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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 01 February 2025

Created: 01 February 2025

Last Updated: 03 February 2025

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(The following was submitted by NY State Assemblymember Amy Paulin) Since 1976, February has been celebrated as National Black History Month. We use this time to honor the brave activists who fought against racial discrimination and oppression, as well as the artists, leaders and innovators who’ve left an indelible mark on our nation. As we reflect on these pioneers, we must keep in mind that the battles fought by these trailblazers of history are still being fought today.

While the struggle for equal rights and fair treatment cannot be pinned down to any one location, New York State is home to several key landmarks and milestones in Black history. During the Dutch and Indian War in 1644, the farms of 11 Black freedmen spanned most of central Manhattan, eventually earning them enough money to buy the freedom of their still-enslaved children. Later, historic Weeksville, Brooklyn, became the largest pre-Civil War community of free Black Americans in the United States. Many of the stops on the Underground Railroad were also located in New York, including abolitionist and freedman Frederick Douglass’ house in Rochester, the last stop on the Railroad before Canada. Harriet Tubman, one of the most prominent and effective conductors, helped hundreds of enslaved people escape their captors and settled in Auburn, N.Y., later in her life.

From poet, playwright and novelist Langston Hughes, to anthropologist and writer Zora Neale Hurston and prolific composer Duke Ellington, New York was also the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, which is widely credited with revitalizing Black culture through art, music and writing. The far-reaching effects of this cultural explosion would later influence future activists such as James Baldwin, a Harlem-born novelist and essayist who tackled both Black liberation and the struggles of the LGBTQ community in his writings.

More recently, New York served as the home of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In addition to representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven years, Ms. Chisholm became the first Black candidate to run for President of the United States, as well as the first woman to run for her party’s presidential nomination. We also saw history made with the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold the position in the United States.

Despite all the progress made by these influential activists, artists and politicians, racism and discrimination still permeate American society. As New York State Assembly Health Committee Chair, I also see this disparity in health care. In particular I have been focused on improving New York’s maternal morbidity and mortality rates, which disproportionately affect women of color. The New York City Commission on Human Rights has also released a report featuring testimonials from Black New Yorkers explaining that racism was “inescapable and emotionally taxing” in their day-to-day lives.

Black History Month serves as a time to not only honor and remember the victories of the past, but to motivate us to continue on the path toward true equality. Together, we can continue the work started by our pioneering activists and finally bring their goals – and our country’s founding ideals – to fruition.

As always, my door is open. If you have any questions about this or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact my office at paulina@nyassembly.gov or at 914.723.1115.

Also commenting on Black History Month, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, ""Black History Month is a time to reflect on the resilience, achievements and cultural impact of Black Americans throughout our Nation’s history. Westchester County is home to generations of Black leaders, artists, educators and activists who have helped shape our communities. From the stories of freedom seekers who traveled through our region on the Underground Railroad to the influential voices advocating for civil rights today, Westchester’s Black history is deeply rooted.

"As we celebrate this month, Let’s also recognize the ongoing work toward equity and inclusion that must continue. I encourage everyone to participate in the many events across the County, visit historic landmarks and engage in discussions that help us continue the progress we've made."

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Written by: Bill Doescher

Published: 22 January 2025

Created: 22 January 2025

Last Updated: 22 January 2025

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Rich Nightingale, the affable President and CEO of Yonkers-based Westhab, Inc., since 2014, on Wednesday, January 15th, inspired and engaged an extremely interested and highly educated audience in Hitchcock Presbyterian Church’s Clark Room on Greenacres Avenue in Scarsdale about the sometimes-misunderstood subjects of affordable and other housing.

As the give-and-take discussion ensued right on the dot of 6 p.m., comments began to flow easily about how affordable housing is one of the most important issues facing our nation these days. And, it didn’t take long before the conversation switched to a definition-comparison of two sometimes misunderstood real-estate terms, the previously mentioned affordable housing and public housing.

In addition, without waiting to be asked, the group willingly moved into a discussion about how those subjects may or may not affect the residents and leadership in the various towns and villages in Westchester and Rockland counties, and even a few areas in nearby New York City where Westhab has also made itself a needed humanitarian part of the community with its offerings that sometimes include youth and employment services and moving homeless households into permanent housing.

According to PublicHousing.Com, the affordable housing network, there are a variety of low-income housing options available, including: Public Housing: Public housing is owned and operated by your area Housing Authority. The internet item also noted, “Public housing units are rented to low-income households at below-market rates. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Section 8 is a federal program that provides rental assistance to low-income households. Vouchers can be used to rent apartments, town houses, or single-family homes from private landlords.”

