Mayor’s Message: Labor Day Wishes, Happenings in Our Downtown, and Well-Deserved Congratulations

Mayor
Dear Everyone,
 
I hope you’ve been having an amazing summer and that you’re enjoying these last few breaths of it before autumn sets in.
 
Labor Day Wishes
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Sincere thanks to everyone who works in and for our Village – our new Village Manager, each of our employees (and former employees), all our volunteers and the businesses that call Hastings-on-Hudson home – you are all a critical part of our community and we appreciate every moment you spend working in its service. 
 
Our Downtown: The Place to Be
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As a result of the efforts of our Downtown Advocate, Hastings-on-Hudson has been a hot topic in the local media especially Westchester Magazine.  First, there was a piece titled: “How To Spend The Perfect Saturday in Hastings-on-Hudson” featuring many of our downtown businesses. Then there was the annual August Food & Dining Issue that described Hastings-on-Hudson as one of 8 "Foodie Towns" in a story featuring many of our restaurants and food businesses (Sakura was mentioned in a separate article about Japanese food and Antoinette's Veloce Giacobean coffee received a mention in the coffee story). Our downtown was also flagged in the "Eat. Drink. Post." blog in a story titled "4 Exciting New Food Businesses Are Coming to Hastings This Year" which includes three new businesses that are opening in the Village as well as an expansion of the very popular Boro6 Wine Bar. Congratulations on the well-deserved praise – we are delighted that so many of our businesses are enjoyed by patrons from all over Westchester. For everyone in the Village, remember to shop local as much as you can – it really is the single most important ingredient in maintaining a vibrant downtown.
 
Here are some of the newly opened (or soon to open) businesses you might enjoy visiting this fall:
 
Mossy Fern: Moviehouse Mews, 579 Warburton Avenue, #4
Mossy Fern is a boutique garden center located at the Moviehouse Mews. The retail store will focus on indoor/outdoor plants with an emphasis on rare and unusual exotic botanicals. Products include organic soils, handcrafted tools, weather meters, ceramic pots as well as other unique garden decor and gifts. The owners, Harry & Catherine Fellows, are planning a DIY terrarium making station as well as offering nature and garden kits for children. Services will include plant consultation for residential and commercial spaces.  A local subscription for weekly cut flowers will also be offered. The business was formed in May of this year, and its first appearance at the Hastings Spring Thing Arts & Crafts Fair was so well received, that Cat & Harry continued to "pop up" at street fairs, farmer's markets and local businesses in Westchester and now they are here!  The “grand opening” will be on Saturday September 7th from 11 am to 5:30 pm – with door prizes, a Rosé toast at 4 pm and a 15% off Family and Friends offer!
 
NUR Space: 596 Warburton Avenue
Nuranisa Rae is opening a new wellness sanctuary called NUR Space that will offer health wellness care to women and families.  Nuranisa says this about her new business: "The heart and soul of our collective offerings, are to hold space for connection and conversation around conscious health, fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and parenting. We offer regular meet-ups for moms, dads and women. We host workshops, classes and special events and joyfully offer a safe space for all, with an extra special wink + nod to breastfeeding mothers. Lastly, behind the scenes of our conscious community, we offer a curated collective of wellness practitioners." The “grand opening” will be on Saturday September 28th from 10 am to 5 pm  – there will be a ribbon-cutting at some point in the day  – I’ll keep you posted on when.
 
Wild Culture Waffles: Moviehouse Mews, 579 Warburton Avenue,  
Wild Culture is a family business, born in Hastings-on-Hudson. The owners Miguel Lacruz and Gabriela Montiel, are originally from Caracas, Venezuela, but lived for many years in Brooklyn NY before coming to Westchester. Wild Culture celebrates a love for baking using live culture (sourdough), and through the natural process of fermentation, Wild Culture found the perfect recipe for a crispy yet fluffy, airy waffle that can cohabit with either sweet or savory flavors and is not only delicious but also healthy. Wild Culture waffle and coffee shop is a little space located at the beautiful and historic MovieHouse Mews. The kitchen shares its space with a casual family-oriented eatery where grownups and children will find their perfect match. Wild Culture will open its doors by mid-September 2019 – again, I’ll keep you posted on the date.
 
Hudson Line: 541 Warburton Avenue
Hastings residents William and Lorna Feeney are opening Hudson Line, a shop that will offer contemporary furniture and other home goods in or Village with many pieces handmade or designed by William as well as works by other artisans.  Follow @hudsonlineshop on Instagram for more information.  The grand opening will be sometime in late September/October, stay tuned for more details.
 
The Good Witch Coffee Bar: Metro North Station
The Good Witch Coffee Bar is a woman-owned and owner-operated business that is the brainchild of Hastings resident and longtime food writer Joanna Prisco. Joanna aims to open this fall with a full espresso beverage program, delicious teas, hot chocolate, organic slushies, and vintage colas, as well as a morning food menu ranging from bundts to breakfast sandwiches to spoonables and more. The cafe's community programming calendar will kick off on October 5 with two events inside the circular drive: The Technicolor Pachyderma hands-on children's art event co-hosted by the Hastings-on-Hudson Arts Commission  – that will invite families to help build and paint a colorful papier-mache elephant in honor of Billie Burke's famous pet (9 am to 12 pm); and The Good Witch's Bubble  – a family-friendly celebration of Glinda's preferred mode of transportation, featuring a cake walk and other surprises (3 to 5 pm). These events will be part of the village-wide Hastings-Oz-Hudson celebration (more info about that soon…).
 
