Table of Contents

CALENDAR 17CLASSIFIEDS 22COMMUNITY BRIEFS 4CROSSWORD 21EDITORIAL 6MAINSHEET 11NAVY NEWS 10POLICE LOG 5REALTY TRANSACTIONS 7RECENT DEATHS 22RESTAURANTS 14-18SPORTS 18

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WHATS INSIDE

LOCAL NEWS MATTERS PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

Vol. 39, No. 14 THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 BORN FREE

High school girls fast pitch softball got underway for local schools yesterday and, in a match up of Aquidneck Island rivals, the Middletown High School girls romped over Rogers in a Division II-South opener. The final score was 11-1. In the photo above, the Vikings team captain, Maryellen Mel Settle, takes a big swing at an Islander pitch, called for by Middletowns catcher, Glenn Murphy. The Islanders play, next, at Barrington High School on April 9th, while Rogers will swing for their first win on April 11 at East Greenwich. Photo by Rob Thorn

See FIRE CUTS on page 3

Swinging Into Spring

Soilless Growing Takes Root at SRU

While the basement room doesnt look like much right now, SRUs Sister Leona Misto points out details to Irving Backman and Eric Milner, in what will become a state-of-the-art hydroponics lab by

the end of April. (Photo by Meg ONeil)

NATURE PAGE 19

See SALVE on page 2

Temporary NFD Staffing Compromise

By Tom Shevlin

The citys firefighter union scored a quick victory on Friday, temporar-ily staying a plan by the city admin-istration to cut the departments minimum staffing levels.

According to David Hanos, presi-dent of Newport Firefighter Local 1080 IAFF, both sides have agreed to a temporary restraining order that will keep the city staffed at 19 firefighters until a full hearing on the citys plan can be held.

The agreement was reached on the same day that the city had planned on reducing the minimum staffing level from 20 men per shift to 17, in what administration offi-cials say is part of a impending city-wide restructuring program.

Operating without a formal con-tract since June 30, 2005, the union had filed a request for an injunction on Friday, April 1 in Superior Court claiming that reducing the force down to 17 man shifts was unsafe

See CYCLISTS on page 7

Group Aims for Cyclists Paradise

By Tom Shevlin

Bari George isnt a competitive cyclist. She doesnt own an ultra-light road bike, you wont find her in spandex, and shes not interested in breaking any speed records on her jaunts around Ocean Drive. But George does live in Historic Hill, and when the weather breaks, chances are youll find her car in the drive-way and her bike on the road.

Frankly, it makes sense for her to pedal rather than drive; gas prices are on the rise, parking is at a pre-mium, and she lives in the heart of the city, just a stones throw from a wealth of shopping, restaurants, and the recreation points.

However, as anyone who navi-gates the mash of cars and pedes-trians that clog the citys streets during the summer months can tell you, biking in Newport can be tricky.

In an almost unspoken traffic hi-erarchy, cars rule our roadways. Pe-destrians and scooters fill in a space just below. Bicycles, though a criti-cal form of transportation for many in our community, rank somewhere lower still.

Consider this: We have dedicated walking trails like the Cliff Walk and Harbor Walk; we even have a blue trail designed for kayaks and other small craft in the inner harbor. But

By Meg ONeil

Walking through a basement corridor of Salve Regina University, a figurehead appears almost vis-ibly excited in an otherwise drea-ry cellar room of the Hunt & Reefe residence hall.

Sister Leona Misto, Vice President for Mission Integration and Plan-ning, is welcoming a small group to the bare expanse of a room. The space is monastic; with concrete floors, an exposed dropped ceiling, and dated wooden wall panels, lit only by the yellowish glow of fluo-rescent lighting.

Its hard to imagine that, soon, this room is not only expected to turn into a lab for the new Envi-ronmental Studies program at the university, but also projected to produce a plethora of plants, veg-etables, and fruits in the coming months.

Using hydroponic gardening methods, which allow growing to occur with only mineral and nutri-ent rich water, the new lab has tak-en root in the basement at SRU.

Its hard to picture at first; the suspended ceiling, with the panel-ing taken out, leaves only a tic-tac-toe-like matrix of aluminum beams left in place as a means of hanging various lighting systems that will be used to grow plants in a controlled climate. But, as Assistant Professor Dr. Jameson Chace explains, its the very lack of windows and climate controlled capability that make the location perfect.

According to Misto, the lab equipment will be installed by the end of April, and growing plants by June.

If the new lab performs as an-ticipated, it could help transform how we look at local agriculture.

The project is the result of a col-laborative effort between SRU, Bos-ton College, and Massachusetts philanthropist, Irving Backman.

The two campuses are working closely together in an effort to be-come the leading hydroponics ed-ucation program on the East Coast.

Backman, who donated the lab equipment to both SRU and BC, sees the opportunity for hydro-ponics as a way to both reinvent the way the world produces food and solve the worlds food short-age. It isnt rocket science, he says. But, in a sense, it is. Were re-

producing what nature has done, and creating crops without soil. If we can eliminate soil, were ulti-mately eliminating pesticides.

Brought together by Provi-dence-based social venture pro-gram, Betaspring, together, this team of agricultural innovators is hoping to parlay their Grow-house concept into a commercial-ly viable business model.

Theyve dubbed the project GrowhouseRI.

According to hydroponics ex-perts, the growing time for hydro-ponic plants is faster than it is with traditional outdoor planting meth-ods. Planting outdoors poses two major limitations: limited outdoor

months in which to grow, and lim-ited light due to weather condi-tions and the darkness of night.

In a hydroponics lab, a variety of different indoor lighting sys-tems double the growth period, shortening the amount of time it takes for a plant to reach maturity. By doubling growth time, twice as much food can be produced. Not only is food production increased, but proponents say that the yield can be even healthier than organ-ic standards, as the water used in organic growing may not be as clean as that used in a hydropon-ic system.

Page 2 Newport This Week April 7, 2011

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Everyone Loves a Parade... and AwardsAt an award ceremony, held following the St. Patricks Day Parade, outstanding entrants

were recognized with plaques and certificates. The celebration was held at the Coastal Ex-treme Brewing Company in Newport. Hostess Laura Blackwell, below, presented a $2,000 donation from the brewery to St. Patricks Day parade chair, Dennis Sullivan. The young-est to come forward, was the son of Mike Farley, who is seen at right holding the Best Float award in recognition for the Soap Box Derbys parade entry. The Mystic Highland Pipe Band, one of four bands acknowledged by parade judges, attended in full regalia for the evening. Sullivan also announced that Chaz Donovan, a 30-year veteran of the parade committee, will be honored as Grand Marshal of the 2012 St. Patricks Day parade. Next years parade will also be dedicated to the late Jim Toppa. (Photos by Rob Thorn)

With the confines of a small 120 square-foot classroom at BC, As-sociate Professor Michael Barnett, head of the new hydroponic class-room at the college, is expected to produce a crop of lettuce, spinach, and cucumbers that would normal-ly be yielded from roughly a half acre of land. As the project proves to be successful, and the lab space can expand, so can the possibilities of growth.

What can be grown in such a small space, like a classroom at BC, and a larger basement room at SRU, is just the beginning of what could become the next wave of food pro-duction in the United States.

Breaking it down to a local lev-el, Barnett explains the education-al possibilities hydroponics could bring to a community. The collabo-ration between SRU and BC is not just a program for those at the col-lege level. It will be a means of com-munity outreach; extending knowl-edge learned at the universities, to the high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, and ulti-mately, the homes in those com-munities.

As Barnett explains, the science behind hydroponics is a practice that is geared toward lifelong learn-ing at a multitude of levels.

While the BC project is only a few months ahead of Salves, propo-nents say the idea of connecting to younger students in the communi-ty is apparent in both.

Local elementary students can learn the germination process and sprout the seedling, Barnett says. From there, the plant would go to the older middle and high school students, who have been trained with the undergrads, to raise the plants to maturity in the labsall while learning the science and math used in hydroponics. Kids can do pretty sophisticated work in the lab.

