36 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JANUARY 7, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
De Blasio appoints Middle Village resident as DSNY commissioner
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Middle Village resident was appointed
Commissioner of the Department of
Sanitation by Mayor Bill de Blasio on New
Year’s Eve.
Edward Grayson, a 21-year DSNY veteran,
has served as Acting Commissioner
since September when Kathryn Garcia
stepped down to run for mayor.
“Growing up in Ridgewood, everyone
in my neighborhood had a plan for how
they’d someday serve the people of New
York, as so many of our parents did,
including my own,” Grayson said. “As a
sanitation worker, a supervisor, a superintendent
and a chief, I’ve been proud to
do just that for the past 21 years. I want to
thank Mayor de Blasio, and the men and
women of this department, for the trust
they have placed in me during these challenging
times. Together, we’ll keep the city
safe and clean.”
Grayson’s father was a sanitation worker
and supervisor and his mother was
recycling outreach coordinator during the
rollout of the groundbreaking citywide
recycling program in the 1990s.
“Edward Grayson has distinguished
himself in his acting commissioner this
autumn and winter,” de Blasio said. “He
has brought energy, experience and passion
for the agency’s mission to his role,
and he has fully earned New Yorkers’
trust to keep our city safe and clean. I’m
proud to off er him this role on a permanent
basis, and I look forward to working
closely with him to build a fairer and
better city.”
Before serving as acting commissioner,
Grayson was appointed four-star chief
and director of the Bureau of Cleaning and
Collection in September of 2017. Grayson
was operations chief overseeing snow
removal during the 2016 Jonas Blizzard,
one of the largest snowstorms in New York
City history, according to the mayor’s offi ce.
As director of the Bureau of Cleaning
and Collection, Grayson oversaw dayto
day operations for DSNY, including
the collection, recycling and disposal of
more than 12,000 tons of waste per day.
He implemented new technologies to
improve snow removal and reform frontline
operations, and he has been a leader
in the department’s implementation of the
city’s aggressive zero-waste goals.
Courtesy of DSNY
“As we have seen in the few short
months since stepping in as acting commissioner,
Ed Grayson has the experience
and dedication to public service,” Deputy
Mayor Laura Anglin said. “Coming from
a working-class family dedicated to public
service, Ed knows the true meaning and
dignity of serving this city. I look forward
to continuing working alongside such a
devoted public servant.”
Bayside public school teacher recognized as ‘Hero of 2020’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
On New Year’s Eve, Bayside public
school teacher Frank Auriemma was
recognized alongside 38 other “Heroes
of 2020” during a celebration in Times
Square.
Th e chorus and music teacher headed
to Times Square to watch the ball drop
— while remaining socially distanced —
along with fellow teachers, fi rst responders
and other frontline workers.
According to the Times Square Alliance
and Countdown Entertainment, which
co-produces the annual event, the chosen
“heroes” are people “whose courage,
creativity and spirit — expressed in many
ways, day in and day out — helped the city
and the surrounding area get through an
unprecedented year.”
Although Auriemma is among the 2020
heroes being recognized, he said that the
real hero is his partner and registered
nurse, Antonio Pimentel.
“Th e application was actually done on
Antonio’s behalf,” Auriemma said. “I
had to submit a form to nominate your
hero of 2020 for this cool event in Times
Square, basically explaining how he’s been
in and out of COVID units since March.”
Th e Bayside teacher recalled his partner’s
face aft er working 12-hour shift s
with COVID patients at Southshore
University Hospital.
“I would hear the horror stories that he
would share when he got out and came
home, especially at the very beginning
of this all,” Auriemma said.
Because Pimentel did not
want to appear on camera
and receive public recognition
as a “hero,” Auriemma
took his place as one of the
honorees.
“Basically, his motto
has always been, ‘If that
was your loved one in
the hospital, what would
you want your registered
nurse to do?’” said
Auriemma, adding that
Pimentel has always gone
above and beyond for his
patients regardless of the toll
it took on his own physical and
mental well-being.
For his own part during the
pandemic, Auriemma has
been virtually teaching middle
school students at M.S.
74 in Bayside since March.
He shared that the experience
has been new and challenging
for him and his students,
calling it “a wild
ride, to say the least.”
Despite the diffi culties,
he recognized that
there are silver linings
to every dark cloud.
“I’m grateful that I’m
still employed at my
place of work. When you
hear these horror stories
about people losing their
jobs left and right, I’m
very fortunate to have
that,” Auriemma said.
“Th e silver lining is that
we’re still here.”
In addition to teaching,
Auriemma started putting
on nightly Facebook
concerts as a morale booster
for family and friends. He
said that he would take song
requests and even perform
some original pieces.
“While I was seeing the ugly side of
things, I was just trying to see whatever
glimmer of light that there is at the end
of the tunnel and trying to reach out to
people like that,” he said.
Auriemma and Pimentel watched the
ball drop in a separate and physically distanced
viewing area. But the teacher said
that he has hopes that 2021 will present
some semblance of normalcy.
“It’s amazing how much you miss social
interaction of any kind, especially being
from the music perspective of things,” he
said. “My hope is that, eventually, things
get as close to normal as they were. I
know that this is a historic moment and
nothing will ever be the same with certain
protocols and things like that — which
is understood. I want to be able to travel
again. I want to be able to go to a concert.
I want to be able to go out to dinner and
not feel threatened by anything.”
He added that he hopes to follow in his
partner’s footsteps and get the opportunity
to receive the COVID-19 vaccine soon.
Going into 2021, Auriemma hopes that
everyone can “stay positive.”
“Now is the time to fi nd yourself and
fi nd what interests you. Let that light
shine,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Frank Auriemma
Frank Auriemma, a chorus and music
teacher at M.S. 74 in Bayside
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
