Program matches haircuts with addressing high blood in Black men

​Borough President James Oddo has announced a revamp of ‘Take the Pressure Off Staten Island’ (TPO SI) which has transformed into a new model to continue the effort in increasing awareness and treatment of high blood pressure among Black men in our community. The event will kick off again this weekend at the Central Family Life Center located at 59 Wright Street, Staten Island, NY 10304. Barbers will be available at the center every Saturday for a haircut. Free blood pressure checks and linkages to resources will also be provided by trained individuals at CFCL and navigators from our partners at Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI) until the end of the project. TPO SI is a program offered through a partnership with the City Health Department, Dr. Joseph Ravenell from NYU, along with community partners.

The first event in this series will take place on April 10th from 10am to 3pm. The program looks to combine the existing barbershop model and enhance it with the added trust of faith-based leaders at the center, particularly their Executive Director Rev. Carolina who is a senior pastor at the neighboring First Baptist Central church.

“The best way to mitigate the historic healthcare inequalities is through meaningful collaborations. Hypertension is a silent killer that disproportionately impacts communities of color,” said Rev. Carolina. “I am proud of the collaborative partnership of The Central Family Life Center, CHASI, local barbershops and the Staten Island Borough President's Office in providing blood pressure screening via community events and haircuts. By working together, everyone benefits.”

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it may not show symptoms before causing a heart attack or stroke. Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke among New Yorkers; more than one in four adult New Yorkers is diagnosed with high blood pressure. In New York City, the prevalence of hypertension is 1.5 times higher among African American adults than white adults, and African American men have a significantly higher rate of hypertension than white men. Individuals in communities with high health disparities have historically struggled to access care.

The pilot, which began in August 2020, connected barbershops on the North Shore of Staten Island with hypertension testing as a preventative measure among African American men.

On Staten Island, the number of hospitalizations related to hypertension are higher than other boroughs. St. George/Stapleton ranks in the top 10 neighborhoods in the City for hypertension hospitalizations and heart disease.

“From the first moment I saw Dr. Ravenell’s TED Talk about how barbershops could be used to help address hypertension among Black men, Borough Hall worked to set up the pilot program last August to replicate this initiative on Staten Island. As we have heard government express such dismay at health disparities of COVID impacts across the city, we are grateful to be at this point in our effort to team up with Dr. Ravenell again to address tragically high hypertension rates among black men. The "Silent Killer" is wreaking havoc on Staten Island, too,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Going for a haircut has always been thought of - and rightly so - as contributing to a neat and clean appearance.  But now there is something more to it: for some folks, it may be contributing to a longer life.”

Dr. Ravenell started a Men’s Health Initiative at NYU’s Langone Health to address high blood pressure by bringing together a diverse group of research assistants, community health workers, and volunteers—including barbers—to barbershops in various neighborhoods across New York City to take blood pressure readings of African American men and connect those who are at risk of hypertension with medical care. The results of the program show a significant improvement in blood pressure among barbershop customers who participated.

BP Oddo first discovered Dr. Joseph Ravenell’s work while reading “Who Can You Trust?” by Rachel Botsman. He subsequently watched Dr. Ravenell’s TED Talk on African American men and high blood pressure which detailed the barbershop pilot program. BP Oddo invited Dr. Ravenell to Borough Hall for a meeting with his staff and local clergy in June 2018 to talk about replicating the program on Staten Island. Over the past two years, Borough President Oddo and Dr. Ravenell have worked cohesively to replicate this program for Staten Island.

Small groups are encouraged to get out and clean up neighborhoods in a safe way

​Borough President James Oddo and District Attorney Michael E. McMahon announced today they are continuing their partnership to encourage small, organized groups who are interested in hosting cleanups in their neighborhoods to do so.
 
“We continue to combat the war on litter and thank those Staten Islanders who have taken the extra step to clean up their neighborhoods,” said Borough President Oddo. “We are calling on constituents to help us in this fight, and are grateful to those doing their part to correct this self-inflicted problem.” 

The Borough President and District Attorney want to caution groups to hold clean ups only where it is safe to do so, exercise safety at all times, and only clean on good quality air days.
 
“I have lived on Staten Island all my life and unfortunately these are the absolute filthiest conditions as to litter and graffiti I have ever seen,” said DA McMahon. “All City agencies responsible and their leadership should be ashamed! People who litter and commit graffiti vandalism should also be ashamed, and wherever we can, will be prosecuted. Meanwhile, the citizens of Staten Island must come to the rescue. As the weather gets nicer and we begin spending more time outdoors, it’s important now more than ever that we ensure our communities are kept safe and clean. Building on the success of our anti-litter initiative, I am proud to announce my office is once again partnering with Borough President Oddo to take on this important issue. We have been greatly encouraged to see community groups have joined our call to action to help beautify our borough through regular community cleanups, and we look forward to many more clean-ups in the months ahead.”

