June 30, 2017

RyeCity REVIEW THE

June 30, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 26 | www.ryecityreview.com

n o g n i v o M Rye Neck’s Class of 2017 marked the end of their educational careers on Thursday, June 22. This year, the district graduated 127 high school seniors, many of whom will continue their education at colleges and universities throughout the country. For coverage, see page 8.

Photo courtesy Rye Neck school district

2 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 3

Councilwoman proposes charitable gaming referendum

The Rye City Council has before it a proposal to establish a law permitting raffles, bell jar games, bingo or casino games at local charity events. Charitable gaming is currently illegal in New York state and often stems fundraising efforts in Rye. Photo courtesy hotelroomsearch.net

By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer The Rye City Council is mulling a referendum to establish a local ordinance permitting charitable gambling at fundraising events.

Councilwoman Emily Hurd, a Democrat who proposed the idea, told the Review that while it’s currently illegal in New York state for any organization to hold games of chance for any purpose, including charitable events, the City Council is considering the referendum in an effort to boost fundraising.

Since joining the City Council last year, Hurd explained that a number of nonprofit organizations, such as the Rye City Lions Club, have reached out to her requesting a change in the law, which is often broken accidentally.

“When I joined the council, several [nonprofits] asked me whether it was legal to hold a raffle because they didn’t know,” the councilwoman added. “The city of Rye had always turned a blind eye probably because raf-

fles weren’t very significant.”

The referendum would put the municipality in line with several other communities that already have ordinances permitting games of chance, including raffles, bell jar games, bingo or casino games.

“Lions’ clubs across the country use raffles as a major fundraiser to support charitable work in their community,” said Chris Shoemaker, the president of Rye City Lions Club. “If approved, the [club] would have another tool to support community groups and organizations that support people with visual impairments, in addition to events like Rye’s Got Talent.”

As of press time, communities such the town/village of Harrison, the villages of Port Chester, Mamaroneck and Pelham, and the cities of White Plains, Yonkers and New Rochelle already have local ordinances enacted.

“Fundraising is always a challenge,” Hurd told the Review, saying that it would be a “no-brainer” to have the local ordinance established. “The more creative you can get, the better it

is for fundraising efforts.”

The referendum would not, however, permit the city to host bingo nights to raise money for its own purposes; doing so would require a separate referendum.

In order for this referendum to be on the Nov. 7 Election Day ballot, it would have to be approved at the only City Council meeting in July, which is scheduled for July 12. If the idea for a referendum is not wrapped up by that time, the city could pursue a special election at a later date for the law change, but that would cost $30,000.

Councilwoman Julie Killian, a Republican, pledged that her party isn’t opposed to the idea at all.

In the meantime, Public Safety Commissioner Michael Corcoran has been tasked with reaching out to communities to see whether or not there have been any issues with the law relating to law enforcement.

City Attorney Kristin Wilson and Corcoran could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

Rye City School District’s

Official Newspaper

4 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

What’s going on...

Rye Free Reading Room

ically. At the end of the series, each participant will take home their own hydroponic plant.

Family Fun Night

For more information on hours and programs, visit ryelibrary.org. The library will be closed on Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

Teen Reading Raffle Tell the library what you thought about the books that you read. Your book reviews are raffle tickets to win fun prizes. Write as many reviews of different books as you like—including audiobooks and graphic novels. Just drop a review into the raffle box in the Teen Room. Enter all summer long through Saturday, Sept. 9.

Hydroponics 101 for Kids On Saturdays, July 1, 15 and 22 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room. For grades 3–5 only. In this series of STEM workshops, led by an educator from Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Westchester County, kids will look at the history of hydroponics, what’s inside a seed, germination, requirements for plant growth, essential nutrients, why alternate ways of growing might be important to the food supply, and they will start growing some herbs or flowering plants hydropon-

On Thursday, July 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Meeting Room. For children entering grades K–5 in September. The theme is The Amazing Race: Library Edition - Who’s Dewey? Come to the library and join the race around the “world” with your team. Children will be split into teams and asked to complete 10 tasks (one for each section of the Dewey Decimal system) in order to win the race.

The first team to complete all ten tasks will be declared the winner of the Library Amazing Race.

Space is limited for this event and pre-registration is required. Visit ryelibray.org, go to “Programs & Events,” “Kids,” the event date, and then “Register.”

Graham Clarke’s Musical Summer Fridays On Fridays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Meeting Room. For ages 12 months and up. Families are welcome. Rock out at the Rye Free Reading Room this summer when popular children’s musician Graham Clarke returns for a special summer series. Kids love Graham’s silly humor and fun songs and will move and groove to the beat with this energetic performer. Please arrive early; doors will be closed 10 minutes after the show begins and no one will be admitted after that. This event is sponsored by the Auxiliary Board of the Rye Free Reading Room.

Summer S.T.E.A.M. workshop with ArchForKids On Friday, July 7 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the

Meeting Room. For grades 3–5 only. Design, build and test a vehicle powered by the sun. Space is limited for this event and pre-registration is required.

Visit ryelibray.org, go to “Programs & Events,” “Kids,” the event date, and then “Register.” This event is sponsored by TD Bank.

Ryebrary Summer STEAMers All Ryebrary STEAMers who are entering grades K–2 in September are invited to join the librarians every Friday in the new Summer STEAM LAB where literacy meets STEAM. Each week, pariticipants will read a book together. Then taking inspiration from the story, they will teach kids how to think with their hands and minds. It’s inquiry-based learning combined with a hands-on activity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics.

The book for July 7 is “What Grows in the Garden” by Anne Mottola. Copies of Mottola’s books will be available for purchase and signing. The STEAM activity will be making a garden in a glove.

Children learn where vegetables are grown, but do they know how they grow and what part of the plant is edible? Pre-registration is required online. Visit ryelibray.org, go to “Programs & Events,” “Kids,” the event date, and then “Register.”

Rye Town Park Season permits The Rye Town Park Commission is encouraging residents to buy season permits and take full advantage of the beautiful park and Oakland Beach. It is offering “high tide” benefits for a “low tide” cost.

