G OOD THINGS

Veterans Honored At Westchester County Airport

On Saturday, May 20, the Million Air hangar at Westchester County Airport was the site for celebrating 68 local veterans who represented WWII, Korean War, Cold War and Vietnam War. The veterans participated in a Hudson Valley Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. A formal ceremony and motorcade served as a celebratory send-o as they embarked on a free trip to visit their memorials in our nation’s capital.

Nonprofit Westchester Addresses Racism

Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of Peer-to-Peer, the first-ever a nity group for nonprofit personnel of color in Westchester and the only one of its kind in New York state. The event welcomed nearly 100 guests from local nonprofits and the government and business sectors.

Peer to Peer was created in response to NPW’s report “Taking Action: Charting and Anti-Racist Path Forward in Westchester’s Nonprofit Sector,” which highlights racial disparities in nonprofit leadership, bias in treatment of BIPOC personnel and no real change in the racial make-up of nonprofit executives over the past two decades.

Participants at the celebration had the chance to learn about the work of Peer-to-Peer and to hear from Kymberly McNair, director of social transformation at My Sister’s Place. “These meetings are like church to me. I need a space like this to help recover from working in spaces that don’t o er the kind of liberated sense of self I need. It’s a beautiful thing to be in conversation with people who get it and can still find joy,” said McNair.

Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, the keynote speaker, stressed the importance of Peer to Peer and joined the audience in a special tribute to Dr. Alexandria Connally for her leadership of the program.

The Peer-to-Peer group is jointly planned and facilitated by Dr. Alexandria Connally, NPW Equity and Inclusion Consultant, Nonprofit Westchester and CEO and founder of Culturally Responsive Environments and Disciplines (CREAD); Lucria Ortiz, president and CEO of Yonkers Family YMCA and chair, NPW, Peer-to-Peer; and Michelle A. Nicholas, founder and CEO of The NICO Consulting and chair, NPW Racial Equity

Nonprofit Westchester is Westchester’s only membership organization dedicated solely to advancing and advocating for the needs and interests of the county’s nonprofit sector, the people and populations served and the nonprofit workforce.

The recent Supreme Court ruling in Sackett vs. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a devastating blow to protection of wetlands across the country, stripping the protections provided by the Clean Water Act dating back to 1977. The 5-4 decision essentially redefines the “Waters of the United States” to exclude wetlands that don’t have the continuous surface connection, which will limit severely EPA’s jurisdiction over virtually all of our nation’s wetlands.

At the core of the ruling is a requirement that wetlands be connected to rivers by surface channels so as to be indistinguishable from the surface water body in order to be protected under the Clean Water Act.

Roger Reynolds, senior legal director, Save the Sound, said, “The decision of the five-Justice majority is the worst-case scenario for federal wetland protection. In one fell swoop, virtually all of wetlands are read out of the Clean Water Act and cast into regulatory uncertainty. …This makes it all the more important that we re-double our e orts to use all available tools to pro- tect Connecticut and New York wetlands, including local and state laws.”

David Ansel, vice president of Water Protection, Save the Sound, said, “Fortunately, New York and Connecticut each have state wetlands statues that are administered locally. They have played a critical role in our e orts to protect key wetlands resources across the Long Island Sound region. …We will continue to advocate in Albany and Hartford in pursuit of the strongest possible protections for all waters in our region.”

A Caf With Generous Heart

Pamplemousse Project, a new White Plains café that donates 100% of profits to charity, has just announced the recipients of its first grants: Lifting Up Westchester, Paws Crossed Animal Rescue and Westchester Youth Alliance will each receive $3,500.

The Pamplemousse Project’s Customer Advisory Board – comprised entirely of the café’s customers – selected the three organizations from 10 nominations. Grant distribution will take place every quarter.

Honor Award For Iona

Noting the important role Iona University plays in the economic development of Westchester County and beyond, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Westchester (BOMA) recently recognized Iona with its Hall of Honor Award at its 31st annual awards dinner.

More than 150 leaders from the county’s commercial real estate industry were on hand for the event, which took place at Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown on May 11.

“During my 28 years at Iona, I’ve seen the university evolve in so many ways, especially in our infrastructure and campus facilities. Thank you to BOMA for recognizing the important role Iona plays in being a vital force of economic development for the region…, said Richard Murray, assistant vice president of facilities and campus operations.

The city of Yonkers – the largest city in Westchester County and the third largest city in New York state – was also recognized. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano issued a proclamation declaring the day as “Iona University Day.”

Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, today Iona has two campuses, one in New Rochelle and the other in Bronxville.

Iona's 45-acre campus in New Rochelle has seen several notable capital improvements in recent years, including the construction of a new residence hall on North Avenue; the complete renovation of the Hynes Athletics Center Arena; the construction of the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation; and the addition of a new green space in the heart of campus known as the Murphy Green.

Memorial Day Service

Westchester County marked Memorial Day with a special ceremony at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Katonah on Friday, May 26. County Executive George Latimer and Veterans Service Agency Director Ron Tocci were joined by other elected regional o cials.

Latimer said: “Memorial Day has its own specialty to it. Because everyone who has put on the uniform of this country has made a sacrifice. Anyone who has gone through 13 weeks of basic training – I don’t care if you were peeling potatoes in the kitchen during your time in the military, if you went through 13 weeks of basic training, you make a sacrifice for your country.... But today is that special step beyond that, where we are saying that we are recognizing those who not just made a tremendous sacrifice for the nation but made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Tocci said, “The defining moments of our history came during periods of great conflict when American sons and daughters answered the call to fight for freedom and democracy. These individuals – our friends, neighbors and relatives – actually changed the course of world history. It is imperative that we reflect on the service and the sacrifice of these people. They were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things out of a sense of duty, honor and patriotism. Their compelling experiences ought to be an inspiration and example for all Americans.”

Lifting Up Westchester will use the funds to o set rising food costs at the Community Soup Kitchen in White Plains, which provides free meals and other services to homeless and low-income residents in Westchester County.

Paws Crossed Animal Rescue will use funds to pay for the spaying and neutering of animals coming into the rescue before they go out for adoption.

Westchester Youth Alliance will fund the Words Matter program, which helps teens in Westchester develop themselves as confident community builders and activists.

A celebration of the winners will be held on Wednesday, June 7 at 9 a.m. at The Pamplemousse Project. The public is invited to attend.

The Pamplemousse Project o ers ethically sourced co ee and hand-crafted drinks prepared by trained baristas, as well as a full complement of other hot and cold drinks. Pastries and baked goods from a variety of local bakeries are served fresh daily. Located at 124 Mamaroneck Ave., the store hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. weekends.