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Columnists

The Shamrock and other memories

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Nov 26

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

It was a sunny day in late June 1970, and the new and freshly painted ferry plowed and lumbered into a light southerly swell. I was heading to Block Island for the first time since 1960 and my childhood buddy Tim and I were going to check this place out, and he’d help me schlep my gear up to the...
At Boat Time

Martha Ball

Thu, Nov 26

Category:

Island Notes

Back in the spring we had hoped by this time the spread of Covid-19 would have been contained and we would be in a holding pattern awaiting a vaccine. We feared the summer, and were haunted by historical reminders that the great pandemic of 1918 had abated in the warm weather only to surge in the...
Eight smiling islanders

Tony Pappas

Thu, Nov 19

Category:

The Solar Report

More solar-sourced energy; less fossil fuel emissions. That is the goal of Block Island’s Solar Initiative. Towards that end, the Solar Initiative (tSi) has recently awarded eight subsidies toward the purchase of an electrically-powered vehicle to island families. The subsidies run over three years...
Summer of 2020

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Nov 19

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

“The island got eaten alive.” — Anonymous. Is there anyone on the south coast of Rhode Island who didn’t think that this summer was a combination of a Federico Fellini film and an apocalyptic zombie movie? Especially during and after the Fourth of July weekend? If there are, they must not...
The east side has the boat

Martha Ball

Thu, Nov 19

Category:

Island Notes

The afternoon is crisp, the line of the horizon off to the east sharp and clean, a seam binding the deep blue of the ocean to the paler hue of the sky, the two stitched with tiny, perfect, invisible stitches. Overhead there are no clouds but out over the water there are layers of white and violet...
Autumn Earthquake

Martha Ball

Thu, Nov 12

Category:

Island Notes

My dog is big and my house is old. The latter is a constant source of worry, what did some noise signify, every first-time-notice sound, be it an engine offshore or the clattering of metal at the transfer station across the Neck, more than a mile away. There is a spot in my dining room where Autumn...
Let’s have some fun in the sun

Tony Pappas

Thu, Nov 5

Category:

The Solar Report

We at the Solar Initiative hope that this series of columns has convinced you to at least consider installing a solar system at your home. It is a big step with financial and ecological ramifications, heavy stuff. So while you are deliberating, take a moment to look at the light side. Fun facts...
The right to read a book in your own way

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Nov 5

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

A French writer named Daniel Pennac created, in 1992, the “The Rights of the Reader,” which is about a reader’s right to read anytime or anywhere as long as it is a joyful experience. Here is my spin on these inalienable rights: The Right to not read. This is my favorite right because it gives me...
In living color

Martha Ball

Thu, Nov 5

Category:

Island Notes

These days when I walk into my living room half-listening to voices, I glance reflexively at the space where the television used to be. It has moved all of a few feet, from a space between two west-facing windows — where a television has been most of my memory — to a different wall. I am of an age...
360 Video

Walk Crescent Beach

Rosemary Connelli, at rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com

Thu, Nov 5

Category:

News, Video

(360 VIDEO) Walk along Crescent Beach, courtesy of The Block Island Times. Take a break from the ongoing U.S. election and relax with the sound of the crashing waves! Video captured on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Note: Turn up the volume to fully immerse yourself in the environment, and pause, and...
The Red Trailer

Martha Ball

Thu, Oct 29

Category:

Island Notes

There is a horse trailer in the front field. It arrived nearly a week ago, all shiny and bright red. The three Icelandics who live down here have all been introduced to it, with appropriate fanfare, and it has moved a bit, but not much and never on its own. It still catches my eye when I walked...
Meet David Reidy

Tony Pappas

Fri, Oct 23

Category:

The Solar Report

Why should I meet David Reidy? Who is he anyway? David is the installation contractor for the solar systems sponsored by the Solar Initiative. David can save you money while you help save the planet! He is the President of Cool Energy — but let’s begin at the beginning: David is a native Rhode...
Theme Radio

J.V. Houlihan

Fri, Oct 23

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

Singer, songwriter, troubadour, wiseass, painter, and businessman Bob Dylan is stumping his own whisky brand around the ether these days, and is part of what brought him back to doing his radio show. He had such a show 11 years ago and then took a hiatus. The new show recently aired on Monday, 21...
One night in October

