The library, once an integral part of the original Request for Information (RFI) for the “Middletown Center” and in fact, included in the developer’s RFI response, has vanished from the proposal and plat. The purchase of the inappropriate commercial building for $3.4 million was made in closed door session without any regard of taxpayer input. […]
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Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Middletown resident questions town’s bidding process for development project
More than once, I have publicly heard or seen reference to a Request for Proposal (RFP) in connection with the Town Center project from the developer. From what I can find on the Town’s website, no RFP was issued for this very important project. Why? The Town issued a Request for Information (RFI), to probe the […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Middletown resident urges opposition to Pottsy Field relocation
Public confusion around “Pottsy Field” has been fueled by statements reported in local media in recent months. The town’s proposal has many residents questioning what the preference is of the veteran’s family for whom the field is named, regarding the town’s plan to relocate the recreational area where their loved one once played. The Town […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Ann E. (Quarry) Desjardin
Ann Elizabeth Desjardin, beloved wife of 40 years to Henry “Hank” J. Desjardin, Jr., passed away Saturday, July 19, 2025, after a period of declining health. She was 79 years old. Ann was born and raised in Newport, RI, one of seven children to [the late] Robert and Letty (Church) Quarry. After graduating from Rogers […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: George N. Hanos
George Nicholas Hanos, 81, of Newport, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully at his home on September 9th, surrounded by his loving family. A lifelong Newport resident, George was a proud graduate of Rogers High School. He continued his education at UMass Dartmouth, where he excelled academically and graduated at the top of his class with […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Portsmouth proud
I would like to recognize, and thank, the Portsmouth Town Council for their patience in consideration, their wisdom in deliberation, and their courage in voting for the disc gold trial initiative at Glen Park. I would also like to single out Mr. Keith Hamilton, President of the Portsmouth Town Council, for his strong leadership throughout […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Come to protect Aquidneck Island
Since 2022, Middletown residents have opposed the development proposals for the West Main/Coddington public land. The elected leaders and appointed Boards are not listening to the residents and are rushing to grant use of public property without consideration of the Public’s clear preferences. This is moving residents closer and closer to losing Middletown forever. The Town Council has […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Federal limitations on voting rights hits Rhode Island
In a new policy alert issued last weekend, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that nonpartisan groups such as the League of Women Voters will no longer be allowed to register new citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies. Instead, the responsibility will shift solely to state and local election officials. For decades, the […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Teamwork makes the dream work
Is School Regionalization the answer? Just to be clear, I support a school regionalization plan that improves student success, provides teachers with the resources they need to help students achieve their goals, and uses the taxpayers’ dollars responsibly. Unfortunately, the resolution presented and passed at the August 13th Newport City Council meeting did not meet […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Save Glen Park
At the previous Portsmouth Town Council meeting individuals proposed an 18-hole disc golf course at Glen Park. Residents expressed strong opposition to the commercialization of Glen Park and how a golf course would negatively affect this open space. A Google search shows that a typical course requires 18 concrete embedded golf baskets that are approximately […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: From Gdańsk to our schools, lessons on division and progress
I am writing this from Gdańsk, Poland, where I have just toured its massive World War II museum. The war began here on September 1, 1939, and walking through the exhibits, one cannot help but be struck by the terrible cost of territorial discord, obstinate, self-serving leadership, and the human toll of refusing to work […]
Posted inCity & Government, Opinion
Letter to the Editor: Setting the record straight on Middletown’s affordable housing progress
In response to Town Council member Barbara VonVillas’ comments at the last Council meeting, and her recent Letter to the Editor: The Middletown Affordable Housing Committee (AHC) is charged with looking at town-owned properties for affordable housing, not privately-owned property like Rosebrook Commons, so I am not wrong when I state, in the 10 years […]
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New luxury condominium community now selling in Portsmouth
A rare opportunity for coastal living has arrived with the official launch of Aquidneck Village, a private, gated condominium community located directly across from the prestigious Aquidneck Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. With just 28 thoughtfully designed homes, Aquidneck Village offers a serene lifestyle for downsizers, empty nesters, and families seeking timeless design, modern convenience, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: Stop the stonewalling, Newport deserves real solutions