And, they’ve held the line on prices—no increases for residents. Beach access is free for all permit holders.

For a family of two adults and all children under age 18 a season permit is only $150. That’s good from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Individual adult permits are only $110.

Parking for permit holders is deeply discounted, compared to those without permits. These discounts include the daytime beach season from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends, as well as the pre- and postseason periods.

Senior permits (ages 62+) are $20 and include free parking. Platinum family ($300) permits also include free parking. Parking only permits are $150. Seniors who have passes dated on and before 2010 DO NOT have to renew their passes.

Credit card payments will be accepted for season permits. The park accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover. They also accept checks or money orders payable to Rye Town Park. People have two options in paying for their permits: mail the completed forms back, with payment by check or providing credit card information; or bring them to the park permit office, which will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

New permit holders will have to provide a proof of residence (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.).

Note: Non-residents can also purchase discounted season permits: $60 for seniors; $250 for singles; and $350 for family rates.

For further information and details, call the park starting 967-0965. More information is available at ryetownpark.org.

Rye Youth Soccer Fall 2017 registration Online registration is open at ryeyouthsoccer.org for fall intramural soccer for boys and girls grades

K–5. The season will begin Saturday, Sept. 16 and end Saturday, Nov. 4, with no games on Sept. 30.

Complete details on dates and times of the program can be found on the website. Questions? Contact Patti Adimari, registrar, at pattirys@optonline.net or 967-5273. Scholarships are available upon request. Please note: coaches should also register to coach in their online account.

Westchester County news

Register for swim classes at county pools Online registration is now open for swimming and aquatic fitness classes at Saxon Woods pool in White Plains, Tibbetts Brook pool in Yonkers and Playland pool in Rye. For children and for adults just getting started with swimming, Learn-to-Swim lessons are offered for all ages and ability levels, from toddlers age 3 to senior citizens. Classes begin Wednesday, July 5, and run through Friday, Aug. 11. Lessons for adults ages 18 and older will be held only at Saxon Woods pool.

The schedule for classes at Tibbetts Brook and Saxon Woods is as follows: Children ages 3–6: Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Children ages 7–10: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Children ages 11–17: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Adults (ages 18 and up): Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. (Saxon Woods only).

Class schedule for Playland Pool is as follows: Children ages 3–6: Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Children ages 7–10: Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Children ages 11–17: Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Only online registration is accepted. The registration fee is $80, which includes pool admission fees for the participant. Adults and teens participating in the Learn-to-Swim program at Tibbetts Brook and Saxon Woods pools must present a valid Westchester County resident Park Pass on the first day of class; children under 12 registering for the lessons must be accompanied by a Park Pass-holding parent or adult guardian. A Park Pass is not required at Playland.

For swimmers who want a high-power, cardiovascular fitness workout, a six-session Aqua Zumba class will also be offered this summer. Classes will be held on Friday nights from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Saxon Woods Pool from July 7 through July 26; and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Tibbetts Brook Pool from July 8 through July 27.

Fee is $75. A Park Pass is not required but participants must be Westchester County residents. Only online registration is accepted.

For more information or to register for the programs, visit parks.westchestergov.com/activities/ swimming.

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all items to news@hometwn.com.

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 5

Letters to the Editor

The mayor’s views are not ours To the Editor, On June 26, Mayor Joe Sack sent an email to many Rye residents coaxing them to remove their names from our city Listserv to avoid receiving an email from state Assemblyman Steve Otis, who is a Rye resident and our former mayor.

After careful consideration of how best to proceed, as well as a lengthy conversation with legal experts in the New York Conference of Mayors’ office, we feel compelled to ask that guidelines be put in place to prevent the future misuse of the city’s Listserv. We also want to make sure that the public knows the facts about the claims their mayor has sent them.

Sack began the dispute on June 21, 2017, by sending a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding the New York State Thruway property. He wrote that the city never knew about legislation regarding the sale of this property and that it was done “behind our backs.” The mayor also sent the letter to residents who had signed up to receive city information through our Listserv.

Otis responded to those accusations with a letter documenting that he had, in fact, shared all relevant information with the City Council prior to the vote in the Legislature, and that the council had received and understood this information (which we can attest to, personally). Sack even discussed the sale of the Thruway property to Rye Country Day School in an interview, published on May 11, 2017, in the Review.

Otis attached documentation proving his point, and requested that the city distribute the letter and accompanying documentation on the city’s Listserv. This would have given members of the public a chance to have both sides of the story. Sack denied Otis’ request—twice.

Otis then did what any good government official who cares about his constituents should do: he used the Freedom of Information Law, and made a FOIL request for the email addresses in the city Listserv in order to provide you, Rye residents, access to information that you have a right to see. According to law, this request is completely valid and well within Otis’s rights (see the court case Livison v. Town of Greenburgh).

Sack refused to comply with this reasonable and valid request. Implying that Otis is a gadfly, he wrote, “Regrettably, as a result, the floodgates may now be opened to anyone who wants access to your listserv email for whatever purpose.” As the mayor and a lawyer, Joe Sack knows perfectly well that this statement is false.

We feel that this needs to come to an end now. While the law does not prohibit the mayor from using the city’s Listserv to spread misinformation to residents, doing so abuses the power given to him by voters.

And slandering Otis with deliberate and defamatory misinformation serves only the mayor’s personal or political purpose.

This is why we are asking that the city rule that our Listserv not be used for personal use. Furthermore,

when the mayor does send out any statement on his own, it should be with a disclaimer: “This statement reflects my own personal views and is not the view of the whole City Council.”

Mayor Sack’s views are certainly not ours.

Danielle Tagger-Epstein and Emily Hurd, Rye City councilwomen

On the state Thruway property To the Editor, The following is an open letter to Mayor Sack and members of the Rye City Council.

I write to express my concerns over the way in which the city is proceeding on the New York State Thruway property, Disbrow Park, and the Department of Public Work operations.

