Community
Newsletter
MUTUAL REDEVELOPMENT HOUSES, INC.
321 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10001 / 212.675.3200 www.pennsouth.coop
New Cooperators’ Meeting and Appliance Fair
Robert L. Silverstein, President
D
uring the month of January 2002, we had
two co-op wide events that reminded us of
who we are as a cooperative community.
The first was a New Cooperators’Meeting held on
Saturday morning, January 19. The second was our
Cabinet and Appliance Fair held on the weekends of
January 18 and January 25.
About 60 residents attended the New Cooperators’
Meeting. These cooperators had recently moved into
Penn South apartments and were invited to discuss the
many activities and services available to all cooperators. They were welcomed by our President (myself),
our General Manager, Brendan Keany, and our
Education Director, Naomi Goldstein. Board members
Walter Mankoff, Betty Mackintosh and Jeanne
Brennan handled topics such as finances, educational
programs at Penn South, and the Senior Center. Many
expressed that they were very grateful to have been
able to move into affordable housing in one of the
most expensive neighborhoods in New York City.
South Program for Seniors, the newsletter, the
Woodworkers’ Club, and lobby patrol. In addition to orienting new residents, the meetings for new cooperators help
those of us who have lived here for many years to get a
fresh perspective on the community we live in and the
many services we have access to.
Continued on page 2
In Celebration of Black History Month
A number of the new residents also expressed interest
in getting involved in some of the clubs and committees available to residents. There was interest in the
Education Com-mittee, the Toddler Room, the Penn
See article and poem on page 5
May 2002 will mark the 40th Anniversary of Penn South.
Page 2
Penn South Community Newsletter
Residents inspect energy-efficient appliances.
Winter 2002
Wooden cabinets displayed at January Fair.
Continued from cover
The Cabinet and Appliance Fair was organized in conjunction with 1 st Rochdale, a cooperative energy company
formed by our umbrella organization, the Council of
Coordinated Cooperatives. In addition to providing cooperators with appliances and lighting fixtures at discount
prices, 1st Rochdale aims to help cooperators save money
on electricity bills by selling energy-efficient products. The
fair was well attended during the two weekends. Over 100
large appliances, like stoves and refrigerators, and 150
lighting fixtures were sold. In addition, there were approximately 50 sets of new kitchen cabinets ordered.
co-op has agreed that these would not have to be replaced if
the shareholder moves out.
These two events in January help remind us how much
volunteerism and community spirit add to the quality of our
lives and help us to preserve this very unique housing
Over the years, cooperators have asked for this kind of fair
to be organized. Former Board Members Maggie Glotzer
and Barbara Butler Meekins worked with Ryan Dziedziech,
Tom Sholl and General Manager Brendan Keany to realize
this goal. For those who bought new kitchen cabinets, the
PENN SOUTH
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Brendan Keany General Manager
Ryan Dziedziech Assistant Manager
in Charge of Operations
Tom Sholl Executive Assistant
Naomi Goldstein Education Director, Design & Editor
Ken Chan, Layout
Robert L. Silverstein,
Newsletter Committee Chair
Penn South Community News is a publication of the Education
Office. Signed articles and letters are the sole responsibility of
the author and do not necessarily represent the views of
Mutual Redevelopment Houses, Inc.
Alan Thurgood (rear), 1 st Rochdale; George Crethan,
Queensview Co-op; Susan Raskin, Penn South Co-op
Council Chair; Jack Raskin, Secretary, Penn South Board.
Co-op Domain Launched in NYC
1st Rochdale Cooperative hosted the launching of the
new website domain, .coop, at their offices on the Lower
East Side on January 30. Jack Raskin represented the
Penn South Board of Directors at the launch meeting.
Also attending were General Manager Brendan Keany,
Education Director Naomi Goldstein, and Co-op Council
Chair Sue Raskin. The National Cooperative Business
Association (NCBA) applied and fought for this new
internet domain to help consumers find and support cooperative businesses both locally and around the world.
