YONKERS MAYOR MIKE SPANO APPOINTS MATTHEW GALLAGHER AS CITY’S CORPORATION COUNSEL

YONKERS, NY – May 23, 2018 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced his appointment of Senior Associate Corporation Counsel, Matthew Gallagher, to the position of Corporation Counsel for the City of Yonkers. Gallagher will replace the recently departed Michael Curti, who  served as Corporation Counsel for the City since 2012.

“I am very proud today to appoint Matthew Gallagher as Corporation Counsel for the City of Yonkers,” said Mayor Spano. “Matt brings years of legal experience and professionalism at both the City and County level to our Cabinet.  His experience and understanding of New York State laws and policy are exemplary and he’s beyond deserving of this appointment.  I thank Michael Curti for his outstanding service to the City of Yonkers the past six years and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Gallagher, the Senior Associate Corporation Counsel under Michael Curti since April 2014, has been vital to the City’s eight collective bargaining agreements under Mayor Spano’s tenure, along with the handling of litigation and contract negotiations involving the City of Yonkers.  He previously served as Legislative Counsel to the Westchester County Board of Legislators, as well an Assistant County Attorney in the Westchester County Attorney’s Office.  Gallagher began his career at the Law Firm of Grunert, Stout & Bruch after graduating from St. Francis College and Pace University School of Law.

Matthew Gallagher stated, “I would like thank Mayor Spano for affording me this wonderful opportunity to further serve the administration, the City Council and the residents of the great City of Yonkers.  I am grateful to Michael Curti, as well as First and Second Deputies Karen Ramos and Helen Aggrey – their expertise, wisdom and encouragement have been invaluable to me.  I look forward to continuing the fine work of Mayor Spano and his administration.”

Mayor Spano’s appointment of Matthew Gallagher as Corporation Counsel will be presented to the Yonkers City Council for final confirmation in the coming weeks.

CITY OF YONKERS TO RE-NAME LOCAL STREET IN HONOR OF YONKERS RESIDENT MICHAEL NOLAN

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Yonkers City Council will re-name the corner of Stockbridge Road and Middleboro Drive in the City of Yonkers “Michael Nolan Way “on Thursday, May 24 at 1:15 PM, in honor of Yonkers resident Michael Nolan.

Yonkers resident Michael Nolan was tragically killed by gunfire in Yonkers in 2015.  James Nolan Jr., brother of the late Michael Nolan, as well as parents Donna and Jimmy, have been strong advocates at the city, county and state level of Anti-Drag Racing legislation, along with Organ Donor awareness in memory of Michael Nolan.

***Interviews & Photo Opps*** 

Who:      Mike Spano, City of Yonkers Mayor

                  Yonkers City Council

                  The Nolan Family

                  LiveON NY Representative

What:     “Michael Nolan Way” Street Naming 

Where:  Corner of Stockbridge Road & Middleboro Drive

                  Yonkers, NY

When:   Thursday, May 24, 1:15 PM

YONKERS MAYOR SPANO LAUNCHES FIRST DOCK-FREE BIKESHARE IN NEW YORK CITY AREA

Mayor Spano joins Lime Bike representative Gil Kazimirov, Yonkers Council Member Shanae Williams, Yonkers Sustainability Director Jason Baker and members of the Yonkers Bike Club and Yonkers Creating Healthy Schools & Communities for the Official Launch of Lime
(Photo Credit: Maurice Mercado)

 

YONKERS, NY – May 21, 2018 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Lime today launched the New York City area’s first dock-free bikeshare program at a kick-off event with local transportation advocates and community leaders. Mayor Spano and Lime officially “unlocked” the bikes and demonstrated how Yonkers residents will now be able to enjoy an affordable, reliable and fun way to get around the city.

“Yonkers is pleased to join the growing list of progressive cities that make dockless bike sharing available to residents and visitors,” said Yonkers Mayor Spano. “Partnering with Lime will provide us the opportunity to travel our city with ease and convenience all while being healthier, more sustainable and economical – and once again proving Yonkers is a great city to live, work and play.”

“We are excited to offer the residents of Yonkers a mobility solution that’s affordable, reliable, convenient, and fun,” said Gil Kazimirov, Lime New York General Manager. “As we work together, we look forward to the community-wide benefits in Yonkers of getting more residents on bikes, and we hope this partnership is just the beginning of expanding access to equitable transportation in the region. 

Lime’s sustainable system not only provides affordable first and last-mile transportation solutions; increased bike use could greatly enhance quality of life in Yonkers due to decreased car emissions and a healthier form of travel. 

Yonkers’ commitment to helping residents live healthier and more environmentally friendly lives is what drew Lime to partner with the city. Lime will join Yonkers at a time when they are also teaming up with 511NYRideshare in becoming a Clean Air NY Community Partner—linking residents to a free ridematch program and offering resources and information for residents to go ‘green’ on their daily commute.

Mayor Spano and representatives of Lime were joined by members of 511NYRideshare, Yonkers Bike Club and Yonkers Creating Healthy Schools & Communities at the launch.

