The Cost of Keeping Citizens in the Dark
It is important to elect men and women of vision, determination, and good listening skills. Rye residents have been fortunate to have more than our fair share of such public servants over the years. Four years ago, Republican Councilman Joe Sack ran for Mayor on a campaign to clear up the scandal at Rye Golf […]
CURB APPEAL
All Paws, Rye’s original pet store at 31 Purchase Street, has offered a wide and popular selection of everything a dog or cat needs and desires for over 15 years. And now owner Claudia Baker is offering something more: curbside pickup of food, treats, toys, beds, shampoo, leashes, collars, gifts, and more. It’s a great […]
Ask Alice: 7/14/17
ASK ALICE — Advice for All When a Friend Is in Financial Need Dear Alice, My husband and I are conflicted over a situation that does not seem resolvable, and, unfortunately, we have a history of getting angry whenever we disagree. One of my closest and oldest friends has fallen on hard times. Her husband […]
Hitting the Trails, Thanks to the Vision of a Special Few
Hitting the Trails, Thanks to the Vision of a Special Few
By Jana Seitz
<“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead
Walk with me if you will in an “It’s a Wonderful Life” way to what Upper Westchester County could have been if some of our George Baileys had never lived. New York is a British colony. The Jersey Palisades and Hudson Highlands have been removed by quarry companies. A maximum-security prison is at Bear Mountain. There is no inn, no park, no bridge, no nothing.
Now, let’s insert the heroes who circumvented these near disasters, changing the direction of history. Firstly and most obviously, General George Washington under whose command two forts were built on the west side of the Hudson at the base of Bear Mountain to protect an upward surge by river of the British forces during the Revolution. Forts Clinton and Montgomery were connected by footbridge across a small tributary creek, and can still be walked through today. Washington’s action saved our young country on October 6, 1777, when the British got tricky and came by land rather than by ship in a “divide and conquer” tactic, rendering our chain across the river useless. The 700 American troops lost, but the battle detained the British troops just long enough for them to miss (and lose) the battle at Saratoga, a major turning point for us.
Secondly and least conspicuously, The Englewood Women’s Club of New Jersey, a small group of civic-minded, environmentally-concerned, tenacious ladies (like the Rye Garden Club) which began a movement to save the Palisades from being blasted to Kingdom Come. Their action led to the creation of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) with a mission “to preserve land and to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation accessible to all.” The year was 1896.
Disbrow Plan Cost Estimates Skyrocket
By Tom McDermott On June 27, Stantec Consulting, which is assisting the City and the Recreation Commission in developing a Disbrow Park and Facilities Master Plan, attached some “probable costs” to various concepts it has proposed to improve recreation areas and upgrade DPW facilities in the 47-acre park. The concepts would also seek to protect […]
Dr. Byrne Dives Right Into the District
By Peter Jovanovich
The new Superintendent of the Rye City School District, Dr. Eric Byrne, has only been at the helm for a few short weeks, but he’s already garnered our attention. At the June 27 Board of Education meeting, he presented his Entry Plan to “listen and learn” about the District in order to develop and execute an educational vision for the future. “It’s all about taking a deep dive: learning what we want to be.”
Unprecedented in its scope and detail, the Plan, which is posted on the District’s website, calls for Dr. Byrne to interview hundreds of individuals over the next six months, including teachers, administrators, staff members, students, parents, community leaders, and elected officials. Already, he has interviewed members of the Board and begun reviewing all the various reports and documents related to the District’s academic, financial, and operational performance.
Patricia Rogers Schoen Gile
She married David Gile in 1949. In 1964, the Gile family moved from Pittsburgh to Rye. At age 40, Mrs. Gile graduated from Goddard College in Vermont with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. She then began graduate studies at the NYU School of Social Work, and in field placements worked with offenders on probation […]
Mary Clerkin
Mary M. Clerkin, a longtime Rye resident, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2017, with her family by her side. She was 93. Born in Bayside, N.Y., she was the daughter of Agnes and William Godfrey. She attended Bayside High School and graduated from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing in New York City. For many years, she was a dedicated nurse at […]
Betty Ferris
Elizabeth Rose Ferris died peacefully on June 22, 2017 at the age of 93. She grew up and lived her entire life in Rye and Mamaroneck. For many years, Betty, as she was called, was a bookkeeper at Charles Librett & Co in New Rochelle. After earning GRI designation, she had a career in real […]
Bob Pratt
Robert W. Pratt IV of Essex, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2017. He was 86. The son of Caroline (White) and Robert W. Pratt III, he was raised in Warwick Neck, Rhode Island, where he acquired a lifelong love of sailing. He attended the Moses Brown School until he moved with his family […]