CSI in the News - CSI Today

CSI in the NewsMarch 2010

Table of ContentsAds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Faculty & Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Students & Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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Brooklyn Calendar Highlights: Activities for Kids and Families -March 2010by Editorial Staff, NYMetroParentsCelebrations in GreenJoin in the fun this St. Patrick's Day with these family-friendly events.Shenanigans with Pat & Mike: Listen to and sing along with some Irishdrumming and guitar playing. Learn about the bodrhan (a traditional Irishdrum), make music with spoons (used on the thighs), and enjoy a varietyof traditional tunes. March 13 at 2pm. $6; FREE children under 1. SnugHarbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. 718-273-2060. www.statenislandkids.org.Riverdance: 15th Anniversary Farewell Tour at Radio City MusicHall: The performance is a thunderous celebration of Irish music, song,and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage, thrilling millions of people around theglobe. March 17 and 20 at 2pm and 8pm; March 18 and 19 at 8pm; March 21 at 1pm and7pm. $39.50 and up. 1260 Sixth Avenue, Manhattan. 212-307-7171. www.radiocity.com.In honor of St. Patrick, visitors to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center can play with some greenclay on March 17, 1:30-3:30pm; whip up some Irish dishes like oatmeal cookies or Irish steweach Friday in March at 2pm, 3pm, or 4pm; or make their own charm during Celtic CraftDesign on March 6, 7, 20, and 21 at 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm. $6; FREE children under 1. SnugHarbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. 718-273-2060.www.statenislandkids.org.13 of 162

Get your Irish up Staten Island!By Ben JohnsonMarch 04, 2010, 10:00AMAWE/DESIGNED BY MARY GARRISONCLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Kimberly Modolo, 12; Juliana DeGeorge, 11;Audra Caffrey, 12; and Caitlin Carr, 11; strike a pose at last year's StatenIsland St. Patrick's Parade. The Irish-American rock band Black 47. Themusical quartet Four Celtic Voices. See the list below for more ways tocelebrate St. Patrick's Day on Staten Island.STATEN ISLAND, NY -- Leave it to a band named after the worstyear in Ireland’s potato famine to hit the nail on the head withtheir most recent album.Black 47’s “Bankers and Gangsters,” released this week, is intitle a timely echo of the populist anger being felt around thecountry towards big bailouts for everyone but the everyman. Butas longtime New Yorker and lead singer Larry Kirwan will tell you,the tune is not meant to be a divider.“Our audience is split between a very left wing and a very rightwing,” says Kirwan, who brings his Irish-American rock band toCollege of Staten Island March 12. “We’ve been seen as havingliberal beliefs, but we’ve also always cherished the fact that we’vea lot of working class and civil service fans: cops, firemen,teachers. For us, we were never playing for the converted. If youwere making statements about Iraq, you had to back them upevery night on stage.”Currently celebrating its 20th birthday, Black 47 is a thoroughly aNew York City creation — a group of able musicians from distinctlyvaried backgrounds unafraid to mix Celtic musical traditions withhard rock, reggae and more. They’ve played NYC’s bars andbeyond for years, touring with critically acclaimed records like1993’s “Fire of Freedom” and those that received attention forBLACK 47Part of the CFA Presents 2010SeasonWhere: Center for the Arts, Collegeof Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd.,14 of 162

inging up sore subjects, like 2008’s “Iraq.” The new album’s titletrack, which features a big, bold horn section, is a perfect exampleof how Kirwan and the band makes their particular musicalconcoction.“I wanted to do something on the subject that would be up at thesame time,” says Kirwan. “You could get morose about it orpreachy about it, but I often go with the Yeats saying that ‘poetryshould be as cold and passionate as the dawn.’ What he meant is itshould be balanced, so if you’ve got a real serious subjectsometimes the best way to deal with it is in a lighter way, and viceversa.”Black 47 has plenty of lesser Irish rock peers (i.e. imitations), andthe music market hasn’t always treated them kindly, but thegroup’s big-tent creative philosophy keeps their fans coming back,especially around St. Patrick’s Day. The lead man himself has hisown Sirius Satellite Radio show, “Celtic Crush,” and he’s justreleased a novel named for a Black 47 song, “Rockin The Bronx,”which details the culture shock of an Irish immigrant arriving inNew York in the 1980s.Willowbrook; 718-982-ARTS.How much: Tickets are $30, $35and $40.More info: Black47.com,CFAshows.com.FOUR CELTIC VOICESWhen: 8 p.m. March 13.Where: St. George Theatre, 36Hyatt St., St. George; 718-442-2900.How Much: Tickets are $28, $35 &$38.More info: StGeorgeTheatre.com,FourCelticVoices.com.See Jodi Lee Reifer's list below formore ways to celebrate St. Patrick'sDay on Staten Island.So, does Kirwan engage in any regular Irish traditions this time of year, and how does he feel about beingconsidered an Irish rock band despite his own varied compositions?“We give up drinking,” he chuckles, answering the first question with a joke. “It’s kind of like Irish seasongets longer and longer, you know? As much as you can, you hitch your wagon to it. I suppose we get put inthe same camp with bands like Flogging Molly and and Dropkick Murphys, but you know, those are greatbands. I don’t mind being put in with them at all.”15 of 162

Buhler Singers show is musical magicBy The News staffBUHLER - A night of music led by the Buhler Singers adds the Crusader Singers and thekindergarten-through-eighth-grade students who attended the Buhler Singers' Kiddie Clinic.The show is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Buhler High School auditorium.The Buhler Singers will present their annual variety show. This year, "Magic on Broadway"features songs from musicals - "Pippin," "Shrek," "Newsies," "The Wiz," "Little Shop ofHorrors," "Rent" and "Hairspray." The Broadway theme was chosen as a send-off for thesingers, who leave for New York City on Wednesday. Their March 17-21 visit has them competingin the Performing Arts Consultant Festival at College of Staten Island.Also featured will be the Crusader Singers and the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade BuhlerSingers' Kiddie Clinic.The Kiddie Clinic will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Buhler High School. All students areinvited to join the Buhler Singers as they teach the children songs to perform for the Tuesdaynight show. Kindergarten through third grade will perform "Everybody Rejoice." Grades 4 and 5will sing "Ease on Down the Road." Sixth through eight grades will add "Little Shop of Horrors."Buhler Singers members will lead each group with choreography and music.To become a participant in the Kiddie Clinic, call (888) 662-8802 or e-mail Stephanie Tucker atstucker@buhlerschools.org. The cost for the clinic is $25, and each participant will receive a shirt.Scholarship information and multiple child discounts are available.The variety show, under the direction of Greg Bontrager, will include solo and ensemble acts, plusskits for an evening of music and laughter.General admission tickets are available at the door. For more information, call the high schooloffice at (620) 543-2259.16 of 162

Today's Family & Kids Activities in Brooklyn-Mar 14by Directories EditorParents, don't let your childrenmiss out on the fun! Here aresome of today's kids and familyactivities in Brooklyn, fromconcerts and museums todecorating cupcakes andgardening! Want to see what'sgoing on next weekend or whenyou have those few days off?Check out the NY Metro Parents'calendar!2010 Brooklyn Saint Patrick's DayParade - Park SlopeMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynParade route: Down 15th Streetto 7th Avenue; along 7th Avenue to Union Street; up Union Street to Prospect Park West; AlongProspect Park West to 15th Street.David Gonzalez's Sleeping Beauty - Brooklyn Center for the Performing ArtsMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynDavid Gonzalez puts a new spin on the classic fairy tale, using live and electronic music, dance,image projections, and lighting to create a magical multimedia world.David Gonzalez’s Sleeping Beauty - Brooklyn Center for the Performing ArtsMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynMaster storyteller David Gonzalez puts a new spin on the classic fairy tale in this world premieresolo performance, using live and electronic music, dance, image projections, and exquisitelighting to create a magical multimedia world in which a beautiful princess is awakened by truelove’s kiss.Bowl-a-Thon - Staten Island ZooMarch 14, 2010 - Staten Island17 of 162

A fundraising event for the Zoo. Pay admission yourself or collect some "spare" change fromfriends and family. Three games, two slices of pizza, and a soda are included with admission.The afternoon will also include music and raffles.The Hobbit - Center for the Arts at the College of Staten IslandMarch 14, 2010 - Staten IslandTheatre Sans Fil brings J.R.R. Tolkien's award-winning story of Bilbo Baggins, the wizardGandalf, and their dwarf friends to life by using more than 50 life-sized puppets, including a 25-foot-long dragon and 10-foot-tall trolls and goblins. Recommended for children over the of age7.Nature Crafts - Prospect Park Audubon CenterMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynTeachers/Naturalists lead structured and engaging arts activities for children. Kids create toys,puppets, and more using all-natural materials.Early American Crafts & Games - Prospect Park Lefferts Historic HouseMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynLearn games, pastimes, and tasks that were common 150 years ago.Science Power Hour - Prospect Park Audubon CenterMarch 14, 2010 - BrooklynJoin a naturalist for cool science activities, featuring a new experiment every month.The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) - The New Victory TheaterMarch 14, 2010 - ManhattanAn irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard's plays. Three actors take the audiencethrough raucous parodies of all 37 of Shakespeare's plays, beginning with a send-up of "Romeoand Juliet," followed by a "Titus Andronicus" cooking show, a rap version of "Othello," and aone-minute version of "Hamlet."18 of 162

Rest in peace, Johnny Maestro, sweet prince of doo-wopBy Maura YatesMarch 26, 2010, 11:51PMBull Lyons/Staten Island AdvanceJohnny Maestro in concert last year at the St. George Theatre. Crooner spent his gloryyears in Midland Beach.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nearly every Staten Island girl who has come of age with a party at a catering hallcan tip her tiara to the memory of Johnny Maestro, the doo-wop star from Midland Beach and member of thegroup Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge, who recorded "Sixteen Candles."Maestro, who was born John Mastrangelo in Brooklyn but called the Island home from 1957 until 1972, diedof cancer Wednesday in Florida. He was 70.Before changing his name to Maestro, he began his career in the 1950s with The Crests, when he sang asJohnny Mastro. In 1960, three of his singles placed on the charts: "Model Girl," "What a Surprise" and "MyHappiness."Maestro later joined the Del-Satins, which merged with The Rhythm Method, a Long Island band, to formJohnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge in 1968.The band got its name after a manager declared it would be "harder to sell than the Brooklyn Bridge,"Maestro once said.Among their hits were "The Worst That Could Happen," which band-mate Les Cauchi said earned "goldrecord" status with a million sales. The group performed that song on "The Ed Sullivan Show," Cauchi said.The group’s other hits included "Blessed is the Rain," "Welcome Me Love" and "You’ll Never Walk Alone."19 of 162

Maestro, along with Vito Picone of Vito Picone and The Elegants fame, and Bobby Cassotto, better known asBobby Darin, all spent time hanging out at the South Beach Boardwalk in the 1950s, and all went on toscore chart-topping hits.Maestro performed locally at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, the St. George Theatre, theCollege of Staten Island and a Back to the Beach concert, as well as other fundraising events at Islandschools. The band toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, playing arenas, amphitheaters and casinos.Friend and fellow band-member Jimmy Rosica remembered the drill for those road trips: The tour bus wouldstop first in Hicksville, L.I., to pick up several band members, then in Queens, and finally cross theVerrazano-Narrows Bridge to pick up Maestro and fellow Islanders Freddy Ferrara and Mike Gregorio."Picking them up was an experience," Rosica said. By the time everyone loaded their gear and got ready tohit the road, "before we even got to the Goethals Bridge, we’d already been in the bus for 14 hours."Locally, Cauchi remembered gigs at the former Crocitto's nightclub and the Lincoln Lounge, along withplaying a lot of proms and other Island shows.He remembered Maestro as "one of the premier vocalists in rock ‘n’ roll — and one of the nicest, mostsincere perfectionists in music.""Of all the talent, Johnny was the smoothest," said Bruce (Cousin Brucie) Morrow, who worked with Maestromany times. "He probably sounded more like his recordings live than any other performer. He always heldtrue to the music and treated it with great respect."Maestro’s last performance was Jan. 17, when The Brooklyn Bridge was among groups appearing at theMohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. It was billed as "Bowzer’s Ultimate Doo-Wop Party.""As frail and weak as Johnny seemed, I knew he didn’t want to have to cancel," host Jon (Bowzer) Baumansaid in an e-mailed statement. "I told him afterward it was the most courageous performance I’d ever seen.As frail as he looked, that’s how strong he sounded."It was a privilege to have known him, and it was thrilling to have listened to him," said Bauman.A memorial service is tentatively planned for Friday on Long Island, Rosica said, directing fans to the group’sWeb site, www.j-maestro-bklyn-bridge.com, for more information.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.20 of 162

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All Religions Agree on Fighting HungerPaul VirgoThe world's major religions might disagree on theology and matters like the foods weought to eat and the days we should rest on, but when it comes to fighting hunger, they seeeye to eye.The holy books say that those who do not have enough to eat must be helped, which, ifyou are a believer, makes food insecurity a spiritual issue, not just a political or economicone."In every religion I know, the first or second most talked about issue [in theirscriptures] is the number of verses that deal with the poor, the sick, the hungry," Tony P.Hall, director of the Alliance to End Hunger and former United States ambassador to theUnited Nations food agencies in Rome, told IPS. "Over 2,500 Christian verses deal withthis issue. Hunger is an issue that belongs to people of faith. God is very clear on this - weare supposed to take action."Muslims agree."How can your spiritual state be in comfort when those around you are in need? Beinga good Muslim is not just about locking yourself in a mosque in prayer," MostafaMahboob of the U.S. section of Islamic Relief told IPS."You also have responsibilities as a member of your community to those around you.There is definitely a connection between spirituality and hunger. By working to fighthunger, you are putting religious and spiritual teaching into practice."Today 1.02 billion people are undernourished, according to the United Nations Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO), and believers are not the only ones to have allowedthis to happen -- the whole world has, agnostics and atheists included.Furthermore, religious organizations are in the frontline in fighting hunger. TheCatholic umbrella group Caritas International is one of the world's biggest aid agencies.Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs all have important organizations similar toCaritas and Islamic Relief.22 of 162

Nevertheless, some commentators have reached the conclusion that, if the scourge ofhunger now affects almost one in six in a world of adequate food supplies, millions ofpeople of faith must be neglecting the religious principles they claim to adhere to."How high must be the pile of statistics of hungry people? How high must be the pileof dead people? How high must be the pile of Bible verses? What will awaken the peopleof God from their comatose state?," asked Craig L Nessan in his book ‘Give Us This Day,A Lutheran Proposal For Ending World Hunger’.Prof. Shannon Jung of the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City agrees thatmany believers frequently ignore an issue that should be a priority for them. "I would saythat people of faith are remarkably disposed to respond to crises such as that which Haiti isundergoing right now, but that we people of faith tend to miss a joyful opportunity toaddress systemic issues in the food supply system," Jung told IPS."Sharing with others is a gift that we can give, and one from which we also receive.God created human beings to share and we have a real need to share. We remain spirituallystunted if we do not."Jung believes some religious leaders have a share of the blame because they givehunger less attention than other issues such as abortion or homosexuality. "I do thinkhunger is a more immediate, obvious and demanding issue than abortion or homosexuality.Hunger penetrates every other issue and impacts the human family far more than abortionor homosexuality," he said."Sometimes I think churches in affluent nations deal with abortion and homosexualityas a way of avoiding the more serious and challenging issue of their complicity in hungerand poverty -- a complicity that we, the affluent, all share in."Similarly, Richard H. Schwartz, an emeritus mathematics professor of the College ofStaten Island and a commentator on Judaism and social affairs, believes many of his fellowJews are ignoring God's will by not doing more about hunger. "Jews rightfully condemnthe silence of the world when six million Jews and millions of other people were murderedby the Nazis," he commented in an essay on Judaism and Hunger. "Can we be silent whenmillions die agonizing deaths because of lack of food? Can we acquiesce to the apathy ofthe world toward the fate of starving people?"The religious exponents are also in sync about how people of faith should combathunger, with three main forms of response advocated.The first is financial support for, and personal involvement in, agencies and campaignsseeking to alleviate hunger. "I think that Jews should be supporting a global Marshall-typeplan to alleviate hunger, poverty, illiteracy, disease, pollution and other societal ills, byusing some of the money now going for military purposes for this initiative," Schwartz toldIPS.23 of 162

George McGovern proposed that "every church member, every synagogue member,every Muslim, every Buddhist, ought to make sure that their church has an overseas armand a domestic arm that reaches out to the hungry" in ‘Ending Hunger Now,’ a book hewrote with Methodist theologian Donald Messer and fellow former U.S. Senator BobDole.The second suggested way of responding is political activism to try to pressuredecision-makers into doing more to promote food security. "They (churches) can be veryeffective in lobbying -- they could have a special section where they would organize andpetition Congress or petition the state legislatures," said Dole. "It is pretty easy (forpoliticians) to forget about domestic or world hunger. I know from experience… but we’vejust got to keep pestering people until they get the message."Mahboob backs this position. "Hunger is a human rights issue and any peaceful meansto promote it is good, so we should take advantage of political or advocacy channels," hesaid. "It's reasonable to say that greater pressure from constituencies could help remedy thelack of political force in addressing this issue."The final form of response is via the individual believer's lifestyle -- simpler livingwith less consumerism and waste. "One of the things that Islam teaches us is to only put onyour plate what you can finish. It's not good to waste food. It's disrespectful to God," saidMahboob."We should respect what we have and be thankful. We are always trying to catch upwith what our neighbors have, what car they drive and so on. But Islam says we should notbe excessive in our everyday lives and we should share with our neighbors, our fellowhumans… If we cut down on waste, we would spend less and have more to devote to thosein need."Schwartz even encourages people of faith to convert to vegetarianism, arguing thiswould free up agricultural resources to feed the hungry because breeding livestock is aninefficient way of producing food. "I believe it is scandalous that the world is currentlyfeeding about 40 percent of its grain to animals, while so many people are chronicallyhungry and malnourished," he said."It is urgent that religious communities and individuals scrutinize their life style andturn from habits of waste, over-consumption and thoughtless acceptance of the standardspropagated by advertisements and social pressures."God -- reality itself -- calls us to respond to the cry for food. And we hear it as a crynot only for aid but also for justice."CITATION: Paul Virgo, Religion: Fighting Hunger - A Matter of Faith, Inter PressService, February 10, 201024 of 162

Copyright IPS (Inter Press Service) 2010Read the IPS news agency at ipsnews.netPaul Virgo reports from Rome for the Inter Press ServiceCopyright © 2010 The World & I Online. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy25 of 162

Prospect looms of a new Ming dynastyBy Jamie LeeMarch 04, 2010, 9:34AMCSI professor is one of several up for an Oscar for documentary about 2008earthquake in ChinaSTATEN ISLAND, NY – WILLOWBROOK — Among all theglamour and glitz of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremonythis Sunday, one unassuming, and largely unknown, West Shoreresident will be standing shoulder to shoulder on the red carpetwith stars and celebrities.And because of this, a number of extravagant parties and otherfestivities are scheduled all weekend long for Willowbrook’s MingXia in anticipation of the big night.Ming Xia, of Willowbrook, and a politicalscience professor at the College of StatenIsland, is up for an Academy Award for hisdocumentary on the 2008 Chinaearthquake. PHOTO COURTESY OF THECOLLEGE OF STATEN ISLANDIt’ll be a stark change from the College of Staten Islandclassroom which he’ll be standing in front of tonight before hisflight to Hollywood.But it isn’t the hubbub of the event that has Xia so excited.It’s the exposure for his message that has him brimming withanticipation.A political science professor at the Willowbrook school, Xiaworked as a producer and translator for HBO’s “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province,”which is one of five films nominated for an Oscar in the short documentary category.A native of that rural section of China, Xia visited his home town in the aftermath of the 2008 earthquakethat killed 70,000 people, including 10,000 children.He had been asked by a friend, Peter Kwan, to accompany him and two others to the devastated areajust 10 days after the disaster to try to document the event.Familiar with the local dialect, Xia, despite dealing with the “heartbreaking scenes” left by thecatastrophe, worked as a translator and cultural guide.The group hiked for two days through rubble before finding survivors to speak with.The first story they were told was one of a school collapse that killed more than 120 students, mostlyfourth- and fifth-graders.The group stayed with the parents of those children, watching as they created a memorial in front of thedecimated school and began marches and protests.It wasn’t easy to document on either a personal or professional level, Xia admits, but the group returnedwith 58 hours of footage, which required hours of translation and subtitling.Unlike some documentaries, however, there is no commentary.Instead, those affected by the quake tell their own stories, through Xia’s translation.Originally planned with a two-hour run time, the executive producer for the movie and president of HBO26 of 162

Documentary Sheila Nevins felt the material was Oscar-worthy, so the team re-cut the film to fit into theAcademy’s guidelines.Eight months after the May premiere, the nomination came through.Xia will be flying to Los Angeles tomorrow morning – taking a much-deserved day off from his teachingschedule – where he will meet back up with his team and a female survivor from the Sichuan Province whohas also been invited.Xia and the others will be honored guests at an HBO party tomorrow and the International DocumentaryAssociation gala on Saturday.“We’re going to enjoy the parties and the events,” admitted Xia. “But maybe because I’m from a foreigncountry and a foreign culture, I don’t look at (the experience like someone else might).”And despite the noteworthy company he’ll have on the red carpet, he’s the farthest thing from starstruck.“I don’t feel like a celebrity,” he said, smiling, when asked. “I’m not a movie maker. My profession is as aprofessor. For this, I guess you could say that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time forthe right reason.”Xia does admit that it’ll be quite the experience, but he is most excited that the film will get additionalexposure.“Other people are there because they are stars and have different agendas,” he said. “But for us, we arethere for a documentary, and our agenda is to help our movie.”Xia hopes that, win or lose, the American audience will see a glimpse of the real China and a tragic eventthat happened there.“This is so that the people can pay more attention to what has happened and so the Chinese governmentcan do a better job helping those that still need help and preparing for the future,” Xia said.Alluding to the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, Xia feels that the overall message is something thateveryone can relate to.“The earth is making a lot of noise right now, and our movie is touching on an important issue: How arewe prepared for catastrophes? We all need to be prepared,” he said.Jamie Lee is a reporter for the Staten Island Advance. He covers the West and South Shoresand may be reached at jamielee@siadvance.com.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.27 of 162

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JBFC Announces Director Of Educational InnovationPOSTED BY WESTCHESTER.COMSUNDAY, 07 MARCH 2010Pleasantville, NY - Holen Sabrina Kahn was named the first Director of EducationalInnovation for the Jacob Burns Film Center’s Media Arts Lab, which is dedicated to fostering lifelong learningand teaching 21st century communication.Kahn will work closely with Founder and Executive Director Stephen Apkon and Director of EducationPrograms Emily Keating, as well as other JBFC Faculty to continue to forge new approaches to teaching,learning, and storytelling in the digital age. She will be responsible for short and long-term creation andstrategic design of curricula, as well as represent the JBFC and Media Arts Lab at education and 21st centuryliteracy conferences, nationally, and internationally. In addition, Kahn will oversee course consistency andcompatibility, working with over 20 educators who teach at the Media Arts Lab.The Media Arts Lab offers on-going semester long classes, one-time workshops, intensive workshops, andweekend programs for children and adults of all ages. Professional faculty lead courses in animation, editing,acting, scoring, cinematography, and more.Kahn received a BA in 1995 from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, an MFA from the School ofthe Art Institute of Chicago in 2002, and has had fellowships at the Whitney Museum of American ArtIndependent Study Program, Yale University’s Genocide Studies Program, and the Banff Centre for the Artsin Alberta, Canada. An award-winning filmmaker, she has worked as a producer and editor on numerousfilms, videos, and multi-media projects. She has taught at City University of New York’s College of StatenIsland, the University of California, San Diego, and Hampshire College.The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is a nonprofit cultural arts organization dedicated to: presenting thebest of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy, and making film avibrant part of the community. Located on a 47,500 sq. foot, three-building campus in the center ofPleasantville, the JBFC is just 30 miles outside of New York City. To learn more about the Jacob Burns FilmCenter and Media Arts Lab, visit www.burnsfilmcenter.org.29 of 162