Winter 2002
Penn South Community Newsletter
Page 3
Computer Survey Prompts Discussion of Educational Programs
By Naomi Goldstein, Education Director
In January, the Education Committee of the Board of
Directors distributed a survey throughout Penn South to
find out how many cooperators use (or don’t use) computers. About 320 surveys were returned with the following
information:
More than half (169) of those responding said they currently own a computer. Most of those who have computers also
said that they have internet access (151).
Based on these results, the Education Committee meeting
on February 4 took up the question of how we might be
able to help cooperators get further training on computers.
The Committee is looking into a number of community
resources that may be available to further this aim. The survey also prompted a discussion of how the Committee
might facilitate linking up those cooperators who can teach
computer skills with those who need training.
In response to the question about interest in buying a computer, 123 said that they would be interested. (Many of
those expressed interest in getting a group discount if one
were available.)
Over half of the respondents (151) also said they would be
interested in getting some training on the computer, with
particular interest in training on access to the internet.
Nineteen cooperators also volunteered to help teach others
how to use computers.
Volunteers Needed
Join a Living History/Archive Committee
Help Document the History of Penn South and Its Residents
Penn South has a rich history as an innovative and important part of the cooperative movement in the United States.
Many of our residents have unique and interesting
personal histories as well. The Education Committee is
seeking to revitalize two committees to preserve and tell the
story of this community. The Living History Committee has
already done a great deal of work to collect over 20 personal biographies of residents (on audio tapes) as well as
document milestones in Penn South history during the
1980s and 1990s. This committee needs some new members to help continue this work.
The Education Committee is also asking for volunteers who
may be interested in forming an Archive Committee to
establish a library of printed documents about the history of
Penn South. The materials would need to be sorted through
and catalogued.
If you are interested in either committee, please call Naomi
Goldstein, Education Director, at 675-3200.
View from the corner of 23rd Street and 8th Avenue before Penn
South was built.
Page 4
Penn South Community Newsletter
READER’S FORUM
Winter 2002
Reader’s Forum articles are the sole responsibility of the author who submitted them and
do not represent the views of Mutual Redevelopment Houses, Inc.
Do We Have to Be Less Free in Order to Be More Safe?
By Charlotte Levine, Penn South Senior Center Social Action Committee
The question of civil liberties in wartime is an old
question. All governments have used wartime as an opportunity to expand their powers at the expense of individual
rights in the context of assuring the public that this is the
way to make them safe. However, it is unfashionable, and
sometimes dangerous, for the public to protest at the time.
So stated Ira Glasser, recently retired Executive Director of
the American Civil Liberties Union (and Penn South cooperator) as he addressed a packed Community Room 7
audience, composed of Fulton Houses and Penn South
Cooperators. They had come out on a brisk, sunny Sunday
in February to discuss the ominous erosion of our civil
liberties in the wake of September 11th.
Historical Perspective on Civil Rights in Wartime
The lack of historical perspective among many in America’s younger
generation, Glasser continued, makes it
seem to many of today’s citizens that
preserving civil liberties in wartime is a
brand new problem. This is not the case
however.
Citing some historical examples, Glasser noted that in 1797, after
the Revolutionary War, and with the
threat of war with France, Congress
passed the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Although clearly unconstitutional (they
penalized citizens simply for criticism
of the government), the Acts made it
easier to deport dissenters. No
American was made safer by these Acts, Glasser pointed
out.
In 1917, during World War I, Congress passed the
Espionage Act, penalizing citizens for “plotting against the
government.” This resulted in the imprisonment of Eugene
Debs and other war resisters, and in the Palmer Raids in
which hundreds of non-citizens were arrested. According to
Glasser, no one was accused or tried in the courts for any
real crime. No American was made safer.
Again, during World War II, the internment of
120,000 Japanese-Americans deprived these innocent citizens of their rights, confined them in concentration camps
and destroyed their lives, supposedly to make the rest of
America safe from Japanese “spies.” Again, Glasser noted,
there were no convictions for crimes and no one was made
safer.
Today, as recently noted in a New York Times editorial (Dec. 1, 2001), the Bush Administration is building a
parallel criminal justice system, decree by decree, largely
removed from the ordinary oversight of Congress and the
courts. In this system, people can be rounded up by the
government and held at undisclosed locations for indefinite
periods of time (5,000 people have been detained primarily
on the basis of their Arab-American descent). None has
been charged with terrorism, and some only with petty
crimes like credit-card fraud or of overstaying their visas.
