CITY OF PEEKSKILL
Muffler Man Sculpture Installed on Lower South Street
Drivers passing through Lower South Street will be greeted by a new 20 foot “Muffler Man” statue installed at 1010 Lower South Street, the site of Dependable Tree Service, owned by Nick Danisher for 47 years.
The Paul Bunyan lumberjack statue, one of many roadside giants across the country, was installed in March after being built in Virginia by fiberglass artist Mark Cline. Danisher said he sought a muffler man for 25 years.
“It’s something I chased for years,” Danisher told the Peekskill Herald. “There’s a twin to it in Elmford that’s been there for probably 50 years, and I was always kind of awed by it. So over the years, I tried to get one. I kept getting outbid on them, and I finally touched base with a manufacturer.”
Muffler Man statues across the country can be adjusted to hold different things, such as mufflers, a tail pipe, hotdogs, hamburgers, tires, wrenches, axes, and American flags. Banisher said he will likely use American flags for different holidays such as Memorial Day and Fourth of July.
He said the statue has already brought smiles to several people.
“I can’t tell you how many people have been here with, ‘Can I go home and get my children?’ I said, ‘You can go home and get anybody you want,’” Danisher said. “There’s just so many people who have taken pictures with it already. It brings a little bit of joy, puts a smile on some people’s faces: Then it was worth it.”
– Eric Harvey
City Discusses Balancing 2025 Budget
There is a deficit of about $1.3 million in the budget, Comptroller Toni Tracy said in a review of the 2025 adjusted budget versus the actual results of the budget on March 16 following shortages in projected revenues.
There was a subtotal of $2,763,832 major revenue variances including interest and penalties ($534,302), sales taxes, mortgage tax and sales tax on cannabis ($852,079), fees for services, permits ($504,557), violations ($219,225), and outside agencies ($638,668). About $700,000 of expenditures were unexpended, leaving the overall deficit to $1,321,762.
To balance the budget, the finance department is continuing quarterly reviews, reviewing expenditures with department heads monthly to reduce spending where possible and adjust the budget in advance if needed, and looking for new revenue streams, such as securing new Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements.
City of Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie thanked Tracy for her report on the budget, saying it was important for the city to know what the numbers look like in the beginning of the year rather than at the end of the year when the city is trying to budget for the following year.
“This shows that it’s lean, but we’re taking the steps to make sure that we’re tracking this and watching how we’re spending our money and figuring out how to get more revenues,” McKenzie said.
City Manager Matthew Alexander acknowledged increases in expenses for insurance in the 2025 budget, but shared hope for the following year.
“We know that legal fees were an issue this year, and those are some of the things at the root of what we’re fighting [and] aggressively pushing back,” Alexander said. “I think upcoming legal cases are going to look much different than last year, so I think we’re in a good place to start over as far as that goes.”
– Eric Harvey
District Recognizes Black History Month and Women’s History Month
The Peekskill City School District recognized Black History Month and Women’s History Month at a Board of Education meeting on March 17 by honoring a number of outstanding individuals.
Honorees included the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Nu Psi Zeta Chapter; the Zeta Amicae Auxiliary of the Nu Psi Zeta Chapter, Peekskill, New York; the New Era Creative Space; and Lieutenant Khalia Carter of the Peekskill Police Department.
The celebration also included a living history museum, dancing, and musical performances.
City Continues Mission to Make Peekskill a Destination
Why should people come to Peekskill? The riverfront, community, culture, and opportunity were some of the answers about 35 attendees gave at the March 5 Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast.
City officials, including City Manager Matthew Alexander, Director of Planning Carol Samol, and Site Manager and Director of Community Hub Jonathan Zamora, updated how they are trying to make Peekskill a destination. Those efforts include improvements to the downtown and waterfront, strengthening infrastructure, supporting small businesses, and activating public spaces.
“What makes Peekskill special isn’t just one thing,” Alexander said. “It’s the people who live here, the businesses that took a chance here. It’s our downtown, our waterfront, our arts and culture, our natural setting, and the way all those pieces come together to create a city that feels real, connected and alive. But we also know this: a strong city doesn’t happen by accident; it happens through partnership. That’s why a conversation is so important.”
A video shared at the breakfast showed multiple business owners operating in Peekskill answering why they chose Peekskill, with answers including a strong sense of community, diversity, low crime, and being a destination for people outside of local areas with the train station.
Director of Planning Samol said in 2025 two boats on the riverfront attracted more than 9,000 passengers and that RMS Cruises invested $40,000 in marketing Peekskill to attract visitors to their service. Shuttle service also brought 1,000 visitors into the downtown and waterfront, she said.
Other initiatives to bring visitors include the Peekskill Arts Council’s map of public artwork, the city supporting efforts to bring a new library to the city’s downtown, a comprehensive plan for the city, a newly unveiled logo, regional marketing, FIFA World Cup watch parties, and upcoming celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States anticipating thousands of guests.
– Eric Harvey
Fire Department Welcomes New Seagrave 100-foot Ladder Truck
A brand new Seagrave 100-foot Ladder truck was delivered to the City of Peekskill Fire Department on Tuesday, March 17.
City of Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie and several Common Council members joined career and volunteer fire department members in welcoming the new Ladder 58 to the city.
In a social media post, the department wrote that before Ladder 58 is officially placed in service, there will first be factory in-service training for all of its members and fully outfitting the truck with tools and equipment.
“A huge thanks to Mayor McKenzie, City Manager Matt Alexander, and the Common Council for supporting the fire department with the purchase of this apparatus,” the department wrote. “This is a significant upgrade and major step toward keeping our firefighters safe, with state of the art equipment to better protect our community.”
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