Tower Times April 2023

Open Captioning at NST Towers Cinema: An Industry Leader Serving Hearing Impaired

By Michael Kohn

The North Shore Towers Cinema is helping lead the way for the deaf and hard of hearing community, showing open-captioned movies on Wednesdays and Thursdays. New York City movie theaters are required to offer open captions for some of their films since May of last year, but such showings are still challenging to find.

Henry Stampfel, the owner-operator of the NST theater since 2015, was an early adopter of open captioning. “Generally, everybody seems to welcome it, even if some people don’t appreciate the distraction,” he said.

Only some of the films Stampfel shows provide open captioning, visible to all moviegoers, so he struggles to keep up with the twice-weekly schedule. “I try to pick days that will work best,” he said. “I don’t want to pick Saturday nights because some people don’t want to see the captions, so we have to be careful about that.”

Stampfel said he first offered open captioning for his customers years ago when he ran the Oceanside theater, but phased it out because some moviegoers complained. He began such screenings at the Towers because it is a unique single-screen theater, and it is easier to inform the community.

Open captioning displays the dialog as text on the screen for everyone in the theater, similar to watching a foreign film. Closed captioning refers to a system like the one found on home televisions. The captioning system also benefits people watching movies in another language.

For Robert Saccente Jr., a 48-year-old Valley Stream Deaf man who uses American Sign Language, watching his favorite movies in a theater has been difficult since he cannot lip read. Open-captioned screenings are the “gold standard” of accessibility for many with hearing loss, but they are still challenging to find in the area.

As a teacher at the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, Saccente brought his students to NST for an opencaptioned screening of Marvel’s “The Eternals,” starring a deaf superhero. “It was a real eye-opener for them,” he said. “Most of the students didn’t know about this.”

Open caption screenings help the deaf and hard of hearing to gather together, Saccente said. As a child with deaf parents, he enjoyed attending such movies so his family could meet their friends. He noted that open captioning offers equal access for the deaf community and those with hearing loss.

The NST theater also offers volume-boosting headsets and a telecoil (or T-coil) system that connects a moviegoer’s hearing aid or cochlear implant to the theater’s sound system with no interference, background noise, or delay. The loop system was installed in the Towers theater when it was renovated.

A closed captioning device is also available that displays the dialogue text and audio descriptions on a small screen. Still, since the NST seats do not have cup holders, that system can be awkward and challenging to set up, and batteries often run out during the show.

Another option available is headsets with two settings that describe the film, one for the hearing impaired and the other for the visually impaired. Only some films come with both choices, according to Stampfel, especially with independent films. “It’s not consistent on the movie distributor side,” he said.

Variety magazine recently reported, “Several filmmakers have declined the request to provide open captions on-

screen, citing the costs and time associated with making another print.”

The magazine also noted that jurors presiding over the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition walked out of the “Magazine Dreams” premiere in January because the festival failed to provide sufficient captioning for deaf and hearing-impaired audience members–including juror Marlee Matlin. The incident raised concerns about accessibility and inclusion, even at high-profile events.

Salon.com ran an article earlier this year titled “What’s so hard about making movies accessible?” Author Alison Stine wrote, “But along with adding another creative layer to the story of a film, open captions are much more dependable than closed. Not every person understands how to turn closed captions on and off via increasingly complicated remotes, not to mention on glitchy in-theater devices. Open captions also include everyone, which doesn’t require an individual to disclose anything about their body. It takes time and can be embarrassing to declare my disability every time I go to the movies.”

The nation’s largest movie chain, AMC, has also made an effort to make its theaters more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals by hosting open-captioned screenings at two of their Long Island theaters. The second-largest movie theater operator, Regal, accommodates requests for open-captioned screenings for groups of 10 or more.

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“Generally everybody seems to welcome it (Open Captioning), even if some people don’t appreciate the distraction.”

Owner-operator Henry Stampfel in the North Shore Towers Cinema that features open caption showings.

Our Collective NST Adventure Update

By Cheryl Vollweiler Secretary NST Board of Directors

Iam writing this while on a business trip. Anyone who knows me knows I love to travel, for business and fun. I was in Antarctica the week before

the world shut down. I raced home from the dock in Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego for a business meeting in West Virginia (which, surprisingly, takes almost as long to fly to from NYC as Buenos Aires–no non-stop flights). Two days after I returned from West Virginia, the first round of COVID restrictions took effect. Being grounded for almost three years was torture.

