​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his office will be instituting a “Thank A Veteran” initiative during November. As part of his office’s effort to acknowledge and thank Veterans for their service and sacrifice, BP Oddo is inviting Veterans and family members of Veterans to participate in this campaign where they will be recognized on Staten Island USA’s webpage and social media accounts.
 
Those who wish to participate can send the following information to the Borough President’s office: a photo of the Veteran in uniform, their name, rank, branch of service and/or any other info they might want to share (limited to a sentence or two). The office will then post the information during the month of November.
 
“I want to encourage the community to participate in this program to ensure the service and memories of those who served are not forgotten. I am extremely thankful to all those who have dedicated their lives in service to protecting this country,” said BP Oddo.
 
Any information that the public wishes to share can be sent to Stephanie Slepian at SSlepian@statenislandusa.com. Submissions will be accepted through November 28.  

Borough President James S. Oddo will host “Trick or Treat Around SI,” a free Halloween event for children and their families, on Thursday, October 31st from 3 to 5 PM.  In partnership with 5 Staten Island business districts, Trick-or-Treat Around Staten Island will allow costumed children and their families across Staten Island the opportunity to trick-or-treat throughout each district at participating businesses.

In years prior, Borough President Oddo has hosted the annual “Halloween Hoopla” at Bloomingdale Park. The event has been changed this year due to the park’s closure for renovations and reconstruction.

“I am happy to once again host a special celebration that kids of all ages can enjoy,” said BP Oddo. “This year, I am looking forward to celebrating a Halloween in a new way with ‘Trick or Treat Around SI’ and welcome Staten Island families to join us for a great afternoon of Halloween fun.”

The following business development district will be participating. Each district will receive 100 trick-or-treat bags that can be picked up the locations listed below, bags will be given out on a first come, first served basis:

- Castleton Avenue Merchants Organization: Wicked Stitches (840 Castleton Avenue)
- Downtown Staten Island: Kiara's Beauty Salon (696 Bay Street)
- Forest Avenue Business Improvement District: Forest Avenue BID Office (686 Forest Avenue)
- South Shore Business Improvement District: Giovanni’s Trattoria (3800 Richmond Avenue)
- Victory Boulevard Merchants Association: Alfonso Pastry Shoppe (1899 Victory Boulevard)

Participating businesses will have a special Trick-or-Treat sign in their store window indicating that they are a sweet stop along the way. Children will receive allergy free candy (no nuts, no chocolate) so everyone can safely trick-or-treat in their neighborhood.

Click here for more information.

​Warnings by biologists that Staten Island’s forests are facing a severe threat from over-browsing and invasive species have prompted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Borough President James Oddo to partner with the College of Staten Island, the Greenbelt Conservancy and the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods to present a Forest Ecology Forum on Tuesday, November 19th, 2019. The free forum, which is open to the public, will take place at The Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island beginning at 7pm.
 
The State DEC has documented severe damage on Staten Island’s state-owned parks and natural areas from over-browsing to the point where few new trees are surviving past the seedling stage. With fears that Staten Island’s vaunted woodlands could be experiencing its greatest threat, Borough President Oddo is encouraging Staten Islanders to attend this educational forum.
 
Dr. William McShea, Research Ecologist from the Smithsonian Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center, will be a guest speaker at the forum, along with Ken Scarlatelli, NYS DEC Regional Natural Resources Supervisor, and Dr. Susan Elbin, NYC Audubon Director of Conservation and Science. A panel discussion will follow led by the College of Staten Island’s biology and environmental science departments.
 
In presenting evidence of the damage to our forests, the goals of the forum include: raising public awareness about threats to the health and survival of forests and native wildlife; learning from leading ecologists about the cause of decline in forest health; exploring a range of remedies and how individuals and groups can help develop and implement them; and engaging Staten Island residents who care about forests and will be active voices in future management decisions.

​On Friday, October 11th, Borough President Oddo joined with Bridge Prep Executive Director Tim Castanza, Dr. Christine Cea from the New York State Board of Regents, the Bridge Prep Board of Trustees, Assemblyman Charles Fall, and members of the Bridge Builder Community to officially cut the ribbon on Bridge Prep!
 
Bridge Prep is the first public school in New York State and one of a few in the nation designed specifically to meet the needs of students with dyslexia and other language-based disabilities, a concept conceived by the team here at Borough Hall. Learn more about Bridge Prep by visiting the school's website: https://bridgeprepcharter.org/.
 
