Mayor Richard Thomas Weekly Report for July 1st, 2017
El Castillo Del Caribe
Earlier today, Mayor Richard Thomas stopped by 31 South Street to say congratulations to the owner of El Castillo Del Caribe for their grand opening. The new millennial restaurant opened their doors today with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Thomas! Get your appetite ready for a whole new Latin flavor this summer! Click here to watch Mayor Thomas cut the grand opening ribbon.
Mayors Challenge
Mayor Richard Thomas and the City of Mount Vernon have joined Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s Mayors Challenge. The Mayors Challenge is a unique program that will let Mount Vernon participate in an ideas accelerator workshop with professionals from around the world to examine a unique challenge and develop a plan to address it.
What challenges do you want to see Mount Vernon solve? From innovative compost programs to technological upgrades, we want to hear what you think. Email us at MayorThomas@cmvny.com.
Mayor’s Institute for City Design
In addition to this challenge, Mayor Thomas and staff are headed to the Mayors’ Institute for City Design boot camp at the end of July. The Institute is a collaborative effort by the National Endowment for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors. Mayor Thomas was one of eight mayors selected from across the country to present. The institute will focus on a comprehensive plan for Mount Vernon: Mount Vernon’s parks and how we can expedite their revitalization.
2017 Mount Vernon Fireworks Spectacular
Last Saturday, Mount Vernon held its 2nd annual Fireworks Spectacular at the Mount Vernon High School Football Field. This year featured more fun, more food, more slides, more bouncy castles, more music, more people, and way more fireworks! We topped last year’s attendance was well over 4,000 people, filling the field end zone to end zone. After the lights went down, and Mayor Richard Thomas and Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Hamilton began their video countdown, fireworks lit up the Mount Vernon sky with a show visible miles away. Next year Mayor Thomas and all involved with the fireworks show are looking to keep improving and growing the Mount Vernon Spectacular which is the biggest fireworks show in Westchester
Pop-Up Farmers Market
Pop-Up Farmers Market, sponsored by the Food Bank of Westchester, is coming to Mount Vernon. Beginning July 14th, folks will have a selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods to purchase. Visit the Market anytime from 4 pm to 7 pm in Parking Lot 11 located on Prospect and North 3rd Avenues.
Summer season can be challenging for families, young people, seniors, and working parents to have adequate access to nutritious meals. That’s why the new Pop-Up Farmers Market is coming to town, featuring between ten and thirteen thousands pounds of fresh produce, tasty bites, and other foods. This new partnership between the City of Mount Vernon and the Food Bank of Westchester will help make sure no one in our Mount Vernon family goes hungry.
Pop-up Block Parties
Pop-Up block parties are coming back to Mount Vernon this summer, starting next Saturday, July 8th. Block parties are a great way for members of the community to interact with members of the Mount Vernon Police Department and build relationships between the community and the police. Like last year we’re bringing back cook-outs, bouncy castles, toy giveaways, and safe summertime fun!
MV Youth Graduates Valedictorian
The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau would like to congratulate Alexa Michel on her graduation from New Covenant Christian School as Valedictorian of her Class. Ms. Michel has been a Peer Educator for the Youth Bureau’s C.A.P.P. Program for over two years. During her time there she has developed personal skills that allowed her to facilitate evidence-based curriculum on teen pregnancy prevention and the reduction of at-risk behavior to her peers, perform songs and information sessions at various C.A.P.P. events. We wish her well in her academic pursuits as she continues her journey in the fall at Hunter College.
Mount Vernon Youth Bureau S.T.R.O.N.G. Year End Celebration
The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau’s S.T.R.O.N.G Program at Mount Vernon High School and Graham Middle School celebrated its end of program year with a celebration. Students participated in a scavenger hunt, games, giveaways, and raffles. They also enjoyed the tunes of the DJ as they ate, danced, and shared the enjoyable experiences and successes they had in the program with staff members and friends.
