TWIW 21: May 18, 2026

Inside this episode:

• City of Rye Mayor Josh Nathan joined to discuss issues effecting the City.
• Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services Susan Spear joined to discuss National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, which runs from May 17 through May 23. The annual recognition honors EMTs, paramedics and emergency responders for their lifesaving service. 
• Jenkins highlighted the County’s annual Memorial Day Service on Friday, May 22 at 11 a.m. at Lasdon Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial. 
• Jenkins announced the Grand Opening of Playland Park, and the Grand Reopening of the Dragon Coaster on Saturday, May 23 at 12 p.m.

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Transcript

Intro 0:06

Welcome to This Week in Westchester, the podcast, your weekly audio briefing from Westchester County Government. Each week, County Executive Ken Jenkins breaks down the decisions, investments, and initiatives shaping life across Westchester. Clear information, real progress. One place to stay informed. Now, here's this week in Westchester.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins 0:29

Good afternoon. I'm Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. Today is Monday, May 18th, and this is this week in Westchester, the briefing. We're going to have so many great guests today. Certainly it is EMS week, and we're looking forward to hearing from our Commissioner of Emergency Services, Susan Speer, and her entire team to talk some um things that are going on. I know we have a special guest, Phoenix is in the house, so that's gonna be fun for all of us. Um but we're gonna start today with our municipal partner. Um our municipal partner this week is the mayor of the great city of Rye, Josh Nathan. Um he's gonna talk about everything that's going on in Rye, from his infrastructure improvements, the things that are happening in the environment. He's doing some great things, but he is the host community for the place that we love that's opening up, started opening up on preseason this weekend. Um, and we I saw him on the weekend at some other event at Rye Town Park. Um, but he is the mayor of the great city of Rye, and that's Josh Nathan, and he's gonna talk to us about everything, including a little playlist.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Good afternoon, everyone. It's a real pleasure to be here. Um I'm gonna start with Playland. I'll talk about some other things, and then I'm gonna come back to Playland because it's one of my favorite places. Um We are so happy to be the city that hosts Playland, and we're so happy that it has become the People's Park again. And I just want to thank Ken Jenkins for doing that. Uh, it's something he shared with me a long time ago that was a goal of his, and I was excited to see the work on the dragon this winter, and I'm excited that the dragon is back and the park is ready to go. It's gonna be a beautiful summer there. Uh so a little more on that later. Um Rye is an incredible city. We love partnering with the county. We've got a lot of good things going on and coming up this uh Memorial Day weekend. Um, while the city is involved in comprehensive planning, something we've been uh uh long overdue for, uh, which is energizing our city, we have started the Living Landmarks program in Rye as part of that, and that is to capture Rye culture. So anyone from Rye or who's lived in Rye or worked in Rye who wants to participate, go to the RyeNework.gov website. There's a Living Landmarks page, and you can learn all about it. But we are collecting oral histories, we're doing a cultural calendar, uh, and we've got some other projects there. We're celebrating the people and places in Rye. And this is a project that is starting now, and it will go on indefinitely. Um the other great thing uh that is happening in Rye now is Ryetown Park. Ryetown Park opened uh with a ribbon cutting this weekend for a new bathhouse. And while I never thought I'd be excited to talk about public restrooms. I am because it's really something that makes our wonderful park and our beaches accessible, and of course, our beaches connect to the Playland Beach and the Playland Park. So uh for all of you, it's really just one big park, and there's wonderful new facilities there making it uh just very easy for the public to enjoy and spend the day, and we hope you come over and enjoy our park. Um we've got some special events going on in Rye for Memorial Day. We'll be having uh a firehouse parade starting at uh I think 7 or 7.30 a.m. on Monday. I'll be there, the firemen will be there, you all probably won't be there, but um uh it will get us to a 9.30 parade that I hope people will turn out for in a ceremony then at our town green. So the actual parade starts at the Wright train station and it makes its way to the town green, and we always have a really good turnout for that. Uh, and thanks to the American Legion, they make it all happen. Um, the Westchester Children's Museum is having um Memorial Day uh special activities from 10:30 to 4 uh this holiday weekend. So uh please come and check it out. That is an institution that has been completely revitalized. I've been uh a whole bunch of times uh this year, even though my son is 25, so I go by myself. But um it's a it's a blast. Come and just check it out, even if you don't have kids, just to see the energy of what's going on in there. And if you have little kids, they're gonna have a great time. It's really worth the trip. Um and then the John Jay estate uh at 1 o'clock is having their annual tour of the John Jay family cemetery, and all their gardens and facilities are open, and that's a beautiful place. But let me get back to what is an absolute blast, which is playland. And I'll tell you that when my wife and I first came here nearly 26 years ago, it was one of the first things we saw. We were looking for homes, we saw playland, and we thought, oh wow, we could get to live in a community with an amusement park. And we asked people in town what they thought of the amusement park, and they said it's a great asset, and it is, and it's been a great joy. And we thought we were gonna lose it for a little while. Ken brought it back, um, and it is a phenomenal public, public facility uh with the dragon coaster ready to go. Uh please come. The the uh all the rides are great, and it's just a terrific experience and a beautiful beach. Uh so come to Playland and uh enjoy it. Thank you, sir.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins 5:57

