Dana Levenberg, Town Supervisor
phone (914) 762-6001
fax (914) 762-0833
16 Croton Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562
The Supervisor's Office is located on the third floor of the Town offices. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.
It’s Labor Day weekend, and the very last Ossining RiverJam Friday of Summer 2022 is tonight! Alas, all good things must come to an end, until next year. Be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on tonight’s festivities.
The food truck lineup for tonight, starting at 5 PM, is as follows: Brothers Fish and Chips, Delicias Peruvian Kitchen, Wanna Empanada, Jegoma Food, Wrappers Delight, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Tacoish, Paradise Taqueria & Birrieria, Dough Nation Pizza Truck and Bigfoot Creamery. Duncan’s Abbey and Brooklyn Cider House will be joining Sing Sing Kill Brewery at the final Craft Beverage Corral of the season, 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.
Andrea and the Armenian Rug Riders will perform at 7 PM. If you love classic rock and dance, you really won’t want to miss this concert. Come on down!
A big round of applause for the amazing team that has made this series possible. To 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, our very own Town Parks foreman Mario Velardo and his crew, and Victoria Cafarelli and Acacia Mauriello for the PR, coordinating, and oh so much more -- a million times, THANK YOU! Our fabulous first responders, the Ossining Police Department and OVAC, deserve a very big shoutout for keeping us safe as we have fun. 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.
Though summer is ending, there’s no shortage of things to look forward to as fall begins. School started yesterday in the Ossining School District, and Briarcliff Schools will be back in session starting next Wednesday. (Please be sure to drive even more carefully than you normally would, particularly around buses!) For my part, I was pleased to be able to join the OUFSD during New Teacher Orientation last week to welcome this new cohort to our wonderful community and discuss how working together benefits all of us.
This week’s Back to School Block Party was also loads of fun!
There’s more fall fun on the horizon as we prepare for Car Free Week - yes, week! 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 was 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.
Other things to look forward to this fall: the end of the Westchester Power pause, and the return of 100% green, fixed-rate electricity supply! The program notification letter will be mailed later this month, and the new contract begins on November 1. If you follow @townofossining, you might have already seen that Sustainable Westchester began its public engagement about the new contract earlier this week; we will continue to share opportunities to learn more and ask questions on our social media pages and here as we find out about them.
There is one more opportunity to attend a Westchester Power webinar this week, tonight at 7 PM - follow this link to sign up. However, I’ll give a brief rundown of the details on the program here for those who want to learn more while also enjoying tonight’s concert! The current program rates will be 15.128 ¢/kWh for 100% NYS renewable energy and 13.364 ¢/kWh for standard supply until the new contract ends in November 2024. In addition to giving us a way to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, this program offers a buffer against fluctuating and volatile utility pricing, which has never been more important. As before, you will be able to opt out, opt back in or change supply at any time without fees or penalties. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call (914) 242-4725 X111.
The County and Volunteer New York have also teamed up to create a really robust weekend of programming for the 9/11 Day of Service next week. Click here to check out the full list of volunteer opportunities.
There is still time to give us 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 Wednesday, 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 beginning next week, 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.
That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. If you have little ones who love the splash pad at Louis Engel, be sure to take them this weekend, as it will close for the season after Labor Day.
Town offices close at 3:15 PM today for the last of our Summer Fridays; we’ll be back to 4:30 closures starting next week. We will also be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day; be sure to check the Waste & Recycling calendar for holiday-related changes to your pickup schedule. (While you’re there, consider downloading the Recycle Right app if you haven’t already! We have a new demonstration video uploaded to the page to show you what the app is like - check it out! If you’re ready to download now, click here to download it to your Android phone and here for iPhone.)
We will see you soon; hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend safely!
--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.
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
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.
Happy Friday! There are just three Ossining RiverJam Fridays left for Summer 2022. The weather forecast looks clear for another lovely evening at Louis Engel Park, but 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, Dough Nation Pizza Truck, Paradise Birrieria & Taqueria, Jegoma Food, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Tacoish, Rock n Rollz Exotic Egg Rolls, Chef Rob on Wheels, Bigfoot Creamery, and Homestyle Desserts and Creamery. Sloop Brewing Company 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.
This week, the Chamber of Commerce will also be hosting a networking event for local business owners at their tent starting at 6 PM. Jay Prince and Friends will perform at 7 PM. Expect an eclectic mix of classics and hits, backed by a beautiful sunset!
