​Borough President Oddo announced today a litter PSA video featuring local kids (Borough Hall staff families) expressing their disgust for litter.
 
The PSA video shows that “even the kids know” litter is bad for where we live, but “they know what to do”: pick it up and throw it in the trash can.
 
“Staten Island listen up. Our litter problem is a self-inflicted one that Staten Islanders are doing to other Staten Islanders, one that Staten Islanders are doing to kids who are calling on you to help them keep their home clean. We hope these Staten Islanders grow up to be less inclined to act selfishly and demonstrate a greater appreciation for their neighbors and our Island,” said Borough President Oddo.
 
This first video features the children and grandchildren of Borough Hall staffers sharing the message to keep Staten Island clean. This is meant to kick off the new campaign and the Borough President is asking Staten Island parents to share videos of their kids sharing their messages to properly dispose of garbage and keep our borough clean. If interested in your child taking part in our anti-litter campaign, please contact Renee Sarno at RSarno@statenislandusa.com for details.
 
Borough President Oddo last week announced the resurgence of “Own the 18,” an anti-litter program, which encourages home and business owners to remove litter from their property, as well as 18 inches into the street, as required by NYC Administrative Code: Section 16-118(2)(a). During the weekend of July 18 (July 17-18), Borough President Oddo is asking Staten Island property and business owners to commit to taking a few moments to clean in front of their properties. Those who participate are encouraged to post before and after photos on social media with the hashtag #OwnThe18 to be re-posted by the office’s social media accounts.

​Borough President Oddo announced today the resurgence of “Own the 18,” an anti-litter program. “Own the 18” encourages home and business owners to remove litter from their property, as well as 18 inches into the street, as required by NYC Administrative Code: Section 16-118(2)(a).
 
During the weekend of July 18 (July 17-18), Borough President Oddo is asking Staten Island property and business owners to commit to taking a few moments to clean in front of their properties.
 
“We have tried everything under the sun that a local government office can, yet Staten Island seems to as filthy with litter as it ever has been. We fully understand there is a pandemic, an economic and budgetary crisis that has resulted from it, as well as a whole host of street and mental and physical implications from them. None of this justifies the litter we see or prevents us from each doing our small role in addressing the litter we see. So while I would hope Staten Islanders would do their part every day, we are designating one weekend when each of us pledge to remove litter near our homes and begin to reclaim part of our quality of life. Meanwhile, our team is back 'in the lab' crafting new initiates, including a couple designed for children in hopes they grow up to be less inclined to act selfishly and demonstrate a greater appreciation for their neighbors and our Island,” noted Borough President Oddo. “Our litter problem is a self-inflicted one that Staten Islanders are doing to other Staten Islanders. While the majority of Staten Islanders are not engaging in it, we need the majority to help us with the solution.”
 
Those who participate are encouraged to post before and after photos on social media with the hashtag #ownthe18 to be reposted by the office’s social media accounts.

RSVP on our Facebook Event Page to tell your Staten Island friends and neighbors you will #OwnThe18 the weekend of July 18th! 

Borough President James S. Oddo announced today that his office has launched the social media campaign #outSIdeEATS to support local eateries that have shifted to outdoor dining, as designated by Phase 2 of the State’s re-opening plan.
 
This social media campaign follows the successful #DeliverSI campaign, which supports eateries that shifted to delivery and takeout during COVID-19 PAUSE order.

The #outSIdeEATS campaign offers Staten Islanders the following comprehensive spreadsheet of local restaurants, bars and cafés with curb lane, sidewalk, backyard and/or patio seating. It can be found at: https://bit.ly/outSIdeEATS. This constantly updated list is designed for those who wish to partake in an outdoor dining experience.
 
“Our Borough Hall team is looking to replicate the success we had with our #DeliverSI initiative we started when restaurants were first forced to close. We unveiled #outSIdeEATS to tell you all the great Staten Island joints that are open and ready to serve with outdoor dining options. We continue to host the #DeliverSI list for takeout and delivery. But if you are among those who want to get to a restaurant now, we will have you covered,” said Staten Island Borough President Oddo.
 
Staten Islanders are encouraged to tag the Borough President’s Office @StatenIslUSA in the places they are dining and use the #outSIdeEATS hashtag to show support and raise awareness of those open for outside dining.
 
Any restaurant, bar or café that would like to be featured in the list are asked to contact Lauren Lefkowitz at llefkowitz@statenislandusa.com with the following information: zip code; restaurant name; address; phone number; type of dining (patio/sidewalk/street/parking lot); reservation requirements; takeout/delivery availability; days and hours; social media handles; website.

​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his office will be instituting a “Thank A Veteran” initiative during November. As part of his office’s effort to acknowledge and thank Veterans for their service and sacrifice, BP Oddo is inviting Veterans and family members of Veterans to participate in this campaign where they will be recognized on Staten Island USA’s webpage and social media accounts.
 
Those who wish to participate can send the following information to the Borough President’s office: a photo of the Veteran in uniform, their name, rank, branch of service and/or any other info they might want to share (limited to a sentence or two). The office will then post the information during the month of November.
 
“I want to encourage the community to participate in this program to ensure the service and memories of those who served are not forgotten. I am extremely thankful to all those who have dedicated their lives in service to protecting this country,” said BP Oddo.
 
Any information that the public wishes to share can be sent to Stephanie Slepian at SSlepian@statenislandusa.com. Submissions will be accepted through November 28.  

As part of his health initiative efforts, Borough President James Oddo has kicked off a “Fizz Free February” campaign on social media. The initiative is designed to educate the public about the realities of sugar, especially in soda and sugar sweetened beverages. Given the severity in the overall health statistics of Staten Islanders, Borough President Oddo feels that it is important to bring attention to health education and positive lifestyle changes, beginning with the importance of cutting sugar in your diet.
 
The campaign will take place over the month of February. Each Friday on Borough Hall’s Staten Island USA social media accounts, a post will highlight the realities of how sugar affects the way our bodies function as well as the overall state of our health.
 
Statistics show that in this country, sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar to a person’s diet. Increased sugar consumption has been shown to lead to obesity, which dramatically increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
 
The public will be encouraged to put down their soda and sugar sweetened beverages, and to instead consume only sugar-free beverages, such as water, seltzer, or unsweetened iced tea. Examples of sugar sweetened beverages include regular soda, diet soda, sweetened tea, sweetened coffee, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks.
 
“By educating Staten Islanders about the dangers of sugary drinks, we can help them make informed decisions about their health,” noted Borough President Oddo. “We’ve encouraged the participants to get creative in educating their peers about the negative effects of these beverages, which we hope will inspire them to eventually ‘kick the can’ for good.”
 
Borough President Oddo is excited to see Staten Islanders “Fizz Free February” sugar-free drink options. Tag our social media accounts with photos of friends, family, coworkers, or classmates drinking healthy alternatives to soda and sugary drinks and we will repost them.