Fueling His Passion for Social Justice

During his somewhat informal presentation, Nightingale, who joined the Westhab organization in 2001, proudly credited his early years on the frontlines at Westhab for fueling his passion for social justice and his deep commitment to Westhab’s overall mission. At the Hitchcock event, he also provided brief updates on some of Westhab’s newer housing projects that indeed have helped the underserved and other people in Westchester and Rockland counties and a few areas of New York City.
Those in the audience had come-in from the extremely cold weather outside into Hitchcock’s warm Clark Room in order to listen to Nightingale’s stories, joining those bundled-up at home in front of their computers.

It all seemed like a fireside chat, reminiscent of the late 32nd U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s reports to the nation during the 1930s and 1940s, well before the advent of television when 90 percent of American households owned a radio and could listen to FDR. Interestingly enough, if you checked your history books, FDR was not actually sitting beside a fireplace when he delivered those series of radio addresses between 1933 and 1944.

Nonetheless, the Hitchcock event wasn’t a conversation about the 1930s or the 1940s. It was 2025 and the church’s first Kairos event of the new year.

Differences in Housing Options

With his notes in hand that he never used, Nightingale led a discussion about the differences between affordable housing and public housing and what effects those differences may have on the various Westchester and Rockland towns and villages. Some of the attendees joined in with their individual knowledge about those two subjects, and a few even gave their version on how those two housing ideas might affect the various villages and its residents today and in the future. Someone in the audience even offered, “A lot of people living in Westchester today now couldn’t afford to purchase the house they bought 30 years ago.”

According to Olympia Management on the Internet, “The terms ‘affordable housing’ and ‘public housing’ are frequently used interchangeably, causing a lot of confusion in the process. They are actually two very different types of housing with different qualifying criteria. The problem is that by confusing the terms, many people who are struggling to afford rent don’t realize they may actually qualify for help under possible dozens of different programs. Many people also mistakenly think government help is only available to the most impoverished.”

Nightingale cited that “the Westchester County Housing Needs Assessment of 2019 reported that a whopping 41 percent or 141,570 of the 345,885 households in Westchester, are housing-cost burdened and pay more than 30 percent of their income in housing costs. Furthermore, there is no municipality in the County where the market-rate trend for a two-bedroom unit, averaging at that time $2,495 per month, is affordable to households earning the local hourly renter-wage.” Nightingale went on to share that rents have only gone up in the five years since the study, and the gap between housing costs and what workers in our economy can afford is only growing.

Proud of Dayspring Commons in Yonkers

As the long-time leader of the mission-driven nonprofit developer and service provider, he is justifiably proud of all his Westhab projects and said so. Nightingale highlighted in his slide program for the evening, among others, Dayspring Commons, located on Nodine Hill in Yonkers, that launched in the past few years, and eventually created 63 apartments and a newly rehabilitated Community Center that once was a 140-year-old church. “Our vision for the Dayspring Campus—the Community Center together with the Commons—had long been to become a real anchor for this community as well as a real catalyst,” he said. That particular Westhab project was financed by early seed money from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation and financial support from the City of Yonkers and Westchester County.

In an essay by Nightingale in a marketing brochure that was provided to the attendees, it said Westhab “has continued to grow its impact to meet needs in our community, while staying true to our values and ensuring quality services for everyone who passes through our doors.” Time and again the organization has created “a more equitable community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

By his warm smile throughout his Hitchcock 60-minute talk and Q and A, you could readily see and hear that Nightingale is heavily engaged in his role as president and CEO of Westhab, “Building Communities. Changing Lives,” the organization that has been providing a bushelful of offerings for 40-plus years. The slogan is the organization’s “on the money” marketing message to the general public, governments, and its mountain of supporters.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 January 2025

Created: 12 January 2025

Last Updated: 13 January 2025

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Ashley Fraser and Mikhail MilesNot everyone visits Scarsdale Village Hall to pay a parking fine or settle a tax bill. In fact, some take a trip to Village Hall for a far more meaningful reason, marking one of the happiest days of their lives. Why? In 2024, the Village hosted 19 wedding ceremonies and issued 49 marriage licenses at Village Hall and the library.

These ceremonies are officiated by the Village’s appointed marriage officers, selected each year at the first meeting of the newly elected Village Board. Currently, the Village’s marriage officers are Deputy Mayor Gruenberg, Trustee Karen Brew, and Former Trustee Deb Pekarek.

