NEWPORT, R.I. – Citing concern for public safety, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has begun what it describes as a “very early discussion” to determine the fate of the train depot on America’s Cup Avenue.
The depot, which serves as the base for the Old Colony & Newport Railroad and Newport Dinner Train, has been a fixture along the city’s main downtown thruway since being moved to its present location in the early 1980s.
It’s one of the first historic looking structures visitors see after coming off the Newport Bridge, but in recent years, there has been growing concern over the structural integrity of the canopies, the maintenance and the appearance of the surrounding site.
(This article first appeared in the Sept. 1 issue of Newport This Week.)
NEWPORT, R.I. – As we wrote in Newport This Week today, Salve Regina University will be instituting a new alcohol policy on campus for this upcoming school year, which starts Sept. 8.
The policy, which allows for a limited consumption of alcohol on school property, was developed through student input, is supported by President Jane Gerety, the Senior Administration, and by the school Trustees.
In an email sent to the student body, President Gerety outlines the changes that the school is making in regards to alcohol on campus. Details are above the fold in this week’s NTW. Pick up your copy today to find out more. Or check back here later in the week when we upload the full story.
The regatta kicks off Friday night, Sept. 3, with Panerai’s festive opening night celebration at the Museum of Yachting, followed by two days of racing run by organizing authority Sail Newport and the event’s traditional Classic Yacht Parade on Sunday morning.
NEWPORT, R.I. – A technical outerwear company that recently relocated to Newport has brought on the former head of toy giant FAO Schwartz, another strong signal of confidence for a company that has been one of the unsung bright spots of the local economy.
Wild Things, LLC, the maker of sophisticated technical outerwear for the US Military, Law Enforcement and Consumer markets, announced on Monday that Edward Schmults has joined Wild Things as CEO and member of the Board of Directors.
Most recently, Schmults served as Chief Executive Officer of FAO Schwarz, a premier retailer of toys and luxury items for children.
Paddlers approach their mark just south of the Newport Bridge in the first Newport SUP Cup, presented by Coastal Urge on Saturday (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
With brilliant blue skies overhead and temperatures in the low to mid 80s, you couldn’t have ordered up a better day.
Plenty of locals turned out for the event, but so did some pros from as far away as California. Rhode Island is still only beginning to get into the SUP game, but if the turnout over the weekend was any indicator, it looks like it could be here to stay.
NEWPORT, R.I. – Rogers High School has been ranked as the fourth best public high school in the state by Rhode Island Monthly, thrusting the once struggling school into the top echelon of public schools in the state.
According to the rankings, which appear this year in the annual Schools Issue of the popular magazine, Rogers joins perennial top performers Classical High School, Barrington, and East Greenwich as the top four schools in the state.
Newport Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John H. Ambrogi was expectedly ebullient when reached for comment on Thursday. “We were thrilled,” he said of his reaction upon receiving news of the school’s ranking. “I think it really reflects well on the quality of programs we’re offering at Rogers.”
Originally ordered for $325,000, the city has paid $25,000 less on a prototype seaweed harvester for Easton's Beach. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
Back up and running, the harvester plows its way through the surf on Tuesday morning.
NEWPORT, R.I. – The city’s $325,000 prototype seaweed harvester is back in commission after undergoing repairs to its conveyor belt, according to City Manager Edward F. Lavallee.
Sidelined for roughly a week while a new stainless steel conveyor belt was installed, unlike its first season last year, the contraption had been operating regularly this summer, helping to thin out the mass of red seaweed that perennially plagues Easton’s Beach. But, after hitting the water one recent morning, the old plastic conveyor belt gave way.
NEWPORT, R.I. – The Newport Gulls will continue their quest for a second straight NECBL championship tonight as they face off against the North Shore Navigators, who earned the right to face the defending title holders after a narrow 7-6 victory in a decisive game 3 battle with the Sanford Maines last night.
The Gulls, who swept the Laconia Muskrats in their opening round earlier this week, are 4 and 2 against the Navigators this year, and finished two games ahead of the North Shore team in the Eastern division standings.
Game 1 is scheduled to go off at 6:35 p.m. at Cardines Field in downtown Newport.
George Wein seated at piano (with keyboard cover closed) on stage at Economy Hall tent, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2009.