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West Brighton Albany enforcer sees budget stalemate, envisionsrole for unionsBy Judy L. RandallMarch 11, 2010, 12:40AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A top Albany enforcer seemed to offerscant hope yesterday that the state Legislature would pass abudget by the April 1 deadline, and he suggested that labor unionsultimately would have to "step up" as they did during the city'sfiscal crisis more than three decades ago.But Angelo (Butch) Aponte of West Brighton, secretary to the stateSenate, stopped short of suggesting union givebacks to help plugthe state's $9.4 billion budget hole.Advance file photoDemocrat Angelo Aponte of West Brighton,the appointed secretary to the state Senate"In 1975, labor unions stepped up to rescue the city frombankruptcy," said the Democrat Aponte, who is in the middle of anappointed two-year term as Senate gatekeeper. "They put theirpensions into play. Now? I don't know. We have [labor] leaderswho have been through an economic downturn but don't have thathistory" of having helped to bring government back from the financial brink.Neither, he noted, do their memberships."There has to be a partnership between labor and government," headded. "We are all in it together."Aponte said that because "the numbers have changed" for the worse since Gov. David Paterson proposed hisbudget in January, it "has caused us to re-look at the numbers and take a pessimistic, or conservative, lookat revenues," because past revenue projections didn't materialize.Complicating on-time passage of the budget, he said, is the Passover-and-Easter period later this month andearly next, during which little might be accomplished by lawmakers. Still, he said, senators are "mindful ofmeeting debt-service requirements. If they don't, it will impact the state's credit rating enormously."Aponte said it was "difficult to say" whether the state would have a budget by April 1, the start of the newfiscal year."The only thing worse than having a bad budget is having a late bad budget," he said. "We have to fashion abudget that, while painful, will maintain core services."Aponte is a former city and state commissioner and one-time College of Staten Island vice president.He said that because education and health care account for 80 percent of state expenditures, deep cuts inthose areas are inevitable."Any cuts" to the New York City schools "will have a dramatic impact," he acknowledged, and said suburbanschool districts that have been sitting on millions of dollars in rainy-day funds must realize "we are in for anor'easter."34 of 162

He said cuts in the health care system would run the gamut from nursing homes to assisted living facilitiesto upstate hospitals currently "operating at the margins."Aponte also painted a bleak economic picture nationwide, saying the Wall Street "rebound" is "dry, reallyflat, with no jobs.""It's like saying the patient went from being extremely critical to being critical but stable," said Aponte. "Butthe patient is still critical. The economic tsunami is about to hit: Forty of the 50 states will be buffeted by it,"including New York.He said New Yorkers are "fortunate" to have Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch leading budget efforts because of his"history" during the 1975 crisis, with labor unions and in city and state government.Yesterday, Ravitch proposed a five-year financial plan that included borrowing up to $2 billion over each ofthe next three years and creating a financial review board. Aponte said he wasn't sure whether lawmakerswould go for a financial control board -- to which they'd have to sign off and which would reduce their abilityto control the flow of school aid and other monies.He said the Paterson scandals notwithstanding, "the governor has been consistent in his budget messagefrom the beginning" about not spending what the state doesn't have.While Aponte called the investigations of the governor "a distraction," he said lawmakers "are really focusedon the critical issues.""The state Senate and the Assembly are moving forward to see how deep the budget crevice is," saidAponte. "They know they have to make cuts without tearing the safety nets of the people who can ill affordto be back on the streets."He gave shout-outs to four of the borough's six-member state delegation for their focus on budget issues,including state Sens. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) and Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) andAssembly members Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) and Matthew Titone (D-North Shore).© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.35 of 162

PressReleasePointFree Press Release Distribution Website | Submit Press ReleasesAlison Bernstein Receives American Council on Education'sLifetime Achievement AwardBy Ford FoundationPosted March 11th, 2010 by Ford FoundationAlison R. Bernstein, vice president of the Ford Foundation's Education, Creativityand Free Expression program, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Awardby the American Council on Education (ACE) on March 6. NEW YORK, 11 March 2010— Alison R. Bernstein, vice president of the Ford Foundation's Education, Creativity and FreeExpression program, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the AmericanCouncil on Education (ACE) on March 6. The award paid tribute to her remarkable career inacademia, leadership in the field, and committment to strengthening higher education.Bernstein was presented the award at the ACE's Women's Leadership Dinner in Phoenix,Ariz. "Alison has supported women, especially women of color, throughout her career andhas worked tirelessly to provide leadership training and career development opportunities toensure their success in higher education administrative positions,” ACE President MollyCorbett Broad said in a news release. Bernstein is responsible for grant making ineducation, scholarship, media, religion, arts and reproductive health and rights at Ford,where she has served 13 of her 28-year tenure as program vice president. She has alsoheld leadership and teaching positions at Princeton University, Sangamon State University(now the University of Illinois, Springfield) and Staten Island Community College (now theCollege of Staten Island, City University of New York). The American Council on Education isa leading higher education organization in the United States that represents and coordinatesnearly 2,000 accredited colleges and universities, as well as higher education-relatedassociations, organizations and corporations. The 92-year-old organization's memberinstitutions serve 80 percent of college students today.News Source : Alison Bernstein Receives American Council on Education's LifetimeAchievement Award36 of 162

Physicians buoy Island economyBy Frank DonnellyMarch 12, 2010, 1:27AMAnthony DePrimo/Staten Island AdvanceDr. Vincent Calamia of the Amboy Medical Practice, talks with assistant Shawn Hynes.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- Staten Island doctors and their staffs not only save lives and treat sick patients,they pump more than a half-billion dollars into the borough's economy, a survey says.According to a study commissioned by the state medical society, the 437 private doctors' offices here in2008 accounted for $579 million in gross revenue, including $22 million in sales to suppliers and otherbusinesses."This translates into real money going into the local economy to pay the rent or mortgage, buy groceries,put gas in the car and buy from local retailers," said Dr. Leah McCormack, president-elect of the statemedical society and a Queens-based dermatologist."While the focus of local physicians and their staff is alleviating pain and getting people better, we seldomrecognize that these team members also ... are part of the local economic backbone," she said.Dr. McCormack said the group will distribute the results of the $50,000 study, which breaks down doctors'financial impact on 61 New York counties, to lawmakers, regulators, the governor and patients. They wantlegislators to consider private-practice doctors' contributions to local and state economies when weighinghealth-care reform and health-spending cuts.Doctors contend that high malpractice-insurance premiums and stagnant service-reimbursement rates aredriving scores of physicians out of state.37 of 162

"It's not just a doctors' issue, it's a local economic issue when we're being frozen from getting increasesfrom insurance companies," said Dr. Vincent J. Calamia, president of the Richmond County Medical Society."The bottom line is that private-practice physicians are a huge portion of small business throughout the stateand particularly on Staten Island. It's a huge [economic] driver."Among New York industries in 2008, private-practice physicians placed second in total businessestablishments, sixth in total employment, seventh in total personal income and 13th in total corporatesales, said the study.Statewide, private-physician practices employed almost 330 thousand people and generated more than $4.5billion in state tax revenue and almost $4.7 billion in local tax revenue. Those numbers are expected toincrease.On the Island, the collective 4,416 private-practice physicians and staff members account for about 3percent of workers in the borough, said the study.In 2008, they earned nearly $396 million, or more than 6 percent of total income garnered on Staten Island.Doctors and their staff shelled out more than $115 million in local and state taxes, including sales, gasoline,property and income taxes, the survey determined.The $579 million in gross revenue borough doctors took in was lowest among the five boroughs. Manhattantopped the chart at $6.3 billion. However, Staten Island was in the middle of the city pack, at $1.3 million,when considering the average amount each doctor's office puts into its county's economy.Dr. McCormack said the study was compiled from data obtained from various public sources, including thefederal Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.Jonathan Peters, a professor of finance at the College of Staten Island, worries that the health care sectorplays too large role in the borough's economy. Staten Island's two hospital systems employ another 7,700people.Peters said Census Bureau data for 2006-08 estimates that 26 percent of workers on the Island -- asignificantly higher number than determined by the medical society -- were employed in health care."It's a very, very weak job base. I'd be happier if we had a more diverse job base outside of health care,education and not-for-profit companies," said Peters. "I consider this more of a secondary sector ascompared to trade, commerce and finance."Peters said health care depends on government spending and patients securing insurance benefits throughother jobs. Medical program cuts or deep job losses in other industries could hamstring a health care-relianteconomy."Where do you get the money to pay for health care?" he asked.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.38 of 162

City Tech To Hold Program on Progress Of BrainResearchby Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net), published online 03-15-2010Student-Run Mind Games And Serious Medical TalksDOWNTOWN BROOKLYN -- In celebration of Brain Awareness Week (BAW), New York City College of Technology(City Tech) will offer a symposium to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research,on Thursday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the college's Atrium Amphitheater.Titles of the talks include: "Alzheimer Disease: Mechanism of Fading Memories," "Taurine Modulation of Insulin" and"Neurotransmitter Regulation of Hemodynamics: Novel Role of GABA."The symposium's organizers are City Tech Biological Sciences Professors Nasreen S. Haque and Niloufar Haqueand Biology Professor Abdeslem El Idrissi of the College of Staten Island.The day before the symposium will be devoted to fun-filled student activities focusing on the brain's role in who weare. There will be mind games, IQ tests, virtual images, films, an information desk, coffee tasting and cup cakesgalore (courtesy of human anatomy and physiology students), arts and crafts, dance lessons and performances.Students will give talks on the effect of food and drink on the brain, coordination and the brain, learning-memory andbehavioral patterns, among other topics."Our students will be the teachers on this day," says Professor Niloufar Haque. "We have students from othercolleges coming in to participate, including Touro College, St. Francis College and City College."New York City College of Technology (City Tech) of The City University of New York (CUNY) is the largest publiccollege of technology in New York state. Located at 300 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The College enrolls15,400 students in 60 baccalaureate, associate and specialized certificate programs. An additional 15,000 enroll incontinuing education and workforce development programs. Located at 300 Jay St. in Downtown Brooklyn, City Techis at the MetroTech Center academic and commercial complex.39 of 162

[March 16, 2010]The New York Times AnnouncesESOL Teacher of the Year AwardWinnerNEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- The New York Times announced todaythat Meg Frost is the winner of the 2010 ESOL (English for Speakers ofOther Languages) Teacher of the Year Award. Ms. Frost is a lead ESOLteacher at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow. During the selection process,the committee noted her collaborative efforts with civic and volunteerorganizations to engage her students as well as her commitment to furtheringtheir professional development.Now in its fourth year, the ESOL award program recognizes educators whohave consistently excelled in helping adult students learn English anddevelop the skills they need to create successful new lives in the UnitedStates. In addition to the winner, The Times is also recognizing fouroutstanding ESOL professionals.The honorees are Caryn T. Davis, CUNY Language Immersion Program(CLIP) instructor, College of Staten Island; Thomas A. Miller, teacher andteacher trainer, the Riverside Language Program; and Hsiao-wei Yang, ESOLinstruction coordinator, The Door. The Times will give a specialacknowledgement to the late Dr. Linda Ann Kunz, adjunct associateprofessor, The English Language Center, LaGuardia Community College, forthe important role she played in the lives of students and her leadership in theESOL/adult literacy field."The New York Times is pleased to present Ms. Frost the 2010 award for heroutstanding work in the ESOL adult education field," said Diane McNulty,executive director, community affairs and media relations, The New YorkTimes. "She and our other honorees represent the extraordinary work ESOLinstructors are doing in this field to help students build new lives and becomesuccessful contributors to our city and country." Ms. Frost and the honoreeswill be recognized at a special ceremony at The New York Times Buildingon Tuesday, March 16. Ms. Frost will receive a $2,500 cash prize and acommemorative plaque. Ms. Davis, Mr. Miller, Ms. Yang and a40 of 162

epresentative for Dr. Kunz will receive certificates and gifts from TheTimes.Later this spring, CUNY-TV's "EdCast" program will air interviews with Ms.Frost and the three honorees.All ESOL teachers who provide instruction to adult students in New YorkCity, Nassau and Westchester counties were eligible for consideration. Thenomination period ended on Feb. 5, 2010. Nominators included students,teaching colleagues and administrators.The winner and honorees were chosen by a selection committee ofdistinguished ESOL advocates: Susan Dalmas, Queens Library SusanGitman, The New York Public Library David Hellman, City University ofNew York Paul Kim, the Mayor's Office of Adult Education Elizabeth Lewis,Brooklyn Public Library Martin G. Murphy, Long Island Regional AdultEducation Network Robert Nechols, Westchester Community College ElkeApelbaum Savoy, NYS TESOL To learn more about the winner andhonorees, please visit www.nytimes-community.com. The Web site alsohosts additional information about The New York Times Community Affairsdepartment programs.About The New York Times Company The New York Times Company, aleading media company with 2009 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes TheNew York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, includingNYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose isto enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news,information and entertainment.This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com.Copyright 2010 Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) - All rights reserved41 of 162

Lecture at Wagner College tonight covers sociology of diseaseBy Tevah PlattMarch 16, 2010, 3:18PMGRYMES HILL-- Among the most prevalent theories discussed in today’scollege classrooms is social constructionism, which poses that categories like"race" and "gender" aren’t fixed descriptions of reality, but are the shiftingproducts of social forces, historical contexts, and human choices.That notion gives scholars pause, too, over concepts of health, where wordslike "epidemic," "obesity," or even "disease," can be charged with political andcultural, as well as scientific meanings.A new book edited byAnanya Mukherjeaexamines the concept ofepidemics.Sociologist Ananya Mukherjea will speak on the sociology of epidemicstonight as part of Wagner College’s Academic and Cultural Enrichment LectureSeries. The discussion: "The Sociology of Pandemics: The Way Social PowerShapes the Trajectory of Disease" will be held at 7 p.m. in Spiro Hall of theGrymes Hill campus.The event is open to the public.Dr. Mukherjea, a professor from the College of Staten Island’s Women’s Studies Program and Department ofSociology, will speak about the intersection of gender and medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, flu,depression and obesity, all of which have been labeled as "emerging epidemics."Dr. Mukherjea edited "Understanding Emerging Epidemics: Social and Political Approaches," a collectedvolume published last month to offer empirical and theoretical approaches to the sociological study of health.The term "emerging epidemic" is a bit controversial, according to Dr. Mukherjea, who said her bookexamines the concept of epidemics, the politics of managing them, and "behavioral or psychologicalconditions such as depression and obesity that are called epidemics but may or may not be."Proponents of the weight-acceptance movement, among others, have argued that the "obesity epidemic" isbogus, that evidence fails to correlate moderate obesity with poor health, that the measure of obesity isarbitrary, and that attitudes toward obesity are tainted by cultural concepts of class, beauty and socialstatus that favor thin people.Alexa Dietrich of Wagner College’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology will be the respondent attonight’s event, sponsored by Drs. Amy Eshleman and Jean Halley of Wagner College.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.42 of 162

NewsNew Presidents or Provosts: Arapahoe CC, Manhattanville College, North CarolinaA&T State U., St. Mary's College of Maryland, Spalding U., U. of Maryland-BaltimoreMarch 16, 2010• Linda Thompson Adams, dean and professor of nursing at Oakland University, in Michigan, has been selected as provost andvice chancellor of academic affairs at North Carolina A&T State University.• Diana Doyle, executive vice president of learning and student affairs at Community College of Denver, in Colorado, has beenappointed president of Arapahoe Community College, also in Colorado.• Tori Murden McClure, vice president for external relations, enrollment management, and student affairs at Spalding University, inKentucky, has been promoted to president there.• Jay Perman, dean and vice president for clinical affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been chosen aspresident of the University of Maryland at Baltimore.• Gail M. Simmons, dean of science and technology and professor of biology at the College of Staten Island, in New York, hasbeen appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs at Manhattanville College, also in New York.• Joseph R. Urgo, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Hamilton College, in New York, has been namedpresident of St. Mary's College of Maryland.— Doug Lederman© Copyright 2010 Inside Higher Ed43 of 162

NATURE NOTES ~ It's Really Cold Out ThereArticle published Mar 18, 2010Al BurchstedThe cold winter across the northern hemisphere has triggered a new rash of claims that globalwarming is a media and political hype. While we in Connecticut shovel and Florida crops freeze,the southern hemisphere is baking in their summer, our western states are experiencing morestorms than usual, and Vancouver has had one of its warmest winters on record withhummingbirds failing to migrate south to the U.S. The northern hemisphere has had the secondlargest amount of snow cover on record, Arctic ice has become thicker than it has in five years,but the Antarctic ice sheets and South American glaciers are melting at their fastest knownrates.Warming and Cooling Cycles are the NormWhen we look at the geological and weather data,it is obvious that temperatures vary in cycles. The periods of these cycles range from 24 hoursto millions of years. Although the forces that cause this cycling are too numerous to describehere, they include the daily rotation of the earth, yearly movement of the earth around the sun,multi-year cycles of sunspots, changes in atmospheric levels of gases over hundreds to millionsof years, and sporadic volcanic and meteorite activity.Climatologists generate simplified computer programs to examine the effects of many of theseand attempt to predict future changes in climate as a result of these cycles and possibleperturbations of them, but their models are simpler than the real world and, like all computermodels, are constrained by the researcher's understanding of the interactions and choice ofwhich factors to include in the equations. Thus, the models predicting the scope of the influenceof human generated perturbations on climate (such as increased CO2) may suggest a strongeror lesser influence than would actually occur depending on how close the sum of the modelrepresents the real world situation, and I am not going to discuss the influence of CO2 onclimate here other than to say it does have an effect on warming trends, but probably not asdramatic as the media and World governments imply.Weather Can Be Cold in a Global Warming CycleAs strange as this seems, the bulkmovement of air masses can cause southward movement of Arctic air and northward movementof Antarctic air resulting in cooling of high latitude regions during the winter and summer as aresult of other areas becoming intensely warm. To explain this, we have to look a bit at themovement of air through the atmosphere. In this age of television and nightly weather reports,44 of 162

most of us are aware that:Weather patterns move generally in a west to east direction because the moving air above it,the jet stream, is pulled to the east by the friction of the earth's rotation. This is the Corioliseffect.The jet stream can suddenly plunge southward, carrying cold Arctic air deep across the U.S.-often into Florida as it has done this year.What many of us are not aware of is:As air warms near the equator, it rises above the cooler air in the middle atmosphere andspreads out from the equator toward the poles.When this air cools at the poles, it drops back to the earth's surface, pushing the jet streamsouthward.The warmer the air at the equator, the stronger this effect is, and the farther south the jet streammoves.How el Nino Affects US WeatherWhen the temperature of the Pacific Ocean is higher thannormal, the warm water pushes eastward across the Pacific (because water also exhibits aCoriolis effect), warming the air above the ocean, and climatologists say there is an el Ninoevent. The stronger the el Nino, the warmer the air becomes at the equator, and the farthersouth the jet stream is pushed.Because of the el Nino, the warm air over the Pacific rises and moves toward the North Pole.The Coriolis effect pushes this air mass eastward so that when it cools over the North Pole, itbegins to descend over the Bering Sea and Alaska. This pushes the still warm Pacific aironshore along the Canadian and northwestern coasts, giving them a warmer, wetter winter thanusual. The Coriolis effect carries the descending mass of cold air over the western CanadianRocky mountains, pushing Arctic air southeasterly across the plains provinces and states,driving snowstorms and cold temperatures deep into the south and across the eastern part ofboth countries.As a result of a slow-developing el Nino over the past several years, the jet stream has stayedmuch farther south than in previous years. Thus, although the Earth's overall temperature iswarmer than normal this season, our past several summers and winters have been cooler thannormal. With the el Nino strengthening this past summer, we are experiencing this winter muchmore cold and snow than usual, and our local weather does not reflect the planet's thermal load.Present predictions are that this year's el Nino may continue to intensify over the upcomingsummer. If so, this will continue to drive the jet stream southward and we can look for anothercooler than normal summer followed by another colder and wetter winter. Yet, the overall effectis that the Earth's average temperature would become even warmer than usual.It is possible that the widespread snow coverage over the northern hemisphere will reflectenough solar radiation that the el Nino will not continue to intensify and our summer and winter45 of 162

temperatures will return to normal. But the el Nino did not diminish with last year's increasedsnow cover, and our best computer models do not predict next month's weather reliably-letalone next summer and winter's weather. Perhaps as we learn more about the manifoldinteractions and tweak our predictive programs, we can come to a better understanding ofweather patterns and make reliable predictions-both of weather and climactic changes.Albert Burchsted is a field biologist recently retired from the College of Staten Island, part of theCity University of New York. He lives in Niantic and can be reached via e-mail atal.burchsted@gmail.com.46 of 162

NJ transit agencies' overtimeupBy LARRY HIGGS • TRANSPORTATION WRITER •March 18, 2010Two state transportation agencies both reliedheavily on increased overtime spending to move themasses last year, payroll records showed.Workers at both NJ Transit and the New JerseyTurnpike Authority saw more money in their takehomepay and from overtime in 2009 than in 2008,an Asbury Park Press analysis of payroll recordsfound.And workers at both agencies augmented their basesalaries with overtime measured in the tens ofthousands of dollars for many. Overtime at theTurnpike Authority increased by $3.1 millionbetween 2008 and 2009, to a total $13.6 million.Overtime at NJ Transit was up by $4.6 million for thesame time period, to a total of $118.5 million."The increase in overtime coincided with serviceincreases and additions," said Penny Bassett-Hackett, NJ Transit spokeswoman. "We've increased service significantly on both rail and bus sides andwe need to staff to maintain that service."Rail and bus operations had the highest overtime,followed by NJ Transit police.Prior to the recession, NJ Transit broke its ownridership records in fiscal year 2007-08 with 259.7million passenger trips.With a 4 percent drop-off in ridership as theeconomy tanked, NJ Transit plans to cut 200 jobs tohelp close a $300 million revenue gap."We will be reducing services by four percent acrossthe board," Bassett-Hackett said. "Some of thereduction will come in union and nonunionemployees."Overtime is more cost-effective than hiring newworkers, with their benefit and pensions costs, saidJoe Orlando, Turnpike Authority spokesman. Most ofthe authority's overtime increases are due to snowremoval, he said.Jay Corbalis, a policy analyst for NJ Future, said NJTransit has to look at personnel to help close abudget gap and loss of state subsidies that have theagency proposing 25 percent fare increases."Reducing operating costs and personnel is a largepart of what NJ Transit will have to shrink to handlethat loss of state subsidy," Corbalis said.Comparisons difficultWhile upcoming reductions are praiseworthy, it'shard comparing authorities and agencies todetermine which has the best operating practicesand is the most efficient, said Jon Peters of FairHaven, a professor of finance at The College ofStaten Island."The general question is, are the people getting thehighest return on their dollars sent to governmentagencies?" Peters said. "It's hard to answer, there area lot of irregularities. Different agencies havedifferent structures and it's hard to get a grip onwho has the best practices."While overtime is seen as preferable to hiring more47 of 162

help by both agencies, experts disagreed whetherovertime is an accurate gauge of efficiency."The question has to be, is it necessary? What's thepurpose of the overtime?" Peters said. He alsoquestioned how the agencies' salaries compare tothose paid in the private sector."The problem is we have salary creep in governmentand authorities."Use of overtime isn't an indication of badmanagement and is commonly used by transportation agencies, said Martin Robins,executive director of the Voorhees TransportationInstitute at Rutgers University."A need to cover a particular assignment was there,the numbers don't tell everything," Robins said. "It'smicromanaging in the extreme to look at the casesand say that is a bad management judgment."NJ Transit's calculations reflect that the agency had11,833 positions in 2008 and grew to 11,841positions in 2009, Bassett-Hackett said. By contrast,payroll records showed the Turnpike Authority hasreduced positions from 2,315 in 2008 to 2,270 lastyear.The Turnpike Authority — which operates both theTurnpike and Garden State Parkway — has reducedstaff by 483 positions since 2003, when it mergedwith the New Jersey Highway Authority.48 of 162

