Latest / This Week in Westchester: The Podcast / TWIW 44: October 26, 2026

Transcript

TWIW 44: October 26, 2026 · This Week in Westchester: The Podcast

• 0:06
  Intro: Welcome to This Week in Westchester, the podcast, your weekly audio briefing from Westchester County government.
• 0:13
  Intro: Each week, County Executive Ken Jenkins breaks down the decisions, investments, and initiatives shaping life across Westchester.
• 0:21
  Intro: Clear information, real progress, one place to stay informed.
• 0:26
  Intro: Now here's This Week in Westchester.
• 0:29
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Good afternoon.
• 0:30
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: I'm Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins.
• 0:33
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This is Monday, October 26, 2026, and this is This Week in Westchester, the briefing.
• 0:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're coming to you today from a very special location, the Westchester County Archives and Records Center.
• 0:47
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Now you might be wondering why we're here instead of our usual spot at the McKillion Office Building, but there's a really good reason.
• 0:54
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This building's home to an incredible collection of Westchester County's history, preserving the documents, records, and stories that tell us where we've been and how we have grown.
• 1:05
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But today, we're not here just to talk about the past.
• 1:08
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're here to make a little history of our own.
• 1:11
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So we have a special announcement and a familiar face that will be joining us later on in the program.
• 1:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So you'll want to stick around for that.
• 1:20
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But first, since last Friday, the Westchester County Health Department has been responding to a significant water break in the town of Greenburg.
• 1:29
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: The Westchester County Health Department's Division of Environmental Health has been actively working with the town of Greenburg and its water operators to monitor the situation and ensure quality water testing.
• 1:42
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: A boil water advisory was issued on Friday and still remains in effect.
• 1:47
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: The boiled water advisory means that those in the affective areas are strongly advised to boil all tap water at a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute prior to drinking it or using it for prepared food, washing dishes by hand, or brushing teeth.
• 2:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: The advisory does not extend to bathing, washing clothes, or using a dishwasher.
• 2:10
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: The boiled water advisory will remain in effect until further notice as a precautionary method measure.
• 2:15
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We hope to have an update on this later on today.
• 2:20
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Today, we're going to start up with two special guests joining us to talk about an exciting milestone in our nation's history and how Westchester County is preparing to celebrate.
• 2:30
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: As we approach America's 250th anniversary in 2026, communities across Westchester have come together to recognize the people, places, and events that helped shape our nation's founding.
• 2:42
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Joining us today is Char Weigel, the Vice President of a Special Projects, and a member of the Executive Committee for Revolutionary Westchester 250, an organization dedicated to highlighting Westchester's important role in the American Revolution and bringing that history to life for residents and visitors alike.
• 3:00
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: With Char is also going to be the mayor of the village of Tarrytown, Karen Brown, who will share how Tarrytown is participating in this historic commemoration and the opportunities for residents to get involved.
• 3:13
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Char, Mayor Brown, come on up.
• 3:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And we are so happy with Mayor Brown after she had her normal with next to Sleepy Hollow Halloween parade.
• 3:24
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: She has changed gear to go to revolutionary times now.
