Friday, May 15, 2026 | Edition #34
GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. It was a busy week in the 401. Tax hikes, school layoffs, and World Cup anticipation were the talk of the town. And just when you thought things couldn't get more dramatic, Bravo went and renewed Real Housewives of Rhode Island for Season 2. Every husband in Warwick facepalmed simultaneously.
The energy is clearly rubbing off on us. Governor Francis Inn found itself in the middle of its own Bravo-worthy moment this week after releasing a statement clarifying that the hair found in a guest's food was long and curly, and none of their male kitchen staff has long curly hair. The guest also finished almost the entire plate before saying anything. Classic.
Honestly, I can totally see Jo-Ellen planting a hair on a Pizza Momma slice just to get Alicia fired up, then somehow making up and finishing the slice like nothing happened, only to complain about it to Kelsey the next day.
This is bad. It's rubbing off on all of us. Once Season 1 wraps, Warwick needs a Housewives detox. Starting with me.
TODAY’S SNAPSHOT
⏱️ Sunset Time: 7:59PM - Get ready for 65 days of 8PM or later sunsets! 👏🏼
🌘 Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
⛽ Avg. Gas Price: $4.49 (click here to find the cheapest gas near you)
💧 Chance of Rain: 30%
WHAT’S GOIN’ AHN
💰 Taxes Up | Teachers Laid Off
Here's the state of the city right now: property taxes are going up nearly 4%, and 18 Warwick teachers just received layoff notices. Nobody wanted it to come to this. But here we are.
The proposed $393 million budget is being driven largely by school costs that have proven difficult to control, and the city is pulling over $4 million from its surplus to help cover the gap. Budget hearings are coming, with council members on both sides of the debate pushing for solutions. There are no easy ones.
It's like standing in the grocery store with $20 and a cart full of things you need. Something has to go back. Close schools and kids are displaced, teachers lose jobs. Keep spending to protect the status quo and you hand the next generation a worse city than the one you inherited. Both sides care. The hard part is finding the answer in the middle.
In Warwick, 42 total layoffs were approved, including 18 teachers, 21 teaching assistants, and three administrators. Those aren't line items on a spreadsheet. Those are people who showed up every day for Warwick students. But budgets don't balance on good intentions alone, and right now Warwick is still working the puzzle.
Budget hearings are coming. New fiscal year starts July 1.
🏗️ Development Incoming
For those of you who think we already have too many gas stations and condominium complexes, the city says, "sorry not sorry."
Both projects received first-passage approval for their zone changes at Monday night's City Council meeting, meaning they're not a done deal yet but they're moving in that direction.
The first is a new Seasons Corner Market gas station and convenience store, planned for the empty lot on Centerville Road near Orchard Avenue, right across from the I-95 North on-ramp. As it goes with every development in this city, you've got one group looking to support economic growth, and another group of locals who argue we have plenty of gas stations already and don't need underground fuel tanks near a suburban neighborhood. The cherry on top: you can only turn right in and out of the proposed location. Get ready for some Mario Kart U-turns on Centerville Road.
A few miles down the road, seven condos across three buildings are lined up to replace an existing legal office at 4332 Post Road in Cowesett. Neighbors flagged serious flooding concerns in the area, which they fear will only get worse with new construction adding more runoff. The city says stormwater plans will need state approval before anything breaks ground.
Arial view of 4332 Post Road, not far from the East Greenwich/Warwick line
Both projects have to return to City Council for a second zone change vote before moving forward. Welcome to Warwick: where nothing gets built without a fight, and nothing gets flooded without a shrug.
⚽ A World Cup Economy
The FIFA World Cup kicks off June 13, and Rhode Island is not sitting this one out.
Seven matches are scheduled at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, about 25 miles from downtown Providence, and state officials have been in full preparation mode. The centerpiece is the PVD FanZone at Station Park, a free, FIFA-approved event running June 11 through July 19, featuring a main stage with a Jumbotron broadcasting every game, live music, food and drink vendors, and pop-up art activations. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley called it "the best party south of Foxboro." We'll hold him to that.
The look at the PVD Fan Zone Site Map
For those heading to Gillette, dedicated "Boston Stadium Express" buses will depart from outside the Rhode Island Convention Center at $95 round-trip, bookable in advance for fans with a valid same-day match ticket. No train service from Providence, but the bus will do.
There's also a Team Ghana angle worth getting excited about. Ghana is expected to arrive June 12 and will use Bryant University as its base camp, with planning underway for a major welcome celebration at the airport and in downtown Providence.
Officials are projecting as many as a million visitors to Rhode Island over the course of the tournament, with an estimated $300 million economic impact for the state. Local businesses, hotels, and yes, bars staying open until 4AM, are all part of the plan.
Warwick isn't downtown Providence, but our restaurants, hotels, and shops are a short drive from all of it. This summer is going to be loud, crowded, and good for business. Embrace it.
WEATHAH THIS WEEKEND
Finally.
QUICK HITTERS
🦪 A Sewage Spill Is Hurting Rhode Island's Quahog Industry Right Before Memorial Day | Link | A broken pipe in East Providence released 880,000 gallons of sewage into Narragansett Bay on May 4, forcing the closure of Area 16E, described by fishermen as three to four times more productive than any other shellfishing area in the state. Quahoggers are losing income right before the summer season kicks off, wholesalers are scrambling for out-of-state clams, and the bay between East Providence and Gaspee Point in Warwick remains shut down. Nothing says Rhode Island like a sewage pipe ruining quahog season right before the company comes.