Palo Vivo: 555 Warburton Avenue
Palo Vivo, a flame-to-table, barbacoa concept, with a cocktail program (Coctél Palo Vivo) honoring Latin spirits, is a multi-level experience, including a roof-top bar with spectacular views of the Hudson River and NYC’s skyline. The owners of Palo Vivo are Jewelle Prieto (former owner of Don Coqui) & Justin Shapiro (former owner of Mayahuel), in association with D’Wayne Prieto of Ward Capital Management (a real estate investment and development firm focused on multifamily residential, retail, and hotel assets). The owners hope Palo Vivo will open in early 2020. 
 
Found Herbal: 10 Main Street
Another Hastings resident, Jessica Mullins, opened her second Westchester shop – a beautiful herbal apothecary and cafe at 10 Main St. in June  – if you haven't been in yet, it's worth the trip!
 
Please join us in welcoming all our new downtown business owners and show your support by popping by during the grand openings and by shopping local. It is not a trivial thing to open and sustain a new business, and each of our businesses (both new and established) needs the support of our community to survive and grow. Please make a point of letting our valued merchants know you appreciate them!
 
Congratulations Are in Order
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Our New Police Chief: At the most recent Board of Trustees meeting we appointed David Dosin as our new Police Chief. Many of you already know Dave – he is an essential part of the DNA of our community – and we are delighted that he has agreed to take on this responsibility. Congratulations Chief Dosin from all of us! We heartily thank out-going Chief Anthony Visalli for his dedication and service to the Village and we wish him the very best in his retirement.
 
Our Youth: From July 25 to 28, five Hastings students were selected to join over 100 youth from Westchester County and 600 other attendees at the Youth International Eastern States Conference at Bryant University in Rhode Island.  The event provided training that groups across the country count on annually to serve as a catalyst to initiate or improve their youth prevention programming. Our youth representatives met and befriended drug-free teens from all over the country, developed skills to make positive choices, attended interactive and informative workshops, heard nationally known speakers, developed action plans to create change back home in their schools and communities and learned vital leadership qualities and skills they can use for a lifetime. Congratulations to Sander Markley, Gus Renzin, Suraj Kodali, Isabelle Fries and Ayla Demirdelen for being selected to represent Hastings-on-Hudson – we are enormously proud of you!
 
Upcoming Events: Save the Dates
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*The River Spirit Music Festival  – Saturday September 7th  (rain date September 8th)
The annual music festival is this coming weekend. It has become a beloved tradition and many of our residents will be sharing their musical talents with us. Come out and support them!  To read about this year's performers, schedule and more, click HERE. To purchase tickets, go to the Festival website - (www.riverspiritfestival.com) and click on the TICKET button or purchase tickets directly by clicking this link: TICKETS.
Special Offer: Residents of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson get a 25% discount on any ticket purchase made before midnight tomorrow (Tuesday September 3).
 
*The Hastings Fall Flea – Sunday September 8th    
There will be one more Hastings Flea this season at the normal spot in the Hastings-on-Hudson Metro North Parking Lot from 10 am to 4 pm. Visit with new and loved vendors selling everything from vintage clothing, home goods, antiques, jewelry, soaps, toys, records and to other treats and finds. Items sold are all unique and most are home-made and collected.
 
*Hastings Oz Hudson – Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz
Including:
- September 12: Opening Party The Hastings Village Arts Commission Exhibit "We're Not In Kansas Anymore – Journeys to Places Real + Imagined," 6 to 8 pm Hastings Village Hall
- September 22: Hastings Historical Society Special Talk "From Broadway to Broadway: The Magical Life of Billie Burke," Hastings Public Library Orr Room, 2 to 4 pm
- October 5: Wizard of Oz Family Event: The Technicolor Pachyderm, 9 am to 12 pm, Metro North Station, presented by Good Witch Coffee Bar and the Hastings Village Arts Commission
- October 5: The Good Witch's Bubble Party, 3 to 5 pm at the Good Witch Coffee Bar
- October 5: Free Sunset Film Screening of "The Wizard of Oz" at Fulton Park adjacent to the Hastings Public Library (in case of rain, the screening will take place in the Orr Room)
 
There will be more on the Oz events in a special upcoming newsletter but for now make a point of putting them in your calendar.
 
As you can see, the fall will be pretty jam-packed with fun events.  Do make a point of checking www.destinationhastings.org for an ongoing calendar of what you can do in the downtown and hope to see you “out and about” (as per the title of a film that is currently being produced in our Village by one of our talented residents).
 
Sincerely,
 
Nicola Armacost
Mayor