First, I have serious reservations about relocating DPW to the Thruway property. As former Mayors Dunn, Otis, and French have stated, the city has worked for decades to protect this important gateway to Rye from commercial or industrial development, including from a state DPW-type facility. The city has expressed significant concerns over the proposed development of the former United Hospital site, citing increased traffic on the already congested Route 1 and the proximity to Rye’s residential neighborhoods.

Relocating DPW operations to the Thruway property would only exacerbate these concerns and result in the loss of valuable open space at the eastern edge of our city.

Second, it appears that your consideration of this project has been done without appropriate transparency, without involvement of the entire City Council, and without providing adequate information to taxpayers. Mayor Dunn notes in his letter to the editor published in the June 23 edition of The Rye Record that moving DPW might well be the largest capital expense the city has ever undertaken, and might well raise our borrowing to the highest level ever reached. Mayor French’s letter raises similar concerns.

The proposal to move DPW raises complex environmental, transportation, fiscal, and land use issues, none of which have been discussed in an open forum. And yet, at the June 7 City Council meeting, certain council members were advocating placing a referendum on the November ballot that would authorize a bond issue for this project. It is inconceivable to me that the city would request taxpayer approval for such a significant capital project with so little information on its financial, environmental, and logistical implications.

Third, I am confused and disturbed by Mayor Sack’s sudden decision to oppose Rye Country Day CONTINUED on page 10

Rye Neck

6 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

RyeCity REVIEW THE

170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Tel: (914) 653-1000 Fax: (914) 653-5000

Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com

graduates 127 students

Christian Falcone Associate Publisher | Editor-in-Chief ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Assistant Editor | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com Reporter | James Pero ext. 20, james@hometwn.com Reporter | Franco Fino ext. 18, franco@hometwn.com General Assignment | Taylor Brown ext. 30, taylor@hometwn.com Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso Advertising | Lindsay Sturman ext. 14, lsturman@hometwn.com Advertising Coordinator | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 27, ads@hometwn.com Staff Writer Corey Stockton Staff Photographers Andrew Dapolite, Jen Parente Columnists John Carey, Rye City Council, Lenore Skenazy, Joe Murphy Letters The community’s opinion matters.

If you have a view to express, write a letter to the editor by email to chris@hometwn.com. Please include a phone number and name for verification purposes.

Community Events If you have an event you would like to share with the community, send it to news@hometwn.com.

Delivery For home delivery or to subsribe, call (914) 653-1000 x27.

Classifieds & Legals To post your notices or listings, call (914) 653-1000 x27.

s

Rye Neck High School’s Class of 2017 celebrates the completion of their high school experience taking hold of their diplomas during the commencement ceremony on June 22.

n Thursday, June 22, family and friends of the graduates filed into the bleachers of Rye Neck High School’s football stadium to celebrate 127 students marking the end of their tenure in the school district.

Scott Mosenthal, who served as Rye Neck High School’s interim principal for the past six months, provided opening remarks for the 122nd annual commencement ceremony by reflecting on the students’ high level of performance in all areas of academics.

“This group is impressive by any possible measure, scholastically, artistically, athletically and service-wise,” Mosenthal said.

Emily Crook, the class salutatorian delivered a speech, encouraging her classmates to challenge themselves in the years ahead and reach beyond their “comfort zone.”

“I don’t think any of us are going to feel obligated to do the conventional thing because it’s comfortable, or limit ourselves to being successful on someone else’s terms,” she said. “I think and hope that we are going to define what success is for ourselves.”

Valedictorian Fraser Shaw also had poignant words of praise, crediting the strong work ethic of his classmates for many of their accomplishments.

“You don’t have to be the best to win the game, you don’t have to be the fastest to win the race, you don’t even have to be the strongest to win the tackle,” Shaw said.

“In order to succeed, you have to work the hardest.”

Along with the traditional graduating diploma, numerous academic, athletic, community service and scholarship achievement awards were handed out to numerous members of the Class of 2017.

Rye Neck High School also continued their keynote speaker series, “Ten Years After,” which allows for a school alumni to speak about his or her life experiences in the decade since graduation.

This year’s speaker was Isabel Richardson, Class of 2007, who went on to graduate cum laude from Northwestern University and appear in several television commercials and Off-Broadway productions. More recently, Richardson has worked as an associate producer on the National Geographic documentary series, “Uncensored with Michael Ware.”

She currently works at Bravo, a television network based in New York City.

In closing, Mosenthal imparted some final words of advice for the students who were born during the digital age at the turn of the new millennium.

“In a world too often characterized as negative, pessimistic and cynical, it is my hope and wish that you young people will use your voices to raise others up instead of knocking them down, and to inspire instead of dishearten and to care instead of hate,” he said.

-Reporting by Andrew Dapolite

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Barbara Ferraro pays tribute to the students’ impressive accomplishments during the commencement ceremony on June 22.

Rye Neck High School Valedictorian Fraser Shaw reflects on his classmates’ accomplishments and experiences throughout high school

Postmaster Send address changes to: The Rye City Review c/o HomeTown Media Group, 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Visit us online www.ryecityreview.com

Follow us on Twitter, @ryecityreview Like us on Facebook, facebook.com/ryecityreview The Rye City Review (permit #438660) is published weekly by Home Town Media Group for an annual subscription of $45.

Application to mail at the periodicals postage rate is approved at White Plains, N.Y., 10601.

Periodicals postage paid at White Plains and additional mailing offices.

