A plan to install signage at Silverlake has been turned down by village departments, prompting the IDEA Advisory Committee to shelve a broader banner program during its October 10 meeting.
The committee’s Silverlake signage recommendation was rejected by the Public Works and Recreation departments over safety concerns related to car traffic at the lower level of the park. In the wake of that decision, committee members voted to table a proposed village banner program. Rather than physical signs, the Recreation Department will notify residents about lower-level access through its regular newsletter.
With the signage issue sidelined, the committee turned its focus to upcoming community events, particularly the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Croton Library’s Ottinger Room. The committee has arranged a wide array of food from local establishments, including birria tacos from La Catrina, churros or Venezuelan tequeños from Crispin Dopamine, and pernil from Hudson River Deli. Beverage service will be provided by Black Cow. Entertainment will feature a Lotería game led by Cristian Opazo and Pistu McGuire. To spread the word, flyers have been distributed to 20 retail locations, the Croton Free Library, and Croton Caring, while digital outreach is being handled through the school district’s Parent Square and local Facebook groups like Croton Padres Hispanos DE Croton on Hudson.
Looking ahead to November, the committee finalized details for a screening of "The Arrivals," a refugee documentary, co-hosted with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation (UUCHV) on November 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. A post-film panel is confirmed, featuring Andrea DeGeorge Garbarini, Gayle Raskin of Team TLC NYC, and Ted Buerger of Open Arms for Refugees, with UUCHV Rev. Daniel serving as MC. While committee members signed up to volunteer at the event, the committee noted a gap in leadership for publicity and refreshments for the screening.
The meeting concluded with a call for two new subcommittees. One group will work on establishing a monthly "Community Calendar" on the village website utilizing the CUNY diversity calendar, reaching out to Laurie Weisz to begin. A second subcommittee is being formed to recruit new student members, starting with contacting Croton-Harmon High School Advisor Erica Fiorini.
Residents interested in joining either subcommittee can attend the next IDEA Advisory Committee meeting at the Municipal Building.