Precinct-by-precinct results from this week’s election show that Hillary Clinton was the clear winner over Donald Trump among East River precincts, though with only 77% of the vote — less than the city-wide average of 79% and the Manhattan average of 86%.
| Clinton | Trump | Johnson | Stein | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bldg 1 / ED 44 | 468 | 117 | 9 | 10 |
| Bldg 2 / ED 45 | 443 | 121 | 3 | 7 |
| Bldg 3 / ED 47 | 313 | 72 | 7 | 3 |
| Bldg 4 / ED 46 | 312 | 95 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 1536 | 405 | 24 | 25 |
Cooperatively Yours is launching a coop-wide survey over the next two weeks to assess quality of life in our coop. Please take the time to complete a paper survey we are delivering to every household, or to answer questions online. The entire survey should take you only about 10 minutes to complete, and asks questions about your satisfaction with various coop amenities and your interest level in other possible investments by the coop.
It’s long been a concern by cooperators that the current board and management leave no opportunity for shareholders to express their opinions in an ongoing, helpful way. A quality of life survey such as this one, conducted each year, would give board members and staff guidance regarding what needs improvement, as well as providing deserved thanks for things that are going well.
The survey is completely anonymous, whether completed on paper or online. Please complete your survey by November 4. Cooperatively Yours will compile and share results about ten days after that.
If you live in building 1, you know how dangerous it is to cross the long, unprotected crosswalk along Grand Street on your way to Fine Fare. The light isn’t long enough to make it all the way without sprinting, and with no pedestrian island, and cars making turns from every direction, you’re left on your own in the middle of the street.
And if you live in building 2, you know how bad the sight lines are crossing Madison the short way. Cars often don’t see, or ignore, the first crosswalk. Especially when a city bus is parked at that bus stop, drivers can’t even see the first stop light and traffic sign, and head straight through the crosswalk to settle under the second stop light by building 2’s driveway.
After years of complaining, we’re going to do something about it. Leo Hoenig of the house committee has alerted NYC Department of Transportation of these dangerous crossings, and the issue has been placed on the agenda of CB3’s transportation committee meeting on Thursday, October 20. A transportation committee endorsement would push this issue to the full community board, and an endorsement there would compel DOT to analyze the intersection.
Thursday, October 20 — 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Downtown Art
70 East 4th Street
First floor theater
What we know about these kinds of bureaucratic procedures is this: the more people show up, the more likely you get what you want.
So please, if you’ve ever crossed these streets and cursed a driver, if you’ve ever been afraid to send your kids to the store or to school by themselves because of this dangerous intersection, take the time to come Thursday to make sure our community leaders understand how important this is to you.
Cool weather and colored leaves means brats and bier steins … or at least some approximation. Join us Saturday, Oktober 29 for our second Co-op Co-oktoberfest! We’ll get under way at 4:00 pm in the courtyard between buildings 3 and 4 (north side of Grand Street) and stay until we freeze our tuches.
Sign up here if you can help out.
We’ll bring lots of food for the grill so if you’re coming by please help with that … $5/kid, $10/adult more or less. This is not a fundraiser, but since your neighbors are putting out for sausages, please put a little back in to help them out.
Project planners for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project have retreated from last year’s ambitious preliminary designs for a new pedestrian bridge across the FDR at Delancey Street in the face of engineering obstacles and controversy in the community.
This last element — an approach toward Grand Street — was the most controversial when preliminary designs were shown last fall. Presenters tonight in the East River community room carefully explained the engineering and other obstacles that have forced them to abandon that part of the concept. A full ramp leading to Grand Street, where three city bus lines congregate, had no room over the narrow sidewalk and frontage road for supports. A shorter staircase faced similar problems and would have violated a stated goal of universal access, the idea that stairs should not be built where a ramp could not.
What’s left is still an improvement over the current bridge.
There’s still a lot left to learn about what the full ESCRP designs will look like. We are just over one-third of the way through the design process, with several more milestones for public engagement before plans are finalized. The date for construction to begin, which had been fast-tracked to 2017 by aggressive federal funding deadlines, has been pushed back two years. In particular, the question of what materials will be used — and whether sound absorbing materials can be used for the 8-foot wall we will be looking at across the FDR — could not be answered at all, and apparently will not even be considered until farther into the process.
It’s been a year since we’ve received any update on the huge East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the federally-funded reconstruction of our East River waterfront to prevent another storm surge like the one we experienced during Sandy in 2012.