Josh, thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. My pleasure. Um that was our our friend, the mayor, that's from the city of Rye, Josh Nathan. Um, Josh has done so many other things. He did talk for a second about the work that he's been doing for our infrastructure, the work that he's been doing for um trying to make sure that uh we are continuing to move forward on uh on changes. He's he's part of a group of mayors and supervisors that have gotten together to restart the Long Island um stormwater advisory board. It's called Liswick, right? And they got the leadership doing that. And again, all of those folks that are on the Sound Shore working together to deal with the infrastructure issues and whether those are with stormwater and flooding, um, but also connecting to the beauties of the different communities along the Sound Shore. Um, and and we always appreciate John Nathan's leadership in trying to navigate um through some of the challenges. He also talked about um for a second some of the um living legends in that particular work. And as we continue to celebrate and recognize the 250th year of America, um it is so important to understand how all these pieces connect. Um he he touched upon the one at the Jay um estate and the things for the Jay Cemetery. And again, when you continue to look at so many things, um we were the neutral ground, um, and we were the neutral ground in the um the war at that particular time with the Patriots on one side and the lawyers, not those patriots from New England, but the Patriots, kind of from New England, right? Same kind of thing. Um, the Patriots and the Loyalists, the Loyalists would have been the Patriots. Um okay, I'm gonna get confused without the whole thing. But at the end of the day, um there are so much history that we have continuing to connect um from Westchester, and this is really important to do because we do have so many living legends. Um, the recent um addition um in that recognized poll and Oriel Red in the the city, it was so important to do to be able to lift those voices up. So I'm gonna say congratulations again, um, Mayor Nathan, for all the work that you and your board members, um, this the city council members do in trying to make sure that we'll continue to know and learn about the history and whether that's structural history or whether that's anything else. And Playland has some good history too. We're gonna make sure you look that up. We'll talk about more of that later on. Um, with that, let me bring up um the deputy county executive, Joe Um Joe McDonnell, um, to bring us to the next part of our briefing. Joe.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Thank you, County Executive. Uh many of you may not know, but this is National Emergency Medical Services EMS Week. Here to join us is Susan Speer, our Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services. She joins us in recognition of National Emergency Medical Services Week. It takes place May 17th through May 23rd. She's here with some of her team, and this week is an opportunity for us not only to recognize the work that these great professionals do, but to also thank them. The first responders show up 24-7 when we're sleeping, when we're awake, when we're working, when we're at school. They protect our communities and they save lives. Commissioner Speer, come on up and tell us about the critical work of our EMS professionals.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Good afternoon. Thank you, County Executive Jenkins and Deputy County Executive McDonald. We appreciate your strong support for EMS. This week, designated as National EMS Week, is a time to show our gratitude to EMTs and paramedics who provide life-saving pre-hospital care every day. We honor the entire EMS profession and all they do to protect public health and safety. EMS Week is also an opportunity to talk about some of the challenges faced by EMS and also about how we can overcome them. In addition, we want to tell you how you can protect yourself and your loved ones in times of need. When there is a traumatic event or medical emergency at home, at work, or on the road or another location, and you dial 911, it is the dedicated men and women of EMS who respond and provide medical care and, if needed, transportation to the hospital. As the deputy county executive said, they respond 24-7, 365, no matter what. And it's often in the most difficult times that they are called to respond, such as delivering a baby in a major snowstorm this sum this winter, excuse me, or responding to heat stroke emergencies in the summer. Just a few examples. Westchester County is served by 45 EMS transport agencies and 25 non-transport agencies. In 2025, there were over 100,000 calls to EMS in Westchester. We expect this number to increase significantly as our population ages and uh there is a greater need for this service. The Westchester Department of Emergency Services staff with me here today are Deputy Commissioner Mike Bulk and from the ES division, Brett Roberts, Jim Muller, Kyle Spitzvadten, Sam Fegus, and Phoenix. They provide EMS training, including continued medical education classes, call audits, specialty classes, training for county employees and other organizations in CPR, AED, Stop the Bleed, and more. Other training, led by Brett Roberts, is through a rescue task force that coordinates police, fire, and EMS response to an active shooter or a hostile event. While the police go in to stop the shooter, the rescue task force follows to assist the victims. DES County EMS provides EMS coverage at county locations, including Playland, Kensico, the County Center, the County Police Marine Units, the Fire Training Center, and other county events. The county also supports health and wellness programs for EMS and other first responders, including mental health, led by Sam Feetus and our canine partner, Phoenix, who seems to be hiding. Yes, hi. Phoenix is a nationally certified first responder therapy dog, so a very valuable member of our team. These programs are so important to support the people who dedicate themselves to saving the lives of others. In addition, the Westchester Higher Education Recruitment and Retention Opportunities Program, also known as HERO, provides tuition and student loan reimbursement in exchange for volunteer service. These are just some of the ways that the county supports local EMS. EMS faces many challenges every day. You may be surprised to learn that EMS is not considered an essential service by federal or state law. This lack of an essential designation impacts the amount of funding available for EMS agencies, which impacts the ability for staffing, recruitment benefits, and other purchases such as ambulances and equipment. We support the designation of essential to EMS service, and we're working on legislation to do that, and we hope you will take this EMS week to support that too. Thank you. We also want to take this opportunity during EMS week, or actually anytime, to encourage everyone to improve their own response capabilities. You may be the first person on site in an emergency if somebody has a cardiac incident or is bleeding. You may be the first one there. And your ability to render aid while you wait for an ambulance or EMS to arrive can save a life. So having a basic knowledge of CPR, how to use an AED, basic first aid, or stop the bleed can save a life. Your own or that of a loved one. And these are the people who can teach you how to do that. So we thank you for joining us in honoring EMS during EMS week and every day. Thank you.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins 14:02

