Facts of Life

Happy birthday to Nancy Logan of White Plains, formerly of Port Chester, who celebrates July 27.

Happy birthday to Denise Quinn of Rye Brook who celebrates July 27.

Happy birthday to Port Chester Police Officer Ken Manning, Jr. who celebrates July 30.

Happy birthday to former Port Chester Trustee Dom Cicatelli of Port Chester and his twin sister Diane Colavita of Somers who celebrate July 29.

Happy birthday to PCHS grad Rebecca Mutz who turns 25 July 31.

Aliza Kibel and Mitchell Saunders, both of Rye Brook, and Sara Velazquez of Port Chester graduated from Tufts University in Medford, Mass. May 19. Aliza received a BA in Economics; Mitchell received a BA in Political Science and Sara received a BS in Psychology/Clinical.

Joshua Levy of Rye Brook of the Class of 2027 and Sara Velazquez of Port Chester of the Class of 2024 at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. were named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2024 semester. Dean's list honors at Tufts require a semester grade point average of 3.4 or greater.

Kelly E. Haggerty, Olivia B. Jaccoma and Devin Rosado, all of Port Chester, and Anthony J. Bueti and Madison F. Muoio, both of Rye Brook, received Dean’s List honors for the Spring 2024 semester at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. To be placed on the Dean’s List, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours in a semester, have no outstanding or incomplete grades for that semester and have attained a semester grade point average of 3.50 or better.

Gianna Villanova of Port Chester has qualified for the Spring 2024 Dean's List at Seton Hall University in S. Orange, N.J. After the close of every semester, undergraduate students completing all courses with a GPA of 3.4, with no grades lower than "C", qualify for the Dean's List.

Vanessa Asencio-Trezza of Rye Brook and José Deleon Barrios of Port Chester were awarded degrees this spring by the University at Albany. Vanessa received a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction; José received a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics.

Sandra Abarca, Silvana Armijos, Zara Burney, Nathan Cabrera, David Carchipulla, Emely Cervantes, David Fry, Guadalupe Conde, Sophia Kamensky, Shelby Lipson, Emelie Madeira, Daniel Marbe, Jonathan Marbe, Karen Pinto and Matthew Williams, all of Port Chester, and Tessa Bernard, Tyler Della Mura, Halle Greaige, Hannah Marasa, Anthony Perrone, Olivia Perrone and Thomas Wemm, all of Rye Brook, have been named to the Dean’s List at Purchase College for the Spring semester. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher and taken a minimum of 12 credits. For BA and BS programs, a semester GPA of 3.50 is required. For BFA and MusB programs, a semester GPA of 3.75 is required.

Christian Gagnon of Port Chester earned Dean's List honors at The University of Tampa for the Spring 2024 semester. Gagnon was a sophomore majoring in Management. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.75 or higher to be eligible for the Dean's List.

Ariana Pareja-Becerra of Port Chester has been awarded the Theodore K. Steele Memorial Scholarship at New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.8 to be awarded this scholarship.

Mackenzie Madden of Rye Brook and Fred Randell of Port Chester have been named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2024 semester at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Mackenzie and Fred were also both awarded degrees at the university's commencement May 19.

Hillside Food Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious food to low-income and limited mobility families, seniors and the chronically ill in Westchester, Putnam, and Fairfield counties, is calling on the community to join its mission. The organization, which provides food deliveries free of charge to more than 2,000 individuals twice per month, is in urgent need of volunteers to help meet the rising demand. The organization is seeking additional delivery volunteers to ensure that no household on its waitlist of over 100 families goes hungry. Volunteers typically deliver to up to six households, fostering trust and long-term relationships with the clients they serve. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 914/747-0095 or visit hillsidefoodoutreach.org.

Residents of Port Chester and Rye Brook are eligible for free beach access at Rye Town (Oakland) Beach, 95 Dearborn Ave., Rye, every Tues. thru Aug. 27. Proof of residency is required, and standard parking fees apply. www.townofrye.com

Rye Brook Village offices and the Rye Brook Senior Center will close at 2 p.m. on Fridays in July and August.

