by Juanita Bodden, Th.D. -...

1

One of the best things to do on a crisp fall day is to take a walk. Staten Island offers many diverse places to go walking from the neatly manicured parks to the somewhat rough hikes through the woods to the nice strolls along the shorelines to the unusual and mysterious places where few have

ventured.

I love walking in the woods in autumn and I have a couple of favorite places on the island. The White Trail in Willow-brook Park extends al-most 6 miles through the Greenbelt. When I was in very good shape, I recall once walking the whole trail – remember that’s 6 miles out and 6 miles back. These days I do about 2-3 miles and then turn around. You can enter the trail at several places inside the park. I usually pick it up right next to the merry-go-round. You can follow the trail for twenty or thirty minutes going deep into the woods only to

realize that you have only travelled a short distance around the perimeter of the picnic grounds. It’s usually very quiet on the trail – I have only occa-sionally encountered other hikers. You can hear the birds singing and small animals rustling through the fallen leaves.

If you walk far enough, about 2 ½ miles, you will

come across an unusual sight. Right in the middle of the woods is the re-mains of an old chimney. At one time, right where you are standing once upon a time a farm house

stood!

If you like wildlife and have an adventurous spirit, explore Mariners Marsh. The Marsh, as I affectionately call it, is located a short distance from our Granite and Wright Avenue sites. You can enter from Rich-mond Terrace pass Hol-land Avenue at the aban-doned baseball field or from Holland Avenue (the official entrance). You

can ignore the sign that says, “Park Closed.” It’s been officially closed for over five years now. The Marsh has a diverse land-scape with 10 ponds. I’m told (never saw it myself) the ponds contain giant carp. The place is full of wild life. I have person-ally seen an opossum, several large turtles, her-ons and a variety of other birds, and a living, slither-ing, two-foot long snake that I almost stepped on. There is also a family of deer that live in the park. Many wild flowers grow there and I’ve come across a small field of wild mushrooms. (I tried to get my walking partner to taste them, but he de-clined.) The varied land-scape contains fields and

meadows, thick forests, high rocks, and the ruins from what once were a bustling industrial work-place. Sometimes it’s a little creepy in there – I never go into the Marsh alone. On occasion I have run into other people

(Continued on page 2)

Take a Walk Take a Walk Take a Walk Take a Walk … … … … before it gets too coldbefore it gets too coldbefore it gets too coldbefore it gets too cold

by Juanita Bodden, Th.D.

Annual Company Picnic 2

Executive Talk 3

4 Your Health 4

Staff Highlights 5

HR News 6

What’s for Dinner? 6

Weddings with Meaning 7

Chrissy’s Crunchy Salad 8

Inside this issue:

the Insider II

A NEWSLETTER WRITTEN BY EMPLOYEES FOR EMPLOYEES

Volume 1, Issue 3

Summer/Fall 2011

Sometimes it’s a little

creepy in there

Welcome New Employees 10

Commitment & Hard Work Pays Off 11

Just Married 11

Promotions 12

Restructuring of Long Island Programs 12

Look Who Dropped in 12

Say Goodbye to Summer 13

Eric’s Show 14

Let’s Take a Paws 9

2

there – no one frightening; however, one time I felt that someone was stalk-ing us so we left immediately. (I am

now sure it was my imagination.)

If you want woods that are a little more familiar, both Wolf’s Pond Park and Clove Lakes Park have trails that take

you through the woods.

If you enjoy walking near the water, in addition to the boardwalk at South Beach and the walkway at Midland Beach, consider the walk along the water from Jersey Street to the ferry. I usually park on Westervelt Avenue and walk down one block to the entrance on Jersey Street. Initially you are walking on a sidewalk that parallels the road, but all of a sudden you turn off onto a trail that takes you adjacent to the har-bor. The trail contains many interest-ing plants throughout. As you walk you can look right into New York Har-bor and watch ships passing by and the ferries coming in to dock, all the while listening to ocean waves. Eventually you come to the 9/11 Memorial where I

always pause for a few minutes. The Memorial is in the shape on a giant en-velope and if you look through the cen-

ter, you can see the exact location of where the towers once stood. This walk will take you to the ferry. I’ve been known on occasion to ride over to the Manhattan side and continue my walk through the extended Battery Park. I’ll walk a couple of miles to the marina where they filmed scenes from

the movie, “Hitch.”

A walk at Fort Wadsworth will offer you a little of everything. You enter at the end of Bay Street, tell the guard you came for a walk and he’ll give you ac-cess. Park at the Visitor’s Center and if it’s open be sure to check it out after your walk. I like to walk up pass Fort Thompkins to the platform that over-looks Battery Weed and the ocean. Then I go left and walk down to the end of the sidewalk, hang a right and walk to Battery Weed. You can walk around the fort to the ocean, but be careful. Then you have to go uphill which can be a stretch if you are not in

(Continued from page 1) shape. When you come to the baseball field go left down the road and you will walk down a valley of breath-taking trees. Eventually you will pass a picnic area and in time come to the beach. A little pass the beach is the residential area for the servicemen and their fami-lies. When you come to the road make

a left turn and you will have to climb a steep hill, but your reward is at the top – two beautiful horses are

usually outside grazing in their corral.

I’ve nicknamed them Moses and Elijah.

There are a couple of things to remem-ber when walking in the woods. Be-fore your start on a trail you should know how long the trail is and the diffi-culty of the walk and if you are physi-cally able to do it. At the first sign of fatigue, rest, turn around and head back. Remember to bring the bug spray. If it’s a sunny day you may also want to bring a hat. Most important – stay on the trail! If you leave the trail

you can get very, very lost.

There are many wonderful places to walk on the island. In the woods be-hind Mount Manresa on Fingerboard Road there is a beautiful mirrored lake. This is a very scenic walk and for the religious, the Stations of the Cross are posted along the trail. Silver Lake re-minds me of Central Park. There is a path that takes you around the reser-voir. This park is kept perfectly clean including the grass. At times I’ve been known to stretch out on the grass after my walk. Keep an eye out for bunny

rabbits that populate the park.