Council of Negro Women will honor founder, activistsBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 21, 2010, 6:02AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is hosting its 28th annual luncheonand celebrating its fifth Harambee Celebration Saturday, March 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the Staaten. Tickets are$60 for adults and $30 for children under 18 years old. To purchase a ticket, contact Paulette Crosland at718-370-8311.Dr. Jerald Jones-Woolfolk, vice president of student affairs at the College of Staten Island (CSI), will be theguest speaker. The first African-American to hold the post of vice president at CSI, she is a scholarpractitionerwho continues her research into the influences that affect the success of African Americanstudents and the practical applications that will help narrow the gap in college attendance and graduationrate between them and white students.Harambee, which means "pulling together" in Swahili, is a Kenyan tradition of building community throughevents that range from fund-raisers to development activities. The NCNW was founded by Dr. Mary McLeodBethune, an educator, who encouraged members to "... have confidence in one another, thirst for education,respect the use of power, have racial dignity, live harmoniously with our fellow men and to realize we areresponsible for our young people."The NCNW will honor members of the community for their outstanding service.In addition, high school students will receive the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Acheivement Award for theiressays on service to school, community or church.The Women's Bar Association will be honored for its commitment to strengthening the community of womenso they can give back to the community and fulfill their personal goals. Anne Taylor, president of theassociation and court attorney in Brooklyn Criminal Court, will accept the award.The Staten Island Hurricanes Football League was founded by brothers Anthony and Sam Barnes to providepositive role models and a beneficial outlet for young boys in the community. The teams have competed inand won numerous championships, the most recent being last season's midget division, 14 to 15-year-oldboys, clinching the Little League National Football National Championship.Marilyn Damon of St. George, who retired from the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as aphysical therapist assistant, is an accomplished soprano. She has performed in numerous recitals, singingboth classical songs and Negro spirituals. She volunteers her time and talents to many civic and socialorganizations.Melvin Issac, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is a therapeutic art teacher who works as a Uth Turn outreachcoordinator and mentor at St. Philip's Baptist Church, Port Richmond. Uth Turn is a prevention andintervention program for at risk youth. Issac helps young people discover and enhance their artistic abilities.Kamillah M. Hanks is the executive director of the Downtown Staten Island Council, a nonprofit organizationthat works for the economic development and economic revitalization of the North Shore business districtand surrounding neighborhoods. As director, she is spearheading a youth council, ArtSpaces and theDowntown Drive-in Movies.Shawn Denise Landry is youth organizer and intern coordinator for the Liberty Partnerships Program at theCollege of Staten Island. She is one of the co-founders of the Martin Luther King Jr. Step Up - Speak Outyouth summit, part of her dedication to the value of a well rounded education and communication skills.The students who exemplify a thirst for education and strive to become adults who make a difference are:49 of 162

Kellie Alexis Bute, 16, a junior at Michael J. Petrides High School where she is a member of the Air ForceJROTC and the Key Club, a service organization;Adrianne Charles, 15, a sophomore at Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School, New Springville,where she is a member of the peer mediation group. A member of Girl Scout Troop 6513, she volunteers atClove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Castleton Corners.Kidane Kinney, 16, a junior at Curtis High School where she works on the school newspaper and yearbookand plays lacrosse.Chairwomen of the event are Paulette Crosland of Westerleigh, who is a retired banker with JP MorganChase, and Carolyn Spann of Tompkinsville.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.50 of 162

State seeks to cut $$ for GED testingBy Amy PadnaniMarch 22, 2010, 2:12AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State officials have proposed a drastic cut in funding for GED testing, making itdifficult for Staten Islanders to gain access to an already beleaguered system.The proposal comes weeks after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn vowed to help thousands more peopleacross the city realize the benefits of a GED, a certification of high school-level academic skills, through athree-tiered outreach plan.According to officials, the state Board of Regents proposed a $1.5million, or 38 percent, reduction in funding, to $2.4 million from$3.9 million, to help close the state's $9 billion budget deficit. Themoney is typically used to reimburse testing centers for the cost ofrenting classrooms, hiring proctors and other administrative tasks."It's a pretty devastating cut for not a lot of savings," Ms. Quinnsaid. "And it will have a tremendous impact on people's ability totake the tests."NO OTHER PLACEA spokesman from the state Education Department said there wasno other place to trim their budget."There aren't any other measures that we can take at this time,"said Jonathan Burman, the spokesman. "Terminating the contractsis painful for all, but we thoroughly vetted all alternatives and thiswas our only option."Last year, 55,796 people across the state took the GED, 2,317 ofthem from Staten Island, according to Burman. Of those, 48percent passed.AP file photo"It's a pretty devastating cut for not a lot ofsavings," said Council Speaker ChristineQuinn. "And it will have a tremendousimpact on people's ability to take the tests."Though it costs centers $20 to process each exam, there is nocharge to people who want to take it. That means peoplerepeatedly taking the test without studying for it, contended Donna Grant, director of the adult learningcenter at the College of Staten Island, which issues 97 GED exams per year and has a waiting list of 150applicants. People are only allowed to take the tests three times per year.Many times, Ms. Grant said, people will take a practice test and find that they're at a third- or fourth-gradereading level. But instead of enrolling in a basic education, they sign up to take the test and fail."People are taking the test who are not prepared to take the test," Ms. Grant said. "I think the state feels, inthe financial straits they are in right now, to continue to pay $20 per test, particularly for people who aregoing to take the test over and over and over again who are not in a prep program, that it's sort ofridiculous. I see the state's side, I really do. But there are states that charge a fee of test candidates so theywouldn't be so quick to take the test again every time they fail."Ms. Grant said rather than cutting funding, there should be a push to get people into prep programs.Without that, testing centers are liable to offer fewer tests, making it harder for people -- dedicated or not --to find a way to take them.51 of 162

It's already difficult for borough residents to find a place to take the exam, said Prince Cobbina, a personaladvocate with the Achievement in Career and Education program, a GED prep program based at CSI."We have to outsource students to Brooklyn and Manhattan," he said. "It's going to make it hard for us. Ittakes so much motivation just for them to come to classes, then we have to send them across the water totake the GED."© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.52 of 162

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PressReleasePointFree Press Release Distribution Website | Submit Press ReleasesCollege Board Awards 2010 Bob Costas Grants forthe Teaching of WritingPosted March 26th, 2010 by collegeboardSix teachers have been awarded the fifth annual College Board Bob Costas Grantsfor the Teaching of Writing. The grants recognize exceptional teachers for usinginnovative methods to inspire their students to write.NEW YORK —Six teachers have been awarded the fifth annual College Board Bob CostasGrants for the Teaching of Writing. The grants recognize exceptional teachers for usinginnovative methods to inspire their students to write. The award was created to supportteachers and to thank Bob Costas, the Emmy Award–winning broadcaster and author, forhis generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing. Eachwinner receives a grant of $3,000.“We are honored to recognize these exceptional teachers for their innovative practices andfor the powerful impact they are having on the lives of young people,” said College BoardPresident Gaston Caperton. “Writing is a difficult subject to teach, but a critical skill forsuccess in college and the workplace. We applaud these teachers for going above andbeyond the call of duty to demonstrate the value of strong writing skills.”One grant recipient or teaching team was selected from each of the CollegeBoard’s six regions:Midwestern Region: Keri Grady, an English teacher at Saint Martin de Porres High Schoolin Cleveland, Ohio, teaches multimedia journalism. Her students write and produce storiesto educate their audience and illustrate their perspective on contemporary issues. Hercurriculum includes oral history projects and writing children’s books to learn aboutnarratives. The students develop presentations in print, broadcast and electronic media, andpublish on the Internet using websites, blogs, a community wiki, podcasts, and streamingaudio and video. “Embedding writing tasks within an engaging task like video production islike shredding veggies into the brownie mix — sneaky, but effective,” she said.54 of 162

Middle States Region: Nancy Kaplanis a world journalism teacher at the College ofStaten Island High School for International Studies, which is located in New York City.Kaplan’s students collaborate with student-writers from other nations to produce aninternational report on topics including the war in Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict andteen life in various cultures. Students from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Belarus,Switzerland and Germany have contributed articles to the school publication,TheInternational Insider, on subjects ranging from global warming to a profile about a localpoet. To prepare for their writing and editing work, students in Kaplan’s classes studyjournalistic writing, narrative nonfiction, rhetoric and interviewing techniques. They learnabout the production process, from pitching a story to seeing it published.Southwestern Region: Lynne Dozier, an AP® English Language and Composition teacherat Klein Forest High School in Houston, Texas, sponsors the student art and literatureanthology called theAquilas Stilus, which means “the eagle’s pen” in Latin. The studentpublication is in its 17th year, and manuscripts are chosen in order to reflect the diversevoices and creative talents across the high school. Each edition involves more than 300students, who act as editors and staff members, writers and artists. More than 300 copies ofthe anthology are distributed each year to students, patrons, teachers and administrators.The anthology is also entered in regional and national contests.Western Region: Eric Gutierrezof Whitney High School in Cerritos, Calif., uses bloggingto encourage his seventh-grade history students to organize and articulate their ideas abouthistorical and current events. Posting their work online gives added incentive, he said, forstudents to improve their critical thinking and writing skills. When the students present factsand analysis in each assignment, they benefit from constructive criticism offered by theirpeers. This grant will help Gutierrez expand to an international collaborative website forstudents around the world to share their writing on historical and contemporary subjects.Southern Region: Gabriel Ortiz, education program director at Oasis Middle School inBradenton, Fla., developed writing as an outlet for students attending the charter school.Ortiz leads two major projects in the Writing Workshop at Oasis: a school book and atheatre production. The school book,Seen but Not Heard, allows students to share personalstories. The book is used as a fundraiser and also as a mentor text for other children. Thetheatrical series,Take!is a drama production examining issues teens are facing.55 of 162

New England Region: Patricia Pflaumer, an English Language Arts teacher at AbingtonHigh School in Abington, Mass., leads an effort called Students Write to Be Heard, orSW2BH. The goal she sets for her students is for them to have written work publishedduring the school year, whether in a literary magazine, school newspaper, or writingconference or contest. Through Students Write to Be Heard, Pflaumer’s students learn aboutthe query and editing process. They develop writing skills as well as confidence and pride intheir talents, especially when they are recognized outside of class.The National Writing CommissionThe College Board established the National Commission on Writing in 2002 to create morenational support for the teaching of writing. Costas, an eight-time Sportscaster of the Year,has supported the commission’s work by producing a national public service announcementencouraging young people to develop strong writing skills. Teachers of grades 6–12 fromany discipline, in both public and nonpublic schools, are eligible for the Bob Costas Grants,as are writing programs that take place within schools or the community. For more detailsabout the annual award program, visitwww.collegeboard.com/costasgrants.56 of 162

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Mayor's man favorite for Charter postBy Peter N. SpencerMarch 30, 2010, 12:09AMPeter McDermott / Irish EchoSources tell the Advance that Francis S. Barry, (above) one of Mayor Bloomberg'sclosest aides, is poised to become the director of the Charter Revision Commission.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- One of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's closest aides is the leading candidate fordirector of the Charter Revision Commission, a move that could spell trouble for Staten Island leaders whoare seeking more local control.Numerous sources tell the Advance that Charter Revision Commission Chairman is ready to tap Bloombergtop policy adviser and speechwriter Francis S. Barry for the most critical staff position on the panel, whichhas been charged with reviewing and proposing changes to the Charter, the municipal equivalent of the U.S.Constitution.Several City Hall insiders and close observers of the Charter revision said the selection would be bad newsfor the Island and other boroughs, which are seeking more input on land use, traffic and other issues."If they choose someone from inside the mayor's circle, we are going to get exactly what the mayor wants,"said Jeffrey Kroessler, a historian, author and political science professor at John Jay College of CriminalJustice who used to be at the College of Staten Island.The executive director is one of the few full-time, paid positions on the Charter revision commission, servingas both a key consultant and chief of staff to the chairperson, overseeing the panel's day-to-day operations."The person they appoint will determine whether the commission is going to be serious about the issues andintent on seeking changes, or just a vehicle that is trying to push through a pet peeve of the mayor, like58 of 162

getting rid of the public advocate," Kroessler said.Kroessler and others believe the mayor wants nothing to do with decentralizing city government. On thecontrary, they said he would love to take community boards out of the Uniform Land Use Review Process(ULURP), especially in wake of the battles fought over the Atlantic Yards and waterfront development inBrooklyn.Some cautioned not to jump to conclusions about what Barry's appointment would mean, citing Goldstein'sreputation as independent. It is noteworthy, one insider said, that Goldstein appointed CUNY GeneralCounsel Rick Schaffer as General Counsel to the 2010 Charter Revision Commission over Anthony Crowell,the mayor's counsel."Barry is the preference for a number of [Charter commission members]. He has a great working knowledgeof the Charter," the insider said.Barry was the research director for Bloomberg's 2003 Charter revision commission, which proposed nonpartisanelections. He served on that commission with GOP County Clerk Stephen Fiala, the lone Islandrepresentative on the current commission. The non-partisan referendum in 2003 failed, prompting Barry towrite a book, "The Scandal of Reform," which argues that good-government groups undermined the efforts.Barry was also a press officer and policy analyst at the city's Campaign Finance Board. He joinedBloomberg's staff in 2002.It is unclear whether Barry will be given free rein to hire his own staff, or Goldstein will do so himself. Thepanel gave Goldstein, who is the Chancellor of the City College of New York (CUNY), sole authority to namethe executive director and any Charter revision commission staff at its first meeting, which was March 18.Islanders will have an opportunity to weigh in as to what direction the commission will take during a publichearing in the borough. That hearing has been tentatively scheduled for April 6 at Curtis High School in St.George.The commission hopes to wrap up all of its hearings in time to get referendums on this November's ballot.City Council Minority Leader James Oddo (R-Mid-Island) and colleague Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) wantthe panel to slow down to give the issue of local control a fighting chance. Appointing someone so close tothe mayor would severely hurt those chances, they said."Someone who is fed by the administration is going to have an awfully difficult time professing hisobjectivity," Ignizio said."It's like a new book on the Titanic. Maybe it's got some new pictures, but the ending is the same."© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.59 of 162

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Alma Baseball begins Spring trip with a 5-4 loss to College of Staten IslandThe Alma College Baseball team began the 2010 season on Monday afternoon in Myrtle Beach,S.C., and dropped a tough 5-4 decision to the College of Staten Island (NY). The Scots willresume play tomorrow, when they take on Eastern University (PA) at the Ripken SportsComplex.Starting Pitcher Jr. Sam Shipman (Traverse City, MI/Traverse City) went five scoreless inningsand did not give up a run. Staten Island was able to score four times against Scots Pitcher Jr.Corey Brohl (Richmond, MI/Richmond) in the bottom of the eighth inning, leading up to anexciting last frame.After the Scots were not able to score in the top of the ninth inning, Staten Island came to batwith a chance to win. Alma lost the game on a game-winning walk-off home-run by theDolphins that that gave them the 5-4 victory.Box ScorePosted: Mon, March 1st, 2010 at 8:40PM65 of 162

Jobs and internships for students - click hereToolsHome News Opinion Business Features Science Arts & Style Sports Blogs Advertising Join! About ToolsWomen going to the ‘shipBy Spence PackerAssistant Sports EditorPublished: Monday, March 1, 2010Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010The women’s basketball team continued their trend of beating teamsin the post-season by exactly 20 points. Wednesday’s semi-finalgame against the College of Staten Island, which was held at CityCollege, ended with a final score of 82-62.The Bearcats came out shooting approximately 31 percent asopposed to the Dolphins superior 37 percent. However, the Bearcatsbested the Dolphins with regards to free throws making 60 percent,approximately 17 percent better than the Dolphins.The first half of the semi-final was CUNY MVP and Baruch starMonique Salmon’s first half back in the game after an ankle injury. Inthat half, she hit four out of 12 field goals and six out of seven freethrows.In the second half, the Bearcats hit approximately 57 percent of theirfield goals, compared to the Dolphins’ 33 percent. Yet Baruch hitabout 54 percent of their free throws as opposed to CSI’s 80 percent.The game ended with a score of 82-62.The three captains of the team, Christina Kelly, Kalea Davis andSalmon each shot 14 points. “We had too many turnovers,” saidDavis. The team had 22 turnovers as opposed to their average 20.Despite coming out slowly and having more turnovers than usual, theteam stayed focused, pulled together and managed to make ascoring run in the second half for a positive result.The final game against Hunter College will take place on Feb. 27, at 3p.m.Denis Gostev | The TickerAfter a season of dominace, the women find themselvescompeting for a championship against Hunter afterbeating CSI, 82-62.Joseph, reflecting on the remainder of the post season, noted, “If we fail it’s because of us, not because of what anotherteam will do to us. We have to understand that we control our own destiny.”66 of 162

The View From the Cheap SeatsSports Heroes are Everywhere; If You Know Where To Lookby Eddie Mayrose (phoebe@brooklyneagle.net), published online 03-04-2010There were seven minutes left in the CUNY Women's basketball semifinal when the College of Staten Islandsuddenly found itself in a battle. What had looked to be an easy win was now in jeopardy as visiting York had whittleda twenty two point deficit down to ten and taken hold of the momentum of the game. Then CSI senior guard MalloryAmeneiros, with five of her ten teammates on the bench in street clothes, decided that this was not to be her lastcollege game. It was a decision she'd made twice before, but this time, it was made on the court; not in a doctor'soffice.Ameneiros, a basketball lifer, had enjoyed a stellar career at St. Peter's Girls High School; one of the city's bestprograms, before coming to CSI. A point guard with terrific court sense and a feathery jump shot, she missed most oflast season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in December and undergoing reconstructive surgery inJanuary. Despite the severity of the injury, an exhaustive rehab stint had her ready for the team's opener onNovember 18th; the first game of what would be her final season. Or so she thought.Early in that game, Ameneiros tore the ACL once again as well as the medial meniscus in the same knee.Devastasted, she resigned herself to the fact that her college basketball career had ended and, as a team captain,set about the business of supporting her coaches and younger teammates. "We missed her terribly", said CSIassistant coach Tim Shanahan. "We were now without a true point guard and forced to shift players out of position.Worst of all, though, was losing Mallory's leadership on the floor." What the CSI women didn't know at the time,however, was that Amaneiros' injury would be the first of many that would gradually whittle the roster down over thecourse of the year. By mid-season, the Dolphins, who somehow remained near the top of the standings, weredressing just eight players. Then their captain visited her doctor.Assured that she could do no further damage to the knee and that pain management would be her only issue,Ameneiros informed her stunned coaches that, in fact, she still had some basketball left to play. And, on January13th, less than two months form the injury, she returned to the CSI lineup, albeit cautiously. "My doctor warned methat I won't be able to be the player I once was. Ill go to do something on the court that I know I'm capable of doingbut my knee won't allow me to. I've had to just come to grips with it, but its still hard." She played sparingly at first, asshe and her coaches tried to figure out how much she could handle. That plan went out the window when two morewomen went down for the season, sending CSI into its first round playoff game against York with an active roster ofjust six.A solid first half that saw the Dolphins build a sizable lead soon gave way to a second stanza that was less thanimpressive. As York crept closer, there was a sense that CSI was running out of gas; that the fast pace and depletedroster would be too much to overcome. Enter Ameneiros. "I knew I wanted to attack. I figured I would attack and getfouled and be able to build the lead further and further. My coaches also told me to keep driving because they weren'treally pressuring the ball or playing help defense. So that's why I drove to the basket every chance I got." The planworked to perfection as Ameneiros hit all ten of her foul shots over those final seven minutes and carried herteammates into the next round.That CSI fell to Baruch in the semi finals is a minor detail when compared to the lasting impression left by Ameneiroson her coaches and teammates. "We came to CSI at the same time", said Shanahan, "so I've seen how much she'sgrown. To see how Mallory supports her teammates, works with our younger players and provides such leadership, itmakes you so happy that she was able to come back because you know what it meant to her." "She's a wonderfulperson who's become one of my favorite players." As for Mallory, the last month of her basketball career is somethingshe'll treasure forever. "Every game I played after I re-tore my knee the second time was a game I never thought I'dget back. I'm really grateful that my doctor cleared me to come back and give it a shot. I was well aware that at anygiven moment I might not have been able to physically push any more, so that's why I took advantage of everysecond I was on the court." A fortunate thing, I guess, for everyone associated with the women's basketball programat the College of Staten Island. It's an old saying among athletes that there's nothing better than being called a "great67 of 162

teammate". Try and find someone who won't say that about Mallory Ameneiros.© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2010 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyrightlaw. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post asummary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughsfor everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net68 of 162

It's all about community at Tennis CenterBy Danny ColvinMarch 04, 2010, 3:54PMJan Somma-HammelMat Buxbaum, left, and Jim Barton blend their distinctly different talents for the benefitof the tennis community.WILLOWBROOK - When you walk into the Staten Island Community Tennis Center you know instantly thisplace was not a misnomer.Through a myriad of activities — women’s leagues, group/individual instruction, students/kids feasting at thebagel counter — there is an organization to this busy universe where above all — to borrow a tagline fromCheers — everybody knows your name.Community is exactly what this 12-court (six indoor/six outdoor) facility housed snugly on the College ofStaten Island’s Willowbrook campus exudes and that mantra seeps down from the head: Randall Manor’sJim Barton and Castleton Corners’ Mat Buxbaum, the two most visible owners and day-to-day honchos.“It is like a community,” says Barton, a teaching pro whose history dates back to the early ‘70s and a rivalryand playing partnership with legend Claude Schoenlank.“We encourage the (CSI) students to get involved, the (CSI men’s and women’s) teams have developed verynicely, and everyone and everything works well.”Because of Barton-Buxbaum and the other owners’ mindset and foresight, the SICTC has not fallen into thefinancial/apathetic pitfalls of other city boondoggles where absentee owners allow the clubs to literallycrumble.“These are seven partners, friends and family, who took a huge gamble,” added Barton. “But more than justa business, we love the game and saw a desperate need for indoor courts on Staten Island.”69 of 162

Like Rome, the SICTC was not built in a day either. The bureaucratic hoop jumping and CSI’s early warinessmade the tedious process nerve-racking. But, like in William Shakespeare‘s play, “All’s Well That Ends Well.”Barton and Buxbaum realized a dream ... and a career. The pair brought its enthusiasm and experience froma defunct West Shore Tennis Club — where Barton first taught an intuitive Buxbaum in one of the juniorprograms — and made this idea work from Day One, nearly seven years ago.“It all happens with a tremendous staff,” Buxbaum says of instructors Chris Kim, Paul Ricciardi, Carissa andKathy Sommerlad, Vlad Sergeev, Konstantin Trofimovich, and Arthur Velnick, who are aided by aknowledgeable and courteous front desk of Sandy Kane, Mort Wasserman, Karen DeMary, Taylor Maron, andCarol Brady.“We’ve developed a relationship of trust and used a long-term approach and I feel Staten Island hasbenefited.”Whether it’s hosting USTA Eastern Section junior or Staten Island Men’s/Women’s Singles tourneys, the middayor weekend open courts, the popular eight-week summer junior program, the Saturday nightpasta/tennis parties, the 6 a.m. Sunday NYJTL clinics, or just accommodating those Filipino priests andfriends, they all call SICTC home.“We bring different things to the table,” Barton admits about the symbiotic father-son relationship betweenBuxbaum and him. “Mat is young and energetic, I bring more experience. We have different styles on thecourt. Sometimes we don’t agree but in the end we get it done.”“The people who work here and those who come to play here make this a great job,” adds Buxbaum, whoremains active in the SITA tournaments. “I never thought I could make a livelihood out of tennis until this. Icouldn’t see myself doing anything else.”Besides their friendly and skillful dispositions, the duo belies the complexity and skill needed to make anoperation like this work. To make everyone — students, the college administration, the Dolphin teams, thecustomers/camps/tourneys, employees, the Island community — happy is a juggling act.“Sure, it takes planning and many times thinking on your feet to accommodate,” admits Buxbaum. “But inthe end, we try to make it work out.“The people who come through here make this job worthwhile. I look at all the young kids who havedeveloped into high school players and the men/women who play during the week. It’s nice to develop thekind of relationship where you get to know (your customer) them and vice versa. It’s lasting and satisfying.Why would I want to do anything else?”© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.70 of 162

