked when the resolution could be expected to be on the Board’s agenda since the election ended in August and it’s now December. He was informed that information would be printed in the Co-op City Times when the resolution will be voted on by the Board.

Riverbay General Counsel Jeff Buss added that both a resolution and policy were drafted months ago.

“Part of the concern was how do you enforce that without buy-in from you, the owners, the shareholders,” Mr. Buss said. “And so, the Election Committee then said, let’s put it on as a referendum on the ballot. Also, I believe, the thinking was that it might encourage people to turn out and vote, it might help us with the quorum. So that was passed. And, at this point in time, … I’d just like to suggest that, we have a meeting scheduled tomorrow with senior management and offcers, and I’d like to put it on the agenda because we’re ready to go.”

Mr. Schiff then pivoted to a condition in the back of the Bartow Mall where he said there is insuffcient lighting although he was unsure if it was Riverbay’s responsibility or the city’s. Board President Saunders said that the area will be looked at to see if the lighting can be improved.

Next up, McKinley Henry addressed the Board. He spoke about anxiety among shareholders during the holidays and especially about the possibility of another carrying charge increase next year.

“I would like for you to soothe everyone’s anxiety right now and emphatically say in 2025, we are not going to go up on the carrying charge,” said Mr. Henry. “And if you cannot do such and if you can just give your interpretation of it? I want to remind you, everybody, that last summer, I distinctly remember, it took three months to get 5,000 votes from 15,000 apartments. So, I strongly suggest that you think about that answer, and if you need a little help, I’d be glad to give you some assistance, because with that stat, that stat needs some heavy assistance and I’d be willing to help because I’m for the betterment of Co-op City. I love this place…”

Board President Saunders reminded everyone that the 8.1% carrying charge increase was issued by the state supervisory agency, HCR, pointing out, however, that the increase has put Riverbay in a much better fnancial position.

“As a matter of fact, we’re working on the budget right now, and we’re in a much better position,” Mr. Saunders said. “We are a little more comfortably ahead now than we were this time last year, and by this time next year, we’ll be even further ahead than that, because things are really working in our favor, so it would please me to say that, based on the fact that Murphy lives in Co-op City, which means that something could always happen, but barring nothing really astronomically crazy happening, there is no way you will have an increase in 2025.”

Shareholder Natasha Lee was next to address the Board. Her frst question focused on the equity of an apartment in Co-op City and why shareholders who are moving out are unable to also get a portion of that increased equity when they move out.

“I feel like if you move out, you don’t gain anything,” said Ms. Lee. “You’re losing because you have to pay at least three months of what you are currently paying on your maintenance, as well as anything that’s beyond normal wear and tear. Where do we beneft from that? If investing in Co-op City is supposed to bring us some type of wealth in some way, even if it’s the smallest amount, why aren’t we able to beneft from that?”

Answering her question, Board President Saunders explained that Co-op City is a limited proft Mitchell-Lama, which is why what a shareholder pays when they move in is what they also receive when they move out. He also explained that the tradeoff is that the buy-in price for an apartment in Co-op City is considerably lower than most other cooperatives and that the last time Co-op City raised the equity per room was back in 2021.

Board President Saunders also explained that the reason shareholders moving out are required to pay three months’ worth of carrying charges is because of an order by HCR and that at one point, shareholders had even been responsible for paying their carrying charges for at least a year if the apartment remained vacant.

“The way that Co-op City was designed and built and the way that it was negotiated, all you can get is what you put in, you can’t get anymore,” said Mr. Saunders.

General Counsel Buss also reiterated President Saunders’ answer, that under the state’s private housing fnance law, Co-op City is, in fact, a limited proft Mitchell-Lama, which means that shareholders are only entitled to a return of what their original investment was, minus an administrative fee of $250 and any repairs that are not caused by wear and tear.

“This system allows you to have a lower price on monthly maintenance,” said Mr. Buss. “But it doesn’t give you the ability to build value or equity like you would in a private home.”

Ms. Lee also asked if there was any chance of that changing and allowing shareholders to build up their equity, but Mr. Buss replied that the chances are zero as it is state law and has been in effect for over 60 years.

Ms. Lee’s second question focused on whether it was possible to bring in more businesses that will beneft the community’s health, like a health-focused restaurant or another supermarket like Trade Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Riverbay Leasing Director Danielle O’Connor stepped up to the mic to answer this question, explaining that Riverbay currently markets available properties online and through outside brokers, but still don’t necessarily have a lot of business looking to open a store within Co-op City.

“A lot of people think that we have a food of people that want to come in and open businesses here. Unfortunately, that’s not the case,” said Ms. O’Connor. “Most of the time, we go out and we source tenants to come in and occupy our properties. So, we can ask for certain businesses to come and we can request that they come but unfortunately, it’s just a matter of that business owner if they choose to come here or not. And they all have their own reasons for wanting to come or not wanting to come depending on their business model and how they want to operate. “

Ms. O’Connor also explained that while Riverbay would love for a supermarket like Trader Joe’s to open in the community, the supermarkets already in the

(Continued on page 10)

Director’s Viewpoint Mary Pearson, Assistant Secretary

Merry and Bright

The Winter Solstice arrives today.

From the first day of summer to the last day of autumn, we lose from a few seconds to a minute or two of daylight each day. No one notices at first, not for the first few weeks or so, because it happens so slowly. That slow motion darkening abruptly stopped today at 4:19 this morning, well before the 7:17 sunrise. About nine and a quarter hours later, at 4:31 p.m., the sun will set, making today the shortest day of the year, measured in daylight hours. Then the shortening stops and the lengthening begins but, again, no one will notice for weeks.

That’s one of Mother Nature’s little compensations. To make up for throwing us into the deep

Gallery ––– (Continued from page 9)

malls have exclusive rights to the area.

“So, we are not permitted to open up another supermarket in any of our malls until the expiration of their lease,” Ms. O’Connor explained. “So, we are not able to bring in some alternative like a Whole Foods or something like that until their lease expires and at that time then we can certainly look for something like that.”

The supermarket lease, Ms. O’Connor said, has also been in place for many years and is not set to expire until 2035. However, when the lease does expire, the Parking and Leasing department will try to avoid a contract that will give the supermarket exclusive rights to the mall.

“We avoid that with our current leases now,” said Ms. O’Connor. “We try not to do any kind of exclusivity unless it’s something that we feel is, that we can work around. If not, then we really try to avoid doing that. So going forward, if we did have another supermarket, we would probably try to avoid that again. But with a supermarket, sometimes they do have those kinds of requests because it is a larger operation, and they don’t want that type of competition.”

The next shareholder to speak was Nelson Sweeting who raised concerns about the marks left in the hallway by the bags and carts used by Amazon workers to deliver packages. He also asked if Riverbay was also collecting any revenue from the delivery lockers that were installed in the rear of some buildings.

Answering his second question about the drop off boxes, Board President Saunders explained that Riverbay is not collecting any money from Amazon for them because they requested that the boxes be placed near buildings as a convenience for shareholders. That way, if a shareholder is not home at the time of a delivery, they can put the packages away in a safe location.

Deputy General Manager Joshua Blake also answered Mr. Sweeting and said that he will reach out to his contact at Amazon and ask that they be more careful when delivering packages. He also shared that Riverbay is working with Amazon to install more Amazon boxes around the community and in the next few weeks more boxes will be placed at the Chevron buildings.

“After the Chevrons are complete, we’re going to move over to the towers,” said Mr. Blake. “So hopefully, within maybe the second quarter of next year, the whole issue will be outfitted. We do not generate revenue, but it was a convenience to us, and everything is free. We did not pay for any of these boxes. Everything was on Amazon’s back.”

Shareholder Ed Rudyk spoke next and asked if there have been any updates about when Rite Aide will be restocked.

Mr. Buss answered that the lease for the Bartow Rite Aid is up for renewal, but even though Rite Aid as a corporation filed Bankruptcy earlier this year, they do intend to stay in Co-op City. That decision to stay was made after Rite Aid looked through their monthly reports and found that the Co-op City location was still bringing in a substantial amount of revenue due to all the prescriptions picked up.

freeze, she at least keeps the lightbulb on a bit longer.

Ancient people worried as winter approached and the daylight hours diminished. Naturally, they thought the sun was dying, little by little, piece by piece, day by day. Turn on the light! That’s what all these early winter holidays are about. That’s the common reason for the season: lights and reveling and happy noisemaking aimed at chasing away the darkness. And each year, it works like a charm. Gathering with loved ones, family, friends, and neighbors at this time of year fortifies us for the long cold winter ahead.

But, oy! This week holds a lot of holidays. Solstice! Hannukah! Christmas! Kwanzaa! Back-toback to back-to-back. Whew!!

Good healthy holidays, everybody! I wish you

Ms. O’Connor also answered and said that when she last spoke with Rite Aid management, they did confirm that they are working on restocking the store but are still in the process of settling payments with existing vendors.

The last speaker of the Gallery Session was Al Quattlebaum, who spoke about holding the Board accountable and urged shareholders to also hold themselves accountable and come out to Board meetings and remain engaged.

“We can’t hold our leaders accountable if we’re not accountable ourselves,” Mr. Quattlebaum said. “We can’t argue with Management about what they’re not doing if we’re not showing up when they offer things like this. So, you might not like the message, but it’s the truth. If we’re going to hold this Board accountable for anything that they don’t do, and Riverbay for not doing what they’re supposed to do, then we need to fill up these auditoriums every time we have a Board meeting.”

Mr. Quattlebaum also raised concerns about the cleanliness of the Dreiser Center and the other community centers. In Dreiser, he said that the area near the soda deposit machines smell and look like they have not been pressure washed or cleaned in a long time. He also raised concerns about the safety of the parking garages and urged the Board and Management to install new security cameras.

Board President Saunders said that they are looking into installing new cameras and that the main cost concern is not necessarily the cameras themselves, but the software and storage needed to keep the recorded footage.

Director Lynette Wright also responded, saying that the monitoring system cost is what they have to keep in mind, but that if the community wants and needs more cameras installed, they will work to see how they can fit that into the budget.

“It is not a matter of logistics as far as what department holds what,” said Director Wright. “It’s a matter of the software. It’s a matter of, again, that monitoring system. That costs money. There’s a lot of things that we can have here. But it does need to have the understanding that if we want these things, there are certain things that are going to cost.”

Mr. Quattlebaum then asked why the corporation isn’t applying for grants to help pay for the additional cameras and software needed.

Director Wright explained that because the camera system would be considered an operational expense, the corporation would not be able to apply for grants to help with the cost.

Director Daryl Johnson also spoke up and urged the Board and Management to find ways to cut costs in other areas so that they can pay for cameras and other items that will better the quality of life and safety of Co-op City. He also urged shareholders to speak up about what they want to see in the community and attend Board meetings to hold the Board and Management accountable.

After the final speaker, Board President Saunders closed out the Gallery Session and the Board started their business meeting.

and yours boundless joyful days. And here’s what I wish for me.

All I want for Christmas.

