Warning About a Scam !

Resident reports scam in Staten Island's Dongan Hills section
by Staten Island Advance
Monday January 26, 2009, 4:55 PM

There appears to be a new scam Staten Islanders need to be wary of.

The perpetrators have been ringing door bells in Dongan Hills during evening hours claiming to be Con Edison workers needing to check electric bills, a resident reported to the office of Councilman James Oddo.

When notified by the politician, Con Edison said its workers check customer bills through computer databases and do not ring bells asking to see them.

Furthermore, employees of the utility do not visit customers at night without an appointment or on an emergency basis.

Con Edison urged customers to ask to see a photo identification card, which all employees carry, or ask for a phone number for the employee's supervisor.

"Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals are out there and we should all be exceedingly wary at all times," Oddo said in a press release. "Take appropriate caution to protect yourself against scammers who are only interested in stealing your money."

Earlier this month, the Advance reported on a band of thieves posing as employees of the city's Department of Environmental Protection who were attempting to talk their way into Staten Island homes.

Those perpetrators told homeowners they needed to check out pipes or collect money for unpaid water bills.

122 Pct Community Council Update & More

Last night at the 122 Pct Community Council meeting at the 122 station house a location in New Dorp got a lot of discussion. Ocean 3 - formerly Portofino Restaurant - is apparently causing a lot of grief for neighbors on the surrounding streets. (Reminds us of the problems the neighbors of Bistro had.)The NYPD assured the residents that the location is being closely monitored and invited those neighbors to return next month and report on the results.

And... in today's Advance is mention that the King Kullen (formerly Pathmark Supermarket) is closing creating a large vacancy in our neighborhood. Not good.

Then there is the new sign on the Frank's property offering various sized storefronts for rent. Sounds like a strip mall to me. Not sure I like that.

And lastly the Borough President is giving his State-of-the-Borough address tonight at CSI. We will have to read in the papers tomorrow about what he said. Guess there was no room at the inn for all the Civic Associations.

> Joe Markowski, President

No Meeting This Month... However...

... if you have some time and some issues of concern you can attend the 122 Pct Community Council meeting at the 122Pct at 8pm on Wednesday night January 21.

And as always, you should bring your issues and concerns to us at ndcca@excite.com or newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com.

See something? Say something.

> Joe Markowski

Brain Tumor Screening

The Road to Early Detection Campaign to Come to Staten Island

Brain tumor screening truck to provide free MRI screenings to Staten Islanders from January 12 to 26 in the Staten Island Mall parking lot. Staten Islanders are urged to call 877-SCAN NYC (877-722-6692)to schedule free screenings.

Staten Island, NY – The Road to Early Detection, a project of The Brain Tumor Foundation (BTF) will provide free brain tumor screenings for Staten Islanders in their “Bobby Murcer Mobile MRI Unit” on weekdays from January 12 – 26. The Mobile Unit will be parked in the Staten Island Mall parking lot on the Richmond Avenue side. Staten Islanders should call the toll free number 877-SCAN NYC (877-722-6692) to schedule an appointment for a free screening, which will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the 14 days the Unit will be on Staten Island. The scan takes approximately 8 minutes and appointments will be scheduled every thirty minutes. Those coming for a screening should bring their primary care physician’s contact information so that results can be sent to the primary care physician.

Sponsored by the New York City Council and supported by Councilman Oddo.

2009

Happy New Year! Yes, we have begun a new year and I wish everyone a healthy and safe new year.

Just a reminder... there will be no meeting in January. Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 19, 2009. Mark your calendar and bring a neighbor.

As always, you can bring your issues to us and we will work with you to find a resolution. We will honor your request to remain anonymous but we will need to discuss the matter personally with you before we go making any claims. We cannot and will not put forth unsubstantiated claims or charges.

Reach out to us at ndcca@excite.com or newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com. Or you can call and leave a message at 718-979-6011.

