Latest / This Week in Westchester: The Podcast / TWIW 42: October 13, 2026

Transcript

TWIW 42: October 13, 2026 · This Week in Westchester: The Podcast

• 0:06
  Intro: Welcome to this week in Westchester.
• 0:09
  Intro: 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.
• 0:23
  Intro: 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.
• 0:32
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Today is Monday, or Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
• 0:37
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This is this week in Westchester, the briefing.
• 0:53
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Known around the world as the home of Washington Irvings, the legend of Sleepy Hollow, and the infamous Headless Horseman, this historic Hudson River Village comes alive every October.
• 1:05
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It comes alive a lot over, not every month in the year, but in October especially, with hauntingly good fun, festive traditions, and plenty of Halloween magic.
• 1:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Village Mayor, uh Village of Sleepy Hollow Mayor Marjorie Shue joins us today for a spectacular conversation about everything that's happening in this one-of-a-kind community.
• 1:27
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So grab your pumpkins, watch out for the headless horsemen, and join us for some frightful fun and a great conversation about one of Westchester's most iconic villages.
• 1:37
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: With that, let's turn over to Mayor Marjorie Shue.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_05: Good afternoon.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you, County Executive Jenkins, and to everyone who has dialed in.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_05: Sleepy Hollow has become a year-round destination, uh, but there's no time like autumn for our village.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_05: Fall is go time for Sleepy Hollow, uh, unless you're driving, perhaps.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_05: But 200 years ago, uh Washington Irving, as county executive said, looked at this valley and the rolling hills and the river and the old Dutch church, and he saw a story.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_05: He gave us a schoolmaster, a rival, a cute girl named Van Tassel, and a horseman, and in doing so, he gave this village an identity that has lasted for many generations.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_05: Today, when the leaves turn and the air gets crisp, the whole world remembers that Sleepy Hollow is where it happened.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_05: No matter where in the world I'm traveling, people know and love Sleepy Hollow.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_05: Visitors come from all over the U.S., and I've met tourists from Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, Mexico.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_05: We truly have become a destination.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_05: We had a fabulous Sleepy Hollow music festival on October 3rd, and it had a great lineup of bands and music that spanned generations and different musical tastes, food trucks, uh family activities, and 8,000 people uh were rocking out in perfect weather.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_05: We were blessed by nature again this past Saturday for the SUP Witches Festival.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_05: Uh who knew how athletic uh witches are on their uh stand-up paddle boards.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_05: Again, live music, food, fun, uh, an amazing event.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_05: So up ahead we have our uh signature event, the Haunted Hayride, this Friday and Saturday night.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_05: Uh unfortunately, tickets sold out immediately, so uh you know if you haven't already gotten tickets, uh you won't be able to get on the hayride.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_05: The Terrytown Sleepy Hollow Parade is October 24th.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_05: And the Make a Wish and Oktoberfest are on the 25th.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_05: Um Halloween is uh scarily on a Saturday this year, so it's going to be very, very fun.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_05: Uh then our Revolutionary 250 celebration will be on November 1st.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_05: That steering committee has worked really hard to create uh an amazing uh commemoration.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_05: And finally, the Sleepy Hollow Street Fair, which has been delayed twice because of rain in early October, will close out our season on November 8th.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_05: As my husband likes to say, the fun never ends.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_05: All the details are on our sleepyhollownework.gov website, or you can follow one of what feels like hundreds of social media influencers who are featuring Sleepy Hollow Country.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_05: Our fall season is more than a calendar of events, it's a tradition that connects us to history, culture, nature, and our sense of place.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_05: Whether you're on a lantern-lit tour of the old Dutch Burying Ground, standing near the headless horseman for a selfie, or catching a storytelling night with the legend told the way it was meant to be told, you are taking part in something that has been shared for many generations.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_05: It is also a tradition that works because of our community.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_05: Behind every event are a whole lot of people that are working really hard to make it great for our visitors and our residents.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_05: A big thank you to our Department of Public Works and our Parks Department who set everything up, clean everything up, and keep things running before the crowds arrive and long after everyone goes home.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you to our police, fire, and ambulance corps who keep people and our streets safe and orderly.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you to our volunteers, our school groups, our historical and cultural partners, including but not limited to the historic Hudson Valley, the old Dutch Church, the old Croton Aqueduct, and many others.