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Garthchester relies on the work of a great team of individuals to keep our company running smoothly. It's not surprising that many of our employees have been with Garthchester for decades. Artie Guttilla can count himself as one of the first employees of Garthchester. He was hired by Co-President John Bonito way back in 1982. His first job was working as the property manager for Ogden Tenants Corp all those years ago - and today, he still manages that property. Here's more you may not know about Artie. 

Artie Guttilla was born and raised in New York City with his two brothers and three sisters. Before joining the ranks at Garthchester, Artie was a superintendent at Thornycroft Tenants Corp in Scarsdale. He recently retired as superintendent after 36 years of service, and now works at Garthchester managing four properties.  

 

Artie says the management business is perfect for him because he loves working with people, but the truth is, people enjoy working with Artie. Co-President Jay Mendel can attest to that. "Artie was well liked by the shareholders of Thornycroft for being so attentive to details. Additionally, Artie is a property manager and his Boards can't say enough good things about him."

 

Taking on new challenges is something Artie thrives on. Having worked as a superintendent and a property manager, Artie finds that he thoroughly enjoys that each day is different and brings a new adventure. Co-President John Bonito knows this about Artie calling him "a responsible and dedicated person. Artie strives for perfection in whatever he does and never disappoints."

 

While the management business certainly keeps him busy, Artie likes to have time to relax and enjoy himself too - but that doesn't mean sitting down and putting his feet up. In fact, Artie enjoys ballroom dancing, bowling and most of all his three grandchildren.

  

TIP OF THE DAY FROM GARTHCHESTER'S FEATURED EMPLOYEE:

When doing a renovation, the classic suggestion is to do a new kitchen or bathroom, but the best thing you can do to improve your home is to maintain the unit well and to get professional advice when you are ready to sell.

 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's time to start planning your holiday menu. While everyone loves the side dishes, the turkey always takes center stage. Here are the secrets to having the best bird on your Thanksgiving table this year:

1. Brine the turkey before cooking. That means soak it in a solution of water, salt and sugar overnight. This trick will keep your turkey juicy.
2. After the brining is done, add diced carrots, onions, celery and herbs into the cavity of the turkey. Put the extra vegetables and herbs underneath turkey for more flavor.
3. Coat the outside of your turkey with oil, salt and pepper. Make sure to cover the breast tightly with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.
4. Roast the turkey in a big roasting pan on a rack. This is important so air can circulate all around the turkey for even cooking.
5. Remove the foil to brown the turkey when it has about 45 minutes left in the oven.
6. Be patient! A 20-pound turkey takes roughly 5 hours to cook.
7. Be sure your turkey is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh. It must read 165 degrees.
8. Let your turkey rest after it is removed from the oven for at least 25 minutes to an hour.
9. While the turkey rests, make sure to tent it with foil so all the heat doesn't escape.
10. Always cut your turkey with an electric knife for even slices.

 

Garthchester works closely with the boards at our buildings. Board members work long hours for no money just to keep their buildings running smoothly and to make sure their residents are happy. We salute these board members for their tireless work and today we highlight the President of 470-480 Halstead - better known as Newport Towers.  

 

Ellen Scambia has lived in Newport Towers since 1993. She was elected to the board in 2006 after many residents felt it was time for a new group of people to take over. Since Ellen joined the board, some pretty substantial changes have happened. The best part of these improvements has been that it hasn't cost the shareholders anything out of their pockets.  

 

After Ellen joined the board, the group was able to triple the building's reserve account by scaling back on expenses and refinancing the mortgage. With the building's finances intact, Ellen and the other board members took on a whole slew of renovations including a new lobby, redoing all the hallways, landscaping, pool work, putting in new elevator cabs, painting and more. The terraces were waterproofed and fixed to match the fa�ade of the building. Ellen says there was a lot of upkeep that needed to be done and the new board was glad to do it: "we have come a long way in restoring the building to a more modern, up to date look. And it was all done without any assessments."  

 

Newport Towers is in a great position financially because of smart planning. Shareholders have been pleased that the maintenance doesn't increase every year and when it does, it's only a small amount to cover costs. Ellen says the board was able to make this happen by "taking advantage of low mortgage rates and building up the reserve in anticipation of big projects."

 

Feedback from residents has been nearly all positive. Ellen says keeping the people in her building happy is important. But when making decisions, the board always remembers Newport Towers is like a business and everyone has to do what is best for the corporation.  

 

The board's job has been stellar, but Ellen says she credited a lot of the success in the building to Garthchester and managing agent Brian Scally. Ellen calls Brian "amazing" saying "we couldn't have done a quarter of what we have done to the building without Brian's support. He helped us make decisions and prioritize. We rely on him because he has done all of this before." Ellen claims Garthchester always responds right away, showing her and her fellow board members that they are important clients: "we ask for something to be done and it gets done."

 

Garthchester Co-President Jay Mendel says "Ellen has been President of Newport Towers for the past 7 years and has been a pleasure to deal with. Working with Garthchester, she has improved the cooperative by helping with complete renovations of the two buildings, new plantings, new sidewalks and terrace panels.  All of this done while staying within budget and maintaining a sizable reserve for the cooperative."

 

Anyone who has been a board member will say that it is a thankless job. Ellen says she is motivated because Newport Towers is her home and "it is our biggest investment." Luckily for the shareholders at Newport Towers - Ellen works for a brokerage firm, so she understands finance and how to stay within budgets.  

 

The improvements at Newport Towers have been excellent, but Ellen says the board's job isn't done. The future plans include landscaping, fencing, paving, rug cleaning, and a parking lot - which has been budgeted for already. The building will take on projects as they come and Ellen hopes she will be able to continue to keep costs to a minimum.