• 3:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Mayor.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you, County Executive, and good afternoon, everybody.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_07: It's really um such a beautiful afternoon.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_07: Um it's been an amazing fall in the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_07: Of course, the foliage was and continues to be amazing.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_07: And our villages have welcomed over a hundred thousand visitors to the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, villages of 12,000 residents each in the month of October.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_07: Um, this the Halloween parade this year, the Tarrytown Halloween parade was our biggest ever.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_07: We're estimating that there were 20,000 people lining in our streets and having a really great time, and it was just this past weekend.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_07: I want to give a big thank you to Westchester County and its PD and uh sheriffs for helping us out.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_07: Also for police officers, EMS workers, volunteer firefighters from villages across Westchester came and stood on the streets, got people moving, kept people safe, and it was great to see everybody working together to bring such joy to our community.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_07: A propos to being here at the archives, uh Shar is with me today, and we're gonna tell you how Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow are going to be commemorating our revolutionary history with the um uh the uh battles at Tarrytown.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_07: And Shah's gonna tell you about a program we're having regarding that.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_07: So I'm gonna give you over to Shar Weigel.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_06: Hello everyone.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_06: Uh, we do want to invite everyone to come to Terrytown and Sleepy Hollow this coming Sunday, November 1, where we will be commemorating the 250th in a place where it happened.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_06: So many of you know that the treason that Benedict Arnold was planning, that had it been successful, would have felled West Point, and we all would have been speaking with British accents right now.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_06: That was thwarted by what happened in Terrytown when three local militiamen, John Pulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, captured British spy Major John Andre.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_06: You can see the memorial right in Patriots Park on Route 9, and both the villages of Sleepy Hollow and Terrytown are coming together to commemorate Terrytown and Sleepy Hollow's role in the 250th and the founding of our country.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_06: So we start on Sunday morning in Sleepy Hollow.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_06: Our new boating pier will be used for the first time for the landing of the British.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_06: And then we will have a symbolic reconciliation between the British and American troops, represented by living history reenactors, to indicate the way Westchester came together at the end of the war to create the prosperous county that we live in now.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_06: And from there we will process down Riverwalk from Sleepy Hollow to Terrytown for an afternoon of events, including commemorating two community quilts that were created by hundreds of residents of Terrytown and Sleepy Hollow.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_06: Over the course of six months, they will be dedicated to Mayor Brown and Mayor Shu to hang in each village hall.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_06: And there will be living history reenactors, performances, music.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_06: We will have two wonderful oxen that people can pet and understand the role of the farmers and the tenant farmers here.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_06: Much of the information in the archives behind us has supplemented what we know about the role of the tenant farmers at the time of the war.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_06: So we hope you all will extend the holiday season a little bit in Sleepy Hollow in Terrytown and join us, starting at 10 a.m.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_06: in Sleepy Hollow, 1 p.m.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_06: in uh Pearson Park in Terrytown, and it will all close with the group singing of the national anthem at 4 p.m.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_06: We hope to see you all there.
• 7:34
  unknown: Thank you, Shaw.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you to Shaw and to Connie Coho for um really putting this together for us.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_07: And Ken, we're gonna see you at our Halloween parade in costume next year, right?
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_07: Okay.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Mayor and Shahr.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm Joan McDonald, the deputy county executive.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to do uh a couple of uh events and then turn it back over to the county executive.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: Today we are announcing that Westchester County and Together for Youth, one of our contractors, will be completing a planned transition in the operations of the Westchester County Youth Detention Facility.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: Effective January 1st, 2027, Westchester County will assume direct responsibility for operating the facility, concluding its current operating agreement with Together for Youth on December 31st, 2026.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: The transition reflects the county's decision to bring the management and daily operations of the facility directly under county government with county employees.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: This decision is consistent with the operating structure used by many counties across New York State.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Our responsibility is to ensure that every young person in our care is treated with dignity, compassion, and respect while maintaining the highest standards of safety and accountability.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: This transition represents a change in how the facility will be operated, but it was not, it does not change our shared commitment to the young people that we serve.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: We look forward to working collaboratively with Together for Youth to ensure a seamless and responsible transition.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: Both organizations will continue coordinating transition activities with the safety and well-being of residents, remaining that highest priority.