Being an equal-opportunity essayist, I invite any ladies reading this to speak up if they feel insulted by what follows. Well, never mind what follows – in the eyes of some, that opening sentence itself contains an insult. Word came recently that in Easthampton, Mass., the school board rescinded the hiring of a new superintendent […]
Opinion
Posted inColumns
Michael Fine: What’s crazy in health care today
In the United States, we have a health care market, not a health care system that provides the same set of essential services to all Americans. We’ve all gotten used to that – it makes for health care that is confusing and impersonal. But most of us can’t figure out how to change it, so […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter: Ranked Choice Voting can help with Rhode Island’s uncontested races
Uncontested political races in Rhode Island are not uncommon, and they can be frustrating for voters who feel that they do not have a meaningful say in who represents them. Ranked choice voting (RCV) offers a way to address this problem by allowing voters to express their preferences even in uncontested races. Under RCV, voters rank the […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter To The Editor: Stand with us in solidarity against discrimination and hate
Dear Community Members, We at Newport Pride & the HEZ (Health Equity Zone) LGBTQ+ Health Working Group want to make a statement about the recent homophobic incident in Vernon Park. One of our committee members, Rex LeBeau, was enjoying their free break reading a book on their hammock when a white person approached them, assumed […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter: Newport has a long way to go in affirming and caring for its unhoused residents
Dear Editor: With the recent discussions about Newport’s LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) visibility, existence of unhoused residents, and use of parks, we would like to share the details of a hateful incident that occurred at Vernon Park on March 27. Rex was in their hammock by the playground, reading a book […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Strong, independent courts make us safe
The United States is fortunate to have strong, independent courts. Our judicial system, while imperfect, is generally free to uphold the law and promote public safety without political interference. That began to change in several unnerving ways during the Trump administration. Among the most concerning has been meddling from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion – Passover: ‘a cry against indifference, a cry for compassion’
Indifference. To be indifferent, says Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel, is to allow cruelty, evil, and darkness to prevail. On this first night of Passover, it is the words of Wiesel, who died six years ago at the age of 88, that will define my Passover Seder. On Passover, we retell […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter To The Editor: Proposed parking changes will hurt local businesses, discourage tourism, and unfairly burden workers
The proposal by the Newport City Council to increase parking fees from $1.25/hour to $4/hour (a more than 300% increase) in high traffic areas, and extending the paid parking season from March to November, is a misguided attempt to generate revenue for the city. This proposal, which is slated for final approval on April 12, […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-Ed: We need more foster parents and they need our help
Children in foster care have been dealt a rough hand in life, often surviving circumstances that are unimaginable to many. This early introduction to trauma in their lives causes numerous issues later in life and they desperately need support and compassion in order to succeed as adults. One of the most important and influential supports […]
Posted inColumns
Gerry Goldstein: Unhurried Baseball on deck for a prod
Baseball is a languid exercise, unsuited to impatience. As the aging, legendary pitcher Satchel Paige once noted, “I never rush myself. See, they can’t start the game without me.” The writer Edward Abbey described baseball as slow and sluggish, “with frequent and trivial interruptions, offering the spectator many opportunities to reflect at leisure upon the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Just My Opinion: Let the games begin
Who’s running, who’s not? Changes every day, and will continue to change over the next several weeks, as individuals weigh their prospects to replace Congressman David Cicilline, who announced his retirement from Congress a few weeks ago to assume the presidency of the Rhode Island Foundation. It’s great fun for pundits, and you really can’t […]
Posted inCity & Government, Opinion
Letter – Mayor Xay: Council moves to include resident benefits for parking and transportation changes
Over the past twenty-four hours, the City of Newport’s staff have presented the Council with parking ordinances and a final draft of the Master Transit Plan designed to help improve parking and mobility in the City. As the Council and community consider these proposals, it is important to note the common sense approach the Council […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter: Support the teaching and learning of our Pell community