Once the food is harvestable, it can be served in the cafeterias of lo-cal schools or sent home with stu-dents. Its a way to keep kids en-gaged and motivated, says Barnett. This way, students get hands-on ex-perience growing their own food.

Backman elaborated that tradi-tional Farm to School programs have been hampered locally by New Englands climate. People cant start planting until May or June, he explains, and the primary grow-ing months occur during the sum-mer, while children are on vacation. With a controlled environment, we can plant seeds in a controlled set-tingall year long.

If the hydroponics labs at the two universities are successful endeav-ors, the possibility of expansion to larger facilities is imminent, advo-cates say.

The future of food is here, as Backman continues, As (President) Obama said, we need innovative technologies to move our country forward.

On this issue, Newport appears to be on the leading edge.

55th

Ann

ual N

ewport St. Patricks Day Parade

Saturday March 12 2

011

April 7, 2011 Newport This Week Page 3

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A publication of Island CommunicationsCopyright 2011

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Middletown OKs Coyote HunterBy Tom Shevlin

Over the objections of a dozen or so animal rights activists, Town Council members here voted on Monday to approve an ordinance change that would allow the town to hire a professional hunter to deal with Middletowns growing coyote problem.

The move comes on the heels of an island-wide coyote summit held in February and affirms a proposal by the police chief to combat over-ly-aggressive coyotes.

In a memo to councilors, Police

Chief Anthony M. Pesare request-ed that Chapter 90.01 of the towns municipal ordinances be amended to allow the chief to allow, at his or her discretion, hunting of an identi-fied nuisance animal with a firearm other than a shotgun. If authorized, no caliber size above .229 would be permitted, and hunting will be re-stricted from April 1 Sept. 1.

According to Pesare, certain pred-atory animals, specifically coyotes, cannot be effectively hunted due to their limited range. The change in the ordinance would allow the police department to authorize a hunter or landowner to use a more

effective weapon. The ordinance would not affect other existing re-strictions on hunting such as license requirements, landowner permis-sions, or the discharging of firearms in densely populated areas.

Its the children were concerned about, said council president Art Weber. The chief is doing what hes supposed to do to serve and protect, and were supporting his efforts.

The hunter, who will only be compensated for bullets and mile-age, has not been identified. He could begin hunting within the next two weeks.

and violated the terms of the latest arbitrators ruling.

Stopping short of granting a full injunction, Judge Stephen P. Nu-gent issued a temporary restraining order after the two sides met in a closed door meeting.

Attorney Elizabeth Wiens, who represented the union in the mat-ter, said the order was agreed to by both sides, and essentially main-tains the status quo until an full hearing could be held on April 20.

Hanos, who had voiced his con-cern over the implications that the planned cuts would have on the safety of his men and on the city, was buoyed by the ruling.

This is really significant, he said. With 19 men per shift, Hanos said that the department would be able to keep both aerial trucks in opera-tion, hopefully, until a final contract agreement is reached.

Up until this week, the city had planned on honoring an expired contract which required a mini-mum of 19 firefighters per shift during the winter, and 20 firefight-ers per shift in the summer. The city was preparing to move up to its 20 man shift on April 1.

But according to City Manager Ed-ward F. Lavallee, the reduction was needed in order to cope with a po-tentially crippling budget deficit.

On paper, the fire department has 99 positions, including 11 un-filled vacancies and seven admin-istrative employees. That means, there are 81 firefighters that can be spread out over four platoons. The city hadnt planned on cutting any actual active positions, but is rath-er hoping to reduce the amount in overtime paid out over the course of a year by reducing its minimum manning requirement.

Thats something that both the city and the union have discussed for some time, as negotiations have been ongoing for months. In fact, according to individuals familiar with the discussions, the two sides had been close to a deal at least once over the summer, but things fell apart before a final contract could be signed.

According to Hanos, his union had been prepared to reduce staff-ing to 18 man shifts, plus give up a dispatcher position.

Whether the two sides can come to an agreement before their April 20 court date remains to be seen. Hanos said Friday that he looks for-ward to sitting back down to the bargaining table.

Building Committee Asks for Less Whimsy

By Tom Shevlin

Given their first glimpses of a pair of revised exterior designs for the new Claiborne d. Pell Ele-mentary School, members of the Pell School Building Committee agreed on Wednesday to pursue a more traditional appearance over one that featured what architects described as touches of whimsy.

During a roughly hour-long presentation, HMFH Architects Matthew LaRue and Laura Wer-nick took committee members through a PowerPoint presenta-tion in which they laid out the pro-cess that ultimately led them to the two most recent designs for the $30 million school.

LaRue explained how the resi-dential nature of the neighbor-hood had influenced their de-sign. The goal, he said, is to create a building which does not over-whelm its surroundings, while at the same time providing a stimu-lating learning environment for school children.

Wernick explained that the goal of the exercise was not to pick one design over another, but rather to identify specific elements which the committee responded to.

The committee was then pre-sented with two design investiga-tions: Option A and Option B.

Featuring a sloping roof in the center span of the building, clock tower, and colorful perforated metal panels to accent the outside of the building, Option A incor-porated what LaRue described as some playful elements. It would also feature an entry plaza with separate entry canopies for the upper and lower schools, as well as an arbor which could be used to grow vines or other vegetation.

But several members of the com-mittee expressed reticence over the design, citing community re-action to other schools where tra-dition was put aside for whimsy.

People still complain about the new Rogers High School, said School Committee Member San-dra J. Flowers.

Option B, on the other hand, featured most of the same win-

dow placements and setbacks, but a more traditional roofline and no metal panelling.

School Superintendent Dr. John H. Ambrogi likened the streetscape to that of a row of townhouses. The more classic building fits bet-ter in the community, he said, add-ing that Option B features cleaner lines that he believes will stand the test of time.

Building Committee Member Marty Grimes agreed. He said that he thought that Option A would age more quickly over time than Option B.

I dont really like whimsy, he said.

At that point, Wernick interject-ed, Who likes whimsy?

Building Committee Chair Jo Eva Gaines offered some tepid support. I like a little whimsy, she said.

Wernick noted that the building is not meant, necessarily, for the community, but for kids. This is a place for little kids, she said, its a place for them.

But the consensus of the group was to take the money that would otherwise be spent on playful ex-terior elements and allocate it to-ward the interior learning space.

Soon after, the 10 committee members in attendance voted unanimously to pursue Option B.

From there, discussion moved to the buildings exterior cladding. Under the proposal put forth by HMFH, the front of the building would be comprised of brick, simi-lar to Thompson Middle School. The back of the building would be clad with a concrete-based materi-al, similar in look to granite, which could come in a number of differ-ent colors.

Ambrogi suggested that the committee hold a public meet-ing with neighbors at the Sullivan School in the coming weeks to fur-ther discuss the design, for which there was broad agreement.

On a final note, committee mem-bers indicated that beginning later this month, future meetings would be held on Tuesday evenings, as opposed to Wednesdays in order to encourage more participation.

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The enclosed photos of a marble head has been in our family for a long time. It looks like it was broken off a larger statue, but the back side is flat and it sits on a table evenly. I saw a similar item on The Road Show a few years ago and it was worth over $20,000. How old is our head and what is it worth? Marisa G.

Marisa,After looking at the several photos

you emailed, your head is a grand tour copy sold to tourists in the late 19th century. This type of carving was mass-produced for tourists who wished a memento of their trip to Italy. Period Roman era sculptures are valuable while sculptures such as this one have a value of between $500 and $600.

Coffee Hour with NTWJoin members of the Newport

This Week staff at The Peoples Caf on Thames St. on Friday mornings, at 10 a.m. Sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee and discuss the latest hap-penings in Newport. Got any news tips for us? How about an idea for a story youd like to see in New-port This Week or on Newport-Now.com?

Federico Santi, Partner, The Drawing Room Antiques (We receive about 30 emails each week requesting information,

so please be patient; we will get to yours, in due time.)

