Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Rye Patch started the week with a bit of breaking news concerning Westchester County Legislator Gordon Burrows. Burrows pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for his Feb. 5 arrest for suspected cocaine possession.  On his way to a ski weekend in Vermont with friends, Burrow and his company stopped at a gas station in Queensbury. Someone at the gas station saw Burrows and his friends doing lines of cocaine in the car and called the sheriff. Burrows likely won't face any jail time because of the incident, but his reputation is a public servant has no doubt been marred.

Mondays were "Happy" again with Peter Gerstenzang's column about life with his trusty golden retriever. This week, Peter shopped until he dropped, visiting two of the largest pet supply stores in the area--Choice Pet Supply in Hartsdale and Pet Pantry Warehouse in Rye. Peter went a little crazy in both stores and I'm sure Happy appreciated it, though I'm not exactly sure what Happy can really do with a toy called "The Silly Squeaker," a replica of a beer bottle. 

We also did a few man-on-the-street interviews with Rye-area residents who were upset about Governor Paterson's proposal to delay tax refunds for March filers, a move that Paterson said would help the state deal with its fiscal crisis. Many residents were peeved about the delay, especially considering that every little bit of cash flow helps given the ongoing recession. One of the most entertaining quotes came from a Port Chester resident who said she wasn't as concerned about getting her tax refund as she was about getting a raise:  "Nevermind that! Tell 'em to give me my damn salary. I'm a state employee and can't get my raise!"

In sports, the Blind Brook Trojans boys basketball team was crowned the Class C champions  Monday. The Trojans convincingly beat the reigning champions Valhalla Viking, 46-32. Lance Freundlich was named game MVP. Check out our photo gallery of great images from the game. The Trojans are set to compete next week in the regional playoffs at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, so check Rye Patch later in the week to see if the Trojans make it further in their quest for basketball glory. 

We also did a story about Paul Shew, Rye's former city manager, . Shew claims he was essentially forced to retire after the Rye City Council passed a preliminary resolution to suspend and ultimately fire him. Shew's spokesperson, Geoff Thompson, said Shew cannot find a job in public administration because of what happened in Rye. He is suing for close to $150,000.

On Wednesday, we reported on the declining sales and mortgage tax revenues for Rye city, Rye Brook and the Town of Rye. These figures have plummeted in the last few years because of the recession. The Town of Rye has seen a decline in mortgage tax revenue of about $350,000 in just one year, while the city of Rye has experienced a decrease of more than $400,000 from 2006 to 2008. The State Comptroller's Office is warning all municipalities in New York to adjust their 2010 budgets because of the decline in sales tax revenue statewide. Undoubtedly, many of these municipalities will have to cut expenses, and more likely, important services.

We also gave you a second dose of Peter Gerstenzang's acerbic wit with the bi-weekly column, "Wry Observations about Rye." In the column, Peter gives his take on the lack of diversity in downtown Rye. It appears that banks have a monopoly on Purchase Street. Peter calls for banks to be replaced with more engaging businesses: "...there are just too many banks downtown and not enough fun places to hang out. Of course, compared to a bank, a fun place could be almost anything."

Speaking of downtown, a new fitness craze has come to the downtown Rye YMCA: Zumba. Our Michael Iachetta was brave enough to join the high intensity workout during a recent Sunday class. Iachetta, who is over 60, was one of four men who decided to Zumba, a total body workout that encompasses Latin dances like Salsa and Meringue and aerobic and fitness intervals. About 90 people participated in the class and Michael noted that not since the end of football season had he seen "so many backfields in motion." If you want to burn calories with a Latin twist, visit the Rye YMCA web site for class day and times. 

We also covered a debate between candidates for the Rye Brook Village Board of Trustees. Moge Agahian, Toby Marrow and Jeff Rednick discussed topics ranging from the village's 2010 budget to possible service cuts and government consolidation during a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. All of the candidates seemed to tread carefully when it came to discussing hot-button topics such as service cuts. All of them said since they weren't privy to the budget process, so they couldn't specifically say how the village could achieve a leaner budget. The voters will decide these candidates' fate on March 16 when the village holds it election. Polls open at 7 a.m.

On Friday, we did a story looking at how a proposal in the state budget to license grocers to sell wine could affect local liquor merchants. The story was the second we've done about the potential local impact of New York's proposed 2010 state budget. Just last week we reported on how proposed cuts could affect nursing homes and long-term care providers in both Rye and Mamaroneck. For the story on the wine proposal, our reporter, Dan Wiessner, interviewed several sources on each side of the issue. Most local merchants said allowing supermarkets, delis and convenience stores to sell wine would put them out of business and increase underage drinking violations. However, the state claims that it can generate an additional $300 million in revenue from licensing these outlets to sell wine.  The Legislature will likely begin voting on bills in the budget this month, so this issue could come to a close--for better or worse--within the next few weeks.

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.