 Borough President Vito Fossella thanked the New York City Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD for their diligent efforts in seizing products from illegal smoke shops, including raids carried out across Staten Island. “A lot of folks have legitimately and rightfully complained about what’s going on right in their own backyard, literally, or by a school or by a train station or by a senior center or by a house of worship,” said Borough President Fossella said during a press conference in Borough Hall, standing behind a haul that included cannabis, untaxed cigarettes, flavored vapes, edibles, gummies – and products packaged like chips to attract children. “We understand, it’s a quality-of-life issue, but it’s also a legal issue. We are determined to work as a team to ensure that these illegal shops stop popping up in your neighborhood and where it exists, the sheriff and everybody behind me will be coming for you.” New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda held up a bag designed to look like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. “This is something that if a youth picked up, they’re not going to know the difference,” said NYC Sheriff Miranda. “That means if you’re keeping it at home, just keep it away from children. When children think they are taking candy, they don’t take just one, they take four or five. They tend to take the candy away to another room and they’re eating as much as possible and it can lead to your child overdosing." A joint task force was established last year, which includes the Sheriff’s Office, the Police Department, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Department of Buildings, the Health Department and the Fire Department. Sherriff Miranda provided the following data resulting from the raids since the formation of the task force:
 To my fellow Staten Islanders, Nearly a year ago, I stood outside the Comfort Inn in Travis to oppose its use as a migrant shelter. On that day, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, I said it was an issue created by the federal government, I said it was financially unsustainable, and I said it would not end in Travis. And, here we are still fighting against the housing of migrants across Staten Island, most prominently at the former St. John Villa Academy in Arrochar and at Island Shores, a one-time assisted living facility in Midland Beach. Now, there is a conversation about the possibility of siting a migrant shelter at our historic Fort Wadsworth, which houses active Coast Guard members who rely on an on-site food pantry because they can’t afford to feed their families. The precedent has been set with the federal government approving a migrant shelter at Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn. We were left with no alternative, but to file a lawsuit against the city to halt the use of Villa as a migrant shelter because our attempts to talk to the mayoral administration were denied. Within hours a vacate order was issued by Supreme Court Judge Wayne Ozzi. However, that victory was short-lived as the Appellate Court removed the vacate order and the former school remains in operation as a migrant shelter. Less than a year ago, I asked the Independent Budget Office to predict or project how much it would cost to accommodate the migrants at that point in time. And it was about a half-a-billion dollars. It's grown from a half-a-billion to $12 billion in less than a year, and it will continue to grow, and all at the expense of the taxpayers of Staten Island and New York City. I am sympathetic to those who want to create better lives for themselves and their children. That is what we all want as part of the American dream. But how can we provide free accommodations, free clothing, free education, and free healthcare to thousands of migrants when some of our own neighbors are struggling? It is unfair and it is unjust. Let me state one thing clearly: I will continue to fight, whether it is through the courts or through productive dialogue. I also maintain my stance that since this is a problem that was created by the federal government, it should be resolved by the federal government. Sincerely, Borough President Vito J. Fossella Staten Island Borough President   A judge issued a vacate order to halt the use of the former St. John Villa Academy as a migrant shelter -- less than 24 hours after Borough President Vito Fossella and his fellow elected officials filed a lawsuit.
“Normally, people would just roll over, but not here on Staten Island and not here in Arrochar,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of Villa. “People came out, the people who live here and people from across Staten Island -- and I am sure if they had more time and perhaps no conflicts, you would have had tens of thousands of people here.” Borough President Fossella said there were no alternatives left aside from filing a lawsuit. “We tried to talk to the city into moving into a different direction and we were denied,” he said. “But the elected officials who stand behind me grouped together and said we will not let this stand, we will fight and we will not lay down.” The vacate order cites four causes of action:
Earlier in the day, Borough President Fossella and the same group of elected officials stood outside of Villa to announce that they had filed the lawsuit. As soon as it was over, their lawyers Mark J. Fonte and Lou Gelormino rushed to the courthouse where they received the vacate order. “Nobody thought we would prevail,” said Borough President Fossella, holding the vacate order. “This document is a victory for the people of Arrochar, for the people of Staten Island, for the people of St. Joseph Hill and for the people of PS 39. This is common sense, this is decency and this is what this country should be about.”  Borough President Vito Fossella joined Rep. Nicole Malliotakis as she announced plans to introduce legislation to ban migrant housing on the historic grounds of Fort Wadsworth at a press conference on Wednesday.
