Blog Archives

Menorah Lighting celebrates the Festival of Lights

12/28/2016

On Wednesday, December 28th, Borough Hall joined with the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO) to host a Menorah Lighting Ceremony to commemorate the fifth night of Hanukkah.

The event, which celebrates the Festival of Lights, featured musical performances by Congregation Toras Emes Hebrew School and the Theater Brats. Following the ceremony, those who attended got a chance to sample traditional Hanukkah treats. Dreidels, menorahs and toys were distributed to the children.

“The holidays are a time for all of us to come together and enjoy the spirit of the season,” noted BP Oddo.

“In these times, this lighting is so important," said Scott Maurer, Chief Executive Officer of COJO. "It says that the light still burns bright for Jewish people all over."

Food and toys for the event were sponsored by Oorah of Staten Island, Dairy Palace and Health Plus.

BP's efforts to create a charter school for students with dyslexia take giant leap forward

12/12/2016

On Monday, December 12th, BP Oddo announced the next step in efforts to create a new public charter school for students with dyslexia and language-based learning difficulties - the formation of a planning team that will submit the application for the creation of the new specialized charter school.

Thousands of students on Staten Island suffer from dyslexia, which affects the ability to read, write and process letters and words. Students with dyslexia require explicit, targeted and systematic instruction, as well as opportunities for practice with corrective feedback.

Beginning in November of 2014, BP Oddo began meeting with parents, advocates, and dyslexic children to better understand the challenges they face every day. In early 2016, the Borough President and his staff became convinced that the best course forward to help address the needs of this cohort of students would be the creation of a new public charter school. Towards that end, in November the Borough President convened a Planning Team for the school, led by Tim Castanza, consisting of dyslexia experts, advocates, educators and parents.

“We have heard the requests from parents, students, teachers and the Staten Island community for a school whose classroom staff is trained to recognize and teach students with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties,” said BP Oddo. “We understand the frustration that many of our children are feeling; they are bright and intelligent, but cannot seem to learn to read and process as easily as their peers. All children have the ability to learn and succeed, but some are often lost in the traditional school structure. In order for our students to succeed, they must be offered a different approach, with access to a high quality option that will capitalize on their individual learning style and strengthen their other learning pathways. I believe that, under the leadership of Tim Castanza and with guidance from my staff and other educational professionals, this school would help struggling readers on Staten Island achieve success and discover the joy of learning.”

"We need to provide access to different resources so everyone can get a high quality education" said Tim Castanza, Executive Director of the planning team. "There's an urgency behind this need, and we have an opportunity to address it. This dyslexia charter school would benefit kids on Staten Island for years to come."

BP Oddo will continue to work closely with the Dyslexia Planning Team as the approval process continues with the hope of having the school up and running by September of 2018.

Dyslexia Awareness Forum educates Staten Islanders about reading challenges

12/12/2016

On Monday, December 12th, Borough President Oddo and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon (Brooklyn) co-sponsored a Dyslexia Awareness Forum at Wagner College.

Speakers at the event included Dr. Amy Margolis, an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology with an appointment in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University and Dr. Carolyn H. Strom, a Visiting Assistant Professor at NYU who studies reading and literacy development in young children and adolescents.

In addition to these speakers, a panel of Staten Islanders whose lives have been affected by dyslexia will discuss life with dyslexia and the need for a solid educational approach to address the needs of dyslexic children. The panel included educators, parents and both an adult and child who have dyslexia.

More than 9,000 students on Staten Island suffer from dyslexia, which affects the ability to read, write and process letters and words.

“I am committed to advocating for these families and fighting for more educational programming that addresses the specific needs of children with dyslexia, beginning with our proposed charter school,” noted BP Oddo. “We put this event together to allow families to hear from experts as well as those who have dyslexia in an effort to broaden awareness and bring resources to those who need it. I want to thank Assemblywoman Simon for partnering with us to help bring this event to Staten Island.”

“With a clear focus on dyslexia awareness, we will be able to effectively and accurately diagnose and treat this specific learning disability that affects so many,” noted Assemblywoman Simon. “Our young learners deserve to grow in an environment that is fully equipped with the tools necessary to meet their individual learning needs. I’m pleased we have received so much support from our colleagues and organizations throughout New York to make this a successful event.”

Over 75 people attended the event.

BP Oddo to host annual “Direct Connect Sunday” at Mount Loretto

12/8/2016

Continuing the tradition he began in 2014, BP James Oddo will host his annual “Direct Connect Sunday” Open House—with a twist. The event will take place on Sunday, January 29th, 2017 from 1 to 4pm at the CYO Center at Mt. Loretto, 6451 Hylan Boulevard this year.

At the event, BP Oddo and staff will meet and greet constituents and inform them about projects and initiatives his office is tackling. Staten Islanders are encouraged to come by and learn about what the Borough President’s office is doing to improve Staten Island. In addition, visitors will have an opportunity to discuss specific issues that constituents need help solving as well as borough-wide issues.

