Good morning subscribers. ☕This is your Wednesday, August 27, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.

Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 77 degrees ☀️ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.

Fried. The latest closure of the new coffee bar at the Rye train station over an illegal kitchen appliance stretched into its second week, and is likely to keep the shop shuttered until after Labor Day.

Winfield Street Coffee was shut down on Aug. 18 after the Westchester County Department of Health revoked its food service permit. Inspections by health officials and the MTA, which owns the space, uncovered an unapproved electric range and tabletop fryer. 

Winfield owner Breno Donatti did not dispute that the appliances were not specified in the kitchen’s plans, prior to its grand opening in June, and had been used to prepare food since. But he told On The Record the infractions were relatively minor and should not have required closing the fledgling location. 

“Our goal is always to be compliant and have peace with (the MTA)," said Donatti. “We have a 20-year lease and intend to serve the Rye community for even longer than that.” 

He also runs coffee shops in Manhattan, at two subway stops, and at the Croton-on-Hudson train station, where Donatti leases the spaces from the MTA.

As of Tuesday morning, the owner said he believed he was close to receiving approval from the county on plans renovate the Rye kitchen, but was still awaiting the MTA's guidance on what they would require to lift its ban on Winfield’s operation.  

To read David Hessekiel’s full report, click here.

-Today’s newsletter is curated by Christian Falcone

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RYE RECORD STUDIOS 🎙  

INSTAGRAM POST OF THE WEEK 📸

-It’s good to be queen — Neri’s Handrollers clinched their 5th consecutive Rye Rec softball crown.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Bitten. Westchester health officials reported the first case of West Nile virus in the county last week in a Yonkers man. No additional information about the man’s condition was released by the county Health Department. -Camille Botello

Keep playing. Amid the drama that unfolded at the largely inoperable Rye Playland this summer, Westchester County announced on Tuesday that they plan to keep the amusement park open for two '“bonus” weekends in September.

I’ll take two. The famed Walter’s Hot Dogs celebrated its 106th anniversary this week and to commemorate the special occasion, the iconic brand offered patrons $1.06-priced hot dogs on Monday and Tuesday.

AROUND TOWN

-Rye’d or Die, with 17 of the team’s 21 members from Rye, qualified for USTA Nationals — this October in Suprise, Arizona — in its first season competing at the 3.5 level. -Chris Marshall

-Coveleigh Club had its beach closed by the county Health Department for the seventh time this summer on Thursday over concerns of potentially elevated bacteria levels in the water from recent heavy rains. -Rosie Newmark

Off the Record: New permanent, modular classrooms are being installed at the Osborn and Midland schools just in time for the start of the new school year on Sept. 2, replacing the roughly 20-year-old portable classrooms that long outlived their welcome in the district.

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SPORTS

Garnet Football Squad Sets Course for Return to State Championship

It was nearly two years ago that Dino Garr and his battalion of talented football players hoisted a state championship trophy above their heads in Syracuse, ending a 15-year drought with a decisive victory over Maine-Endwell.

Thoughts of a return to greatness were in full force last fall, until a 20-game win streak came to a sudden halt in the Section 1 title game against Somers last November. With hopes dashed after a Tuskers comeback in the second half, it seemed like the question for many fans and returning players was simply: what next?

-by Ian Colalucci

NEWS

Registered Sex Offender Suspended from Rye Job at Le Pain Quotidien Amid Investigation

Managers at Le Pain Quotidien say they have temporarily suspended a registered sex offender from his job at the Purchase Street bakery and restaurant chain.  

Wale Gai, 30, was suspended from his job at LPQ after a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services alert went out listing his address as 30 Purchase St., the site of Rye’s LPQ bakery-restaurant.  

In 2019, Gai was convicted of a sex crime involving an underage girl, and last year was seen frequenting the Rye Public Library.  

-by Rosie Newmark

COMMUNITY

Rye Town Park Pavilion Rentals Go Through the Roof

Over the winter, Rye Town Park crews were hard at work replacing the leaky roofs of the park’s beachfront pavilions.

But this summer, it has been the pavilion’s event rentals that have gone through the roof.

Those events have meant both more activity on the waterfront — and more revenue for the Town of Rye, as it works to restore the park’s historic beach buildings.

The numbers are striking.

-by Howard Husock

SPORTS

Talented Rye Volleyball Core Looks to Bounce Back

The Rye girls volleyball team finished 14-7 last year, with a narrow, season-ending 3-2 loss to Byram Hills in the sectional quarterfinals. Coach Geri Jones spoke highly of her squad, saying the short-lived playoff run wasn’t because of a lack of skill or effort.

“We had a good season last year, which was expected,” Jones said. “I had a group that was so dedicated to what our goals were for the season.

“We fell short … there was a fear of losing. Certainly skill-wise, we could’ve beaten any of the teams that we lost to.”

-by Ariana Ottrando