Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

From stories on taxes and New Year's events to basketball rivalries and environmentally-friendly driving schools, Rye Patch offered its readers a diverse collection of stories this week.

We started with a feature on Fresh Green Light, an eco-conscious driving school that opened on Purchase Street in November. Our story also included a video that included an interview with Fresh Green Light's owner, Steve Mochel.  

We also did a story on the Town of Rye's whopping 19 percent tax reduction. The town has aggressively pursued tax delinquents, collecting millions in revenue and assessed property values. The town even has foreclosed on homeowners who owed back taxes. Stay tuned to Rye Patch, because we'll be doing more follow-up stories about this issue. 

Our school stories included Blind Brook and Rye High School being placed on the list of America's  100 Best High Schools. That designation isn't a first for both schools. Blind Brook is a national school of excellence and Rye has frequently appeared on many "Best High Schools" lists. 

Our other school story dealt with the financial challenges facing Rye's school district. The Rye City School District is facing a . The district is one of many throughout the state experiencing a funding gap because of New York's withholding of millions in state aid. 

We also featured stories centered around the holiday, from how local police were preparing to ensure public safety on New Year's Eve to parent-friendly ways to ring in 2010.

We ended the week with Judy Croughan's column on what to expect in the Rye real estate market in 2010. We also did a preview of Doug French taking the helm as Rye's new mayor ( check out Rye Patch on Monday for coverage of the swearing-in ceremony).

We've covered lots more, so feel free to search the site for other engaging stories from the past week. Rye Patch will be your source for everything that is happening in the city and town of Rye---from local government and school board meetings to sports and arts and entertainment. We'll be doing a "Week in Review" every Sunday, so if you missed anything during the week, we've got you covered.