Jobs and internships for students - click hereToolsHome News Opinion Business Features Science Arts & Style Sports Blogs Advertising Join! About ToolsSoftball looks for a ‘frosh’ startBy Lillian RizzoManaging EditorPublished: Monday, March 1, 2010Updated: Friday, March 5, 2010As the Bearcats get ready for the 2010 season, the edge that will putthem above the other CUNY Athletic Conference teams comes downto mainly one thing: options.With 19 players now on the squad, all of them are talented in multiplepositions and have different things to offer to the new dynamics of thewomen’s softball team.“The big plus about our team is that everyone is versatile andeveryone can play different positions,” said assistant coach PennyWeiner. “We still don’t know who will be starting, [so] everyone gets afair shake in deciding.”Denis Gostev | The TickerWith five new freshman on the team, and two keyplayers returning, the Bearcats are looking to regain theprominence they once had in the CUNYAC this season.They finished last season with an overall 19-21 record, plagued by the loss of two key players and small numbers. Theyended their playoff run against Hunter in the third-round shut out 3-0.“I think we have a lot of players. If injury takes its toll on us, we know we have a solid bench,” said captain and seniorMelissa Pena. The shortstop of last season finished with the leading team stats. She posted a .477 average, 15 RBIsand a .533 slugging percentage.Not only has the team increased by five players, two women from last year will be returning, whose departure left theteam weakened and unable to make the finals. Ashley Brandow was a “pivotal player” as a freshman, said Weiner, buttransferred out of the school last year.She is returning this year to Baruch and will be back on the team. As the team lost Brandow last year, they also lostIdelissa Lluveres to an injury. She is now ready to take the field.Aside from these two comebacks, recruiter and assistant coach Anthony Rodriguez found five freshmen to join the teamas well. “The returning players have been a really good mix with the freshmen,” said Weiner.Pena feels the team’s biggest challenge is learning how to play together on the field.Nevertheless, Weiner feels “the chemistry has been very good” among the women.Ending last year on a sour note, the Hunter Hawks and the College of Staten Island continue to be the main teams tobeat this season.“We know that Staten Island will be Staten Island and Hunter will be Hunter,” said Weiner.“These are traditionally good programs and we don’t expect anything less. We are looking forward to the challenge andplaying them.”But the players’ confidence doesn’t have them focusing on what teams to watch out for.“We don’t like to worry about what other teams are doing,” said senior Dania Ghrawl, an outfielder last season. “Ourdefense is the best, our fielding is amazing and we have really big hitters this year.”Hunter and CSI are not the only CUNYAC opponents to look out for. Weiner says JohnJay gave them some competitive games last year (although Baruch defeated them in round two last season) andBrooklyn College is going to be a better team with a new coach.Still, Weiner, assistant coach for nine years, is singing the same tune of confidence as the players. “I believe we aregoing to turn some heads.”71 of 162

The team will have an influx of five pitchers; two are freshmen, and two new outfielders.Pena believes that once the team gets used to playing with each other, they will gel by the playoffs and see thechampionships.However, bringing home the CUNYAC trophy is not the Lady Bearcats’ only priority.“We are looking to get the respect we deserve from the athletic department,” said Ghrawl, as she crossed her fingers.“Everyone keeps saying ‘This is the year, this is the year’ and we just want to prove them right.”© 2010 Ticker.Contact the WebmasterHome News Opinion Business Features Science Arts & Style Lifestyles Sportsweb4.collegepublisher.com/se/TickerPowered by and Privacy Policy (9/8/2009) | Terms of Use (9/8/2009) | Copyright Policy (4/27/2009)72 of 162

CYO cheerleading competition set for tomorrow at CSIBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 05, 2010, 7:46AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The much-anticipated CYO cheerleading contest takes place tomorrow, starting at 9a.m. at the College of Staten Island’s Sports and Recreation Center, Willowbrook.Tickets can be had at the door for $10 or by calling 718-420-0829.The program begins with the high school varsity competition: Firstup is Notre Dame, followed by St. John Villa, St. Joseph Hill, St.Joseph by-the-Sea and Moore Catholic.Junior varsity is up next, featuring St. Joseph by-the-Sea.The elementary varsity teams vie for the glory starting at roughlynoon. St. Christopher’s novice team starts the show. They will befollowed by the “small” teams of St. Adalbert, Blessed Sacrament,Our Lady Queen of Peace, Sacred Heart, St. Charles, Holy Childand St. Patrick. Next come the “large” elementary varsity teams ofSt. Joseph-St. Thomas, St. Rita, St. Clare, Our Lady Help ofChristians and Holy Child.The debs take the stage starting at 3 p.m. Novice teams kick offthe show, with St. Charles, Our Lady Queen of Peace, St. Adalbertand St. Patrick. The regular teams go in this order: St. Charles,then Blessed Sacrament, Holy Child, St. Clare, Our Lady Help ofChristians and Our Lady Star of the Sea.Staten IslandAdvance/Derek AlvezSt. Joseph-St. Thomas won in theelementary school novice division in theCYO Cheerleading competition last year.The biddys will perform beginning at 6 p.m. Three teams from Our Lady Star of the Sea go first, followed bySt. Adalbert, Our Lady Queen of Peace, another Our Lady Star of the Sea Team, St. Rita, Our Lady Help ofChristians, Blessed Sacrament, St. Clare, Holy Child, St. Joseph-St. Thomas and St. Christopher.Spectators will notice, when they enter the venue, signs indicating which directions the teams will be facingas they perform the routines. This will help people select seats for viewing.---twitter.com/siadvance© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.73 of 162

St. Joseph Hill brings it on at CYO Cheerleading CompetitionBy Peter N. SpencerMarch 06, 2010, 6:25PMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceSt. Joseph Hill High School varsity reacts as they learn they just edged out St. Josephby the Sea 272-270 to take first place in the CYO Cheerleading competition at theCollege of Staten Island.It was the Staten Island cheerleading equivalent of the Miracle on Ice, when the upstart U.S. hockey team beatthe heavily favored Russians in the 1980 Olympics.Except, the gymnasium at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook may have been even louder when thevarsity squad of St. Joseph Hill pulled off a surprising upset of borough heavyweights St. Joseph-by-the-Sea atthe 54th annual Staten Island Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Cheerleading Competition today.When the announcement was made that the Arrochar girls team edged out their rivals from Huguenot by twopoints, 272-270., the gym erupted in cheers and high-pitched shrieks. Groups of Hill cheerleaders clung to eachother, jumping up and down; others rolled on the mat in rapture; while some cried tears of joy.Prior to the announcement that her team had won, Hill coach Michelle Lynch, who was training the varsity squadfor the first time this year, said she was pleased with their performance."I think my team did an awesome job," Ms. Lynch said. It's been a rough year. We've had a lot of injuries."74 of 162

This year's competition included about 1,200 athletes, from first graders through seniors in high school, andabout 4,000 screaming fans.Moore Catholic, Graniteville, came in third in the large squad division, with 245 points. Notre Dame Academy,Grymes Hill, won the small division with 260, ahead of St. John Villa, which scored 242.Sea will have an opportunity for revenge, when it faces off against the same squads in two weeks at acompetition in Fordham University. That will include teams from the Archdiocese of New York, which includesWestchester County, the Bronx, Manhattan and counties upstate.Island cheerleading squads always fare well at the state level, partly because the borough competition is sofierce. Teams here prepare all year round - with tryouts starting in April leading to summer camps and intensewinter practices - for three minutes of glory at the CYO competition at CSI."It is the single largest sports event on Staten Island. There is nothing like it," said Joe Panepinto, who hasoverseen the cheerleading competition for 31 years.But parents also praise the sport because it helps teach their children focus, discipline and teamwork. They alsolearn about charity through fund-raising drives, and bond with each other in a way that doesn't often happen inother sports."It's great for them. They have too much time dedicated to this team to be distracted by other things," said AnneBurgio of New Springville, whose daughters Taylor, 10, and Brittney, 9, are cheerleaders for the St. Rita'sSchool varsity squad.And despite its name, cheerleading is hardly a spectator sport. Most of the girls involved at the upper levels train40 hours a week. They suffer bruises, breaks, sprains and pulls just like their counterparts in other sports - asevidenced by the numerous knee-braces, ankle wraps and bandages yesterday."The girls work really hard, especially in the weeks leading up to the competition," said Prince's Bay residentDawn Ghirardi, whose daughter Nicole is in her third year on the Moore Catholic varsity team.Ms. Ghirardi admitted, however, that she was a bit taken aback the first time she experienced the deafeningsound of the crowds at the CSI gym."It gets really crazy, but I love it," she added.Here's a photo gallery of today's competition:75 of 162

Hundreds of youngsters taking part in Staten Island CYOcheerleading competitionBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 06, 2010, 8:30AMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceMoore HS varsity cheerleader team in the CSI parking lot as they arrive at the CYOcheerleading competion.Seen here are, Stephanie Cianci 18, Sara Jacobi 16, KaitlynPenzynski 15, Noelle Falco 14, Jenna Telese 14, Samantha Bono 15, Jasmine Fiore 17,Tara Baiano 15, Amanda Lynch 16.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Make way for the real March Madness.The 54th Staten Island Catholic Youth Organization Cheerleading Competition is taking place at the Collegeof Staten Island's Sports and Recreation Center in Willowbrook today and hundreds of the borough's mosttalented youngsters will be taking part.Click here to see what teams will be competing.We'd like to invite coaches, participants, relatives and friends to share their photos and video for all ofStaten Island to see. Just go to silive.com/yourphotos and silive.com/yourvideos to upload to ouronline home.To see the Photo Gallery Click Here76 of 162

Staten Island youth sports roundup for March 14, 2010By Staten Island Advance Sports DeskMarch 15, 2010, 9:40AMICE HOCKEYRed Devils win, 10- 8BAYONNE — A.J. Bellman and Nick Pellicio scored two goals each as the Red Devils beat the White Stars 10-8 in a Force Youth Hockey League Mite-Squirt game. Austin Benscher netted two for the losing team.YOUTH BASKETBALLSt. Teresa’s wins in semisSt. Teresa’s defeated Epiphany (Manhattan) in Catholic Youth Organization Tyro Downstate semifinal playlate Saturday.***Joey Tucker and Dylan Simpson combined for 20 points as the JCC topped Holy Family 31-20 to win theSmall Fry B title of the Steve Fertig Memorial Tournament at the South Shore JCC.Alice Harrison and Jamie Moriarity led the defense as Staten Island Academy defeated the JCC 14-4 in athird-place girls’ Varsity contest.Steve Fertig Memorial TournamentBoysSmall Fry BJCC 31, Holy Family 20GirlsVarsitySIA 14, JCC 4Mike Mouton TournamentBoysSmall Fry BHoly Family 28, St. Rita’s 16FLAG FOOTBALLRams topple DolphinsMichael Early ran for two TDs and quarterback A.J. Fontanarosa had one as the Early Plumbing Ramsdowned the Dolphins 18-12 in a 9/11 Memorial Flag Football League Junior contest. Gavin Touhey (INT) andbrothers Sean and Ryan Greaves starred defensively.9/11 Memorial Flag FootballBig Nose Kate’s Falcons 39, Packers 6Prime Estates Chargers 34, All County Outdoor Services Redskins 14Mc-Fer Service Station Raiders 22, Sunrise Baking Chargers 16Total Concept Border Repair Giants 26, Barbara Corregano Realty Cowboys 14Azzara Funeral Home Eagles 36, Ariana’s Catering Bills 8Early Plumbing Rams 18, Dolphins 12Giants 50, Bears 42SWIMMINGHill posts victory77 of 162

St. Joseph Hill defeated Our Lady Star of the Sea/Staten Island Academy 180-126 in a Staten IslandGrammar School Swim League meet at the College of Staten Island’s Willowbrook pool.Triple winners for Hill were Emma DeFreitas, Hannah DeFreitas, Sarah Afif, John Afif, Hailey Brereton,Timothy Brereton, Alec Sperandio, Christian Hoyek and Joseph Onah.Our Lady Queen of Peace dunked Petrides 197-164. OLQP had three wins apiece from Gemma Cammarata,Peter Clark, Victoria Moylan and James Pepel. Francesca Gallelli, Allison Zaets and Alex Cozzo had wins forPetrides.Notre Dame Academy defeated St. Ann’s 229-176. NDA’s Catherine London, Colleen Connors, Meghan Wren,Olivia Schubert, Katherine Fafian, Olivia Flagiello, Hallie Tiburzi and Mia Flagiello had three wins each. NicoleCusumano was the lone St. Ann’s triple winner.St. Charles bested St. Teresa’s 203-144. The Oakwood school’s triple winners were Matt Hederman, SteveLagomarsino, Kim Spina, Drew Babicke and Taylor Orsino.SI Grammar School Swim LeagueSJ Hill 180, OLSS/SIA 126OLQP 197, Petrides 164NDA 229, St. Ann’s 176St. Charles 203, St. Teresa’s 144GYMNASTICSSconzo grabs firstsDEER PARK, L.I. — Athletic Edge’s Madison Sconzo won firsts in the vault (9.150), uneven bars (6.550),balance beam (8.90), floor exercises (9.375) and the all-around (33.975) in Level 7, 6-10s competition atthe Heartland Classic.Bella Mannas took second in every event in the same age group.Gina Tucker (Level 8, 36.8), Giuliette Gaudioso (Level 4, 9-10s, 37.55) and Mary Girgis (Level 4, 6-8s,35.85) finished first all-around for JCC Richmond Gymnastics, which finished second as a team in Level 4and Level 7.Heartland ClassicAthletic EdgeLevel-7Ages 6-10Vault: 1. Madison Sconzo, 9.150; 2. Bella Mannas, 9.05Bars: 1. Sconzo, 6.550; 2. Alex Matarrazzo and Mannas, 6.30Beam: 1. Sconzo, 8.90; 2. Mannas, 8.225Floor: 1. Sconzo, 9.375; 2. Mannas, 9.175; 3. Matarrazzo, 8.975All-around: 1. Sconzo, 33.975; 2. Mannas, 32.75; 3. Matarrazzo, 31.675Ages 11-upFloor: 3. Isabella Kwasnik, 9.325All-around: 5. Kwasnik, 35.2JCC Richmond GymnasticsLevel-8Bars: 1. Tucker, 9.5Beam: 3. Tucker, 9.4Floor: 3. Tucker, 9.125All-around: 1. Tucker, 36.8Level-7Vault: 3. Alexandra Haimowitz, 9.075Bars: 3. Sabrina Loiacono, 7.8Floor: 3. Haimowitz, 9.4All-around: 4. Haimowitz, 35.175Level-678 of 162

Vault: 3. Rheannon Loffredo, 7.9Bars: 3. Loffredo, 7.25Level-49-10All-around: 1. Giuliette Gaudioso, 37.556-8All-around: 1. Mary Girgis, 35.85TENNISRacquets finish secondThe Richmond Racquets 12-under silver team lost to the first-place National Tennis Center 36-18 to finish insecond place in the USTA Eastern Metro Region Winter League Junior Team Tennis League.The local squad, whose lone win was Meisha Woseley’s 5-4 victory in girls’ singles, will play in the RegionalsApril 26 at the Riverside Park Clay Courts in Manhattan.Singles: Girls: Meisha Woseley (RR) def. Victoria Bialezak, 5-4. Boys: Nasser Ghaffar (NTC) def. SamVagner, 5-4; Pete Siozios (NTC) def. Kemal Aziz, 7-2.Doubles: Girls: Bialezak and Michelle Sorokko (NTC) def. Chloe Trang and Miriam Aziz, 7-2. Boys: AldenRadoncic and Ghaffar (NTC) def. Philip Belmatch and Aziz, 8-1.Mixed Doubles: Adam Borak and Martina Czoermik (NTC) def. Vagner and Aziz, 5-4.BASEBALLJack Cust Indoor TournamentRCBC Americans 8, Tigers Sports Club© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.79 of 162

After the storm, College of Staten Island baseball team left witha big messBy Danny ColvinMarch 16, 2010, 9:50AMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceThe left field fence at the College of Staten Island baseball field was badly mangled inthis weekend's storm.The wild and unrelenting winds, which wreaked havoc throughout the Island, did not leave the College ofStaten Island baseball complex unscathed.“Mother Nature threw us a curveball,” said Dolphin coach Mike Mauro after surveying Saturday night’sdamage to the Willowbrook field.CSI’s new $5,000 infield tarp was “ripped to shreds” and three poles in the left-field bullpen area were“taken right out of the cement.”MORE STORM COVERAGEStaten Islanders to get power back by ThursdayCity finally hears Staten Island's cry for helpPHOTO GALLERY: After the stormAcross the city, 90,000 still without powerPols make case for SI to be declared a disaster area“We had spikes, which held the tarp down, create six-inch holes and the 25-pound bags (also anchoring thetarp) were tossed around like confetti.“The storm was really amazing. I was there on Saturday — a double-header with NYU-Polytech waspostponed — and everything was fine. But when I came back on Sunday, it was incredible how strong the80 of 162

wind was.”But it could have been worse.The field, according to the second-year mentor, is in top shape.“I’ve been on the phone with the athletic department and the Building and Grounds people have done agreat job maintaining the field.”The Dolphins do not play until Saturday, going to Riverdale to face Mount Saint Vincent in a non-conferencetwinbill.“We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but I feel optimistic about playing on Tuesday,” Mauro said about ahome doubleheader against New Paltz.“There’s some work to be done, but I have faith we’re going to play.”© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.81 of 162

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College of Staten Island swimmers back at nationalsBy Staten Island Advance Sports DeskMarch 18, 2010, 9:52AMMINNEAPOLIS — Three College of Staten Island swimmers competedyesterday as the NCAA Division III swimming and diving championshipsopened at the University of Minnesota.Junior Nikolay Shevchenko (1 minute, 53.75 seconds) finished 23rd andsophomore Vladislav Romanov (1:55.44) was 35th in the 200-yard individualmedley.Shevchenko swims the 100 butterfly today and 200 butterfly tomorrow.Romanov has the 100 backstroke tomorrow and the 200 back Saturday.Also yesterday, Pavel Buyanov (21.84) was 45th in the 50 freestyle. The juniorwill try for his third straight national title in the 100 breaststroke tomorrowand the 200-yard breaststroke Saturday.BUYANOV: Going for thirdnational titleSIA File© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.84 of 162

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CSI swimmer Buyanov falls short in quest for third straight titleBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 20, 2010, 11:05AMMINNEAPOLIS — The third time wasn’t the charm for College ofStaten Island swimmer Pavel Buyanov in the 2010 NCAA DivisionIII Championships Friday night at the University of MinnesotaAquatic Center.The two-time reigning national champion in the 100-yardbreaststroke fell short in his bid for a third title when the juniorfinished fourth in the event with a time of 55.27 seconds. KenyonCollege’s David Lazarus won the event in 54.70 followed by Collegeof New Jersey’s Myles O’Connor (55.15) and Whitworth’s Rory Buck(55.25).Buyanov, who set an NCAA record of 54.27 during last year’schampionships, was seventh in the preliminaries after a 56.27performance.Meanwhile, fellow Dolphin Vladislav Romanov was 16th inqualifying for the 100-yard backstroke with a 50.83 clocking beforeimproving his performance in the consolation final. The sophomorefinished in 14th place while completing the race in 50.72 seconds.Lastly, junior Nikolay Shevchenko (1:53.19) was 17th in thepreliminaries of the 200-yard butterfly and did not qualify for theevent’s finals.Advance file photoPavel Buyanov finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke.BASEBALLWagner 11, Richmond 9RICHMOND, Va. — Junior Brian Martutartus blasted a two-runhomer in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Seahawks to a comefrom-behindvictory at Pitt Field.The host Spiders (8-8) held a 4-1 lead after three innings before Wagner (2-7) jumped ahead 5-4 in the fifthwith three runs on Gaby Ramirez’s two-run double and Martutartus’ run-scoring single.After the Seahawks stormed ahead 8-7 in the eighth on Vin Avella’s two-run homer, Richmond counteredwith two runs in the bottom of the frame. However, the Grymes Hill squad forced extra innings whenMartutartus — who led off the top of the ninth with a double — scored on a one-out error.David Rees, who allowed two runs (both unearned) on one hit in three innings, issued a two-out walk beforeclosing out the game to improve to 2-1 on the year.Jon Lucas, Avella and Ramirez had two hits apiece.WOMEN’S LACROSSESt. Francis (Pa.) 13, Wagner 12, OTLORETTO, Pa. — Seahawk junior Karen Vitkus scored with 34 seconds left in regulation to knot the game at11 and then Wagner notched the first goal of the extra session on Krista Malayter’s tally. However, the RedFlash picked up scores with 12 seconds remaining to lift St. Francis (Pa.) to the win in both teams’ NECopener.86 of 162

Malayter finished with three goals while Carolyn Clark and Dana Marchitelli added two goals apiece.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.87 of 162

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Staten Island youth sports roundup for March 21, 2010By Staten Island Advance Sports DeskMarch 22, 2010, 10:01AMGYMNASTICSDe Meno sisters shineNEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Annadale residents and sisters Brittanieand Lauren De Meno excelled at the New Jersey StateChampionships at Rutgers University.The De Menos — who represent the American Gymnastics Academyin South Plainfield, N.J. — both qualified for the Region 7championships in three weeks in Chesapeake, Va.Brittanie, age 17, competing in Level-10, scored a fourth place onthe vault (9.150); fourth on floor exercises (9.175); eighth on thebalance beam (8.35) for a fifth-place all-around score of 35.175.Lauren, age 12, had an all-around score of 34.775 while competingin Level-9.In Level-8, Danielle Scribani was sixth on floor (8.85) and had anall-around score of 33.7.Staten Island Advance filephoto by Derek AlvezWith a fifth place finish in the all-aroundcompetition, Brittanie De Meno qualified forthe Region 7 competition.***SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Emily Kuhn, a 16-year-old Silver Lake resident, made the New York State Regional teamafter earning an overall score of 34.0 at the Level-9 New York State championships.YOUTH BASEBALLRCBC sweepANNAPOLIS, Md. — Lorenzo Quinn had four hits and six RBI and Devin Agosto notched the victory with threeinnings of relief as the Richmond County Baseball Club topped the Howard County Raiders 17-8 in theAnnapolis Open 11-under division championship game.Annapolis OpenRichmond County Baseball 11, Calvert 3Richmond County Baseball 9, Gambrill 3Richmond County Baseball 5, BBC 0Richmond County Baseball 17, Howard County 8SOCCERHorizon a winnerGLEN COVE, L.I. — Christopher Treglia scored three goals and Piero Fratto netted a pair as the Silver LakeHorizon downed the North Shore Crazy Eights 6-1 in a State Cup boys’ under-9 game.***Alexis Krumrey scored three goals while Julia Deale and Christina Brennan netted one each as the StatenIsland Alliance Fury downed Brooklyn United 8-1 in a Cosmopolitan Soccer League girls’ under-10 game atProspect Park, Brooklyn.89 of 162