The government is now allowed to conduct wiretaps of conversations between prisoners and their lawyers;
defendants can be tried and condemned to
death by secret military tribunals according to
procedural rules that are nowhere near normal
military justice. Such measures did not make
Americans safe in the past, and they cannot do
so now. Moreover, when Attorney-General
Ashcroft warns that questioning the validity of
these laws damages the war on terrorism, he
stifles all kinds of criticism.
Dangers of Targeting the Wrong People
Glasser stated that choosing the wrong targets
means not only that the target group (often
pinpointed simply on the basis of ethnicity)
loses its civil liberties, but that the truly guilty
persons are still at large. No one is safer, but
everyone suffers in the withdrawal of those rights, which
form the basis of our democracy. Ironically, the citizenry is
told that the reason we must put our young people in harm’s
way, and expend in warfare the resources needed for jobs,
housing, and education, is precisely in defense of that
democracy and those rights.
What to Do?
In the spirited discussion which followed Glasser’s
provocative presentation, members of the audience commented that the fear is real. How can we allay it?
First, Glasser stressed, NOW is the time for protest.
In all other incidents of civil rights deprivation during
Continued on next page
Winter 2002
Penn South Community Newsletter
Page 5
Centennial Celebration for Langston Hughes
February 1, 2002 marked the 100th anniversary of
the birth of Langston Hughes, the celebrated AfricanAmerican poet, novelist, essayist, journalist, and passionate
spokesman for civil rights. More than 500 scholars and
activists gathered February 9 and 10 at the University of
Kansas at Lawrence to hear speeches and poems, see films,
concerts, and art shows all celebrating Hughes’legacy.
According to scholars, Hughes was the first AfricanAmerican to succeed in making his living as a creative
writer and the first to have a literary society devoted to
studying his life and work.
Hughes lived for many years in Harlem and was part of the
literary movement of the 1920s called the Harlem
Renaissance. He was also an important spokesperson for the
developing civil rights movement in the 1950s. At the centennial celebration in Lawrence, poet Amiri Baraka spoke
for many when he said of Hughes, “We stand on Langston’s
shoulders” (New York Times, Feb. 14).
FROSTING
Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
According to the New York Times of February 14, in addition to writing poems and essays, Hughes also wrote children’s books, opera librettos and translations of poets from
Leopold Senghor of Senegal to Federico Garcia Lorca of
Spain.
Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902, but moved
with his family to Lawrence, Kansas while still an infant.
He spent most of his childhood in Kansas and absorbed a
strong abolitionist tradition handed down from his grandmother. She had been married to Lewis Sheridan Leary, a
collaborator with John Brown in the famous anti-slavery
raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859.
Freedom
Is just frosting
On somebody else’s
Cake
And so must be
Till we
Learn how to
Bake .
Continued from previous page
wartime, many people acknowledged, years afterwards,
how much harm had been done to our values and way of
life.
Second, Glasser emphasized the effectiveness of
personal letters and phone calls to elected representatives as
well as letters to editors of local and national publications.
Others suggested encouraging history programs in the
schools and participation in the work of the Social Action
Committees in Fulton and Penn South.
However, protest is only one response. Equally vital
is a long-term Marshall Plan approach to foreign aid, as was
noted in a New York Times Op-Ed piece, “Foreign Aid in
Our own Defense” (Feb. 12, 2002): “We must promote economic development . . . and create modern educational sys-
tems that give young people in Muslim societies the tools
they need to flourish . . .” The consensus of the meeting
was that we must not give up our civil liberties under the
illusion of obtaining safety. But, while resisting the erosion
of our civil rights, we must also engage in developing the
policies and programs to build the kind of world where terrorism cannot grow.
The meeting, sponsored jointly by the Social Action
Committees of the Penn South Program for Seniors and the
Hudson Guild Adult Services, was opened by Elisa Roberts,
Chairperson of the Hudson Guild Committee and chaired by
Harold Vandermalle, her counterpart at Penn South.
