How much do you know about the Ossining Youth Bureau? This past Saturday, I was excited to join our group at an offsite. Members of the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), the first Youth Bureau to be established in Westchester County in nearly 30 years, met on Saturday, March 4^th, to discuss the Youth Bureau's goals and objectives. This three-hour meeting included special guest Frank Williams, Executive Director of the White Plains Youth Bureau, who provided an overview of the statewide Youth Bureau system and helped guide a discussion to provide the Ossining Youth Bureau with a strategic path forward to support its mission:

The mission of the Ossining Youth Bureau is to connect youth to positive services and programs that will help promote education, physical and emotional health, civic engagement, economic security, healthy choices, and a sense of belonging to the community.

Also in attendance were YAB Chair Harry Campbell and members Jeannette Gerber, Walter Hildago, Elain Hutchinson, Tenee Jones, Alice Joselow, Diana Lemon, Mayor Rika Levin, Kate Marshall, and Wendy Yancy, as well as Youth Bureau staff: Chima Monday, Youth Bureau Director; Jeffrey Santos Youth Advocate; Youth Bureau Coordinator Garrett Jennings, as well as Village Manager, Karen D'Attore. Over the next several weeks, the YAB will be expanded to include three youth members. A Youth Council comprised of twenty of Ossining's young adults will be established to ensure that our youth have strong representation to guide Youth Bureau strategies and programming. If you are interested, or you know of any young person who may be interested in becoming involved with the Youth Bureau and/or representing our community’s youth as a Youth Council Member, you can find more information at https://www.villageofossining.org/ossining-youth-bureau-oyb.

The Youth Bureau has already accomplished a lot. It runs several programs, including Grandpas United, which pairs youth with mentors, a youth employment program, and a STEM Alliance program. This month it will start a free Water Safety program for youth who qualify based on financial need and an after-school program for middle schoolers that will be run in partnership with the Ossining Public Library. A recent Ossining Youth Bureau Needs Assessment has identified youth employment as a priority for our community's youth. To this end, a key next step that emerged from Saturday's meeting was the establishment of YAB committees that will focus on developing and identifying youth employment opportunities and partners, as well as conducting outreach and education about the Youth Bureau to encourage greater youth participation and community support.

Village staff met with the Ecogy Energy team to discuss the Central Garage solar array project at the John-Paul Rodrigues Ossining Operations Center. I am pleased to announce that they commenced work today @ 8:30 AM! This project is on track to be the first municipally-owned site to proceed with installation following the RFP process for community solar with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) – soon to be followed by the solar canopy planned for the Ossining train station. Once everything is installed, we plan to broadcast the real-time solar impact. This will be a real opportunity to demonstrate the value of solar to our community.

March is Women’s History Month, a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. In addition to so many women in my personal life, like my mom, some women of note that have inspired me are:

- Jane Addam who is a pioneer for social change, Suffragist, settlement house founder, peace activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Hedy Lamarr who invented the tech behind wi-fi and GPS in addition to being considered one of the best and most beautiful actresses of her time. She discovered “frequency hopping," which revolutionized how the allies broke the Nazi codes.
- Sojourner Truth who was born into slavery and became an ardent abolitionist and women’s rights activist.
- Jeannette Rankin who was the first woman elected to Congress in 1916.
- Chien-Shiung Wu who worked as a scientist on the Atom bomb and conducted research that won her colleagues a Nobel Prize in 1957 (but not her).
- Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two prominent LGBTQ activists in the 1960s and in moving the New York City's gay rights movement forward.

Please join us on Thursday, March 9^th, from 4:00 - 5:00 PM for the Ossining Police Department's Mobile Pantry at 88 Spring Street.

Next week, starting Sunday, is Girl Scout week. Traditions connect Girl Scouts across the globe. During my tenure as Mayor, I have enjoyed spending time with Ossining's local Girl Scout Chapters, where we boast the largest membership in New York State.

Whether it be for the annual Halloween scarecrows seen throughout Ossining, the Memorial Day wreaths they make, and of course, when they led the Pledge of Allegiance at our annual inauguration ceremonies. This group of young women positively impacts our community.

For more information on how to join, visit https://www.ossininggirlscouts.org/

The New York Blood Center is in an Emergency Blood Appeal due to low appointments and blood inventory. A community blood drive will be scheduled here, in Ossining, on Sunday, March 12th, from 8:30am – 2:30pm at St. Augustine Church (381 North Highland Ave, Ossining).

To make an appointment, click here. Walk-ins welcome!

Here’s more information about the Blood Emergency: https://patch.com/new-york/across-ny/new-york-blood-center-declares-first-blood-emergency-2023

Remember! This weekend is Daylight Saving Time – and you will need to Spring Forward and set your clock an hour ahead.

This week's meeting will be held on Wednesday, 3/8, at 16 Croton Avenue at 7:30PM. We will begin with a Special Meeting, followed by our Work Session.

At this week’s Work Session, Chief Sylvester will join us to present a Q123 update on the Police Reform process. Village Engineer Paul Fraioli will discuss a CDBG project component from the LAST funding round (2019-2021) regarding the James Street Streetscape project. Next, we will discuss disallowing “open burns” as a matter of public safety.

There will also be topics related to the NYS Housing and Property Maintenance Code that need to be integrated into our Village Code as well as a continuation of the Escrow Policy and will wrap up with Village Manger Karen D’Attore giving a brief update on the progress the Village is making on the Route 9 Road Diet.