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

Serious bridge concerns were first documented in 2015

STORY OF THE WEEK: As the state awaits a forensic review of what went wrong with the Washington Bridge, the ProJo’s Patrick Anderson delivered a must-read story this week contextualizing how a … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/23/24

Editorial: A standing ovation for a new Unified Theater production

Something remarkable happened onstage in the Barrington Middle School auditorium last Friday night. Students performed. And though it was actually the first live theater performance in the short … more

2/8/23

The ugly trip to Philly continues to reverberate in R.I.

STORY OF THE WEEK: The after-life of the March trip by two Rhode Island officials to Philadelphia continued to echo loudly. After an initial burst of media coverage, the story got picked up by the … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/20/23

Letter: Risks won’t be resolved until the bridges are replaced

The East Bay Bike Path bridges were shut down in 2019 when regular inspections showed that they were unsafe. At the time, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said that they would replace the … more

5/7/21

As the virus persists, will the future repeat the past?

STORY OF THE WEEK: The approach of nicer spring weather makes it easy to think that COVID has been banished. But surges are sparking lockdowns in other parts of the world, and the Omicron BA.2 … more

By Ian Donnis | 3/22/22

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

Donnis: With Cicilline stepping down, many show interest in stepping up

STORY OF THE WEEK: U.S. Rep. David Cicilline’s decision to step down to take the top job at the Rhode Island Foundation emerged as a surprise, although, with a bit of reflection, it also makes … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/28/23

Norman Dudziak photographed this invasive autumn olive (left) at the Seaview Marsh land trust property on the Palmer River on Oct. 1, 2020, and has posted it to iNaturalist. He photographed this snowy egret at the Aurora Marsh land trust property on the Palmer River on April 28, 2015, and has posted it to iNaturalist.

Crowdsourcing knowledge about our world

The crown jewel of citizen science for biological nature observations is “iNaturalist,” a social network with more than 2.6 million participants. Using … more

By Norman Dudziak and Sally Johnson | 6/20/23

Trump continues to loom large over the 2024 election

STORY OF THE WEEK: If you want to give Democrats agita, look no further than a New York Times/Siena College poll pointing to a potential neck-and-neck rematch between Donald Trump and President Joe … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/8/23

Letter: What are our legislators thinking in legalizing marijuana?

An article in last week’s Bristol Phoenix noted that local legislators Walter Felag, June Speakman, Jason Knight and Susan Donovan expressed their support for legalization of marijuana for … more

3/25/21

The increasingly important role of student journalists

When student journalists at Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts heard last spring that middle schoolers in their town were experiencing transphobic and homophobic bullying, they immediately … more

By Josh Moore and.Justin Silverman | 2/20/24

Letter: Spencer Trust money should not be limited to income level

To the editor: After reading the article in the paper this week regarding the Spencer Trust, I immediately thought of the words of a man I had a great deal of respect for...Mr. John Martin, past … more

7/20/21

Letter: Safety vs. freedom, what is the right balance?

To the editor: Recently, the Barrington Times dared to share its view on masks, which in turn generated several passionate responses. One reply stated how she was “ Shocked and infuriated … more

8/17/21

Letter: Speeding cars could generate lots of revenue

To the editor: I’d like to propose a bona fide solution to Barrington’s financial issues. At last, a guaranteed fix to generate substantial income for our tax-stressed town. Raise … more

4/14/21

Letter: Patience! Spring, and life, is returning

To the editor: It was such a long wet winter that the fields couldn’t be mowed until a few weeks ago. This did not please my beautiful pheasant and he fled next door where there was a nice … more

5/13/22

Editorial: Press pause on Barrington's monastery plans

A town-hired consultant says the only viable option for the former Carmelite Monastery building is to tear it down. Only then could a developer get a fair return while clustering dense housing on the … more

9/15/22

Letter: The 2nd amendment – a different perspective

I am also a gun owner, veteran and a naval war college graduate, but I disagree with Bill Bullard’s singular argument that the sole purpose for the 2 nd Amendment was to ensure the nation had a … more

3/26/21

Letter: Feelings, self-esteem are not a substitute for learning

To the editor: Concerning the “de-leveling” of the curriculum, the Barrington School Committee should note that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) … more

4/15/21

Letter: Barrington educators are doing an incredible job

To the editor: Barrington is our hometown choice for many wonderful reasons; at the top of the list was the reputation for stellar education. We were so excited for Peter to start … more

12/8/20

Letter: BHS needs a targeted approach

To the editor: On April 1, Barrington school administrators presented information relating to de-leveling at Barrington High School (BHS). Within that presentation, we learned that 50 percent of … more

4/15/21

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: Council should have discussed any concerns with veterans group

To the editor: In your article " Councilor shares insight into Memorial Day parade change ", the town council president provides an "after the fact" statement that appears to be an attempt to … more

3/23/22

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

Editorial: Barrington dropped the ball with new drive-through

For a town that wants to promote walkability, the Barrington Shopping Center is a glaring failure, and the new Starbucks drive-through lane only amplifies that. The Barrington Shopping … more

3/1/24

Letter: Senator's vote the epitome of environmental racism

To the editor: State Senator Cindy Coyne's vote "Yes" last week in the RI Senate, on "S 2788," to allow unregulated dirty plastic waste incinerators, (aka "Pyrolysis"), in South Providence is … more

6/14/22