LIGHT

BULLETIN OF THE POINT ASSOCIATIONOF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAKD

SUMMER 2007

TheGREEN LIGHTSUMMER 2007LII No. 2

CONTENTS

President's Letter 3The Book Light 4

Tall Ships 76 4

Calling the Point Elders to Elderhostel 5

History and Archives 5

Sarah Barker Plumb 6

Remembering the Colleens of Summer 7

Rich Thoughts on a Rich life 8

Love Your Historic District Commission 10

Stay in Touch during the "Big One" via Radio 11

That Was Then.. .Historic Battery Park III 12Sprucing Up the Point 14Local Drawers of Water 15

Point Association Patrons and Subscribers 16

Waterfront Improvements Along Washington St.. 17Discovering Alice 18

Plant Sale 20

Myra Duvally and the Secret Garden Tour 21

Nostalgic Moment 23

STAFFEditor Alice ClementeAdvertising Miles ChandlerBusiness Tom GoldrickCirculation Marcia MalloryLayout Donna Maytum

POINT ASSOCIATIONEXECUTTVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

President, Isabel Griffith 849-6444First Vice-President, Andy LaVarre 846-4849

Second Vice-President, Carol Tea 847-5467

Recording Secretary Claire Ernsberger 847-1867

Corresponding Secretary, Peter Tea 847-5467

Treasurer, George R. (Jeff) Marshall 847-9979

Meetings are generally scheduled for the first Monday of themonth and are open to Association members.Please call Isabel for time, date, and location.

Copies of 2726 Green Light may be purchased for $ 1.00 atBucci's Convenience Store, Poplar at Thames.

The Point AssociationThe Point Association is a group ofneighbors working together to im-prove the quality of life in our neigh-borhood by getting to know eachother; preserving our historic heri-tage; maintaining the Point's residen-tial character; beautifying our parks,streets, and piers; and promoting pub-

lic policies that strengthen all of Newport's neighborhoods.

Cover Image: Courtesy of the Newport Historical Society.

In 1909, John Horgan opened this store at the corner of Thirdand Walnut Street From 1918, Max Gills on owned the storeuntil it was sold to Edward Martins who kept it open until hisson, Jack, took over in 1968 and ran it until his death in 1986.

Of course, there were many earlier stores on the Point, butJack's was special for his care and concern for all ages. Everysummer, he organized a cleanup of the Point all done by chil-dren; workers were rewarded with prizes and a cookout. Thethin strip of land along the waterfront south of Van Zandtpier is named John J. Martins Memorial Park.

Thanks to Joe Baker of the Newport Daily News for featuringthe store in "Then and Now" in the Thursday paper. Photog-rapher David Hansen discovered this old photo at the New-port Historical Society, by Kay O'Brien

Just a brief note this time to congratulate all thosewho had anything to do with planting the daf-fodils in our public spaces. The "show" this year

was truly spectacular!I also want to put our readers on to two new books

about Newport. One is the A1A Guide to Newport, writtenby Ron Onorato, Professor of Architectural History atURI, with photographs by architectural photographer War-ren Jagger, and advertised by the AIAri as "the most upto date and comprehensive guide ever published onNewport's architecture". The other, Newport: A. Lively Ex-periment, 1639-1969., by Rockwell Stansrud, is a beautifullydesigned book published by the Redwood library andAthenaeum. It is of special interest to the Point in that inits broad ranging view of the city's social history, it givesdue attention to Doris Duke and the work of restorationthat so directly concerns us here. Happy reading!

Alice/

The Green Light SUMMER 2007

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

At our April 19 membership meeting we gathered to the theme of crWhat's on Your Mind?"topics of interest to Point residents. The discussion was lively! Tall Ships; Goat Island andBelle Mer; the concept of a one-way road along the RR tracks all drew comments., oftenstrongly worded. Pointers do have opinions and they often disagree.I think newspaper comments and opinions sometimes leave the impression that the Point is ahomogeneous, elite community where everyone thinks we are better off isolated from theoffenses of greater Newport. Certainly, our ability to pull together as a community is the envyof other neighborhoods. But, one of the most attractive features of the Point is the broaddiversity of our population. And, many Pointers spend a lot of time working for the City ascommittee members and volunteers. Their contributions to Newport make a difference thatoften goes unnoticed.

Location, location, location! That's the whole problem about the Point, isn't it? It's an ideallocation — close to the water, purely residential, full of interesting architecture and attractiveparks, sidewalks and gardens. But, it is also the natural funnel for traffic from the Pell Bridge toNewport, and a convenient shortcut to and from the naval base. Noise from expanding harborattractions easily finds its way to the Point, bouncing along the water on prevailing winds. Forsome people in Newport and for many tourists, the Point is an inconvenient obstacle — totraffic, to development, to entrepreneurial endeavor. We are literally in an awkward position,one that puts us at risk. In my opinion, we must understand that and deal with it, withoutbecoming intimidated by those who do not live here and cannot resist making comments basedon misinformed perceptions.

As I write this on May 4, we look forward to an unusual run of gorgeous spring weather. I havebeen here ten years and can't recall such a spring. By the time you are reading this letter wemay have been hit by another vicious nor'easter, probably on the day of the Point Plant Sale!Until then, be happy living on the Point. Life is always full of "trade-offs." It seems to me thatfor now, we Pointers are ahead in the game.

2007 SUMMER The Green Light

THE BOOKLIGHTSummer Reading . . .Wherever You AreSuzanne Varisco

With those long and 'lazy., hazy days of summer" fastapproaching, the Point Readers have decided to takesome time off, read for personal pleasure, and returnto discussion groups in the fall.

Instead of our usual capsule descriptions of two books(one fiction and one non-fiction), therefore, we presenta summer reading list of 15 varied selections—mostnew, a few old favorites, and a couple of classics. Asusual, all are available in soft cover.

Non-FictionRobert Kurson, Shadow Divers: The True Adventure ofTwo Americans Who disked Everything to Solve One of theLast Mysteries of World War IIKati Marton, The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitlerand Changed the WorldCharles Rappleye, Sons of Providence: The Thrown broth-ers, the Slave Trade, and the American EvolutionR.A. Scotti, Sudden Sea: The Great New England Hurri-cane of 1938

FictionJane Austen, EmmaGerald Durrell, My Family and Other AnimalsIrene Nemirovsky, Suite FrancaiseRichard Powers, The Time of Our SingingMary Lee Settle, I, Roger Williams: A Fragment of Auto-biographyWallace Stegner, Angle of ReposeTobias Wolff, Old SchoolCarlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

Detective/SuspenseAnna Quindlen, Rise and ShineRobert B. Parker, Early Autumn: Spenser Series #7Alexander McCall Smith, Espresso Tales: 44 Scotland StreetSeries #2

In the September 2007 Green Light, we will resume withtwo book reviews and discussion dates.