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 other Town news, this week we continued to explore ways to reduce our carbon footprint and adapt to the changes that are coming. On Wednesday, Victoria Cafarelli from my office traveled to Hudson, NY to attend a meeting with the Flood Resilience Network (FRN). The FRN is a group of municipalities working with experts who provide municipalities with technical assistance in the areas of flood resilience and climate adaptation. We first learned of this network following our participation in phase 1 of the Climate-adaptive Design studio. It is always great to learn more from our neighbors throughout the Hudson Valley and connect on these critical issues.
As part of the site visit, staff from the mayor’s office and design consultants shared design elements currently under consideration for their climate adaptive waterfront. Hudson was the only other community in the Hudson Valley besides Ossining to receive CaD phase 2 funding in the last grant round, so it was particularly interesting to see what they are doing! It is important to see how our respective waterfronts are both similar and different, and how we can learn from each other to ensure that access to the Hudson River continues for generations to come in the face of climate change.
Speaking of flood resilience, we are still looking for your input for Ossining’s climate adaptive shoreline! Get the latest on this project and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website. The survey closes August 28.
A flood-related reminder for landlords: Westchester County has adopted a new law regarding flood history disclosure. This new law requires that landlords provide prospective tenants (at commercial or residential properties) with a copy of the Flood History Disclosure Form. This form will detail whether the property has experienced flooding within the previous ten years. The Flood Disclosure law took effect this past Monday, August 15, 2022. A PDF copy of the Flood Disclosure Form can be found on a dedicated subpage of the County’s Planning Department Website, https://planning.westchestergov.com/flood. Landlords can reach out to the County’s Department of Planning with any questions at (914) 995-4400.
In other sustainability news, the Town and Green Ossining have also begun planning for Car-Free Day, coming up on Thursday, September 22. It’s not too early to take the pledge - click here to pledge to find a car-free or car-lite means of getting around that day (or any day before September 30), and stay tuned for more details on the fun events and goodies we have planned for that day!
A brief parks update: Our work to develop a trail connector at Ryder Park continues, with the help of the NYNJ Trail Conference and the Environmental Advisory Committee. The trail is ready for a lovely stroll through the woods, remember to bring sturdy shoes and stay on the path to steer clear of ticks and poison ivy. Our incredible EAC student liaisons are working on signage to further improve this hidden gem.
There is also a new swing set at Gerlach Park! This new park feature replaces some old swings that were removed a little while ago. It was a bit of a wait for the new swings, but we think it was well worth it - these new swings are ADA accessible and ready for lots of fun for children of all ages and abilities. Hats off to the Parks Department for another excellent improvement.
Lastly, a reminder for those voters who are registered with the Democratic, Republican or Conservative parties – there is still time to vote in your party’s primary for the 17th Congressional District! Early voting continues through Sunday; dates and times are as follows:
Here in Ossining, early voting is available at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center at 95 Broadway, Ossining. However, you can also vote at any of the other early voting locations throughout Westchester if one of these is more convenient for your schedule. Click here to view the complete list. The deadline to mail in a request for an absentee ballot has passed, but you can request an absentee ballot in person now through August 22. If you have any questions, please visit the Board of Elections website at citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com or call 914-995-5700.
Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 23; voting hours are 6 AM until 9 PM. You should have received a piece of mail from the Board of Elections with your polling place information for the primary. If you’ve misplaced it and are not sure where you should go to vote, click here to view the list of primary election polling places for August 23. (Ossining & Briarcliff Manor locations are on pages 5-6.)
If you vote at the Community Center (or even if you don’t) you might also consider becoming a blood donor on Tuesday! The need for donor blood goes up during the summer, when accidents and injuries necessitating transfusions are more common. Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on August 23 from 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Click the flier to sign up and use sponsor code OSSINING.
Because of the primary, our August 23 Board meeting will be held at 8:30 AM. The following Tuesday, August 30, is a 5th Tuesday, so there will be no meeting that evening. We will be back to our regularly scheduled meetings on Tuesday, September 6 with a Work Session.
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. Please stay safe and healthy and keep cool and 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.
Happy Humidity-Free Friday! We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming this week, as RiverJam returns to the Ossining waterfront at Louis Engel Park. The weather forecast predicts a beautiful evening, but 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, Homestyle Desserts and Creamery, Jegoma Food, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Bigfoot Creamery, Tacoish, La Bella Sophia Pizza and Rockland Kettle Corn. Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and Brooklyn Cider House 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. We will have a designated area to make that super easy and to support our local brick and mortar businesses. 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, then park on the other side of the train tracks.
We’re excited to be joined by Marc Von Em at 7 PM! He’s played on some of the biggest stages in the world with some big name acts, and we are thrilled he’ll be returning to the stage at Louis Engel Park.