Page 8
Penn South Community Newsletter
Winter 2002
Birthdays
L. Dilly (Diana) Schuback
Requiem 9/11/01
Esther Smoke, 7A
In war, it’s called a firefight.
Our beautiful town, bombed in plain sight.
Suddenly we share
The searing, haunting memories
Of war-torn humanity.
And we find
Our strength in our diversity.
With simple, straightforward grace
Everyone pitched in.
To ease the heartbreak at the core
Each did what he could, and more.
The flames at WTC,
Awakened us all to our country’s style,
A heroically human kind,
Born of love, and freedom
New York is this state of mind.
Relationships
David H. Veisz
Grandson of Evelyn Veisz, 2B
Relationships are much like trees,
They grow stronger through the years.
The branches keep on expanding.
Their leaves shrivel up and grow again,
Their branches bend and sometimes break.
Sometimes they get chopped down
And get stepped on at an early age.
What’s that number on my cake?
Is it a joke or just a mistake?
Sixteen was nice and sweet!
Twenty-one couldn’t be beat!
Thirty came as a shock!
Forty – my boat began to rock!
Fifty was pretty nifty— but then again, fifty is very
gifty!
Sixty-five proclaimed my maturity—
plus it got me a check from Social Security!
But eighty! Give me a break,
and just pass me another hunk of that cake!
Sleepless in Chelsea, NYC
(Some thoughts on insomnia.)
Joan B. Lang, 2A
There’s a secret society in Penn South.
So secret in fact, that the members do not even know
they belong to it, do not (necessarily) know one
another and no meetings are held.
For each and every night, a large contingent,
a huge coterie of women find themselves . . .
Sleepless in Chelsea!
And recognizing their inability to gently drift off to
Dreamland . . . one by one by one, dozens of them
do, instead, head for their living rooms, or kitchens,
where they’ll spend an hour (or two or three or
more) reading, sipping soothing beverages, watching
TV or listening to music on all-nite radio.
Thus lulled, and with the approaching dawn,
many again repair to their beds and either nap or
sleep-in-earnest,
until it’s time to begin yet another day.
(Are you a member of this secret society?)
Winter 2002
Penn South Community Newsletter
From Cataracts to Cardiacs
Page 9
Clubs and Activities
L. Dilly (Diana) Schuback
“We’d Rather Rap Than Nap”…
See me! I’m still here!
I used to be somebody’s dear.
I used to kiss and hug and stuff
To give that up was pretty rough!
Just hand me down my walking cane,
So I can hip-hop without much pain.
Don’t stop me now, I’m on a roll
It isn’t that I’ve lost control,
It feels so good to dance and sing,
And get a chance to do my thing!
“Octogenarian” is hard to rhyme
but I’ll think of something, if there’s still time.
“Cholesterol” is a tough one too
but to Hell with it . . . just pass that stew!
Eating alone is not much fun,
But it’s really a blast over cooking for one.
So eat a burger . . . have some fries,
From this stuff nobody dies.
We’re all on drugs, mostly “pot”,
‘cause high blood pressure is what we’ve got!
Potassium is what we lose
from “water pills,” not from booze.
So while we age and can’t look like “Vanna”
we sure as Hell need that banana!
As my lover grew older,
he lost the hair from his head.
I tried to console him but
it was everywhere on the bed.
He cried and he fretted and made such a din,
but I cry too, it now grows from my chin!
So, how come, as I have said
our legs sometimes feel like lead.
Don’t lose your head, don’t see red.
Count your blessings from “A” to “Zed”
and stay the Hell out of bed!
Life’s a dream, life’s a joke.
Wake me with a kiss, not a poke.
Some dreams fade, some come true.
Activities in Community Rooms
Contact the Education Director or watch the
Electronic Bulletin Board for dates, fees, etc.
Stretching
Tai Chi
Yoga
Chi Kung
Meditation
Aerobic Kickboxing
l l l
Computer Club
The Computer Club fosters computer literacy
through education and mutual help among
members.
Location: Monthly meetings in 7A
Community Room.
