Mayor’s Message – Earth Day Events in our Lovely Village!
Posted on: April 19, 2024 - 9:34am
Dear everyone,
Each day the news on climate seems to get more and more dire, but as the Carbon Almanac (c/o our own Seth Godin and his many contributors) reminds us “it’s not too late”!!! For the next two weekends the Village will be offering many fun and interesting family activities in celebration of Earth Day, and you’re all invited to participate!
Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival): Saturday April 20, 12 to 3 pm, Villard Pocket Park
On Saturday, April 20, 2023, from noon to 3 pm the Hastings-on-Hudson Cherry Blossom Festival is back for its 6th year (see HERE for details). Join the celebration at Villard Pocket Park under the beautiful Kanzan cherry trees. There will be traditional Japanese music performances, Japanese arts and crafts, including origami (paper folding) and shodo (calligraphy), as well as Japanese food and refreshments. Even though the deadline was yesterday, you can still submit Haiku to hang on the trees with wishes for good luck and prosperity (please send your contributions to hohcherryblossom@gmail.com). The cherry trees were a donation from Hiroko and Shinichi Aizeki in 1984 — these forty years later they have matured into gorgeous trees, and we thank the Aizeki family for gifting us such treasures. Very special thanks also to the Bordwin family, who have lovingly created and maintained this delightful tradition!
5 Corners Pollinator Garden: Saturday April 20, 3:30 to 5 pm, 5 Corners
After viewing the cherry blossoms, pop over to 5 corners to join our Pollinator Pathway volunteers in their spring weeding and nurturing session. Learn skills with seasoned gardeners and bring work gloves and tools for weeding if you have them.
Local Arbor Day Events: Friday, April 26th, 2024 at 3:45 pm, Zinsser Park
Arbor Day is the annual observance of the importance of trees in our lives. It was first observed in Nebraska in 1872, and is a day when people around the world plant trees and celebrate environmental stewardship. Our Village was recognized as a Tree City USA Community by the National Arbor Day Foundation 40 years ago, and this year the Village has proclaimed April 26 as Arbor Day. Thanks to our Recreation Department team, we will be celebrating by planting trees in Zinsser Park on April 26 at 3:45 pm (see HERE).
Arbor Day is the annual observance of the importance of trees in our lives. It was first observed in Nebraska in 1872, and is a day when people around the world plant trees and celebrate environmental stewardship. Our Village was recognized as a Tree City USA Community by the National Arbor Day Foundation 40 years ago, and this year the Village has proclaimed April 26 as Arbor Day. Thanks to our Recreation Department team, we will be celebrating by planting trees in Zinsser Park on April 26 at 3:45 pm (see HERE).
Spring Thing!: Sunday April 28, 12 to 4 pm, Warburton Avenue Closed to Traffic
On Sunday April 28, the Village is hosting its annual Spring Thing! from noon to 4:00 pm (see HERE and HERE). It will take place all along Warburton Avenue, with eco-friendly local businesses, local conservation and sustainability groups and a kid’s activity zone. There will be live music (both the Eric Blicker Band and the Grifters), a community cookout hosted by our Fire Department, and a return visit from the museum of interesting things. Restaurants will have outdoor tables and some of our stores will be hosting sidewalk sales and offering deals. The kid’s activities will include May Day headdresses crafted from invasive vines. You will also be able also learn about our pollinator pathways initiative. It will be an amazing street party and you’re all welcome!!
Village Wide Clean-up Weekend: Saturday & Sunday April 27 & 28, all day everywhere
Around this time every year members of the community select a part of the Village to clean up. Residents gather in groups and spend a few hours picking up trash, clearing paths, trimming passageways, day-lighting sidewalks, and doing other generally civic-minded things that involve tidying the outdoors. Trash bags are available at the Community Center as of 9 am and also at the VFW (see HERE). So, choose a part of the Village to work on and feel the satisfaction of doing your part to make our Village beautiful! If you don't already have ideas, please check in with the Parks & Rec Department who will find you a good place to work. And if you’re doing a bit of spring cleaning of your own, a place many of us forget to clean out is our medicine cabinets - when you take a look at yours, if you find you have unused drugs, please drop them off at the VFW between 10 am and 2 pm on Saturday April 27 (see HERE) (note our Police have a drop off facility that is open every day of the year).
13th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep May 4, 2024: 12 to 2 pm
Another way to keep our Village gorgeous is to participate in the 13th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep, which will take place on Saturday, May 4 starting at 12 noon, at River Glen Cove/MacEachron Park. Join the Conservation Commission and local residents to clean up the debris that gathers on the banks of the Hudson River, and endangeres wildlife that makes that area home (for more info see HERE and to register click HERE).
The HoH Bioblitz
Just as we have for the last few years, this month we’re having a Bioblitz in National Geographic's free iNaturalist app — it’s a fun virtual way to celebrate Earth Month. Using a smartphone, you take pictures of living things you find in your yard or our woods and public spaces and the iNaturalist app will automatically log your discovery in our Bioblitz. At the end of the month, we'll have a snapshot of what's in Hastings, and in the process you’ll learn about our local ecology. Our Bioblitz runs from April 1 to April 30 so there’s still time to get involved.
New Landscaping Law and Landscaper Incentives
And finally, a reminder that the Board of Trustees adopted a new Landscaping Law in January of this year, which mandates only one blower per ½ acre and bans gas powered blowers except for 2 ½ months in the fall (see HERE). Please alert your landscapers, and remind them that they need to be registered in the village to do business here (there is no cost for registering, but there is penalty for not doing so). Also, let them know that to ease the burden of this transition on landscapers, we introduced an incentive program where we will reimburse up to $1,500 of green landscaping equipment upon presentation of a receipt (see HERE). So far, five landscaping companies have taken advantage of this program.
For upcoming events take a look at Destination Hastings and Upcoming Community Events (which is the link posted in the Board of Trustees Agenda twice a month).
Have an amazing Earth Day weekend!!!
Sincerely,
Nicola Armacost
Mayor