Hard to believe it’s already March! As spring approaches, we are preparing for summer. At our Board meeting this past week, we passed a resolution to sign an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce to administer Food Truck Fridays, the Summer Concert Series and (drum roll please) the fireworks celebration for Independence Day! We are so looking forward to some amazing summer events, particularly in light of the grim milestone we just passed.
This week marks the two year anniversary of the first identified positive COVID-19 case in Westchester County. We have all been through so much since March 2020; it is pretty surreal that it has been two years. Yesterday, I attended the COVID memorial event which County Executive George Latimer held. It was incredibly moving to hear the stories of those who lost many, as well as the tribute to all those who stepped up to help. We have suffered so much, and all of us know one or many who we lost.
We also rallied together around a cause, and the message from speakers yesterday was about channeling that teamwork further to solve other seemingly intractable problems. Yesterday’s event was live streamed so you can watch it here. We will also be planning an Ossining commemoration in the coming weeks–stay tuned for more details.
We also discussed some tweaks to the Comprehensive Plan as we incorporate your feedback on it. Thank you to all those who have submitted feedback thus far. There is still time to submit comments via the form before it closes on Monday, March 7. We will also be opening the public hearing on the Comp Plan next Tuesday, March 8, during our Legislative Session (Zoom details at the end of this message). Please join us and tell us what you think! This will just be the start of our public hearing. We will likely keep the public hearing open for at least one more meeting, which is scheduled for March 22. We are also planning on returning to hybrid meetings for our March 22 Legislative Session, so there will be an opportunity to provide comments in person on the Comprehensive Plan as well.
In environmental news, Victoria Cafarelli from my office has been working closely with Maddi Zachacz from the Village Manager’s Office and Suzie Ross of Green Ossining to establish a joint Climate Smart Communities Task Force for the Town and Village of Ossining to help us achieve Bronze Level Certification under this program. We reviewed a proposed resolution establishing this Task Force, which will be on the agenda for next week’s meeting, and look forward to getting started.
So ends the first week of Women’s History Month. I always find inspiration in the incredible Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her life’s work to advance gender equality. Justice Ginsburg frankly reminded us of what true equality looks like with her quote - "When I'm sometimes asked 'When will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]?' and I say 'When there are nine,' people are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that." I am proud to work alongside many women in our local, county, state, and federal government here in Ossining, now finally including our first female governor, Kathy Hochul, and first female Vice President, Kamala Harris. All of the little girls out there can see themselves represented in their leaders, and hopefully dream a little bigger for that reason. I’ll be sharing more resources and events on this theme all month in our new Celebrating Women’s History Month section.
One last time - please join us for the public hearing on the Comp Plan this coming Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 PM. Zoom details are as follows:
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85253526411
Or One tap mobile :
US: +19292056099,,85253526411# or +13126266799,,85253526411#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 852 5352 6411
Please remember that public hearings are an opportunity for members of the public to share their comments with the Board, not necessarily for the Board to engage in a back and forth dialogue. We look forward to hearing what the public has to say, synthesizing the comments, and considering revisions where they may be indicated.
We will see you soon - stay safe and be well!
--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 email a flier and brief description to . 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!