State CupBoysUnder-9Silver Lake Horizon 6, North Shore Crazy Eights 1Silver Laka Adriatic 6, Plainview/Old Bethpage 2Cosmopolitan Soccer LeagueGirlsUnder-10SI Alliance Fury 8, Brooklyn United 1YOUTH SOFTBALLBlue take twoOLD BRIDGE, N.J. — The New York Panthers Blue won 2 of 3 games during the Old Bridge Friendly 12-undertournament yesterday.Danielle Messina hurled a no-hitter with seven strikeouts and Jamie Holmes (two hits, three RBI) suppliedthe offense as the Panthers blanked the Port Washington D-backs 9-0.In another contest, winning pitcher Shannon Damon (six Ks) had two hits and two RBI and Nina Russoknocked in two runs as the Panthers downed the Warren Lady Diamonds 8-2.Old Bridge FriendlyN.Y. Panthers Blue 8, Warren 2N.Y. Panthers Blue 9, Port Washington 0Bergen 7, N.Y. Panthers Blue 6TENNISAziz moves onBOGOTA, N.J. — New Springville resident Kemal Aziz reached the quarterfinals of the boys’ 10-and-underdivision of USTA Eastern Section Level 2 before dropping a 6-0, 6-1 decision to top-seeded Grant Amerlingof Carmel, N.Y. at the Bogota Tennis Center.ICE HOCKEYTitans capture crownSteve Doyle scored three goals and Frank Lewery excelled in net as the NY Titans captured the MarchMadness Pee Wee Tournament including a 7-0 win over the Prince William Panthers in the final.TAE-KWON-DOBig day for SmithTwelve-year-old Dimitri Smith, representing Conroy’s Exclusive Tae-Kwon-Do, captured gold in sparring andforms in the yellow/green belt division of the N.Y. Sport Tae-Kwon-Do Commission at Queens College.In the same division, Josef Horvath, 11, took a bronze in fighting and sparring.Vincent Amoia, 12, took a silver in forms in the blue/brown belt divisionChazz Chambliss, 8, won a silver in sparring in the red belt division, while Brooks Ingram, 21, won a gold insparring.In the brown belt division, Michael Cottone, 8, and Joseph Cottone, 11, both took bronze in fighting.Duane Connor, 28, captured a gold in fighting in the blue belt division, while Andrew Mazza, 14, nettedbronze in fighting as a black belt.The team is coached by Master Michael Gregotowicz and his asssistant Sean Jackson.FLAG FOOTBALL90 of 162

A-Team prevailsJoe Irlinger, Jesse Matuza, Andrew Russo, Bobby Alberino and Paul D’Agnese each scored a toucdown as theA-Team Fitness Cowboys topped the Paper Solve Software Cowboys 32-22 in a 9/11 Memorial Flag FootballLeague Major contest.The Azzara Funeral Home Eagles improved to 3-0 with a 26-12 win over the Early Plumbing Rams in SeniorMinor/Freshman play.9/11 MemorialA-Team Fitness Cowboys 32, Paper Solve Software Cowboys 22Azzara Funeral Home Eagles 26, Early Plumbing Rams 12Towne Deli and Pizza Saints 24, Falcons 0SWIMMINGSacred Heart rollsSteven Driscoll, Casey Ann Riley, John Paul Hoey and Elizabeth Althoff were each triple winners as SacredHeart topped Petrides 200-156 in a CYO swim meet at the College of Staten Island.***Ariel Okhtenberg, representing the Blue Arrow Swim Club, placed first in the 50, 100 and 200 yardbreaststroke at the Metropolitan Junior Olympic Trials.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.91 of 162

UWO tennis splits doubledualNorthwestern Staff • March 23, 2010Robbie Price was the only University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh tennis player to win both of his matches asthe Titans’ split of a double dual against College ofStaten Island and Grinnell College on Monday.The Titans cruised past Staten Island, 9-0, then fellto Grinnell, 7-2, for their second loss in threematches after an eight-match winning streak.92 of 162

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Staten Island sports bulletin board: Info on hockey, softball andtennis leaguesBy Staten Island Advance Sports DeskMarch 26, 2010, 9:30AMNYIHA spring leagueThe New York Ice Hockey Association JV spring league for boys and girls begins April 12. Seventh and eighthgrade students as well as high school students from a school without a hockey program are eligible. Fullteams will be accepted and individuals will be placed on teams. Contact Dan Enriquez at 718-966-6050.Softball players neededA Varsity Premier League men’s softball team needs position players and a pitcher. The league begins April11 with all games played on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. at several locations. Interested players should call 646-506-6784.Youth hockey registrationStaten Island Roller Hockey (215 Schmidts Lane, Castleton Corners) will hold registration and open skate forindividuals and complete teams on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for high school division (ages 14-19).Call Mike Cartolano at 347-733-2652.Softball leagueThe James and Joanne Tabeek Memorial Softball League is accepting teams for its weekday and Saturdaymen’s and coed divisions. There are also openings for its Sunday doubleheader division. Call 718-987-2818.Tennis classesThe Staten Island Community Tennis Center, located at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook, isoffering beginner classes for adults and children on Tuesdays and Saturdays beginning April 20. The cost is$160 for eight weeks. For registration or information, call 718-982-3355.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.94 of 162

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Rain does a number on college sports scheduleBy Bernie AugustineMarch 30, 2010, 1:23PMThe rainy and windy conditions have led to the postponement ofseveral college sporting events involving borough teams scheduledfor today.The College of Staten Island's baseball game slated for 4 p.m.today at NYU-Polytech has been called off with no makeup dateannounced. The Dolphins also called off tomorrow's softballdoubleheader at Richard Stockton; no makeup date has beenannounced.The men's tennis match at the National Tennis Center will beplayed indoors.Wagner College's baseball game at Rutgers has also been washedaway. The game will be made up back at Rutgers on May 4.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.Staten Island Advance filephoto by Hilton FloresCSI teammates Steve Hession and DevonDiCasoli, right, will have to wait anotherday to get a shot at NYU-Polytech.97 of 162

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Meetings held over proposed MTA service cutsMonday, March 01, 2010Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) ‐‐ The MTA is proposing a wide array of service changes and levels of servicechanges.Fare changes include discontinuing or reducing the half‐fare discount for eligible students. It's alsoproposed to discontinue or reduce the full‐fare discount for eligible students.The Rockaway/Broad Cannel resident rebate program could also be discontinued.Subway service changes could include:Discontinuing "G" service betweenCourt Sq and Forest Hills‐71 Ave at all times.Discontinuing "W" service, extending "Q" service to Astoria during the hours the "W" line currentlyoperates, and operate "N" local as well.In Manhattan north of Canal St., Discontinue "M" service, and extend "V" service from the Broadway‐Lafayette St. to Metropolitan Ave.Discontinuing Staten Island Railway baseball special service.MTA bus service changes could include:In the Bronx, discontinuing the Bx14, Bx18, Bx25, X32, BxM4A, BxM7B and the Barretto Park Pool busservices.Discontinuing the Bx20, Bx33, Bx34, and Bx55 on weekends.Discontinuing the Bx34 overnight. Reduce operating hours on Bx17, Bx20, Bx32, Bx33 and Bx55.Re‐route or discontinue portions of the Bx5, Bx8, Bx26, Bx28, Bx30 and Bx41.Extending a portion of the Bx39.In Brooklyn, Discontinuing the B23, B37, B39, B51, B71, B75, B77, X29, X37 andX38.99 of 162

Discontinuing the B2, B24, B69, X27 and X28 on weekends.Discontinuing the B7, B31, B45, B57, B64, B65 and B67 overnight.Reducing the operating hours on B2, B9, B11, B13, B16 and B24.Reroute or discontinuing portions of the B1, B3, B4, B8, B12, B13, B48, B64, B69, B70, and Q24. Extendportion of B57, B61, B69, X27 and X28.In Manhattan, discontinuing the M6, M18, M27, M30, B39, B51, X25 and X90.Discontinuing the M8, M21, M22, M50, Bx20 and Bx33 on weekends.Discontinuing the M1, M8, M16, M22, M50 and M66 overnight.Reducing the operating hours on the M11, M20, M21, M98, M100, M116, Bx20 and Bx33.Reroute or discontinue portion of M1, M3, M5, M9, M10, M15, M21, M22, M42, M98 and M104.Extending portions of the M5 and M20.In Queens, discontinuing the Q14, Q42, Q74, Q75, Q79, Q89, QM22, QM23, X32 and X51.Discontinuing the Q31 and Q76 on weekends.Discontinuing the Q30 overnight.Reducing the operating hours on Q26 and Q48.Discontinuing a portion of the Q24.In Staten Island, discontinuing the S42, S60, S67, X6, X9, X13, X16, X18 and X20.Discontinuing the S54 and S76 on weekends.Reducing the operating hours of S54, S57, S66 and X1.Reroute or discontinue portion of S40/90, S52 and X14.In Nassau County, discontinuing the N3, N17, N26, N28, N53, N65, N66, N67, N87, N88, N93, N94 andN95.Rerouting or discontinuing portions of the N1, N2 and N23.Reducing operating hours on the N14 and N62.On the LIRR, discontinuing weekend service on West Hempstead branch.Reducing weekday off‐peak & weekend service on Port Washington branch from half‐hourly to hourly.100 of 162

Discontinuing service to Belmont station except for Belmont Stakes.Discontinuing service between Greenport and Ronkonkoma except during summer weekends.There are seven remaining public hearings on the proposed MTA service cuts.Tues, 3/2/10College of Staten Island SpringerConcert Hall, 1P Building2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten IslandTues, 3/2/10Sheraton LaGuardia East HotelPhoenix Ballroom135‐20 39th Avenue, Flushing, QueensWed, 3/3/10The Paradise Theatre2403 Grand Concourse at 187 St, BronxWed, 3/3/10Brooklyn MuseumCantor Auditorium,200 Eastern Parkway, BrooklynThurs, 3/4/10Holiday Inn‐Suffern 3 Executive Boulevard, SuffernThurs, 3/4/10Fashion Institute of TechnologyHaft Auditorium, Seventh Avenueat 27 Street, ManhattanMonday, 3/8/10County Center‐RiverheadSuffolk County Legislative AuditoriumEvans K. Griffing Bldg 300 Center Drive,Riverhead, Long IslandThe MTA board vote is scheduled for March 24th.(Copyright ©2010 WABC‐TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)101 of 162

Locations for MTA Public Hearings on ServiceChanges, Student FaresUpdated 5:00 PM EDT, Mon, Mar 1, 2010The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will host a series of nine hearings throughout the MTA’sservice territory beginning on Monday to collect public comment on a series of proposals for servicechanges and changes to student fares and crossing charges. These changes would help to close a $750million budget shortfall due to State funding cuts and loss of tax revenue.“We’ve had to make tough choices to reduce our cost structure,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Jay H.Walder. “But we also have had to look at service cuts. I know that service changes are painful, andwe’ve sought every way we can to minimize impact on our customers. We encourage everyone toparticipate in our public hearings."Members of the public can learn more details about the proposed service changes, and the methodologyused to identify which cuts to propose, by visiting the MTA’s website at mta.info, and clicking on thePublic Hearings icon on the lower left portion of the homepage.All hearings begin at 6 p.m., Registration to speak will close at 9 p.m. The hearings will be held at thefollowing dates and locations (transit and driving directions can be found on the MTA’s website):102 of 162

Monday, March 1White Plains Performing Arts Center3rd Floor, City Center, Westchester11 City PlaceWhite PlainsChateau Briand440 Old Country RoadCarle Place, Long IslandTuesday, March 2College of Staten IslandSpringer Concert Hall, 1P Building2800 Victory BoulevardStaten IslandSheraton LaGuardia East HotelPhoenix Ballroom135-20 39th AvenueFlushing, QueensWednesday, March 3The Paradise Theater2403 Grand Concourse at 187th StreetThe BronxBrooklyn MuseumCantor Auditorium200 Eastern Parkway, BrooklynThursday, March 4Holiday Inn-SuffernEmpire Ballroom3 Executive Boulevard, SuffernFashion Institute of TechnologyHaft AuditoriumSeventh Avenue at 27th StreetManhattanMonday, March 8County Center-RiverheadSuffolk County Legislative AuditoriumEvans K. Griffing Bldg300 Center Drive, Riverhead, Long Island103 of 162

Public comments are also being accepted via email though MTA.info, and regular mail by writing toMTA Community Affairs, 347 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.First Published: Mar 1, 2010 4:46 PM EDTFind this article at:http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/MTA-Public-Hearings-Begin-on-Service-Changes-Student-Fares-85847817.htmlCheck the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.© NBC Universal, Inc. | All Rights Reserved.104 of 162

Staten Islanders expected to sound off at MTA publichearingBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 02, 2010, 3:51PMAdvance file photo/Bill LyonsThe S60 bus is among bus routes that would be discontinued under an MTAproposal.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Upset with the MTA?Here's your chance to sound off against the transit agency which has proposed service cuts and layoffs todeal with a massive $750 million budget gap.A public hearing is scheduled for tonight at 6 at the College of Staten Island's Center for the Arts. A numberof elected officials are expected to speak before the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board.Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and members of the public are encouraged to arrive before 6 if they wish tohave the opportunity to ask questions of expert staff members on hand at the registration tables. Speakerscan register until 9 p.m.Public comments are also being accepted via email though www.mta.info, and regular mail by writing toMTA Community Affairs, 347 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.Proposed cuts on Staten Island include:-Discontinuing the X16, X18 and X20 express bus routes, due to low ridership and high operating costs-Restructuring Hylan Boulevard express routes for greater efficiency. The X1 will no longer run during rushhours, and the X6 and X9 routes will be cut.-The X13 and X14 routes will be consolidated.105 of 162

-The S60 and S67 local routes will be cut, and the S40 will no longer serve Howland Hook. The S42 will becut, but part of its route will be served by a rerouted S52.-Weekend service will be cut on the S54 and S76 routes, and the hours of service will be reduced on theS54, S57 and S66 on weekdays, and the S57 on weekends, due to low ridership in the first and/or lasthours of service.-The Staten Island Railway's Ballpark Station will be closed.The College of Staten Island is located at 2800 Victory Boulevard, Willowbrook.106 of 162

Let the MTA hear youBy Staten Island Advance EditorialMarch 02, 2010, 8:08AMThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority, facing deficits as far as the eye can see, is back in what hasbecome an annual rite: Hearings on proposed service cuts and/or fare hikes.This time around, the MTA’s trying to fix the hole in its finances with service cuts alone.That’s not to say the service cuts the agency is proposing won’t hurt, however.The agency proposes to do away with service altogether on a number express bus and local bus routes,including the S42, S60 and S67.And the MTA wants to curtail or consolidate service on a number of other express and local bus lines.Regular riders these lines have undoubtedly heard all about these proposed cuts.But if you are one of the riders who will be affected, what can you really do?The truth is, probably not much. But there is something:You can show up at a hearing tonight at the College of Staten Island’s Center for the Arts on the college’sWillowbrook campus. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Speakers can register upuntil 9 p.m.Let’s hope the hearing goes well into the night.We know what you’re thinking: What good will going to the hearing do? The MTA has already made up itsmind about these service cuts, and these hearings are merely a pro-forma exercise, conducted only becausethe agency is required to hold public hearings whenever it is contemplating fare hikes or service cuts.While that may be true, we hasten to point out that, occasionally — just occasionally — the impassionedpleas from speakers at these hearings can make a difference. Last year, for example, the testimony fromcountless nurses, doctors, and staff members from Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Homepersuaded the MTA to save the S54 that runs along Brielle Avenue in front of the institution.The Sea View people rightly claimed that they would be left with mile-long walks on several desertedroads without the S54; the MTA listened. Weekday service on the S54 was ultimately spared.We’re not guaranteeing protests will get the same happy result with your route that’s on the MTAchopping block.But we are saying that the thousands of riders affected by these cuts, and all those who support themshould go to the hearing and make their case. Who knows? Even the MTA can be moved once in a while.Hold the agency to its duty to listen to the people and respond in accordance with its public servicemandate.We also know that if the hearing is sparsely attended, MTA officials will take it that few people care aboutthe service cuts, and those cuts will be implemented for sure.By all means, be skeptical about the MTA and its hearings. In truth, you’re probably right to be.But go to the meeting and be heard first. There’s plenty of time to be cynical later.107 of 162

MTA's public hearingson service cuts begin inQueens, Staten IslandBy Pete DonohueDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERTuesday, March 2nd 2010, 4:00 AMThe Metropolitan Transportation Authorityfaces a nearly $800 million budget gap,officials have said. To help make up theshortfall, the MTA has proposed shuttingdown or scaling back dozens of local andexpress bus lines and eliminating twosubway lines.Under MTA plans, students - who now getthree free rides a day - would pay halffares in September and full fares thefollowing September.The MTA also plans to save millions ofdollars by streamlining service provided todisabled riders. A small percentage ofriders now receiving door-to-door vanrides would instead by taken to a nearbybus stop or an accessible subway station.Sipkin/NewsLocals will get a chance to voice theirconcerns on MTA service cuts at the first publichearings Tuesday night in Queens and Staten Island.The first public hearings in the city on MTAservice cuts - and plans to charge studentsfor trips - will be held Tuesday night.One hearing will be held in Queens, while asecond will take place simultaneously inStaten Island.The hearings begin at 6 p.m. at theCollege of Staten Island on Victory Blvd.and the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, on39th Ave. in Flushing.Hearings will be held Wednesday night inthe Bronx and Brooklyn, and in Manhattanand Suffern, Rockland County, on Thursdaynight. The last session is Monday in NassauCounty.108 of 162

YOUR CITY, YOUR NEWS. NYC’S 24-HOUR NEWSCHANNEL ON THE WEB.Updated 03/02/2010 02:43 PMRiders Rally Before Public Meetings On MTA Service CutsBy: Roger ClarkThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority is holding its first two hearings on proposed service cuts and plans to charge students for trips,but riders are already speaking out.Hearings will be held simultaneously tonight in Queens and on Staten Island.The agency has proposed eliminating the W and M subway lines, as well as dozens of local and express bus routes in an effort to close anearly $800 million budget gap.The agency has also been under fire for its proposal to eliminate free student MetroCards.Astoria straphangers who are served by the W held a rally at the 30th Avenue subway station this morning, demanding that the MTA keepthe train rolling.If the W vanishes, the Q train would be extended to Astoria. But riders still don't like the idea of losing the W."This neighborhood is united in saying we can't have these false choices. You can't say to us on the one hand, 'We want to encouragepeople to use the train system,' on the other hand, 'We are going to cut service,'" said Costa Constantinides of the Long Island CityAlliance."The N train is a great train, but [having] both of them is better and people have to get to work."One elected official said riders must speak out tonight."Everyone who's affected by these cuts should get out to Queens tonight to make their voice heard,” said City Councilman Peter ValloneJr. “But secondly, we're calling attention to the fact that this is the one set of subway tracks in and out of northwestern Queens; it’s ourlifeline, and to eliminate one of the trains that runs on it is ridiculous. You look for an area that's under-served, not a growing, vibrant arealike this one. We need better service, not less service."However, some locals told NY1 that they were unaware of tonight's meeting, and one transit user even told the station he did not think hisattendance would make a difference.Just last week, the agency announced plans to cut more than a thousand jobs from its payroll.Tonight's hearings get underway at 6 p.m. at the College of Staten Island and the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel. Registration to speakends at 9 p.m.Auto DealersAuto RepairBarChildcareChocolateCarpet CleaningCoffeeDentistDoctorFloristsNew York Yellow PagesFurnitureGolf CourseGymHair SalonHotelsInsuranceJewelryLandscapingLocksmithMoversPlumbingRealtorRemodelingStoragePizzaby MojoPagesReproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.Copyright © 2010 NY1 News. All rights reserved.Web production by Tipit — Powered by News Gecko109 of 162

Tensions at MTA's Public HearingsUpdated: Tuesday, 02 Mar 2010, 10:47 PM ESTPublished : Tuesday, 02 Mar 2010, 10:47 PM ESTMYFOXNY.COM - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority continued its public hearings to listen tocomments from riders about proposed service cuts and elimination of student fares. One by one, angrycommuters and local officials gave MTA board members an earful about the agency's plan.Tuesday's hearing were held at the College of Staten Island and the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel inQueens.The MTA has said the cuts are needed to help close a $750 million budget shortfall due to a reduction instate funding and loss of tax revenue.The agency is holding more hearings before the board will vote on the proposed cuts.Wednesday, March 3The Paradise Theater2403 Grand Concourse at 187th StreetThe BronxBrooklyn MuseumCantor Auditorium200 Eastern Parkway, BrooklynThursday, March 4Holiday Inn-SuffernEmpire Ballroom3 Executive Boulevard, SuffernFashion Institute of TechnologyHaft AuditoriumSeventh Avenue at 27th StreetManhattanMonday, March 8County Center-RiverheadSuffolk County Legislative AuditoriumEvans K. Griffing Bldg300 Center Drive, Riverhead, Long IslandPublic comments are also being accepted via email though MTA.info, and regular mail by writing to MTACommunity Affairs, 347 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.110 of 162

Overflow crowd attends MTA hearingBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 02, 2010, 8:04PMBill Lyons/Staten Island AdvanceThe S60 bus is among bus routes that would be discontinued under an MTA proposal.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- Staten Islanders have a lot to get off their chests. At least when it comes to theMTA.An overflow crowd of more than 1,300 people has turned out for a public hearing at the College of StatenIsland's Center for the Arts. Speakers can register until 9 p.m.A number of elected officials are expected to speak before the MTA board.Public comments are also being accepted via email though www.mta.info, and regular mail by writing to MTACommunity Affairs, 347 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.Proposed cuts on Staten Island include:-Discontinuing the X16, X18 and X20 express bus routes, due to low ridership and high operating costs-Restructuring Hylan Boulevard express routes for greater efficiency. The X1 will no longer run during rushhours, and the X6 and X9 routes will be cut.-The X13 and X14 routes will be consolidated.111 of 162

-The S60 and S67 local routes will be cut, and the S40 will no longer serve Howland Hook. The S42 will becut, but part of its route will be served by a rerouted S52.-Weekend service will be cut on the S54 and S76 routes, and the hours of service will be reduced on theS54, S57 and S66 on weekdays, and the S57 on weekends, due to low ridership in the first and/or last hoursof service.-The Staten Island Railway's Ballpark Station will be closed.The College of Staten Island is located at 2800 Victory Boulevard, Willowbrook.---© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.112 of 162

SILive.com 'Comment of the Day'By Staten Island AdvanceMarch 03, 2010, 4:49PMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Today's "Comment of the Day" wasposted by SILive.com user speakthemind, to a story about theMTA public hearing last night at the College of Staten Islandabout the proposed service cuts to the borough's transit system.A raucous overflow crowd of more than 1,500 Island transit ridersand bus drivers showed up to tell transit officials that, this time,there's no fat left to trim.Despite the impressive showing, speakthemind felt the hearing wasjust a formality:"BREAKING NEWS: MTA to Island Thanks for wasting your time, wecame, we listened, WE DONT CARE. Best of luck Love the MTA"© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.Advance file photo/HiltonFloresMore than 1,500 people attended the MTAhearing at CSI on the proposed bus servicecuts. A number of them directed theirdispleasure at MTA Chairman Jay Walder.113 of 162