🏫 Warwick School Committee Chair Shaun Galligan Won't Seek Re-Election | Link | Galligan announced this week he will not be running for re-election when his term ends, citing a desire to stay involved in the community through other channels including the Volunteers of Warwick Schools and recreational boards on the north side of the city. He left the door open to returning to public service down the road. Whoever steps up next inherits a school budget that is very much on fire. Good luck.
💀 Rhode Island Ranks 5th in the Country for People Most Likely to Die Alone | Link | First of all, what a depressing and odd report. A new analysis of U.S. Census data found that roughly 31% of Rhode Islanders between 30 and 49 have never been married, landing the Ocean State 5th in the country. Researchers blame rising living costs, career-focused lifestyles, and changing views on relationships. Rhode Island blames the fact that everyone already dated everyone else and it just didn't work out.
🌳 URI's W. Alton Jones Campus Is Coming Back | Link | Six years after pandemic closures shut it down, URI's 2,300-acre environmental camp and nature preserve in West Greenwich is reopening on Labor Day, backed by a $2 million lodge renovation. Nature is healing, and apparently so is the lodge.
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Saturday, May 16 - Sunday, May 17: 🦪10th Annual Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival | Info Link | 11AM-6PM. Bowen's Wharf, Newport. Freshly shucked oysters, award-winning chowders, live music, and signature cocktails on the Newport waterfront. Free admission.
Saturday, May 16: 🌸4th Annual Spring Fest | Info Link | 12PM-7PM | Mulligan's Island, Cranston. The Cranston Police Community Division and The Hot Potato Food Truck are teaming up for their 4th annual spring fest. Food, drinks, entertainment, and family-friendly fun. A good excuse to get outside and let someone else do the cooking.
Sunday, May 17: 🎆Gaspee Days Proclamation and Children's Play | Info Link | 12PM-4PM. Pawtuxet Park. Gaspee Days kicks off its 2026 season with official proclamations from state officials and a historic children's play put on by the Gamm Theatre. Bring a blanket, bring the kids, and go touch some grass. It's free.
Sunday, May 17: 🥇Bingo Night | Greenwood Fire Co & Museum | Info Link | Doors open at 5PM, Bingo 6PM. $20 to play, cash prizes, and a 50/50 - reservations required, space is limited, and no alcohol allowed, so bring your lucky dauber and your full focus.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, May 23 - Monday, May 25 | 🛣️ Gaspee Days Arts & Crafts Festival | Info Link | 10AM-5PM | Over 100 artisans, live music, food, and kids amusements along Narragansett Parkway in Pawtuxet Village. Free admission. 60,000 people are expected over the weekend. Rob Davis Band Saturday, Kidd Katy Sunday, The Senders Monday. If you've never been, that's on you.
Beginning Saturday, June 6 (corrected start date): 🥬Conimicut Village Farmers Market | Info Link | 9AM-12PM. Free admission. Doesn’t get more local than this.
Saturday, June 13: 🏃🏼➡️Gaspee Days 5K | Sign Up Here | The best 5k event in the state is less than one month away. The streets will be decked out in red, white, and blue. My friends will be trying to keep up with my dad. It’s always fun. I better see you there.
RETAIL
Nothing humbles you faster than opening your front door to four Amazon boxes and having absolutely no memory of ordering any of it. You didn't black out. Your wife had her phone out at 11PM and now you own a garlic press, a resistance band set, and something called a "silk pillowcase bundle.” The beat goes on.
BRAIN FOOD
🧠 Where in Warwick?
Do you know where the below image was taken in town? This one’s pretty easy… Answer shown at the end!
📖 The Warwick Word of the Day
Word of the Day: Borborygmus (noun) | Pronounced: bor-bor-IG-mus
Definition: The rumbling or gurgling sound made by gas moving through the intestines. From the Greek borborygmos, which was their very literal attempt at spelling out the sound itself. One of those rare words that almost sounds like what it means.
If you've ever found yourself at Cosmic Pizza for some cheesy fries and three weiners all the way after 11 PM, you know exactly what kind of borborygmus trouble you can get yourself into.
Thanks to Angela L. for submitting today's word. You can submit a word of the day yourself, here. I’ll be sure to include it in the next edition!
ONE LAST SIP
✅ Where in Warwick Answer: Warwick Neck Lighthouse
Standing 51 feet tall at the southern tip of Warwick Neck, the Warwick Neck Lighthouse has been guiding ships through the West Passage of Narragansett Bay since 1827. Even before that, a privately operated beacon stood at the point during colonial times, helping ferries navigate between Warwick, Prudence Island, and Newport.
The current cast-iron tower was erected in 1932, making it the last traditional lighthouse built in Rhode Island. It was the last lighthouse in Rhode Island to be automated, finally going electric in 1985. The keeper's house still stands on the property.
There's a current chapter worth watching too. After the City of Warwick and preservation groups applied to take stewardship of the lighthouse, the GSA rejected all applications and announced in 2025 it would be sold via online public auction. One of Warwick's most iconic landmarks could soon have a new owner. Stay tuned.
Have a perfect “Where in Warwick” photo you’d like to submit? Shoot me an email ([email protected]) and I’ll include it in the next edition!
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That's it for today. Have a tip, a correction, or a story suggestion? Just hit reply.
Enjoy your weekend. Keep smiling!
