FOCAAdmin  Jun.10.2019
Girls at the weir entrance
Meetup group at weir entrance
Meetup group at weir entrance

photos: Diane Alden

6+ hours, 200+ visitors. Some amazing highlights:  many participants were local Ossining residents who had never been in the weir and did not even know its purpose. Sometimes they did not even know about the Old Croton Aqueduct.  A number of them were Spanish speaking-only.  Learning that the Old Croton Aqueduct (as well as successive aqueducts in the NYC system) was built by immigrant labor really resonated with them.  We had several Spanish speakers assisting throughout the event — Jean, Diane and Michael — who were a great help in attracting these people into the weir tours and communicating the story of the Aqueduct to them.  Jean Horkans prepared a handout in Spanish that also was very helpful in communicating with visitors and passers-by who only spoke Spanish and were very happy to be able to learn the story of the Old Croton Aqueduct and the mysterious weir structure in their midst. Visitors included: people hiking and biking though the Aqueduct trail (including a large meet-up group); locals attracted by the Fair (including families with young children and babes in arms); and people from Westchester, NYC, NJ and CT, who has seen the tour on our website and in local media.

Thanks to all of our violunteers who helped make this event a success!