Rye Neck High School’s commencement ceremony ends with the traditional tossing of the students’ graduation caps on June 22. Photos courtesy Rye Neck school district

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 7

Class of 2017 Fraser Shaw | Valedictorian, Senior Class President Emily Crook | Salutatorian Matthew Nathaniel Ponticiello | Senior Class Vice President Haley Bruno | Senior Class Treasurer Corey Alexander Parker | Senior Class Secretary Michael Raymond Quartararo | Senior Class Event Coordinator Alyson Miller Abbatantono Adrian David Aguilar Gabriel Ajram Robert Norman Alter Marco Andreoli Benjamin Abraham Banker Jesse M. Barreto Philip Thomas Beebe Oliver Sam Beecham Jack Bharucha Lisa Jane Bianco Maria Bianco Julia Blondel Gabriela Cajas Jacqueline Capossela Gabriela R. Carducci Jack Carducci Luigi Carolini Nicolas Carucci Russell Thomas Caster Christian Cefaloni Nicole Lee Chmelecki Mary Rose Cintron Alison Cohen Benjamin Colantonio Matthew Collado Jahliv David Rhone Cornelius Grace Cozine Pedro Augusto Cueto Alex Dean DeLitta Anthony Michael DeRose Cristina Michelle DeRose Nicholas John D’Errico Erin Rose Drace Agustin Duarte Emma Dufault Mia Dunn Jack Anthony Michael Evans Jake Fagen Cristal Finkenberg

s

Kyle Fox Ian R. Gabriele Luis Galeano Peter Gallagher Lizbeth Garcia 0Daniel John Garofalo Jessica Michelle Giordano Aliya Glattstein Amoré Santese Gordon Hunter Judd Greenhill McNeil Theodore Guzzetta Adrian Henry Dawkins Jillian B. Hurlbut Helena Elizabeth Jones Claire Elizabeth Julian Hana Kawano Alexander John Pierce Kebbe Timothy Kelley Noah Klur Pierre Klur Matthew Wynne Lawhon Madeline Sue Leeds Kol Arthur Xavier Lewis Kathryn Lia Loffredo Jacquilyn C. Longbucco Alissa Luceno Gabriella Maffei Giovanni Gustavo Maffei Kelly Maitland Viktoriya M. Manolova Nicole Adelina Manzella Bria Rose McClain Davidson Sonny Mede Isaak Meier Nadia Naeem Owen Riley Nashelsky Alexandra Mendes Oaks Kiara Veronica O’Day Andrew R. O’Hanlon Cosimo Panetta Jr.

Maxwell Pasquina Reed Ernest Peterson Jaycie K. Pillig Alexsander Preldakaj Samantha Madeline Pulcino Cole Redding Kevin Joseph George Reimers Brian Reyes Jose Reynoso Franklin D. Rios Neffin Sanchez Steven Christopher Saputo Henry Shiffer Christina Anne Shin Sharleen Simo Carly Rose Sonenclar Bruna Souto Logan Richard Spencer Emma Port Stainkamp Justin T. Sturgis Benjamin S. Styler Camryn Eliza Sullivan Kaitlene Liv Tan Luisa Tito Nicolas Toutoungis Jack Robert Van Buren Ogla Yanira Vasquez Amberly A. Velasquez Elizabeth M. Violi Victoria A. Violi Henri Wang Taleeya J. Ward Molly Lucas Weiner Ellie Williams Rachel Marie Wurzburger Amber G. Yang Nikolas Alexander Yergo Catherine Yoo Gabriel Zangiacomi

Rye Neck High School’s salutatorian Emily Crook addresses her peers, urging them to follow their passions and not to let anyone else define success for them. Photos courtesy Rye Neck school district

8 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

Considering all views and options THE COUNCIL CORNER Mayor Joe Sack

Last week, I convened the first meeting of the expanded Master Plan Committee.

I had taken a core group of charter members comprised of Planning Commission pros, and enhanced it with folks who can also contribute their unique perspectives. Among them are the school board president, the head of the merchants group, and the chair of the transportation committee. Some with generations of history in our town, some relative newcomers.

The director of the nature center quipped, “I guess I’m your token tree hugger!” But indeed, that’s exactly why I asked her to participate in our group. She, like the others, has a unique point of view that must be represented.

At the meeting, my charge to the group was for them to be proponents of the particular views informed by their respective backgrounds. But then I also asked them to always keep in mind that our ultimate goal is to produce a plan that takes into account all of these views.

Recently, I decided to revive the long-dormant Human Rights

Committee, in the hope that it would be a means for good work.

I recruited one of my Democrat colleagues to lead this effort. She asked that I appoint to the group a number of her allies, some of whom unfortunately post not nice things about me on partisan blogs. But I felt that it was important to allow her to have fellow committee members with whom she felt she could collaborate, so I looked beyond such antics, and granted her request.

However, with regard to the actual work of the committee, I have charged the members to ensure that the goal is one of unity, and to refrain from using the group as a vehicle for either local or national political agendas.

If the group is to have any credibility, it must incorporate views of all stripes, and not be seen as favoring one view over another.

The Crown Castle cell antennae application has now been a long-running issue for the council. From the beginning, there have been some vocal residents who have voiced their specific views on the matter.

This is a good thing, it is their right, and we ought to hear from these residents. But I have also consistently stated that council members do not have the luxury of being personal advocates for

individual positions. As mayor, I have the responsibility to listen to all views, no matter how loudly or persistently—or not—they are expressed.

A newer issue is the issue of what to do with the state Thruway property on Post Road. The city must decide whether or not to acquire it. If we buy it, we must also decide for what use—whether for fields, or for public works, or for some other needed purpose.

There are some folks who early on have advocated that the city not purchase the parcel. It is important to consider this view, which has lots of merit, but it is even more important to solicit all views and consider all options.

We have also heard some interesting and thoughtful ideas that have emanated out of our Disbrow Park re-development process, which might have some impact elsewhere.

What we need to do is work together to build consensus on an outcome that has much buy in from the community as possible.

Whether it be the master plan, the Human Rights Commission, Crown Castle or the Thruway parcel, this is the approach I have always embraced, and as long as I am mayor, I always will.

CONTACT: jsack@ryeny.gov

Commission to solicit long-term restaurant operator

Following recently passed state legislation giving the Rye Town Park Commission more flexibility in negotiating lengthier contracts, Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman told the Review the commission will begin soliciting a long-term operator for its restaurant. File photo

By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer The Rye Town Park Commission is aiming to release an official proposition next month seeking a restaurateur to take over the park’s food and concession stands at the start of 2018.

