End Individual Apartment Improvement Increase scams!

The Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development and Housing Rights Initiative have a new report explaining the scams of Individual Apartment Improvements in the context of rent regulation in NYC.  It's clear and detailed.  Read it!

Sad News: Na'ava Ades died on May 20, 2019.

The Central Park Gardens Tenants’ Association

mourns the loss of our long-time Board and Executive Committee member and friend

NA’AVA JANET ADES

who died on May 20, 2019 after fighting the good fight.

We offer our condolences to her friends and family Regina Schaefer, Jerry Tersoff, Ariel Zimmerman, Richard Hansen, Paula Gorney, Rebekka Hye-Knudsen, and others.

The graveside funeral will be at 

11 AM on Thursday, May 22, 2019 

at the Mount Hebron Cemetery, 130-04 Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing, 11367, in Queens, 

followed by a 

gathering in her apartment, 12K, from about 1 to 4 PM.  

A WONDERFUL Pot Luck Party

How wonderful was our Pot Luck Party on May 18th?  

WONDERFUL !!!

We celebrated our building's 50th year in style with beautiful decorations by Lydia Pitsirilos, with the help of her Stephanie Pitsirilos and Cyrus Boquin.  The room was set up by a bevy of workers including Joan Browne, Debbie Gonzalez, Letty Orellano, Jerry Pirog, BonesRodriguez, Claude Saucier, Maxine Soares, and Cary Webb. 

Joan Browne
Ernie Faison

Lydia and Alexandra

Visitors were greeted by Joan Browne, Ernie Faison, Alan Fox, Helen Merber, and Cary Webb, who collected contributions, gave out name tags, and directed food contributors to the right areas.  Food was collected and set out under the direction of the three POT LUCK PLANNERS,  Debbie Gonzalez, Lydia Pitsirilos, and Maxine Soares, with Tish Howard and Laura Kahn.  

The Children's area was set up by Bones Rodriguez and Laura Valpey, and staffed by them and Nick and Kova Fahey, with the help of their children Pike and Poppy Joy and Ellie.

Denis Hayward
Nat Dixon

Bobby Moorhead and
Nat Dixon

Our DJ Bobby Moorhead provided the music, with an additional jazz saxophone performance by Rev. Nat Dixon.  (Nat is selling CDs for $10, with $5 going to the tenant association.)

Bobby Moorhead and mother Carolyn

Sue Susman MC'd

Barbara Geller, Laura Koulish, Jerry Nadler,
Sal Conzalez, Maxine Soares

Congressman Jerry Nadler came to reunite with old friends:  When he was District Leader of Community Free Democrats, he and the late Ivan Merber and Ruth Ellin, and the very-much present and active Helen Merber, and Bonnie Fine, and others founded our tenant association.  Jerry spoke about CFD's aim of empowering tenants and then segued to a discussion of Washington, where the House Judiciary Committee is insisting on its duty of Congressional oversight. 

Kathie,Bones,Bobby,Yolanda,Nat, Jerry,Ed, Nick, Justin...


And we talked with State Senator Brian Benjamin 

Richard Meza, Jerry Nadler, Bonnie Fine

BBonnie Jerry Alan Paul Millie Donna . . . 

Sen. Benjamin and Steve Koulish

Kathie Murray and Debbie Gonzalez

Lydia, Geri, Rhonda, Linda, Nick, Laura, Bonnie

Elna Jones

and with each other 

Emmanuel Cochran, Sandra Richardson,
Jesse and Nilsa Palmer, Mrs. Meza,   
Monica Jenkins

Frank Leonardo and daughter

Lauren Washington Dawn Sprauve, 
Lindsay Brockington

We watched a photo montage put together by Frank Leonardo of our building's early days and our families in earlier years - as well as a short documentary made by Scott Morris showing actors Ruth Ellin (our former Tenant Association leader) and her husband David.  

