​Borough President Oddo is pleased to announce his partnership with Sundog Theatre and the family of local artist Christopher Dillon Micha to offer scholarships to a Sundog Musical Theatre Acting class in memory of Christopher. The scholarship is instituted to honor Christopher, an artist who admired the creative minds of children and loved music. This is a family-based scholarship fund instituted by Christopher’s mother, his father, his step father and his siblings.
 
The scholarship will offer access to the spring 2020 session of Musical Theatre Kids, where the children will be rehearsing and performing “Rock of Ages.” The classes will take place at Monsignor Farrell High School, beginning February 22nd, with a final performance to be held on May 30th at the Staten Island Zoo Auditorium. The program and scholarships are open to boys and girls, ages 9 through 17, who otherwise would not be able to afford the $250 class. For a scholarship application, contact Sundog Theatre at info@sundogtheatre.org. Deadline for submission of the scholarship application is February 14th.
 
If you cannot make the deadline, please still apply! Your student’s application will be considered for summer and/or fall classes.

“This program allows young people to be active, engage their imaginations, and learn life-long skills and abilities to help them grow. I am grateful to be able to support a fitting tribute to Staten Islander Christopher Micha and offer this opportunity to children who otherwise would not be able to participate in the Sundog musical theatre program,” noted Borough President Oddo.
 
"Supporting young people in reaching their artistic potential is a heartwarming and satisfying way to honor Christopher and his passion for music and the arts," said Karen O'Donnell Tennenbaum, mother of Christopher Micha.
 
Housed at the Staten Island Zoo, Sundog’s Musical Theatre Kids classes provide children an opportunity to collaborate with other young people of diverse ages and backgrounds, expanding their imaginations, and learning how to perform. Sundog Theatre has been presenting original, contemporary, and thought provoking theatre for 18 years. The arts company is unique on Staten Island in that it presents in-school arts programming rooted in theatre, visual arts, dance, and music.
 
“Getting up and speaking in front of people has been documented to be the number one adult fear. If children do this at a young age, they have an easier time talking to people and expressing themselves throughout life,” explains Sundog’s Executive Director, Susan Fenley. “Most of these kids find a second family in theatre. They love participating and in addition to learning career and life skills, they are having fun.”
 
Christopher Dillon Micha:
 
Born August 10, 1975, Christopher was an active “theatre kid” in Island Community theatre. He appeared in many productions with Staten Island Civic Theatre and SeaView Playwright’s Children’s Theatre. He had a clear beautiful voice and played the role of Winthrop in Civic Theatre’s “The Music Man” when he was 10 years old.
 
After playing trombone in elementary school, he went on in his teenage years to learn guitar, he then taught himself to play drums, harmonica, ukelele, and in his late thirties set out to learn to play piano. Always interested in producing sound, he graduated from the Institute of Audio Research in NYC in August 2005.
 
A songwriter/arranger, guitarist, and lead vocalist with the bands Das Phrogge and Zero Charisma, he also performed solo as The Hero Pup. His CDs with Das Phrogge and Zero Charisma met with some moderate success in the alternative rock world.
 
As a talented graphic designer and artist, Christopher worked as a designer at Staten Island Borough Hall, the Staten Island Advance and Barking Dogs Art and Design. He had his own freelance design business known as Sleeping Cat Productions and designed and produced print graphics for clients which included campaign themes, logos, brochures and direct mailing pieces. Christopher was the designer of school newspapers for several elementary schools on the Island through the Sundog Theatre arts in education programs.
 
Christopher belonged to the American Society of composers and Publishers (ASCAP), the American Engineering Society, and was the founder of Sleeping Cat Pro Design and Audio. He continued his connection with local community theatre by designing and running sound for productions at SeaView Playwright’s Theatre and The Little Victory Theatre.
 
The perfect marriage of his skills occurred when he was chosen by a committee of the United Nations Organization (UNESCO) to submit an interactive music piece to the “Why Love/Why Now Art Exhibition at the opening of the Barcelona Forum. It included an original musical composition, package design and artistic concept, and a trip to Barcelona to oversee installation.
 
He loved to see the work of young people and was a great supporter of the Arts. Christopher Dillon Micha would be happy and grateful to think that he played a small part in helping young people find joy through theatre.

On Tuesday, February 4th, Borough President James S. Oddo presented the 2019 Patrick F. Daly award to two exemplary teachers in his honor: John DiMartino, coach and administrator at Port Richmond High School, and Renee Mazza, Assistant Principal at PS 23 The Richmondtown School.

