By Juliette Amaya Sophomore year sounds great in theory. Being 15 and 16 comes with the freedom of getting older without the burden of “real adult problems.” What many consider stressful seem to only include responsibilities associated with financial accountability for oneself, and often, family. While adult life is stressful, we often overlook the very […]
Community Submission
This content has been contributed to What's Up Newp. The views and opinions included within are not necessarily those of What's Up Newp, our contributors, or our advertisers.
We welcome letters to the editor on current local topics. Email them to Ryan@whatsupnewp.com.
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Is Sweet Berry Farm’s proposal a working farm — or an events business on one?
To the Editor, What’s Up Newport: The Aquidneck Island Land Trust recently published a letter regarding the Sweet Berry Farm proposal. But it may have left readers more reassured than the facts warrant, because it does not answer the central question: will a project that destroys more than 1,300 mature fruit trees to construct an […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: The conservation easement at Sweet Berry Farm
The proposal to build additional structures at Sweet Berry Farm has raised questions about the role of the Aquidneck Island Land Trust and the meaning of the conservation easement that applies to portions of the property. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Take a pause on changing the Renewable Energy Standard
It is bad policy and bad business to push back the Renewable Energy Standard to 2040 or 2050. Rolling back the Renewable Energy Standard and retroactively changing rates on the life of net metering projects will set a dangerous precedent in Rhode Island. It sends the message that Rhode Island is NOT in the clean energy business; […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: Retreat can be resiliency, opportunity
In 2023, our state took a big step to enshrine Rhode Islanders’ right to the shoreline: up to 10 feet above the last high tide line. But what happens as the sea level rise pushes the high tide line up to homeowners and businesses’ sea walls? Our beaches and shoreline are fragile ecosystems that naturally […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: Newport’s free curbside composting program benefits our entire community
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, I am writing to share my experience with the City of Newport’s curbside composting program and to highlight the many benefits it brings to our community. Through a partnership with 11th Hour Racing and Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District, the City of Newport is offering residents a […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Our island home
On April 8, Newporters had a chance to hear how one visionary can make a hugedifference in the wellbeing of an island community. In an event co-hosted byRENEWport and Salve Regina University, Newfoundlander Zita Cobb, entrepreneurand CEO of the Shorefast Foundation, told her inspiring story, “A Framework forCommunity Economic Stewardship: Learnings from Fogo Island.” Cobb’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Our fifth graders deserve better. The time to act Is now
Why aren’t we facing the reality that elementary students belong in elementary school? Research shows the transition to middle school is a high-stakes turning point where academic performance often declines. Uprooting 10-year-olds from a familiar environment exposes them to social pressures they are not developmentally ready to navigate – cliques, heightened self-consciousness, and expectations designed […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Out of respect for life, Rhode Island should allow death with dignity
The call to the Plainfield, Conn., police on Feb. 23 was chilling: The 62-year-old man on the line provided his name and address, and instructions about which door he would leave unlocked for police. His wife was suffering from terminal cancer, and he was about to end both their lives by gunshot. When police arrived, […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Newport Fire Chief Harp Donnelly on the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center announcement
Editor’s note: The following letter to the editor was submitted by Newport Fire Chief Humphrey J. “Harp” Donnelly IV in response to today’s announcement that the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital will remain open. What’sUpNewp published a news story on the announcement, which you can read here. The recent announcement by Brown […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: James C. Fitzgerald
James (Jimmy) C. Fitzgerald, 80 formerly of Newport, Rhode Island passed away unexpectedly on February 12th in Thailand. Son of the late John and Alice (Buhla) Fitzgerald, he was born in Newport on March 28th, 1945. A member of the Class of 1963 at Rogers High school, he joined the Marines shortly thereafter and served […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Paul Niall Megson Tarrell
Since 2011 (and previously from 1988-1991) Newporters have remarked on the familiar sight of Niall in his wheelchair rolling along the streets of Newport in all-weather on his daily outings. Bellevue Ave, Spring St, Mary St, America’s Cup, and Broadway were his most travelled paths but every street was fair game – a route to […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Dr. David William Brown