Local groups who are interested in hosting a cleanup and need a site to clean or need support with supplies – including masks, garbage bags, and/or gloves – should email Irene Maiello at imaiello@statenislandusa.com or Lisa Thompson at Lisa.Thompson@rcda.nyc.gov. 
 
Groups are asked to organize themselves and take necessary safety precautions, including:
Keep groups to 10 people or less
Practice social distancing
Wear a mask and gloves
Stay hydrated
Do not handle illicit drug paraphernalia or potentially dangerous items, report them to 311

Those who participate are encouraged to post before and after photos on social media with the hashtag #SILitterHero to be re-posted by both office’s social media accounts.

Borough Hall marks the anniversary with a series of web discussions to preserve the history of the fight and closure, to be archived by the College of Staten Island
 
Borough President James S. Oddo, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and New York City Department of Sanitation, will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Fresh Kills landfill closure with a drive-through at the site on Monday, March 22 featuring local science teachers and invited guests. At the end of the drive-through, a memorial stone engraved by Staten Island MakerSpace, a local non-profit organization, will be placed at one of the highest points of the site to celebrate the milestone.

In addition, the Borough President’s Office together with the College of Staten Island and Freshkills Park Alliance will present a series of video discussions about the past, present and future of Freshkills Park during the week of March 22.

“The closing of the Freshkills Landfill has to be the greatest political victory in the history of this borough,” said Borough President Oddo.  "To celebrate the landfill's closing 20 years ago, our office is proud to collaborate on this series of events to recognize this truly significant milestone. All Staten Islanders can thank the many efforts of our fellow city agencies, especially to Borough President Guy V. Moliniari. Because of his efforts, we can ensure that the former landfill can continue its transition into a beautiful park for all to enjoy."   

A small group of science teachers from local schools will participate in the drive-through and join dignitaries at one of the highest points at Freshkills Park. The teachers will use their phones and laptops to conduct a live video chat with students back at their schools — speaking about the science of Freshkills as a “living classroom” on biology, ecology studies and environmental transformation. 

“Twenty years after its closure, the site of the former Freshkills Landfill is serving the city of New York with renewed purpose. It is truly incredible to watch and take part in the transformation of this former landfill into a sustainable urban oasis,” said NYC Parks Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “Thanks to the Department of Sanitation and our many partners across all levels of government, the Freshkills Park project demonstrates innovative strategies for land reclamation and 21st century design worldwide.”

"It’s been 20 years since Fresh Kills landfill closed, and we can’t forget the hard work that took place here, the impact it has had on Staten Island, and the advocacy it took to bring this park into being. I want to thank Borough President Oddo for honoring the work of the Department of Sanitation, and for bringing these educators and their students together to hear the story of Fresh Kills," said Edward Grayson, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation.

“The Freshkills Park Alliance is grateful to Borough President Oddo’s office for celebrating this important milestone for Staten Island.  We not only mark the 20th Anniversary of the landfill closing, we also celebrate the incredible transformation of this 2,200 acre open green space. We are indebted to the Department of Sanitation whose stewardship has helped make this park possible and look forward to the continued partnership with Sanitation and Parks as the transformation moves forward. We will have more to celebrate in the upcoming months as Parks completes North Park Phase 1, the first project to be built on the former landfill.  The Alliance welcomes everyone to the park through our programs and publications, and is dedicated to increasing public access as the park continues to grow.”

“As part of our strategic priority of Borough Stewardship, the College of Staten Island is honored to participate in the commemoration of this critical event in the history of Staten Island,” said  CSI President William J. Fritz. “Importantly, we're equally pleased that our faculty are involved in ongoing research and instruction on Fresh Kills as it undergoes its transformation from a landfill to reclaimed wetlands, recreational facilities, and sustainable parkland.”

A schedule for the series of discussions is listed below. All videos will be streamed live on the  Borough President’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/statenislandusa. The College of Staten Island will archive these discussions for future generations.
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Monday, March 22 at 7 PM
The Closure: 20 years ago today
Borough President James Oddo hosts a conversation with former elected officials Susan Molinari, Eric Vitaliano, Fred Cerullo, and Vito Fossella on how the Fresh Kills closure was achieved.
 
Tuesday, March 23 at 7 PM
Community Impact
Deputy Borough President Ed Burke and Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Sammartino talk with Staten Island Advance Executive Editor Brian Laline, SI Chamber of Commerce's Linda Baran and City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver on the landfill's impact on the Island.
 