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: Over the coming months, Westchester County and Together for Youth will work closely to maintain continuity of operations, support employees through the transition, and ensure that the facility continues to meet the needs of the young people in its care.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'll now go through the park upcoming events for this week.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: On Saturday, October 31st, from 9 a.m.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: until 10:30 a.m., the Croton Point Park Halloween hike will take place at Croton Point Park at Croton on Hudson.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: Anyone ages six and older can join park staff and the Village of Croton historian Mark Cheshire on a special Ghosts and Pirates hike to explore Croton Point's spooky history, particularly the legends about Money Island, where supposedly Captain Kidd was said to have buried treasure.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: The hike lasts one and a half to two hours.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: Meet at the gate to the RV park where parking is available, wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and it's free to the public.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: Also on Saturday, October 31st, from 10 a.m.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: until 11:30 a.m., we're going to have a wild about Halloween at the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: Discover the wild side of the spooky season.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: Join us for a short nature walk, then settle in to paint your own miniature pumpkin or gourd.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: That event is also free.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: On Saturday, October 31st, from 10 a.m.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: until 11.30, there will be a fantasy parade at Lazden Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial in Kotona.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: Wear a mask, cape, or costumes, ones that are family friendly and for all ages and abilities, and parade outdoors, not indoors, in the park.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: We'll meet at the picnic table in the orchard to celebrate imagination, creativity, and wonder and stroll together.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: Children must be accompanied by adults, and a steady rain will cancel.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_02: It is free to the public.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: Also, on October 31st, Saturday, from 12 until 3, there will be a boo walk at the Alfred Del Bello Muscoot Farm in Cotona.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's the annual boo walk.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: Come in costume and walk the non-scary Halloween-themed wooded trails.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: The walk closes promptly at 3 p.m.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_02: It is also free.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: Our last event on Saturday, October 31st is from 1 o'clock until 2:30 p.m.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: Pre-trick-or-treat scavenger hunt at the Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers, where you can search for clues related to Halloween on certain walkways and trails.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: And there will be candy and other goodies.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_02: It is free to the public.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: And now I'm going to turn it back over to the county executive.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Joan.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 12:24
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: All right, Joan.
• 12:25
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Thank you so much.
• 12:25
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And certainly thank you to Mayor Karen Brown and Char after we saw her over the weekend for some of you that participated in Rev Fest 250 with the reenactors for the Battle of White Plains with the 800 reenactors up there in the tremendous encampments, etc.
• 12:42
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So um a great job, um Char um in costume, by the way.
• 12:48
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That I'll I'll get a chance to use um next week.
• 12:53
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Or next year to make sure I'm walking in the parade.
• 12:56
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So as Veterans Day approaches, I want to make sure to invite all of our Westchester residents to join us for a very special ceremony honoring the brave men and women who have served our nation.
• 13:06
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: On Tuesday, November 10th at 2 p.m., we're going to gather at the Lazdin Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial in Katona for Westchester County's annual Veterans Day ceremony.
• 13:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This is an opportunity for our community to come together, reflect on the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families, and express our gratitude to those who have worn the uniform in service to our country.
• 13:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: I'll be joined by Veterans Service Agency Director Josh Gashon as we pay tribute to the men and women who have served and who continue to serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
• 13:39
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: I encourage everyone to attend, and that's Tuesday, November 10th at 2 p.m.
• 13:44
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: at the Lesden Park Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial.
• 13:47
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That's located at 2610 Route 35 in Katona.
• 13:51
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Let's come together as one Westchester community to honor our heroes and remind them of their service and sacrifice and that they will never be forgotten.
• 14:02
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're also going to have that same week, that Thursday, 12 noon, we're going to proudly raise the Albanian flag outside the McKillian office building in White Plains.
• 14:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So we're going to celebrate Albanian Heritage Month right here in Westchester County.
• 14:17
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Westchester's home to a vibrant Albanian-American community whose rich culture, traditions, and contributions are an important part of what makes our county so special.
• 14:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This is an opportunity for all of us to come together, celebrate Albanian heritage, and recognize the many ways our Albanian-American neighbors enrich our communities.
• 14:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And you don't have to be Albanian to join us.
• 14:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Everyone is welcome, and I encourage residents to come out, show their support, and take place in this special celebration, and that's on November 12th at 148 Martine Avenue in White Plains, and we hope to see you there.
• 14:57
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Today we're here.
