So much going on this time of the year. Have you noticed the beautiful artwork and handmade “sculptures” around Ossining as we prepare to celebrate Halloween? I had the pleasure of bumping into Ossining Girl Scout troop 1470 as they prepared their scarecrow display at Market Square. Another wonderful Ossining tradition for our children and their families. Did you know Ossining has the largest Girl Scout membership in New York State, with some 450 scouts? Girl power!

This weekend I was also fortunate enough to celebrate the members of Ossining Fire Police & Emergency Squad – Rescue 14, on their 100th Anniversary and express gratitude on behalf of the Board for their continued commitment to protecting the lives and property of residents and merchants throughout the Village and Town of Ossining.

Did you know that The Ossining Fire Department is Westchester County's first volunteer fire department dating to May 4, 1812? The first meeting of Ossining Fire Patrol #1 took place on December 22, 1922. Housed initially on Brandreth Street, the building was destroyed by fire on October 6, 1958. Today, Ossining Fire Police & Emergency Squad – Rescue 14 is housed at Fire Headquarters, 21 State Street. Members of Ossining Fire Police & Emergency Squad – Rescue 14 are a specialized group and must maintain proficiency in extrication and basic first aid. Some members train in more advanced emergency treatment as well. Their rescue apparatus is a custom-built E-One, with a wide range of firefighting, rescue, and first-aid equipment. They have evolved over the years from Fire Patrol #1 and Rescue 14 to Ossining Fire Police & Emergency Squad – Rescue 14, and so has their equipment. We are grateful for their volunteerism and service.

In direct connection with information gleaned during Ossining’s 2019 CAD Design Studio, the Village has been hard at work looking at best practices to adapt how we use our waterfront. We will use this information as we move forward with development and other projects planned to begin in 2023, with the rollout of the Downtown Revitalization Initiatives. Based on current projections, by 2080, Ossining's waterfront, along with the waterfronts across the State of NY, will be changed due to sea-level rise year-round, not just during storm surges. In Ossining, we are working responsibly to address this prediction on publicly-owned parcels on behalf of our community, its residents, and businesses. In 2022, the Village and Town began work with HDR as an extension of the 2019 Cornell work. Funded entirely by a NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant, the consultant team is working closely with municipal staff, government, and key community stakeholders to design practical and actionable enhancements to Louis Engel and Henry Gourdine parks to not only protect the diverse ecosystems that call Ossining's shoreline home, but also to enhance recreation facilities appropriate to the landscape, and better connect residents and visitors to the waterfront through approachable shoreline resiliency education.

The Ossining Riverfront Resilience Plan, for which the Village received the highest potential award of $50,000 through the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Stewardship Planning program, will expand on these efforts by examining privately-owned parcels north of the parkland to understand how the businesses there can prepare for a future where sea-level rise is likely to impact their operations. We will engage a qualified consultant to work with Village officials, private property owners, and other stakeholders to recommend targeted climate adaptations and, as a result, develop public-private partnerships. An extension of the RiverWalk promenade will also be planned to enhance connectivity and access to the Hudson River, implementing Project (5) of the Village's Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) and in direct response to recommendations in "Ossining Tomorrow," the Village's recently updated Comprehensive Plan.

Last week I updated the community on major infrastructure enhancements for our Village. In this issue, I would like to highlight some Community Improvement Initiatives also planned to begin shortly:

 

Youth Bureau – In 2021, we announced the formation of the Ossining Youth Bureau, the first new Youth Bureau to be established in Westchester in nearly 30 years. This year, we have formed a Youth Advisory Board, made up of 15 members of the community who share a commitment to serving youth, including Mayor Rika Levin and Trustee Robert Fritsche, along with two youth representatives. Approximately $250,000 in funding for youth programs and capacity building has been secured to date, and a grant-funded Needs Assessment is now underway.

Improvements planned for Veterans Park Play Ground - With $150,000 in State and Municipal (SAM) funding facilitated by Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, we will be installing new, inclusive playground equipment this November at Veteran's Park. Once completed, plans to renovate the restrooms at Veteran's Park will complement the new playground. We expect to be applying and receiving more grants for our highly used parks from our State and Federal government representatives as we go into 2023.

Community Center Pool and Locker Room Renovations – A $500,000 State and Municipal (SAM) grant, requested by and approved by Assemblywoman, Sandy Galef, will help fund a renovation of our well-utilized community pool and locker room area. This project will include pool resurfacing, a new lighting system, improvements to the spray deck, complete renovation of the men's and women's locker rooms, and the addition of a new family locker room facility. With design and planning nearly complete, work for this project is anticipated to start in the Spring of 2023.

Firehouse Consolidation - Working with the fire department operations specialists at Mitchell Associates, the Village is embarking on a grant-funded study to evaluate the most efficient and effective emergency response and firefighting operations strategies. This includes recommendations for the consolidation of the Village's seven existing firehouses, several of which are decades old and do not meet the capacity and safety needs of today's first responders. Consolidation can facilitate investment in current and newer facilities and streamline resources designed to best address emergencies in today's environment. This initiative becomes even more important as we realign population distribution and needs throughout the Village. 

New Village Seal – In the interest of honoring Ossining heritage in a way that is respectful and based on input from our residents through surveys, along with respecting the indigenous people who came before us, we have updated the Village Seal. Following an extremely thoughtful process and the engagement of the entire community, the Village worked with designer Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Creative Design and Imaging Services to create a new seal that evokes Ossining's unique, historic architectural attributes. We are in the process of rolling out the new seal treatment across our fleets, firehouses, Police Department, sanitation vehicles, buildings, flags, signage, digital platforms, communication materials, and elsewhere -- as appropriate -- over the next six months.

I will continue to update the community on more of our major initiatives and am grateful for all the great work being done here in the Village with the support of the County, State, and Federal representatives who have engaged with us so very thoughtfully on behalf of all our mutual constituents.

The Ossining waterfront is a place we enjoy throughout the year, yet it is at risk of flooding from storms, high tides, and sea level rise. Come see the community-inspired designs which work to improve the resiliency of this area.

Join us on Thursday, November 3, at 6 p.m. for the Ossining Shoreline Revitalization Community Meeting to share feedback on the draft shoreline improvements. We look forward to your input on how we can improve the waterfront to reflect your values and priorities.

I take great pride in emailing a weekly message to our constituents as one of the many ways to improve ongoing communications and education for the public at large. If you know of someone who you think would be interested in receiving this information, please send them this link: https://www.villageofossining.org/home/pages/email-subscriptions

This week’s Legislative Meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 19, at 16 Croton at 7:30PM.

Some items of note:

The Village Board of Trustees is recruiting talented and interested residents from the Village of Ossining for appointment to open positions on various Volunteer Boards, Commissions, and Committees. 

Our Boards, Commissions, and Committees vary in size and involvement, yet all are designed to help shape and influence critical decisions and services for the Village of Ossining. We strive to fill all open positions with residents who are passionate and enthusiastic about serving.

There are 13 active Boards, Commissions, and Committees. For more information on each, please visit our website.  

At this time, there are openings on the following Boards, Commissions, and Committees:

Please complete the online application linked below if you are interested in serving on a Board, Commission, or Committee. Interviews will be held in December, with appointments/selection done at the January 4, 2023, Reorganization Meeting.

We thank the residents of the Village of Ossining for their dedication and commitment to service.