Currently available in more than 60 markets, Lime is the leading American smart mobility company in the nation. All its bikes are GPS and 3G-enabled, making it simple for riders to find, unlock and pick up a nearby vehicle using their smartphone. When the ride is finished, riders simply end the ride with the Lime mobile app and responsibly park by the street curb, or at a bike rack.

About Lime

Lime is revolutionizing mobility in cities and campuses by empowering residents with a greener, more efficient, and affordable transportation option that also improves urban sustainability. By partnering with local key stakeholders and systematically deploying a fleet of smart-bikes and scooters that are enabled with GPS, wireless technology, and self-activating locks, Lime will dramatically improve urban mobility by making the first and last mile faster, cheaper, and healthier for riders. Since launching in June 2017, the company has logged over 3 million trips, expanded internationally to Europe, and deployed electric scooters, electric-assist bikes, and multiple models of their standard pedal bike. Funded by Silicon Valley’s leading VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, Lime is based in San Mateo, CA. Learn more at limebike.com.

MAYOR SPANO WELCOMES YONKERS VETERANS TO CITY HALL FOR HUDSON VALLEY HONOR FLIGHT SEND OFF

Mayor Spano to present WWII & Korean War Veterans with Distinguished Service Medals and Certificates

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano will welcome a group of three War Veterans to Yonkers City Hall on Wednesday, May 16 at 11:00 AM to present Distinguished Service medals and certificates honoring their service, sacrifice and bravery. 

The group will be participating in the Hudson Valley Honor Flight, an all-expense paid day-long trip to the Washington, D.C. memorials, departing from Westchester County Airport on Saturday, May 19 at 6:30 AM.  There will be a Welcome Home Rally for the Veterans at 7:45 PM that evening when they return. 

The Hudson Valley Honor Flight occurs several times a year from Westchester County Airport and is a local hub of the National Honor Flight Network.  Hudson Valley Honor Flight (HVHF) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that transports Veterans to visit their Washington, D.C. memorials at no cost to them. 

***Interviews & Photo Opps***

Who:            Mike Spano, Mayor of the City of Yonkers

                       Lou Navarro, Office of Veteran Services, Yonkers

                       World War II & Korean War Veterans

What:          Presentation of Distinguished Service medals and certificates

Where:       Yonkers City Hall

                       Mayor’s Reception Room, 2nd Floor

                       40 South Broadway

When:         Wednesday, May 16, 11:00 AM

MAYOR SPANO TO JOIN WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF WESTCHESTER FOR THE FIRST-EVER “MAYOR’S BUILD DAY” IN THE CITY OF YONKERS

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, along with Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, will gather for the first-ever “Mayor’s Build Day,” Wednesday, May 9 at 12:00 PM at 7 Moquette Place, Yonkers to celebrate Habitat for Humanity’s service to the City of Yonkers the past two decades and to kick off the reconstruction of the property.  

 

The Yonkers home at 7 Moquette Place, currently being rehabbed by Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, will be given to a Yonkers Veteran later this year.  The property was in tax arrears and Yonkers City Council voted to donate it to Habitat for Humanity.   

 

The City of Yonkers and Habitat for Humanity have worked in partnership together since 1997, restoring homes, community gardens, and providing housing for those in need, including returning veterans.  Habitat for Humanity of Westchester is celebrating 30 years of service in Westchester County.

 

***Interviews & Photo Opps***

 Who:           Mike Spano, City of Yonkers Mayor

                         Jim Killoran, Habitat for Humanity of Westchester

                         Lou Navarro, Yonkers Office of Veterans Services

                         Yonkers City Council

                         Habitat for Humanity Volunteers                    

What:           First-Ever Mayor’s Build Day in the City of Yonkers   

Where:        7 Moquette Place

                         Yonkers, NY

When:          Wednesday, May 9, 12:00 PM

YONKERS NEIGHBORHOOD RANKS AS ONE OF NATION’S MOST POPULAR

Crestwood Section of Yonkers Listed 17th by Zillow.Com as Most Popular Neighborhood Heading into Home Shopping Season

YONKERS, NY – May 7, 2018 – Crestwood, one of Yonkers’ 38 neighborhoods, has been recognized by popular real estate research website Zillow.com as one of the nation’s most popular and sought-after neighborhoods for house shopping. Crestwood ranks as the 17th most popular, the only one in New York State and one of only three neighborhoods on the east coast.

According to Zillow.com, homes in Crestwood experience 5,822 page views per house listing, compared to 365 page views for the typical U.S. home, and has a median listing price of $559,735. Crestwood/Yonkers, NY and Paradise Park/Oakland, CA are the only neighborhoods in the top 20 with homes listed under $1 million.

“Yonkers is filled with an array of wonderful and unique neighborhoods like Crestwood,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “Crestwood is one of our city’s hidden gems, so we are not at all surprised by its ranking as one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in which to live. House shoppers are quickly realizing Yonkers is a great city to live, work and play.”