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_05: This series of events is so important to our local economy.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_05: When visitors come to Sleepy Hollow, they eat at our restaurants, shop at our stores, and stay in our community.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_05: They discover how much this little village has to offer beyond a good ghost story.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_05: Our riverfront, our history, our diversity, and most importantly, our people.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_05: Our downtown restaurants on Valley, Cortland, and Beekman offer multicultural cuisines, including our newest ice cream, ice cream shop, where we celebrated urban cutting yesterday.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_05: Our local shops offer flowers, uh, children's books, and uh spooky and mystical stuff, any kind of candy you could ever want.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_05: And uh this tourism supports our local businesses and keeps our village vibrant all year round.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_05: But most importantly, uh I have to thank the families who live in Sleepy Hollow and our neighboring villages and graciously share their neighborhood with thousands of visitors every fall.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_05: I know that busy weekends mean traffic, parking challenges, and crowded sidewalks.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_05: I appreciate your patience.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_05: Our goal is to always celebrate this season with our residents.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_05: So here is what I'd ask of everyone this season.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_05: Walk or cycle with your kids and neighbors.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_05: We encourage out-of-town guests to come by Metro North or the B line, support a local business, and take a moment to appreciate where we live.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_05: Download the Project Mover app and try out an e-bike to get around.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_05: We've been piloting a new event parking space lot on Continental to those who are unable to use public transportation.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_05: If you do have to drive, please be patient and allow yourself extra time.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_05: Be welcoming and be safe, watch for pedestrians, follow posted parking guidelines and our speed limits, and look out for the little ones, especially on busy weekends and Halloween night.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_05: Irving wrote that this valley casts a spell on everyone who lingers here.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_05: I think he was right.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_05: It's a spell of community history and a little bit of wonderful mischief.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for making Sleepy Hollow the heart of the season.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_05: Happy Autumn and enjoy every moment of it.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_05: And uh please keep an eye out for that horseman.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
• 9:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Marjorie, thank you so much.
• 9:16
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: All right, that's our our mayor from the village of Sleepy Hollow Hollow, um, Marjorie Shue, and she did um make sure to point out a lot of things, but most importantly, to make sure that you check on the website um to be find out all the activities, make sure that if you can um use public transportation, there's connections all through the Metro North, beeline, etc., and making sure to um pack a little extra patience because there's a lot of extra people that come through because everyone loves that as part of our$2.5 billion that comes into uh Westchester County and Hudson Valley for tourism.
• 9:51
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And remember, as the mayor suggested and stated very clearly, the people that live there as well, and they have to go through all of this together again.
• 10:01
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We love uh being in the village of Sleepy Hollow, one of our tremendous river towns.
• 10:05
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Certainly hanging out with the headless horsemen is fun, but more importantly, the economic development that happens in the community to do that.
• 10:11
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And and thank you so much, Mayor, for making sure to remind everyone that there's so many people behind the scenes that make this time magical and happening, and we're looking forward to seeing you out on the parade on the 24th.
• 10:23
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um, and uh that's just extra uh gifts for those folks that dress up appropriately.
• 10:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Last time I think I dressed up as an elected official.
• 10:31
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So uh I did that with a few other folks.
• 10:34
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So again, uh we look forward to seeing everyone out there as best as possible.
• 10:38
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Again, watching out for the young ones, especially um those folks that are just out there um in their garb and having a great time being in the village of Sleepy Hollow, but there are so many things to do year-round.
• 10:49
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So thank you so much, um, Mayor Marjorie Shu for everything that you do and continued leadership in the village of Sleepy Hollow.
• 10:56
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: All right, we're gonna switch gears and we're gonna talk for a second about um the Yonkers wastewater recovery facility.
• 11:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So, one of the things that happens along the way, um, no one ever thinks about this.
• 11:10
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: What happens when you flush the toilet, take a shower, or send water down the drain?
• 11:14
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Westchester County is answering that question with the release of a new behind-the-scenes video tour of the Yonkers water wastewater recovery facility, giving residents an inside look at the massive infrastructure, sophisticated technology, and the dedicated workforce responsible for treating wastewater every day.