Don’t forget to walk around Snug Har-bor and Gateway Park. I like to walk around the marina at Gateway. If you stay on the trail you will end up at a section of the beach where the men go fishing. Large boulders jut out from the shore. You can climb on top and sun bathe as you listen to the sounds of the ocean. These are just a few of my favorite places. There are many, many other places to walk or hike around Staten Island, so take advantage of the crisp fall air and the colorful fall foli-

age and take a walk!

On Sept. 17th Eden II had its second annual company picnic. Employees and their families gathered to enjoy numerous activities throughout the day. Some of the pic-nic high-lights in-cluded crafts for the children as well as various children’s activities, fun group dances and the ever popular softball tourna-

ment.

The softball tournament was initially broken down into 2 teams, however due to the overwhelming number of people who signed up to play; the teams were ultimately split into 4 teams. The 2 winning teams of each mini-tournament played each other. The winner took home a gold medal commemorating their hard work. If there was an award presented for Most Team Spirit, it would be awarded without hesitation to the pre-school employees at Skyline. The Sky-line Crew created personalized attrac-tive team jerseys which they wore with pride. The game ball was presented to Sue Ribaudo for her outstanding per-formance in right field. Congratula-

tions Sue!

The winning team gathered together

for a team picture.

The champs from left to right: (Bottom row): Stephen De-Maria, Sue Ribaudo, Jennifer Vin-ciguerra, David Jaime. (Standing): Chris Russell, Jennifer Salemi, Chris Martino, Geoff DeBery, Jon Grecco,

Michael Cooney.

Annual Company PicnicAnnual Company PicnicAnnual Company PicnicAnnual Company Picnic by Shari Schatzman & Jennifer Vinciguerra

3

Geoff: Ok, so you are the COO at Eden II Pro-grams, the Chief Operating Offi-cer, is that cor-

rect?

Fred: Right.

Geoff: So tell

us what that is.

Fred: Actually, why don’t you tell me what you think it is, let’s start from

there.

Geoff: My impression of the COO is that you make sure the agency doesn’t

run out of money.

Fred: Well money is a big part if it. The other thing that people in the pro-grams often don’t understand is that at the end of the day this is a business. There is an economic model that goes with it. It’s the demand and supply of services. It’s just like a professional services corporation, and because you are in business there are rules that you have to follow in order to remain in

business.

And there are lots of different kinds of rules from all different per-spectives. There are lots of laws that need to be complied with both in the way we are able to treat or not treat certain of our employees or all of our employees. There are rules that govern everything we do. And we need to be certain that we are compliant with all federal and state laws in regards to our

employees.

And also we want to make sure we have an environment for our employees that allow them to do what they do in the best way possible. So that means we need to provide good facilities that are clean and well maintained, and that we need to provide a set of employee benefits that encourage people to want to be here. And those are all functions under the central administrative group that I am responsible for. So from Eden

before you can take on that level of responsibility. So tell us, what kind of training do you need to be the COO of

an organization like Eden II.

Fred: Well you need to at least have grounding in one of those central areas. You mentioned them already, the hu-man resources aspects, the facilities aspects, the IT aspects, or the financial aspects. So at the beginning of your career if you are heading off into the wonderful world of business generally speaking you don’t head off into all of those areas at once. Generally you have a focus on one particular area and then you start to expand your horizons. So in my par-ticular case I came up as a fiscal person. So my first several career stops were in finance, in planning, mostly in the planning area but also in accountancy and treasury matters. That was my grounding if you will, and as I moved on in my career I also took on addi-tional responsibilities in some of these

other areas.

So you know that as anyone moves up in their career they sort of broaden their horizons. I’m quite sure that as a 1:1 aide in the classroom moves to a class-room teacher, then to a coordinator, then to the director of the program there are more and more aspects that they take on. And pretty much that’s what happened with me. And I think that’s the profile of most people in my position. They are generally more sea-soned, they’ve been around for awhile, and they’ve had the opportunities to

experience this kind of stuff.

Geoff: It sounds like these skills would be useful in any type of busi-ness, anything from a non-profit human services organization like Eden II Pro-grams to a for-profit business like a bank. So my next question is why did


II’s behavior as a corporation within the great big world of corporations in the United States the business aspects of that corporation are under my juris-

diction.

This also means that I am responsible for protecting the employees while they are at work, from a safety perspective and a legal perspective. It is also my responsibility to make sure that we not only have clean, adequate and safe fa-cilities, but that we also have policies and procedures to protect you at work and give you guidance while you are here on the job. I have to make sure the computers and software tools are avail-

able so the employees can do their jobs.

And I also have to make sure we are able to bill for all the services that we provide. Not only that we bill for those services, but that people actually pay us, so that we have cash in the bank to pay out payroll and pay for our rent. Those are all parts of the business as-pects of Eden II that are my responsi-

bility.

Geoff: So when we think of all of the central administrative of-fices: IT, facilities, human resources, and the business office, the Chief Operating Officer makes sure each of

those offices function properly and provides what they need to provide for

the agency.

Fred: Exactly, I coordinate those responsibilities and they are all very much integrated with each other. They have dependencies on each other, and at the end of the day I am nothing more than a customer service organization. And those that come in through the door, they are my customers, and the employees are my customer, and the management team is my customer. So

my role is to serve my customers.

Geoff: That’s really great. All of the employees come to work everyday to provide the highest level of care and it is good to know that someone is watch-ing out for us as employees. Now I assume that it takes a lot of training

Executive TalkExecutive TalkExecutive TalkExecutive Talk

Fred Bunker Speaks OutFred Bunker Speaks OutFred Bunker Speaks OutFred Bunker Speaks Out

By Geoff Debery

There are lots of laws that need to

be complied with

4

you choose to work at Eden II Pro-

grams?

Fred: One of my career stops was a company called Agfa which made pho-tographic film and stuff like that. So I had my role that I have at Eden II within one of their divisions. I had fis-cal, human resources, IT, plus I had all the warehousing and various facilities and the logistics division of the corpo-ration. So I did what I am doing here, but in a different environment, a for-profit importation and distribution en-vironment. Human resources here is no

different than human resources at an other corporation. The finance for not-for-profit versus for-profit has its own little idiosyncrasies, but generally at the

end of the day it’s the same.

