Tag Archives: Teresa Roca

Staten Island Railway Commuters Furious Over Recent Service

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By: Teresa Roca

Every weekday morning, Dina Amato begins her commute to Manhattan by boarding the St. George-bound train to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. As the express train zips by, it abruptly stops between two stations. Sighing in frustration, Amato checks her watch to see if making the ferry will be a possibility. The conductor makes an announcement in an attempt to keep commuters patient, blaming the 10-minute delay on construction and slippery tracks from leaves. With only a few minutes to spare, the train pulls into the St. George station as Amato runs with a crowd of commuters to the turnstiles. The only way Amato can get onto the free ferry is by paying $2.25 for the train that may have just caused her to miss her connection.

statenisland This is a typical weekday morning for Staten Island residents who are forced to rely on the Staten Island Railway to commute to New York City.

“I have been taking the train for about 10 years now and I don’t ever remember a time when it was so disrupted by leaves falling, that just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Amato. “If that is the case I think they would have to figure out a solution. You can’t just let people sit there on the train without any explanation other than leaves are falling and you’re going to miss your ferry and too bad. I just think they’re in fumble mode right now and they’re using the leaves as an excuse.”

The Staten Island Railway is the only running transit line in the borough, providing full-time local service and part-time express service between St. George and Tottenville. The 22-stop train is free between stations. The only stops Staten Islanders have to pay the $2.25 fee is when exiting the train at St. George to get onto the ferry and at Tompkinsville station, the second to last stop on the train. Because of heavy delays, many islanders feel that paying this fee is unfair.

Since May 21st, 2012, the Grasmere station has been undergoing construction in an effort to upgrade the station. According to mta.info, the track work at this station will be completed by April 2013. Destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has added to the delays. The storm damaged the signal system, allowing only two of the tracks to operate. Service won’t be fully restored until March 2013.

“I think since the train services aren’t running at 100 percent right now we shouldn’t have to pay,” said St. Francis College undergraduate Anthony Ruggiero.

Some Staten Islanders feel that a waived fee from the other stations makes up for the cancelled express trains and heavy delays during rush hour.

“With any MTA system, even with the subways, there are always delays and problems,” said Cecilia Tribuzio, an undergraduate student at LIM College. “I feel like the train is pretty good for not having to pay at all the stops.”

For years, commuters would get off at the Tomkinsville station and walk six blocks to the Staten Island Ferry to avoid paying the fare. In 2010, MTA added turnstiles to the station to restrict islanders from getting out of paying at St. George.turnstiles

“A lot of people used to get off,” said Pino Ciaccia, a longtime commuter who used to beat this system. “I would say half of the people walking to the ferry were people who lived in the area and the other half would take the five-minute walk to save two dollars.”

John G. Gaul, former vice president and chief officer of the railway, stated in an interview to The New York Times that the added turnstiles at Tomkinsville were “in a large measure, but not totally,” to receive fare from people who tried to beat the system. He projected that they would receive about $661,000 in annual revenue by adding turnstiles at Tompkinsville.

“I think it’s fair because people used to leave Tomkinsville and not have to pay for the train when they got off for the ferry,” said Tribuzio. “The MTA system was losing a lot of money.”

Until 1997, conductors of the Staten Island Railway would collect tickets from passengers as they boarded the train from one of the 22 stops. This was eliminated when the MetroCard was introduced. The Staten Island Railway lost about $3.4 million a year in response to the cut. Silive.com reported that in an effort to increase revenue, MTA plans to restore fare collection at every station.

“I don’t think that makes sense because a lot of students use the train system to get to and from school and a lot of elderly people and local people use it,” said Amato. “I mean, it’s still a city suburb so I think a lot of people use that to get around Staten Island.”

Ciaccia feels that paying $2.25 at Tomkinsville and St. George is bad enough, let alone at every station.

“There is a lot of waste because a lot of the time I see work and the work has not been finished or they fix the stations and you see ten people doing nothing all day long. You never see a complete job. MTA should manage their resources and the money they spend in a better way. The easy way is to raise the fare.”

IMG_0314For residents living on the South Shore of Staten Island, the Staten Island Railway is their only source of transportation to midtown Manhattan. Although they can drive to express bus stops, that would involve more time, money and frustration since parking is limited.