• 11:35
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Let's take a look at the video.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_04: We have peak skill, um, worshiping system, member nickel, shameless, and critical infrastructure.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_04: Since then, we've had hopefully the next time there is a planet.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_04: Modification for me.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_04: If everything is running smooth, we're doing our job.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna bowl the mic.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: The next step in the process, the wastewater goes to the primary settling tanks.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: Solids are going to the bottom.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_03: They're going on a different journey through the rest of the processing.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_03: The wastewater goes on for further treatment.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_03: There's also odor control systems here.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_03: The air from the tanks goes through these pipes to a chemical treatment system so that we control the odors coming into the primary settling tanks.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_04: From the primary settling tanks, it goes to the erasing tanks.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_04: The first part was mechanical, now we're into the biological area.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: And we do this by introducing microorganisms, and they feed on the biological pollutants that are still in the wastewater.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_03: And this is the really highly technical part of the process, and the plant staff has to closely monitor what goes on here.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_04: We're in the lab here at the Yonkers facility.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_04: This is a sample of the influent, and this clear sample, that's the north and the south, but these are both effluent samples.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_04: The effluent comes into the front of the tank, and it's basically chlorinated throughout the entire tank.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_04: And just before it's released, we declorinate the effluent.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_04: Take a sample, and this is what is actually being released into the Hudson.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_04: You can see it's very clean.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_04: Without these facilities, you would basically be discharging raw sewage into the Long Island Sound, the Hudson River, whatever body of water.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_04: These facilities are critical to society.
• 15:09
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Again, some of the most important work county government does happens completely out of sight.
• 15:15
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Every time you turn on a faucet, take a shower, flush the toilet, there's an entire system and an incredible team of people working behind the scenes.
• 15:24
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We wanted to take a second and open the doors to give residents a chance to see where their tax dollars are going, one, but more importantly, how this critical infrastructure works and how the work's being done every single day to protect public health and our environment.
• 15:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And I know there was a scene at the end when Commissioner Vince Kapicki was showing dumping out water and saying this water is what's actually ends up into the Hudson.
• 15:50
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um I had the ability to take this tour when I was first the county legislator in 2007.
• 15:55
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And then the commissioner was Tom Laurel.
• 15:58
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Tom Laurel did the whole tri um tour of the plant just as you saw just a few seconds ago.
• 16:04
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Um, and at the end of the tour, he said, You could drink this water.
• 16:09
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And I said, No, you drink that water.
• 16:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And he actually did, right?
• 16:14
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And he it is potable water that comes out of the facility, and that is part of the amazing work that happens each and every day at one each one of the seven wastewater recovery facilities that we have.
• 16:27
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So we like to say again, thank you to the men and women who work in the Department of Environmental Facilities and under the leadership of Commissioner Vince Kapicki for all the work they do each and every day.
• 16:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We're gonna keep going because now in this particular time, as Major Mayor Marie Shu pointed out in the beginning, we're in fall, and the weather one day is 70, 75 degrees, next day it's 40, 50, etc.
• 16:53
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And that's the fall.
• 16:54
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: It's a wonderful time of the year, and we love the changing of the leaves.
• 16:58
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But that also means the Westchester County Department of Health is going to continue to offer free flu vaccines for county residents three years and up at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.
• 17:09
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That's gonna happen this Thursday from 12 p.m.
• 17:12
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: to 6 30 p.m.
• 17:14
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Walk-ins are welcome, and residents can res register in advance or call 914-995-7425 for assistance.
• 17:25
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Vaccines will be given in the second floor community room of the Yonkers Riverfront Library.
• 17:30
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That's right at one Larkin Center down Yonkers.
• 17:34
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: A parent or legal guardian must be present with children for um children ages 3 to 15 years old.
• 17:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: The County Health Department recommends that everyone six months or older should get the annual flu shot, and the sooner the better, because it takes about two weeks before it could kick in.
• 17:52
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Flu can be deadly and it can make otherwise healthy adults and children very ill.
• 17:57
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Flu activity is usually highest between December and February, but can last into May.
• 18:03
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And as we know, again, it takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to um to kick in.
• 18:09
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And we know that at this time there's some early flu activity going on around the country, again, because of the weather variances, et cetera.
• 18:17
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So do like I did and make sure that you get your flu and your COVID SOTS as soon as you can.
