Community Submission

PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today announced his appointment of current Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH) Director Richard Charest to serve as the next Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). The Governor has sent Charest’s name to the Rhode Island Senate for advice and consent.
“Since his arrival at BHDDH, Richard Charest has made significant strides and improvements, including the opening of a new state psychiatric hospital and ensuring that Eleanor Slater Hospital is on a positive and stable path,” said Governor McKee. “His steadfast leadership, coupled with his decades of experience in the health care industry, will be a tremendous asset as he serves as EOHHS Secretary. I’m honored to appoint him to this important role, and I know he will lead with distinction.”
“I appreciate the confidence Governor McKee has placed in me, in nominating me as EOHHS Secretary,” said Director Charest. “This very important role allows me to implement over 30 years of experience to support the growing and evolving healthcare needs of Rhode Islanders. After serving nearly two years as Director of BHDDH, I have become familiar with the opportunities and challenges we face across state government. The work of our employees, legislators, and caregivers is significant, and immeasurably important to the success of Rhode Island. I look forward to expanding my collaboration with stakeholders and building relationships that promote innovation to strengthen the continuum of care.”
Charest has more than 30 years of experience in the health care sector, leading not-for-profit and for-profit community hospitals with specialty programs and a for-profit specialty hospital. Previously serving as President and CEO of Landmark Medical Center, Charest successfully led hospital operations and finances through receivership, reassured the community and engaged employees and medical staff to ensure uninterrupted high-quality care. He also served as President and CEO of the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island and held several executive leadership positions with Landmark Medical Center. Charest has served as BHDDH Director since 2021.
Ana Novais, who has been serving as Interim EOHHS Secretary since the departure of Womazetta Jones, will return to her role as Assistant EOHHS Secretary.
“I’m grateful for Ana’s willingness to step up and serve as Secretary during this interim period,” said Governor McKee. “During her tenure, we successfully worked across government to return to normal operations from the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively implement a distribution strategy for the funding received from the opioid settlement and her decades of experience and commitment to equity ensured that we had a budget proposal and programs that were reaching Rhode Islanders where they are and who needed it the most. I look forward to her partnership as she continues to play a key role on the EOHHS team.”
“I am proud of my tenure at EOHHS and of the team that we’ve built for this past year,” said Assistant Secretary Novais. “I thank Governor McKee for the opportunity to serve as Interim Secretary and I look forward to continuing to work with him and the team at EOHHS servicing our Rhode Island families and communities with the guiding principles of voice, choice and equity, at the core of the work we do.”
Dr. Louis Cerbo, Deputy BHDDH Director, will serve as Interim BHDDH Director until a permanent selection is made.
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PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that its seasonal 24-hour telephone information line will open May 15 and remain open until Oct. 15. The Bay Line, 222-8888, is toll-free within the state.
The Bay Line provides Rhode Islanders with a central point of contact to leave a recorded message about any sign of bay-related environmental problems or occurrences throughout the summer season for appropriate follow-up by DEM. Its aim is rapid, effective responses to environmental incidents on Narragansett Bay. Another option for reporting concerns is through email at DEM.bartline@dem.ri.gov.
Reports of water quality conditions are updated weekly and available on the DEM website. The information is compiled from data provided by a network of monitoring stations in the bay that measure oxygen, temperature, salinity, pH levels, and, in some cases, water clarity and the presence of algae blooms. DEM, in cooperation with the University of Rhode Island (URI), has completed the seasonal deployment of monitoring instruments and posts water quality reports on a weekly basis.
The intent of Bay Line is to provide an effective means for exchanging bay-related information between the public and the agencies charged with monitoring and protecting it. For instance, the line can be used to provide DEM with early warnings about emerging issues such as algae blooms, which might serve as precursors to low oxygen events and fish kills.
The Bay Line is an integral part of a series of initiatives undertaken by DEM to protect Narragansett Bay. A related initiative is the Bay Assessment and Response Team (BART), which is designed to facilitate timely and well-coordinated responses to any major bay-related environmental emergency. BART includes professional staff from DEM, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and URI. Rhode Islanders can find a great deal of bay-related information on the BART page of the DEM website. The weekly Bay Line reports also can be found at this location.
For more information on DEM programs and services, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@RhodeIsland.DEM).