Deputy Mayor Gruenberg explained, “We conduct wedding ceremonies during the Village’s regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM. While many couples opt for the charming Rutherford Hall, we're also happy to perform ceremonies at other locations within the Village. I’ve officiated weddings at the picturesque Library Pond and the grassy area next to Village Hall—it's about creating a meaningful setting for the couple, as well as a great spot for photos."

Each officiant has a unique style, and Deputy Mayor Gruenberg adds her personal touch to every ceremony. "I spend time researching vows and looking for meaningful quotes or poems to include. I typically offer three sets of vows for couples to choose from, though some choose to write their own, which makes the ceremony even more personal. I won’t deny it—there have been moments when I’ve teared up during a particularly touching exchange of vows. Whether couples come with a crowd of loved ones or alone, every ceremony is special. It’s become common for family and friends to join virtually via FaceTime or Zoom, so no one misses the moment."
Gruenberg continues, "This part of my job as Deputy Mayor is one of my favorite responsibilities. Being part of such a joyous occasion is an incredible honor. Getting to know the couple, their families, and their stories makes each ceremony unique. I especially love including children in the ceremony—whether they carry the rings or play another special role."

She also reflects on the variety of experiences. "Some couples are rushing to marry before relocating abroad, while others have been together for years and decide, often spontaneously, to tie the knot. December was especially busy, as many couples came to Scarsdale after New York City Hall paused weddings. I officiated three ceremonies in one day! Regardless of the circumstances, every ceremony is a celebration of love, and it’s an absolute privilege to be part of it."

Gruenberg always makes a point to take a picture with the couple after the ceremony, capturing the joy of their special moment. "They often thank me, but honestly, I feel like I should be thanking them. Every ceremony is a bright spot in my day, and it’s impossible not to feel uplifted by their happiness. That photo serves as a reminder of the privilege I have in sharing such a meaningful milestone."

Trustee Karen Brew shared her thoughts on being a wedding officiant: “It’s so enjoyable to be part of a couple’s special day, as they embark on a new chapter full of hope and promise. I recently officiated a wedding where the couple wrote their own vows. Their vows told the beautiful story of their seven-year relationship and what each person meant to the other. The groom got teary-eyed, as did the bride. The emotion was contagious—it spread across the room to me and the Village staff. It was a truly beautiful moment."

Former Village Trustee Deb Pekarek agreed. She said, "I love to officiate weddings! It is a magical moment for two people and I am so delighted and honored to marry a happy couple!

I have presided over so many weddings and while each are different, they are all a truly beautiful moment for each couple and those in attendance.

I have married everyone. Some weddings are abundantly attended, with many relatives and friends as part of the ceremony. One was faced-timed to Brazil and another around the world! I did the first virtual wedding during Covid. Many weddings were held at Village Hall, in neighbor’s backyards, and at the Library Pond, in the gazebo, with the barn swallows as witnesses. And certainly, a special treat is to marry the children of good friends!

I have so many vivid memories of very happy couples that choose to be married in Scarsdale. I hope to be able to celebrate love with these couples for many years!"

Here are a few stories from happy couples married in Scarsdale in 2024:

Akilah Smith and Javed WisdomAkilah Smith and Javed Wisdom with Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg

Akilah and Javed wanted to have an intimate ceremony and on September 9, 2024 that’s just what they got. Akilah shared, "Javed and I met at a restaurant in 2021. We both had recently moved to the Bronx—me from Scarsdale and him from Mount Vernon. I’m a high school teacher in the Lower Hudson Valley. We were planning a traditional wedding, but we realized it just wasn’t us. We’re simple people, and we didn’t want anything that felt like a spectacle. So we decided to marry at Village Hall with just my best friend and his mom, who flew in from California. It was perfect."

She continued, “The Deputy Mayor performed the ceremony, and she was the star of our wedding photos. Everyone wanted to know who the fabulous lady in the dress and Michael Jordan sneakers was! She explained she’d had surgery and couldn’t wear heels. We got married outside because it was a beautiful fall day. She offered us three sets of vows, and we chose the one that felt just right. The ceremony was lovely and intimate, and we were so grateful for the young lady in the front office who suggested we marry outside and also served as our unofficial photographer. Everyone was wonderful."

Ashley Fraser and Mikhail Miles

On October 18, 2024, Ashley and Mikhail of Yonkers had their wedding at Library Pond. Mikhail, an engineer, and Ashley, an executive assistant, were excited to marry in Scarsdale. Ashley shared, "We met in 2017 at a party in Kingston, Jamaica, where our families were close friends. After four years, we started dating in 2021. When we got engaged, we decided to marry in Westchester. After a quick Google search, we found Scarsdale Village Hall, which stood out to us because we had the option to marry either inside the Village Hall or at the Library grounds. We were lucky enough to have perfect weather, so we chose the outdoor location."

