For many Rye residents, the offseason is the best time to enjoy the natural grandeur of Playland. The historic Boardwalk is where families stroll, children learn to ride bikes, dogs gambol, sun-worshippers set up beach chairs on a warm winter morn, and everyone catches up with their neighbors.

So, when longtime resident JoAnn Cancro went down to the pier again recently, to walk and photograph one of her favorite local landmarks, she was outraged to discover beer logos above the pier and totems nailed into the white and blue poles.

“The Tiki Bar leases space at the park and puts tables out in the summer months, but who allowed them to put up all of these ugly totems in the most photographed Art Deco pier in the country, and what can we do about it?” asked Cancro.

The entrance to the Playland Pier before and after its “decoration.”