Lobster Rolls Page 16
THURSDAY, August 11, 2011
Vol. 39, No. 32
BORN FREE
Beaches: Testing the Water
What’s Inside
By Tom Shevlin
ART OPENINGS 21
Table of Contents ARTS 20-21 CALENDAR 14 CLASSIFIEDS 26 COMMUNITY BRIEFS 4-5 CROSSWORD 24 EDITORIAL 6 MAINSHEET 13 NATURE 20 POLICE LOG 5 REALTY TRANSACTIONS 6 RECENT DEATHS 22 RESTAURANTS 14-21 SPORTS 25 www.Newport-Now.com Twitter.com/newportnow Facebook.com/newportnow
By the Numbers Playing a game of bingo at St. Clare Home are (from left to right at rear table), Sr. Rose Roffelson, Claire Martinez, and Sr. Joseph Edwards. Left to right at table in foreground are Frances Cousineau and Troy Schneider. St. Clare Home is at the center of an ongoing controversy over its proposal to expand. On Monday, Newport’s Planning Board will meet to consider a proposed amendment to the city’s zoning ordinances which would permit the 80-year-old nursing home to add 20 beds and 40 assisted living units. Neighbors have vigorously opposed the expansion. (Photo by Rob Thorn)
Four Sides to Queen Anne Square Debate By Ross Sinclair Cann There is something inherently contradictory about the term “public art.” The word “public” implies the work is communal and somehow democratic (at least in America). The word “art” often refers to the personal vision of a single person—the artist. The line where the vision and ultimate purpose of the work meet is where the debate begins. The proposed
The second group that has emerged is made up of those who want to see something done, but who do not like the vision that the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) and the noted artist Maya Lin have outlined. This is also somewhat problematic in that neither the city nor the groups themselves have the resources to implement any alternate or specifically local visions. The next group is those who are
familiar with and support Maya Lin’s concept to clear the ground level undergrowth and to create new structures to serve as ghosts or memories of buildings that once stood on the site. This group has the advantage that the Doris Duke Foundation is financially backing this solution, so that the multi-million dollar project would generally be paid for with money coming from outside the commu-
See SQUARE on page 12
See WATER on page 11
Committee Is Pleased With ‘Virtual’ School By Meg O’Neil
“The park is a wonderful space and we do not want to lose what is best about it, but merely to augment it.” Pieter Roos, NRF Executive Director
redesign of Queen Anne Square is certainly an instance of how debate on these issues can unfold between two well-meaning sides. On this subject, it seems that the public falls into four groups. The first group is composed of those who want to see no change at all. This is problematic because there are heavy shrubs in the park that the homeless have come to occupy and which lend an air of danger and uncertainty to the existing design, particularly after dark.
NEWPORT – There’s good news and bad news about area beaches in a comprehensive report by Clean Ocean Access, the environmental organization that has been testing water quality in Newport and Middletown over the past three years. The report, which was presented to City Council members last month, shows that while there is certainly room for improvement, there are also some encouraging signs that suggest that efforts to reduce bacteria levels at some of the area’s most popular swimming areas are working. “There’s still a long road, and the road isn’t all paved,” said COA’s Dave McLaughlin. With funding and support from the City of Newport, COA collected 1163 water samples on a weekly basis during the period Jan. 4, 2008
A model of the Newport Restoration Foundation’s proposed redesign of Queen Anne Square shows Maya Lin’s plan for introducing “ghost” foundations as homage to history. The controversial plan will be the subject of a public workshop and information session on Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. (Photo courtesy www.A4arch.com)
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NEWPORT – With the start of the school year less than a month away, School Committee members met on Tuesday, Aug. 9 to discuss a diverse docket, including an update on the use of a hi-tech computer program at Rogers, as well as an Aug. 18 meeting on the truancy issue that plagues Newport schools. With just four people in the audience for the night’s meeting, Rogers High School Principal Patti DiCenso spoke on the success of the school’s first year using a computer-based program called Virtual High School. The program is used as a supplement to provide more course options for higher achieving students, ranging from Advanced Placement classes to specialized electives. Connecting online with teachers from around the country, students at Rogers submit work over the Internet and also receive their assignments and lessons electronically. DiCenso pointed out that the program gives, “higher performing students opportunities that Rogers would not be able to otherwise
See SCHOOL on page 9
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