Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Monday was Martin Luther King Day, so Rye Patch started the week by giving readers a comprehensive guide to MLK day events throughout Westchester. The county hosted many learning and community service events. Many places will still hold events and programs throughout the month to honor King.

If you're still looking for interesting things to do, attend the February 6 Violence Building Conference in the Reid Castle at Manhattanville College, which is being sponsored by The Westchester Martin Luther King Jr Institute for Nonviolence. You could also attend the the 10th Annual Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Commeration Breakfast at Pace University's Pleasantville campus. The theme of the breakfast is "Generation" and will feature a discussion of  this generation's social issues. 

We also examined gas prices in the area this week. Our feature "How Much Do You Pay for Gas in Rye?" elicited a great response. We used data from the county's bi-monthly gas survey to examine the most affordable and most expensive gas stations in Rye.  The priciest gas station in Rye? The Shell on 1141 Boston Post Road at an average 2009 price of $2.93 a gallon. View our chart to see prices for other stations in the area. 

We also had a story about a proposal for a new parking garage that will service Westchester County Airport. The garage will hold up to 1,450 cars and could allow people to drive to the airport instead of using public transportation. However, some environmental activists worry that the proposed parking facility will increase traffic and endanger wetlands and public drinking water.

On Wednesday, we did a story on the Town of Rye Council meeting. Supervisor Joseph Carvin did not mince words when it came to discussing tax delinquents and property owners who claim the town has over-assessed their properties. Carvin said that the latter group was "stealing money from the community" by not paying their fair share. He said the town will continue to aggressively confront court challenges by these property owners.

The town is also examining how it can improve the parking situation at Crawford Park. There are currently issues with lack of parking spaces and incidents with pedestrians and moving vehicles. The town has hired an engineering consultant to examine the problem and make recommendations. 

We also covered the Rye city council meeting. After two Midland Avenue accidents involving children, pedestrian safety has been a hot button issue. On Wednesday, the council decided to delay putting a stop sign at the intersection of Midland and Palisades when it begins stimulus-funded traffic safety improvements in March.  The council also discussed its options for 1037 Boston Post Road, the intended site of a police and court facility that now houses Lester's clothing store. The city could end up spending millions of dollars, either in the form of a $5 million payment to the building's former owner or a $25 million or more construction of a new police station and courthouse. 

We ended the week with a story on local officials discussing government consolidation. A recent state report claims that local governments can save more than $750 million by sharing services. Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester currently share an ambulance service, while the latter two also share a library. Though consolidation is financially feasible, some municipalities may never dissolve into one entity because the measure tends to be politically unpopular.

We ended the week with our usual photo recap and a weekly roundup of Rye sports, so browse through our photo gallery or read our sports recap to see what teams in the area tallied victories or defeats this weeks.

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.