New York City Restaurant Week runs thru Aug. 18. Reservations are open for 2-course lunches and 3-course dinners at $30, $45 & $60. For a list of participating restaurants and to make reservations, go to https://www.nytourism.com/restaurantweek

The Village of Rye Brook has partnered with Westchester County to offer residents a free cell phone app called RecycleCoach where you can look up your Rye Brook sanitation schedule, view holiday week changes, and receive answers to commonly asked questions such as if a particular item is recyclable. It is a very useful tool, is relatively user-friendly and can be downloaded from the App Store.

The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library will present the Virtual Film Club Thurs., Aug. 8, 7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The film is “Dial M for Murder,” which can be streamed on Starz. Watch the film in advance then join the discussion via Zoom on Aug. 8. Please email Christina at [email protected] to register and for the Zoom link.

Playland Park in Rye has announced a first-time participation with The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester to offer live music and entertainment at Playland’s Main Stage every other weekend thru-Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. as follows: Aug. 3: Half Step: Grateful Dead tribute; Aug. 17: Damn the Torpedoes—Tom Petty Concert Experience; Aug. 31: Taylor’s Version—A Swiftie Dance Party. In addition, weekly Friday and Saturday night fireworks take place at 9 p.m. thru Aug. 31, launched from the end of the pier at Playland and viewable from the amusement park, the Playland Boardwalk and from Rye Town Park. www.playland.com

Playland and The Capitol Theatre are also presenting The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series, every other Sunday at 2 p.m. until Sept. 1. It translates some of music’s most recognizable anthems into age-appropriate sing-alongs suitable for listeners of all ages, with classic titles from a variety of genres such as classic rock, new wave, pop, and pop-punk. Aug. 4: The Music of Taylor Swift & more for kids; Aug. 18: The Music of Blink 182 & more for kids; Sept. 1: The Music of The Beatles and more for kids. For more information, go to https://playland.com

The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library is offering Summer Reading Bingo for adults and teens thru Aug. 30. Receive a gift for signing up. Complete the whole board and get a prize and a raffle entry. Raffle winners will be notified after Sept. 5. You do not need to be present to win. Please register at the library. For more information, call 914/939-6710 and press 5.

The next Port Chester High School Marching Band bottle and can recycling collection will be Sun., Aug. 4, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Middle School parking lot on Bowman Avenue, Rye Brook. Collections generally take place on the first and third Sunday of each month. Call 914/200-1464 for updated information.

Purchase College, State University of New York, has been selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges, which includes profiles of more than 300 of the “best and most interesting colleges in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.” According to the description in the 2025 guide, Purchase College is especially notable for its “academic environment that provides a strong sense of community yet celebrates individuals for their unique talents and contributions.” The guide singles out the college’s many strong programs in the arts, liberal arts, and sciences including environmental studies, dance, biology, film, new media, playwriting and screenwriting and arts management. The guide also focuses on the academic, professional, and social opportunities afforded by the college’s location near New York City.

Clay Art Center in Port Chester’s Annual Scholarship Appeal is drawing to a close and, thanks to supporters, it has raised 80% of its $30,000 goal. Help CAC cross the finish line and make the $30,000 goal to continue what it does best: provide access to clay, support its students, and deliver high-quality arts education in a professional studio setting. Your best gift today will have a lasting impact on our community! www.clayartcenter.org

 The Westchester County Historical Society’s 150^th Anniversary Program provides fun and enriching learning experiences for all ages. Families can register to participate in the free program that allows them to sample more than 300 years of Westchester by visiting 1-3 sites in more than 30 communities. The History Hunt will conclude Sept. 8, with prizes presented in the fall to families or groups that complete the entire hunt and/or have highly creative entries. The WCHS History Hunt mobile app provides GPS-guided directions to the places, then gives a description, images and an audio recording with brief background. As proof of visiting the site, participants are given a simple task. For information go to www.westchesterhistory.com.