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

Norman Dudziak photographed this Tusukuru hartlandianus dwarf tree spider during “The Search for Neodietrichia” citizen science project. This is now the iconic photo for this species on iNaturalist.

Welcome to Citizen Science Month – see what a difference you can make

April is Citizen Science Month! You can join a growing community of “citizen scientists” who help to expand our body of scientific knowledge by crowdsourcing data collection. … more

By Norman Dudziak, P.E., I.M. | 3/28/23

Ken Block has done a service to this country

Many readers will remember Ken Block as a two-time candidate for Rhode Island Governor and technology entrepreneur who helped the State of Texas save more than a billion dollars in food stamp fraud … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 4/3/24

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

Editorial: Best practices in government

A year ago, no one could have imagined that the Barrington School Committee would quickly become the model for openness in government. For much of the past five years, that board was mired in … more

6/7/23

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

Letter: Will the U.S. prosecute the instigators?

We are told that the U.S. Department of Justice has now charged more than 200 alleged seditionist/insurrectionists with a variety of crimes, including assault on police officers, aggravated assault, … more

2/18/21

Gabe Amo is a practiced politico, living the American dream

STORY OF THE WEEK: At the ripe old age of 35, Gabe Amo emerged this week as the bright new star among Rhode Island Democrats. While he will enter Congress as its most junior member, Amo seems poised … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/14/23

Photogenic Bobbert comes in for a closeup at Tiverton’s West Place Animal Sanctuary.

Letter: A chance encounter with the most memorable Bobbert

A chance encounter with the most memorable Bobbert To the editor: A few months back, while out for a bicycle ride, I went down a side lane heading for some trails in the woods. Riding parallel … more

1/28/21

Letter: Republican women showed courage

It takes courage to stand up to a despot. In the second impeachment proceedings against President Donal Trump, there were more Republican women than men in the House and Senate with the guts to do … more

2/19/21

Letter: Have questions about $3M override? Attend this public forum

The committee advocating to pass the $3 million override in Westport will hold an open public forum on July 11, 2023, from 7-9 pm at the Westport Middle-High School, 400 Old County Road. The public … more

7/6/23

Not another moment of silence

I’m sick to death of observing another moment of silence when children have been murdered, particularly in a school setting. Since 2018 there have been 119 school shootings. The most recent … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 6/3/22

Letter: Shot-tyrants continue with an almost religious fervor

To the editor: “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” C.S. Lewis Over the past two years, it has become … more

2/9/22

Letter: Like it or not, government fixes things

To the editor: One has to feel for the citizens of the sunshine state, et.al., who have had their lives ripped apart by hurricane Ian this week. At the same time you can only feel distain for … more

10/5/22

Letter: Offshore wind opponents are only muddying the waters

A “Gish Gallop” is a debate technique where you attempt to overwhelm your opponent with an unrelenting barrage of arguments, with little regard for the truth. Using quantity over quality … more

2/8/23

Letter: Moving forward with required dredging would be a mistake

It is astonishing that these engineering experts don't seem to know exactly what is on the ocean floor of our waterways after the past 100 years of dumping our untreated waste there. more

3/21/24

The Israeli-Hamas war is a loss all-around

It’s almost crass to write about the Israeli-Hamas war in the abstract. Whether it is a father searching for his children under rubble that had been his home in Gaza or a parent and child bound … more

By Arlene Violet | 12/5/23

Letter: Fire departments' efforts saved much of our home

To the editor: We are thankful to the Westport and Little Compton fire departments for their extraordinary service in fighting a fire at our home in Westport Harbor during the late evening on … more

3/22/22

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

Letter: For town's sake, vote 'Yes' to Diman on April 11

At the Town election on April 11 there will be an important ballot question relating to the Diman Vocational Regional School new building project. The ballot question will decide if the payment of … more

3/29/23

To the editor: A child pretending to be a leader

Some dear friends have a new granddaughter who is a healthy, happy, good baby. Yet they report that a recent overnight stay was harder than they expected or recalled. Babies often get fussy when … more

6/7/23

Letter: Legislators, opponents wrong in labor contract legislation issue

To the editor: This is soooo much drivel! Both the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the National Labor Relations Board honor the labor law and regulation of "Status Quo Ante". Which means … more

12/11/19

Editorial: Injustice, unrest and action

The murder of George Floyd lit a match to a nation loaded with combustible material. Quarantined and isolated for months, with tens of millions jobless, with economic stability shattered, with half … more

6/4/20

Letter: What you need to know about Mass DEP nitrogen regs

The Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed regulations to restore nitrogen impaired estuaries in Westport as well as Cape Cod, the Islands and the Southcoast. There has been a lot … more

1/18/23

Westport health notes: Keeping waters' nitrogen level low starts with you

OVERLINE: Westport Health Notes Welcome to Westport Health Notes, a monthly column from the Westport Board of Health (BOH). The goal is to share information with our community … more

By Phil Weinberg | 5/11/23

Letter: We need to work together to end hunger

To the editor: September has been designated Hunger Action Month by Feeding America, the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States. That makes it the perfect time to consider … more

8/31/23