All right. Thank you so much. That was Commissioner of Emergency Services, Susan Speer, our Deputy Commissioner Mike Volk, and then entire members of the team, including Phoenix, who who I know I saw some people that would look puzzled and said, um, wait, a nationally certified rescue dog, what is that? How how does that work? Um, trust me, certification works, and and Phoenix is certified and be able to do the work um that's necessary. And and um, Commissioner Spear touched on a couple of the the kinds of incidents, but whether those incidents are big or small, our EMS team is always engaged and involved in that dispatching and then the coordination through emergency services for so many things, and whether that may be a spill of some kind of hazardous material or something else that happens, they are always engaged and involved. And during this National EMS Week, we want to continue to lift up the EMS workers. And most people are surprised, especially those folks that you'll come up from New York City, where it's a lot different. Um, most of the time in in Westchester County, um, outside of the major cities, um, the EMS team is our volunteers, right? So they're they're doing this on their own time, um, with the love and and heart that they have for um the emergency services world and trying to make sure they save lives. So um we need to continue to uplift them everywhere we can. That's how the Hero program started, um, you know, under Commissioner then Richard Wishney and Deputy Commissioner Susan Speer to bring that idea to the forefront to be able to engage and be able to make sure that was assisting in the recruitment and retention specifically of those folks. And there are some changes going on. We heard some great news last week that it looks like they're on the path to do that certification of emergency um first responders, right? So emergency service workers for the EMS workers to be able to get that essential title that they've been working for um for the past few years. The assembly was always the sticking point. The Senate um traditionally um passed that. So it looks like they're on the path to getting this done this year. We're gonna keep our fingers crossed um to see if that works. Um, we're going through a process that was initiated last year where we are evaluating EMS services across the county um to see what things that we can do better and be able to present that to our state legislature um to see about getting funded for that. So again, thank you so much. We want to say congratulations and all the best for our EMS team and our EMS workers that um save lives every day. And uh another shameless plug for emergency services. I would think on their website, there's a link to be able to get the training that Commissioner Speer um discussed, um, whether it was Stop the Bleed or whether it's anything else to be able to uh to be able to stop and learn about CPR and using an AED. So those classes happen all the time. Um but again we want to make sure that people get encouraged to be able to know and utilize those tools because those seconds make a difference in saving somebody's life or the quality of their life. So again, thank you so much for everything that you do. All right, we're gonna switch to our our next thing, the next thing that we have coming up. Um as in May, one of the days that we have that we have to recognize it's not just the start of summer and the traditional start of summer, and then you get to wear white bucks um with seersucker pants or anything like that. It's really Memorial Day, which is talking about those who had made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have served in our armed forces that made the ultimate sacrifice for us to be able to um utilize and learn and use the liberties that we have. So we want to make sure we're taking that opportunity. Um Nathan talked about the services and events that they're having on Monday on Memorial Day, starting at 7:30 in the morning and then going with a parade. But throughout Westchester County, there are so many um recognitions and we have ours as well. Ours is not on Monday, ours is on Friday, so that allows the county um to be able and me to get around to as many places as I can get to to uh be able to show the support for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. So our ceremony is going to be at the Lasden Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial on Friday, May 22nd at 11 a.m. Um This meaningful annual tradition gives our community an opportunity to pause, reflect, and pay tribute to our nation's fallen heroes and the families who carry their memory forward each and every day. The ceremony is open to the public and for those unable to attend, you of course will be able to see it live streamed on our county webpage or on our Facebook page. We want to encourage all residents to join us as we honor the true meaning of Memorial Day and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. On Saturday, the 23rd, we're starting that um holiday weekend off with the official opening of Playland Park. I know again I saw uh Mayor Nathan on Saturday um at the Rye Town Park for the opening of the bathhouse, which is more than just the bathhouse. It's also gonna be the places where they do their permit applications and all those good things. So so again, um to Supervisor Um Gary Zuckerman, Mayor Josh Nathan, and everyone that was engaged and involved. It is Mayor Lou Marino is there from um the Porchester, from the village of Porchester. Everyone's pulling together again because it is the soundshore. We have only one, and it is a beautiful park, and those investments are necessary to keep those going. But on the 23rd, we're gonna say get ready, get set for Josh Nathan, Mayor Josh Nathan, and everyone else that loves Playland and the Dragon Coaster. Summer officially starts this Saturday, and let's take a look at the new video.

