Greenwich's Representative Town Meeting had a real fight on its hands Monday night over a $40 million ice rink — and the rink won. With school budget votes six days away, it's a good week to know what you're being asked to approve.
This week's poll is an important one! I’d love to know what you want to see more of here.

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Greenwich's Representative Town Meeting voted 170-13-1 Monday to approve a $542.3 million FY2027 budget — rejecting a motion to strip $38.5 million in construction funding for a new Dorothy Hamill Rink by a wide margin. The motion would have left only design funds. It failed decisively. The one amendment that passed: a $100,000 reduction to the Roger Sherman Baldwin Park redevelopment. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

The Rye High School Girls Golf team shot a season-best 227 on Monday, May 11, defeating Pelham to close out league play without a loss — the program's second consecutive undefeated league season.

The Garnets entered the final match needing a win and delivered it cleanly. The 227 was the team's lowest score of the year. They've now won back-to-back league titles without dropping a match, setting up a postseason run with momentum at their backs. The result also continued a dominant spring for Rye athletics: the Girls Lacrosse team won its sixth straight game on May 9, beating Ridgefield 15-6 in an out-of-state test. The Garnets head into May postseason play on multiple fronts.

The Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District Board of Education voted unanimously this week to appoint Sharon Flynn as the next Principal of Blind Brook High School, bringing more than two decades of administrative experience to a school known for its tight-knit community identity.

Flynn comes from Edgemont Junior-Senior High School, where she currently serves as Assistant Principal. Before that, she spent 17 years as Assistant Principal at H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School, and also held roles as English Department Chair and Summer School Principal. Her work extends beyond the building — she's an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Mercy College and a published author in professional journals.

Flynn is known as much for culture-building as for academics: she's championed anti-bullying programs, led interdisciplinary curriculum work, and created initiatives like "P.S. I Love You Day" designed to make school feel warmer. The New York State English Council has named her an "Educator of Excellence." She takes over a district that's been watching its peers navigate significant change.

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Tuesday, May 19 is New York State's annual school budget vote day — and for Sound Shore families, the Port Chester–Rye Union Free School District ballot is the highest-stakes item on the local list.

Port Chester–Rye is a large, diverse district serving more than 4,000 students with a budget that topped $154 million last year. The ballot asks voters to approve or reject the 2026-27 spending plan and elect members to the Board of Education — the seven-member body that governs the district's academic direction, facilities, and administration. It's the one direct lever voters have over school spending.

Harrison Central School District voters also go to the polls on the same day for their own budget vote and BOE election.

Polls are expected to be open 7am–9pm.

Confirm your polling location through portchesterschools.org (Port Chester–Rye) or harrisoncsd.org (Harrison). If you have school-age children — or a stake in the district's finances — this is the vote that matters most this week 👀.

Rye — Dragon Coaster weekend starts Saturday. Playland's pre-season opens May 16–17, with the Dragon Coaster — sidelined for most of 2025 — making its first public runs of the season. Grand opening is Memorial Day weekend, May 23. Admission free; wristbands available for purchase.

Greenwich — The public hearing on Greenwich's suspended school zone speed camera program is Thursday, May 14 (tonight!) at 7pm at Town Hall. Two questions still open: whether the program restarts, and whether the 7,225+ drivers who paid fines before the April 2 suspension receive refunds. Show up if either matters to you.

Port Chester — The Greenwich Town Party's local talent stage announced its 2026 lineup this week — five acts including Kovac Brothers, The Moonrise Cartel, and debut performers Starpose.

Rye Brook — Community Conversation this Sunday at Rye Town Park. The Town of Rye is hosting an open public forum Sunday, May 17, 10am–12pm at Rye Town Park. Mayor Nathan has flagged a Comprehensive Plan — the city's first since 1985 — as a top priority. This is one of the early public input sessions shaping it.

Greenwich — A Greenwich High senior just became Connecticut's Youth of the Year. Joell Molina, a GHS senior heading to Lehigh to study environmental engineering, was named 2026 Connecticut Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of America this week — selected from 12 finalists statewide. He now advances to the Northeast regional competition, where the winner receives a $20,000 scholarship and a shot at the national title in September. – Congrats Joell! 🙌🏻

If you live in Rye and you haven't been to Rafele yet, this is the nudge you've been waiting for. And if you have been — you already know what I'm about to say.

Chef Raffaele Ronca is Naples-born, West Village–trained, and has been running one of Purchase Street's most quietly essential restaurants since 2018. In 2024, the Michelin Guide awarded Rafele Rye a Bib Gourmand — their designation for places with serious cooking that won't empty your wallet. The room is warm and a little loud in the best way: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, a glass wine cellar stocked top to bottom with Italian bottles, and a pizza oven you can see from the door. It's a place where people actually talk to each other.

The food holds up to every bit of the hype. I think I’ve tried most of the menu by now, but I keep coming back to the Fritto Misto for my antipasto, it’s simply delicious.

Worth knowing: 26 Purchase St, Rye. Dinner Mon–Sat 5–11pm, Sun 5–10pm. Reservations on Resy. Book ahead on weekends — it fills up.

Did you know that “The Greenwich Town Party” was, in its earliest form, an idea one person brought back from Spain? Where he'd witnessed what a real annual town gathering could do for a community's sense of itself. That person was Ray Dalio. The first gathering was in 2011. Roger Sherman Baldwin Park hasn't been the same on Memorial Day weekend since.

This May 23, the Greenwich Town Party marks its 15th anniversary — and the lineup is the strongest argument yet that this event has earned its place alongside Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, and Paul Simon, who've all headlined across 15 years. This year: Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds headline — Dave's first Connecticut duo performance since 2022, and only his second Town Party appearance overall. John Fogerty and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band complete the main stage.

The Town Stage, created to spotlight Greenwich's own musical talent, just announced its 2026 lineup this week: The Moonrise Cartel, Homegrown, Kovac Brothers (brothers Frank and Jim, with deep Greenwich roots and over 30 years of combined experience), MOJO, and Starpose — making its official debut.

The nonprofit event is privately funded through ticket sales, sponsorships, and philanthropic contributions. Community lottery tickets were distributed earlier this spring; sponsor packages remain available at greenwichtownparty.org.

This is the rare community event that has genuinely grown into what it was always meant to be.

We're 4 editions in, and I want to make sure this newsletter is covering what matters most to you. Quick question:

What do you want to see more of in Sound Shore Dispatch? You can pick more than one!

🏛️ More local politics — votes, zoning, budgets, board meetings
📅 More events — things to do, places to be, dates on the calendar
🍽️ More tips on places to eat — restaurants, new openings, hidden gems
🏅 More coverage of local sports — high school teams, youth leagues, adult rec
🏫 More schools coverage — academics, programs, district news, kids' achievements
🏡 More real estate — market trends, new developments, what's selling
👤 More profiles — interesting people doing interesting things in the community
📰 Keep it exactly as it is — the mix is right

Vote here!

Last week’s poll results: How often do you eat at a local restaurant in one of the five Sound Shore towns?
🍝 Multiple times a week - 43%
🍷 Once a week - 29%
🥡 A few times a month - 14%
🏠 Rarely - 14%

If this landed in your inbox through a forward, welcome! — you can subscribe here. And if something in here makes you think of a neighbor who'd find it useful, pass it along. That's how this thing grows 🙌🏻
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See you next Thursday!