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Features
Summer reading at the Island Free Library
Island Free Library
Thu, Jun 18
Category:
News
,
Features
Ed. note: The following was submitted by the Island Free Library.
The Island Free Library is excited to continue with the Summer Reading Program this year in a way that is safe and accessible for everyone, and we wanted to give all kids, teens, and adults the chance to get in on the fun...
Fred Benson Town Beach House now open
Tue, Jun 16
Category:
News
,
Features
Recreation Department Director Dave Sniffen has announced that the Fred Benson Beach Pavilion is now open with limited services. According to Sniffen, the Beach House restrooms will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is a lifeguard on duty. Showers are not open yet due to COVID-...
The graduating seniors — and their future plans
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, Jun 12
Category:
News
,
Features
The Block Island Times
asked the members of the graduating class to tell us a little bit about themselves, their favorite memories of their time at school, what their personal goals were, and what they think college will look like in the fall. Here are the senior portraits in their own...
Ballard’s Inn looking toward a great summer
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, Jun 12
Category:
News
,
Features
This is the year of adjustments, and the folks at Ballard’s Inn are determined to bring to its guests the traditional Ballard’s experience in the summer of 2020, but with the necessary protocols and guidelines the season requires. Owner Steve Filippi has spent the pre-season moving around tables,...
Portraits of American Revolutionaries
Block Island School Fifth Graders
Fri, Jun 12
Category:
News
,
Features
Block Island School Teacher Kathleen Hemingway has been teaching her fifth grade class on the American Revolution at the Block Island School. The U.S. War of Independence was fought between 1775 and 1783 by colonists seeking to gain independence from Britain. “The fifth graders have been working...
Knit in public day on Saturday, June 13
Wed, Jun 10
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was shared to The Block Island Times from island resident Naomi Lawrence: "Saturday, June 13 is a worldwide knit in public day. Charon [Littlefield] and myself will be hanging out in Esta's Park on Water Street, inviting people to come and knit or crochet with us from 11:00 a.m. [We...
Revised ferry schedule through July 17
Mon, Jun 8
Category:
News
,
Features
An important ferry schedule announcement from Interstate. Schedule adjusted through July 17. Traditional ferry is now accepting vehicle reservations through June 26 only. Posted June 3, 2020: As of June 1 st , The State of Rhode Island is in Phase Two of reopening RI. In State and Out of State...
At the root of it all: Island farms and gardens
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, Jun 5
Category:
News
,
Features
Block Island is a haven for gardeners — whether tended by a master gardener or the casual hobbyist, the town is full of beautiful gardens filled with produce and flowers alike.
The Block Island Times
asked some local farmers, gardeners and horticulturists to gain a little insight into...
The Spring House Hotel begins 168th year
Fri, Jun 5
Category:
News
,
Features
On the outside, The Spring House Hotel looks pretty much the same as it always has. Same iconic red mansard roof, same sprawling green lawn, same wide, welcoming porch. Inside, the hotel has quickly adapted to the new era. In the dining room, tables have been spread apart, there are splash guards...
Fire Department announcements
Thu, Jun 4
Category:
News
,
Features
Block Island Fire Department Chief Kirk Littlefield made the following announcements this past week:
The annual Steak Fry, which kicks off as soon as the Fourth of July Parade ended, will not be held this year. This is one of the signature fundraising events for the department...
A photo remembrance
Block Island Then and Now
Keith Lang
Thu, Jun 4
Category:
News
,
Features
Fifty years, half a century, sounds so long ago it couldn’t possibly have any direct connection to me. And then I came across some old slides of mine in the attic and with the click of a projector, I was transported back to the summer of 1970 on Block Island. The island made such an indelible mark...
Update from the Island Free Library
Wed, Jun 3
Category:
News
,
Features
The following update was shared by the Island Free Library staff on Tuesday, June 2:
Dear Island Library Users, Beginning June 2, the Island Free Library staff will be out front to assist you with your library pickup or item selections. For library pickup, please see our Island Free Book...
RISCA announces funding for art organizations
Mon, Jun 1
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was sent to
The Block Island Times
from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts on Monday, June 1, 2020:
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today the availability of COVID-19 emergency funding for small and medium sized arts organization...
Town Council tackles a variety of issues
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 28
Category:
News
,
Features
For every action there is a reaction. The COVID-19 lockdown put the West Side Road sidewalk project on hold, given that construction crews were severely limited in the number of people who could work at a single job site. The discontinuation of that project will impact when the Farmer’s Market,...
Observing nature from our own backyards
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 28
Category:
News
,
Features
It’s spring, and a wide variety of birds have arrived to make their annual visit to Block Island. With so many of us sheltering-in-place and spending more time in our backyards than we normally would, The Block Island Times posed a question on social media: What plants and animals have you...