SPEAKER_04 19:46

This summer, show up for the kind of moments you'll always remember. The kind that starts at Playland Park. It's the rush of the Dragon Coaster way up high and the scream laugh on the way down. Cotton candy, late sunsets, and one more ride. Where little kids aren't so little and you remember how to have fun again. Win a prize, take a spin, say hi to Coaster, stay longer than planned. And don't forget, I'll meet you with the Dragon Coaster. For hours, tickets, and more, visit playlandpark.org.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins 20:17

Alright, so that's an exciting video to kick us into the 23rd, which is going to be our opening day at Playland Amusement Park. And it's going to be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 12 noon to 10 p.m. So we're going to throw open the grand gates for Playland, and it's going to be bigger, brighter, and more exciting than ever. Families will be able to take in those incredible, incredible waterfront views from the gondola real, um, scream their way through the legendary Dragon Coaster, which has uh, again, as people were watching and uh and challenging themselves to make sure to get engaged and see how the Dragon Coaster, they were worried it was going away, but like it's just getting fixed, it's okay, right? Um, and make brand new memories on the beloved and kitty land rides and the generations that families have been coming to forever. It's not just rides, Playland um guests can enjoy the favorites, discovering new food offerings through the park, soak in some music, the lights, the energy, and all the nostalgia that makes Playland such a magical place. Best of all, admission is free to the park. So everyone can come and be part of the excitement. So you can walk through, you can um take an opportunity to walk around and look at the wonderful, wonderful Long Island Sound views. You can get into Eat at Leed Park, all those kind of things. Again, so whether you're riding the coaster, grabbing cotton candy, or taking a stroll on the broadwalk, um, introducing your kids to Playland for the very first time, this is the place to be Memorial Day weekend. So, not on Monday, right? Because again, before the park opens, you should go to a parade or make sure that you're recognizing and celebrate. Those folks' memory on Memorial Day beforehand, but afterwards you can go to Playland, right? So Monday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 12 to 10, grab your friends, bring your family, and come celebrate the return of summer at Playland. With that, let me turn over to the Deputy County Executive, Joe McDonnell. Joe.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

