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Letter: Some progress on suicide prevention barriers – but not enough

In 2023, the next phase of suicide prevention barrier legislation is pending before the Senate (S586) and the House (H6002). A lot has happened since this odyssey began to install barriers on the … more

4/27/23

Westport Shorelines - April 27, 2023

4/27/23

Westport Health Notes: May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Welcome to Westport Health Notes, a monthly column from the Westport Board of Health (BOH). The goal is to share information with our community about local issues and projects, public health alerts, … more

By Donna Amaral | 4/26/23

Letter: Is nuclear an alternative to offshore wind?

In 2022, Rhode Island passed a law to change our renewable energy standard "to achieve the goal that one hundred percent of Rhode Island's electricity demand is from renewable energy by 2033 and each … more

4/26/23

Letter: Approve Article 6 at Town Meeting next Tuesday

The Westport Finance Committee has released its analysis of the FY2024 budget to be presented at Town Meeting on May 2. The facts are not pretty. After more than a decade of making do and … more

4/25/23

Westport farm sells for $1.1 million

Harbor View Farm, a large farm just east of the Rhode Island border at 253 Adamsville Road, sold earlier this month for $1.1 million. There was no word this week on the identity of the new owners. … more

4/25/23

A row of wrapped boats still await their spring awakening at Striper Marina near the Barrington Yacht Club. Striper is one of the numerous local marinas where boaters can take part in a fee-based recycling program for the shrinkwrap waste.

From wrap to recycle

Everyone living along the New England coastline is familiar with the sight of marinas in the winter. They transform into seas of plastic white, with thousands of boats shrink-wrapped for their … more

By Julia Stearly | 4/25/23

Peter Jenkins, chairman of the board of the American Saltwater Guides Association and owner of the Saltwater Edge, Middletown, says striped bass in trouble and asks anglers to take action.

Striped bass are overfished and still in trouble

The striped bass fishery on the East Coast is overfished and overfishing is occurring. The fishery experienced a significant increase in harvest in 2022, as the eighth-most abundant year-class on … more

By Capt. Dave Monti | 4/25/23

The AG is getting vocal about issues today and in the future

STORY OF THE WEEK: In recent weeks, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has used Twitter to amplify the fight for continued access to mifepristone, cite the need for those with power to … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/25/23

Volunteers and organizers prepare at the start of the cleanup.

Volunteers collect tons of garbage in Westport

Team COW (Clean Our Westport)had a very successful Spring litter cleanup day the Saturday before last. Martin Costa, Team COW's founder, reports that more than 175 volunteers showed up to pick enough … more

4/24/23

Westport budget override — First step is Tuesday, May 2

With Westport nearing the edge of what some town officials call a fiscal precipice, a warrant article vote at the Tuesday, May 2 Town Meeting is the first in what could be a two-step process to … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/21/23

Brewer named chairman of Westport Select Board

Richard Brewer is the new chairman of the Westport Select Board, following a unanimous vote of his colleagues to the post Tuesday evening. Brewer joked that he is happy to be named chairman, … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/20/23

Westport Shorelines - April 20, 2023

4/20/23

Candidates and supporters wave on arrivals at voting last Tuesday in Westport.

Soares and Ouellette win board seats, Stinson wins clerk race

Voters sent Steven Ouellette back to the select board for his fourth three-year term last week, and also voted to send a long-time town volunteer to the town's main governing body. Ouellette, with … more

4/19/23

Distinctive HOMES | Spring 2023

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4/19/23

Ava Monroe looks up from working on a design project within the Graphic Communications room at East Providence High School. Graphics is one of 10 different Career and Technical Education tracks offered at the school, where about half the students are enrolled in some form of CTE programming.

Career and Technical — a new era in education

Since school choice began to proliferate a few years ago, hundreds of students have chosen to leave their hometown districts and enroll elsewhere. They often enroll close to home, choosing a neighboring district or a district a short drive away. But not always. more

By Scott Pickering | 4/19/23

Noah Lacey attempts to tag out a Case baserunner.

Westport nine bash 18 hits, clobber Case 12-4

Westport nine bash 18 hits, clobber Case 12-4 Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr. The Westport baseball team bashed 18 hits as they clobbered Case 12-4 during a non-league home … more

Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr. | 4/18/23

Pitcher Mackenzy Ponte winds up to pitch during the West Bridgewater game. The sophomore struck out 14, walked 8, and allowed 11 hits and 9 runs in 7 innings of work.

Wildcats edge West Bridgewater 10-9, crush Bishop Connolly 22-13

The Westport girls softball team scored 4 runs in the sixth inning to come from behind and beat West Bridgewater 10-9 in their first league game of the season at home on Thursday afternoon. Third … more

Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr. | 4/18/23

More than a dozen candidates lining up for a run at Congress

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Democratic field in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District is starting to gel, with a series of noteworthy developments this week. Former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg, … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/18/23

Letter: Republican Congress shares responsibility for gun deaths

Once again the Second Amendment has its day, this time in the sanctity of an elementary school. Six innocent lives brutally taken, three of them children. Mentally ill persons occur in all … more

4/18/23

Letter: Big thanks to Westport fire and highway departments

We want to thank the Westport Fire Department for their dedication and sacrifice in fighting the brush fire on our property Friday, April 14. They spent four hours extinguishing the fire and making … more

4/18/23

An artist's rendering of the Diman vocational school in Fall River, which will be paid for in part by Westport.

Diman vote a victory for town officials, budget

What a difference four months make. Last Tuesday's vote to fund the town's obligation to the $293 million Diman vocational school project via excluded debt passed by a margin of five to two, a … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/18/23

Rick Wise of Wakefield with a striped bass he caught this week in Salt Pond using a white soft plastic lure.

Favorite ways to catch striped bass

We still have a lot of larger holdover striped bass in the 20- and 30-plus-inch range in the area. These are the fish that decided not to migrate south and ‘hold over’ here for the winter … more

By Capt. Dave Monti | 4/18/23

Would-be buyer reaches agreement with BBC over farm

A Dartmouth woman with long-held dreams to own her own farm is closer to getting her wish, seven months after she lost out on her bid to purchase a 31-acre Main Road property to the Buzzards Bay … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/17/23

This vacant storefront at 60 State Road could become home to town's second dispensary.

New cannabis dispensary planned for Westport's State Road

An Uxbridge, Ma. man who hopes to open a cannabis dispensary on State Road appeared for the second time before the Westport Planning Board earlier this month, and is expected to move ahead with a … more

4/14/23