Andrew J Lanza's News items

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - It's been a nearly three-year wait, but beginning April 1, Staten Island livery operators will not have to make the trek to Queens for inspections, as they will be done on Staten Island, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) announced.

Livery owners will now have the option to apply for new licenses, transfer a new vehicle to their existing license, renew their licenses and get inspections at authorized Island facilities.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The state has partnered with a not-for-profit group to restore energy efficiency to eligible low-income Staten Island homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

While some homeowners have started - and in some cases finished - repairing their homes, many others are still living with severely damaged basements, eroded pipes and waterlogged walls.

By Mark D. Stein/Staten Island Advance Staten Island Advance

on December 12, 2012 at 11:37 AM, updated December 12, 2012 at 12:05 PM

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - GREAT KILLS - While the empty storefront in Great Kills didn't look like much just a week ago, it's recently been transformed from a vacant space into a toy distribution hub, where Staten Islanders affected by Hurricane Sandy can come and pick out holiday gifts. 

BY CELESTE KATZ

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- They are stashed in drain pipes, trash cans, mailboxes, abandoned-car trunks, holes carved in walls, shrubs, bushes, and even in baby carriages.

They're called "community guns" -- firearms stored in easy-to-access spots -- and figure in a large percentage of gun-related crimes on Staten Island, said officials and law enforcement sources. 

Such weapons have also contributed to an increase in shootings this year in the borough, officials said.

The Advance chronicled the alarming trend two weeks ago.

Published: Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 8:52 AM by Daniel Leddy

Published: Sunday, August 26, 2012, 9:00 AM

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The longer the city resists providing yellow bus service to certain Staten Island seventh- and eighth-graders, the more we have to wonder about the motives of the people making the decisions at the Department of Education.

What kind of people begrudge providing safe transportation to 12- and 13-year old kids, after all?

Published: Friday, July 20, 2012, 1:00 AM by Tom Wrobleski

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  --- Staten Island officials who have slammed draconian toll hikes are applauding a new federal probe of toll increases on Port Authority of New York and New Jersey bridges and other spans in the region.

The federal Government Accountability Office said is it has begun investigating toll increases on bridges in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

GAO spokesman Ned Griffith said the agency is looking into whether bi-state transportation authorities are accountable.

The authorities, including the Port Authority, were created by compacts approved by Congress.

Published: Sunday, July 01, 2012, 6:36 AM     Updated: Sunday, July 01, 2012, 11:42 AM
By Judy Randall

Three men in a room?

Not if they can help it.

"They" are Republican state Sen. Andrew Lanza and Democratic Assemblyman Michael Cusick who, in the past six months, forged a bi-partisan tag team to win success on three big-ticket Staten Island-specific issues that benefit borough residents, and in some cases folks city- and statewide.

NO BETTER WINDFALL