http://www.change.org/petitions/save-playland-amusement-park I am part of a group petitioning the Westchester County Government to reconsider their chosen operator for Playland Amusement Park in Rye, New York. The currently-selected future Playland operator (Sustainable Playland, "SPI") would demolish half the amusement area (which likely would further decrease attendance/revenue with devastating results for the remainder of the amusements). Rye-based SPI’s plan will eliminate 30% of the rides and 50% of the amusement park footprint, in favor of green space and a "great lawn". Two other contenders Standard Amusements and Central Amusements International are experienced, successful amusement park operators which would restore, improve and maintain the historic amusement park as such. The experienced operators already have the funds available to make their proposed improvements, while SPI has no experience running amusement parks and has raised only a negligible portion of the funds it has promised the county. Furthermore, Playland is sandwiched directly between a wildlife sanctuary on one side and a waterfront town park on the other. Rye area residents do not need more waterfront open space that other municipalities are not going to use at the expense of all county residents’ historic 85-year old amusement park. We are finding that many Westchester residents are either unaware of the drastic changes and destruction SPI plans for the amusement park; completely unaware of the changing situation with Playland or do not support SPI but are unaware of the other options on the table. Playland belongs to all residents of the county, not just the Sound Shore Communities.   This petition was not started by an organization, but a loose group of people representing all parts of Westchester that came together in an internet facebook group called “Save Rye Playland”. It was started last Thursday 2/25 and has over 600 hundreds signatures thus far, half of which are Westchester residents.   Further information and verification of the facts mentioned above can be found within the presentations at http://westchesterlegislators.com/committees.html?id=2029 I hope you consider helping us by bringing attention to our cause.Thank you. Sincerely, Keith Iorio