The following blog post was written by Emil Micha, Senior Advisor to the Borough President.

After a long career as an Art Director for institutions like The New York Times, Sotheby’s, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I decided to bring my talents closer to home. For the past three years, I have been privileged to apply my graphic design chops in the service of James Oddo, Staten Island Borough President. Jim is a visionary who recognizes the value of good design as a tool for the messaging he employs on a broad range of life-affirming initiatives championed by his administration. 

When Jim arranged for a collection of art works from 3rd graders at P.S. 50 to be exhibited on the walls of our main conference room at Borough Hall, I was delighted. Upon examining the pieces and the accompanying annotations by Mrs. Natasha Galante, the students’ Art Teacher, the project took on much more pertinence. Not only were the individual paintings and drawings remarkably executed, it was clear that the young artists were inspired by a well thought-out process of exposure to brilliant examples of master painters from three distinct schools of art. This was educational nurturing yielding extraordinary results. Plus, the kids’ pieces were joyful and beautiful, as well as carefully matted and framed. The obvious care with which they were created demanded that we give them the best possible display.

We would apply the same techniques that I used in ten years of designing fine art installations for The Met. The room was transformed into a genuine gallery space and the students’ colorful pieces looked positively luminous.  

On Valentine’s Day, the kids and their teacher arrived at Borough Hall for their exhibition “opening.”  They were welcomed by the BP and members of his staff. With obvious delight, the young artists gazed at their beautiful works and listened attentively as Jim expressed how happy we all were to share this experience with them.

Before taking questions from the kids, Jim asked several of his assembled staff to offer thoughts and comments. Recognition of the young artists’ accomplishments, plus the value of art appreciation in one’s life, was emphasized in each speaker’s remarks. 

As someone whose very career was inspired and nurtured by a public school teacher, who was both wise and knowledgeable about the importance of art as an essential component of life and, in my case, a vocation, I recognize Mrs. Galante as that rare individual who can open the door that Mrs. Catherine Kaschur opened for me as my high school art teacher.

Three cheers for Mrs. Galante, and three cheers for these kids!

The following blog post was written by Allison Cohen, Deputy Director of Communications.
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Many Staten Islanders may not know that we have our own piece of the Underground Railroad right here on the South Shore. Sandy Ground, which is located in Woodrow, is the oldest continuously inhabited free black settlement in the United States. Founded in the early 1800s, the community arose from a settlement of free Blacks from New York, Maryland and Delaware. By harvesting oysters and farming, this fledgling community was able to thrive and became a safe haven on the Underground Railroad. 

Today, Sandy Ground is home to 10 families that are descendants of the property’s original settlers. The Sandy Ground Historical Society Library Museum is the largest collection of African-American culture and history on the Island. Members of the historical society preserve material related to the historic town, as well as letters, photographs, film, art, rare books and other archaeological artifacts. The museum educates the public about black history through lecture series, school programs and festivals. 

The idea for the museum’s most recent exhibit actually originated at Borough Hall! In 2015, we hosted a traveling exhibit of quilts made by descendants of the original Sandy Ground settlers that depicted their history. Each quilt tells a unique story of a local family and is rooted in the African-American tradition of quilt-making. Due to space constraints, we could only display four quilts at Borough Hall. After receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the exhibit, the Sandy Ground Historical Society decided to continue the idea and put many more quilts on display in their museum. 

For more information on the museum, visit sandygroundmuseum.org or call (718) 317-5796

​Renee receiving her Readers Are Leaders Winners Certificate from then-Councilman Vito Fosella in 1999. They recreated the photo at this year’s kickoff ceremony!
 
The following blog post was written by Renee Sarno, Community Events Coordinator.
 
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable spelled out sparkles,” – Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
 
In 1999, I was in 4th grade at P.S. 45. My school was one of 78 schools that participated in the Readers Are Leaders challenge, which was in its third year and run by then-Councilman Vito Fossella. I remember being told there would be one winner for the whole 4th grade, which was about 6 classes. I read every possible book I could. At the time, Harry Potter had just been released, and I read and reread Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets three times that year. I usually read at least two books at a time, and my mom would always ask how I was able to keep them straight in my head. Another popular book that had just been released that year was Holes by Louis Sachar, and it was one of my favorites.
 
Thanks to my voracious reading habits, I wound up winning the Readers Are Leaders challenge for P.S. 45. Out of all the 4th graders and all of the books reports, I was chosen, and I was so happy! The ceremony for the winners was held at the Petrides School that year. I got to meet winners from schools around the Island as I proudly represented my school.
 
Fast forward to 2016: I had just started working as an events coordinator for Borough President Oddo, who now ran the program. The kickoff ceremony, which had been planned prior to my start at Borough Hall, was being held at P.S. 45, exactly where I won the challenge 17 years earlier. As we walked the halls of the school, it felt as if I had never left. I had an amazing experience in elementary school, and being back there felt like coming home again. We walked past my 4th grade classroom, and Principal Chavez couldn’t believe I remembered what room it was. I was still so proud to represent my school almost 20 years later.
  
Talk about life coming full circle. I am honored to work on Readers Are Leaders, a program that had such an impact on my life. I hope that the children participating this year, the 21st year of the program, learn the joy and value of reading the way that I did.

Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women? February is Women's Heart Health Awareness Month, so now is a great time to learn the facts and fictions about heart disease in women.
 
Myth: Heart disease is only a threat to men.
Fact: Heart disease actually strikes more men than women, and is more deadly to women than all forms of cancer combined. Heart disease claims the lives of one in three American women each year.
 
Myth: Heart disease only affects old people or people who are out of shape.
Fact: Even if you are young, thin and a gym rat, you may still be at risk for heart disease. Heart disease affects women of all ages, though the risks do increase with age. Even if you run marathons, other factors such as high cholesterol, bad eating habits and smoking may counteract your healthy habits. The American Heart Association recommends getting your cholesterol checked starting at age 20, or even earlier if your family has a history of heart disease.
 
Myth: I’m fine because I don’t have any symptoms.
Fact: Over sixty percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms. Because symptoms differ between men and women, they’re often misunderstood. TV shows and movies have taught us that the sign of a heart attack is extreme chest pain. This is not always true, especially for women. Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. Other symptoms you should look out for are dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen and extreme fatigue. If you experience any of these, seek medical attention immediately.
 
Myth: Heart disease runs in my family, so there’s nothing I can do about it.
Fact: Although women with a family history of heart disease are at higher risk, there’s plenty they can do to dramatically reduce it. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can keep your heart healthy. Most importantly, women need to be proactive, know their numbers (blood pressure, BMI, blood sugar and cholesterol) and keep them in a healthy range.
 
Myth: There are many risk factors for heart disease that can’t be changed.
Fact: While some risk factors aren’t modifiable, like age, sex and family history, the majority can be. Lifestyle changes that include quitting smoking, eating better, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising can go a long way to preventing heart disease in women. In fact, more than 670,000 women have been saved from heart disease by making healthy lifestyle changes and being aware of the symptoms.
 
As you can see, there are many things you can do to help lower your risk of heart disease. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is to visit your doctor—regular checkups can help catch any problems early.
 
You can learn more about heart disease and how to prevent it at www.goredforwomen.org
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