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Members of the Silver Lake Park Conservancy.

(Courtesy of Dominick DeRubbio)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - You know how many benches there are in Silver Lake Park?

Dominick DeRubbio does.

That's because the founder of the Silver Lake Park Conservancy is on a mission to repaint every single one of them.

It's all part and parcel of the work that DeRubbio and his group of advocates are doing to boost a park that is truly one of Staten Island's natural jewels.

I've known DeRubbio for a while. Currently the president of the Richmond County Young Democrats, he's been a fixture in borough politics for years.

But it wasn't until recently that I discovered we have something even deeper and more lasting than politics in common: Our love of Silver Lake Park.

The park has been my home field ever since I moved into Stapleton twenty years ago. I've been jogging there every morning for years.

And what's not to love? You've got the lake that's part of the New York City water system (there are enormous storage tanks underneath), bisected by that reservoir bridge. I can remember one hazy teenage night where I walked across part of the frozen lake. It wasn't too smart. Beer may have been involved.

There are vast expanses where you can play soccer. Trees where you can take the shade in. Rolling hills. Places for long walks or jogs.

It won't be too long before the trees start turning color in the park, so you can walk by the lake and see a whole wall of color across the way. It's particularly striking when the sun is rising or setting. It's like being upstate or in some other rural area. It's paradise for a painter or photographer.

And in the winter, of course, there's all that excellent sledding.

There's even more space on the upper level of the park, where there's a dog run and a playground. There's also that structure with a fountain nearby that I like to call "the Acropolis," where you can stand and watch the planes at Newark Airport.

All parks are communities unto themselves. If you go at the same time of day, like I do, you tend to see the same people. The joggers. The walkers. The folks with their dogs (and we admit that sometimes we better remember the dogs' names than we do the owners'). The park becomes part of your routine, part of your neighborhood. Part of your home.

They're precious. Something to be protected.

Silver Lake Park has a rich history, something that DeRubbio loves to share. He talks about the ice harvesting that used to take place on the lake. And the old casino that was there. He'd love to get his hands on one of the old gambling chips.

"That would be cool," he said.

And legend has it that there's an old school bus sunk somewhere in the lake. Who knows? But it sounds awesome.

DeRubbio founded the conservancy in October of 2015, after seeing garbage in the park and along the lake shore.

"I saw little things that bothered me," DeRubbio said recently over a cup of coffee.

So the conservancy has been holding events over the last 12 months to clean and spruce up the park, including removing debris from the shoreline (with lower water levels making the job easier). Local Boy Scout troops, church groups and other organizations join in. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has donated $2,500 to the conservancy.

Then there's the bench-painting. According to DeRubbio, there are 281 benches in the park, with many of them having been repainted during the conservancy's first year. Those that remain will be finished up this month, he says.

Another thing DeRubbio would like to see: A comfort station built in the park. He scoffs at the estimated cost of $3 to $4 million, thinking it can surely be done for less than that.

A run in the park will be held on Oct. 15 that will benefit the conservancy and St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

So if you love the park like I do, why not come out? And if you don't know about the joys of Silver Lake Park, come by and see something new about your neighborhood. You'll no doubt be back for more.