SUMMARY of JAN. 20, 2010 GENERAL TENANTS MEETING

--> I. Sorrow, then celebration.

We began with a statement of support for our neighbor Egyptienne Alexandre, whose friends and family in her native Haiti have not been heard from since the devastating earthquake there.  (Announced: Sen. Bill Perkins held a Town Hall meeting on January 21st on the situation and how to help.)

From sorrow, we moved on to celebrate the ongoing life of tenant Sol Frieder, the oldest working actor in the United States.   He recently co-starred with Sam Waterston in Athol Fugard’s play, “Have you seen us” at the Longwharf Theater in New Haven, and has worked with Woody Allen as well.  He was particularly praised by former tenant association president Ruth Ellin, a stalwartof the  Yiddish theatre - the  “Folksbiene” - and the Hebrew Actors Union.

Wed., Jan. 20th - our next General Tenants Meeting

At the next General Tenants Meeting, come discuss

• the appliance surcharge case (new developments)
  
• heat (or lack thereof)
  
• Albany and saving rent regulation (Espada is Senate Housing Chair - again!)
• building finances
• neighborhood activities, including the Community Board

and hold elections for two openings on the Executive Committee.

Bring a chair and a neighbor! 

An Actor in our Midst - Sol Frieder

There are several wonderful actors who live in this building, and among them is Sol Frieder, who recently completed a run at New Haven's Long Wharf Theater, in South African playwright Athol Fugard's latest.  Below is a review with some terrific photos.  You may recognize Sam Waterston (most known as Jack McCoy in "Law and Order") on the left in the photo below and Sol Frieder all the way on the right. Sol is now the oldest actor in the U.S. regularly on stage with an "Equity" performance.

--> www.talkinbroadway.com

CONNECTICUT
Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol

Have You Seen Us?
Long Wharf Theatre

Arresting and intimate, this world premiere is the first of the esteemed playwright's works to be situated in the United States. Sit, if you are able, close to the stage which affords proximity to the action on three sides. Should you be familiar with Fugard's texture and purpose, Have You Seen Us? will remind you that he mixes emotion with impact as few others can or could.
Athol Fugard, the South African writer, returns to Long Wharf Theatre with his most moving effort in years—a piercing, poignant drama, Have You Seen Us?, which continues in New Haven through December 20th.



CLICK ON THE LINK FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE.

December 2009 Newsletter - we keep winning!

HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER

We have wonderful victories to celebrate this holiday season:

• U or P case: The State Supreme Court agreed with us, with the New York State Attorney General, and with the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and upheld DHCR's regulations that say that just leaving Mitchell-Lama is not a "unique or peculiar circumstance" justifying a rent increase.  So those of us in rent stabilized apartments have one more victory under our belts.  While the owners (Gluck and others) will appeal, the more victories the stronger our case.  Judge Alice Schlesinger wrote a very thorough opinion.
  

• Appliance Surcharge Overcharge case: DHCR (the state housing agency) rule that Gluck overcharged tenants who had been paying appliance surcharges under Mitchell-Lama.  The first tenant to receive her letter is due $832.02 AND her rent will be rolled back by $33.  Click here to see two of the pages she received.  If you signed on, just wait for your letter; from DHCR - and then we'll see if Gluck pays up as ordered. (He could also appeal.) If you did not sign on but had an appliance surcharge under Mitchell-Lama that became part of your rent when we entered rent stabilization, you can still do it now. Contact Sue for information.
  

• Reduction in Services case:  DHCR dismissed our "diminution in services" overcharge complaint mainly because while it was pending, we achieved virtually all the services Stellar had cut earlier: a railing for the front stairs, seating in the lobby, a re-opened backyard, a working television antenna, actual 24-hour security guard service, a new intercom system (almost finished) and window blind repair or replacement as a regular service. (The only two things we did not get were lighter-weight front doors and enlarged elevator cabs.)

And none of this could have happened without the strong support of tenants standing together - and contributing to our legal fund.

