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Letter: Arlene Violet — A hard act to follow

To the editor: The very first thing I would do when the Sakonnet Times arrived was to go to Arlene Violet's column. If there was not one in that edition I felt cheated, something very important was … more

10/1/21

Pennfield School eighth-grader Spencer Mazur works on a drawing during an outdoor art class.

These schools opened — and stayed opened

When The Pennfield School in Portsmouth recently held an assembly on their front lawn celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of classes, students and staff, all masked and spread out, were … more

By Lucy Probert | 9/24/21

Letter: The retirement generation deserves better than this

There is one group of Americans we have not heard much from or much about during the past year and a half. That group comprises seniors who are not in nursing homes, who are healthy and productive, … more

9/23/21

A conversation with the team behind Bristol Porchfest (PODCAST)

Host Kevin Centazzo, aka Kevin from Bristol, speaks with Bristol Porchfest Co-Chair Nancy Kellner and Co-Technical Director Joe Caron on the highly popular event coming to downtown Bristol this … more

9/15/21

Dr. Kerri McKinnon, the school's principal, directs students to their first period classroom.

Westport opens new $97 million middle high school

More than 800 students poured into Westport's brand new flagship middle and high school Tuesday morning, nearly two years after groundbreaking began on the $97 million project and a decade after high … more

By Ted Hayes | 9/7/21

Zoning board made the right (cell) call

Main Road resident Betty Slade hit the nail on the head when she got up at Wednesday's zoning board of appeals hearing to talk about the proposed cell phone tower at Masquesatch and Drift roads, … more

8/19/21

Calling for a show of hands, the zoning board of review voted on the cell tower plan at 8:11 p.m. Wednesday. Mr. Elias, with hand raised, was the only member to vote in favor of Municipal Communications LLC. The applicant's attorney, Brian Corey, has his back to the camera.

Westport rejects Masquesatch cell phone tower

Members of the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday evening overwhelmingly rejected a telecommunications company's request to build a 150-foot cell phone tower at 67 Masquesatch Road, voting … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/19/21

Letter: Mighty doctors rightly admonished us simpletons

While open dialogue about COVID is censored and punished across major social media platforms, and the free exchange of information is policed by fact-checking apparatchiks and filtered by an openly … more

8/19/21

Rowers Finnegan Hall, 14, Zach Carter, 14, Ethan Stewart, 14, and James Albanese, 11, row a Cornish pilot gig with Dharma Voyage instructors Janet Hadley and Don Dufault down the East Branch of the Westport River during rowing class last Monday, August, 2.

School's out in Westport, but rowing's in

It only took an hour or so before they got used to their boats last Monday. Since then, it's been smooth sailing, so to speak, for the 10 young rowers enrolled in Dharma Voyage's new community youth … more

8/13/21

A photo of the Cherry & Webb dunes from the application on file with the conservation commission.

Westport dunes boardwalk plan continued

Westport Conservation on Wednesday continued a hearing on a proposed beach boardwalk sought at Westport Point until its next meeting in September. Applicants Keith Miranda and Michael Tzannes, … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/11/21

Letter: D is for Democracy, not Disrespect

To the editor: How sad it is that a good argument can be made that the “D” in America’s DNA stands for Disrespect. Slavery and its aftermath and the massacre and … more

8/10/21

Letter: The unvaccinated are putting everyone’s safety at risk

Dear unvaccinated friends, you need to understand that every unvaccinated human body is a sanctuary for the coronavirus. It’s a safe place where the virus can rest, grow, multiply, and … more

7/28/21

Letter: The Eagle has landed

Pondering this month’s coverage of billionaires, proving Sir Issac Newton’s law of gravity and motion, I reflected back on a momentous event 52 years ago. At 3:17 p.m. EST on … more

By Howard G. Sutton | 7/28/21

Tih-Fen Ting wrests a male fledgling from its nest on he East Branch of the Westport River. A team including members of the Mass. Audubon and it's volunteers captured twelve fledglings for the state of Illinois Osprey Recovery Project on Tuesday morning, July 13.

