THE
5 BEST
PLACES TO WATCH
THE SUNSET
Newport†
Vol. 38, No. 31
WEDNESDAY, August 18, 2010
built to tell a story
What’s Inside
Mad hatters onthe mainsheet!
Table of Contents 02840 CALENDAR CLASSIFIEDS COMMUNITY BRIEFS CROSSWORD DINING OUT EDITORIAL LETTERS MAINSHEET NATURE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REALTY TRANSACTIONS RECENT DEATHS
8 12 18 4 18 10 6 6 9 16 18 6 15
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Touro Synagogue, at the corner of Spring and Touro streets, will be abuzz this weekend as the 63rd annual reading of George Washington’s letter to the congregation will be held on Sunday, Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. As America’s oldest synagogue, Touro is also recognized as one of our country’s proudest symbols of liberty. A reception will be held in Patriots Park following the reading. The Touro Cemetery will also be open from 12-4 p.m. for the first time in more than ten years in honor of the event. (Photo by Michael Melford/Loeb Visitors Center)
Take a walk through the synagogue’s new Loeb Visitor’s Center on on page 2
Taking Newport by Storm Newport’s Coastal Extreme Brewing Co. toasts a new brew, and a new facility By Meg O’Neil NEWPORT – Benjamin Franklin hit the nail
beer and rum manufacturing process with several plaques explaining the entire procedure of how the delectable libations are created from start to finish. The smell and taste of rum brings me back to the nights of one too many rum and cokes during my college days, so I decided to forgo those blurry memories and sample the four Newport Storm brews on tap. All the other visiting alcohol enthusiasts were also testing out and rating the beers that day as well. When you get up to the bar, you are handed a small piece of paper describing the beers, which also serves as a great reminder of which ones you liked and didn’t like as much. On tap that day were the Rhode Island Blueberry Ale, Summer Ale, Hurricane Amber Ale, and an “Experimental” Ale. You may be asking
on the head when he said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” The wonderful people at the Coastal Extreme Brewing Co. are proof that they love the people of Newport and want us to be happy too. Since the first batches of Hurricane Amber Ale hit shelves in 1999, there has been no stopping the power and popularity of Newport Storm beer. Six months ago, the brewery moved from its old location on Oliphant Lane in Middletown to a much larger facility at 293 JT Connell Highway in Newport. To put into perspective just how much things have changed for the brewery, there was only space and time for one tour a week at the old facility. The line would be insanely long See “Newport Storm” on page 14 and the tasting room was cramped and crowded. However, the new building and A glass of Coastal visitor center allows for tours and tastings Exteme’s newest batch, six days a week from noon – 5 p.m. the Ophelia Peachy Ale, is Even though they are still technically poured from a tap topped in their “soft” opening period, with the ofwith the local brewery’s hurricane cap during a ficial grand opening happening this fall, recent tasting at the new the visitor center was packed at noon on Connell Highway facility a Monday with people from all over the (top). country gathered around the high wood- Meanwhile, fresh bottles of en bar ready to sample the four beers on the well-received Thomas tap or the three Thomas Tew rums that Tew Rum stand on the line before being packaged the brewery also produces. There is a selfand shipped out to points guided tour open whenever the visitor unknown. center is open to take a sneak peek of the (Photos by Michelle Palazzo)
BORN FREE
Commission meets on King Park Pier By Tom Shevlin NEWPORT – As far as local waters go, the approach into the stone pier at King Park is one of the more welcoming in Newport Harbor. Removed from the bustle of downtown, far from the often tight quarters of the marina district, the pier juts out off of Wellington Avenue into a relatively open field of seasonal and private moorings. On its north side is a series of floating docks intended for transient dinghy tie ups and tenders to larger boats moored in the harbor. It’s a lifeline of sorts, providing visiting boaters one of the few public tie-ups for their tenders, while moored locals and live-aboards use the pier to come an go. Add in the pier’s proximity to Lower Thames Street, along with available free parking, and the dock’s popularity quickly comes into focus. Oftentimes, the pier is so popular with boaters that dinghies are tied up two, and, even three deep, making it difficult for some to traverse the floating melange. Boaters complain that some of the boats taking up the precious space on the docks, are over the 14 feet which the city uses to define dinghies, or are rarely used – spending more time collecting rainwater than ferrying people around the harbor. For the last several months, the volunteer members of the city’s Waterfront Commission have been batting around ideas to improve the pier, specifically hoping to come up with a solution to increase access and ease the crunch of vessels along the docks. Ideas have ranged from installing a new floating dock system closer to the beach, implementing a sticker program similar to that used to clean up the city’s driftways, and even coming up with a solution for accommodating small craft such as Boston Whalers and skiffs in the range of 14-16 feet. On Thursday, prompted by fears that the pier could be turned into a semi-private marina complex, close to two dozen boaters attended the commission’s August meeting. It was the largest attendance by the public at a commission meeting in months, and comprised the majority of the conversation. Concerns expressed by audience members were varied, but most centered on the idea that the city could begin charging the public for use of the pier, (which was granted with a deed restriction to the city that it be kept for public use) or in some way, restricting access to its facilities. But as Commission members repeatedly stated, far from there being any concrete plans, up until this point, discussions have been preliminary, and plans only concepts. “We haven’t committed to anything,” said acting chair Brian O’Keefe, adding that at some point, the commission will likely make
See “King Park” on page 7
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