He recalled recently standing in the same spot last year to call on Staten Islanders to donate goods to a pantry operated by the Blue Star Families at Fort Wadsworth “so that active military personnel could take care of their own children.” “And, yet the federal government has no problem saying we’re thinking about putting these folks up here for free, feeding them for free, giving them a free education, free accommodations, free healthcare, free phones and free debit cards,” Borough President Fossella said. “How is that logical, how is that right and how is that consistent with the American way?” Borough President Fossella said the idea of housing migrants at Fort Wadsworth was like a scenario proposed three decades ago. “Thirty years ago, when this facility was transferred from the Department of Defense to the National Park Service, the city tried to carve out about a third of it for homeless facilities and they were overruled," he said. "So, this is not the first attempt to house asylum seekers or the homeless here at Fort Wadsworth. If you want to put folks who may have come here illegally and may be sent back, put them on Ellis Island. I don’t hear anyone talking about opening Ellis Island for tents. How about Governor’s Island? No, instead we're going to put them right here on Staten Island, near the people who built this community. I grew up right outside of Fort Wadsworth. My family has been here since 1947. We were taught to respect what was behind this fence. Now, how can we with this proposal?"  Borough President Vito Fossella will sponsor the inaugural Staten Island Borough President’s Bocce Cup Tournament at Monsignor Farrell High School.
“We have high expectations, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be competitive, it’s going to be a nice time for all of us to get together,” said Borough President Fossella. The tournament will feature 20 teams of four players with a four-team waiting list. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis by way of scanning the QR code on the Bocce Cup flyer or on the Borough Hall Facebook Page. On the day of the tournament, teams can check in at 9 a.m. with play beginning shortly after 10 a.m. The tournament will be commissioned by Guy De Santis and chaired by Lou Tobacco. It is sponsored by Community Media of Staten Island, Bario's Restaurant and Catering, Vino Divino and Joyce's Tavern. We’re excited to support the growing bocce ball community on Staten Island.  Borough President Vito Fossella congratulated the staff at Staten Island University for being ranked as one of the top hospitals in New York State by U.S. News & World Report. Staten Island University Hospital came in at number 13 in the state rankings. Additionally, the hospital ranked as High Performing in six adult specialties and 11 procedures, ranging from colon and lung cancer surgery to heart bypass surgery and cardiac and stroke care. “I think it is so vitally important to say, as we all know, if you’re living on Staten Island, you’re going to end up at Staten Island University Hospital here in the Emergency Department or here in one of the in-patient beds if you fall ill,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference. “The 7,000 professionals who cater to the Staten Island population and beyond come to this building -- and the one on the South Shore -- every day to try to deliver the best care possible, and you do that through a culture of collaboration and of compassion. At one point in the future, we believe that Staten Island University Hospital will be one of the best hospitals in the entire country and that’s the goal. We just wanted to come by and say thank you to all the healthcare professionals for what you do every day and to thank you for taking care of our neighbors.” Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of SIUH, said while moving up in the rankings is important, taking care of their patients is the top priority. “This is not the work of one person or really the work of 100 people, it really does take the work of thousands of people -- it takes the work of 7,000 strong across Staten Island,” said Dr. Ardolic. “It doesn’t change the fact that at the end of the day, the most important thing that we do is to take care of the people of Staten Island, so while I want to be the highest rated orthopedic, neurological and every other snazzy specialty there is, at the end of the day, we still have the responsibility to be here every day to take care of the person who falls down, we still have the responsibility to take care of the person who comes in and just has their basic emergency -- to get people back to health whether its everything from the presentation of your illness to your private doctor or to finishing up your rehab until you go home. Our goal is to provide a place where you can have the highest quality care and where you don’t have to leave your own community.”  Borough President Vito Fossella said he plans to restore the Firefighters Memorial which was destroyed when it was hit by a car on Aug. 14.
