Mayor's Message
Welcome!
2011 is in full swing and we are hoping that the economic malaise that has hit the nation is finally winding down. We in the Village of Haverstraw have much to look forward to in the coming year.
Ginsburg Development is again building in the Village. The construction of the Parkside apartment building is well underway with occupancy expected by sometime this summer for this 110-unit rental building. We also have a new hardware store in town, Haverstraw Hardware and Housewares at 7 Broadway. It’s an old time hardware store open seven days a week. Another new addition is Vilma’s Bakery at 27 Main Street. They serve a full array of cakes and pasties, as well as fresh bread and coffee. And we welcome Hole Shot Bagels and Deli to the Village. They are located on Route 9W opposite St. Peter’s Cemetery.
Also recent to the Village is Empanadas Monumental at 43 Main Street with a wide variety of empanadas, quipe and other ethnic foods. They are a real treat if you are looking for a quick meal or snack. We also have the new West Café on West Street and Mari’s Café on Maple Avenue. In fine dining we welcome La Fiesta to the old Bricktown Brewery space. Fiesta is owned and operated by Manny and his wife from the old Fiesta Cancun. They join La Cascada and Antoine McGuire’s and Civile’s on Main Street and Union on New Main Street as the beginnings of what we hope will be our future Restaurant row.
2011 will hopefully see the beginning of our Streetscapes improvement project in the business district and the planning of our riverfront walkway from Emeline Park north to Warren Avenue. And we will soon enjoy the eagerly awaited completion of the new Short Clove Road overpass this summer. This 30+ million dollar project will finally free us from being stuck in the Village when the CSX trains are stopped.
We have several events scheduled in and around the Village in 2011. Dancing Under the Stars returns June 17th and August 19th. There are plans for Movies Under the Stars at Emeline Park on July 16th and August 13th, under the direction of Renew Haverstraw. And the revitalized Haverstraw Farmers market returns on Sundays beginning June 12th with more vendors and activities planned. We thank the Greater Haverstraw Chamber of Commerce, and especially market directors Michelle Natale and Mia Vaculik-Marsh, for their vision and hard work.
April 16th will see the Great American Cleanup campaign underway in the Village, under the auspices of Renew Haverstraw and coordinator Steve Moetzinger. Our Manny Lopez field, located on McKenzie Avenue, will host softball leagues from the Haverstraw Little League, the Quisqueya Sports Club and the Haverstraw Fire Department all season. The Town of Haverstraw Fireworks will be scheduled for July 2nd (with a raindate on the 3rd). The United Latin Parade and Festival (combining the Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Ecuadorian parade committees) will take place on Sunday, August 21st and the Haverstraw Street Fair is scheduled for September 25th. Finally, our Holidays in Haverstraw festivities occur on December 3rd.
This is what we have scheduled so far….. with more to come, I am sure. Haverstraw is making great strides. We have greatly improved our infrastructure with more than 22 streets repaved in the last 3+ years and a new sidewalk program begun in 2010. Also major drainage projects have been completed in the downtown and in Village on the Green. We have increased our park space with the opening of Manny Lopez field and with the added green space next to Lady Warren Hose Company on Broadway. We have also continued to add off street parking for our residents along Broadway and on Broad Street.
There is a new organization called G.E.T. in the Village. Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows is an organization that helps entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses. We’re very hopeful that they can help bring new business into the Village. Watch for their grand opening in late April. The Village is also creating a Local Development Corporation to assist us in our economic development initiatives. We hope to have this up and running by the summer with their work to focus on developing the former Empire Chair Factory site, which we own. Stay tuned for further developments on that.
The Village Board and I wish to acknowledge the public’s support for us as we have worked to try to make Haverstraw a better place to live. Nothing is easy and not every initiative we try works. We are receptive to any suggestions and welcome your opinions. Village Board meetings are typically on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, but you can call Village Hall to confirm upcoming dates. We encourage everyone to attend our meetings to see more of what is going on in your village.
As always, I am available to the public should someone wish to speak with me. I can be reached at Village Hall at (845) 429-0300 or via-email at michael.kohut@vohny.com.
