October 3, 2023

Last Friday was the wettest day in our history. Floods have become an unfortunate regular part of our lives. We expect increased flooding scenarios, and I am always grateful to our first responders, police, fire, EMTs, staff, and neighbors who jumped in to help those stranded. It was an incredibly challenging afternoon for our commuters from near and far who were trying to get home safely to their families. I was happy to see that almost everything was back to normal on Saturday, including the excellent turnout for the Farmers Market. 

Who doesn't love a good tag sale?! This Saturday, let's support this wonderful green initiative and shop at the many tag sale stops in our Village.

An important notice to the community: FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.

This test will consist of two portions, testing both WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers, and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and maximize the public safety value of the test.

The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

• Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message.
• All wireless phones should receive the message only once.
• For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
• Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

The following can be expected from the nationwide EAS test:

• The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers.
• The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”

The Village of Ossining's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) would like to bring to your attention the arrival of an invasive species in the Village: the spotted lanternfly (SLF). These bugs are native to Asia and were first documented in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since their arrival, the SLF has migrated to parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the Midwest. While these bugs are harmless to people, they pose a threat to New York State's agricultural economy.

While we acknowledge actions to eradicate their populations completely will be futile, the EAC is asking the community to help prevent an infestation in the Village of Ossining. If you see a spotted lanternfly, the EAC is openly endorsing that you squash them!

We are now entering their egg-laying stage. If you see any eggs on the bark of your trees, we are asking that you scrape them off and place them in a resealable bag with some rubbing alcohol to ensure they do not hatch. Spotted lanternflies are drawn to metal and will also lay their eggs on vehicles. This is how they have been able to spread so quickly! Be sure to check your cars for eggs as well.

You can find more information about the spotted lanternfly on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/113303.html. 

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the Village of Ossining Environmental Advisory Council Chairperson Kate Schlott at kschlott@villageofossining.org.

I am beyond excited to announce that the Village's upcoming meetings will be held in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic at the Birdsall-Fagan Police/Court Facility! Thank you to our staff, who have worked tirelessly to make this happen!

Some items of note from this week’s Legislative Meeting:

1.     The BOT has a resolution for a license agreement at 11 Garden Street for the repair/ replacement of the sidewalk and steps going down to Garden Street.

2.     The BOT also has a resolution to authorize the payment of $19,330 to Tristar, our TPA for General Liability and Auto claims, for our "claims overrun" during the last annual period (9/15/22- 9/14/23).



Under Continuing Business, we will revisit the conversation about the solar installation at the Train Station and how parking will be affected.

In observance of the Columbus Day/Indigenous Day holiday, all Village of Ossining offices and buildings (including the Joseph Caputo Recreation Center) will be closed on Monday, October 9th. That being said, the Village Board of Trustees and I are, as always, available for the public. Please feel free to contact them directly at bot@villageofossining.org.