MAYOR'S UPDATE
From the desk of Mayor Rika Levin
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In solidarity: We are horrified by the shooting this past Saturday in Buffalo, New York, which law enforcement quickly classified as a hate crime. We know that an 18-year-old gunman killed ten people and injured three others in the attack, allegedly posting a virulently racist and anti-Semitic manifesto shortly before the shooting. Eleven of the victims were Black, and the attacker reportedly chose the location because he believed a high percentage of Black people live there. Markings on the perpetrator's gun appear to be white supremacist in nature, including a reference to the “14 words”, a popular white supremacist slogan.
Police identified the shooter as an 18-year-old from upstate New York. He drove three hours to Buffalo, where he wore tactical armor and a body camera and fired on the employees and customers of a Tops supermarket. He attempted to live stream the shooting on Twitch's popular game streaming platform, which then acted quickly to take down the streaming.
Ossining is a three-hour drive from the Binghamton area where the shooter is from. Again, it brings home that we are all in this together; we all need to be more diligent and watchful as hate keeps raising its ugly head in civil society. Teach our children civility, not rogue behavior. We grieve for the victims, their families, and the city of Buffalo.
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Communities worldwide have mourned the unforeseen human toll of COVID-19 and its multi-faceted damage to our society over the past two years. Last week, we reached another grim milestone, with the reported death toll reaching over 1,000,000 Americans lost.
In March 2021, Ossining broke ground for the COVID-19 Remembrance Memorial at Nelson Sitting Park. One year later, it is complete with a sitting area, a beautiful specially chosen oak tree, and an ADA accessible path. We hope you find it an inviting and welcoming sitting area to reflect and remember those who were lost and those who lost others due to this disease.
Our theme for our 2022 ceremony was Gratitude: We gave special thanks to Ossining and Westchester County first responders, without whom we would have been lost during this stressful, challenging, and painful time.
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Richard Wishnie
Emergency Services Commissioner
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Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps
Chief Nick Franzoso
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Ossining Police Department
Lieutenant Brendan Donohue
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Ossining Fire Department
Louis Sanchez, 2nd Assistant Chief Engineer
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A very special thank you to Mary Wu, who, through the Ossining COVID Project, submitted her poem “100 Days”, which you can read here, or better yet, scan the QR code that is located directly on the bottom of the COVID Memorial Plaque. You can also follow the work produced by Historian Joyce Sharrock-Cole. Her perspective on memorializing history as it happens has been most valuable. I also want to take this opportunity to personally thank Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison, Parks Foreman Miguel Marra, and the entire Parks Staff for completing the construction work on this project. From the administration side, Village Manager Karen D’Attore, Assistant Village Manager Maddi Zachacz, and Project Manager Jaimie Hoffman for their work in planning, designing, and coordinating this project. I would also like to thank Donna Sharrett and our Village Historian Joyce Sharrock Cole for their invaluable contributions to this project.
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Next year on Monday, March 13, 2023, the Village will be launching the book created from The Ossining COVID Project. Ossining residents and businesses are encouraged to participate in this historic endeavor to memorialize our very human experiences during the pandemic. Submissions for inclusion in this book, please submit your story by September 1, 2022 (click here).
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On the environmental front: The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is working with the Town and Village of Ossining to design a resilient shoreline. The project's goal is to take elements from the 10 Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD) Studio concepts developed by Cornell University students in 2019 and create a cohesive and implementable design to improve coastal resiliency. This will be aligned with the Town and Village's updated Comprehensive Plans and the Village's Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP). This approach will create a preliminary design of a shoreline revitalization project, including a shoreline walkway and cultural/educational amenities.
Historically, communities of color and low-income residents have often not been included in developing projects and are often disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. These communities will be prioritized throughout the process to promote an equitable process and design which aligns with New York State’s Environmental Justice initiatives.
By partnering with local community organizations, translating materials, and prioritizing alternative channels to share input, we hope that the project minimizes barriers to sharing input.
How can YOUR voice be heard?
Please share this information and request input from as many community members as you can.
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Some items of note:
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We will start with a Public Hearing on the honorary street re-naming for Neil Woolf (scheduled to be unveiled at the Village Fair on June 11th).
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We are thrilled to promote Officer Patrick McGovern to a Sergeant in the Ossining Police Department, effective Monday, May 23rd.
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In our series of presentations by volunteer boards, we will next be hearing from LTRC’s (Landlord-Tenant Relations Council) Chair Steve Dewey.
- The Board will have a resolution calling for a Public Hearing on the request for a density bonus at 31 Croton Avenue to be held at the June 1 Legislative Meeting.
- The BOT has a resolution to adopt Local Law #2 of 2022 re: e-bikes and e-scooters in the Village of Ossining (formerly Proposed LL#4 of 2022).
- There is a resolution calling for a Public Hearing (for June 1) on Proposed LL#5 re: The release of balloons and sky lanterns
- There is a resolution adopting the new Village seal, as was discussed at last week’s Work Session.
- Under New Business:
- Corporation Council Stuart Kahan will return to discuss Proposed Local Law #1 of 2022 regarding revisions to the CPCRB.
- There will also be a discussion of where the Village is with the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).
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Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org
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