TALL SHIPS 76by Kit Weiss

The summer of 1976 was one of those times you simplymust be involved in. Ralph Weiss was one such volun-teer. Tall Ships J76 came to RI and Ralph was assignedthe four masted training ship from Spain, the tall shipJuan Sebastian de Elcano. As the ship started the TallShip race from Bermuda, the Argentinean ship, libertad,barged the line, had a collision with the Juan Sebastianand brought down its fore mast. As the liaison officerfor the ship, Ralph immediately contracted the largestcrane in New England, reserved a huge work space, hiredsteel workers and was standing at Navy Pier 1, when theJuan Sebastian limped into port. Five days later the JuanSebastian miraculously joined the largest fleet of TallShips ever assembled and cruised out Narragansett Bayheaded to NYC for our country's biggest birthday party,our Bicentennial. The honor of Spain was saved and forit the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, awarded CDR Weissthe Spanish Navy Cross of Merit. The US governmentacknowledged the importance of the award and for-warded it to CDR Weiss to be worn with his uniform.During the 2000 Tall Ships, here in Newport CDR Weisswas the liaison to the Russkn ship, Kruzenstern.

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4 The Green Light SUMMER 2007

CALLING THE POINT ELDERSTO ELDERHOSTELby Ed Madden

For most of us the Point is not only home but an idealspot to spend the summer. If, however, this summer's"invasion" by tall ships, music wafting over from GoatIsland, traffic and other as yet unforeseen intrusions be-come too much for you, there is a solution: leave! A sug-gested destination: Elderhostel.

In 1975, an interesting experiment was undertaken. Twomen from the University of New Hampshire who haddone some backpacking in the USA and Europe, stayingin hostels, conceived of the idea of starting a hostel pro-gram in America for "the older folks". The initial scopewas limited to summer travel utilizing empty dormito-ries on college campuses. They felt that an educationaltheme should be incorporated whenever possible. Well,great oaks from little acorns grow. From New Englandthe program spread nationally by the early 1980s andinternationally by the late 1980s. Under the banner of"Elderhostel.. .Adventures in Lifelong Learning", witha home office in Boston, the organization now has par-ticipation in all 50 states, 90 countries and all the Cana-dian Provinces. Last year, over 160,000 hostelers tookpart in their programs. The mission of Elderhostel as theworld's largest not-for-profit educational travel organi-zation is the belief that learning is an enriching lifelongpursuit. Anyone 55 years of age or older may join.

My wife, Dorothy, and I love classical music, and I willrelate our involvement the past two years in a superbprogram run by Elderhostel at the Peabody MusicSchool/Johns Hopkins University. Peabody is one of thetop music schools in the US, on a par with Juilliard andNew England Conservatory. Elderhostel has its own four-story Inn on the Peabody campus with two lecture rooms(You literally live on campus with the student body andthe food in the cafeteria is surprisingly good!) There aremorning and afternoon lectures by Peabody professorsand every evening a concert by members of the school.Courses run 4 % days with a wide choice of subjectsfrom strictly classical to Broadway musicals. There isample free time to visit Baltimore, a very lovely, reason-ably well-preserved metropolis. The school is in the his-

toric district, across the street from the Walker ArtMuseum and a few miles from the Baltimore Art Mu-seum, with the famous Coyne sisters' Impressionist col-lection. Last year we took a course on Mozart andBrahms and this past February, a course on "WhatMakes Grand Opera Grand". We are already antici-pating next year's course on whatever.

If any of this information whets your appetite for somecultural enrichment, I would recommend that you writeto: Elderhostel, 11 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston MA02111. Or register toll free at 877-426-8056 or on-lineat www.elderhostel.org.

Happy hunting.

HISTORY AND ARCHIVESby Kay O'Brien

Looking back and looking forward at the summertimeis a challenge the Green LJghf staff faces as the sea-sonal deadlines roll around. This year is special as it'sthe Green Lighf's Golden Anniversary, and we have 256Green Ught Bulletins in our files to prove it. Also, wehave a large and varied collection of clippings, pho-tos, stories, etc. telling how the Point has changed overthese fifty years.

One goal is to organize our collection to make it moreaccessible. Another is to encourage you to share yourphotos and stories. We can set a time and place if you'dlike to join us. Please telephone Liz Mathinos, 847-3977, or Kay O'Brien, 847-7311.

The 50th anniversary book committee (rto 1: Alice Clemente, JaneHence and Kay 0 'Brien) meets with Anne Hiving (far left) ofNewport Life. Photo by Suznne Varisco

2007 SUMMER The Green Light

SARAH BARKER PLUMBREMEMBEREDby Kay O'Brien

Sarah was the fifth generation of her family to be bornon the Point and how she loved it. On April 28 Sarahdied at the John Clarke Nursing Center and would havereached the century birthday on Christmas Eve.

How lucky my husband and I were to move to thePoint in 1981 where our backyard joined the propertyof Sarah and Ralph Plumb. At that time, Ralph, Jr. andPat, plus thek Airedale, Holly, lived upstaks and were

looking for a place to start a restaurant. That's history,and the Brick Alley Pub speaks for itself. Later, their joungsons, Matt and Ralph III, came in from Portsmouth to betrained in sports by thek grandfather in the backyard.Over the years, Sarah and Ralph took in all the boys'games with great enthusiasm.

Sarah loved company and a visit meant catching up withher extensive doll collection, a cup of tea and many sto-ries. She was on the staff of the Green Light and alwaysshared her recipes. At Christmas, Ralph put up thek whitelights on the trees between our houses. We did have funand many happy memories.

GIRLS OF SUMMER 1925 (Below)The picture of the gkls sitting on the seawall in 1925 was used in the August 1997 issue of Yankee Magazine andfound in thek archives. The photo was taken by King Covell at the Villa Marina when the gkls celebrated BettyRamsey's birthday.

I1925 1997Sarah Barker, fourth from left Sarah Plumb on leftBetty Covell, fifth from left Betty Ramsey on right.

As noted in our Spring 2007 Green Light, Betty Covell Ramsey died January 17, 2007

Washington Street

shoreline

in the 1880s

photo courtesy ofThe NewportHistoricalSociety.

The Green Light SUMMER 2007

REMEMBERING THECOLLEENS OF SUMMERby Loretta F. Goldrick

They came to Newport from all across the Emerald Isle.From counties Donegal and Down in the north, toKilkenny, Dublin, Meath and Carlow in the south.Theyusually arrived in early June, and stayed through mid-September on J-lvisas that allowed them to live and workhere and in other Northeast resorts for the summer, andto see America up close, warts and all.