Island to MTA: No more cuts!By Maura YatesMarch 03, 2010, 1:53AMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceMore than 1,500 people attended the MTA hearing at CSI on the proposed bus servicecuts. A number of them directed their displeasure at MTA Chairman Jay Walder.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There were some who believed that last night's MTA public hearing was a donedeal.There was no reason to show up; the cuts to the borough's transit system were carved in stone, the cynicssaid.But Staten Islanders would have none of that.A raucous overflow crowd of more than 1,500 borough transit riders and bus drivers -- in the spirit ofyesterday's Advance editorial "Let the MTA hear you" -- showed up at the College of Staten Island to telltransit officials that, this time, there's no fat left to trim."Staten Island should not be the ATM for the MTA and then kicked to the curb," said Rep. Michael McMahon(D-Staten Island/Brooklyn).Attendees waved posters and chanted, "No more cuts!"Others were turned away at the door.About 90 took to the microphone during the six-hour meeting."I do not have the money for cabs," said Eleanor Abrams, who uses a wheelchair. "It would cost me $20 togo from Mariners Harbor to the ferry. Want to send me a limo?"To illustrate the plight of disabled passengers, she flourished a list of bus routes she has taken, and114 of 162

wheelchair lifts that have been broken when she wanted to travel.During one ride, she said, "The ramp went up and got stuck inmidair. I had to wait for the Fire Department to come get me."Said Chris Waymer of St. George, who relies on the S42, "I takethis as an attack on my family." His children, mother and siblingsare also bus riders.If the S42 is taken away, "I'm going to have to walk off the hill,leave earlier or fight for space on the bus," Waymer complained."It's crowded enough during rush hour. I don't think they get that.Imagine an already-packed bus and sticking 200 more people on,the kind of mayhem that's going to cause. That's going to turn uglyquickly."As one speaker noted, "The X1's so crowded, the bus driverstands."Hilton Flores/Staten IslandAdvanceStaten Islanders sign up to speak at theMTA hearing at CSI on the proposed busservice cuts."When you take away from Staten Island, you're taking away fromthe poorest people. When you take away from Manhattan, they can just walk another block [to find anotherbus or train]," said S42 rider Sharon Valentine of St. George.For Mamie Anguiano of Great Kills, the S54, which no longer would run on weekends, is "a way of life forme." A nondriver, she relies on the bus to get to Hylan Boulevard.Otherwise, "It's a long, long walk," carrying groceries or running errands."I understand ridership is low, but [running buses] once an hour instead of twice an hour would be betterthan nothing."The proposed cuts, which include the elimination of some local and express bus routes, as well as cuts toAccess-a-Ride paratransit service and the elimination of student MetroCards, are part of an effort by the MTAto suture a $750 million budget gap.The hearing venue, the College of Staten Island's Center for the Arts, was itself a source of frustration, witha long line of traffic waiting to enter the Willowbrook campus and nowhere to park near the auditorium. TheMTA had to provide a shuttle to get bus riders from the city bus stop on Victory Boulevard to the concert hallin the center of the sprawling grounds."It's really not the appropriate place," said City Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn). "It showshow particularly vulnerable this community is to cuts."The meeting coincided with Albany's legislative session, so the borough's state senators and Assemblymembers were unable to attend.Speakers addressed the panel of MTA officials, which included New York City Transit President TomPrendergast, Staten Island Railway Chief John Gaul, MTA Board Members Allen Cappelli, Jeff Kay andMitchell Pally, Corporate and Community Affairs Director Chris Boylan and Richard DeVito, Transit's chieftransportation officer and head of labor relations.Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726, which represents the borough's bus operators,distributed 200,000 fliers to get riders to show up for last night's hearing. "There should have been 5,000 or10,000 people, since 15,000 people are losing their buses," said their president, Angelo Tanzi. "There shouldhave been riots out in the street," he said.At the same time Manhattan is looking forward to three major new subway projects, "they are shutting downbus service on Staten Island for a lot of people who need it to go to school, to work and to church," said theunion's Larry Hanley."It's important for the people who are affected to talk to the people who make the decisions about transit,"Cappelli said.115 of 162

During last year's service cut hearing, a vocal crowd of bus riders who work at Sea View RehabilitationCenter and Home spoke out against cuts to two bus lines that serve the center, without which they wouldhave had to trek up Brielle Avenue on foot. One of the two lines was spared in the current round of cuts.This time around, Cappelli said, the hardship that will ensue for riders who live on some of the Island'ssteepest hills came through loud and clear: Riders of the S42 and the S60 "left an impression," he said.But while board members professed empathy, "In my heart, I believe they're going to cut anyway," Tanzisaid. "In the end, Staten Island is going to lose some of the things we need."Tanzi said he doesn't yet know how the cuts will affect his members, but he says he thinks the situationcould still get worse."My understanding is this is just the beginning. If things don't change in the next six to eight months, this isgoing to be an ongoing thing until the economy improves."© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.116 of 162

YOUR CITY, YOUR NEWS. NYC’S 24-HOUR NEWSCHANNEL ON THE WEB.03/03/2010 11:04 AMS.I. Residents Object To MTA Cuts To Borough's TransitBy: Amanda FarinacciAngry straphangers on Staten Island told the MTA at a Tuesday night meeting that they are sick and tired of being shortchanged when itcomes to mass transit options. Borough Reporter Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.For many North Shore residents, taking the S42 bus line is the only way to go through neighborhoods known for steep hills. Manyresidents do not have cars, and getting up and down the roads on foot can be difficult for senior citizens and small children. Yet the S42 isone of the lines the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to cut to ease its budget gap."People who can't take this bus are going to have to go a steep and heavy hill, which is okay to do in the summer but you can't really do itthe winter," said one Staten Islander. "And it's just one of the cuts that are going to be done in Staten Island, where there are relatively,vastly few amounts of transportation alternatives."Under the MTA's plan, the S42 is one of 17 local and express bus lines that will either offer limited routes and schedules or go awaycompletely.The proposed cuts drew more than a thousand people to the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook onTuesday night for a marathon MTA public hearing. Attendees complained about the borough deals with$11 tolls on the Verrazano Bridge, a lack of a subway system and overcrowded existing buses."I think it's totally unacceptable," said one local at the meeting. "The MTA cries about its deficit every singleyear. It's time that they find another way to close the gap aside from service cuts and fare hikes."Besides saying how the budget cuts would affect them, locals also wanted to know exactly how the MTA is facing such a massive deficit."Why are we paying more as a whole? Whether you ride the bus or not, your taxes are paying for these services and yet these servicesare being reduced," said a resident. "What is being done with the money? The public would like to know. And also, what is being done toprevent this from happening again and again and again?"MTA Board member Alan Cappelli, the group's only member from Staten Island, said he understands the frustration and that the agencyis listening to what people have to say."I'm hoping that we will be able to spare some of these cuts that I think are just terrible for everybody," said Cappelli.Many other residents at the meeting shared the same hope.Auto DealersAuto RepairBarChildcareChocolateCarpet CleaningCoffeeDentistDoctorFloristsNew York Yellow PagesFurnitureGolf CourseGymHair SalonHotelsInsuranceJewelryLandscapingLocksmithMoversPlumbingRealtorRemodelingStoragePizzaby MojoPagesReproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.Copyright © 2010 NY1 News. All rights reserved.Web production by Tipit — Powered by News Gecko117 of 162

Disabled upset about lack of MTA public hearing accessMarch 3, 6:09 PM NY Government Examiner Michael A. HarrisAn advocacy group for New Yorkers with disabilities say that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority failed toconsider accessibility when choosing venues for public hearings on service cuts making it next to impossible for themto voice their concerns.The Disabilities Network of New York CIty noted that most of the public hearings are at venues that are not nearaccessible subway stations and that bus routes into the surrounding areas are at best inconvenient. With paratransitservices set to be significantly cut, the organization called the choice of venue inexcusable."I think that it shows people with disabilities are simply not a priority for the MTA," said Lawrence Carter-Long, theorganization's executive director. His organization held two workshops to educate seniors and the disabled about theproposed cuts, the hearings and how to deliver effective testimony and so Carter-Long said that he's disappointedthat many won't have the opportunity to do so. "We've repeatedly reached out to the MTA and asked that they meetwith us and discuss our agenda and nobody has ever so much as responded. Clearly we're not even on their radarscreens."In past years, venues like the Pennsylvania Hotel and Brooklyn Marriot, which are near accessible subway stationshave been used for public hearings, but advocates say that the venues being used this year are far from easy to getto. This year Carter-Long says that venues like the Brooklyn Museum, Sheraton LaGuardia East, College of StatenIsland and Paradise Theater are difficult for those with mobility impairments to get to."Especially when there is a disability issue [Access-A-Ride] on the table it is imperative that we are able to voice ourconcerns directly to the MTA."Carter-Long's organization is travelling the city with a TV camera filming people's thoughts and will submit a DVD tothe MTA as well as post it on the web and send to the news media.Will the DVD have an impact? "I would certainly hope that seeing the outrage from a diverse cross section of the verypeople who would be left stranded if their proposal were adopted will make a lasting impression and help them to seethe error of their ways," he said. "Sadly given their track record I wouldn't hold my breath, but remain hopeful.""The venues themselves are accessible to the disabled," said MTA spokesman Kevin B. Ortiz. He said that findingvenues large enough to accommodate the high number of people expected makes it difficult. "While we also strive tofind venues with accessible subway stations, sometimes that is simply not possible."Ortiz pointed out that all of the venues are accessible by buses, all of which are accessible and that people withdisabilities are given the courtesy of testifying at the beginning of each hearing so that they don't have to sit aroundfor hours.118 of 162

MTA divided - but not conqueredBy Maura YatesMarch 04, 2010, 12:16AMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceWhile Queens residents had an audience with MTA Chairman Jay Walder and six of theMTA's 16 board members Tuesday night, an overflow crowd of Staten Islanders (anumber holding signs like these two gentlemen above) got to vent to New York CityTransit President Tom Prendergast and three board members, Allen Cappelli, Jeff Kayand Mitchell Pally, among other MTA brass including Staten Island Railway Chief JohnGaul.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- The MTA's decision to host multiple public hearings across the city as transit ridersbrace for service cuts meant the MTA's leadership and board members were divided, and only a handfulcould attend either forum.While Queens residents had an audience with MTA Chairman Jay Walder and six of the MTA's 16 boardmembers Tuesday night, an overflow crowd of Staten Islanders got to vent to New York City TransitPresident Tom Prendergast and three board members, Allen Cappelli, Jeff Kay and Mitchell Pally, amongother MTA brass including Staten Island Railway Chief John Gaul.OTHER PROBLEMSThe double booking wasn't the only logistical problem, as state Sen. Diane Savino, stuck in Albany for alegislative session and unable to attend, objected to the location of the borough's meeting at the College ofStaten Island. She proposed moving future meetings to a more easily-accessible venue like the St. GeorgeTheatre, so more residents, and board members could attend.Last night's hearings were divided between the Bronx and Brooklyn, and another two will be held tonight inManhattan and Suffern, N.Y.119 of 162

"I find it insulting that Staten Islanders cannot even get their own hearing," she said in a statementyesterday. "There were 1,500 Island residents attending last night's hearing, desperate to protect their busservice. Five board members listened to 400 Queens residents, while we apparently only merited three. I callon the full board to come and hear how these proposed cuts will devastate Staten Island, in a venueaccessible by mass transit and with a greater capacity, like the St. George Theatre."Cappelli, who attended every fare and toll hike hearing throughout the city last year, save for one on asimilarly double-booked night, said he wished he could have heard from riders in Queens as well and alsothought the St. George Theatre might be a more accessible venue.Sen. Savino urged Island bus riders to sign her online petition against the cuts, and to complete a survey ofconditions of the borough's express buses. The petition and survey can be found atwww.nysenate.gov/petition/tell-mta-no-express-bus-reductions.Meanwhile, Borough President James Molinaro proposed a new tolling idea that would spare most residentswhile raising more revenue to undo some of the proposed cuts to borough bus lines.By hiking the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge cash toll $1 to $12, he said, the MTA could raise $77 million a year,which could offset some of the service cuts. The bulk of Islanders who use the bridge use E-ZPass, he said,and therefore wouldn't be affected, while tourists and visitors would have to pony up."I'm not going to cry over people from Ohio or Wyoming who would have to pay a dollar more," Molinarosaid.In addition, an increase in E-ZPass use to avoid the hiked toll would help ease traffic flow and improve airquality from cars queuing up to pay the toll.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.120 of 162

Snubbed on the charterBy Staten Island Advance EditorialMarch 07, 2010, 6:38AMThe New York City Charter is to city government what the U.S. Constitution is to the federal government.The difference is that the Constitution has been successfully changed — amended — only 27 times since itwas adopted in 1789; that number includes the original 10 amendments the Founders put forth in the Bill ofRights.The city’s constitution, conversely, has been revised and tweaked and massaged countless timesthroughout the city’s history, usually according to the desires of the mayor in charge at any given moment.So, every few years, it seems another Charter Revision Commission is convened and the members ofthese panels, given the mandate of perfecting city government, always feel they have to change something,if only to justify the commission’s existence. Predictably, they also usually aim to please the mayor whochose them for this prestigious mission.Many idealistic New Yorkers like the idea of altering the bedrock document of city government regularly,but this periodic modification can be problematical. The high-minded notions put forth by these panels don’talways translate well into practical reality.Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed another Charter Revision Commission, the third of his two-plus termsas mayor, last week. Reportedly, this latest edition of the panel will take another look at term limits for cityofficials, and, possibly, eliminating the five borough presidents, and overhauling the city budget process,among other issues.Given the mayor’s professed fondness for Staten Island, and the critical importance of these issues here,we had hoped the mayor would appoint a number of Staten Islanders to the panel, to give us a greater sayin how the city is run.We had even hoped that those multiple Staten Island members of the commission would be able to swayfellow members to recommend decentralizing city agencies to give officials in each borough the power tomake their own decisions about such things as transportation and land use. And about when borough publicschools should close in extreme weather conditions.The mayor, however, gave Staten Island just one appointment on the 15-member commission. He isSteven Fiala, the estimable former City Council member who is now the Richmond County Clerk.We have no doubt about Mr. Fiala’s abilities and commitment to Staten Island. His stellar resume, whichincludes a previous stint on the 2004-2005 commission, is proof of those things.But we are bothered that he is the only Staten Islander on the panel, in light of the issues it will take up.And we disagree strongly with his and Borough President James Molinaro’s assessment that having oneStaten Islander on the commission is not a problem.That Mr. Fiala thinks Staten Island has not been short-changed is worrisome. We never thought thereshould be a quota, but we do think this borough, with its unique concerns and issues, should be treatedfairly — perhaps even more than fairly, because Staten Island has issues that none of the other boroughshave.Had Mr. Fiala been at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s public hearing at the College of StatenIsland on Tuesday, he may have better understood why Staten Islanders feel short-changed, not just interms of transit, but a lot of other things, and justifiably so.The commission can and will take all the testimony it wants at public hearings. However, it’s behind121 of 162

closed doors that the decisions that will affect the people of this borough for years to come will be made.That’s exactly why we and many other people here insisted that the panel must include more than oneStaten Islander who has been in the trenches and knows the issues on the ground. (Manhattan, by the way,has six appointees.)This borough is short-changed in the Manhattan/Brooklyn-centric grand scheme of things, from road andtraffic conditions to huge disparities in cultural funding. Not to mention health care.Staten Island represents 6 percent of the city’s population, but we get nowhere near our fair, 6-percentshare of the city’s resources or amenities. Sadly, that’s just not a concern to the college presidents, masterplanners, corporate executives, and other big-thinking VIPs who will serve on the commission.This is no knock on the other members of the commission, all of them fine New Yorkers with distinguishedreputations. However, history tells us that these commissions gravitate toward theoretical and universalsolutions in their quest for the “perfect” system of city governance. That doesn’t work.This charter commission has to be grounded in the real world. It is not textbook, one-size-fits-allgovernance the people of this borough — or even the people of the Bronx and Queens — need. People needreal-world governance and in this growing city with radically different needs in different boroughs, attentionmust be given to that reality.We fear these borough-by-borough differences will be lost on the other commission members. And wefear that Mr. Fiala, for all his earnestness and intelligence, will have his Staten Islander’s voice drowned outamid all the high-minded discussion.We hope events prove us wrong. But for now, we are extremely disappointed in the mayor’s treatment ofthis borough on this issue. Staten Island, given its strong support for him in the past, deserved much better.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.122 of 162

Construction worker injured in fall at Curtis High SchoolBy Doug AuerMarch 09, 2010, 11:03PMDoug Auer/Staten Island AdvanceA construction worker was hospitalized after falling into an empty swimming pool atCurtis High School, where he was doing renovations.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- A construction worker doing renovations on the Curtis High school swimming poolfell off scaffolding earlier today and into the empty concrete basin, police said.The accident happened at about 5 p.m. inside the St. George school and the victim — whose identity wasn’treleased — was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton.He suffered non-life threatening injuries, authorities reported.After tumbling into the 12-foot deep end, the man wasn’t moving, according to police radio transmissions.“He had just started working here today,” said a school official, noting that the project was being undertakenby AJS Construction.The firm couldn’t be reached for comment.The renovations began in September, closing the pool and forcing swim teams to practice and compete atthe College of Staten Island, Willowbrook.The pool is expected to re-open by the start of the 2010-2011 school year.123 of 162

Yesterday was the second time in as many days that police responded to Curtis High School.On Monday, cops swarmed the building after a false report of a shootout was made by a school safety agent.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.124 of 162

Strike up 'Pomp and Circumstance': Graduation rate takes 3percent jumpBy Amy PadnaniMarch 10, 2010, 12:14AMHilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceTheir numbers are legion: Susan Wagner High School Class of 2009 marches into theRichmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George for commencement ceremonies.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island students are earning high school diplomas in record numbers, withthe borough's graduation rate jumping nearly three percentage points, officials announced yesterday.About 70 percent of borough students graduated from high school in June 2009, up from 67.3 percent in2008. It's the first time Staten Island high schools have seen such a drastic increase in recent years; forabout three years, the borough's graduation rate was stagnant at 67.Citywide, 59 percent of students graduated in that time frame, up from 56.4 in 2008. Officials said that's6,200 more students who earned a diploma compared to the previous year.State and city officials attributed the rise in graduation rates to better programming for students to keepthem engaged in the classroom, additional funding for resources and a recognition by students that a highschool diploma is key to success in life.Graduation rates are calculated based on how many students earn a Regents or local diploma within fouryears.125 of 162

Most of the Island's schools saw gains, except for Port Richmond High School, which dipped several points.The College of Staten Island's High School for International Studies got a stellar rate for its first graduatingclass, with 95 percent of students graduating. Staten Island Technical High School maintained the 100percent graduation rate it first attained in 2008.Jeanne Johnson, the co-president of the Staten Island Federation of PTAs, said she believes the graduationrate has increased as a result of creative programming principals have implemented in schools. At her son'sschool, the Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical High School, she said Principal Sharon Henry has offeredmore tutoring and after-school assistance. McKee's graduation rate increased from 57 percent to 61 percent."I just think with the principals being in charge, they can customize the programs they're offering thestudents so they can reach children who otherwise would have fallen through the cracks," she said. "Theteachers also tell them this is not the type of world where you can drop out of high school and get a job.Children see their parents are losing their jobs, they see people with a college education losing their jobs. Sowhat are they going to do without a high school diploma?"Indeed, dropout rates declined one percentage point on Staten Island, to eight.Concord High School, a transfer school which students typically enter in sophomore or junior year, had a one-point increase to 28 percent for four-year graduation rates, a one-point drop for students who graduate infive years, at 54 percent, and a three-point increase for students who graduate in six years, at 65 percent.State officials said they have long been appealing to the federal Education Department to include five- andsix-year graduation rates in accountability measures when gauging the success of a given school.Rates for almost all groups of students showed improvements citywide. Nearly 25 percent of specialeducationstudents graduated compared to 22.5 percent in 2008. More than half of Hispanic studentsgraduated in four years for the first time; that number rose to 51.8 percent compared to 48.7 percent in2008.Additionally, 44.6 percent of students citywide earned Regents diplomas, which entail tougher standards,such as passing a certain number of Regents exams. About 40.9 percent of students earned Regentsdiplomas in 2008 and 30 percent earned them in 2005. City officials said they were pleased to hear thenews, since the Regents diploma will become the state's standard in two years.State officials attributed much of their success to funding, and stressed the importance of securing some ofthe $700 million in Obama administration Race to the Top funding to improve education.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.126 of 162

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Soldier arrives home from Iraq just in time to see his son bornBy Kiawana RichMarch 12, 2010, 11:45PMAnd baby makes three: The Marke family, Safet, Erion and Blerta.Jan Somma-Hammell/Staten Island AdvanceSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Mission accomplished.A soldier from West Brighton made it back from Iraq in the nick of time to witness the birth of his son, whojumped the gun by six days."This is one of the biggest moments of my life," said first-time father Safet Marke, 27, as he held 7-pound,10-ounce Erion, who enlisted for life at 41 minutes past 1400 hours yesterday — that’s 2:41 p.m., for therest of us — in Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton.The Army reservist had raced the clock."He was in Atlanta and she was already dilated two and a half centimeters," said Marke’s sister, Arieta Resiti,32, of West Brighton. "He said, ‘I don’t know if I can make it. Do you think the delivery can wait?’"Happily, everything turned out fine."I was surprised to see him come in. He just walked in and came over and hugged me," said new momBlerta Marke, 19.Baby Erion had been expected to debut on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, but doubtless took it upon himself toexpedite his father’s two-week leave. Fortunately, Marke, who’d been scheduled to arrive home tomorrow,was able to snag an earlier flight.128 of 162

Marke is a first lieutenant assigned to the U.S. Army’s 37th Finance Detachment, where his responsibilitiesinclude providing funding for capital projects in Iraq: Schools, hospitals, water treatment plants and the like.In civilian life, Marke, who holds a master’s degree in environmental science, works as an immigration officerwith U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When his stint in Iraq ends, he expects to get a promotionwith a raise, just the thing for a new dad.Mrs. Marke, who plans to earn her nursing degree from the College of Staten Island, said the reality ofmotherhood hasn’t quite sunken in."I still don’t feel like parents yet," she said.Since Erion’s arrival, a steady stream of relatives has visited bearing balloons, chocolates and flowers for the18-month-marrieds.There are plans afoot for a big party before Marke returns to Iraq.Ms. Resiti’s 8-year-old, Ariana, spoke for all: "I think it’s great to have the new baby," she said. Bestowing ahug, she added, "And I think it's really nice to have my uncle here."© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.129 of 162

Falsification of test scores has been swept under the rugBy Letters to the Editor/Staten Island Adva...March 15, 2010, 4:25AMBy JACK GORDON,WEST BRIGHTONDiane Ravitch, America’s pre-eminent educational historian, delivered a blistering indictment of ourmayor’s school reforms recently in a talk at the College of Staten Island.At one point, she indicated that much of the “cooking of books” of test scores that has gone on at boththe state and city levels in the past — all clearly unethical — might even be illegal.It will be expensive and time-consuming to clean up this mess.This is troubling. But not as troubling as the lack of collective will on the part of the City Council and theStaten Island Advance to bring attention to the problem.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.130 of 162

Free financial literary workshop to be held in Port RichmondBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 18, 2010, 6:17AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Current and prospective business owners are invited to attend a free financialliterary workshop that will be given in Spanish on Tuesday at the Port Richmond Branch of the Public Library.The event, which runs from noon to 2 p.m., is partnered by the Staten Island Economic DevelopmentCorporation Immigrant & Minority Entrepreneur Program and the Small Business Development Center at theCollege of Staten Island.To register, the Spanish speaking contact is Marisol Paulino from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 718-477-1400 or PaulaCoyle at 718-477-1400 or Eileen Sullivan at 718-982-2560.---twitter.com/siadvance© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.131 of 162

MTA softens plan to cut service for Staten Island commutersBy Maura YatesMarch 19, 2010, 6:00PMAdvance file photoRiders wait for both express and local buses to Brooklyn and Manhattan on NarrowsRoad South.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Desperate riders screamed; the MTA listened.Some of the worst service cuts proposed for local and express bus routes could be reduced, it wasannounced Friday, after the MTA heard loud and clear from a city full of angry straphangers at a round ofpublic hearings last month.For borough bus riders comes a measured bit of good news on the S42, S60, X1 and X9 routes.The original plan to discontinue the S42 route through the hills of New Brighton called for running S52 busesalong Westervelt Avenue, St. Mark's Place and Central Avenue to cover part of the route. That plan is still ineffect, but additional rush hour and evening S52 service will now operate along the existing S42 Clyde Placebranch from 5 to 8:45 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and midnight. The change will keep service available forriders furthest from the ferry terminal, and some 350 weekday riders will no longer be impacted.The S60, which is the only transit option for residents of steep Grymes Hill but has the fewest riders of anyroute in the city, faced complete elimination, until desperate residents sounded off at the hearing at theCollege of Staten Island, expressing their dependence upon the bus to get around.In a move expected to save 210 weekday riders, the S66 will be rerouted on weekdays along Clove Road,Howard Avenue, Arlo Road and Highland Avenue to continue serving those riders. The change will tack onabout six extra minutes travel time for ferry-bound S66 riders, and passengers who board on the segment of132 of 162

