Community Magazine October 2009

104 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Ocean Parkway Malls to Get a Facelift A stretch of the Ocean Parkway Malls between Avenues M and O will be reconstructed as part of a new project sponsored by NY City Council Member Simcha Felder. The $1.35 million plan will include reconstruction of pavement, restoration of an asphalt bike path including new markings for pedestrians and cyclists, improvements to benches and railings, and freshly laid lawn areas. “Thanks to the hard work of the Department of Parks and Recreation, local residents and passers-by can enjoy this beautiful outdoor space for years to come,” said Felder. The work, which is slated to be completed by late spring 2010, is the third phase of improvements since the Councilman took office. NYC Parks and Recreation is planning to perform the work one segment at a time in order to limit the inconvenience to the public. Food Prices May Soar Due to Sugar Shortage Food giants General Mills, Hershey Co., Mars Inc. and Kraft Foods alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August that the country will experience a severe sugar shortage by the end of this year if the government does not increase the amount of tariff- free sugar it allows to be imported. Such a shortage would drive up the price of sugar and thus a litany of food products, as sugar is pervasively used in most products throughout the food industry. The price of domestic sugar in the United States is already twice the world average, having been artificially inflated for years to support American farmers in the Midwest, who would otherwise be unable to compete with cheaper imported sugar. While some see the subsidy as a prime example of special interest pork barrel spending, others contend that relying exclusively on imports for food and basic commodities is a national security risk. NYPD Warns of Stun Gun Phones High-tech stun guns disguised as cell phones were the subject of an NYPD internal memo with a warning and a photo of the device, after the recent seizure of two of the illegal gadgets. The $60 Pretender, and the $51 Immobilizer each deliver at least 900,000- volts of electricity, which can temporarily incapacitate a person. The web site for Personal Arms in Texas, producer of the Pretender, notes that the law prohibits shipping the weapon to 17 states, including NewYork. Police don’t know where the devices they seized were purchased and are not aware of the weapons being used in a crime. *Alternate Side Parking: For snow and other emergencies call 311 to get an update of parking rules for a particular day **Garbage: Residents who are normally scheduled for collection on the day of a holiday should place their trash out at curbside on the holiday evening for collection. Some residents will experience a disruption of on-time household collection service. Recycling: Residents who are normally scheduled for recycling collection on the day of the holiday will not receive service that week. They should place their recyclables out at curbside the following week on their regular day of service. New York City Municipal Schedule Occasion Day Date Alt Side Garbage Collection Parking Banks & Post Offices Succot 1 st /2 nd Day Sat-Sun October 3-4 Suspended Normal Normal Open Shemini Atzereth Sat October 10 Suspended Normal Normal Open Simhat Torah Sun October 11 Suspended Normal Normal Open Columbus Day Mon October 12 Suspended Suspended Normal Closed Observance Sat October 17 Suspended Normal Normal Open Observance Sun November 1 Suspended Normal Normal Open Election Day Tues November 3 Suspended Suspended Normal Open Veterans Day Wed November 11 Suspended Suspended Normal Closed Thanksgiving Thurs November 26 Suspended Suspended Holiday Closed Observance Thurs-Sat November 26-28 Suspended Normal Normal Open