Happy Friday! Hope you’re enjoying today’s beautiful fall weather.
Exciting things are happening in the Town. Last night, the Equity Task Force held an important meeting about equity with members of our municipal boards and commissions. The meeting was well-attended and well-facilitated by Michael T. Holmes of Insights4U Consulting, who is working with the Ossining Public Library on incorporating DEI into strategic planning and programming. We had a fantastic discussion about beginning to do work similar to that which the library and Ossining Public Schools have already undertaken to produce greater equity.
I spoke a bit about the founding of the Equity Task Force, which began with a meeting between the Town and the local NAACP and has since become a coalition of our local governments, schools, library and community organizations.
I was joined by Mayor Rika Levin from the Village of Ossining, as well as our County Legislator and Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Catherine Borgia. Special shout out to our County Legislator for staying with us till the end of the session and engaging with the work. Unfortunately, it conflicted with the Village’s rescheduled legislative session (due to the Jewish Holiday).
The session was very productive and I’m hopeful that the Task Force has some new wind in its sails as we press on toward a more equitable community. Thank you to everyone who helped pull this session together - our co-chairs Althema Goodson and Sandy McAllister, my fellow Executive Committee members Fran Wills and Kemi Pogue, Acacia Mauriello and Victoria Cafarelli from my office, and Alice Joselow and Jermain Smith who round out the Task Force’s planning group with their insights and input.
In other equity news, at this week’s Town Board meeting we discussed considering a local law to increase the maximum income limit for the senior citizens tax exemption. The Town of Ossining currently provides the maximum level of exemption allowed under state law, to annual incomes of $37,399.99, and the new maximum level can be $58,399.99. Bringing that income limit up will make living here more affordable for our seniors, by recognizing that fixed incomes do not go as far as they used to due to inflation. We may not be able to control the actions of those causing prices to rise, but we will do what we can to help those most vulnerable to price increases to make ends meet.
As the weather gets cooler, cold and flu season is upon us, particularly since many of us are becoming more relaxed about mask wearing. Preparing for cold and flu season now includes getting our COVID boosters along with our flu shots. I took a few minutes out of my schedule a couple of weeks ago to get my booster, and encourage everyone to do the same!
OVAC has the new Moderna booster, which protects you against the original Covid and the new Omicron variant. Click here to register for an appointment to receive a booster. They do accept walk-ins, but there has been a lot of interest in the new Moderna and Pfizer boosters, so they recommend an appointment.
The County is also offering the new bivalent booster at the Westchester County Health Department Clinic at 134 Court St in White Plains from 9am to 3pm on Fridays. Appointments are required – walk ins will not be accepted. Click here to register for an appointment at the County clinic.
If you’re looking for good coffee and conversation, please join Senator Pete Harckham and I at the Ossining Public Library this Sunday, October 9 at 3:30 PM. Hear from us about issues impacting the area and tell us more about what is on your mind. RSVP at .
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, click here to go to the blog. Tonight is the First Friday of the month and there are a number of businesses and organizations participating in the Community Crawl brought to us by ENU Builds and the Chamber of Commerce - check it out!
We’ll be closed for the holiday on Monday, but waste and recycling will continue on its normal schedule. We’ll also be back to our regular meeting schedule on Tuesday. 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!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
TGIF! Hope everyone is doing well at the end of the first full week of fall.
This week was bittersweet for Team Town, as we said goodbye to two outstanding employees. Yesterday, we presented a proclamation to recognize Angela Juarez for her cheerful and dedicated service to the Town in the Tax Receiver’s office since 2019. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors, especially the master’s program in Physician Assistant studies she will be starting soon!
Today, we said farewell to Fernando Gonzalez, IAO, our Assessor for the past ten years. Fernando oversaw the Town-wide reappraisal and re-assessment in 2015, and has helped us maintain our assessment at 100% of full market value ever since. In recognition of his accomplishments and superlative leadership in the area of assessment, the Town Board has proclaimed September 30, 2022 to be Fernando Gonzalez Day in the Town of Ossining. Thank you, Fernando, and best wishes for a long, happy and healthy retirement!
In other news, on Wednesday I participated in a press conference at Ossining High School, recognizing the milestone of 75,000 food and school supply deliveries to families in Ossining, Peekskill, Yonkers and Mount Vernon through the partnership of United Way, DoorDash, Feeding Westchester and the schools. Ossining High School students participate in the program by bagging fresh fruits and vegetables to be delivered to households in need by DoorDash drivers. New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was also in attendance, along with Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Ossining School Superintendent Ray Sanchez, leaders from United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Feeding Westchester, and DoorDash, and several of the students who participate in the program.
We're grateful for public-private partnerships such as this that help address these problems in the short-term as we work to implement long-term solutions. The added benefit of student participation in delivering food which gives them additional skills towards employment as well as a reality check on what is happening in their immediate world, speaks volumes to the good work United Way leads regularly to address some of our most intractable challenges like hunger.
