Supervisor's Update - June 17, 2022

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Last Updated: 17 June 2022 17 June 2022

Welcome (or welcome back) to the Supervisor’s Update! Lots to share this week. 

 

First, congratulations to all of the Ossining and Briarcliff businesses that were named among the Best of Westchester selections by Westchester Magazine! These include The Tasty Table, The Chocolate Chalet, Club Fit, Arketekcher, Coral Sea Pools, Terra Tile & Marble, Mike Risko Music School, and the Ossining Public Library. Every year there are more and more entries on the list, a testament to our Town’s forward progress. 

 

Yesterday, the Town cut the ribbon on the new air source heat pump we’ve installed at Cedar Lane, funded by a grant from NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program. We were joined by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Victoria Gearity from Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick’s office, Lauren Brois from Sustainable Westchester, Suzie Ross from Green Ossining, and Mitzi Elkes from our Environmental Advisory Committee.  You will also recognize a few friendly faces in Victoria Cafarelli from the Town Supervisor’s Office, Mario Velardo and Alban Sylaj from our Parks Department, and Marcus DaSilva who heads up our food scrap recycling program. 

 

 

For those who are new, the Town has earned eligibility for grants like this by implementing high-impact clean energy actions. Thank you to our State Legislators Assemblywoman Galef and Senator Reichlin-Melnick and their colleagues for ensuring that the State budget includes funding for municipalities in this way.  It is so exciting to continue to improve our energy usage, particularly at Cedar Lane Park which is already home to so many of the Town’s sustainability initiatives, including the Food Scrap Recycling Program, electric vehicle charging stations, and Ossining’s Organic Community Garden in addition to thriving art programs.

 

 

You can read more about the pump and the event in this River Journal article. We are so pleased to continue to be a leader on environmental initiatives and showcase to the community how easy clean heating and cooling upgrades can be, as part of a critical effort to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The Town also recently reaffirmed our commitment to meeting the goals of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act by resolution, and this project moves us closer to those goals. 

 

 

We have also been working on concept designs for a new stage at Louis Engel Park as part of our request under the Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding.  We had the opportunity to share two concept designs with the Town Board and the public at Village Fair.  We are hopeful that this project will be included in the DRI funding requests, and we also plan on seeking additional grant funding under the Consolidated Funding Application in July to ensure this project is transformative for Ossining. Please be sure to complete the DRI Project Survey by the end of the weekend, and include the Louis Engel Park stage among your five choices!!! 

 

Speaking of Louis Engel, Ossining’s Juneteenth Festival will take place on Sunday, June 19 at Louis Engel Waterfront Park from 12 to 4 PM. The Town is proud to be a sponsor of this event recognizing this important date in American history, and we look forward to continuing to do so well into the future. 

 

 

The Community Equity Task Force will be kicking off a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge this weekend, starting Saturday, June 18.  Join us as we read The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee and engage in a series of activities intended to deepen our understanding of and commitment to racial equity.  Follow along on Facebook, chat with other participants in the Challenge Facebook group (message the Equity Task Force page for an invitation), and receive weekly email recaps by joining our Google Group, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

 

 

During this weekend where we reflect on how far our nation has come and still needs to go with respect to equality, I hope you will join us in reaffirming the commitment to build a more equitable society here in Ossining and beyond.

On Tuesday, June 21, we’ll ring in the first official day of summer with Make Music Day! Visit the Make Music Ossining Briarcliff page on Facebook for a full line up of events happening around Town to mark this special day.  If you stop by 16 Croton at 3pm, you may just see your favorite Town Supervisor trying her hand at the guitar (fair warning!)  Wrap up your Make Music Day at 7:30pm at the Boathouse for Open Mic with the Mike Risko Band!  Shout out to Mike and Miriam Risko for organizing this fun event for the community every year.

Also on Tuesday, June 21: we will hold a Town Hall meeting via Zoom.  During Town Hall Meetings, we invite members of the public to make comment on the agenda items under discussion by the Board.  This deviates from our usual Work Session format, and we seek to put items on the agenda that are of interest to the community.  Among other topics on Tuesday evening will be a presentation from Sustainable Westchester on the pause in the Westchester Power program, and steps they are requesting municipalities take to end the pause.  To learn more about Westchester Power, don’t miss the information session scheduled for Monday, June 20 at 7pm via Zoom.  Registration information is below. 

With summer here, fireworks and Food Truck Fridays will be here before you know it! We are so excited for the return of fireworks, this year accompanied by the musical stylings of Pablito y su Latin Show. Major thanks to our partners in planning -  Mike & Miriam Risko, Eric Gearity of Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Gayle Marchica and the Chamber of Commerce, Jermain Smith of ENU Builds, and Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison. And major shoutout to Brian Sheridan for the suite of amazing graphics and posters he has put together!  

 

 

In other news, tomorrow (June 18) we enjoy the Portugal Day on Main Street. Hope to see you there! 

 

 

For more ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! Note that early voting starts this weekend for the Democratic and Republican primaries, and we’ll once again have an early voting site here in Ossining at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center on Broadway.  On the ballot this June is the Governor and Lieutenant Governor race for both Democrats and Republicans, and our local Assembly race for Democrats. Click here for early voting dates and hours. 

 

Note also that Town Offices will be closed on Monday, June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. 

 

We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!

 

--Dana

 

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!

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