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Nominate a Newport Preservation Project

Nominations are now being ac-cepted for the 2011 Doris Duke His-toric Preservation Awards, which celebrate preservation excellence in Newport. Application deadline is Friday, April 29. Each year, indi-vidual homeowners, non-profit or-ganizations or local businesses are honored for their contributions to the community. A wide variety of projects may be nominated, in-cluding small or large buildings; landscapes or streetscapes; educa-tion or advocacy projects; sustain-able green building preservation; and projects showcasing crafts-manship or artisanship. Nomina-tions are due by Friday, April 29. Visit www.newportrestoration.org or email lisa @newportrestora-tion.org for nomination informa-tion. Award recipients will be rec-ognized in a ceremony at Doris Dukes Rough Point on Friday, Sep-tember 9. Event proceeds are giv-en as grants to fund community preservation projects.

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Inn Gains Elite StatusThe Mill Street Inn was recently

selected as a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) brand. A former 19th-century mill, the inn at 75 Mill St., was convert-ed to an all-suite hotel in the 1980s and has undergone more than $1 million in major improvements un-der its current ownership. It now features 23 newly renovated lux-ury suites. Only the worlds finest small luxury hotels are accepted into the SLH brand based on strict criteria. The Mill Street Inn is proud to be part of an unrivaled portfolio consisting of 500 hotels in 70 coun-tries.

Roger Williams Names President

The Roger Williams University Board of Trustees has named edu-cator, scientist and attorney Donald J. Farish, Ph.D., as its 10th president. Chairman Richard L. Bready an-nounced the selection on March 29 to university students, faculty and staff at a campus event. Dr. Farish concludes a 13-year term as presi-dent of Rowan University in Glass-boro, N.J. this semester and will take office on July 1. He succeeds Ronald O. Champagne, Ph.D, who has served as interim president at RWU since Aug. 2010.

Self-Image of WomenThe womens group, Women Em-

powered and Blessed (W.E.B.), of the United Congregational Church in Middletown invites the public to attend a discussion in the churchs Manchester Room on Monday eve-ning, April 11 at 7 p.m. The church is located at the corner of Green End Avenue and Valley Road. This discussion of self-image, for wom-en of all ages, will be led by Dara Chadwick, Psychology Today blog-ger and author of the award-win-ning book, Youd Be So Pretty If.Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies-Even When We Dont Love Our Own. Tweens, teens, and women of all ages are invited to at-tend. Refreshments will be served. The discussion is free, but those at-tending are asked to bring an ac-cessory appropriate for a teenage girl; these will be donated to the Ophelia Project of The Child and Family Services.

Free Sign Language Classes

The Friends of the Jamestown Library is offering a free, 10-week sign language class on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. through June 8 at the library. Gemma Guinguing, Miss Deaf Rhode Island in 2005, will teach the class. For more in-formation visit www.jamestownri.com /library/

Middletown Rotary Cereal Night

The Middletown Rotary Club held a Cereal Night food and fundraiser for Lucys Hearth on March 23 at the Middletown Library. Food was collected and more than $200 was raised; many monetary donations were received from people coming to use the library. Donations will be accepted through April. For more information, or to make a donation, call club president Carol Mitchell at 737-2221.Food & Wine Expo

The third annual Food & Wine Expo will be held at OceanCliff on April 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. The ticket donation is $25, with proceeds to benefit the music departments of Newport, Middletown and Ports-mouth High Schools. The evenings musical entertainment, which is do-nated, will be provided by Dick Lu-pino, Mac Chrupcala, Dennis Cook, and Jeff Fountain.

Swanhurst Spring Concert

Back to Bach, Swanhurst Cho-rus Spring Concert will honor Jo-hann Sebastian Bach with an of-fering of two choral masterpieces, the Motet BWV 227, Jesu, meine Freude, and Cantata #4, Christ lag in Todesbanden. The chorus will be accompanied by a chamber orches-tra on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. at the Church of S John the Evangelist, corner of Washington and Willow streets. Tickets are $20 and $10 for students. Visit www.Swanhurst.org or call 682-1630 for more informa-tion or to reserve advance seating.

Two Gentlemen of Verona at Salve

Salve Regina Universitys De-partment of Performing Arts will close its season with Two Gentle-men of Verona: the Musical, April 15-17. The show combines a Latin pop-rock score by the composer of Hair with Shakespeares story. Di-rected by Salve Regina alumni and New York City actor Bobby Matteau, the musical is the story of lifelong friends who leave their rural home-town of Verona to experience life in the big city of Milan. Performances will be in the historic Casino The-atre, 9 Freebody St., at 8 p.m. on Fri-day and Saturday, April 15-16, and at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17. Tickets are $15 for gen-eral admission, $10 for seniors and $7 for students, and may be pur-chased by calling 341-2250.

Secret Garden Soire The Secret Garden Tours will host

Bouchard On Bellevue Trois, an el-egant afternoon at Bellevue House, 304 Bellevue Ave., on Sunday, April 17, 1-3 p.m. Bellevue House, owned by Ron Fleming, features beautiful-ly restored gardens and the fund-raising event is timed to coincide with the blooming of thousands of daffodils. Guests will be treated to a gourmet cooking demonstration by Chef Albert Bouchard and win-etasting with Susan Samson of Sa-konnet Vineyards. Tickets are $20 in advance/ $25 at the door (if avail-able). Proceeds benefit arts edu-cation in Aquidneck Island public schools. Tickets are available at www.secretgardentours.org.

Victor Borge Remembered

The Friends of the Newport Mu-sic Festival will host its spring re-ception and presentation on Tues-day, April 12, at 5 p.m. at the Pell Center, Salve Regina University. Ja-net Borge Crowle will present My Father Victor Borge, A Daughters Reflections, discussing the pro-fessional and personal aspects of his life, including his childhood, escape from the Nazis, musical training and humanitarian work. A longtime favorite of the Newport Music Festival and friend of Mark Malkovich III, Borge drew record crowds each time he appeared in Newport. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling the New-port Music Festival at 846-1133.

Cereal Nights Help Neighbors in Need

Aquidneck Islanders have stepped out in force in recent weeks to support local food pantries. Two drives focusing on cereal have net-ted great results. St. Pauls United Methodist Church invited parish-ioners and members of the com-munity to meet for a cereal dinner, asking participants to donate what they would have spent on their evening meal to support local food programs. Proceeds were donated to the Martin Luther King Center, the Salvation Army, the Florence Gray Center and the Methodist Community Garden. Also, the Mid-dletown Rotary Club held a Cereal Night food and fundraiser at the Middletown Library. Many mon-etary contributions were received from library patrons and all food and funds were donated to Lucys Hearth.

April 7, 2011 Newport This Week Page 5

Newport Police LogDuring the period from Mon-

day, March 28 to Monday, April 4, the Newport Police Depart-ment responded to 562 calls. This list has now been expanded to include all public services provided. Of those, 125 were motor vehicle related; there were 103 motor vehicle viola-tions issued and 22 accidents.

The police also responded to 12 incidents of vandalism, 16 animal complaints, 10 noise complaints and 22 home/busi-ness alarm calls.

Officers also performed 10 liquor establishment checks and 14 school security checks (5-Rogers, 7-Thompson, 2-Cog-geshall). They transported 7 pris-oners and recorded 10 instances of assisting other agencies. They also conducted 8 DARE classes.

In addition, 32 arrests were made for the following viola-tions:

n Six arrests were made for outstanding warrants.n Five arrests were made for

disorderly conduct.n Four arrests were made for

possession of alcohol by a minor.n Four arrests were made for

simple assault.n Three arrests were made for

manufacture, possession, or de-livery of narcotics.n One arrest was made for

noise violation.n One arrest was made for

weapon law violation.n One arrest was made for

having a toy vehicle on a road-way.n One arrest was made for

trespassing.n One arrest was made for as-

sault with a deadly weapon.n One arrest was made for

driving with a revoked or sus-pended license.n One arrest was made for

DUI.n One arrest was made for

open container of alcohol.n One arrest was made for

possession of marijuana.n One arrest was made for larceny.

