Opinion | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

Talking Politics: Dr. Scott was the right person at the right time

STORY OF THE WEEK: Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott was the right person in the right place at the right time when the pandemic came to Rhode Island. Although she had never faced a challenge of that … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/20/22

Letter: Don’t allow Robin Rug developer to skirt Bristol’s Master Plan

To the editor: Developer Brady Sullivan is asking the Planning Board and Town Council to eliminate substantial benefits to Bristol taxpayers by changing the Zoning Map and Master Plan attached to … more

1/20/22

Letter: Sea rise threatens Robin Rug

To the editor: The State of Rhode Island has been encouraging the shore towns to get serious in planning for sea level rise, especially in the East Bay, and the proposed development of Robin Rug runs … more

1/20/22

Letter: Free Bristol Harbor — tear down Robin Rug

To the editor: Bristol has a beautiful harbor matching those of many lovely towns in New England, such as Padanaram, Mystic, and Rockport, but it has been sealed off from most of its residents by … more

1/13/22

Editorial: Death of the snow day

The pandemic introduced a few silver linings. Remote learning is sort of, kind of, one of them. Across America, schools figured out how to conduct themselves when no one was in the school … more

1/13/22

Poli-ticks: Gosh, I miss the America I grew up with

Normally, this is the column where I have the audacity to suggest New Year resolutions for resident politicians. Instead I have a more urgent resolution for all of us: I want us Americans to go back … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 1/7/22

Letter: Let us learn from this period of crisis

To the editor: What a painful two years it has been for all of us, but especially for our communities’ children. They have lost times and experiences that they will never get back. And they … more

1/6/22

Letter: Reporting on idling issue deserves praise

To the editor: I want to praise the Warren Times-Gazette for having hit the trifecta in its Dec. 29 edition: Lucy Probert’s excellent reporting (“Stop Your Engines!”) on Sharon … more

1/6/22

Letter: New Year’s Resolution? Thank the scientists

To the editor: Dr. Anthony Fauci has dedicated his long life to protecting us all from deadly viruses, including ebola, HIV, and COVID-19. Our nation’s New Year’s Resolution should be to … more

1/6/22

Letter: Wearing a mask is contributing to the greater good

To the editor: It’s been a few weeks since you published a story called “Parents vs. The State.” I responded to the writer directly in my shock at this kind of attention being … more

1/5/22

Editorial: Stop your engines!

Sharon Gold is a diminutive woman with a big message for everyone — stop idling! The focus of a story in our East Bay Life section this week, Gold is a retired educator and grandmother from … more

1/5/22

Letter: Only those who support abortions should pay for them

To the editor: A modest proposal. In this most intractable debate, a letter to last week’s Sakonnet Times drew my interest. Jean Ernster of Barrington made a most intriguing proposal to … more

1/3/22

Editorial: A virtual solution for school committee mask mess

First, give credit where credit is due. After being questioned, criticized and scorned for not enforcing a mask mandate during meetings, leadership and members of the Bristol Warren Regional School … more

12/17/21

Letter: What needs to change to fix failing schools?

To the editor: Several recent letters to the editor apparently missed my point that the Bristol Warren School District lacks academic achievement. One called my suggestion that our tax dollars might … more

12/16/21

Arlene Violet: Governor makes the naughty list more than once

I was taken aback when I received a letter from Santa! There in black and white was his Christmas list of Rhode Island leaders who have been either naughty or nice. One politician dominated the … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 12/10/21

Letter: Our students offer the biggest indictment of our schools

To the editor: The Mt. Hope Student Union claims in their overlong public comment, quoted in toto by Tumblr-blog Uprise RI, that our doomed collegebound “are checked for their bigotry, … more

12/9/21

Letter: Growing dismay for school committee leadership

To the editor: Like many East Bay residents, I’ve followed with growing dismay the ongoing actions and statements of the current leadership of the Bristol Warren School Committee. Their most … more

12/9/21

Letter: A world without domestic violence is possible — if we act

To the editor: Imagine a world with no domestic violence — where no Rhode Islanders have their lives cut short by abuse, where children do not witness this violence, where our … more

12/6/21

Letter: School Committee members are setting a bad example

To the editor:Some of us stay home from public events, such as School Committee Meetings, when we are ill in order to keep our neighbors safe. We follow protocols and mandates to curb the spread of … more

12/2/21

Letter: Article shined important spotlight on music in the schools

To the editor: Thank you so much for the excellent article in last week’s East Bay papers about the status of music performance in the schools. You balanced all of the important information so … more

12/2/21

Letter: Blatant disregard for COVID protocols is alarming

To the editor:I attended the BWRSD School Committee meeting on Monday, November 22, and was alarmed by the lack of adherence to COVID-19 protocol on display. The public portion of the meeting largely … more

12/2/21

Editorial: School district shortcut the search process — again

Regardless of who is in charge, who is departing and who is arriving, the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee follows the same process whenever it hires a new superintendent — which is no … more

12/2/21

Letter: Some of these ‘rising seas’ theories are all wet

Bristol's planning for the adverse flooding arising from the long-term relative sea level rise is very important and needs to be applauded. The disastrous Silver Creek bridge should not be repeated. … more

11/18/21

Letter: Writer's union-bashing tactics were tired and stale

Last week’s Phoenix contained numerous letters to the editor regarding the diversity, equity and racism issues plaguing the Bristol Warren Regional School District, but one letter that at first … more

11/18/21

Letter: Failing grades for our school system

Intrigued by an enlightening opinion letter of the Nov. 11 Phoenix (“ School district isn’t racist — but it is failing ”), stating the math and science proficiency of Mt Hope … more

11/18/21