The heart of Bedford is in our hamlets

One of the things I love about Bedford is that you can walk through one of our hamlets and feel the personality of the community around you. Your conversation with a shop owner can turn into a discussion with a neighbor. You run into someone you know at the coffee shop, stop to say hello, and suddenly you are talking about what is happening on the street.

That sense of connection is one of the things that makes our town special. As supervisor, I have come to understand that keeping our hamlets vibrant requires more than preserving what we have. It requires listening, investing and developing new ideas, which is why I am running for re-election as Bedford Town Supervisor.

Bedford Hills has been an important focus of improving hamlet vitality. We secured a $250,000 Downtown Improvement Grant, including funding for a market analysis and survey involving residents and local businesses, a business facade improvement program, new gateway, wayfinding and commuter lot signs to beautify and help welcome and direct people to desired locations. We hired a Town Promoter to help increase foot traffic, encourage businesses to promote one another, and give us a better understanding of what local businesses need from their town government.

We also created the Bedford Economic Alliance, bringing businesses, chambers and civic organizations together. This led to a collaborative shop local campaign when businesses needed it most, improved engagement with the Hispanic Business Association of Westchester, and helped to launch a new Bedford Hills Business Association. One of the things I have learned from these conversations is that our local businesses don't necessarily need the town to tell them what to do. They need us to listen, remove obstacles where we can and help create opportunities for them to work together.

That is the thinking behind our Community Markets in Bedford Hills, our support for ribbon cuttings, co-sponsorships for local events, working with Friends of John Jay Homestead to bring the Farmers Market to Katonah, and our social media marketing efforts with the Katonah Chamber (@Katonah Daily), Bedford Hills Business Association (@Discover Bedford Hills), and the Bedford Village Business Association (@Bedford Village Buzz). We work together to attract visitors and lift up local business and the value of eating, shopping, and exploring in town to enhance our collective community experience.

Sometimes, strengthening a hamlet means doing things that may seem small but make a real difference when you experience them every day. We have installed new signage, improved and extended sidewalks, beautified traffic islands, installed planters with beautiful plants and colorful seasonal banners. We have paved and improved commuter parking lots and crosswalks. At Depot Plaza, new trees were planted as part of the sidewalk replacement project.

These aren't glamorous projects. But when you are walking down a sidewalk that is safer and more attractive, arriving in a commuter lot that looks clean and neat, crossing the street more easily, or sitting beneath a newly planted tree, you notice.

I also believe that our history can be an economic asset as well as something we preserve for its own sake. We celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Katonah Move with a parade and a new historic sign. In Bedford Hills, we are preparing for carpentry and exterior painting work on the historic train station, while working with the MTA and the State Historic Preservation Office on the possibility of leasing or purchasing the station.

We have tried to create more reasons for people to visit and spend time in our hamlets, too. Our town-wide map showcases the distinctive character of Bedford and its hamlets. We have supported the Bedford Music Festival, which has brought thousands of people together and created opportunities for local food and product vendors. We have supported community organizations working together around the 250th anniversary of our nation.

When I think about economic development in Bedford, I don't think first about statistics or development projects. I think about the people who own the stores, restaurants and other small businesses that give our hamlets their character. I think about residents who want to see those businesses succeed. And I think about the simple pleasure of a busy sidewalk, a community event, or a familiar face behind the counter.

That is what we are trying to build: hamlets where people want to come, stay, shop, eat, work and see their neighbors. Hamlet vibrancy is community vibrancy.

Ultimately, the strength of Bedford isn't just in our beautiful landscape or historic buildings. It is in the people and families who fill our streets and make these communities their own.

I am proud of the progress we have made, and I want to keep listening, keep investing, and keep working with the people who know our hamlets best. There is still work to do, which I why I am asking for your support on Election Day to help me make Bedford even better in the coming years.

Ellen Calves is running for reelection as Bedford Town Supervisor.