Letters/Comment

Sandy Hook Moms Forge Friendship With Rye Moms

I grew up in Rye in the 70s and 80s and spent my entire childhood there. I went to Osborn, then Midland, and graduated from the high school as a devoted Rye Garnet, class of ’85. I was a kid from Rye, but now I’m a Sandy Hook School mom. 

On May 15, an extraordinary group of moms from Rye gave over 100 Sandy Hook School moms a love-filled gift of friendship and fun, relaxation and peace, kindness and healing. They brought tears to our eyes as we arrived in two buses, friends we didn’t yet know waving us welcome beneath an arch of green and white balloons declaring We Choose Love. They opened their arms and their hearts, pampering us with an offering of fun and peaceful activities throughout the morning amid the beauty and serenity of Rye Town Park and beach in the springtime. There were smiles and laughter and hugs and more laughter. After a lovely lunch under the pavilion, tears came again as we listened to the moving dedication to Sandy Hook families of a bench in the park, where friends can sit together with a view of the water and the joy of leisure all around them.

Every detail of the day was so thoughtful, from the bag with water, mints, and gum that awaited us on our bus seats to the rubber duck, with the green memorial ribbon, nesting in the bow on the Sandy Hook park bench. Tears welled up once more when our new Rye mom friends lined up along the sidewalk to wave goodbye as our buses departed, this time tears of thankfulness for their kindness, compassion, and generosity.

Coming from Rye has always been something of which I am proud, but I have never been more honored to be connected to this town as I am now. This beautiful gift began after December 14 with a seed that bloomed in the mind of Rye mom Cliona Cronin, who gathered friends and spent months planning and preparing.

On behalf of all the Sandy Hook moms who were there, I want to thank Cliona Cronin, Jo Bryan, Carrie Donahue, Alexandra Hickey, Laura Kelleher, Kristine Kennedy, Jannine Moran, Kim Mulcahy, Kim O’Connor, and every single one of the nearly 100 Rye moms who graced us with the warmth of your smiles and hearts that day, along with all in your community who contributed to making our day in Rye so truly memorable.  

Your loving kindness and generosity of spirit inspires and helps us heal.  We Are Sandy Hook and We Choose Love. The moms of Rye have shown us that they do, too.   

In peace and gratitude.

Lynn (Blank) Edwards

Sandy Hook, Connecticut

Crossing to Safety at Blind Brook May Necessitate a Stop Sign

Dear Editor,

In anticipation of the sale of the Methodist Church in Rye, the board of Blind Brook Lodge that represents the owners of units in the Lodge began planning for accommodating those owners renting car spaces from the Methodist Church.

The Board has received approval from the City Planning Commission and the Zoning Board to proceed with land development for 80 additional parking spaces on land formerly occupied by the ancient barn, a few garden plots, and a tennis court.

Pedestrian crossing safety will become an even bigger concern for those crossing to and from the apartment complex to the expanded parking area, not only for residents, but for all who use Rye Recreation and park in spaces at the Rye Arts Center. Vehicular access in and out of Blind Brook Lodge itself will continue.

A final answer for the safety of all may be the Full Stop remedy as applied recently on Midland Avenue.

Sincerely,

John Carolin

Keep Katy Glassberg on Our School Board

Dear Editor,

With so many issues and concerns on the news each day it is easy to overlook local elections and their importance to the future of our community. I would like to join other voices in highlighting the value of thoughtful consideration when deciding to vote and whom to vote for on May 21 in the election of Rye School Board members.

The criteria I would like Rye citizens to use in evaluating candidates is simple. Who best represents the type of person you want to make decisions for you? My choice is Katy Glassberg, and here’s why:

Katy has served on the school board for the past three years and has had to make tough decisions on many issues: the hiring of a new superintendent, a bond vote for accommodating enrollment, the start of the mandated state tax cap, to name just a few. She is a person who listens, asks relevant questions, and makes smart and timely decisions. Katy has been involved in the community, especially Rye schools, for over 15 years, and is in tune with the issues facing all Rye citizens. 

It is crystal clear to me that there are no easy choices and no magic solutions to the problems facing many school districts today, including Rye. And there are more tough decisions to be made. I would look for a representative who has the education, temperament, and support to make the best decisions possible in the appropriate time frame. I would look for a candidate who can digest mountains of information, evaluate the options and their impact on all citizens, and make the hard choices.

I have known Katy Glassberg for 17 years and think she has the qualities we need to keep on our school board to make the right decisions for Rye. 

Sincerely,

Lorraine Levinson

Period of Adjustment Needed

Dear Editor, 

I think the regular meetings of the City Council would be much more interesting to most of those who view them if the Council adjusted its agenda so that members of the audience could be heard as to items not appearing on the agenda only after all those items which the Council considers of major importance have been addressed.

This would preserve the right of the public to be heard, but would also give the Council and those watching the meeting time to devote to those issues that affect all of us.

Sincerely,

Gerry Seitz

Our Unsung Leader, Katy Keohane Glassberg

Dear Editor,

This has been a grueling year for our school district and our community. Since last spring, we have had one event after another challenging and at times overwhelming our public schools in ways that truly tested its leadership and our resolve as a community. Yet recently, our very own Rye High School was ranked No. 9 in the State of New York by US News and World Report, and was the only Westchester school to make the top ten.

It’s time we paused for a minute in gratitude for the steady leadership and unrelenting commitment that School Board Vice President, Katy Glassberg, has made to each and every child in our school community. Thank you, Katy. You represent the best of what public service means and I will be there to vote for you on May 21.

For those of you who don’t know Katy Glassberg, here are five reasons you should re-elect her to the School Board of the Rye City Schools:

• She has played a key role in adopting fiscally sound budgets in her last three years on the School Board. In a tax cap environment unfunded mandates threaten to undermine the very fabric of our public education. It is because of strong leaders like her that the Board has maintained our educational standards in the face of unprecedented economic pressures.

• A 17-year resident and lawyer by training, Vice President Glassberg has spent more than a decade volunteering for the Rye City Schools. She chairs the Policy Committee and serves on the Tax Cap Task Force. She previously chaired both the Facilities and the Health & Safety Committees and served on the Curriculum Council.

• She has tirelessly met with and listened to parents, teachers, administrators, and legislators during every crisis this past year, taking every opportunity to advocate for the best interests of our children.

• She is a team player whose experience will be critical during the next three years, particularly given the new teacher evaluation system just put in place and five labor agreements to be negotiated starting this summer.

• As the School Board’s vice president, she neither rubber-stamps the superintendent’s proposals nor micromanages the day-to-day affairs of the District. She is steeped in the details, always prepared, and leads by example.

You know that when Katy is at the table, she has a clear vision for the district, keeps her colleagues focused on what is best for all our students, and does it all without fanfare. Let’s be sure to keep her on the school board and working for our wonderful community!

Sincerely,

Jamie Jensen