​The following blog post was written by Jennifer Sammartino, Director of Communications and External Affairs for our office.

I won’t lie. Going for my very first mammogram was nerve wracking. At 39, my doctor advised that I get a baseline mammo, which made me feel older than I am. Oh well.

I didn’t want to freak my mother out, so I asked a colleague about the experience and what to expect. She said it wasn’t “that bad.” This is very subjective. I was not looking forward to it.

So, on a hot summer day, I ran out of work, went home, took a quick shower, and headed over to my appointment. To my surprise, I was called in just a moment or so before my scheduled time, so the experience was off to a good start. 

The technician was fantastic. We were about the same age and she had small kids and we chatted about our families. It took away some of the awkwardness of “take your top off.” Then I looked at the machine in horror. It was large and white and could have been some high-tech binocular from Star Wars.  

But it wasn’t so bad. The plexiglass panels were surprising gentle as the technician flattened me into screening position. I sort of felt like a car being jacked up on a lift, but her pleasant demeanor and the idle chit chat really helped me feel more at ease.

A few weeks later, I got a letter in the mail explaining that I had healthy breasts. While I had no reason to worry, it was a relief to get that letter. 
A few weeks after that, I sat in on Borough President Oddo’s breast cancer roundtable, an annual meeting he holds at Borough Hall with breast health practitioners representing all phases of diagnosis, treatment and support on Staten Island. 

The professionals around the table enthusiastically reported that mobile units are plentifully available for screenings (in many cases free to those who qualify) and hospitals and radiological facilities have appointments immediately. What’s more, the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program can also facilitate getting women to their appointments if transportation is a problem – so there’s really no excuse not to get a mammography if you are of age and haven’t had one in the last year. And as I have explained, there’s no reason to fret – it doesn’t hurt, it’s not super embarrassing and the odds are, you’re just fine. And if you aren’t, it’s better to known sooner so that you can make the appropriate treatment decisions to continue on with your long, healthy life. 

On the flip side, if you want to get involved as a volunteer for any of the American Cancer Society’s local programs, please contact the Staten Island office at (718) 987-8872. And if you need support or guidance any time day or night, call (800) 227-2345.

The following blog post was written by Allison Cohen, Deputy Director of Communications for our office.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and unfortunately this is an issue that many families continue to deal with. One in three women and one in four men are survivors of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior that occurs between family members and/or intimate partners to gain power and control. Many people think domestic violence is only physical abuse, but it can take the form of psychological, sexual or economic abuse as well. 

Recently, the numbers of reported domestic violence incidents have been on the rise in our borough. While more and more people are reporting these issues, others are still afraid to seek help due to a myriad of circumstances. There is no shame in being in this situation, and help is always available if you need it.

A healthy relationship is one where both partners treat each other equally, respectfully and supportively. It is important to be aware of indicators that your relationship is becoming unhealthy and abusive. Some common signs of this type of relationship are when your intimate partner:

• Accuses you of cheating and being disloyal
• Makes you feel worthless
• Hurts you by hitting, choking or kicking you
• Intimidates and threatens to hurt you or someone you love
• Threatens to hurt themselves if they don’t get what they want
• Tries to control what you do and who you see
• Isolates you from your family and friends
• Pressures or forces you into unwanted sex
• Controls your access to money
• Stalks you, including calling you constantly or following you

If you are in an abusive relationship or suspect that someone you know is in one, you should know that you are not alone and that there are resources on Staten Island to help you. 

One of these resources is the Staten Island Family Justice Center, located at 126 Stuyvesant Place, which opened earlier this year. The Family Justice Center provides free criminal justice, civil legal and social services all in one central location. Victims can meet with a prosecutor, speak with a trained counselor and apply for housing and financial assistance in one place. Children age three and up can play in a children’s room while their parents receive services. 

The center is open Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm. No appointment is necessary; if you prefer to call, the center can be reached at 718-697-4300.

In addition, anyone can call the Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-621-HOPE. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For more information about services available to domestic violence victims, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/ocdv/html/home/home.shtml

​The disaster that befell us on October 29, 2012 taught us, at a tremendous cost in both lives and treasure, that we cannot ignore weather warnings without potentially paying a deadly price.  Storms are serendipitous; they often fail to follow the script, and so we become jaded to the warnings and complacent in our preparation.  No one reading this, I’m sure, will ever forget what Superstorm Sandy did to our borough, and our city, that horrible night, but the sad truth is that the destruction of houses and property could never have been avoided. 

The loss of life?  That’s a different story.

Last week we were threatened by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that wreaked havoc in the Caribbean and our southeast coast, including much loss of life.  Of course, the path of any storm is not predictable with 100% certainty, hence the “cone” of possible directions a storm might take.  Any time our area is in the cone we should, as the saying goes, hope for the best – but prepare for the worst.

Have we learned from Sandy?  I pray that we have.  When a Hurricane Watch becomes a Hurricane Warning we should use this time wisely.  We should take stock of our vulnerability and make preparations for the worst case scenario – even if it means facing the uncertainty of evacuation.

