WEST BRIGHTON

Community voices from Staten Island's neighborhoods

Advance file photoHoliday packages for military personnel are packed by Staten Island Project Homefront workers at New Dorp Moravian Church

Staten Island Project Homefront is asking community members for assistance in collecting items, toiletries (sun screen, shaving cream, mens razors, womens razors, foot creams, women's hair products, mouth wash (small), food snacks, such as canned pastas, power bars, peanuts, tuna packs.)

They could also use other items such as t-shirts, flip-flops, playing cards, batteries, insect repellent and puzzles.

Associated PressMayor Bloomberg

The mayor of ny wants customers to pay for plastic bags when shopping!!!

The cost may be between 6 cents and 10 cents...here's how it will probably work...the manufacturer gets a plastic tax..that is passed on to the distributor..ultimately the stores pick up the increase to them...then 'BINGO " the customer gets charged.

Hey...don't even think about asking for a double bag on a heavy item. You won't be able to walk your dog without buying a plastic bag..maybe start a new business...slightly used plastic bags..3 for a nickel...or save hundreds of them and pass them on to your kids...

Maybe the mayor will start charging for cold cut sheets...if you can't afford it, you'll have to take your 1/2 .lb of ham home in your bare hands......or when you're on line maybe you could share a bag with someone and split the cost.

So, there we all are, up bright and early for the Pepper Martin run- bright not necessarily being the operative word for this past Friday morning. But up nonetheless to cheer on those who run and try to win, those who run just to finish and those who run for their own personal achievement for any one of a million reasons.

It's an enjoyable morning watching people finish, cheering for them all as an excellent start to our Fourth Of July. Support of such Island runs and events in my opinion is crucial to the continuation of such great neighborhood events. We try to support the sponsors as much as possible, but mainly, we cheer for the runners and walkers. Even this past Friday, in the on again, off again rain showers.

I left however with a relatively bad taste in my mouth. Apparently, a couple of our local candidates for various offices decided to use this morning and this crowd of people, albeit, a smaller crowd than normal, as a way to advance their political agenda. I had no less than five different people walk up to me and ask if I had registered to their political party. They weren't exactly rude, they weren't exactly polite. But, they were there and I found it to be more of a damper on a fun, friendly, family morning than even the rain did.

For me, it was not the time or the place.

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