• 15:02
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're here at the Westchester County Archive Center for a very, very important reason.
• 15:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Today is that special day for Westchester County as we officially unveil the Andrew J.
• 15:18
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Spano Archives and Records Center, honoring a man whose decades of public service helped shape the county as we know it today.
• 15:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It's especially meaningful to have Andy here with us today as we celebrate his legacy and formally dedicate the building to his honor.
• 15:55
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Throughout his time in public office, Andy has understood that good government is more than policies and programs.
• 16:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It's about improving people's lives and building a stronger future for the next generation.
• 16:09
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: As county executive, Andy championed affordable housing, environmental protection, public safety, and programs to support victims of domestic violence.
• 16:19
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: He tripled the county's new homes and land and acquisition fund, helping expand opportunities for affordable housing, and establish the county's nationally recognized domestic violence legal program.
• 16:31
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But perhaps more fitting for today's occasion is Andy's commitment to preserving Westchester's history.
• 16:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: During his tenure as county clerk, Andy expanded the county's records management program to include an archive and help modernize the preservation of our most important documents.
• 16:50
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: As county executive, he continued that work, advancing the creation of the county's virtual archives and overseeing the renovation of this very facility.
• 17:00
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It's only fitting that the building dedicated to preserving Westchester County's history now bears the name of someone who helped preserve it.
• 17:10
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We want to recognize former county executive and now Congressman George Latimer, who first introduced this legislation to name the building in Andy's honor.
• 17:21
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Today, we have the privilege of bringing that recognition to its final invisible moment.
• 17:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This unveiling is more than a placement of a name of a building.
• 17:32
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It is a permanent acknowledgement of a lifetime of public service and a reminder of that the work we do in county government leaves a lasting impact.
• 17:43
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Andy, your contributions to Westchester are woven into the fabric of this county, and generations of residents will continue to benefit from your leadership.
• 17:54
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: On behalf of the people of Westchester County, Andy, thank you for your dedication, your vision, and your many years of service to the people of Westchester.
• 18:05
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Now, at this point in time, we want to bring up everyone so we can unveil the Andrew J.
• 18:13
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Spano County Archives on the record setter.
• 18:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So let's come up first.
• 18:21
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Everyone is here to come up.
• 18:22
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We certainly have County Clerk now, Tom Roach here, Sue Toachin, the Deputy County Executive, and all the folks.
• 18:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So we're gonna go up there first, unveil it, and then we'll hear from the man himself.
• 18:33
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Come on up, everybody.
• 18:35
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Right.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_05: Not in gold.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_05: I'm really touched.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_05: I we we had the ceremony last year, but it's just seeing my name up there.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_05: When I was county clerk, we had a gentleman that ran the center.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_05: It was only called uh records center.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_05: And I thought he did such a good job that I tried to get the center named after him when he left.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_05: I'm glad I didn't I wasn't successful.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_05: Um all the things that happened, and I had a hand in as a county clerk and as a county executive.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_05: I'm most proud of that.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_05: Um, it wasn't here when I took over.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_05: And I told the story many times, but I taught history for many years in high school, in junior high school.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_05: And um when I got to be county clerk still on the cusp of of the old times.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_05: County clerk is the oldest position in Westchester County and was the most important position until the 1930s when they created a county executive.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_05: But all those people, all those years, all those county clerks, they preserved the history of this county.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_05: All the documents, so all the there's there's one book in here that has all the everything that happened in the government just in the first year and then it continues from there.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_05: And it some of them almost got lost uh when it transitioned from the old courthouse to the present courthouse.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_05: In fact, there used to be um pictures of every single county clerk in the old courthouse either sketches or pictures and they were all lost.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_05: I tried to find them, but we couldn't find them.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_05: Um I'm just so happy that the people who came after me too took the ball and ran with it and expanded this whole thing.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_05: Um I think it's the finest county archives in in the whole state.