Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Sad News: Lydia Pitsirilos has died.






























Lydia, a long-time tenant in this building with her late husband Abe, died on December 23,2024, of lymphoma. 

Lydia was known to many in the building for her warmth, laughter, and ever-ready help. She decorated our annual tenant association pot luck parties and cooked and served and cleaned and danced.  She was part of the backbone of the tenant association and our building community for decades and a strong and wonderful woman.  We offer condolences to her children Stephanie, Alex, and Liza, and their extended family.

 

There will be a MEMORIAL

2-4 PM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2024

at the Riverside  Memorial Chapel,

180 West 76th Street, New York 10023


Sunday, December 22, 2024

Happy Holidays - and Join our board!

Season's Greetings from your tenant association!
With permission from Picryl.com/GetArchive.net

Here's what we've done this year, who's done it, and who can do it going forward (run for election to our board!).  

FUN!
  • We had a terrific Pot Luck Party in the Community Room last May (thanks, Debbie Gonzalez, Lydia Pitsirilos & family, Maxine Soares, and many, many others)!
  • We resumed free ShapeUp NY classes in our community room on Tuesdays at 6 PM (thanks, Jodi Brockington!)
  • We organized a weekly games-and-chat session on Thursdays at 2 in the Community Room (thanks, Caroline Moorhead and Kathie Murray!) 
  • We had our annual Halloween and Valentine's Day tables (thanks to Debbie Gonzalez, Rosa Delgado, and several others!)
  • We had a flea market (thanks Krystina Orellano!)
  • We've had some gardening events (thanks, Barbara Geller!)
WINS! 
  • We found free or affordable legal help to keep some tenants in their homes. 
  • We got Stellar to correct its records and stop threatening tenants who had (in fact) renewed their leases.
  • We've educated tenants about new and existing rights:
    • Rent-stabilized tenants have a LOT of rights.
    • Market-rate tenants have a new(ish) right to a lease renewal at no more than a specified increase unless the landlord can show "good cause" why not.  
    • Some market-rate tenants may be able to get their apartments back into rent stabilization.  Ask us about it!
    • We all have the right to a habitable, warm, vermin-free apartment  [no poisons that could harm pets, please!].
  • We helped some tenants get "succession" (get the rent-stabilized lease in their own name after a parent or other family member was no longer with us).
  • We found support and resources for tenants dealing with clutter or where to find rent money.   
We have some things we're still working on (getting Stellar to keep the heat adequate for the whole building, for example).  

WHO'S DOING THE WORK:
All of this is possible because of the work of those who keep this tenant association running, and available to help you and your neighbors:

Floor captains  
2 East - Gabrielle Everett                      2 West - Rosa Delgado
3 East - Glenn Richter                           3 West - Brenda Marshall
4 East - (Steve Koulish, from 12)           4 West - Patricia Jordan
5 East - Luz Rivera                                5 West - Michelle Jimenez
6 East - Kitty RIvera                              6 West - Lora and Ed Kahn
7 East - Kathie Murray & Rachel Hydell    7 West - Denis Hayward
8 East - Barbara Garson                         8 West - Letty Orellano
9 East - Marlene Williamson                    9 West - Loretta Beasmoney
10 East - Alec Merber                            10 West - Melanie Eversley
11 East - Bones Rodriguez                     11 West - Barbara Geller
12 East Joan Browne                             12 West - Sushama Prasad
14 East - Jerry Pirog & Florence Jackson 14 West - Millie Matos
15 East - Debbie Gonzalez                     15 West - Maxine Soares        

Board members (Executive committee members are starred) Jodi Brockington*, Rosa Delgado, Ayana Dixon, Barbara Geller*, Debbie Gonzalez, Denis Hayward*, Patricia Jordan*, Steve Koulish*, Alex Martin*, Alec Merber*, Letty Orellano, Bones Rodriguez, Maxine Soares, Sue Susman*. 

