Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

This week, Rye Patch covered one story that has ignited conversation and controversy.

On Wednesday, we wrote a story about a "sexting" incident at Rye Middle School. The incident involves a web cam photo of a partially-nude 12-year-old girl, a student at the middle school. The picture is being circulated throughout the school and many others in the area. Rye Patch learned of the incident after school officials told some students they could be charged with child pornography for viewing and sending the photo. Though many parents were not informed about the incident, the matter has been referred to the police and they are now investigating.  We've received numerous comments on the story. Our intention was never to be salacious, but to illuminate a serious issue that could have emotional, legal and criminal consequences for the children involved. We hope this story will start a dialogue between students, their teachers and their parents. As a member of the social media generation, I can attest to how engaging the Internet is, but it also comes with many dangers. Rye Patch will continue to report on this story as new details develop. 

As a follow-up to the Rye Middle School story, we reported on the phenomenon of "sexting"--sending sexually explicit messages or images via mobile text messaging and other media. "Sexting" has become increasingly popular, with 20 percent of teens and tweens in one survey admitting they had engaged in the act. Many girls surveyed said they did it because of peer pressure from boys, while boys said they did it because of peer pressure from friends. "Sexting" can have serious legal ramifications. One 18-year-old from Florida, Philip Alpert, can serve as an example. Alpert will now be on Florida's sex offender registry until he's 43 years old because he sent a nude photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend to his friends after they got into an argument.

We also had election coverage this week. On Tuesday, Rye and Blind Brook held its budget votes and school board elections. The outcome was positive for the school district on the budget end, with about 58 percent of voters approving the Rye City School District's $69.7 million budget and about 72 percent of voters approving Blind Brook's $39.3 million budget. Current Blind Brook Board of Education vice President Sheri Zarkower won re-election to the school board in a landslide victory, with more than 700 votes. 

On a lighter note, we had tons of fun and engaging stories this week. One of my favorites was a video about 70-something Rose "Chickie" Falicglia, a regular at the Rye YMCA, who takes three to four classes a day. Chickie loves pilates and Zumba and she serves as an inspiration to everyone that you can be fit and fabulous at any age. 

We also did a story on the 30th annual Rye House Tour. As a Rye newcomer, I can see why more than 750 people came to the event. The tour featured five multi-million dollar homes, including the "Green House," which is on the market for $7 million. If you want to live in the lap of luxury, whip out your checkbook because that house was something to behold. One of my other favorites was the home of Gary and Julie Killian, which featured a modern and sophisticated bar area and media room on the lower level of the home. Pam and Rob Kindler's backyard terrace was also a treat, with plenty of space for an outdoor party or lunch. Everyone--whether they admit it or not--likes to take a peek into the lives of others. No wonder why several people we interviewed have been coming to the Rye House Tour for nearly a decade or more.

For our gardening buffs, this week's "Green Living" column gave some tips on container gardening. As someone whose thumb is far from green, Jaclyn Bruntfield gave some valuable information. She's already planted arugula, peppers, zucchini, squash, lettuce and cucumbers, and more on her terrace garden. Apparently, our readers loved Jaclyn's advice. The story is now one of the most popular on our site.

We ended the week with two of my favorite Rye Patch columns (I love all our columns, by the way), "Cracking the Code" and "Not So Simply Hired." This week's "Code" detailed "How to do Nightlife Right." Peter had this advice for readers: "The licenses for clubs are issued by the City Clerk.  It's never an easy process to obtain one. However, most city clerks are frustrated musicians. So, if you promise that when you open your club, they can sit in with the band and sing, "Oops I Did It Again," you'll have your license immediately. And if you allow the clerk to dress like Britney, you get cash back."

Mindy's "Not So Simply Hired" career column gave readers advice about how to seize the day  in regards to being unemployed. While it can be a vexing experience, Mindy said anyone on the job hunt should give themselves a little break from what can be an exhausting and emotionally frustrating process: "Carpe the diem of your unemployment. Take some time to play in the park, smell the proverbial roses.  Allow yourself to feel good or at least okay about where you are right now. The job search and a little more confidence will be there when you get back. Every dog has his day and you will too."

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 Rye area---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.