Dental duo honored for their community involvement
Updated Feb 14, 2021;
Posted Feb 14, 2021
Dr. Karen DiBona and Dr. Mark Scamardella, partners at DiBona and Scamardella Dental Studio, Willowbrook, are being honored with a Louis R. Miller Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce/Dom Provenzano)
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By Michael Anderson | Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Dr. Karen DiBona and Dr. Mark Scamardella have been bringing smiles to patients and the Staten Island community for years.
The husband-and-wife duo provide safe, compassionate and experienced care to their patients at DiBona and Scamardella Dental Studio in Willowbrook while also contributing their free time to lend a hand to those in need.
A stark reminder of coronavirus pandemic’s toll: Empty storefronts on Hylan Boulevard
Updated Feb 09, 2021;
Posted Feb 09, 2021
2083 Hylan Blvd. is currently available for lease. Many businesses have closed or moved and left behind big gaps along the the busy strip from Grasmere to New Drop. (Staten Island Avance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. If the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that nearly everything from business transactions to gym classes can be completed remotely.
And this new virtual world along with the mandates that have kept some businesses like boutique fitness studios and restaurants barely making ends meet since March 2020 have generated a not-so-surprising outcome: Dozens of empty storefronts now exist along Staten Island commercial strips.
Shawn J. Stradford honored for the countless ways he serves others
Updated Feb 07, 2021;
Posted Feb 07, 2021
Shawn J. Stradford, president and CEO of West Brighton’s Stradford Funeral Home for Funerals and Cremations Inc., is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce/Dom Provenzano)
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By Michael Anderson | Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Shawn J. Stradford Sr.’s mother, the Rev. Yvonne Stradford, envisioned her son in a profession that would make a difference. Rev. Stradford believed her son could provide a fresh perspective and contribute to the local community, which was and still is woefully underserved.
NYC comptroller candidates to participate in online forum
Updated Feb 01, 2021;
Posted Feb 01, 2021
The Five Borough Chamber Alliance will host a forum Tuesday at 6 p.m. for candidates running for New York City comptroller. (Courtesy: Five Chamber Alliance)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Five Borough Chamber Alliance will host a virtual forum Tuesday for candidates running for the position of New York City comptroller.
Candidates Brian Benjamin, Kevin Parker, Brad Lander and David Weprin will be in attendance at the event, which begins at 6 p.m.
“The role of the comptroller will be key as the city deals with its fiscal health coming out of the current pandemic,” said Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, which helped to organize the forum. “Managing our city’s wallet is a huge responsibility, and we need to select the right person who will work to strengthen our overall economy.”
Restaurateur honored for his dedication to local Sri Lankan community
Updated Jan 31, 2021;
Posted Jan 31, 2021
Lakruwana Wijesinghe, founder of Lakruwana restaurant in Stapleton, is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce/Dom Provenzano)
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By Michael Anderson | Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Little did Lakruwana Wijesinghe know that a simple trip aboard the Staten Island Ferry would direct his future path as a restaurateur and eventually help him become a major influencer, bringing Sri Lankan culture to the borough.
On that ride back in 1989, the Stapleton resident, who immigrated to Staten Island from Sri Lanka in 1983, met his future wife, Jayantha.