Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Rye Patch started the week with our first "Happy Mondays" column, a humor column by Rye native Peter Gerstenzang about life with his golden retriever, Happy.  In the column, Gerstenzang uses his acerbic wit to talk about how treacherous road salt can be on Happy's paws:  "Hap's pads started picking up these repulsive little grains," he writes. "Especially on that road at Rye Beach Park, where I take Happy every week. I actually have to take him on the beach to get rid of the salt. How's that for a Zen riddle?"  Apparently, readers are really liking Gerstenzang's take on life with his trusty sidekick, so stay tuned for his column every other Monday.

We also had a , going into space this month. Park, who has made one previous visit to space, will conduct three spacewalks during his 13-day flight on the Shuttle Endeavor with his fellow five crew members. Park, who attended Midland School, will lift off Sunday for his flight into space.

Perhaps our biggest story of the week was breaking news about a pedestrian accident involving Rye Police Commissioner William Connors. On Monday, Connors struck a 14-year-old boy who was crossing the street near Boston Post Road and Milton Road. The boy, who was conscious and alert after the accident, was taken to Greenwich Hospital with minor injuries. 

The accident is the second in Rye this year involving a pedestrian and a moving vehicle. On Jan. 7, Christofer Moreira, a fourth grader at Midland School, suffered minor injuries after being  hit by a car on Midland Avenue and Palisades Road, the same intersection where 10-year-old Jarrid Amico was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike in 2006. Pedestrian safety issues have become such a hot-button topic in Rye that the Rye City Council and Board of Education will hold a special joint meeting on Feb. 9 to discuss these issues in the city. Check out our coverage of this meeting on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, we did a story on relief efforts in Haiti. Westchester Habitat for Humanity has made a pledge to build 100 homes in the quake-ravaged country. Jim Killoran, the organization's executive director, gave Patch photos of the earthquake's aftermath. The pictures detail what words can't express about the situation in Haiti. 

Locally, residents have held fundraisers and donated thousands to relief efforts in Haiti. Rye Neck resident Danielle Sajous Yergo, a Haitian-American, held a fundraiser, "Cocktails for a Cause," at Molly Spillane's in Mamaroneck that raised more than $18,000. The Rye Rotary Club also accepted a donation from the Rye Professional Firefighters for their fundraising campaign. The Port Chester-Rye Brook Rotary Club is more than halfway toward its $10,000 fundraising goal, after getting $6,000 in donations during its charity dinner at Tandoori, Taste of India restaurant.

We also had a video that profiled a local synchronized skating team, the Skyliners. Our videographer, Joe Connors, did an excellent job on the story, giving readers--and this editor--insight into a sport of which very few people have heard. The Skyliners will compete internationally in March, representing our country as part of Team USA.

We also wrote about Rye's plans for a time capsule project to celebrate its 350th anniversary, local governments trying to utilize the Web to engage citizens, and we even put a comic spin on inconsiderate behavior we've all experienced at the local library. 

On Friday, we did a story on local businesses trying to use social media to market and expand. Fifteen Rye business owners participated in the first of four "Social Networking Primers" offered by the Rye Chamber of Commerce. We also did a story on how the economy is affecting the college choices of local students and shared some unfortunate news about Boston University student and Rye native, Michael DeVito, being found dead in a fraternity house near campus. Boston Police do not suspect any foul play, but are investigating. We also featured a story about the Rye Police Association's pending lawsuit against its former president and treasurer, Timothy Chittenden, whom it accuses of stealing more than $179,000 in association funds.

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 week.

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.