We celebrated the children and grandchildren who grew up here, including

Korinne and Lukas Arenas; Nicole Barton; Tony Greer; Markees Boisseau; Stacey Brandon; Jodi, Lindsay Brockington and Joelle Brockington, Emanuel Cochran and Brittony Johnson; Luciane de Andrade and Sophia; Chris Delgado and Tracy Saez; Ayana and Nathaniel Dixon; Diana Donato; Melanie Eversley; Celeste, Juliette, and Jewell Hewitt-Duval; Gabrielle Everett and Jonan; Angel and Christopher Feliciano; Jason Geller; Luis Gonzalez; Carlos and Raymond Gonzalez; Miranda Goodstein Hodge; Aurora Granberry; Katie and Nicky Hayward; Rachel Hydell and Christine Murray; Nataley Jones; Orisha Jordan; Gabby Kahn; Sean Khan; Lisa  and Jeremy Koulish; Bleu and daughter Clementine Lanza;  Chris and Elsie Madera and Elsie's daughter; Eva Marie Malone; Elsa MacDonald Gonzalez; Steven and Jonathan Martinez; Alina Melendez; Alec Merber and daughters;, A-Leaha Mobley, Bobby Moorhead; 

Scott Morris, Alec and Helen Merber, Lindsay Brockington

Scott Morris; Allegra Neely-Wilson; Roie Opperman; Krystina, Olivia, Julian, and Eric Orellano; Pascale, Antonella, Katiana, Jean Joseph, and Carlyn Leon; Stephanie, Alex and Liza Pitsirilos and granddaughters Eliana, Amelia Alexandra; Sushama Prasad, Anthony Bonano, Suleika and her daughter Audre; Janak Ramakrishnan and Shantha Susman; Billy,  Louie and Taisha Ras; Bones and children Pike and Poppy Joy Rodriguez;  Christine Rodriguez; Marlin Rodriguez; Matthew Soares; Dawn Sprauve; Marina Squerciati; Jerome Smith; Marie Stewart and son Tyrone; Eduardo Tavarez; Rafi Torres; Michael and Christopher Tsukuda; Cary Webb, Anastia, Hillary and her baby Helena. 

Aaron Ganaway with wife 
Hillary Webb and 
baby Helena

And we ATE (and shared with the guard, thanks to Pat Jordan).

Lavina Edwards and friend Doris

Thanks for:  

Appetizers
Salsa  and corn chips – Joan Browne
Cheese and crackers – Bonnie Fine and Carl Field
Vegetable platter – Mona Leon
Tomato, mozarrella and basil – Nick and Laura Panaro
Guineitos en escabeche (green bananas in vinaigrette) – Stephanie Pitsirilos 
Raw vegetable platter – Sam Welch and Natalie Gravate
Deviled eggs - Bonnie von Dohren

Cheese and peppers – Beatriz Zapata

Bread /Pizza
Two kinds of corn bread - Eva-Marie Malone   
2 large pizza pies - Chariss Boisseau

Salads
Kale and tomatoes- Laurie Barton
Hearty green salad – Chariss Boisseau
Big green salad – Shelia Friedling
Asian salad - Barbara Geller
Tossed salad – Zena Gonzalez
Bean salad – Jerry Pirog and Florence Jackson
Potato salad – Lydia Pitsirilos

Vegetables
Veggie dumplings – Nick, Kova and Ellie Fahey
Vegetable dish – Debbie Gonzalez
Candied yams - Pat Jordan
Bok choy and mushroom sauté- Tommy Leonardo
Grilled vegetables – Lydia Pitsirilos
Stir-fry of asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower – Lydia Pitsirilos
Stringbeans Madras – Sekhar Ramakrishnan
Okra with onions - Sekhar Ramakrishnan
Broccoli poriyal with coconut - Sekhar Ramakrishnan
Vegetable dish – Marie Squerciati
Vietnamese spring rolls – Wini Villanueva, Denis Hayward

Stephanie, Liz, Jurency, Luciane

Jerry Pirog, Alan Fox

Pasta/ Rice
Yellow rice – Laurie Barton
Macaroni  and cheese – Norma Dixon 
Pasta salad with chicken – Melanie Eversley
Macaroni and cheese – Tish Howard
Pasta salad with roast broccoli– Marie Squerciati




Sides
Corn bread (two types) – Eva-Marie Malone

Meats/Sea Food
Lemon/pepper grilled chicken – Laurie Barton
Bolo Salgado de Frango  – Jurency de Andrade
Pork and veggie dumplings – Nick, Kova and Ellie Fahey. 
Double pork roast – Barbara Garson
Ceviche de camarones - Monica Jenkins, Richard Meza and Maria Meza
Rotisserie Chicken - Elna Jones
Shrimp dumplings – Ed and Lora Kahn
Soy sauce chicken - Ena Malone

Paul Fischer and Carl FIeld

Baked chicken – Letty Orellano
Vietnamese chicken – Jerry Pirog and Florence Jackson
Turkey chili – Kathie Murray
Chennai Chicken – Sekhar Ramakrishnan
Jerked chicken – Maxine Soares
Yucatán slow roasted pork – Nadine Welch
Garlic roasted chicken - Marlene Williamson

