Feb. 22, 2018 -- All Westchester County residents hold something dear to them about the County. The Parks, the Hudson River, the Sound, the downtown. Whatever it is, the County is now celebrating that personal connection with the #MyWestchester campaign – as seen on the Westchester County government homepage. At the stroke of midnight on January 1, Westchester County Executive George Latimer took office and Westchester’s government website was transformed. For the past two months WestchesterGov.com has featured iconic photos of Westchester – taken by residents.
The first photo, which has become a symbol for Latimer’s administration, is the Tarrytown Lighthouse taken from the footbridge at Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow. “The bridge to the beacon” as it is called, is a symbol for hope and change. The photo was snapped by Pleasantville resident Michael Leon, who saw the call for photos on a Facebook post. Leon, who recently left a job in television to focus on photography full time, saw his photo being chosen as a sign he had made the right decision to switch careers. Leon said he was humbled his picture was chosen as the first back-drop for the new Westchester County government website.
Leon said: “I had been wanting to go back to that spot for a while. I had actually gone there with my wife on our second date many years ago, and I really wanted to take a really great picture of it. I just love the setting, with the Palisades on the other side of the Hudson River and the lighthouse in between.”
Leon finds his inspiration in escape. He spends his free time exploring different locations throughout Westchester to take pictures. Leon said Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow had always been one of his favorite spots, and he made it his mission to capture the Tarrytown Lighthouse resting peacefully above the mighty Hudson River.
While Leon’s photo is the photo used for the County’s newsletter and social media banners, the website's background will continue to change on the first of every month, each time featuring a new, scenic location from a different community in Westchester County. The website’s new layout and design are also meant to better serve residents with a user-friendly search bar, so community members can get the information they need, when they need it. The website is modeled after award-winning pages, and best practices.
Residents are welcome to submit their photographs by posting them on social media with the hashtag #MyWestchester, an online campaign to showcase Westchester’s stunning atmosphere, and the wonderful place we all call home.