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

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

Commentary: Whales are dying — Is there a link to offshore wind?

Today, as with many other issues, our country has politicized whale deaths. With each new whale stranding, politics intervenes to either whitewash, weaponize, or silence the facts. The facts, … more

By Lisa Quattrocki Knight, M.D., Ph.D. and Bill Thompson | 2/1/23

Commentary: Questioning the Wisdom of Offshore Wind

On April 20, 2010, the oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, releasing millions of barrels of oil into pristine ocean waters. Desperate to contain the spill, the U.S. government … more

By Lisa Quattrocki Knight, MD, PhD of Little Compton, Bill Thompson of Tiverton and David Osborn, JD, of Little Compton | 1/27/23

Commentary: Questioning the Wisdom of Offshore Wind

On April 20, 2010, the oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, releasing millions of barrels of oil into pristine ocean waters. Desperate to contain the spill, the U.S. government … more

By Lisa Quattrocki Knight, Bill Thompson and David Osborn | 1/25/23

Commentary: Recollecting on the hits and misses with those revered and renowned

I have finally, at long last, figured out how to travel...from Providence to East Providence. My lifelong habit was to cross a little red bridge and voila! There I was, decade after … more

By Mike Fink | 1/20/23

Letter: Why can't Westport give Paul Cuffe his due?

I write this on January 17th, the 264th anniversary of Paul Cuffe’s birth and one day after the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Day. Both these men led heroic lives devoted to educational … more

1/19/23

Letter: Have we forgotten to listen to our nation's noble truths?

A retiring Episcopal priest moved to a city where a younger friend led another congregation. He told his friend that every Sunday he would sit in a back pew reading the newspaper, … more

1/18/23

Letter: What you need to know about Mass DEP nitrogen regs

The Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed regulations to restore nitrogen impaired estuaries in Westport as well as Cape Cod, the Islands and the Southcoast. There has been a lot … more

1/18/23

Commentary: Study land routes for massive Mayflower Wind cables

Editor’s note: This letter was sent to the chief officer of the Environment Branch for Renewable Energy at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in Sterling, Va. It was titled: “An open … more

By Greg Vespa | 1/12/23

Letter: Shame on Abbott for his Christmas stunt

To the editor: News Item…Gov. Greg Abbott sends bus loads of migrants to V.P.’s home during record cold snap… Would someone please attempt to explain to me why sending … more

12/29/22

Letter: Towns have control over the nitrogen problem

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has proposed a set of regulations to address the nitrogen pollution degrading our coastal waters, including the Westport and Slocums … more

12/8/22

Letter: Little Compton, home of housing inequality

There is no lack of housing being built in Little Compton, but it’s definitely not for affordable housing. It’s at Warren’s Point and other totally private ocean-front areas, … more

12/7/22

Letter: Spread kindness here this season

Let this be the Christmas of Kindness. Let it be filled with family and friends, for sure, but also the season of reaching out. To an ailing sufferer. To someone who just needs a warm meal or a quiet … more

12/7/22

Letter: Oh hail, the GOP's return to prominence

Welcome to the very slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Some voters eagerly await the restored elegance and wisdom of the Grand Old Party. Their slight ascendance was, of … more

12/1/22

Letter: As Mayflower plan moves ahead, wind power prices skyrocket

Thanks very much for your informative report published on Nov. 23, 2022 . Information on this subject is typically only released in a favorable fashion by the regulators. I am quite sure … more

11/30/22

Letter: Discourse falls aside as name-calling and polarity reigns

September of 2016 was when Hilary Clinton famously said that half of Trump’s supporters was a basket of deplorables. True or not, it's certainly not a phrase likely to endear one to … more

11/30/22

Letter: A close enough call with a Fisher Cat

Although Fisher Cats are considered crepuscular animals (dawn and twilight feeders along with red fox, opossums and many others) one wasn’t paying any attention to that when a visitor in the … more

11/30/22

Letter: Time to act is now as Westport's financial crisis worsens

The Town of Westport is in a fiscal crisis that is going to get much worse if we don’t take strong measures to confront it and climb out of the hole we are in. The hole has been made deeper … more

11/30/22

Commentary: The horseless carriage is a necessity, but a simple stroll will do, too

We drove east — and south and north? — from East Providence to pay a late autumn visit to the Cape…”Cod," of course. We took over a beach dwelling, like the literary … more

By Mike Fink | 11/14/22

Letter: Vote now, or autocracy or civil war is almost inevitable

In what alternate universe is Nancy Pelosi more of a threat to democracy than Donald Trump? Is it Nancy Pelosi’s gender, political affiliation or commitment to civil rights, the working … more

11/1/22

Letter: Concerns cast aside, Revolution Wind lumbers ahead

Although the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) invites public comment on offshore wind energy projects and I duly submitted one, I know Revolution Wind is a done deal. There’s just too … more

10/19/22

Letter: Book sale was a great success, thanks to you

On behalf of the Board of the Friends of the Westport Library (FOWL), we thank all the volunteers who devoted hundreds of hours since May to make our 2022 book sale a great success. Thank you also to … more

10/19/22

Letter: Unlike Hodgson, Heroux respects law enforcement

Paul Heroux, unlike sheriff Hodgson, promotes the police rather than replacing them. Both New Bedford and Fall River police chiefs have historically had to fend off the intrusion of Sheriff … more

10/19/22

Letter: Judge erred in truck toll decision

To the editor: Federal Judge Smith of Rhode Island made a decision that truck tolls, not applicable to automobiles, is unconstitutional by the Commerce Clause of the federal constitution. That … more

10/13/22

Commentary: Let’s listen and speak to each other instead of being against our neighbors

The Harvest Moon holds appeal for people from a global range of cultures. We celebrate here at Thanksgiving and like to think we are thanking the indigenous tribes for helping us to prepare the local … more

By Mike Fink | 10/13/22