The Firefighters Memorial has stood for 30 years at the intersection of Clove Road, Richmond Road, Targee Steet and Narrows Road North in Concord. Borough President Fossella surveyed the damage when he visited the site on Tuesday. A six-foot tall stone statue in the center of the memorial, which is etched with the names of fallen firefighters and the Firefighers Prayer, was knocked to the ground, along with a flag pole and a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. Still standing were a monument in honor of 9/11 and a statue of a firefighter hugging Jesus. A granite wall with the names of firefighters who died in the World Trade Center attacks was delivered on Tuesday as part of move from the Church of St. Peter-St. Paul before it is sold. “The wall is now up, the stuff that was damaged was taken away,” said Borough President Fossella, expressing relief that the wall was moved after the accident. He promised to replace anything that can be salvaged back at the site, particularly the flagpole and the steel from the World Trade Center site. Borough President Vito Fossella, Council Member Kamillah Hanks Allocate Funds To Improve Walker Park8/17/2023
Borough President Vito Fossella and Council Member Kamillah Hanks were surrounded by excited campers as they announced allocations to improve Walker Park in Randall Manor, which is well-known for its history of hosting the oldest cricket club in the United States.
The allocations include $1.9 million in capital grant funding from Borough President Fossella to improve safety service, paving and play units and $2.9 million from Council Member Hanks to refurbish the park’s six basketball courts. Also joining them was Staten Island Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone. “Walker Park has a very rich tradition,” Borough President Fossella said during a press conference.. “Clearly, Walker Park serves a great area here on the North Shore, but as you see people come from across Staten Island to use the tennis courts. And, the good news today is that the Council Member and I decided that we wanted to reinvest in this park and allow more young people and future generations to enjoy it, so we will allocate funding to build a new playground off to my left and new basketball courts off to my right.” Borough President Fossella and Council Member Hanks said the allocations are a result of answering the call from neighborhood residents to improve Walker Park. “We respond, we do what we can and we try to our best, because all you can do in life is try your best, but we also try to establish priorities,” Borough President Fossella said. “There are some things you can do and some things you can’t do. When we have to make decisions, this is a reflection of what we think a priority is – to continue to reinvest in parks, to continue to allow younger people and the next generation and the generations thereafter to enjoy and it’s not just right here in Walker Park, we trying to do this across Staten Island.” The campers stole the show, speaking like future elected officials. “I would just like to say thank you for building a new basketball court,” said Anthony, who graduated from PS 35 in June. “I am a Boy Scout from Troop 37 and I really understand how parks are very well made, but I think this park can get a little reconstruction. I am very excited for the new improvements of Walker Park.”  Borough President Vito Fossella called on the New York State congressional delegation to introduce legislation to build a tent city on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in answer to a proposal to site a migrant shelter at historic Fort Wadsworth.
