for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com NOVEMBER 28, 2013 • The Courier SUN 7 ‘Safe Routes’ coming to four Queens schools BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] Safer streets are coming soon to four Queens middle and elementary schools. The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) confirmed it has selected a construction company to make adjustments around the schools to increase safety, as a part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Safe Routes to Schools program. The safe routes program is a city-wide initiative that seeks to improve safety to city schools with the highest accident rates. A DDC representative said the $3.3 million improvements will begin by the spring of 2014 around I.S. 77 in Ridgewood, St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Maspeth, St. Joan of Arc School in Jackson Heights and P.S. 108 in South Ozone Park. The work around the schools will include adding speed bumps, adjustment of streetlights and traffic signals, ramps to the sidewalks, work to improve the curbs for pedestrians, placement of bus pads in the streets and infrastructure and utility work. These four schools are on DOT’s list of 135 priority schools for traffic safety improvements, which was originally created in 2003 by the city agency. Overall, there are 33 priority Queens schools on the list that are slated to see the improvements. The work on the four schools is expected to be completed by the spring of 2015. Help make the holidays bright The holiday season has arrived, and The Queens Courier will once again be collecting toys and clothing to be donated this year to the Queens Centers for Progress’ Apple Preschool in Jamaica for our annual holiday gift drive. The Apple Preschool program offers children with disabilities between three to five years old a large variety of educational and therapeutic services, including speech, occupational and physical therapy and counseling. The children interact with special education teachers and clinicians who work on language skills, cognitive, motor and social development. After participating in the program, the majority of the children become integrated into the public school system. Apple Preschool is asking for new, unused and unwrapped donations for their students, 31 girls and 52 boys between the ages of three and four. Donations can be dropped off at The Courier’s office, located at 38-15 Bell Boulevard in Bayside, or at People’s United Bank branches at 8989 Union Turnpike in Glendale, 34-51 48th Street in Long Island City, or 7417 Grand Avenue in Maspeth. DUCKING THANKSGIVING Middle Village man seeks home for Huey, Dewey, Louie BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] One man wants to donate his birds, but won’t let them be sitting ducks for Thanksgiving. Middle Village native Frank Garet, who saved three ducks from possibly being the centerpiece of a dinner table last year, is now looking for a permanent home for the birds. He believes the ducks deserve to return to nature, so he is considering a wildlife sanctuary upstate, but Garet is also talking with possible pet owners. “I really hate to give them up, but they need a natural environment,” Garet said. “They are like my boys, but I think they deserve a beautiful pond.” Since he found them, the birds have been in a pen at the Maspeth car dealership that Garet co-owns, Garet Motors on Flushing Avenue. Garet said a woman had bought the ducks along with some chickens from a Flushing poultry market last year. But, when the box holding the birds broke and the animals started running around freely the woman collected the chickens, and left the ducks in the street. Garet decided to rescue the young ducks because of a lesson his grandfather, who owned a hot dog truck, taught him early on. His grandfather used to tell him to feed hungry birds that would gather near the vending truck. When he did, dozens of customers would suddenly appear to buy hot dogs. “‘If the birds don’t eat, you don’t eat,’” Garet recalled his grandfather saying. “I fed the birds and cars never stopped coming.” Since then, Garet has had a soft spot for the birds. He feeds corn and berries to his three feathered friends — Huey, Dewey and Louie — every day. But after a year, he said they have become too big. Garet wants to find a home for them and is listening to anyone interested. However, he won’t donate them to someone until after Thanksgiving, “so they don’t kill them or sell them” and will take care of them “until the end of their natural lives,” Garet said. “They are tame and friendly. They are healthy ducks and they deserve a good home,” he said. Anyone interested in taking care of the ducks is encouraged to call Frank Garet at 718-371-1261. Following Thanksgiving Frank Garet will donate the ducks that he rescued last year. THE COURIER/Photos by Liam La Guerre
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