Barrett Seaman

By Elizabeth Tucker– New York State Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand have announced $25 million in funding, from US Department of Transportation’s BUILD grant program, to fund aspects of the Route 9 Complete Streets project, specifically in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. The funding is the first to materialize for the project, which will recondition Route 9 from Tompkins Ave. in Hastings to Pierson Ave. in Sleepy Hollow. Its preliminary engineering phase was completed in January 2025. The communication from […]

By Barrett Seaman— Mike Lawler likes to debate. He’s good at it. In debates during his previous two campaigns for Congress, by most accounts, he bested Sean Patrick Maloney in a 2022 debate sponsored by City & State Magazine and in a League of Women Voters forum. Then in 2024, he pummeled Mondaire Jones in three televised debates. Now he is challenging 2026 Democratic nominee Cait Conley to debate—six times between now and November 3rd—a challenge Conley has dismissed as […]

Okay, it‘s a bit of a hike to get from the entrance to the new outdoor covered stage at the north end of Irvington’s Matthiessen Park, but the river views—and eventually the entertainment—will be well worth the walk. On Saturday, July 11, the imposing new facility was inaugurated by Mayor Arlene Burgos with help from State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, who managed to get New York State to kick in $500,000 towards the $1.6 million project. The two […]

The staff of The Hudson Independent were as surprised as anybody to see 16th District Congressman George Latimer take to the podium on the floor of the House of Representatives earlier this week to honor our work in providing news to residents of the rivertowns. “I am here to salute the tremendous community contribution of The Hudson Independent,” he said, describing us as “an online publication that chronicles the lives of and stories of people, organizations, governments, schools, businesses and […]

By Carol Vinzant– About a dozen residents raised alarms about the environmental implicationns of a 214-acre golf course community planned near the intersection of Routes 117 and 9 in Briarcliff this week at a Town of Mt. Pleasant planning board meeting. Fieldwood Farm would include 75 homes, an 18-hole course, a driving range, pool, clubhouse, tennis and pickleball courts, fitness facility, spa, restaurant, pro shop, and 202 parking spaces. Some members of the Rockefeller family and international golf club […]

More than 100 years ago, the Village of Irvington purchased a parcel of land to help protect the watershed and the Irvington Reservoir from future development. That original purpose is not merely an interpretation based on later events. It is directly supported by documentation from the time of the acquisition. Today, the Village Facilities Planning Committee is proposing that the same parcel become the site of a three acre sanitation and public works facility. The project has not yet been […]

A suggestion to make the summer jazz concerts even more special: invite a talented local High School musician to play at least one piece with the band! During the months of July and August, residents are treated to terrific jazz concerts at Waterfront Park in Dobbs Ferry, Matthiessen Park in Irvington, Pierson Park in Tarrytown, near the VFW building in Hastings, Yosemite Park, near the Theodore Young Community Center and at Pascone Park in Ardsley. These concerts are free and […]

The discovery of what was described as “anti-Black antisemitic and racist graffiti” along the pathway on the west side of Irvington’s Halsey Pond prompted the village government to post a community-wide message condemning the act. “There is no place in our community for antisemitism, racism, hate, or any act that seeks to divide us,” the message read. “Irvington stands firmly against all forms of hatred and discrimination. We are a community built on respect, inclusion, and mutual understanding, and we […]

For those who have not yet seen the Save The Date signs around town, The Irvington Rocktoberfest Committee is pleased to confirm that this year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Planning is well underway to ensure that we have another fun and successful event. In addition to the main acts that will perform on our beautiful new Matthiessen Park stage, we are pleased to announce that we will once again produce a second community stage to […]

Murray Riley Owens Jr. was born on November 26th 1944 in Minneapolis, MN and died peacefully with his wife at his side on July 24th, 2026 in Saint Paul, MN. He was raised in Dobbs Ferry, NY and moved to Minnesota in 1962 to attend Macalester College. During his MBA studies at the University of Minnesota, he joined the AirForce and was stationed at Da Nang, Vietnam Air base for 13 months, among other postings. He returned to MN, earned […]