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Co-op City Times / June 4, 2016
Director’s Viewpoint
Francine Reva Jones Secretary To the winners of the 2016 Riverbay Board of Directors race, I say, well done and all the best to you. The Riverbay Election Committee is one of many important Board committees and it was a pleasure to serve as the Chairperson. It could not have been accomplished without the involvement of committee members, Cynthia Dixon, John Gale, Rose Reyes, Jacqueline Smith and Barry Lee. Their participation and deliberations were beneficial to our decisions. I trust that you were among the cooperators who attended the June 2nd Open Board Meeting to witness the seating of the new Board members, the retiring Board members, the random drawing for the winners of the incentive voting, the election of new officers and the appointment of new committee chairs. Please note that the Election Rules state that the Chairperson is not allowed to write viewpoints during the election period. Outgoing Board Directors By the time this edition is published, Board Directors Helen Atkins and William “Bill” Gordon will have made their final appearance as Board directors. They have each served as Board President and chaired and co-chaired many committees. I have worked with Ms. Atkins on the Commercial Leasing Committee and found her to be a clever and pleasant person to work with. Not having done committees with Bill Gordon, he has been logical, direct and very often comical at Board meetings. I wish them the very best. Directors With Vision It has been an awesome second year for President Cleve Taylor and First Vice President Linda Berk. Working together with the interim general managers, Noel Ellison and Peter Merola, they have nearly completed the staffing for the Riverbay Corporation which is needed in order to function properly, including Internal Audit Director Averil James-Bonnette, Procurement Director Jose Mendez, Human Resources Director Inelle T.M. Cooper, Construction Director Mark Warren and Risk Management, John Lowe. The Board has
Congratulations! selected Douglas Elliman as the managing agent and this will complete the undertaking. The oversight entities of HCR, HUD and Wells Fargo need to approve DE and I trust that it will happen without delay. I look forward to everyone working together in a harmonious manner in order to provide to the cooperators the services that they deserve. It is unfortunate that we still have a lawsuit pending because, in November 2014, the former management company, Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc. (MSI) was suspended for cause. The Board was unable to terminate MSI because it was the responsibility of the NY State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), which oversees Mitchell-Lama developments, to end their employment here. HCR has not yet carried out its responsibility. The Board was pressured to select a management agent while HCR had not yet terminated MSI. The Board has now made its selection and I trust that the lawsuit will be dropped so that the shareholders will not be obligated to compensate MSI. Thanks again to the diligent work of Directors Bernard Cylich and Linda Berk, leading the Management Agent Search Ad Hoc Committee. Cooperators’ Money-Saving Award Program I am excited about the Cooperators’ Money-Saving Award Program. This program will award cooperators for their ideas that will save money or increase revenue for the Riverbay Corporation. There will be three prize winners of $500, $250 and $125, plus dinner and community recognition. This is another way that shareholders and management can work together: the shareholders, by offering their money-saving ideas; and the Riverbay Corporation, by providing a reward to the three shareholders with the best ideas that can be used. Thanks to former Board director, Khalil Abdul-Wahhab, who sponsored the 2013 resolution and the Board that passed it, as well as the Community Relations Committee and the Community Relations Department that made this program happen. Several applications were submitted and the winners will be announced in September. Scholarship Awards The African-American Association will award two deserving high school graduates with scholarship funds at their general membership meeting on June 9th,
Dreiser Center, room 15. Did you apply for these scholarship funds for your child or tell a friend or neighbor? Parents should take advantage of all the opportunities for monies for their children’s education because, as you know, the cost of college and vocational schools are very high. I wish all the graduates the very best in their future endeavors. Please note that if you are an “A” student, the Education Committee, in collaboration with the Youth Committee, is planning to recognize the Best and Brightest of our community on June 11th. Watch for notices regarding this event 3rd Annual Co-op City Spelling Bee The African-American Association and the Riverbay Fund sponsored the 3rd Annual Spelling Bee for children in the 4th-8th grades. Twenty-three children participated. The first, second and third contest winners received trophies and gift cards for $100, $50, and $25, respectively. All received certificates, medals, gift bags and refreshments. Thanks to the parents for involving their children to engage in this academic exchange, as well as the cooperators in attendance. Special thanks are extended to the Spelling Bee Committee of Cheryl Birdsall, Augusta Terzol, Mercedes Terzol, Ebony Raé Lambright, Zara M. Diaby, Iris Steele and Francine Reva Jones. Also, in attendance were Association President, Kevin Lambright and Evelyn Turner, the Riverbay Fund President. Thanks to others who assisted, including the Community Relations Dept. Director; also, Tamara King, Eddie Diaz, Jose Collado and Rick Schmidt. Appreciation is extended to Tia Smith who performed a lovely dance number choreographed by Kerrie-Ann Sutherland. This event will be broadcast on June 10th at 7:00 p.m., June 11th at 10 a.m. and June 13th at 7 p.m. on Cablevision station channel 591. Watch for the notice in your building lobby. Contact Me If you have thoughts that you would like to share, don’t hesitate to contact me. If you have an issue that cannot be resolved through your building association or the Community Services Office (CSO) Department, you may contact me, Francine Jones, Board of Directors, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475 or call me at 718-671-5957 and I will attempt to assist.
Building 21 Association Here for you all Summer!!! The fiscal year of the building association begins in September and ends in June. The Building 21 Association will remain active throughout the summer in the form of events like our Annual Ice Cream Social and Think Tank. Our next general meeting will be Thursday, June 23rd at 7 p.m., in the gathering room located in the rear of the B-Section. All are welcomed. THINK TANK at Building 21 needs your input… We all want a better CO-OP City, and the best way to have that is to be informed and take advantage of the infrastructure that protects and guides us. Come and lend your intention to The Tank. We convene every Friday evening, 8:30 - 10 p.m. in the gathering room in the rear of Building 21B. This is your community. What are you doing to help make it better??? Floor Captains will make CO-OP City Work Better All we ask of anyone kind enough to be a Floor Captain is as follows: 1. CONTACT NUMBERS (FOR YOUR FLOOR ONLY) LIST ALL EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS AND DISTRIBUTE TO EACH NEIGHBOR 2. CO-OP CITY TIMES PLACE THEM AT EACH APARTMENT DOOR (Delivered on Saturdays) 3. ELEVATOR NOTICES READ THEM AND TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THEM 4. PROMOTE: MEETINGS, CLUBS AND GATHERINGS 5. ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO: MAKE CALLS TO THE RIVERBAY OFFICES SECURITY — 718-671-3050 CSO OFFICES — 718-320-3300
We are dedicated to the self-development and empowerment of every shareholder in CO-OP City. We are passionate about our community. Each one of
us, multiplied by all of us, equals A FORCE FOR GOOD. See you around the neighborhood! —Michelle Marbury
Richard B. Chernaik, M.D.
I have been in solo Internal Medicine practice in Co-op City for over 35 years.
I have many years of experience in Primary Care as well as consulting at Montefiore Hospital. I have taught medical students and residents at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and am a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine there. I have been recognized in Connelly's Book of "Top Doctors".
I am in the office 5 days a week and make rounds at Montefiore Hospital daily including weekends. I am also on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I provide a "Medical Home" for my patients (I am willing to help make all significant medical decisions). I have excellent consultants available whom I have vetted over the years and work well with them. Good Primary Care requires the Primary Doctor to know his patient thoroughly and guide them through our chaotic medical system.
We now accept Medicare, Centerlight, VWS Choice, Empire, GHI, HIP, United Healthcare/ Oxford and Emblem Health.
100 Elgar Place, Building 35 Telephone (718) 320-2188 • rchernaik@aol.com