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

Spotlight is shining on Rhode Island's array of housing problems

STORY OF THE WEEK: It became clear in recent weeks that Josh Saal’s tenure as Rhode Island’s housing secretary was drawing to an end. Whether Saal was the right person for the job is … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/18/23

Commentary: A Portrait of Offshore Wind Companies

First, we would like to reiterate that we recognize the threat of climate change and understand the urgency to drastically reduce carbon emissions. We cannot wait for the perfect solution; yet, nor … more

Lisa Quattrocki Knight, M.D., Ph.D. and Bill Thompson | 2/7/23

Arlene Violet: It is wrong to politicize the Supreme Court

As folks debate whether to retain statues of defeated Confederate generals in the public square, one statue that should be commissioned is that of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She was a legal pioneer as one … more

By Arlene Violet | 10/2/20

Arlene Violet: Winners and losers in 2020 election

The verdict is in. The U.S.A. is a winner with its record ballot turnout by mail and in person despite obstacles to voting, including the ever-lurking coronavirus. The election of President-elect … more

By Arlene Violet | 11/12/20

Amo is the new rising star in R.I. politics

STORY OF THE WEEK: Democratic primary voters had their say and now Gabe Amo is the new rising star in Rhode Island politics. While former state representative Aaron Regunberg was widely perceived as … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/12/23

Westport Health Notes: Rabies clinic is Saturday

Welcome to Westport Health Notes, a monthly column from the Westport Board of Health (BOH). The goal is to share information with our community about local issues and projects, public health … more

By Tanja Ryden | 4/22/22

More than a dozen candidates lining up for a run at Congress

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Democratic field in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District is starting to gel, with a series of noteworthy developments this week. Former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg, … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/18/23

Fire chief: Why we need the Proposition 2 1/2 override

The Westport Fire Department is a combination department that currently consists of 21 full-time firefighter/paramedics (line staff) and nine on-call firefighters. In addition, the Chief, Deputy, and … more

By Brian Legendre | 7/18/23

Norman Dudziak photographed this Tusukuru hartlandianus dwarf tree spider during “The Search for Neodietrichia” citizen science project. This is now the iconic photo for this species on iNaturalist.

Welcome to Citizen Science Month – see what a difference you can make

April is Citizen Science Month! You can join a growing community of “citizen scientists” who help to expand our body of scientific knowledge by crowdsourcing data collection. … more

By Norman Dudziak, P.E., I.M. | 3/28/23

Block’s book battles confirmation bias with facts

STORY OF THE WEEK: Add Ken Block to the lengthy list of people who’ve told Donald Trump or his campaign that his fake narrative about a stolen election in 2020 is a lot of baloney. In … more

4/2/24

Ken Block has done a service to this country

Many readers will remember Ken Block as a two-time candidate for Rhode Island Governor and technology entrepreneur who helped the State of Texas save more than a billion dollars in food stamp fraud … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 4/3/24

Grief is hard work (Part 2)

Last month’s column discussed what grief can look and feel like and the different stages of grief. Adjusting to the death of someone close to us takes time, and the expression “grief … more

By Bonnie Evans | 9/23/22

Disqualifying Trump? It’s a collision course

The Colorado court’s ruling disqualifying Donald J. Trump as a candidate for the presidency on the basis of the 14th Amendment, a clause of which eliminates from holding an office anyone who … more

By Arlene Violet | 1/5/24

Lawmakers promising a closer look at I-195 bridge saga

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Washington Bridge saga took a noteworthy turn when state officials last week declined to rule out the possible demolition of the westbound portion of the bridge. If such a … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/29/24

Gabe Amo is a practiced politico, living the American dream

STORY OF THE WEEK: At the ripe old age of 35, Gabe Amo emerged this week as the bright new star among Rhode Island Democrats. While he will enter Congress as its most junior member, Amo seems poised … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/14/23

Arlene Violet: Paying people to stay home was always a bad idea

While I oppose some Congressional Republicans’ posture on certain issues, they were prescient about one thing, i.e. the unintended consequences of extending and paying unemployment benefits … more

By Arlene Violet | 5/7/21

Column: Important lessons from (almost) forgotten history

As someone who makes it their profession to know things and seeks out knowledge when I find myself ignorant on issues of importance, I will admit flatly that I was ashamed to learn how little I truly … more

By Ethan Hartley | 5/12/22

Commentary: Senate needs to act on shoreline access

The Rhode Island General Assembly has a singular opportunity in this session to end years of chaos and confusion regarding where Rhode Islanders can exercise their constitutionally-protected rights … more

By Thomas J. Gibson, Jr. | 6/13/22

Cicilline’s resignation from Congressional seat is disappointing

Congressman David Cicilline has decided to resign from the United States Congress less than three months into his 24-month term, albeit the resignation will be effective on June 1, 2023. He says his … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 2/28/23

Not another moment of silence

I’m sick to death of observing another moment of silence when children have been murdered, particularly in a school setting. Since 2018 there have been 119 school shootings. The most recent … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 6/3/22

McKee’s approval ratings are low, but does it matter?

On the surface, a new Morning Consult finding showing Gov. Dan McKee as the lowest-ranked governor in the nation (with a 38% approval rating) doesn’t reflect well on the incumbent. But if McKee … more

By Ian Donnis | 7/25/22

Commentary: 2022 was a banner year for Tiverton Land Trust

I am pleased to report that 2022 was a productive year for your Tiverton Land Trust. In this same letter last year, I suggested we intended to keep our momentum going as we entered the new year 2022, … more

By David Elliott | 2/8/23

Arlene Violet: Legislature, mandate civics education

Here are three cheers for the lawyers at the non-profit center, Rhode Island Center for Justice (centerforjustice.com). In a lawsuit with national implications, the Center has filed a lawsuit on … more

By Arlene Violet | 1/30/20

The Israeli-Hamas war is a loss all-around

It’s almost crass to write about the Israeli-Hamas war in the abstract. Whether it is a father searching for his children under rubble that had been his home in Gaza or a parent and child bound … more

By Arlene Violet | 12/5/23

A view of the Washington Bridge that once carried motorists over the Seekonk River along I-195 West. It has been shut down for seven weeks, its future uncertain.

Accountability is sorely lacking in the I-195 fiasco

The condition of the west bound lanes on I-195 and the subsequent snarl of traffic has unleashed a furious fusillade of accusations and excuses by those in charge. Tens of thousands of daily … more

By Arlene Violet | 1/30/24