Thank you, County Executive. In addition to our beautiful Playland, this week, this weekend marks the opening of our county beaches. The three beaches will be open weekends and holidays from Saturday, May 23rd through Sunday, June 21st from 11 a.m. through 6:30 p.m. Croton Point Beach will be open on weekends and holidays, starting Saturday, June 27th through Monday, September 7th. Glen Island and Playland Beaches, they will be open through the week for the weekends through June 21st, but starting Friday, June 26th through Monday, September 7th, they will be open daily, again, weather permitting. There's no admittance after 6 p.m. And the parking and beach admission fees reply, apply, excuse me. Westchester County residency is required for Glen Island Beach. Westchester County residency is not required for Playland or Croton Point Park beaches. So come and enjoy our beaches in addition to going to Playland. Thank you. And I'll turn it back over to the CE.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins 23:29

Thank you so much, Joan. And again, there's so many things that are happening. Again, for the parks themselves and the beaches, make sure again you can take advantage. I know there's so many places to understand and learn about CPR, but I know on the emergency services website is there. And if you are a person that is 15 or older and you are interested in learning how to be a lifeguard, I know we give those horses out as well. And that's been something that we've been able to do across our beaches and the pools that will open up at the end of June. So I don't have to date off the top of my head, but it's that last week in June. I want to say 23rd to 26th, one of those dates. And that's this week in Westchester. We're getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend, unofficial start to summer, but remembering what the day is about. It's about Memorial Day, recognizing and remembering and celebrating those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy a holiday weekend. Right? So we have to make sure to do that. I'm going to start with saying a big thank you to mayor of the city of Rye, Josh Nathan, for joining us to discuss everything that was happening in the city of Rye. He only touched on a little bit about it. He's going to save more for the next time that he comes in, but he's working on so many things. He's got a great team, great council members that are working. His leadership is essential to be making to do that. Again, for us, you know, so many people around the years have seen the bumper stickers. And I know I used to play a little game when I was a lot younger. Um, when you'd be in another state somewhere and see if you saw the Rye Playland bumper sticker on the car, because it said Rye Playland. And we're gonna make sure to continue that. And we have our friends of Rye Playland group that's gonna help to do that with the partnership of the county and working together with the city of Rye, it makes a difference. So we need to continue to work and partner with the City of Rye, and we thank them on one July 4th weekend. It gets kind of challenging for all of us, and we're gonna um get and talk some more about that just a little bit later on to make sure that we're respecting the citizens and the city of Rye and the homes that are around it, as well as being able to um have a great time in Playland Park. So we're gonna do that. Well, we're super pleased to welcome Commissioner of Emergency Services Susan Speer and Deputy Commissioner Mike Volk and all of the team in recognition of EMS Week as we honor the EMS, the EMTs, the paramedic, and the emergency respondents who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our residents every day. And I want to put another asterisk on it because in so many communities people think the um EMS services are being paid for by the community, and those folks volunteer so many times. So let's have a little more respect for those folks that are doing such a tremendous job when they're coming through the door trying to help save lives and help you. So again, we want to continue to say thank you for those um EMTs, paramedics, and emergency responders during EMS week and every day. Um, as Memorial Day approaches, we want to again highlight and reflect upon the importance of the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to this country and encourage residents to join us first on this Friday at Lastdam Park and Veterans Memorial on Friday the 22nd for the county's annual Memorial Day service. Um, or everywhere in Westchester County, everyone recognizes Memorial Day. Make sure you take time out to do so little by standing there and celebrating and recognizing and doing that for someone that gave their lives for us to be able to live in this great country. And finally, summer's unofficially here, but we're fully embracing Playland as opening. Beach is returning, and Westchester County is again ready for an unforgettable season starting this Saturday. I'm Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, and that's this week in Westchester.