The grey and rainy weather in Irvington this week seemed appropriate for the somber mood that seemed to hang over the Village.
Betty Iannarelli
Late Monday afternoon, the body of missing woman Betty Iannarelli was discovered by a groundskeeper in the residential area just north of Matthiessen Park. This concluded the month long search that was so heartbreaking for many residents. I would like to once again publicly offer my condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Iannarelli on behalf the Board of Trustees. I am very proud of the dedication and tenacity of the officers of the Irvington Police Department and I am grateful for the assistance of all the other police departments and volunteers that aided our department during the search. From my near daily conversations with Police Chief Michael Cerone, I know they followed up every possible lead, from tips from psychics to alleged sightings in White Plains to hours of video surveillance footage. The fact that Ms. Iannarelli was found so close to where she went missing, in an area that was searched several times by officers and trained dogs, is extremely painful. The only comfort I have is that I am certain we did everything we could as a Village to find her.
9/11 Remembrance
I hope all residents will join me on Sunday September 11, 2011 at 8:30 am to remember the tragic events of ten years ago. We will be gathering at the 9/11 Memorial in Scenic Hudson Park, a location that served as an impromptu meeting place for Irvington residents ten years ago - a place to cry, to worry, to hope but most importantly to come together as a community.
Recreation and Parks Department Brochure
On a happier note, I want to remind residents that due to a cost saving measure, the annual Recreation and Parks Department Brochure will no longer be mailed to you. The department is still offering a wide array of programming for children, adults and seniors which can be viewed online at www.irvingtonny.gov/recreation. If you have trouble finding the brochure, I would be happy to e-mail you a copy and a limited number of hard copies are available at the Recreation Department.
Village E-mails
The fact that you are reading this e-mail means you see the value of being signed up for the Village e-mail distribution list. I urge you to ask your neighbors and friends to sign up as well at www.irvingtonny.gov following the link to “Email Notifications” on the left side of the homepage. The alerts during Hurricane Irene and the move to electronic-only distribution of important documents underscore the importance of being signed up. Besides the main mailing list (“Irvington Village News”), we offer specialized lists for our Public Library, Recreation Department, and meeting agendas.
As always, please contact me with any concerns, suggestions or questions.
Brian Smith, Mayor
bsmith@irvingtonny.gov
(646) 265-3950 (Cell)