“We will be asking our congressional delegation from New York to introduce legislation to mandate and compel the federal government to put and build tents on the National Mall before any other federal property is used to accommodate migrants,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference outside of Fort Wadsworth. “We think that crystalizes the issue as a federal one. The federal government should solve it before forcing the people of Staten Island and others to solve a problem that they didn't create." He recalled a recent press conference at the same site to introduce the Blue Star Families, an organization which provides resources to military families and runs a pantry at Fort Wadsworth for the active service members who live there. “The reason why they have to have that food pantry is because many of the military personnel, especially those with young families, can’t afford to feed their families or can’t afford to put diapers on their children,” Borough President Fossella said. “So, we came together as a community to let people know that if you wanted to donate, you could do so. And here we are months later and there’s a contemplation here to spend millions or billions on accommodating asylum-seekers. There’s something brutally bad about that. It’s a problem about establishing priorities -- we’re not willing to give military families a few bucks to clothe or feed their kids, but without hesitation, we are contemplating putting who knows how many asylum-seekers on the grounds of Fort Wadsworth.” While Borough President Fossella said he was sympathetic to those who want to live a better life, he called it financially unsustainable with a cost that will continue to grow. “The borders are wide open and people were coming in through Texas,” he said. “They ended up in Travis, they ended up in Tompkinsville, their ending up in Midland Beach -- and we’re fighting that, too. And now they might end up in this beautiful neighborhood."  Borough President Vito Fossella addressed the negative impacts the congestion pricing plan will have on Staten Island’s air quality, particularly on the North Shore where the rate of chronic respiratory illnesses are among the highest in the city.
“Make no mistake, this congestion pricing plan will not only cost you $23 to drive to Manhattan, but it will increase our traffic and further foul our already polluted air for the rest of our lives and the lives of our children and our grandchildren,’’ said Borough President Fossella during a press conference in Port Richmond, nearly a week after he announced plans to file a lawsuit against congestion pricing. He was joined at the press conference by Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton; Council Member Kamillah Hanks; Queens Assemblyman David Weprin; Dr. Philip Otterbeck, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Richmond University Medical Center; Dr. Nicole Berwald, Medical Director at Staten Island Univeristy Hospital; the Rev. Dr. Tony Baker, pastor of St. Philips Baptist Church, and neighborhood residents. Borough President Fossella likened the health effects to those caused by the Fresh Kills landfill, which opened in 1948. He cited a federal government study which projects that "Staten Island's poor air quality will be worse, not just now, but until 2045 and beyond" due to the congestion pricing plan. “We’re here today because there’s a new group that has a new plan, which is the same as the old plan – congestion pricing," he said. "From 1948 to 2045, this new group wants to add insult to injury, intentionally polluting Staten Island’s air for a century. We won’t get fooled again.” The numbers in Port Richmond, he said, speak for themselves: From 2015 to 2017, the asthma hospitalizations among adults were worse compared to the NYC average and the rest of Staten Island; asthma hospitalizations among children under the age of 18 were worse compared to the NYC average and the rest of Staten Island; asthma ER emergency department visits among adults ages and 18 and older were worse compared to the NYC average and the rest of Staten Island, and respiratory hospitalization in adults aged 20 years and older were worse compared to the NYC average and the rest of Staten Island. “In a borough where we’ve grown up with the environmental injustice of having what was the largest garbage dump in the world, it’s disheartening that my patients should have to suffer with the increase of environmental toxins associated with congestion pricing,” said Dr. Otterbeck, an endocrinologist. On July 23, Borough President Fossella announced he was laying the foundations to file a lawsuit against congestion pricing. “In public policy, political decisions are often made that weigh the costs and benefits -- and the bottom line for people who live on Staten Island is there are no benefits to this congestion pricing plan,” during the air quality press conference. Borough President Vito Fossella Announces Inaugural Borough President's Pickleball Tournament Cup7/26/2023
 As the sport grows in popularity, Borough President Vito Fossella announced that the inaugural Borough President’s Pickleball Cup Tournament will be played on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 at the College of Staten Island. “We all know how pickleball is exploding across the country, but especially here on Staten Island,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference at CSI this morning. “We want this tournament to be as fun, as exciting and as enjoyable as possible.” The tournament will feature two days of mixed doubles, as well as women’s doubles and men’s doubles. Participants of any age or level can play. You can sign up as an individual or as a team. And, it offers the chance to compete on the national level. The Borough President’s Cup is part of the DUPR Waterfall Tournament, which features a “a new and innovative format that offers players 4 scheduled matches within a 4-hour period.” “It will be nonstop, one game after the other -- it’s going to be super exciting,” said Marni Chua, who is a USA Pickleball Ambassador for Staten Island, along with her husband, Ben. The two founded the Fairview Pickleballers at Fairview Park in Charleston. The winning team of each bracket in the Borough President’s Cup will receive a Platinum Ticket to play in the Road to Oasis, Waterfall Nationals, from Oct. 12 to Oct. 15 in Rockwall, Texas. Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. In June, Borough President Fossella played pickleball when he helped cut the ribbon on the borough’s newest courts at Sklyline Playground in New Brighton. This week, students from St. Clare’s School visited Borough Hall as part of a Summer Scavenger Hunt. When Vito asked how they have been spending their summer, they said they are playing pickleball. “We are going to continue to look for and identify areas to build new pickleball courts across Staten Island to meet the demand,” said Borough President Fossella. “It’s nice to know that younger people are getting into the game -- and we need to prepare for that. This sport brings people together at all different levels and I think that’s one of the reasons why pickleball has grown so much.” Register for the Borough President’s Pickleball Cup Tournament by scanning the QR code on the flyer below above or by visiting mydupr.com. To register, you must have a DUPR account.  Borough President Vito Fossella announced that he is laying the foundation for a lawsuit against the entities responsible for the implementation of congestion pricing. “We're here to stand up and be the voice of many across Staten Island, and I believe across the state, and not to mention the region, to put the brakes on the so-called congestion pricing plan,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk in South Beach –- the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the background. “We say so-called because we believe congestion pricing is really a fancy way of calling this plan what it really is and that’s a ‘driving tax’ on individuals who already paid to build and maintain the roads.” His announcement was made following a lawsuit filed by New Jersey against the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday. He spoke with Randy Mastro, the attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “We hope that New Jersey is successful in its efforts, regardless we plan to bring our own lawsuit to address this congestion pricing plan,” he said. The congestion pricing plan will cost drivers between $9 to $23 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street and is expected to generate $15 billion over four years for MTA improvements. “As many of you know, we don’t even have a subway system,” said Borough President Fossella. “So, here we are a car-dependent community that has been left out of every major decision the MTA has laid out over the last 50-plus years and now we’re forced to pay another toll." He said residents of Staten Island, as well Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, “will be treated as tourists in this city and not as equal citizens.” The “driving tax” also comes with negative environmental impacts, he said, citing a federal government report that states “the air quality will get worse as a result of this plan.” “You’d have to be a first-class idiot to support any plan that intentionally hurts your neighbors, and your constituents, both from a financial and environmental perspective,” said Borough President Fossella.   After fires at two lithium-ion battery energy storage units in Warwick, N.Y., smoldered for days last month, Borough President Vito Fossella gathered with his fellow elected officials to point out the dangers of those already built or those that are under construction on Staten Island.
“As many folks who have driven around Staten Island have come to realize in a negative way is that there are battery storage units that are popping up,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference this morning in Great Kills where a site is under construction. "The reality is that we’re seeing that these battery storage units are being plopped right next to people’s homes, right next to their stores -- and momentarily right next to a future house of worship. We think it’s wrong. Recently in Warwick, we saw an identical situation that could be happening right behind us. There were a lot of folks who said don’t be concerned, but what happened in Warwick is Exhibit A that we should be concerned and safety should be our number one priority. Anybody who owns a home shouldn’t have to go into their backyard and see these things just a few feet from their deck or their pool -- and these things are not going away anytime soon.” To that end, Borough President Fossella announced that Council Members Joseph Borelli, David Carr and Kamillah Hanks will be introducing legislation that would require the facilities to be built at least 200-feet from any home or store. The fire in Warick was a storm-related issue that caused two new units to ignite and burn in two separate incidents on June 26, Council Member Borelli said. Council Member Borelli said a compromise needs to be worked out with city authorities to address the makeup of the battery storage systems, where they can be sited and how far they can be from residential neighborhoods. “These are actual dangers that aren’t being addressed,” said Council Member Borelli, who has been open-minded about new energy sources for Staten Island. “If water can get into the system and cause a fire that can smolder for a week in Warwick, N.Y., it can happen here.”  Borough President Vito Fossella welcomed Taxi & Limousine Chief of Operations Anthony Moran into Borough Hall yesterday to commend him on his quick-thinking and heroic actions which saved the life of a motorist in distress on the Staten Island Expressway on June 22.
