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

Editorial: Town's fields need a wide-angle lens

It may take a decade to overhaul the playing fields in Barrington. Many of the people who draw up plans today will have moved out of town, their children grown past youth sports, before plans come to … more

1/12/22

Editorial: Stop your engines!

Sharon Gold is a diminutive woman with a big message for everyone — stop idling! The focus of a story in our East Bay Life section this week, Gold is a retired educator and grandmother from … more

1/5/22

Editorial: A virtual solution for school committee mask mess

First, give credit where credit is due. After being questioned, criticized and scorned for not enforcing a mask mandate during meetings, leadership and members of the Bristol Warren Regional School … more

12/17/21

Editorial: Small-town governance

There was a time, not long ago, when we celebrated Barrington for setting a great example in small-town governance. Citizens with talent and good intentions volunteered for public service, spent one … more

12/15/21

Editorial: School district shortcut the search process — again

Regardless of who is in charge, who is departing and who is arriving, the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee follows the same process whenever it hires a new superintendent — which is no … more

12/2/21

Editorial: This is not the right turf plan for Barrington

The latest proposal for artificial turf fields in Barrington was conceived by good people, volunteering their time, off and on, for more than two years. That does not make it a good plan. We … more

11/17/21

Manuel C. “Manny” Correira accepts the Man of the Year plaque from Bristol Sports President Elisio Castro, shortly before the unveiling of his portrait, which hangs proudly in the sports club’s banquet hall on Wood Street.

Editorial: A community celebration for a writer who sees the good

Last Saturday night, in a jam-packed banquet room, a couple hundred people squeezed elbow to soup bowl for a three-hour celebration of community. The occasion was the Bristol Sports Club’s … more

11/11/21

Editorial: Take the shot or say goodbye to your students

There’s only one reason the Barrington School Department can demand Covid-19 vaccinations of all employees — because so many of its employees are already vaccinated. If the district … more

10/27/21

Editorial: Next on the agenda — Confusion

The actions of the Bristol Warren School Committee deserve scrutiny regarding the school resource officer situation developing at Kickemuit Middle School. more

10/20/21

Editorial: Vaccination rate hangs over Homecoming dance

Nestled in our story about the rogue high school Halloween dance is a figure deserving of more attention. According to Mt. Hope High School Principal Deborah DiBiase, the school has confirmed … more

10/14/21

Editorial: Is this the best time of the year?

Best month of the year in New England? While July gets a lot of love, and September is a favorite for many, October should be in everyone’s top-three. Consider the opportunities in the … more

10/6/21

Editorial: Trust the process on Italo-American Club

Government processes can be extensive and take lots of time — and that's a good thing in the case of whether or not to revoke the liquor license of the Italo-American Club in Warren. more

10/1/21

Editorial: Dreams of fields in Barrington

Three years ago, the Barrington town manager floated a proposal to more than double the fee for 6-year-olds to chase a soccer ball across a bumpy patch of grass, or smack a T-ball through a scratchy … more

9/22/21

Editorial: Turmoil at the top in Bristol Warren schools

The Bristol Warren Regional School Committee is a mess. Even the nine people sitting in those seats should admit that. Aside from the string of controversies running through the school department … more

9/22/21

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

Editorial: The best and the worst

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