 Borough President Vito Fossella stood in front of the soaring wings of the Postcards Memorial, which perfectly frame the spot where the Twin Towers once stood across the harbor, to reflect and remember the 267 Staten Islanders who were lost 23 years ago when the blue-sky morning turned black, breaking our skyline and our hearts forever. Hundreds gathered for the annual September 11th Memorial Ceremony amid a backdrop of American flags and the Tower Of Lights shimmering in the distance. “Twenty-three years ago was a day like today and a bunch of folks, many of them who we know just wanted to go about their life, and as we know by now, they didn’t come home,” said Borough President Fossella. “All they wanted was a life of happiness, a life of joy, to see their kids go to school, to hopefully see their kids get married, and maybe see their grandchildren -- but they didn’t get to experience those joys and those blessings. We are never going to forget their memory, their existence, their spirit. Their spirits will never die.” The processional was performed by the Staten Island Pipes & Drums and the colors were presented by U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York at Fort Wadsworth, the U.S. Army North East Medical Area, and the Fort Wadsworth Readiness Support Group. Rebecca Quilla sang the National Anthem. Bishop Peter Byrne, pastor of Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church, led the invocation, and Bishop Victor Brown, pastor of Mount Sinai United Christian Church, led the benediction. Gov. Kathy Hochul also offered remarks. Bells tolled, heads bowed, and tears were shed as the names of those lost on Sept. 11 and in the years since from 9/11-related illnesses were read one-by-one by their family members while an FDNY tugboat sprayed fountains of water into the harbor. The ceremony concluded with the Tottenville High School Ceremonial Taps Unit as family members gently placed roses at the Postcards Memorial and ran their fingers over the names of their loved ones forever etched into the silhouettes of the wing’s graceful curves, evoking notes sent to heaven. Our thoughts were also with those who were at the Pentagon and those on the plane that crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pa.  Borough President Vito Fossella was joined by local elected officials, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 726 President Daniel Cassella, and concerned Staten Island commuters to call out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the poor state of affairs of the local bus transit system at a press conference outside the Yukon Bus Depot.
"This is really a call to arms to the MTA to listen to the people of Staten Island, listen to the commuters who suffer disproportionately, and help us out," said Borough President Fossella during a press conference outside of the Yukon Avenue Bus Depot. Many commuters routinely report buses failing to provide reliable service and complete their routes, disrupting their daily commute. The significant number of buses in disrepair, lead to service disruptions across the borough. Currently, 304 of the 798 MTA buses serving Staten Island are either out of service or in need of repair. This situation causes frequent delays and excessive wait times for commuters. He emphasized, “If you add up all the buses on Staten Island, almost half the buses don’t go out because of mechanical issues.” The issue is partly attributed to reduced overtime for bus operators and mechanics, according to Cassella. This shortage of manpower has resulted in buses being sent out with problems such as non-functional air conditioning, broken signage, and, in extreme cases, even roaches. The pending closure of the Meredith Avenue bus depot will further strain the system and threaten to offload 75 buses and roughly 130 personnel to the other three overwhelmed depots. It will drastically disrupt traffic and bus service across the island. |
