Good Morning. It’s Wednesday, October 16, and we’re covering Question 6, Middletown Volleyball, a house fire in Portsmouth, recent real estate transactions, all that’s happening this week/weekend, and more.
Leading Off
A significant ballot question, Question 6, asks Newport voters to approve a $98.5 million bond for infrastructure and municipal facility improvements.
In a recent memo to the City Council, City Manager Colin Kennedy shared a memorandum related to Fiscal Notes on the Bond Measure regarding Question 6 on the November ballot.
A portion of that memorandum (below) outlines two possible outcomes if the bond fails. We’ll discuss that memorandum, what it will fund, and that voters should know about Question 6 with the City Manager during a one-on-one conversation this morning at 10 am. [WUN]
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What To Know
News
🚒 Crews battled a massive house fire on Sea Spray Drive in Portsmouth on Tuesday night. [WPRI] [WJAR] [WLNE]
👉 RITBA will be launching a new system for its E-ZPass and bill-by-plate tolling transactions, and during the transition, customer service will be unavailable from Friday, Oct. 25 to Monday, Oct. 28. [WUN]
🚨 Newport Police reported on Tuesday that they took seven individuals into custody on various charges over the weekend. [WUN]
Arts & Culture
🔥 Rebecca Bertrand, director of the Newport Historical Society, and Victoria Johnson of the Middle Passage Project will discuss the campaign to establish a center for Black history at Arts Around The Fire tonight. [WUN]
🖼️ The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame will host the 41st Schaefer International Marine Art Exhibition from October 11 to November 11, 2024. [WUN]
Business + Nonprofit
🆕 Fifth Element is changing hands again; Chomp Kitchen and Drinks is moving in. [WUN]
🏎️ Donald Osborne, CEO of the Audrain Group in Newport, is stepping down from his position effective November 1, 2024. [WUN]
🏆 The Newport Public Education Foundation will host an Evening for Education on Thursday. [WUN]
🆓 Newport in Bloom is giving away 30,000 free Dutch Master daffodil bulbs to Aquidneck Island residents and businesses on Oct. 20. [WUN]
City & Government
🚰 Water main flushing is planned across Aquidneck Island Oct. 20 – Nov. 7. [WUN]
Conversations with WUN
1️⃣ Newport City Manager Colin Kennedy will spend thirty minutes with WUN this morning at 10 am. We’ll spend a lot of time on Newport’s bond question. [WUN]
2️⃣ Representative Lauren Carson (D. Dist. 75, Newport) will join What’sUpNewp for a one-on-one conversation at 10 am on Tuesday, October 22.
3️⃣ Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, will join WUN for a conversation on Thursday, October 24 at 10:30 am.
Election 2024
🗳️ Early voting begins today and continues until 4 p.m. on November 4. [WUN]
🗳️ Representative Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) is urging Newport voters to support Question 6 in Newport and the four statewide bond questions. [WUN]
Environment & Health
🧑⚕️ Dr. Michael Fine’s latest column is here – What’s crazy about medical debt? [WUN]
Food & Drink
🦞 The 33rd Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival will take over Bowen’s Wharf on Saturday and Sunday. [Bowen’s Wharf]
Obituaries
🕊️ William Willis | 🕊️ John Sunderland | Joan L. (Cox) Karoli
Opinion
✍️ Gail Thacher of Newport weighs in with an endorsement of Lynn Underwood Ceglie for Newport City Council Second Ward. [WUN]
✍️ Amy Yozura of Newport with an endorsement for Penny Billington Hunt for Newport School Committee. [WUN]
✍️ Penny Fitch of Newport endorses Mark Aramli for Newport City Council. [WUN]
✍️ Keith Hamilton of Portsmouth encourages voters to vote yes on Question #1.[WUN]
Real Estate
🏠 Eighteen homes sold across Newport County last week. WUN’s Tyler Bernadyn has the roundup of what sold. [WUN]
🏘️ Middletown and Little Compton are among “7 Charming Small Towns in Rhode Island You’ll Want to Call Home”. [Redfin]
Sailing & Sports
🏐 In a home match on Tuesday, October 15, Middletown High School’s volleyball team clinched a 3-1 win against St. Mary Academy – Bay View. [WUN]
⚽ The new National Women’s Soccer League team in Boston set to start play in 2026 has a name: BOS Nation FC. [WUN]
Things To Do
⚓ On tap this week/weekend: Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival, Pell Bridge Run, Heart & Sole Walk For Animals, and more. [WUN]
What’s Up Today
🚢 Next up on the cruise ship schedule: Wednesday, Oct. 16: Insignia.
⛅ Weather Forecast
- Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North wind around 8 mph.
⚓ Marine Forecast
- Today: W wind around 11 kt, becoming NW in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less. Tonight: N wind around 7 kt. Mostly clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
- Water Temperature: 63°F.
🌘 Sun, Moon, & Tide
- Sunrise: 6:59 am | Sunset: 6:02 pm | 11 hours and 3 minutes of sun.
- High tide at 7:13 am & 7:37 pm | Low tide at 12:27 am & 1:09 pm.
- Moon: Waxing Gibbous. 13 days, 96% lighting.
📚 Things To Do
- 9:45 am: Family Story Time at Jamestown Philomenian Library
- 10 am: Family Storytime at Newport Public Library
- 2 pm: Aquidneck Growers Market on Memorial Boulevard
- 3 pm: Teen & Tween: Gaming Lounge at Newport Public Library
- 6 pm: Pumpkin Painting for Adults at Newport Public Library
- 6 pm: Setting The Record Straight on Offshore Wind at Innovate Newport
- 6 pm: Back To School Book Bash at Ochre Court
- 6 pm: Arts Around The Fire at Stoneacre Brasserie
- 6:30 pm: Fermentation Class at Forty 1 North
- 6:30 pm: Evening of Storytelling & Wisdom at The Newport Art Museum
🎵 Live Music & Entertainment
- Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
- Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
- JPT Film & Event Center: The Outrun at 4:30 pm, The Changeling at 7:30 pm
- Newport Vineyards: Trivia Wednesdays at 6 pm
- One Pelham East: Karaoke at 10:30 pm
- Ragged Island Brewing: Andre Arsenault at 5:30 pm
🏛️ Local Government
- Jamestown: Housing Authority at 9 am, Beavertail State Park Advisory at 2:45 pm, Affordable Housing at 4:45 pm, Tree Preservation & Protection at 6:30 pm, Planning Commission at 6:30 pm
- Little Compton: Housing Trust at 6 pm, Zoning Board of Review at 7 pm
- Middletown: Open Space and Fields Committee at 4:30 pm
- Newport: Cemetery Advisory Commission at 4 pm
- Portsmouth: School Committee – District Building Committee at 4 pm
- Tiverton: Historic Preservation Advisory Board at 9 am, Personnel Board at 5 pm, Recreation Commission at 7 pm
