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- On The Record: Year of the Dragon
On The Record: Year of the Dragon
Playland to reopen May 23
Good morning. ☕ This is your Thursday, March 12, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.
Today’s Weather Channel local forecast is rainy with a high of 60 degrees 🌧️ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.
Back on track? The gates of Playland Park will open for the season on May 23 this year, following a tumultuous 2025 season in which many rides remained closed for the whole summer.
Westchester County officials on Monday promised the beloved Dragon Coaster, which has been undergoing maintenance, will be up and running on opening day.
As for several other rides, their availability remains unclear.
“We will be announcing which rides will be open when we open, but things are looking really good, and that’s good for the people of Westchester and beyond,” County Parks Deputy Director Peter Tartaglia said Monday.
Rye’s historic amusement park, which is owned by the county, opened last season with more than 25 rides down. Many of Playland’s main attractions – the Dragon Coaster and the Ferris wheel to name a few – remained closed all season.
Work is now being done to have the iconic Dragon Coaster ready for Memorial Day weekend. Tartaglia said a lot of wood on the coaster needed to be replaced, in addition to the fiberglass and foam composite dragon tunnel that was installed in the 2000s.
“I’m not saying all rides will be ready, but we’ll definitely have a much more full park than last year,” Tartaglia said. “We’ll introduce each ride as they’re ready. We’ve been working very hard.”
Read our full reports on the Dragon Coaster’s return and Playland’s 2026 opening weekend.
Workers aim to have the Dragon Coaster ready for May. Photo/Alison Rodilosso
-Today’s newsletter is curated by Chris Marshall
➡️ Follow The Record, @ryerecordnews, on our social media channels and at ryerecord.com for the latest news. 💻📱
RYE RECORD STUDIOS 🎙
IN OTHER NEWS
DID YOU FEEL THAT? A 2.3-magnitude earthquake Tuesday near Sleepy Hollow was felt in Rye and throughout Westchester County. See what areas were impacted. -Record staff
STATE OF THE SKATES. The Rye hockey team beat Aquinas 4-1 Saturday in Rochester to advance to the New York state semifinals for the first time in 19 years. The Garnets scored the game’s first three goals. Who’s next? -Steven Kearney
TROUBLING SIGN. A swastika was found last week in a Rye Middle School bathroom, and Principal Nicholas Clair emailed a statement saying an investigation was underway. Learn more here. -Miranda Ferrante
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FROM OUR PARTNERS
CITY
Brian Shea at a recent Rye City Council meeting.
With an annual salary of $260,000, Rye City Manager Brian Shea is one of the highest-paid municipal administrators in Westchester County.
Promoted to the permanent position overseeing governmental operations at the start of the year, Shea’s agreement with the city wasn’t finalized until Jan. 28. The compensation makes the 38-year-old the highest-paid employee in the city.
Shea’s jump in pay is “commensurate with the responsibilities and expectations of this position, his experience and qualifications,” Mayor Josh Nathan told The Record.
Shea’s annual income ranks third among Westchester’s municipal managers, trailing only New Rochelle City Manager Wilfredo Melendez ($279,443) and Rye Brook Village Administrator Christopher Bradbury ($268,143), based on 2025 salaries.
-by Miranda Ferrante
SPORTS
Rye hoisted the Gold Ball as Section 1 champions. Photo/Gregory Kaplowitz
The Garnets won their first Section 1 crown against Class AA competition, and they aren’t done yet.
After a 57-50 victory Saturday over Clarkstown North to claim the Gold Ball, Rye opened state tournament play with a 62-47 win Tuesday in sub-regionals against Goshen Central.
“I’m so happy for these kids. That’s all I’m feeling right now,” said coach Tom Proudian. “Not only are the kids on this team great athletes, but they know how to win close games.”
The Garnets are now just three wins away from a state title. Next up is a regional final at 7 p.m. Friday in Yorktown.
-by Steven Kearney
BUSINESS & ORGS
RHS alumni Jack Hasselmann, left, and Cole McCormack.
Jack Hasselmann was devastated when two of his classmates from Rye High School’s Class of 2013 died tragically.
Four years later, still thinking about his classmates, he decided to take action. He teamed up with another Rye High grad — Cole McCormack, Class of 2010 — to raise money for Movember, a nonprofit focused on men’s health issues such as prostate cancer and mental health.
On Feb. 24, the pair were honored in Baltimore as Fundraising Volunteers of the Year by the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum for having raised $1 million since 2019.
-by David Hessekiel