Lauren and Chris HeintzChris and Lauren Heintz

On December 20, 2024, Chris and Lauren Heintz of White Plains made it official at Village Hall. Chris recalled how they met: "We met on July 4, 2021, while I was in Manhattan to see the fireworks. Lauren approached me to ask if we could see them from where I was standing. We ended up chatting for a couple of hours until the fireworks began—and it turned out, it was a perfect spot for viewing! Not many people can say they met randomly on the streets of NYC during the 4th of July."

Chris continued, “When we decided to marry, we found White Plains doesn’t conduct wedding ceremonies, so we looked to Scarsdale—a town we’ve visited and liked. It’s beautiful and personal, and we felt it would be a much more intimate experience than city hall in Manhattan.”

Requirements for a Wedding in Scarsdale

-To ensure a legal marriage in New York State (NYS), couples must meet the following requirements:

-Marriage License: The couple must obtain a valid marriage license from a New York State town or city clerk. The license must be issued at least 24 hours before the ceremony and is valid for 60 days.

-Authorized Officiant: The ceremony must be performed by an authorized officiant, such as clergy, judges, or other legally recognized individuals.

-Witnesses: At least one or two witnesses, aged 18 or older, must be present during the ceremony.

-Declaration of Intent: Both parties must declare their intent to marry, usually by saying “I do” or similar vows.

-Completion of Marriage Certificate: After the ceremony, the officiant must complete the marriage certificate section of the license and return it to the issuing clerk’s office for registration.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 01 January 2025

Created: 01 January 2025

Last Updated: 01 January 2025

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Before heading to Washington to represent Congressional District 16, County Executive George Latimer gave a farewell address to friends and supporters On December 30, 2024. In a late career move, Latimer defeated Congressman Jamaal Bowman who lost the confidence of the Jewish community in the wake of the hostage crisis in Israel. Latimer, who has been in public service for the county and the state will now be a junior Congressman in the minority party and is cognizant of what he will and will not be able to do in his first term.

In his reflective remarks on Monday, he commented on his predecessors, his career trajectory and what he has learned along the way. He provided a lengthy list of his many accomplishments by building consensus with friends and colleagues.

He vowed to use these skills in Washington and rise above "petty angers, identities and rigid ideologies" to work toward solutions of the nation’s problems.

If he makes even half as many friends in Washington as he has in Westchester, he will quickly be sought out to sow agreement among rivals and build consensus among competing factions.

Who will fill his shoes in Westchester until the next election? Watch for an announcement from the Board of Legislators here.

Here is the full text of Latimer’s address:

Good afternoon friends; you have done me a great honor by being here today.

It has been written in prose and in song:
To everything, there is a season; and a time to every purpose under Heaven.
A time to be Born and a time to die
A time to plant and a time to reap
A time to break down and a time to build up
A time to weep and a time to laugh
A time to mourn and a time to dance

This is the human condition, throughout eternity.

A time to begin… and a time to end.

The first time I entered this chamber was 33 years ago, in 1991. At the tender age of 38, I sat in the gallery as a Legislator-elect, trying to understand the workings of this body. Next month, it will be 27 years since I stood at this podium, newly elected the Chair of this legislature. 20 years ago almost to the day, I stood up on the floor of this chamber and said once before “goodbye” - and after 13 years, leaving the County legislature to serve as a freshman State assemblyman. And 7 years ago, I returned to this podium in my first visit as County Executive-elect to ask for permission to bring the Annual State of the County Message to this Chamber. I said that night “The author Thomas Wolfe was wrong; you can go home again. Standing here before you, I am home again”. So I return here, once more home, in my last days in service in the government of this County. I am a lucky man, a blessed man, to have had this opportunity. I have valued each of you in your respective positions for the work you have done, and the work we have done together.

If there were a Mt. Rushmore for County Executives, the spots would have long ago been filled by the sculpted faces of Bleakley and Michaelian, DelBello and O’Rourke.

My tenure here, 7 years, is among the shortest of my predecessors: six of my eight predecessors have served longer than I have. They built the platform on which we stand. Which is why I have asked you to help me honor them with the Andrew O’Rourke Trailway and the Andrew Spano Archives and as we re-dedicated this building, the Edwin Michaelian Office Building.

Yet, we have had our own achievements.