I’m also pleased to share that next Thursday, October 6, the Ossining Community Equity Task Force will be holding an important meeting on equity for representatives from the Town and Village volunteer boards and committees. The goal of this session, which we’ve dubbed “Equity University,” is an initial meeting to help our volunteer board members begin to explore how they can use equity as a lens through which to view their decision-making. This has been a project the Equity Task Force has been working on for some time, and we hope it will be a fruitful exercise for all of our volunteer boards as the Equity Task Force works to develop a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for the community.
You should have received a notice this past week regarding the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract, and Sustainable Westchester is hosting information sessions where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions. If you have questions, be sure to attend a session! Visit this Westchester Power web page to sign up for one and/or access more information about the program. The new contract begins on November 1, and you can opt out at any time.
Lastly, a tax reminder - payment for the first half of school taxes are due today, September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have questions or need assistance, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. The Tax Receiver’s office will be open until 6 PM tonight in case you need help. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. A heads up regarding a Town Board schedule change: next week, we will hold our Work Session on Monday, October 3 rather than Tuesday, as some of us will be observing the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur Tuesday night and Wednesday. We will see you on Monday, and wishing those of you who celebrate Yom Kippur an easy fast!
--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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Happy Friday! Hope your week has gone well.
It has been a busy week in the Town! Last Saturday, we kicked off our Car Free Day celebration with a pop-up at the Farmer’s Market. Pedego Bikes in Croton demonstrated one of their e-bikes, and a representative from 511NY Rideshare joined us to talk about ridesharing options and take Car Free Day pledge cards from attendees.
The Ossining School District joined in the fun, demonstrating a car-lite method of traveling - carpooling - in this video! And seven of our local businesses offered incentives to people who pledged to go car-free or car-lite. Thanks to Mike Risko Music School, Bigfoot Creamery, Hudson Valley Books for Humanity, Logrea Dance Academy, The Tasty Table, Sing Sing Kill Brewery and Family Veterinary Care for participating.
Thank you to Miriam Risko, Suzie Ross and Dorian Burden of Green Ossining; Ray Sanchez, Maria Angelica Meyer and Nancy de la Cruz of the OUFSD; Pedego Bikes; Modou Cham of 511NY Rideshare; and Maddi Zachacz and Jaimie Hoffman from the Village of Ossining for collaborating with me and my office, Victoria Cafarelli and Acacia Mauriello, to pull together more innovative Car Free Day programming! Last year, Ossining won the prize for most signups of any municipality in New York, and we were also acknowledged for innovative programming; fingers crossed we’ll do it again.
If you were unable to participate last week, you can still choose any work day between now and September 30 to take the pledge to alter your commute and have your sign up count toward Ossining’s total for this year’s contest. The purpose of Car Free Day is to reduce our carbon footprint and envision a less car-dependent future, and that’s something you can do any day! If you take a photo or video of your car-free/car-lite travel, tag us (@townofossining) on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll share.
This Sunday at 5:30 PM, one of the businesses promoting Car Free Day, Sing Sing Kill Brewery, is presenting a documentary about another mode of carbon-neutral travel. Windshipped tells the story of the Schooner Apollonia, the Hudson Valley’s fossil fuel-free sail freighter. Entry is free. Come for the informative and inspiring content; stay for the sustainably-produced beer!
This past Sunday, the Town participated in Ossining Padres Hispanos’ 3rd annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. I was joined by Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman and Town Board members Gregory Meyer and Angelo Manicchio, as well as State Senator Pete Harckham and a representative from his office.
On Tuesday at this week's Board meeting, we held a Town Hall regarding our New York Forward grant application for funding to revitalize the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area of Town. We envision the grant funding would be helpful with establishing new bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the area and zoning that incentivizes economic development, mixed use developments, and “missing middle” housing (housing that hits a range of affordability) while also incorporating open space that is accessible to the public. If you have ideas about how this area might be developed, or anything else, you are always free to email the Town Board at .
Notices are in the mail now regarding the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract, and Sustainable Westchester is hosting information sessions where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions. If you have questions, be sure to attend a session! Visit this Westchester Power web page to sign up for one and/or access more information about the program. The new contract begins on November 1, and you can opt out at any time.
A reminder that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has been drawing 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. The increased release is expected to continue until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! We are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule, and are also back to hybrid meetings. You can still participate and watch remotely. We will be in person at 16 Croton Ave. Hope to see you soon!
--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!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
On Sunday, the Town and its two villages came together with our emergency service organizations for our annual remembrance of 9/11. We are grateful to the Ossining Volunteer Fire Department for annually organizing this event to honor those lost that day as well as the first responders who we lost as the result of their heroism. State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef joined us, as did Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Catherine Borgia.
In other news, my office has received word that the notification mailing for the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract has gone out. Sustainable Westchester will be hosting ten additional information sessions - eight in English and two in Spanish - where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions.