Geoff: I understand. With the skills you have, you could be doing this any-where. So the question is why would

(Continued from page 3) II is a place where you feel like you are making a difference, where you get to see progress in the participants, and at the end of the day that’s more reinforc-

ing than money.

Fred: I think it’s remarkable, when you walk around the building you see our employees. I was just talking about this the other day. I was in a meeting for the spotlight award committee. We had a focus group looking at the spot-light awards and we realized that the employees here have a common bond, and we are just so dedicated to these human beings who are our most vulner-able citizens. I tell everybody all the time; these are the most pure people, the most pure human beings in the world. It is such an enormous responsi-bility we have for these kids, for these adults. Whether it is someone in a clinical role, for me in the business area, to a classroom aide, to someone working in one of the residences we are all like a family and it makes this place so much

more than an employment stop.

you choose to be here and not some-where else, especially when the for-profit world has more to offer in terms

of financial compensation?

Fred: I think the for-profit world is generally a much better paying world than this one, but I’m here for the same reason all of the employees of Eden II are here, because I love these people. I’m here to be in service, and I’ve been in autism since 1989. So I have a great affinity for this world of autism. Joanne actually approached me to come and join Eden II, it was through my rela-tionship with Joanne, through autism, that I even learned of Eden II. I’ve been involved with autism for quite some-time, and that’s my motivation for coming here. I left a very good job as a vice president for a market research corporation to come here. And the rea-son I did was for the opportunity. I came here for the opportunity to watch the kids come in the door every morn-

ing.

Geoff: That’s really great! I guess all of our staff could be making more money doing something else, but Eden

I’ve been involved with

autism since 1989

Flu Tips October marks the official beginning of flu season. Flu season can last

until May.

Flu (influenza) symptoms include:

• fever (100 F or more) • fatigue • body aches • sore throat • Cough • stuffy/runny nose

Less common symptoms:

• Vomiting • diarrhea

For most healthy people, the flu will go away in 5-7 days; although, the fatigue may linger longer. Early

Your Health Your Health Your Health Your Health By Erin Grossman, RN

treatment (within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms) with anti-viral drugs

may reduce the severity of the flu.

Ways to fight the flu include:

• Yearly flu

vaccine is the most important. Everyone six months of age a n d o l d e r should get the flu vaccine; especially high

risk people which include young chil-dren, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions such as

asthma, heart disease and lung disease.

• Cover your nose and mouth with

a tissue when you sneeze.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose

and mouth; germs spread easily this

way.

• Wash your hands often with soap

and water. If soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand

rub.

Avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone (without the use of fever reducing

medicine).

Wishing you good health this season!

5

YEVGENIY TROI may be a very familiar face to many of us at Eden II. He started working with Eden II in 2004 as a residential habilitation worker in our Family

Services Department assisting cases in Brooklyn, N.Y. In March of 2009, Yevgeniy took on a job opening as a direct care worker/cook at the then newly developed Collfield Avenue IRA/Crisis Respite apartment, and now functions as the home’s clinic liaison. He continues to work with both pro-grams as a very responsible, energetic, and poised individual. When asked to reflect about his years at Eden II and what they have meant to him he re-sponded, “I recently went to the NY-SACRA conference in upstate N.Y. and the theme of the conference was Build-

ing Life Long Relationships. I agreed with that theme and think it describes my calling here at Eden II with the

families I assist/serve.”

In 2004 Yevgeniy graduated from Hunter College with a B.A. in psychol-ogy. He plans to continue his educa-tion with an interest in either occupa-tional therapy or mental health counsel-ing. Whichever career choice that he may pursue into he wants to continue with interests in helping individuals

with autism.

Outside of work, Yevgeniy really en-joys cooking and anyone who has worked at Collfield or otherwise had the opportunity to experience his me-ticulously prepared fresh made meals knows it is something he excels at. In the summer Yevgeniy enjoys photogra-phy and outdoor activities such as: hik-ing, sight seeing, fishing, and traveling. Yevgeniy states, “traveling is my big-gest hobby since it allows me to inte-

to our Residential Department at the Carlton Blvd Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) as a Team Leader/Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP). She continued to work at Carlton Blvd for a little over a year in June 2011 she decided to become a teacher in the Adult Services Day Ha-

bilitation Program.

Maureen has had a very unique journey within Eden II. However, what she did during her time off from work is also noteworthy. While maintaining jobs in both the School and Fam-ily Service programs, she also worked with other community support agen-cies. Maureen worked as a life guard and taught water based aerobic exer-cise programs at a geriatric community complex. In 2008-2010 she also vol-unteered her free time at Fast Break Basketball Center assisting children with disabilities practice their gross

motor skills.

In addition, she meticulously managed her time with and around her tight schedule to maintain her schooling. Maureen received her A.A. in Special Education from Brookdale Community College in New Jersey in 2006. In 2009 she earned her B.A. in Sociology from The College of Staten Island (CUNY) while also receiving a minor in History. Currently, Maureen is enrolled in a Master’s program in Social Work at N.Y.U. Her career plan is to one day have her own practice in social work where she will work with individuals with autism and other developmental

disabilities.

When asked to reflect about her years at Eden II and what they have meant to her she responded, “It was and still is an experience like nothing I have ever had before. I learned so much from the guys that we serve. They have taught


grate my hobbies.” This summer Yev-geniy will be traveling overseas to Ka-zakhstan (located in Central Asia) and south Ukraine to visit the Black Sea region. Every summer Yevgeniy travels to explore new regions to experience

new cultures.

Yevgeniy humbly mentioned, “The experience I gained and continue to gain at Eden II allows me to feel a great sense of fulfillment. The team at Collfield allows for my personal efforts as well as the efforts of others to be ac-knowledged. I appreciate being able to be a part of and a voice in clinical inter-disciplinary team meetings. The job is challenging and rewarding. I have gained a great deal of knowledge from working here at Eden II.” Moreover, Yevgeniy noted that he really enjoys his work shift since it allows him ample time to engage in recreational activities locally with his family and permits him the ability to travel. Yevgeniy sees Eden II as a great place to learn and grow and is hopeful and willing to

move up in the agency in the future.