Dr. David William Brown, MA, PhD of Middletown, Rhode Island, passed away on February 9, 2026, at 94, having lived a good, long life dedicated to education, agriculture, conservation and service. Dave Brown grew up on farms and apple orchards in Connecticut and Rhode Island during the Great Depression and World War II. Stories about the […]
Posted inOpinion
An open letter to the community from the employee-owners of the Castle Hill Inn
There are places that are so special they become part of who we are — places that hold our memories, mark our milestones, and connect us to one another. Castle Hill is one of those places. As employee-owners and stewards of this historic property, we feel a deep responsibility to care for it so it […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: School committee member’s gun comment is absolutely ‘a big deal’
Last week’s Newport school committee meeting has left myself, my neighbors, and local parents deeply disturbed. While at the heart of this, is the comment made by Mr. Leary, stating that he would bring his gun with him to the meetings and that he has a license to carry, we are further upset by the response (or lack thereof) by […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: School Committee meeting leaves many in our community feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, unsettled
I am writing in response to this week’s school committee meeting, which left many in our community feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, unsettled. My concerns are twofold: first, the committee’s decision-making process regarding the relocation of fifth grade, and second, the conduct of committee leadership at the close of that meeting. Earlier this week, the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: More affordability and money for everyone, except for kids in state care
Last year, I brought up the fact that the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) was taking money from kids in state care. It is the long-standing department policy to take federal benefits, like Social Security or veterans’ benefits, from children in state care to fund administrative costs and sustain DCYF’s bottom line. Our […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Stephen K. Quinn
Stephen K. Quinn, 67, of Largo, FL and Middletown, RI, died of natural causes on August 30, 2025, at home in Largo. Born in El Paso, TX on June 21, 1958, Stephen was the son of the late Paul S. and Denise Kirby Quinn of McLean, VA. and Middletown, RI. Stephen is survived by his […]
Posted inNews
Letter to the Editor: The power of community engagement in municipal governance
As residents of Newport, we are all deeply connected to the decisions made by our city’s municipal commissions. These commissions, though often working behind the scenes, play a powerful role in shaping our daily lives. From zoning and parks to housing and sustainability, they influence decisions that directly impact our neighborhoods, the schools our children […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Middletown’s fee structure is working against housing
Over the past several years, I have raised concerns during Planning Board discussions about the rising cost of building housing in Middletown, particularly single-family homes. Unfortunately, those concerns have not gained much traction, even as the Town continues to emphasize housing affordability and supply. Recently, I compiled a table comparing development impact fees and other […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the editor: Portsmouth councilor McDowell defends motion to reconsider disc golf at Glen Park
To the Editor, I feel compelled to comment on the Portsmouth Town Council meeting on Monday, November 24, 2025. I was elected to represent all the citizens of Portsmouth and that, my friends, is why I brought back for reconsideration a prior vote regarding Disc Golf at the Glen. A citizen representing a group of […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: It’s time to talk with our kids
To the Editor: It’s time to talk with our kids. As our community reels from the recent violent assault that occurred in the Rogers locker room, I urge parents and caregivers to discuss what took place with their children, no matter their age. While the act itself was deeply disturbing, I, like much of our […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Assault of student with disabilities should spur commitment to inclusion
The horrifying assault of a student with disabilities at Rogers High School is heartbreaking and deeply troubling. While accountability is essential, this moment must also prompt us—as a community—to reflect on how we support, include, and value people with disabilities in our schools and across Newport County. It is too easy for people with disabilities […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Disc golf debate about transparency, not opposition to sport
Dear Editor, In response to the letter to the editor from the League of Women’sVoters: Uphold democratic process on disc golf decision on 11/21/25: We completely agree that the democratic process should be upheld. Thatis the exact reason why this topic is being brought back in front ofthe town council. Through the democratic process, the […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Uphold democratic process on disc golf decision
Dear Town Council Members, As most of you know, the League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting and expanding voting rights and ensuring that there is transparency, accountability and citizen engagement that supports good government. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation at the local, state, and […]