Sweet confetti pepper pasta salad
Pamela Gelsomini
Thu, May 28
Category:
Dish off the Block
The weather is getting nicer and the season of backyard barbecues is upon us. Whether you are having a cookout with your quarantine pals (most likely your family) or you are attending a social distance cookout with friends, we can keep one tradition in place — great food. This pasta salad is based...
PUC approves new rate structure for BIPCo
Renée Meyer
Thu, May 28
Category:
News
,
Features
On Tuesday, May 26 the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved a number of open dockets filed by the Block Island Power Company. Included among them was BIPCo’s full rate case filing, the proposed Demand Side Management Plan, more commonly known as an energy efficiency plan, and the...
It’s horseshoe crab breeding season
Thu, May 28
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was submitted to The Block Island Times from the Block Island Conservancy:
Right now, tiny horseshoe crabs are emerging from sandy nests by the thousands around the Great Salt Pond. While exploring Andy’s Way over the weekend, we found young horseshoe crabs smaller than a...
VIDEO
Horseshoe Crab Season
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Wed, May 27
Category:
News
,
Video
,
Features
(VIDEO) Horseshoe crabs have begun to emerge around the Great Salt Pond recently, with their appearance serving as a reminder to their annual breeding event. Horseshoe crabs are one of Block Island's living fossils, and their appearance has not changed in 300 million years. Reporter Rosemary...
BIPCo works out a contingency plan
Renée Meyer
Fri, May 22
Category:
News
,
Features
While many businesses on Block Island are in a wait-and-see mode, the Block Island Power Company has been busy coming up with a contingency plan to weather the storm of the coronavirus pandemic. During the Block Island Utility District’s Board of Commissioners meeting on Saturday, May 16 (held...
Experts look at the future of offshore wind
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 22
Category:
News
,
Features
The future of offshore wind in New England was the topic of an online discussion by a group of experts titled “Building a New Era of Offshore Wind.” The panel featured experts in the offshore wind industry from Tufts University, the Brattle Group, and the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance, who...
A custom fit for Block Island
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 22
Category:
News
,
Features
Many American businesses have had to pivot and change their focus during the pandemic, but few have done so more nimbly than A Custom Style, the Connecticut-based clothing manufacturer that is now selling high-end facemasks. Siblings Sarah and Bill Powers are the co-owners and co-founders of the...
Library pilots a new book delivery program
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 22
Category:
News
,
Features
The Island Free Library staff have been busy developing programs and activities that provide traditional library services, but with a twist. One program piloted by the library staff is titled Book-In-Place: books packaged in brown bags for residents in the community. “A few libraries have tested...
Island Free Library eyes slow re-opening
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 21
Category:
News
,
Features
Books and magazines can have hundreds of pages. If they are checked out of the library, held and read for hours at a time, when they are returned do all the pages need to be cleaned? That’s the kind of minutiae the staff of the Island Free Library has to think about as they prepare to slowly open...
B.I. Club will open for summer 2020
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 21
Category:
News
,
Features
The Block Island Club will be opening in June, with plans on offering limited programs in a reduced capacity for members. The B.I. Club was founded in 1963, with the intentions of starting a summer boat and tennis club on the island to promote educational and recreational programs for children and...
360 VIDEO
Walk through Andy’s Way
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Tue, May 19
Category:
News
,
Video
,
Features
(360 VIDEO) Reporter Rosemary Connelli walked through Andy’s Way today: a large crescent of sandy beach on the eastern side of the Great Salt Pond, and home to a diverse list of plants and animals. The Block Island Times will be a featuring a story in this week’s paper on Andy’s Way, originally...
Valedictorian and athlete O’Neill recalls on support from island community
Tue, May 19
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was written by Journal Sports Writer Bill Koch of the Providence Journal:
Moira O’Neill started doing the math long before she was a freshman. There would be enough girls to field teams in volleyball, basketball and softball by the time she finished her last four years at...
NEW SHOREHAM SCHOOL DEPARTMENT BLOCK ISLAND SCHOOL
Third Quarter Honor Roll – 2019-2020
Thu, May 14
Category:
News
,
Features
HIGHEST HONORS Mikhaela Brown-Padien – Grade 12 Ruby Crawford – Grade 12 Charlotte Hall – Grade 12 Mathias Heinz – Grade 12 Moira O’Neill – Grade 12 Savannah Brown – Grade 11 Cole McGinnes – Grade 11 Josephine Mott – Grade 11 Stephanie Rich – Grade 11 Lucy Rigby-Leather – Grade 11 Rory Crawford –...