MAUREEN RYAN is a familiar face around here since she has had the unique opportunity of working in almost every program Eden II offers to the autistic

community. In March of 2007 she be-gan her career working as a Teacher Assistant in Granite Avenue. Six months later she transitioned into a newer position as an Inclusion Special-ist where she remained until January 2010. During those two years Maureen simultaneously worked in the Family Services Department as a Respite Care/Residential Habilitation worker. In February of 2010 Maureen transferred

Staff HighlightsStaff HighlightsStaff HighlightsStaff Highlights by Lorenz S. Neuwirth, M.S.

It describes my calling here at Eden II with the families I

assist/serve

6

LONE STAR BAR AND GRILL 8703 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY Phone: 718-833-5180 Upon walking into the restau-

rant Long Star, you will encounter a Western type setting. I requested to eat outside. I went outside and was seated at a table with an umbrella. There are an ample amount of appetizers and sandwiches on the menu to order. The macaroni bites were hot and tasty. There are a good selection of numbered options for ordering chicken wings including 8, 12, 24, 36 pieces. I ordered an 8 piece and had 4 buffalo and 4 Bar-B-Que styles. Buffalo wings were fine and not too spicy while Bar-B-Que style was a little too saucy but flavorful. Two small cups of ranch sauce accompanied the wings. 10oz burgers are ready to order and added toppings are $1.00 each. I ordered cheddar and sautéed onions on my bur-ger which were plentiful. There was an appropriate amount of fries on the side

of each burger.

Appearance: The restaurant has sev-eral tables and multiple chairs for eat-

ing and sitting.

Everything seemed clean but lighting was a little dimmer than what I would have liked. Outside

contained a DJ booth, 3 flat screen tele-visions (at least 46 inches), and 7 tables with umbrellas for sitting. Six tables are non-smoking while one table is designated for smoking. The waitress that served me was very friendly and knowledgeable with customer food preferences. The restaurant does not give an appearance of a 3-4 star restau-rant but the food makes up for the ordi-nary appearance. Eating outside was nice but I did smell some of the smoke from the smoking section that tended to

m e more things than I would ever be able to teach them. It’s things like this

that makes Eden II special.”

When it comes to summer Maureen actually takes breaks from work and enjoys some pleasant rest and relaxa-tion by fre-quenting various beaches. She states, “My favorite thing to do in the sum-mer is to go to the beach, swim, or hang out in the pool.” Maureen noted that she also likes to travel and recently just came back from a trip from Miami, FL in March and is planning to visit Virginia

Beach with a stop in Ocean City, MD.

Maureen sees Eden II as a very diverse and opportunity filled environment where careers can be catapulted. Will-ingness, opportunity, responsibility, and networking are only a few words that describe her stepping stones that propel her closer to her long term goals. The Residential Department will miss her greatly, but we also wish her the best of luck in her position in the Adult Program and with her upcoming

educational pursuits.

(Continued from page 5)

occasionally reach over to the non-smoking area. The television is a nice addition to the outside and I watched a major league baseball game during my

meal.

Variety: Good selection of appetizers on the menu. Items on the menu are primarily bar/casual restaurant food. There are a limited amount of vegetar-ian options on the menu, specifically as side items. There is a good variety of French fry choices including regular, curly and sweet potato. Curly fries had a good crispness when you bite into it while the sweet potato was fantas-tic. There are plenty of adult beverages served at this establish-

ment.

Taste: Burgers are 10 ounces, juicy and filling. Wings were fine, macaroni bites

and curly fries were very good.

Price: Prices are very reasonable for bar/casual restaurant items. The por-

tions are very reasonable for the price.

Wait time: In terms of sitting, wait time wasn’t long and the waitress was

very attentive while I was waiting.

Final food verdict: Good bar/casual restaurant with an ample amount of televisions for viewing sporting events. If you want to attend a place with some friends to have some quick eats, listen to fun music and have drinks in a relaxed atmosphere,

then check it out.

What’s for Dinner? What’s for Dinner? What’s for Dinner? What’s for Dinner? by Anthony Gervasi

NEWS It’s open

enrollment time for HRA and FSA. Information can be found on our b e n e f i t w e b s i t e a t www.eden2employeebenfits.org. HR must have all enrollment forms by

December 16, 2011.

Discount movie

t i c k e t s a r e a v a i l a b l e i n HR. Further information can be found on the

website as well.

7

E v e r y o n e knows how beautiful sum-mer and fall weddings can be: the array of fresh bright flowers, the sunny, cloud-

less skies, and delicious eats that are in season. Though this is the time of year for endless nuptial invites, we are often disappointed by the same event venue, vows, and cheesy traditions. Here are some stories about our employees who decided to tie the knot by putting a creative spin on the traditional wedding

concept.

Panagiota (Yiota) Stathakis, native of Greece, and Geoff DeBery of Maine tied the knot on August 21, 2010 in a beautiful ceremony in Monemvasia,

Yiota’s hometown in Greece.

The couple had a secret wedding cere-mony at the Justice of the Peace during their lunch break. In lieu of rings, the couple exchanged silly bands. The cou-ple diligently planned for their fabulous wedding abroad. Yiota purchased her dress at the Bridal Garden in Manhat-tan. The Bridal Garden sells donated dresses and the proceeds are continued to charities that support education. It is

a great place and they sell amazing dresses. The designer is unknown, but Geoff tells people it is from Vera Wang or Stella McCartney, depending on the audience. Yiota’s shoes were from JCrew. Geoff’s suit and shoes were

from Hugo Boss.

It was a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony. The groom waits outside the church for the bride. When she arrives, he hands her the bouquet and then they walk down the aisle together while the guests follow them into the church. At the front of the church are the priest, bride, groom and a person that is called ‘Kubaros’. There are no bridesmaids or groomsmen. The bride and groom wear special crowns called ‘Stefana’ during part of the ceremony. The Kubaros help the bride and groom through the cere-mony, particularly to ensure the Ste-fana do not fall off. Also, they wear their rings on the right hand— it’s a Greek Orthodox tradition. The recep-tion was very special and unique. It was held outside and over 350 people were in atten-dance. “We invited the President and Mrs. Obama. They were unable to attend, but we did receive a congratula-tory note from the White House”, re-

ports the happy couple.

