Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for July 20
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, managing editor for The Daily News, and today is July 20, the 201st day of the year — 164 days remain in 2022. On this day in 1963, with the opening line “Two girls for every boy,” the Jan & Dean song “Surf City” hit No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts.
Here & Now
• Will Burgess still has to pinch himself each time he walks into his new restaurant.
The Portsmouth native started Flat Waves Food Shack at the end of a small strip mall in 2010 after he gradated from Grove City College, just north of Pittsburgh. Admittedly, he had little experience in the industry, but built a strong following of hungry regulars.
When a recent opportunity presented itself to shift the operation just down the road, Burgess jumped at the chance. Flat Waves is no longer, rebranded as just the Food Shack, and its new home is inside the former Grange building at 499 East Main Road, a property that recently underwent a significant upgrade.
“It’s unreal. I’m so grateful to be here,” Burgess said as he looked around the eatery that opened roughly two weeks ago.
I stopped in to check out the new spot and chat with Burgess after the J2 Construct team did a full renovation of the historic property. Read my story — with as assist from reporter Savana Dunning — here.
• Mayflower Wind, a renewable-energy company with offices in Massachusetts, has plans to develop a massive wind farm in waters off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. In order to do so, it is proposing to run transmission lines through Portsmouth. Reporter Zane Wolfang has the story.
• On a related note, President Joe Biden will be in southeastern Massachusetts today to discuss climate issues during a visit to the Brayton Point Power Station, which can be seen in the distance from the Sakonnet River Bridge. Read more about his visit here.
• Highlighted by a dozen properties that sold for less than $500,000 — a sign the real estate market is coming back down to earth, perhaps? — find the latest home sales and property transactions in Newport County here.
• For the first time since the idea of merging school districts in Newport and Middletown was proposed, the respective councils and school committees from both communities will meet collectively to discuss the issue. They'll at be at Innovate Newport on Broadway at tonight 6 p.m. Find the agenda below.
• Congrats to Salve Regina University ace Dominic Perachi, who was chosen in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. Read more here.
• As reported by Steve Rogers earlier this week, the Tiverton Majors Division all-stars are off to the regional tournament in Connecticut. To help fund the trip, McCray's Seafood is donating 20% of sales today to the team. Learn more here.
• Steve also has put together a list of Newport County high school lacrosse players on the rise. You can read about them here.
• And speaking of lacrosse, the top youth players in the country are showcasing their talents this week at St. George's School in front of some of the top coaches from Division I college programs. Learn more here.
• From the inbox: According to a recent study, Warwick is the 39th best-run city in the county based on six key factors. Two cities in Idaho claim the top spots, while Nashua, New Hampshire — where my brother and his family live — is No. 4. Find the full list here.
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Born today
Gisele Bundchen (model), 42
Ray Allen (athlete), 47
Omar Epps (actor), 49
Dwayne Wayans (actor), 66
Carlos Santana (musician), 75
Weather report
Low tides: 7:08 a.m., 9:03 p.m.
High tides: 1:43 a.m., 2:17 p.m.
Sunrise: 5:27 a.m. Sunset: 8:15 p.m.
Water temperature:
Municipal meetings
Newport
City Council/School Committee — regionalization, 6 p.m.
Middletown
Open Space and Fields Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Town Council/School Committee — regionalization, 6 p.m.
Portsmouth
Board of Canvassers, 3 p.m.
School Committee — District Building Committee, 4 p.m.
Economic Development Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is …
International Chess Day
National Hot Dog Day
National Lollipop Day
Trivia answer
Q: In November 1995, when Kate Leonard first was elected to the Newport City Council, she was not the only political newcomer. This candidate, who later went on to become mayor, not only gained an at-large seat, but was the highest vote-getter in that election.
A: Richard Sardella. The longtime restaurateur gained four more votes than David Gordon, who was chosen to be mayor. Sardella got his turn to lead the council starting in 1999. Lots of good answers yesterday, but only Richard Hunt and Arthur Hamilton got it right.
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 July 20