“If you want to run to a Knicks game real quick you have to plan a few hours in advance just to get there early for a game that starts at 7,” said Ruggiero. “You have to leave here at least 3:30 p.m. just to get to the city on time. It’s really a pain living in Staten Island, especially with this train.”

When asked how the MTA could improve transportation for South Shore Staten Islanders, Amato insisted that MTA focus on other alternatives.

“I really don’t understand why South Shore Staten Islanders can’t get straight to midtown Manhattan without relying on the train system. I think they should put a ferry down on the South Shore. Utilizing Tottenville would be great since there is a port capability right there. It can make multiple stops up the island and go right downtown.”

 

Staten Islanders respond to delays and the possible addition of turnstiles at every station.

Staten Islanders Unite in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy

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By: Teresa Roca

Canned vegetables, bleach, jars of baby food, bottled water and hygiene products consume the inside of small, white tents. Outside, labeled duct tape separates garbage bags of pillows, used clothing, towels and blankets. Clusters of people stop by these tents, rummaging through the donated necessities, similar to the ones that once filled their homes.

The organization of these relief zones is a contrast from the surrounding area. Wood, shrubbery and unsalvageable belongings litter foundations where homes once stood; red tags reading “unsafe” and “fully destroyed” hang from front doors; people wearing masks walk in and out of homes, carrying bags of garbage and sheetrock.

Without the Hurricane Sandy relief zones organized by local groups and businesses, the residents of the New Dorp section of Staten Island would have nothing.

“If this place wasn’t here, if these people weren’t getting the help they needed, who knows what would have happened to them,” said Celia Iervasi, a main coordinator of Ariana’s Grand relief center. “We’re talking life and death. They would be dead.”

Ariana’s Grand, a local catering hall, is one of the many businesses damaged by Hurricane Sandy. With Ariana’s flooded basement, and electricity and heat returning just last weekend, owner Frank DiMattina knew what his new role would be in the devastated community.

“He could have just said ‘I’m done. My business is closed,’ lock the door and go about his business,” said Sean Cusick, another coordinator of the center. “But he is a community-minded guy. He is always looking to help out.”

Iervasi and Cusick have been accepting, distributing, and organizing items ever since DiMattina set up his tent in response to the hurricane. Receiving over 100 volunteers every weekend, Ariana’s has been a safe haven for New Dorp residents seeking hot meals served inside the hall and donated supplies in the tent outside.

“We are organizing demolition crews, manpower, to go out into the houses and actually demo the interior of the homes for the people that have been affected,” said Cusick. “This way, they don’t have to hire a contractor and spend the money.”

A couple of blocks down the road, another tent is set up. Hallowed Sons, a motorcycle group out of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, are the organizers.

“The Hallowed Sons had a family member here that lost their home,” said Donna Graziano, the main coordinator. “They came here to take furniture out of the house. Then we came with a barbeque and it just exploded from there.”

Like Ariana’s, Hallowed Sons offers food, accepts and distributes donations, and sends crews to clean out houses. On site 24 hours a day, Hallowed Sons receives volunteers from all over the country. They are currently accepting donations to keep their soup kitchen and food line running for those affected by Sandy.

In front of their tent a sign reads, “#OccupySandyRelief. #WeGotThis.”

This sign represents the unification of volunteers and residents in the community. These relief zones have sprung up in the ravished parts of Staten Island in response to the government’s lack of support. The Red Cross and FEMA didn’t come to Staten Island until November 2nd. In these four days after Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island residents were pleading for food, clothing, gasoline and help. As one of the hardest hit areas, Staten Islanders believe the Red Cross and FEMA didn’t come soon enough.

“You’re talking about 14 feet of water in someone’s home. Nothing is salvageable,” said Cusick. “Without this organization, they wouldn’t have gotten the help they needed because they weren’t getting help from the outside until recently when President Obama came. The government wasn’t doing anything for these people.”

Angelo Chiarello is one of the many residents in the New Dorp area whose home was damaged by the hurricane. After deciding to evacuate last minute with his family, he came home to what he describes as a “war zone.” Eleven feet of water flooded Chiarello’s basement, destroying thousands of dollars of toys, tools, collectibles and personal items. His family had no power for two weeks.

“If it wasn’t for the community helping us out, it would have been a lot worse,” said Chiarello. “The Red Cross came like five days later, Fema like a week later, so we really had no help except for each other. The tents were good to have there because people could get hot food and other stuff.”