The weather in that part of Greece is so beautiful in the summer that they didn’t need to have a back up plan in case of rain. The reception was full of tradi-tional Greek dances, a delicious cake and lamb with lemon potatoes. “If you saw the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”… it was kind of like that”,

exclaims the couple.

Geoff and Yiota did not officially hon-eymoon anywhere, but rather opted to staying Greece for two weeks exploring

and enjoying the relaxing scenery.

Lou Prince of Brooklyn and Debrina

Guerra of Lancaster, PA were married on March 6, 2010. Lou and Deb have been working together at Eden for over 5 years. However, they did not meet on the job, but rather were high school

sweethearts. They met in January of 2005, in the gym of James Madison high school, where Lou fell in love at first sight with Deb while she was run-ning. He later contacted her through an AOL instant message, and they began dating on March 6, 2000. In July, 2009, Lou proposed to Debrina while

on one knee in front of the Cinderella

castle in Disney World.

Debrina wore her best friend’s wedding dress that was tailored to include pieces of peacock blue, the color of her bridesmaid’s dresses. Lou wore a tux-edo by Calvin Klein. The ceremony took place under the Brooklyn Bridge on a beautiful, sunny, unseasonably warm March day. All of Lou and De-brina’s family and close friends were in attendance, including some of the kids and their parents from the school. Two of the students served as the ring bearers. In addition, the wedding drew a crowd of over 75 spec-


Weddings with Meaning by Lauren Mahoney-Galanaugh

The ceremony took place under

the Brooklyn Bridge

8

tators, who were in the park enjoying the day. The couple developed and wrote the wedding ceremony that in-cluded personally written vows, and a lesson on why the wedding ring is worn

on the left hand.

After the ceremony, Lou and Deb made their way to the reception. The first dance was to Frank Sinatra’s, “The Way You Look Tonight” (originally sung by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in the 1930s film, Swing Time). In lieu of the conventional table num-bers that most receptions offer, they decided to use framed pictures of them-selves that correspond to the year the picture was taken. Lou and Deb de-scribed their reception, “Good people, good food, good times!” The happy couple honeymooned in Chicago. On the weekends you will find them host-ing lavish parties in their new home in

Brooklyn.

Liji Thomas, a Teacher at Forest Ave-nue was born in India and came to Staten Island when she was 12 years old. Liji has been working in Eden II for over 5 years. She met her husband, Chris Joseph, on an online dating site. They started communicating thru e-mails, chats, and phone, since Chris was living in India. The couple was not able to meet in person for many

(Continued from page 7) months. However, while vacationing in India Liji finally met him and his fam-ily. The couple mutually decided to get married. Liji re-turned to the states and began planning the wed-ding. They decided to have the ceremony in India because most of their fam-ily, in-cluding her grandparents, was still liv-

ing there.

The wedding planning took several months and she had to purchase two dresses for the ceremony and reception. She purchased her wedding gown in New York City and luckily, it turned out to be the first one she tried on! Liji’s traditional Indian dress, which she wore for the reception, was pur-chased in India. The wedding took place in south India in a town called Alappuzha, Kerala. This town is called the "Venice of the East" due to its ex-tensive waterways and popularity with

tourists.

The most important people, other than her parents and sister, were her grand-parents who were so excited to be a part of the wedding in India. The ser-vice was an hour long traditional Catholic ceremony held in St. John's Church which consisted of exchanging the rings, Holy Communion, and mar-riage vows. They decided to take a short honeymoon on a houseboat cruise in Kerala be-cause they had agreed to post-pone a long hon-eymoon until Chris was ready to come to the United States. The happy cou-ple then honey-mooned in Ha-

waii.

If you’ve ever been to an Eden “Potluck”, then you probably had the luxury of sampling Chrissy Jas-cewsky’s Crunchy Romaine Toss. Though salad is usually a side item that often goes unnoticed, many employees prefer to eat this dish as a main course because it is just that good. Luckily, Chrissy has shared her delicious salad

recipe for everyone to enjoy.

CRUNCHY ROMAINE TOSS

½ c Sugar

½ c Vegetable oil

¼ c cider vinegar

2 tsp. soy sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 (3 oz) package of Ramen Noodles broken up into small pieces

2 T butter

1 ½ c chopped broccoli

1 small bunch of romaine lettuce torn

4 green onions chopped

½ c toasted walnuts

In a jar, with a tight fitting lid, combine sugar, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce and salt and pepper; shake well. Discard seasoning packet from noodles. In a skillet, sauté noodles in butter until golden brown. In a large bowl, com-bine noodles, broccoli, romaine lettuce and onions in a large bowl. Just before serving, toss with dressing and walnuts,

Serves 6 to 8 people.

Look out for next issue to hear from Juanita Shepherd, the cook from Carl-ton. She will be discussing some of her favorite recipes. Welcome Juanita as a

new edition to the Insider II Staff!

CCCCHRISSYHRISSYHRISSYHRISSY’’’’SSSS

CCCCRUNCHYRUNCHYRUNCHYRUNCHY S S S SALADALADALADALAD

9

Plants provide us with beauty and en-joyment, but some can also cause major problems for your pets. Did you know that there are actually over 700 plants that can be poisonous or toxic to your pet? That size of a number seems al-most incomprehensible and makes you wonder if there are actually any plants left over that are NOT poisonous to animals! It is important to use your best judgment when determining whether or not these plants should remain in your home or garden. Consider your per-sonal situation and the normal behavior of your pets. It is very important to research before planting or bringing a

potted plant in your home.

The following is a list of some

of the Most Common Poison-

ous Plants:

SAGO PALM - While the seeds and nuts of this plant are most poisonous, the entire plant is toxic. Animals ingesting parts of this plant may suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, de-pression, seizures and liver

failure.

LILIES - Plants of the lily variety are very poisonous to cats. Even very small amounts of this plant could cause seri-

ous kidney damage.

TULIPS - The toxic portion of this plant is the actual bulb, which can cause drooling, central nervous system de-pression, gastrointestinal irritation,

cardiac issues and convulsions.

AZALEA - The toxins in azalea plants can be very severe and potentially cause

drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, central nervous system weakening and depres-sion and in some cases possibly coma

or death.

RHODODENDRON - Is an ornamental

shrub whose leaves are poisonous.

