Staten Island
Bloomberg rallies, vaguely, against waterfront retreat
"Sandy can’t stop us from enjoying our coastline," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg today, seeming to stand firm against the notion of retreating from the waterfront in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. More
Could New York City set up its own Louisiana Land Trust?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, two Staten Island councilmen went down to New Orleans. They came back with an idea that they'd like to see replicated here: New York City's own Louisiana Land Trust. More
Bloomberg indicates he'll consider government-aided waterfront retreat
Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday made his strongest statement yet in support of an effort by some Hurricane Sandy victims to get government buyouts, rather than have to rebuild in the flood-prone precincts they've long called home. More
Cuomo considers buyouts to waterfront residents, while Bloomberg demurs
Governor Andrew Cuomo thinks the state should offer buyouts to residents of waterfront homes badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose cooperation will likely prove necessary, is not yet on board. More
(1)White flag over Fox Beach: A coastal community considers a permanent retreat from the water
“People should not be living here,” said Joseph Monte. More
(3)Obama tours Staten Island, taps Shaun Donovan as 'point person' for rebuilding
After touring the damage in and around New York City today, President Obama announced in his remarks on Staten Island that Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, would serve as the administration's "point person" for the region's rebuilding efforts.
“He knows a little bit about New York and building,” Obama said. Donovan previously served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. More
City: Athena could bring up to three inches of 'wet slushy stuff' and flooding
Mayor Michael Bloomberg today warned that the northeaster called Athena could deposit up to three inches of 'wet slushy stuff' and cause "major flooding" in neighborhoods hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy.
"We haven't and won't order the kind of large-scale evacuation that we did in advance of Hurricane Sandy," the mayor told reporters in City Hall.
But he did say people who live in Hamilton Beach, Gerritsen Beach and Breezy Point "should consider going someplace tonight to be a little bit on the safe side." More
Where's that Tide truck? First, New Jersey.
Yesterday, on Facebook, City Councilman Vinny Ignizio wrote "Hey Tide -- if your laundry truck isn't here -- where is it ? And if you don't support us in our moment of need - we don't and shouldn't support you ... Sounds fair, no ?" More
Staten Islanders tell of heart-stopping rescues, heartbreaking losses as death toll mounts
Shortly after dawn, Carnivale heard helicopter propellors chopping the air overhead, and managed to flag one down by waving the green vest out of the hole in the roof. The New York Police Department’s Scuba Team pulled Carnivale out of the attic, squeezed her into a metal basket dangling from a helicopter, and set her aloft. (Burr, too heavy for an airlift, was placed in an NYPD rowboat and rowed to safety.) “When I was up there in that basket, I got a view of my whole neighborhood,” Carnivale said. “It looked like those pictures of Katrina, where you could only see the tips of the houses for blocks and blocks. Like they were set in the middle of a lake.” More
(5)Bloomberg: drivers should pay, transit should be free
Michael Bloomberg took the Staten Island Ferry today, and soon afterward said that, in a perfect world, people would pay to use cars but not mass transit. More
(2)M.T.A. chief: New York's days of subway trash cans may be over
Today, M.T.A. chairman Joe Lhota said his pilot program removing trash cans from subway stations could go citywide.
"It could be," said Lhota this morning, following a press conference in Staten Island. "They did it in London, citywide. They did it on the PATH system...in all the PATH stations in New York City and New Jesrey. And they saw a reduction in garbage." More
Life in Little Liberia, Staten Island
The neighborhood is home to the most densely populated Liberian community outside Liberia. According to the 2010 Census, the Liberian diaspora in the United States is currently around 66,000 strong. More
Aided by Pelosi, Mark Murphy raises $112K to compete with Grimm's million
Staten Island Democrat Mark Murphy raised just over $112,000 since the end of March, according to the latest pre-primary filings with the Federal Election Commission.
The total gives Murphy just over $176,000 in cash on hand, and includes donations from the political action committees of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a few of potential colleagues in the New York delegation: Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler and Eliot Engel. More
(3)Murphy points to Grimm's Independence Party issue as more 'shady dealings'
Mark Murphy, the Democratic candidate running against Representative Michael Grimm of Staten Island, is trying to raise money off the rather granular news that Grimm won't be running on the Independence Party line this year. More
(1)On the Staten Island Ferry, DCCC tries to keep Michael Grimm in the news
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Commitee is trying to make sure riders of the Staten Island Ferry don't forget about the recent allegations against Republican Representative Michael Grimm.
The DCCC announced a new ad today that highlights a few headlines from late January and early February, when a flurry of stories accused Grimm of fund-raising and business improprieties. The ads, which go for a sort of dossier style and don't feature any photos of Grimm, are running on the Staten Island Ferry through April. More
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