Wednesday, March 24 at 7 PM
Education at Freshkills
Dr. William Fritz, President, the College of Staten Island, talks with CSI's Dr. Faisa Peetz, Wagner College's Dr. Brett Palfreyman, DOE's Richard Tudda, and the Freshkills Park Alliance's Rachel Aronson about the education opportunities offered by Freshkills.
 
Thursday, March 25 at 1 PM
The Science of Freshkills
Deputy Borough President Ed Burke and Dr. Cait Field of the Freshkills Alliance host an informative discussion about the research currently being conducted at Freshkills with the College of Staten Island's Dr. Lisa Manne and Dr. Dick Veit and Steve Zahn of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. This session is ideal for learners of all ages.

Jaclyn M. Tacoronte will serve as the Staten Island representative to the panel

Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his appointment of Jaclyn M. Tacoronte as the Staten Island representative to the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP).

The PEP consists of 13 appointed members and the Chancellor of the Department of Education. Each Borough President appoints one member. These members, along with the mayoral appointees, make decisions about educational policy.

Jaclyn M. Tacoronte is currently the CEO & President of JMT Media, LLC., a New York certified M/WBE boutique marketing, public relations and design firm that specializes in small business marketing and the non-profit sector.  Mrs. Tacoronte has spearheaded all marketing and public relations efforts for the inaugural New York City Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden which garnered thousands of on and off-island attendees. Mrs. Tacoronte is also the Executive Producer of JMT the BEAT; a new online series featuring the best of Staten Island’s Business, Entertainment, Art & Theatre groups. Tacoronte received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications focused on International Business and obtained a Master of Business Administration while living in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. 

As a marketing and public relations professional for over 20 years, she has served many Fortune 500 companies, and is frequently a public relations guest speaker and panelist for New York State Council for the Arts, Staten Island Not For Profit Association, Center for Non Profit Success and Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness.  


In addition, Mrs. Tacoronte currently serves as 2nd Vice Chair of the Minority Women in Business Association of Staten Island, Executive Women’s Council for the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, the Marketing Chair for Colloquy Collective, and Board Chair for Staten Island Makerspace. She is also the former Director of External Affairs & Business Development for Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden and former Marketing Director at The Young People's Chorus of New York City. 

"I'm delighted that Jaclyn has accepted this PEP appointment, said BP Oddo. “A mother and local business owner, I am confident she will bring a fresh perspective to the role and I, along with our Borough Hall education team, look forward to working with her."


"It is an honor to represent Staten Island on the PEP,” Mrs. Tacoronte said. “I look forward to bringing a new perspective to support our students in the public school system, including my own children. The Borough President's office has supported the diversity for local MWBE's and this opportunity will allow me to continue to contribute to my community in another way."

Tacoronte will replace Peter J. Calandrella, who resigned from the PEP in January.

BP Oddo works with NYC’s Department of Education to bring reading challenge to Island 4th graders in a new way

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce his office will recognize this year’s “Readers Are Leaders” to encourage reading among all 4th graders on Staten Island. With the current challenges due to COVID-19, students will participate in this event using the Sora app, which is a free book-lending program with access to hundreds of books. For this program, a curated collection of books for the 4th grade reading level and below will be picked by the office along with representatives from Sora. While this is an adaptation of the event, it still gives students a chance to celebrate the joy of reading with their school or on their own.  

"Readers Are Leaders continues to be one of our favorite events with school age children," said Borough President James Oddo. "While we have changed the program this year to meet the needs of at-home and blended learners, we feel strongly that the spirit and joy of reading isn't something that should be postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19. If anything, we need the adventure and happiness that reading brings now more than ever. Books inspire us, they improve us. Books take us on a journey. I'm thrilled to call Sora and the DOE partners as we navigate this revised reading challenge together and encourage all fourth graders to participate."

This year’s “Readers are Leaders” program challenges all 4th grade students in Staten Island’s public, parochial, and private schools to participate through their school, or individually. Students are expected to read a minimum of 6 books in five weeks available to them on the app during the program which will run from March 8th - April 9th. Book report submissions are due by April 12th at 5p.m. and can be submitted on our website here: https://www.statenislandusa.com/readersareleaders.html. 

Watch the Borough President’s kick-off video here: https://youtu.be/CPJl1JbxT5M. 
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The challenge was started 24 years ago by then-Councilman Vito Fossella before being taken over by the Borough President’s Office. Since its inception in 1996, 4th graders have read more than 690,000 books for the annual challenge.