OAKS - Are trees with poisonous leaves

and shoots.

DUMBCANE - This is a house-plant and is poisonous in its

entirety.

APPLE - The seeds of an apple can be

Poinsettias have received bad public-ity in the past whereas in fact, poinsettias are not

very toxic to pets. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth but if symptoms develop they are usu-

ally mild.

If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-

mals (ASPCA) Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. (Voice - Toll-free, Animal Poison Control Center) This is

24 hour a day hotline.

Remember to always spay and neuter

your pets.

The Staff Holiday Party will

take place on

Thursday, December 22, 2011

from 6:30pm to 10:30pm

at the Staaten, 697 Forest Avenue,

Staten Island, NY 10310

It's free for staff and $50 for

guests.

Please RSVP to Ilene Rosen

at [email protected]@[email protected]@eden2.org or 718-816-1422 ext. 104 no later than December

16th.

Come out and celebrate with good

friends, good food, and great danc-

ing.

poisonous to pets.

HYACINTH - This is a wild and house-

plant whose bulbs are poisonous.

IRIS - Is a wild and garden flower whose leaves and

roots are poisonous.

AUTUMN CROCUS - Ingestion by pets

can result in oral irritation, bloody

vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ

damage and bone marrow suppression.

CHRYSANTHEMUM - These popular

blooms contain pyrethrins that may

produce gastrointestinal upset, includ-

ing drooling, vomiting and diarrhea, if

eaten. In certain cases depression and

loss of coordination may also develop

if enough of any part of the plant is

consumed.

ENGLISH IVY - Also called branching

ivy, glacier ivy, needlepoint ivy, sweet-

heart ivy and California ivy, contains

triterpenoid saponins that, should pets

ingest, can result in vomiting, abdomi-

nal pain, hyper

salivation and

diarrhea.

PEACE LILY (AKA MAUNA LOA PEACE

LILY) - contains calcium oxalate crys-

tals that can cause oral irritation, exces-

sive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in

swallowing and intense burning and

irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue

in pets who ingest.

POTHOS - If chewed or in-

gested, this popular house-

hold plant can cause signifi-

cant mechanical irritation and

swelling of the oral tissues and other

parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

SCHEFFLERA - contain calcium oxalate

crystals that can cause

oral irritation, excessive

drooling, vomiting, diffi-

culty in swallowing and

intense burning and irrita-

tion of the mouth, lips and tongue in

pets who ingest.

Let’s Take a Paws Let’s Take a Paws Let’s Take a Paws Let’s Take a Paws TOXIC PLANTS THAT CAN HARM YOUR PETS by Kat Knapp

THE MYTH: POINSETTIAS ARE TOXIC.

THE REALITY: THEY'RE NOT.

10

SPEECH STAFF

Zeina Berjaoui (Skyline)

Melissa Nadel

Jamie Panepinto (Skyline)

RESIDENTIAL STAFF

Ayodele Akinfemiwa (On Call)

James Boone (On Call)

Agustus Gaurnett (On Call)

Elijah Garsayne (On Call)

Sayan Saybah Jallah (On Call)

Brian Johnson (Collfield)

Michael Johnson (Collfield)

Abraham Kamara (On Call)

Paul Moses Lincoln (On Call)

Secily Mitchell (On Call)

Tamara Moore (On Call)

Omopariola Oloye (On Call)

Korto Roberts (On Call)

Abubakarr Sesay (On Call)

Edward Walker (Collfield)

Jennifer Wilson (Carlton)

FAMILY SERVICES STAFF

Ellen Azzato

Jaime Cannizzaro

Jonathan Cawley

Dennis Cervone

Yva Cesar

Allysha Francis

Diane Giordano

Phyllis Gonzalez

Meredith Laliberte

Jennifer Minucci

Erica Otoo

Chanel Pranckevicus

Jonathan Reyes

Abigail Rivera

Aaron Sutton

Lauren Warner

ADULT PROGRAM STAFF

Emil Carr

Leticia Ditre

Michele Lapolla

Tyler Larsen

Dawnetta Pearson

Akil St. Louis

Jessica Van Manen

Isaiah Woods

LONG ISLAND

TEACHING STAFF

Ada Avila

Kaitlyn Donahue

Eduardo Martinez

Megan McGrath

Kelly Nevins

Claudia Poliseno

SPEECH STAFF

Vanessa Calamita

McGill, Kristie

RESIDENTIAL STAFF

Bruce Boldley (Cambon)

Adaora Clark (Cambon)

Oluwabunmi Diji (Dix Hills)

Latasha Henry (Dix Hills)


We are delighted to announce that the following new employees have joined Eden II/Genesis as of March 2011 through October 2011. Please help us in welcoming and making our newest employees become productive mem-bers of our team. Join us in extending

a heartfelt welcome to:

STATEN ISLAND

TEACHING STAFF

Gina Abraham (Skyline)

Erika Bardza (Granite)

Tara Bennett (Skyline)

Jennifer Castagliola (Skyline)

Erin Calichio (Forest)

Richard Collyer (Skyline)

Eric Della Corte (Skyline)

Susan Elwood (Skyline)

Dana Giallorenzo (Skyline)

Meghan Harris (Skyline)

Jarrett Howe (Forest)

Christina Incontro (Skyline)

Gina Leigh Licata (Granite)

Nicole Mandel (Skyline)

Alison Mauro (Granite)

Christine Micara (Skyline)

Laura Miller (Skyline)

Nicole Pacello (SEIT)

Vanessa Pellecchia (Granite)

Julia Petosa (Skyline)

Denise Purcell (Skyline)

Nicole Ricca (Granite)

Kathleen Rodal (Skyline)

Alexandra Sekulo (Skyline)

WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES!

THE INSIDER II

11

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3

Ermir Pjetri (Cambon)

Kathleen Stewart (Dix Hills)

Stanley St. Hillen

Alfred Whistler (Dix Hill)

Ku William (Cambon)

FAMILY SERVICES STAFF

Angie Avila

Nicole D’Esposito

Stephen Perez

Amanda Ruggerio

HUMAN RESOURCES STAFF

Cherie Hargett

ADULT DAY HAB STAFF

Steven Abreu

Kenya Crafton

Daniel Stauffer

NURSING STAFF

Arleen Oakes (Dix Hills)

Nirmala Mazzella

OUTREACH STAFF

Travis O’Dell

Lisa Wajsblat


Congratulations to:Congratulations to:Congratulations to:Congratulations to:

Adam Bonanno, T e a c h e r a t E l t i n g v i l l e Lutheran Inclusion Program, became

a Board Certified Behavior Analyst

(BCBA) in May of 2011.

