Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Rye Patch started the week with a Q&A  with one of the Rye Brook Trustees candidates. Our first interviewee was Toby Marrow, a 21-year Rye Brook resident who has been involved with local issues within the village. Marrow was a member of the Blind Brook-Rye Union Free PTA and was president of the Arbors Homeowners Association. Rye Patch will feature a Q&A with each trustees candidate this month before Rye Brook holds its election on March 16. Check back Monday for an interview with candidate Jeffrey Rednick.

We also had a "Happy Mondays" column, which is quickly becoming a favorite with our readers. In the column, Peter Gerstenzang writes about where Happy, his golden retriever, would like to be buried. Option number one is the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, while Happy mentions the Pet Pantry Warehouse and Rye Beach as other viable options. We hope for Peter's sake, and this column's sake, that the day when Happy has to use those options doesn't come anytime soon.

We also detailed federal officials' rejection of Westchester's affordable housing plan. Dan Wiessner writes that "the county's plan, which was released last month, includes model legislation and zoning and building ordinances and possible methods of education and outreach to African American and Hispanic populations. It does not, however, detail the distribution of the units throughout eligible communities." Rye is currently planning two affordable housing developments. The Rye City Council will meet this Wednesday to review a proposal for one of those units, the Cottage Street Homes.

On Tuesday, we had a story about the ongoing tensions and hope for a renewed relationship between the Jay Heritage Center and Westchester County. The center's 23-acre property is majority-owned by the state and the county, while the remaining 1.5 acres is owned by the center itself. Suzanne Clary, president of the Jay Heritage Center, would like for the county to do a better job of maintaining the property, while also making it more accessible to Rye residents. This story is likely one of many we'll be doing about the JHC and the county.

We also had the second installment of our new monthly feature, "Quest for Rye's Best." Our Gaby Kappes sampled cups of hot chocolate at several local eateries. Read the story to find out whether Cosi's peppermint hot cocoa or Le Pain Quotidien's Belgium hot chocolate beat out others. One of our other fun stories was about the new Ping Pong Parlor in Rye Brook. Our videographer, Joe Connors, spent some time at the parlor to see why parents and kids alike are so enamored with the sport. Watch the video to find out more about this fun local hangout.

Our other stories during the week were about local hair salons losing business during the recession, which may be one reason why you'll see more brunettes than blondes lately. Apparently, the cost of hair coloring is so high that more women are going longer without treatments or foregoing the process altogether. Some customers are also practicing do-it-yourself methods, which can be risky. As the economy rebounds, these salons may see an uptick in customers, but they're no different from many small businesses who are suffering.

We also did a story about Entree to Hope, a local charity initiative to raise money for Westchester's homeless and hungry. Until March 15, you can donate money along with your bill at more 30 participating restaurants in Westchester. Frankie and Johnnie's Steakhouse in Rye is one of them, so if you're having a steak at this local restaurant, you may want to chip in an extra dollar or two to support this local effort.

One of our final stories of the week was about Assemblyman George Latimer's community hearing on New York's 2010 budget. Several of Latimer's constituents talked about their displeasure with the state's budget cuts on everything from long-term care and local libraries to education. One of the biggest complaints was about the state's proposal to allow grocery stores to carry wine, which many local liquor merchants say will harm their businesses and increase underage drinking violations. Rye Patch will be doing follow-up stories on several of these issues, so visit our site regularly to read these stories.

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.