Shantel N. Bailey Memorial Scholarship

The Shantel N. Bailey Memo-rial Scholarship was established in memory of Shantel N. Bailey, a ju-nior at Middletown High School, who was killed crossing West Main Rd. in November 2003. Two awards are given annually, one for a gradu-ating senior from Middletown High School and one for a graduating senior at Rogers High School. Ap-plicants must be seniors as of June 2011 who will be attending a two or four year college or educational program. Applicants must be in-volved in interscholastic sports, ex-tra curricular activities, have been involved in community service and be committed to continuing his or her education. Applications are available at the guidance offic-es at Middletown and Rogers high schools or at www.shantelbailery-project.org. Deadline for applica-tions is May 15.

Organizations are welcome to send scholarship information to

news@newportthisweek.net

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As parents, we have a small window in these formative years not only to educate our children, but to get them prepared for the challenges of the real world. We have found a partner in St. Michaels in raising our children and know that their SMS education will carry them confidently through to higher education and beyond.

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DAR Chapter to Hold Meeting

The Aquidneck Island Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will hold a joint meet-ing with the Nathanael Greene-Pet-taquamscutt Chapter of East Green-wich at the Newport Public Library on Tuesday, April 12 at 2 p.m.

The guest speaker will be Mary Ann Huggins, who will talk about her book Aesops Mirror.

At the March meeting, the fol-lowing slate of officers was elected: regent, Barbara Simmons; vice-re-gent, Margaret Hendrick; secretary, Maris Humphreys; treasurer, Linda Becker; registrar, Rosemarie Mello and chaplain, Florence Archam-bault. They will be installed at the May meeting.

The chapter is a merger of three Island chapters: the William Ellery Chapter, the Colonel William Barton Chapter and the Major William Tag-gart Chapter. The chapters merged into the Aquidneck Island Chapter in 2001.

Membership is open to any wom-an 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolu-tion. The group meets the second Tuesday of the month. For informa-tion, contact Barbara Simmons at 849-2629.

The National Womens Council of Realtors selected the Newport/Kent Washington Chapter to receive the Gold Award, recognizing excellence in membership value for 2010. The award is based on the quality of the local chapters membership recruitment and retention, educational program-ming, leadership development and communications. The Gold Award will be presented to the local chapter at the councils national convention in Washington, DC this May, and will be accepted by Shannon Buss, of Keller Williams Realty, who serves as the councils Rhode Island governor and lo-cal chapter president.

To learn more about the organization and membership opportunities, please visit www.WCR.org or contact the local chapter vice president of membership, Erica Sousa, 835-8523 or at ESousa@RaveisRE.com.

Nelson Eddy, RIs Own Russell Crowe, the Oscar-win-

ning star of the 2000 Film Gladia-tor, celebrates his 47th birthday on April 7th. While this column usu-ally focuses on film-related infor-mation that has taken place in and around Newport, Mr. Crowe has never made a film here. We hope that changes.

Rose Marie, a film starring Rhode Island born, Nelson Eddy and Jea-nette MacDonald will be shown Wednesday, April 13, at 6:45 p.m. at the Jamestown Library. Read more about Eddy on page 10.

The Newport Film Commission is a City of Newport Commission. For more in-formation visit them on facebook: New-port Film Commission or email them at newportrifilm@hotmail.com

Bike Ride for CharityThe public is invited to learn

about the clean water and hiv/aids charity: Blood:Water Mission at a fundraiser to be held on Thursday, April 14, from 6-9 p.m. at Aquidneck Pizza, 27 Aquidneck Ave. There will be food, games, raffles and prizes. This summer, Newporters Lisa and Aaron Phaneuf will be cycling from San Diego to Seattle (2,000 miles) to raise support and awareness for the project. The pair will partner with 10 other riders passionate to help this cause to continue their work in communities of need. The cost is $20 per person, with a por-tion of the nights proceeds going toward the couples charity ride.

Living Stations of the Cross Portrayal

Jesus Saviour Youth Group will present the Living Stations of the Cross on Palm Sunday, April 17 at 7 p.m. and again on Good Friday, April 22 at 3 p.m. at Jesus Saviour Church, 509 Broadway. The public is invited to attend. For more infor-mation, call 847-1267.

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Arts Week about to Kick Off

Spring into Art week is just around the corner, perfectly timed to coincide with April school vaca-tion. This years celebration of the arts in Newport County runs April 16-23, kicking off with an open-ing reception on Friday, April 15 at Downtown Designs, 57 Broad-way, 4-6 p.m. Dozens of events are scheduled in Newport, Middle-town, Portsmouth, Jamestown and Tiverton at 18 venues. Theatre, mu-sic and visual arts for all ages are showcased across Newport Coun-ty. Visit www.NewportArts.org or www.GoNewport.com for a com-plete schedule.

Mentors Needed Turning Around Ministries (TAM)

provides support services for peo-ple recently incarcerated as they transition back into the community. By providing counseling and case management services, TAM assists individuals in becoming productive members of society, finding jobs, housing and a supportive social cir-cle, helping them avoid the recidi-vism that often plagues former in-mates. The organization is in need of mentors for those going through the reentry porcess and also for people being placed in apartments through Housing First. TAM will host a fundraising dinner and silent auction at the Green Valley Coun-try Club in Portsmouth, April 16 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 and are avail-able by calling 846-0607.

New Officers InstalledNational Association of Realtors president, Ron Phipps, recently installed

the 2011 officers of the Newport/Kent Washington Chapter of the Wom-ens Council of Realtors during ceremonies at Castle Hill Inn. New officers installed were: president Shannon Buss, Keller Williams Realty; president elect, Michelle Drum, Gustave White Realty; vice president of member-ship, Erica Sousa, William Raveis; treasurer, Cynthia Valenti Smith, Wash-ington Trust Bank; and secretary, Anna Anton, William Raveis. Phipps also presented the 2010 Member of the Year Award to Nancy Rutter, Keller Wil-liams Realty and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Shannon Buss.

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Page 6 Newport This Week April 7, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Upcoming Municipal Meetings

NEWPORT

Regular Council Meeting, April 13 @ 6:30 p.m., T.B.A.

Regular Council Meeting, April 27 @ 6:30 p.m. City Hall-Council Chambers

MIDDLETOWNPlanning Board, April 07 @ 3:30 p.m.

Comprehensive Community Plan Update Committee, April 7 @ 5 p.m.

Beach Commission, April 12 @ 4:30 p.m.

Please note that some meetings scheduled after press time may not ap-pear above. For the latest upcoming meeting schedules visit SOS.RI.Gov, or visit Newport-Now.com.

Lynne Tungett, Publisher & Editor

Tom Shevlin, Associate Publisher & News Editor

Letters PolicyNewport This Week encourages all citizens to comment publicly on the events and times in which we live. We will print any letter sent to us, adhering to guidelines for taste, accuracy, fairness, and public interest. Letters must be signed by the author and must include a telephone number and street address. Letters are limited to 500 words. Direct letters to: Newport This Week, 86 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840. Letters may also be sent via email to newsl@newportthisweek.net, Attention: Editorial.

Corrections: We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and ethical responsibility. If you feel we have not met those standards, please notify us.

Your opinion counts. Use it!Send your letters to:

news@newportthisweek.net

EDITORIALHow Can City Close Deficit? Send Us Your Opinion

Nuclear Science Center in RI a Community RiskTo the Editor and Governor Chafee:

Located on the University of Rhode Islands Narragansett Bay campus, the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center has operated for nearly fifty years. Construction on the 2-megawatt research reactor began in 1962 and reached criti-cality, or stable research usability in 1964. Professor Dan Hirsch, the president of the non-profit nuclear policy organization Committee to Bridge the Gap, has commented that a reactor at this age is old in terms of safety, security, and use-fulness. In the wake of Japans nu-clear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, it is critical that we reevalu-ate the use value of this facility and address the potential risks it poses to the Rhode Island community.

What is the lifespan of this reactor? Is the state of Rhode Island taking a risk by continuing to operate this aging facility?

The initially projected operation-al lifetime of most nuclear reactors is 30 to 40 years. When a reactor exists beyond this time frame, its usefulness and stability must be as-sessed consistently and rigorously. Because the reactor in Narragan-sett is quite small and dedicated to research, its security threat is easily underestimated.