Drinks 
Iced Tea – Jodi Brockington
Soda or juice – Donna Brown
Coffee and tea – Joan Browne
Seltzer, grape juice, colas (regular and diet) – Rosa Delgado
Sodas – Milly Matos
Fruit punch – Marlene Melton
Orange juice – Sue Susman
Sodas – Vernon Smith
Ice – Laurie Barton

Desserts
Clementines, grapes, bananas – Maria Acevedo  
Cake  and Pie – Laurie Barton
Sheet cake – Paul Fischer
Flan – Elsa Gonzalez
Key lime pie – Nadine Welch and Justin Heyman
Fruit Platter – Steve Koulish
Lemon coconut cake - Brenda Marshall
Flan – Maritza Martinez
Brownies – Allegra Neely-Wilson
Cake– Roie Opperman
Pastries – Prudence Opperman
Cookies - Bonnie von Dohren

And then the clean-up crew began its work,  with Melanie Eversley,  Debbie Gonzalez, Denis Hayward, Lora Kahn, Kathie Murray,,Lydia Pitsirilos, Vernon Smith, Maxine Soares, Wyona Purcell, and more. 


[If your name and what you brought, or how you helped are missing or incorrect, email CPGTenAssoc@gmail.com]

(c) All photographs copyright of Debbie Gonzalez 2019 or Laura Koulish 2019. 

Pot Luck Party this Saturday with Cong. Nadler - and you!

Celebrate our building’s 50^th Anniversary

       at the 

Central Park 

Gardens Tenants’               Association’s

POT LUCK PARTY

This Saturday, May 18^th

6-8:30 PM – Community Room

with Congressman JERRY NADLER

MUSIC by DJ BOBBY MOORHEAD 

and Rev. “SAXRACK” NAT DIXON                                                           

 Food, dancing, 

friends, and music.

$10/person or $15/household 

or bring a dish for 8-10 people

or help out to come for free!

All tenants welcome 

and bring your kids (grown or small).

May 8 - Protest worst evictors in our zip code

The Right to Counsel NYC Coalition and Goddard Riverside are holding a rally to protest the worst evictors in the zip codes where low-income people have a right to counsel - including 10025.  Using court records, they have named Stellar Management as one of them. 

Come to the rally:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 at NOON

at 

156 WILLIAM STREET in Lower Manhattan.

(Take any train to Fulton Street.)

Pot Luck Party celebrating our building's 50th Anniversary- May 18, 2019

Time to Act!

The rent laws will be renewed this June in Albany.  

They don't just happen in a void.  The landlord lobby 

is out in force, and tenants have to be louder.  So urge 

our elected officials to support Housing Justice for All.  

May 2, 2019: Testify in person or 
by email to the NYS Assembly's 
Standing Committee on Housing.  

 **Click here to view public hearing notice** with 
details. 

Get on the bus for Albany on May 14th: 

Write letters / email: 

PLEASE WRITE to  Gov. Cuomo, 
Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie, and to our 
State Senator Brian Benjamin and Assembly Member 
Daniel O'Donnell. 

Gov Cuomo has announced he will not support roll backs 

of MCI increases, and Assembly Speaker Heastie wants 

to drop protection for market tenants from the list. 

They need to hear from us.

Given a Democratic State Senate and a Democratic 
Assembly (and Governor), we actually have a chance 
of getting these passed:

· Protect market-rate (currently un-regulated) · 
tenants all over NY State - and not just in NYC, Westchester, 
Rockland, and Nassau Counties.  This includes a guaranteed 
renewal lease unless the tenant seriously violates the lease.

· Eliminate ways landlords raise the rent beyond · 
what many tenants can pay, including:

o Ending the MCI surcharge. (Right now it's a permanent 
increase in the rent.)

o Ending Individual Apartment Improvement (IAI) 
surcharges that raise rents in both vacant and 
occupied apartments.

o Making preferential rents permanent.

o Ending vacancy increases that landlords get 
just because an apartment becomes vacant.

o Reduces increases in rent controlled apartments 
(those built before 1947).

· End vacancy decontrol (vacancy deregulation)

Tell our legislators and the Governor to pass them!

Brian Benjamin had only signed onto some of them. Gov Cuomo and Carl Heastie have reportedly already announced that they will not support roll backs of MCI increases, and Assembly Speaker Heastie wants to drop protection for market tenants from the list. They need to hear from us.