MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (JUNE 5, 2023) – One of Middletown’s historic icons is getting an upgrade. On Friday, a team with Shrake Construction and Santos Crane Service removed the entire sail complex and damaged windshaft of the Boyd’s Wind Grist Mill in Paradise Valley Park on Prospect Avenue. It’s the first time the eight sails have been off […]
Town of Middletown
News and updates from the Town of Middletown. For more news, updates, and information, visit www.middletownri.com.
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Middletown Town Councilwoman M. Theresa Santos passes away
The Town of Middletown issued the following press release today announcing that longtime Councilwoman M. Theresa Santos passed way over the weekend. Longtime Councilwoman Passes MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (MAY 30, 2023) – Town Councilwoman M. Theresa Santos has passed. A lifelong Middletown resident, the 88-year-old Santos made her mark with the town long before she served on […]
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Fiscal 24 Budget Review underway in Middletown
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (MAY 24, 2023) – Year in, year out, the Town of Middletown seems to find a way to fund its annual budget without major impacts on service. During an all-day budget workshop Saturday in Town Hall, the Town Council learned most of the new dollars in the Fiscal 2024 budget are already earmarked and […]
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Town of Middletown: Proposed school on track
With a little less than six months before a special election, plans for a new middle-high school remain on time and budget. School Building Committee Co-Chairman Edward Brady offered details about the latest with the proposed facility just north of the existing Gaudet Middle School to the Town Council Monday night in Town Hall. Among […]
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Town of Middletown: New school site gets strong grades
Soil and other testing shows the site for a new middle-high school is solid. During a project briefing earlier this week, Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said the former Starlight Drive-In site — now multi-use fields — just north of Gaudet Middle School checked out very well. The report was the latest in a string […]
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Advisory Board recommends changes to ‘Middletown Center’ plans
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (MAY 1, 2023) – A citizens advisory board has a bunch of recommended improvements to the “Middletown Center” project. According to their 59-page report presented Monday night to the Town Council, the Middletown Center Citizens Advisory Committee (MCCAC) would like more active recreation included in the proposed mixed-use development along with better bicycle and […]
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Recap: Middletown Town Council meeting on May 1
MIDDLETOWN MEETING MATTERS MIDDLETOWN TOWN COUNCIL Where: Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road. Absent: None. Of note: Heard an update on an ongoing project for the Second Beach main parking lot, with paving work slated for next week and be done before the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer season. Learned from council […]
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Work planned for Second Beach parking lot
The main parking lot at Second Beach is getting a makeover. East Coast Construction is expected to begin work in early May to redo the lot on Sachuest Point Road, with paving done by the opening of the beach season. As part of their contract awarded by the Town Council last fall, the Portsmouth firm […]
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Middletown Town Council Meeting Minutes: April 3
WHEN: Monday night. WHERE: Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road. ABSENT: Dennis Turano. OF NOTE: Approved the transfer alcoholic beverage license from First Beach LLC to TPG Middletown Beverage LLC for the hotel and restaurant at 1 Wave Ave. A representative for the the incoming owners The Procaccianti Group said the well-known hospitality company had big plans […]
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Cost savings could be on the way for Middletown’s proposed schools
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown The Town of Middletown is working hard to lower the costs of a new proposed middle-high school. Several bills sponsored by local legislators are currently before the General Assembly for consideration. If all are okayed upstate, Middletown taxpayers stand to save tens of millions on the price of the […]
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Middletown Town Council awards school architect contract
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown A proposal for a $190 million new middle-high school cleared a major hurdle Monday night. At a well-attended meeting in Town Hall, the Town Council unanimously awarded a $14.3 million contract to HMFH Architects of Cambridge, Massachusetts for continued design and planning work on the building north of Gaudet […]
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Secretary of State Gregg Amore visits Middletown High School
Gregg M. Amore said in some places, voter suppression is very much alive in today’s America. Rhode Island’s new Secretary of State told students during a lunch hour visit Tuesday to Middletown High it could be something seemingly benign as charging postage to return a ballot, having only one day to vote or a fee […]
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Middletown Library looking to grow, evolve
