Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Rye Patch started the week with coverage of last weekend's Rye Little League parade. More than 1,000 marchers participated in the event, an annual tradition in Rye dating back 53 years. Twenty four Rye Little League and 23 Rye softball teams also participated in the parade. Marchers included members of the Rye City Council and Board of Education, Rye Teacher's Association, the Little League Color Guard, Rye High School Drum Corps and the Rye Fire and Police departments. The New York Police Department Pipes and Drums, Port Chester, Rye, and Rye Brook Emergency Medical Services and Rye Recreation also participated. Check out our video of the parade for more coverage.

We also covered the closing of Plaza Too, a staple on Purchase Street for 23 years. In addition to the Rye location, Plaza Too's Mt. Kisco and New Canaan locations also closed. Though the closing was bittersweet, Rye shoppers took advantage of the great deals, nabbing designer shoes and other merchandise for 75 percent off. 

This week, Rye Brook resident Dick Hubert launched his campaign for the Blind Brook Board of Education. Hubert, a critic of the school board, said he wants to help lower the school tax burden for all Rye Brook residents, but especially those who don't have children in the school district. Hubert is running against Sheri Zarkower, the board's current vice president, who has stated that Hubert has made derogatory comments about the community and does not seek to represent all the constituents in the district.

This week state officials ordered the county to remove hazardous waste they dumped on the Jay Heritage property in January. The county has 30 days to comply with the order or could face legal action. In February, we reported that the waste the county dumped on the property contained high levels of contaminants such as arsenic and DDT. The incident was another footnote in the ongoing tensions between the JHC and the county, who share ownership of the property. JHC president Suzanne Clary told Patch this week that the center and the county have had positive talks and will be moving in a more productive and mutually beneficial direction in the future.

Some other interesting stories this week included the opening of Fairway supermarket in Pelham. Westchester shoppers are saying that the market is a welcome addition to the area because they can get everything under one roof. We also had a story on Tax Day freebies. Though April 15 has come and gone, IHOP is still giving free meals to children 12 and under. Also check out this week's "Wry Observations about Rye" column, where our resident humor writer, Peter Gerstenzang, gives his own take on the history of Rye Playland.

On a less comic note, the including seasonal service from White Plains to Playland. Hundreds of people attended the meeting to protest the cuts.

A Rye Neck Middle School student was also suspended this week for bringing a BB gun to school. On April 7, the Mamaroneck Police Department received a call directing officers to the school. A student under 16 years of age had fired what police described as an air-powered BB pistol, which discharged a plastic BB and hit, but did not injure, a student in the leg. Police and school officials aren't releasing the students' names because they are minors. But a source told Patch this week that the offending student was suspended for an entire year.

One of my favorite stories this week  was about a book written by father-daughter duo Kevin and Hannah Salwen in which they detail how they sold their home for charity. The Salwens donated half the proceeds of that sale--an amount that equaled $800,000--to The Hunger Project, a New York-based organization that works in the developing world. They used the other half to downsize to a smaller home. The Salwens are encouraging everyone to give up half of something that they can do without, whether that be their leisure time or extra money. The Salwen's actions are causing people to ask themselves a really relevant question: If I could give up half of anything, what would it be?

We've also covered lots more this weekend, 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.