The Patrick F. Daly Award was established shortly after Mr. Daly’s death to honor his legacy of service to the community, a steadfast commitment to his students, and his leadership. This award goes to two educators who exemplify the values of the fallen principal, who was gunned down 27 years ago in Red Hook, Brooklyn while searching for a student who had left the school building. The award was revived in 2017 by BP Oddo in honor of the 25th anniversary of Mr. Patrick Daly’s death.

“Every problem that exists in society, every challenge that we have, is made better and can be fixed through education when good people step forward and say ‘this is where I’m supposed to be and I’m going to do everything in my power to help these young people,'” noted Borough President Oddo at the ceremony. “Our real top priority at Borough Hall, and what we are known, for is education, because we know educators like these two, and like Patrick Daly, can change lives.”

The evening included an invocation from Father Squire, Pastor at Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Churhc, as well as a reflection from David Pascarella, Patrick Daly’s nephew, and Pat Daly, Patrick Daly’s son, who spoke on this award and the importance of appreciating people while they are still with us. Before the presentation of the awards, Port Richmond High School Principal Andrew Greenfield spoke on John DiMartino’s dedications to his students and PS 23 Principal Paul Proscia spoke on Renee Mazza’s friendly approach to caring for the PS 23 community.

Former honorees, Wilson Mohr, John Fodera, and Ingrid Ebanks, were in attendance to celebrate the honorees John DiMartino and Renee Mazza.

The award ceremony was followed by a reception with light fare in the main hall of the building provided by the Port Richmond High School Culinary Arts program as well as music performed by Port Richmond High School musicians.

Congratulations to two very deserving educators and thank you for the work you do!

John DiMartino
After graduating Long Island University on a full baseball scholarship with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, John DiMartino played two years of Minor League Baseball for the Ohio Valley Redcoats before beginning his teaching career in 1996 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, at Dewey Middle School, MS 136. John spent a year at MS 136 before accepting a teaching and coaching position at New Dorp High School. Mr. DiMartino served as the Junior Varsity Baseball Coach and Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball Coach for two and a half years until the spring of 1999 when he began working at Port Richmond High School, his home for the last 20 years. During his tenure at PRHS, John has coached various sports, including the Boys’ Varsity Bowling Team, taught as a Health and Physical Education Teacher, in addition to being a vital member of the Deans’ Office, overseeing Morning Entry where he looks forward to greeting each Raider every day. Throughout his 24-year career, John has dedicated his time to helping at-risk teens and their families to improve their lives. He has made it his life’s mission to provide resources, opportunities and support to a diverse body of adolescents and young adults. John has received numerous awards from principals, administrators, staff, students and parents at Port Richmond for his outstanding dedication and willingness to go above and beyond in any situation. John and his wife, Christine, have three children: John Jr., Lauren and Nicky. John loves nothing more than cheering for John Jr. while he pitches at Pace University, Lauren while on the basketball court for St. Joseph Hill, and Nicky while he’s on the baseball field for Farrell High School.

Renee Mazza
Renee Mazza, referred to as a “selfless and trusted friend to the entire PS 23 School Community,” has served as Assistant Principal to The Richmondtown School for the last 16 years. A graduate of the College of Staten Island with an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and Supervisory Certification, Renee began her teaching career in Brooklyn at PS 192, where she taught as an elementary school teacher for eight years, then as a Literary Coach for two years before her move to PS 23. Each morning at PS 23, Ms. Mazza can be seen opening breakfast items for students, talking to them, and getting to know each and every student. Parents often come to her for advice on how they can help their child learn better. As a result of Renee Mazza’s servant style of leadership, PS 23 has earned many prestigious honors, which include becoming and being recertified as a nationally recognized Leader In Me Lighthouse School with Academic Distinction, being honored as a NYS Reward School, and being recognized as a NYC DOE Respect For All School. In 2019, Renee pioneered PS 23’s Philanthropic Classroom project, where each Pre K-5 class partnered with charitable organizations to help those in need. This project has helped students learn empathy, compassion, kindness, and has enabled students to build relationships with neighboring organizations. She is the proud mother of two children, Gianluca and Maggee Mazza.

Borough President Oddo is excited to announce that his office is accepting applications for student internship positions available at Borough Hall.

