Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

With spring break, no school and government meetings off until next week, many of us thought this week would be a slow one.

Oh, how wrong we were.

Last Sunday, some rain started falling. By Monday, the National Weather Service had already issued a flood watch for our area, predicting up to 5 inches of rain through Tuesday morning. Local officials thought the worst part of the storm may just miss us. But on Tuesday, streets began to flood, and by the afternoon the Village of Mamaroneck had already declared a state of emergency and recommended the evacuation of homes in low-lying areas. Two shelters and a bus were arranged for evacuees.

A few hours later, however, the Village reassessed the situation and quickly took back its declaration. Apparently, officials had received a misleading report, which led them to take some precautions. Since everything happened so fast, no one had time to react and the shelters closed as hurriedly as they opened.

If you didn't spend most of the week getting water out of your basement, you might have followed some of the suggestions included in our children-friendly "Spring Breakin' Doesn't Have to Be Bank Breaking" guide, which obviously involved some chocolate Easter bunnies.

As if we had timed it with the storm, an article on a specific section of I-95 revealed that there's been an increased number of motor vehicle accidents near exit 18A during rain and snow. Village of Mamaroneck Fire Chief Dean DeLitta says this is because of a change in the road's surface that has turned it more slippery and has only been partly addressed

As we all know, everyone seems to be losing funding these days, and the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center is no exception. On Wednesday, we reported on where the center stands funding-wise, what's at risk should it close its doors, and what it plans to do to survive.

Speaking of survival, the Larchmont business district seems to be looking better these days, especially after a few openings on both Palmer Avenue and Boston Post Road. One of the newcomers is only here for a few months, which could be an incipient trend, but the others say they are here to stay. Click here to find out who they are and give them a big welcome.

Two businesses that have been around for a while are Mamaroneck's La Maree Smokehouse and Larchmont's Auray Gourmet. Take a few minutes to read our piece on their specialty products, some of which are smelly, but delicious nonetheless. 

On Thursday we followed up on an issue that's been the talk of the town for over a week now, the student-led protest to keep Jennifer Rosenzweig as an English teacher at Mamaroneck High School. As soon as students found out that Rosenzweig had not been recommended for tenure, they spoke to the high school principal and the district superintendent and formed a Facebook group that has almost 500 members now. Some of them are planning to address the Board of Education at Tuesday's meeting. Stay tuned.

Another issue that is making some noise is the Nolles Ridge subdivision at 800 Fenimore Rd., a 3.3-acre, 6-home development that passes through a wetland and is to be built on some steep slopes. Two pocket ponds are also part of the plan. Some neighbors worry that this may cause noise, sewage and traffic problems, and they have attended Planning Board meetings to voice their concerns.