Due to the additional space afforded by the location change, BP Oddo was able to invite more city agencies and community organizations to talk about their work and help with any constituent issues from the public. There will be interactive presentations and trainings, including a demonstration of the BP Assist app. Refreshments will be sold by John’s Catering and Cheech-a-Cini’s food trucks in the parking lot outside the CYO Center.

In addition, Staten Island University Hospital will host a free Naloxone training session at 2pm. Naloxone kits will be distributed to those who participate.

“In past years, ‘Direct Connect Sunday’ has been a great success, so we’re happy to take this event on the road and expand it,” noted BP Oddo. “Mount Loretto provides us with much more room to put under the same roof more agencies, more community groups, and more non-profit groups so attendees can interact with more folks who deal with every facet of life in our borough. Moreover, we are open to hearing from you if you have an organization you want part of the event.”

For the event, staff will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the issues that the Borough President is working on to improve Staten Island. The office will also have a detailed display about plans and initiatives rolled out during 2016, as well as the Borough President’s agenda for 2017.

BP Oddo said, “‘Direct Connect Sunday’ allows us to meet directly with Staten Islanders and share with them some of what we are working on, as well as hear their concerns. I think it has worked well, and I am proud of this event. It has allowed us to interact with many Staten Islanders who we may never have interacted with in person. Those who attend this year will have the same opportunity to meet with my staff and me and to learn more about what we are working on to improve Staten Island. We pride ourselves on being open, accessible, and transparent to all Staten Islanders, and we hope that people will take advantage of this opportunity to meet with us.”

There is no need to RSVP for the event, and Staten Islanders can come any time during the 1 to 4pm time frame. There will also be a free shuttle bus running from the North Shore and Mid-Island.

The shuttle schedule is as follows:

Leaving Borough Hall – 12:00PM Arrive Mount Loretto – 1:00PM
Leave Mount Loretto – 4:00PM Arrive Borough Hall – 5:00PM

Leaving Historic Richmond Town – 12:30PM Arrive Mount Loretto – 1:00PM
Leave Mount Loretto – 4:00PM Arrive Historic Richmond Town – 4:30PM

Pick-ups at Richmond Valley Train Station – 12:45PM, 1:15PM, 1:45PM, 2:15PM
Drop Off at Train Station – 4:00PM

Please call to reserve your place. Additional shuttle runs will be added as needed.
To reserve a seat, call Diane Marciuliano at 718-816-2246.

Borough Board Meeting - December 2016

12/7/2016

view the borough board archive

BP Oddo to host free mobile mammography screenings

12/2/2016

BP Oddo is pleased to announce the four dates that he will host free mammography screenings next year on Staten Island. The screenings will take place on January 17th, April 25th, July 26th and October 3rd. The mobile mammography van will be at the Forest Avenue Shopping Plaza in Port Richmond (in front of LA Fitness) from 9:30am to 4:30pm. On the January and July dates, there will also be a van at Bricktown Commons (Michael’s Parking Lot) in Charleston from 9am to 12pm and at Hylan Plaza Parking Lot in New Dorp (near CVS) from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. On the April and October dates, the van will be in New Dorp from 9am to 12pm and in Charleston from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.

The screenings will be available to eligible women ages 40 and older who have not had a mammogram in the past year. All insurance plans will be accepted, and co-pays and deductibles will be waived. The mammograms will be free to uninsured women.

An appointment must be made to get screened. To make an appointment at the Forest Avenue location, call (718) 816-2133 or (877) 628-9090. To make an appointment at the Bricktown Commons or Hylan Plaza locations, call (800) 564-6868.

“We are providing these mobile screenings to encourage Staten Island women to take charge of their health and make sure they get their annual mammogram,” noted BP Oddo. “Mammograms are important preventative measures for women. The earlier cancer is found, the easier it is to treat. Despite recommendations to the contrary from some organizations, experts continue to emphasize the importance of mammograms in detecting breast cancer. Women should always speak to their doctors about when they should begin getting screened, and should always make this decision in consultation with their doctors.”

The screenings will be funded by Project Renewal and the American-Italian Cancer Foundation.

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Santa arrives in style at Borough Hall to help light Christmas Tree

12/1/2016

On Thursday, December 1st, Borough Hall held its annual Christmas Tree Lighting out on Borough Hall Plaza. Deputy BP Burke kicked off the event with some of his favorite Christmas puns. The St. George Theatre and the Tottenville High School Women’s Chorus sang Christmas carols and Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre performed an excerpt from “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” to get Staten Islanders in the holiday spirit.

Santa arrived in a unique way—by motorcycle—to light the tree and give out books to the children who attended.

The event was sponsored by the New York Wheel, Empire Outlets, Staten Island Downtown Alliance, BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse), the Gavel Grill and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.

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