Located in northeast Yonkers, Crestwood borders the Bronx River Parkway and the Villages of Tuckahoe and Bronxville. Crestwood is home to Metro North’s Crestwood Train Station on the Harlem Line and is located 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan.

The New York Times once described Crestwood as an ‘old world in a big city’ when featured in October 2011. The complete study of Zillow.com’s Most Popular Neighborhoods can be found here.

Methodology

At the end of each day, Zillow takes a snapshot of all the active home listings on the site and records how many times each home was viewed. A database is mined to yield the neighborhoods with the highest number of page views per listing from January 1 to March 31, 2018. Only neighborhoods with at least 10 for-sale homes during that time were counted. Because listings often go through price changes, and to avoid counting the same property twice, the median of listings’ most recent list price within individual neighborhoods were taken.

About Zillow

Zillow is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help. Zillow serves the full lifecycle of owning and living in a home: buying, selling, renting, financing, remodeling and more. Zillow operates the most popular suite of mobile real estate apps, with more than two dozen apps across all major platforms.

5th ANNUAL YONKERS ARTS WEEKEND SHOWCASES OVER 300 ARTISTS AT VENUES ACROSS CITY

Z100’s Skeery Jones Hosts LIVE Saturday, May 5th from 12-2PM at Pop Up Gallery at 86 Main Street

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano will join renowned artists during the City’s 5th Annual Yonkers Arts Weekend Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6th at venues across the city.

Highlights of the weekend include:

  • Z100’s DJ Skeery Jones Hosts LIVE Saturday, May 5 from 12-2PM at the Pop Up Gallery at 86 Main Street
  • 15th Annual YOHO Open Studios in the Carpet Mills Arts District
  • Kite Festival at Hudson River Museum, Saturday, May 5, 12-5PM. Free admission to Museum all weekend
  • Free arts & crafts for kids
  • LIVE Mural Paintings
  • LIVE Musical Performances

Yonkers Arts Weekend, Westchester County’s largest urban arts festival, takes place May 5-6, involving over 300 artists, sculptors, performers and musicians across four spectacular venues across the City.  For more details and the complete schedule for Yonkers Arts Weekend, visit www.yonkersartsweekend.com or Yonkers Arts Weekly on Facebook.

 

***Interviews & Photo Opps***

 

WHO:          Mike Spano, City of Yonkers Mayor

                        Artists, performers, musicians, sculptors

WHAT:       Yonkers Arts Weekend

WHERE:    4 Locations:

                       Pop Up Galleries at 86 Main Street

                       Hudson River Museum (511 Warburton Ave.)

                       YOHO Studios at Carpet Mills Arts District (540/578 Nepperhan Ave.)

                       Urban Studio Unbound (66 Main St.)                                            

WHEN:      Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th

                       12PM- 5PM

                       

MAYOR SPANO TO CELEBRATE THE CULMINATION OF NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano will host a press conference in the City’s South Broadway Business District on Friday, May 4 at 11:15 AM at Silvio’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria at 351 South Broadway, to celebrate the culmination of National Small Business Week and the benefits of shopping and dining at local small businesses in the City Yonkers.

Since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. This year, National Small Business Week was recognized from April 29-May 5.  More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. There are over a dozen small businesses in Yonkers that have been in operation for 100 years or more.

 

***Interviews and Photo Opps***

Who:           Mike Spano, Mayor of the City of Yonkers

                       Karel Littman, South Broadway Business District

                       Silvio’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria Owner & Staff

                       Yonkers Small Business Owners                       

What:         National Small Business Week Celebration 

Where:       Silvio’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

                       351 South Broadway

                       Yonkers, NY 10705 

When:        Friday, May 4

                       11:15 AM

YONKERS MAYOR SPANO TO KICKOFF 5th ANNUAL YONKERS ARTS WEEKEND

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano will join local and visiting artists and Yonkers Arts Weekend participants Wednesday, May 2 at 12:00PM on the 5th floor of 86 Main Street, to kick-off Yonkers Arts Weekend and to announce the weekend’s schedule of events and exhibits planned around the City.

Yonkers Arts Weekend, Westchester County’s largest urban arts festival, takes place May 5-6, involving over 300 artists, sculptors, performers, designers and musicians across four spectacular venues across the City: the YoHo Open Studios at the Carpet Mills Arts District, Downtown galleries and mural paintings, Hudson River Museum, and Untermyer Gardens.  For more details on Yonkers Arts Weekend, visit www.yonkersartsweekend.com or the Yonkers Arts Weekly on Facebook.

***Interviews & Photo Opps***

Who:             Mike Spano, City of Yonkers Mayor

  Wilson Kimball, Commissioner, Dept. of Planning and Development

  Melissa Starke, Urban Studio Unbound/YAW Curator

  Masha Turchinsky, Hudson River Museum, Director

  Local/Visiting Artists                

What:           Yonkers Arts Weekend Kick-Off 

Where:         Yonkers Arts Weekend Pop Up Gallery

                         86 Main St., 5th Fl

                         Yonkers, NY                 

When:          Wednesday, May 2

                        12:00PM