Using his training and intuition as a former probation officer, along with the help of bystander, Mr. Moran immediately jumped into high gear by grabbing a hammer from his car, smashing the rear window, pulling the driver from his SUV and immediately administering CPR. Without a moment’s hesitation for his own safety, he averted what could have been a tragedy. In the days of a 24/7 news cycle and viral social media posts, Borough President Vito Fossella said bystanders will often choose to use their cellphones to record incidents, whether good or bad, rather than stepping in to help. Then, there are people like Mr. Moran. “You always hope there is a knight in shining armor, somebody who will jump into action to save a life and do something heroic,” said Borough President Fossella. “There are a lot of options you can take when you see something like that, but this man did what we hope everybody would do if our loved one was in that type of accident. So, we wanted to call attention to it and highlight it in a world of bad news that we have heroes among us, there are people who do the right thing. On behalf of half-million people on Staten Island, we want to say that we appreciate what you did and we respect you for it.” Mr. Moran described his actions with humility. He was flagged down by a woman on the Staten Island Expressway, near Bradley Avenue, who told him there was a man unresponsive in a car up ahead. With the car still in drive, Anthony broke the window, put it in park, pulled him out and began chest compressions. “Within two to three minutes of starting CPR, he started to cough and to sit up,” said Mr. Moran. “We told him to hang in there.” Later that night, Mr. Moran received a call from the driver’s father saying his son was recovering and thanked him for saving his son’s life. The driver recounted that he was allergic to dairy and grabbed a power drink at the gym that he didn’t realize contained dairy as an ingredient. He remembers blacking out and waking up in the hospital. It was in the hospital that he learned about how his life was saved. “I can’t believe someone actually did this for me and they don’t even know me,” he said. “Humanity is amazing. I can’t even express how grateful I am to you just for being there in the right time and the right place and stopping what you had to do that day. We all live a busy life, but what you did for me that day really means a lot and I hope whoever sees this can still have faith in humanity and understand that there are people out there like you.”  Borough President Vito Fossella congratulated the eight players from the Park Hill Youth Soccer Team for bringing home the trophy in the citywide 2023 New York City Soccer Initiative Community Cup Tournament.
“We read something very positive that you guys did in the city championship -- and we thought it would be nice to say congratulations,” said Borough President Fossella as he welcomed the players, their coaches and their parents into his Borough Hall office. These are our Staten Island champs:
The Park Hill team shutout Chinatown, 5-0, in the tournament which was played at the Triborough Bridge Playground in Queens on Sunday, July 2. “It was intimidating, challenging and rewarding, but it was fun, not only because we won, but because we tried our hardest,” said Juan Gonzalez. Coach Michael Fakih said the team returned to the tournament this year after taking a loss last year. “It was pretty hard for us, but we told them we are going back to get some revenge and put Staten Island on the map and we did just that,” said Coach Michael Fakih. “It was very nice.” Vito commended the team for not giving up. “This is an important life lesson,” Vito said. “Last year, you got beaten badly and one option is to give up, but like your coaches said, ‘try harder, try better’ and even though you were intimidated and afraid, you brought the trophy home. The point is you didn’t give up. We're very proud of you. You put Staten Island on the map like you set out to do. We hope you have a great summer.”  Nominations are currently being accepted for The Patrick F. Daly Award.
