Monday, August 24, 2026 | Edition #52
GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. I hope some of you were able to make it down to Narragansett this weekend to catch the mystery concert of the decade. For anyone out of the loop, local hedge fund gazillionaire Joe Healey threw the party of the summer at his Narragansett beachfront estate, Sand Castle By-the-Sea, inviting Maroon 5 to perform in his backyard and welcoming locals to sit on the beach and watch for free. Talk about a baller move. The night featured immaculate weather, a shirtless Adam Levine, and about as many drones in the sky as there were seagulls. Every ten years for his milestone birthdays, Healey has thrown a concert like this one. In 2006, he hosted Sting, and in 2016, Lenny Kravitz.
The New York-based hedge fund manager has certainly shared the fruits of his labor with tons of locals over the years, and Saturday night was another example of that. At one point, Healey took the mic and encouraged everyone in attendance to do something kind for someone every day, whether you know them or not. A great message to a crowd who got to witness a once-in-a-lifetime Rhode Island concert experience for free. Pretty fricking cool.
In today's newsletter, we'll look at:
The sale of the Providence Place Mall
Why two new emergency vehicles could cost Warwick $1.35 million and how the city joined in on a nationwide class action lawsuit to receive relief on surging costs
Why Rhode Island was just ranked one of the least fun states to live in
TODAY’S SNAPSHOT
⏱️ Sunset Time: 7:32 PM
⛽ Avg. Gas Price: $4.02 (click here to find the cheapest gas near you)
☀️ UV Index: 7.0
☔ Chance of Rain: <10%
📅 On This Day: August 24th is National Waffle Day! Cornelius Swartwout patented the waffle iron on this day back in 1869, so somewhere out there someone's syrup game is about to get very ambitious.
WEATHAH THIS WEEK
WHAT’S GOIN’ AHN
📢 The Top 5:
#1 🛍️The Providence Place Mall is now officially under new ownership
Providence Place Mall officially has new owners after the $133 million sale this week. The sale came right in time for the building's 27th birthday, serving as a proverbial "time to grow up" moment that all of us 27-year-olds seem to be facing. The buyer: former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino, CEO of Paolino Properties, teaming up with Pyramid Management and DW Partners. His goals include revamping retailer options, addressing issues and inefficiencies with the parking garage, and even exploring valet parking and other ways to generate better traffic flow in and around PPM. A new hope for the growingly vacant downtown retail hub? We shall see.
#2 🚒Warwick joins the fight for cheaper fire truck prices
Turns out fire trucks have gotten as expensive and hard to find as everything else these days, and Warwick isn't just accepting it and paying the price tag. There's something fishy goin' ahn. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to join a nationwide class action lawsuit accusing major fire apparatus manufacturers of monopolizing the market and jacking up prices, with Warwick becoming one of 64 cities piling on. The city won't pay a dime upfront thanks to a contingent fee deal, and could see anywhere from $250,000 to $650,000 back if the suit succeeds. Meanwhile the Fire Department still needs a new pumper truck and ambulance, price tag: $1.35 million, wait time: up to three years. Imagine that, your entire retirement savings equals two trucks. Lifesaving vehicles nonetheless, but still hard to fathom. Maybe we send a city rep to PJ's on Pontiac Ave in Cranston to try our fate on Keno instead. I'll meet you there.
#3 😐RI Ranked 6th least fun state in America…
WalletHub dropped its 2026 rankings this week and Rhode Island landed at 45th out of 50, officially the 6th least fun state in the country, wedged between everyone's collective disbelief and a shrug. The study graded 26 factors like entertainment, nightlife, parks and attractions, and RI bombed the Entertainment & Recreation category at 48th, plus dead last for movie theaters per capita. Nightlife actually held it down at a respectable 26th, so at least we know how to have a good time after 9 PM. Only Vermont ranked worse in New England. Meanwhile we've got beaches, the best seafood and Italian food in the country, a beautiful coastline, and even bumper cars at Town Hall, so they have no freaking clue what they're talking about.
