Honoring Those Lost & Learning from Medical Leaders
Village flags now fly at half-mast. Every community and every household is feeling the impact of the pandemic. This time of isolation is more than an inconvenience and financial hardship, it is a sacrifice we all make to minimize the agony of losing loved ones. Our hearts ache for the families who mourn. The lowering of the flags is to honor their lives.
The number of confirmed positive cases in the Village today is 283. Last week's Village Board meeting began with a visit from Lindsay Farrell of
Open Door Family Medical Center
. As our community navigates this crisis, it is critical that we hear from the healthcare providers on the front line. Lindsay also sheds light on why the number of positive cases in Ossining appears so high. More testing, means more cases. Open Door has been at the forefront of testing in our area.
Click here to view the full agenda and link to the meeting video
.
One item of financial relevance to all Ossining water users is that we have waived late fees for water bills until June 5. As so many households experience severe financial hardship, this is one action the Village Board could take to alleviate a small part of that burden. On a related note, this week we will discuss codifying the ability for residents to make partial payments of their water bills. Most residents pay their bills on time. These two actions are designed to help people stay current with their water bills without paying a penalty.
Community Connections
Today I started a new practice of providing a daily Facebook Live update. If you are on Facebook, be sure to follow my
Mayor Victoria Gearity page
to get notified when I am going live.
My tech savvy friends in village government are exploring how these updates may be shared with folks not on Facebook. Stay tuned.
To reach out by email:
- Mayor Victoria Gearity (gearity@villageofossining.org);
- Board of Trustees (bot@villageofossining.org); or
- Village Manager Karen D'Attore (kdattore@villageofossining.org).
TUESDAY Meeting
This week's work session will happen tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7 in observance of Passover.
Click here to view the full agenda and to access a link to the Zoom meeting which will take place at our usual time of 7:30PM
. The first item on the agenda will be a presentation from Bill Balter of Wilder Balter for a proposed development of the DPW site. The Trustees and I will also begin looking at the Village's current and upcoming financial picture. While years of conservative budgets have built a healthy fund balance to provide stability in hard times, the looming economic picture will likely be beyond any normal correction.
We are living through a moment that is about finding balance in a world of extreme measures. For students and parents, distance learning is in Week 3, and Spring Break is cancelled. For folks working remotely for the first time, a daily challenge may be finding a quiet corner in a crowded house while reinventing your job. For folks who have lost their jobs, anxiety about how to pay bills can be crippling. For our essential workers, every interaction carries tremendous stress and potential risk.
Through it all, Ossining residents are remembering to be grateful to the people on the frontlines; to be reach out to elderly neighbors; to donate generously to local organizations that are keeping our community safe and fed. We are remembering to get out and enjoy sunlight most every day, and we are learning to do it while maintaining physical distance.
Finding balance in a pandemic world demands that we work harder to find silver linings. Perhaps the conscious effort so many of us have adopted to identify reasons to be grateful each day will be a practice we carry with us post-pandemic.
I look forward to seeing you virtually for now.
With Regards,