This award is presented to two educators who exemplify the values of fallen principal Patrick Daly, who was gunned down 31 years ago in Red Hook, Brooklyn, while searching for a student who had left the school building. Anyone who wishes to nominate a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal or principal may do so. The award will be given in Mr. Daly’s memory, honoring his legacy of service to the community, his steadfast commitment to his students and his leadership. Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 30. Fill out the nomination form on the Borough Hall website:  Borough President Vito Fossella announced the first-ever Staten Island High School League Basketball Championship for Girls during a press conference in the gym at the Michael J. Petrides School. There will be 13 high school teams participating in the tournament next season. “I think it’s going to be great and I hope the girls here will enjoy it,” said Borough President Fossella. "It’s about not just the game itself, but about meeting others. Even though you may attend Notre Dame Academy, it’s important that you have friends at Moore, or Susan Wagner, or New Dorp, for example. It’s about coming together as a community, but making it fun and allowing you all to shine.” For many years, there has been a championship tournament for high school boys, which was often attended by players from the girls’ teams. "A few months back, right in this gym on a cold and blustery night, I remember coming to the championship game and this place was packed and rocking," he said. "It speaks to the popularity of the championship process and of the game itself. It’s just a fun, joyous occasion that we need for the girls, too.” The players were called to the podium to say a few words. “This is very exciting to do it for the girls,” said Danielle Willamsen, who who will be a a senior at St. Joseph-by-the Sea in the coming academic year. “Knowing the boys had this all these years, it’s exciting for us. Especially as a senior to go out with a bang like this. I’m sure it’s going to be a great atmosphere and I can’t wait."   Borough President Vito Fossella congratulated the students of P.S. 58 who won the junior Mayor’s Cup trophy in the Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Challenge earlier this month. Mia Chung, Queenie Gao, Layla Leitner, Olivia Sopeltseva and Katherine Wong are members of the Girls Who Code Club at P.S. 58. In May, the team won the qualifying boroughwide round of the Minecraft Education Challenge at Wagner College to advance to the finals at the Intrepid Museum. “You have made Staten Island proud, you have made your families proud and you have made your teachers proud,” said Borough President Fossella as he welcomed the students into his office at Borough Hall this morning. The Minecraft Education Challenge asked students to build "a safe, connected, resilient, and sustainable borough that moves NYC forward without leaving anyone behind." Tottenville High School had also won the boroughwide challenge for the grade 6-12 division to advance to the citywide finals. Olivia said she had her fingers crossed behind her back as the winners were announced. “When they said Staten Island, I jumped out of my chair,” she said.   The students selected as “Exceptional Readers” in this year’s Readers Are Leaders Challenge were treated to an on-field experience at the Staten Island FerryHawks game on Saturday. They took a group photo with Frankie the FerryHawk, stood on the field for the singing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and welcomed the players as they ran in from the dugout to their positions. “Readers Are Leaders" challenged fourth-grade students in Staten Island's public, parochial and private schools to read a minimum of five books at grade level or above during a five-week period from Feb. 20 through March 24. Students then submitted a report or project on their favorite book that they read during the period. Each school picked one “Exceptional Reader,” who received an award from Vito last month. The program was started by then-Councilman Vito Fossella in 1996 and since its inception, fourth-grade students have read more than 780,000 books for the annual challenge. That's over 29 billion words read by Staten Island students! The challenge was sponsored by Community Media of Staten Island and the FerryHawks.   As part of the expansion of the Highway Emergency Local patrol program, Borough President Vito Fossella was on hand to help cut the ribbon on two new trucks which will offer free roadside emergency assistance to motorists in distress during peak weekday travel hours on the Staten Island Expressway.
