​On Thursday, December 14th, BP Oddo hosted the annual Menorah Lighting ceremony at Borough Hall to celebrate Hanukkah. Rabbi Nachman Segal of Chabad Israel Center of Staten Island lit the menorah candles. Congregation Toras Emes Hebrew School performed musical selections at the event.
 
“I’m so happy to be here tonight to share in this joyous celebration with you,” said BP Oddo.
 
The ceremony was sponsored by the Council of Jewish Organizations, who distributed traditional Hanukkah food and toys to all who came to the event.

On Tuesday, December 12, BP Oddo joined with NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Staten Island Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone, DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, NY State Senator Andrew Lanza, Assembly Member Ron Castorina, NYC Council Members Joseph Borelli and Steve Matteo, Community Board 3, and other community members to cut the ribbon on Brookfield Park and celebrate the completed landfill-to-park transformation.
 
After years of closure and capping work by DEP to the previous landfill site, the 285-acre property has officially been transferred to the NYC Parks Department. This acquisition brings the City’s total parkland to more than 30,000 acres, a historic milestone.
 
“The community really stepped up here,” said BP Oddo. “Today is a good day and this is a positive, but we have to remember the wrong that was done at this site. It is a reminder to be ever vigilant to make sure we never let it happen again.”
 
This $256.4 million transformation began in 2010, with $156.4 million from DEP and $100 million from NYS DEC.

On Wednesday, December 6th, BP Oddo hosted his annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Borough Hall. The event featured musical performances by Al Lambert, Vinnie Medugno, Madison Gattullo, Gabriella Garber, and the Salvation Army Choir.

Santa arrived by firetruck to join Borough President Oddo to light the Christmas tree. He then met with children who attended and gave out books.

“The holidays are a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the spirit of the season,” noted BP Oddo, who brought his puppy Jocko along for the festivities. “I wish you all a safe and merry Christmas.”

The event was sponsored by Allstate, the Gavel Grill, Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn, the National Lighthouse Museum, and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. 

You can see more pictures from the ceremony below:

Borough President James S. Oddo will award Dee Vandenburg with the 2017 Maniscalco Award at a ceremony in Borough Hall. The ceremony, which will be followed by a reception in the main hall, will take place in February of next year.
 
The Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award was established in 1986 in honor of the ninth borough president. Maniscalco's tenure from 1955 to 1965 saw the creation of the Greenbelt and the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The award celebrates the civic-mindedness and tireless energy of individuals or organizations that work to help community members in need and to make Staten Island a better place.
 
“Simply stated, Dee Vandenberg is someone who gives a damn about our community. She has toiled for many years, calling out instances of when government can and must do better. I know it’s cliché, but she truly is a fighter for our community. She takes on these fights not because of any promise of a reward, but solely to improve Staten Island. She is a worthy recipient of the Maniscalco Award,” said Borough President Oddo.
 
Dee G. Vandenburg, a community leader and activist dedicated to improving Staten Island, currently serves as president of the Staten Island Taxpayers’ Association. Born on Long Island, she moved to Staten Island in 1969. Ms. Vandenburg began her long history of involvement with the local community when she moved to the former Spanish Camp, located in Annadale, and joined the fight to save the Camp from destruction. It was there that she met Lorraine Sorge, president of the Staten Island Taxpayers' Association (SITA), and Alice Ruch, SITA's general vice president. Determined to improve the quality of life for all Staten Islanders, Ms. Vandenburg joined SITA in 1996. In 2001, Ms. Vandenburg was elected president of the organization, which assists local civic associations and acts as a liaison to government on behalf of Staten Islanders.
 
Ms. Vandenburg regularly attends community meetings and has written hundreds of letters enthusiastically supporting or vehemently opposing various projects. She works closely with members of various governmental agencies and elected officials on issues relating to the environment, zoning, transportation, overdevelopment, and parks and recreation.
 
After Sandy hit, she dedicated her time on issues relating to the shoreline, serving on committees for the US Army Corps of Engineers, NY Rising, USDA Wetlands Restoration Buyout, Build It Back, and the NYC Department of City Planning.
 
In addition to her volunteer work, Ms. Vandenburg worked as a general mechanic for the MTA on the Staten Island Railway from 1989 to 2013. She previously worked in various positions at several Wall Street firms. She currently serves as a Community Construction Liaison for SI Engineering.
 
In 2008, Ms. Vandenburg received the Natural Resources Protective Association's Civic Leadership Award. State Senator Andrew Lanza awarded her the New York State Woman of Distinction Award in 2010.
 
She resides in Huguenot with her husband Rickie Smith.
 
“I don't have to like the answer; I just have to get an answer from the never-ending levels of government," Ms. Vandenburg said about her tireless work on behalf of her community.
 
Here are the past winners of the Maniscalco Award:
 
Richard E. Diamond, John L.F. Sipp, Norma D’Arrigo, Allan Weissglass, Martin Stallone, Roger E. Acker, Reverend Robert I. Gannon, Michael F. Manzulli, Michael J. Petrides, Marie G. Martino, Frank Powers, Susie Hyun Sook Beidel, Brian J. Laline, Reverend Hattie Smith-Davis, and Joseph V. Madory, Lou Caravone, Jose Joe Valentin, Nancy Passeri, retired Borough Commander Anthony Marra, Reverend Terry Troia, Senator John J. Marchi, Wendy Pellegrino, Fred Ariemma, Joanne E. Gerenser, Ph.D., Dr. S. Chitoor Govindaraj, Kathryn Krause Rooney, the Siller Family, George and Maria Esposito, the Mannix Family, the Dr. Theodore Atlas Foundation, William A. Morris Jr., and Lois and Richard Nicotra.