Like many other research reac-tors in the nation, the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center convert-ed to low-enriched, non-weapons grade uranium in 1994. The pri-mary security concerns at facilities such as this are for the potential theft of nuclear fuel, the targeting

of the reactor with an automotive bomb, and the possibility of an er-rant, though catastrophic, reaction. Facility director Terry Tehan has veri-fied that the enacted security sys-tem is fully prepared to coordinate a response to any of these scenarios.

The cost of maintaining the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Cen-terin terms of both budget and community riskcannot be over-stated. Now, more than ever, we must reevaluate the utility of nu-clear energy and research in Rhode Island. Following in the example of similar research reactors at other universities, I strongly encourage that you consider a decommission of the facility.

Ray RickmanProvidence

For the first time in its 160-year history, a challenge has been made by a South Korean yacht club for the Americas Cup. The Sail Korea Yacht Club, represented by Team Korea, has been officially accepted as a challenger for the 34th Amer-icas Cup, the team announced on Wednesday.

Team Korea will be known as the White Tiger Challenge. The White Tiger, or Baekho in Korean, is one of the revered ancient guardian gods in Korean mythology, ferocious and potent, and a fitting image for a team from one of the worlds major industrial nations with long term Americas Cup ambitions.

Founder of Team Korea is Dong Young-Kim, an accomplished sailor and the organizer of one of the big-gest prize money sailing events in

the world, The Korea Match Cup.The inaugural 2011/12 Ameri-

cas Cup World Series begins this summer with three regattas to be staged in Portugal, England and the USA further series are planned for 2012/13, before the Louis Vuit-ton Cup for all the challengers in San Francisco in 2013, followed by the 34th Americas Cup match it-self. Racing begins in new AC45 catamarans, which are then re-placed by giant 72-foot wing sailed monsters, potentially capable of speeds over 40 knots, competing in a combination of both fleet and match racing.

One of our major goals for the new Americas Cup is to enable teams to be sustainable sports fran-chises, so were excited to see Ko-rea enter the Americas Cup for the

first time, with sights set on build-ing a team for the future, Chairman of the Americas Cup Event Author-ity, Richard Worth said.

Having a country such as Korea enter the Americas Cup adds to the global impact of our event, so were very pleased to welcome Team Ko-rea to our growing field of interna-tional competitors.

Team Korea becomes the ninth Challenger accepted. They join two teams each from France and Ita-ly, one each from China, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand, plus the defender from the USA. There are three additional challengers who have yet to announce and two more are in the process of having their challenges vetted, making a total of 15 teams set to compete in the 34th Americas Cup.

Korea Announces First Americas Cup Challenge

As we recently reported, preliminary estimates show that the City of Newport is facing a budget deficit upwards of $9 million. In the current fiscal year, the city is being forced to make up some $1.5 million.

The reasons for the gap are many: the economy, reduced state aid, and mounting legacy costs.

Last week, we received an e-mail from a reader who had some rather interesting suggestions to help close the citys projected budget gap.

With the city manager poised to present his proposed budget to the City Council later this month, were interested to know what ideas you might have for either 1) generating new revenue, or 2) cutting the budget.

Were looking for some creative ideas; ideas which could get our elected officials thinking a bit outside the box.

This year, its up to us. There wont be any federal stimulus money to save us; the state

is tapped dry. There are going to be hard choices made over the next few weeks, and some in city government could very well be out of a job, soon.

If you were on the City Council, what would you do? Is it time the city moves to tax its non-profits? Is an admission

surcharge to summertime events the solution? What about work-ing with the municipal court to come up with some creative ideas for community service?

Councilors will begin the budget process next week when they formally receive the administrations proposed budget at their reg-ular April 13 meeting.

Perhaps we can get the discussion going here in print with your suggestions.

If you have an idea on how the city can make ends meet, wed love to hear them.

Send in your ideas electronically to news@newportthisweek.net, or mail to Newport This Week, 86 Broadway, Newport, R.I. 02840, and well print them here in our Letters section over the next several weeks.

For space purposes, please try to keep letters to 450 words or less, and be sure to include your name and mailing address for veri-fication purposes.

April 7, 2011 Newport This Week Page 7

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In conjunction with the human-itarian agency World Vision, First Presbyterian Church, Newport, is launching a drive to raise money for basic supplies medicine, ban-dages, ointments, soaps, wash-cloths and other items to stock AIDS Caregiver Kits for distribu-tion to family members and friends of AIDS victims in Africa and other AIDS-afflicted parts of the world.

A second phase will occur on Saturday, May 14, after the supplies have been ordered and received, when volunteers will break down the pallets of supplies, set up as-sembly tables in the church dining room, sort the supplies, and pack

the contents of each kit. The as-sembled kits will then be sent to a World Vision warehouse for ship-ment overseas.

An estimated 32.9 million people are living with HIV and AIDS world-wide. Every day, more than 5,400 people die from AIDS. This project will provide basic care which re-quires simple drug store supplies often unavailable locally those who are living and dying with AIDS can be comforted and helped by those closest to them.

The church invites community participation in both the fund drive and the hands-on kit assembly process. Donations may be sent

to the church office, 6 Everett St., Newport, until the deadline, April 17. The total cost of each kit, in-cluding supplies and shipping, is about $30, but donations need not be made to pay for complete kits. Gifts of any amount are welcome.

Both adults and older youths are welcome to help assemble AIDS Caregiver Kits. Names and contact information of volunteers may be submitted to the church office by calling 847-1749 or emailing secre-tary@fpcnewport.org.

For further information, con-tact AIDS Caregiver Kit Project Di-rector Jim McGrath, 619-0292 or jp.mcgrath@cox.net.

Gray Craig, the landmark man-sion overlooking Second Beach purchased by actor Nicholas Cage in 2007, has sold.

Lila Delman Real Estate, the list-ing agent for the property, an-nounced the sale on Monday. The buyers are Pamela and Andrew Constantine.

Originally listed at $19 million in 2008, the price for the opulent manse was recently reduced to $7.75 million. Cage purchased the home in 2007 for $15,700,000, but was cited for unpaid taxes by the town amounting to over $128,000.

Built in the tradition of the great English country manors, Gray Craig occupies more than 27 acres of land abutting the Norman Bird Sanctu-ary and Nelson Pond, with views of the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

The Constantines are proud to proceed with the established tradi-tion of respectful stewardship and plan to continue the conservation and preservation undertaken by previous owners, Lila Delman Real Estate said in a statement. They have a true appreciation of historic buildings and extensive experience in their restoration.

The Constantines plan to make Gray Craig available for rental to those wishing to experience the beauty and tranquility of a seaside country estate.

This is a significant sale in the context of the realities of todays market, said Melanie Delman, pres-ident of Lila Delman Real Estate. Rhode Island is positively impact-ed in that, as a previously some-what undiscovered treasure, our high end properties present as a significant value relative to other northeast destinations. Buyers who have previously considered areas such as Nantucket or the Hamptons are delighted by the beauty and liv-ability of a place like Newport that is also so accessible from New York and Boston.

unlike many other historic and sce-nic cities, Newport is at a loss for bike trails.

But the issue is broader than that. To many, Newport lacks a co-hesive cycling culture.

For years, civic leaders have es-poused the need to promote bicy-cling as an alternate mode of trans-portation. But bringing concept into reality has proven elusive. Thats where George comes in.

Hoping to boost the citys cycling consciousness, for the last several months, George has been spear-heading a multi-pronged effort to make Newport more bike-friendly.

Working with city and school officials, George believes New-port can be a model, bike-friendly, road-sharing city.

Bike Newport, and its associ-ated Website BikeNewport.me, launched in earnest this week. Working toward nothing less than a fundamental shift in the way the city views and approaches bi-cycling, George can picture a day when people tourists and resi-dents, alike leave their cars at home or in public parking facilities removed from downtown and opt to bike, walk, and trolley.

The result would be less traffic, quieter neighborhoods, and an overall healthier city.

