By Robin Jovanovich and Tom McDermott
The idea of building a bridge from Long Island to our shores is not a new one. Back in the late 1960s, “master builder” Robert Moses, with support from Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, proposed a bridge from Oyster Bay to Rye to alleviate congestion on the Long Island Expressway.
Rye Mayor Ed Grainger, realizing that this was not going to be the “gossamer thread across the Sound” as Moses described it, worked with his counterpart in Oyster Bay, and stunningly stopped Moses in his tracks in 1973.
Fast forward to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address last month in which he mentioned that a tunnel across the Sound was “feasible”. He went on to describe it as “underwater” and “invisible”. In fact, Mr. Cuomo’s administration had already been instructed to allot $5 million for the Department of Transportation to study such a project.
The results of the feasibility study by WSP, a global tunnel and bridge design firm, are in. One of their three recommendations, at a cost of $53 billion, is for the tunnel to begin in Oyster Bay and end in Rye. WSP estimates 113,000 would cross every day.
We stopped a bridge, and we will stop the tunnel was the immediate response from many local officials.
By Peter Jovanovich
When Dr. Eric Byrne was appointed Superintendent of Rye City School District last summer, he promised to immerse himself in the Rye school community, and so he has.
In just over six months, he has interviewed 127 teachers and 12 PO/PTO leaders, and met with 21 community organizations, 32 parents, and 20 administrators. (These meetings have lasted 45 minutes or more.) He has attended seven parent coffees, numerous athletic and arts events, and even found time to meet with city officials, pre-school administrators, and leaders of houses of worship.
Aside from the importance of sleep, what has Dr. Byrne learned? In his presentation to the Board of Education on January 23, he stated:
“I asked everyone the same question: What are your expectations for your superintendent? The number one answer: Have a clear sense of purpose, focus on curriculum and instruction, and not keep the status quo.”
While there were no trombones on the occasion of the Inauguration Ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the City of Rye, there was plenty of good cheer inside City Hall on New Year’s Day.
Judge Joe Latwin had the pleasure of swearing in Josh Cohn as Mayor, and Sara Goddard, Julie Souza, and Ben Stacks as Councilmembers.
Families and friends stayed for light refreshments and the chance to catch up and converse in a room filled with warmth and good feelings.