It takes a very talented and dedicated team to make events like this happen. 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, Keith Heilmann and John our fantastic sound guys, an our Town Parks foreman Mario Velardo and his crew. And a 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.
Last week’s Fire Department parade was a big success! A brief spell of rain cooled things off a bit, enabling a lovely gathering highlighting the brave volunteers from around the region who keep us safe from fires and a variety of other hazards & threats.
The award winning float OFD designed and engineered was also appreciated by all.
In other Town news, we recently learned of an exciting grant opportunity available through New York State, called NY Forward. This program is very similar to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which the Village of Ossining won in the last round, but is scaled down to meet the needs of communities without large downtowns, like more suburban and rural communities. After discussing with our grant writer and Town Planner, we think it is a good idea for the Town to put our hat in the ring for the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area due to the potential for public and private investment in the near and long term that could be capitalized by matching state funds. We have submitted the letter of intent to apply, and the full application is due in September. Fingers crossed we can make the case to the state to help us bring in a couple million dollars to help improve this area of Town!
In climate resiliency news, we are continuing our public engagement around the Shoreline Revitalization Project. We need your input as we design a climate adaptive shoreline. Get the latest on this project and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website. The survey closes August 28.
Some news for landlords: Westchester County has adopted a new law regarding flood history disclosure. This new law requires that landlords provide prospective tenants (at commercial or residential properties) with a copy of the Flood History Disclosure Form. This form will detail whether the property has experienced flooding within the previous ten years. The Flood Disclosure law will take effect on Monday, August 15, 2022. A PDF copy of the Flood Disclosure Form can be found on a dedicated subpage of the County’s Planning Department Website, https://planning.westchestergov.com/flood. Landlords can reach out to the County’s Department of Planning with any questions at (914) 995-4400.
The County also announced some financial assistance for landlords this week, specifically small landlords maintaining affordable residential units. The Landlord Tenant Assistance Program (LTAP) will allow landlords who own eight units or less and maintain rent levels that are affordable to residents to apply for up to $25,000 per unit for repairs to their rental properties. To be eligible, landlords/owners must charge rents that are affordable to households earning between no more than 60% and 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and home improvements may include, but are not limited to, roof replacement, or upgrades to electrical, windows, accessibility ramps, plumbing and heating systems. With $10M available in funds, 400 units can be rehabilitated. More information can be found here.
Though monkeypox is not likely to become as pervasive a problem as COVID-19, it is important to learn more about it and take steps to contain its spread. Click here to read more information from the New York State Department of Health regarding the disease.
We are happy to report Westchester County is now able to offer free vaccines for those at higher risk of contracting the disease. This includes those who have traveled outside the US to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing, or those who have had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or with someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox. Westchester residents can call Westchester Medical Center at (914) 326-2060 to schedule a vaccine appointment from Monday through Friday 9 AM - 5 PM. The Loft LGBTQ+ Community Center will also host monkeypox vaccination clinics on August 18th. Vaccines are free. You can sign up here, on the NYS Dept of Health website - if no appointments appear available, check back periodically. And stay tuned to the Westchester County Department of Health website for more opportunities.
Finally, for those voters who are registered with the Democratic, Republican or Conservative parties – remember to cast your votes in your party’s primary for the 17th Congressional District this August! Primary Day is August 23 and early voting starts tomorrow, August 13. Early voting dates and times are as follows:
The closest early voting location to Ossining is the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center at 95 Broadway, Ossining, but there are locations throughout Westchester where you can also vote. The deadline to mail in a request for an absentee ballot has passed, but you can request an absentee ballot in person now through August 22. If you have any questions, please visit the Board of Elections website at citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com or call 914-995-5700.
Speaking of the primary, because of it our August 23 Board meeting will be held at 8:30 AM. Additional notes regarding the remainder of our summer meeting schedule: the work session that would have been held on Tuesday, August 16 has been canceled. August 30 is a 5th Tuesday, so there will be no meeting that Tuesday. We will be back to our regularly scheduled meetings on Tuesday, September 6 with a Work Session.
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. Please stay safe and healthy and keep cool and 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.
Happy Friday! Our format varies this week, since RiverJam is on hiatus to make way for the annual firefighters’ parade, hosted by the Ossining Volunteer Fire Department. Here’s hoping the weather cooperates for a lovely evening; be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram for the latest updates just in case!
