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

Richmond Elwell, Little Compton’s old lamplighter, switches on the lamps on the Common on July 4, 1976.

The Town Crier — lighting the way in Little Compton

The latest in a series of columns by 'The Town Crier,' celebrating Little Compton's 350th anniversary this year: During the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, Little Compton chose to celebrate … more

2/4/25

Turbulent waves keep rolling out of Washington

Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 31, 2025 1. STORY OF THE WEEK: If the past week tells us anything, here are a few starting points: 1) Democratic-leaning states like … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/4/25

Trump comes out swinging, pushes immigration to the forefront

STORY OF THE WEEK: President Trump ’s use of an executive order to try to eliminate birthright citizenship — a right enshrined in the Constitution not long after the Civil War — … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/27/25

Members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra play for students at the Wilbur McMahon School in Little Compton.

Commentary: Little Compton non-profit teaches love for the arts

Editor’s note: Neve Carmichael is a student at Tiverton High School, and wrote this article as part of her journalism studies. Music, in one guise or another, permeates through all … more

By Neve Carmichael | 1/22/25

Is Rhode Island's glass half-full, or half-empty?

STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Dan McKee had a high-profile platform last Tuesday, using his State of the State speech to assert that Rhode Island is “flipping the script” from some of the less … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/21/25

Sakonnet Light is undeniably beautiful but can be deadly when the weather is in — working there nearly scared the lightkeeper to death in 1917.

Think the weather is cold enough now? Everything is relative

Editor's note: This column is part of a series dedicated to Little Compton's 350th anniversary celebration this year. For more, see the organizing committee's website . Most of us have heard of … more

By The Town Crier | 1/9/25

A New Year’s resolution for state leaders

Here is a basic New Year’s resolution for state political leaders: “Spend taxpayer money as if it were you own.” Instead, far too many politicians make giddy spending decisions … more

By Arlene Violet | 12/31/24

Little Compton's own Colonel Henry Tillinghast Sisson, memorialized in this statue at the Common, invented the three ring binder.

Town Crier: Did you know these strange Little Compton facts?

In researching for Little Compton's upcoming 350th birthday celebration, I have found a few facts that would probably not fit in a column by themselves, but I found them interesting and fun. So here … more

By The Town Crier | 12/12/24

The bridge fallout still hovers over R.I. and the governor

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Dec. 11 marks the one-year anniversary of the abrupt emergency closing of the westbound Washington Bridge, a crisis whose full effect will … more

By Ian Donnis | 12/12/24

A Great Horned Owl surveys its territory from a native cherry tree perch in the East Bay. Great Horned Owls are widespread across the U.S. but bird count surveys have shown a significant decreasing trend in the eastern region. Photo courtesy of Butch Lombardi.

The symbiotic relationships between owls and woodpeckers

Head outside on a clear winter night in the East Bay and you might just be greeted by the deep, soft hoots of Great Horned Owls advertising their territories and calling to their mates. Listen more … more

By Cindy and Ed Moura | 12/12/24

Dr. Patrick T. Conley, chairman of the U.S. Constitution Council, delivers an address to dignitaries at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on Dec. 15, 1991, to mark the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights. U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger delivered a similar address on that day in Richmond, Virginia.

In praise and recognition of America’s Bill of Rights

December 15 is the anniversary of our Bill of Rights. On that date in 1791, Virginia’s ratification of Articles I through X of our Constitution incorporated them permanently into our … more

By Patrick T. Conley | 12/4/24

ILO Group report shined a bright spotlight on the governor

STORY OF THE WEEK: About three years after Attorney General Peter Neronha ’s probe into the ILO Group became public, the story hit a dramatic apex. On Tuesday, Neronha released his findings via … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/6/24

Trump teeters in the twilight zone

C BS has been interviewing potential voters in the so-called swing states about for whom they are going to vote for President. Virtually all Trump supporters said they were voting for him … more

By Arlene Violet | 10/2/24

Trying to solve the primary care problem in this region

STORY OF THE WEEK: Although getting an appointment with a doctor is a fundamental need, doing that has become increasingly difficult due to the shortage of primary care physicians in Rhode Island. … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/1/24

Keeping Hasbro here will be a top priority for the state

STORY OF THE WEEK: Rhode Island officials plan to assemble a proposal in the weeks ahead meant to keep Hasbro in the state. Details remain unclear for now, but Gov. Dan McKee and House Speaker Joe … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/24/24

Though voters say they’re not satisfied, incumbents prevailed on Primary Day

STORY OF THE WEEK: For all the yak about cranky Rhode Islanders and dissatisfaction with the direction of the state, Tuesday’s primary amounted to a big vote of confidence for incumbents. This … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/17/24

Will the real Washington Bridge story ever get told?

STORY OF THE WEEK: The marquee race in Rhode Island’s primary election on Tuesday was state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung’s challenge to Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins. The GOP race took an … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/10/24

When the truth doesn’t matter, the wackadoodles win

Perhaps I am a bit nostalgic about the “good ’ole days” when people said what they meant and meant what they said. There was no other ambition but to say and do the right thing. … more

By Arlene Violet | 9/3/24

With the convention over, here comes the sprint to the finish

STORY OF THE WEEK: With the end of the Democratic National Convention, the stage is now set for a 74-day sprint to the high-stakes November election. Rhode Island’s delegation, like other … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/27/24

Reminders of how the money flows through politics

STORY OF THE WEEK: “Money, it’s a gas,” goes the song by Pink Floyd. “Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.” The tune encompasses the central quality of money … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/20/24

Wilbur School students carry the banner and play for the crowd during the town’s 300th anniversary celebration in 1975.

Let the music play — a Little Compton celebration in song

Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” The 300th Anniversary of Little Compton Committee (in 1975) must have supported this belief because music was a … more

By The Town Crier | 8/12/24

It’s not too early to keep an eye on the 2026 race for Gov.

STORY OF THE WEEK: It’s peak summer in Rhode Island, so politics is probably far from the minds of most Ocean Staters. But the filing of second-quarter campaign finance reports underscores how … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/6/24

Can we get something right?

No wonder people are skeptical of government. The ineptitude of the Rhode Island executive branch led by Gov. Dan McKee is staggering. Here are just a few examples: The I-195 bridge The … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 8/6/24

The Dolly Momma: On summer people in a small, sandy ocean town

William James is said to have said, “Summer afternoon: The two most beautiful words in the English Language.” Still, we take it for granted. The To do List of musty musts finds it way … more

By The Dolly Mama | 7/25/24

With no clear future for the broken bridge, questions abound

STORY OF THE WEEK: The timeline for creating a new westbound Washington Bridge remains uncertain, as Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and state Transportation Director Peter Alviti indicated during a … more

7/16/24