Oonagh, Breda, Helen, Kerne, Amanda, Lorraine,Niamh and Hillary were some of the young Irish stu-dents who worked summers at our B & B from 1995 to2002. Each year, my husband and I would cross ourfingers and hope that this year's crop would be as won-derful as last's. Generally they were, sometimes prov-ing to be even greater.

If you went to the beach early in the season you wouldsee them there, taming pink under the blistering unfa-miliar sun. And, despite sunburns that often laid themlow, the beach was still their favorite place to spend aday off.

They were, on the whole, a fashionable group. And, thecasual trendy styles they wore to work wouldn't appearin our stores until a full year kter. We soon learned thattrainers were sneakers, jumpers were sweaters and crispswere potato chips. "Shall I Hoover?" meant did wewant them to vacuum. Things that met with great en-thusiasm were either brilliant or grand.

We often lunched with them in the garden before they

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set out for their next job. Amanda Greaney fondlyrecalls the tuna sandwiches we served and said shemakes hers the same way. I was flattered. Lookingback, we DID make lots of BLTs and tuna sandwiches.

Generally, they worked an average of 3 jobs a day andin the course of a season, we would often remark onhow well-mannered and poised they were. They spoke,too, with a wisdom well beyond their years. Mostwere familiar with politics in America, were up on worldand Irish news and kept in close touch with family andfriends back home, thanks to the Newport Public Li-brary.

Remembering all this, we wrote earlier this year to someof our young former employees asking them about theirlives now, and their memories of the summer they spentin Newport.

Amanda Greaney, who recently returned to Dublin af-ter working in London for six years as a fire engineerfor an international firm, recalled her summer in New-port in 1995. '1 helped out at three guest houses (B &Bs), a kindergarten summer camp, and picked up otherrandom jobs. I certainly didn't make my fortune inNewport, but I still worked hard, made enough moneyto have a good time and spent a few weeks traveling toNew York, New Jersey and Florida before returninghome."

She added: "One of the great things about Newportis its size and its accessibility, especially if you had abicycle. Evenings, we went regularly to bars and res-taurants that ran specials: all you can eat pizza for tendollars.

(continued on page 22)

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2007 SUMMER The Green Light

RICH THOUGHTSON A RICH LIFE:glimpses of Sara and Dick Weissby Jane Hence

A random sampling of Sara and Dick's accomplish-ments and interests could range from being involvedwith equipment used on the first mission to the moon(Dick), to defending the thesis for a Master's degree inone's eighth decade (Sara). Or it could include advis-ing and counseling studentswith disabilities for seven-teen years at Rhode IslandCollege (Sara), serving dur-ing World War II in San An-tonio, Texas, and being re-called to active duty dur-ing the Korean Conflict(Dick), or contracting po-lio while pregnant withtheir son, Richard (Sara, ofcourse).

Buying a house on thePoint during the fifties,when conditions and build-ings were far different fromwhat they are now, wasrather a risky decision.Houses were often in badrepair and most were di-vided into two; three; andfour-family dwellings categorized as substandard. Rea-sons for deciding to live here certainly did not includeexpectation of making a killing in real estate. How-ever, there existed then as now a strong sense of wel-come and community.

Dick and Sara moved to Newport in 1953 and boughttheir house on Walnut in 1956. It was a two-familythen and a deed, dated 1840, indicates that the lot hadbeen purchased by a Henry Huddy from ElizabethRichards, who describes herself in that document as:"singlewoman"; the price was one hundred and fiftydollars. At the closing, the Weiss' most loyal and hon-est lawyer suggested to them that it was not too late to

change their minds, as they had not yet signed anything,gently warning that "it really isn't a very good part oftown and it's only going to get worse". That viewpointwas borne out when a Point resident told of offering heryard to her volunteer group for a social event. A discus-sion ensued, and it was decided not to have the tea onthe Point as the members did not wish to "have it in thatsection of town".

Dick describes Newport during the early fifties as beingreminiscent of a "city in the mid-30s, before the war.

Nothing at all wasopen on Sunday andalmost everythingclosed at five duringthe week."Dick and Sara soonbecame involved in thefledgling Point Asso-ciation, and Sara canname most of thefamilies initially in-volved and describedto me exactly in whichhouse each lived andwhich person had whatidea about the early as-sociation. It was JoeWeaver (who lived atCherry and Second)

• who initiated the idea__for the first Green Lightwhich consisted of the

front and back of one sheet. Sara wrote the entire bulle-tin for a few years. Edith Ballinger Price, a prominentwriter and artist, drew the logo, still used, of the GoatIsland lighthouse. She was a Newport native who movedto Battery Street, and Sara was happy to accept Edith'soffer to be editor. Other names of the "inventors" of thePoint Association and the Green Light are Eleanor andGeorge Weaver (9 Chestnut), Ned and Janet Brownell (thebeautiful three story house with dormers currently beingrestored on Bridge Street), David and Betty Smith (livingthen in the Pineapple House) and David Nemtzow (whowas born on the Point), Mabel and Harold Watson, Gladysand Bill McLeod and PhiUipine and Harold Arnold (whoowned and used a very old cast iron stove and were fa-

Photo by Jane Hence

The Green Light SUMMER 2007

mous for their - milk version — chowder). The PointAssociation met at St. John's Rectory and numberedaround 50 or 60.

Not surprisingly, many of the issues of that early periodremain at the forefront today. Clean-ups, creating StorerPark, tree plantings, the plant sale and lovely old-fash-ioned gatherings, among which were "Days on the Point".Kay O'Brien and I discussed this during an interviewlast year, and both she and Sara remember these occa-sions with fondness. The section of Willow betweenSecond and Washington Streets was closed to traffic, andbooths for baked cakes and bread, homemade foods,flowers from Point gardens, art and sewing and probablywhite elephant stands were arrayed along both sides ofthe street, and everyone came to the Street Fair and hada happy day.

Dick and Sara met in San Antonio, where Sara grew upand Dick was stationed during World War II and servedfrom 1942 to 46. As Dick mentioned with amusement,naturally, having a degree in mechanical engineering, hewas assigned to the supply division! Dick had gradu-ated from Cornell, and after the war's end, they movedto New Jersey where he was an engineer in liquid fuelrocket development in an experimental lab until he wascalled again to serve in the Air Force, from 1951-53.

