The Verrazano Bridge is a monument to NYC and should be treated as such.
By: Rossani Garmendia
Once upon a time the American flag hung from the Verrazano bridge and this CSI student asked for it to be once more.
“I emailed every single politician on the island of every single level”, Alesio Bejleri said. “I also emailed Scott LoBaido to find that putting the flag back up is also one of his projects.”
Bejleri, a 21 year old upper-junior, has been on the move through emails and connections to spread word on NYC’s reinstallment of the American flag on the Verrazano bridge. He has reached out to Scott LoBaido to help gather more voices to strengthen his battle. Scott LoBaido is a known artist of Staten Island who has a specialty for politics. On LoBaido’s Instagram page, there are countless pieces of his art and creativity in the representation of the American flag. Bejleri’s message to LoBaido only helped push that project even more.
“Councilman David Carr sent mail to the MTA about my idea and he’s waiting on a response”, said Bejleri. “Local wise there is support but anything higher than that has been nothing.”
Bejleri has sent out not only emails but letters to congressmen in hopes of a response. Some out of the handful of senators he has reached out to, has been Jessica Spanton and Andrew Lanza. Added onto the list was also New York representative, Michael Tannousis.
Bejleri explained the only previous time from when the flag originally hung which was 1976 during the “Bicentennial Celebration”. Due to high winds and poor structure, the flag crashed down and was ruined within the same day. Bejleri’s fight today does not only affect the city but also events that are to come such as the FIFA World Cup and NYC’s 250th anniversary of the “Sail 4th” celebration. Foreigners from all over will visit New York and what Bejleri could only hope, will take a second to admire our flag from the Verrazano bridge as they pass it.
“Foreigners will come here for not only the FIFA World Cup but also the “Sail 4th” 250th event”, Bejleri said. “We’re talking Germany, Italy, Poland, Peru, following a map that’s going to sail through the Verrazano bridge and up and down the Hudson River.”
Bejleri is a resident of Staten Island who would like to see his country take advantage of the opportunity and be able to scream its pride and freedom amongst a 450-foot cloth. With the Verrazano bridge being 60 years old as well as the longest bridge of NYC, it deserves to be cherished as a significant piece of New York.
“I cross the Verrazano bridge about four to five times a week,” Bejleri said. “Hypothetically if the flag does go up then I would be able to tell people that I made that happen”.
