Mayor’s Message – Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, Various Community Events, TILI Turns Two, Clean Energy Expo, CSA, and an Exciting Earth Month Announcement!
Posted on: April 10, 2024 - 8:27pm
Dear everyone,
Between the earthquake and the eclipse, Mother Nature has been front and center as we launch into earth month! Thanks to our amazing Library staff for organizing glasses for the for the community eclipse watch in Draper Park, to the Historical Society for providing restrooms, and to all of you for the wonderful atmosphere you created (see HERE). Also, thanks to Josh Phillips and the Hastings Little League Board for the delightful opener on Saturday – you can see a video of the parade and ceremony HERE under “events” if you missed it. And finally, huge thanks to Benny Bulfamante and Revolutionary Hastings for the stunning tulips in Wager Park (Broadway and Warburton) – absolutely gorgeous!
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week: April 8 to 21, 2024, Downtown
The Spring Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is back (actually it’s really two weeks!), and three of our local favorites Harvest-on-Hudson, Saint George Bistro and Divino Cucina Italiana are participating. Do make the most of the super deals they’re offering; click HERE to make a booking.
Library Happenings: Friday April 12 and Sunday April 14, Library
From April 10 to 17 the world famous Barkin Corner Book Shop housed in our Library (turn right after you walk in) is having a sale (hardbacks $1 and paperbacks $0.50). There are many delightful books for you to select, whatever you purchase will support one of the Village’s most beloved institutions. Each month there are fabulous events at the Library, which you can find described HERE. This week on Friday April 12th from 11 to 12 am, the “Keeping it Real” Book Club will feature Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Steven Greenblatt, and on Sunday April 14th at 2 pm there will be a screening of Carmen & Geoffrey. Don’t forget you can support the Library in a very painless but effective way by signing up so that a percentage of what you spend on your grocery bill at Food Town is automatically donated to the Library (call the Library team or see HERE to learn more). This year the Friends of the Hastings Public Library is hoping to sign up 500 supporters - to learn how you can become one of them see HERE. And finally, sincere thanks to the Library Board of Trustees and the Friends of the Library for all they do.
Friday Night Live Words on Hudson: Friday April 12, 6 to 9 PM, Community Center
Our first Friday Night Live event in 2024 is Words on Hudson, which will be this Friday at the Community Center from 6 to 9 pm. There will be readings featuring many of our talented authors and poets, and there will also be a book binding workshop at the Maker Hive (416 Warburton). For details see HERE and scroll down our Destination Hastings page for participant bios.
RiverArts and Purpl Present Steph Davis: Saturday April 13, 8 PM, Purpl
In this season finale concert, Steph Davis presents like flower petals…, a program that aims to bring new perspective to the marimba. like flower petals… combines West African gyil music, African American spirituals, and Black classical music traditions. Drawing from the marimba’s rich and ancient history rooted on the African continent, Davis shares an Africanist/African-American lens through which to experience the marimba. For more about Steph see HERE.
Hastings Flea: Sunday, April 14, 10 AM to 4 PM, Metro North Parking Lot
The Hasting Flea is back, and you can visit all your favorite vendors this Sunday April 14th in the Metro North Commuter Parking Lot from 10 am to 4 pm. The Flea features vendors sharing home goods, collectibles, crafts, jewelry, clothing, records, candles and much more! Come shop, dig for finds, and connect with the community. To find out more see HERE.
TILI’s Second Birthday: Sunday, April 14, 11 AM to 3 PM, Andrus Campus
Our Take It or Leave It (TILI) garage is turning two (see HERE)! The TILI garage is a place where you can drop off unwanted household items and/or take anything you like – and it is totally free! The goal is to reduce waste by diverting usable goods from landfills and finding them new homes (for more see HERE). TILI is open every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. To get to the garage, use the main entrance to Andrus on Hudson at 185 Old Broadway @Tompkins Avenue and follow the TILI signs to parking. If you haven’t discovered TILI yet (or if you’re already a fan), come out this Sunday and enjoy the birthday celebration. There will be live music and snacks, you can learn about local eco issues with a special Earth Month display and there will be volunteers who can answer all your questions. Many thanks and congratulations to TILI’s Founder Gal Yaguri, her amazing team of volunteers, as well as HoH’s Zero Waste Committee and Conservation Commission, for all their love and care, and to everyone who has participated in making TILI a success.
Rivertowns Clean Energy Expo: Sunday, April 14, 1 to 4 PM, Scenic Hudson Park Irvington
The Villages (Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Ardsley, Elmsford, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow) and Town of Greenburgh have teamed up to produce a one-stop shop for all your clean energy and electric transition needs and questions. This year the Expo will take place in Irvington's Scenic Waterfront Park on Sunday April 14, from 1 to 4pm (rain date April 21). It will start out with an EV parade down Main Street at 1 pm. You will be able to drive EVs and check out electric landscaping equipment, and there will be interesting speakers and lots of fun activities for kids. Following the event join for “green drinks” at MP Taverna (see HERE for more info).
Ted & Nune Studio Jason Gardner Artist Conversation: Sunday, April 14, 2024, 5 to 6:30 PM, 45 Main Street
RiverArts will be hosting a salon at Ted and Nune's studio featuring artist Jason Gardner whose work is currently on show in the gallery (see HERE). Jason’s show, We the Spirits, is a collection of portraits of traditional Carnival masquerades from 15 countries. Jason grew up in our lovely Village but now makes Paris his home. To see more of his work click HERE (all the photos are amazing but take a look at the “armchair traveler” photos, they will take your breath away …).
Join Hastings/Stoneledge Farm CSA
Earth Month is the perfect time to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) collective, which delivers local (grown in Leeds, NY) organic (USDA Certified) produce right to Hastings. Joining a CSA means you pay the farmer before the harvest begins and receive a weekly box of organic produce (season runs on Mondays from June 10-November 4, a total of 22 weeks). Each weekly box will contain 8 to 12 items, which vary as the growing season dictates - salad greens in the early part of the season to potatoes & winter squashes at the end of the season. To get a sense of what is involved click: www.stoneledge.farm and then on "What's in a typical share?" For the Hastings details click HERE. Note that Stoneledge donates one share for every 10 sold. Through the Grace Food Partnership, the donated shares go to the Hastings' Food Pantry and San Andres Pantry in Yonkers. The CSA supports our Zero Waste initiative as it reduces grocery bags and shipping boxes from the supply chain.
Bloomberg Philanthropies Grant for Youth Climate Projects
And now for some very exciting news, Hastings-on-Hudson has been selected as one of 101 municipalities around the world (29 are in North America) to receive a $50K grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund (see HERE). We are to use the award to distribute small microgrants to youth (ages 15 to 24) who submit compelling proposals that address climate change. The grant program is an initiative under the Mayor’s Climate Youth Council (founded by Mia Christie and Aynsley Zamore). Mia, Aynsley and I are in the process of creating a dedicated webpage where we will make the application form available (hopefully on Earth Day!). Until then, we encourage all our local youth to begin thinking about what they would like to work on – can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Other Earth Month Activities
If you are planning ahead take a look at Destination Hastings and/or Upcoming Community Events (the link posted in the Board of Trustees Agenda twice a month).
Sincerely,
Nicola Armacost
Mayor