A Message From The Mayor
What a crazy time we’re living in. What else can be said. 2020 started out normally, then the s!*t hit the fan. The pandemic has cost everyone dearly: lost family and friends, jobs, businesses, schooling, socializing. The list goes on and on. The social unrest that followed and the important calls for social justice have left us all unsettled in many ways. But there is no turning back. Hopefully, we’ve all learned from these events over the past 5 months and will come out the other side smarter, stronger, better prepared and more socially conscious of what’s happening around us.
Haverstraw has weathered the storm pretty well, I think. We quarantined when we had to, we’ve reopened phase by phase with a few hiccups, and we’ve settled into the “new normal.” Each day is a new adventure and we’re embracing it. Some businesses have closed, others have opened, and more are preparing to open.
The Village has prepared a new Comprehensive Plan, a document intended to guide us forward for the next 10-15 years. The draft document can be found on our website, under the tab entitled “The Village”. I urge you to look at it. A public hearing will occur on it on Monday, August 17th at 7:00 PM at Village Hall.
The Village is also preparing to market the Chair Factory property to local and national developers in the next few months. We hope to catch the increasing interest from those looking to escape NYC, as well as address some core issues here in the Village such as affordable housing, waterfront access, and the need for tourism driven rateables. Stay tuned for more information come fall.
Finally I would like to encourage everyone to Shop and Dine Locally. You may not find everything you want or need, but if you can, shop our shops, dine in or from our restaurants, and utilize our service businesses. Those owners and employees are our neighbors, our friends, our fellow church goers, fellow school parents, etc. Every little bit helps keep our businesses afloat.
THINK HAVERSTRAW
SHOP HAVERSTRAW
DINE HAVERSTRAW
ENJOY HAVERSTRAW
Sincerely,
Michael F. Kohut
Mayor