On Tuesday, George met with city officials in the morning and then joined Schools Superinten-dent Dr. John H. Ambrogi at a meeting with state education offi-cials in the afternoon.

Plans are currently underway to develop a K-12 grade-appropriate curriculum centered around the concept, and according to George, both the Met School and the New-port Public Schools have signed on with the project.

According to a 2009 U.S. De-partment of Transportation study, the percentage of students walk-ing or bicycling to school has de-creased from 48 percent to 13 per-cent in the past 40 years. In the same period, the percentage of

students arriving or leaving by car has increased from 12 percent to 44 percent. Not surprisingly, child-hood obesity has seen an increase from 5 percent to 28 percent in the same period.

On the city side, momentum is building toward developing an ed-ucational outreach program that would educate bikers on the rules of the road.

Thats just the beginning. The group plans on kicking things off in style with the citys first Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 20. Join-ing the organizing effort are the AARP, Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, the Met School, New-port Historical Society, the City of Newport, T3 Fitness, Ten Speed Spokes, Newport County Chamber of Commerce, and the Newport and Bristol County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The day will start out with a breakfast meet up at the Friends Meeting House, followed by a mid-day press conference, and a com-munity ride to King Park where the day will wrap up with a city-wide bike fair. Any money raised during the fair will go to fund the proposed bicycling education pro-gram at local schools.

The CVB has also signed on to produce the first Newport City Bike Map, which would provide cyclists with the safest and most scenic routes in Newport, as identified by the state Department of Transpor-tation.

According to George, whatever concerns or objections there might be to promoting more cycling the narrowness of our historic streets, the condition of the roads, and cur-rent lack of dedicated signage have all been faced by other com-munities around the country.

What it all boils down to, she says, is making Newport a healthier, more livable city. Well be following along the efforts of Bike Newport in future editions of Newport This Week. For more on the group, visit us online at Newport-Now.com.

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62 Third St. Blue Rock Property LLC James Brown & $600,000 Rebecca Toppa 44 Clarke St. Gregory & Maria Mellekas Christopher Fiumara $465,0001401 Capelle South Christin & Margaret Montalbano Gerald Hussey $280,000 52 Morton Ave. Luca & Katherine Dewey Jill Blanchard $255,000 18 Newport Ave. Thomas Harris & Ellen Retlev Lisa Silvia & Matthew $250,000 Bruneau 5 Nicol Terr. Christopher & Erin Parker Gregory & Maria Mellekas $234,500 18 Weaver Ave. Todd Pietrasiak & Jason Scott Ara Millette $232,000 21 Hope St. Federal National Mortgage Assoc. Jonathan Kenney $221,007

Page 8 Newport This Week April 7, 2011

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General Assembly HighlightsHere are the highlights from news and events that took place

in the General Assembly this week. For more information on any of these items visit http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/News/

n Bill to regulate devocaliza-tion of pets introducedSenate Majority Leader Domin-ick J. Ruggerio has introduced a legislation to prohibit devocal-ization of pets unless deemed by a veterinarian as a medical necessity for the animal. Devo-calization, also known as de-barking, is a surgical procedure that permanently takes away the ability of dogs to bark and cats to purr.n Health insurance exchange approvedThe Senate Health and Human Services Committee recom-mended the approval of a leg-islation sponsored by Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jame-stown) to create a health insur-ance exchange through which small businesses and individu-als can learn about their health insurance options and available subsidies. Required under the federal health care overhaul, the exchange would help individu-als and small businesses com-

pare health plans. Rep. Brian Pat-rick Kennedy is sponsoring the bill in the House.n House approves full-day kindergartenThe House approved a resolu-tion sponsored by Rep. Rober-to DaSilva calling for full-day kindergarten classes. The mea-sure requests that kindergar-ten school days contain at least five and one half hours of actu-al school work, excluding lunch, recess periods, common plan-ning time, pre- and post- school teacher time, homeroom peri-ods, etc.n Bill would require felon DNA samplesJayann Sepich, whose daugh-ter Katie was murdered in 2003 in New Mexico, testified before both chambers Judiciary Com-mittees in favor of legislation that would require DNA samples of anyone arrested for a felony. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy and Sen. David E. Bates.

Local General Assembly officials: Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton); President of the Senate, M.

Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Middletown); Rep. J. Russell Jack-son (D-Dist. 73, Middletown, Newport); Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown) Rep. Peter F. Martin (D-Dist. 75, Newport), Rep. Daniel Patrick Reilly (D-Dist. 72, Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth)

Rep. Martin Named to Mental Health Board

Rep. Peter Martin (D-Dist. 75, Newport) has been named to the Board of Directors of the Newport County Community Mental Health Center. A graduate of Providence College in 1964 with a degree in so-ciology, Rep. Martins first job was as a psychiatric social worker at the Taunton State Hospital in Taunton, MA. Martin, now serving his sec-ond term in the House of Repre-sentatives, is the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Municipal Government and a member of the House Committee on Judiciary and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Grant for Senior Center

Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown) pre-sented a $1,000 legislative grant to the Jamestown Senior Center for support of the centers operations, which provides meals and activities for the island senior citizens. Col. Bruce Livingston, president of the Friends of the Jamestown Senior Center, said the grant is a reminder of the generosity of the Jamestown community, whose residents re-cently helped raise about $10,000 for a new roof on the Grange Hall that houses the senior center.

Economic Update Luncheon

The Newport County Chamber of Commerce invites the public to learn more about Governor Cha-fees Fiscal Year 2012 proposed bud-get and its impact on Rhode Island businesses on Thursday, April 21 at noon. RI Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Keith Stokes and a representative from the RI Department of Revenue will give an overview of the budget and provide detailed information on the governors Businesses Tax Competitiveness Proposal which includes: reduction of the corpo-rate income tax rate; lowering and restructuring the minimum corpo-rate tax/franchise fee; and reduc-tion and modernization of the state sales tax.

The luncheon will be at the New-port Harbor Hotel and Marina, ad-vance registration is required, con-tact www.NewportChamber.com or 847-1608.

Whitehouse Honored for his Support of Arts

Americans for the Arts, the na-tions leading nonprofit organiza-tion for advancing the arts, in con-junction with The United States Conference of Mayors, will present the 2011 National Award for Con-gressional Arts Leadership to Sen-ator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The award, which recognizes dis-tinguished public service on behalf of the arts, will be presented at the Congressional Arts Kick Off during Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

April 7, 2011 Newport This Week Page 9

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Happy National Library Week!Newport Library

Best Buddies Book Club MeetingOn April 11 at 3:30 p.m. there will be a Book Buddies Book Club meeting. The Book Buddies Book Club for children in grades 3, 4 and 5 will meet monthly to discuss a popular childrens book. Snacks will be provided. Registration is re-quired. For more information visit the Book Buddies Blog or contact Cathy Antonio. Writers WorkshopOn April 11 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Dianne Grinnell will be holding a Writers Workshop in the Rotary Room of the library. Book DiscussionOn April 12 at 1:00 p.m. the Tuesday Book Club will discuss Finn, by Jon Clinch. No registration required, but please read the book and be willing to share your thoughts. Free and open to the public. The dis-cussion will be held in the librarys Stride Room.Pajama Time Story Sharing On April 12 from 7:00-7:30 p.m. The library will be offering a pajama time story 1/2 hour during which teen readers will share age ap-propriate stories with 5-8 year old patrons. A librarian will supervise reading sessions. Parents are asked to remain in the building. Books & CraftsOn April 14 at 3:30 p.m. Books & Crafts for children ages 4 - 6 years old features read alouds, songs, ac-tivities and a craft. The program as-sists children with school readiness and supports emergent readers. Registration is required. This will be held in the John Clarke Childrens Program Room.Author PresentationOn April 16 at 10:30 a.m. Author Dr. Frances Gerber will present her book of nursery rhymes and activi-ties, Teaching with Heart, to parents and preschoolers ages 2 - 5 years old. No registration is required for this free program held in the John Clarke Childrens Program Room. For more information contact the Childrens Department.300 Spring St., 847-8720Hours: Monday: 12:30 9 p.m.Tues. Thurs.: 9:30 a.m. 9 p.m.Friday & Sat..: 9:30 a.m. 6 p.m.Sunday: 1 5 p.m.

