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

Do deportation efforts show 'a complete disrespect for the Constitution'?

STORY OF THE WEEK: If the sine qua non of President Donald Trump is about pushing boundaries, the apex of that tendency is coming front and center. The showdown over Kilmar Abrego Garcia in … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/21/25

Letter: More news as the British get closer to Bristol

In case you haven’t heard, the British will be coming to Bristol May 16 to 18 (Don’t worry, patriotic Bristolians are going to send them packing!). In addition to historical … more

4/16/25

Letter: Let’s see if citizens have the fortitude for town leadership

In response to Mike Proto’s letter to the editor, “ Citizens are motivated to make change, ” Bristol Phoenix, April 10, I offer the following for consideration. Although I can … more

4/16/25

Letter: What can you do? Get involved

As we bear witness to the rapid dismantling of our governmental institutions, many of us are feeling a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. While there may be little we can do here in Bristol to … more

4/16/25

Letter: Disrespectful eyesore on Hixbridge

We drove across the Hixbridge bridge today and just before heading east over the bridge, on the left, were a series of mangled trees. Ripped to shreds (same horrible machine that … more

4/16/25

Letter: Make your voices known, and vote ‘No’ on Commons plan

The Little Compton village center is a unique and valuable asset to our town. To relinquish control of any part of it would not be in the best interest of the residents and taxpayers. … more

4/16/25

Letter: Seasons — good for Shell Oil, bad for Tiverton

You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig. And you can dress up Shell Oil’s big gas station with a “Seasons corner grocery” but … more

4/16/25

Letter: On the paper's letters policy, and national politics

This paper’s decision, based on some opaque policy, to print letters to the editor on local issues only is their rightful business. This decision may rest on the belief that national … more

4/15/25

Letter: Remember the ladies

To the editor: I am writing regarding the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act which just passed the US House and is headed for the US Senate. I urge you to contact all senators to demand … more

4/15/25

Letter: DOGE library cuts weaken communities

To the editor: Most Americans have probably never heard of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Yet, this small U.S. government agency—with just over 70 employees—has … more

4/15/25

This portrait of Julia Ward Howe was begun by John Elliott in 1910 and completed by William Henry Cotton in 1925. It hangs in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Julia Ward Howe — author of America’s proud ‘Battle Hymm’

On April 12, 1861, South Carolinians opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor to begin America’s bloody Civil War and put our Union in peril. Several months later, a Rhode Island woman … more

By Patrick T. Conley | 4/15/25

Reaction to global trade war is mostly breaking along partisan lines

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Decades after supporters lauded the North American Free Trade Agreement as a way to add American jobs, there’s plenty of criticism of NAFTA from both the left and the … more

4/14/25

Letter: Federal actions will impact us locally in many ways

I am writing again to express my concern about the damage that DOGE is doing to Social Security. They are now changing policies on what actions can be handled online, which will force thousands of … more

4/11/25

Letter: Do your own research on 'fast and dirty’ cuts

This similar unsubstantiated “fast and dirty” fear mongering does not enlighten or inform readers. more

4/10/25

Letter: East Providence will benefit from transportation options

I dream of a city that gives its people real transportation options. more

4/10/25

Letter: Two wars, a century apart, remembered today

Two wars, a century apart. Over the next 18 months, communities throughout Sowams Heritage Area will be commemorating the 350th anniversary of King Philip’s War and the 250th anniversary of the … more

4/10/25

Letter: Citizens are organized and motivated to make change

In the course of their responsibilities, the town council regularly receives requests from individuals and groups to enact or rescind town ordinances, and as highlighted in a recent Phoenix editorial … more

4/10/25

Lette: Citizens for Peace continues to speak out for peace and justice

Twenty-two years ago, on March 2, 2003, East Bay Citizens for Peace was born out of a sense of great urgency to stop the U.S. government from invading Iraq, and to defend our civil liberties … more

4/9/25

Letter: Many agencies make access to public records difficult

I have been a licensed private investigator in the state of Rhode Island since moving here in 1996. In my professional career, I have constantly been induced into battle with the majority … more

4/9/25

Letter: Our manufacturing has moved, so who does a Trade War actually help?

Here in our town of Bristol, the idea of restoring foreign manufacturing back to mainland USA is obviously delusional and not based on any current reality. In the past, our industrial base … more

4/9/25

Letter: Portsmouth should have used competitive hiring process

To the editor: I’d like to respond to recent letters regarding the vacancy at the Department of Public Works and the broader discussion surrounding the hiring process. A competitive … more

4/9/25

Letter: Thanks for supporting Portsmouth rally on April 5

To the editor: On behalf of all the people who rallied in Portsmouth on April to support our democracy I would like to thank the towns of Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport for the unprecedented … more

4/8/25

Letter: History, land and homes: Little Compton needs all three

Two proposals will be considered at the May Financial Town Meeting: Convert the Odd Fellows Hall and the old fire station to meeting spaces and four or five senior citizen apartments, by granting to … more

4/8/25

For Democrats, it's not too early to start thinking about midterm elections

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: The mid-term elections of 2026 are almost 20 months away -- and that’s an eternity in politics. But after months of soul-searching after the Democrats’ devastating … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/7/25

Letter: Please think about visiting the senior center

To the editor: To the senior citizens of Barrington (men and women), I am a member of the Barrington Peck Center for Adult Enrichment (Senior Center). Years ago I lost my husband, … more

4/3/25