Memorial Day
As you are all aware, Monday, May 30th is Memorial Day, the one day we set aside each year to remember the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Irvington takes tremendous pride in honoring these service members in a ceremony that likely dates back to the holiday’s origins as Decoration Day after the end of the Civil War. After a four-year hiatus, I am pleased to announce the return of our traditional Memorial Day parade to the ceremony. The observances begin at 10:45 am at the Veterans Memorial Plaza on Main Street. Following the ceremony, the parade steps off. Our marchers will head up Main Street and down Broadway to Memorial Park for the second portion of this important day’s ceremonies. Many of our community groups and youth organizations will be marching. If you would like to march, please reach out to me and I’ll put you in touch with our parade organizers.
Speaking of organizers, I would like to thank our grassroots Memorial Day Committee, but especially Nina-Caporal Dawson and Richard Parke for their tireless effort to bring back our parade. Also, thanks to our dedicated staff members including Joe Archino and Karen Buccheri for their efforts.
I look forward to seeing you all on Main Street this Monday.
Parade Route
Town Hall Clock Tower
If you have been on Main Street recently, then surely you noticed that our beloved Town Hall is, once again, shrouded in scaffolding. The clock tower has seen a bit of deterioration over the past few years, so we will be working to restore it back to its original grandeur. This follows on the heels of our $1.2 million investment to protect and restore the exterior brickwork and terra-cotta back in 2016. The clock tower project is expected to last until November.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
On May 16, the Board of Trustees adopted a resolution creating a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. The formation of a DEI Committee was a top priority for me and my colleagues. The mission of the DEI Committee is “to make Irvington a welcoming and inclusive village for all people who live in, work or visit our village.”
We expect the Committee will tackle such issues as special events and community celebrations, hiring practices, and employee and volunteer training. We look forward to making appointments to the Committee and watching the fruits of their labor.
If you are interested in serving on the DEI Committee, feel free to reach out to me or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Tragedy in Uvalde, Texas
I have started this portion of this letter several times, but, frankly, words have failed me. As a father, a mayor, a man and as an American, I am exhausted, saddened, embarrassed, angry, and devastated. There have been too many times since I have been in office that we have had to offer moments of silence, prayers and condolences to innocent children that have been murdered due to inaction by our elected officials. While I once again offer those prayers and condolences to the victims, their families and the first responders tasked with dealing with the tragedy, those well-meaning wishes are wholly inadequate. What we need is our states, but especially our federal government, to get together to discuss mass shootings and the many issues contributing to these murders, in a sane, non-political manner. After each of these tragedies, I get a glimmer of hope that this will be the time we say “enough” and we will finally focus as a nation on tackling something that everyone agrees is horrific and needs to stop.
Locally, I try to do all I can to support commonsense gun laws, especially the idea of universal background checks. Additionally, I try to support expanding mental health access and removing the stigma of mental health issues. I am also very proud of the proactive stance that the Irvington Police Department and Irvington Fire Department have taken regarding training to not only respond to these types of emergencies but to also prevent them. This week, the Irvington Police Department has had a more high-profile presence on the Irvington school campuses, particularly during pick-up and drop-off. But, you should know that they regularly patrol, not only the parking lots, but they also walk through the hallways of our school buildings.
I am an optimistic person by nature, and I know as a country we can accomplish anything. I hope that this can finally be the time we say “enough” and have the fortitude to take this pain and turn it into real solutions. There is plenty of work to do.
Be well,
Brian C. Smith, Mayor
Village of Irvington, NY
bsmith@irvingtonny.gov