36 The Queens Courier • january 23, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com FILE PHOTO Rockaway ferry will stay afloat BY MAGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com The Rockaway Ferry will stay afloat at least until May. “While the Rockaway Ferry service began as an emergency measure, serving residents after Hurricane Sandy devastated other public transit options, it has since proved to be a valuable part of the city’s transportation infrastructure,” said Kyle Kimball, NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) president. The ferry service, which connects Beach 108th Street, the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Lower Manhattan, was slated to end January 31, but will continue throughout the next several months with an option to extend further until August. However, instead of $2 one-way tickets, the price to ride will be $3.50. The EDC will additionally determine the viability of long-term service and identify a ferry operator. Next month, the EDC will issue a Request for Proposals to make this determination, which will monitor ridership during the extension and show whether an additional extension to August is necessary. This is the fourth extension of the ferry since its initial launch in November 2012. Since then it has carried more than 200,000 passengers. “We are committed to the Rockaways’ recovery. From accelerating rebuilding programs to today’s ferry extension, we are going to keep our focus on communities hit hard by Sandy to ensure no one is left behind,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS BY MAGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com A Jamaica affordable housing development is nearing completion and has begun accepting applications for residence, the borough president’s office announced. The Rufus King Court Apartments on 90th Avenue is taking applications from low-income families hoping to stake a claim in the 46-unit building. Borough President Melinda Katz said this complex will “offer quality affordable housing at a location near the Jamaica commercial core, just a few blocks from one of the nation’s busiest transportation hubs.” “I recommend that eligible families take advantage of this opportunity and begin the process of applying to live there as soon as possible,” she said. Completion for the apartment building is slated for later this year and will feature four studios, 14 one-bedroom apartments, 23 two-bedroom apartments and five three-bedroom apartments. It will also include an outdoor recreation area, community room, laundry room, storage space, air conditioning for each unit, parking and a security system. The developer, Arker Companies of Floral Park, will also arrange for social services needed by senior or disabled residents. Income eligibility requirements will range from yearly salaries of $24,515 to $59,820. Monthly rent will range from $659 to $1,199. Applications from interested households are being accepted from now until March 6. A lottery will be used to select the winning applicants. To apply, visit www.nyc.gov/housingconnect and select “Apply for Housing” or send a self-addressed envelope to Rufus King Court Apartments, P.O. Box 390, Floral Park, NY 11002, requesting an application. FOOD COMPOSTING PROGRAM COMING TO QUEENS BY LIAM LA GUERE lguerre@queenscourier.com The Sanitation Department’s organic collection program is branching out to Queens. Starting in April, residents in Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale will be able to participate in the program, which targets food scraps, food-spoiled paper and yard waste, such as leaves, to recycle. The program has already been in use in parts of the other four boroughs. The organics collection program is part of the city’s plan to expand recycling. The city spent more than $85 million exporting organics to landfills last year, and hopes that an expanded recycling program will lower that cost. “If we can collect organics, we can avoid landfill disposal fees and convert the organic material into compost, an organic fertilizer, or clean renewable energy,” said Ron Gonen, deputy commissioner for recycling and sustainability at the Sanitation Department. “It’s a win for tax payers, it’s a win for the environment and it’s a win for local jobs.” The containers are brown and come in a small kitchen size and a bigger curbside size, as well. The program is volunteer-based, but the bins will be delivered to all buildings with nine or fewer residential units. The Department of Sanitation asks that residents put only foodsoiled waste, food scraps and yard waste in the bins. This means no metal, glass, plastics, cartons, animal waste, foam items, clothing or electronics are allowed in the organics bins. People participating in the program do not need to line their organic trash bins, but if they want they can line them with newspaper, paper bags, cardboard, clear plastic liners and compostable liners, approved by the Sanitation Department. The organic trash collected from Queens will be transferred to a composting facility upstate, according to a Sanitation Department representative. For more information on the organics recycling collection program, visit www.nyc.gov/organics. THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Representatives from the Department of Sanitation holding the new organic bins. Rockaway Ferry service, originally slated to end January 31, has been extended to May.
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