Martha Ball

Fri, Oct 23

Category:

Island Notes

On the long list of things I need to replace is a computer; it is old even by my standards, and keys stopped working over a year ago. It’s a MacBookPro, a plug in keyboard was absurdly expensive then someone suggested I try a generic, an “Amazon Basics” which even by my standards was inexpensive...
Shimmering October blue

Martha Ball

Thu, Oct 15

Category:

Island Notes

The boats did not run yesterday. The long spell of good summer weather was, I think, more a blessing than a curse. While it surely lured more people to Block Island, it also kept life outside, windows stayed wide open, air circulated and for all that went terribly wrong the over-riding fear of the...
EVs for EVeryone?

Tony Pappas

Thu, Oct 8

Category:

Columnists

What’s an EV and is it contagious? EV is short for “electric vehicle,” and while it is not contagious, we hope EVs will catch on out here on Block Island. At the moment gasoline is relatively cheap and so you may not be thinking of alternative ways to power your car or truck. But don’t count on low...
A lesson in perception

Martha Ball

Thu, Oct 8

Category:

Island Notes

Well, drat, someone pointed out the obvious, that I do not need two hands to type, only a keyboard, although I am finding it a tough adjustment using both hands on a plug-in keyboard. Back to the old system of up and down arrows, which predated the computer mouse, which predated touch pads. Both of...
Porches and bird’s nests

Martha Ball

Thu, Oct 1

Category:

Island Notes

Ed. Note: Our columnist Martha Ball broke her arm this week. She’s fine — it was set at South County Hospital. But she is out of commission for a while, so we grabbed a column that describes an August in 2014. Another note: this week’s photo was taken by Chris Blane. While I have never...
360 VIDEO

Walk Clay Head Trail

Rosemary Connelli, at rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com

Mon, Sep 28

Category:

Video

(360 VIDEO) Walk along the Clay Head Trail to view the ocean and surrounding bluffs, courtesy of The Block Island Times. The Clay Head Trail is located off of Corn Neck Road on a dirt road, about three miles from town. The video was taken early last week, Monday, Sept. 21. Note: Turn up...
Sailing Ships

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Sep 24

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

I’ve been around Newport Harbor since the 1960s and I’m never bored in my roaming and hacking. The place has been the locus for centuries of maritime tradition and history since the early days of the American Revolution. It’s where the French fleet mustered their ships and land forces — about six...
Knife in the Road

Martha Ball

Thu, Sep 24

Category:

Island Notes

The first time I noticed the knife in the street near Rebecca, it was bright and shiny, the white of new plastic in the sun. Another year I might have picked it up but this year we are all more hesitant to touch things we would not — or I would not — have given a second thought in the past. Instead...
Order this…

Seaside hospitality at The Beach House

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Sep 18

Category:

Columnists

The Block Island Beach House (formerly known as “The Surf Hotel”) is sporting some great new dining areas this year. While the inside and outside have been lovingly spruced up and redesigned, the backside of the hotel has undergone the biggest transformation. A lovely seating area called The Shells...
Of foils and sails

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Sep 17

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

One day this August I was sailing across Narragansett bay toward the Pell Bridge and saw this kid tear-assing by me on a foiling boat called a WASZP. It’s a sailboat with a foiling rig and the kid displayed some skills as he powered by my bow. He flew by me going 10 to 14 knots — maybe faster. This...
Seven years

Martha Ball

Thu, Sep 17

Category:

Island Notes

Fall comes next week, officially, astronomically. It used to come sometime in the week after Labor Day, then to the holiday and earlier as schools opened sooner and sooner. Oddly, September seems to be our first and last gasp of a normal summer, people still on the streets as the days turn crisp...
360 video

Walk to New Harbor Boat Basin

Rosemary Connelli, at rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com

Wed, Sep 16

Category:

News, Video

(360 VIDEO) Walk along the beach by the New Harbor Boat Basin, courtesy of The Block Island Times. The Boat Basin is located close to Payne’s Dock in New Harbor. The video was taken on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Note: Turn up the volume to fully immerse yourself in the environment, and pause, and click...
Weather anomalies

