50 years of the Harvest Fair | Race to save Sandy Point Farm | Newport voters to decide on $98.5 million | and more
On tap today: Anna D’s Weekly Farmers Market , Evolutionary Biologist Lecture, and more.
Good Morning. It’s Monday, October 7, and we’re covering the 50th Norman Bird Sanctuary Harvest Fair, a nonprofit’s race to save Sandy Point Farm from auction, the $98.5 million Infrastructure Bond Newport voters must decide on, and more.
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Celebrating 50 years of the Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Harvest Fair
🍂 2024 was a big year for the Norman Bird Sanctuary. This year marked the 75th anniversary of the sanctuary’s founding and fifty years since Norman Bird Sanctuary’s first Harvest Fair.
Looking through the camera lens, there isn’t such a big difference between then (the 70s) and now. The sanctuary grounds were still filled with classic autumn-themed field day fun, and, young or old, there was still plenty of action, smiling faces, and laughter to go around. The Harvest Fair continues to succeed at what it always was about: a source of community connection and simple, great fun.
WUN’s Ruthie Wood has the story and photo gallery. [WUN]
What To Know
News
🐎 A race against time is underway to save Sandy Point Farm in Portsmouth as it heads to auction later this month. The newly formed Sandy Point Heritage Foundation is scrambling to raise $1.5 million by October 15 to preserve the site as a community hub. [WUN]
🦟 A Newport County resident in their 60s is one of two new probable human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) announced by Rhode Island health officials. The other case involves a Providence County resident in their 50s. [WUN]
Arts & Culture
🦟 Five for Fighting will be accompanied by a string quartet during a performance at The JPT on Tuesday night. What’sUpNewp’s Ken Abrams recently caught up with Five for Fighting founder John Ondrasik/ [WUN]
🎻 Newport Classical presents Grammy Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax for two sold-out shows this week. [WUN]
Business + Nonprofit
🐶 Meet your new best friend, Hugo - this week’s adoptable dog of the week. [WUN]
🏨 Newport’s Hotel Viking combines history and charm with an ideal location. [Forbes]
City & Government
🚧 In Newport County, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has announced road and lane closures for the week of October 5-11, 2024. [WUN]
🚗 Newport City Council will host a workshop at 6 pm this evening at Innovate Newport to discuss the “Resident Sticker Parking/ITC Petition Process.”
🗓️ Newport City Council will host its next regular Council Meeting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday at Pell Elementary School. [Docket] Before the meeting, the Council will meet in executive session to discuss “issues relating to the Ann Street pier litigation, including settlement of litigation.”
Election 2024
🗳️ Newport residents will have the opportunity to vote on a $98.5 million general obligation bond referendum as part of the November 5 General Election. The proposed bond aims to fund investments in infrastructure, resilience, and community-related projects throughout the city. [WUN]
🎙️ We’re chatting with several candidates for the Newport School Committee today; ask questions and watch live/anytime afterward at the links below!
Robert B. Power at 1 pm
Becky Bolan at 2 pm
Sandra J. Flowers at 4 pm
Stephanie Winslow at 5:30 pm
Obituaries
Sailing & Sports
🗓️ Rogers High School sports schedule for the week includes a varsity football game versus Moses Brown on Saturday night. [WUN]
🏈 The New England Patriots were perhaps a toe tap away from beating the Miami Dolphins. Instead, the Patriots lost 15-10 to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. [WUN]
🏒 The Boston Bruins signed goalie Jeremy Swayman on Sunday to an eight-year contract that will pay him $66 million. [WUN]
⛵ After six days of competitive inshore and offshore racing within three classes, two new and one returning team have been crowned ORC World Champions at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court. [WUN]
🏈 Devin Farrell ran 2 yards for a touchdown and then ran for the mandatory two-point conversion in the second overtime and Rhode Island rallied for a wild 46-44 victory over Hampton on Saturday. [WUN]
🏈 Jarrett Guest threw three of this four touchdown passes to Landon Ruggieri, the last of which gave Bryant the lead late in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs defeated Brown 42-35 on Saturday. [WUN]
Things To Do
🎃 Trinity Church’s Pumpkin Patch is returning to Queen Anne Square from October 10 to 31, bringing over 1,000 pumpkins to the heart of the city. [WUN]
🍂 The seventh annual Broadway Street Fair will transform Newport’s main thoroughfare on Saturday into a vibrant celebration of local culture. More than 200 artisans, makers, and food vendors will line Broadway. [WUN]
What’s Up Today
⛅ Weather
Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 3 pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 pm. High near 68. South wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%—new rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.
Tonight: A chance of showers, mainly before 7 pm. Partly cloudy, with a low of around 50. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
⚓ Marine
Today: SSE wind 5 to 10 kt. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 3 pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 pm. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: NW wind 5 to 7 kt. There is a chance of showers, mainly before 7 pm. Seas 1 ft or less.
Avg. Water Temperature: 65°F.
🌘 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise: 6:49 am | Sunset: 6:16 pm | 11 hours and 27 minutes of sun.
High tide at 11:06 am & 11:34 pm | Low tide at 4:06 am & 4:52 pm.
Moon: Waxing Crescent. 3.7 days, 15% lighting.
🚢 Cruise Ship
The Norwegian Breakaway and Silver Shadow are scheduled to visit today.
✅ Things To Do
2 pm: Anna D’s Weekly Farmers Market at Anna D’s
6 pm: Evolutionary Biologist Lecture at Salve Regina University
6:30 pm: Little Compton Town Council and School Committee Forum at Little Compton Community Center
🎶 Live Music & Entertainment
Perro Salado: John Monllos at 5:30 pm
The Fastnet Pub: The Ubiquitones at 10 pm
The Fifth Element: The Groove Merchants at 7 pm
The Firehouse Theatre: The NEE Jam at 7 pm
🗓️ Local Government
Jamestown: Town Council at 6:10 pm
Middletown: Town Council at 5 pm
Newport: School Committee - Ad Hoc School Building Committee at 5:30 pm
Newport: City Council at 6 pm, Planning Board at 6:30 pm
Portsmouth: School Committee - Policy Subcommittee at 1 pm, School Committee - Personnel Subcommittee at 2 pm, Free Public Library at 7 pm
Tiverton: School Committee Finance Sub Committee at 6 pm, School Committee at 7 pm