After that ended, he left Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,in Ohio. When he noticed an advertisement in an avia-tion trade magazine, he responded and was hired by AvicaCorporation as vice-president of engineering and re-mained with the company almost twenty years. The com-pany developed and manufactured high alloy metal flex-ible connectors for aerospace applications. Some of theseremain on the moon today - left behind when the astro-nauts returned to their mothership.

After returning from his first trip to Europe, on busi-ness, he said to Sara, "You have no idea how bad thebread is here!!" This led, unsurprisingly to those whoknow these two remarkably diverse, curious and ener-getic people, to an investigation of flours, to finding thebest of other ingredients, and experimenting in the bak-ing of bread in pursuit of the goal of enjoying similarlywonderful bread here on the Point. As one might expect,they succeeded in this quest, and for many years their

bread, made in their kitchen, was a favorite at the StreetFairs and most other gatherings.

I would like to include much more history and otherstories, but space prevents. Suffice it to say that Dickbecame the tax assessor in Newport for thkteen years,Sara was at Salve Regina in the Financial Aid office.Both returned to college. Dick earned anotherBachelor's degree in 1994 and his Master's in 2001 inAmerican History. Sara resumed her long-interruptedcollege career, entered Rhode Island College, andearned her degree with a triple major in anthropology,history and sociology. And she just recently earnedher Master's in history, several weeks ago defendingher thesis on the subject of the "Evolution of SpecialEducation in Providence, 1800-1900".

Their son, Richard, who was six when they moved toWalnut Street, now lives in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.Sarah and Dick have three grandchildren, and a greatgrandson, who is one month old.

One wonders, with great interest and admiration, whattheir next adventure will be.

HARBOR HOUSESTRAWBERRYFESTIVAL

Saturday, June 16. 1 — 3 p.m.

Please join us for strawberries, biscuitsand cream on the porch at HarborHouse for our annual fundraiser!

Homemade biscuits, strawberries andcream - $4.00

Chocolate dipped strawberries - $1.00

Iced tea or bottles of water - $1.00

For more information, contact PatGlazzard, Chair, 848-2706

2007 SUMMER The Green Light

LOVE YOUR HISTORICDISTRICT COMMISSION(WITH HEARTFELT PASSION)by Pieter N. Roos

In these days of governmental over-regulation how canI ask you to love a government commission? Well, Ican, and you should. The Historic District Commis-sion (HDC) has been in existence for about 40 years inNewport and has made a crucial difference. It is a bodyabout which many have griped and complained fromtime to time (including me); yet I will maintain to mylast that it is one of the most important commissionsin Newport. It regulates the way historic structureslook, whether you can modify or restore them, and howthe job should be done. I know what you're thinking;too much control over personal property; to which Isay, a guard dog isn't always the friendliest of beasts,but I feel safer with one around.

Without the HDC there would have been no officialguidance for preservation and perhaps more impor-tantly nobody to prevent demolition. Newport is the

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last remnant of the wooden cities of 18th centuryAmerica. Nearly 400 structures in the city predate 1800,arguably more than anywhere else in the U.S. That is anational treasure, indeed our World Heritage nomina-tion contends that it is an international one.

Think about what the Point, indeed all of Newport,would look like right now if the Historic District Com-mission had never existed:

• The Travers Block on Bellevue wouldprobably be gone

• Through hundreds of small decisions, thecharacter of whole streets and neighborhoodswould have been compromised. Property valueswould be significantly lower.

• Indeed it is fair to say that without HDCprotection probably 25-30% of the buildings thatwe know on the Point would have been demol-ished. (In fact if that had come to pass there mightbe no Point and no Green Ught to read.)

For those of you who were around here in the 50s andearly 60s, both the Hill and the Point had major poten-tial to be razed. Behind the sad facades they also had awealth of amazing buildings. Individuals with real vi-sion saw to it that preservation occurred through Op-eration Clapboard, through private efforts, and laterthrough NRF. Some of those same people also had thevision to push for a body that would protect both thebuildings that had been restored and those that had yetto see any improvement. The HDC was the result. Townsand cities that never created such a commission are allaround us, places with great historic resources that werenot protected with such diligence; New Bedford is prob-ably a pretty good example. I imagine that most readerson the Point would rather live here, than there.

Neither the federal nor state government can do a greatdeal to enforce protection of our priceless legacy. Thatwork is left up to us. Our volunteer HDC does that hardjob and they should all get a hearty round of applausefor it. Along with an excellent city planner and historicplanner in the city administration, this is how historicNewport is protected. Support them, through large ac-tions and small; they made our city what it is today.

10 The Green Ught SUMMER 2007

STAY IN TOUCH DURINGTHE "BIG ONE" VIA RADIObyMikeCullen

Living on Narragansett Bayadds much to our quality oflife, but it comes with risks.As hurricane season ap-proaches, it is time to planahead — for that "just incase" scenario. Forecasterssay our luck may be com-ing to an end; Newport hasbeen hurricane-free since1991. Will this year bringthe "Big One"? State andfederal disaster response officials have been busy pre-paring, and so should you.

Point resident Mike Cullen has tested and put on theshelf a citizen friendly backup radio system called theNeivport Community Emergency Radio Network that canquickly spring into action to address the Doomsday sce-nario of no phones and no cell phone service. Builtaround the use of plentiful, low cost Family Radio Ser-vice (FRS) radios, volunteers have established an opera-tional footprint and run practice sessions every Thurs-day night at 8:30PM on FRS Channel 3.

One of the toughest issues facing public safety officialsis how to receive 911 type requests for help should tele-phone/cell service be unavailable due to storm, acci-dent, or terrorism. A sizable percentage of the U.S. popu-lation has akeady canceled their traditional "Ma Bell"phone service and rely solely on cell phone or cable-based telephone services. A recent survey stated that"one out of eight American homes did not have a landlinetelephone" during 2006. The newer technology phoneservices are vulnerable to storm conditions and can leavethe user helpless.

Kids have had fun with walkie talkies for decades. In1994, Radio Shack petitioned the FCC to establish a fam-ily radio service. Thanks to their foresight — and keenbusiness sense that famiJies were spending more time andmoney on recreational activities, skiing, boating, hiking— there was a market for low cost, easy to use radios. Todate one hundred million FRS radios have been sold.

The radios do not require any license, can be used byanyone, and are available for as little as $10 each fromRadio Shack, Staples, Walmart, and Job Lot. Given. their affordability and widespread availability, these

radios make a solid addition to every home's emer-gency kit.

While these walkie talkies are small in size, they canbe heard out to a fak distance Of course, range is afunction of many factors. In recent tests, users wereable to talk out to five miles, but this was the ex-treme; a one mile range was common. In a denselybuilt up area, from inside a house, range could be

,. . under J/4 mile, but still there is a good chance that/ your signal would be heard by other stations in the

> j. network.I <i

The local radio network uses FRS Channel 1 as theemergency communication channel and uses FRS Chan-nel 3 for practice sessions and non-emergency com-munications.

