By Bob Harris
The October 2008 issue of the Holliswood Civic newsletter had an article by one resident about how he saw a city Sanitation Department inspector’s car with two occupants cruising the streets of Holliswood and issuing citations. This writer saw summonses issued for a pizza box placed between two garbage cans and the use of supermarket plastic bags as garbage bags.
Cardboard is supposed to be tied up or placed in a clear plastic bag or can designated with a green sticker for recycling. Garbage should be placed in a black plastic bag or in a regular garbage can with a cover. Only clean pizza boxes should be put out for recycling.
Blue cans or blue plastic bags should be used for clean aluminum or tin cans or plastic bottles with a triangle containing a “1” or “2” only. Children’s plastic toys should be put out as garbage. Bottle tops are not recyclable. All types of Styrofoam are regular garbage.
I hope you remember previous messages about not speeding on the Clearview Expressway. I have noticed two to three police cars a mile or so apart stopping people speeding on it. The speed limit drops to 45 mph as one leaves the Throgs Neck Bridge going south, then goes up to 50 mph on the Clearview Expressway. Police cars with radar guns often hang around this location.
Traffic agents have handheld ticket dispensers which issue a summons immediately when pressed. Tickets can be issued for blocking the box and stopping in a bus stop.
The November 2008 issue of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association Newsletter warns people that the city has finalized rules regarding sweeping the street in front or on the side of your property. Local Law 47 states that you must sweep the sidewalk around your property and 18 inches into the street around your property. Since some people work and cannot be home to sweep, a summons can only be issued from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Paul Kerzner, president of the Ridgewood civic, printed a letter he wrote for the board of directors to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, asking him to have a referendum on whether a third term should be authorized. He commented that the people had voted twice for a two−term limit for city officials, but the City Council had voted to authorize a third term without the vote of the people.
The November 2008 issue of the Rosedale Civic Association newsletter warns residents that tires cannot be put out with trash, but must be brought to the nearest Sanitation Department garage from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You must have a valid state driver’s license and registration. Call 311 or Community Board 8 at 718−264−7895 for a location.
Prior to disposing of a refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner or humidifier, one has to have the CFC gas, also know as Freon, removed by the city. If released into the atmosphere, it destroys the ozone layer. Call the Sanitation Action Center at 212−219−8090 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or call CB 8.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: U.S. Sen. James Webb (D−Va.), a Vietnam veteran and former Navy secretary, wants a revamped GI Bill so current veterans can attend college. Current money appropriated does not provide for a decent college education. The estimated cost of a new GI Bill is $2 billion. It could be part of a long−range economic stimulus plan.
The original GI Bill put millions of World War II soldiers into college and created a highly skilled labor force for our nation. Opposing this proposal is the U.S. Defense Department, which fears that enhanced educational opportunities will cause soldiers to leave the military.