• 18:23
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And again, it's coming up this Thursday in the City of Yonkers at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.
• 18:28
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But take a look on the county's website and the health department's website, and they'll have the dates available for you there too.
• 18:35
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This month in October, we're celebrating Italian Heritage Month.
• 18:40
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: So we'll hope that you're gonna join us here in the county for a special flag raising ceremony.
• 18:45
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That flag raising ceremony where we'll raise the Italian flag is going to be Wednesday, October 21st at 5 p.m.
• 18:52
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: outside the McKellion office building here in White Plains.
• 18:56
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Following the ceremony, we'll continue the celebration with a reception from 5 30 to 7.
• 19:02
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This is an opportunity to come together and celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Italian Americans here in Westchester County.
• 19:11
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We asked that you RSVP by this week, Wednesday, October 14th, at communications at Westchester County NY.gov.
• 19:20
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We'll hope you join with us as we proudly raise the Italian flag and celebrate Italian Heritage Month here in Westchester County.
• 19:29
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And with that, let me turn over to our Deputy County Executive, Joe McDonald.
• 19:33
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Joe.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, County Executive.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: This Saturday, October 17th, from 1 o'clock until 2 p.m., we will have a pumpkin decorating fest at the Alfred Del Bello Muscoot Farm in Kotona, New York.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone ages three and older can get into the Halloween spirit by painting pumpkins.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: Decorate and take home your very own pumpkin from our pumpkin patch.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: Pumpkins will be supplied.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: Meet in our activity building.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's$10 a person.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: To get details and register, go to our website https backslash parks event.westchestercounty ny dot gov backslash event backslash pumpkin dash decorating.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Also on Saturday, October 17th, from 2 o'clock until 3 30 p.m., Croton Point Parks forgotten community, the Bungalow Colony.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: Every summer from 1926 through 1964, the Croton Point Park Association took up residence in their bungalow colony at Croton Point Park.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: They had a baseball team, a community center, weekly dances, and a flourishing newspaper.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: We will look into how this group lived, what life was like, and what happened after their houses were torn down.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: It will take place in the Nature Center at Croton Point Park.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: There will be a lecture with slides, archival media, and QA afterwards.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: It is free.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: On Sunday, October 18th from 9 30 a.m.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: until 2 30 p.m., our weekly farmers market at Alfred Del Bello Muscoot Farm.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: Our weekly farmers market supports farmers and sustainable efforts in our area, featuring over 25 local vendors every Sunday through November 15th.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Barnyard Beats Live Music will be provided by Lisa Pellegrino.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody come out and enjoy.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: County Executive?
• 21:41
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Thanks, Jim.
• 21:43
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Thank you, Joe.
• 21:44
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: That was so great.
• 21:45
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Our Deputy County Executive Joe McDonald.
• 21:47
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: And that's this week in Westchester.
• 21:50
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: This week in Westchester, the briefing was celebrating Halloween, taking residence behind the scenes of critical county infrastructure and highlighting the upcoming community events.
• 22:00
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Halloween in Sleepy Hollow.
• 22:02
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We were pleased to have the village of Sleepy Hollows Mayor Marjorie Shu join us today to discuss the legendary home of the Headless Horseman, its Halloween traditions, and exciting community updates and everything that goes along with that in this time of year.
• 22:17
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But keep in reminding everyone that Sleepy Hollow is year-round and has so many other events that are continuing to happen.
• 22:24
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: But this time is especially, especially busy in the village of Sleepy Hollow.
• 22:29
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: We went behind the scenes in Yonkers where we we had the video tour of the Yonkers wastewater recovery facility, showcasing the technology infrastructure, dedicated and the dedicated employees who protect public health and the environment every single day.
• 22:47
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Finally, we came up and we reminded folks about our Italian American heritage celebration at the in the county's flag raising that's coming up on Wednesday, October 21st at 5 p.m., followed by a reception here at the McKellan Office Building here in White Plains.
• 23:03
  Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Halloween festivities, essential services that keep Westchester running, all the things that are happening in the nationally accredited and award-winning park system, making sure that you download the parks app, go to the Village of Sleepy Hollows website to get all that information, check in in with historic Hudson Valley, and that is what's happening this week in Westchester.