This is particularly important after a Lohud headline spurred some misinformation about what the contract might mean for customers who remain opted in. While it is true that Westchester Power rates are going up, it is also true that all suppliers are experiencing high prices that are expected to increase further. Con Edison issued a press release last week indicating that they anticipate increased prices this winter; click here to read more about what they’re predicting and to learn about options for energy conservation and managing increasing costs.
In the long run, the biggest benefit of the 100% Green Westchester Power option is reducing our carbon footprint. But another key benefit of the Westchester Power program is that rates remain fixed over the course of the two year contract, which means your bills will be more predictable. Opting out of the program could mean risking big price swings, similar to what some people experienced this past winter. Cost savings in one month could be wiped out by big bills in another.
I encourage everyone to get all of the facts about your options to make the best possible decision for your households. In addition to the information provided by Con Edison above, residents can click here to view the Westchester Power site with schedules for upcoming webinars, FAQs and more information.
Now to something more fun: Who else is looking forward to Car Free Day? We’re kicking off the fun tomorrow, September 17, at the Farmer’s Market with a demonstration by Pedego Bikes and a visit from 511NY Rideshare. We also have some businesses offering fun giveaways to incentivize taking the pledge to go car-free/car-lite for a day. Special thanks to Miriam Risko of Mike Risko Music for once again helping us line up business participation! Here are the first five offers:
Take the pledge now to reduce or eliminate your car usage for at least one day during Car Free Week. Then, stay tuned to @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram for additional businesses being added this weekend, as well as all the rest of the car-free/car-lite fun!
If you are the owner of a local brick & mortar business that would like to support Car Free Week, there’s still time to be part of our promotional efforts. Please fill out this Google form to let us know what you might like to offer patrons as a reward for participating and we will add your establishment into the rotation.
Join us for a town hall at next Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, in which we will discuss the Town’s application for a New York Forward grant. For those who are unaware, the New York Forward program is very similar to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative that the Village of Ossining won in the last round, but is scaled down to meet the needs of communities without large downtowns. We have decided to put our hat in the ring for the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area. The Town Hall meeting will take place Tuesday, September 20 at 7:30 PM. Click here to join the meeting, learn more and share your input.
A reminder that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has begun 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. The increased release is expected to continue until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.
Lastly, a tax reminder - school tax bills have been sent out, and payment for the first half is due by September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have not received your bill yet, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. Note that we are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule, and are also back to hybrid meetings. You can still participate and watch remotely. We will be in person at 16 Croton Ave. Hope to see you soon!
--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!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. You got a great head start on it if you joined us last week for RiverJam; our season finale did not disappoint. Beautiful weather, great food and beverages, and a fantastic concert - take a look!
If you, like us, are missing RiverJam Fridays, thank Mike and Miriam Risko for putting together
Can’t wait till next year! If you’re a band or vendor that is interested in joining the fun, you can feel free to complete the appropriate form on the RiverJam website to place yourself under consideration.
On a more somber note, this weekend we pause to reflect and remember those we lost on 9/11. Please join the Town, its two Villages and our emergency service organizations at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony this coming Sunday, September 11 at 5:30 PM at Louis Engel Waterfront Park.
Westchester County and Volunteer New York have also teamed up to create a really robust weekend of programming for the 9/11 Day of Service. Click here to check out the full list of volunteer opportunities. The County is also hosting a service at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla, incorporating the now one-year old memorial honoring first responders who died of 9/11-related illnesses.
Whenever I think about this day - picturing first responders running into burning buildings, putting themselves at risk, to save lives - I am struck anew with awe and gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who showed up. This weekend, we mourn the loss of those killed on 9/11 and those who have passed due to 9/11-related illnesses, and honor the bravery and unselfishness of those who rose to the occasion when fate called.
Returning to current events: we are progressing in our application for a New York Forward grant. For those who are unaware, the New York Forward program is very similar to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative that the Village of Ossining won in the last round, but is scaled down to meet the needs of communities without large downtowns. After discussing with our grant writer and Town Planner, we have decided to put our hat in the ring for the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area. We will have the grant application on the agenda for public input during an upcoming Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:30 PM. I hope you will join us to learn more and share your input on how that area might be revitalized.
Have you taken the Car Free Day pledge yet? We are hard at work with Green Ossining, the Village, 511NY Rideshare, the Ossining Schools and the local business community planning a fun suite of forward-looking, sustainable activities for the days surrounding Car Free Day. 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! Last year, Ossining won the prize for most signups of any municipality in New York, and we were also acknowledged for innovative programming. We’re looking to repeat that feat this year, with everyone’s help!
If you are the owner of a local brick & mortar business that would like to support Car Free Week, please fill out this Google form to let us know what you might like to offer patrons as a reward for participating (for example, $1 off any purchase of $10 or more; a stamp on a frequent customer card, etc.), and we will add your establishment to our promotional efforts.
A reminder that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has begun 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. The increased release is expected to continue until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.
Lastly, a tax reminder - school tax bills have been sent out, and payment for the first half is due by September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have not received your bill yet, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! We are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule; we will see you soon!
--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!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
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