8 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 9, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Simotas urges support for breastfeeding bill
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas
along with Christine Serdjenian
Yearwood, founder of UP-STAND,
hosted a July 31 “Latch-On” event at
Astoria’s Columbus Triangle, where
a group of mothers breastfed their
babies to show support, raise awareness
and normalize breastfeeding.
“As a mom who experienced this joy
with my own daughter, I know firsthand
how critical this nurturing time
is to families. But there is much more
we, as a society, need to do to promote
breastfeeding and even to make this
choice possible,” Simotas said.
World Breastfeeding Week is an
annual event from Aug. 1 to 7, which
marks the anniversary of the Innocenti
Declaration, which was produced by
WHO/UNICEF policymakers at the
“Breastfeeding in the 1990s A Global
Initiative” meeting.
Others in attendance at Tuesday’s
event included Congresswoman
Carolyn B. Maloney, Councilmen
Costa Constantinides and Donovan
Richards and Assemblywoman Nily
Rozic.
The event was also an opportunity
for Simotas, who was unable to attend,
to urge support for her bill The Family
Accommodation in Entertainment
Act. If approved, the bill would require
entertainment venues, such as stadiums,
arenas, convention centers, theaters
and gardens, to provide accommodations
— if readily achievable —
for parents of small children.
“This is a practical way to ease the
burden on parents and babysitters who
want to enjoy entertainment outside
their homes,” Simotas said in a statement.
“If we’re going to claim the
moniker of ‘family-friendly’ let’s really
help moms and dads who have to
grapple with diapers, strollers, feeding
and keeping babies safe just to attend
an event.”
Such amenities include high chairs
and booster seats, changing tables in
all public restrooms, stroller parking
and a private, hygienic location for
nursing or pumping breast milk.
“These accommodations enable parents,
caregivers and children to safely
and fully participate in public life and
our economy. We applaud Assembly
member Simotas for recognizing the
need to improve accessibility for this
large portion of our society and for
introducing this bill,” Yearwood said.
According to the New York State
Senate website, Simotas’ bill is currently
in the Assembly Committee
stage.
New NYC ferry route brings more service to LIC
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Yet another stop on the city’s ferry system
will soon open in Long Island City.
Over the next two weeks, the New
York City Ferry Service operated by
Hornblower, along with the NYCEDC is
bringing the Soundview and Lower East
Side ferry routes to an estimated total of
1.4 million riders. Since May 2017, the
NYC Ferry has been off ering New Yorkers
a new, aff ordable mode of transportation.
“We’re excited to launch NYC Ferry
service in the Bronx, the Upper East
Side and the Lower East Side, which
have historically been transit deserts,”
said NYCEDC President James Patchett.
“For the same cost of a subway ride, New
Yorkers that live and work in these communities
will now have a fast, aff ordable
and convenient way to get around
the city.”
According to Hornblower, the Lower
East Side route opens to the public on
Aug. 29 and will make stops at Wall Street/
Pier 11, Corlears Hook, Stuyvesant Cove,
East 34th Street, and end at Long Island
City. In total, the trip will take approximately
32 minutes from start to fi nish.
Th e NYC Ferry will also launch a new
Soundview route on Aug. 15, which
will make stops at Clason Point Park in
Soundview, East 90th Street on the Upper
East Side, East 34th Street and end its run
at Wall Street/Pier 11. Clark said that about
400,000 riders will use the new ferry route.
Cameron Clark, the senior vice president
of the NYC Ferry by Hornblower,
said that the LES route will serve about
1 million customers who are looking for
new modes of transportation in the evolving
state of New York.
“Ferries are poised to make a comeback,”
Clark said.
Th e senior vice president mentioned
that ferries were one of New York’s main
sources of transportation in the city’s
earlier history and added that the city’s
increasing waterfront access encourages
more New Yorkers to spend more time
traveling by ferry.
In 2013, the NYCEDC conducted their
Citywide Ferry Study, that determined
which underserved parts of the city might
produce the highest levels of ridership.
Locations on the Lower East Side and
Soundview routes were included on the
list of “most promising new ferry routes”
in the EDC study.
With the addition of the two newest
routes, the NYC Ferry service will have six
total routes, including Astoria, East River,
Rockaway and South Brooklyn. Clark said
that the ferry service’s fl eet includes 20 vessels
and is set to grow due to a growing
demand. In July, NYC Ferry welcomed the
Ocean Queen Rockstar to their fl eet, the fi rst
of six 350-passenger vessels that will be used
to accommodate higher ridership demand.
Clark said that all NYC Ferry rides can
be booked and managed on the NYC Ferry
Mobile app, which can be found in the
App Store or Google Play by searching
“NYC Ferry.” Th e app allows users to plan
their journey and see real-time ferry schedules,
as well as helping them stay informed
about cancellations or service changes.
Th ose who are interested in learning
more about the NYC Ferry or potential
job opportunities can visit their website
at ferry.nyc.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Two new NYC Ferry routes are coming this month.
Photo courtesy of the offi ce of Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas
World Breastfeeding Week is held annually from Aug. 1 to 7.
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