April 29, 2025

MAYOR'S UPDATE

From the desk of Mayor Rika Levin

Last week, we came together as a community to celebrate Arbor Day. We were joined by students who attend the Ossining Recreation's After School Program, representatives from the Ossining Youth Bureau, Suzie Ross from Green Ossining, and Kate Schlott, the Village's Environmental Advisory Council. It was a collective effort that makes this day special – and we certainly succeeded.


Arbor Day is a celebration of the many benefits trees bring to our lives. Trees play a crucial role in providing a healthy environment to keep the air we breathe and the water we drink clean. They also provide wildlife habitat and inspire action, like today when our afterschool program will plant their trees to take home.


For our Arbor Day planting event, we chose to host it at the Rec Center, a place where we recently lost several trees due to heavy fall storms. Our Ossining Recreation’s After School Program and Youth Bureau folks planted a redbud tree – a choice that holds both practical and symbolic significance. The tree, known for its vibrant, early spring blooms, symbolizes renewal and hope. Beyond their beauty, these trees offer numerous benefits, including food for pollinators, showcasing our thoughtful selection and planning.

It was a pleasure to take part in the community engagement events that we hosted regarding the preliminary design plans for the redesign of the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center.


Click here to see the presentation that DCAK-MSA Architects made to myself and the Board on March 26th, which includes strategy and plans for our design: Community Center Redesign Presentation

Thank you to Green Ossining for your dedication and hard work in hosting our Earth Day event! Your efforts, as always, make this a successful event and prove how environmental sustainability is essential to the Ossining community. Thank you to all involved, and keep up the good work - Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to Carina De La Cruz, the first New York participant to receive the state rebate for the E-Bike Incentive Program (EBIP) for low-income New Yorkers looking to purchase an electric bike.


De La Cruz got her state-of-the-art e-bike through our pilot subsidy program as part of Project MOVER from Shared Mobility.


The Project MOVER E-bike Incentive Program offers $1,000 off electric bikes for eligible low-income residents in Ossining, NY, providing an exciting opportunity for our community to embrace sustainable and efficient transportation.

 

There is still time to submit your application – click here to apply – The last day is May 1, 2025. We encourage all eligible community members to take advantage of this opportunity: https://www.sharedmobility.org/e-bik.../new-york-westchester

There will not be a Village Board of Trustees Meeting this week. Please join us next Wednesday, May 7th, at the Birdsall-Fagan Police Court Facility for our next Legislative Meeting.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org

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