We have fixed Memorial Field, Sprain Ridge Pools, Washington HQ/Miller House, the infrastructure at Playland and the O’Rourke Trailway.
We built the new NR Family Court and placed EV charging stations everywhere
We electrified our buses and made them free over the summer
We fought COVID wisely and save lives.
We invested in affordable housing and the expansion of Regeneron and Morgan
We funded the police to fight crime and funded child care for those who couldn’t afford it
We honored Diwali and Nowruz, Gold Star Mother’s and WWI Veterans, Chinese Lunar New Year and African American Trailblazers and members of the LGBTQ community, and recognized our Hispanic/Latino, Jewish, Italian, Albanian, Armenian, Pakistani, Jordanian. Egyptian and Irish neighbors
We cut taxes and froze taxes, and built up our reserves and raised our bond rating
We built a new relationship with our local governments and school districts and shared revenue with them; we worked closely with our state legislators as colleague and friends
We treated migrants with respect and we treated mothers with maternal health care issues with respect as well
We passed laws to reduce plastic waste and to require truthful disclosure of candidates, and to ensure access to women’s health facilities
We repaved the Airport runway, and repaved Mamaroneck Avenue and countless other county roads and bridges and with those public projects, created good paying union jobs for our men and women who work with their hands in building and repairing this County
We supported our workforce with respect and compensation - Union and non-represented alike
And we did all of this with an attitude of friendship - no pomposity, no arrogance. With the spirit of respect and good Neighborliness. And we have shown that Democrats and Republicans can work together and can find common ground on major issues — further, that when we disagree we can still show respect to each other

We did this - all of us together - I am grateful to have reached this podium which so much good to report.

I suspect I will return to this podium, as a member of Congress, to update all of you on the progress in our nation’s Capitol, when the time is right. And we will continue to see each other across the communities we represent, and on the never-ending campaign trail which is the reality of holding a two-year term of office.

We have had our agreements and our disagreements, and we will again in the future. Democracy assumes debate and competition of ideas and of people - and it is in the hot fire of debate and conflict that the strongest steel is forged. It is true that we compete, for our ideas and for the power to implement them. But it must also be true we are all Americans, tied together by fate and faith, and we cannot succeed or even survive as a house divided as Lincoln once said.

When Lincoln took his leave of Springfield Illinois to go to Washington to assume the Presidency, he never returned — except to be buried. Modern travel and longevity changes that calculus greatly. But the power comes from here that propels you to DC, not the other way around.

Some people feel achieving power will make America great. Some people feel we are close to a crisis equal to 1860 or 1932. Time will tell. I hope what I learned in Rye City Hall, in the NYS Capitol and in this building will best prepare me for what lies ahead.

A number of my friends have remarked to me that I don’t seem especially exuberant to have won this victory, and to head off to the “Big Show” in national government. Perhaps so. I see the clouds at hand: the international threats, the domestic strife. It is very sobering. The moment is not about any personal achievement or electoral victory - the needs of our country comes first.

I’m not worried at all about how nice my DC office is or isn’t, or what perks may be provided. But I’ve always been that way - no name on the signs, no entourage, no pay increase. Tougher Term limits. The personal stuff doesn’t matter much to me.

The challenge ahead does. This land has serious problems to deal with, and I want to stand with the best minds and the best hearts to work through our differences and address those problems. And if we spend too much time dwelling and rehashing the past, we are going to lose the present and we are going to lose the future.

The future. That’s why people put us here.

This nation has risen to every test so far. 1776. 1861. 1933 and 1941. 9-11-2001.

Let us, in this season, again heed the words Dickens gave to the ghost of Jacob Marley when he confronted his partner Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. When told by Scrooge he was a good man of business, Marley replied

“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business. Charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence were all my business”.

It is time for us to rise again, to rise above petty angers, and identity, and rigid ideology, and raw ambition, to show drive and determination in the face of difficulties. So I take my leave from this building. Your challenges continue - the work is never done.

There is no indispensable man. My time here ends, yours continues forward.

But there are indispensable principles.
There is indispensable faith.

And on some Monday soon to come, I will look out the window on the Amtrak train, over the open lands of New Jersey, the skylines of Philadelphia and Baltimore, the backyards of New Brunswick, Bristol, Newark and New-ark. I will never forget what I learned in this building.

And I will still be found on the streets of
Yonkers and Harrison, Tuckahoe and CoOp City, in Hartsdale and Wakefield and Port Chester. Right alongside you, proving in small things everyday that democracy is still the best form of government known to mankind.

Goodbye… for now.