In these troubled economic
times, Yonkers residents have found themselves in need of a
little good news, and fortunately, have discovered it in the
form of the recent preservation of the Yonkers Business
Improvement District (BID) Rangers — men and women who,
through their monitoring of the downtown area, serve as the
ears and eyes of the community and ensure that the Yonkers
streets are kept litter free.
At the end of 2008, a lack of funding caused the City of
Yonkers to cut the Rangers from the budget, a move that
would have eliminated a group of individuals who have become
a vital part of the Yonkers community, both for the services
that they provide and the goodwill that they spread. In
response, the Downtown BID made a heroic move, allocating
funds to sustain approximately 75 percent of the Rangers and
ensure that the Yonkers neighborhood remains a clean and
orderly place.
“The Rangers are certainly vital to the mission of the BID
and to the entire community, not only because of the duties
they perform, but because they serve as a comfort to the
businesses in the heart of the downtown,” stated Steve
Sansone, executive director of the BID.
Deemed the “BID Clean Team,” the Rangers are currently
comprised of seven men and women who not only pick up trash
littering the city’s streets, but who also look for graffiti
on buildings, illegal flyer postings, broken lights, etc. —
quality-of-life issues that impact the general public and
businesses along the waterfront and throughout the downtown.
“Now, more than ever, the Rangers are integral to our
community,” Sansone said. “These men and women are
ambassadors of goodwill for the BID. They are entirely in
tune with the community, and Yonkers business owners
appreciate and gain from all that they do; the Rangers add
tremendously to the positive look of the downtown.”
In addition to monitoring the city streets, members of the
Rangers are called upon to assist with special events
throughout the community and are on hand to react to any
problems that might arise. For more information about the
Yonkers Rangers or the Downtown BID, call 914-969-6660 or
visit www.yonkersdowntown.com.