The expansion into Staten Island was announced today by Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams. The HELP trucks, which will be staffed by trained and certified civilian employees of the NYPD, will patrol both directions of the SIE between Lily Pond Avenue and the Goethals Bridge from 6 a.m.to noon and from 2 p.m. through 8 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays to assist motorists who have mechanical difficulties or have been involved in minor accidents. “Today marks a day where Staten Island joins the other boroughs in receiving adequate relief while experiencing vehicular distress traveling on the Staten Island Expressway,” said Borough President Fossella. “As Staten Islanders, we know the frustration when there is an incident of a vehicle breakdown or even a minor accident on the expressway. The entire flow of traffic on the Island is affected and its impact can disseminate throughout local neighborhood streets. The new HELP truck will not only provide aid to the motorist in need but also will also help those who are sitting in traffic as a result of the incident. We thank Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and the NYPD for expanding the HELP truck program to Staten Island.”  Vito stood with Assemblyman Michael Tannousis and Council Member David Carr to condemn the burning of an American flag outside of a Midland Beach home on June 14.
“We hear all the stories in other parts of the city and state where things happen and there are no consequences,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference. “Well, on Staten Island, when these things happen there needs to be a consequence. You will get caught and you’re going to pay the price. Let’s all remember that we live in the greatest country in the world and the flag represents that.” They were also joined by Bob and Linda Ollis, the parents of Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis. "We must stand with the flag because of the sacrifices of people like Michael Ollis and because of those wearing the uniform on the frontlines today," Vito said Borough President Vito Fossella named Anthony Aquaro, 102-year-old World War II veteran and NYC's oldest living firefighter, and his wife of 79 years, Gloria, as honorary “Borough Presidents of the Day” at an intimate gathering in his office. Mr. Aquaro served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He and Gloria married in 1944 while he was on leave. After the war, he was a firefighter with Engine Co. 69 in Brooklyn for 26 years. Noting the coincidence that the ceremony took place on D-Day, Borough President Fossella called Anthony and Gloria two of the “greatest from the greatest generation.” “Anthony served not only his country during the war, but he served his city as a firefighter,” said Borough President Fossella. “So, he wears two hats of service -- and that tradition is being carried out by his colleagues here in the Fire Department. We just thought it would be wonderful to take a moment to honor these two individuals and what they represent – family, faith, country, service. This touches our hearts. Anthony and Gloria, you really are role models for us.” When Mr. Aquaro was called upon to speak, he said he was at “a loss for words.” “In my wildest dreams, I never thought this could happen to me,” Mr. Aquaro said. “I can’t tell you how I feel so deep in this heart of mine to the people who got involved in this, particularly Vito. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.” The couple also took a few moments to watch the Tottenville High School Symphonic Band who were performing as part of our Lunch At The St. George Plaza Concert Series. To Anthony and Gloria Aquaro, we say thank you for inspiring us.  Borough President Vito Fossella commended officials at the City Department of Transportation and the City Department of Environmental Protection for their swift action and teamwork to resolve a dangerous roadway condition along Arthur Kill Road that was a longtime constituent concern.
He was joined by Borough DOT Commissioner Roseann Caruana and Nicholas Barbaro and Michael Sullivan from the DEP's Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations during a press conference at the site this morning. The stretch of Arthur Kill Road between Bloomingdale Road and Sharrots Road had been plagued by dangerous potholes that caused hazardous driving conditions. Borough Hall was alerted to the quality-of-life issue. A DOT crew assessed the street, temporarily remediated the area, and then milled, paved and completed the project in about a month. To help improve the drainage and alleviate flooding, the DEP installed eight catch basins and approximately 800 feet of 24-inch concrete re-enforced piping. "When we brought this to their attention, they jumped on it," said Borough President Fossella. "Not only do you see the results of what they did in resurfacing the road, but they fixed an underlying condition that had existed for years. This is a great example of how problems can be solved and improvements can be made by city agencies working together." |
