Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2013 Co-op City Times
Vol. 48 No. 7
Saturday, February 16, 2013
25¢
Alert neighbors’ calls possibly saved the life of elderly resident BY BILL STUTTIG Some alert residents of Building 23, who realized that they had not seen their elderly neighbor for several days and noticed newspapers beginning to pile up outside the apartment door, called Public Safety who quickly responded and investigated only to find a elderly woman who was in desperate need of urgent medical care. Calls made to Public Safety reported the woman’s absence and complained of an odor emanating from the home. Public Safety notified the 45th Precinct of a possible deceased person in the home and both agencies responded simultaneously. Upon arriving and detecting the odor first hand, NYPD granted Riverbay permission to execute a forced entry through a wall. When officers were able to get inside, an elderly woman was found
lying on the living room floor, in dire need of medical attention. An ambulance was called and the woman was treated and then rushed to Jacobi Medical Center for followup care. A short time later, maintenance crews repaired the wall that was broken through in order to gain access to the home. Public Safety supervisors referred the woman’s case to social agencies for follow-up and to recommend future care for the elderly woman who lives alone. Chief Frank Apollo said: “The actions of residents who notified us of this situation very possibly saved this woman’s life. This is an example of the kind of life-saving action that can take place when residents notice something wrong and don’t delay in notifying us for response.”
American Cancer Society seeks Co-op City residents for the national Cancer Prevention Study-3 BY BILL STUTTIG The American Cancer Society is seeking to include approximately 500 Bronx residents, many of them from Co-op City, to take part in a major nationwide study to determine the effects of lifestyle, genetics, diet and the environment on the chances of being diagnosed with cancer during his or her lifetime. Co-op City will be one of four sites in the Bronx participating in the voluntary study involving people between the age of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer before. The enrollment event for Co-op City has
been moved up to Friday, March 8 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, March 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bartow Community Center, Room #28. Originally, the enrollment dates for Co-op City were Friday, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th. Susan Olivera, Director of Patient and Family Services for the Bronx office of the American Cancer Society, said that the hope is to begin having Co-op City residents register for the study beginning now. (Continued on page 3)
R iver b a y H olid a y closin gs a n d Co-op City Times d ea d lin e n ot ice Riverbay’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, February 18, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Shareholders may contact the Emergency Maintenance Desk for service emergencies and the Co-op City Public Safety Department at (718) 671-3050, and 9-1-1 for all other emergencies. Because of the holiday shortened work week, all Directors’ viewpoints and club articles must be received by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 19. Material received after this time will not be considered for publication in the Saturday, February 23rd issue of the Co-op City Times. Please note that this deadline will be strictly enforced to ensure that we meet our production schedule. Articles and viewpoints may be submitted electronically by emailing 24/7 to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com or by faxing to (718) 320-2595. Material may also be slipped under the door of Room 21 in the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. 10475. We wish our readers a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
Preparing for installations…
Riverbay’s Operations Director Kevin Keenan, Construction Department Director Tony Rasulo and Assistant Restoration Director Gino Boccia watch the testing of several Riverbay staff, including Fadial Jakaj, (foreground), and outside workers as they try to prove their ability to install Ground Fault Interrupters (GFIs) in Co-op City homes later this year. The electric contractor who will be overseeing the GFI installation is currently testing the Riverbay employees and independent workers to see if they are qualified to perform the work. As a requirement of the HUD guaranteed loan, GFIs and smoke detectors must be installed in each Co-op City apartment by the end of the year. Keenan said that approximately 200 Riverbay staff members, along with several outside workers, have already applied to do the work. Several dozen teams comprised of a supervisor, a GFI installer, a smoke detector installer and a painter will be branching out throughout the community in early spring to begin the work. Crew members have also been trained in visually spotting signs of asbestos. Buildings that will be the first to receive the installation will be notified shortly and appointments will be set up. Crews will work throughout the day and into the evening to accommodate residents who work during the day. The installation process for each home, which will also include painting each front apartment door, will take approximately an hour. Photo by Bill Stuttig
Co-op City’s Public Safety Chief to be honored by 45th Precinct Community Council BY BILL STUTTIG Citing his development of the Riverbay Public Safety Department as building a reputation of integrity, dedicated service and a willingness to work in partnership with the 45th Precinct on all quality of life and crime issues, the 45th Precinct Community Council announced this week that it will be honoring Chief Frank Apollo at its annual breakfast on May 8th at Villa Barone Manor in Throggs Neck. 45th Precinct Council President Bob Bieder said Frank Apollo the council chose Chief Apollo as an honoree because, “Chief Apollo is always there and right on target in working with the Precinct and its Captains over the years and in helping all the communities of the Precinct resolve each and every issue. He has been there for us whenever we asked for his help whether it be hosting a precinct-wide meeting, hosting National Night Out
each year, or working with the Precinct, its commanders, detectives and officers on a daily basis to help the entire Precinct maintain its low crime rate. Whenever we have asked something of him, Chief Apollo has always come up aces for us and that is why we are happy to make him one of our honorees.” Joe Boiko, the 45th Precinct Community Council Vice President, said that Chief Apollo has lifted the reputation and integrity of Co-op City’s Public Safety Department over the past several years. “His work in partnership with the Captains of the 45th Precinct, whether it was Captain Green for the previous two years or currently Captain McGeown, has earned the respect and admiration of the entire Precinct as his hard work since being appointed to the position in 2009 has earned the respect and gratitude of most Co-op City residents. His (Continued on page 2)