NATURE Pg. 25
BOrN FrEE
thursday, august 29, 2013
Vol. 41, No. 35
Breakers Center Denied
What’s INsIdE
By Tom Shevlin
NIGHT BRIGHT Pg. 20
table of Contents CaLENdar COMMuNIty BrIEFs CrOssWOrd PuZZLE dININg Out MaP dINNEr & a MOVIE EdItOrIaL FaIth COMMuNIty FIrE/POLICE LOg gardEN MaINshEEt NaturE NaVy COMMuNIty rEaLty traNsaCtIONs rECENt dEaths rEEL rEPOrt sudOKu
13 4- 5 22 17 15 6 24 5 11 12 25 8 27 24 23 22
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Pell Set Up in Full Swing
All hands were on deck this week at the Claiborne deB. Pell Elementary School on Dexter Street where teachers, administrators, and staff were hurriedly getting the new building ready for the first day of school. Here, Carolyn "Callie" Clarke and Keith Edwards, both of the Newport Family Child Opportunity Zone (NFCOZ), unpack their new state-of-the-art program space. The new school is due to open next Thursday, Sept. 5. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
A Preservation Society plan to construct a welcome center at The Breakers was denied on Tuesday after members of the Historic District Commission (HDC) voted 4-3 to deny an application that for over a year has been the subject of countless letters to the editor, public forums, and spirited debates among friends. It was a stunning decision, one that drew gasps from the audience and acknowledgment from commission members that even they weren’t sure what the end result would be. Turner Scott represented the Bellevue Ochre Point Neighborhood Association (BOPNA), which had opposed the application throughout the hearing. He summed up his feelings in brief closing remarks. “I don’t believe that this applicant has made a case to disrupt
see BrEaKErs on page 21
Duke Preservation Awards to be Presented City Manager
Gets Raise
By Ross Sinclair Cann, AIA Newport is fortunate to have one of the most intact collections of important 18th, 19th, and early 20th century buildings anywhere in America. But these buildings have not survived to the present day simply by not being torn down (although that was a useful starting point). For the most part, they are here because individuals and institutions took on the difficult and expensive task of preserving them and adapting them to be useful and relevant to present times. Since 2007, architectural projects that have shown a high degree of quality and care have been honored by the Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, administered by the Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport. Three projects have been selected to receive the prestigious honor at this year's gala award ceremony: the Aloha Landing Boathouse (restored by Mr. and Mrs. Sam Mencoff ), the Old Acre Carriage House (restored by Mr. and Mrs. William Woodhull), and the Ochre Lodge Carriage House Dormitory (commissioned by Salve Regina University). The Aloha Landing project is the second major initiative in Newport undertaken by the Mencoffs. Over the past decade, they have been active in restoring Bellevue Avenue's Rock Cliff to its former glory. The boathouse was originally built for Arthur Curtiss James in 1912 in a heavy timbered Tudor style to dock his yacht, Aloha. The resto-
By Tom Shevlin
The Aloha Landing Boathouse is one of the properties receiving the 2013 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards. This view of the boathouse is taken from the Beechbound estate looking at Bonniecrest, a neo-Jacobean estate designed by the noted architect John Russell Pope.(Photos by A4 Architecture) ration has preserved the exterior while fitting the interior out in the form of a classic yacht. Langan Design, known for its boat design and nautical interiors, was selected to undertake the planning work, and Kirby Perkins, led by former America’s Cup sailor Jerry Kirby, was selected to do the construction. The Old Acre Carriage House
was a complete exterior restoration and interior renovation of a carriage house to an 1856 Kay Street building, designed by the noted Newport architect George Champlin Mason. The building, as part of the renovation, has been made into a comfortable two bedroom guest house with an open, well-appointed kitchen and living room on the ground
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level. This building was designed in a high-peaked, board and batten Gothic Revival style that was appropriate to a simple outbuilding. These features have been restored beautifully in the renovated structure. The architect for the project was Gale Goff, while the contractor was Legacy Custom Remodeling of West Warwick.
see aWards on page 11
City Manager Jane Howington is getting a raise. After just about 18 months on the job, City Council members on Wednesday voted to give Newport’s chief management officer a 3.65 percent raise. Citing strides in the city’s communication efforts, economic development initiatives, and progress in addressing interdepartmental efficiencies, councilors said the raise was well earned. Leading up to the vote, however, some expressed concern over the size of the raise, which totals $5,000, bringing Howington’s total compensation from $135,000 to $140,000. Councilor Michael T. Farley said that while he understood the desire to reward Howington, he questioned whether the raise would send the wrong message to department heads, who recently received raises of roughly two percent. However, when broken down over the course of Howington’s full 18 months, the 3.65 percent increase falls closer in line with that number. Prior to coming to Newport in January of 2012, Howington had accumulated over 20 years of service in municipal government, most recently as city manager in Kalispell, Mont., a tourist destination for visitors to Glacier National Park.
see raIsE on page 6
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