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown The Middletown Public Library wants to expand and grow — all to serve all of the community better. According to paperwork before the Town Council Monday night, a new 31,551-square-foot library building is being considered on property now home to the former Kennedy School. The lengthy report from […]
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Middletown: School Bond Special Election Day shifted — likely Nov. 7
The date for a special election on a new middle-high school is being pushed back. At a meeting Monday night in Town Hall, the Town Council unanimously agreed to move the town wide vote on the $190 million proposal from May 2 until the fall — likely Nov. 7. Local leaders said the shift was […]
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Middletown Town Council Meeting Matters – Feb. 21
The Middletown Town Council took up several items of local importance during a meeting Monday night in Town Hall. Matt Sheley from the Town of Middletown shared the following recap of the meeting; MIDDLETOWN MEETING MATTERS MIDDLETOWN TOWN COUNCIL When: Monday night. Where: Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road. Absent: None. Of note: Heard a briefing from […]
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Educational expert working with Middletown to improve, upgrade schools
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown On Election Day 2022, local voters overwhelmingly approved regionalization and new school buildings. Although Newport residents ultimately scuttled that plan by less than 400 votes, amid the success in Middletown, there was one persistent question from critics: How does this benefit children educationally? Enter Manuel Cordero. The founder and […]
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Middletown thanks Police Chief Kewer for service – welcomes back Pesare as new Chief
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown The Town of Middletown is saying “Goodbye” to one police chief and welcoming back another. Late last month, Police Chief William Kewer informed the town he wanted to go in a different direction with his career and would not renew his contract when it expired. Kewer — who’s served […]
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Town of Middletown: New School Bond looks like it’s heading to a May 2 Special Election
By Matt Sheley The Town Council is seeking approval for a $190 million bond for a new middle-high school bond. Following a lengthy discussion Monday night in Town Hall, the council voted unanimously to ask the General Assembly to okay enabling legislation to clear the way for a special election on May 2. Acknowledging the […]
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Legislative Agenda discussed in Middletown
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown The Town Council wants to keep area state legislators busy this General Assembly session. On Monday night in Town Hall, local leaders discussed how they’d like to see lawmakers work on boosting school building construction reimbursements, state educational aid and assistance for upgrading infrastructure, among other items. State Senator […]
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Middletown moving forward with school plans – without regionalization
By Matt Sheley, Town of Middletown. This story originally appeared here. The Town of Middletown looks like it’s going to pursue a new middle-high school — on its own. The latest proposal emerged at a school building summit Wednesday night in Town Hall, co-sponsored by the Town Council, School Committee and School Building Committee. If […]
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Middletown Town Council talks strategic priorities
Growing affordable housing and building new schools are among the top priorities for the Town of Middletown in the next two years. Each were identified during a strategic planning session Monday night in from Town Hall, led by Vince Petronio. Petronio is a professor emeritus at the University of Rhode Island. Throughout the free flowing […]
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Town of Middletown looks into Bike & Pedestrian Board
Emily Tessier wants Middletown to pay closer attention to bicycle and pedestrian safety. The new Town Councilwoman proposed the creation of a Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee at the Town Council’s meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall, a request approved unanimously by her colleagues. Tessier said those duties have been handled by the town’s Open […]
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Collection day changes coming to Middletown’s ‘Pay As You Throw’ program
Starting Dec. 5, Middletown is swapping collection days with its Monday and Thursday routes for those who participate in the town’s “Pay As You Throw” refuse and recycling program. That means customers whose regular collection day was Monday will now have their refuse, recycling, and scheduled yard waste gathered Thursdays. For those whose regular collection […]
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Town of Middletown: Regionalization savings conversation on tap
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (SEPTEMBER 19, 2022) – One of the big selling points of regionalizing schools with Newport is the potential savings. On Monday night at a meeting in Town Hall, the Middletown Town Council approved a resolution from the City of Newport committing to a discussion about reinvesting some — or all — of that money […]
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Newport-Middletown School Regionalization touted during forum
By Matt Shealey, Town of Middletown The positives of school regionalization between Newport and Middletown were discussed Monday. During the early informational forum at the Knights Of Columbus Hall on Valley Road, the 50 people on hand heard a consistent message about the opportunities regionalization creates. More money from the state for education, for sure. […]