The parade will start at Roosevelt Square (the intersection of Pleasantville Road and Croton Avenue) and make its way down Croton, across Highland Avenue, and down Main Street before ending at the waterfront. Two of our Town elected officials, Councilman and Deputy Chief Manicchio as well Town Highway Superintendent and Deputy Chief Connolly, will be marching in full fireman’s uniform. Look for the rest of the Board in the apparati waving, and then reviewing all the very shiny trucks and bands in the stand on Main Street. We can’t wait to see everyone for this annual event celebrating Volunteer Fire Departments in the Hudson Valley and beyond!
If you are looking for a good place from which to view the parade, Mike Risko Music Store hosts a viewing party en route.
I would be remiss if I did not point out that it is also the First Friday of the month, which means that Ossining First Fridays is back! This five month old initiative, born of a collaboration between ENU Builds and the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce, aims to bring the community together while highlighting local businesses and other attractions. For the latest details on participating vendors and events happening as part of First Fridays (and every other day of the month), visit the new community calendar, OssiningEvents.com. The calendar is very comprehensive, thanks to the diligent work of Jermain Smith.
You can enhance your Community Crawl experience using Otocast, a popular tour guide app created by Ossining resident Eric Feinstein. Download it at OssiningEvents.com. One can load the Community Crawl (or other tours) on Otocast to follow a map highlighting the stops from start to finish. An exciting addition to Otocast that just debuted this week: Museum in the Streets! It has been digitized thanks to a collaboration between the Chamber, former Village Mayor and local historian Miguel Hernandez, and Otocast. Be sure to check it out!
In other Town news, we learned earlier this week that Mary See, a longtime employee of the Town Clerk’s office, has passed away. She and her family are in our thoughts.
A lot of us are facing difficult times now, particularly as we look at our utility bills. For those of you who have been following, we are happy to report Westchester Power/Sustainable Westchester was able to secure a new bid for green electricity, so we are hopeful we can get back on track with fixed-rate, renewable electricity supply soon. To get more information, or if you wish to opt out of the program, you can call Westchester Power at 844-605-7650.
As we work to reduce our carbon footprint, we also recognize the need to become more resilient in the face of climate change, as it is already happening. To that end, we are continuing our public engagement around the Shoreline Revitalization Project. We need your input as we design a climate adaptive shoreline. Get the latest on this project and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website.
This week, Ossining's Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) got up and running. MCRTs enable behavioral health experts supported by police to address people having mental health crises, helping to de-escalate situations and improve follow-up. Our police department is one of seven Countywide that hosts an MCRT serving a small area (in our case, Ossining, Briarcliff, Pleasantville, Mount Pleasant, and Sleepy Hollow). I was pleased to represent Ossining along with Lt. Brendan Donahue at the press conference announcing the Westchester MCRTs back in May, and am even more pleased to see this initiative get underway.
Lastly, some notes about staying safe and healthy in the face of heat advisories and new viruses. Ossining’s Joseph G. Caputo Community Center is available this week as a cooling center during the excessive heat. The community center will be offering a safe place to cool down through today from 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 5PM and Sunday from 8AM to 3 PM. In addition, we will make the pool available for open swim through Friday from 7-8:45 PM, Saturday from noon – 5:45 PM, and Sunday from noon – 2:45 PM. There is a fee of $5 per person for those in the community that are not members. Also, the Louis Engel Spray Park will have extended hours from 11 AM to 8 PM daily through Sunday. If you’re having difficulty paying your utility bills, consider visiting mybenefits.ny.gov to see what assistance programs you may be eligible for.
Though monkeypox is not likely to become as pervasive a problem as COVID-19, it is important to learn more about it and take steps to contain its spread. Click here to read more information from the New York State Department of Health regarding the disease.
We are happy to report Westchester County is now able to offer free vaccines for those at higher risk of contracting the disease. This includes those who have traveled outside the US to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing, or those who have had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or with someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox. Westchester residents can call Westchester Medical Center at (914) 326-2060 to schedule a vaccine appointment from Monday through Friday 9 AM - 5 PM. The Loft LGBTQ+ Community Center will also host monkeypox vaccination clinics on Thursday, August 11 and August 18th. Vaccines are free. You can sign up here, on the NYS Dept of Health website - if no appointments appear available, check back periodically. And stay tuned to the Westchester County Department of Health website for more opportunities.
Because COVID is a continuing concern, consider getting yourself some free COVID test kits, available at Assemblywoman Sandy Galef’s office (2 Church St., Suite 203, Ossining, NY 10562). You can pick up one test for each member of your household.
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. Please stay safe and healthy and keep cool and we will see you soon!
--Dana
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