All I want for Christmas is the name of our community spelled correctly. That would be – Co-op City, not Co-Op City like you’re hiccupping, not the unhyphenated Coop City, not the uncapitalized “City” of Co-op city, not, not, not. It’s certainly not a life and death issue but it ain’t nothing either! Since it’s the Saturday before Christmas, that’s it for me from the complaint department. Relatively short and sweet today. Next Saturday? You better watch out.

Happy, Merry, everything, everybody.

You can reach me by voice or text at 718-2192211 or by email at mpearson@riverbayboard.com

Letters ––– (Continued from page 6)

With Gratitude

To the Editor:

The Riverbay Fund held our first Christmas Jingle/Mingle Holiday Mixer on Dec. 15, 2024. Two hundred and eighty residents registered but we had more than 350 attended. Benediction was provided by Bishop Rosario. Featured guest was Renaissance Youth Band, directed by President & CEO Bervin Harris. We were delighted to have these gifted young people participate. Sponsorship for the music school was made possible with a grant from Councilmember Kevin Riley; this program allows Co-op City children to partake free of charge in this valuable music program.

There was a lot of energy and the event gave our guests a place to enjoy the festivities of the season. Our elected officials stopped by and addressed the audience: Boro President Vanessa Gibson, District Attorney Darcel Clark, Councilmember Kevin Riley, District 17 Council member Rafael Salamanca, and a representative from Assemblyman Mike Benedetto’s office. Another featured guest, Alexis, from Bronx Health Sciences High School, sang. We are proud of Alexis and wish her well in her career endeavors. Food, refreshments, and desserts were served.

The Fund provided a child with a toy donated by Mr. Harris and Bronx BP Gibson; we thank them for bringing joy to the children of Co-op City. A special thanks to all the helpers who gave their time and the Fund Board members who assisted in making this day special. The Riverbay Fund, through its mission and vision, supports a community commitment from its leadership providing a source of funding to community projects and programs via a stronger and more resilient community.

A board fund is important for supporting a community because it demonstrates a tangible commitment from the leadership to the organization’s mission. Encouraging other donors to give provides a dedicated source of funding for critical needs and allows for strategic allocation of resources to address pressing community issues, ultimately creating a stronger, more resilient community. As Fund president, we continue to ask for your support to remain strong and viable, meeting the needs of our shareholders. We hope to have more events like this. Visit our website at https://riverbayfund.org/

Happy holidays!

—Sonia Feliciano

Be sure to subscribe to the official Co-op City YouTube channel, https://bit.ly/3h6CrF7. Stay informed!

Update – ConveCtor InItIatIves traCker

Convector control and leak monitoring unit Management Report ––– (Continued from page 4) Succession ––– (Continued from page 4)

1. Express Plumbing

Installation of an electronic leak detection and shut off value in convector

Current Status

$5301.04

The electronic leak detecton and shut-of value was installed in Building 10B, Apt. 4B. This device is designed to detect leaks that may occur from a build-up of condensaton in the convector. Once the water in the drip pan reaches a certain level, the device will actvate and shut of the valve, stopping the chilled water from circulatng in the coil, mitgatng potental fooding in the apartment.

• Management will be installing two (2) motorized shut-of valves with leak detecton in occupied apartments. These valves will shut the water fowing through the coils in the convector once a leak is detected. The Maintenance team will periodically check in with the shareholders to see how the device is performing.

• Management obtained a quote ($3,534.00) from Express Plumbing to install the two (2) shut-of valves in apartments. Management is coordinatng with the two (2) shareholders where the valves will be installed and monitored by the Maintenance department.

Shut-of valves were installed in 11A/12C and 16B/12F; the valve will automatcally shut of the water fowing through the coil, if a leak is detected. The Maintenance department will monitor these convectors and will stay connected with shareholders to see if any issues arise from the installaton.

2. Kelvin Systems, Inc. $2000.00

A sample product was installed in Secton 1 Maintenance Ofce to observe the features for evaluatng the functonality. The company is working on a dashboard that will support the operaton of the unit.

Kelvin Systems, Inc. presented it to Riverbay Management team on Friday, June 30, 2023. The presentaton provided an overview of a radiator monitor and the proposed retrofts which include replacing the current toggle switch with a GFCI outlet, installing a foat switch that is to be placed in the condensate drip tray to send an alert when the drip tray level rises, and a radiator sensor that will monitor the convector coil temperature and report informaton to a Cloud dashboard and database. Management plans to purchase fve (5) radiator monitors at a cost of $400/unit ($2,000) which will be installed in apartments and will be monitored by the Maintenance team for performance.

• The device is currently being evaluated in apartments. Management is working with shareholders to identfy additonal apartments to test the device. This device could provide reportng/alarm benefts.

• 4 units have been installed. Kelvin is arranging to install 3 more units, two (2) of which were free of charge.

• Maintenance will contnue to be evaluated as issues arose with connectvity and were resolved by the vendor.

• This system does not have a leak detecton device. Some issues came up during testng with connectvity and the unit was not responding. The vendor is addressing this mater.

is through death of the primary shareholder. If this is the case, the lease and shares of stock for the decedent’s apartment shall be surrendered to the Riverbay Sales Offce by the decedent’s estate or survivors for redemption.

If there are no legal disputes, Riverbay will sell or transfer the shares to any member of the decedent’s family or life companion as long as they meet all of the succession requirements stipulated by DHCR’s rules and regulations.

Any family member or life companion of a shareholder seeking approval to remain in occupancy after the cooperator moves or dies should submit a written request within ninety (90) days to Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. 10475, Attn.: Succession Rights.

It is imperative that shareholders understand that no other types of stock transfers or lease amendments are allowed except those directed by statute or an appropriate tribunal or court of law.

Co-op City residents may visit the “Resources” page on the Riverbay website at www.coopcity.com and scroll down to “Legal” for a copy of these succession rights.

A Canada-based company shipped a free unit (8,000 BTUs) to be tested in an apartment. It is proposed that this unit will replace an existng convector and include a water sensor and a 2-way shut-of valve that will prevent fooding in an apartment. The unit shipped was a base model without the water sensor and 2-way shut-of valve.

PHASE 1 – Conduct test to determine if the unit fts and operates in our current environment. The base model unit was installed in the living room of the model apartment Building 19, Apt. 23F on June 6, 2023. RESULTS: This unit operates in our current environment without any issues observed thus far. The Maintenance team will contnue to monitor and do all necessary testng to complete this phase. The Maintenance team antcipates that the unit will be monitored through September 2023.

• The Maintenance team contnues to monitor the apartment once a week. Thus far, the apartment temperature has been maintained around seventy degrees with only one unit operatng. There were no leaks from the unit. This is a one-bedroom apartment.

• Phase 1 completed. Will monitor the heatng through the winter. Unit performed well in our current environment during the cooling season.

PHASE 2 – Order a larger unit (12,000 BTUs) from vendor that will include dual shut of valves, water leak sensors and a larger/deeper condensate tray. This unit will be installed in the model apartment and will be monitored by the Maintenance team to ensure it fts and operates in our current environment, and performs all its features. The Maintenance team will monitor the unit for the winter season through March 2024. Test tme for this phase is estmated at 6 to 8 months.

• The 12,000 BTU unit is currently in transit to Riverbay at no cost. This unit will come complete with two 3-way motorized Belimo valves to shut of water to the coil in the event of a leak or break. This unit will be installed in the living room of the 3-bedroom model apartment in Building 34 in Secton 5 and monitored in our current environment for the upcoming heatng season.

• The unit was received with two motorized shutof valves and a water detecton device. It is currently being installed in the 3-bedroom model apartment (living room - 34/32E). Installaton will be completed by the week ending 10/14/23. This will be monitored weekly to ensure it operates correctly in our current environment.

• The Maintenance department is monitoring the units, and they are performing as expected. No leaks have been detected.

• Winter monitoring is proceeding as planned, with adequate temperatures measured in the apartments using only living room units. Measurements were taken on 1/18/24 with outside temperatures 28 degrees, room temperatures were as follows:

• 19/23F temperature was 73 degrees and 35/32E temperature was 69 degrees.

PHASE 3 – Based on the data collected from phase 1 and phase 2, the Maintenance team will meet with the Engineering team and will design a unit that would meet any additonal requirements needed. The goal is to build a unit for our current environment with sofware and performance for Co-op City’s high-rise buildings. This unit will be designed to save energy and provide the same comfort, eliminate localized condensate leaks, and coil failure leaks. Management will also explore if there is government funding available for this type of large-scale program. Time for this phase is to be determined.

PHASE 4 – Designed unit completed and ready for ordering when all requirements are met. Management will examine historical data to determine a line of living rooms that have had multple leaks in a building for units to be installed. The labor needed for installatons will be assessed and determined during this phase. The Maintenance team will monitor units installed in apartments beginning with a cooling season in the current environment for performance. The test tme for this phase is to be determined.

PHASE 5 – Roll out a larger scale install throughout the campus. This will involve preparing a RFP to obtain optons and prices to furnish and install units in various quanttes. The installaton of the new units is projected to reduce convector leaks, foor repairs, and asbestos abatement. There will also be increased comfort in the apartments along with cost savings on energy. Time for this phase is to be determined.

• This unit contnues to perform well in the current environment. Management will be exploring additonal features in the unit that would maximize its performance.

(Management Report continues

Ultra-Thin Hydronic Fan Coil Unit

3. Aqua Solanor, Inc.

Holiday Decorations Continue to Brighten Our Building Lobbies!

Building 29 Association

The association will be hosting a winter potluck party on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Also, Leslie Peterson, vice president of the Riverbay Board, has agreed to be our speaker for our Thursday, January 9th meeting.

Michael Adolphus, our president, has suggested having Senior Care Services speak in February and the Co-op City Public Safety Department in March. Stay tuned.

Finally, there will be a New Year’s Watch Night Service at the Church of the New Vision.

The question was asked if we should change the dates of the meetings to Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday? Please give us your feedback on this matter.

Last, but not least, a big thanks to the holiday lobby decorators: Jose Anthony Lopez – Building A (pictured); Robert Feliciano – Building B; Lourdes Gonzales (& others) – Building C Peace, prosperity, and happiness to all, and a blessed New Year.

—Katharine Wood

Building 24 Lobby Decor

Building 28B Lobby Decor

28B gives a big thank you to the decorating team who helped to make our lobby so beautiful.

page 15 for more Lobby Decor)

Building 33 Association

Good day, shareholders.

The Building 33 Association wishes you a Merry Christmas and hopes you enjoy the holiday season.

––Andrea D. Mayo

Building

Carrol, Angie, Paula, Danniel, Cookie, Smooth, Carlton, and Brenda. It was all about teamwork. (See

Management Report –––––––

4. Artic Heat Pumps

from page 11)

The vendor will provide a 12,000 BTU convector like the one being evaluated at no cost to Riverbay. We will assess this unit in our current environment to make sure it performs all its features.

• The unit was installed in the Maintenance Shop and is being monitored.

• Unit is performing well in the current environment, but it does not

5. Gil Bar

pected delivery is within a month.

tenance department.

