Yonkers, NY – April 23, 2019 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today gathered with the Yonkers Fire Department, Yonkers Department of Public Works and the Yonkers Office of Veterans Services to official send off the City’s donated fire truck and equipment to Puerto Rico.  The municipality of Carolina, Puerto will receive the donations as part of its recovery efforts from the historic damage of Hurricane Maria.

The newly donated materials today departed for South Florida and will arrive via cargo ship to the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. The donations include a 2002 American LaFrance Freightliner truck, 60 sets of firefighting bunker gear, 60 flashlights, safety harnesses, and generators, among other various gear and equipment.

“This is truly a win/win for both us and Carolina, Puerto Rico,” said Mayor Spano.  “This is a fire truck that had to be replaced anyway because of our strict requirements here in the ‘City of Hills’ — but can still serve Puerto Rico effectively as a backup engine in their current department.”

Yonkers City Council voted in December 2018 to donate the fire truck and equipment to Carolina, a municipality of about 177,000 people that borders the capital of San Juan in eastern Puerto Rico.

Added Mayor Spano: “I’d like to thank our Office of Veterans Services, our Department of Public Works, our Yonkers Fire Department staff, as well as YFD Union leadership and our Corporation Counsel at City Hall.  There was a lot of red tape, hard work and patience involved to achieve this endeavor – but it was worth the wait!  I’m proud that the City of Yonkers is helping our neighbors in Puerto Rico, and that our City will always be represented in the Carolina community as they continue to rebuild from Hurricane Maria.”

The fire truck and equipment is due to arrive in Carolina, Puerto Rico in approximately thirty days.

Annual Clean-Up of Old Croton Aqueduct Trail Scheduled for April 27;

Sign-Up Available at www.YonkersNY.gov

YONKERS, NY – April 11, 2019 – Mayor Mike Spano today announced the City of Yonkers’ Green Neighborhoods clean-up initiatives for Earth Month in April. The clean-ups are organized to encourage community involvement and aimed at cleaning neglected vacant properties, city streets and community gardens throughout Yonkers.

“Throughout this spring and summer, we are taking direct action to restore the health and vibrancy of our neighborhoods,” saidMayor Spano. “Whether it’s beautifying a street, planting trees or encouraging greater recycling among our residents, we are continuing a partnership with our communities to improve our city and its image.”

This season’s Earth Month celebration is highlighted by the Old Croton Aqueduct Yonkers Clean-Up Day on Sunday, April 27. Residents are encouraged to join the City of Yonkers, Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct and New York State Parks in beautifying the Yonkers section of the trail. Volunteers are encouraged to register by visiting www.YonkersNY.gov or by calling 914-377-6429.

Mayor Spano added, “The Old Croton Aqueduct is a beautiful historic State trail way running through our city that unfortunately has been a hotspot for littering. I am pleased we have gathered a strong group of community stakeholders who are willing to donate their time and resources for the sake of a cleaner, greener trail for all to enjoy. I invite our residents to join our efforts and volunteer that day.”

Additional spring/summer clean-ups and events in the City of Yonkers include:

• April 13, Groundwork Hudson Valley Saw Mill River Cleanup (Thompson Street to Daylighting at Larkin Plaza) – 10AM
• April 13, Buena Vista Avenue – 9AM
• April 13, Ludlow Park Residents Association – 9AM
• April 27, The Aqueduct – Croton Park – 9AM
• May 4, Hawthorne Avenue – 9AM
• May 11, Elliott Avenue – 9AM
• May 25, Groshon Avenue & Herriot Street – 9AM
• June 1, Jackson Street – 9AM
• June 22, Stanley & Ludlow Street – 9AM
• June 29, Bruce & Lawrence Street – 9AM
• July 6, Saratoga Avenue – 9AM
• July 13, Oak Street – 9AM
• July 20, Elm Street – 9AM
• July 27, Van Cortlandt Park Avenue – 9AM
• August 3, Nodine Hill (Cliff Street & Walnut Street) – 9AM

The Yonkers Department of Public Works will provide resources needed during the cleanups, dispose of trash bags and, in some cases, provide trucks for pick-ups.

To ensure Yonkers remains clean following the clean-ups, Mayor Spano also is reminding residents to report any instances of illegal dumping to the City’s anti-dumping hotline by calling 914-377-DUMP. A reward of up to $1,000 is offered for anyone who reports a case of illegal dumping that leads to an arrest and conviction.

“If you see something, it pays to say something,” said Mayor Spano. “We must all take part and take pride in keeping our city clean.”

Neighborhood Hot Spot: The Waterfront of Yonkers

Mobile App to Assist Residents with Garbage & Recycling Schedules Daily 

March 19, 2019 — Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced that the City of Yonkers has launched the “Recycle Coach” app to assist Yonkers residents reduce their household waste, recycle easier and receive instant updates on their personal garbage pick-up schedules.  The partnership between the Yonkers Department of Information Technology and Recycle Coach offers the app free of charge for residents who choose to participate.

“Yonkers is excited to join the ‘Recycle Coach’ network, which will transform how we communicate local garbage and recycling information to our residents,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “Like other major cities, I feel our residents will benefit greatly from this technology and I thank the Yonkers Department of Information Technology for all of their hard work on this project.”

Residents can access “Recycle Coach,” free of charge, from mobile devices, or through digital assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The platform makes it easy for residents to receive local garbage disposal information for thousands of household items when they need it.

Bob Cacace, Commissioner of City of Yonkers Department of Information Technology, added, “This technology is a great way for Yonkers residents to stay organized with their garbage and recycling collection schedule, event calendars and receive pick-up reminders.”

The “Recycle Coach” platform also includes engagement and educational tools to help people manage and correctly dispose of their waste.

“For Yonkers, this will translate into higher recycling rates, less contamination in our recycling streams and building upon our reputation as the leading Green City in Westchester County,” said Tom Meier, Commissioner of the City of Yonkers Public Works Department.

Residents who are interested can download the Recycle Coach app for free at the iTunes Store and Google Play.  For more information on the Yonkers Recycling Guide and on Recycle Coach, visit www.YonkersNY.gov.

About Recycle Coach

Recycle Coach empowers municipalities with tools that connect residents to local waste and recycling information when they need it. Trusted by over 3,000 municipalities across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Recycle Coach was founded in 2001 with a simple goal in mind: to make recycling easy for everyone. To learn more, visit www.RecycleCoach.com.

Award Ceremony Held Annually in Yonkers to Commemorate Women’s History Month

YONKERS, NY – March 4, 2019 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced that the City of Yonkers is accepting nominations for the city’s annual “Women of Distinction” Award, presented each year during March to celebrate Women’s History Month. The annual “Women of Distinction” Award recognizes Yonkers women who have served their local community and positively impacted the lives of Yonkers residents.  The public can nominate a Yonkers resident as a woman of distinction at www.YonkersNY.gov.

“So often it is our women who give so much of themselves to ensure Yonkers becomes a better city in which to live, work and play. They are our community leaders, educators and agents of social change,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “I encourage our Yonkers residents to nominate the heroes in their lives for our Women of Distinction Award.”

The deadline to submit a nomination is Wednesday, March 20; the award ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 28 at 6:00 pm at Yonkers City Hall (Ceremonial Courtroom, 4^th Floor).

About Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month originated in 1981 when Congress passed a resolution requesting President Reagan to commemorate “Women’s History Week.” The President proclaimed the week beginning on March 7, 1982 as the first Women’s History Week and the nation continued to designate a week in March as Women’s History Week until 1987 when the month of March was officially declared “Women’s History Month.”  Learn more atwww.womenshistorymonth.gov.