Newport Good Trouble

10/27/2026

🏡This is happening here on Aquidneck Island! Those that keep our community running …public safety, education, health care and hospitality workers are unable to find affordable places to live.

This crisis affects all of us! It’s time that elected officials take it seriously and actually DO something to help fix this growing problem!

The CNN report: Priced Out in America…is worth watching.
There are states and communities addressing this crisis…we can learn from them!🏡

What happens when hard work is no longer enough? Priced Out in America follows families trapped in the affordability crisis, revealing structural forces that have profoundly and permanently reshaped the U.S. economy.

10/23/2026

Lots of conversation on Newport-area Nextdoor expressing a desire to better protect trees. Let's now convert the talk to action. 😊

10/22/2026

The city has never asked residents to "nominate" major projects to be added to its 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The current plan includes $414.6 Million in projects but may not include one that you and your neighbors want to see.

So, here's your opportunity to nominate a project. The form collects all the key information that city staff needs; we'll make certain that the ideas are considered.

Twenty years after this concept was suggested to the city manager and city council, perhaps the time is right for this "Version 1." Thanks, in advance, for your nominations.

Want more info on the CIP process? See: https://engage.newportri.gov/budget

10/14/2026

❤️⚓️💙
Rhode Island doesn't have to stay stuck. We've watched the same systems fail us year after year, and too often the reason is who our leaders answer to.

🇺🇸Ken Block offers something different: a candidate with the skills to FIX broken systems, and no political machine, corporate PACs, or political promised donors pulling the strings.

🤝When you owe nobody, you can work for everybody.

🗳️Your vote is the most powerful tool we have to change this state's direction. In a place this small, a few hundred votes can decide a race.

https://www.blockforgovernor.com

10/13/2026

The topic of "over-tourism" is once again in the RI news. You deserve the facts, not the spin. How do the local tourism professionals see it? Well, they hired a national consultant to find out. Clearly, residents are upset.

Among many findings, only 11% believed that local government was doing a good job of managing the pace of tourism growth.

Get the full story. Here's the full slide deck used to brief Discover Newport's board in June 2026. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r0CtLtW3Z-B0hWHZJpvHReQ7GX16PDvl/view?usp=sharing

10/12/2026

Here we go again! Newport keeps losing mature trees to development. The historic Naval Hospital’s park-like waterfront setting could easily become the next victim because proposed zoning changes give developers ample wiggle room.

The proposed Waterfront Campus zoning - headed to the City Council this Wednesday - acknowledges that access matters, but it sets zero minimum requirements for public open space. Protecting existing trees is merely encouraged.

Meanwhile, private beaches, marinas, and clubs are permitted, and the current draft leaves wide open room for variances and waivers. That gives future developers plenty of loopholes to promise access on paper while shrinking the public’s actual, real-world experience of the waterfront. Tell your council members that you want the loopholes closed now, not later.

10/09/2026

Newport vs Central Falls 8th Grade ELA. State RICAS Scores just released. How do we drive improvement? What are your suggestions for the next Newport School Committee which will have at least 6 new members at the table? What do we say to the next city council?

10/01/2026

Clip: " ... City Council candidate Beth Cullen called this a “wake up call." If our city truly believes in protecting the charm and integrity of our historic neighborhoods, we cannot afford to rely on loosely written zoning regulations that leave the door wide open for out-of-scale developments,” she said. “When a building as unappealing and out of place as 677 Thames can slip through, it's a clear sign that our code needs major revisions.”

A 52-foot luxury home under construction on Newport's Thames Street is drawing heat from neighbors who say it clashes with the historic neighborhood.

09/29/2026

Rhode Island has an opportunity to improve the direction of our state. Talk to someone who isn't aligned to a political team and is geared to take action. RSVP today and join us on Thursday, October 8th in Newport.

09/28/2026

Rhode Island is in a precarious position…

Should we hold our nose and choose a Governor just because she has wrapped herself in the Big D flag (I say this as a lifelong Democrat whose Irish-American family have been loyal Dems for generations) … or…do we choose a new path?

Take the time to learn what Ken Block offers. He is unencumbered by party politics…which is the exact reason why we need him to fix our very broken state!🇺🇸

https://www.blockforgovernor.com

Join us in Newport on Thursday, October 8th to hear directly from Ken about his plans for RI’s future. (See invitation in comments and RSVP today…space is limited!)

See why Ken Block is on the list