J.V. Houlihan

Fri, Sep 11

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

“If you don’t like weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.” — Mark Twain Twain’s quote is baked into the psyche of many New Englanders who reside in the mountains or along the coast. We can all cite our own personal experiences regarding, hail, twisters, squalls, blizzards,...
There is green, and then there is green

Tony Pappas

Fri, Sep 11

Category:

Columnists

The following was submitted by Tony Pappas of the Solar Initiative project: Most folk would like to make the environment greener without making their wallet less green. So let’s look at the economics of going solar. The cost for a basic roof top solar array now being installed on a...
The Tractor

John Willis

Fri, Sep 11

Category:

Columnists

This is a story about a tractor that has spent much of its life on Block Island. A good piece of equipment out here may spend many years toiling the turf, with many different owners, and be passed on — sometimes to family, friends or neighbors. I purchased a 1967 International Cub farm tractor from...
Lost a pedal?

Martha Ball

Thu, Sep 10

Category:

Island Notes

This morning I heard a rumbling while I was still lolling around, discussing the upcoming day with my dog. It happens, sometimes the town road crew early to work, over the past weekend, engine noise punctuated by the slamming of little motorboats out on the ocean. This sound was coming up the road...
Order this…

Fresh air, fresh food at The Spring House

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Sep 4

Category:

Columnists

With unmatched 180-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean, the lawn and porch at The Spring House offer you a place to take a seat, take a breath, and let your cares melt away. Expanded seating on the lawn allows diners to enjoy drinks and tapas, while porch-dining patrons can enjoy the dinner menu in...
The Treehouse Chronicles —Revisited

Questions in the time of Covid-19

Gloria Redlich

Fri, Sep 4

Category:

Columnists

What’s so different about our daily lives today? So much that it’s hard to imagine let alone describe. And yet... Let’s face it: we still brush our teeth, shower, dress, get meals, take vitamins, hold hands, pay bills, do laundry, read books, watch TV, and sometimes write... Note the variation on a...
Two wheels

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Sep 3

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

“I’ve had this particular bike going 180 miles an hour. It feels like you’re floating at that speed,” said biker number one. “A guy ran a red light up in Providence and missed me by an inch. He was on his iPhone because I saw him never look up while nearly running into me,” said biker number two. “...
Now, it is lace

Martha Ball

Thu, Sep 3

Category:

Island Notes

The day did not begin well. This morning, I closed the door behind me, leaving Autumn, my drizzle damp dog, in the house and looked over through the misty rain to see the windows of my car wide open. “That’s impossible” I thought, remembering looking at the forecast the night before and thinking...
360 video

Walk to Dorry’s Cove

Rosemary Connelli, at rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com

Wed, Sep 2

Category:

News, Video

(360 VIDEO) Walk along the beach at Dorry’s Cove, courtesy of The Block Island Times. The cove is located on the west side of the island, and during today’s rainy walk, cormorants and various gulls were found resting along the shoreline. The video was taken on Wednesday, Sept. 2, with a rainy and...
I’m tired.

Kim Gaffett

Thu, Aug 27

Category:

Ocean Views

Like many locations on the Island, the Ocean View Foundation (OVF) Pavilion site has had a hard summer, and as usual, it is a tale of two communities. The good The OVF Pavilion was built in 2000, presented to the community of residents and visitors, an open-air oasis in the Old Harbor. Over the...
Hideouts

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Aug 27

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

In mid-April during the early days of pandemic isolation, my little brother called to tell me about a place along the south coast of Rhode Island that very few people frequented. It was a little hideout he’d found and he was wanting to tell me about the place to hang out and avoid people and walk...
August Sky

Martha Ball

Thu, Aug 27

Category:

Island Notes

Late this morning it seemed time was standing still. It took longer than I care to admit for me to realize it was the clock, or more accurately, the clock battery, that was the problem, and I had managed to lose almost three hours of a precious summer day out of town. The days are markedly shorter...
Order this…

The Atlantic Inn…The perfect end to a Block Island day

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Aug 21

Category:

Columnists

The Atlantic Inn is a Grand Gal, high on the hill overlooking Old Harbor with sunset views from the lawn. A lovely airy dining room is just off the inn’s lobby, and guests can eat breakfast on the wide covered porch. Covid has brought about some changes to this venue, and there is a silver lining...
Reckoning

