Governor Hochul has released a proposed Action Plan that would direct $41.2 million in federal funding to help our region recover more fully from Hurricane Ida and to mitigate the impact of future storms, with a focus on historically underserved communities. New Rochelle participated in discussions with State officials to help shape the program’s parameters and will also host a public hearing on September 8th. There’s much more detail here.
The New Rochelle Police Department will host our annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 2nd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at NRPD headquarters — 475 North Avenue. All are welcome for food, drink, and fun.
Smoke alarms save lives. That’s why the City of New Rochelle is partnering with the American Red Cross to bring free smoke alarms to our community. For more information and to sign up to get a free smoke alarm installed visit SoundTheAlarm.org/MNYN or call (845) 673-1198. This video has more.
Today’s NY Times accurately captures the sense of frustration felt by mayors across the country, as we grapple with escalating gun violence in the absence of effective federal action. While Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature are doing good work, many of the policy failures that put guns in the wrong hands are national in scope and require a national approach. Despite strong advocacy from the Biden Administration, the political impediments in Congress seem overwhelming, with only minimal measures under serious discussion. The United States is the only industrialized nation with an epidemic of mass shootings — guns are the reason. There is no issue which better illustrates the capacity of a motivated, well-organized minority to trample over the clear interests and preferences of the great majority of Americans.
I joined 230 colleagues across the nation in urging federal action to provide universal background checks for gun sales, one of several measures urgently needed to curb the epidemic of gun violence. Read our letter here.
Photo Credit: Lohud
An extremely difficult day for the New Rochelle Fire Department yesterday. Joined by mutual aid companies, they fought a stubborn 5-alarm blaze at 2 Hamilton Avenue (just north of City Hall) from early morning into the evening. Our community mourns the tragic loss of a building resident, and is saddened, too, by the extensive damage to a distinctive historic structure. Going forward, investigation of the fire’s cause and ensuring the safety and clean-up of the site will, of course, be priorities. For now, I am simply very grateful for the bravery and professionalism of the NRFD, which were on fully display.