#4 🚲Warwick business owner gives away bikes to families in need
Bobby Martorelli was just driving by a consignment store one day, saw a pile of bikes out front, and had the kind of impulsive good idea most of us only have about pizza. "I'm going to buy all the bikes and give them away," he said, and he actually did it. Between his own company, Martorelli Property Services, and donations from others, he rounded up more than 21 bikes for kids and families who can't afford them right now. No strings, no fanfare, just straight up "if you don't need it, give it to them." It's like Warwick's own Mr. Beast disguised as the owner of a landscaping company. Maybe I'll bump into him at the Whalen, cameramen erupting from every angle as the bar turns into a full YouTube set: who can stay the longest wins free beer and fish and chips for a year. Fingers and toes have officially been crossed.
#5 🍜Hot Pot is coming to Bald Hill Road
The former On The Border off Bald Hill Road has sat empty since it abruptly closed last May, and now it's getting a glow-up: Hungry Pot, an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and hot pot franchise, is officially moving in. A "coming soon" sign is up in the window, though no opening date yet. For the uninitiated, hot pot is the ultimate group activity, everyone cooks their own meats, seafood, and veggies right at the table. Because why pay someone to cook for you when you can pay someone to let you cook for yourself. I'm just kidding (kind of...), but either way I'm gonna give it a try. Will report back.
RETAIL
This week we added one crucial component to the home gym. Something everyone needs, especially if you have a high sodium diet and a propensity to sweat like Nacho Libre after a wrestling match, like me.
BRAIN FOOD
📝 The Warwick Word of the Day
Vexatious
vek-SAY-shus | adjective | Causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry
There's nothing more vexatious than that one person whose phone always goes off during church. You don't even have to turn around to know who it is, because it's never someone with a normal iPhone chime. It's the old Verizon flip phone sound, a Galaxy tone, or a hilariously uncharacteristic late 2000s pop song, like a grown man with Adam Lambert or Shania Twain blasting from his Google Pixel. If there's one thing that pisses my dad off (and trust me, there's more than one thing), it's a phone going off when it shouldn't. That's vexatious at its finest. Or worst, depending on how you look at it.
Thanks to Jason V. for submitting today’s word of the day! You can submit one yourself here!
EVENTS THIS WEEK
👻 Haunted Boat Tours | Providence River Boat Company | Wednesday (8/26), 8 PM | Providence Ghost Tours is trading cobblestones for open water, floating you past centuries old tales of literary giants and forgotten servants under the moonlight. Spooky enough for the kids, calm enough that nobody's jumping into the river. More info
🌕 Full Moon Yoga + Soundbath | Harbor Lights | Thursday (8/27), 6:45 PM | Tricia Kennedy leads a gentle flow and singing bowl soundbath right in the Harbor Lights tent. Bring a mat, a blanket, bug spray, and whatever's left of your patience after this week. More info
🛍️ Chloe & Belle Marketplace | Crowne Plaza | Saturday (8/29), 10 AM | Summer's basically over, so squeeze in one more marketplace run. Minnie deals, baked goods, food trucks, face painting, and a petting zoo, because "just running errands" is a lie we all tell ourselves. More info
🎶 The 12th Annual Rhode Island Folk Festival | Crescent Park, Riverside | Sunday (8/30), 11 AM | Grab a lawn chair for a full day of music across three stages, plus a songwriting workshop, a beer garden, and artisan vendors. Culture and snacks, together at last. More info
RECURRING EVENTS
🥬 Conimicut Village Community Market | Saturdays, 9 AM-12 PM through Sept 26. Free. Local vendors and a waterfront village to wander on a Saturday morning. Info
🌽 Goddard Park Farmers Market | Fridays, 9 AM-1 PM through October. Fresh local produce in a waterfront park. A solid excuse to be outside before noon. Info
📚 Warwick Public Library | Ongoing events each and every day of the week across all locations. Tell your kids to put the Fortnite down. Time for a story and a Capri Sun. Info
🏛️ City Council Meetings | Select Mondays, 6:30 PM, City Hall Chambers. Ordinances, budgets, and the occasional spicy public hearing. Check the calendar first. Calendar
That's it for today. Have a story suggestion, a tip, or Red Sox tickets you’d like to let me use (: ? I'm here for it. Just hit reply. Thanks for reading!
Keep smiling!