But now we have a big chance to hear what the engineers and landscape designers have come up with in that time during a public meeting this Thursday at 7 pm in our community room (building 4, section M).
Of particular interest to cooperators will be what project planners are proposing for the pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive next to the Williamsburg Bridge. Last year, three directions were shared: one which stayed mainly true to the existing bridge; a more elaborate design that included a winding bridge and a stairs leading right in front of building 4; and a reimagining of the bridge as a full extension of East River Park into building 4’s lap.
Participants in public sessions last fall were largely weary of option 3, which seemed to take too much away from our own property. A heated discussion broke out among cooperators about the benefits and drawbacks of the staircase in option 2 — some thought it would encourage use of the park by providing a quicker pass from Grand Street, while others thought it would bring death and destruction.
Project planners seemed inclined to avoid any controversy, especially as a simpler bridge design would allow them to spend limited money on the other pedestrian bridges at Houston, 6th Street, and 10th Street, so it would not be surprising if their proposal this year looks more like last year’s more limited Option 1. But nothing is final, and community feedback is still important to this process.
There are major changes right around the corner for the stretch of waterfront in our backyard. Please come out Thursday to see what’s in store and make your voice heard:
Thursday, September 29
7:00 pm
East River Coop Community Room
Building 4, Section M
Come out and join your neighbors this Sunday for great bargains! The yard sale will be on the blacktop next to building 2 from 10:00 – 4:00. Bargain hunters get there early!
For 40 years the Silver-Rapfogel machine has controlled Grand Street politics and plowed over anyone who stood in their way. They made sweetheart deals for the benefit of themselves and their friends. They stole millions from charities they ran and took bribes for state grants.
Now, after conviction and humiliation, the Silver-Rapfogel machine is still trying to maintain control of Grand Street with a coward’s tactic: anonymous smears against their political opponents.
Last week an anonymous flyer was distributed attacking Paul Newell for living in a Mitchell-Lama apartment. This week an anonymous postcard was mailed attacking Yuh-Line Niou for being Asian and having Asian supporters.
Paul Newell earned the enmity of Grand Street power brokers years ago by daring to challenge Silver in a primary. Yuh-Line Niou refused to back out of a special election this past April against the machine’s candidate, Alice Cancel. Now, days before the most consequential election on Grand Street in a generation, it’s payback.
The Silver-Rapfogel machine has used anonymous flyers for years. We’ve seen the same deplorable tactics used in our own coop elections. Remember the anonymous flyer distributed last year accusing Cooperatively Yours candidates Mike Turner and Jim Keenan of being criminals? Here’s a picture captured of one of Rapfogel’s neighbors distributing that letter:
If we don’t call them out, they’ll keep at it, more desperately now that their own crimes have made headlines. After Tuesday’s primary, they’ll turn back to coop politics and try to intimidate anyone who challenges Gary Altman for control of the East River board. Just wait, you’ll see. It’s worked for them for decades.
Please — don’t let yourself be manipulated. We can’t let convicted criminals control Grand Street anymore.
The special election for Sheldon Silver’s old Assembly seat this past spring was just the appetizer. November’s election for a full two-year term is dessert. The main course in this heavily Democratic district is the Democratic primary on Tuesday, September 13.
On Sunday afternoon, all six Democratic candidates for Assembly District 65 will meet to answer questions at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, 62 Mott Street. The event starts at 2pm.
These are the candidates:
Alice Cancel is a long-time district leader who won the special election in April and served in Albany for the end of the legislative session. (Website)
Don Lee is a businessman who has served roles in city government for four mayors. (Website)
Gigi Li recently finished a stint as chair of Community Board 3. (Website)
Paul Newell is a Democratic district leader and community activist. He challenged Silver in a primary 2008. (Website)
Yuh-Line Niou was chief of staff for Assemblyman Ron Kim of Queens. She ran on the Working Families ballot line in the April special election. (Website)
Jenifer Rajkumar is a lawyer and Democratic district leader. She challenged Councilmember Margaret Chin in 2013. (Website)
I just heard from an East River board member that Harold Jacob has passed.
Mr. Jacob was the general manager of Coop Village for many years, and a fixture on Grand Street.
Services will be 1:30 this afternoon at Bialystoker Synagogue, 7-11 Bialystoker Place (Willet Street).
Shiva will take place until Wednesday, June 29th at 500 Grand Street, #C4A.