Aesop (the fable guy) said, quite simply, “Adventure is worthwhile.” Seneca (the ancient Roman philosopher and statesman) said, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old

dimensions.” Mark Twain said, “20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did.” I agree with them all.

But as great as it is to travel, the best part of the journey is returning home. Lin Yutang (the Chinese linguist, philosopher and novelist who wrote “The Importance of Living”) said “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes one and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” I think we can all agree that my pillow is in a particularly fabulous place to come home to. And living in our beautiful NST is its own worthwhile adventure (especially being on the Board).

So here’s my update on where we are in our collective NST adventure. Garage work is continuing at an excellent pace. Phase 1 work is being done in five sections. Sections A and B are nearing completion. Residents whose cars are presently displaced are expected to get their regular parking spaces back around the end of March. We received the engineering layout for Section C, and work is expected to

begin there in late April. Because nothing is without challenges, the top coating applied in sections A and B appears course, so management is meeting with the manufacturer to discuss a resolution. (The top coating is a heavy material intended for heavy traffic areas, so we want to be sure it is right.) Replacement of a wastewater pipe is an open item. Staff is undertaking preventive maintenance on the existing wastewater line to prevent any issues while replacement is being addressed. Our garage engineer is presently identifying for inspection all double columns like those found to be in need of significant repair in Section 1A so we can avoid more surprises. Management is working to identify up to 100 additional parking spaces to relocate cars and expand the work area. This has the potential to expedite completion of Phase 1 by up to six months (from December 2025 to June 2024).

NST staff is now power washing and painting on levels 1 and 2. Level 3 will not get waterproofing because it is on bedrock. It presently appears that we may be able

to complete the entire garage renovation in three additional phases (Phases 2-4) with an estimated completion date of June 2028. Pretty exciting news, right?! (Well, the Board is pretty excited about it. For more than a decade, we were told this was a 10year project, so this is huge, man!)

Local Law 11 (LL11) continues to be an open item. On Thursday, March 2nd, the engineers filed the SAFE report with DOB, and DOB inspected all three buildings on the following Tuesday. We are awaiting the inspector’s report, after which Pratt will be able to apply to remove the sidewalk bridges. This must be completed before LL11 work can continue on the poolside and courtyard brickwork and banding the cladding. If the current contractor cannot complete this work by May 2023, we will get a credit for the unfinished work and hire a new contractor to handle it immediately.

Wi-Fi installation in the garage is expected to be done by the end of March (yay!). Installation work will begin in the Arcade as soon as the garage is done. We

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NST Renaissance: A Holistic Approach

By Richard Levine Capital Improvements Chairman

Last issue I outlined the planned and initiated remedial work underway, focusing on the Flip Tax as a possible method of raising additional revenue to help pay for various projects. I characterized the work effort as a Renaissance Program. Its neces-

sity has been created by more than 20 years of inadequate investment in modernization, as well as remediation and replacements. As part of the resulting consequences is the softening of NST apartment sales, in spite of the overall superiority of the co-op’s amenities and lifestyle advantages over its competition.

The responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of the current Board to lead the way through this Renaissance or rebirth of NST to reassert its preeminence among luxury residences in its market. In the brief time the current Board has been seated, its members have recognized the property’s needs and have already inaugurated many of the necessary changes. But the tasks before them are demanding. It will continue to be an “all hands on deck” situation, requiring a unique set of ambitious and highly qualified Board members under very able and dedicated leadership

to accomplish all that is required most efficiently. Fortunately, our community has been blessed with a uniquely competent and highly dedicated Board that is very ably led. Board incumbents come to their responsibilities with the requisite skills and work experience to plan and complete the tasks ahead. Proactivity has supplanted reactivity, and strategic thinking has replaced transactional thinking. These characteristics are vitally necessary amid a climate of political uncertainty and economic vicissitudes, which continue to surprise even veteran economists and some sagacious government leaders. A case occurred within the last several days, demanding that bank regulators take extraordinary measures to quell depositor runs on several mid-size US banks.