• Unit is performing well in the current environment, but it does not

6. Verano $65,000.00

Slim Fan Coil (Units currently being installed at Rochdale Village)

installed in occupied apartments and the Maintenance department will conduct ongoing monitoring of the units. will measure and make all arrangements for the units to be installed.

• With consensus from the Board Directors, Management is preparing a contract with the vendor to install thirty-two units in the living rooms of Buildof the month. The units will be installed in Building 14 on the “B” line. This is a under our current environment. They are performing well; Management will

In conclusion, Management would like to formally announce the selection of Joshua Blake as the new Deputy General Manager for Riverbay Corporation. We look forward to the contributions that Joshua will bring to the Corporation in this new role. Also, Management extends best wishes for a Happy Holiday to the Shareholders and Board Directors and we look forward to partnering with each of you in 2025 continuing to improve the living conditions for those who call Co-op City “home.”

Management Report ––––––

RIVERBAY CORPORATION FISCAL YEAR 24/25 BUDGET OVERVIEW

The budget summary (see page 15) gives a snapshot of Riverbay Corporation’s Budget vs. Actual performance for Fiscal Year 24/25 for period beginning April 01, 2024, and ending September 30, 2024.

INCOME

At the end of September 2024, actual carrying charges were slightly greater than anticipated by 4.2% or $4.6 million. Other income was less than anticipated by 7% or $1.916 million.

SUMMARY OF EXPENSES

Departmental Expenses:

Total departmental expenditures, which includes salaries, to-day departmental activities involved with providing direct and indirect services to the shareholders, were down 5% or $ 3.75 million.

Vacant positions in several departments, especially the Public Safety department, continue to contribute to the positive variances in the departments. Although some departments reported positive budget variances in payroll, there were some negative budget variances in the operating budgets. Below are few examples of these variances:

• Power Plant is $986,000 over budget due mostly to unforeseen expenses associated with the Ric Wil underground piping and front-loaded chemical treatment costs.

• Construction is $40,000 over budget due to an increase in cost for Roof Repairs.

• Extermination is $57,000 over budget due to exterminating supplies.

• Automotive Services is $42,000 over budget due primarily to increased vehicle maintenance costs.

• Maintenance is $376,000 over budget due primarily to increased plumbing supplies, doors, and convector parts.

• Safety is $72,000 over budget due to increased environmental remediation costs.

• Grounds if $15,000 over budget due to purchases of supplies and equipment costs. (Seasonality purchasing)

• Computer Services department reported a negative (114.3%) budget variance of $1.1 million for June 2024. As explained in last month’s report, the department was over budget due to invoices totaling approximately $495,000 for furniture and equipment that had been encumbered in August

(Management Report continues on page 15)

Management Report

––––– (Continued from page 14)

2023. SHI International billed these invoices and remain as open purchase orders. To date, these invoices have not been paid due to ongoing negotiations between Riverbay and SHI International. As long as these purchase orders remain open, the department will continue to show this negative variance.

• Asbestos and flooring materials costs continue to be below budget.

Corporate Expenses:

Corporate expenditures are over budget 16% or $7.4 million due mostly to 2024/25 accrued water costs.

Debt Service & Fees:

Debt service & fees were under budget by 0.3% or $61,000 due to greater than expected replacement reserve fees and mortgage insurance premiums required payments.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Overall, the grand total actual expenses of $143,484,000 which include departmental, corporate and debt service were greater than anticipated against the grand total actual income of $140,040,000 which yielded a deficit of $(3,444,000). Also, the year-to-date budget for grand total expenses was $139,678,000 which was more than anticipated when compared to the yearto-date budget grand total revenue of $137,547,000 which yielded a negative variance of $(2,132,000).

Building 12 Association

“Happy holidays to all of our family and friends from Building 12.” This catchy phrase was hand sewn on the tree skirt that drapes the beautiful tree in the lobby of Building 12.

We are extremely proud of our lobby’s holiday decoration this year! The time, effort, and dedication that our talented neighbors, Freddy & Richie, put into the extravagant details was outstanding. Most of the decorations were created by their own hands, and they have a story behind each one. We are an inclusive building and recognize all cultural holidays.

This, as well as all of the firsts that Building 12 has done under our new board, is considered to be another historical moment. We continue to promise to give the best to our building.

Our annual holiday party will be held in our activity room on 12/21. All dues-paying members are welcome to join us for food, music, and fun.

Our Walking Club is still walking three times a week. If the weather is poor, they will utilize the activity room for exercise.

Our Book Club starts on December 17, at 7 p.m., in our activity room. We received several donations of “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. Please join us for this must-read!

Finally, our building staff does an exceptional job 365 days a year. We are collecting to give them a token of appreciation. We will be in the lobby every Tuesday and Thursday. We also have a Cash App option available for donations and building dues: $bldg12association ––Tanya Clark-Ingram.

Building 6 Association

Season’s Greetings, neighbors. I hope when you read this, it finds you in good standing. It is finally here! The second annual Building 6 Holiday Mixer in Dreiser, Rm. 4, from 5:30-10 p.m. Dress for the event is holiday attire. There will be an assortment of delicious cuisine with desserts. Music will be provided by Building 6’s own Artemus, with a few carols sung by Mr. Frank Senior. So, come, dance, eat, laugh and hug while sharing fellowship with your neighbors.

The Building 6 personnel collection went extremely well. If you wish to join a group photo with the Building 6 executive board and Riverbay personnel to distribute the holiday bonuses, join us in the lobby on Monday, December 23, at 1 p.m. sharp!

The next general association meeting is Wednesday, January 8, from 7-9 p.m. in Dreiser, Rm. 1. Our guest speaker will be CCPD’s own Interim Chief Frankie Torres. I ask all neighbors to send in all their safety and quality of life questions in advance so everyone gets a fair chance to convey their concerns. Also, the current term of the Building 6 executive board expires at the end of the month, so there will be an election on Wednesday, February 12, in Dreiser. Please look out for nomination ballots coming your way soon.

Neighbors, our safety and quality of life comes first. If you see something, say something. Call CCPD at 718-3203300, press #1, or dial 911. CCPD accepts anonymous tips as well. As always, I pray for safety over all. God speed. May the magic of the holidays brighten your days and inspire your heart. A wish for a season of giving, receiving and sharing love.

––Lauren K. Lassiter

Season’s Greetings!

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. There are many celebrations taking place in and around Co-op City and I trust you will have a festive time at whatever event you attend.

This is the season for giving. This is the time to show your gratitude to the dedicated staff in your building with a token of your appreciation. In your giving for the holidays, remember the building porters, Maintenance person, mail person, etc. They will be so grateful for making their holiday a little more cheerful.

I have submitted pictures of the beautiful Building 20A lobby decorations. Thanks to the decorating efforts of Sylvia, Yvonne, Brenda, Daisy and Reva. Unfortunately, Building 20C was not decorated. Perhaps the date selected was inconvenient for residents of Building 20C. We hope to do better next year.

I have just received an announcement from Mr. Marvin Walton, executive general manager for Riverbay Corporation, that effective immediately he has appointed Joshua Blake as the deputy general manager for Riverbay Corporation. Mr. Blake has served as the interim deputy general manager for several months, and now, it is permanent. I wish him much success in his new position.

Building 20 Association

Thanks to the Building 20 residents who attended the 28th Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration on December 14. It was good to socialize with friends and neighbors for this meaningful event, where our community elders, Eleanor Donnley and Nelson Sweeting, were recognized. Our community clergyman, Pastor Michael Adolphus, rendered an inspirational message during the

celebration and the Soul Latin Line Dancers danced, and drummer, Keith Witherspoon, entertained us. It was wonderful to see the youngsters from the Youth Empowerment Program participating in the Kwanzaa Ceremony and helping with many tasks. Thanks to Dr. Adeyemi LaCrown Oloruntoba, president of the Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organization of Co-op City, Inc. and Sonia Feliciano, president of The Riverbay Fund, Inc., for co-sponsoring this fantastic celebration.

The next Building 20 Association meeting will be January 16, at 7 p.m. As usual, we will invite a speaker with knowledge and information to better our quality of life. We look forward to seeing all of our Building 20 neighbors and having a meaningful gathering. Please invite your neighbor to attend the meeting with you.

Here’s wishing you happy New Year.

Please stay safe and be a good neighbor.

––Francine Jones

COVID-19 Test Kits

The U.S. Postal Service has resumed delivery of free at-home Covid-19 tests to households across the U.S. Interested shareholders can sign up to receive four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, per household, by visiting covidtests.gov or by calling 800-232-0233, TTY: 888-720-7489.

The delivery program is a collaboration between USPS and the White House and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) agency. This is the seventh time that the program has been available to U.S. household since it started in 2021, and ASPR and USPS have distributed approximately 900 million tests since then.

“The distribution of these at-home test kits is a vital public health initiative from the Department of Health and Human Services,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “We are proud to continue our partnership in ensuring that every household has access to the resources they need to stay safe and healthy.”

When placing an order, individuals will have the option to provide an email address for updates, including a confirmation email. Upon shipment, customers will receive an email with an estimated delivery date and a tracking number to monitor their order’s progress on usps.com. The kits usually take a day and a half to arrive once shipped.

Building 26 Association

A Night of Christmas Magic in Section 5 Saturday night was nothing short of holiday wonderland bliss right here in Section 5. The air was flled with joy, laughter, and the spirit of togetherness as our community came together to celebrate the season. From twinkling lights to heartfelt moments, the evening was a perfect blend of festive charm and community warmth that left everyone feeling uplifted and connected.

Before diving into the details of this magical evening, I want to extend heartfelt gratitude to our main supporters, the offce of Councilman Kevin Riley, Care Access, and the MMC Section 5 Teen Center. Their support was instrumental in making this event a success.

A special thank you goes out to Wanda Brooks, Tobias Garcia, Nikki Leigh, Aaron Carnegie, Idalia Reyes, Thalia Roach, Cristabel Ashun, Yonna Lovell, Brown, Yvette Gist, Cheryl Hodge, Shonté Armstrong, Willie Finch, Tracey Benson, Nicholas Jones, Eunice Cuevas, Jasmine Taby-Jones, Alice Jackson, and Stefani Hazell, our incredible shareholders who braved the cold and showed up prepared to help bring joy to our community.

Of course, we cannot forget the community itself, whose warmth and enthusiasm brought life to the event despite the chilly weather. Your em-

brace of the holiday spirit and support for community bonding made this evening truly magical.

For those who could not make it, here is a recap:

In the crisp, cold air, the festivities kicked off with an inspiring opening led by the American Legion Post 1871. They proudly guided us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the “National Anthem,” with the crowd standing tall and waving their fags.

The night quickly went up a notch as our lead caroler, Michael Peters, rallied everyone into a spirited rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The crowd sang with joy, setting the stage for a surprise twist, a visit from the Grinch! True to his mischievous nature, he tried to steal Christmas, but the community united to call on Santa, who saved the day in a burst of laughter and cheer.

The celebration continued with sweet treats and warm beverages, perfect for the chilly evening. Shareholder Julio Colon enchanted everyone with his live saxophone performance, adding an elegant touch to the night. Meanwhile, children collected surprise gifts and entered a free raffe featuring prizes like a spa basket, a signed Knicks autograph from Cameron Payne, and even turkey and roast pork.