This month, Pell Elementary School PTO is participating in a read-a-thon fundraiser to raise money for class field trips. The Pell students are reading books and keeping track of their progress with online profiles. Our students have read over 50,000 minutes so far! It’s a win-win: the money donated improves our school and the challenge […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter To The Editor: BRAVE for a more just future for everyone
Existing as an LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) person takes a lot of strength. Finding people and places that affirm LGBTQIA+ people as human beings can be tricky, especially if the nature of one’s queerness falls outside of white gay cisgender affluence and assimilation. That’s why I, as a queer person, am […]
Posted inColumns
Jerry Frear: The transformative power of gratitude
On the road to personal transformation, there is an often-overlooked practice called gratitude. Gratitude is a fuel to transformation and by embracing and expressing it, creates a profound shift in mindset. Look at the role of gratitude in personal transformation and discover some practical steps for harnessing its power. What does gratitude look like? My wife […]
Posted inCity & Government
Opinion: Student drivers need to know the costs of driving high
With the recent legalization of recreational cannabis for Rhode Island’s adults comes a significant influx of access to the drug, and make no mistake about it, this means easier access for our youth as well. This realistic fact influences the many physical and mental health concerns surrounding children and cannabis use, but in particular, we […]
Posted inCity & Government
Opinion – Mayor Xay: Protecting historic Newport requires carefully preparing for the challenges ahead
Newport, Rhode Island is known world-wide for its breathtaking scenic beauty and its rich, cultural history. As Newport residents, either by birth or by choice, we benefit from the diverse cultural heritage that has defined our island community for centuries, and we each have important roles to play in its evolution and preservation for future […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Just my Opinion: Freedom of Expression? I think so
Outside the Gamm Theater on Sunday afternoon, a group of protestors from what they said is the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel were objecting to a billboard promoting the theater’s current production, “Bad Jews.” Literature the group distributed said the theater in 2018 had canceled a production because an impersonation show raised “concerns about blackface…Double […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the Editor: A few exciting and positive aspects of the Newport Community Electricity Program
This May, Newport will be rolling out its Community Electricity Program, a program our Newport Energy & Environment commission first brought to the attention of City Council and staff back in 2019. I want to highlight a few exciting and positive aspects of the new program. In short, Newport is introducing more choice in energy […]
Posted inCity & Government
Opinion – The Road to Awesome: A vision for a truly public RI transit system
I still get giddy every time I hop on the bus and ride from my home in Pawtucket to downtown Providence. I smile a big goofy smile, snap a selfie and text friends like I’m at a concert. I’m lucky to live right on the R-line, the most used (and only free) bus line in […]
Posted inOpinion
February 20, 2023: The Station Fire 20 years later
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Station Nightclub Fire, a tragedy that left an indelible scar on the psyche of many Rhode Islanders. In a state this small, if you didn’t know someone directly affected, chances are you know someone affected indirectly by the events that night. And while the scar may have […]
Posted inColumns
Column: Take that, all you imaginary haters!
By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Columnist Forget the U.S. hockey team knocking off the mighty Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics. That shocking upset doesn’t come close to the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl against all imaginary odds. Or the Georgia Bulldogs somehow capturing a second straight national championship that no one except […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion – Mayor Xay: Bold steps needed to address housing for Newport
At the Newport City Council’s January 4th Goal Setting Workshop, every member of the Council identified the City’s housing shortage as a top priority. The data from the 2021 U.S. Census’s American Community Survey supports what we hear every day from our community: Newport has a housing crisis. Since 2015, the cost to own a […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion: Governor McKee likely to name former Commerce Secretary as Rhode Island’s Housing Czar
We’re hearing that former Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor will likely be named the new Rhode Island Housing Secretary early this week, after the resignation last week of Josh Saal, who had been in the job for only a few months. Saal had come under criticism from Rhode Island House and Senate leadership, as Gov. Dan […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion – Barbara VonVillas : Slight change in direction
On Monday evening, I attended a meeting dedicated to “conversation” about school regionalization. At that meeting, I made a presentation intended to promote renewed collaboration between Newport and Middletown that would benefit the students in both communities. My presentation detailed a plan that would demonstrate the way that the two high schools could function as […]