With last year’s boom in tourism, the Block Island Tourism Council has been able to be generous this year in meeting requests for funding from various groups on the island. Expecting declines in tourism at the onset of the Covid pandemic, the Tourism Council adjusted its revenue expectations downward, and therefore its expenditures, accordingly.But, as the summer of 2020 went on almost as usual with the number of tourists, and an incredible year in 2021, the Council found itself with plenty of cash.The Tourism Council regularly sponsors certain activities, particularly the Glass Float Project (see related story on page 14). They are also regular contributors to activities like Blues on the Beach, Soundwaves (free movies at the beach) and the Barbershop Quartet Festival, which will go on under the guidance ofMike Lofaro, and is being dedicated to the late Peter Greenman, who organized the event for decades. Grant amounts can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. This year they funded four scholarships for graduating seniors from the Block Island School.Over the past few months the Tourism Council has also assisted the Southeast Lighthouse Foundation with a contribution towards repairs of the fencing at