As the park’s current deal with Homestyle Caterers is set to expire at the end of the year, the park commission will be looking to solidify a long-term package for its restaurant space that houses its steak, seafood and grill outlet, the Ocean Grille.

According to Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, a Democrat and president of the park commission, the plan to release a request for proposals, RFP, comes just after a proposal to give the park commission more flexibility in negotiating longterm contracts passed the state Legislature last week. “This gives us confidence that we’ll be able to enter into a long-term license with whoever wins the award,” Zuckerman said.

Under current state law, the park commission cannot accept a deal with a vendor that exceeds three years without special state authorization. However, if the

bill is signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, it would permit the park commission to deal out a license agreement for its restaurant space for any period up to20 years.

The previous owners of the restaurant formerly known as Seaside Johnnies, John Ambrose and Sam Chernin, held two separate deals with Rye Town Park that were longer than three years; however, both required state approval. The co-owners were offered a seven-year deal in 1999 and a 10-year extension in 2002 for their business, which operated at the park since 2000.

The legislation, put forth in May by state Sen. George Latimer and Assemblyman Steve Otis, both Rye Democrats, would amend provisions of a law from 1907 that established and sets guidelines relating to the management of the inter-municipal park, which is jointly owned by the town and city of Rye. The park is located off of Forest Avenue in the city of Rye. Rye City Councilwoman Julie Killian, a Republican and member of the park commission, told the Review the legislation would help residents of all the communities represented in the commis-

sion, which consists of members from the city and town of Rye, the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook, and the Rye Neck section of the village of Mamaroneck. “[The legislation] is in the best interests of all Rye Town and Rye City residents as it gives us much needed flexibility to attract the best possible candidates,” Killian said, adding that a new deal would include an update of the park’s food facilities.

As of press time, the commission is planning to send out the RFP during its meeting on July 18.

Several restaurateurs, including the park’s current licensee, have already pledged their interest in submitting an offer.

Last November, well-known restaurateur Angelo Liberatore, an operating partner of the Fort Pond Bay Company—which operates Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry and Harvest on Hudson in Hastings-on-Hudson—told the Review that he plans on submitting a proposal to operate a restaurant out of Rye Town Park, which overlooks Oakland Beach and the Long Island Sound, at the beginning of 2018.

CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

Connect with us on @linkedin.com/company/hometown-media

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 9

Astorino opens county pools for the season County Executive Robert Astorino kicked-off the county’s summer pool and beach season with a splash at Tibbets Brook Pool in Yonkers on Friday, June 23. Astorino was joined by Parks Commissioner Kathleen O’Connor and Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, M.D., to share safety tips that help residents and their families make the most of this summer.

“We have a terrific team of lifeguards at all our pools and beaches,” Astorino said. “But parents and guardians are the first line of defense for swim safety.

Please watch your children when they are in or near the water, make sure they never swim alone and only swim a when a lifeguard is on duty.”

All county pools are now open and county beaches have been opened since May 27. Tibbetts Brook Park, Saxon Woods Park and Willson’s Waves pools are open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily through Sept. 4; Playland Pool and the beaches at Playland, Glen Island and Croton Point are open Wednesdays through Sundays and on Monday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 4.

“One of the most joyful parts

of my job is seeing our residents and their guests enjoy a day in our pools and at our beaches,” O’Connor said. “I am pleased to join with the County Executive and the Health Department today to stress the importance of staying safe while you have fun in and near the water.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury or death among children ages one to four years old and the second leading cause among children ages five to nine years old, Amler added.

“It’s also critical to always stay within arm’s reach of infants and toddlers in the water and to always keep your eyes on children playing in or near the shore,” said Almer. “Pool floats, inner tubes, water wings and noodles are no substitute for close supervision.

Swimming and alcohol, just like boating and alcohol, don’t mix.”

Westchester County’s Learnto-Swim program is offered for both children and adults throughout the county at Tibbetts Brook Park, Playland Pool, and Saxon Woods Pool in White Plains. For more information and to register for the program, go to Parks.

westchestergov.com/learn-toswim. Swimming lessons are also offered at many local YMCAs and at municipal pools.

In or out of the water, the summer sun can cause health risks that can be easily prevented.

“Anyone spending time outdoors, whether for recreation or work, should always protect their skin from the effects of the summer sun,” Amler said. “Skin damage builds up and accelerates the aging of your skin and it also increases your risk for skin cancer. Wear a hat and sunglasses, avoid the midday sun and reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially after you swim or sweat, to avoid sunburn” UV rays can damage skin in as little as 15 minutes, and according to the CDC, skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Amler recommends that residents buy sunscreens with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, and while the CDC suggests using a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15, most dermatologists recommend an SPF of at least 30, which will block 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays.

To avoid heat exhaustion or

County Executive Rob Astorino marked the official opening of county pools at the Tibbets Brook Pool in Yonkers on June 23. Contributed photo

heat stroke, stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day and stay in the shade during the sun’s peak hours.

Heat stroke is a serious condition marked by hot red, dry skin, shallow breathing, a rapid, weak pulse, and confusion. Anyone who is suffering from heat

stroke needs immediate medical attention. Call 911 if you suspect heat stroke and immediately cool down the overheated person while waiting for help to arrive.

Heat exhaustion is less dangerous but still poses concerns. Its signs include headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness and exhaus-

tion, as well as cool, moist, pale or flushed skin.

For more health and safety tips, visit Westchestergov.com/ health and Westchestergov.com; or visit the Westchester Health Department on Facebook and Twitter at @Wchealthdept.

(Submitted)

Water safety advice for parents and guardians: • Teach your children never to swim in pools, beaches or lakes that are closed.

• Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults.

• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments.

• Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards, and, if you don’t know, ask about safe drain covers.

• At the beach, never fight currents; swim parallel to shore and at an angle if you find yourself in a rip current.

