Happy Friday! Tonight is the second to last Ossining RiverJam Friday of Summer 2022. There is a chance of rain in the forecast, so be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram for the latest updates just in case!

The food truck lineup for tonight, starting at 5 PM, is as follows: Brothers Fish and Chips, Delicias Peruvian Kitchen, Wanna Empanada, Jegoma Food, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Tacoish, Paradise Taqueria & Birrieria, Rock n Rollz Exotic Egg Rolls, Bigfoot Creamery, and Homestyle Desserts and Creamery. 6 Degrees Brewery will be joining Sing Sing Kill Brewery at the Craft Beverage Corral, and the Chamber will once again host menus for some of your favorite local eateries in case you want to order delivery to the park. Note that parking near the waterfront area is extremely limited on Friday evenings - you are likely to have more luck if you look for parking in the train station area before the overpass. If you need to drop your stuff and your family, do that first, then park on the other side of the train tracks.

The Track will perform at 7 PM. The Track is a Westchester-based alternative rock band featuring some familiar faces including Drew Bordeaux, Rich Kelly, Chris Burke, and Tito Wilson. We are so excited to have them join us!

 

I continue to be grateful for the amazing team that makes this event possible. A big round of applause for our Ossining RiverJam partners – Mike & Miriam Risko, Eric Gearity of Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Gayle Marchica and Johnny G of the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce, Jermain Smith of ENU Builds, Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Design, Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison, our fantastic sound guys Keith Heilmann and John Chocianowski, and of course our very own Town Parks foreman Mario Velardo and his crew. Our fabulous first responders, the Ossining Police Department and OVAC, deserve a very big shoutout for keeping us safe as we have fun. Thank you thank you thank you! And another huge THANK YOU to our event sponsors: New York Presbyterian, Gracelane Kennels, Bigfoot Creamery, Coral Sea Pools, Seiden Real Estate Team, Matero Fine Jewelry, PKF O’Connor Davies Accounting, who join the Town and Mike Risko Music, Sing Sing Kill Brewery, the Chamber of Commerce, and Ossining Recreation in providing the funds that make this event possible.

In administrative news, I’m happy to announce that we came in under budget for the Morningside Drive and Morningside Court paving project! Thank you to our Highway Superintendent Pete Connolly, Town/Village Engineer Paul Fraioli, and Comptroller Dale Brennan for keeping a close eye on our capital projects so Town resources can be maximized when it comes to improving our infrastructure. Those funds have been re-allocated to another capital project to fund the paving of Ridgeview Drive, which is almost complete.

As we work to improve our roads and other infrastructure, it is worth pointing out an often overlooked contributor to their deterioration: climate change. As temperatures rise, the volatility of our weather puts increasing stress on our built environment. Please know that your Town government is hard at work advocating at all levels for the resources we need to keep the roads that run through our jurisdiction smooth and safe. Also know that our commitment to pursuing sustainability stems from a desire to protect our infrastructure and make all of our lives, and those of future generations, smoother and more pleasant in the long run.

One of our favorite ways to promote sustainability, Car Free Day, will be here before you know it! We will once again be partnering with the Village, Green Ossining, 511NY Rideshare and the local business community to bring you an exciting few days of programming designed to help us all envision a less car-dependent lifestyle. Car Free Week will begin on Saturday, September 17 and run through the official Car Free Day, September 22. Take the pledge now to reduce or eliminate your car usage for at least one day during Car Free Week, and be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram to enjoy all the car-free/car-lite fun!

This week’s rain was a brief moment of respite from an otherwise fairly dry few weeks. Though Westchester County is not in an official drought condition, we are still at an elevated risk of fire due to dryness. The County government recently sent out a bulletin with some fire prevention tips that are worth reading as people prepare for Labor Day barbecues and other end of summer gatherings around the grill, fire pit or campfire.

Water conservation is always a good idea, and it may become more important if the weather continues to be drier than normal. Establish water-friendly habits before we need them with this list of tips from Ready.gov! Another way to reduce water usage and promote sustainability more generally is to incorporate more sustainable landscaping practices at home. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has a list of tips to help you do just that.

We are still looking for your input on Ossining’s climate adaptive shoreline! Please review the proposed designs and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website. The survey window has been extended to September 7 to give you more time to take a look and share your opinions. You do not need to have any special expertise to participate; all you need is approximately ten minutes to review the designs and share your opinions on them.

Speaking of rising water levels, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has informed us that in early September, they will begin to draw down water levels in the New Croton Reservoir to allow for routine operational inspections of the New Croton Dam and spillway. As DEP begins lowering the water level of the reservoir, there will be significant increases in the flow of water into the Croton River. Members of the public should be extra cautious while the increased water is released into the river. Activities such as wade fishing and kayaking are discouraged, as the fluctuating flow in the river could make them unsafe. DEP will initiate the increased release starting on or about September 6th and continuing until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.

As summer wraps up and kids head back to school (starting next week!) please be sure to drive even more carefully than you normally would. Also, a reminder that the Ossining Schools’ back to school block party, co-hosted by the Ossining Police, is coming up on Monday, August 29 at 4:30 PM. Lots of fun to be had and resources to be shared! 

 

If you have supplies to give away, there will be a collection at the Farmer’s Market for Ossining Padres Hispanos. I’ll be there bright and early to drop off some backpacks full of supplies!

 

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! A reminder about summer schedules for the Town. Summer hours started on July 1, with most Town offices (except for the Town Clerk) closing at 3:15pm on Fridays through Friday, September 2. There will be no Town Board meeting this Tuesday, August 30, as it is a 5th Tuesday. Please stay safe and healthy, and we will see you soon!

 

--Dana

 

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