To our City Councilors: We, as parents of students in Newport Public Schools, volunteers and community leaders, vehemently oppose the latest effort to re-insert a failed plan regarding administrative integration. Resubmitting a failed motion from three years ago without any effort to engage the community nor find a better future for our kids is lazy […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: Governor McKee is no friend to RIPTA
Last week, Governor Dan McKee sent a letter to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board of Directors that is one of the most hypocritical public statements I have seen during my time in the State House. In this letter, the governor says he recommended an additional $15 million in state funds to help fund […]
Posted inCity & Government
Letter to the Editor: Stop wasting millions on duplicate administration—our students deserve better
As a new school committee member, I’ve spent the past eight months learning our Newport School District inside and out—listening to teachers, students, administrators, and community partners. What I’ve seen makes one thing clear: we must refocus resources on student success in the face of declining enrollment and shrinking funding. Our children’s education is at […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Newport’s housing paradox – we can’t have it both ways
Newport is in the middle of a housing crisis. Local teachers, healthcare workers, hospitality staff, and young families are being priced out of the city they serve. Yet time and again, new housing proposals—even those for affordable or workforce housing—are met with loud resistance, usually centered on one issue: traffic. To be clear, traffic is […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Council member’s claims of ‘mass misrepresentation’ are themselves misleading
I am writing this rebuttal to the statements and claims of “mass misrepresentation” made by Town Council member Barbara Von Villas regarding the opposition to the current Middletown Center plan being pushed on the residents of Middletown. Additionally to her claims of “leading to misinformation and/or misinterpretation rather than fact. Ms VonVillas gives absolutely no […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Change is inevitable
There has been a mass of misrepresentation related to Middletown’s West Main Road project. Most of it is built on emotional or personal bias leading to misinformation and/or misinterpretation rather than fact. As a result, productive action related to increasing housing within the project (as well as in other areas of the Town) has been […]
Posted inOpinion
Back to School Success Starts at Home: 10 tips for Rhode Island families
As Rhode Island families prepare to send children back to school, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the variables: supply lists, bus schedules, after-school logistics, and the emotional ups and downs that come with major transitions. But behind the scenes, child behavioral experts across the country are pointing to one reliable predictor of success […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Doris A. Sullivan
Doris Anne Sullivan, lovingly known to many as “Mamma D”, passed away peacefully in the late morning of Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Rhode Island Hospital, after a months-long struggle with heart complications. She was 77. A beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, life partner, and cherished friend, Doris’s heart both literal and symbolic was her compass. […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Middletown residents should support Affordable Housing Committee’s recommendation on August 4
Recently, Middletown’s Affordable Housing Committee recommended that the Town Council walk away from the current deal with the developers for the Middletown Center project, and put true affordable housing for our low, moderate, senior, and workforce income level residents there instead. There is a chance that the AHC motion will be heard by the Town […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Sunny Acres resident disputes association’s claims, backs Crown Communities purchase
Letter to the Editor: Sunny Acres residents rally to support Crown Communities in their purchase of Sunny Acres I read with great concern Sharlene Patton’s letter to the editor about the sale of Sunny Acres. The process she describes sounds scary and unfair. That is very different from what I experienced. I listened carefully and […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: Sunny Acres residents rally to secure their future through cooperative ownership
As a long-time resident of Sunny Acres and President of “Our Sunny Acres Association” (HOA), I am writing with deep concern and urgency for action to help keep our homes. Sunny Acres is home to many elderly, retirees on fixed incomes, veterans, working families, and people with disabilities — all of whom have found stability […]
Posted inCity & Government, Opinion
Letter to the Editor: Birthing Center closure could trigger community decline
Newport City Council held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, July 15th, and voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of keeping the Newport Hospital Birthing Center fully operational. It was an honor to see so many people in attendance and amongst those in the audience were families, mothers, medical professionals, and Newport Hospital Foundation […]