Stories - RhodyBeat

Amy Bernard, seen in these before and after pictures, is the 2019 Queen of Oakland Beach Chapter 44 of Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS.

As Nicole Johnson-Morais puts it, Oakland Beach’s local chapter of TOPS “is full of losers.” But don’t worry, she means that in the best way. Oakland Beach Chapter 44 of … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 7/22/21

Preserving a lost art

After being postponed a year, local historian Ann Eckert Brown has finally opened her exhibit at the Warwick Public Library, sharing the history and techniques of wall stenciling as a form of … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 7/16/21

'Dough raiser' at Pizzeria UNO to benefit Westbay Community Action

Westbay Community Action that has dedicated more than 50 years to developing sustainable programs in the local community, is the beneficiary of the first ever Dough Raiser Thursday, July 22 at Pizzeria UNO, 399 Bald Hill Road, Warwick, from 11 a.m. to more

7/15/21

Preserving a lost art

After being postponed a year, local historian Ann Eckert Brown has finally opened her exhibit at the Warwick Public Library, sharing the history and techniques of wall stenciling as a form of … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 7/15/21

ARTIST AND HISTORIAN: Ann Eckert Brown has been working on preserving the lost art of wall stenciling for the last 60 years. Her exhibit, “Painted Rooms of Rhode Island,” is now on display at the Warwick Public Library.

Preserving a lost art

After being postponed a year, local historian Ann Eckert Brown has finally opened her exhibit at the Warwick Public Library, sharing the history and techniques of wall stenciling as a form of … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 7/14/21

RAMIZA: Cranston High School East class of 2021 National Art Honor Society member Christy Pak’s digital portrait of Ramiza, a young lady living in an Indian orphanage. The Memory Project, a nonprofit organization, facilitates the creation and delivery of original portraits to children affected by conflict and poverty in countries all over the world.

A lasting image

The National Art Honor Society at Cranston High School East recently completed a project that touches children without families on the other side of the world. Jill Cyr, visual arts program … more

By STEPHANIE BERNABA | 6/30/21

ROSETTE NEBULA Lucas “Luc” Maguire captured this image of the Rosette Nebula from his backyard in Johnston. He stacked 45 individual images, each exposed for 300 seconds, and then used computer software to combine them to make the final photograph.

Backyard space

Lucas “Luc” Maguire spends a lot of time in his Johnston backyard. He loves both the stars and photography. One day, he decided to combine his passions. “Ever since I can … more

By RORY SCHULER | 6/17/21

CLOSE QUARTERS: Every square inch of the boat has a purpose. There’s even a place for Marie’s spreadsheets and charts that have been carefully highlighted with stickers to remind the two of them places and people they want to see on their trip.

They’re ‘loopy’ for certain

Marie Ahlert and her husband, Rick, both love the water and boating. But she had no idea what he was talking about when he said he wanted to do the loop. Rick gave the simple explanation: … more

By JOHN HOWELL | 6/11/21

CELEBRATING HISTORY: The Gaspee Days Arts & Crafts Festival, typically held Memorial Day weekend, will instead take place in September this year. In 2022, Gaspee Days marks its 250th anniversary.

Moments in the sun

Rhode Islanders have never been so ready for summer. More than a year after the pandemic shutdown, a return to “normal” life has largely, finally, arrived. Most COVID-related … more

By DANIEL KITTREDGE | 6/4/21

PAST AND PRESENT: After moving from Pennsylvania to work in Rhode Island as a young reporter, Lu Anne Stewart wrote first for what was then called the Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times in West Warwick. She later worked at the Warwick Beacon from 1982 to 1985. Today, she lives in Florida, having retired from her journalism career in 2018.

