Supervisor Blog

Happy 1st of July! An early Update today, so we can give you all your Fireworks & Food Truck Fridays/Summer Concert Series news. We are so excited to be celebrating the return of the celebration of our country’s birth with our Independence Day Fireworks at the waterfront TONIGHT! This year’s fireworks will be preceded by and followed with a musical performance by the one and only Pablito y su Latin Show. Major thanks to our partners in planning our newly re-branded Ossining RiverJam - - Mike & Miriam Risko, Eric Gearity of Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Gayle Marchica and the Chamber of Commerce, Jermain Smith of ENU Builds, Brian Sheridan, and Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison. 

The food trucks for this evening will be Brothers Fish N Chips, La Bella Sophia Pizza, Kinwich, EMB Arancini Truck, Delicias Peruvian Kitchen, Bazodee Street Foods, New England’s Finest Lobster, Wanna Empanada, Cravin’ Jamaican Cuisine, Wrappers Delight, Weenie Wagon, Bubble Gum Party Entertainment, Rockland Kettle Corn, and The Blue Pig. Soul Brewing Company and Alternative Medicine Brewing Company will be joining Sing Sing Kill Brewery at the Craft Beverage Corral.

In other news, as you may have heard by now, this past Tuesday I won the Democratic primary to hopefully represent our district in the Assembly starting in January. I acknowledge this here to let you know that I do not plan on stepping down from my role as Town Supervisor prior to January 2023, and that whatever the outcome may be this November, I look forward to continuing to work hard on behalf of the Ossining community now and in the future. 

Earlier on Tuesday, I had the pleasure of joining Mayor Rika Levin and many Town and Village of Ossining elected officials and staff to unveil the official Mary Ann Roberts Entrance Hall at 16 Croton.  Honorable Town/Village Clerk Roberts retired in 2019 after close to 30 years of service to the Town and Village of Ossining.  She was also the Village’s first female mayor, and a Village Trustee, paving the way for so many inspirational women leaders in our community.  It was a great way to honor Mary Ann!

On a less fun note, unfortunately the Croton Gorge Unique Area has been closed for the season due to some property access issues.  The DEC will be working on a long term solution for people to access the Unique Area more safely, which will be released for public comment in the fall.  In the meantime, the Unique Area is closed and signs have been posted in the area and at Gerlach Park to inform potential visitors.  We went through this in 2020 when the Unique Area was closed due to COVID, and thanks to the NY/NJ Trail Conference Stewards, we were able to clearly inform people coming to the Unique Area. We thank you in advance for respecting the Unique Area and its needs.

A final note re: summer schedules for the Town. Starting Friday, July 1, summer hours will start for the Town, with Town offices (except for the Town Clerk) closing at 3:15pm on Fridays through Friday, September 2.  We will be closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day, and Tuesday’s Town Board meeting is also canceled. 

We are grateful for all those who serve to protect our freedoms and independence and will continue to work hard to ensure those protections that were so hard won are in place for generations to come.  Enjoy the holiday weekend! For more ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling.  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. 

Though national news gives us many reasons to feel angry, scared, and sad this week, happenings in the Town of Ossining continue to be a source of joy and pride.

The week started with a joyous Juneteenth celebration this past Sunday. Hats off to our Juneteenth Council, led by Joyce Sharrock-Cole, Althema Goodson and Diana Lemon, for putting on a spectacular festival! I along with my Town Board colleagues, Liz Feldman and Angelo Manicchio, were present to join in the fun and present certificates.

Two of the Town’s very own – Kevin Moore and Eddie Banta – were recognized at the Juneteenth festival.  Both Kevin and Eddie were recognized for being a part of the 40oz Crew, which steps in to help the community with various needs including meals and visits when someone is sick.  Kevin was also recognized with a Trailblazer award for being the first Black Foreman in the Town of Ossining.  Congratulations Eddie and Kevin for your well-deserved recognitions, and for all you do on a daily basis on behalf of the Town.

On Tuesday, we rang in the start of summer with another fantastic Make Music Day, thanks to Mike and Miriam Risko! I was on hand to present a proclamation to the Riskos for bringing such joy to the community, and to play a little guitar! 

On Wednesday, we celebrated the near-completion of the Morningside Drive repaving and curbing project by taking Assemblywoman Sandy Galef on a tour of the impacted area. I was joined by Town Board member Angelo Manicchio, Town/Village Engineer Paul Fraioli, and Highway Superintendent Pete Connolly. The cost of this project was partially offset by $120,000 in Multi-Modal funding from the Assemblywoman’s office. 