NEWPORT, R.I. – Legendary music impresario George Wein, who for more than 50 years has been responsible for organizing two of Newport’s most iconic and beloved events, will take time out from his undoubtedly busy schedule today to reflect on his time at the helm of the Newport folk and jazz festivals.
Part of the ongoing BridgeFest line-up, Wein will sit with local journalist Jim Gillis at Salve Regina’s McKillop Library for a special lecture this afternoon at 3 o’clock. The event is free and open to music lovers of all kinds.
Scoot Coupes are more scooter than they are car, and can be seen frequently around town during the summer months.
NEWPORT, R.I. – Those brightly colored three-wheelers that scoot around town don’t seem to be all that popular in one nearby island community.
The Martha’s Vineyard Times reports today on some controversy surrounding a scooter rental company’s attempt to bring the not-quite-a-car contraptions known as Scoot Coupes to the streets of Oak Bluffs.
According to the Times, Newport is the only city in the northeast which currently rents the vehicles, and some on the island on aren’t too keen to seeing the Vineyard follow suit.
Power to the recently installed replica horse trough fountain in Washington Square.
NEWPORT, R.I. – A power line supplying electricity to the water pump for the horse trough fountain recently unveiled in Washington Square was accidentally cut last week, putting the center piece of a years-long restoration project temporarily out of commission.
Bill Riccio, director of utilities for the city, confirmed on Tuesday that a power line running to the fountain was cut by a crew from National Grid who had begun work to replace a gas line on Touro Street in preparation for the third phase of the Washington Square project.
NEWPORT, R.I. – Facing blanket opposition from City Council members, a proposal to shift $450,000 in state funds allocated for a pilot project to improve a section of Lower Thames Street to cover a budget overrun in the city’s ongoing Washington Square redevelopment project was promptly withdrawn last night, while at the same time councilors renewed their commitment to making long-awaited improvements to the Lower Thames Street area.
City Manager Edward F. Lavallee, who had earlier written to councilors recommending the transfer out of concern that the city might lose out on the earmark, retracted his request and instead instructed the administration to seek out savings, and if necessary, alternative funding in order to fully complete the final phase of the Washington Square revamp – which is estimated to be roughly $520,000 over budget.
The change of course preempted what seemed to have been a forgone defeat, with several council members expressing surprise that the recommendation made it onto the docket.
NEWPORT, R.I. – City Council members are set to meet tonight on what appears to be a relatively light docket. Punctuating the meeting are two items, both of which can be found by searching through our new Scribd document files (seen above and after the jump).
The first, a communication from the city manager requesting permission for the city to petition the RIDOT to allow the use of anticipated state funds that were originally targeted for a Thames Street Demonstration Project, which would have made roadway improvements to the area from America’s Cup to Ann Street, to be re-allocated to the completion of Washington Square in an amount of $450,000.
According to the city manage, the action is necessary in order to make up for an estimated $522,523 construction overrun. [click to continue…]
Operators hoped to have the Aquidneck Ferry begin service as early as April.
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NEWPORT, R.I. – It doesn’t appear that the operator of a proposed hop-on-hop-off ferry service will be making a maiden voyage any time soon.
Addison Closson, who in January announced plans to bring a new harbor shuttle service to Newport Harbor, said on Tuesday that he wasn’t sure whether his 65-foot wooden packet boat would be ready in time for the season.
According to Closson, the vessel sustained some damage while going in for repairs and updating in Providence. Since then, as any wooden boat owner can relate to, it’s been one thing after another.
“We’re moving along as best we can,” Closson said.
However with a stringent Coast Guard certification process still to come and a ruling by regulators at the Public Utiliies Commission outstanding, Closson said he couldn’t be sure the vessel would be in the water before the summer ends.
Thankfully, as Meg O’Neil writes in this week’s issue of NTW,there are still plenty of ways to make your way around the harbor thanks to services like Oldport Marine’s stepped up Harbor Shuttle.
NEWPORT, R.I. – A technical outerwear company that recently relocated to Newport has brought on the former head of toy giant FAO Schwartz, another strong signal of confidence for a company that has been one of the unsung bright spots of the local economy.
NEWPORT, R.I. – The Newport Gulls will continue their quest for a second straight NECBL championship tonight as they face off against the North Shore Navigators, who earned the right to face the defending title holders after a narrow 7-6 victory in a decisive game 3 battle with the Sanford Maines last night.
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Newport, RI