Members of the NST Board quickly noted this extraordinary regulatory action. A subcommittee of the Board was formed and approved by the Board and its leadership. Its purpose is to continually monitor the financial institutions where excess NST funds are parked awaiting application to future projects. The entire mechanism was designed and constructed in less than two hours via a series of phone calls among various Board members and the special subcommittee members. This action added an extra level of safety for our shareholders’ funds. It demonstrates the Board’s appreciation for the gravity of its responsibilities and its ability to work efficiently while benefiting from the

accumulated business acumen among the current Board members.

It can be said that the Renaissance Program is predicated upon a view of the NST complex, its operational needs, and its capital improvement needs from a holistic perspective. That viewpoint offers the most comprehensive model of where the complex is and needs to be at a particular time during the Renaissance Program.

Holism is derived from the Ancient Greek idea that various systems should be considered as a whole, not a collection of parts. In essence, the value of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This concept suggests that in designing remedial programs for NST, one must consider each change’s impact on the property. These undertakings will include updating communication systems, installing new high-tech software programs, government-mandated physical changes, changes in aesthetics, and replacement and remediation of aging improvements. For this Board, the future must be and is now!

The NST complex cannot be viewed as a series of separate entities but as various segments of the whole. While the apartment towers are the mainstay of the community, the country club, retail stores, gym, pools, tennis courts, and golf course make the whole such a distinctive property. They all must be properly maintained and efficiently op-

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PASSING THE TORCH Abraham G. Borenstein, DDS

From North Shore Towers Dental, P.C. (formerly in Arcade)

Dear valued patient:

After 30 rewarding years, it is with mixed emotions that I have announced my retirement.

I would like to thank you for your trust and confidence in allowing me to serve you as your dentist throughout the years. It has been my life’s joy to take care of you all. I am also grateful to the North Shore Towers community for accepting me as one of their own.

Although I am leaving the office, you will continue to receive the best possible dental care from two wonderful dentists right here (only two miles away) on Northern Blvd. in the neighboring community of Great Neck. Dr. Yuval Spector and Dr. Daniela Spector have long been beloved and familiar faces of Great Neck, where they raised their four children. They have been in practice here over 22 years. Together they enjoy a family practice where they help in every scope of dentistry with an Endodontist and Periodontist on their team. Dr. Yuval graduated from NYU and is a general and implant-trained restorative dentist. Dr. Daniela was trained in general and cosmetic dentistry at NYU, where they met and married. Their practice is mainly geared toward restoring beautiful smiles and functionality while caring for the most nervous at heart. Here you will feel the same wonderful, caring feeling you have come to enjoy in my office and have come to expect.

I am passing the torch to Dr. Yuval Spector and Dr. Daniela Spector to continue to help you love your smiles and care for your dental needs. You can reach them at (516) 487-2022 and (718) 225-0500. They have all of your records and will help you with the transition when needed.

Please visit their website www.signature-smile.com for additional information. They will even provide transportation from North Shore Towers if needed.

Thank you again for putting a smile on my face for all these years with your family stories and personal touches. I will never forget your smiles.

Sincerely,

Dr. Abraham Borenstein

www.signature-smile.com

Situated high in the sky on the 29th floor in Building 3, with amazing NYC skyline views, lies one of the most coveted apartment lines at NST: the “S” line. With over 1,100 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, this spacious apartment features an oversized bedroom with ample closet space and 1.5 bathrooms. Upon entering, you’re greeted by the living room, which opens to the balcony and the dining room/den area that can easily be made into a guest room. Floor-to-ceiling closets in the hallway with walk-in closets in the bedroom make this unit unbeatable for storage.

The features don’t stop at your apartment because when you buy at NST, you purchase into a luxury, full-service building. Every coveted convenience you can imagine is at your fingertips with two restaurants in the building along with a grocery store, fruit/vegetable store, pharmacy, Chase bank, dry cleaner, underground parking, a Country Club with indoor/outdoor pool, kids playground, tennis courts, golf courts, and a gym. All of this makes NST a memorable home–and you may never want to leave!

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In addition to a second half bath off the entry hall, this unique apartment has amazing closet space throughout. North Shore Towers–a one of a kind oasis with every amenity imaginable and more!

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VIP Music Night

Thoughts from Boca Raton

I am in Boca Raton, Florida, and still watching what’s happening at North

Shore Towers. The song of the month is “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” in Boca Raton. Their song is “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.”