“We are big believers in the power of mentorship, which is why I invite Staten Island students to apply to intern with us here at Borough Hall. We want to help our students in any way we can,” said Borough President Oddo.

Our teams are seeking creative students (must be a junior or senior in high school or in college) students who are detail oriented and interested in local government for an exciting opportunity to work at Borough Hall. The hours are flexible (between Monday and Friday, 9 am to 5 pm), but may require a few nights depending on the department’s schedule and responsibilities.

We have internships available within the following teams: Communications and Special Projects, Video, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Tourism Kiosk Volunteer, Education, and Accounting. Descriptions for each department’s positions and a portal for applications can be found on our website. 

While these internships are unpaid volunteer positions, students can receive signed verification for school credit if needed. 

Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce that he is continuing the Patrick F. Daly Award after reviving it in 2017 in honor of the 25th anniversary of Mr. Patrick Daly’s death. The Patrick F. Daly Award was established shortly after Mr. Daly’s death to honor his legacy of service to the community, a steadfast commitment to his students, and his leadership. This award goes to two educators who exemplify the values of the fallen principal, who was gunned down 26 years ago in Red Hook, Brooklyn while searching for a student who had left the school building.
​
After carefully considering all the nominations of exemplary educators submitted by the public, members of the Daly family and Borough President Oddo’s staff selected John DiMartino, coach and administrator at Port Richmond High School, and Renee Mazza, Assistant Principal at PS 23 The Richmondtown School, to receive the award. The ceremony will take place at Borough Hall on Tuesday, February 4th at 6:00pm.

“I’m happy to continue this award to honor Mr. Daly’s legacy, and sacrifice, as well as recognize outstanding educators in our community,” said Borough President Oddo. “I believe John DiMartino and Renee Mazza embody many of the exceptional qualities Mr. Daly had as an educator. Both have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their students and a love of education and their communities.”

John DiMartino
After graduating Long Island University on a full baseball scholarship with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, John DiMartino played two years of Minor League Baseball for the Ohio Valley Redcoats before beginning his teaching career in 1996 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, at Dewey Middle School, MS 136. John spent a year at MS 136 before accepting a teaching and coaching position at New Dorp High School. Mr. DiMartino served as the Junior Varsity Baseball Coach and Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball Coach for two and a half years until the spring of 1999 when he began working at Port Richmond High School, his home for the last 20 years. During his tenure at PRHS, John has coached various sports, including the Boys’ Varsity Bowling Team, taught as a Health and Physical Education Teacher, in addition to being a vital member of the Deans’ Office, overseeing Morning Entry where he looks forward to greeting each Raider every day. Throughout his 24-year career, John has dedicated his time to helping at-risk teens and their families to improve their lives. He has made it his life’s mission to provide resources, opportunities and support to a diverse body of adolescents and young adults. John has received numerous awards from principals, administrators, staff, students and parents at Port Richmond for his outstanding dedication and willingness to go above and beyond in any situation. John and his wife, Christine, have three children: John Jr., Lauren and Nicky. John loves nothing more than cheering for John Jr. while he pitches at Pace University, Lauren while on the basketball court for St. Joseph Hill, and Nicky while he’s on the baseball field for Farrell High School.

Renee Mazza
Renee Mazza, referred to as a “selfless and trusted friend to the entire PS 23 School Community,” has served as Assistant Principal to The Richmondtown School for the last 16 years. A graduate of the College of Staten Island with an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and Supervisory Certification, Renee began her teaching career in Brooklyn at PS 192, where she taught as an elementary school teacher for eight years, then as a Literary Coach for two years before her move to PS 23. Each morning at PS 23, Ms. Mazza can be seen opening breakfast items for students, talking to them, and getting to know each and every student. Parents often come to her for advice on how they can help their child learn better. As a result of Renee Mazza’s servant style of leadership, PS 23 has earned many prestigious honors, which include becoming and being recertified as a nationally recognized Leader In Me Lighthouse School with Academic Distinction, being honored as a NYS Reward School, and being recognized as a NYC DOE Respect For All School. In 2019, Renee pioneered PS 23’s Philanthropic Classroom project, where each Pre K-5 class partnered with charitable organizations to help those in need. This project has helped students learn empathy, compassion, kindness, and has enabled students to build relationships with neighboring organizations. She is the proud mother of two children, Gianluca and Maggee Mazza.

“My family and I want thank the Borough President and his staff for continuing to honor my father and his legacy through this award.  We also would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to this year's award recipients,” said Patrick Daly, son of the fallen educator.