10 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

Letters to the Editor CONTINUED from page 5

School’s purchase of the Thruway property. The city, RCDS, and Assemblyman Otis have been discussing a public-private partnership to acquire the Thruway property since 2015 when the state Thruway Authority indicated its intent to auction off the parcel to the highest bidder. Assemblyman Otis quickly intervened and convinced the Thruway Authority to work with the city and RCDS on a recreational use plan.

In the fall of 2016, the city decided not to purchase the property itself, but instead requested that RCDS fund the purchase and permit the city to use the facilities. Assemblyman Otis and RCDS proceeded in good faith to accomplish this plan. Otis drafted the necessary special legislation to implement the plan that the City requested. On May 30, before the bill was introduced, he sent the draft legislation to the mayor and City Council for their review and comment, clearly stating that he intended to introduce the bill within the next week. This was reiterated in a June 1 letter to the mayor and the Council.

The bill, drafted in direct response to the city’s request, fully protects public access to the property and gives the city veto power over the sale to RCDS by requiring a shared use agreement as a precondition to the sale. Assemblyman Otis also offered to discuss any issues or concerns that the city might have, either individually or as a group.

Without notifying Assemblyman Otis or RCDS, and without any open discussion before the City Council, Mayor Sack wrote to Gov. Cuomo on June 21 urging him to veto the Assembly bill that passed on June 15. Sack’s letter asserts that Otis “pushed the bill through the Assembly” and that “[n]one of this was heretofore known by the city of Rye; Assemblyman Otis did not advise us this was happening.”

This assertion is contradicted by the facts I have outlined above. Moreover, Mayor Sack’s letter is inconsistent with his remarks at the June 7 City Council meeting when he assured the president of RCDS’s board of trustees of his interest in continuing to work cooperatively with the school.

The last minute reversal of the city’s position by the mayor and his veto request puts at risk the game plan agreed to by the mayor, the City Council, Rye Country Day School, and Assemblyman Otis. Most importantly, it puts at risk the Thruway property that the city, Otis, and RCDS have worked so hard to preserve.

I urge you, first and foremost, not to undermine the very property that you have endeavored to save from unwanted state development. I further urge you to work cooperatively with the entire community and with Rye Country Day School to implement plans for this property, as well as for Disbrow Park, that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and that reflect sound land use management policies.

Pamela McGuire, Rye

About Letters to the Editor Publication is not guaranteed. We reserve the right to edit letters for content or space, at our discretion, without notification from the company. We reserve the right to reject submissions at our discretion without notice to the author. Sorry, but we are unable to notify authors in advance if and when a letter will be printed.

Deadline for submission is Friday before publication. The maximum length of letters that appear in our pages is 625 words, but letters are usually significantly shorter to accommodate space needs.

The letter should be signed and include the writ-

er’s address and phone number for verification purposes. We will not publish letters that cannot be verified. Publication by frequent letter writers will be limited to one per month. The opinions of letter writers do not reflect those of this newspaper.

Please submit via fax to (914) 653-5000 or email to chris@hometwn.com or via post to Home Town Media Group, C/O Letters to the Editor, 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203, White Plains N.Y. 10601.

We do not accept unsolicited Op-Ed submissions, film reviews, or food reviews.

Seg is gorgeous German shepherd, about 6 to 7 years old and 74 pounds.

This regal gentleman is very sweet, on the quiet side, and is friendly with other dogs and people alike. He sleeps peacefully through the night, loves to be near you, does not jump on furniture, and is very respectful of all. He will make a wonderful companion!

Seg is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped. Make him part of your family for an adoption donation of $300. To meet Seg, call 834-6955 or visit NYPetRescue.org.

(Submitted)

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 11

Uber, Lyft become legal in Westchester County

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer Westchester County won’t be able to regulate ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft beyond the state law, which goes into effect this week. But that won’t stop county lawmakers from trying.

The county has decided not to opt-out of the New York state law regulating ride-hailing companies outside of New York City.

Although Uber and Lyft drivers have frequently taken fares within Westchester over the last few years, they have done so illegally, as neither state nor county law has permitted it. That is set to change on Thursday, June 29, after press time, when a new state law overseeing ride-hailing becomes official.

But some, including County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, have criticized the state law for not having the same safety regulations as are required by the law which has allowed ride-hailing in New York City since 2011.

“When the new state regulations came out a few weeks ago under the Department of Motor Vehicles, that failed to give

Westchester County residents the same protections as New York City, we had to take action to try to fix this kind of problem,” Astorino said at a press conference with Uber and Lyft representatives on Tuesday.

Ride-hailing in New York City is overseen by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC, which requires all drivers to be fingerprinted. But the law in the rest of New York state puts those regulations in the hands of the state DMV, which will not require drivers to be fingerprinted.

“But in Westchester, because we border New York City… we of course wanted to go a step further and create a system that included fingerprinting for drivers in Westchester County,” Astorino said.

With that in mind, county and ride-hailing officials created “Thumbs Up,” a voluntary program in which interested drivers would get fingerprinted by the county and then be added to a pool of approved drivers for ride-hailing, taxi or limousine services. Drivers whose fingerprints are clean would also be awarded a decal from the county, verifying that those drivers

have been vetted by Westchester. The process would cost $90 to drivers and, according to the county executive, would be completed in three days or less.

Astorino asked the ride-hailing companies to integrate the Thumbs Up program into their apps, allowing users to see beforehand whether their driver has been fingerprinted before ordering the car. Neither company committed to that policy in the short term, adding that the deal was new and they were considering their options.

In the meantime, Astorino said, users will have to decide when their car arrives whether they feel safe entering a car based on the presence of a Thumbs Up decal or lack thereof.

But those companies will have to address the question of cancellation fees, which are normally charged to users who solicit a ride through the app and then turn a driver away. When asked if Uber would charge a cancellation fee to those who turned down a ride because a driver did not have a Thumbs Up decal, Josh Gold, Uber policy director, said, “That’s something we’ve already started looking

into and that’s something we’d probably not want to happen.”

