WEST SHORE WEEKLY

News & events from New Springville, Travis, Bulls Head and more

• Colors that leave you breathless
So before stuffing those amazing piles of red, orange, yellow and brown cast-offs into recycling bags, seek out all the beautiful colors and shapes by visiting local parks, the front lawn or collect while your kids walk to school.

• ELSEWHERE
Here's some of what you'll find online this week in the other Shore sections. Just log onto silive.com and select a Shore to read more.

• FROM THE EDITOR
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On Monday night, 500 people came together for Project Hospitality's annual Poor People's Dinner in the Hilton Garden Inn and heard the call: The borough's charitable cupboards are bare; the pantries are empty, and what little government funding was once available to help stock the public larders that people turn to in emergencies, has disappeared into, well, thin air.

• Greenbelt Recreation Center earns top honors
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- SEA VIEW -- 'Parkies' and park-lovers alike have reason to rejoice on the West Shore these days.

• HELPING HANDS
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Short days, long nights. It is the time of the year for sleeping and feasting, if you're lucky. Add to your joy by helping to make sure other people have enough to eat.

• Islanders' ideas
The city Parks Department is asking for input from local residents for the Island's park system.

• Kosher restaurant a dream come true
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• Meaning of justice explored at Staten Island OutLOUD reading
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- STAPLETON -- Staten Island OutLOUD will present a staged reading of "Rashomon" on Sunday, based on the classic Japanese short-story in which every witness tells a different story about one man's death. Original music by WaFoo will accompany the performance.

• More sweet sounds from PS 22
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- GRANITEVILLE -- ere one of the first to report in this column a few years ago about the rising stars who comprise the PS 22 Chorus. We've always been happy to bring you the latest news on these talented students whose members continue to charm audiences with their vocal talents.

• NEEDAFIX
SPOTTED BY US: Day 1

• ON DECK
This week's upcoming events at the Greenbelt Recreation Center (501 Brielle Avenue):

• Readers remember the Mall of yesteryear

• Scandinavian delicacies are a bridge -- not an ocean -- away
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- ALL SHORES -- If the lack of lutefisk, cloudberries or gjetost made on Staten Island has you doubting the authenticity of your Christmas holiday meal, we point you to a culinary world -- only a bridge away -- where Scandinavian specialties abound.

• SINY Cultural Fair premieres Saturday
TODAY, FRIDAY * OAKWOOD: St. Charles R.C. Church Christmas Fair, 200 Penn Ave., 7 to 9 p.m.

• WEEKLY WATCH
MEET AN AUTHOR Author Kristen Marie Haight will be at Borders Express Sunday in the Staten Island Mall signing copies of her children's book, "Maile's Lei Helani," 2 to 4 p.m. Lower Level Sears wing.

• YOUR SOAP BOX
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- "I've been living here 24 years now, and I love Travis because it's still such a small town. If you were blindfolded and dumped here from somewhere else, you would think you were in the Midwest. When I first moved here, I can remember going to vote the first time. Talk about small town. Everyone from the area would go to the polls at PS 26, but all the kids would wait outside. I couldn't understand why at first, but when people would come out of the school after voting, they did something everyone called 'The Scramble.' The adults would reach into their pockets and throw loose change back and forth on either side. Then the kids would scramble around to pick it up. Being from Brooklyn, I had never seen anything like it. Unfortunately, things are changing a bit now. We've seen an increase in housing, especially multiple-dwelling homes. With that, we've had an increase in traffic, and parking has been harder to come by. The roads really can't handle it. I just hope the area is able to keep its charm."