Lights for CSI Field in Sight
Necessary funding is in place and installation could take place as early as Sept. 2008 

Staten Island Advance - Thursday, October 18, 2007

Stella Porto's dream of having field lights installed at the College of Staten Island's softball complex appears to be inching closer to reality.

City Councilman James Oddo confirmed yesterday that $289,000 has been allocated from the city budget for the project -- a development that delights CSI head coach Porto.

"I've been pushing hard for this for five years," said Porto. "I don't know how many times I contacted Jimmy Oddo, starting with e-mails.

"At first, it was always 'Hi, do you remember me?' "

Oddo (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) never forgot Porto's pitch, finally getting the capital funding approved in June for the installation of the CSI lights.

"We have to embrace and respect women's athletics on Staten Island as we do men's sports," said Oddo. "We made this a priority."

STILL WORK TO BE DONE

Oddo said that the process continues to work its way through the city system and that "somebody should be reaching out to CSI by the end of the calendar year."

He added: "Getting the money is half the battle. There's still some work to be done. We're not at home plate yet. You could say we're rounding second base and moving forward."

Porto said there's a reasonable chance that the new lights would be installed by September of 2008, in time for the new school year.

"We can't wait," she said.

Porto said that many of the players on her NCAA Division III squad are education and nursing majors whose class schedules conflict with the softball season.

"Academics come first, especially to me," said Porto. "And a lot of our players have jobs off-campus along with full class loads.

"The opportunity to schedule practices and games at night allows us flexibility."

TOP FACILITY

Porto said that the project would upgrade CSI's complex "to one of the best college facilities in New York state.

"It wouldn't just benefit CSI. We've had PSAL and CHSAA playoff games in the past, and it opens new possibilities for local high school participation and our intramural program. It's beyond positive for Staten Island's softball community."

CSI's athletic complex opened in 1996 on the sprawling 204-acre campus with 12,500 students. A new FieldTurf surface was installed on the softball field in 2005.

Porto, who works full-time with the Department of Education, will begin her sixth season as CSI's head coach. She attended CSI from 1988-90 and played on CUNY Conference championship softball teams in 1989 and 1990. Last season, CSI won the CUNY Tournament and won an NCAA regional game for only the second time in the program's history.

"We appreciate everything (Councilman Oddo) has done," said Porto. "His support has been tremendous."
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By Jim Waggoner
Reprinted here with permission from the