When asked about the government’s response to the hurricane Chiarello replied, “Horrible. I got to go make a phone call to complain, I will be right back.”

The altruism of the community in wake of Hurricane Sandy hasn’t gone unnoticed. Volunteers and residents have become a family.

“Staten Island helped Staten Island. That’s what helped us. There was no one else,” said Chiarello. “People from the tents were driving around asking, ‘you want a case of water? You want food?’ Coming around with sandwiches and cleaning stuff, it helped big.”

After weeks of volunteering and aiding Hurricane Sandy victims, the relief areas aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“They don’t want us to leave, honestly, they don’t want us to go,” said Graziano. “That is why I am still here. I will stay as long as they need me.”

As Iervasi told Cusick that they had to get back to work, he paused for a moment, and with a smile he said, “When I was reading the papers, the people that live here said that we are doing the work of God.”

 

Find out how community groups are rising to the occasion to help Hurricane Sandy victims.

Extra Credit: Here is New York

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By: Teresa Roca

Because of Hurricane Sandy, I couldn’t help but think about E.B. White’s This is New York. There are a lot of reasons why this book relates to New York City today. White explains how every facility is inadequate such as the overcrowded hospitals, schools and playgrounds etc. But then he goes on to say that the city makes up for these hazards and deficiencies by supplying citizens with a sense of belonging to something unique. That is exactly the reason why New York is the way it is today. Despite the claustrophobic subway stations and unimproved highways and bridges, New Yorkers can’t help but absorb and love New York City despite all of its flaws.

This is shown today through Hurricane Sandy. According to White, “The city, for the first time in its long history, is destructible. A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges, turn the underground passages into lethal chambers, cremate the millions.” This is untrue. When the terrorist attacks occurred on September 11th, 2001, New York did not destruct or crumble. Despite the lives lost, this helped unite the city. The same happened with Hurricane Sandy. I have never seen more unity in a community than this past week. In Staten Island, islanders from all parts of the area opened their warm homes to people without power, gave neighbors generators and the little bit of gas they had left, donated clothes, cleaning supplies, food and other necessities, and visited the destroyed homes to help clean and salvage goods. Because of everything New York City and the boroughs have done for the residents in regards to giving people something unique and mighty, we gave and continue to give back by not allowing these destructible events destroy the city, but letting it become even stronger. It is nice to know that New York was and still is loved by its residents despite its flaws. Although this book may be dated at times, the message will never be.

Katherine Vaz

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By: Teresa Roca

Katherine Vaz’s “Our Lady of the Artichokes” is a collection of intriguing and complex short stories. In each story, Vaz is able to capture the emotions of each main character, allowing readers to understand and learn all aspects of each character’s life throughout the years.

I found it interesting how most of the characters experience tragedy, such as death, poverty or divorce. Each character carries with them the pain many of us go through in our lives. This aspect is my favorite part of the collection, the fact that we all suffer through hardships in life, allowing each and every one of us to relate to these strong characters. What is remarkable is how many of them still believe in their religion, using this belief as a way to get through their struggles. In a world where religion is becoming less and less practiced, it is nice to see this collection of people continue to believe in faith despite their hardships.

I enjoyed “My Bones Here Are Waiting for Yours” the most. I thought Vaz did a good job of incorporating mystery into this story. Towards the end of the novel, I became so attached to both Delilah and Mary that I kept hoping we would finally discover why Delilah was found dead, and if Mary moved on. I found the symbols of the charms a beautiful touch. This evokes the mother’s emotions even more, as she hopes to find the final pieces of her daughter. I enjoyed the flashbacks, and how Vaz turned this story into one where we learn about both characters and their relationship, as opposed to just hearing of the mother’s thoughts 17 years after her daughter’s death.

Another story I enjoyed was “All Riptides Roar with Sand from Opposing Shores.” I enjoyed reading Lara’s letters and watching her mature through each one. In these letters, we learn of her childhood, the death of her father, the abandonment of her mother, her divorce and more. Through all of this, she continues to write to Lucia, even though she never receives a letter back. I thought having the story written in the form of letters was a successful way for the reader to learn about this character’s life, while seeing her belief in faith.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection of short stories. The writing allowed me to feel the emotions of each character throughout the story and after. I have not went through the hardships many of these characters faced. However, I am able to understand the experiences and emotions of each character through Vaz’s impactful and memorable writing.