I just went to a 10:00 am Board of Directors meeting, and everyone was so calm, with only one question well answered. What else is different is when you shop at a Florida supermarket, they give you free plastic bags, pack them for you, bring them to your car at no charge, and do not accept tips. We go to the Saturday night shows, $15 a person, and then we go to the party room where they have a DJ and dancing at no charge.

looked at my chart and said, “Wow, you look great for your age.” I guess that was

a compliment.

Bud Bank

I don’t think we have next-door neighbors in this development. Everybody is calm, except when we get into our cars with wild drivers. I needed more surgery to remove a basal on my leg. Everyone I spoke to said it was nothing. It would not hurt. It did hurt.

I’ve been in Florida for two months now and the weather has been 80-84 degrees every day. It’s not easy, but I’m hanging in.

I had to get a blood test for my doctor in New York, I went to Quest Labs, and they mailed it to him. The blood taker

I sent my car down and will load the trunk with plastic bags. See you all soon. I can’t wait to attend the next North Shore Towers board meeting. The winter is almost over looking forward to warm weather in New York.

MARIA TERMINI MILLER PHOTO Xminena and Alex entertained at the VIP Grille on Tuesday, March 21st.

Dr. Diana Gerov, DDS

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Notes and Quotes on Shakespeare

By Vicki Mazel

What a month we had! On Wednesday, February 22nd Professor Angelo DeCandia

of Touro University brought Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to the North Shore Towers Women’s Club. After opening remarks by Co-President Gloria Beck, the many quotes of Shakespeare from 1564-1616 took center stage. The Elizabethan Age and the era of James the First were the timelines of Shakespeare’s plays.

Professor De Candia compared Shakespeare’s language to music and described how his influences are also prevalent in our everyday speech. Observations include:

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” Hamlet.

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knoweth himself to be a fool,” As You Like It.

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here!” The Tempest

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” Hamlet

Continuing with references, plants were also part of the descriptive phrases some characters used on stage at the Globe Theatre. An example would be, “Our bodies are our gardens.”

Citing some of the most used quotes, specific phrases come to mind, such as “Pomp and circumstance,” “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,” from Julius Caesar, and of course: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse,” Richard III. Perhaps the best-known lines of all come from Romeo and Juliet, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

Did you know that the term “Wild goose chase” also came from Romeo and Juliet? “It’s all Greek to me” had its genus in Julius Caesar, and “Kill with kindness” had its beginnings in Taming Of The Shrew. So the Bard gave us plenty to say, not to forget Falstaff’s “Knock, knock, who’s there?”

A lively discussion followed the presentation, and the enlightened audience was ready for the next program.

Haber’s Labors and All that Jazz

Many members of the Women’s Club assembled on Wednesday, March 15th to hear Dr. Mel Haber celebrate Women’s History Month with a tribute to three legendary influential female jazz singers. Dr. Haber, a recognized pop music and opera expert, celebrated the careers of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan.

Starting with Holiday, he traced her

beginnings in Philadelphia from her birth in 1915. She and her mother were arrested for prostitution, and she had to find a future. She began singing and was heard by the producer of Columbia Records in 1935, which changed her life completely. She made her first recording, and was on her way. In film clips and Dr. Haber’s comments, we traced her recording of the famous Gershwin song “Summertime,” followed by the sentimental song “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

Unfortunately, Holiday struggled with drug addiction and alcohol abuse while trying to remain on track with her career. Even singing with famous bandmates like Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, her addictions were too strong to overcome. She finally succumbed to a fatal liver problem at the age of 44. Her songs like “God Bless The Child” and “Strange Fruit” reflect her style and remaining influence inspired by events of the day.

The second spotlight was on Ella Fitzgerald, born in Newport News, Virginia, in 1917. She and her mother moved to Yonkers, and Dr. Haber explored her life from abject poverty and eventually homelessness in Harlem. Picking herself up, she entered an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater and won first prize of $25.

In 1935 Fitzgerald joined a band and recorded the now famous “A Tisket, A Tasket,” which would precede a string of hits for her. In the 1940s and ’50s, she recorded for Decca Records and began to do songbooks. Some of the most successful songbooks were Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, and Harold Arlen, to name a few. Her jazz scatting on “April In Paris” remains a favorite. In a live concert from Berlin, she sang “Mack The Knife” and forgot some of the lyrics. Unfazed, she continued the performance, filling in the lyrics until she got back on track. Audience members sang along quietly with many of the songs and enjoyed the familiarity with the lyrics.

