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

The Washington Bridge story just won’t go away – not anytime soon

STORY OF THE WEEK: After a recent news dump, when the McKee administration shared details of a federal request for records related to the Washington Bridge, Gov. Dan McKee tried to regain control of … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/6/24

A view of the Washington Bridge that once carried motorists over the Seekonk River along I-195 West. It has been shut down for seven weeks, its future uncertain.

Accountability is sorely lacking in the I-195 fiasco

The condition of the west bound lanes on I-195 and the subsequent snarl of traffic has unleashed a furious fusillade of accusations and excuses by those in charge. Tens of thousands of daily … more

By Arlene Violet | 1/30/24

Lawmakers promising a closer look at I-195 bridge saga

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Washington Bridge saga took a noteworthy turn when state officials last week declined to rule out the possible demolition of the westbound portion of the bridge. If such a … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/29/24

Editorial: 'Public Comment' rules should be open, flexible and customer-friendly

In the years leading up to the pandemic, most Americans were hyper-focused on national-level politics, with Trump, the Democrats or the Republicans seemingly responsible for everything good or bad in … more

1/26/24

Letter: Washington Bridge fiasco has me wondering...what next?

Budget money has constantly been allocated to everything else, from digital security labs to soccer stadiums. Meanwhile critical infrastructure, like the 195 bridge, was shoddily inspected and shoddily repaired. Here is the result. more

1/25/24

Letter: Bald eagles are here!

This will be short but sweet. Little Compton has Bald Eagles! The nesting place has been spotted and of course I am not going to tell you where in case some crazy decides to shoot them. If you … more

1/24/24

Letter: Please explain how the economy is so ‘bad’

How bad is reality right now? Unemployment down, under 4 percent for two years. Employment up, with hundreds of thousands of jobs added every month. Wages up, if only … more

1/22/24

Schneider's anti-Trump stance shows she's a rare breed in U.S. politics

STORY OF THE WEEK: Claudin Schneider is a rare breed in American politics: a Republican and former Rhode Island congresswoman who is doing everything in her power to stop Donald Trump from returning … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/16/24

The legislators are back, and so are familiar fiscal worries

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Rhode Island General Assembly returned to business last week, with the usual feeling of something akin to students returning to the classroom for the first day of school. House … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/9/24

Letter: Town deal with SouthCoast Wind deserves support

Next Tuesday, Jan. 16, at Portsmouth High School, there will be a special Town Council meeting to vote on a proposed agreement with SouthCoast Wind to run an electric line along … more

1/9/24

Letter: Gen. Flynn deserves R.I. Hall of Fame induction

I am responding to David Schoorens’s letter in your Dec. 28, 2023 edition. Mr. Schoorens knowingly or unknowingly leaves out the key facts regarding Gen. Flynn’s … more

1/8/24

Disqualifying Trump? It’s a collision course

The Colorado court’s ruling disqualifying Donald J. Trump as a candidate for the presidency on the basis of the 14th Amendment, a clause of which eliminates from holding an office anyone who … more

By Arlene Violet | 1/5/24

Letter: Short-term lessons for a long-term project

We should not dismiss ferry service as a long-term public transportation option altogether. more

1/4/24

Letter: Legislative process needs to be changed

As citizens we don’t get to vote for the leadership or the statehouse rules; our representatives do that. Therefore, we should also press our representatives to place democracy above party and reform the rules of the legislature. more

1/4/24

Letter: LC Ag Land Trust was unfairly maligned in story

Your 14 December coverage of the defrauding of the LC Agricultural Land Trust had somewhat of a Gotcha! flavor to it, created by materially incomplete analysis of what appears to have taken place. … more

1/4/24

Editorial: Time to call it quits on ferry experiment

While this service could potentially be a fun concept to bolster tourism between Providence and the East Bay during the summer, it is far too costly to continue utilizing as an ineffective traffic mitigation tool. more

12/28/23

Susan Bodington, of the Little Compton Housing Trust, addresses the crowd at the United Congregational Church of Little Compton at a meeting called this past February to discuss the state of affordable housing in Little Compton.

Commentary: Little Compton at tipping point: Loving it to death?

Little Compton will finally be my home. It has taken over 50 years for me to achieve that. (That is probably not unusual for a “year-rounder”). But the town I moved to is changing fast; … more

By Peter Aldrich | 12/27/23

Letter: Induction of Flynn to R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame a travesty

To the editor: The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame has inducted Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the disgraced general officer and momentary national security advisor to the Trump administration. … more

12/22/23

Letter: Are we asking the right questions about massive wind farms?

Construction is underway to build thousands of huge wind turbines from New Jersey to Maine. From an average Joe’s perspective, this process feels extremely rushed, and there are dozens of unanswered questions. more

12/20/23

Commentary: Time to re-evaluate Little Compton land trust's role

In light of the recent attention given to the Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust and Little Compton Housing Trust, respectively, I would like to offer some thoughts as a concerned … more

By David Wordell | 12/19/23

Accountability and leadership in the I-195 crisis

STORY OF THE WEEK: The emergency closing of the westbound part of the Washington Bridge put Gov. Dan McKee — and how he performs during a crisis — under a microscope. McKee was … more

By Ian Donnis | 12/19/23

Editorial: A crisis for the East Bay

The impact of the Interstate 195 bridge closure cannot be overstated. It suffocates areas of Providence and East Providence, both economically and functionally, for months. more

12/14/23

Letter: Little Compton Town council should reverse accessory dwelling vote

The Rhode Island General Assembly recently passed a package of bills intended to create more affordable housing, including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The Little Compton Planning Board reviewed … more

12/13/23

Letter: Fraud is history — we should celebrate affordable housing deal

At 10 o’clock on August 25th, a closing took place in the Town Hall of Little Compton. I, representing the Ag Trust, Dennis Talbot, representing himself, and Beverly Annarumo, owner of 164 John … more

12/12/23

Letter: Wind farms — why we must move ahead with them

We only have seven years left. The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources set a goal to depend on 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. The global climate has already warmed above one degree … more

12/7/23