Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce that he will be sponsoring another round of FREE health screenings for Staten Islanders this fall.

“I am grateful to have the ability to offer Staten Islanders these health screenings,” said Borough President Oddo. “I understand the importance of engaging in preventative measures and taking charge of your health, which is why I encourage all Staten Islanders to take advantage of these free screenings.”

On Thursday, October 10th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Project Renewal will be giving Breast Cancer Screenings at the Forest Avenue Shoppers Town (1553 Forest Avenue). An appointment must be made to get screened. To make an appointment, call Project Renewal at (800) 564-6868.

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.

On Monday, October 21st from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, Heart Scan Services will be giving Thyroid Screenings at Staten Island Borough Hall in Conference Room 125. An appointment must be made to be screened. Contact Irene Maiello at 718-816-2239 to reserve your appointment or click here. 

The rate of diagnosis of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years due to improvements to technology. In many cases, physicians cannot feel a nodule, but cancer can be detected through ultrasound screenings. The survival rate of thyroid cancer is very high when found in early stages.

On Thursday, November 7th from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm a nurse from NYC Health and Hospitals will be giving out Flu Shots at Staten Island Borough Hall in Conference Room 125. No appointment is necessary to receive a flu shot. Those presenting for a flu shot need to sign a consent form and show photo ID.

Seasonal influenza, commonly called “flu,” is a contagious illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the respiratory tract (the nose, throat, and lungs) and can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications. Those at high risk for serious flu complications include pregnant women, children under five years of age, adults over 65, nursing home residents and people with other serious health conditions.
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Some of the complications caused by flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections. The flu can cause mild to severe illness for days, and in some cases can lead to more serious health problems and even death. It is estimated that every year in the United States, about 5% to 20% of the population gets flu, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications. Each year, more than 2,000 New Yorkers die from flu-related illness.

On Wednesday, September 18, Borough President Oddo joined with NYC SCA President and CEO Lorraine Grillo, DOE officials, Hungerford School Principal Kristin McHugh, and elected officials for the official groundbreaking of the new four-story 456-seat Hungerford school building for District 75 students on Staten Island.

“Regardless of how this day has started for you,” said Borough President Oddo at the groundbreaking, “at the end of this day please say aloud to your loved ones ‘this was a good day’ because it certainly is. This is the next chapter of the story about a state-of-the-art new school being constructed for Hungerford students and one about the persistence and grit from Kevin Moran, who willed it into existence through sheer determination. The end result will be a new school that will educate future generations of students in a manner they deserve. I am grateful for all those in DOE and the School Construction Authority for making this a reality. To all the parents, families and educators who have advocated and fought for this over the years, thank you as well and congratulations."

The new Richard H. Hungerford School will be located on the Michael J. Petrides Educational Complex.

“We are thrilled to be doing this. This is going to be a spectacular school,” said NYC SCA President Lorraine Grillo speaking on the amenities that will be available at the new Hungerford School including: braille signage in every room, elevators on all floors, and wheelchair ramps. The new building will also include hearing loops, a wire that circles a room connected to a sound system which hearing-impaired students can connect to via their hearing aids or cochlear implants.
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Inclusion opportunities will be available for Hungerford School students across the entire Petrides campus.

Other amenities will include: 38 special education classrooms, Rooms for physical, occupational and speech therapy, stationary exercise room, full kitchen complex, library, guidance and medical suites, culinary art room, print/photography room, as well as administrative suite, conference room, teacher work room and parent room. 

Construction began in July on this $78 million investment. The project is expected to be completed for the start of the 2021-2022 school-year.

Photos courtesy of NYC SCA. 

​On Tuesday, September 17th, Borough President James S. Oddo hosted the Commodore Barry Day Ceremony and Wreath Laying to celebrate the life of Commodore John Barry.
 
The Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn joined at Borough Hall with Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, and members of the community to parade down Hyatt Street and lay the ceremonial wreath on Staten Island Borough Hall.
 
Deputy Borough President Ed Burke presented the Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn with a proclamation declaring the day 'Commodore John Barry Day' saying: “Staten Islanders honor John Barry as a hero of the Revolution – the Father of the American Navy, a symbol of Irish-American pride and an inspiration to today’s citizens of all backgrounds. We are grateful to those famous patriots who, throughout history, have protected our shores, upheld freedom and defended liberty.”
 
Commodore John Barry, an Irish immigrant who left his homeland of Wexford, Ireland as a young child to embark on a maritime journey, settled in Philadelphia in 1776 and became a renowned and much admired sea captain. During the American Revolution, John Barry fought valiantly to defend the Colonies’ cause of liberty. In 1793, he was named Senior and First Commissioned Officer in the Navy with the title of Commodore by President George Washington. With that, he is known as the father of the American Navy. 

​On Friday, September 13th, Borough President Oddo joined at Borough Hall with the College of Staten Island to celebrate the college athletic program’s recent milestone move to Division II Athletics, from the Division III CUNYAC conference to the Division II East Coast Conference.
 
