Two recent incidents prompt me to remind all residents -- owners and renters -- that apartment insurance is a financial necessity. In one case a fire destroyed the kitchen and water and smoke ruined all the furniture and clothing and made the apartment uninhabitable. In another, water damage from a flush-o-meter explosion destroyed not only the apartment but all apartments below. Not only did the residents lose their personal property (clothes, furniture and papers), but they had to find a place to live while repairs were made and were responsible for damage to other apartments and the common areas. Costs ran in the thousands; but neither had insurance.

The Condominium’s own insurance covers the structure and common elements but not the interior of units, personal possessions or fixtures.  If the damage to common elements is caused by negligence of the resident, the resident is responsible for the costs of repairs. In contrast, a fire in an apartment where the owner did have insurance, the insurance company quickly paid for repairs to the apartment and the common element damage and the apartment were livable in a short time. Apartment insurance is inestimable and can cost less than $250 a year.

To: Unit Owners

The second concern today before the Annual Meeting is that not enough unit owners will vote on the proposed amendments to the By-laws. The text of these were sent to you with the Notice of the Annual Meeting. The proposed amendments are important; the two raising the financial limits for Board action are critical. If the limits remains as they are today ($100,000 for borrowing and $500,000 for improvement projects, an unrealistic limit for the size of this condominium and inflation over the past 20 years), no prompt action can be taken by your Board when major projects are involved. Right now, the Board and management are investigating ways to reduce energy usage costs in the near future. But the plan requires investment in the project of sums larger than $500,000. The project will generate savings in the years to come that will pay for the project and keep increases in common charges as low as possible.  Even more critical is the realization that many unit owners do not bother to vote at all. A 2/3 vote of all unit owners is required for any changes to the By-Laws to be effective.

Over the last ten years in only three instances has the 66-2/3 percent vote been reached and one of these cases was the vote approving the renovation and its loan (when owners were promised air-conditioning and no more pipe breaks!). Since it takes almost two months and about $16,000 to have an election, I fear that the Condominium could schedule a vote and still not obtain a decision, thereby further delaying action. So, be sure to vote for your choice of candidates and vote “Yes” on the amendments.

The Condominium’s Maple Drive was the setting for the upcoming movie “Doubt” starring Meryl Streep and Paul Hoffman. The movie is based on the Tony Award winning Broadway play of the same movie. The story, based on an incident in a nearby neighborhood, concerns a nun’s suspicion that a priest in the parish may be abusing one of her students. But she is not able to act or resolve her doubts and so must live with them. The plot is set in the 1960s and when asked to provide a location, the Condominium had to make the background look as it did in the 1960s. This involved removing air conditioners that shoed in the background and substituting modern parked cars for props.

The humorous aspect of the Condominium’s effort to set the stage was that our staff thoroughly cleaned the area for the scene and then had to “borrow” several hundred bags of leaves from the North Condominium to make the background look like late autumn! Filming took place two days in January and one for retakes in February. The Condominium was reimbursed for its costs as well as receiving a daily fee. The film will be ready for showing in December 2008 in time for consideration for the Academy Awards.

Walgreen's a major drug store chain will open on Metropolitan Avenue in the location of the former Ashley Stewart store.

The American Beauty School has been so successful in its new location that it has taken additional space at 1380 Metropolitan Avenue.

Ellie's quickly snapped up the space when Met Oval restaurant closed (Many of us find the food to be excellent).

Syncaiaz Pizza is opening on West Avenue near the Post Office.

Parkchester Optical will open on Metropolitan Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Russo Jewelers.

This scholarship was established as part of Parkchester’s 50th Anniversary celebration. To date, 32 students have each received stipends of $500.00 a semester. The fund is supported by donations from local residents and businesses serving Parkchester. Last year the fund received donations of $5000 from Con Edison and Unitec Elevator Co (a division of United Technologies). The Scholarship Program is open to all high school seniors who are residents of Parkchester and have been accepted at an institution of higher learning in the United States beginning in September.

Requirements: A verified resident of Parkchester for a minimum of two years; high school seniors accepted to a four-year accredited college or university; United States citizen or permanent resident visa; demonstrated academic achievement; satisfactory SAT scores of 1000 or more; evidence of leadership potential.

In June 2007, Harrison Lopes and Priyam Sarma received a scholarship of $500.00 per semester to attend Allegheny College and Cornell University.

Notice is delivered to each resident’s door during the latter part of January or early February.