Good Morning,
🌊 On this day in 1881 (141 years ago), the inaugural U.S. National Championship took place at the Newport Casino in Newport. The first edition was won by Richard Sears of Boston, MA who went on to win seven consecutive singles titles.
🌊 On this day in 1954 (68 years ago), Hurricane Carol came ashore on the coast of Newport with a massive surge and winds of 115 mph. In one hour, Carol destroyed 3,800 homes, sank or damaged 2,000 boats and yachts, and leveled almost all of the island’s powered and telephone lines.
Do you remember Hurricane Carol? Leave your memories in the comments.
🌊 In yesterday’s newsletter we polled you all on Rhode Island’s Statewide Primary. For what it’s worth, the top vote getters were Helena Buonanno Foulkes Governor (37% of the vote), Deborah Ruggiero for Lieutenant Governor (66% of the vote), Gregg Amore for Secretary of State (62% of the vote), and Stefan I. Pryor for General Treasurer (73% of the vote).
🌊 Newport elected and school leaders will join with students, parents, and teachers to celebrate the opening of the Pell Elementary School expansion and new Welcome Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning.
The $7.4 million Pell addition includes approximately 12,500 square feet of new space for 8 new classrooms, 2 new resource rooms, additional bathrooms, 188 additional lockers, and traffic safety and stormwater management improvements.
🌊 Following the celebration (at 1:30 pm today), Newport School Superintendant Colleen Burns Jermain will join What’sUpNewp for a live virtual video conversation. We’ll chat about Pell’s expansion, Rogers High School construction, and the upcoming school year. Tune in to our website to watch the convo live at 1:30 pm.
Have a good Wednesday,
Ryan
Programming Note: I’ll be taking some time off next week. Ken Abrams, Frank Prosnitz, and the entire crew will keep things running on the website, but our morning and afternoon newsletter will have a different feel. We’ll return to this format on September 12.
What’s Up Today
Weather
Today: A chance of showers, mainly before 7 am. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 83. West wind 7 to 11 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts to less than a tenth of an inch are possible.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
Marine Forecast
Today: WSW wind 6 to 10 kt. A slight chance of showers before 8 am. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: WNW wind around 6 kt becoming variable and less than 5 kt in the evening. Mostly clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
Coastal Water Temperature: 72°F.
Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise: 6:10Â am | Sunset: 7:20 pm | 13 hours & 9 minutes of sun.
High tide at 11:11 am & 11:29 pm | Low tide at 4:13 am & 4:44 pm.
Moon: Waxing Crescent, 3.5 days, 13% lighting.
Happening Today
Things To Do
11 am: Coastal Queen’s Lighthouse and Mimosa Cruises departing from Bowen’s Wharf, Newport
1 pm & 3 pm: Coastal Queen’s Scenic Bay Cruises departing from Bowen’s Wharf, Newport
2 pm to 6 pm: Wednesday Aquidneck Growers Market on Memorial Blvd.
4:15 pm: Senior Ballroom Dance Classes at Common Fence Point Community Center
6 pm: Coastal Queen’s Evening Cocktail Cruises departing from Bowen’s Wharf, Newport
For more events and things to do, visit our events calendar.
Entertainment
Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
Celtica: Team Trivia at 7:30 pm
Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
Irish American Athletic Club: Mel from 8 pm to 10 pm
JPT Film & Event Center: Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris at 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Landing: Jay Parker at 1 pm, Mark Flynn at 4:30 pm, Jim Devlin at 8 pm
Newport Vineyards: Live music from 5 pm to 8 pm
One Pelham East: Adam Go at 7 pm
Perro Salado: The Z-Boys from 9 pm to 12 am
Ragged Island Brewing: Live music from 4 pm to 7 pm
Sardella’s: Wednesday Jazz Nights at 7 pm
The Firehouse Theatre: Family Friendly Funnies with the Bit Players at 7 pm
Top Of Pelham: Dueling Pianos: Free Wednesday show with Davina Yanetty & Mike Brown at 7:30 pm
Vieste Simply Italian: John & Joanne from 7 pm to 10 pm
City & Government
Middletown: Technical Review Committee at 9 am, Planning Board at 6 pm
See a full list of public meetings in Rhode Island here.
The Latest from WUN
This Day in History – August 31, 1954: Hurricane Carol makes landfall in Newport
Gordon’s slam, 6 RBIs lead Twins to 10-5 win over Red Sox
Grey Sail launches beer to support Childhood Cancer Research
How gas prices have changed in Rhode Island in the last week
Letter – Rep. Carson: I am optimistic about the future for our older Newport residents
Judge: Congregation at oldest US synagogue can stay, for now
Adoptable Dog Of The Week: Quinn
Obituaries: Joseph G. Moitoza, Sr. | Walter L. Frazier Jr. | John Leo Beausoleil
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I was 15yo, working at JT’s Lumberyard on Long Wharf. We were lifting all the store hardware etc inventory to temporary shelving six feet off the floor. As the winds increased and waves started coming over the sea wall, most of us were told to leave and get to higher ground.
Came back the next morning to a scene of devastation. The store had been flooded to almost five feet in depth. A 35 foot boat (give or take) had been washed over the sea wall and down the alley next to the store into the lumberyard in back. Lumber had been washed up the railroad tracks for 1/2 mile or more (no fence in the yard in those days). It took a week and more to dry out, clean up and restore some sense of normality to the business..
Boats from across the entire harbor were washed into and smashed up or sunk in the corner of the sea wall and what is now Perrotti Park. The Newport Yacht Club was located on pilings from the now Perrotti Park sea wall, and was damaged heavily and almost swept off the pilings. That led to its current relocation to what was then part of the city’s Public Works Yard.
It took months for the Island, and the state to recover from Carol.