High School Students from across the country compete for a $20,000 Grand Prize, May 9-10
Providence – Classical High School junior Natasha Connolly will represent Rhode Island in Washington, D.C., for the 2023 Poetry Out Loud National Finals, May 9-10. In March, Connolly, won the 18th annual 2023 R.I. Poetry Out Loud State Championship with the recitation of “No, I wasn’t meant to love and be loved,” by Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. She is also a 2023 Youth Poet Ambassador.
At the Poetry Out Loud championships, Connolly will join state winners from throughout our country to compete in regional semifinals. Connolly’s regional contest will be held on Tuesday (May 9) at 9 a.m. George Washington University. The winners of the regionals advance to the Finals on Wednesday (May 10) at 7 p.m.
Visit the 2023 Poetry Out Loud National Finals Facebook Event page for the latest information on the competition. https://fb.me/e/2BYpAhz8D. The competition will be streamed live at https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/poetry-out-loud.
“We wish Natasha the best of luck and thank her for all of the hard work and hours of preparation she put in to represent our state in a competition that requires learning, connecting and commanding of poetry,” said RISCA’s Executive Director, Lynne McCormack. “RISCA is a proud partner of the NEA’s and the Poetry Foundation’s arts education program that inspires a life-long appreciation of great classic and contemporary poetry.”
A total of $50,000 in awards, and school or organizational stipends will be awarded at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded for Poetry Out Loud. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals are administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.
On March 6, 12 R.I. high school students, representing schools from around the state, competed in the state’s Poetry Out Loud competition at the Greenwich Odeum. Prior to the competition, competitors spent most of the school year studying poetry through learning, memorization and performance.
Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a schoolwide competition, then to the state championships, and ultimately to the national finals in Washington, D.C. Since its inception, 3.6 million students from 14,000 high schools nationwide have participated in Poetry Out Loud.
Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a partnership with RISCA, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation, is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. For more information, visit Poetryoutloud.org.
National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. For more information, visit NEA website. www.arts.gov.
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative partnerships, prizes and programs.

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced today that it is offering one-time sign-on and retention bonuses of $500 each and hourly pay increases of between 10% and almost 15% to lifeguards this summer. The agency views the incentives as critical to recruiting more lifeguards to staff state beaches and parks, which attract nearly 10 million visitors and add an estimated $300 million annually to the state economy, according to a URI study. The historically tight national labor market, which continues to include a low labor force participation rate among teenagers 16 to 19, has affected practically every employer in the country, whether public or private sector.
Full-time lifeguard positions are available at all state swimming areas, including surf beaches such as Roger Wheeler and Misquamicut, non-surf beaches such as Goddard Memorial State Park, and freshwater beaches such as Burlingame Campground and Lincoln Woods State Park. Optimally, DEM would hire a workforce of around 150 lifeguards; the agency had about 85 in place for most of the 2022 summer. Despite this, DEM only had to restrict swimming areas at a few beaches a handful of times last year.
Lifeguard pay ranges from $14 to $18.75 an hour based on location, experience, and position level. The raises range from 10.7% (from $14 to $15.50 for Lifeguard I jobs) to 14% (from $16 to $18.75 for Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard positions). All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and have successfully completed courses and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR including infant, child, and adult.
“Rhode Island’s state beaches and parks provide some of the best outdoor experiences in the state, including many great swimming spots,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “One of our top goals at DEM is promoting outdoor recreation for all Rhode Islanders and providing visitors with excellent experiences at our amazing network of parks, beaches, and campgrounds. We need a great team — and finding and hiring qualified, enthusiastic workers is essential to delivering on this promise. We are excited to offer a $500 sign-on bonus and an additional $500 retention bonus, along with higher salaries, to help us hire a robust workforce of lifeguards. Working outside, building lifelong friendships with workmates, and serving their community are also the big benefits of spending the summer working at our beaches, parks, and campgrounds. We still have lots of positions open for beach managers, park rangers, groundskeepers, and facilities attendants as well.”
Lifeguards who submit a complete application packet including all required documents and are hired by June 24, 2023, will be eligible to receive a one-time, $500 sign-on bonus. Lifeguard staff who remain in good standing throughout the course of their employment, who have not taken more than five unapproved days off over the summer, and remain employed until Sept. 4, 2023, will be eligible for a one-time, $500 retention bonus. The anticipated pay date for the sign-on bonus is July 21, 2023, and the retention bonus pay date is Sept. 29, 2023. Year-over-year salary comps are below.