Victory Boulevard that will no longer be served by the S66 will have to use another Victory bus. Grymes Hillresidents will still face discontinued service on weekends.Express bus riders who had railed against a plan to cut X1 service during rush hours complained that busesare already filled to the brim before the cuts make it even harder for commuters to squeeze into a smallernumber of buses.The revised proposal will keep X1s running during peak hours, but at reduced levels, and all rush hour X1swill terminate at 23rd Street. More X3s will run during rush hour, coordinated with the X1 to serve LowerManhattan. The X6 will still be discontinued, but the X9 will be retained during peak hours, and service onother routes will be revised to make room for former X1 and X6 riders displaced by the changes.The originally proposed package of service cuts totaled $101 million, and were meant to chip away at theMTA's nearly $800 million budget gap for 2010.The modified cuts announced Friday will reduce the cost savings by $8 million, meaning that much more willbe added to the $400 million budget shortfall not yet addressed. But the revised changes were designed tolessen the impacts of some of the most painful cuts."The enormous public reaction to the proposed cuts reminds everyone how fundamental the transit systemis to New Yorkers and how painful any cut can be," said MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder. "While our budgetdeficit forces us to move ahead with most of the cuts, we were able to take a number of the most painfulcuts off the table based on what we heard from our customers."To plug the gap, the MTA also plans to reduce its administrative payroll by 15 percent, along with otherbudget-trimming measures."I commend the MTA and Chairman Jay Walder for having heard the thousands of Islanders who came out tosave what little mass transit options we have," said State Sen. Diane Savino. "Today Island commuters,seniors and students have won a major battle. Yet the war still remains until every seat is safe from thesedraconian cuts, which commuters simply cannot afford to lose," she said.MTA Board Member Allen Cappelli cautioned that the final details won't be set in stone until the board meetsfor a vote on Wednesday."We're making some progress, but the details are still very much in flux," Cappelli said, adding the board willdiscuss the proposals in greater detail during Monday's committee meetings. "We're facing an extraordinarilydifficult financial situation caused largely by the state government taking away money that was supposed tobe dedicated to mass transit," he said. "We're fighting to get as much of this restored as we can."A proposal to eliminate free student MetroCards will be discussed later in the spring.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.133 of 162

Overtime up at NJ Transitand Turnpike AuthorityBy LARRY HIGGS • GANNETT NEW JERSEY •March 19, 2010Two state transportation agencies both reliedheavily on increased overtime spending to move themasses last year, payroll records showed.Workers at both NJ Transit and the New JerseyTurnpike Authority saw more money in their takehomepay and from overtime in 2009 than in 2008,a Gannett New Jersey analysis of payroll recordsfound. And workers at both agencies augmentedtheir base salaries with overtime measured in thetens of thousands of dollars for many. Overtime atthe Turnpike Authority increased by $3.1 millionbetween 2008 and 2009, to a total $13.6 million.Overtime at NJ Transit was up by $4.6 million for thesame time period, to a total of $118.5 million."The increase in overtime coincided with serviceincreases and additions," said Penny Bassett-Hackett, NJ Transit spokeswoman. "We've increasedservice significantly on both rail and bus sides, andwe need to staff to maintain that service."Rail and bus operations had the highest overtime,followed by NJ Transit police.Prior to the recession, NJ Transit broke its ownridership records in fiscal year 2007-08 with 259.7million passenger trips.With a 4 percent drop-off in ridership as theeconomy tanked, NJ Transit plans to cut 200 jobs tohelp close a $300 million revenue gap. "We will bereducing services by 4 percent across the board,"Bassett-Hackett said. "Some of the reduction willcome in union and nonunion employees."Overtime is more cost-effective than hiring newworkers, with their benefit and pensions costs, saidJoe Orlando, Turnpike Authority spokesman. Most ofthe authority's overtime increases are due to snowremoval, he said.Jay Corbalis, a policy analyst for NJ Future, said NJTransit has to look at personnel to help close abudget gap and loss of state subsidies that have theagency proposing 25 percent fare increases."Reducing operating costs and personnel is a largepart of what NJ Transit will have to shrink to handlethat loss of state subsidy," Corbalis said.Comparisons difficultWhile coming reductions are praiseworthy, it's hardcomparing authorities and agencies to determinewhich has the best operating practices and is themost efficient, said Jon Peters of Fair Haven, aprofessor of finance at The College of Staten Island."The general question is: Are the people getting thehighest return on their dollars sent to governmentagencies?" Peters said."It's hard to answer; there are a lot of irregularities.Different agencies have different structures, and it'shard to get a grip on who has the best practices."While overtime is seen as preferable to hiring morehelp by both agencies, experts disagreed whetherovertime is an accurate gauge of efficiency."The question has to be: Is it necessary? What's the134 of 162

“Be Counted!:” CUNY Opens Census 2010 Help Centers22/03/2010 17:00:39 City University of New YorkMarch 22, 2010 | The University“Be Counted!” campus help centers are opening this week at colleges and offices of The City University ofNew York as part of the University’s comprehensive partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to help ensurethat every New Yorker is counted in the 2010 Census.CUNY’s “Be Counted” assistance centers are open to all seeking to obtain Census forms in multiplelanguages. Assistance with responding to the Census questionnaire will also be provided. The Centers will bestaffed for up to 15 hours per week. They will be open from March 22nd through April 15 th .“CUNY has been working closely with federal census officials for the past year and a half by hosting trainingsessions on many campuses and helping students apply for census employment opportunities,” said ChancellorMatthew Goldstein. “We encourage full participation in the census count to ensure that all segments of oursociety are represented in the decision-making processes of our democracy.”Participating colleges and offices include: Borough of Manhattan Community College, Baruch College,Brooklyn College, City College, Medgar Evers College, Hunter College, the College of Staten Island, HostosCommunity College, CUNY Express, CUNY in the Heights, and the University Office of AdmissionsServices. Complete details, including hours of operation and addresses, are available at the census site at:http://2010.census.gov/2010census/.CUNY will continue to publicize the importance of the 2010 Census by promoting census awareness andemployment opportunities through CUNY’s website (www.cuny.edu), public service announcements throughCUNY-TV, CUNY Radio, campus newspapers and email blasts.In addition, CUNY will assist New York State’s efforts to raise awareness of the importance of an accuratecensus count by distributing New York State-brochures, palm cards and posters to campuses. CUNY is alsopartnering with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Education Fundin distributing promotional materials for their census campaign, ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR! (It’s Time,Make Yourself Count) that target awareness of the 2010 Census in the Latino community. Materials andaccess to NALEO’s on-line network of information were distributed to campuses in February and early March.As part of its long term efforts, college presidents were asked to appoint a Census Coordinator to work withCensus Bureau officials and Census 2010 employment opportunities for students were heavily promoted viathe CUNY website. As recently as last month, an email blast went out to the CUNY college community abouthiring opportunities leading up to the official count.Starting in the fall 2008, CUNY provided space for recruiting, testing and training of Census employeeapplicants for address verification, canvassing operations and staffing local offices and, since mid-November2009, the Census has been recruiting and testing for supervisory and non-supervisory positions in specific135 of 162

geographic areas where their applicant pool is in need of candidates. This is particularly important becauseNew York City has the highest percentage of hard-to-count residents of any city in the nation. Individualcampuses also worked to ensure that 2010 Census will count every New Yorker:Brooklyn College partnered with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in a Census forum in February 2010 withrepresentatives from the Mayor’s Office, the U.S. Census Bureau and Councilmember Charles BarronBaruch College, John Jay College and the City College have provided opportunities for the distribution ofCensus Bureau materials at student activities;Lehman College hosted the 2009 Beta Awards with BronxNet. The theme was the importance of the accuracyof the Bronx Census count in 2010;York College hosted a Census event with New York State Senator Malcolm Smith to discuss the 2010 Censuswith the southeast Queens community and the College has provided space for other community meetings onthe Census;Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College hosted a 2010 Census series for the campus and the community.The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges,the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNYGraduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and theCUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuingand professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the fiveboroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School ofProfessional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.136 of 162

CSI to host free career fair April 15By Staten Island AdvanceMarch 29, 2010, 6:15AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The College of Staten Island will host a free career fair April 15 in the Sports andRecreation Center, (Building 1R).The recruitment event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is open to all college students in the tri-state area.Sponsored by the Career and Scholarship Center at CSI, the fair will focus on jobs, internships, and graduateschools. It kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with a coffee and tea service. Recruitment will take place from 9 a.m.-3p.m., with a break at 1 p.m. for lunch.Summer employment, paid and non-paid internships in all academic areas, as well as full-time and part-timepositions will be available. All College of Staten Island undergraduate, graduate, and recent alumni, as wellas students from other public and private colleges in the tri-state area, are welcome to attend.The Career and Scholarship Center at CSI recommends attendees wear professional attire and keep businessetiquette and interview-style conversation in mind during the fair.Free parking is available in Lot 6, adjacent to building 1R, on the school's campus, located at 2800 VictoryBlvd., Willowbrook.Michelle Rossman is a reporting intern at the Advance. She may be reached at rossman@siadvance.com.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.137 of 162

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Daniel Jakubowski honored as an Eagle ScoutBy Jamie LeeMarch 25, 2010, 10:16AMBoy invites one of his role models, Pioneer employee Owen Reiter, to be part of the partyView full sizePHOTO COURTESY OF OWEN REITERDaniel Jakubowski, 19, left, and Owen Reiter at St. Teresa’s R.C. Church, CastletonCorners, at the Eagle Scout induction ceremony.STATEN ISLAND, NY – CHARLESTON — Eagle Scout ceremonies are a time for dedicated Boy Scouts tobask in the successes of their dedication, surrounded by family, close friends – and a bus driver fromCharleston.At least, that’s the way it was for one newly-inducted member of Scouting’s elite fraternity.When 18-year-old Meiers Corners resident Daniel Jakubowski was honored this past Saturday night forreaching the rank of Eagle Scout, he brought with him his father, Dave; mother, Clare; and brothers,Justin, 17, and Robert, 12.But he also invited the man who drove him to and from the Michael J. Petrides School in Sunnyside fromfirst- through fifth-grade.For 12 years, Charleston resident Owen Reiter, a retired police officer, drove a bus route for the PioneerBus Company, inadvertently making an impact on every student he ferried safely to and from their homes.“Owen always took the biggest steps towards taking care of the bus and the kids,” said Dave Jakubowski,whose middle son, Justin, was also bused by Reiter. “He did the right thing, all the time. He always did whatneeded to be done.”139 of 162

And those connections cannot be undone, no matter how much time passes.“We’ve always kept in touch with him,” said Daniel Jakubowski. “He was a big part of my life. At times,he’s come out to dinner with my family, and he was at my high school graduation (from St. Peter’s HighSchool in New Brighton). We’ve never really had a bad conversation, and he’s always helped me out in someway.”Reiter says that it started with casual conversation and the exchange of Christmas cards, but it was a civil-service connection that really brought his family and the Jakubowskis close.Dave Jakubowski is currently a member of the FDNY. His father had been a police officer, and his fatherin-lawhad been a fireman.“At one point, Daniel’s mother told me that I was some sort of role model for him, which really movedme,” said Reiter, who has three sons and four grandchildren of his own. “He comes from a family with (acollection of heroes), and that fact that he seemed to think that I was some sort of role model, given thecompany, felt really good.”So, the Jakubowskis, their favorite bus driver and his wife, LaDonna, watched on Saturday with a greatsense of pride as two new Eagle Scouts were added to Troop 37 at St. Teresa’s R.C. Church in CastletonCorners – Daniel Jakubowski and Steve DeLillo.(Troop 37 now boasts more than 70 Eagle Scouts in total, including current state Assemblyman LouTobacco (R-South Shore).)“I walked out of that event, and I was moved,” said Reiter. “One of my grandsons is in kindergarten rightnow, and my first thought was that I have to get him into Scouting.”And while Reiter tries to help his family head down the path that Daniel Jakubowski took, the College ofStaten Island freshman is following in the footsteps of both his father and his favorite bus driver.Currently taking liberal arts classes, the teenager is hoping to steer into civil service himself.“Hopefully get to be a fireman,” said Daniel Jakubowski. “It would fit with the Eagle Scout mentality. Andcivil service runs in my family. Hopefully, I’ll catch on somewhere and work my way into a leadershipposition where I can really make a difference.”© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.140 of 162

Golden Gloves victories for two Staten Island boxersBy Stephen HartMarch 26, 2010, 11:26AMStaten Island boxers went 2 for 3 on the first night of the 83rdannual Daily News Golden Gloves tournament last night at theTheater at Madison Square Garden.Marcus Browne and Anthony Caramanno, both members of theCops 'N Kids boxing program, added open division titles to thenovice crowns they won at MSG two years ago. But Alex Kuper lostvia TKO in the third round of his 178-pound novice bout.Hilton Flores/Staten IslandAdvanceMarcus Browne, going toe-to-toe with aman 10 years his senior, took home the178-pound open title Thursday night.Browne, a 19-year-old Clifton resident who trains out of the ParkHill PAL, was methodical in wresting the 178-pound open title from29-year-old defending champion David Thompson.Browne showed flashes of power, most notably with sweeping righthooks to the head throughout, but often found himself in clincheswith Thompson. But instead of getting frustrated -- as he did in a165-pound open loss in last year's final -- he took what hisopponent gave him. The result was a comfortable three-roundvictory on points."It was a so-so performance by me ... I'd give it a 6 1/2 out of 10," said Browne, who his sights set on theGolden Gloves Nationals in Salt Lake City in May, then a run at the next U.S. Olympic boxing team."I didn'tlet my emotions get the better of me this time."Caramanno, a 19-year-old Huguenot resident who trains at DeMarco's Gym in Tottenville, was impressive inwinning a three-round decision from 22-year-old Jordan Rodriguez.After winning the novice title in 2008, Caramanno lost in the open semifinals last year. But last night, theCollege of Staten Island sophomore left no doubt in winning the 114-pound open class.After outpointing Rodriguez with a stick-and-move approach through two rounds, the mercurial Caramannogot drawn into a flat-footed slugfest in the third round -- and more than held his own."I was a little gassed in the third round, that's why I stoppedmoving as much," admitted the Monsignor Farrell HS grad, whosecorner was yelling at him to "get back on the bike.""Yeah, I guess it was a bad decision by me to go toe-to-toe, but Ifeel confident that I can punch with anyone," Caramanno said. "Itwas a great feeling to win the novice, but winning the open provesthat I'm a better fighter now."Kuper, a 25-year-old South Beach resident and real estate agent,was the first Island fighter in action last night. Kuper likelyoutpointed Manhattan opponent Michael Spiegel in the first roundof their 178-pound novice fight."But I got tired in the second round," admitted Kuper, who trainsat Rustam's Boxing Club in Annadale.Hilton Flores/Staten IslandAdvanceAnthony Caramanno, a novice champ in2008, avenged his 2009 open division losswith a win in the title bout last night.141 of 162

Midway through the second round, the long and lanky right-hander found himself in the corner, when itappeared he slipped and fell. Still, the referee signaled a standing eight count against Kuper, who lost hismomentum.After winning the second round, Spiegel scored three standing eights in the third -- the last coming with 43seconds left, bringing a halt to the bout."I saw who he had beaten and took him seriously," said Spiegel, a 26-year-old personal trainer, of Kuper,who had won four decisions entering the finals. "Then, after I let the first round slip away, reality startedsetting in and I knew I had to pick up the pace.""I tried my best. I'm proud of myself,"said Kuper, who had a large contingent of family and friends cheeringhim on. "I absolutely want to be back here next year."Two more local fighters are slated for championship bouts tonight -- Idrissa "Skip" Kamara and Hamzah AlNuzaili, both of Cops 'N Kids.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.142 of 162

Your Soap Box: Danielle Hernandez, WillowbrookBy Jamie LeeMarch 11, 2010, 11:50AM“I’ve lived in Willowbrook my enitre life. I live here with both myparents and my younger brother and sister. We recently redid ourhouse, but [the rest of the neighborhood] has basically stayed thesame for as long as I can remember. It hasn’t changed very muchat all. In fact, the only thing that really changes is the newspaperdelivery boys.“I recently graduated from the College of Staten Island, and Iwork at Edible Arrangements [in Bulls Head], so commuting towork and school has been ridiculously easy. And I consider myselfvery blessed for that fact because I have friends that commutehours and hours and hours to school and work. I do plan on livinga bunch of places [as I get older], but [Willowbrook] will always behome. I think I’ll always continue to return here to visit.”— Jamie LeeIf you live in Willowbrook, tell us what you like — or don’tlike — about it. E-mail shores@siadvance.com. Please put“Soap Box” in the subject line.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.Danielle Hernandez, Willowbrook143 of 162

Unsung heroes fuel success of Unity GamesBy Jack MinogueMarch 13, 2010, 1:25PMStaten island Advance file photo by Hilton FloresEvan Pickman is one of the tireless volunteers making the Unity Games a successfulventure on Staten Island.Want to see how unique, how special this community is? Spend a couple of hours next weekend at thePetrides School, the principal site of the eighth annual Unity Games.You’ll see kids grouped together by color — of their basketball shirts, not their skin — enjoying thecamaraderie of teammates who, in most instances, they didn’t know until they put on their uniforms.But what’s just as impressive is the generations that have come together to help the founders Jacob Carey,a surgical technician, and Dr. Mark Sherman, an orthopedic surgeon, take the Games beyond their wildestdreams.Start with the "retired" people: Former Curtis HS baseball and basketball coach and intermediate schoolprincipal Bert Levinson, who handles the scheduling of games and officials and meals, and Evan Pickman,the former College of Staten Island basketball coach, who runs the daily contests, a clinic and uses his NBAcontacts to get a player or two as guest speakers.Drop down a little to Tony Navarino, whose retirement as Island CYO director hasn’t diminished his passionfor helping kids and who helps with scheduling and setting up workshops. Then, there’s Wagner Collegewomen’s basketball coach Gela Mikalauskas, whose entire team will help on the basketball courts.144 of 162

Drop down a generation to Tottenville High School football coach Jim Munson and former CSI basketballstandout Gerard Nicholson.Munson will be doing workshops on a major school problem: bullying. Nicholson, who, as a member of thePolice Department is involved with Island intermediate schools, will team with some of his colleagues, pastand present, to offer workshops on topics like gangs, diversity, youth law and Internet safety.Wander farther down the hallway and you’ll find Pickman’s wife, Miriam, with her traditional giant banner onwhich every athlete will get to make an artistic contribution.Get there early next Saturday and you will find Ingrid Ebanks, from the Beacon program at DreyfusIntermediate School, making certain every seventh and eighth-grader has a uniform shirt, pants, socks anda headband. Ingrid, who also handles the buses, will have help: Pete and CC Diamond and Steve Kessler.Stop by Friday afternoon and you’ll find Petrides athletic director Mike Duffy setting the stage.Then, there’s Chris Brennan (Monsignor Farrell) who works for the NBA and always seems to come up withNBA goodies to be used as prizes, and Lois Schwartz who oversees the volunteers.All of the above and others who play "minor" roles are reasons the Unity Games have long since outgrownPetrides.With help from former Tottenville HS basketball coach Mike Reape, some games will be played at the JewishCommunity Center Saturday and Sunday, and courtesy of Joyce Strype and Erika Rautenstrauch, at theWest Brighton YMCA on Saturday.Neither organization will charge for use of their facilities.That’s more than can be said for the city Department of Education. But that should come as no surprise.Fortunately for the kids and this community, unlike the D of E, there’s no shortage of individuals andorganizations who don’t put a dollar sign on everything.STILL TIME TO REGISTERSeventh and eighth-graders may still register for the Unity Games on Sunday morning at 9 at Petrides. Theywill need to be accompanied by a parent and bring sneakers and shorts since the evaluation of players fortheir assignment to teams will also take place at that time.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.145 of 162

Motherhood:Second calling comes after tragedyBy Judy L. RandallMarch 14, 2010, 10:00AMJan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island AdvanceCathy Eisengrein is ready to embark again on motherhood. The New Springville womanlost adopted daughter Gloria Joy to cancer.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Cathy Eisengrein cherishes the memory: While reading to her baby daughter in thehospital, shortly before she lost Gloria Joy to cancer, her darling girl called her "Mom Mom" and offered upkiss after kiss."It was a gift," said Ms. Eisengrein. "It was as if she was consoling me."The book they were reading, "A Mother for Choco," is a favorite of adoptive families, for it portrays a babybird in search of a mother."I wanted her to know, 'I love you; I am your Mommy; I am taking care of you," recalled Ms. Eisengrein ofthat precious moment.A mere eight months after traveling to Guatemala to adopt Gloria in 2008, Ms. Eisengrein, a single mom,suffered a loss no parent should have to bear. Soon after she felt a hard mass when she touched herdaughter's belly, doctors diagnosed Gloria with Stage 4 cancer of the liver. Despite what appeared to beinitially effective rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer spread to Gloria's lungs and brain, triggering seizures.Gloria was just 15 months old when she died.Said Ms. Eisengrein: "I really thought she would be miraculously healed. That she'd be in the Olympics oneday and they'd be doing her personal story on TV. And she would be saying, 'Oh, yeah, I had cancer when Iwas a baby and now I'm a skater.'"Surrounded by a super support network of family, friends and co-workers in the days and weeks thatfollowed Gloria's death, Ms. Eisengrein, who possesses the generous heart of a born mother and a deep146 of 162

spiritual faith, became convinced she was meant to adopt again.A native Staten Islander now living in Willowbrook, Ms. Eisengrein, 45, grew up in Westerleigh, holds adegree in elementary education from the College of Staten Island and is a project administrator withManhattan-based Hunter Roberts Construction Group.When little Gloria's medical bills mounted, Ms. Eisengrein's co-workers pitched in with donations. Ultimately,her employer paid all expenses not covered by insurance and encouraged her to adopt a second time.With single-parent adoptions easier abroad than they are here in the United States, and adoptions currentlyclosed in Guatemala, Ms. Eisengrein set her sights on Nepal, which welcomes singles seeking to adopt. Shehopes to be matched with a baby girl in the coming weeks and travel there in the near future.To help defray the cost of a second adoption, her co-workers again took up a collection.And Ms. Eisengrein is hosting a spaghetti supper at her church, Gateway Cathedral, Richmond Valley, onMarch 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. (Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for children 8 and younger.)She also has received the support of several Island businesses that have contributed raffles for thefundraiser, including Risqué, a Meiers Corners hair salon; Panera Bread, New Springville, and Ricky's Candy,Cones and Chaos, New Springville.In addition, this time she has enlisted the help of Illinois-based Lifesong for Orphans. Those wishing todonate to Ms. Eisengrein's adoption fund may do so through Lifesong and receive a tax deduction.All funds sent to Lifesong go to cover adoption costs. Lifesong is a 501C-3 non-profit, with approvals fromthe Internal Revenue Service and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to: Lifesong for Orphans; Attn. Eisengrein #1146 Adoption; P.O.Box 40; 202 N. Ford St.; Gridley, IL 61744.In the meantime, Ms. Eisengrein has named her hoped-for baby girl Priya ("blessed") Grace."I want to be a mommy and raise a daughter," said Ms. Eisengrein."Of course, if they call and say, 'We have a boy for you,' I'll say, 'OK, just give me an extra day to go outand buy some boy clothes.'"Judy L. Randall is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at randall@siadvance.com.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.147 of 162

