Sound Shore

The Rye PBA wants the city to hire laid-off police officers from White Plains, and is blasting Police Commissioner William Connors for not honoring cops with awards this year.

In a letter sent to the the City Council this week, PBA president Franco Compagnone reiterates that the number of police officers has dipped dangerously to 34 members. The department had 41 a few years ago.

He urges them to consider hiring some of the police officers recently laid off in White Plains, arguing that the city would not have save money by not having to pay for new recruits to attend the police academy. He also proposed hiring them at a lower pay.

“By doing so we will be able to restore Officer and Resident safety levels to acceptable levels,” Compagnone wrote. ” The potential new Officers would also allow the Department to Promote a long vacant Sgtʼs position, a Vacant Detective position and now two Police Officer positions.”

[Rye may want to act fast: Pelham Manor Police Chief Alfred Mosiello said he hopes to hire three of the White Plains officers, and hopes to have an answer in the next few weeks on whether he can do so, Leslie Korngold reports.]

In another letter to Mayor Doug French, Compagnone ripped the police commissioner for not holding an awards ceremony for police officers this year.

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Ready for a swim? Westchester County recently announced the opening days for its beaches and pools. Here’s the 411 on the local attractions:

• •Glen Island Park in New Rochelle and Playland Park in Rye will open weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) beginning this weekend.

• Beginning Friday, June 25, Glen Island will be open Wednesday through Sunday, and Playland will be open Tuesday through Sunday. Beaches are also open Labor Day, Monday September 6, the last day of the season.

• Hours at Glen Island are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from May 29 through August 15, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from August 16 through Labor Day. Hours for Playland are 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There is no admittance one half-hour before closing at beaches.

• Swimming fees at Glen Island are $4 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 11; children under 5 are admitted free. Seniors pay $2 on weekdays only (except holidays) with a valid Westchester County Senior Citizen Park Pass. Parking is $4. A Westchester County Park Pass is required for admittance.

• Fees for Playland are $4 adults and $3 children ages 5 to 11; under 5 years old are free. Seniors pay $2 on weekdays only (except holidays) with a Westchester County Senior Citizen Park Pass. Beach admission is included for residents on day of purchase of an amusement park admission. Park Pass not required for entry. Parking fees are $5 weekdays, $7 weekends and $10 holidays.

• The Playland pool opens for the season Friday, June 25, and will remain remain open daily Wednesday through Sunday through Labor Day. Hours at Playland are 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. all season. There is no admittance one half-hour before closing at pools.

• County Park Pass holders are eligible for a Season Swim Pass. Fees are $200 for a family, $100 for individuals, and $75 for seniors and are valid at Glen Island Beach and all pools except Playland.  Visit westchestergov.com/parks or call (914) 864-PARK.

The Rye Arts Center has begun accepting submissions for its annual EVERMORE Mystery Writing Contest, for students in grades 6-12. The entry deadline is Oct. 1. Here are their guidelines:

• Write an original mysterious tale, a short story in the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe, in 2,500 words or less.
• Get the submission guidelines and submission form at The Rye Arts Center or at http://www.ryeartscenter.org.
• Submit the story, following all the rules, along with your $3 entry fee by October 1, 2010.
• Stories will be judged by a panel of three published authors. All entrants will receive a Certificate of Recognition, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners will be chosen in each age category.

The EVERMORE Mystery Writing Contest is created in conjunction with the center’s annual Literary Arts event honoring Edgar Allan Poe, a performance that has become a seasonal favorite for families throughout Westchester and  Lower Fairfield Counties. This year’s event, “EVERMORE: Poe, The Master of Mystery,” will be held on Sunday, October 24, where winning student authors will be announced.

For more information visit the center’s web site or call 914-967-0700 ext. 33.

Our guest blogger, Lynda LaMonte Garmong of Larchmont, reports:

The Larchmont Chamber of Commerce’s Shop Local Committee gathered this week to finalize plans for the upcoming Sidewalk Sale. Approximately 25 Larchmont businesses will be participating in the event to be held on June 3, 4, and 5.

A roar of thunder and a single bolt of lightning were not enough to deter marchers and spectators from participating in Larchmont’s Annual Memorial Day Parade. Larchmont Police Chief John Poleway served as Grand Marshal and led the parade from the train station to the firehouse. Following behind were public officials, veterans, firemen, policemen, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and plenty of emergency vehicles. The biggest cheers of the evening went to our men and women in uniform.

A Westchester Italian Festival will be held June 6 to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The event will features games, contests, rides, a car and Vespa show, and music by 10 DJs and bands throughout the day. The games, rides, food and raffle will be for tickets that will sell between $1 and $5 per item, and the proceeds which will benefit the charity. The event takes place from 12 noon to 10 p.m. in the parking lot of the Radisson Hotel in New Rochelle, 1 Radisson Plaza. The event is organized by Colby Brock, who said he and his family have been involved with the charity for years. Both his grandfathers passed away from leukemia, he said. There is no charge to enter. Call 914-576-3700 for information.

Iona Prep in New Rochelle held it’s 91st Commencement Exercises tonight on the Iona College Campus.  Graduates at the school come from all over Westchester county and beyond. Photo above: The graduates mug for a photo as photo at left, Sean McArdle laughs after giving a playful punch that landed on his friend Johnny Gialanella’s chin, as they wait for the start of the Iona Prep graduation, at Iona College in New Rochelle May 27, 2010. ( Mark Vergari / The Journal News )

See more photos at our Graduation page on LoHud.com by clicking here and check out a future EXPRESS publication for more photos.

Port Chester makes history in June when it becomes the first municipality in New York to use cumulative voting, to fill six seats on the village Board of Trustees. Cumulative voting is the remedy put in place after a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act successfully struck down the village’s at-large system for filling trustee posts, on the ground that it discriminated against Hispanics. Voters will each have six votes to cast; they may assign up to six votes for the same candidate, or distribute them among several candidates. Watch a LIVE Editorial Spotlight interview with candidates vying for the board — 13 are on the ballot — at 4 p.m. Wednesday at www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight. To ask questions during the interview, engage the “Cover it Live” feature on the screen. Early voting commences June 8 and ends June 12; Election Day is June 15.

On Monday, May 24 New Rochelle High School students in Mr. Scott Rubins’ Forensic Science classes took their final exam for the science class in the field in the New Rochelle Nature Study Woods, located on Webster Avenue in New Rochelle.  These Science students visit a mock crime scene set up in conjunction with the New Rochelle Police Department.  There teams of students conducted investigations and searched for clues.  Police set up the scene with Mr. Rubins to create realistic scenarios for students to investigate and collect evidence.

If you missed the Port Chester trustee candidates’ forum Tuesday night, here is the handout provided by the League of Women Voters: biographical summaries of the 11 who took part in the forum. I’ll post the updated document with all 13 once it is compiled by the league.

FINAL Program for CF 5-25-10