Local ham radio hobbyists and others conducted tworegional tests last fall. The network is augmented witha number of Newport area ham radio operators whocan operate for a long period of time using 12 volt carbatteries and can rapidly send messages to local andregional public safely authorities.

Newport's police chief and fire chief were recentlybriefed on the effort and have been supportive. Sincethis radio network supplements the city's emergencyplans, project leaders have been working with the cityto refine operational processes such as how to passradio messages to police dispatchers should phone ser-vice become impaired.

Cullen and his wife, Beth, have lived on the Point since1992. Since his bkth in 2003, thek son Mac has keptthem very busy. Now, approaching four years old, Macis handy with the FRS radio — so no excuses all younon-techies out there!

Phones may be out for days, but those with FRS radioswill stay in touch. For more information consult theNCERN web site at www.ncern.org or send an emailto point@ncern.org

2007 SUMMER The Green Light 11

THAT WAS THEN . . .HISTORIC BATTERY PARK IIIby Ralph Weiss

On a cold fall morning, after the last lawncutting for the season and just after thefirst frost you can see on the grass at thewest side of Battery Park the outline ofthe transverse rails and the pivot pointsfor the guns that were housed in FortGreene, Figure 1.According to George Cullum, an ellipti-cal stone-scarp battery was constructedfor 12 or 13 guns in 1798.1 It is assumedthat the gun in position number one, wasa single gun as its use would have beenlimited to defending the north flank ofthe fort from a land attack. A configura-tion of the gun placement, based on data taken in thefield, has been superimposed on Cullen's plan2 of the

Figure 1 — West lawn area

Fort Greene is an elliptical barbette battery fortwelve or thirteen guns, with a palisaded gorge.The work has a development, measured upon itsinterior crest, of two hundred forty feet; Its para-

pet is twenty onefeet thick; it's ram-part 26 feetbroad; its scarpwall twenty feethigh; having acommand twentynine feet abovelow water; andwithin the work isa brick barracks aguard-house, ab o m b - p r o o fmagazine, and ahot-shot furnace.

The term "barbette" means a raised platform enablingguns to fire over a parapet without an opening being cutin the parapet.4 A typical gun arrangement has the pivotpoint at the front of the gun point A, Figure 3.

Figure 2 — Cullum's fort with 7 gun rings drawn in

1798 fort. Figure 2. The transverse rails are laid out ona radius of approximately 75 feet and each rail systemis 20 feet in radius with a 2 foot overlap. The pivotpoints are about 24 feet back from the fence on thewest side of the park.

The North battery had a commanding view of the mouthof the Narragansett Bay well into the 19th century; allthe way from the southern tip of Coaster Harbor Islandto the Beavertail light. Bear in mind that Goat Islandwas 1400 feet south of where the Green Light standsnow. Cullum provides a detailed description of FortGreene.3

B

Figure 3 — Typical gun carriage and platform

This holds the gun platform in a fixed position when thegun is fired. The rear of the gun platform rides on twowheels that ride on a semicircle rail usually of granite,that is embedded in the floor support by a good founda-tion. A typical 12 pound gun weighed 3000 pounds.5To this add powder, shot and platform and you have aweight in excess of 2000 pounds resting on the back railat Point B, Figure 3. What we see on the grass at BatteryPark are the places where the pivot points and the trans-

12 The Green Light SUMMER 2007

verse rails were before they were removed. There mayhave been a lower tier at Fort Greene. In the 19th cen-tury, the children of the Point called this area the "dun-geon". The dungeon entrance was at the southwest cor-ner of the Battery Park area. Figure 4. It is a mystery as

Figure 4 — Entrance to dungeon at Fort Greene— looking south

to where this entrance goes. Does it lead to a lower tierof the six guns. This is highly possible. The exact con-figuration of the 12 guns is unknown. There are at leastsix semi-circles on the grass today.

Whatever lies hidden beneath Battery Park will remain amystery until sometime in the future. Perhaps using mod-ern techniques, the true origin of the hollow areas onthe ground can be explored. For now, we have a visiblelink with the past, a beautiful lawn to enjoy and a viewthat cannot be surpassed on a sunny day.

1 Cullum, George W, Fortification Defenses of Narragansett Bay, Washington,1884, page 20.2 Ibid, plate I, Figure III3 Ibid. p. 26.'' Walker, P.K., Engineer of Independence, A Docitmentmy History of the ArmyEngineers in the American Revolution 1775-1783, Superintendent of Docu-ments, Washington.3 Coggins, Jack, Ship and Seamen of the American Revolution, Stackpole Books,Harrisburg, 1969, p 152.

See also:"That Was Then...Historic Battery Park I" The Green Light, Summer 2004"That Was Then.. .Historic Battery Park II" The Green Light, Summer 2006

FROM PAST ISSUE: Summer 1997

Evening of Restoration StoriesPart II

Did you know tlwi the raitniacl station on America'sCup Avenue bus been moved four times from ils orsgireiEIceatfon on Warner street? The sag* of this building aidDdier moving swric-s were shared cin Tliimdaj evening,M,-»y IS *ith a Urge- crowd gaflcred at St. John's GuildHall tor AH Eveniitg \>f'Keswratton unities. The program,heated by Anita Raftet, fcanircd Kay O'Brien'a descrip-tion cf the .stall em's rrany moves. Br>an Babcock\tof the changes Sarah Kendall made in the Kim and Wash*it:.'.H)fi ?i LI •.'•_• i j,ir:'>;i, IIi.-i'u RanulM-l'* '.;tL<. <jf (hi.* Pills. 1 IvadTavern, and Anm: RefnofcTs story of the John Trjip HOUK.Foliowing the pTescntntiom there was time to chat wish[J*» jipeakeri Mii view tliii diiplnjii liIgljliijliliT)^ Painthouses which hud been moved,

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2007 SUMMER The Green Light 13

SPRUCING UP THE POINT ON A GLORIOUS SPRING DAYphotos by Joan Simmons

14 The Green Light SUMMER 2007

LOCAL DRAWERS OF WATERby Jane Groff Marchi

Once water was a precious commodity, much less takenfor granted than it is today. At the corner of Battery andThird Streets, where I live today, my father could re-member where the well had been, from which water hadto be carried laboriously to the house. Even in the Thir-ties, when I visited as a child, water was valued and itsuse rationed with care — dishes washed and rinsed indishpans and that wastewater then used to water plantsin the yard.