Athletic Administrators, as well as Cross-Country/Track & Field, Baseball, and Women’s Basketball coaches joined with a select group of their athletes to talk on the importance of this move and what it means for their respective sports.
 
Assemblyman Michael Cusick and Assemblyman Charles Fall attended, and joined with Borough President Oddo in being named Honorary Division II Athletes by CSI.
 
“This is wonderful news for the College of Staten Island. The hard work and dedication of the students, staff, and administrators is evident. I look forward to seeing the success of their programs,” said Borough President Oddo. “I also wanted the record to reflect that I still have all of my NCAA eligibility available. Even at 53, I have game.”
 
CSI’s mascot, Danny the Dolphin, was also be present to celebrate CSI being one-of-two CUNY schools in Division II Athletics, the other being Queens College.
 
Congratulations College of Staten Island!

Borough President James Oddo will host the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony to remember the Staten Islanders we lost 18 years ago and to pay tribute to those First Responders who have subsequently died from their service at Ground Zero. The annual ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place at the Postcards Memorial on the St. George Esplanade on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:30pm.

The names of brave First Responders are inscribed on a memorial adjacent to the Postcards memorial, the Staten Island 9/11 First Responders Memorial, which was dedicated in 2017.

The ceremony will include a reading of the names of the Staten Islanders who were lost on 9/11, as well as a reading of the names of the First Responders who have perished since that day due to their work at Ground Zero. Special musical selections and a video tribute will honor those we lost due to the tragedy.

“Each year, it is my great honor to host the September 11th Memorial Ceremony,” said Borough President Oddo. “Please join me as we remember those we lost on that fateful day and those who gave their lives as a result of their heroics in the aftermath. I ask all Staten Islanders—including those who did not lose loved ones—to join us to honor their memories and provide support for their families and friends.”
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Free parking for the ceremony will be available in the New York Wheel Parking Garage (located next to Richmond County Bank Ballpark at Richmond Terrace and Nicholas Street). Those who wish to attend can also access the Memorial via the walkway adjacent to the ballpark. The Memorial is a short walk from the St. George Ferry Terminal and the Empire Outlets.
 
Please call (718) 816- 2239 to RSVP.

​Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce that he is joining with the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation to collect backpacks and school supplies for needy Staten Island families. Donations of brand new children’s backpacks, folders, crayons, markers, non-toxic glue sticks, notebooks, #2 pencils, construction paper, and other new school supplies will be accepted.
 
Items can be left with Borough Hall staff at all of the remaining Sunset Summer Concerts. Donations will also be accepted directly at the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation Office (543 Cary Avenue). Volunteers from the Atlas Foundation will then distribute the items to families in need.
 
The remaining concerts, which begin at 7pm unless otherwise noted, are as follows:
August 1st--Fort Wadsworth (210 New York Avenue), United States Coast Guard Appreciation Night with a special thank you to our Military service members featuring 42nd Division Infantry Band. *6:30PM START TIME*
August 8th--Westerleigh Park (Neal Dow Ave. and Maine Ave.) featuring Julia Gargano and JD & the All Stars
August 15th--Silver Lake Park (Forest Ave. at Haven Esplanade) featuring Cause and the Effects
August 17th--Midland Beach Splaza (Fr. Capodanno Blvd. at Seaview Ave) featuring Vito Picone and the Elegants and guests
August 22nd--Wolfe’s Pond Park (Cornelia Ave. and Chester Ave.) featuring Whiskey Tango Four and Saints in the City
August 29th--TBD Location (rain-out rescheduled concert) featuring Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir and The Black Ties
 
“I want to thank the Atlas Foundation for collaborating with us again this year on this drive, which will help many young students across the Island,” noted BP Oddo. “My office is happy to be a part of this initiative, and we appreciate all the Staten Islanders who donate to help the less fortunate in our community. For these children, starting off the school year with all the necessary school supplies will set them off on the path towards academic success.”
 
For more information on the drive, call Renee Sarno at (718) 816-2133 or email RSarno@statenislandusa.com. 

At the bottom please find a YouTube link to view one of pieces Marguerite performed at the ceremony.

Borough President James Oddo named Marguerite Maria Rivas as Staten Island’s first Poet Laureate during a ceremony at Borough Hall on June 26, 2019 at 6 PM. The appointment of the Staten Island Poet Laureate is an unpaid, volunteer position, appointed for a 4-year term by the Borough President, based on the recommendation of a selection committee. The Poet Laureate will be charged with performing responsibilities related to community outreach and projects that promote poetry and/or literacy on the Island.

The event, which was open to the public, was attended by members of the local arts community who came to celebrate the work and achievements of Marguerite Maria Rivas. Attendees were honored with a poetry reading of a few of Marguerite’s pieces, including one titled “Staten Island Night Chant, for Staten Island”, which can be viewed here.

During the ceremony, Marguerite was presented with a MakerspaceNYC handmade broach to celebrate her appointment as Staten Island’s first Poet Laureate.