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_05: Um and it in a way it was it led to my getting a position at the state level while I was county clerk here that helped bring archives and records management to the entire state of New York, which the state of New York has the best program in the United States.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm very proud of this.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_05: I never wanted Wanted anything named after me.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_05: I I have a philosophy that says you do it.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_05: You don't have to take credit for it.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_05: Just enjoy it.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_05: And I told George that many times.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_05: But but he didn't listen to me.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_05: Um I'm really glad he didn't.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_05: I am very pleased to have my name on this.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_05: And I want to thank him, I want to thank Kenny.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_05: They they've got they went out to make this uh this event and the event before something special for me.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_05: Um and when I look out there, I see many of the little women who are now big women, who I hired then and did such a great job.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_05: And the little men who are big men.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't make so I'm not talking about these guys.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_05: Um and I want to thank all of them because you couldn't do it without them.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_05: Couldn't do without the you know, we got a we got a map uh machine that that digitized maps.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_05: And I remember, you know, day after day copying maps that we found that when the transition occurred between the old courthouse and the new courthouse, it was so hurried because the same transition occurred when Al Dobello took over from McAlian.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_05: And it was the first time a Democrat had ever been elected to that position.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_05: And everyone wanted to get everything in fast, and the build the building had just been built, and the new county executive was coming in, and lots of lots of things got lost.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_05: We found maps behind counters and under tables, etc.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_05: And to look at this today and to see it's so well organized so that the people of Westchester can know its history, and it's a tremendous history.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_05: Uh I've always felt, and this would be my last my last word, that if you lose a sense of history and the knowledge of history, you tend to get governments that deviate from our democracy.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_05: And we should never let that happen.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
• 24:32
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Because we have a predecessor, uh a successor that's here, um, Tom Roach, our county clerk.
• 24:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Now we're gonna ask Tom to come up for a really, really quick second, making sure that we continue his thoughts on this, um, and we'll see if we have any other special guests come with us.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_04: I really I came just to congratulate Andy on this great honor, well-deserved honor.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um, everything you did for the county was done well.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_04: And um you look fantastic, by the way.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, and and uh your comments are are are are spot on in terms of remembering our history, how we got to where we are, and how important it is that we don't forget it, because sometimes it feels like we're on the edge of that.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_04: And uh so I'm very proud to be county clerk and proud to work with county executive Jenkins to try and make things better for our county.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, and I brought what my my current employee, Dora, who was your employee, and uh she's also president of your fan club.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_04: I just want to let you know.
• 25:37
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: All right, Tom, thank you so much.
• 25:39
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um and certainly want to make sure to recognize some of the folks as you did.
• 25:43
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um, certainly Sue Tolton hanging out in the front here, that was Deputy County Executive, uh extraordinaire.
• 25:50
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: She does so many things, and she was essential in making sure that this all came together.
• 25:55
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So give another round of applause for Sue Tolkien.
• 25:59
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um Marguerite Byrne is uh is our CI CIO extraordinaire, she was your CIO extraordinaire, and she has been the keeper of the records under her on under her peruse.
• 26:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um and Patty Durwin sitting next to her.
• 26:15
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um Andy, I remember you being county executive.
• 26:17
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're out in the back when we would did the improvements in this facility, including um some tremendous um archive, archival things for making sure that the Declaration of Independence stayed in the building, um, and that from the old courthouse to the new, it will be returning back to the Andrew J.
• 26:35
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Spano Records Center um at the end of the year on December 20th, and we hope to be able to continue to make sure people get a chance to see it there.
• 26:43
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um and and and certainly all of the team that's here around you, that's there, but there's no one more important than your right-hand woman, Brenda Resnick Spano, that's here as well, so make sure to recognize.
• 26:58
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But we have one more special guest for you, right?
• 27:00
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Because you know, you never know when we can pull those things together.
• 27:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And he was the one that made sure that we had that conversation and that you were able to file listen to him.