It was within the context of this atti-tude toward and experience with wa-ter, particularly drinking water, thatCrystal Springs Water had its origins.In 1907, when the company wasfounded, most of Aquidneck Island'swater for household use was "hard",i.e., full of minerals that made it diffi-cult for soap to dissolve, left a scumaround basins and bathtubs, and hada "funny" taste that natives took forgranted but which outsiders or visitorsnoticed at once.

bringing a 20-quart botde of hot water with which hewashed the botdes. These were then reloaded and filled.In winter the botdes had to be carried to and stored inthe cellar of his house to prevent freezing. The stan-dard water dispenser of the time was called a "20th

Century Water Cooler," which required blocks of iceto cool die water.

In 1951, Henry T. Scott retired and die business wastaken over by his son "Bud", as Harry M. Scott wasknown. These were the postwar years when a numberof changes began to take place. Fkst, by diis time dis-tribution of Crystal Springs Water went to all three

island communities. Second, Budpurchased the Hyergrade Water-Company, combining the deliv-ery routes of both companies un-der the new name of Crystal-Hyergrade Spring Water, a namethat was to last for twenty-fiveyears. Last but not least, an au-tomatic bottle washer was ac-quired and the water began to beavailable in plastic botdes (bothgallon and quart sizes) for resalein grocery stores.

-

Joy and Ian Scott Photo by Suzanne Varisco

So it was that William Swan decided that diere must bepeople on the Island who would appreciate, and be will-ing to buy, the pure natural water diat rippled from diespring on his farm in Middletown. By the end of 1907("ought-seven" in the local parlance of die time) he hadthe water analyzed. It was found to be pure and free ofthe odd-tasting minerals, so die trademark "Crystal SpringWater" could be approved and applied. Initially, Mr. Swansold his bottled water along widi the fresh produce fromhis farm, much of which went to Scott's Market onThames Street. From here it often went to estates onBellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive. Then, in 1927, Mr.Swan decided to move to California. Henry T. Scott,owner of Scott's Market, decided to buy die Crystal SpringWater Company.

The Roaring Twenties were about to end and die GreatDepression was soon to intervene. These became diffi-cult times for all businesses. The spring from which thewater burbled was a quarter mile from die house. Everyday the new owner had to drive down in his small truck

In 1981, the diird generation of Scotts took over run-ning die company in die person of Ian Scott. By thistime, bottled water was becoming much more commonand popular among people of all ages, a trend that isstill widi us today. Ian Scott oversaw a five-year mod-ernization program that included (1) a new bottling plant,(2) a pipeline to bring water from die spring directly todie plant, and (3) installation of state-of-die-art bottle-washing and filling equipment. Soon five-gallon plasticbotdes replaced the earlier glass botdes. As die com-pany expanded, Crystal Spring joined the InternationalBottled Water Association for technical assistance, pur-chased regular beverage delivery trucks, and began torent water coolers to homes and businesses.

Today Ian Scott and his family live on die Point hereamong us, in die John Goddard House on Second Street— which they have frequently opened up for the Candle-light Tours during Christmas week — and from whichdiey continue to provide those of us lucky enough tolive here with the same crystal pure drinking water firstoffered to the public a century ago.

2007 SUMMER The Gteen Light 15

OUR THANKS TO THE POINT ASSOCIATION'SPATRONS AND SUBSCRIBERS

PATRONSRobert & Christina AgnewMr. & Mrs. Brian. ArnoldBryan & Fran BabcockStephen & Merry Preston BarkerPaul & Sharon BartonJim and Donna BiggsJohn and Winifred BroughanAlson CastonguayMiles and Linda ChandlerMr. & Mrs. Derek CoultonMichael & Nancy CurranMrs. E.B. DanePeter and Audrey DentonDon & Rowena Derylisa Lewis & Bart DunbarMyra DuvallyRose Lee & Roy FitzherbertJohn & Donna FlynnMrs. Robert GoddardGeorge & Brenda GordonJohnHartmanRay and Elena HerrmannKenneth and Barbara KellyKevin Kelley & Deborah KelseyAndy La VarreBruce & Leslie LongRobert & Virginia MaarColes & Marcia MalloryJim & Carol MarinanStephen and Marrianne McDermottJudy McLennanAnna Wood MurrayMark and Linda Narbey

JohnPeMnhoDavid RobbinsMary Jane RodmanHilkr & Mary SareperaJon and Caroline SchoudelJoy & Ian ScottWilliam SouzaThomas SturtevantJulie & Patrick SweeneyJane TimkenMargaret & George VraneshCDR& Mrs. Walter WhitleyMartha WilliamsJay & Brenda WilsonMargot WingerPaul and Joyce Zimmerman

SUBSCRIBERSMarianne BarkerDr. and Mrs. Charles BauerGuntis & Vija BoleRobert & Margaret BonneyLee & Sandy BriggsMargaret CavaliereLyn & Peggy ComfortDon DeAngelisAvram DorfmanDr. & Mrs. Richard GallagherCapt. & Mrs. Benjamin GilsonMr. & Mrs. Thomas D.GoldrickIsabel GriffithBill HallJennifer Hall

Mr. & Mrs. Curtiss JamesLois KesslerSara Lyn KesslerBUI & Sally MacKayPatty & Bruce MacleishDorothy & Ed MaddenPeter MartinMary Ferreira & Peter McGeoughMargo Waite & Robert MensonPamela and Ross MeurerPaula & Michael MurrayDon and Ellen O'BrienEileen & Eugene O'ReillyWendy Withington & David PaisnerDavid & Laura PedrickSusan & Jon PowersRoger W ProutyPaul & Nancy QuattrucciHerbert RommelJohn RyanWilliam and Patrick ShermanCharles and Stephanie ShoemakerDon & Jody SutherlandBowen SweetPeter and Carol TeaSuzanne & Dominic VariscoJane MacLeod WalshRalph & Kit WeissMark and Victoria WilliamsKathy Younkins

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16 The Gfeen Light SUMMER 2007

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WATERFRONTIMPROVEMENTS ALONGWASHINGTON STREET

After having previously reported much bad news aboutthe condition of the Elm and Van Zandt piers and theseawall at Battery Park, it is great to be able announceprogress in these areas. The wall and sidewalk approachto the Elm Street pier has been attractively repaired, andthe pier is now open. The Preservation Society is nowmaking plans to restore the part of the wall and side-walk behind Hunter House. It collapsed last summerand has been closed since then.

Further along Washington Street, R&E Masonry has con-tinued the repair of the seawall at Battery Park. Theyhave removed some of the bulges along the wall, put indrains where possible, and repointed the loose mortar.

