Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2010 Co-op City Times
Vol. 45 No. 16
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Petition period ends; Candidates’ meeting to be held next Tuesday BY ROZAAN BOONE All sixteen potential candidates who picked up petitions to run in the 2010 Riverbay Board election, which will be held on Wednesday, May 26th, returned their petition packages by the 5 p.m. deadline on Monday, April 12. The qualifying petitions became available on Monday, March 22 and among the resident shareholders who picked up are the five incumbent Directors running for re-election this year—Helen Atkins, Tony Illis, Andrea Leslie, Evelyn Santiago and Michelle S. Davy. The other potential candidates in this year’s Board election are Frank Belcher, Bruce Gitelson, Raymond Tirado, Krystal Serrano, Larry Barnard, Lauretta Jaysura, Yolanda Canales Schumann, Herbert Moreira-Brown, Leah Graham, Bernard Cylich and Kevin Pressley. With the petition period over this week, non-resident Riverbay staff conducted electronic signature verification
on each of the signed petitions. This process was overseen by Michael Munns, Riverbay’s senior attorney; Director Bill Gordon, Chair of the 2010 Election Committee, and Mary Ahland, Riverbay’s Director of Computer Services. During the week, based on the results of the signature check, and the criminal background check, the 2010 Election Committee also verified that none of the candidates are indebted to the Riverbay Corporation and are up to date in the payment of their maintenance charges before compiling the final list of candidates. The official field of candidates will be announced at the Candidate’s Meeting next Tuesday, April 20th in Room 31 of the Bartow Community Center at 8 p.m. The official list will also be published in next Saturday’s issue of the Co-op City Times. (Continued on page 4)
Applications for roofing work to be available at May 4th Job Fair (See page 2 for story)
Wife of Wycleff Jean collects Haitian relief supplies from M.S. 181 BY BILL STUTTIG “We have a very caring student body,” When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Warnock explained. “With any nationally devastated the Caribbean nation of Haiti (Continued on page 5) on the afternoon of January 12th, the next morning, M.S. 181 Principal Christopher Warnock said many of his students were waiting at his office door asking what the school can do to help. Warnock said in the days that followed, a massive relief effort took place throughout the school, with students, parents, teachers and staff all donating needed Claudinette Jean (center), the wife of musician Wycleff supplies, from non-perish- Jean, joins with M.S. 181 students and volunteers from the Yele Haiti Foundation in loading supplies onto trucks to help able food items, clothing and Haitians left homeless by January’s earthquake. Students, basic health and hygiene teachers and parents of M.S. 181 donated the more than 40 boxes of needed supplies. Photo by Bill Stuttig products.
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Governor appoints new DHCR Commissioner Brian E. Lawlor, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Division and Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), was appointed Commissioner of the agency by Gov. David Paterson last week. Lawlor was also named CEO and President of ‘nyhomes,’ which includes the state’s Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA). Although the two housing agencies will remain separate entities, the consolidation of the DHCR and ‘nyhomes’ leadership positions is the first step in Gov. Paterson’s plan to create a Brian E. Lawlor single management structure. The synergies in administration, asset management and grant making are expected to produce annual savings of $3.5 million, according to the Governor’s office. Lawlor has served as Acting Commissioner since this past January, when Commissioner Deborah Van-
Amerongen resigned the post. Before taking on that role, Lawlor served from 2007 as DHCR’s Executive Deputy Commissioner, and oversaw the administration of more than $700 million in stimulus funds, including the largest allocation of Weatherization grants in the country, and more than $260 million for Tax Credit Assistance Program resources and the State Community Development Block Grant funds. During his tenure at DHCR, Lawlor has helped to better coordinate the state’s housing agencies, increasing their collaboration, maximizing the use of limited resources and achieving efficiency goals and savings. “Brian Lawlor brings more than 25 years of experience in the affordable housing field and is uniquely qualified to lead our housing agencies as they merge their administrative functions,” (Continued on page 4)
2010 BOARD ELECTION SCHEDULE (Machine Vote) Tuesday, April 20th
Candidates’ Meeting (8:00 p.m.) Bartow Community Center, Room 31
Saturday, April 24th
Official Listing of Candidates
Saturday, May 8th
1st Election Edition 1st Election Notice (Co-op City Times)
Wednesday, May 12th
Candidates’ Forum (7:30 pm) (Dreiser Center, Auditorium B)
Saturday, May 15th
2nd Election Edition 2nd Election Notice (Co-op City Times)
Monday, May 17th
Candidates’ Forum (7:30 p.m.) (Einstein Loop Community Center, Room 45)
Saturday, May 22nd
3rd Election Edition 3rd Election Notice (Co-op City Times)
Wednesday, May 26th
Annual Meeting Begins Voting from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Vote Tally – 9:00 p.m. Room 31 Bartow
Thursday, May 27th
If no quorum reached on May 26th meeting, voting with paper ballots will be available in Building Lobbies beginning at 8:00 a.m. for eligible shareholders who did not vote on May 26, 2010.
Thursday, June 3rd
Recount, 9:30 a.m. (Board of Elections)
Wednesday, June 9th
Swearing in of Elected Board Members (7:00pm) (Bartow Center, Room 31)