Last week, members of our community, elected officials, and community organizations gathered for the two important flag-raising events. The first is in honor of Pride month, and the second is the kickoff of Juneteenth. I had the pleasure of pleasure of participating in the flag raising ceremonies for both the Pride and Juneteenth flags in Market Square. These events are important reminders that we are all part of a larger community where people have different histories that, in total, create the fabric of our society. In my humble opinion, these flags complement the American flag and belong together. I thank the Ossining LGBTQ+ Alliance and Ossining Juneteenth Council for producing such beautiful and heartwarming events. Please look for the many events happening throughout the county and in Ossining over the next few weeks.

I am always happy to be invited to the homes of members of our community for discussions. Such was the case on Sunday when a group of community members met to learn about the civil rights movement yesterday and today. The discussion was led by JoAnne Bland, a child marcher at Selma. She is truly inspirational and is a walking history book, as well as a person who, like me, is trying to build bridges across communities. She has been speaking by invitation at local schools and organizations and and is seen here with our Village Historian speaking this past Monday at the Ossining Public Library.

I have gotten some very positive feedback on the work being done at the five-corner intersection on Main and Spring. I look forward to hearing even more from the community on how to use the space as best we can. I can always be reached at mayor@villageofossining.org. To continue the conversations about how to enhance our Village in the downtown area, Please Join us Thursday, June 8, 2023, @ 6 PM for the fourth of the Village's Transformational Thursday Webinars: Market Square- The ❤ of Downtown.

⁠Webinar info: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86058250035⁠

This week’s Legislative Meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 7^th, 2023, at 16 Croton at 7:30PM.

Some items of note:

Westchester County has many events throughout the summer that adds to all the local offerings. In fact, a day does not go by without some kind of cultural celebration. With that said, I would like to share a variety of cultural events that might be of interest to the community. (click here for more info):

In this vein, the 2023 Cultural Heritage Festivals listed below will occur at Kensico Dam Plaza, located at the north end of the Bronx River Parkway in Valhalla (click here for directions).