Hall Plans Move Forward



Pension Funds Prosper Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice




The city’s police pension fund realized a robust return of 12.6 percent last year, bringing its total assets as of June 30 to roughly $48.4 million. Meanwhile, the city’s fire department pension fund reported a similarly strong 12.2 percent return over the previous year, yielding a market value of $37.7 million as of June 30. Both of the funds’ performance […]

Clarke Loan to Default



City officials were expected to allow the troubled Clarke School Limited Partnership to default on a federally-authorized loan repayment issued by the city that has become the source of heated debate between City Council members in recent weeks. According to Mayor Henry F. Winthrop, the city was preparing to allow the private real estate firm that manages the Clarke School […]

Salve Soirée Sets Fundraising Record



President Jane Gerety, RSM, presided over Salve Regina University’s 37th annual Governor’s Ball at Ochre Court last weekend, with hundreds of local business leaders, alumni, parents and friends coming out to support student scholarships. The fundraising gala, chaired by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Gilbane Jr., raised a record $370,000, including a surprise gift of $25,000 donated by friends of […]

Tennis Complex Gets First Approval



The International Tennis Hall of Fame scored its first significant victory in its effort to redevelop a major stretch of Memorial Boulevard into a state-of-the-art sporting complex. The plan, which was first unveiled in August, calls for the complete re-imagining of the Hall of Fame’s holdings on Memorial Boulevard, including the demolition of several buildings, the relocation of another, and […]

School Committee Updates City Council on Budget



The Newport School Committee and City Council met briefly during a special joint workshop on Wednesday, Dec. 4 t discuss the school department’s Fiscal Year 2013-14 budget. School Committee Chairman Charles Shoemaker provided background on the difficulties the committee had encountered over the last several months in trying to develop a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year. In June, […]

Watershed Education



The Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) has paired with local high schools to interact with students about our local watersheds and protecting the quality of our drinking water supplies. A watershed is the geographic area where all falling precipitation drains to a common low point. Executive Director Charles Allott and Stewardship Director Sophia DeMaio have presented to environmental studies classes in […]

Hotline Toy Drive



A Christmas toy drive will be held Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Housing Hotline from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Bring new and unwrapped toys or local gift cards to the Hotline office, 10A Collins St., next to the police station.

Busy Downtown Committee



The Committee for Downtown Christmas Decorations has completed decorations in the downtown Newport area. Two spruce trees – one in Eisenhower Park, the “official” Christmas In Newport tree, and one at the bottom of Washington Square have been lighted with a total of 12,000 clear lights. Also, 65 wreaths with red bows have been installed on lamp posts from Washington […]

Newport Parkinson’s Support Group



The next meeting of the Newport Parkinson’s Support Group is Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. at Newport Hospital. Patients and/or caregivers are welcome to attend. The group meets monthly, every third Saturday, for an informal meeting on education and support for those affected with Parkinson’s. For more information, contact Barbara Smith at 401-789-1333 or fes217@aol.com.