Astorino said that the Thumbs Up program is the first in the nation, and that he hoped the county would set an example for the state, influencing a rewrite of the new ride-hailing law. “We also hope that this will spark a conversation around the state, and ultimately will lead to the state amending the law again that would permit and require fingerprinting across the state,” he said.

In the meantime, county Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat and chairman of the Board of Legislators, lambasted the state for forcing the county to either opt out or participate under the state’s rules. “Because of New York state, we are now in a shotgun marriage,” he said. “And I’m disappointed in Uber and Lyft for not wanting to start off this marriage in a better place, but I’m hoping in fact that we can make the best of a situation that is potentially starting out with difficulty.” He added that he would not hesitate to initiate an opt-out process if ride-hailing companies did not continue to work to promote safety in the county.

Ride-hailing companies were legalized across the state as part

Westchester County’s Thumbs Up program will give decals to drivers who choose to get fingerprinted and enter them into a pool of approved drivers for ride-hailing, taxi or limousine companies. Photo/Corey Stockton

of New York state’s 2017 budget, which was passed in early April. As part of that law, municipalities with 100,000 residents or more had the option to participate in the state’s program or to opt out of it, but not to draft

a separate law regulating those companies. The state DMV released its regulations on June 6, which did not include a fingerprinting requirement.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

12 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

The Classifieds • Advertising that gets results OUR RATES:

$42.50 for up to 4 lines. Each additional line $2.00.

Classifieds ads appear in all five of our publications.

HOW TO REACH US:

Email: ads@hometwn.com Phone: (914) 653-1000 x27 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203, White Plains N.Y. 10601

AUTO DONATIONS

LEGAL NOTICES

Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Call 914-468-4999 Today!

Notice of Formation of Bridgeway Consulting, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/28/2017. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 187 Wolf Road Suite 101 Albany NY 1220. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Call 315-400-0797 Today!

Notice of Formation of Molly Ness, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/23/2016. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: LLC, 4 Oakwood Avenue, Rye, NY 10580. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

COLLECTABLES

Yoga By Danit LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York on 06/09/2017. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 7 Stonegate Lane, Rye, NY 10580. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

T O P C A S H PA I D I N S TA N T LY F O R COLLECTIBLES!-WE BUY Baseball Cards, Autographs, Records, Silver Coins, Golf Items, Art, Jewelry, Comics Etc., Call Jim Today @ 914-310-5153

MISCELLANEOUS SAWMILLS from only $4397.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill-Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship!

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N

NOTICE OF DECLARATORY ACTION IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LIMESTONE COUNTY, ALABAMA

Wheels For Wishes Benefiting

Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley

*Free Vehicle/Boat Pickup ANYWHERE *We Accept All Vehicles Running or Not *Fully Tax Deductible

WheelsForWishes.org Call: (914) 468-4999 * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or financial information, visit www.wheelsforwishes.org.

Done the 21st day of July 2017.

Honorable Brad Curnutt, Clerk of Circuit Court of Limestone County, Alabama 200 West Washington Street, 1st Floor Athens, Alabama 35611

Poconos Land Liquidation 30 Mile Views! 5 star location. Paved roads, utilities 2+ Acres only $19,900. 80% Off! 2 hrs NYC. Excellent Financing Call Now 888-320-0920

Michael C. Lambert Attorney for Plaintiffs Deborah Ford Rogers and GRITS, Inc. 112 West Market Street, Athens, Alabama 35611

VACATION RENTALS OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com

Buying Diamonds, gold, silver, antique and modern jewelry, better furs, U.S. and foreign coins, paintings, bronzes, complete estates. Highest prices paid. Call 914-260-8783 for appointment..

DONATE YOUR CAR

LTM BOOKS, LLC d/b/a LTM BOOKS, whose whereabouts is unknown, must answer Deborah Ford Rogers’ and GRITS, Inc.’s complaint for declaratory action within thirty (30) calendar days of July 21, 2017 to hold null and void the agreement signed by and between the parties on or about July 2015 in Case Number: 44-CV-16-900404.00, Circuit Court of Limestone County, Alabama.

REAL ESTATE

WANTED TO BUY

DEADLINE:

Placement, correction or cancellation of an ad may be phoned in any time before noon on Monday for publication

Front Desk Night/Weekend Manager Tennis Club Part Time Permanent Lower Westchester Busy and vibrant tennis club seeking an evening/weekend front desk manager. Candidate should be mature, friendly, hands on, customer service oriented, able to multi-task and work efficiently with club software. Knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word and Club Automation a plus. Position requires opening and closing the facility, maintaining front desk and lobby, answering phones, communicating with customers and overseeing the activities of the club.

Please email resumes to dori@ryeracquet.com

PROBATE CITATION

File No. 2016-1050/A SURROGATE’S COURT – WESTCHESTER COUNTY CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: All the unknown distributees, heirs at law and next of kin, of James Arden, their guardians, committees, conservators or assignees, and if any of them survived the decedent but have since died or become incompetent, their successors in interest, executors, administrators, legal representatives, devisees, legatees, spouses, distributees, heirs at law, next of kin, committees, guardians or any person having any claim or interest through them by purchase, inheritance or otherwise.

A petition having been duly filed by Melody James- Parton, who is domiciled at 400 West 43rd St. Apt. 13-R, New York, NY 10036.

YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Westchester County, at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, 18th Fl. White Plains, New York, on August 16 2017, at 9:30 A.M. o’clock in the fore noon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of James Arden, a.k.a James Malchor Arden a.k.a Jim Arden lately domiciled at 1 Landmark Square, Unit 317, Port Chester, New York 10573. admitting to probate a Will dated June 22, 2016, as the Will of James Arden, deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that Letters Testamentary issue to: Melody James-Parton

State of New York Mortgage Agency

LOAN TODAY. HOME TOMORROW.

Mortgages with down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers

Dated, Attested and Sealed HON. Brandon R. Sall June 6, 2017 Surrogate

SOONER OR LATER...

