Good morning subscribers. ☕ This is your Wednesday, September 25, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.

To listen to an audio version click here

The year was 1985. Ronald Reagan was president. The San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl. A 21-year-old Whitney Houston released her debut album. “Back to the Future” opened in theaters. And a gallon of milk was just $2.20.

That’s how long it’s been since the city of Rye last produced a master plan — an infrastructure and zoning document that sets objectives for growth and development.

Municipal standards, however, suggest communities update those same plans every 10 years.

Clearly, it’s long overdue.

This isn’t the first time the city has toyed with the idea of a new plan. It had last set its sights on an update in 2017 during the Joe Sack administration, but a mayoral changeover and the onset of the pandemic derailed the project.

Fast Forward to last Wednesday, and the City Council seems finally ready to tee it up again. The first steps will be appointing a 11-member committee as well as hiring consultants to help see the new comprehensive plan — likely a years-long process — to fruition.

Initially, members of the council expressed an interest in focusing in on housing diversity and sustainability.

The city is planning to fund $250,000 off the bat for the work.

-Today’s newsletter is curated by Christian Falcone

➡️ Follow The Record, @ryerecordnews, on our social media channels and at ryerecord.com for the latest news. 💻📱

INSTAGRAM POST OF THE WEEK 📸

-Rye High students walking to class in 1946. Anything look different?!

➡️To follow The Record on Instagram click here

IN OTHER NEWS

Open for business. Shake Shack’s new Port Chester location opens Wednesday at 11 a.m. The latest Shake Shack iteration marks the fourth in Westchester for the fast-casual restaurant chain, and sits in the Gateway Shopping Center next to Whole Foods.

Congrats! Firefighter Ryan Iarocci was promoted to the rank of lieutenant at a ceremony in City Hall. Iarocci has worked for the Rye Fire Department since 2016.

What a scoop. Holy Child student Dana Rickens took home an inaugural Purchase College Award for Excellence in High School Journalism.

AROUND TOWN

-Tickets for Westchester’s Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Extravaganza are now on sale. The popular Kensico Dam Plaza drive-thru returns Nov. 23. Click here.

-Con Edison will be performing road work on Forest Avenue and Phillips Lane, Sept. 25-27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Off the record: Several contractors have submitted bids for the artificial turf project planned for the city-owned property at Nursery Field.

The city is set to launch a new 311 system through its City of Rye app beginning Oct. 1. The system will allow residents to log complaints and track progress through the app, which can be downloaded on your smartphone.

WEATHER

Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for a high of 67 degrees and cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain. 🌨 Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.

➡️ Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for our newsletter here. Interested in advertising or sponsoring this post? Click here.

ENVIROMMENT

Rye High School Senior on a Mission to Save the Monarch Butterflies

When Ella Froah, a Rye High School senior, learned in a conservation class at Columbia University that the monarch butterfly population was endangered, she had to take action.

“I knew right away that was my animal,” she said. “In my community of Rye, I knew I didn’t just want to raise awareness, I wanted to do something to come together.”

Froah, who is serving a one-year term as a junior commissioner on the city’s Conservation Commission/Advisory Council, said she also knew that Rye is a community where people pitch in.

-by Rhonda Barnat

POLITICS

Longshot Campaign for GOP State Senate Candidate Tricia Lindsay Against Mayer

At first glance, state Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-37th District) and her Republican challenger, Tricia Lindsay, seem to have a lot in common.

Both are lawyers deeply involved in education (Mayer chairs the Senate Education Committee and Lindsay spent 24 years as a school teacher and administrator).

But their political views and rhetoric are miles apart not only on education but a host of other issues, including migration and November’s Proposition 1 ballot initiative, known as the state’s Equal Rights Amendment.

-by David Hessekiel

SPORTS

Garnets Dominate Clarkstown North 43-6 on Way to 3-0 Start

Since the start of last season, the Rye Garnets have created a standard template for success — score early and often.

On Friday, Rye rattled off 35 points in the first half and routed Clarkstown North 43-6 for their 13th straight win. 

The Garnets have scored 30 or more points in each of their first three games this season, and have outscored opponents 122-49. The team has now won 37 of their last 40 league games, and along with Somers are the only teams in Section 1 Class A yet to lose this year.

-by Ian Colalucci

ARTS

U.S. Duck Stamp, at 90 Years Old, Exhibited at the Bruce Museum

“Conservation Through the Arts: Celebrating the Federal Duck Stamp,” on display at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich until Feb. 9, 2025, is the first exhibition to bring together the majority of artworks selected for the annual Federal Duck Stamp.

One of the most successful conservation programs in U.S. history, the Federal Duck Stamp has inspired generations of wildlife artists by showcasing and promoting their most exquisite works.

For the first time, the exhibit brings together over 70 works of art representing the original winning designs for the annual stamp.

-by Arthur Stampleman