Audubon and volunteers collect osprey for long journey to Illinois

Born on the Westport River, a dozen young osprey took flight recently — in a plane — and landed at their new home in Illinois. There it is hoped that they will help launch an osprey … more

Story and Photos by Richard W. Dionne Jr. | 7/27/21

Tim Palmer in the garage with one of his Mean Green electric riding mowers.

The sound of (near) silence — Tim’s Lawn Care goes electric

WESTPORT — Ah, the sweet sounds of summer — birds chirping, children at play and the Friday evening din of the lawn care company’s stand-on mowers and 80-decibel backpack blowers … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/23/21

Bruce Burdett at a patio table outside his Bristol home, where he often works. The editor of The Sakonnet Times and Westport Shorelines is retiring this week after 45 years with East Bay Newspapers. “There’s something in all of us that likes to tell people stories, and this was my way to be able to do it,” he said.

Editorial: Sight unseen, his pen was most powerful

This has always been a special space in the local newspaper. Whether thoughtfully crafted after hours of research or thrown together on hectic deadline, the editorial is a revered tradition that … more

7/22/21

After 5 decades in journalism, Bruce Burdett's hanging up his notebook

When Bruce Burdett first arrived in Bristol to start his new job at East Bay Newspapers in the mid-’70s, he was just two years out of college with only minimal experience working for his school … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/22/21

Tiverton man charged with child molestation after missing Pennsylvania girl found

TIVERTON — A Tiverton man faces a charge of first degree child molestation sexual assault after a missing Pennsylvania girl was found at a Tiverton home on Wednesday, July 7. Tiverton Police … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/15/21

Letter: Don’t let oyster farm diminish beautiful Seapowet Creek

To the editor: This letter is addressing CRMC file no. 2020-04-037 Bowen oyster Farm project to be located in the Sakonnet River within the Seapowet Creek area. Just a few years ago the DEM along … more

7/14/21

Letter: Forgo those signs and get to know your neighbors

To the editor: A quick question for those displaying the “In This House We Believe” signs: Who do you think you’re talking to? In this (conservative republican) house we … more

6/28/21

Letter: Dec. 6 would be a better day to celebrate the end of slavery

Celebrating the abolition of slavery in the United States is a wonderful observance and a vivid reminder of America’s second greatest evil. The first was the wholesale killing of Native … more

6/24/21

Jeremy Howard poses with Harper Oates, the inspiration for The Play Brigade, alongside the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in New York City. The statue originally faced the “Bull of Wall Street statue and children often climbed up to pose for pictures with the girl. When Harper first visited she was unable to because of the raised plinth. Her mother was instrumental in advocating for the statue to be repositioned at ground level when it was later moved across the street from the NYSE. This picture was taken at the conclusion of the Fearless Girl relay that Ms. Oates organized.

Little Compton man tackles The Long Trail — at double time

LITTLE COMPTON — On or about June 20, the plan was for Little Compton ultramarathon runner Jeremy Howard to get himself to the village of North Troy, Vt., on the Canadian border. There, at … more

Bruce Burdett | 6/24/21

Henry Helger (left) and his son Ray in the front seat of Henry’s 1938 Ford convertible. Sousa Image Works photo.

Letter: The little things, like good old cars, make a difference

To the editor: Sunday, June 13, was a beautiful bluebird day for a car show and over 50 antique cars came to support a food drive organized by the Little Compton Republican Town … more

6/20/21

Letter: Too many of the elderly suffered lonely deaths

Thank you to all the heroic CNAs, nurses and support staff at all long-term care facilities for working through this wretched COVID pandemic. Many of us would have been lost without … more

6/17/21

Letter: A good time to remember lessons from Dad

As Father’s Day approaches it is a good time to remember lessons learned from your Dad. Here is one of my favorites. A lesson in adaptability. In the mid-1950s growing up, my Dad worked … more

6/17/21