Mount Vernon Green Thumb Challenge
Mayor Richard Thomas and The Mount Vernon Department of Public Works are calling on all gardeners to participate in our 1st Annual Green Thumb Challenge throughout the Summer. As the season approaches, we want to see how you are keeping Mount Vernon beautiful. Send us pictures of your gardens, flowers, trees, and greenery. Submit pictures along with your name and address to MayorThomas@cmvny.com using the subject “Mount Vernon Green Thumb Challenge 2017” or post your pictures to Social Media and tag us at Mayor Thomas’ Facebook Page www.facebook.com/MayorRichardThomas or on Twitter using @MayorRichThomas AND @MVDPW along with the hashtag #MVGreenThumb. Be Sure to Include Your Name with All Pictures!!
Mount Vernon Hires 185 Youth for Summer Employment
On Wednesday, Mayor Richard Thomas spoke to 185 of Mount Vernon’s youth about the virtues and skills they will be learning in their respective summer jobs. The youth, ranging from 14 to 21 years old, have been assigned to government offices, local healthcare and childcare providers, and summer camps.
“Summer jobs are essential for long-term success. They keep our kids off the street and prepare them to be productive. Our youth learn valuable lessons that only hard work can teach. This includes being punctual, taking personal responsibility, and earning their keep. Getting our youth involved early in the workforce will help them become more disciplined and ready to compete in the global economy. Our young people are able to serve in critical ways, connecting one-on-one with Commissioners, running programs, and sharpening skills that will carry them throughout their professional lives.”
- Mayor Richard Thomas
Sewer Truck Demo
This past week Mayor Thomas and DPW Officials had a visit from Dan O’Brien, President of SewerEquipment.Com and Bill Bahr, President of Bahr Sales, Inc.Dan showed up with Model 900 ECO Sewer cleaning truck to demonstrate the power and versatility of his trucks, and how they could help us maintain our sewer system.Bill showed off the Cues robotic sewer camera system, and the state of the art truck control room. His robotic camera can help us map out Mount Vernon’s sewers and identify and breaks, clogs, collapses, or other emergency sewer conditions.
Mount Vernon must comply with the Department of Justice and fix the sewers that have been leaking into backyards and businesses for far too long. DOJ has given the city a deadline of July 15, 2017 to have shovels in the ground and cameras in the sewers. Investing in new equipment will not only get the job done quickly, the city will save millions in the long-run by having reliable equipment and the trained workforce to run it.
Lego Toy Giveaway
This past Wednesday, Mayor Richard Thomas hosted The Mount Vernon Lego Toy Giveaway, in a collaborative effort with Team Smooth Ent, Merlin’s Magic Wand, and Lego Land of Westchester. The afternoon in Hartley Park featured bouncy castles, live entertainment, free hotdogs, performances by the Thornton High School SASF Dance and Step Teams, and of course over 200 free Lego Toys. As an added treat for the kids, Lego Land of Westchester showed up with a life size Lego Person to dance and take pictures with the kids. The park was filled with laughter and joy, while kids from all over Mount Vernon played in the bouncy castle or sat on the grass putting their Lego toys together. This is just one of the many events Mayor Thomas is hosting to bring fun back to Mount Vernon.
Building Department Digital Pilot Test
The Mount Vernon Department of Buildings continues to make great strides in giving inspectors the ability to create and post violations during their inspections using smart tablets and the new portable thermal printers.
The Department is launching a pilot program to test the new equipment. The Pilot testing is available to any electrical and plumbing contractors. If you or your company would like to be involved, please contact kknotts@cmvny.com.
Mark Your Calendars: Slide the City 2017 is August 26th-27th. July 11th at 7:00 PM is the next City Council Meeting.
ATTENTION! THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JULY 7TH! Applications may be picked up in Department of Planning and Community Development in City Hall. College and Graduate Students are encouraged to apply to be a Mayor’s Fellow. Call 914–665–2361 or email MayorThomas@cmvny.com for more information.
Listen to us live:
Every week, Mayor Thomas speaks to Yonkers Tribune radio with host Hezi Aris: Catch this week’s interview here for an unvarnished look at what’s happening in Mount Vernon: Mayor Thomas also hosts Mount Vernon Moving Forward every Friday on WVOX, from 5pm to 6pm. You can listen to prior week’s show here for an in-depth discussion about the what’s going on in Mount Vernon. On the Internet, tune in to Future 98.9 every Wednesday at 8:30am to listen to Mayor Thomas and Minister P. Tyson. You can find last week’s interview here. On Tuesdays at 8am, you can hear Mayor Thomas on 101.5 Linkage Radio. Catch this week’s discussion here.
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