​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.