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The Passing of Msgr. Raymond Byrne
It is with profound sadness that I acknowledge the death of Msgr. Raymond Byrne. Father Byrne’s impact on the Irvington community went far beyond the parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church.
His presence at village events and his two decades as a chaplin for the Irvington Fire Department are the most high-profile of his contributions outside of his beloved church. But he was also a leader among all the clergy in our village, across all denominations and faiths.
Father Byrne was not afraid to speak his mind, but his words came from the heart and with the wisdom of a lifetime of service. Everyone may not have agreed with Father Byrne, but we all listened with great reverence and respect to what he had to say. I will never be able to hear "God Bless America" without thinking of Father Byrne and his effect on our community.
Information on the services for Father Byrne is: Visitation from noon to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Church, 16 N. Broadway. The Mass of the High Priest will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Immaculate Conception Church and a Funeral Mass Saturday 10 a.m.
Affordable Housing Committee Meeting
Next Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. there will be the second meeting for residents interested in joining the nascent Affordable Housing Committee or who are just interested in the issue of increasing affordable housing in Irvington. We have the head of the Hastings Affordable Housing Committee, Sue Smith, presenting to the group. Hastings is a real leader in affordable housing; we hope to learn a lot from their approach.
Irvington Diversity Foundation Showing the Movie “Bully”
Also next Thursday, at 6:45 p.m., at the Irvington High School-Middle School Campus Theater, the movie, "Bully" will be presented. The movie shows the real-life stories of kids being bullied and the impact on them. You can see trailer at www.thebullyproject.com.
This movie is appropriate for middle school and older students but equally important for adults, especially those unaware of the impact of bullying on children in this increasingly electronic world. Also being shown is the documentary made by IHS students, "It Gets Better."
The Irvington Education Foundation Casino Night Fundraiser
The Irvington Education Foundation (the “IEF”) is holding its main fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown. The IEF funds many special events and activities in our schools that enrich the experience and learning of students. These experiences would simply not be available without the monetary support of the IEF. The IEF receives the majority of its funding from this annual fundraising event. The Casino Night will be an informal (jeans are fine), fun evening, even for non-gamblers.
There will be a wide array of auction items available at the event if you wish to participate, including some very unique items. They range from unique events with teachers to sports tickets to a 12-pack of my homemade beer! For more information or to buy tickets, click here.
Recreation Brochure Available
The 2013 winter edition of the Recreation and Parks Department Brochure of Programs, Activities, and Communities Events for Toddlers, Youth, Teens, Adults, and Seniors is now available.
Recreation Summer Camp Jobs
The first job I ever had was as a counselor at the Irvington Recreation Day Camp in the summer of 1990. I have wonderful memories of the laughter and smiles of the campers at Dows Lane as well as the camaraderie of the staff.
So, I am very excited to announce that employment applications for the Day Camp and Teenscape are now available. Day Camp counselors must be at least 16 years old, while Teenscape counselors need to be college age or older.
For more information, contact Maureen DePaoli (mdepaoli@irvingtonny.gov / 591-7736) for Day Camp or Angela Shaw (ashaw@irvingtonny.gov / 591-7736) for Teenscape. Deadlines are March 22 (Day Camp) and March 1 (Teenscape).
Christmas Tree Recycling
For those of you, like me, who have a hard time admitting the holidays are over, the Village can make one aspect easier. Namely, we are still recycling Christmas trees and holiday wreaths. Simply remove all decorations (and any plastic bags) and put your tree or wreath curbside. The Village will pick them up as manpower and weather allows. Unfortunately, we cannot help with putting your decorations back in the attic, but there are only 322 days until Thanksgiving 2013!
Thank you for reading my update. Please never hesitate to contact me.
Brian C. Smith, Mayor
Village of Irvington bmith@irvingtonny.gov
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