What's Up Today: Thursday, May 25

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, May 25, 2023. Today’s newsletter is 1,384 words – approximately a 7-minute read.

🚌 Newport Mayor Xay, along with Bishop W. Nicholas Knisely, will join Discover Newport and Rhode Island Public Transit Authority officials this afternoon to announce the return of the free “Hop-On Hop-Off” bus service promotion in Newport beginning Friday, May 26.

The service offers transportation around Newport to tourist destinations and beaches. This includes all service on Route 67 (Bellevue/Salve Regina Univ.) and Route 68 (CCRI/Memorial Blvd./First Beach). The service will be free through Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Route 68 service will be free beginning June 17, 2023.

🎤 The 2023 Spring Rogue Island Comedy Festival kicks off today with two shows at Ragged Island Brewing Company. Ragged Island, The JPT, Top of Pelham, and Firehouse Theater will provide the venue for 12 shows today through Sunday. See the full schedule and get tickets (while they last) here.

📽️ newportFILM brings Casa Susanna to The Firehouse Theatre this evening at 7 pm. Read More

🪴 It’s almost Memorial Day and time to let the garden parties begin. Newport resident Casey Farley has the latest gardening news for you here.

🐎 The 2023 Newport Polo Season will kick off on June 3 with USA taking on the Ukraine Polo Team. Read More

👉 Sen. Linda Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol) and Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown), the first Asian Americans elected to the Rhode Island state legislature, gathered community leaders from across the state for a celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the State House. The event was emceed by Newport Mayor Xaykham Khamsyvoravong, who is Lao-American, and the first Asian American mayor of Newport. Read More

🚢 Discover Newport has released the 2023 Cruise Ship Schedule for Fort Adams. In total, passengers from 63 cruise ships will arrive via Perrotti Park, and passengers from 35 cruise ships will arrive via Fort Adams. Updated Cruise Ship Schedule

🇺🇸 On Tap This Week & Weekend: Rogue Island Comedy Festival, Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial, Memorial Day Weekend Cookout at Newport Vineyards, and much more. Get the full rundown

❓ What are you most looking forward to doing this Memorial Day Weekend?

What’s Up Today – 5.25.23

☀️ Weather

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 8 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
7-Day Weather Forecast | 3-day Surf Forecast

🛥️ Marine Forecast

Small Craft Advisory until May 25, 08:00 AM EDT
Today: N wind 8 to 13 kt. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: SSW wind around 6 kt becoming variable and less than 5 kt in the evening. Partly cloudy. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tomorrow: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming NNW 5 to 7 kt in the morning. Sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
Coastal Water Temperature: 54°F.

🌊 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise: 5:17 am | Sunset: 8:07 pm | 14 hours & 49 minutes of sun.
High tide at 12:25 am & 12:59 pm | Low tide at 6 am & 5:53 pm.
Moon: Waxing Crescent. 5.1 days, 26% lighting.

🎭 Things To Do

Rogue Island Comedy Festival
11 am to 8 pm: Taproot Taco Thursdays at Newport Vineyards
5:30 pm: Adult Intermediate Ballet at The Academy at Newport Contemporary Ballet
6 pm: The Cocktail Club: Gin 201: New World at Hotel Viking
6 pm: Virtual Newport Lecture Series with Dr. Mary Thompson-Jones
7 pm: Casa Susanna with Newport FILM at The Firehouse Theatre
Read More: What’s Up in and around Newport: May 22 – 29
For more events and things to do, visit our events calendar.

🎙️Rogue Island Comedy Festival

6 pm: Napoleon Emill and more at Ragged Island Brewing
8 pm: Napoleon Emill and more at Ragged Island Brewing

🎶 Entertainment

JPT Film & Event Center: Book Club: The Next Chapter at 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Landing: Timmy Smith at 6 pm
Midtown Oyster Bar: John Erikson at 8 pm
Newport Blues Cafe: Angelus Hall at 9 pm
Perro Salado: C-Note & Company at 10 pm
Ragged Island Brewing: Rogue Island Comedy Festival at 6 pm & 8 pm
Stoneacre Garden: Dave Alves Trio at 8 pm
The Reef: Mel from 7 pm to 10 pm

🏛️ City & Government

AIPC: Aquidneck Island Planning Commission at 11:30 am
Jamestown: Jamestown Town Council at 6 pm
Little Compton: Little Compton Board of Canvassers at 8:30 am, Little Compton 350 (LC350) at 6:30 pm
Newport: Newport School Committee at 7:30 am, Newport City Council at 5 pm, Newport School Committee at 6 pm, Newport City Council at 6 pm
Portsmouth: Portsmouth Town Council at 7 pm, Portsmouth Zoning Board of Review at 7 pm
See the agendas and a full list of public meetings across Rhode Island here.

On WhatsUpNewp.com

🆕 The Latest

Ukraine Polo Team to take on Team USA in Newport Polo season opener

Weekend to include premiere of ‘Polo Passport’ at The JPT

This Day in RI History: May 25, 1725 -Colonial Governor Samuel Ward born in Newport

Served as a delegate to the Continental Congress

7-Day Weather forecast for Newport County

Here’s what’s on tap for weather this week and weekend.

3-day Surf Forecast for Rhode Island

Forecast includes rip current risk, surf height, weather, winds, and more.

Ohtani, Trout homer in Angels’ 7-3 win, completing sweep of slumping Red Sox

Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout homered in the same game for the 26th time, leading the Los Angeles Angels to their fourth straight win and a sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 7-3 victory Wednesday night.

Aging America: Baby boomers push nation’s median age higher as fewer children are born

The United States grew older, faster, last decade.

George Floyd death anniversary: Reckoning with police violence in limbo

Video footage of Floyd’s May 25, 2020, murder was so agonizing to watch that demands for change came from across the country.

Casey Farley: Gardening News

It’s almost Memorial Day and time to let the garden parties begin.

Hamilton Family Charitable Trust funds Sustainable Agriculture Education Program on Aquidneck Island

The Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm, in partnership with the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD), is excited to announce a grant in the amount of $10,000 from the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust (HFCT). The funding will support sustainable agriculture programming at the farm.

📈 Popular Stories

Here’s what stories folks were reading the most on WhatsUpNewp.com yesterday;

🗞️ Further Reading

Newport Craft Opens Doors to New Tasting Room Just in Time for Memorial Day (RI Monthly)

NWC Spotlight: CSS1 Ryan Dicipulo, Sailor of the Year (NUWC)

Could proposed right whale protections affect Block Island Ferry? (WPRI)

Have a great Thursday!

~ Ryan Belmore

Have a story idea or news tip? Hit reply or email me at ryan@whatsupnewp.com.

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