FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 9, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
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A LOOK BACK
As the nation commemorates Veterans Day this weekend, we want to thank all those men and women who through the years served in defense of our country. We fl ash back this week to May 9, 1943,
which shows an honor roll of service members in Glendale during World War II. The honor roll was located at the corner of 75th Avenue and 60th Lane. The image shows an honor guard comprised of
various branches of the military during a dedication ceremony. Send us your historic images of Queens by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed pictures to A Look Back, The
Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you.
Waste not, want not to help feed hungry
letters & comments
BY STATE SENATOR
JOSEPH ADDABBO
Every year, about
34 million tons of
food waste is tossed
out across the United
States. At the same time,
many people across our
nation – including hundreds
of thousands in our very own city – are
considered “food insecure,” meaning they
can’t aff ord enough food to eat each day.
Th at’s why I’m pleased a new law
(Chapter 316), which I co-sponsored,
will encourage school districts, universities
and other educational institutions
to begin programs creating the ability to
donate excess, unused and edible food to
volunteer organizations engaged in feeding
needy individuals. Th e measure, which
will go into eff ect next March, requires the
State Education
Department and NYS Department of
Agriculture and Markets to develop voluntary
guidelines to move the program forward.
Th is is a good fi rst step toward addressing
food waste, which makes up about 14
percent of solid municipal waste in the
nation annually. Th e law holds great potential
for reducing food waste in educational
institutions, while assisting residents who
don’t have enough to eat. I also believe that
this program can be used as an educational
means for teaching students not
to waste food and about the need to help
others.
Food insecurity is a serious issue. In New
York City, from 2013 through 2015, there
were 424,307 residents, in households with
at least one person working, unable to aff ord
food. In addition, about one in fi ve New
York City children – or about 429,000 – were
experiencing hunger.
I look forward to tracking the progress of
this new law when it goes into eff ect next
spring. In January, when the new legislative
session begins, I will also work to expand
opportunities for additional programs to
reduce food waste, protect our environment,
and address food insecurity.
For example, I will push legislation
(S.5461) I co-sponsor which would expand
donation programs by requiring state and
local governments, educational institutions,
and food service establishments contracted
by these entities to minimize waste. Under
this proposal, excess food, food scraps and
organic waste would be used fi rst – as appropriate
– to supply
organizations feeding the hungry, and then
to provide animal food. I intend to also stress
the need to ensure the safety and health of
others when handling unwanted, unused
food. In addition, organic waste and food
scraps would be processed to create products
such as bio-diesels, soaps and agricultural
soil amendments including compost.
Clearly, the reuse of excess food, in addition
to fi ghting hunger, has great benefi ts
for our environment. It reduces the amount
of organic waste in our landfi lls, and allows
vegetable matter to become valuable compost
for farmers and gardeners. It can also
help create employment opportunities in the
growing “green jobs” sector of our economy.
Th ese eff orts represent a very positive onetwo
punch in addressing two vital issues:
cutting food waste and providing needed
meals for the hungry.
Senator Addabbo represents the 15th
Senatorial District which covers much
of southwestern Queens and the western
Rockaways.
DOING THE DIFFICULT
MATH ON BUS
RESTORATION
A proposal by City Councilman
Barry Grodenchik along with State
Assembly members Nily Rozic and
David Weprin to restore the Q75 bus
line is easier said than done.
It cost the MTA NYC Transit over
$160 per hour to operate any bus.
Th e route was previously discontinued
due to a poor farebox recovery
rate which was far below the 50 percent
industry standard.
MTA NYC Transit also has no current
spare buses to restore this service.
It would require several years
to acquire new buses for fl eet expansion.
Who will provide the millions
in capital and operating assistance to
pay for this?
Perhaps Grodenchik, Rozic and
Weprin can each deliver a multimillion
dollar member item in the next
respective city and state budget to pay
for restoration of the Q75.
In the end, quality and frequency
of service is dependent upon secure
revenue streams. We all have to contribute
— be it at the fare box or tax
revenues generated by diff erent levels
of government redistributed back
to the MTA.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
COP WHO STOPPED
TERRORIST A
REAL HERO
Radical terrorist named Sayfullo
Saipov, struck down in a rented
Home Depot van and killed eight
people and injured 13 others in
Manhattan on Oct. 31. Th ere would
have been more death and injured
if it was not for our Finest in the
NYPD.
According to Police Commissioner
James O’Neill and the media offi -
cer, Ryan Nash took down the suspect
with a bullet to the mid-section,
when he refused to drop what
was thought to be weapons. Sayfullo
was than arrested by fellow offi cers,
John Hasiotis, Michael Welsome, and
Kevin McGinn.
At an interview, Ryan stated he
only did what had to be done to stop
the carnage and that he was no hero.
Well I think he was. I would like to
praise these brave offi cers for all they
did on the worst day for many.
I salute Ryan Nash and his fellow
offi cers for a job well done. I
also would like to off er my heartfelt
prayers for the fallen and those
injured and their families that are suffering
so much now.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
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