Hi everyone.

So here we are celebrating Hispanic heritage once again.

And it is wonderful to see you all here tonight because as I think 53 years ago when I came to New Rochelle to not do the math, I was 15 years old.

And New Rochelle was thriving, and it was such a beautiful city that I immediately fell in love with it.

And then, you know, when I came and began to learn English and go to school, and you know, it was just a magical time, and I will forever thank my parents for coming to New Rochelle, the West End, which was home for them for many years.

Unfortunately, when I came, we couldn't find an apartment in New Rochelle, so we moved to Mamaronek.

But you know, I would come back, right?

Little did I know that I was coming back to New Rochelle.

And when I moved here decades ago, it was also another very special time.

So as we celebrate Hispanic heritage, you know, we look at all of the economic development that has been taking place here.

What are the contributions of the Latino community?

Well, look at all of the stores.

Look at Union Avenue, Main Street, North Avenue, and all of the different businesses that are open 24-7 many times, even during COVID, when many times we were so afraid of going to other places because we didn't want to get sick.

And yet they were open.

So this is very, very important that we acknowledge all these contributions when we look at our city and see how the diverse it is.

And you know, in having all these young people holding these wonderful positions, and we have commissioners that are Latinos, we have directors that are Latinos, our city manager is Latino.

I say, sibling.

I just spoke about the contributions from the people in New Rochelle.

However, we have the first Latina mayor here in New Rochelle that I would like to invite to come and give uh greetings.

I love it, I love it.

So good evening, everyone.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to celebrate Hispanic Latino Heritage Month.

I just want to make sure I give a shout out to my elected colleagues who have joined us tonight, of course.

The everyone famous Marta Lopez representing District 1, Shane Ashenloye, representing District 4, and Matt Stern representing District 6.

Thank you, colleagues, for taking time out of your day to be with us today.

And um it really just is a deep pleasure to extend greetings to you.

Um as a mayor who is very proudly of Latino descent.

My mother is Dominican, my father is Puerto Rican.

And I just want to make sure I take the time to say that I really am grateful and appreciative for the work and the sacrifices that the Latino community here in New Rochelle has done, not only for yourselves, but really by extension to make New Rochelle a better place or richer place.

And I do want you to know that as a city we respect and appreciate each and every one of your contributions to our city and by extension, really our country.

I don't know if it's every month or every couple of weeks, Sam and the team to make sure that we honor the diversity of our city and make sure we do it in a really intentional way.

Um I'm not gonna speak Spanish because I'll speak Spanglish.

Um as your city manager and a proud member of uh Hispanic community here, it's a profound honor to stand before you today.

So Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the roots that ground us all and the culture that really unites us.

And Neurochell is a really good example of that here.

Um today we're bridging two beautiful generations of Latino leadership, artistry, grit, right here in New Rochelle.

First, we look back at with immense gratitude and love this past year.

We lost the music giant, um, Willy Colon, and Malo del Bronx wasn't just a global architect of salsa who sold millions of records, but who we redefine the urban soundtrack of the Caribbean music.

He was also our neighbor here, Neurochelle.

And I actually have a really strong bond with his music because that's what I grew up with in my house as a as a young kid and with my brothers and sisters and my parents.

So Willie proved that you can take your culture to the biggest stages in the world, but your heart never forgets the community that sustains you.

His trombone was the voice of the people today.

We honor his enduring memory, knowing his rhythm will and will last forever and echo the fabric of Neurochell.

But Willie's legacy didn't stop in the recording studio, lives here through the people in Neurochelle that continue to build our community.

Willie paved the path, and today we have local entrepreneurs who are walking it.

That is why with my distinct privilege, I want to honor Carlos Terreras and Felix Diaz, two extraordinary Dominican leaders and owners of our community who represent the very best of the American dream in New Rochelle.

So running a business is a symphony, right?

It's like making music, I'm sure it is, uh, requires long hours, unwavering faith, and a commitment to serving others.

And by opening your doors and creating the local jobs and pouring your love into Neurochell, you aren't just achieving your personal success, but you're also enriching our local economy here and creating spaces where our culture thrives every day.

So thank you for that.

Finally, a city is only as strong as the people who show up every day to do the work and keep it running.

So it gives us immense pride and honor, especially me, of our very own city employees to honor Samantha, a proud daughter of Neurochelle.

Samantha shows up every day.

You work tirelessly behind the scenes with dedication, integrity, and a prof and a profound commitment to public service.

And you are a pure public servant.

So thank you for everything you do every day.

So to all our honorees tonight, um, you remind us that Hispanic heritage is not just history, it's a living, breathing and thriving in the music that we hear, the businesses that we support, and the public service that lives us all.

So thank you and congratulations to all our honores.

The richness of New Rochelle is diversity.

Goes far beyond.