You can be an important part of what happens in this neighborhood by sharing any information you gather with us. As the MTA says... if you see something, say something. And we can explore it together.

This is our community. Lets protect it and enhance it... and lets have a wonderful 2009.

Donate Blood

There is still time to donate blood. This is a special gift which is often in short supply at this time of year so think about making a donation. You can donate blood at the following locations on the following dates:

Thursday, December 18
- South Shore Rotary Club, 141 Mansion Ave 10308
- Fred Limeri 718-227-0808

Monday, December 22
- Richmond County Criminal Court, 67 Targee Street 10304
- Andrew Hassall 718-390-8410

Friday, December 26
- 123rd Precinct, 116 Main Street 10304
Andrew Hassall - 718-390-8410

Sunday, December 28
- JCC Bernikow Center, 1466 Manor Road 10314
- Janice Salerno 718-475-5214

Monday, December 29
- NYPD School Safety, Petrides HS, 715 Ocean Terrace 10301
- Vivian Russo 718-816-0681

Wednesday, January 7
- Richmond County Civil Court, 927 Castleton Ave 10310
- Maria Emmanuel 718-390-5425

- Richmond University Medical Center, Bayley Seton Campus,
75 Vanderbilt Ave 10304
- Jennifer Sammartino 718-818-2100

Thursday, January 8
- Richmond University Medical Center, 355 Bard Avenue 10310
- Jennifer Sammartino 718-818-2100

Friday, January 9
USCoast Guard, Fort Wadsworth - DLA Building 203 NY Avenue 10305
- Lt. Nasif Gordon 718-354-4163

Give the gift of life.

CERT - Looking for Volunteers

The NYC Office of Emergency Management is currently seeking motivated individuals to start up the Staten Island Community Board 2 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The CERT program, run by OEM, is part of a national initiative to prepare individuals on a community level to better respond to emergency situations. The CERT members are trained in various methods of disaster response, including light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, fire safety, and terrorism awareness. After the 11-week training concludes, the CERTs are tasked with not only responding to events but also getting out into their community and teaching their neighbors about the different ways they can prepare at home for any sort of disaster that they may face.

Training is free. It consists of 11 sessions once a week, each lasting roughly three hours long. The location for the training is always within the boundaries of the community board in which the team exists. As of right now, Staten Island Community Board 2 does not have a CERT, and as part of OEM’s mission to ensure optimal response across all five boroughs it is a priority to establish a SI 2 CERT. Training is set to begin on Wednesday, March 11 2009.

Interested individuals can give us a call on the CERT hotline at (718) 422 – 8585 or send an e-mail to cert@oem.nyc.gov. This is a great, cost-free way to give back to your community by helping yourself and your neighbors prepare for an emergency. Don’t hesitate to get prepared!

S S S S & V

I just wanted to mention a few things for your consideration:

1. SI Ferry. A new book on the history of the SI Ferry entitled - The Staten Island Ferry: A History - will soon be available. On Wednesday, December 10 at 6pm at the St.George Branch of the Library there will be a discussion of the book and book signing. The talk and discussion are free. Call 718-727-1135 x123 to register and the book will be available for $22. Need a nice gift to give for the holidays?

2. Smoking Study. The NYC Department of Health is doing a study on families with both smokers and non-smokers living in the same household. For their time and effort, family members who are eligible and participate will receive $50. To learn more about the study and find out about your eligibility, contact Kari Lundwall by phone at 212-676-2369 or by email at klundwal@health.nyc.gov.

3. Snow Shoveling. Where-to-Turn's snow shoveling program is still looking for volunteers who will help shovel snow for seniors during the upcoming winter. To learn more about the program go to http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?=42. If you are a senior or know a senior who would like to apply for help with shoveling, call 718-966-6531.