March 17, 2010Dr. Dianna Marie D'Amore, MSPT, DPT Honoredby Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence inPhysical Therapy-- Dr. Dianna Marie D'Amore Specializes in Treating Children withDevelopmental Disabilities and Autism --Dr. Dianna Marie D’AmoreSTATEN ISLAND, NY, March 16, 2010 /Cambridge Who's Who/ --Dr.Dianna Marie D'Amore, Physical Therapist for the New York City Board ofEducation, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstratingdedication, leadership and excellence in physical therapy.A former hospital volunteer, Dr. Dianna Marie D'Amore found her calling inphysical therapy for children. She currently lends her talents to the StatenIsland District of the New York City Board of Education. Tasked withoverseeing 25 children and attending to nine per day, Dr. D'Amore excels intreating children with developmental disabilities and autism within the schoolcommunity. She also treats children through New York State's EarlyIntervention program. She derives fulfillment from using her skills to helpothers, and attributes her success to drive, determination and strong familialsupport.Dr. D'Amore earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2008 from Mary MountUniversity and her Master's and Bachelor's Degrees from CUNY College ofStaten Island. She is affiliated with the National Honor Society and wasrecognized with a Mary McMillan Award for outstanding service in the field ofphysical therapy. In her free time, Dr. D'Amore volunteers in her local churchas a Eucharistic minister. She also offers therapy services to the elderly andhomebound. She aspires to become the rehabilitation supervisor for specialneedsand autistic children within the next five years.Physical Therapist for the NewYork City Board of EducationCambridge Who’s Who is anexclusive membershiporganization that recognizesand empowers executives,professionals andentrepreneurs throughout theworld.About Cambridge Who's WhoCambridge Who's Who is an exclusive membership organization that recognizes and empowers executives,professionals and entrepreneurs throughout the world. From healthcare to law, engineering to finance,manufacturing to education, every major industry is represented by its 400,000 active members.Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their148 of 162

accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. Inaddition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, Cambridge Who's Who offers an online networkingplatform where members can establish new business relationships and achieve career advancement within theircompany, industry or profession.For more information, please visit our site: Cambridge Who's Who.# # #Read more press releases by Cambridge Who's Who:• Carol A. Reeves Honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence• Robert Melchiorre Joins the Ranks of Leading Professionals• Carol L. Cook is a Recognized Leader in Student Advisement and School Counseling• Jarvis Garetson Uses GPS Technology to Increase Farm Production• Charles L. Gelfman, MD, Honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Healthcare• Mark Loukhton Celebrated for Professional Efforts in the Field of Business Consultancy• Brenda Montreuil Honored by Cambridge Who's Who• Marina Nudelis Honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Pharmacy Studies• Bindu V. Gulati, DDS, Recognized as a Leader in the Dental Industry• Cambridge Who's Who Recognizes Joseph R. MacDonald for ExcellencePress Release Contact Information:Ellen CampbellCambridge Who's WhoPublic Relations498 RXR Plaza, West TowerUniondale, NYUSA 11556Voice: 516-535-1515 x1266E-Mail: Email us HereWebsite: Visit Our Website149 of 162

Family supports young athletes in memory of sonBy Staten Island AdvanceMarch 21, 2010, 6:01AMSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Frank J Reali III Family Foundation will present its "Heart of a ChampionAward" on Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in Li Greci's Staaten. Tickets are $100. Call the Frank J Reali IIIFamily Foundation at 718-420-2331, e-mail RealiFoundation@aol.com, or visitwww.FrankJRealiIIIFamilyFoundatin.org.Being honored for their "larger than life achievements" are: Joe Causi, Megan Ajello, Scott Lo Baido, Maryand Dick Cibelli, Dr. Frank Scafuri III, Dr. Michael LaCorte and Dr. Philip Roth."Brooklyn's Own" Joe Causi of WCBS-FM 101.1 has been a staple in New York radio since the early 1980swhen the College of Staten Island graduate debuted at Disco 92-WKTU.Megan Ajello, a ninth grader in Bishop Ahern High School, is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and tirelessvolunteer. She has given her time to numerous organizations including the Crossroads Foundation bycollecting pennies in baby bottles, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and March of Dimes' CelebrityBowl.Scott LoBaido, a self taught artist, has dedicated his talents to promoting patriotism. In 10 months hepainted "Flags Across America" by driving across the country and painting a large American Flag on a rooftopin each of the 50 states. His goal was to ensure that all soldiers flying home from war would be welcomed bythe sight of a flag. With the help of Where to Turn, LoBaido has also painted 51 flags throughout StatenIsland on walls that were once covered with graffiti.Mary and Richard Cibelli worked together from 1961 to 1979 at Island Pharmacy. They have three childrenand three grandchildren, and were both involved in Scouting at Our Lady Queen of Peace.Mary Cibelli was devoted to women with breast cancer, specializing in mastectomy, as a certified fitter andpurchasing agent. She became the first woman to be inducted to the South Shore Rotary Club. She is acommittee member of the American Cancer Society of Staten Island and a lifetime member of the DeborahHeart & Lung Association.Richard Cibelli has served as president of the South Shore Rotary and chairman of the board of the SouthShore Rotary Foundation and is a member of the board of directors of Meals on Wheels,Dr. Frank Scafuri III is chief of infectious diseases at Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton. Healso has a solo practice both in West Brighton and Annadale. He is on the board of directors for the ForestAvenue Business Improvement District and Community Health Action of Staten Island.Dr. Michael LaCorte has been a pediatric cardiologist for over 30 years and is the director of Schneider'sChildren's Hospital Consultation Center in Brooklyn and Ocean Breeze. Dr. LaCorte has extended his practiceto include detailed knowledge and recommendations regarding bloodless surgery for those patients andfamilies whose faith requires this consideration.Dr. Philip Roth is chairman of the department of pediatrics and director of neonatology at Staten IslandUniversity Hospital. He has been a longstanding member of the Society for Pediatric Research, Greater NewYork March of Dimes program services committee which he chaired for several years. He is an associateprofessor of Pediatrics at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center and a member of the faculty of Wagner Collegephysician's assistant program.Fran and Frank Reali founded the foundation in memory of their son who died in 2007, at age 36, fromsudden cardiac arrest (SCD). SCD affects more than 400,000 people every year in the United States and isthe leading cause of death among young athletes, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association.150 of 162

To help reduce these numbers the Reali Foundation with the help of Staten Island University Hospital begana testing program at the hospital in conjunction with Schneider's Children Hospital, and North Shore LongIsland Jewish Medical Center. The program provides 8th graders contemplating high school sports with anechocardiogram and EKG as baseline testing.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.151 of 162

PR-USA.netDr. Dianna Marie D'Amore, MSPT, DPT Honored by Cambridge Who's Who forExcellence in Physical TherapDr. Dianna Marie D'Amore, Physical Therapist for the New York City Board of Education, has been recognized byCambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in physical therapy.A former hospital volunteer, Dr. Dianna Marie D'Amore found her calling in physical therapy for children. She currentlylends her talents to the Staten Island District of the New York City Board of Education. Tasked with overseeing 25children and attending to nine per day, Dr. D'Amore excels in treating children with developmental disabilities and autismwithin the school community. She also treats children through New York State's Early Intervention program. She derivesfulfillment from using her skills to help others, and attributes her success to drive, determination and strong familialsupport.Dr. D'Amore earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2008 from Mary Mount University and her Master's and Bachelor'sDegrees from CUNY College of Staten Island. She is affiliated with the National Honor Society and was recognized witha Mary McMillan Award for outstanding service in the field of physical therapy. In her free time, Dr. D'Amore volunteers inher local church as a Eucharistic minister. She also offers therapy services to the elderly and homebound. She aspires tobecome the rehabilitation supervisor for special-needs and autistic children within the next five years.About Cambridge Who's WhoCambridge Who's Who is an exclusive membership organization that recognizes and empowers executives,professionals and entrepreneurs throughout the world. From healthcare to law, engineering to finance, manufacturing toeducation, every major industry is represented by its 400,000 active members.Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of theiraccomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition topublishing biographies in print and electronic form, Cambridge Who's Who offers an online networking platform wheremembers can establish new business relationships and achieve career advancement within their company, industry orprofession.For more information, please visit our site: Cambridge Who's Who.http://pr-usa.net Powered by Joomla! Generated: 24 March, 2010, 16:06152 of 162

From the Shores EditorBy Marjorie HackMarch 25, 2010, 11:17AMSometimes, it’s not something you accomplish that gives you overwhelmingjoy and enlightenment; it’s something someone else does.Saturday night, my son, Charles, showed me his letter from the College ofStaten Island: He has graduated.His journey to this moment was unlike that of his brothers, or his parents, orhis uncles — and it served as a reminder to me that there is no one right wayto get from Point A to Point B: Every child is different. And that can be a toughthing, as a parent, to remember.Marjorie HackCharlie’s favorite thing was never school, though he did fine. He’s a smart guy,but sitting behind a desk, doing homework and reading were not his strongestsuits growing up. Give him a soccer ball, though, and he was super-exciting towatch. Get him as a friend and you knew you’d have someone watching yourback forever.Members of Charlie’s extended family had gone off to college through theyears, and despite some initial bouts of homesickness, all learned to love where they went. Charles,however, was not happy having picked the University of Delaware where he had earned a partial scholarshipto play Division 1 soccer.I thought the school was beautiful and had plenty to offer. I wanted him to stay; he wanted to come home.I pondered; I wrestled with myself. I am more than able to dig in my heels when I am sure I’m right.I wasn’t sure this time, though, so I gave in. Something told me that Charles needed to meet somethingother than a brick wall.He came home in May of 2007, at the end of his sophomore year, with the caveat from me that he enroll atthe College of Staten Island full-time — and find a job as well.That’s a lot to put on a 19-year-old’s plate, but I needed not so much to let him back into the nest, but tofind a way to better prepare him to fly.Thanks to a wonderful reference, Charles was offered a job at the front desk of the Hilton Garden Inn. Heenrolled at CSI, knowing he had many credits to make up, having lost some in the transfer between schools.And he had one more thing he had to answer to: Me, right behind him, telling him he was not permitted tostretch out his college experience for years on end.The young man who handed me the letter from CSI a few days ago bears almost no resemblance to the boywho came home from Delaware in 2007. He is a smarter, savvier, more confident version of that person,though, and at 22, one of the best managers of people I’ve ever seen.We were originally a family of five; Charlie’s father died when Charlie was just 8 years old. I look at myselfand Charlie’s two older brothers — who are also the lights of my life — and, after watching how quickly myyoungest has changed in the past three years, I now say, “Hmm, if he keeps going at this rate, the little guycould very well get the best of us all!”Full steam ahead, Charles Austen. The world is now waiting for you.153 of 162

Parents, please feel free to share stories of your children and your discoveries as parents. Your stories, I’msure, are wonderful, and we can all learn from your experiences, which helps build stronger communities.You can e-mail hack@siadvance.com. Or call 718-816-8350. I have more time to talk on Wednesday,Thursday or Friday, than Monday or Tuesday.Thanks for reading.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.154 of 162

Islanders promoted at NYPD ceremonyBy Jeff HarrellMarch 27, 2010, 6:20AMFamily PhotoAttending the NYPD promotion ceremony at One Police Plaza in Manhattan are newlypromoted Detective First Grade Joseph Cavitolo with his family -- sons Vincent andMichael; daughter, Ashlee, and wife, Jean Marie.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Detective First Grade suits Joe Cavitolo just fine.The 48-year-old Bay Terrace police veteran, who has served as one of NYPD's official spokesmen in theoffice of DCPI for the 13 years, was among several ranked officers promoted yesterday during a ceremony at1 Police Plaza."Besides the increase in pay?" Cavitolo replied when asked how the promotion would affect his duties.Cavitolo will remain assigned to the NYPD's office of the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, aposition he has maintained since 1997, after spending seven years as a patrol officer in Park Slope's 78thPrecinct.He plans to kick off his bump in rank with a celebration at his home tonight."We're going to have family and friends over for dinner," Cavitolo said.Also promoted was Assistant Chief Raymond Diaz, who also has Staten Island ties.Diaz, a graduate of the College of Staten Island and a 40-year NYPD veteran, served in the Mid-Island's122nd Precinct in New Dorp; the South Shore's 123rd Precinct in Tottenville; and the Island's Auto LarcenyUnit, Auto Crime Division and Field Training Unit.Chief of Patrol James P. Hall, Assistant Chief Carlos M. Gomez, Assistant Chief Owen J. Monaghan, andAssistant Chief Thomas P. Putrell were also promoted.155 of 162

Jeff Harrell is a news reporter for the Advance. He may be reached at harrell@siadvance.com.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.156 of 162

Brave heartBy Andrea BoyarskyMarch 29, 2010, 5:27AMStaten Island Advance/Jan Somma-HammelDanielle Bernabe of Great Kills applies onitment to her son Jaime's scars that are aresult of surgeries for his congenital heart defect.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Danielle Bernabe watches her son run around their Great Kills home with the energyonly a 7-year-old can muster. In most ways, Jaime is like other kids his age: He likes to play on thecomputer and enjoys hanging out with his cousins.But Jaime’s slight frame bears scars of the battles he’s faced in his short lifetime. There are the ones on hischest from multiple surgeries to fix his underdeveloped heart. The belly button-esque mark on his neckindicates where a tracheostomy tube was inserted to help him breathe.Jaime has hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a condition in which the structures on the heart’s right side areunderdeveloped.He is one of about 36,000 children born each year with a congenital heart defect (CHD), according to theAmerican Heart Association. For some, the defect is mild and there are no outward symptoms. Other babiesbecome ill soon after birth. Sometimes, symptoms don’t present themselves until later in childhood.When I found out, I didn’t believe it. At first I didn’t understand,” said Ms. Bernabe, who learned her son hadhypoplastic right heart syndrome from a sonogram during her eighth month of pregnancy. “When I startedseeing cardiologists and they said I had to deliver at a special hospital, that’s when it become real.”CHDs received national attention last March when Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) along with Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Representatives Zack Space (D-Ohio) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) introduced The Congenital HeartFutures Act.Main portions of the bipartisan legislation, which increases awareness, education and research into157 of 162

congenital heart disease, were included in a health care reform bill passed in the Senate in December.Staten Island Advance/JanSomma-HammelAnna Fiorentino''s twin sister died from asmililar heart defect shortly after birth 28years ago.Despite the prevalence of congenital heart disease, research, data collection, education and awareness arelimited,” Durbin said in a statement. “This legislation will expand research and broaden its scope to helpthose currently living with congenital heart disease and perhaps, one day, find cures.”There are many types of CHDs, ranging from those that don’t need treatment to others that require manysurgeries. Dr. Michael LaCorte, chief of pediatric cardiology at Staten Island University Hospital, explainedthat multiple factors can cause CHDs, including genetics and environment. The defects occur early on in ababy’s development, as the heart is typically fully formed five to six weeks after conception.The most common CHD is a ventricular septal defect, a hole in the wall that separates the heart’s lowerchambers, said LaCorte, who is one of Jaime’s doctors. Other heart defects, like hypoplastic right heartsyndrome, are less prevalent.CHDs are usually diagnosed by a fetal echocardiogram given to women at high risk due to age or familyhistory. They can also be picked up by a regular sonogram, although sometimes defects go undetectedduring pregnancy, noted LaCorte, who is also assistant chief of staff for Brooklyn and Staten Island atSchneider Children’s Hospital in Long Island. After birth, babies with CHDs may appear cyanotic (blue),experience respiratory difficulty or have a heart murmur."There are instances where it’s not picked up right away at birth and may be picked up when a child is olderdue to a murmur,” said LaCorte. “More serious ones [CHDs] are usually figured out before or after birth.”After Donatella Fiorentino was born 28 years ago, she started turning blue. An echocardiogram showed shehad hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which parts of the left side of her heart were underdeveloped. Twoweeks after birth, she underwent a relatively new surgery at the time.Little Donatella did not make it more than a few hours past the surgery, but her twin sister Anna holds thenewborn close to her heart. The Dongan Hills woman, who has not had heart problems, wears a HopeHeartnecklace from the Congenital Heart Information Network to remind her of what was lost and also inspire her158 of 162

to help others.“I always wanted to do something,” said Ms. Fiorentino, who originally studied to be a scientist andgraduated from the College of Staten Island Honor’s College with a degree in bioinformatics.“I’m the one who survived,” she added, “and I felt like I had to do something beneficial.”Although Ms. Fiorentino no longer works as a scientist, she still hopes to educate people and raise awarenessof CHDs. She’s hosting a fund-raiser April 9 at The Looney Bin Comedy Club in Travis to benefit Little Hearts,Inc., a national organization that provides support, education, resources and networking to families affectedby congenital heart defects.Jaime’s mom — whose brother Rob is an old friend of Ms. Fiorentino — plans on being in attendance for thefund-raiser and is glad awareness is being raised for something that has dramatically altered her life.For the past seven years, Danielle Bernabe has been in and out of hospitals more times than she can count.She’s watched as Jaime underwent multiple surgeries, nearly suffocated before her eyes and needed a trachtube.The stay-at-home mom with strong family support has big hopes for the future. In August, Jaime’s tube wastaken out and he is able to breathe on his own. Both mother and son will be heading to school in September,as Jaime, who had been home-schooled, enters third grade and Ms. Bernabe studies to become a nurse.According to LaCorte, the survival rate for children with CHDs has greatly improved through the years. Anew field of cardiology has emerged for adults with congenital heart disease as more people are living into30s, 40s and beyond, he added.“More and more people are living normal lives,” said LaCorte. “More people are living longer with congenitalheart defects.”Andrea Boyarsky is a features reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at boyarsky@siadvance.com.‘Have a Heart’ benefitDanielle Bernabe’s son Jaime was born with the right side of his heart underdeveloped. The 7-year-old hasendured numerous surgeries to fix his heart.When Anna Fiorentino and her twin sister Donatella were born 28 years ago, Donatella had hypoplastic leftheart syndrome. Despite surgery on the left side of her heart, the newborn died.Danielle and Anna have teamed up with Soul Joel Productions to present “Have a Heart Come Out andLaugh,” a comedy show fund-raiser to benefit Little Hearts, Inc., which provides support, education,resources and networking to families affected by congenital heart defects.WhenApril 9 at 8 p.m.WhereDugout Pub & Grill1614 Forest Ave., Port RichmondWhoAnyone 21 and older can attend.Price$15 cover includes top comics from around New York City. There will also be raffles and prizes and a bandperforming after the show.More information www.souljoelproductions.com718-948-3804Ms. Fiorentino’s blog www.muchadoabouthearts.typepad.com also offers information on the event.159 of 162

Friends keep Hannafin's memory alive through NCAATournamentBy Charlie R DeBiaseMarch 30, 2010, 9:47AMIt’s hard to believe it’s been 26 years since Tom Hannafin andVinny Polimeni met for lunch at a Forest Ave. pub to kick off aNCAA Tournament tradition that still exists today.The tradition has evolved into a great tribute to Hannafin, the cityfirefighter who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.As legend has it, Hannafin and Polimeni skipped a few afternoonclasses at the College of Staten Island so they could catch theopening-round games of the 1984 NCAA Tournament. The duo waslater joined by friends and fellow basketball junkies Jay Zieris andGerard Nicholson.“The greatest day of the year,” is the way Polomeni put it, referringto the Thursday games. “We sat there until the last buzzersounded just around midnight.”Hence, ‘12-to-12,’ as they now call it, was born. The venuechanged year to year, but the concept remained the same. As theyears went by, the number of participants, which eventuallyincluded Hannafin’s brothers, John, Pat and Pete, grew.All that changed when Tom Hannafin perished, but the groupdecided to keep the tradition alive in honor of the fallen firefighter.“John Hannafin has taken the tribute to a new level,” said Polimeniof the former Notre Dame Academy girls’ varsity basketball coach.“Now, each year, the day starts at Tommy’s grave.SIA fileTom Hannafin, left, and Jay Zieris eachplayed for the College of Staten Island inthe 1980s.“(Zieris), Tim Hepworth, John and Mike Coughlin, Matt Olsen, Dave Del Rio, the Hannafins and myselfhaven’t missed a year. We toast Tom at precisely 12:20 — time of the first tip-off — and go back to John(Hannafin’s) house where there are no invites. Just an open door.”“About 10-12 guys make it their business to come to the cemetery. They plan taking the day off monthsahead and it really means a lot to me,” added John Hannafin. “This (day) is my way of honoring my brother.“Some people have golf outings or something like that, but this is my tribute.“It’s nice to keep the tradition going with the friends he grew up with and from CSI. We eat, drink and watcha million games all day. That’s the way he had it.”According to Polimeni and John Hannafin, some years, between 40-50 people will pop in, all sharing greatmemories of Tom Hannafin, not to mention breaking down everyone’s high school and college basketballcareers.Can you imagine the stories?“Tom is still alive in that room,” said Polimeni. “Just call it Tom Hannafin Day.”Participants have included all the aforementioned, as well as, Kevin and Denis Coughlin, Jerry Curran,160 of 162

Mike Nicotra, Don Bacci, Richie Parlente, Frank McLaughlin, Bobby Pearsall, Louie Brennan, JohnManzi, Mike Sanborn, Billy Althoff, Joe Flack and Jack Esposito.Greg De Biase made his first appearance this year and gained instant fame when he defeated the heavilyfavored Zieris in the annual, 16-man hot shot contest in John Hannafin’s basement.“I call it the He-man Woman Haters Club,” laughed Zieris, who quickly shook off his one-point loss to DeBiase. “It’s a great time.”Pearsall won the hot shot contest, which was run smoothly thanks to the assistance of John Hannafin’s sons,John Jeremiah and Steven.Hepworth, meanwhile, the former St. Peter’s HS basketball star who recently guided Xaverian HS to theCHSAA junior varsity AA intersectional championship, won the collegiate nickname contest. In that ‘event,’the participants must know the most nicknames for the teams in the tournament’s 65-team field.Some say Hepworth studied ahead of time, which is against the rules, but the allegation wasn’t proved.Not yet, anyway.© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.161 of 162

Staten Island Bridges Command takes home inagural 'PAPDMadness' titleBy Staten Island Advance Sports DeskMarch 30, 2010, 10:01AMThe first-ever Port Authority Police Department “PAPD Madness” Basketball Tournament took place in earlyMarch and the team from the Staten Island Bridges Command won the inaugural title.Overall, 16 teams from all 12 commands of the PAPD competed in the double elimination tournament atFastbreak Basketball Center in Tottenville. The tournament was dedicated to the memory of three people inthe PAPD family who were lost in 2009: Johnny Ray, 16-year-old son of Sgt. Raul Morales (of SIB);Daniela Harris, wife of retired Sgt. Nat Harris and P.O. Melba Boyles.Staten Island Bridges wore red just like Moore Catholic, where Ray played football and baseball before hewas killed in a tragic car accident last year. No one wore No. 4, which was Ray’s number for the Mavericks.SIB was led by former College of Staten Island basketball standouts John Cali and Joe O’Leary, thetournament coordinator. CSI is also where Harris played and starred in college.Cali, a former CUNY Player of the Year and two-time CUNY Tournament MVP while at CSI, had 27 points in a66-50 win over Port Authority Bus Terminal A in the championship, while O’Leary had 26 points.In the semifinals, Cali poured in 48 points to lead SIB past Newark Airport’s A squad, which featured Farrellproduct Tom Hassel and former York College standout Stanley O’Neil.The day’s best game was easily a four-overtime matchup between eventual winner Bus Terminal A andGeorge Washington Bridge in the quarterfinals.Two teams from JFK and PATH, as well as Bus Terminal B, Newark Airport B, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel,Word Trade Center, LaGuardia Airport, Port Newark and Special Operations also participated.While Fastbreak provided the perfect place, Crown Trophy made the awards — including memorial plaquesfor families of the three the tourney was dedicated to. Major League Screen Printing made the team shirtswhile Tottenville Bagels supplied the food. W’s Tavern hosted the post-tournament gathering.“It was a great day of camaraderie for everyone on the job who came and played or helped out,” saidO’Leary, who hopes to use the event as a fundraiser for charity in the future. “This is something we wouldlike to do every year.”© 2010 SILive.com. All rights reserved.162 of 162