 Borough President Vito Fossella called for discretion and common sense from city agencies in the enforcement of minor infractions for small businesses at a press conference outside of Ariemma’s Italian Deli, a staple in Dongan Hills for more than 70 years.
His call-to-action stems from a long-held belief that the city often makes it difficult for small businesses to operate, oftentimes with rules that are obscure or unnecessary. Santo Ariemma recently received summonses from the City Department of Sanitation Police in the amount of $50 to $500 for the placement of a sign on the sidewalk outside of the store that advertises products and sales. The summonses cited that the sign impeded pedestrian traffic. “We’re here today just a few weeks before Christmas in front of Ariemma’s, which has been here for 70 years, and unfortunately, the Ariemma family got a lump of coal,” said Borough President Fossella, noting the sign has probably stood in the same spot since before Santo Ariemma was born. “As a result, Santo rightfully stood up and spoke out -- and you shouldn’t be afraid to speak out when the government does something wrong. In this case, the government did something wrong.” Borough President Fossella said a “lack of discretion and a lack of common sense was the order of the day” with city agencies often viewing small businesses as a “cash machine" when they need revenue. “Don’t ruin their day with nonsense, at least give them an option to say, 'hey, buddy, this sign is not supposed to be here or can you move it over there,’” said Borough President Fossella. “You can’t consult with people like that? Is that not the norm anymore? We’re here to stand with this family that has committed themselves to Staten Island. They work 12-or-13-hour days and it’s difficult enough with taxes and regulations and everything that comes with it. We’re just here to say the city should step back and see the business owners as the backbone of the economy, as the backbone of our community, as a opposed to a group of individuals or entities that could just grab money whenever they need.” Santo Ariemma said he was handed the summons without any conversation. “The signs have been out here for 30-plus years and they’ve never been in anyone’s way,” he said. “The signs are for advertisements, to try to make an honest dollar and now for me to try to fight this ticket, I have to take a day off from work, which means I am going to lose more money. I am going to have to pay for someone to represent me. It’s a bunch of nonsense for a small family business.”  Borough President Vito Fossella visited Totten (I.S. 34) Intermediate School to cut the ribbon on a new full-sized, 100-yard turf football field with dedicated areas form softball, baseball and soccer, as well as a multi-purpose space for school events, which was funded by our office.
The school’s Borough Student Advisory Council presented a plan to Borough President Fossella in March with their wish to renovate their schoolyard, which had not undergone any major renovations in decades. A month later, Borough President Fossella joined Principal John Boyle and his students in turning over the soil with a ceremonial shovel, promising that "this dustbowl that has been here for 90 years will be transformed into a field of dreams -- it will be epic." Now, that promise has been realized. “It might be a little cold out here, but this field is smoking hot,” said Borough President Fossella prior to the ribbon cutting. “You all had a dream, you came to us, we agreed to try to fulfill that dream and today, here we are -- 90 years in the making. Remember this: Anything is possible when you put your mind to it, when you believe in something, when you work hard, when you work together for the right reasons. That’s what today is all about. You’re going to have some fun on this field and you’re going to have great memories on this field. We are so proud and humbled to do this for you and your families.” As a token of appreciation, Principal Boyle presented Borough President Fossella with the Defender Of The Nest Award, a gold statue of an Eagle, as the students chanted, “Vito, Vito, Vito.” And, to highlight that the field will be for more than just sporting events, the day featured performances by the marching band, the cheerleaders and the dance team. “Since 1935, right back when this building first opened as Tottenville High School, this patch of land has been part of the sports community and of the Staten Island community forever,” said Principal Boyle. “For decades, this grass field was beautifully kept, lovingly maintained and played on seven days a week, but as time came so did wear -- with drought came dust and over the last few years, our field, our home, began to dry up. We still loved it, we still used it, but it slowly transformed into a dustbowl and for a long time, the idea of fixing it or building something bigger or something lasting felt like just a dream. But dreams have a funny way of taking shape when you surround yourself with the right people. Today, we’re surrounded by those people.”  Borough President Vito Fossella and Principal Andrew Greenfield toured the new JV and varsity locker rooms at Port Richmond High School, which were funded by our office.
The varsity locker room, which dubs as the field house, underwent a complete renovation, including new lockers; bathrooms; heating and air-conditioning systems; new floors; painting, and lighting. The JV locker room was outfitted with new lockers, doors, floors, lighting and painting. “The kids deserve it, the coaches deserve it, Mr. Greenfield deserves it," said Borough President Fossella. "Our best days are yet to come." Principal Greenfield thanked Borough President Fossella and Kevin Moran, the deputy chancellor of operations for the City Department of Education, for the upgrades. “This is absolutely incredible,” said Principal Greenfield. Borough President Fossella is also funding a new science lab for Port Richmond High School, which will include new tables and workstations, as well as upgraded electrical, gas and plumbing systems. “There is a science lab in the school that is about 90-years-old and it looks like its 190-years-old,” said Borough President Fossella. “Port Richmond will get a state-of-the-art science lab, one of the few on Staten Island and one of the few in the city. It’s going to be great for the kids.” |