Martha Ball

Thu, Aug 20

Category:

Island Notes

Last night I came home to find kindness on my doorstep, summer’s bounty in a basket of cherry tomatoes, topped by a gift of a bag of those homemade cookies filled with enough oats and raisins that they seem they have to be healthy, despite being cookies. I opened the door to let the dog out and...
360 video

Walk through Nathan Mott Park

Rosemary Connelli, at rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com

Wed, Aug 19

Category:

Video

(360 VIDEO) Walk the path through Nathan Mott Park, courtesy of The Block Island Times. The park is near the Block Island State Airport, and is the first property to be permanently protected on Block Island. Throughout the park, there is diverse wildlife that can be found and heard in the park’s...
Order this…

Winfield’s: Bright, airy... and delicious

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Aug 14

Category:

Columnists

I thought of the jingle from an old Cover Girl commercial when I walked into Winfield’s: “Easy, breezy, beautiful.” The dining room has half its tables and lovely vintage sails are hung between each seating area to separate diners from one another. Plexiglass partitions demarcate areas of the bar...
Isaias

Martha Ball

Thu, Aug 6

Category:

Island Notes

The yellow flag was flying at the Town Beach when I went out in the early afternoon on Tuesday. The much heralded storm had already been downgraded, the predicted westward shift of its path holding steady. The hurricanes of my childhood had familiar names, the still gold standard of 1954 was Carol...
Deep Pockets

J.V. Houlihan

Fri, Jul 31

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

The word around the campfire of late is that music mogul David Geffen’s boat, Rising Sun, was anchored off Block Island, along with Johnny Depp’s former boat. These are big sleds. Geffen’s rig is on the ostentatious side at 452 feet, while Depp’s old boat is a much smaller ride at a mere 156 feet...
Great food is popping up all over the island

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Jul 31

Category:

Columnists

Some say necessity is the mother of invention; in the case of some new pop-up places, Covid-19 was the spark that lit an innovative fire in three entrepreneurs. Three Sisters is housing two exciting new dining options, and The 1661 Farm and Garden homes another. Each place is super small and...
Order this...

Fresh air and fresh food at the Manisses

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Fri, Jul 31

Category:

Columnists

Dining on Block Island isn’t just about the food. It’s also about the ambience and, in many places, the view. Hotel Manisses hits the mark on food and view—their garden setting for dining is one of the prettiest on the island. Sprawling lawn and patio areas lend themselves to natural social...
A kinder time...

Martha Ball

Thu, Jul 30

Category:

Island Notes

There are few certainties to life on Block Island and today with the news of Merrill Slate’s passing there is one less. We all knew it was coming, we had watched him decline with age and the loss of his wife, but a decline temporarily halted, maybe even reversed a bit, by reconciliation with the...
Order This...

Eli’s... A wonderful mosaic of flavor

Amy Lockwood MacDougall

Thu, Jul 23

Category:

Columnists

What do you do when you’re a small restaurant with indoor seating only and a pandemic comes along? Eli’s decided to pivot to take-out and sold out the first night they opened on April 23. On those early spring weekends, you could enjoy Chef Erica’s food on your own plates, with a bottle of wine...
Normal routines

J.V. Houlihan

Thu, Jul 23

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

Since mid-March the world as we know flipped over on us, and now we are all seeking to find a sense of normality and stability in our daily lives. We all need and want routines, schedules, timetables, appointments, and deadlines. Things get done because of these daily structures, and because of...
Eastport to Block Island

Martha Ball

Thu, Jul 23

Category:

Island Notes

The past weekend was another Perfect Storm, fueled by the start of the first real heat wave of the summer, prompting people to want to get away, to the beaches, to the water, to Block Island. It was simply too hot, and there were too many people both from within the state and beyond our borders,...
Two geezers acting un-geezer-like

Fri, Jul 17

Category:

The Ferry Dock Scribbler

Eight weeks ago, I was standing in the Dog Park at the old Charlestown Naval Air Base, and was pondering what to do to help our new charge, Maddox, also known as “Mad Dog,” burn up some of his unbridled, Cairn terrier energy. Yup, I felt pretty stupid standing there with arms akimbo and looking...

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