The last singer presented was Sarah Vaughan, also known as “Sassy.” Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1924, she won a talent contest at the Apollo Theater and joined Billy Eckstein’s Band. Vaughan came from a musical family and played the piano as a child.

In 1948 she did multiple pop songs for Columbia Records and recorded “Tenderly” in 1958. Known as a classic jazz singer by holding notes and playing with her voice, she rarely sang a straight number, preferring to improvise with her voice and lyrics. The accompanying films bore wit-

ness to her vocal techniques. In 1984 she did her famous version of “Send In The Clowns,” which was dramatic and showed her range and ability to interpret lyrics. Accompanied by the Boston Pops, this rendition ended our evening’s program with an amazing understanding of the versatility of the different styles that fall into jazz. Another wonderful program provided by our co-president and program chairperson, Gloria Beck.

What’s Coming Up?

Please note that you must be a member of the Women’s Club to attend our lectures, trips, parties, and special programs.

Cinema Club: “Lion” Starring Nicole Kidman and Dov Patel on Monday, April 24th at 4:00 pm on Channel 995.

This Netflix film centers on a five-yearold lost child in India on a train that takes him thousands of miles across India, far from his home and family. He must learn how to survive and is ultimately adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, with Google to guide him, he sets out to find his lost family and return to his first home.

This is a biographical film that is captivating with outstanding action performances. On the Netflix roster, it will be reviewed by Vicki Mazel and Dr. Nurit Israeli and introduced by Co-President Gloria Beck.

Wednesday, April 26th, Large Card Room, 7:15 pm, the 50th Anniversary of Picasso’s Death. Speaker Dr. Thomas Germano, an expert in painting and art history, will discuss different phases of Picasso’s works that contributed so significantly to the development of modern art and cubism.

Save the date for our spring luncheon at The Jolly Fisherman. Transportation on your own. Full luncheon is $38, including tax and tip (subsidized by the Women’s Club), Wednesday, May 17th at noon. Reservations will be accepted with a completed list of ablates and their individual checks. One check per person. Submit the envelope to the concierge in your building with the building reps name:

Faith Wolitzer, Bldg. 1, Apt. 4Y.

Gloria Beck, Bldg. 2, Apt 17G.

Chickie Kaufman, Bldg. 3, Apt 1T.

On the Town: The Shin Collection

Thursday, June 8th, Nassau County Museum of Art, one Museum Drive, Roslyn, NY. $10 Seniors, 11:00 am. Tour 12:005:00 pm, with lunch at Ben’s. Hong Gyu Shin, age 31, began collecting art in his native Korea at age 13. His comprehensive collection has grown to over a hundred works. On view will be works by Boucher,

Delacroix, and Hockney, to name a few. There will also be artifacts and a global scope of great art in many mediums. Almost membership renewal time. Rejoin or sign up for the first time. You’ll be glad you did. Dues are only $25 and are due July 1st. Checks should be made out to North Shore Towers Women’s Club, including the following information: name, address, apt. number, phone (home and cell), and email address. Florida resident? Include the information above, plus Florida info. Give the envelope to concierges in your building (see names above).

Verse By Vicki

Willy’s not silly, nor was he the bawdiest When he wrote in Hamlet of Gertrude and Claudius. He coined so many phrases, Like heart of gold, Brave New World, words musical and bold.

“Our bodies are our gardens” in Othello he did chant. Of so soft and lyrical his words seldom rant. A saying comes timing a real crowd pleaser: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” straight of Julius Caesar.

Willy had his special moment: “Aye there’s the rub,” Professor de Candia of Tour enlightened the Women’s Club. We listened with hearing enrapt at the razz-a-ma-taz, Then next on the agenda were famous Ladies of Jazz!

Remember to pay your dues and we’ll see you at the meetings!

Jazzy ladies Gloria Beck and Chickie Kaufman with speaker Dr. Mel Haber (center).

Our Collective North Shore Towers Adventure

Continued from Page 5

have also requested a proposal to expand Wi-Fi to the pool deck.