Updates from Interim Town Manager Jim Kern
Thu, May 14
Category:
News
,
Features
Dear Residents, Businesses, and Community Partners: This week, Governor Raimondo executed the first phase of the State’s framework for re-opening Rhode Island’s economy and the benchmarks that need to be met to continue through the next two phases. Along with opening some businesses and parks, the...
BIVFRD members continue training
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 14
Category:
News
,
Features
Members of the Block Island Volunteer Rescue and Fire Department have been training on the weekends for several months. This past weekend the department’s volunteers worked on what is known as a “vent, enter, search” technique, or VES, which trains firefighters to enter a smoke-filled house through...
Town Council, working with Medical Center, seeks to have workers tested
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 14
Category:
News
,
Features
UPDATE: The Town Council meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday, May 18 has been postponed because of a posting error. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20. As businesses begin to bring over seasonal workers, and as restaurants and hotels prepare for a soft opening sometime in mid-June,...
Sun Farm Oysters becomes Block Island’s first SNAP retailer
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, May 14
Category:
News
,
Features
Chris Warfel has been trying to bring the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to Block Island for a while now, and he has made it happen. Warfel, the owner of Sun Farm Oysters, has been approved to be a SNAP-approved retail vendor. Participants in the program, which is more conventionally...
Let’s hash it out
Pamela Gelsomini
Thu, May 14
Category:
Dish off the Block
In these days where we limit our grocery shopping to once every week or two, we buy loads of fresh vegetables to have options, right? Well, much like all of us in quarantine, after the first week or so, the unused produce begins looking quite tired and a little beat up. Making a hash is the perfect...
360 VIDEO
Walk to Mosquito Beach
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Wed, May 13
Category:
News
,
Video
,
Features
(360 VIDEO) Walk the path to Mosquito Beach, courtesy of The Block Island Times. Mosquito Beach, or Dinghy Beach, is a small sandy cove by the Great Salt Pond on Corn Neck Road. A bright and warm day by the pond yesterday, with slight winds blowing overhead. Note: Turn up the volume to fully...
Roch’s Fresh Foods: A family tradition of goodness and taste
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Mon, May 11
Category:
News
,
Features
Ray Roch grew up around the aromas, tastes and colors of fresh fruits and vegetables. He is a third generation green grocer, and the father of a fourth. “I tell people before I was born into this. I was predestined to do this,” he said. “This” is Roch’s Fresh Foods, located on Boston Neck Road in...
Block Island’s Women’s History Month
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Mon, May 11
Category:
News
,
Features
The Block Island Times
will be wrapping up our profile interviews on island women this week. Thank you to everyone who contributed names of island women. There are so many hard-working and talented individuals on the island, and it has been wonderful to hear and share each woman’s story!...
Roadside storytime
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 8
Category:
News
,
Features
At the corner of Beach Avenue and Center Road, you can take a moment out of your day and read a book. Not a book that you may have on you, but a book lined up on the side of the road, on the lawn of the Island Free Library’s Interlibrary Loan and Circulation Clerk Judy Mitchell’s house. “I’ve got...
Tourism council cobbles together a budget for 2021
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 8
Category:
News
,
Features
Trying to put together a budget when revenue streams are still unknown, the members of the Tourism Council passed a budget for the coming fiscal year based on the forecast that projects a precipitous drop in tourism dollars. From a high of $371,000 in revenue in 2016/17, the budget for 2020/21...
Shellfish license updates from DEM and Harbors
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 8
Category:
News
,
Features
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management announced the availability of a new license for state residents: “To help foster the continued viability of the Rhode Island commercial seafood industry during the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM...
Sports shop owner pursues musical talents
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 8
Category:
News
,
Features
“Some might be surprised to know that I pursue music on the side.” The current lockdown has inspired some island residents to use their downtime to focus on creative endeavors and hobbies, including Jim Ortel. Ortel, co-owner of the Block Island Sport Shop, has been taking advantage of this time to...
The Shad are Blooming!
Wed, May 6
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was sent to
The Block Island Times
from the Block Island Conservancy:
May 5, 2020 - The Shad are Blooming! For many weeks now, we’ve been checking the shad buds every morning to see if they’ve bloomed. Finally, after a warm and sunny day yesterday, many of the buds...
Cinco de Mayo
Pam Gelsomini
Mon, May 4
Category:
Dish off the Block
How are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo… let me guess… at home? Well, at the very least you should be celebrating with a Mexican feast! Mix it up with a twist on the traditional fare and try my Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls and a margarita, rocks and salt (no Corona please)!! SPAGHETTI SQUASH...
