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

Editorial: We must adapt to survive climate change

What we can learn from the plight of a small, marsh-dwelling bird? more

9/16/21

Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, was a surreal day in Warren. A day that began with gridlock on the streets and water overwhelming so many of the town’s roadways and infrastructure, ended with multiple … more

9/10/21

Editorial: In service of others

An exceptional group of public servants live and work in this town, and the past week brought reminders of how good they are. When Ida, a former Category 4 hurricane, rolled across town last … more

9/9/21

Editorial: Warren on the right path in battling addiction

Community policing and a no-shame, recovery-focused approach makes Warren a statewide leader in battling the addiction and overdose epidemic facing all municipalities. more

8/26/21

Editorial: The virus masks the best education possible

A few weeks ago we shared our opinions about mandatory masking in schools. Based on some reactions , you might think we advocated for citizen revolt against both the government and the medical … more

8/26/21

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

Editorial: The process is flawed when the public has no voice

It seems a private group will be consuming the entire footprint of the Barrington government center grounds, enveloping the Town Hall, library and senior center. It will be serving and selling … more

7/28/21

Editorial: Barrington can welcome a second flagpole

A year ago, Town Manager Jim Cunha decided on his own to fly a Black Lives Matter flag at Town Hall. Who knew that a dozen meetings and countless hours later, town leaders would still be talking … more

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

Ediorial: Temple vs. schools was a loser from the start

The Bristol Warren Regional School Committee’s handling of the 2021-22 school calendar is of the more embarrassing episodes you’ll see from a local government body. It’s difficult … more

7/17/21

Editorial: School board has been stumbling lately

It seems the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee grows more dysfunctional by the week. In yet another 5-4 decision (these are quite common lately), the committee decided it would not entertain a … more

7/1/21

Editorial: Be it resolved, Barrington botched this one

There are clear differences between following the “letter of the law” and the “spirit of the law.” The Town of Barrington followed the letter of the law by officially posting … more

6/25/21

Editorial: In this case, 'easier to find' is less likely to be found

Legislation before the Rhode Island General Assembly would take a swipe at both newspapers and transparency in government — two things that are intrinsically linked. House Bill 6375 and Senate … more

6/10/21

Editorial: Farewell faithful friend

By the hundreds, if not a thousand or more, they came to say one last good-bye to a place that held so many memories for them and countless others over the years. Visitors, still following pandemic … more

6/3/21

Editorial: The public has a right to speak, good or bad

Public bodies can meet behind closed doors if they’re discussing someone’s job performance or negotiating terms of a contract. They can add things to their agenda if a majority agree to … more

5/27/21

Editorial: State is intent on abandoning bike path bridges

The DOT was looking for approval for its new detour plan. What it received was an earful from residents and political leaders about how important the East Bay Bike Path bridges are. … more

5/21/21

Editorial: Bristol Warren district needs long-term fixes

The financial woes of the Bristol Warren Regional School District are structural, systemic and cannot be fixed in the next week. The school committee will soon make necessary, short-term … more

5/13/21

Editorial: Good news, bad news for BMS project

Here is the good news: The Barrington Middle School construction project is 99.99 percent complete, and the contractor is finishing under budget by $4.3 million. Just a few years ago, … more

4/30/21

Editorial: DOT needs to rebuild bike path bridges

One hundred and sixty-six years ago, heavy trains loaded with industrial cargo began rumbling along railroad tracks from Bristol to Providence. They carried the products of enormous factories from an … more

4/29/21

Editorial: Theater company deserves better than eviction

Perhaps this drama will have a happy ending, but the plot to pry the Bristol Theatre Company from its home in the former Reynolds School building feels unnecessarily dark. First, the theater … more

4/22/21

Editorial: ‘Tax the rich!’

When state governments need money, they often focus on familiar targets: personal sins (drinking, smoking and gambling), fossil fuels and the rich. In the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing … more

4/15/21

Editorial: The answer is optics, blowing in the wind

This town’s obsession with optics is growing. It seems every passion, cause and public spat ends up on a lawn sign, waving in the breeze from front lawns everywhere. We have signs … more

4/9/21

Editorial: The same, but different in Barrington

Football, cheerleading and volleyball were approved for competition at Barrington High School. Unified volleyball was not . Why? There’s no clear reason, other than the school department is … more

3/26/21

Editorial: The government giveth and taketh away

The main notion behind the multi-trillion-dollar federal bailout was to pump aid directly and immediately to citizens who have suffered financial harm during the pandemic. That injection of cash will … more

3/26/21

Editorial: South Lake management as smooth as the road itself

Management of scenic South Lake Drive in Barrington has been as bumpy as the road itself. Three months ago, Town Manager Jim Cunha announced he would be closing the road to vehicular traffic. He … more

3/26/21