October 3, 2023 Mayor's Column
Excerpts from the Mayor’s Address on the Occasion of the Village’s 125th Birthday
What a wonderful gathering to celebrate our Village’s 125th year of existence.
As Marcus Garvey said, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Boy do we have roots here in Bronxville!
Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that the commemoration committee thought long and hard about canceling today for fear of disrespecting our friends and neighbors who could not come today because they are dealing with the effects of Friday night’s storm.
We reached out to many of them and they sent a resounding yes to continue to celebrate our Village – just a testament that we live amongst some of the most kind and gracious neighbors.
We would not be here today without the tireless efforts of our Steering Committee lead by Chair Lisa Rao, who could run a fortune 500 company! and her very able team Trustee Helen Knapp, Trustee Mary Taylor Behrens, Suzanne Davis, Marilynn Hill, Cara Martin-Rulli, Erin Saluti, Jane Scotti, Maureen Stapleton and all the volunteers. On behalf of a very grateful Village, I say thank you.
We are commemorating today because our local history binds us together on the most basic level. It helps us to unify our community and add to our ability to understand the different nationalities and cultures that created our unique home as we celebrate a commonality of experience.
We must also celebrate our variations and exchange stories and learn from each other and thus connect on an even deeper level.
Lord Acton said, “Our history is not a burden on the memory, but an illumination of the soul.”
I would also like to recognize my colleagues who served in Village government in the last 25 years and whose selfless volunteer dedication enhanced the quality of every government board and committee. (Here at least 25 were in attendance!)
A very special thank you goes out to my dear friend, my mentor and a truly extraordinary Mayor who is my North Star, Mayor Nancy Hand.
At this juncture, I also want to recognize all of our colleagues in government, who so kindly took the time out of their precious weekend schedules to come and share the joy of our anniversary with us. (Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins and all of our colleagues from Town of Eastchester and Village of Tuckahoe)
I am absolutely certain we would not be commemorating today and also not truly understanding and appreciating the milestone of this anniversary without the leadership of our Historical Conservancy, who is celebrating their 25th anniversary, What a gift you are to the Village.
The Conservancy galvanized an entire village to take an interest in our past and treasure our history, and they are responsible for being the archivists of all we hold dear.
History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of our common humanity so that we can better face the future.
Thank you members of the Historical Conservancy – so many of you are here!
Special recognition to Bob Riggs and Marilynn Hill, lifetime Co-Chairs and Founding Members, and current co-chairs Erin Saluti and Bill Zambelli.
In honor of your incredible commitment to preserving the history of our one square mile, you receive the first ever Trustees Award