March 4, 2025

The Ossining Youth Bureau, in collaboration with the Ossining School District, participated in the 2025 Annual Youth Leadership Forum. It was an inspiring day filled with opportunities to meet political leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Andrea Steward-Cousins, Senator Pete Harckham (with a tour of the NYS Senate Chamber), and Assembly Member Dana Levenberg, and engage in meaningful discussions about the challenges facing today’s youth. In addition, the OYB had the chance to visit the New York State Museum, making the trip both educational and enjoyable. Overall, it was a memorable experience, combining valuable learning, thoughtful conversations, and fun activities that will help shape the future of our community. We thank our professional staff and Youth Bureau board members who continue to support these endeavors.

The Police Reform Advisory Committee (PRAC) is one of about a dozen committees with volunteer community members appointed by the Board of Trustees. One of its initiatives is to further evaluate recommendations outlined in the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative (PRRC) Plan adopted by the Village of Ossining Board of Trustees in 2021. Recommendation #14, which states that "The Village should support efforts at the County and State levels to reform indemnification of officers and to eliminate qualified immunity as a defense in civil suits against an OPD defendant," is being presented by a panel of industry experts.

All in the Ossining community are invited on Thursday, March 6th, at 7:30 pm via Zoom for this overview of qualified immunity and its impact on police officers and the communities they serve.  

I enjoyed meeting our O-bots last week. Let's take a moment to celebrate the Ossining High School O-bots. Their dedication and hard work, as showcased by Massimo's presentation of the robot's design, are truly inspiring. We wish them the best of luck in the upcoming competition at Rockland Community College. Let's rally behind our future engineers and show them our unwavering support. A special thank you to Optimum for their financial sponsorship and ongoing support.

Did you know that there are over 200 non-profits listed in Ossining? They represent many facets of our diverse population, and each supports the public good in its own way. They are individual organizations and not within the framework of municipal government. Still, given the size and scope of these organizations in Ossining, I thought it would be useful to share with the public recently produced informational documents regarding non-profit organizations and the people they serve. Click here for the Guidance to Private and Non-Profit Organizations and Entities, which the Joint Office of the Governor and Office of the New York State Attorney General have provided. You can also find the Know your rights document, which is a valuable resource for understanding the rights and responsibilities of your organization in relation to federal immigration requests.

This guidance document is intended to provide information to a wide range of private and non-profit entities, including social services agencies and providers (such as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and other residential facilities, as well as nonresidential and drop-in sites for social services); houses of worship (such as churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples); medical and healthcare facilities; and other entities that provide community services and spaces. It is designed to help you evaluate how to respond to requests from federal immigration authorities while protecting the rights of your residents, clients, patients, members, and staff.

This week’s Legislative Meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 5^th, at 7:30PM.

Some items of note for the upcoming Legislative Meeting:

1. We will begin with the co-chairs of the Placemaking Committee giving their annual presentation to the BOT.
2. The BOT will be asked to vote on a resolution of the Notice of Intent to Become the Lead Agency for the Multi-Modal Transportation Hub.
3. There are (2) snow and ice cleanup assessments (10 and 11B Piping Rock) held over from the last Legislative Meeting.
4. Finally, the Board will have 2 resolutions—one adding a member to the Police Reform Advisory Committee (PRAC) and one adding a member to the Placemaking Committee (PMC).
5. We will also add the resolution to go to bid on the MMTH so we can hit the presses once the bid docs are finalized!

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org

Women's History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women throughout history who have shaped our society, culture, politics, and science. By reflecting on the past and present, we inspire future generations to continue advocating for women's voices and accomplishments to be acknowledged and valued.

For those in our community celebrating the holy month of Ramadan: May this Ramadan bring you peace, joy, and spiritual growth.