• 27:10
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That's our good friend, Congressman George Latimer.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: This is a great moment, and I'm happy that I could be a part of it.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we all have our realities and the different careers that we pick for ourselves.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, although it's the same career of Ken and Andy and a number of us, uh, I'm in the middle of a political campaign, so I'm on the other side of the county doing this and doing that.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_01: You've been through it how many times?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: You've been through it how many times?
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: So happens to be me at this moment in time.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: But for anybody who's ever served in public life, particularly electoral life, and that includes a lot of people who are sitting here, sometimes you get in the middle of it and you wonder, am I really doing the right thing?
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: Is this really the best way for me to use my time?
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: And that's a legitimate question.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's true of any career that you get into, uh, whether it's in medicine or law, publishing, education, uh, life in the military.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: That's a natural process to question yourself.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: And and the sacrifices you make in any career, that the time it takes you away from your spouse or your family, the time that you'd rather be watching the NFL on a Sunday afternoon, taking it easy, uh, all of those little things.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Those of us who are in this life understand what Andy Spano gave to this county.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: The time and the energy and the effort.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: Now you can look at it from the standpoint of what he achieved, what he accomplished.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: I was there to see some of it when I chaired the Board of Legislators, and then later on, um, in the position that Ken has now, you really get a chance to see what a county executive has accomplished.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_01: Things you didn't know when you were on the outside looking in, and how many of these crises that have to do it.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: But for any time, Andy, that you ever went to bed at night wondering, was it worth it?
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: Did I did I make the impact that I intended to?
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're a teacher, you're a counselor, and then you wound up with this as a lie for a long time.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Into your later years, and now I'm following you at the same rough age doing these things.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: Ken's still a kid, he's still got years ahead of him.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: A moment like this is a moment where you can turn to Brenda or in your own mind by yourself going, I made an impact.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: Because other people saw it, they recognized it.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_01: That doesn't happen for all of us.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it happens after the person isn't there.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_01: And we had the great privilege to name a building after Reggie Lafayette, my lifelong friend.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: Reggie wasn't there to see it.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so glad, Andy, that you can be here to see your name on something that you gave a significant portion of your life to, that you made a significant impact on, and know inside of you.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: When all of this is done, the videos are turned off, and it's just you and Brendo, or sometimes just you alone, that you know you made an accomplishment that we all recognized.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: And people will drive by here, and quite probably 30, 40 years from now, they won't really know any of our names.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: And they may wonder who Andrew J.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Spano is.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: But that's the opportunity for people to learn who you are.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: Long after you and I are both gone.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: We'll have one of those dinners we have up in Wilton.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: We'll have one of them up.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I know you're going up there.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: I hope to join you up there.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm still in the business, it's a little difficult.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm so happy, and that the county executive, my friend Ken Jenkins, could be here for this moment and that I could stop by and be a part of it.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's a great blessing to me.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: Andy, congratulations on lifetime achievement.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_01: We love you.
• 31:03
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: All right.
• 31:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um, first, thank you all for watching.
• 31:06
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: I'm County Executive Ken Jenkins.
• 31:08
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Thank you so much for watching.
• 31:10
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That is this week in Westchester.
• 31:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We certainly heard from Karen Brown, Mayor Karen Brown, uh from Tarrytown and Char, um, talking about the next revolutionary 250 item that came that's gonna come up.
• 31:22
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We talked about Together for Youth, and we talked about some of the other different things going on in the nationally accredited and award-winning park system.
• 31:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But at this time, we want to make sure to say shout out to everyone, all the folks that are here that that didn't get named.
• 31:34
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Mark Oxman hooked be pissed off we didn't say anything about him, right?
• 31:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Right?
• 31:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So, but for everyone else together, we want to give you all say thank you for being here with Andy.
• 31:44
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And Andy, we're gonna have you come up and take some pictures around the Andrew J Spano, Kanye Archives and Records Center.
• 31:51
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Thanks for watching.
• 31:52
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Have a great day, Westchester.