Good morning subscribers. ☕ This is your Wednesday, October 2, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.

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Touching down. It was a long journey that landed Stuart Zicherman in Rye.

The writer arrived four years ago from Brooklyn during the pandemic, fresh off a deal to write the sports spin-off to the hit “American Stories” anthology. The focus — chronicling the perilous rise and fall of disgraced New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez.

But connecting with such a controversial subject wasn’t easy.

Hernandez, 27, played three years of high stakes football in the NFL before his arrest and conviction for the 2012 murder of Odin Lloyd. Five years later, the ex-tight end was found hanging from the window of his Massachusetts jail cell — his demise ruled a suicide.

He was later diagnosed with CTE, a progressive degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head.

Zicherman became intrigued by the project, and Hernandez’s plight. He worked alongside the Boston Globe Spotlight team — who had conducted a six-part investigative series on the football standout.

Ultimately, he found truth in Hernandez’s unsuccessful quest for authenticity.

Zicherman had been given the latitude and encouragement at a young age on Long Island to pursue his interests in writing. He then attended film school in L.A.

Hernandez wasn’t so lucky.

The limited 10-episode series, “American Sports Story,” premiered on Sept. 17 and can be seen Tuesdays on FX.

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-Today’s newsletter is curated by Christian Falcone

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INSTAGRAM POST OF THE WEEK 📸

-Rye firefighters will be donning pink this October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 🎀

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IN OTHER NEWS

Head of the class. Rye Country Day School was recently ranked the No. 1 private high school in Westchester County and No. 4 in New York state in Niche’s 2025 Best Schools Rankings.

Game over. Republican Rick McCabe dropped out of the Rye City Council race last week citing an undisclosed illness. The announcement effectively ends the November election as Democrat James Ward remains the only candidate left. -David Hessekiel

Grab your rackets. The city plans on hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rye Recreation Park Wednesday to celebrate the official opening of the newly restored tennis courts.

AROUND TOWN

-The Rye Fire Department is hosting its annual Open House as part of Fire Prevention Week on Oct. 6, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

-Kiddlyland Fall Fun is ready to kickoff. Beginning on Oct. 12 at Playland, children will be able to partake in story time, shows, rides, pumpkin decorations and a special costume parade.

Off the record: The Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board, in partnership with Westchester County, is hosting a 1-Day Youth Voter Registration Drive on Oct. 10 at seven locations, including the Carver Center in Port Chester.

George Latimer stumped for Congressional candidate Mondaire Jones on Sept. 29 at the Rye home of Ellen and Howard Deixler. Jones, a Democrat, is in a hotly contested race with GOP incumbent Mike Lawler for the Westchester-Rockland district.

WEATHER

Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for a high of 67 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. ⛅ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.

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NEWS

Park Facilities in Shambles: Historic Rye Town Park Buildings Suffer From Decay and Neglect

There are few public spaces more beautiful than Rye Town Park, with its majestic trees, sprawling beach, and view of the Long Island Sound. For the thousands who visited its beaches this past summer, Rye Town Park was the face of Rye.

But it’s not a pretty face.

The sands are clean and the shore safely guarded — but the park’s facilities are in striking disrepair.

-by Howard Husock

SPORTS

Garnets Take Care of Nyack With Convincing 39-13 Win, Move to 4-0 on Season

Rye continued its 14-game win streak with a 39-13 blowout of Nyack.

Against the Redhawks on a wet Saturday evening, the Garnets moved to 4-0 on the season proving their proficiency in both facets of the game.

They started their fourth straight game with an opening three-and-out on defense. On the other end, they scored on a Chris Iuliano run — the 10th straight game the senior captain has scored a rushing touchdown. 

-by Ian Colalucci

BUSINESS

Purdy Avenue Continues its Commercial Business Transformation

Purdy Avenue may play second fiddle to Purchase Street as a hub of Rye’s business district, but the street manages to pack in two dozen storefronts along its compact 550-foot span.

And this fall, Purdy Street is seeing a lot of commercial comings, goings, and relocations.

The biggest proposal for the stretch is to demolish buildings from 11 to 15 Purdy Ave. and replace them with a three-story mixed-use development.

-by David Hessekiel

CITY

Westchester County Serves Rye With $14M Lawsuit in Ongoing Playland Tax Dispute

Westchester County filed a lawsuit against the city of Rye, another grenade launched in the battle between the county and the municipality over taxes related to Playland Amusement Park.

The county is seeking $14 million from the city, which, according to the suit filed in early September, is how much tax revenue Rye has collected on behalf of the county and not turned over. In addition, the county claims the city owes $840,000 in penalties for late payment.

The city, for its part, says it would be happy to turn over the money, minus about $3 million that Playland owes the city in taxes.

-by AndI Hessekiel