The award ceremony will be followed by a reception with light fare in the main hall of the building.

On Tuesday, January 28, BP Oddo joined with Councilman Steve Matteo, NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone, representatives from the School Construction Authority and the Department of Education, and students and staff from IS 51 to officially cut the ribbon on their new playground!
 
As BP Oddo stated at the ribbon-cutting, "this project really is an example of teamwork and coordination across city government." Thank you to everyone who made this project a reality!
​
This project -- jointly funded by Borough Hall, Matteo's office, Speaker Cory Johnson and Mayor Bill de Blasio -- includes a synthetic turf field with a painted track around it, new basketball courts and an area for outdoor classrooms.

 
The best news is there's money left over for phase two to renovate another portion of the playground! This phase is currently in design and final decisions have not been made about the amenities. Here are some of the recommendations for amenities that could be included in phase two:

On Monday, January 27th Borough President Oddo gathered his staff to thank retiring NYCT President Andy Byford for his dedication to improving Staten Island Commutes.

On Sunday, Jan, 26, crowds of Staten Islanders learned about the projects Borough Hall is working on to improve life around the borough during our annual Direct Connect Sunday at Tottenville High School.
 
One aspect of the day included a resource fair where Staten Islanders were able to meet with representatives from city agencies, cultural organizations and community groups to ask questions about their services.
 
Throughout the gallery hallway, detailed boards showcased our accomplishments from 2019 and looked ahead at our 2020 agenda.
 
A highlight of the afternoon was a Q&A Chat with those in attendance. Their engaging questions touched on the drug epidemic, senior housing, the HOV lane on the SIE, the express bus redesign, affordable housing, employment opportunities for the disabled, overdevelopment, and film production.
 
“I commit to you for our remaining 700 days, we will work on the meat-and-potato issues that matter to Staten Island. We always have, we always will. I am also proud of the fact that we are willing as an office to invest in long-term issues – the benefits of which will manifest long after we’re gone,” BP Oddo said.

Thank you to our hosts at Tottenville High School and to those who partnered with us to make this a successful event happen and to the Staten Islanders who spent the afternoon with us. We hope you walked away with a sense of how dedicated we are to Staten Island.
 
Missed Direct Connect? Learn about our projects here! 

Borough President Oddo today joined with students and staff to cut the ribbon on two projects he funded for PS 78 in Clifton: auditorium upgrades and sensory pathways for a hallway within the school. The upgrades to the auditorium include new flooring, painting, curtains for the stage and the windows, seats, side walls, and a stage floor.

Sensory Hallways are pathways lined with colorful decals that allow students to skip, jump and even play a little hopscotch as they move throughout the school. Children who follow the path might be jumping at certain intervals, taking slow steps in other spots, hopping from lily pad to lily pad, or placing their hands on handprints on the wall and pushing as hard as they can.

The Sensory Path – the company who installed PS 78’s Sensory Pathways – describes their product as a brain break for students to refocus. When a child with a sensory processing disorder such as Autism is in a general education classroom, their brain is trying to process several different things at once. From sitting up in the chair, the climate in the room, the other children next to them, the smells, the teacher talking, another child talking, the movements in the room, everything we usually can tune out, they are tuning into. Kids with sensory processing disorders can't just simply turn off the radio of their brain. They need a brain break. Their neurological pathways have essentially jammed, and must be cleared. By taking the sensory overloaded kid to our Sensory Path, they will complete a series of movements as they move through the path that are designed to release the blocked paths and allow the body and brain to refocus.

The hallways are beneficial not only to those students who require sensory input, but for the entire student body – and even the staff.

“We want our students to get active and be engaged, which is why I am excited to see today’s ribbon cuttings at PS 78 for their new auditorium and especially their sensory pathways. These pathways will allow children to burn energy and return to the classroom refocused and ready to learn. We are big advocates of the importance and benefits of exercise, so I am looking forward to seeing the success of these hallways on the PS 78 community,” said Borough President Oddo.
​
The auditorium was funded in two phases: $400,000 for first phase, which included new flooring, painting, and curtains for the stage and the windows, and $650,000 for phase two, which included new seats, side walls and stage floor. Phase two is still underway, with the side walls and stage floor still to be completed. The sensory pathway was funded for $2,500. PS 78 is the first school Borough President Oddo has allocated funding for sensory pathways.