Membership: $5 per year
Contact:
Leila Noz, 989-0939
l l l
Parents’ Committee/
Youth Recreation Group
The Parents’ Committee serves Penn South
youth by providing organized activities and
maintaining the youth recreation room. The
Youth Recreation room is located in Building
7A and is for youth from ages 6 to18.
Membership: One-time $35 fee gives
access to Youth Room.
Contact: Joan Starr, 989-7254 or
Morris Benjamin, 929-8542
l l l
Penn South Credit Union
Offers low-interest loans for cooperators.
Location: Wednesdays from 5 - 7 PM
in the Management Office.
Contact: Camille Morales, 675-3200
Page 10
Penn South Community Newsletter
Winter 2002
Security Alert
By Larry O’Neill, Security Chief
As you may or may not know, the United
States has declared that the economy is in a recession.
The mass media is reporting that companies have laid
off thousands of workers. The police department is
stretched thin because of the tragedy of September 11,
2001. The combination of all these factors has led to
an increase in criminal activity.
Penn South has been no exception. Since
October of this year, three cooperators and one noncooperator have become victims of crime in the Penn
South area. Our Security Officers were able to apprehend one person responsible for a robbery, and in
another case, the Security Officer was able to get back
a cooperator’s handbag, after chasing the suspect.
Your Security Officers are doing everything possible to
insure your safety. You can help as well by doing several things:
• Attend the 10 th Precinct Community Council
meeting that is held every last Wednesday of the
month at St. Columba School, located at 331 West 25
Street at 7:30 PM. This is an open forum available to
all residents of the 10th Precinct.
Representatives from the 10th Precinct come
and discuss incidents or hear complaints about our
neighborhood. They also have guest speakers from
time to time who talk about safety issues as well.
• If you do become a victim of a crime, call
911 right away, then call Security at 675-2675.
• Travel on well-lit streets at night. Do not take
short cuts.
• If someone is dropping you off in front of
your building, ask the driver to wait until you are safely inside.
• Do not flash large amounts of cash.
Remember, safety is a shared responsibility. You can
be responsible not only for your own safety, but also
for the safety of your neighbors.
The Jeff Dullea Intergenerational Garden
The Jeff Dullea Intergenerational Garden
located on 25 Street provides a gardening experience for cooperators of all ages. In particular,
we seek to match up children with seniors to
work together. A new season will start this
spring and runs from 2002-2004. A meeting to
welcome all new members will take place on
March 25 at 7 PM at 343 8th Avenue (8A).
Gardeners will be asked to bring their
$15 for dues at that time. They will also get a
chance to meet their partners and learn about
the responsibilities, as well as the fun, of gardening in this beautiful place. The garden committee tries to place as many cooperators as
possible into the garden.
This year we were able to turn over
about one-third of our membership to new gardeners while still accommodating people who
have gardened in the past. However, there is a
short waiting list. As members drop out, those
on the list will be notified and offered a spot in
the garden.
Winter 2002
Penn South Community Newsletter
Page 11
Co-op Council News
By Audrey Doremus, Co-op Council, 6A
This notice is written to keep you aware of Co-op
Council concerns and activities. Look on your lobby
Bulletin Board for the names of your representatives
and feel free to contact them if you have questions or
concerns.
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS. In some buildings on a few floors, an alert system has been developed. Residents check on one or two neighbors every
day or so to be sure they are all right. Recently, a single woman died and no one was aware of the problem
for days. This kind of tragedy may be avoided if we
have a system for checking on one another.
LAUNDRY ROOMS are a concern of all of us. We
need to remember that the equipment is in constant
use and must be shared fairly. No one should use an
excessive number of washers and dryers at one time.
Also, retirees are encouraged to do laundry during
daytime hours, leaving evenings accessible to their
working neighbors. Use the carts for clean clothes
only, and please do not remove the carts from the
laundry rooms.
If you see flyers accumulating in front of an apartment
door, contact another neighbor or Security. Also, let
others know if you plan to be away. Be sure your
emergency card in the Management Office is updated
and Security has copies of all keys to your apartment
door.
WELCOME New Cooperators!
