January 28, 2025

How much fun can a mayor have with this Falcon?! I had a great time with my colleagues in government, volunteers, representatives from the park department, and Brookside School first graders at Croton Point Park. We want to remind all in the community that, once again, the wonderful folks at Teatown are bringing our feathered friends for a wonderful day of activities at Eagle Fest on February 1 at Croton Point Park.

Bring the whole family. I guarantee you will have as much fun as these first graders from Brookside School did. Teatown partners with Ossining Schools, Ossining Children Center, and the Ossining Youth Bureau all year round to provide hands-on environmental education, inspiring kids to connect with nature and care for the planet.

This past Sunday, I had the honor of spending time with Senator Pete Harckham and Nonprofit Westchester CEO Jan Fisher. We discussed great expectations for 2025. Did you know that over 200 nonprofits of all sizes are registered in Ossining?

This past Friday, Chief of Police Aaron Zimmerman, Detective Chavez, Trustee White, and I, along with representatives from Neighbors Link, spoke at Ossining High School on a panel addressing community concerns regarding recent mandates and orders regarding Federal immigration policies. It was a robust interactive meeting that included listening to concerns from the public and answering questions about the roles of federal authorities vs. local legislatures and local police authority. Over the next couple of weeks, the Board of Trustees, in conjunction with local immigration advocates and our Police Department, will release a stated policy. Please stay tuned as efforts are made to keep everyone in our community safe within the parameters of the law.

I am thrilled to share that work on WBP Development LLC’s exciting project in Downtown Ossining at the old DPW Site on Water Street is now underway. This project promises to bring positive changes to our community (click the link in the bio for more information on the Station Plaza Development)!

With the start of work will come temporary updates to parking in the Quimby East Lot, as WBP will be using that lot as a construction staging area.

Please see below for parking updates:

Six (6) general spots in the Quimby East lot, plus (2) ADA spaces, will be tagged with Zone 91416 signage, which has the following rules (these can be viewed in the app when selecting this zone):

• $4.75 flat rate M-F 7AM-7PM
• $1/hour 7PM-7AM
• Free parking 7AM-7PM on weekends and federal holidays

Zone 91414 (formerly the entirety of the Quimby East lot) is now conveniently located right around the corner to the left, along the back fence of the linear parking lot. The rules there are:

• $4.75 flat rate M-F 7AM-7PM
• Parking with Municipal Night Tag Only 7PM-7AM
• Free parking 7AM-7PM on weekends and federal holidays

We sincerely appreciate your patience as we navigate through this construction project. If you have any further questions on parking at the Ossining Train Station, please feel free to contact the Village Clerk's Office at (914) 762-8428 during normal business hours or email parking@villageofossiningny.gov with non-urgent questions/concerns.

The first installment of the 2025 Village of Ossining Taxes and the second half of school taxes are due on Friday, January 31st. In-person payments are being accepted at Village Hall through 6 PM that day.

Click here to pay your Village taxes online: https://wipp.edmundsassoc.com/Wipp/?wippid=OSNV

The urgency of the climate crisis cannot be overstated. Scientific data collected over decades has revealed numerous hazards resulting from climate change. The most significant threats to Westchester County, including Ossining, stem from increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing precipitation patterns. These hazards cause social, environmental, and infrastructure damage and losses, underscoring the critical need for immediate action.⁠

⁠The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Program is a NYS program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and free technical assistance. It also provides a framework for implementing climate-smart resiliency actions. A Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan (CVAAP) is a fundamental action in the CSC Program, as it identifies community assets, systems, and populations susceptible to climate change. A CVAAP is a necessary step in developing a climate adaptation strategy because it identifies and characterizes a community's environmental, infrastructural, and social elements that need adaptive measures. The CSC Program ensures that recommendations to promote community resiliency are based on climate science and relevant data and address the top hazards in a community.⁠

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The Village and Town of Ossining have created a draft plan that has the potential to significantly reduce the effects of climate change on our residents. Your feedback on this combined municipal draft is crucial, as it will shape the future of our community's resilience. Comments should be submitted by email, in English or Spanish, to ERodriguez@townofossiningny.gov⁠

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Download the Draft Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan here: https://bit.ly/3WvDtxY

I am thrilled to share that the film Sing Sing, starring Colman Domingo, has been nominated for numerous awards. This story is based on the experiences of an incarcerated individual imprisoned at Ossining’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility. While the movie was not filmed in Ossining, it showcases the heart of one of the most infamous prisons in the world, located on our waterfront.

Sing Sing has been nominated for several awards so far…

• Golden Globe nomination: Colman Domingo for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture
• Oscar nomination: Abraham Alexander & Adrian Quesada for “Like a Bird,” Music Original Score Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
• Oscar nomination: Colman Domingo, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
• Oscar nomination: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, & John Divine G Whitfield for Best Adapted Screenplay

I invite you to follow the journey of Sing Sing and its achievements. Click here for a complete listing of awards and nominations: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28479262/awards/

This week’s meeting will be held at 16 Croton and will begin at 7:30PM on Wednesday, January 29^th.

The Work Session Agenda will be as follows:

• Karma Lounge has made an application for a 2025 Cabaret License, which is linked in the agenda.
• We were contacted by the owner of Churrasquiera Ribatejo (39-43 Spring Street) about their desire to install a temporary (winter through mid-April) vestibule at the entrance to the restaurant to shield diners inside from the cold air when the door opens—all related documents are linked in the agenda.
• Chief Sanchez will join us to discuss OFD’s request for the purchase of a 2025 Chief’s Vehicle—the quotes for the vehicle itself (a Chevy Tahoe) and the upfitting are linked in the agenda.
• Valerie Monastra, AICP - Principal Planner - Nelson, Pope, Voorhis will join us to go over the 2025 Planning Workplan, which includes a variety of topics

We will end with a Special Meeting for the BOT to authorize the acceptance of a $3000 grant for OFD to purchase water rescue equipment.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org

May the Year of the Snake bring endless opportunities, growth, and prosperity to those in our community who celebrate this Lunar New Year.

January 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day: A day which honors the millions of Jews and other victims of the Holocaust, urging all those in the community to reflect on the consequences of fascism and cost of racism to society and fight the good fight against hatred.