The elevator modernization project is moving closer to commencement. We received bids in late February and interviewed the three lowest bidders in March. We have now requested that all three submit their best and final bids, after which we will select a vendor and move forward. The project is expected to take about 12-14 months to complete, renovating one elevator on each elevator bank in each building simultaneously (six elevators at a time). Remember, we have 18 high-rise and six other elevators that must be modernized by law, with a deadline of January 1st, 2027. Forewarned is forearmed!

Local law 97 (LL97) remains at the top of our “to-do” list. We have now interviewed three LL97 engineers/consultants

and will be selecting one to assist us on this Herculean task of reducing our carbon emissions sufficiently to please the City of New York’s very ambitious plan. The starting point for LL97 compliance is getting an extremely accurate Local Law 84 report, which will allow us to get an efficiency grade that will determine the nature and extent of the changes that will be needed. We retained EnPower to perform the LL84 report, which is due in May. We will keep you posted.

We have also received revised bids from the security companies we interviewed in February when we asked for best and final based on a clearer view of what NST needs. We are also undergoing an analysis of the premises for cameras and other elements that are crucial to improving security for the long term in a cost-effective manner. We are reviewing the revised bids

Open Captioning at NST

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The curtain rose on the new and improved North Shore Towers Cinema in 2015 when the Stampfels took over management. After 40 years with no significant upgrades, renovations included significant state-of-the-art improvements, including enlarging the stage and screen and replacing 377 seats. The theater was also transformed by installing digital projection and sound systems.

“The Towers is a unique situation since it’s a community,” Stampfel said. “In the beginning, it was tough. It’s a very unique amenity for the buildings.”

He explained that the movie theater business has been more difficult since Covid, with earnings down about 50 percent from before the pandemic. Stampfel received a grant during the pandemic shutdown and has cut operating hours to five days a week since reopening to save money. He urged residents to make it an option to get down to the theater to support it.

Anne and Henry Stampfel met at the Oceanside theater in 1978, where she worked as a secretary to a film booker and ran the candy counter while he ran the projector. The couple married in 1980 and had two daughters. They managed the theater until it was closed and demolished in 2007.

Before the digital projection revolution, they searched for film prints from a spe-

cialty company offering open captions to show in their Oceanside location. Although hearing-impaired patrons were enthusiastic, some others demanded refunds because they found it distracting. He believes current audiences are more accepting now that people are used to captioning on their home screens and mobile devices.

Anne said she always had a soft spot for the hearing impaired because she studied sign language years ago. She still gets together with a deaf friend and signs with her. She added that she was very moved by last year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, “Coda,” which dramatized the relationship between a hearing daughter and her deaf family.

Anne became manager of the Malverne Cinema in 1981, and the couple took over the lease in 1990 to what became a fivescreen theater. In 1985 they leased the Lido Theater in Long Beach until the landlord decided to run it himself. In 1986 they purchased the Bellmore Playhouse, an old-fashioned single-screen and live venue built in 1915.

Despite the progress created by NYC laws, deaf and hard-of-hearing people still face many barriers to watching movies. Open captioning provided by the Stampfels at the North Shore Towers has helped lead the way for many in the area to still enjoy the magic of the movie theater.

and will be assessing the best fit for NST expeditiously, and will keep you posted on this as well. We are continuing to evaluate feasibility and strategy for EV chargers. Currently, it appears we will need to identify outdoor space along the perimeter of the buildings to accommodate the increased electric usage and other aspects.

The oil tank project is progressing nicely and is expected to be completed on or before schedule. Excavation is expected to begin this week. Plywood will be placed on the Arcade windows for protection and will remain in place for the duration of the project. We know this is not beautiful, but it’s better than risking broken windows. Decommissioning the old tanks is expected to begin the week of April 24th and should be completed by June 30th. A dumpster will be on-site to remove the old steel tanks (also ugly but unavoidable). Management

has been closely monitoring oil usage and will use the remaining 2,000 gallons in the tanks before they are removed.

Pool repair work has also begun and will be completed before the start of the summer season. The lifeguard station and first aid room are receiving badly needed upgrades and refurbishment, using inhouse staff to minimize costs, and will also be completed before Memorial Day. The men’s sauna room has been refurbished, and the woman’s sauna room is next beginning end of March.

There’s lots of other stuff going on as well, but far too much for one article, so I will end here for now. As Charles Dickens said, “Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.” Let’s always appreciate our beautiful home and never lose sight of how lucky we are to live here.