They have moved in since January 2002
Building
1
2A
2B
2B
3A
3A
3A
3B
4
4
5
5
6A
6A
6A
6A
Name
Etta Beckerman
Hillary Dann
John & Antoinette Pulicicchio
Peter & Emily Hernandez
Yevgenya & Michael Rabinovich
Theodora Read
Edward J. Dowling
Golfo Karageogos
Cecilia & Sylvester Greene
David Daniel
Daniel Dosamantes & Muriel Bartel
Patricia & Sylvia Lorenzo
Wendy Silva
Sazan Savas
Elaine R. Angelini
Fatima Z. Fadli
Building Name
6B
Pamela R. Sternfels
6B
Julie Glickman
7A
Jose Vazquez
7A
Patrick McCabe
7A
Barbara Frontera
7A
Maria Padavano
7A
Debbie Ciraolo
7B
Susan Baldwin
7B
Ronnie Harmon & Michael Cherni
7B
Laima Mihailovich
7B
James & Mary Enright
8A
Hara Seltzer
9
Esther Blumenfeld
9
Yoshio Morita
10
Richard Hofving
10
Mary Lang & Barry Schrager
Page 12
Penn South Community Newsletter
SENIOR
CENTER
CORNER
Winter 2002
Think you know what PSPS is all about?
If you haven’t joined us,
you don’t know what you’re missing!
At Penn South Program for Seniors, we pride ourselves on providing a diverse array of services, class lectures
and activities to fulfill the needs and interests of every member. Aside from such favorites as Tai Chi and bridge, Penn
South also offers such intellectually exciting classes as Shakespeare, Humor in Ancient Greek and Roman Literature,
NY Times Discussion Group, and Talking Pictures, a new addition, where students view and discuss films on a theme. In
addition, PSPS has on staff caseworkers, social workers and nurses who can provide a wealth of services or information
to attain the services you might need. So if you are not yet a member, or would like to get more information about us,
feel free to stop by the office or call us at (212) 243-3670.
PENN SOUTH’S ANNUAL PASSOVER SEDER
Date: Tuesday, March 26th, 2002, 12:30 PM
Place: The Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.)
Meal: A Traditional kosher luncheon will be served, with Haggadah readings,
festive songs, dance, and once again, entertainment by Lenny Cherry.
Cost: $15.00 for PSPS members, non-members $20.00.
Missed the registration dates? It’s not too late to register! Just come down to PSPS and we’ll be happy to sign you up!
Payment is due at the time of registration. We cannot accept any phone reservations. Please take note of our cancellation and refund policy: Refunds are given if notification is received by PSPS by Thursday, March 21. Thank you for
your cooperation and consideration.
ART LAUNCH RETURNS TO FLY
AGAIN!
After the roaring success of last year’s event, Penn South
Program for Seniors prepares for its second annual Art
Launch, to be held June 13, 14, and 15, 2002.
Art Launch is a wonderful opportunity for artists of all
ages in the Penn South community to come together and
share their talents, exhibiting their work for all to see.
The three-day event also gives all members of the
Chelsea community a chance to join in the fun. In addition to the wonderful art display, there will be intergenerational workshops in Haiku poetry, T-shirt decorating, and
more. And, of course, live music! To exhibit your work
and/or participate in this wonderful event, call Mary
Springer or Eve Udesky at 243-3670.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Jeannette Solomon
Family, Penn South Program for Seniors is proud to bring
this event to the Penn South community once again.
PENN SOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES
Penn South Social Services held a meeting for all residents of the co-op to offer new services of Penn South
Home Organized Personal Services (PS-HOPS). These
services are high-quality home health services such as
home health aides who come into your home to assist
you with your personal care or a home emergency communications service.
These services are offered by high-quality professional
organizations at greatly reduced prices to PS-HOPS
members. The membership dues are quickly paid back
to the members through highly discounted fees for the
above services. At the meeting held on March 6 in
Building 8A community room, over 35 residents came
together to find out more about PS-HOPS and many
signed up for the program.
All residents of Penn South Co-op are welcome to join.
For an application, call (646) 638-0611. The office is
located in Building 5.