The highlight of the evening was our stunning vocalist Lynn Torres, whose voice brought chills and awe to the crowd.

For the little ones, the fun didn’t stop there; they enjoyed face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy, all while meeting Olaf, the beloved snowman.

This “Light It Up” event was more than just a holiday gathering; it was a reminder of the power of community, shared joy, and holiday magic. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. Your contributions brought the spirit of Christmas alive in Section 5.

Here’s to more traditions, community bonding, and magical moments in the future!

—Tanya

Cruz-Cooke

7 A.M.-7 P.M. SUN.: 9 A.M.-5 P.M.

Building 28 Association

Dearest shareholders, This past weekend, we shared a wonderful time at our second annual Section 5 Tree Lighting Ceremony. I had the honor of assisting the Building 26 Association with the setup, and it was truly incredible to witness the community coming together. The singing, laughter and shared moments of joy highlighted the strength and spirit of our neighborhood. I am so proud to be a part of this amazing community.

On behalf of the Building 28 Associ-

$21

FEET: $15

•PORK CUTLETS: $30

•TURKEY WINGS SM.: $30

•OXTAIL: $50

•GOAT MEAT: $20

•GROUND CHUCK: $25

•GROUND SIRLOIN: $35

•CHICKEN THIGHS

•SPARE RIBS: $12

•PORK CHOPS: $12

•BEEF STEW: $24

•CHOP MEAT: $15

ation, I would like to extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season. We recognize that this time of year can be challenging for some and we are sending our prayers and positive thoughts to all. May this season bring you peace, comfort and happiness.

––Idalia Reyes

Board of Directors’ Meeting - December 18, 2024

SUBMITTED BY: Leslie Peterson

SECONDED BY: Kyshawn White

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING, DATED: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, Procurement sent out requests for proposals to ten qualified companies to provide 3rd Party Elevator Consulting for Category 1, Category 5 and Periodic Inspections; and WHEREAS, Riverbay received three (3) proposals which were reviewed in detail by the Project Manager; and WHEREAS, the Project Manager reviewed the bids and recommends Omega Industries, a VDA company, as the lowest responsible bidder (recommendation attached); and WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the full Board any conflict of interest as required by NY Business Corporation Law Section 713.

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED: that the proposed contract #4120 with Omega Industries, a VDA company, for a 3-year contract not to exceed $319,350 plus tax be approved as submitted by Management in accordance with Board of Directors Resolution #85-16 and as amended by Board of Directors Resolutions #95-44 and #20-19; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the President is hereby authorized to execute the contract and Management is authorized to take all steps necessary to make this action effective.

SUBMITTED BY: Andrea Leslie SECONDED BY: Michelle

Marbury

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, DATED: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, on September 14, 2022, the Board awarded Contract #3727A via Resolution #22-41 to TF Andrew Carpet One for the purchase of Ceramic Tile & Other Bathroom Products; and WHEREAS, Change Order #1 is being requested for a six-month extension of time with no additional cost being requested (see attached memo); and WHEREAS, there are funds still available in contract 3727A and the extension is being requested to continue to seek the best ceramic tile products for the best pricing for a new contract; and WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the full Board any conflict of interest as required by NY Business Corporation Law Section 713.

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED: that the proposed Change Order #1 for Contract #3727A with TF Andrew Carpet One for a six-month extension of time be approved as submitted by Management in accordance with Board of Directors Resolution #85-16 and amended by Board of Directors Resolutions #95-44 and #20-19.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the President is hereby authorized to execute the contract or change order and Management is authorized to take all steps necessary to make this action effective.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright NO: Johnson

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

SUBMITTED BY: Leslie Peterson

SECONDED BY: Jacqueline Smith

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, DATED: December 18, 2024

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; and WHEREAS, the Project Manager recommends REB Distribution Corp. as the lowest responsible bidder (recommendation attached); and WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the full Board any conflict of interest as required by NY Business Corporation Law Section 713.

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED: that the proposed Contract # 4115 with REB Distribution Corp. for a not to exceed total of $145,080.00 plus tax over 2-years be approved by the Board as recommended by Management in accordance with the Board of Directors Resolution #85-16 and amended by Board of Directors Resolutions #95-44 and #20-19.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the President is hereby authorized to execute the contract and Management is authorized to take all steps necessary to make this action effective.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright NO: Johnson

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

SUBMITTED BY: Michelle Marbury SECONDED BY: Lynette Wright BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, DATED: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, on May 11, 2022, the Board approved Contract #3728 via Resolution #22-18, for Environmental Health and Safety Consultant, to Genesis Environmental Consultant, Inc. for three (3) years at a total cost of $1,800,000.00 plus tax based on unit pricingand;

WHEREAS, thecontract was executed on July 26, 2022,and the contract expires in July of 2025 and the current balance in the contract is approximately $69,000. This amount should be sufficient to cover the cost of services up to December 2024; and

WHEREAS, Management recommends this change order #1 to add $250,000 in funding to contract # 3728 in order to maintain the contract value and cover the projected cost for the next three months for unrendered services, while we solicit bids for a new Environmental Health and Safety Consultant services contract for the next budget cycle commencing April 2025; and WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the full Board any conflict of interest as required by NY Business Corporation Law Section 713.

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED: that the proposed Change Order #1 request for additional funding of $250,000 under contract # 3728 for the Environmental Health and Safety Consultant with Genesis Environmental Consultant, Inc. be approved by the Board as recommended by Management in accordance with the Board of Directors Resolution #85-16 and amended by Board of Directors Resolutions #95-44 and #20-19.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the President is hereby authorized to execute the contract and Management is authorized to take all steps necessary to make this action effective.

WHEREAS, Dr. Jacqueline Samuels has requested a lease from Riverbay Corporation for the premises at 120 Alcott Place, Unit B, Bronx, New York, to be used as a dentist office; and

WHEREAS, the term of the lease is five years with one five-year renewal option and annual rental rates are within the provisions of Resolution #85-16 as amended by Resolution #95-44; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the lease agreement for the premises at 120 Alcott Place, Unit B, Bronx, New York, by and between Riverbay Corporation, Owner, and Dr. Jacqueline Samuels, Tenant, containing the terms as negotiated by Riverbay Corporation’s Management is hereby approved as submitted by Management in accordance with Resolution #85-16 as amended by Resolution #95-44; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of the Corporation is authorized to sign the lease agreement and related documents on behalf of Riverbay Corporation.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Johnson, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

SUBMITTED BY: Leslie Peterson

SECONDED BY: Lynette Wright BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, DATED: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, Congressman George Latimer has requested a lease from Riverbay Corporation for the premises at 177 Dreiser Loop, Room #3, Bronx, New York, to be used as a Congressional District Office; and

WHEREAS, the term of the lease is two years and annual rental rates are within the provisions of Resolution #85-16 as amended by Resolution #95-44; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the lease agreement for the premises at 177 Dreiser Loop, Room #3, Bronx, New York, by and between Riverbay Corporation, Owner, and Congressman George Latimer, Tenant, containing the terms as negotiated by Riverbay Corporation’s Management is hereby approved as submitted by Management in accordance with Resolution #85-16 and as amended by Resolution #95-44 and #20-19; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of the Corporation is authorized to sign the lease agreement and related documents on behalf of Riverbay Corporation.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Johnson, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

(See page 22 for more Resolutions)

Director’s Viewpoint Daryl

Johnson

Think Before You Drink

Some people will be partying, drinking, and messing up during this holiday season. So, it might be good to review a few things.

season.

Make Good Plans

Just a few years ago, a young lady in San Diego went to a bar with some friends. Then, she reportedly had too much to drink. Next, she called a popular car service to try to get home. Inside the car, the driver waited until she passed out.

Thereafter, according to a deputy district attorney, the driver had “his way” with her. Then, this driver videotaped the entire assault so that he could “relive it over and over and over again.” Later on, this driver was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to eighty years in prison.

Now, this incident describes just one case of a sexual assault in a hired vehicle. However, if you go online, you’ll see that there are thousands of cases involving drivers assaulting their passengers. Surely, some companies have made significant improvements to protect their passengers. But, please make sure that you consider this case and make some good plans before you go out to party and drink.

Don’t Drink and Drive

Just a few years ago, a 33-year-old man in St. Augustine, Fla. was allegedly under the influence of alcohol one day after Christmas. Then, he allegedly crashed his vehicle head-on into a truck and killed two unborn twin girls and a man. Thereafter, he entered a plea of no-contest to “three counts of vehicular manslaughter.” Next, despite showing remorse for his actions, the judge sentenced him to 41 years in prison.

From Saturday, November 23, 2024 – Sunday, December 1, 2024, the NYS Police reported that they issued 24,191 traffic tickets during this Thanksgiving period. Then, they arrested 251 drivers for DWI offenses.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: “penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and

jail time. It’s also extremely expensive. A first-time offense can cost the driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees.” Plus, they point out that: “Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 39 minutes.”

Bottom line: Does it make sense to go to a party, drink alcohol, and then start driving a vehicle? No! What are you going to do if you cause a fatal accident? Can you imagine how you will feel if you get arrested and thrown into a jail for causing a fatal accident? Can you imagine going to court to have a judge determine your freedom? What about your family? How do you think that you will feel telling your family, including your children, that you’re facing severe criminal charges for killing someone because you made a poor decision to drink and drive a vehicle?

Look, I want to encourage everyone to please think carefully about these matters. Then, please make a good decision to not drink and drive. Also, please remember that your community cares about you. So, we don’t want you to get into any type of trouble. Thank you.

Let’s

Look At These Books

Do you understand that the Riverbay Corporation created the Riverbay Fund? Previously, the Riverbay Corporation was giving $150,000 to the Riverbay Fund to host events here. Plus, some politicians made sure that additional funds were issued to the Riverbay Fund. Then, at some point, some directors made a choice to separate the Riverbay Fund from the Riverbay Corporation. So, the big question is: Why?

Can you remember seeing a series of advertisements in the Co-op City Times about applying for funding to host events here? If not, then, I want the Riverbay Fund to print an article about everyone that has received funding to host events here over the past two years. Also, I want these directors to indicate their affiliation with these individuals or any organization. Then, I want these directors to show how much money was issued to these individuals or to any organization. Thereafter, I want these directors to

show all of their books to the Board directors of the Riverbay Corporation.

Bottom line: I previously audited the Riverbay Fund’s books. And, I found several problems with the way that they were handling their business. (But, this is not unusual because you see lots of issues that I publish on a frequent basis about the Riverbay Corporation.)

Anyway, I previously gave the Riverbay Fund a list of changes that they should make. But, now, the Riverbay Fund does not want to show their books to us. Why not? Again, who received money from this group? Do you see a major problem here?

Look, the Riverbay Fund wants to use our money for their own purposes. So, we need to rescind all of the resolutions that we made in reference to the Riverbay Fund. And, we need to stop them from conducting business in our community.