As to the Van Zandt pier, a contract has been awardedto Atlantic Masonry to do the first three stages of thepier reconstruction project. These would include repair-

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ing the blocks holding up the pier, replacing the T sec-tion at the end of the pier, and repairing the concretepad on the rest of the pier. It is hoped that additionalfunding can be secured, either through grants or a real-location of capital funds, to complete the remainingtwo stages at the same time. These are to replace thedecking and benches and to build a handicapped ac-cess along the south side of the pier. Although thecontractor has scheduled the work for this construc-tion season, the City is waiting for the completed draw-ings from the engineering firm, which then have to beapproved by CRMC. Because the design if essentiallythe same as the original pier, the City does not expectany objection fromCRMC.

Since the Point water-front is such a vital partof our neighborhood,it is good to see theCity is making sure itis maintained.

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2007 SUMMER The Gteen Light 17

DISCOVERING ALICEby Jane Hence

From broadsides, telegraph and telephone, to radio, tele-vision and now the internet, people and their thoughtsand deeds have made up the news. Thus it is fitting thata "virtual interview" of our editor, Alice Clemente, findsa pkce on the pages of a twenty-first century Green Light.Here follows our electronic interview.

Q. You are supposed to be retired, I believe. However,you do not appear to be? Is this a surprise, or did yoususpect that might be the case?

A. I am officially retired but, in fact, I have an appoint-ment as Adjunct Professor at Brown where my dutiesare primarily to be Managing Editor of Gavea BrownPublications, an academic press based in the Depart-ment of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. I am also onthe Board of Directors of the Portuguese AmericanScholarship Foundation, the Cumberland Land Trustand the Blackstone River Watershed Council. The de-tails may have surprised me but the big picture - whatcan I say - "'tis the nature of the beast". Being part ofa community is what it's all about, isn't it?

Q. I think most of those who have met you since youbecame editor of the Green Ught know you have beena professor (and are now professor emeritus???). I wouldlike to know a bit more: where? what did you teach?

A. For 32 years I was Professor of Spanish and Portu-guese and of Comparative Literature at Smith Collegeand am now Emeritus Professor there. While I occa-sionally taught Spanish and Portuguese language, thebulk of my work was in literature with a focus on me-dieval and Golden Age Spanish literature and com-parative literature. One of my favorite courses wasccWords and Music in Medieval Lyric" which I team-taught with Paul Evans, Professor of Music. We startedwith the Provencal troubadours, moved on to the "trou-badour of the Virgin Mary", Alfonso X of Castile, andfrom there to the secular love lyric of the Iberian Pen-insula, both Galician-Portuguese and Hispano-Arabic.We situated all of the above within the context of itshistorical moment.

Q. How do you feel about the Point?

A. I have really come to love the Point. As a native RhodeIslander and lifelong visitor to Newport, I've always beenattracted by the Point's architecture and often walkedthe streets looking at the houses, but never did I imaginethe quality of life, the warmth, that I have found here. Itis so unlike American suburbia in this respect.

Q. I would like to know a bit more about the house onthe Point, which has been moved, then moved back andis now nearly finished. What is your story and the storyof the house? When will it be finished?

A. The little yellow house on Elm St. belongs to my nieceand nephew, Joanne and Michael Dufresne. They begansearching for a second home in Newport two years ago,considered a number of options on the Point, but weredrawn to this little house in such a sad state of disrepair.Of course, we never suspected the extent of that disre-pair because, inside, the floors and stairs were good andsomeone had begun to remodel the second floor. It wasonly when the asbestos shingles were removed that thepowder post beetle damage became visible. Needless to

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say, the experience with "official Newport" has often been harrowing. Myrole in all of this? Moral support, basically. Joanne and Mike have setaside a room for me to share their home with them, their two little daugh-ters, and Mike's father when he comes up from Florida.

Q. Have you always lived in the Northeast? Where else?

A. Fresh out of Brown, I moved to New York, the West Side (Seinfeldterritory), and worked as a translator on Wall Street for a year. Betweenmy MA and PhD, I lived for two years in Lynchburg, ~VA, and taught atRandolph Macon Woman's College. I spent a year in Spain as director ofSmith's Junior Year in Madrid program, and later spent several sabbaticalsin Portugal, mainly in Lisbon.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do? Or favorite several things?

A. READ.

Q. In the spirit of the phrase "we are what we eat", I would venture that a farmore accurate thought would be: we are what we read. Therefore, I would bepleased to know if you can choose a title or two among what is surely anextensive list of your current favorite books, both fiction and non-fiction.

A. In recent years, my 'leisure" reading has turned towards some very de-pressing books: on Iraq and Afghanistan (e.g, Fiasco and Ghost Wars), ChalmersJohnson's books on the fragility of our Republic (The Sorrows of Empire andNemesis), the latter confirming something that I began to observe 25 years agoas I taught a course on the ideological framework of Imperial Spain. OurPoint reading group has provided a welcome antidote, as do mystery stories(my favorite authors: Tony Hillerman, Donna Leon, Robert Parker and, ofcourse, the Brits who have mastered the genre).

Q. How would you describe being the editor of the GL? Have you everedited a small publication before? If yes, how is the GL different? Or isn't it?

A. Editing the Green Light is different from what I've done before. It is a bitunnerving at times because the whole community has a stake in it, but it isthoroughly enjoyable. I've met so many fine people. Their engagement withthe life and history of the community is contagious.

A BRIEF NOTE FROM JANE:Dear Alice, I greatly enjoyed this version of an interview and I hope youdid also. One reason for my enthusiasm is that it allowed many unknownand interesting details to emerge which may not have done so were wesitting face to face in a room somewhere having tea. Thank you for lettingus explore this format and for being such an intrepid and knowledgeableperson and editor. The one thing missing by using this method is a pictureto accompany this but I think I am safe in saying that most of us are wellaware of your expressive face and energetic self.

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2007 SUMMER The Green Light 19

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20 The Green Light SUMMER 2007

MYRA DUVALLY ANDTHE SECRET GARDEN TOURby Mary Jane Rodman

Much has been written over the years about one of thePoint's most welcome and festive events — the SecretGarden Tour — but relatively little about the remarkablewoman whose vision has so consistently held the key toits success.

Myra Duvally's own love of beauty—as expressed throughart and music — was translated some 28 years ago into aproject that would enhance programs in the schools onAquidneck Island in myriad ways. Initially supported bysuch like-minded friends as James Thompson Douglas,Sally Blackett, Ron Matchley and Mary Rommel, Myrafounded the Benefactors of the Arts as a non-profit or-ganization dedicated to providing cultural enrichmentto the children of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.