Phase one of this project was completed in the fall, including the installation of low-carbon concrete curbing to improve drainage and ensure the long term viability of the road infrastructure. 

Phase two of the project, to complete the milling and paving of the roadway from Chappaqua Road to the New Castle town line, will be complete in the coming weeks.

It’s important that our state legislators come to visit us, to get familiar with conditions on the ground and the solutions we need them to advocate for. For that reason, on Thursday, I took State Senator Pete Harckham on a tour of our North State Road businesses. Because of redistricting, Ossining will become part of the State Senate district Senator Harckham currently represents and seeks to continue to represent. He listened attentively to the concerns of local business owners and nonprofits, and to me as I explained our infrastructure needs on North State Road.

We also dropped off some shoes to the collection Club Fit has taken up to donate to Ukrainian refugees!

In other news, the Community Equity Task Force is continuing its 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, which started on 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. No worries about jumping in late; all of the previous days’ activities are viewable on the page, and you can get started anytime. 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, . 

Lastly, one week from today (yes, next Friday will be July 1!) we’ll be celebrating the return of fireworks at the waterfront! This year’s fireworks will be preceded by a concert by Pablito y su Latin Show. Major thanks to our partners in planning our Food Truck Fridays and Summer Concert Series - 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. 

For more ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep reading! Note that early voting continues this weekend for the Democratic and Republican primaries, and we 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. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 28, and polls will be open from 6 AM until 9 PM. Click here to find your Election Day polling place.

Note also that our next Town board meeting will be held on Wednesday evening (June 29) because our Town Clerk will be busy working the primary election Tuesday night. 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. 

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, . 

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!

Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates. 

Happy Friday! Hope you had a great week. 

Here in the Town, we continue to march ahead toward a more sustainable future, even as obstacles appear in our path. Earlier this week we learned that due to volatility in the energy markets, Sustainable Westchester is having difficulty securing a new contract with a fixed rate similar to the ones we have enjoyed for the past six years in the program. Our 100% Green Community Choice Aggregation program will be paused over the summer while Sustainable Westchester watches the energy markets and enters into a competitive bidding process for the next fixed rate contract. Your service will not be disrupted, but customers will be transitioned to ConEd's standard supply and variable rates during the pause, beginning with the first billing cycle after June 30, the end date for the current contract. 

Affected participants will receive a notification letter in the mail from Sustainable Westchester in the coming days, with details about the electricity supply service pause. They will also receive a transfer notice from ConEdison indicating that they are receiving the standard electricity supply which is at a variable rate. 

There is no action needed from residents to remain in the program when the program restarts. When we have the official re-start date in place, during the month prior, participants will receive a re-enrollment letter with confirmation of their energy supply choice and the new rate. They will also receive instructions on how to change the energy supply option or opt-out of the program before the new rates are in effect. 

Residents can pursue their own energy supply if they prefer. However, if a resident elects to sign an agreement with a private Energy Supply Company (ESCO) during the pause period, they will no longer be eligible for Westchester Power and will not be automatically re-enrolled into the program when it restarts.

For more information and to get your questions answered, please join a webinar hosted by Sustainable Westchester on Monday, June 20th at 7 PM: https://tinyurl.com/upperrivertownsjune20. You can also visit www.sustainablewestchester.org/wp/conedterritory to learn more, or email or call 914-242-4725 during the hours of Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM with any questions.

The Town of Ossining was an early supporter of this program, and we eagerly await the return of 100% green energy at fixed rates. We also continue to advocate at all levels for a faster transition away from fossil fuels and support for households during this transition. 

To that end, at this week’s Town Board meeting, we heard from student representatives from Sunrise Westchester, a youth climate advocacy organization, which has issued a set of demands for action on climate. We discussed a resolution of support for these demands, many of which align with actions we have been taking here in the Town for many years. As regular readers of the Update know, the Town has received the NYSERDA Clean Energy Community designation, and has made significant progress toward achieving Climate Smart Community certification. We will vote on a resolution at the next legislative session. 

This morning, I participated in a Climate-adaptive Design stakeholder meeting, as we continue the project to envision adaptations to protect our shoreline in the face of climate change. 

I am very grateful for collaborations such as this one, in which community organizations like Green Ossining partner with municipalities and state agencies to help our communities pursue climate action and resiliency. We will achieve our goals by working together. 

On a brighter note, tomorrow is the Village Fair, back in person for the first time in two years! I hope to see you there. 

Note that the farmer’s market is cancelled for tomorrow, to make way for the Village Fair. For more ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep reading! 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.