Coastal communities have designated hurricane evacuation zones based on their risk for storm surge and flooding.  Before a tropical storm or hurricane hits, city officials may ask you to evacuate if you live or work in one of these zones. When you know your zone, you and your family will know when to evacuate.  If you are not sure that you’re in such a zone, New York City has a hurricane evacuation finder here.

If you are required to evacuate, it is recommended that you shelter at the home of friends or family outside of the evacuation area. If you wish to go to a public facility, select any evacuation center from those listed on the hurricane page and click for travel directions.  Before you leave make sure you secure your home: close and lock windows and doors, and unplug appliances.  Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable, protective clothing, such as long pants and long-sleeved shirts.  Prepare a Go-Bag of essential items and important documents – see the list below - to take with you.

Hurricanes can cause extended power outages, flooding, and blocked roads. If you not asked to evacuate and are sheltering in place, you should:

·         Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind (bicycles, lawn furniture, etc.).  
·         Close your windows, doors and hurricane shutters, if you have them.  Most folks don’t in our area, so if you have sufficient warning and the means and ability to do so, windows and doors with plywood.
·         Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting. Keep them closed as much as possible so that food will last longer if the power goes out.

You should build an emergency kit in case you lose power or can’t go to a store. Make sure your kit includes:

·         Bottled water
·         Shelf-stable food
·         Flashlights
·         A radio and extra batteries
·         A first-aid kit and sanitation items
·         Important documents and records
·         Clothing
·         Medication and medical supplies
·         Pet food and pet items

It’s important to have a communications plan so you can stay in touch with worried loved ones who may not live in the area, and make sure that each family member has a list of important phone numbers.  It’s also a good idea to designate one out-of-area friend or relative as the point person for everyone to call and check in with.  Things are a lot less stressful if people know who’s safe.

Make sure your emergency plans are tailored to all of your family members and their needs, including seniors, children, individuals with medical needs, and people with disabilities – and by all means stay informed!  As the storm approaches, and for as long as you have the means to do so, monitor media reports and follow instructions from public safety officials. 

The destruction of property during any significant storm may be unavoidable – a house can’t simply be moved out of the danger zone - but property can be replaced.  The loss of human life, however, IS avoidable by making sure one gets out of harm’s way.  And a human life, of course, can never be replaced.

​The United States Coast Guard has been a presence on Staten Island for two decades, although sometimes their existence here resembles a closely guarded military secret.  I have written about them fairly often, outlining our collaborations, events, ceremonies, and most recently, a Coast Guard Appreciation concert, and I cannot fully express how rewarding this association has been to me.  That being said, it seems strange to me that this extraordinary branch of our military goes practically unnoticed right in our own backyard.

Before I get into the details of the USCG presence on our fair island, I would like to ask all of you a direct question:  Where, when and how have you interacted with the Coast Guard – either personally or professionally?  There is a specific reason I want to hear about it, and that is because we are in the process of applying to Admiral Paul Zukunft, the Commandant of the USCG, to attain the formal title of  Coast Guard Community.  I’ll explain further as we go along, but want you to understand that part of the application process is how the community has interacted with the local Coast Guard station in a positive and supportive way.

So, if you have in some way interacted or supported the Coast Guard and their efforts, please write to me at Borough Hall, 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301.  Your letters will be included in the application package, and you’ll know you were part of effort to formally recognize and memorialize our borough’s relationship with a branch of service that is incredibly important to our nation’s defense.

Every year on August 4th Americans celebrate Coast Guard Day, and Staten Island stands tall and proud to be home to both the USCG Sector New York and USCG Station New York.  What would eventually become the United States Coast Guard actually began on August 4th, 1790 under the Alexander Hamilton’s Treasury Department: they were a Revenue Cutter Service.  In 1915, Revenue-Marine was merged with the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the Coast Guard was born.

This fifth branch of military service is unique in many ways – but one particular distinction stands out.  Although it is always a military branch, when it is not operating in service to the U.S. Navy it operates under the Department of Homeland Security, as it is today.  Indeed, it is the single largest component of the DHS, composed of 88,000 personnel including active duty, reserve, civilian and volunteer Auxiliarists.  There are 37 USCG Sectors in the United States and various territories, and their largest sector, Sector New York, is located right here at Ft. Wadsworth.

Consisting of Station New York, located on Bay Street, Station Kings Point (at the Merchant Marine Academy) and Station Sandy Hook, Sector New York is fully in charge of security for the Ports of New York and New Jersey.  Though they actively work with the NYPD and FDNY, the Coast Guard is top dog when it comes to port security.  On their website, they refer to duty at Station New York as “one of the most demanding environments in the country.”

We are applying for Staten Island to be an official Coast Guard Community, a title obtained through a rigorous application process and granted by the United States Congress and United States Coast Guard.  This designation would recognize that a special relationship exists between the Coast Guard and the people of Staten Island.  We should all be extremely proud to be the home of Coast Guard Sector New York, and I look forward to the day when Staten Island finally gets Coast Guard Community designation.