After a couple of years' modest fund raising efforts, avisit to the gardens of Boston's Beacon Hill inspired Myrato launch a similar endeavor here — the Point being aconvenient and walkable location. Approximately 100people participated in the first tour, in June, 1984. Aver-age attendance now is 1,600 — mostly represented bythe states of RI, MA, CT and NY - and as much as$35,000 is raised annually.

Together, Myra and the 135-140 volunteers who partici-pate each year have managed to establish a tradition sec-ond to none, recently expanding it to include other magi-cal Newport gardens. The fall of 2002 initiated severalgardens on the Hill, soon followed by others on BellevueAvenue and Ocean Drive, attracting as many visitors asJune's Point tour and grossing approximately as muchmoney. The success of both tours, according to our dedi-cated and tireless neighbor, is thanks also in generousmeasure to the cooperative participation of the Preser-vation Society of Newport County which extends theuse of some of its houses to this effort, notably HunterHouse, the Elms and Kingscote.

When I asked Myra how she determined which gardenswould be featured each season, she deferred modestly toher assocktes, reminding me that there are always two

or three "core" gardens (Use Nesbitt's, Mary and DougRiggs' and Hunter House), adding the fact that fournew gardens will be introduced this June and a MasterGardener stationed at her home to answer questions.She expressed particular gratitude for the help of DonnaMaytum and Al Lowe, whose graphic and marketingtalents, respectively, are crucial to the success of eachventure.

Because she declined to provide me with informationthat would segue into the kind of personal accoladesshe so well deserves, I turned next to one of the Bene-factors' major recipients: Loren Palmer, Music Direc-tor for Newport's elementary schools — he had abso-lutely no problem praising Myra to the max! He toldme that she has literally never said no to a request forsupport; and that — in addition to such important con-tributions as the Yamaha Keyboard Classrooms pro-vided by the Benefactors to most of the schools andthe state-of-the-art lighting system for the Rogers HighSchool auditorium — she has established a scholarshipprogram for both private and group lessons via theAfter-School Piano Workshops. Similarly, working inclose conjunction with Charlotte Heineken, she hasensured the rehabilitation of many used instrumentsgathered via the Jennifer Hudson Fund, thus enablingstudents of limited means to study and play the in-struments of their choice. (Jennifer Hudson was a giftedyoung flautist who died of a heart condition when shewas only thirteen; Charlotte Heineken established thisfund in her daughter's memory.)

While we've yet to learn of a Carnegie Hall concertgiven by an Aquidneck Islander, we certainly have ev-ery reason to anticipate that among the many "student-works-in-progress", inspired by Myra's continuing lead-ership and our community support, such a reality isnot only possible but entirely probable.

This year's Secret Garden Tour (#24!) will take placeon the Point June 15-17 and the fifth autumn tour, else-where in Newport, on September 7-9. Further informa-tion may be obtained by calling 847-0514 and by tuninginto WADK (AM Radio) on Saturday mornings at 8:00to hear Ralph Sabetta's Secret Garden Show

Meet you in the garden!

2007 SUMMER The Green Light 21

(continued from page 7)

Dublinite Lorraine Corrigan recalled living in a twobedroom apartment on Pelham Street •with six othergMs. She worked in a sundress shop and met for thefirst time a girl from her hometown in Kilkenny. Tothis day, they remain close friends. "Sunshine and funwould sum up my memories of Newport," she said.

Helen O'Reilly, now studying for her masters in Neuro-psychology in London wrote: "the great thing aboutNewport was the fabulous weather and the warm lo-cal hospitality offered to us." She added: "Althoughwe had a lot of trouble with our landlord (not a verypleasant or honest person) there were lots of studentsstaying in the same house and we had fun."

Helen and her roommates were not alone. Often, New-port landlords treated these students shabbily, charg-ing outrageous rents for substandard housing often inviolation of the fire code.

"Affordable housing in Newport was probably one ofthe biggest difficulties for J-I students," Amanda re-membered. "We were sk girls in a small four roomshed (for want of a better word) in the rear garden ofour landlord's house on Burnside Ave. He was strange,and we had to argue with him constantly to have thingsfixed. It was cramped but we made the best of it"

Sadly, 9-11 has changed the pattern of summer workfor most Irish students. Today, applicants must un-dergo family background checks, as well as interviewsbefore qualifying for a U S visa. As a result, most Irishstudents are bypassing us, and traveling to jobs on thecontinent, and to Canada and Australia, and Newportis the poorer for it.

It's almost lunch time now, soI'll make myself a tuna sand-wich, brew a cup of Barry'stea and wish with all my heartthat our young Irish friendswere planning to come back toNewport for another summer.

FIREHOUSE THEATER OFFERSDISCOUNT TO POINTASSOCIATION MEMBERSThe Fkehouse Theater has scheduled another excitingsummer season. Steel Magnolias runs through June 10th

and provides a bouquet of comedy and tears with skSouthern women who share life's secrets in a small-townbeauty parlor. Performances of Steel Magnolias ace at 8PMon Friday & Saturday nights, 4PM on Sunday, breakingLegs takes a hilarious look at disorganized crime as themob decides to go legit and produce an original Broad-way play, breaking Legs runs from June 28th through Au-gust 25th, Thurs, Fri, Sat nights at 8PM.

Special discount is available to Point Association mem-bers. Mention the Point and get $5 off on up to 5 tickets.Groups of 6 or more can purchase tickets for $10 each.That's 50% off the regular admission price.

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22 The Green Light SUMMER 2007

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER PhotobyHelenByme

The Point Association Membership FormPlease make check payable to The Point Association and mail with form to PO Box 491,Newport, RI 02840. A subscription to The Gteen Light is included with all memberships.

Individual $10 _Family $15 _Subscriber $25 _Patron $40

Name:

Phone:

Mailing Address:

Email:

C O M M I T T E E S A N D A C T I V I T I E SYour participation is welcome. Please check the categories for volunteering.

Beautification d Waterfront Ll Green Light Q Plant Sale Q Membership

Event Planning Q History and Archives Q Activities for children Q Communications

2007 SUMMER The Green Light 23

SAVE THE BATES

SECRET GARDEN TOURS - Friday - Sunday June 15-17

HARBOR HOUSE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL - Satutday June 16, 1-3:00 p.m.

POINT ASSOCIATION PICNIC - Monday June 25. 6:00 p.m.Lawn .of Peggjr & Lyn Comfort, 62 Washington Street

MEMBERS' COCKTAIL PARTY - Thursday August 16, 6:00 p.m.Villa Marina, 72 Washington Street

THE GREEN LIGHTThe Point AssociationP.O. Box 491Newport, RI02840