MAYOR'S UPDATE
From the desk of Mayor Rika Levin
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Late yesterday afternoon, we received an email from a community member about a sign behind her house that had a racial slur. The police were notified immediately, investigated the situation, and removed the offensive symbol.
First and foremost, I want to express my sincerest heartfelt sympathy for the distress this has caused members of our community. Acts of hate, discrimination, and racism have no place in our Village, and we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our residents. We are taking this incident very seriously. We have initiated an official investigation and are working closely with local law enforcement to identify those responsible for this reprehensible act. We will make every effort to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Ossining, I'm calling on all of you. We all need to have deliberate, direct conversations with our friends, colleagues, employees, and families about being decent individuals who are civil and accepting of one another. We need to denounce racism as it is wrong, hateful, hurtful and has no place here. We take these situations very seriously and want to provide the best environment for all of our residents to feel safe and secure. We can't control things nationally or regionally, but let's positively influence the course Ossining takes in the following days, months, and years. If you see something or hear of anyone involved in a racially hateful incident, please contact the police at (914) 941-4099.
If anyone has any questions or concerns and would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of your representatives on the Board at BOT@villageofOssining.org.
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Join us as we begin the Village of Ossining’s new webinar series: Transformational Thursdays. This series will be an opportunity for those that live, work, and play here to participate in community engagement for NYS-approved and funded projects from the 2021 New York State Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award of $10 Million.
We have designed this series for the community to learn about what is on the horizon for the Village, separated into subjects that build upon each other. There are eight topics of discussion that will include specific information regarding the innovative plans for the community’s future, with opportunities for the public to share their thoughts as a way to add dimension to the project concepts. The Village Board of Trustees and Village staff will lead these discussions.
Please join us this Thursday for the first session in our engagement series: What’s Happening Downtown?
Learn how the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) projects, along with the NYS Route 9 Road Diet, the redevelopment of Main and Spring Street lots, and the 5 Corners Intersection project work collectively to enhance Ossining's vibrant and sustainable future. The Village will also be debuting our new interactive story map, which will allow residents and visitors to learn more about ongoing projects Village-wide virtually.
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Last week, I attended the League of Women Voters of Westchester (LWVW) Running & Winning event. This event is a one-day program for female high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The program’s goal is to support our young participants’ aspirations to serve in public office, develop their leadership potential, and, at the same time, help our government institutions increase gender parity. |
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While there, I had the pleasure of meeting two of Ossining High School's own aspiring politicians: Kaymbri Wells & Caelan Gibbons. |
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One of my favorite days in Ossining is Arbor Day. Ossining takes great pride in being a Tree City and using the opportunity to plant more trees in our community. On Arbor Day, we had a lovely tree-planting event and were treated to a performance by the Ossining High School Woodwind Trio led by Mr. Vargas.
Five trees were planted at the bus station on Spring Street between Waller Avenue & St. Paul's Place. Stay tuned as we will unveil more work in this area to enhance and beautify this much-used space in our community. One of the planted trees was dedicated as a living tribute to Reginald Lafayette, a longtime friend of Ossining and a Westchester County Leader.
Planting trees in urban areas helps to remove air pollutants and cool hot streets by providing shade and releasing water vapor, thus creating a more livable place to reside. Trees are our global filters!
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Have you seen the new innovative additions to our waste management program in our high-trafficked areas Downtown? We proudly installed ten Bigbelly Kiosk trash cans in various high-traffic locations for both recycling and trash.
Bigbellys are solar trash compactors that can hold nearly five times as much refuse as a standard trash can. These units use solar power to compress trash, allowing each receptacle to accommodate more garbage. Once full, a built-in sensor notifies our Public Works staff that it's time to be emptied, allowing them to manage time and resources better.
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Congratulations to the Ossining Union Free School District for once again being named a Best Community for Music Education! |
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This week kicks off National Bike Month, and I want to remind everyone of the importance of preparing to ride your bike: For riders of all ages, an easy-to-remember cue for looking over your bike is the ABCs: check for AIR, check your BRAKES, make sure the bike CHAIN is in place and always make sure the SEAT height suits your riding stance. |
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We have quite the event lineup for this upcoming weekend – be sure not to miss any of the exciting "goings on" around Ossining:
Come help celebrate May with the Cinco De Mayo-themed First Fridays event in Ossining on Friday, May 5th! You’ll find something for everyone ranging from arts to food to music – and, of course, fun. First Fridays in Ossining showcase many of our community’s businesses, and we welcome you to join in on the festivities. Click here for more info: www.ossiningevents.com
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Please join us in celebrating Village Resident Dr. George W. Hill with the honorary street renaming of Academy Place & State Street on Saturday, May 6 th, @ 2:30 PM. To learn more about Dr. Hill, click here. |
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What’s better than a weekend filled with environmental enthusiasm? This weekend there are two exciting events scheduled in Ossining. First is the I Love My Park Day 2023, being held in Gerlach Park on Saturday, May 6, 2023 - at 10:00am (Rain Date: Sunday, May 7). Here the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct's expert crew leaders will be teaching how to identify invasive plants, remove tree-strangling vines, and plant native species. |
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Another exciting event is the Riverkeeper’s 12th annual day of service, the Riverkeeper Sweep, for the Hudson River on Saturday, May 6th, 2023. There are 100+ safe service projects planned across New York City and the Hudson Valley. Click here to find a cleanup: riverkeeper.org/sweep
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This week’s Legislative Meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, at 16 Croton at 7:30PM. Some items of note:
We will begin by re-opening the Open Burn local law.
- Pat Yost, Chair of the Recreation Advisory Board, accompanied by Bill Garrison, Recreation Superintendent, will join us to deliver their annual presentation to the BOT.
- There is a resolution calling for a public hearing on the changes to adding new definitions, as well as incorporating VTL violations and fines, into the Village code. The public hearing is scheduled to take place on June 7th.
- There is a resolution authorizing the Village Manager to sign a license agreement for the properties at 185/189 Main Street re: the Village easements for their on-site dumpsters.
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Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org
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