Middletown LibraryStorytelling by Fairy Queen Flutterby On April 12 at 1 p.m. the Childrens author Robin Aliece Borakove will be storytelling her book, Little Ed-wins Triumph at the Middletown Public Library in character as Fairy Queen Flutterby. This program is free but tickets are required. Please visit or call the Childrens Depart-ment at 846-1573 to pick up or reserve tickets before the show. Please contact Candise Prewitt or library director Theresa Coish for more information. About the event.

Meet the Author Vincent Buddy Cianci, Jr.On Tuesday April 12 at 7p.m. author Vincent Buddy Cianci, Jr. will be speaking at the Middletown Pub-lic Library. Lets talk Politics and Pasta with Providences most no-torious mayor! The one and only Mr. Vincent Buddy Cianci, Jr. will be here to discuss his life in politics and share his experiences as the author of his newly released book Politics and Pasta: How I prosecut-ed mobsters, rebuilt a dying city, dined with Sinatra, spent five years in a federally-funded, gated com-munity and lived to tell the tale. Seating is limited and tickets are re-quired. Following the ticketed pro-gram, all are welcome to attend the After Hours Meet and Greet with Buddy! Books will be available for purchase and signing, along with a photo opportunity. Light refresh-ments will also be served.700 West Main Rd., 846-1573Hours: Monday Thursday: 9:30 a.m. 8 p.m.Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Sunday: 1 5 p.m

Redwood LibraryAuthor PresentationOn Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m the internationally renowned artist John (Fud) Benson will be giving the presentation Is the freedom of artistic expression seriously threat-ened by current trends in political correctness and religious fanati-cism?Map Exhibit

A Sense Of Place: Exploring New-port and Narragansett Bay Through Historic Maps has been mounted in the Van Alen Gallery and Roven-sky Room Display Cases at the Red-wood Library. These maps reflect the perceptions and uses of these spaces over time and according to interests, including ownership, exploitation of natural resources, strategies of warfare, navigation, and tourism. This exhibition will be on display through Dec. 50 Bellevue Ave., 847-0292

Monday Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m.

5:30 p.m. Sunday: Closed

Jamestown LibraryLibrary Music ProgramThe Jamestown Library is offer-ing a wonderful program of music on Sunday April 10 at 3 p.m. Musi-cians Lisa Spraragen & Josu Prez have joined forces to form a new

high-energy sound with elements of Flamenco, Latin and classical music. Their 20+ years of collabora-tion have produced an innovative approach to the guitar, which they call GUITARRAZN. As a composer, Josu allows the natural logic of the guitar to determine the path to follow. The duo is known for fi-ery, spontaneous flamenco as well as a wide range of Latin music.Emily Dickinson Film and TalkOn Monday, April 18 at 7:00 pm and Tuesday, April 19 at 1:00 pm, the Jamestown Library Book Discussion group members are invited to read a biography of the poet Emily Dickinson, or liter-ary criticism of the author or her works, or her poetry. Both these discussions are in preparation for a viewing and discussion of the film Loaded Gun: Life, and Death and Dickinson.26 North Rd., 423-7280Hours: Mon. & Tues.: 10 a.m. 9 p.m.Wed.: 10 a.m. 5p.m., 7 9 p.m.Thurs.: Noon 5 p.m., 7 9 p.m.Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m.Sunday: 1 5 p.m.

Redwood Library Poetry Winners

At its annual island-wide High School Poetry Contest on Satur-day, April 2, the Redwood Library awarded winners of the top three coveted spots with a free year-long membership to the library. Pictured above, Portsmouth Ab-bey student Jesse Bessinger was rewarded with the third place spot.

In addition to Bessinger, Eliza-beth White from Portsmouth High School took home second place. Top honors went to St. Georges School student, Tao Ouyang. Con-gratulations to our local poetry pros!

Page 10 Newport This Week April 7, 2011

Naval Community

BriefsAuschwitz Survivor to Speak

Rabbi Barush Goldstein, one of the last Auschwitz survivors, will be the guest speaker at Naval Station Newports observance of Holocaust Days of Remembrance on Wednesday, April 13. The lec-ture will be at 11 a.m. in the Naval Justice School auditorium, build-ing 360. The event is open to all hands with base access.

Summer Camp Registration

Naval Station Newports Youth Center Summer Camp will begin Monday, June 27. Children (ages 5-12) of active duty personnel, DoD civilians and contractors are eligible to participate. Registra-tion for children of active duty personnel begins April 11; chil-dren of DoD civilians/contractors may register April 18. Call 841-2883 for more information.

Spouse Social The Newport Officers Spous-

es Club will host a private tour and social event at the Newport Storm Brewery on Friday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Members are invited to register online at www.Newport OSC.org. Registration deadline is April 13.

SEA GraduationThe Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) graduated 48 students during a graduation dinner at the Officers Club on Naval Station Newport on April 7. The SEA is the Navys only professional military education institute for the senior enlisted force and provides education in communication skills, leadership and management, and national security affairs. Completion of the SEA program is a prerequisite for assignment as command master chief or chief of the boat.Go Navy!

OClub Easter BrunchAll hands with base access are

eligible to enjoy an Easter brunch and traditional breakfast at the Officers Club on Sunday, April 24. Seatings are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and advanced ticketing is required. Tickets are available at the ITT office. For more informa-tion call 841-3116.

Naval Base Information Compiled by Pat Blakeley

The sixth seminar of the Newport Council for International Visitors Great Decision Series will be held Wednesday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in the Pell Center at Salve Regina Universi-ty. Sanctions and Nonproliferation will address the effectiveness of sanctions in curbing nations in vio-lation of international law. The Hon-orable Sue E. Eckert, senior fellow at the Watson Institute of Internation-al Studies at Brown University, will present. Eckert served as Assistant Secretary of Export Administration in the Clinton Administration and has recently worked with the U.N. Secretariat and the governments of Switzerland, Sweden and Germany on targeting sanctions. Her current research focuses on issues at the intersection of economic and na-tional security terrorist financing, targeted sanctions and critical in-frastructure. The Newport Council for International Visitors and Salve Regina University are co-sponsor-ing the series. The lectures are free but seating is limited. To reserve email Newportciv_res@yahoo.com. For more information, contact Bob Sleiertin at 847-5196.

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ALN Looks Ahead After Seven Influential Years

By Tom Shevlin

For an organization whose pur-pose is admittedly abstract, the Al-liance for a Livable Newport enters into its seventh year having left an indelible mark on the citys civic discourse.

From school issues and noise complaints, to municipal elec-tions and city finances, ALN has been driving the conversation on a wide range of topics that speak to the heart of their mission: improv-ing the quality of life for Newport residents. Just last year alone, the group held a series of 10 public fo-rums ranging from candidate pan-els in the run up to the November elections, to an in depth look at the future of Fort Adams.

On Monday, just over two dozen people gathered inside the War-ren Weston Room of the Martin Lu-ther King Jr. Community Center for the Alliances annual membership meeting.

Founded in 2004 by Newport cit-izens concerned about the quality of life in the city, ALN brings togeth-er an otherwise loose collection of neighborhood organizations under one umbrella. And while their mis-sion is broad and their influence strong, for most, their work remains unseen.

Its not something you can drive by and point to, explained ALNs new president, Isabel Griffith.

ALN is not a political organiza-tion; its mission is strictly non-parti-san. As Griffth said, People tend to take sides...ALN has always strived to be non-biased and aware of all

sides on an issue.Because of that, the group has

drawn a diverse array of members and supporters, including city of-ficials, municipal workers, small business owners and leaders in the religious, arts and environmental communities.

But Griffith is hoping to expand its reach.

The meetings location at the MLK Center spoke to that point. Speaking at the beginning of the evening, the centers executive di-rector, Marilyn Warren, reflected on the centers history as a gathering place for the community first as the Newport Community Center.

This was the place where (New-porters) learned to be good citi-zens, Warren said.

In many ways, ALN continues on that mission.