"Tim and his team are going to do miracles and open so many doors," said BP Oddo, referring to Tim Castanza, Bridge Prep's Co-Founder and Executive Director, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Michael J. Petrides Educational Complex. "Finally, there is a place for our kids to flourish."
 
Teachers use the multi-sensory approach to learning known as Orton-Gillingham, which allows students to use their individual strengths and senses to connect language to words.
 
Tim Castanza who said he has "the best job in the world,” quoted in reference of Borough President Oddo’s commitment to making this project a reality: "'One of the best gifts a leader can give is hope,’ … Thank you for backing that hope up with action."
 
Every day when these students arrive at school, they  recite their mantra to reinforce how special and amazing they are: "I am Bold. I am Bright. I am Unique." These first-grade and second-grade students are the first of countless others who will follow as this school grows.
 
Congrats to all who made Bridge Prep a reality and good luck to all of our Bridge Builder students in the first year at their new school! 

​On Wednesday, October 2nd, Borough President James S. Oddo joined with Dan Messina, President and CEO of Richmond University Medical Center, and Joe Verhey, Executive Director of the Broadway YMCA, at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church to announce Healthy Weight Your Child (HWYC), a new pilot program beginning today that will address childhood obesity on Staten Island.
 
The YMCA of the United States awarded only twenty grants to different YMCAs nationwide to implement the HWYC program. HWYC is a holistic evidence-based lifestyle-change intervention that addresses childhood obesity by empowering children and their caregivers/families through education, healthy eating, physical activity and group support.
 
According to the NYC Department of Education, 19.2% of Staten Island public school children in grades K – 8th are clinically obese. According to the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative, 38.9% of K – 8 students across Staten Island fit the definition of being overweight or clinically obese.
 
“I want to thank our good friends and RUMC, as well as our good friends at the YMCA for allowing us to be a part of this program. When we got to Borough Hall in 2014, one of the fundamental changes we made was to put an emphasis on education and on health and wellness,” noted Borough President Oddo. “I’m so appreciative of what you all do every day, to be so passionate about healthy food and to take the platform you have to talk about the need to educate and inspire. Our audience is those who want to be inspired and those who want to know how to live a healthier life. This is going to help families on Staten Island, and this is a good thing.”
 
This pilot program is a partnership between RUMC and the Broadway YMCA facilitated by the Borough President’s Office. It consists of 25 sessions over 15 weeks that will take place at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church. Studies have shown that this program is cost-efficient and effective in reducing a child's body mass index and waist circumference, reducing sedentary behaviors, increasing physical activity and improving self-esteem.
 
“The Broadway YMCA is proud to partner with the Office of the Staten Island Borough President, RUMC and St. Mary’s Church to implement this program,” said Joe Verhey, Executive Director of the Staten Island Broadway YMCA. “Our mission is to empower youth, improve health and strengthen community, so we are thrilled to be involved in yet another program that supports families and young people in our community as they improve their health and create better habits for life.”
 
RUMC identified patients aged 7-13 years old with a 95% BMI in the clinical practice who qualified and were offered a spot in the HWYC program. One caregiver from each family will also be required to participate in these sessions. Physicians will continue to stay connected during the program and regularly perform comprehensive tests on the enrolled children, such as BMI, blood pressure, and the presence of lipids. At the same time, they will conduct a mental health assessment at the beginning and conclusion of the successful completion of the program.
 
“The number of children across Staten Island considered to be obese continues to grow at an alarming rate,” Richmond University Medical Center President and CEO, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “No matter how young a child is, obesity can cause a number of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and liver damage. Obesity can also affect a child’s self-esteem, causing anxiety and depression. We are proud to stand with Borough President James Oddo and the YMCA as partners in the fight against childhood obesity and the encouragement of healthy lifestyles for not just the children of Staten Island, but entire families as well.”
 
While Borough President Oddo’s Director of Health and Wellness, Dr. Ginny Mantello, was working with the Broadway YMCA to identify funding sources that would help link clinical to community interventions, one of the YMCAs awarded a grants dropped out of the program. This gave an opportunity for the opportunity for the Broadway YMCA.  However, they first needed to identify a strong clinical partner. Dr. Mantello was able to identify the Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) Pediatric Clinic, which had high obesity rates. With the backing of Borough Hall, Dr. Mantello connected these two strong partners, and was able to solidify the application of the Broadway YMCA for the HWYC program.