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

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

Westport Health Notes: Lots to report at the transfer station

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 | 6/15/22

Gun Violence: An epidemic of another kind

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 alerts, … more

By Donna Amaral | 9/16/22

Letter: Want to protect polling places? Bring back dead bill

A couple of years ago Massachusetts state representatives Antonio Cabral and William Straus sponsored H.5083, An Act Relative to Polling Place Security and Integrity. The bill limits sheriffs and … more

7/27/22

Letter: Little Compton, have you seen this woodcut?

The Little Compton Tree Committee (LCTC) has the following logo from a woodcut probably made in the 70s. The logo image we have is faint and old. We want to find the original woodcut – it is … more

7/27/22

Letter: Rhode Island desperately needs a bottle bill

In September, the Sogkonate Garden Club of Little Compton collected over 87 pounds of trash from our beaches in one day and over the past year, Friends of the Saugatucket in Wakefield collected over … more

12/6/23

Letter: Worried for the republic? Lighten up and get to work

To the editor: Not so long ago, being teased (bullying was always wrong) was just part of growing up. And being needled was just part of being a public figure. Teasing and needling once … more

7/27/22

Letter: Give us real figures on cost of Route 6 sewer, water

Last year Westport town officials wanted a $3 million override. Now we have a $31 million sewer project without financing costs. Not including financing costs is the first of several financial … more

2/7/24

Is anyone in R.I. looking at the big picture with hospitals?

STORY OF THE WEEK: Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has championed the cause of government transparency, often saying that the state’s public records law should be a floor and not a … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/7/23

To the editor: Where’s the accountability at DOT?

So, according to the current RIDOT deputy chief engineer, the Washington Bridge failures “might” have pre-existed, but no one had noticed this until recently. It was actually an … more

2/7/24

Letter: Stop offshore wind projects now

I am writing to you both in strong opposition to OffShore Wind (OSW) because I am a resident of Watertown with a house in Westport. Why am I writing now? Because a baby … more

8/9/23

Letter: Route 88 cell tower location is a travesty

In my personal opinion, putting a 150-foot cell tower right up against wetlands is a travesty! The fact that the company had to ask the town for so many variances to even get this to go through … more

3/21/23

Letter: Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel were modern day prophets

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were close friends back in 1965. They shared the dream that our nation should be “a place where civil and human rights … more

1/10/20

The legislators are back, and so are familiar fiscal worries

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Rhode Island General Assembly returned to business last week, with the usual feeling of something akin to students returning to the classroom for the first day of school. House … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/9/24

Letter: The good old days weren't always good

To the editor: The public is being told how today's kids are dealing with mental health issues due to the pandemic. Here is some perspective: If you were born in 1900 most Americans lived in rural … more

6/8/23

Editorial: Shopping locally matters more than ever

It’s always a good idea to shop locally, and it might mean more this year than ever before. The pandemic has disrupted everything — every person, every organization, every business. … more

11/25/20

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: 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

Letter: Vote 'No' on $3 million Proposition 2 1/2 override

The letter in the July 6 Shorelines from former Westport Select board member Brian Valcourt contains little in the way of new information for voters to consider in the upcoming override vote. There … more

7/11/23

Letter: Act now, vote YES for clean water in Westport

The long-planned North Westport water and sewer system is a public investment whose time has come. The Town of Westport has arrived at a unique confluence of new opportunities and old needs. It is … more

3/25/24

Letter: Town finances not keeping pace — vote 'Yes' on July 25

Elliot Whipple wrote last week, commenting on my letter of the previous week, and, contrary to my recommendation, advising the residents of Westport to “Vote NO on the Proposition 2.5 override … more

7/11/23

Editorial: A crisis for the East Bay

The impact of the Interstate 195 bridge closure cannot be overstated. It suffocates areas of Providence and East Providence, both economically and functionally, for months. more

12/14/23

Commentary: Labor Day 2022...America’s workforce is stronger than ever

On Labor Day we honor the achievements of America’s workers, and in 2022 we have a historic victory to celebrate. Our nation’s working people have come all the way back from the depths of … more

By Marty Walsh | 9/1/22

Letter: Feeding Nanaquket Pond’s ducks, swans is no kindness

To the editor: People have always loved feeding ducks and waterfowl, and bringing children to local ponds and beaches to feed the ducks is a time honored tradition, but it is harmful … more

3/18/21

A letter of thanks to our community

Newspapers are dying. I hear it all the time; on the news, from strangers, acquaintances, even from some customers. To be sure, it’s hard to hear … every single time. Not because this is … more

1/9/20