A New York State Senate hopeful has thrown support behind the New York Health Act, arguing the borough where they grew up merits robust advocacy in Albany. Health care, we’re reminded, is hardly just an ambulance issue—though we suspect even politic…
Keen to spur local enterprise, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the city’s Department of Small Business Services are wooing minority- and women-owned firms with a free workshop on expanding their ventures. Ambitious attendees will digest practical advice and, maybe, a few business cards; whether Staten Island will morph into a start-up Shangri-La remains a matter for accountants rather than cheerleaders.
We watched with muted hope as photos of a renovated Brooklyn apartment block were offered up to Staten Island tenants, promised a similar upgrade for their dated complex—and perhaps, their quality of life. If the transformation delivers more than fresh paint and clever lighting, residents may one day find themselves in real estate listings under “up-and-coming,” a term whose optimism is generally measured by local rental hikes.
Michael DeCillis has urged voters to rally behind him ahead of Staten Island’s unusual “ghost primary,” in which his only rival, Cesar Vargas, suspended his campaign in April but remains on the ballot; we suppose even electoral contests in New York sometimes struggle to know when to call it a day, underscoring the city’s lingering appetite for political theatre.
Drivers on Staten Island can now refuel both their cars and their cravings, as the former shuttered gas station on Richmond Avenue has reopened as a Mobil, complete with a fresh convenience store in tow. Regulars might note that the pumps are sprightlier and the coffee marginally more ambitious, but in the grand sweep of local infrastructure, it’s reassuring to see at least some comebacks happen without committee meetings.
An adjunct professor at the College of Staten Island has received a New York Senate award for her work with the Sandy Ground Historical Society, championing the histories of often-ignored local communities. Recognizing genealogist Debbie-Ann Paige suggests lawmakers can, on occasion, spot value in the labor of preserving collective memory—a pursuit generally less glamorous than ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but at least as durable.
Democratic hopeful Michael DeCillis, fresh off a bruising fight to appear on New York’s congressional ballot, plans to address the faithful on Staten Island this Friday. We note that the candidate’s path—a test of voter signatures and the Democratic Party’s legal dexterity—remains a local spectator sport, though DeCillis now gets to swap paperwork for podiums, at least until the next challenge blows ashore.
New York police arrested two suspects in Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, after seizing quantities of angel dust and a stun gun from a local apartment—demonstrating, yet again, that the city’s war on drugs persists in pockets long after the headlines faded. We suspect neither the chemicals nor the hardware are likely to feature in the next “Best of Staten Island” tourist pamphlet.
A 14-year-old boy disappeared from Staten Island’s West Brighton on Sunday morning, NYPD reports, prompting another search across New York’s patchwork of missing persons cases. Authorities have appealed for tips, hoping to close the gap between big-city vigilance and real-life outcomes; if found swiftly, it’ll be a small mercy for anxious parents—and a modest victory for police in the city that rarely sleeps, but sometimes loses track.