ELECTION COMING UP:  JOIN US!  The Board's 2-year terms are up at the end of January, so we're holding an election at our Jan. 22nd meeting. Would you like to run? Send me a photo and a paragraph about yourself - in relation to the tenant association and the building - and I'll add you to the ballot.  Here's what we have so far. 

WE'RE STRONGER TOGETHER! You can make us stronger by joining us, or renewing your membership. It's only $10 per apartment per year!  Give a check (or cash in person) to our treasurer, Barbra Geller in Apt. 11T. 


Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

                               Image from OpenClipart

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Summary of the Nov. 13, 2024 Tenant Meeting




We began with a moment of silence for our neighbor Mae Eversley, who died last week at home at the age of 96.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • Temperature Regulating Valves: You can call the number on the flyer to set an appointment to get yours installed.  The workers will be here through Friday.
  • The compactor chutes are being cleaned Thursday and Friday of this week from 9-5, so hold onto your trash.  (Food trash, of course, goes into the compactor bins on the ground floor.)
  • Drought:  brush fires are spreading in our parks because of dry conditions and high winds.  Take shorter showers, and don't leave the water running for tooth-brushing and other cleaning activities. 
IN THE NEWS: The US Supreme Court ruled against hearing the appeals in two pending cases brought by landlords challenging the NY State rent laws. 


TENANT ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS will be held at our

JANUARY 2025 meeting. If you live here and are interested in running for 
  • president
  • vice president (a few of these)
  • treasurer
  • secretary
  • at-large board member
send a 1-paragraph bio and a photo to cpgtenassoc@gmail.com.  You will appear on the ballot. 

INCORPORATED: To protect the members of the board - including the executive committee - our tenant association is now incorporated:  Central Park Gardens Tenants' Association, Inc. 

Monday, November 11, 2024

Sad News: Mae Eversley has died

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The Central Park Gardens Tenants’ Association mourns the loss of our friend and neighbor


MAE EVERSLEY

 

Mae Eversley, an original tenant in this building, passed away in her sleep at home on Nov. 7, 2024 at the age of 96.  


Mae Eversley was born in New York, but graduated from St. Augustine’s University, a historically Black college in Raleigh, N.C.  She taught French in NYC schools, and then became a social services caseworker for NYC, visiting endangered children to place them in safer living conditions. She met her husband Randolph on the job, and worked her way up to supervisor of caseworkers.   


Ms. Eversley was a master crocheter, a lover of opera, classic music, the ballet, and the arts in general.  She also volunteered at The Riverside Church and St. Thomas Episcopal Church and collected goods for impoverished children.   She loved to read history and other nonfiction, but also appreciated the Bible not only for its teachings but also as literature. 

 

We offer our condolences to her daughter Melanie, who moved up to NYC several years ago to take care of her mother in her last decade, and to Mae’s extended family.

 

Information on the services will be announced shortly.

Friday, November 8, 2024

Wed. Nov. 13 tenant meeting - Keeping our Community, Tenant Elections, & more

Since Stellar Management cancelled at the last minute, and life has changed, so has our tenant association meeting. 

Tracy Jackson Mallin, a neighbor who works in local politics and has a background in social work, will facilitate 

a DISCUSSION to 
BUILD COMMUNITY 
AFTER AN INTENSE ELECTION SEASON
Image source: Creazilla commons,wikimedia.org


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2024 at 8 PM 
in the 
COMMUNITY ROOM


Let's come together for a conversation, with coffee & cake (tea, soda, fruit too!).


ALSO: Tenant association elections are coming in January. 

We have an Executive Committee
  • president
  • vice president (a few)
  • secretary
  • treasurer
all of whom serve on the Board with another 12 or so people to make up a total of 18.

All Board members and the Executive Committee are expected to come to the tenant meetings and board meetings which alternate from September through June.  Executive Committee members have additional monthly meetings. 

If interested, prepare a one-paragraph bio and photo of yourself.  More instructions at the meeting. 




Thursday, October 31, 2024

Happy Halloween!

Decorate your door if you'd like trick-or-treaters to come today!