A win for historic preservation advocates; the rebirth of a theatre left for dead; an unprecedented investment in the local schools; the discovery of an historic window significant enough for the Smithsonian to come to town; and a looming financial bombshell whose impact is still to be determined; and so much more in between.

It’s been another rewarding year reporting the news here in Warren, and in this awkward week between Christmas and the New Year, what better way to spend a lazy morning (hopefully on vacation from work, although this author isn’t so lucky…) than to take a look back through our archives and pull out the stories that most resonated from 2023.

These stories are featured in no particular order, and we apologize if there’s a story you felt belongs among the list; we’ve only so much space to summarize an entire year of the Times-Gazette! Other stories are summarized in cutlines for photos, which are sprinkled throughout the copy.

Developments clash with historic preservation
Undoubtedly, one of the marquee stories that captured many headlines and countless inches of news print during the first few months of 2023 in Warren was the proposed housing development at 119 Water St.

The controversial project carried over from 2022, finally coming to an end on Feb. 27, when the Warren Planning Board decided in a split, 4-3 vote to deny the plans submitted by Daniel Teodoro to demolish two historic structures in the heart of the historic district in order to build a 12-unit housing development. The project went through numerous iterations, and had originally aimed for a four-story building with more units, many of which would be deemed “affordable” under the state’s comprehensive permit policy.

“It’s time to draw a line — not in the sand, but in the street — so that we have the ability to maintain the character of the town,” Planning Board chairman Frederick Massie said at the decisive meeting.

The story seems to have potential for a happier ending, however. Teodoro submitted plans at the end of October for a restaurant concept that would be born out of a total rehabilitation of the dilapidated building at 119 Water St., and would re-purpose the building behind it at 113 Water St. into a small residential building.

One could argue that stories about developments, and the delicate line between the need for more affordable housing in town and the public’s appetite for where those kinds of projects are sited, and how they interact with the historic components of the existing neighborhood, was the story of the year for 2023; and these stories don’t seem to be going anywhere in the year ahead. Ongoing discussions at the former Liberty Street School await a conclusion in early 2024, as does a large affordable rental housing project on Child Street.

With a comprehensive slate of new housing legislation kicking in from the state on Jan. 1, we will certainly be following how these new laws impact the ability for local boards to control what developments can and can’t do in their stated goals of creating more affordable housing.

A $200M investment in Bristol and Warren’s children
We won’t belabor the point, because we dedicated more print to this story than any other this year by quite a large amount. However, we would be remiss to not mention the $200 million bond that was overwhelmingly passed by voters in Bristol and Warren during the November election.

The planning and design phase for a new high school will kick back into high gear in 2024, as construction bids and architectural designs will begin to be contracted and bond money will start to be accrued by the district. However, a concern over Warren’s ability to pay their share of the debt in light of a new financial outlook may be something to watch out for in the coming years (stay tuned on that).

As a result of that same election, Rhode Island voters also elected the first Black Congressman to the House of Representatives when they chose Gabe Amo to represent Congressional District 1 in a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, Gerry Leonard.

The rebirth of 2nd Story Theatre
It’s rare to cover a story of this scope that proposes a long-range, unlikely solution to an identified problem, and then actually have that solution come to fruition within the span of the same year.

Such was the case for the former 2nd Story Theatre, which had sat unoccupied for years, sadly reminding all who passed it on Market Street that Warren — the arts hub of the East Bay and, arguably, of Rhode Island — had no dedicated theater space to call its own.

When a group of theatre advocates met in late March to discuss their hopes that someone could acquire the theater and turn it back into a shared-use space for various groups to utilize, it seemed very much akin to buying a lottery ticket when the Powerball goes over $1 billion. “Sure, we can all dream big, but…come on.”

Instead, a team of dreamers led by the long-time proprietor of “In Your Ear”, Chris Zingg, stepped up to the plate, leased the building, and then within six short months (and with the help of those same theater groups who wished for this in the first place) completely renovated the space to get it ready for a Bristol Theatre Company production of “A Christmas Carol”.

“We keep saying ‘Pinch us, is this actually real life?’”, said Kara Rocha, a 20-year veteran of the Bristol Theatre Company and the director for this year’s rendition of “Christmas Carol.”

A museum piece discovered, and donated
Another story that had satisfying resolution within the same year was the discovery of a stained glass window that depicted Biblical figures, including Jesus himself, as people of color.