4. Stigma. The Family Diversity Project has created six award winning traveling photo-text exhibits that tour communities. The Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family exhibit is currently on display at the South Richmond Mental Health Clinic located at the South Beach Psychiatric Center and will be available for the community to view on December 6, 2008. It features photographs and interviews with families whose lives have been affected by mental illness. It is a moving and worthwhile exhibit.

5. Vision for Staten Island. This not-for-profit group is holding public brainstorming sessions to glean residents' wisdom, impressions and aspirations for an Island at the crossroads. Afterward, ideas from those in attendance will be posted online at http://www.sivision.org/. The session in New Dorp will be Monday, December 8 from 7 to 9pm in New Dorp high School.

Those are just a few things for your consideration.

And remember, if you have an issues in the New Dorp community, make sure you bring them to our attention at newdorpcentralcivic@yahoo.com.

> Joe Markowski

PS41 Schoolyard Update

I was able to attend the PS41 PTA meeting Tuesday night. During that meeting the final design for the new schoolyard was displayed. In most ways it resembled the designs presented a few months ago. However the omission of the gazebo already makes the tightening city budget a reality.

The overall design should please most people. The children will see the design elements they wanted. And very real steps have been taken to minimize the factors that might be disruptive to the neighbors. Many trees breakup the open spaces. What was most surprising - and wonderfully so - was the inclusion of a butterfly garden. How unique! The first of its kind to be built in the city schoolyards.

Construction will begin on or about November 3. It will run from 8am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. No night construction. No weekend construction.

The plan is to have the new schoolyard completed by May 2009.

I hope they can meet that commitment. It will be a beautiful thing for the school and the community.

> Joe Markowski

Meetings & Mournings

Wednesday night the 122 Precinct Community Council gets together at the 122 Precinct on Hylan Blvd. at 8pm. Have a concern? Need some guidance? Plan on attending. Hear about the concerns of your neighbors.

Thursday night is our regular monthly meeting. We get together at 8pm at the Kells-Grennie American Legion Post at 2750 Amboy Road. Come join us and your neighbors as we work to make our world a better place.

Lastly, we mourn the passing of Marie DeFazio, a longtime NDCCA member who played an active role in our Association for many years. We will miss her.

Columbus Day Parade - October 5

Borough President James Molinaro will be sponsoring the 17th Annual Columbus Day Parade up New Dorp Lane this Sunday. This is a special tribute to our community and deserves our support and attendance.

The parade starts at 1pm at New Dorp High School and then marches up the Lane to the railroad tracks where the reviewing stand will be set up.

This is a wonderful event for our community and I encourage everyone to make sure you attend. Plan now on spending some time on the Lane, meeting your neighbors, visiting the merchants, and then watching this wonderful spectacle. Bring your friends, your relatives, your neighbors.

The Grand Marshall this year is Nicholas Scoppetta, the Commissioner of the Fire Department of New York.

There are numerous good vantage points all along the Lane. So make sure you join the members of our Association along the parade route, cheering on the marchers.

I hope to see you there Sunday.

> Joe Markowski, President, NDCCA

The Germans Came !!!!!

After talking about it for over two years the magic day finally arrived and it went by in a flash. 78 Minutes to be exact. But a wonderful experience was had by all. And a special thank you to the Boy Scouts for hosting our little get together...

... they were wonderful hosts and performed an inspiring flag ceremony. Also, a thank you to the Borough President for the proclamation we were able to present to our guests celebrating today - September 17 as "Staten Island/Duisberg-Neudorf Sister City Day"...


... as Joe Markowski, President of the New Dorp Central Civic Association presents the Borough President's proclamation to Harald Jeschke, President of Burgerverein Duisberg-Neudorf e.V.

Want to know more? to see more photos? Attend our meeting tomorrow night - Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 8pm at the Kells-Grennie American Legion Post, 2750 Amboy Road.

And we will also talk about other things effecting our community. However this was one special day. Wow!

> Joe Markowski
President, New Dorp Central Civic Association