SOMEONE’S GOING TO BLAB IT ON

WVOX

Sandra Delvalle Chief Clerk

Attorney for Petitioner: Court Square Law Project by: Christina Crowley Esq., (718) 340-4412, 2 Court Square, at CUNY School of Law, Long Island City, NY 11101 [NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.]

Call (800) 382-4663 or visit sonyma.org

Follow us on Twitter

@ryecityreview

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 13

14 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017

SPORTS

And Zen there were none LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

On Wednesday morning, New York basketball fans awoke to the news that the Knicks were parting ways with team president Phil Jackson, putting an end to the Zen Master’s tumultuous tenure in the Big Apple.

But even if we admit Jackson’s three-year stint in New York was an unmitigated disaster, I have to give him this; at least it was entertaining.

I may have had high hopes when the Knicks announced their partnership with the basketball guru back in 2014. I, like many Knicks fans, thought that bringing in a proven winner like Jackson—even if he wouldn’t be handling the day-to-day coaching responsibilities—would be a boon for a franchise that really couldn’t claim too many victories over the last 20-some-odd years.

At the very least, I figured, the man with 11 NBA championship rings would bring a little bit of professionalism to the Garden.

Boy, was I wrong.

Two solid draft picks (Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez) aside, there wasn’t a whole lot that Jackson got right. But at least his mistakes were anything but boring. And when you have a team such as the Knicks, who wouldn’t have sniffed a conference title even if everything had broken their way, if you’re not going to be good, you might as well be interesting.

I’m not talking about Phil handing out bad contracts to injury-prone veterans like Joakim Noah. That’s just garden-variety mismanagement. Where Phil really made his mark on the back pages of New York papers was with his stubbornness to let go of the triangle offense and a seemingly endless string of beefs with everyone from the best player in the NBA to the Knicks’ own stars.

Of course, there were his comments about LeBron James’ “posse,” which led to swift rebukes from those accusing the Knicks president of using racially coded language. There was Jackson, publicly sniping at his two biggest stars in Carmelo Anthony and Porzingis, leading to

the latter completely skipping his end-of-the-year exit meeting with the front office. There were reports of Jackson hijacking head coach Jeff Hornacek’s practices to teach the tenets of his outdated offensive system. Heck, the guy even fell asleep during a pre-draft workout for a top NBA prospect!

In a way, I think it’s exactly what Knicks fans needed. Sure, the franchise has been bad over the last 20 years, but they haven’t been bad in the same manner as the Nets, who are just a run-of-the-mill bad basketball team. It’s these constant crises, initiated by Jackson and, before him, Isiah Thomas, that have kept the Knicks relevant through their on-court mediocrity—albeit for all the wrong reasons.

I don’t know where the Knicks go from here, but it would be tough to see how it could possibly get any worse.

But then again, if the Knicks have taught me anything during my 32 years on this earth, it’s that it can always get worse.

And it probably will.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

On June 28, the New York Knicks fired team president Phil Jackson, right. Even if the Zen Master’s stay in the Big Apple wasn’t a success, at least it was entertaining. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.org

TO COVER LOCAL SPORTS, YOU NEED A

LIVE MIKE! Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary Follow Mike Smith @ryecityreview for Mike’s live, in-game action updates

SPORTS

June 30, 2017 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • 15

Local rowers shine at nationals

By JUSTIN GRANT Contributor If one thing is certain, it’s that RowAmerica Rye men’s team knows has a taste for gold.

Since RowAmerica Rye opened its doors in March of 2013, the fact that the men’s team captured a total of three gold medals—in back-to-back years— is just unfathomable.

One of the gold medalists savoring the moment at nationals in Sarasota, Florida, from June 9-11, was Gus Rodriguez, who graduated from Rye High School with two gold medals. Last year, he took home gold in the coxed four at nationals, and last week, he captured gold in a pair.

This year, the RowAmerica Rye boat, crewed by Rodriguez and Greenwich, Connecticut, native Sean Hayes, edged rival Newport by 0.2 seconds to capture the gold.

“It’s been a surreal experience both times,” Rodriguez said. “It was a very close race it came down to the last stroke at the end, and when we finished, I didn’t

know who won,” Rodriguez said that he and Hayes were confident heading into nationals, having already seen some of the best boats in the country at least year’s championship.

“We are strong enough to win,” Rodriguez added.

Following the victory at nationals, Rodriguez praised head coach Aleksandar Radovic on his the ability to get his team ready for the event.

“Coach Radovic pushes us so well,” he said. “I felt like we knew what we were capable of but we just had to get stronger technically.”

Rodriguez, who graduated from Rye High School on June 17, said he will try out for the junior nationals event in California and hopes to continue his success in the rowing world.

Although the boys’ team took gold from the event, however, the top spot proved elusive for the club’s girls’ boats.

The girls’ openweight four and lightweight four finished in third place, but the quad came in fifth,

and the pair came in 11th.

Before coach Marko Serafimovski and his team arrived at nationals, he laid out a strong message to the girls.

“Keep your feet on the ground and do not get too excited,” he said. “Always stay on top of your game, work hard, get a good night’s rest, stay disciplined, and to watch what they eat.”

He added that trust between him and his rowers played a huge part in their road to success during the season and at nationals.

Serafimovski stressed that one major technique his team needs to improve on is their posture.

He went on to say that the major thing the team worked on to prepare for nationals was teamwork.

“Make sure you rely on each other on the boat and trust one another,” he said. “Stay together in the water, we are about teamwork.”

As Serafimovski looks ahead to next season, he has high hopes for the women’s team, which is still looking to capture its first-ever gold medal at nationals.

RowAmerica Rye team members pose with their regional medals on May 21. Contributed photos

The RowAmerica Rye women’s youth lightweight four boat receives their gold medals at the Northeast regional qualifier. The boat took bronze at nationals.

Gus Rodriguez, right, and Sean Hayes crew the RowAmerica Rye pair boat in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 21. On June 11, they won the gold medal at the USRowing National Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

16 • THE RYE CITY REVIEW • June 30, 2017