Javona Clark, a Teacher Assistant at Granite, received her Associates

Degree in Arts.

Eric Cruz received his Master’s degree (M.A.) in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell College. Eric is a Clinical Coordinator in the Family Services Department at Granite

Avenue.

Alexandra Gavin, a Behavior Specialist at Granite Avenue, received her Master of Science in Special

Education.

Daniel Gelardi, Behavior Specialist at our inclusion site at Eltingville Lutheran, obtained his Master of

Science in Special Education.

Lauren Guiliano, a Teacher from the SEIT department, has earned her a

Master Degree from Touro College.

Christina Incontro, Teacher Assistant at the preschool program, has graduated from the College of Staten Island with a Bachelors Degree in

Sociology.

ToniAnn Micara, a Teacher from the SEIT department, has earned her a

Master Degree from Touro College.

Sarah Nekhala, a SEIT Teacher, has earned her a Master Degree from Touro

College.

Keri Philmus received her Advanced Certificate in Special Education in May

2011. Keri is a Teacher at Genesis.

Nicole Smith, Teacher Assistant at the Preschool program, has graduated from College of Staten Island with a Bachelors Degree in Science Letters &

Society.

Petrina Vicchio Daleo received her Master's in Special Education in May 2011. Petrina is a Teacher Assistant at

Genesis.

Danielle Whelan, a SEIT Teacher, has earned her a Master Degree from Touro

College.

Commitment & Hard Work Pays OffCommitment & Hard Work Pays OffCommitment & Hard Work Pays OffCommitment & Hard Work Pays Off

Linda Bartlett married Danny Ruggiero, May 1st, 2011. Linda

is a Teacher at Genesis.

Zeina Berjaovi- Osman

married Mohamed Osman on September 29, 2011. Zeina is a Speech therapist at the

Preschool.

Sophia Braun-Estrella

married Danny Estrella on August 27, 2011. Their

wedding was held at Dreams in Cancun Mexico. Sophia is a Teacher at our

Granite Avenue location.

Noha Mourad married Omar Hamza on June 10, 2011. Noha is an Medicaid Service

Coordinator.

Jennifer Vitale married Matthew Lynch, April 2nd, 2011. Jen is a Teacher

Assistant at Genesis.

Congratulations Congratulations Congratulations Congratulations

12

Vetrano”, but in addition to the school program, Brenda provides administrative coordination and support to our day habilitation and family

services programs.

L o o k w h o

dropped in! We

j o y f u l l y

announce the

following births …

Nehemiah Chea, from the Residential Department, and his wife Yasah, gave birth to their daughter on April 28, 2011. Her name is Yassah and she

weighed 8 lbs, 5oz. at birth.

Cortne Daniels is the proud father of a baby girl born on August 18, 2011 named Mackenzie Daniels. Cortne works at the Adult Day Hab Program at

Wright Avenue.

Nakia Leach had a baby girl named Nakayla. Nakayla weighed 7lbs. 2oz. and was 19 inches long and was born September 9, 2011. Nakia is the Team

Leader at the Dix Hills residence.

Michele Lapolla had a baby named Makayla Nicole who was Born September 16, 2011. Makayla weighed 7 lbs 7oz and was 20in at birth. Michele works in the Adult Day

Hab Program at Wright Avenue

Melissa Maietta, a SEIT teacher at the Preschool, gave birth to a son, Carlo

Thomas on May 12, 2011.

Cassandra Mariano, a Speech Coordinator at the Granite school, gave birth to a baby girl, Annalise Sophia on

September 30, 2011.

Celeste Nivens gave birth to twin boys on August 9, 2011. Jayden Daniel weighed 5 lbs 11oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. Donovan Jacob weighed 5 lbs 15 oz and was 19 inches long.

Celeste is a SEIT teacher at Skyline.


In an effort to improve services to our Long Island students and participants, Eden II/Genesis has restructured some of the positions and responsibilities of

the staff.

Jan Downey, Director of Speech Services, has assumed the position of Director of Long Island Programs and Services effective July 1, 2011. Jan oversees all of Long Island’s programs; i.e., school, day habilitation and family services which has approximately 125 students/participants. Directly assisting Jan in overseeing these programs are Olga Goodman and Piera

Interdonati. Both Olga and Piera have been with Eden II Programs for nearly 10 years, and each brings a wealth of education and experience to our agency combining expertise in Applied Behavior Analysis and communication

disorders.

Cristina Vicchio is now the Behavioral Coordinator for the school program. Cristina is responsible for all the students’ behavior plans, and

supervises the Behavior Specialists.

Jillian Panni, formerly Day Habilitation Coordinator, is now Coordinator of OPWDD Services. Jillian’s position includes administrative responsibilities for family services and the day habilitation program. Nicole Rios has assumed the role of Clinical and Vocational Coordinator of the day habilitation program. Nicole is responsible for the clinical oversight of the day hab as well as securing appropriate job and

community outings.

Linda Arminio has assumed the role of Coordinator of Physical Education Services for Long Island Programs. This now includes our day habilitation participants as well as our students. Linda also coordinates physical fitness activities and events such as our “Walking Club”, and accompanies our

day hab participants to Planet Fitness.

Also effective July 2011, Brenda

Principe became Long Island’s “Judy

We pleased to announce the following promotions. Hamilton Holt once said,

“Nothing worthwhile comes eas-ily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to

accomplish results that last.” Please

join us in congratulating …

ERIKA BARZDA was promoted from Teacher Assistant to Teacher in Train-

ing.

JOANNE D'ESPOSITO was promoted to Assistant Director of Development and Public Relations for Long Island. Pre-viously she was the Special Events

Coordinator for Long Island.

KENNETH IACOVIELLO was promoted from Teacher Assistant to Teacher in

Training

MEGAN MCGRATH was promoted to Behavior Specialist. She previously

held the title Teacher Assistant.