LIFEGUARD 2023 PAY SCALE Pay step 1 Pay step 2 Pay step 3
Lifeguard I $15.50 $16.00 $16.50
Lifeguard II $16.75 $17.00 $17.25
Lifeguard III $17.50 $17.75 $18.00
Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard $18.25 $18.50 $18.75
Seasonal Surf Beach Manager $19.00 $19.50 $20.00
Seasonal Non-Surf Beach Manager $17.75 $18.25 $18.75
Assistant Surf Beach Manager $17.75 $18.25 $18.75

LIFEGUARD 2022 PAY SCALE Pay step 1 Pay step 2 Pay step 3
Lifeguard I $14.00 $14.50 $15.00
Lifeguard II $14.75 $15.25 $15.75
Lifeguard III $15.50 $16.00 $16.50
Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard $16.00 $16.50 $17.00
Seasonal Surf Beach Manager $17.50 $18.00 $18.50
Seasonal Non-Surf Beach Manager $16.25 $16.75 $17.25
Assistant Surf Beach Manager $16.25 $16.75 $17.25

With only 52 full-time employees managing 25 parks, eight surf beaches, and dozens of other properties, DEM’s Division of Parks and Recreation relies hugely on seasonal employees. Currently, DEM is in the process of hiring the hundreds of “seasonals” needed to fill critical summertime positions like park rangers, beach managers, facilities attendants, groundskeepers, laborers, and nature educators along with lifeguards. Park rangers are key employees, helping to create a safe and fun experience at DEM properties. They give directions to beachgoers and park users, help with crowd control, provide security checks for facilities, and are the first responders in the event of emergency. Hourly rates for park rangers range from $13.75 to $15.25. Applicants for Facilities Attendant and Park Ranger I positions must be 16 years of age or older and applicants for Park Ranger positions at levels II and III must be 18 years of age or older.
Although slightly down from historically high levels over the past few years, the current number of national yearly job openings — 9.9 million — is very high, according to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Related, DEM and other employers also are contending with long-term laborforce data revealing that the share of teens participating in the workforce peaked 40 years ago and has declined ever since. Today, just over one-third, or 35%, of teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are part of the workforce. BLS data suggest that year-round schooling and summer classes are a major cause, with the percent of 16- to 19-year-olds enrolled in summer school tripling in the last 20 years.
For a complete list of seasonal employment opportunities and to apply, job seekers may click here. Most positions are full-time and include weekend and holiday hours. Applications must be completed online and paper applications will not be accepted. The State of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
For more information on DEM programs and services, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@RhodeIsland.DEM).

On Thursday night, April 13, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will open a new dedicated on-ramp from JT Connell Highway northbound onto Route 138 West toward the Pell Bridge. The change will reduce congestion and make it easier for drivers coming from Downtown Newport to merge onto Route 138.
With the opening of the new ramp, RIDOT will remove the traffic signal for the right turn onto Route 138 West, which had been in place temporarily through the winter. Traffic will have its own lane onto Route 138 West toward the bridge and will not have to stop or yield. The change also will allow two lanes westbound from the JT Connell Connector Road onto the Pell Bridge.
The opening of the new ramp is the latest in a series of traffic pattern changes RIDOT is implementing this year, with the goal of making improvements prior to the busy summer tourism season. They include:
By late April, RIDOT will conduct a weekend closure of Admiral Kalbfus Road at the former Route 138 overpass for its demolition.
By Memorial Day, RIDOT will realign the intersection of Farewell Street and America’s Cup Avenue to eliminate the sharp curve at the start of America’s Cup Avenue which will improve safety and traffic circulation. In addition, the Department plans to activate a new traffic signal with pedestrian crossing features at the intersection.
RIDOT will announce the exact dates of the bridge demolition and Farewell Street improvements well in advance.
The $74 million Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 project is rebuilding the road network connecting to the Pell Bridge to make travel into Newport easy and safe. It includes a new efficient ramp system that will reduce congestion, especially the backup of vehicles on the bridge from the Downtown Newport exit, and improve the connection between Newport’s North End and the downtown area. With a smaller footprint, the new design also will spur economic development as it frees up approximately 25 acres of land. It will be finished by the end of 2024.
Additional information about the project and the latest traffic pattern changes will be posted at www.ridot.net/PellBridgeRamps. The web page also has a form anyone can use to sign-up to receive regular project updates emailed directly to them.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 Project is made possible by RhodeWorks, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

