Beloved Local Author Moving to Greenwich

Author Annabel Monaghan and her husband Tom will be moving to Greenwich this month, after more than 20 years as Rye residents. Monaghan, who just published her third novel this summer, said the family will leave town at the beginning of August.

Monaghan, who has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, worked in finance for many years before quitting that world to raise her three sons. She’d always been interested in writing, and contributed a column to The Rye Record for 10 years. She is the author of several books, but found her niche in romance novels, including “Nora Goes Off Script,” “Same Time Next Summer,” and “Summer Romance,” all for G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

The Little Garden Club of Rye Awards Scholarship

Felicia Ambrogi was awarded The Little Garden Club’s 2024 Scholarship award, which has a value of $2,500. Ambrogi will attend the University of Michigan this fall to study civil and environmental engineering. This is the second year the Club has offered the award.

Ambrogi’s passion for Rye’s local environment was cited by Scholarship Chair Marilyn Donahue and committee members Sarah O’Keefe and Marianne Shea as especially impressive.

Boston University Honors Alexandria Longworth

Alexandria “Allie” Longworth was awarded the Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Science Community Service Award at the school’s Senior Awards Reception last month.

The award honors students who adapt what they are learning to work outside the university and who demonstrate “outstanding ability to represent the ideals set forth by the college.”

Pilates Studio Celebrates Milestone

Pilates Studio of Rye, located at 621 Milton Road, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary in business. Owned by Rye residents Randee and Tony Polito, the business offers a range of programs for clients starting at age 8 and up. Sessions are run by instructors with multiple certifications. Besides general health and fitness, the studio offers programs for pre- and post-natal clients, scoliosis, athletic conditioning, disc problems, and other neck and neck issues.

Hey Look, We’re on TV!

Apple Studios was back in downtown Rye on July 17 to finish up shooting “Our Friends and Neighbors,” a show starring Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, and Olivia Munn that caused a commotion when filming began this past June. The crew was in the lot behind Aurora that runs along School Street, and unlike their last visit, centered mainly on Purdy Street and not Purchase Street.

Dragon Coaster Celebrates its Birthday

According to the Chinese calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon — a time of visionary leaders, innovators, and problem solvers. But around here, it’s also the birthday of the iconic Dragon Coaster, Playland’s wooden roller coaster. The famed ride turns 95 this year and the Rye-based amusement park has a slew of festivities planned to celebrate the occasion.

Opened in 1929, the coaster was designed and built by amusement ride creator Frederick Church. It has approximately 3,400 feet of track and, at its peak, stands roughly 80 feet tall. It was also featured in the film “Fatal Attraction,” Mariah Carey’s music video “Fantasy,” and the classic “Big,” starring Tom Hanks.

On Friday, July 19, children are invited to visit the dragon crafts station to decorate arts pieces, which will be combined into a large dragon — complete with 3D head, tail and wings. The dragon will then be carried on poles during a Dragon Parade on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, where entertainers and unicyclists will lead children in a dragon-shaped procession around the park. The parade is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

The winner of a #PlaylandArt Dragon Contest, where Dragon Coaster fans created their own impressions of the ride earlier this year, will also be announced this weekend, along with several other planned celebratory activities.