Treasurer Joan Browne and Barbara Geller are putting together a summary of each tenant's contributions for dues ($25/household for new tenants; and $10/year thereafter), and the legal fund.

We know money is tight around now, but any contribution we be welcome as we gird our loins for the next round of the U or P case and any other appeals.

Cold? If your apartment is chilly, have the staff check the radiators. Then keep a heat log: note the temperature in your apartment when the outside temperature is 55 degrees or colder, between 6 AM and 10 PM.  The inside temperature during those hours must be at least 68 degrees. Call Lucio Pedraza, the building manager, 212-222-4430, or e-mail him and then call 311 to report the problem. You are not required to give your name to 311.  Then give the 311 complaint number to Sue.


NEXT General Tenant Meeting:
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 20th at 8 PM in the Community Room.Old and new tenants welcome - but please bring a chair. We'll be voting for two new executive committee members (Prudence is retiring and we have one opening from earlier.) Contact Election Committee head Alitha Mobley in 5A if you need more information.

Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!

Results of the Reduction in Services Complaint to DHCR

After Stellar took over the building in November 2004, tenants began complaining about several reductions in service.  Within the 4-year deadline of filing a formal complaint, the tenants' association filed a "diminution in services" complaint with DHCR - for a building-wide reduction in services.    And by tenants sticking together -  with that complaint pending,  Stellar finally met with us, so we asked for and got:

• Seating in the lobby
• A re-opened backyard
• A stair railing that we can actually grab for the front steps
• A working television antenna
• 24-hour security guards who are actually there
• repair of most broken window blinds.  (If you filed a written notice of broken window blinds at the guard's desk and Stellar has either not yet inspected them or has inspected and promised to replace - but has not yet done so, please contact the Executive Committee.)
• A new intercom - although we still need a board showing tenants' names and code numbers (but not apartments) in the front entrance way.
  

We did not get lighter front doors or the elevator cabs put back to their previously larger dimensions.  (When Stellar renovated the elevator cabs a few times, it lowered the ceilings and hung panels over the existing panels on the walls, making the dimensions smaller.)

DHCR sent an inspector to the building and found that we had received most of our demands, and subsequently terminated the complaint in a letter received by those who signed on.

It ain’t perfect, but we've done pretty well!

Stay tuned.

-The Executive Committee

Tell our Legislators to Pass Our Bills!

Neighbors are sitting in the lobby this weekend collecting signatures.  We need to persuade the state legislature to pass the bills we need passed.  These include:

• S 3326-A /A. 9230 which will put into rent stabilization all buildings that leave or have left Mitchell-Lama (and project-based Section 8) regardless of the year built, and without "unique or peculiar circumstances" increases.
  
•  S.2237 / A.2005  which will repeal vacancy decontrol, so that owners may no longer remove vacant apartments from rent stabilization. The bill would re-stabilize market-rate apartments whose rents were under $5000 as of January 1, 2007 - at whatever the rent was that month.
• And many more, that you can see at www.save-ml.org .

So please stop by the lobby between 10 and 5 to sign:

• a postcard to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver asking him to put A.9230 on the agenda for a vote
• a postcard to Senate Majority Leader John Sampson asking him to promote S.3326 and S.2237, and  to get them voted on
• a petition to our Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell - a co-sponsor of A.9230 - urging him to pressure Sheldon Silver, and thanking O'Donnell for his support; and
• a petition to our State Senator Bill Perkins - a co-sponsor of S.3326 - urging him to persuade his friend John Sampson to promote the bills and put them on the agenda for a vote.

And since we won the first round in court of the "unique or peculiar" case, please contribute so we have enough funds for the inevitable appeals!  Contact your floor captain or treasurer Joan Browne.

More talented tenants: RENÉE & The Derelicts - Jazz

Go hear RENÉE &; The Derelicts - our own Renée Fleming and Sal Carolei - at the

P&G Bar, 380 Columbus Ave. @ 78th St., New York City, this Saturday, Dec. 12th at 10 PM.


(No cover, no minimum, just jazz).