Close

I hope that everyone will have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. And, please remember to not drink and drive. Thank you.

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.

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

Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds

We are a multi-ethnic and bilingual,Bible-centered congregation with spirit-filled 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.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthias 9:15 NIV

Christmas is a time when we often spend a lot of time and money choosing the “perfect” gifts for the special people in our lives. But what exactly is a good gift? Better yet, what kind of gift would be considered “indescribable”?

In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Paul initially writes about human gifts. Then he shifts his attention to God’s gift of sending Jesus to earth for our salvation. We have done nothing to deserve this gift, as God gives us salvation based on His love and His grace. Paul is unable to describe the depth of this gift, so he simply says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Why does Paul call Jesus “indescribable?” I believe there are many reasons. Whether we realize it or not, this gift has many layers. Jesus, the greatest gift of all, was born for a reason. He was born to give His life as a gift for us. He came to die for the forgiveness of our sins. He came to give us joy, to make peace on earth, to give us life, and most importantly, to give us hope with the promise

of salvation and eternal life for all who believe. We have been given so much through Jesus Christ. There’s no present you’ve ever received that measures up to the gift of God.

As we celebrate God’s love this last Sunday of Advent, take time to recall the true meaning of Christmas and reflect on what is expected of us as believers. Much like John was sent as the forerunner of Christ, we are sent as forerunners to the second coming of Christ. We are tasked with sharing the Good News about the gift of Jesus with anyone who will listen. As we do our best to depict the wonder of God’s gift to us, we should begin by praising God and giving Him thanks for this “indescribable” gift. We can also show our love and gratitude to God by helping those in need.

During this season and beyond, may our Lord Jesus help us to let love into our hearts and share it with others. Blessed Christmas to all!

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

December 21: United Women in Faith Christmas Party, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

December 22: Bilingual Service/Servicio Bilingue at 11:30 a.m. Narrative of Jesus Christ. Breakfast, 9:45-11:15 a.m.

—Grace Abadia

Broun Place Townhouse Association

Good day, Co-op City neighbors. Bundle up, though we are not the North Pole, it has been very cold in our neighborhood. The Broun Place holiday lights are shining brightly. It is lovely to walk amongst them. They glow throughout our Broun Place townhouse cluster.

Congratulations to Mr. Joshua Blake, our new Deputy General Manager. It is with great pleasure that we send our sincere congratulations to him. We also offer congratulations to the new businesses opened in our community. We wish them success and hope residents will patronize them.

Thank you to our Executive Committee, Lillian Richardson, treasurer; and Vivian Burrus, vice president; for helping to keep Broun Place maintained and updated. Your efforts are very much appreciated. Holiday wishes, great health and hugs to you both.

There are still folks who aren’t familiar with Broun Place. We had a delivery go to “Brown Place” in the 10451 zip code. Make sure you are careful when directing orders or people.

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 running. Neighbors, please resume using it. Also, especially during this season of giving, don’t 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 still hope to donate to the CCPD Toy Drive as we have for years.

We are glad to read that talks are going on about the e-Bikes and that questions were brought up at the Board meeting regarding them. 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 aren’t hazardous.

Use water sparingly. Even though it rained the 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 fushing the toilet should be monitored too.

Thank you to the “powers that be” for the updated repair notices on pipe repairs and leaks. Communication on these issues are very important.

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 on Saturdays only, between 9 a.m.-1p.m.

Dog owners, please keep them quiet and clean up behind them. To report a problem, CCPD’s 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

Co-op City Toastmasters A Review

Greetings, to all at this holiday time.

The Holiday Extravaganza (pictured below), hosted by Co-op City Toastmasters, Bronx Advance Speakers, and the Mount Vernon Toastmasters Club on Dec. 10, was a joyous and unforgettable celebration! It drew close to two hundred attendees, including members, residents, friends, and a few district offcials. A highlight of the evening was the humorous and engaging speech delivered by the keynote speaker, Distinguished Toastmaster Melvin Garlic, DTM. He spoke on how to use humor to communicate, and his wit and charm had the audience laughing and entertained throughout.

American Legion Post 1871

Holiday Partnerships for Unity in our Community

Last Saturday, we provided Color Guard duties during the ceremonial opening of the Christmas tree lighting in Section 5 (pictured below left). Legionnaires Davis, Edmondson Sr., Perez, and Codrington enjoyed the unity and camaraderie present at the event. Firstly, the patriotism, demonstrated during the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem, was gratifying. Secondly, the program agenda was of interest to all attendees. Thirdly, the holiday attires, you, too, Santa Claus, blended with the live music selection, provided by DJ Mike, and captured the evening’s holiday spirit.

Special thanks to Tanya Cruz-Cook, V.P. of the Building 26 Association, and her Ad Hoc Committee for carrying out the necessary outreach to make the event successful. Part of this involvement was the presence of Council Member Kevin C. Riley and his Coop City team who handed out toys to our community kids. Also, in attendance was Leslie Peterson, president of Building 13 and 1st vice president of the Riverbay Board of Directors. Our Post was proud to be a participant in the event; we look forward to our continued involvement.

Last Sunday, the Riverbay Fund, on behalf of the community, conducted their annual Holiday Mixer. The “Christmas Lights” in the Dreiser Auditorium were indeed the talented cadre of youths (pictured below) who demonstrated their musical and artistical talents throughout the evening, under the mentorship of CEO Bervin Harris, Renaissance Youth Center (RYC) and former Council Member Andy King. The Fund executes its mission statement under four pillars: Arts & Culture, Youth Engagement, Community Outreach, and Support for Seniors. Strategic Partnerships and Donations are key to the Fund continuing its service to the community. For example, RYC has been a long-standing and integral strategic partner under the “arts and culture” pillar. Our Post, supporting patriotic programs like Memorial Day under the “Community Outreach pillar,” is also a long-standing strategic partner. Because the fund is an organic nonproft entity, relying on fnancial support from the community, partners, and our elected offcials, this united front was signifcant. A partial list of supporters, pictured from left to right: Bronx Borough President Vannessa L. Gibson, Bishop Rosario, and Bronx County District Attorney Darcel D. Clark. Former Executive General Manager Noel Ellison is now volunteering his corporate fundraising and community knowledge to the Fund as its executive vice president on the Fundraising and Community Engagement Committee. He spoke during the presentation and acknowledgement of outgoing U.S. House of Representatives Jamaal A. Bowman, who is also as a proud supporter of the Fund’s goals and objectives. Post 1871 thanks you for your community support throughout the year and wishes you a joyful holiday season flled with peace and gratitude. We are hopeful that in 2025 new legionnaires will enroll to forge a future of shared program successes. Contact Us – American Legion Post 1871, 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 41, Bronx, NY 10475. Phone: 718-320-8165. Email: post1871@oponline.net. Website: https: www.legion.org —Antonio Codrington

even more special and enjoyable for all.

Our incredible music, provided by DJ Sam, had everyone up and dancing, seniors and non-seniors, encouraging them to take to the dance foor and display their best moves.

Congratulations to Nancy Garlic, DTM, a former district offcial, for being the grand prize raffe winner. Everyone enjoyed the free raffes held throughout the evening by Event Chair Jacqueline Smith. “We want everyone to enjoy, dance, and get a gift.”

The celebration also was a very successful toy drive for boys and girls of all ages, bringing holiday cheer and adding an extra layer of fun to the evening.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to the delicious food and helped in any way. We also thank local vendors for their support and, in particular, Mr. Alex of Food Universe for an extraordinary donation of drinks. The generosity of all truly made the event

A special acknowledgment goes to our hard-working Holiday Extravaganza Party Committee and the dedicated volunteers who worked diligently behind the scenes to make this event extraordinary. Your commitment and efforts did not go unnoticed! Thank you. We were thrilled to see so many guests and dignitaries joining us for this celebration, our frst, adding to the warmth and camaraderie of the evening.

On behalf of Co-op City, Bronx Advanced Speakers, and Mt. Vernon Clubs, we wish you all a joyful and peaceful holiday season. Thank you for your presence, contributions, and support in making this celebration a memorable success!

Announcements

The next Co-op City TM meeting will be in the new year, Jan. 2, 2025. All are welcome to visit 177 Dreiser Loop, Rm. 5.

The next BAS meeting will be held Tues., Jan. 14, 2025, at 177 Dreiser Loop, Rm. 5.

The next Defensive Driving Class will be held on Sat., Dec. 28, with limited seating. Must call 347-927-1069.

––Andrea Haye

The Co-op City Times is your community newspaper, and we’d like to hear from you!

IF YOU HAVE NEWS ABOUT:

• Personal Accomplishments

• Acceptance Into College

• Graduation

• Anniversary

• Wedding

• Birthday

• Promotion At Work

• Special Honor Received

• Death Announcement to share with your neighbors in Co-op City, please let us know. Hi-resolution photos are also welcomed. Submissions may be sent to: cctimes@riverbaycorp.com, faxed to (718) 320-2595 or mailed/dropped off at the Co-op City Times, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Rm. 21, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. Not sure what can be featured? Email or call us at (718) 320-3300, Ext. 3375/6.

Insurance Resolution - #24-69

SUBMITTED BY: Monique Coleman

SECONDED BY: Leslie Peterson & Michelle Marbury BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, Riverbay’s Workers’ Compensation Policy is presently with the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) at an expiring annual premium of $2,520,905.00, plus a service fee of $82,500.00, for a total cost of $2,603,405.00 for the policy period 1/1/24 to 1/1/25; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Elliman’s (DE) Director of Risk Management evaluated various brokers to compete against the incumbent workers’ compensation broker, The Durnan Group. HUB International Limited (HUB) was selected by DE to market and solicit a competing workers’ compensation insurance carrier quote. Unfortunately, no insurance carrier was willing to entertain HUB with a quote competitive with the expiring workers’ compensation policy premium; and

WHEREAS, the Director of Risk Management now recommends renewing the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Policy with the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) for an annual renewal premium of $2,372,960.00, plus a service fee of $95,000.00, for a total cost of $2,467,960.00 which is a 5.20% decrease representing an annual savings for Riverbay of $135,445.00 for the policy period 1/1/25 to 1/1/26.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board approves placing the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Policy with the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) for a total cost of $2,467,960.00 which is a 5.20% decrease representing an annual savings for Riverbay of $135,445.00 for the policy period 1/1/25 to 1/1/26.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright NO: Johnson, Lambright, Marbury

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

Collective Bargaining Resolution - #24-70

SUBMITTED BY: Lynette Wright

SECONDED BY: Anika Green-Watson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, the Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between Riverbay Corporation (“Riverbay”) and the District Counsel No. 9, IUPAT, AFL-CIO, (“DC9”) expired on October 31, 2024; and WHEREAS, representatives of Riverbay and of DC9 have engaged in collective bargaining negotiations; and

WHEREAS, as a result of these negotiations, the representatives of the parties agreed upon the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for a period of fve (5) years up to, and including, October 31, 2029; and WHEREAS, Riverbay Management presented the Board with the attached Memorandum of Agreement describing the terms of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and recommends that the Riverbay Board of Directors ratify this Collective Bargaining Agreement; WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the Board any confict of interest as required by New York Business Corporation Law Section 713:

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Riverbay Board of Directors ratifes the Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between Riverbay Corporation and the District Counsel No. 9, IUPAT, AFL-CIO, for a period of fve (5) years commencing on November 1, 2024, and ending October 31, 2029, and authorizes Riverbay’s President to sign the agreement on behalf of the Corporation.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Johnson, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED

Collective Bargaining - Resolution #24-71

SUBMITTED BY: Kevin Lambright

SECONDED BY: Kyshawn White BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING: December 18, 2024

WHEREAS, the Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between Riverbay Corporation (“Riverbay”) and the Offce & Professional Employees International Union, Local 153, (“Local 153”) expired on September 30, 2023; and WHEREAS, representatives of Riverbay and of Local 153 have engaged in collective bargaining negotiations; and WHEREAS, as a result of these negotiations, the representatives of the parties agreed upon the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for a period of fve (5) years up to, and including, September 30, 2028; and WHEREAS, Riverbay Management presented the Board with the attached Memorandum of Agreement describing the terms of the new Collective

ABSENT: Leslie, Richardson PASSED Resolutions

African-American Association of Co-op City

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!

Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration Recap! The 28th Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration was simply splendid! So many of you have complimented us (the members of the Coalition of African-American Churches and Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc.) and we thank you! Deep Appreciation – Special thanks to Adeyemi LaCrown Oloruntoba, Coalition President and MC; Elder Francine Reva Jones, Committee Chair and Organizer; Michelle Marbury, President of the AAACC; Keynote Speaker, Pastor Michael D. Adolphus; Bronx Borough President, Vanessa L. Gibson; Honored Griots: (pronounced, gree-ohs) Elder Eleanor M. Donnely and Elder Nelson Sweeting. Acclaim also goes to Community Activist and leader of the Bronx Youth Empowerment Program (aka, YEP!) Andy King and the wonderful YEP members (i.e., ages 8 to 16 years); Gospel Line Dancers Instructor, Joyce Smith with The Soul Latin Line Dancers; African Drummer & Performance Artist, Keith Witherspoon; Culinary Servers and Volunteers: AAACC Assistant Treasurer, Merville Chambers, Elder Daisy Young, and AAACC Member at Large, Laverne Hugine and AAACC Members Ms. Ella Owens and Ms. Glynis Bruce, and many thanks to our Clean-up Crew, AAACC members, Denise Gerald, Sakinah Taylor and John Hill.

Kudos to Super Photographer: Yvonne Grant (aka; “Lovely”). Ms. Grant does such a fabulous job capturing this event every year. See page 5 of this edition of the Co-op City Times for a special photo presentation from the Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration.

If you would like a membership application for the African-American Association of Co-op City sent to you via email, you can use the information below. Get prepared to take your place and be in the number for 2025.

Kwanzaa: What You Should Remember – It is an annual celebration of African-American culture celebrated annually 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

Spreading the good news of the day (i.e., Habari Gani) through the seven 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.

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

A Message from the C.S.O. Dept: Hammering after 6 p.m., vacuuming after 9 p.m., music or TVs played very loudly at any hour, doors slamming constantly at all hours... these are just a few examples of what can disturb the peace of fellow cooperators. Please, let’s work together to make Co-op City a peaceful community.

Bargaining Agreement and recommends that the Riverbay Board of Directors ratify this Collective Bargaining Agreement;

WHEREAS, prior to voting on this Resolution, no Director has disclosed to the Board any confict of interest as required by New York Business Corporation Law Section 713:

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Riverbay Board of Directors ratifes the Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between Riverbay Corporation and the Offce & Professional Employees International Union, Local 153, for a period of fve (5) years commencing on October 1, 2023 and ending September 30, 2028, and authorizes Riverbay’s President to sign the agreement on behalf of the Corporation.

YES: Coleman, Cylich, Graham, Johnson, Lambright, Marbury, Pearson, Peterson, Saunders, Smith, Watson, White, Wright

Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Saviour 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 phone: 914-522-5039.

Our scripture verse for 2024 is: Hebrews 12:2 NIV perfecter of our faith, 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, 12-12:30 p.m., Monday–p.m., is suspended until February 5, 2025. The con3099388#. Please mute your phone.

Greetings, fellow Building Association and Townhouse Association presidents.

Happy, peaceful, and prosperous holiday season to you. We look forward to 2025 as we inform and engage the membership.

Our December 16 meeting hosted Matthew Cruz, district manager, Bronx Community Board 10.

Topics of Discussion

MTA Bus Route Ticketing – The new practice of issuing warning notices for double-parking along bus routes within Co-op City will be addressed with Councilmember is also aware of the situation and offers his support. We are a community of many services, which often require double parking.

Church of the New Vision

December 15, 2024, Worship Service Theme: “He Was Born to Be the Word of Life” Scripture: 1 John 1:1-3KJV, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew you that eternal life, which was with we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” Save the Dates

Thank you for your support and encouragement shown towards the youth at the December 14th Youth Holiday Celebration. The fellowship was appreciated. December 31 – Watch Night Service. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Cooperators United

Metro-North Station – It appears that the original completion date of 2025 for this project has been pushed to 2028. While the Co-op City community continues to be concerned about an increased parking dilemma, there may be relief factors such as commuters driving to other station locations along the route as well as the possibility of existing space within the community being offered as “park & ride” sites.

801 Co-op City Boulevard – Capital Prep Academy, currently located in the MCU mall, is expected to relocate to this site. Permits exist for the development of a four-story structure to house the school. The entire four stories will not be dedicated to classrooms alone. Space will be allocated for a gymnasium, lunchroom, auditorium, and parking spaces as well.

Retirees of Dreiser Loop

Season’s Greetings, retirees and friends, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza and Happy Hanukkah to our members, their loved ones and to our many friends. We wish all a holiday season that will give you the gift of love, peace, and happiness.

Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA, Thursday, February 14, 2025. Seats are still available. Tickets are

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 Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Overnight – May 29-30, 2025. Additional info. to be announced soon. Happy Birthday – We wish all our December celebrants an incredibly happy 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 – Please keep Serita Grayson and Jay McKenzie in your healing thoughts and prayers along with others you know who are ill, recuperating from surgery or shutin. Please notify Lorraine Parker ates or deaths.

Membership Committee – An-sonal checks payable to the “Retirees of Dreiser Loop” can be mailed to: -

Questions may be addressed to Mary

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

July 6-13, 2025

seven-night cruise from Miami. Ports of Call: Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Inside -

serve your room. Final payment due March 9, 2025. Package includes cruise, air*, taxes, fees, transfers, Wi-Fi, drink package and gratuities. (*Air rates may info@churchnewvisionbx. org to request payment link.

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

Please mail contributions, tithes and offerings to:

—Brenda Brown

Tractor Trailers – Illegally parked tractor trailers continue to blight Baychester Avenue and other streets in our community. One of the problems with having them towed away is that there is no identito their size. By the end of 2025, Mayor Adams is expected to identify three locations throughout the city to designate as tractor trailer rest stops.

E-Scooters – The Co-op City community continues to express dissatisfaction with the way these vehicles are carelessly strewn about the property. It is expected that the New York City Council will be reviewing this and related issues.

Our invited guest speaker for January 2025 is Congressman-elect George Latimer. Please join us.

—Linda Collins

NAACP

The NAACP marches to defend democracy and combat racism and discrimination in communities across the country. We meet on the fourth Sunday of the holiday from December 23, 2024 – January 3, 2025.

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 9495

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9495 (aka the

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.

“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 P. Willoughby, Chief of Policy and Legislative Affairs NAACP

Contacts: The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives H-232, and the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives H-204, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515.

here before, in fact, we were built for this. The 2025 NAACP priorities are clear: 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”

Become a member, gift a membership or upgrade your membership. Take your advocacy further by joining in theMail to: NAACP To leave a message, naacpccity2210@gmail.com

—Leslie Peterson

Black Forum

Emergency Food Pantry

grocery distribution. Guests are eligible to pick up food in black bags because they pose a safety hazard. Section groceries are supplied by and distributed by Black Forum.

Note:currently closed.

Returners – The Black Forum Food Pantry will reopen -

re-certify to continue receiving food assistance. Addition--

only include the number of household members who -

– The Black Forum food pantry is Baychester Avenue location. Registration and re-cerpick up their monthly groceries on this day. Returning guests can re-certify and pick up food on these days even if their pickup day is later in the month. Contact Us: coopcityblackforum@gmail.com —D. Illis

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Anglican Church

Email: stjosephsepc@aol.com. Church phone

In-person worship service for the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be conducted by Father Sim-

Please do not forget to tune in for the usual them ahead of our Annual General Meeting to be

volunteer our time and talent where and when so it is on these cards that you tell us about your

Church Calendar Sunday, December 15: for the Service ofence reminding us that Christmas is near.

Sunday, December 22: Family and Friends-

freshments will be served at the end of the service. Condolences: Our thoughts and prayers go friends who have recently lost loved ones. Please keep them in your prayers.

Sick and Shut-in:them a card.

Birthday Greetings: Best wishes to everyone celebrating a birthday this month.

in need.

Grace and Peace!

—Merville Chambers

National Council of Negro Women

NCNW National – A scam message has gone out to some of our members. The message purports to be from President & CEO Shavon Arline-Bradley seeking donations for palliative care. This message is not authorized by or sent from President Arline-Bradley. Please disregard and do not comply to assist.

NCNW Co-op City Section –-

Youth Committee – The Youth Committee would like to thank all who contributed to our holiday especially during this holiday season!

a video of your performance to ncnwcoopcityyouth@gmail.com no later than January 31. For

Winter Solstice –

longest night of the year. During the winter sol-

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, the Access Code is 660065#.

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

Due to the Christmas holiday, there will be no Bible Study classes and

Building

events this week.

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.

We want to wish everyone a merry and blessed Christmas!

“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

9 Association

Greetings, Building 9 Association family and friends. We wish you the merriest and happiest Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, and Three Kings celebrations. We hope you appreciate and enjoy the lobby holiday decorations.

Please exercise caution in all your activities during the holiday season. Scams abound; remain vigilant.

We have concluded collections for our Building 9 staff holiday donations. The funds were distributed in equal amounts to all staff. We thank our neighbors for their generosity. We thank our Nine Diamonds for their dedication and willingness to continue serving our building-wide initiatives. Thanks to Wanda Randall, Evelyn Mavins, Janet Yarrell, Darlene Walker-Reid, Shirley Johnson, Dinora Tirado, Barbara Cloud, Shirley McCann, Theresa Gorden, Elizabeth Manning, Marva Malone, Linda Holley, Scarlett Parker, and Matse Jenkins. We could not do the work without them.

We continue to plan our 2025 New Year celebration for January.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, at 7 p.m. Our invited guest speaker will be Mr. Mark Gorden, director of Extermination Services. Please join us. We look forward to 2025 as we inform and engage the membership.

Community Board 10 will address the new MTA practice of photographing, then issuing warning notices to drivers for double-parking along bus routes of the situation and offers his support. We are a community of many senior

Christmas at Newsong

parking while waiting.

