H A P P Y K WA N Z A A ! Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.
Repairs to hot water system to take place over next two weeks
© Copyright 2014 Co-op City Times
Vol. 49 No. 52
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Thirty-year Public Safety veteran James Keappock promoted to Captain BY BILL STUTTIG Captain said, “I think this James Keappock, a department has made great fixture with Co-op strides over the years in the City’s Public Safety area of progressive policforce since 1985 and ing. All aspects of commuits chief training offinity policing have always cer since 1997 who is and still remain a very instrumental aspect of what largely credited with we do here. We keep in creating one of the close step with the commumost comprehensive and professional train- Chief Frank Apollo and nity and value its participation and assistance with ing regimens in the Captain James Keappock Photo by Bill Stuttig our efforts in trying to private public safety maintain this community industry, was promotas a safe community. To this date this ed to the rank of Captain earlier this month, making him the second highesthas always been a strong relationship ranked commander on the community’s along with the productive relationship public safety force and the right hand of we have with the 45th Precinct and commander Chief Frank Apollo. the NYPD in general.” Having served in various key Keappock came to the Co-op City positions with the Public Safety Public Safety Department in April of Department over the last three decades, (Continued on page 2) during a recent interview the new
Seabrook loses appeal of conviction in federal court BY JIM ROBERTS
Convicted former City Council Member Larry Seabrook lost another round in court last week after a federal judge threw out an appeal to overturn his conviction. On Dec. 19, federal Judge U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan determined that Seabrook’s brother and former aide weren’t ordered to leave a courtroom
during the jury selection process but instead were only asked to give up seats in the courtroom to potential jurors. Following Seabrook’s request via a handwritten letter from prison this past April, his new attorney pursued a new appeal of his conviction for mail and wire fraud. (Continued on page 4)
25¢
BY BILL STUTTIG
Repairs to Co-op City’s high temperature hot water system for both zone 1 and zone 2, which encompasses the majority of the community, will take place next week and the week after. According to Riverbay Power Plant Director Brian Reardon, this Tuesday, December 30th permanent repairs for zone 2 will take place as contractors will be on site throughout the day welding or replacing old and corroded piping. The emergency repairs, which will address the underground pipe leak behind Cooper Place, necessitates the temporary shutdown of hot water service from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on December 30 for all residences in zone 2. Zone 2 consists of Buildings 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and the Cooper Place, Broun Place
On December 19th, Riverbay workers successfully installed a temporary fix for a significant hot water leak affecting Co-op City’s Zone 1. On Tuesday, December 30th, long-term repairs on the line will take place. Photo by Bill Stuttig
and Debs Place Townhouses. (Continued on page 4)
2014 Year in Review: January - June BY BILL STUTTIG The following is an account of the major events occurring in or affecting Co-op City during the first six months of 2014 as reported by the Co-op City Times. Next week’s issue will feature an account of the last half of 2014. January: 2014 began with a harbinger of the winter months to follow as January 2nd brought more than 10 inches of snow followed by bone-chilling extreme cold which saw temperatures not exceed 10 degrees Fahrenheit for several days during the first week of January then followed by a
warming trend for a few days and then back into the extreme cold. The extreme fluctuations in temperature over a 10-day period took its toll on Co-op City’s aging infrastructure as pipes cracked leading to incidents of flooding in approximately 15 buildings during the first 10 days of 2014. Although temperatures stabilized for much of the remainder of January, in early February, the temperature (Continued on page 3)
Riverbay Holiday closing notice
Public Safety Toy Drive for Hospitalized Children … The Department of Public Safety, under the leadership of Officers Elizabeth Delvalle and Marcelo Ahmed, and Captain James Keappock collected hundreds of donated toys this holiday season which were then delivered to the pediatric wards of three Bronx hospitals in the days leading up to Christmas. Keappock said that an anonymous donation of toys from one selfless individual made this year’s toy drive especially successful. Congratulations to the Public Safety Department and the residents of Co-op City who donated to the cause. Photo by Bill Stuttig
All Riverbay administrative offices will close at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31. Riverbay Corporation offices are closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2015. Although Riverbay Corporation offices are closed on Thursday, January 1 in observance of New Year’s Day, shareholders may contact Riverbay at (718) 320-3300, and follow the prompts for emergency maintenance, and the Co-op City Public Safety Department for emergencies at (718) 671-3050, as well as 9-1-1. We wish our readers a happy Kwanzaa and Three Kings celebrations, and a healthy and prosperous New Year.