Portraits of an island on lockdown
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 1
Category:
News
,
Features
Island resident and artist Tracy Finn created the idea of capturing an inside look into islanders’ lives in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had a thought of photographing people in their doorways or yards as a way to document this time that we’re all going through,” said Finn. Finn has...
Helping the island connect
Lars Trodson,
at
ltrodson@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, May 1
Category:
News
,
Features
The staff at the Island Free Library, understanding that there was inequality throughout the island in terms of being able to connect to the internet, had placed an order of new “hotspots” in order to even things out. “We started brainstorming a hotspot program probably close to a year ago,” said...
Raimondo restricts summer activities: what does this look like for the island?
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Thu, Apr 30
Category:
News
,
Features
Gov. Gina Raimondo, at her regularly scheduled daily briefing on Wednesday, April 29, stated that large gatherings and events for this coming summer, such as the Newport Folk Festival and Fourth of July parades, were likely not going to happen. It was a decision made, she said, “with a knot in my...
Army Corps of Engineers denies fast ferry dock construction in Old Harbor
Lars Trodson
Sat, Apr 25
Category:
News
,
Features
The application to build a dock to accommodate a proposed fast ferry service between Quonset and Block Island has been denied by the Army Corps of Engineers, town attorney Kathy Merolla announced at a virtual Town Council meeting on Thursday, April 23. The letter from the Army Corps of Engineers...
Right whale migrations in the east
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@blockislandtimes.com
Fri, Apr 24
Category:
News
,
Features
“There has only been one right whale reported so far this year off Rhode Island: south of Sakonnet Point on Jan 22.” This is according to Robert Kenney, Emeritus Marine Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor in residence at the University of Rhode Island, who is one of the founders of the North...
Getting creative in the kitchen
Pamela Gelsomini
Fri, Apr 24
Category:
Dish off the Block
So, I think we can all agree that self-quarantining with our families has forced a lot of people to cook more and to get creative in the kitchen. This pasta is delicious and is also very versatile, using many items from your pantry. Don’t have all of the ingredients required? Try… • Subbing out the...
Block Island’s Women’s History Month
Rosemary Connelli,
at
rconnelli@gmail.com
Fri, Apr 24
Category:
News
,
Features
We’ve extended Women’s History Month into April (and possibly May!). Here are profiles of some in their own words:
Persephone Brown: Owner of Persephone’s Kitchen At age 18, my friend and I visited her brother, where he was working at the Spring House. We swam at Fresh Pond, beached all...
National Poetry Month
Thu, Apr 23
Category:
News
,
Features
The following was submitted by reader Lisa Sprague:
It all started with a poem: Keeping Quiet Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still. For once on the face of the earth, let’s not speak in any language, let’s stop for a second, and not move our arms so much. It would be an...
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Island Buzz
History Happening Here
Posted By
Block Island Historical Society
1/26
*** Annual Meeting September 20th 11am Program 11:30 am Please join us on zoom ** Thank you for your interest in the Block...
Still Looking for a Summer Rental?
Posted By
Sullivan Sotheby's International Realty
1/26
Sullivan Sotheby’s International Realty has some great options, if your still searching for that perfect Summer Rental. We...
Antique Maps and Vintage Photographs
Posted By
Block Island Historical Society
1/25
The Block Island Historical Society has a great selection of antique maps; vintage photographs; unique posters & prints...
This weeks Nature Conservancy Schedule
Posted By
The Block Island Times
1/25
Check out this weeks Nature Conservancy Schedule at https:// www.natureblockisland.org
New Year, New Hope, New You! Offers Await at Solstice at Groton
Posted By
Solstice Senior Living
1/25
New year. New hope. New you! Embrace your life to the fullest this year at Solstice Senior Living at Groton. Visit our...
In the Heart of Block Island https://liladelman.com/listing/1501-beacon-hill-rd-block-island/
Posted By
Lila Delman Real Estate
1/23
In the heart of Block Island, this captivating estate is nestled on almost 12 acres of rolling hills, pastures, stone walls...
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Island Religion
PART 4 HAVE TO? WANT TO?
Posted By
Block Island Christian Fellowship
1/21
PART 4 HAVE TO? WANT TO? What should be the basis for financial giving? CHAPTER 5 THE CHURCH AGE Now we come to the current...
Sunday Worship - in house and Virtually
Posted By
Harbor Church
1/16
Worship Experience Sunday mornings at 10 am In House or via live-stream. Live On our Facebook page: Harbor Church - Block...
PART 3 HAVE TO? WANT TO?
Posted By
Block Island Christian Fellowship
1/14
PART 3 HAVE TO? WANT TO? What was the protocol for giving financially during the time Christ lived on the earth? CHAPTER 4...