Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for June 6
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, managing editor for The Daily News, and today is June 6, the 157th day of the year — 208 days remain in 2022. On this day in 1971, the final episode of "The Ed Sullivan Show" aired on CBS after a two-plus decade run. Gladys Knight & the Pips were the last musical guest.
Here & Now
• If you've driven through the area recently, certainly you've seen the work being completed on the Pell Bridge ramp realignment project. The state Department of Transportation on Friday provided a brief update:
"Bridge rehabilitation and median work along Route 138 may require temporary lane shifts along Third Street and JT Connell Highway. A new split configuration will be installed along Route 138 through the overpass locations overnight on June 10, and traffic along North Halsey Street will be shifted onto the newly paved North Halsey Street."
To get a better perspective about the project in total, RIDOT — at the request of Newport lawmaker Lauren Carson — is inviting the public for a tour on Friday, June 10, at 11 a.m. You can park at the former Newport Grand casino.
Project manager Jody Richards will lead a half-hour walking tour, with a Q&A session to follow. Carson and RIDOT head Peter Alviti will be on hand, and city officials have been invited.
“The reconstruction of the bridge approaches is the biggest public works project in Newport in a half-century, profoundly changing the way people get to and from our city as well as how we get around it. It’s going to take about four years, and it’s shifting into high gear just as our busy summer season is beginning," Carson said in a prepared statement. "I would expect people have a lot of questions. I’m grateful to RIDOT for offering this opportunity for people to get their questions answered, and I urge Newporters to take advantage of it."
If you can't make it, don't worry — we'll be there.
• Speaking of RIDOT, you can find the roadwork schedule for Newport County and throughout the state for the upcoming week here.
• Members of Portsmouth High School Class of 2022 walked across the graduation stage during a ceremony Friday evening. Check out the list of graduates, a photo gallery and the top 10 students, all of whom have rather impressive resumes.
• Speaking of Portsmouth High School, congratulations to the Lady Patriots, who defeated Burrillville 14-4 on Sunday to win the Division II girls lacrosse championship. Check out the game story here, and look for even more coverage coming up today on NewportRI.com.
• Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter. But here comes the sun and that means it's time to get back outside and enjoy some music. I've put together a list of free outdoor concerts so you can groove all summer long. Check it out here.
• The Middletown Town Council will meet tonight, and among the items on the docket is the proposed Middletown Center and the extensive list of items on which residents feel the town should spend ARPA funds. Find the full agenda below.
• The Jamestown Town Council tonight will hold its annual town meeting to adopt the Fiscal 2023 budget. Find the agenda below.
• Not too long ago, I wrote a story on the reincarnation of the Coffee Grinder. Owner Alyssa Cerceo Gladchun messaged me yesterday to say she's now open at the new downtown location.
• In topics ranging from the proposed Middletown Center, to legalized marijuana to gun control, find a week's worth of letters from readers here.
• Speaking of reader letters, Editor Will Richmond in his month's column writes that things have changed at The Daily News regarding the Opinion Page. And he explains why here.
• Celebrity birthday note: As you’ll see below, I botched the weekend birthdays. I got a little too ahead of myself and skipped over June 4. So we’re backtracking a bit.
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Born June 4
Bar Refaeli (model), 37
Angelina Jolie (actress), 47
Russell Brand (comedian), 47
Michelle Phillips (actress), 79
Dr. Ruth (sex therapist), 95
Weather report
Low tides: 6:43 a.m., 6:52 p.m.
High tides: 12:53 a.m., 1:35 p.m.
Sunrise: 5:10 a.m. Sunset: 8:17 p.m.
Water temperature: 61.1 degrees
Municipal meetings
Newport
School Building Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, 5:50 p.m.
Planning Board, 6:30 p.m.
Middletown
Town Council, 5:30 p.m.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth Free Public Library, 7 p.m.
Design Review Board, 7 p.m.
Tiverton
FTR and Personnel Changes Advisory Subcommittee, 3:30 p.m.
Town Council, 7 p.m.
Jamestown
Town Council — Annual Town Meeting, 7 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is …
National Drive-In Movie Day
National Eyewear Day
National Yo-Yo Day
Where in Newport County?
Schultzy's Snack Shack. The seasonal spot that sells tasty summertime treats is a staple in Island Park. Kudos to Mary Mack, Jason Dunn, Cheryl Cagno, Penny Fitch and Sue Kesson, all of whom correctly identified this one.
Got a news tip, story idea or just want to drop me a line? Don't be a stranger. Send an email to sbarrett@newportri.com.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for June 6