The original completion date of 2025 for the Metro-North station has been pushed to 2028. While the Co-op City community continues to be concerned about an increased parking dilemma, there may be relief factors such as commuters driving to other station locations along the route as well as the possibility of existing space within the community being offered as “park & ride” sites.

The Capital Prep Academy is currently located in the MCU mall. It is expected to relocate to the now vacant lot at 801 Co-op City Boulevard. Permits exist for the development of a four-story structure to relocate the school. The entire four stories will be dedicated to classrooms, a gymnasium, a lunchroom, an auditorium, and parking as well.

The illegally parked tractor-trailers continue to blanket Baychester Avenue and other streets in our community. The city promised to provide each borough with a trailer tow truck to remove the tractor-trailers from residential areas. The

There continues to be dissatisfaction with the way electric scooters are carelessly strewn about our property. It is expected that the New York City Council will be reviewing the matter.

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

Amanda Gorman —Linda Collins

Newsong Church

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11(NIV)

Hope came for those who needed it most over two thousand years ago, and it’s still available to us today. The birth of Jesus is truly good news, and we can’t wait to celebrate it with you this Christmas season!

celebrate together, and end our service with candlelight! Come and experience Christmas at Newsong this Sunday!

About Us – Newsong Church is a life-giving church right here in Co-op City!pose, 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 we’re located 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’s doing in our church!

Newsong 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. At ATF, 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,

Contact Us – Mailing Address: 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 42; Phone: 917-342 2559; Email: CentralTeam@newsongchurchnyc.org

Prayer Request Line: Text “Prayer” to 877-899-7323

Website: www.newsongchurchnyc.org; Social Media: Facebook/IG/X: @ newsongchurchbx; YouTube: Newsong Church NYC

—Pastor Mike Tolone

Greetings, fellow cooperators.

Building 10 Association

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

Happy Holidays – The Building 10 Association would like to wish all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Tag Sale and it was a huge success. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for the support we received from everyone who participated and made this another successful venture. A huge thank you to Jeannie, Crystal, Lisa, Carol and Phyllis for your help.

Holiday Gift Collection for Building 10 Staff – The Building 10 Association executive board would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all who contributed to this year’s holiday gift collection for our Building 10 staff. We also thank those who gave their time and energy generously in support of this effort. Again, thank you!

Lobby Decorations – The Building 10 Association would like to thank everyone who participated in decorating our building lobbies.

Post-Holiday Celebration – On Friday, January 3, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m., the Building 10 Association will be having its annual Post-Holiday Celebration. Good food, music and maybe even a little dancing will be the order of business Tip of the Week – Many of us have received items in boxes during this hol-

Building 25 Association

Season’s Greetings, Building 25 cooperators! The holidays are fast approaching, and we wish everyone safe travels and shopping as you prepare for the holidays. We extend our thanks and deepest appreciation to our fellow cooperators who have contributed to our building’s holiday collection for our building and grounds crew. Thanks also to the cooperators who paid their 2025 building association dues.

Reminder: Free Covid-19 tests are available for delivery by USPS. Households may order the tests at Covidtests.gov or by telephone: 800-232-0233, TTY 888-720-7489.

Our regular building association meetings will resume in the new year. In the meantime, we would like to hear from you. Please share with us your ideas, concerns, and accomplishments 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 healing and good days ahead.

Condolences: To those families mourning the loss of a loved one, we wish you peace and comfort during these tough times.

Let us spread joy this holiday season. A hello and/or a smile may make a

Evelyn Herbert

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.

On the third day of Advent, Pastor lit the Candle of Joy. Also known as the Shepherd’s Candle, this candle is pink, the liturgical color symbolizing joy. The Shepherd’s Candle represents the joy felt at the birth of our Lord, as well as the joy we have in anticipation of His return. We wait, we prepare, are thankful, and joyful for the promises of God. Please read Isaiah 35: 1-2 & 10. We have so many reasons to be joyful. We are joyful for visitors, like Deacon Peterson, who considers CPC his home away from home. We are joyful that Rev. Richardson leads the choir and motivates us to worship in song with glorious abandon. We are joyful that Pastor’s message, “What If?” taken from Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 22:42 reminds us that those are, God cares about us. He shows us that life is worth living because there is an end, and the end is better than the beginning. And we are joyful for Father Reed, who humbly prayed with us and for us with love. Hallelujah!

We joyfully 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 Deacon James Tidball and 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 very best happy birthday wishes to Deacon Sybill Whinstanley, our Dorcas Prayer Shawl recipient, and to everyone celebrating their birthday this month.

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20

—Lexa M. Mingo

iday season. Remember, all boxes should be broken down before being placed in the compactor room or taken to the basement and placed near the Ash Cart room.

If You See Something, Say Something – For emergencies, call Co-op City Public Safety at 718-671-3050 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 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. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” –Muhammad Ali Have a great week.

––Jewel Crawford-Duncan

Building 27 Association

Hello, neighbors, winter is here. We are thankful for the much-needed rain.

MetroCard Bus – The MetroCard bus is scheduled to be at Einstein Loop from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on December 30.

We wish all Building 27 residents happy holidays and may your new year be a year full of peace and joy.

Movie – “A Christmas Story,” starting at 3 p.m. Fliers will be posted.

Building 27 Association – Aaron Carnegie and Thalia volunteered from Building 27 at the tree lighting. Aaron said everyone had a good time and cannot wait until next year. Aaron has also made Management aware of the heating 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 – If you missed the two collection dates, December 5 and 6, please contact the Building 27 at association@gmail.com. We want to express that we appreciate our hard-working porters and maintenance crew, who continue to ensure our buildings are clean and maintained.

Co-op City Emergency Alert System – There is a Phone Tree form on page 8 of last week’s Co-op City Times. Fill out this important form, wherein -

formation or an emergency that affect your building or community.

Holiday Day Party – The holiday party will be January 11, 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 goodwill. Also, notify her of any illness, or if a neighbor has become deceased 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

The Church of St. Thomas The Apostle

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) This Sunday will be our Christmas celebration. Jesus is the greatest gift ever given to mankind by our loving Father. Just as his birth was prophesied and came to pass, so is his return. This Christmas season, let us vow to seek out the wonderful gift of Jesus and all that he offers us so that we may be ready for his return. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Christmas Celebration: Sunday, December 22, 2024:

• 11 a.m. – Communion service

• Fellowship with light refreshments following the service

Bible Lessons: • (Isaiah 7:14, 9:2,3,6,7) • (Luke 2:1-14)

Prayer: “Most dear and holy Lord, we praise thee, we bless thee, with all our hearts do we thank and glorify thee for this thy wondrous feast of Christmas, praying thee that as thou wast born on earth as at this time for us, so mayest thou be born and reign forevermore within the hearts of men, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit art one God throughout all ages of ages. Amen.”

The congregation and clergy of St. Thomas wish all of our neighbors a Merry Christmas! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

––Rev. Dorian Miceli

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 accepted. Dropoff at Bartow OAC, Rm. 31, until Tues., Jan. 7, 2025.

Acupuncture w/Dr. Flora Lyando – Wed., Jan. 8 & Feb. 5. Call JASA NORC for an appointment at 718-320-2066, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Dreiser OAC has tickets to see “The Louis Armstrong Musical, A Wonderful World” on Broadway on Thurs., Feb. 20. Tickets are $90 and payment is due by Feb. 3.

Coping w/Memory & Cognitive Changes – Presented by the Alzheimer’s Assoc. 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

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 Monday of the month, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for Alzheimer & Dementia Consultation/Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney Consultation and other services. Please call 646-744-2921 for an appointment.

Steel Drum Classes Wed., 1-3 p.m.

Stay Well Exercise w/ Denise

Technology Class – Thurs., 6:30 p.m.-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, Aud. A. – 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 a.m.-11 a.m. braids, haircuts, shape-up, twist, ponytails, curls and more. Facials & Manicure, every Monday, 1-3 p.m. Call 718-671-5161 for appointments.

LUNCH & DINNER MENUS

Alternate Kosher Meals are available

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

BARTOW CENTER CLOSED

(NORC) Line Dancing w/ Bartow Swingers (ONLY) 12-1 p.m., every Monday Trip: Union Square Market

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.

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.

10 a.m.-11 p.m., Rm. 2

Chair Yoga Class w/Charles (Virtual) Meeting ID: 863 1492 4183; Passcode: Dreiser23 Holiday/Birthday Lunch 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Rm. 4

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

Yoga Class w/Adira 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m., Rm. 2

Current Events, 10-11 a.m.

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.

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

LUNCH: KOSHER: Stuffed Chicken w/ Wild Rice, Mashed Sweet Yams, String Beans; NON-KOSHER: Oven Baked Fried Chicken, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Collard Greens

LUNCH: KOSHER: Baked Turkey Meatballs, Pearled Barley, Normandy Blend; NON-KOSHER: Pork Spare Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Green Beans w/Onions

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: Roast Beef, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, String Beans & Carrots NON-KOSHER: Brown Stew Chicken, Yellow Rice, Cooked Cabbage w/shredded Carrots

LUNCH: KOSHER: NON-KOSHER:

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: NON-KOSHER:

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

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.

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)

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.

LUNCH: KOSHER: Beef Stew, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Prince Edward Blend Veg.; NON-KOSHER: Beef Meatballs w/ Sofrito, Pasta, Baby Carrots & Parsley

NO DINNERBARTOW ONLY

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: NON-KOSHER:

BARTOW OAC CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

LUNCH: KOSHER: BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters, Spinach Noodle Kugel, Capri Blend Veg.; NON-KOSHER: Chicken Breast & Rice, Steamed Broccoli

DINNER: BARTOW ONLY

KOSHER: NON-KOSHER:

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

KOSHER: Tuna Fish Salad, Tex - Mex Barley & Corn Salad, Cole Slaw

NON-KOSHER: Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken w/Rice), Steamed Broccoli

Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment

The holiday season is thought to be a time of joy, togetherness and celebration. However, anxiety, stress and depression can intensify during the holiday season. While some individuals experience happiness and con-

cially, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Many people feel pressured to meet heightened social expectations, such as attending events, organizing gatherings, or presenting a picture-perfect holiday experience. Balancing work, family obligations, shopping and travel can leave little time for self-care or relaxation, leading to burnout and heightened stress.

For family caregivers who may have lost a loved one, the holidays can be a time of sadness, pain, or anger. If you have lost a loved one, you might be wondering how to loved one. The holidays can be a painful reminder of our losses. It brings back memories and thoughts of the good times we spent with our loved ones and that they are not here to spend it with us. While everyone else looks forward to the holidays, you may dread it. Be easy on yourself, especially if you recently lost a loved one.

For those who are single, far from family, or experiencing strained relationships, the holidays can amplify feelings of loneliness and exclusion. Social gatherings can feel overwhelming or make individuals feel like outsiders. Social media can exacerbate feelings of isolation, as people often post highlights of their celebrations, leading others to compare their lives to seemingly perfect portrayals. The pressure to make everything “perfect” can trigger or worsen anxiety symptoms. For example, anxiety about family dynamics, traveling, or preparing meals can create a sense of constant worry. For some,ma, all of which can lead to heightened anxiety during the holidays.