A Holistic Renaissance

Continued from Page 5

erated. In marketing NST, these distinctive elements must be highlighted. Creativity is necessary, and each element must be presented to attract those population segments likely to live at NST. The presentation must make it clear that “one size does not fit all,” but the variety of amenities should attract a variety of potential residents.

Among the most critical endeavors of the Board is selecting a management company. The Board has been engaged in that effort for some time, interviewing firms and performing due diligence on them, including their performance managing other New York area luxury, cooperative, and residential buildings, considering the depth of their staffs, assaying their ability to handle major remedial projects. Shortly, the Board will make its selection. The terms and conditions of the employment of the selected firm will be carefully documented, recognizing our communities’ special needs and ensuring that our shareholders’ interests are carefully protected. The documentation will ensure that the Board’s rights and responsibilities in exercising its fiduciary responsibilities are fully recognized and properly safeguarded.

In the meantime, Desi Ndreu is the Interim General Manager, with various Board Members devoted to moving projects toward fruition, tracking their progress, and assisting in updating all Board members. The progress on remediating the garage issues continues with the intent of completing the project within three years. To accomplish this requires the use of

heaters to permit the pouring of concrete despite some colder temperatures. The underground fuel tank replacement project is proceeding on schedule. The Local Law 11 project is complete and awaiting Building Dept. sign-off, permitting the removal of the scaffolding and protective sidewalk bridges.

The Elevator Upgrade Committee recently met with several contractors, assisted by a special engineering consultant providing his guidance. We will review possible cab designs as we progress toward selecting a contractor to perform the installation. The Arcade Renovation Committee will shortly select the designer to be employed.

The most vexing problems are generated by Local Laws 84 and 97, which require the reduction of the carbon footprint of NST. These regulations have continually evolved. Failure to meet certain requirements by specified dates will result in severe fines. NST is using the help of an independent engineer to gain certain relief. However, as of now, the outcome of this effort is not assured.

After working together for approximately one year, Board members have developed a constructive set of styles that yield creative as well as credible solutions to a myriad of issues. In essence, the current board has become the equivalent of a “think tank.” The community will be the beneficiary of this approach, resulting in an up-to-date, well run and properly marketed complex with an enhanced lifestyle.

Discover Resort Living at NORTH SHORE TOWERS

Enjoy the Ultimate Luxurious Lifestyle A Community Ahead of It’s Time!

THE ONLY GATED GOLF COMMUNITY IN NYC!!

ON THE BORDER OF QUEENS AND NASSAU COUNTY...JUST 16 MILES EAST OF MANHATTAN

EXPERIENCE the MAGIC of NORTH SHORE TOWERS with unlimited and endless opportunities beyond your expectations! Explore NORTH SHORE TOWERS and Country Club, located on 110 acres, with its own lushly manicured private 18-hole, par-72 golf course. This extraordinary award-winning 24-hour gated community, with doormen and concierge services, has a prime location on the border of Queens and Nassau County, just 16 miles east of Manhattan! The TOWERS will afford you a unique luxurious unparalleled residence with incredible views!

NORTH SHORE TOWERS offers a sought-after first-class residential destination with a spectacular combination of exceptional amenities. PRIVATE 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE, 5 LIT HAR TRU TENNIS COURTS, CARD ROOMS, CLUBS, STATEOF-THE-ART GYM AND HEALTH SPA WITH AEROBICS CLASSES, HOT TUB, SUANA, STEAM ROOMS, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR POOLS, AND CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND.

Enjoy an indoor arcade mall that features a large variety of shops, including restaurants, Chase Bank, movie theatre, pharmacy, supermarket, fruit and vegetable store, and beauty salon. Additionally, enjoy the peace of mind of FULL-TIME GENERATORS–NEVER BE WITHOUT POWER.

Only at NORTH SHORE TOWERS can residents have a resort lifestyle with all the comforts of home! Both a courtesy bus to local shopping and an express MTA bus to Manhattan stop at your front door. Be surrounded by amazing amenities and a dedicated professional service-oriented staff! If you seek a unique blend of city and country club living, to discover this hidden gem, please call ANNETTE KROLL, the only resale broker with 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, SPECIALIZING in apartment sales at NORTH SHORE TOWERS! Your dream lifestyle awaits! A whole new world is only a phone call away, (718) 631-8867 when you call for a personal tour to have ANNETTE help you find the home of your dreams!