“I've become a big fan of our new Poet Laureate Dr. Marguerite Maria Rivas because her deep affinity for Staten Island is quite evident. I love the way she champions our community,” said Borough President James Oddo. “I didn’t know there was in fact already a de facto Poet Laureate for Staten Island, tonight she is de facto no more. I love having you as an ally, please continue to do your wonderful work.”

A special thanks goes to the selection committee who made their recommendation to the Borough President, which included Elizabeth Bennett, Director of Staten Island Arts; Saroltya A. Takacs, PhD, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Staten Island; and Abriana Jette, Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at St. John’s University.

“Staten Island has always been my home, my subject, and my inspiration,” said Dr. Rivas. “Throughout my adult life, it has been my privilege to have taught poetry in the community, in grammar schools, and in colleges. Poetry brings people joy, an understanding of themselves, and an awareness of their connectedness to their communities and the world around them. It is a living, breathing expression of shared experiences.

“Borough President Oddo’s decision to appoint a Staten Island Poet Laureate demonstrates his commitment to the arts and their role in the promotion of literacy. It is a profound honor to be appointed the first Poet Laureate of Staten Island, one of three Borough Poets Laureate of New York City. I look forward to working with the Borough President’s Office and Staten Islanders as we celebrate and elevate our beautiful island home.”

A native Staten Islander, Marguerite Maria Rivas is a graduate of Tottenville High School and holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the College of Staten Island. She received a Doctor of Arts and Letters degree, specializing in poetry, in 2001 from Drew University. She is an Associate Professor of English at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

As the sole supporter of her children, Dr. Rivas often worked three jobs while earning her doctorate. In between working and studying, she wrote poetry, often at night while her children were sleeping. Dr. Rivas’ poetry, both lyric and long-form, is largely based on the culture, history and natural environment of Staten Island. Her poetry has been widely published in journals, anthologies and in a best-selling college textbook. She is also the author of two full-length collections of poems. In her book, “Tell No One: Poems of Witness,” her poems reflect the kinship and the resiliency of Staten Islanders in the aftermath of Sept. 11. A poem from this collection, “Witness,” is included in the National September 11th Museum’s online collection, along with two others.
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She has received numerous grants and awards for her poetry, including the National Council of Teachers of English/Two-Year College Association National Poetry Month Award for her poem “Witness.”  She is also the recipient of the Staten Island Arts Excellence in Literature Award, The Marg Chandler Memorial Award from A Room of Her Own Foundation, and The Irene C. Fromer Award from Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. 

Borough President James Oddo hosted a Dominican Heritage Celebration at Staten Island Borough Hall. In celebration of the upcoming citywide parade to take place Sunday, August 11, we joined to celebrate Dominican heritage, culture, and food. This ceremony, which took place at Staten Island Borough Hall on Tuesday, June 25th, served as a heritage celebration that was one in a series of kick-off celebrations to take place in all five boroughs.
 
Before we were honored with Bryan Bautista, NBC’s The Voice Season 10 semi-finalist, performing the United States of America National Anthem, and Tessoro Estrella performing the Dominican National Anthem, Pastor Carlos Jimenz have the evening’s invocation.
 
Elias Cabrera, retired sergeant-at-arms from the City Council, was presented with a proclamation from Borough President Oddo as an honoree of the evening in addition to an award from the Dominican Day Parade team.

Borough President Oddo was also honored during the ceremony, being named Staten Island’s first Adopted Honorary Dominican by the Dominican Day Parade team.
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"Absolutely wonderful vibe in the room at our inaugural Dominican Heritage Celebration. And how great it was to honor Elias Cabrera, who for years was our Chief Sergeant at Arms in the City Council. Such a good man. Thank you Maria Khury & my dear friend Diana Reyna," said Borough President Oddo. "“The fact that you reached out and that you want Staten Island to be associated with the city-wide parade, that you came to us wanting to include all five boroughs, that really means something to us.”
 
Elias Cabrera was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and was raised by his maternal grandmother till the age of eleven, at which age he came to live with his mother in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He attended P.S. 122, then was accepted to Aviation High School, graduating as an FAA licensed Airframe & Power plant aircraft mechanic. Next, Elias attended New York City Technical College obtaining an Associate Degree in Applied Science. Upon graduation, was drafted into the US Army and after three years, was honorably discharged as a Specialist 5th Class in instrument repair. Elias, married in 1976 to his wife of 42 years Doris, is now a Staten Island resident. At his wife’s urging, he enrolled at City College of New York and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering. During that time he joined the firm Loral Electronic Systems. While employed there, he attended Adelphi University and received an MBA in management.
 
Their son Alexander was born in 1993, the same year he began his career as the Chief Sgt-at-Arms in The Council of New York City, where for the next twenty years he was responsible for maintaining order and decorum in all council hearings and at the same time provided security along with the NYPD. In retirement, he is staying active in his community by being a member of The Knights of Columbus.
 
Attendees of the ceremony heard from Maria Khury, DDP Past Chair, Wilton Cedeno, DDP Chair, and Diana Reyna, former City Councilwoman, DDP 2nd Vice Chair, and Director of Borough Events.
 
Over 40 members of the community attended to celebrate this Dominican Day Heritage Celebration.