Sound Shore

A resident who weighed in on the police chief selection process says she received a threatening letter after she spoke out.

Deborah Notkin is also calling for a town investigation into whether the police captain broke the law when he responded to her criticism by bringing up an underage drinking party at her home several years ago.

Notkin said she received a hand-written letter last week from an anoymous person, who wrote that she was “despicable” and also said, “You should be punished.”

She said, however, that she had not reported the incident to police because she doesn’t trust them to handle the case correctly.

“I have always praised the police,” Notkin said. But, “I am concerned about the leadership, and I’m going to hold onto this evidence so that if gets taken, it will be taken by a body that preserves it appropriately.”

Read more about this in Friday’s Journal News

Residents angry over the crowded parking lots in Rye Town Park during the summer have launched a Web site, called  ParkNotParkingLot.org, our friends over at MyRye.com are reporting.

The group has said vehicles park lots, which are designed for 300 cars, have been packed with as many as 1,000 vehicles during the summer.

The group has suggested non-resident parking fees, more structured parking areas and hiking parking fees to cope with the problem.

It also asked for help from Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin, Rye Brook Mayor Joan Feinstein, Rye Mayor Doug French and Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla.

The issue will be discussed at the next park commission meeting on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m., 10 Pearl St. in Port Chester.

(Photo by Stuart Bayer)

Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld will not seek re-election, she announced last night at the village’s Republican caucus. Feld said she was stepping down after eight years on the village board — four as mayor — to make room for new leaders and ideas in the village.

“As I’ve said many times, I believe in term limits, and the office of Mayor should be no exception. Good government and spirited public debate thrive on new blood, new ideas, and a fresh approach to old and new challenges,” she said in a speech last night.

The Larchmont mayor, who has been considered a rising star in the state’s Republican Party, this month decided against a challenge this fall to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat.

The GOP did not nominate anyone to run for Feld’s seat, or for two other open seats on the board. The open seats include that of Democratic trustee Marlene Kolbert, who is seeking re-election, and Josh Mandell, a trustee who is running for mayor. Village Democrats, who also held their caucus last night at Village Hall, nominated Mandell for mayor, Kolbert for trustee, and lawyer Jaine Elkind Eney for trustee.

Here are Feld’s remarks from last night:

Good Evening. Thank you for being here, and I especially want to thank Town of Mamaroneck Republican Party Chair Don Derrico for serving – once again – as our Caucus Chair.

As I’ve said many times, I believe in term limits, and the office of Mayor should be no exception. Good government and spirited public debate thrive on new blood, new ideas, and a fresh approach to old and new challenges.

This year, all the schools in New Rochelle are participating in the Food with Love Drive, sponsored by the PTA Council. Food will be collected at all the schools through Friday, Feb. 5 and donated to local food banks.

Beth Levy, co-chair of PTA Council, which is coordinating the effort, said the drive was to meed the needs of local agencies, who have seen a sharp increase in need.

Bernie Williams will host the annual “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” benefit dinner in New Rochelle Saturday to raise money for Hillside Food Outreach, which fights hunger in Westchester and Putnam Counties. The dinner and auction will take place at the Greentree Country Club, 538 Davenport Ave. This year’s dinner will honor Yankees manager Joe Girardi and feature a live performance by WIlliams, who plays jazz guitar.

The lowest-price tickets are $275. Those who spend $500 also get a professional photo taken with Williams and Girardi at the event. For $1,500, ticket holders will also get an autographed jersey and meet and greet session with the Yankees legends. All attendees also get a copy of Williams’ latest CD “Moving Forward.”

For more information or to order tickets, call Hillside Food Outreach at 914-747-0095 or visit hillsidefoodoutreach.org.

Pelham Manor Republicans nominated incumbent Mark Bruckmann and Village Attorney Neal Schwarzfeld to run for two open seats on the Board of Trustees at their caucus Friday. The Democratic party will hold its caucus tonight at 7 p.m. at village hall, 1 Penfield Pl. The village election is March 16.

From left, Emily Luna, 6, laughs as Leah Warren, 7, peeks while figuring out the right answer to the mystery box item during science class at William B. Ward Elementary School in New Rochelle. The students are learning about the circulatory system by playing a game with a mystery box. The kids had to figure out what is in the box.

Amanda Owens’ senior project “The Effect of IVIg on Human b-Amyloid and Amylin Aggregation” which is on Alzheimer’s Disease is a semifinalist in the INTEL Science Talent Search semifinalist. Owens  who was photographed at Rye High School, was one of the 300 students picked from around the country out of 1,736 applicants.

Treating the horrific burns of Northeast Airlines Flight 823 survivors in 1957, a young doctor named Philip Marraccini vowed to find a way to heal their wounds better.

The product he was inspired to make while treating Riker’s Island plane-crash victims more than 50 years ago is now helping earthquake victims in Haiti.

“Over the years you try different things and finally you hit something,” said Marraccini, a 90-year-old retired surgeon from Harrison. “It’s very beneficial in wounds and burns, diabetic ulcers, post-operative wounds and abrasions.”

Read more about this in tomorrow’s Journal News.

(Photo by The Associated Press)

Nicholas Patrick, who spent part of his childhood in Rye, is set to blast off into space Feb. 7 on one of shuttle Endeavor’s final missions before it is retired.

It will be the mechanical engineer’s second trip to space.

Patrick, who lived on Apawamis, Theodore Fremd and Reymont avenues as a child, tells The Journal News that space is “stunning,” especially the sight of our beloved planet.

“The views are always fanastic, even at night. You can see thunderstorms, and cities and stars,” he said.

Read a complete interview with Patrick in this week’s The Journal News.

(Photos courtesy of Johnson Space Center)