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QC12102015

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com DECEMBER 10, 2015 • THE QUEENS COURIER 39 oped   Time for greater food safety in NY BY STATE SENATOR JOE ADDABBO In recent years, we have seen millions of people around the world move toward an increased awareness for food safety and what ingredients go into the products we buy at the grocery store. Whether it be due to food allergies, medical conditions, health and fi tness goals or the desire to lead a healthier and more natural lifestyle, consumers now have become more health conscious than ever before. As more people educate themselves about the ingredients that make up their food, it becomes increasingly important that we as lawmakers ensure that consumers are given the chance to make an informed decision about what they are buying at the grocery store – and that includes requiring labeling of products made with genetically modifi ed organisms, known as GMOs. As a proud sponsor of Senate Bill S.485A, I know that the time has come to pass this legislation and begin requiring companies to label products made with GMOs, which can include any ingredient whose genetic makeup has been deliberately changed in a way that could never occur naturally. With the Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of the fi rst genetically engineered animal for human consumption – AquaBounty’s GMO Atlantic salmon – the need for labeling is more urgent than ever. The Center for Food Safety estimates that upwards of 75 percent of foods available today on store shelves across the United States contain some form of GMOs, yet there is no requirement in New York to disclose this on a product label. Senate Bill S.485A would rectify an outdated system that puts consumers in danger by robbing us of our right to know exactly what our food is made of. If we don’t know all the facts, how are we able to make an educated decision before putting something in our bodies that may contain residues from toxic herbicides or have adverse effects on our health? Just like buying a house or a car, it is logical and responsible to do your research beforehand to know what is best for you and your family. The implementation of a law such as S.485A will not change how food is made or what products are available to us on the shelves. It will simply give consumers like you and me the opportunity to be better informed about these products before we make a purchase. GMOs exist today in more products than we may know, and while they may not be harmful in all instances, it is our right as consumers to decide that for ourselves. As food and science progresses, it is our responsibility as legislators to ensure that the law progresses with it in order to keep the public not only in the know, but safe. Senator Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial District, which covers all or parts of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach, Broad Channel and the western Rockaways. A LOOK BACK Here’s another classic picture from the early 1970s courtesy of the Facebook group “You must have lived in Ridgewood if you remember...” Check out this diesel bus on the B20 line stopped at the corner of Fresh Pond Road and 68th Avenue in Ridgewood as it appeared in 1971. As with current buses operated by MTA New York City Transit, this bus was covered in ads including one featuring Mays department store on the front and a Rheingold beer advertisement on the side. Note in the background a sign protruding from the corner store reading “Zenith.” This was once the location of Schumacher’s electronic store, a staple in the community for generations. It relocated in recent years to make way for a 7-Eleven convenience store. We want your historic pictures of Queens! Send them electronically to editorial@queenscourier.com or by mail to The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed photographs will be carefully returned to you. letters & comments A DARWINIAN REQUIEM FOR A LOCAL WALDBAUM’S While it is indeed sad to see our local supermarket closing after being in the neighborhood for decades, it is not hard to understand why. If any store deserved to go out of business, it was this one. It was very poorly managed. Shelves were never re-stocked in a timely fashion. In recent years, I would often attempt to shop there only to fi nd sections that looked as if they had been attacked by wolves, with gaping holes where merchandise should have been. Then there were the times when I found outdated dairy products on their shelves. Finally, we come to the checkout. Rarely was there more than one cashier lane open, no matter how many customers were in line. Their “Express” lane was a joke. It was express in name only. It seemed that there was always a problem in that lane. Even when a nearby Key Food reopened several years ago after a huge modernization and renovation, Waldbaum’s still did not get the message. They never upgraded their store, added self-checkout lanes or saw the handwriting on the wall as they lost customer after customer to Key Food and other chains. This past year, the Waldbaum’s was so empty you could have run a bowling alley in their aisles. Rumor has it that no other chain wanted to take over that location because there was not enough customer traffi c there. With good reason, when you analyze why this was the case. Perhaps if a well-managed store had been there, Whitestone residents would not now be faced with a choice of one major supermarket in our neighborhood! There’s an old law of nature (and business) that states “Survival of the Fittest.” Waldbaum’s was not fi t to survive. Irene Bernstein-Pechmèze, Whitestone TIS THE SEASON TO BE KIND AND THANKFUL The holiday season has just begun with the kickoff of Black Friday. During the month of December, we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Many are now rushing around to get the best deal and standing on long lines. There are presents to buy and wrap, cards to send out and many decorations to purchase, and to hang from homes and offi ces. But maybe many of us are missing the point and the true reason for the season. I think it is a time to refl ect upon family, friends and our co-workers and what they mean to us. It is also a time to show concern for the many in need — not only during the holiday season but all year round. It is also a time to show many acts of kindness to the many strangers that we meet in our travels. For remember, all life does count and needs a kind word, if only a “Hello” or “Have a nice day,” which can go a long way to lighten one’s spirit. Therefore let the true reason for the season to shine through with love. Remember this too: Let there be peace on Earth and good will toward all mankind. Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village DEAD MAN’S CURVE ON BOULEVARD IN BRIARWOOD I am writing to alert bikers of the deadly danger upon approaching the Briarwood boondoggle of the Kew Gardens Interchange Project on Queens Boulevard, either going east toward the south side of the Interstate 678 (Van Wyck Expressway) with a forked dead man’s curve, or going west along a narrow two-lane road. Also, there are no bike lanes in either direction along Queens Boulevard and no sidewalk on the south side as well. The only safe strip from vehicular traffi c is the pedestrian sidewalk on the north side, which would constitute a traffi c violation for biking on the sidewalk. The effect of this present construction is essentially to ban all bicycles from access through Queens Boulevard from Main Street to Hoover Avenue. I suggest that the DOT post signs for two detour routes for bikers approaching the Briarwood dead man’s curve from either western or eastern Queens Boulevard directions: BRIARWOOD BIKERS BEWARE! DEAD MAN’S CURVE AHEAD. Joseph N. Manago, Flushing


QC12102015
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