Change will create a more direct link between Downtown Newport and the City’s North End
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is reminding motorists that tomorrow night, Thursday, March 30, it will open a new intersection at the Pell Bridge Ramps Project, reconnecting two sections of JT Connell Highway that were bisected more than 50 years ago with the construction of the original ramp system. The new intersection is located where JT Connell Highway meets the JT Connell Connector Road, which opened last year.
The new intersection will offer a better, more direct connection between Downtown Newport and the city’s North End. RIDOT will install additional pathfinding signage throughout the project area that will clearly show drivers how to reach major destinations such as Downtown Newport, the Navy Base, the Pell Bridge and West Main Road heading to Middletown and Portsmouth.
Traffic will be able to use the new intersection in the following ways:
• JT Connell Highway Northbound (Coming from Downtown Newport): Traffic will go straight through the new intersection toward the roundabout. From there, drivers can easily access the Navy Base, RK Shopping Center, Admiral Kalbfus Road or other roads in the North End heading toward Middletown. Drivers will still be able to turn right onto the JT Connector Road to access the Pell Bridge.
• JT Connell Highway Southbound (Coming from North End, Roundabout and Admiral Kalbfus Road): Drivers headed to Downtown Newport will use the roundabout and head south on JT Connell Highway and go straight through the new intersection toward Downtown. Traffic on Admiral Kalbfus Road coming from West Main Road, the Navy Base or North End will need to use Halsey Boulevard southbound to reach the Pell Bridge, as they do today.
The opening of the new intersection is the first in a series of traffic pattern changes RIDOT is implementing this year, with the goal of making a number of improvements prior to the busy summer tourism season. They include:
• In mid-April, RIDOT expects to open a new, dedicated on-ramp from JT Connell Highway northbound and southbound to the Pell Bridge. This will eliminate the traffic signal now in use at the end of the JT Connell Connector Road. Traffic will have its own lane onto Route 138 West toward the bridge and will not have to stop or yield.
• By late April, RIDOT will conduct a weekend closure of Admiral Kalbfus Road at the former Route 138 overpass for demolition of this bridge.
• By Memorial Day, RIDOT will realign the intersection of Farewell Street and America’s Cup Avenue to eliminate the sharp curve at the start of America’s Cup Avenue which will improve safety and traffic circulation. In addition, the Department plans to activate a new traffic signal with pedestrian crossing features at the intersection.
RIDOT will announce the exact dates of the new ramp opening, bridge demolition and Farewell Street improvements well in advance.
The $74 million Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 project is rebuilding the road network connecting to the Pell Bridge to make travel into Newport easy and safe. It includes a new efficient ramp system that will reduce congestion, especially the backup of vehicles on the bridge from the Downtown Newport exit, and improve the connection between Newport’s North End and the downtown area. With a smaller footprint, the new design also will spur economic development as it frees up approximately 25 acres of land. It will be finished by the end of 2024.
Additional information about the project and the latest traffic pattern changes will be posted at www.ridot.net/PellBridgeRamps. The web page also has a form anyone can use to sign-up to receive regular project updates emailed directly to them.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 Project is made possible by RhodeWorks, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore, in collaboration with Governor Dan McKee, today announced the tentative calendar for the upcoming special election in Congressional District 1. The special election will fill the vacancy anticipated by Congressman David N. Cicilline’s planned resignation from the United States House of Representatives. The calendar is contingent upon Congressman Cicilline’s resignation and the issuance of the Writ of Election as proposed by Governor McKee.
Governor McKee’s proposed Writ of Election calls for the primary election to be held on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 and for the special election to be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
“Over the last several weeks, the Rhode Island Department of State has worked closely with the Governor’s Office to develop the calendar for this upcoming special election,” said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. “I look forward to continuing our partnership and working with the Board of Elections and our local cities and towns to ensure an efficient election. I encourage eligible voters and potential candidates to review the proposed calendar and take action now to ensure they are prepared to participate in this upcoming election.”
Based on these dates, the Department of State has created a tentative calendar for the special election. Voters and potential candidates should be aware of the following dates and deadlines:
– May 31, 2023: Potential candidates must be registered to vote in Rhode Island; deadline for candidates to disaffiliate from their political party to run as a candidate from another party
– June 29-30, 2023: Candidate declaration period
– No later than July 6, 2023: Nomination paper signing period begins
– July 14, 2023: Deadline for candidates to submit nomination papers to the local Board of Canvassers (4 p.m.)
– August 6, 2023: Voter registration deadline for the primary
– August 15, 2023: Mail ballot application deadline for the primary
– August 16 – September 5, 2023: Early voting period for the primary
– September 5, 2023: Special primary
– October 8, 2023: Voter registration deadline for the special election
– October 17, 2023: Mail ballot application deadline for the special election
– October 18 – November 6, 2023: Early voting period for the special election
– November 7, 2023: Special election
Additional information will be available in the coming weeks.
Voters are encouraged to visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ to check their registration status and make any needed updates. Voters can determine if they are a Congressional District 1 voter by clicking “View/Update My Voter Record” and viewing their district information.
Individuals who are not registered to vote and want to learn more about registering can do so online at https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ or by visiting their local board of canvassers.
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