Fact and fiction

Meg Sullivan, a fresh-faced journalism school graduate, has just arrived at her first job in the business – crime reporter for a small-town daily in the imagined town of West Wicklow, Rhode … more

By DIANE NEWBERRY | 5/27/21

Best foot forward

Tyler Rose, founder and owner of CleanCo 401, has taken his passion and love for collecting sneakers and turned it into a thriving business. The sneaker culture came to be in the 1980s with the … more

By ROBERT ALTOMARI, Special to Beacon Communications | 5/20/21

Natural resource

When does a simple walk through the woods become something more? Perhaps you come across an interesting plant with a unique flower that you’ve never seen before. Maybe you catch a glimpse … more

5/13/21

Saving masks and lives

CharterCare ER nurse Timothy Aurelio was working a shift in the COVID-19 unit last July when he noticed a security guard with a brown paper bag intertwined with his belt loop. Joking with the … more

By JACOB MARROCO | 4/29/21

‘BEFORE ALL OF THIS’ As a nursing student University of Rhode Island junior Katherine Blake spends much of her time at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence – and as a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a particularly anxious time for her. She looks forward to enjoying a concert at an outdoor venue near her home in upstate New York. “I can’t wait to go there because it feels like home, and it reminds me of what we knew before all of this,” she says.

‘I miss being together’

Paige Chakouian turned 21 six months ago and is still waiting to celebrate her birthday. The University of Rhode Island junior always imagined her coming-of-age celebration would involve her not … more

By KATE LeBANC | 4/22/21

Madeline, seen here at the Narragansett Breachway, experienced her first panic attack at age 9.

Finding peace in panic

I was 9 years old when I had my first panic attack. It was a hot August day, and I was sitting in a cramped Italian restaurant in New York City. Family was visiting from out of town, so we took … more

By MADELINE BATAILLE | 4/15/21

Financial education is an investment in your future

Financial literacy is the ability to understand how to make sound financial choices so that you can confidently manage your money over the course of your life. The full breadth of financial literacy … more

By Molly Pastore, AVP Marketing Navigant Credit Union | 4/15/21

How to save on family expenses

The pandemic sparked by the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 blindsided much of the world. Since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic in March 2020, millions of people across the … more

4/15/21

Social Security: Knowledge Translates into Money

While working with our clients, much of what we do involves Social Security optimization. There is so much about Social Security that many people do not understand. People may think they have a … more

Jeffrey H. Massey, Certified Financial Planner™, Massey and Associates | 4/15/21

There was a time, not so long ago in the 20th Century, when thinking (at all) about supporting yourself through your retirement years generally involved only one factor: the size and viability of … more

By KAREN EMMA, UNIVERSAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT | 4/15/21

MOBILE GUIDE: The Brewery Passport app helps people discover new local breweries and plan routes to visit multiple spots. It’s a helpful way to keep track of where you’ve been.

A thirst for exploration

After a long winter, spring has sprung. And local Rhode Island breweries are embracing the warmer weather by opening their outdoor seating – and brewing up a storm. Now, with the help of … more

By OLENA KAGUI | 4/8/21

Easter emergence

In a year when seeing loved ones has been a difficult and often dangerous endeavor, family was never more important. The coronavirus pandemic has gripped the nation for more than a year, … more

By JACOB MARROCCO | 4/1/21

BACK AT IT: After a life of gymnastics, Shannon Cornicelli stepped away from coaching at her gym four years ago. Now, she’s back teaching – and more excited than ever about her sport.

Sticking the landing

During the pandemic, Shannon Cornicelli, owner of Dream Big Gymnastics in Cranston, rediscovered what makes her happy – coaching. After a life of gymnastics, including state championship … more

By KATE LeBLANC | 3/25/21

‘MAGIC’ WORDS: Cranston High School West senior Emily Durigan poses with her Notable Mention from WriteRI’s statewide Short Fiction competition. Emily placed in the Top 10 for grades 10-12, and will have her short fiction piece, “The Magic of Music, published in a book.” Emily was surprised with this honor during her virtual English class on Friday, March 5. The class was attended by her father, Sean Durigan, a West teacher, and West Principal Thomas Barbieri.

‘Her powerful voice’

On March 7, Diana Champa of School One, along with local authors Taylor Polites and Hester Kaplan, surprised Cranston High School West senior Emily Durigan during her virtual English class to tell … more

By STEPHANIE BERNABA | 3/18/21

HANDS ON LEARNING: Kids gaze in wonder at pieces of the brain at the 2019 Brain Week Rhode Island festival.

A cerebral celebration

“It’s only really been in the last half century that we know what we know about the brain. We know about the stars, we know about the physical world around us, but what lies within is … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 3/11/21

Green light

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, local restaurants are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with specials, events and lots of good luck. For O’Rourke’s in Pawtuxet … more

By ARDEN BASTIA | 3/4/21