Island Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition Team 78, AIR STRIKE will advance to the New England FIRST District Championship on April 25-27 in Worcester, Mass. Above are Seamus Sullivan (left) and Spencer Dellenbaugh, the robot drive team for the Rhode Warriors from Middletown. AIR STRIKE is comprised of 25 high school students from 13 schools across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. […]
Fishing Club Seeks to Stop Parking Ban
A longtime local fishing club is looking to head off a proposal for a parking ban at the historic Fishermen’s Parking Area along Ocean Drive, just south of the entrance to the Castle Hill Inn. On March 19, Newport’s Interdepartmental Traffic Committee (ITC) held a meeting at the Newport Library to float the idea of a no-parking proposal in the […]
Newport Restaurant Week Returns
With spring comes the return of Newport Restaurant Week. From April 5-14, more than 45 restaurants throughout Newport and Bristol County will participate in the event, which will focus this year on the symbiotic relationship between local chefs and their circle of nearby farmers, growers, foragers and fishmongers. Andy Teixeira, the chef at Brix, located at Newport Vineyards in Middletown, […]
Homestead Exemption to Get Closer Look
The March 18 meeting of the Middletown Town Council included a robust discussion on the possibility of the town implementing an annual property tax reduction on residents’ primary homes. The ordinance is modeled on legislation passed in 2016 and implemented by the town of Narragansett, which has comparable median household income and population. The goal is part of a wider […]
National Sailing Hall of Fame Coming to Newport
Armory Antiques Center to continue operations through the 2019 summer seasonIt’s Official: The National Sailing Hall of Fame is coming to Newport. On Wednesday, March 27 city officials formally closed on a deal to sell the upper two floors of the historic Armory building on Lower Thames Street to the National Sailing Hall of Fame for $1,685,000. The sale was initially approved by the City Council in July of 2018 […]
Zoning Board Delays Salve
With discussion over a petition to construct a house on a vacant lot on Houston Avenue consuming nearly three hours, the Zoning Board of Review was forced to delay three other petitions with public implications at the March 25 meeting. The majority of the meeting was taken up by the petition of J. Richard and Margaret Ratcliffe for a variance […]
New Cleanup Effort at Carr Point
An old skeet range located at Carr Point, on the base of Naval Station Newport, will be the site of the next environmental remediation effort by the Navy. The site is where skeet shooters once fired at clay pigeons that were launched over Narragansett Bay, which left lead pellets that present a danger to wildlife. Carr Point, just north of […]
Middletown Hotel Plan Delayed
The Middletown Zoning Board of Review has once again continued the petition for a special use permit for a proposed 23-room hotel on Wave Avenue to its April 23 meeting because the plan included several two-bedroom units. Under the guidelines, only one-bedroom units are allowed. Attorney David Martland was made aware of the discrepancy after a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation by […]
Newport Cemetery Cleanup
The Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission invites the public to participate in Rhode Island Historic Cemetery Day. Volunteers will meet on Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. to help clean vines and plant material from gravestones at the Braman Cemetery on Farewell Street. Volunteers should bring garden gloves and pruners. For information, email npthistoriccemeteries@gmail.com.
VFW Post 18 Meeting
The VFW Post 18 will next meet on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the VFW hall, 822 Anthony Road, Common Fence Point, Portsmouth. The program will include a discussion on veterans’ affairs and rehabilitation. Volunteers are also needed for a bingo day on Saturday, April 13, at 1:30 p.m. at the R.I. Veterans Home, 480 Metacom Ave., Bristol. […]
