Installation of the town’s new dinghy dock will begin on Monday, July 16 and should be completed within seven to 10 days.
“We will have a public dinghy dock in place at that time,” said Town Manager Ed Roberge to the New Shoreham Town Council at Monday night’s Council meeting.
“I’m pleased to note, based on our approval by the CRMC, that the dinghy dock project is moving forward,” said Roberge. “The Wronowski family are planning on a July 16 start. So work will begin next Monday, and conclude before the end of July.”
The dock, funded and constructed by the Wronowski family, and leased to the town for a dollar per year for 20 years, will be located in waters between Payne’s Dock and Dead Eye Dick’s restaurant. The proposal includes installing eight 20-foot long floating sections, and a 50-foot long Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant aluminum gangway, for dockage that will accommodate about 100 dinghies. The Wronowski family owns Dead Eye Dick’s and the New London Ferry, and operates Finn’s Restaurant in Old Harbor.
That location at New Harbor “will be a work site,” noted Roberge. “We will rely on the patience of all in the harbor — on the pond,” during installation.
“That’s good news,” said New Shoreham First Warden Ken Lacoste.
In other news at the meeting, Lacoste noted the recent passing of resident Bruce Montgomery, who had been a fixture at Council meetings. Reading from a prepared statement, Lacoste said:
“On a somber note, we were saddened to hear of Bruce Montgomery’s passing last week. As Block Island’s cartoon laureate, I thought of Bruce as our version of Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, whom he resembled. Bruce cared very much for the island and its way of life, as witnessed by he and his wife Peg’s attendance at scores of Council meetings where he often provided short but concise insights to the conversations. He will be missed.”