November 2020

A centuries old Block Island family tree has found life and organization in Peter Greenman’s new book, “The Block Island Descendants of John Paine.” Any account of the Payne family would have to be fascinating, and this one certainly is. Greenman makes it clear that he has not written about all Payne family members, as […]

Normally on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, shopkeepers throughout Block Island’s downtown can be found busily decorating their storefronts and setting up their shops for the annual Holiday Shopping Stroll, originally scheduled for Nov. 27 through Nov. 29. But as we all know, 2020 has been anything but normal. The Stroll, as it has come to

During the Town Council’s meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (the same meeting where the Holiday Stroll was cancelled), Town Manager Maryanne Crawford addressed the use of a well at Fred Benson Beach Pavilion for its water supply. The well has experienced “problems in recent years; nine out of the last 16 years,” she said. “The

Several weeks ago, Turtle Hatfield and his wife, Heather, started getting questions from the island community worried that the Covid-19 virus would prevent them from constructing the Lobster Pot Christmas Tree this year. No way was Turtle and his crew going to let the virus deprive everyone of this ten-year tradition. Life is different this

Each spring, the New Shoreham Shellfish Commission reseeds the Great Salt Pond with some 35,000 quahogs of harvestable size to supplement the native clams so that both resident and visiting clammers can have a satisfactory experience. In the past, former members of the commission have likened this practice to holding an Easter egg hunt and

When I was a boy, I knew of not many things outside the ocean-lined bluffs that skirt Block Island’s shore. A secluded little oasis just 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island is where I was fortunate enough to call home. It is a place as historically rich as the seasonal homeowners, who come

As we approach the holiday season, especially at the Beacon Hollow Farm during a world-wide pandemic, I try to look ahead and make plans for some Happy Holidays — a thankful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. My family, like most nowadays, is scattered and must be shared with their in-laws. It gets confusing, especially this

A centuries old Block Island family tree has found life and organization in Peter Greenman’s new book, “The Block Island Descendants of John Paine.” Any account of the Payne family would have to be fascinating, and this one certainly is. Greenman makes it clear that he has not written about all Payne family members, as

The following release was shared to The Block Island Times from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on Wednesday, Nov. 25: The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is now accepting online renewal applications from holders of commercial marine licenses, recreational lobster pot and diver licenses, and licensed marine dealers for the 2021

The following update was provided by Harbormaster Kate McConville on Wednesday, Nov. 25:  Good morning,  After their initial investigation, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management did not find a need to take samples for water testing. The closure has been lifted.  This was again out of caution and I appreciate your patience.  The GSP is