Learning to say no to overcommitment and setting realistic expectations for yourself and others can help reduce stress. Prioritizing rest, relaxation and activities that bring joy or peace can help balance the emotional toll of the season. Talking to friends, family, or a mental health professional about your feelings can help reduce the stigma around mental health struggles during the holidays. Support groups or therapy can also Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness can help

provide relief. Let us be sensitive to those going through tough times during the holidays. Give them space and time to overcome their challenges. Let them know they are heard, seen and loved. The greatest gift during the holidays and every day is love.

You are just a click away: www.comeoutreach.org. Click on the event calendar. Let’s talk.

––Diane Cooper

Bronx County Chorus

On Sunday, December 15, the Bronx County Chorus performed at their holiday concert celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Bronx County Chorus. Rehearsals began in early September to prepare for this diverse program. The theme of the program was “Joy to The World: Holiday Music from Around the Globe.” It featured familiar choral music from various holiday traditions from around the world. The program focused on both diversity and unity. It included selections from Handel’s “Messiah” that are forever associated with Christmas as well as Hannukah traditional numbers that warmed spirits in preparation of hearing the Hannukah miracle. There are several numbers that include multiple familiar traditional holiday songs. An excellent group of instrumental and vocal virtuoso solo artists joined the chorus to spread the spirit of the season.

The First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck, at 3075 Baisley Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, was the venue for the concert, and Mr. Miles Fellenberg is the music and chorus director. The very talented and well-known musician Ava Nazar is the 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 ended with the 85th Annual Christmas concert on December 15. You can learn about the new season by following the press release publications in January 2025.

––Eva Kindaichi-Lazaar

Happy Holidays to our Readers!

Goose Island Seniors

The Senior Citizens’ Social Club of Goose Island will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 24 – Thursday, Dec. 27, and Tuesday, December 31 – January 2, 2025. Enjoy the holidays.

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

Black Eyed Sally’s and MGM Casino – Cancelled Uptown Motown Show at Tropicana, AC – Thursday, March 27, 2025. Price: $160. Bonus: $25 slot play and $20 for food; $50 deposit to hold seat on bus. Balance due Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

Sight and Sound “Noah’s Ark” – Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Price: $225. Lunch at Miller’s Smorgasbord. Call: 646-579-1701.

Live Casino and Mall – In Philadelphia, PA; Thursday, April 24, 2025. Price: $70. No bonus.

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

Holiday Hills Senior Day – In Prospect, CT; Tuesday, August 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: $32933945. Call: 646-579-1701.

Notary – With Yvonne Menefee. Monday – Friday, 11 a. m.-4 p.m., at 135 Einstein Loop, Rm. 39. Call: 718-379-9613.

Bingo – Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p. m.-3:30 p. m. Members only. Admission: $5 for three cards; $0.25 each additional card. 12 games and jackpot. Refreshments.

Game day – Tuesday and Thursday from 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.

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, 718-379-9613; Stephen cell 347-847-1941. Our email address is goose.island@optonline.net; $StephenCarlSr.

Good health to all.

––Stephen Roberts, Sr.

Building 32 Association

Happy winter, my fellow shareholders!

I hope the cold is not too nippy for you.

On December 14, the Building 32 Association had its annual Market 32 Craft Fair. I am happy to report it was a resounding success. The vendors were happy with the results and the patrons who stopped by were pleased with the many goods they purchased. On sale, were cookies, cakes, pies, vintage swag, original art, zines, stickers, comic books, t-shirts, sweatshirts and books written by your fellow shareholders. If you missed out this year, do not fret. We will be back with a sale in the Spring/Summer. Be on the lookout for that.

The Building 32 Association will be off until January. But, on January 6, 2025, we ask for volunteers to help us take down holiday decorations in the A and B lobbies.

On January 10-11, 2025, we will set up in both lobbies to collect the yearly Association Dues, which are $10. Association dues help support the events we schedule during the year and they show our appreciation for our building porters who try to keep our building clean. After January 11, you can pay dues during our bi-monthly meetings or drop them off at apartment 9G in either A-side or B-side. Please support your building association!

Our next general meeting is scheduled for January 14 at 7 p.m. There will be Be there!

––Ezekiel Springer Jr.

Circle of Christ Church Iglesia Circulo de Cristo

Christmas Past – He’s Coming

The expectation of help in times of despair makes us feel hopeful that our needs will be met. The entrance of light into darkness brings calm and soothes by sin and provides comfort.

(Genesis 3:15) “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”sus’s coming and his overwhelming victory over Satan. Jesus was wounded but crushed the devil. This domination over the enemy will bring restoration, light and comfort to all.

(Isaiah 9:1) “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.”

After much turmoil, disgrace and shame, God makes a promise to Israel and the world. Light will shine into darkness, and a reversal of the curse will occur.

darkness will melt by his Word.

(John 1:4) “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The beauty of light is that by it, one can see all things. There is nowhere for darkness to hide when light steps in. Darkness cannot remain even for a second when light overpowers it. Jesus; the light of the world, displayed and shamed evil and overwhelmingly conquered.

(Isaiah 7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

The greatest promise, “God with Us,” will be completed. God led the Israelites through the desert; he showed his power through thunder and lightning, but now he will be among his people. The most incredible thing is prophesied – God will walk and live with men.

Schedule (147 Dreiser Loop)

New Year’s Eve Celebration, 12/31/24, from 7-9 p.m.

First Sunday of the month Bilingual Communion Service at 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. & 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. & Youth Service (Operation Grace), 6:30-9 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.

Building 22AB Association

Greetings, to all. I would like to thank everyone for their generous donation to the Maintenance staff.

We hope everyone’s Christmas preparations and shopping are going well. Please check out the Co-op City Times for all holiday events.

The Co-op City Building and Grounds decoration staff worked their magic on the Bartow shopping center and the other centers, too.

We were informed that a dog is being left unleashed by its owner to do its business, usually by the elevators area. This action is completely unacceptable. If you are a dog owner, we remind you to be respectful of your fellow shareholders. If you fail to abide by Riverbay bylaws regarding animal waste disposal, you are subject to a $250 Community Complaint. If you observe this action,

Please take a photo of the person and dog, if possible.

Compactor Room: Everyone is getting lots of packages and boxes, please break down small ones and put them on the wooden ledge or underneath the ledge; larger boxes go to the basement. Bottles should be cleaned out and put in the plastic bag. Raw garbage goes in the chute.

Laundry Room Etiquette: This is a very busy time for all. Please help your neighbors by coming back on time to get your clothes. Do not put dirty clothes in baskets or on folding tables. Please read the etiquette board for more instructions.

Happy birthday to all. Prayers to all who lost loved ones. Please check on the sick and shut-ins.

If you see something, say something. Blessings to all.

––Betty Leak

Building 13 Association

Happy holidays to all from the Building 13 family. Santa has come to town. Yes, he is here! Greet him in the lobby at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 21.

Join our holiday celebration on December 28. If you would like to donate a dessert, please let us know ASAP. Our contact information is at the end of this

new members of the Building 13 family. Please feel free to stop by and see Santa and join the festivities. We are open to all our Building 13 residents.

To learn more about important information as well as what is happening in our community, pick up your Co-op City Times or read your lobby bulletin board. Check out the lobby TV for events and advertisements and your Crawler on channel 592. Co-op City does it best. Nobody does it better!

We want to thank folks who volunteered and decorated our lobby. Thank you, Lisa, Elena, LaShawn, Annice and Wendell, for a job well done. We are

Collection Dates – 2024: We have completed taking donations for the staff in our building who have done an outstanding job. Kudos to our area supervisor, Maintenance person, porters and grounds men. Distributions are being made for the holiday. All donations were appreciated. Thank you for coordinating this task, VP Wendell Mattison.

The date set for our holiday “After and Before Party” is Saturday, December 28, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Association room. Our DJ Valerie is ready to 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. Our food is being catered this year but extras are always welcomed. We are asking for 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 917-3301380. Thank you for supporting our team.

––Leslie Peterson

Section 5’s Community Fridge Is Open 24/7, Rain or Shine, To All Our Shareholders!

Do you know that despite the frigid temperatures, Secdistribution on Saturday mornings is always open to all shareholders. Our dedicated volunteers are happy to distribute a variety of fruits and vegetables to enhance your holiday recipes and meals.

Gentle Reminder: Just bring a bag or your shopping cart and join us by the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center for Teens. Our volunteers are there to support you with a warm smile! Have some time to volunteer? Come and join the movement! Help us in sup-

Yolanda Ramirez

Photos by Antoinette Erskin

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 freeof 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 Place.

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

General Information – The Traditional Synagogue located in Section 5, 120 Erdman Place in the rear lobby of 27B on the ground floor. It is handicap accessible, no steps. Phone # 718-379-6920. Office hours are Thursday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Please call the office before you attempt to come over. If no one is in the office, please leave a message.

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

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 Cit 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 21, at 5:24 p.m. Candle lighting for Friday, December 27, at 4:15 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 646285-1206.

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

Pentecostal Tabernacle

Pentecostal Tabernacle is located at 100 Co-op City, Building 22A, Bronx, NY.10475. Telephone: 718-324-0334 or 646-345-7607.

You are invited to attend services on the following days: Sunday School for all age groups begins at 10 a.m., Worship service starts at 11:45 a.m.

Wednesdays: Prayer and fasting service will be held 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Bible study and prayer meeting will be held Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. Fridays: Worship service starts at 7:30 p.m.

All night service will be held on Zoom call 646-931-3860, ID: 85748454513, Code850684#

Merry Christmas to everyone and a healthy and prosperous New Year. May the rich blessings of God be with all.

Focus: A Transformed Life

The believer’s life is transformed by the power of God to a conquering lifestyle through Christ Jesus.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honoring preferring one another. Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another, mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:1-2 &10-18)

The plan of God for salvation of mankind spans all of time, bears the price tag of the blood of Jesus and offers all people a new start. Paul expounded on these marvelous truths in the Book of Romans. We have read of the hopeless plight of sinful mankind, of the miracle of deliverance and of the joyous promise of restoration. In Romans, chapter 12, Paul gave some very practical direction about the application of this truth to our daily lives. It is essential that we understand foundational doctrines such as faith, justification, and divine guidance. But the scriptures do not leave us to live our lives in the realm of the theoretical. This life-changing gospel calls us to a place of commitment that will affect the way we live and how we interact with other people. It is important that we study the Bible every day and mediate on the word we will find grace, strength, joy and peace to overcome the trials of life. God’s grace is sufficient to keep us every day. Our duty is to remain faithful to God in any areas he has called us to work.

––Rev. R. Sibblies

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;

• Call independent third party whistleblower hotline: 1-833-290-0009 (English); 1-800-2161288 (Spanish);

• Email reports@lighthouse-services.com (the email must include “Riverbay” in the subject);

• Send a fax to (215) 689-3885 (the fax must include “Riverbay” in the subject of the report).