BRITTANY MOLLOY was promoted from Teacher Assistant to Behavior

Specialist.

NICOLE PACE has transferred to Elt-ingville Lutheran as the Inclusion Co-

ordinator.

KERI PHILMUS was promoted to Teacher. She previously held the title

Teacher Assistant.

ASHLEE SMITH was promoted to Pre-school Coordinator at the Preschool.

She was formerly a Teacher.

CHRISTINA VICCHIO was promoted to Coordinator of Behavior Services. She previously held the title of Speech

Teacher.

New Promotions at New Promotions at New Promotions at New Promotions at

Eden II/GenesisEden II/GenesisEden II/GenesisEden II/Genesis

Restructuring of Long Island Restructuring of Long Island Restructuring of Long Island Restructuring of Long Island

Programs and Services Programs and Services Programs and Services Programs and Services

13

Celeste is a SEIT teacher at Skyline.

What is your name?

Al

Do you have a last name? They just call

me Al.

What’s your job at Eden II Programs?

Teaching Assistant [Wright Ave.

adult program]

How long have you been working at

Eden II Programs? 6 years

What is your favorite thing about sum-

mer? The break we get.

What do you do on your break time?

Relax, get other stuff done, responsi-

bilities and stuff.

What kind of responsibilities? I mean

other stuff I do outside of work. I get

to make some extra money.

So tell me about this work. Make mu-

sic. I get paid to engineer.

So you get to play with that big board with all the knobs and sliders? Yeah

that’s it.

What is your name?

Jennifer Chiofolo

What’s your job at Eden II Programs?

Teaching Assistant

[Granite Ave.

school]

How long have you been working at

Eden II Programs? 1.5 years

What is your favorite thing about sum-mer? Summer? Uuhh… hmmm… the

weather.

Ok, so you must like to go outside. Yes

What do you like to do outside? Go to

beach when I have time.

What’s your favorite beach? Long

Branch.

Is that in New Jersey? Yes.

What do you like to do at the beach?

Lay in the sun and relax.

So when you are relaxing do you have a favorite beverage? I just drink wa-

ter.

Really, just water? Yeah.

Do you like to go swimming? Yes, I go

in the ocean.

Do you remember how long you are supposed to wait after you eat before

you go swimming? Half hour?

Yes, you got it!

What is your name?

Linda Mitchell

What is your job at Eden II Programs?

Speech Pathologist,

some people say

Speech-Language Pathologist, but

it’s all the same.

How long have you been working at Eden II Programs? I’ve just completed

my second year.

What is your favorite thing about sum-

mer? Pool, water, sun.

If you had to pick one what would it

be? Water, water sports.

Like swimming? Yes, swimming,

snorkeling.

Where do you go swimming? Beach,

lake, pool, river, it doesn’t matter. I

like to swim, I do them all.

What’s the most interesting place you ever swam? Hawaii, you can snorkel

right off the shore. You see all kinds

of fish.

What kind of fish? Barracuda and a

lot of colorful fish that I never identi-

fied.

Barracuda, isn’t that the fastest fish in the ocean? I don’t know that, but

they are scary. They really ignore

you but at first they are scary.

SSSSAYAYAYAY G G G GOODBYEOODBYEOODBYEOODBYE TOTOTOTO S S S SUMMERUMMERUMMERUMMER by Geoff Debery

Tiffany Pannese, Teacher Assistant at Granite Avenue had a baby girl born April 2, 2011. Her name is Jasmine but they call her Jazz or Jazzie. She

weighed 6 lbs, 13oz.

Lauren Ragaglia, Teacher's Assistant at the Preschool had a baby boy on October 15, 2011. Dominick Peter weighed 7lbs, 14oz and was 20 inches

long.

Congratulations to All!Congratulations to All!Congratulations to All!Congratulations to All!


On Sunday, November 6th, the Staten Island Not for Profit Association ho s t ed a S t a f f Recogn i t ion Breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn. Not for Profits from around Staten

Island had the opportunity to recognize staff who have made a significant contribution to their

respective organizations.

Eden II recognized Dr. Eileen Hopkins and Shari Schatzman. Both have accomplished something that only one other person in the agency has done, they have provided Eden II with 20 straight years of service. Please join us in congratulating Eileen and Shari for their many years of hard work and

dedicated service.

14

Staff having fun at the Second

Annual Eden II Employee Picnic

The Insider II Staff

Publisher & Sr. Editor: Dr. Juanita Bodden

Editor: Angela Ricca

Photographer: Johanne Fontanez

Secretary: Roe Stavola

Columnists/Reporters: Geoff Debery

Jan Downey

Anthony Gervasi

Erin Grossman

Kat Knapp

Lauren Mahoney-Galanaugh

Lorenz S. Neuwirth

Ilene Rosen

Shari Schatzman

Jennifer Vinciguerra

Executive Oversight

& Executive Editor: Dr. Eileen Hopkins

A NEWSLETTER WRITTEN

BY EMPLOYEES FOR

EMPLOYEES

Eden II/Genesis

150 Granite Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10303

Phone: 718Phone: 718Phone: 718Phone: 718----816816816816----1422142214221422 Fax: 718Fax: 718Fax: 718Fax: 718----816816816816----1428142814281428

EEEE----mail: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]

In August of this year, Eric Rosen appeared as a guest on Dr. Joanne Gerenser’s show “Autism Today” on CTV (Community Television). The producers were so impressed with Eric’s performance

that they called the next day to offer him his own show. Eric’s View had its initial showing the following week interviewing the Staten Island

Borough President James P. Molinaro.

Since then, Eric has taped two additional episodes with his latest show filmed at the Eden II School at Granite Avenue. He interviewed three students

on a wide range of topics.

Eric is thrilled to be on CTV doing what he loves best…talking in front of a camera on tropics that include autism, politics, sports and current news

developments. He’s a natural!!!

Eric’s ShowEric’s ShowEric’s ShowEric’s Show by Ilene Rosen

Q: What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its

diameter?

A: Pumpkin Pi

by Juanita Bodden, Th.D. -...

Documents

Transcript of by Juanita Bodden, Th.D. -...