Originally found in June of 2022, the owner of the former St. Mark’s Church, art historian Hadley Arnold, took her time in figuring out exactly what she had found, and getting input from a collection of appropriate experts on what exactly should be done about it.

The result came to a satisfying conclusion earlier this month, with Arnold inviting in members of the public, as well as art historians and cultural leaders of all colors and expertises, to marvel at the window and celebrate its eventual transportation to The Brooks Museum in Memphis, Tenn., where it will undoubtedly be appreciated as a centerpiece of the museum’s brand new building currently being constructed.

Arnold assured that the study of the window’s significance and the story of its origin — which was unique and worthy enough to warrant a visit from a curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture — would be ongoing in Rhode Island; even if the window will eventually be located elsewhere.

“This was crucially important to me from the outset; that even if the window physically departs Rhode Island, its traces continue to activate our minds, hearts, and actions,” Arnold said.

Crime among youth, and car thefts, spike
A comprehensive piece from back in February looked at crime statistics among young people aged 11-15 and 16-20. Our research showed a troubling trend across the state in criminal offenses among young people, and experts interviewed expressed their belief that the pandemic and its consequences should absolutely be considered part of the reason for this bump in bad behavior among our youth.

It will be interesting to look at the data for next year to see if this trend has stabilized, or remained on an upward incline.

In other crime news, a string of thefts involving cars that began in the summer months created some buzz, with an inordinately high number of cars being stolen, or items being stolen from cars.

Police reported at the time that they suspected it might be the result of an organized crime ring reaching its tendrils into Rhode Island, but no additional stories regarding that possibility came up.

Year ends on a dark note
Between the Washington Bridge closure and the announcement that the Town of Warren would have to pay out $8 million in a settlement to end their part in a massive lawsuit involving a child that was badly injured after some type of incident involving a Town vehicle (the exact details are not known, as the case is under seal), it’s an understatement to say that this Cranston-based author certainly had a happier ending for 2023 on his Christmas list this year.

Nonetheless, the unprecedented disruption caused by the bridge closure, and the unprecedented financial crisis the Town of Warren now finds themselves in (without a Town Manager or Finance Director at the helm, either) will continue to be stories to watch going into 2024.

Roundup of other noteworthy moments

• Thea Jackson, who started 2023 as a freshman, had an incredible athletic year in track and soccer. She broke the state meet record in the 100-yard dash with a 12.17, and broke a Mt. Hope record in the 200-meter run with a 26.47 during the spring divisional title meet. On the pitch, Jackson led Division I in scoring with 23 goals and 8 assists, and was voted Rookie of the Year by Huskies’ coaches.
• Jessica Deal, who also began 2023 as a freshman, came onto the scene as a phenomenon in track and field. She was named All-State and first team All-Division, and won the freshman state championship, and came in second place in the state championships.
• Brock Pacheco had a year that will go down in Mt. Hope history. During the fall football season Pacheco became the school’s most prolific running back. The senior shattered the single season rushing record, rushing for 1444 yards on 194 carries, and also broke the Huskies’ touchdown record, scoring 17 touchdowns. He also received awards for academic performance, school leadership and citizenship, and was named the Providence Gridiron Club’s Offensive MVP.
• Farewell to: Betty Hoague, the 20-year director of the Warren Senior Center, who retired from the position back in August; Space Cadets, the iconic Main Street shop of oddities, which closed over the summer; Uriah Donnelly, who stepped down as the leader of The Collaborative in late August; Finish for a Guinness, the popular 5K that ran throughout the Town and raised money for ALS, wrapped up after its 15th run; Kate Michaud, Town Manager since late 2019, left to take a job for Gabe Amo.
• The Mt. Hope Class of 2023, often-maligned for the rowdy behavior of some members of the class during its days at Kickemuit Middle School (which almost caused a full-blown teacher exodus at one point), graduated together and wholly unified, wearing only purple gowns instead of the traditional white and purple, as a thunderstorm roared in the distance.
• Scientific prowess of our students deserves a shout out, as the KMS Science Olympiad team punched a ticket to the national competition for the first time ever, and the Mt. Hope Robotics Team also got to the state finals.
• A round of applause for two runners up: The Mt. Hope Softball team and Mt. Hope girls soccer team were each bested in the D-1 Championship game; the former to East Greenwich, and the latter to Cumberland. Regardless, the ladies have nothing to be ashamed of, and the boys better take notice that they have some catching up to do.