Topics of upcoming forums for 2011 include combined sewer over-flow reduction results, the Tallship, Oliver Hazard Perry construction and educational program, plans for the possible return of Americas Cup racing to the city, and an up-date on planned improvements for Fort Adams.

Leading up these effort will be ALNs newest executive officers: the aforementioned Griffith; Roger Wells, vice president; John Hirsch-boeck, secretary; and Ron Becker, treasurer. Anyone interested in be-coming involved in the group, or to catch up on its efforts over the last few years, should log onto www.Al-lianceForLivableNewport.org. Chamber Opposes Chafee Tax Plan

By Tom Shevlin

The Newport County Chamber of Commerce has joined in the chorus of opposition to Gov. Lincoln D. Chafees plan to extend the states sales tax.

Speaking at the groups annual meeting at OceanCliff on Tuesday, Chamber Executive Director Jodi Sullivan said the group will join in the fight against Gov. Chafees tax proposal, pledging at the same time to mo-bilize the business community if necessary.

Seeking to close a projected $300 million budget deficit, Chafees plan looks to raise close to $165 million in new revenue by reducing the states sales tax from 7 to 6 percent, while at the same time applying it to an array of currently exempt services and items, from haircuts and dry cleaning to car repairs. Some big-ticket items such as home heating oil would be sub-ject to a 1 percent sales tax.

The Newport Chamber joins other prominent business groups, includ-ing the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, in opposing the Chafee plan.

Sullivan also told members that the chamber would continue its fight against a proposal by Hess LNG to bring an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal to Mount Hope Bay.

Nelson Eddy was born in Provi-dence and grew up in Pawtucket. A handsome baritone, with serious operatic credentials, he became a Hollywood heart throb for millions of American women at the side of the beautiful Jeanette MacDonald.

The Jamestown Community The-atre, in concert with the Jamestown Historical Societys Jamestown and the Silver Screen, is pleased to pres-ent Rose Marie, a film starring Jea-nette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:45 p.m. at the Jamestown Library.

Because his father, William Darius Eddy, and his step-mother, lived in

Jamestown, Nelson Eddys work is included in the series of programs making up this years Jamestown Historical Society major exhibit Jamestown and the Silver Screen.

Bill Eddy was divorced from Nel-sons mother, Isabel, when he met Marguerite Elliott at St. George Episcopal in Newport where they both sang in the choir, according to a biography written by Gail Lu-lay. The program is free and open to the public.

International Sanctions and NonproliferationSeminar

School Building Committee Pushes Ahead with Green Design

By Tom Shevlin

Members of the Pell School Build-ing Committee took another step closer to incorporating some addi-tional green energy elements into the final design of the new Clai-borne d. Pell Elementary School.

Meeting with representatives from HMFH Architects for yet anoth-er round of design review, commit-tee members voted unanimously to move forward with a cost explo-ration on four potential add-ons aimed at reducing the new schools carbon footprint. Most notable was a decision to consider employing a partial geo-thermal heating sys-tem, which if incorporated into the final design would draw on the very ground below the school to fuel part of its heating and cooling system.

If it proves economically feasible, the system would be used to con-dition main administrative offices and media center, and would pay for itself within 24 years. An alterna-tive, full-facility option was also dis-cussed, but committee members determined that the upfront price and projected 37 year payback was too great to swallow. (For the com-plete story go to www.Newport-now.com)

Nelson Eddy Film Screening

MAINSHEET

Spirits Were High for Swing Into Spring

Brittany Tedeschi and Ruth Thumbtzen

Whitney Slade and Suzi Conklin Nance

LCDR Ian and Kate Nesbitt

Sister T Theresita Donach

Does your organization have an upcoming gala or fundraising event? If you would like to increase attendancetell us about the event in advance or, if you would like Newport This Week

to attend and provide post event coverage for your organization call 847-7766, x 105 or send an email to news@newportthisweek.net

April 7, 2011 Newport This Week Page 11

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Even Mother Natures snow and sleet could not put a damper on the festivities last Thursday night at the Swing Into Spring benefit for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. The Atlantic Beach Club was the place to be as Newport turned out in force for an evening of dinner and dancing in celebration of this organization which does so much for our community. The night was a smashing success for new Executive Director Marilyn Warren and the two dozen committee members who worked tirelessly to pull off such a memorable event.

Photos by Denise Drapeau-Walker

Sally Swistak, Mr. Alex Nance, Peggy Leary, Marlene Horan , Jeanine Richardson, and Susan Potter

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Displaced Actors Find Room at InnBy Katherine Imbrie

When Astors Beechwood Man-sion was sold last year, Newport lost not only a spectacular Bellevue Av-enue mansion that had been open to the public, but also the unique attraction of the Beechwood The-atre Company. Led by actor/director Patrick Grimes, the company had earned acclaim for enhancing the experience of visiting Beechwood by having its troupe of costumed actors play the roles of upstairs and downstairs characters in the Astors Gilded Age world.

Visitors were treated to vignettes of everyday life in that world, wheth-er it was Mrs. Astor hosting a ball, or guests visiting for the weekend, orat Christmasa multi-course feast.

All of that thespian fun ended when Beechwood became a private home. In January 2010, Grimes and some of his actor crew who not only had performed at Beechwood, but also had been living there -- were packing up to leave the mansion for the last time when Grimes began chatting with friend Nick Maione, owner of the Architects Inn.

Basically, I thought it would be great to do a series of weekend-long murder mysteries, with the guests at the inn getting involved by playing roles themselves over the course of a couple of days, says Grimes.

So, with a new name, Marley Bridges Theatre Company, and new-ly incorporated as a non-profit arts organization, Grimes and his part-ner in crime Jessica Bradley, along with others from their old cast of characters, set about rebuilding themselves as a kind of rental the-ater company. Since leaving Beech-wood, theyve done murder myster-ies and other plays at Belcourt Castle and at the Newport Art Museum but none with the depth and length of the performances they do at the Architects Inn.

Its a unique concept and a great partnership, says innkeeper Maione. I loved what they were doing at Beechwood, and I would send our guests over there all the time. Pat-rick and Jessica are amazing people so dynamic, with so much talent and energy.

Now, Architects Inn guests dont have to leave their lodging to expe-rience the theatrics of a murder mys-

tery. When they reserve a weekends stay at the inn, with the add-on of a murder mystery, they are given a role in a storyline and a character profile to study, so that when they arrive at the inn, they are prepared to play a part. Some guests provide their own costumes; others use the ones provided for them by the act-ing company.

From Friday night through Satur-day, while they are working on solv-ing the crime that occurs at the inn, guests dont even know who is an-other guest and who is actually an actor. Sometimes, they are sent on elaborate scavenger hunts around Newport to pick up clues. Then, on Sunday morning, the identity of the real murderer is revealed before everyone goes home.

Guests have come from Boston, New York, Connecticut and Provi-dence for the murder mysteries, says Maione. They love getting into it. It requires more energy than a regular murder mystery. They really get in-volved, and they want to solve the crime. Plus, (playing these roles) is a real icebreaker. Everybody becomes great friends by the time they go

home on Sunday.Occasionally, guests have got-

ten so caught up in the role-playing that they forget that the murder is fiction, says Maione, who frequently ends up playing the role of butler.

The right hand never seems to know what the left hand is doing during the I Do or I Die murder mystery weekend at the at the

Architects Inn. Soon-to-be newlyweds Nicole ( Cici Ice) and Neil (Patrick Grimes) have too many skeletons in the closet to ever find

happiness. Lets hope that closet doesnt get too crowded!

Page 12 Newport This Week April 7, 2011

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The road to American indepen-dence began in Newport well be-fore Paul Reveres famous ride in 1775. In fact, Newport played a piv-otal role during the Revolutionary War. Such famous figures as Wil-liam Ellery (Rhode Islands signer of the Declaration of Independence), George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau walked Newports streets and lived in its houses. Ver-non House, a Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) property, served as the headquarters for Rocham-beau and hosted George Washing-ton during his stay in Newport. The

home of William Ellery no longer exists, but his son lived at