☕ Muhthah's Day Weekend

Friday, May 8, 2026 | Edition #32

GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. I hope you have completed your Cinco de Mayo taco detox. What a doozy. If you were just starting to feel like yourself again, I regret to inform you that today is National “Have a Coke” Day. So you might have to hop back on the saddle.

The unofficial holiday aims to celebrate Coca-Cola’s origin story. Coca-Cola was first introduced to the public on May 8, 1886 and served at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally sold as a soda fountain beverage, a glass of Coca-Cola sold for five cents! The original formula was created by Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist, and was marketed as a tonic for most common ailments, including headaches, fatigue, and nervousness.

140 years later, and now it's commonly considered slightly less toxic than a gas station sushi roll. But hey, it's Friday. You’ve earned your high fructose corn syrup fix. Go ahead, have a Coke.

⏱️ Sunset Time: 7:52PM

🌖 Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

⛽ Avg. Gas Price: Still abominable. $4.49. (click here to find the cheapest gas near you)

💧 Chance of Rain: 20%

📅 Sunday, May 10 is Mother’s Day. Don’t forget! More on that below.

Two new high schools are expensive. You already knew that. But on Monday night, the City Council voted 7-2 to let the city temporarily reduce contributions to its Other Post-Employment Benefits trust, known as OPEB, which covers retiree health benefits. Not the pension. The other fund. Yes, there are two. With roughly $18 million in bond payments coming in FY 2027, the plan defers a $5 million OPEB contribution and redirects it to the general fund to avoid cutting services or raising taxes. "We're still funding this trust, just less," said Finance Director Lynne Prodger. A sentence that has never once made anyone feel better about anything.

The logic is sound enough: once the state reimburses Warwick for high school construction costs, those dollars flow straight back into the fund. Prodger expects that around FY 2029 or 2030. Councilmen Rix and Ladouceur voted no, arguing the city needs to stay on its 30-year funding schedule. Ward 6 Councilman Muto voted yes but flagged the lost compound interest over time. He is correct, and also the kind of guy you want doing your taxes.

Worth noting: an amendment requiring repayment within four years got stripped from the final language, there is still an unresolved debate over whether finished athletic fields are required before state reimbursement kicks in, and the School Building Committee is, per Prodger, "working on it." Second passage is Monday, May 11. Full budget hearing is May 18. This one has legs.

Read the full story here.

If you follow Rhode Island politics at all, you know the name. Joe Shekarchi has represented Warwick in the state House since 2013 and has served as Speaker since January 2021, making him one of the most powerful figures in Rhode Island government for the better part of the last five years. He is a Warwick guy through and through, an attorney who has served as legal counsel for the Warwick Housing Authority for more than 25 years.

On Thursday, he announced he is stepping down as Speaker to pursue a seat on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He submitted his application to the Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission, with Thursday being the deadline. He is not leaving the House entirely, just the top job. Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski already had the votes lined up to succeed him before the announcement was even fully out the door, which is either very organized or very Rhode Island, possibly both.

The path to the bench is not a short one. The Judicial Nominating Commission reviews applications, sends a list to the governor, and the governor's pick then needs confirmation from the state Senate. So Shekarchi is not a Supreme Court justice yet, just a candidate. What he is leaving behind is a $4.7 million campaign war chest that he says he will stop fundraising for entirely. For context, that is a lot of money to walk away from. Rhode Island politics: never a dull Friday.

Read the full story here.

If you've pulled into a gas station on Post Road this week, you already felt it before you saw it. Regular gas hit $4.50 a gallon in Warwick, with the Rhode Island statewide average at $4.49, up about $1.50 from a year ago. Filling a standard tank is now running $50 to $60 a pop. The reason is a long way from Warwick. The ongoing conflict with Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles roughly 20% of the world's oil supply. Before the war, more than 120 ships a day passed through. Throughout all of last weekend, just seven made it.

Experts say prices could push toward $5 a gallon this summer if the strait stays blocked, and the only scenario where they drop fast is, per one analyst, "probably a recession." So great options all around. The one silver lining: Rhode Island just announced a $24 million investment to bring more than 100 EV charging stations to 18 cities and towns across the state, Warwick included (Insert Gen X eye roll). It will not help you this weekend. Or maybe ever. In fact it might make it worse. Maybe combine your errands? Woof.

Read the full story here.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 10th.

You have approximately 48 hours before you end up being the least favorite child. Instead of racking up the screen time this weekend watching ASMR videos of someone quietly folding laundry in a Japanese apartment, go get something nice for your madre.

Here are some local options to get you out of trouble:

🌹 Bouquets: Le's Isle Rose is a division of Dave's Fresh Marketplace with over 35 years of combined floral design experience. Fresh, local, and you can grab dinner ingredients in the same plaza. Win-win.

🌿 Plants & Potted Flowers: Tracy's Greenhouse on West Shore Road is open today. Tucked right next to Dunkin', so you can caffeinate while you shop. A potted flower lasts longer than a bouquet and moms know it.

🎁 The Safe Haven: The Paper Store is the Mother's Day equivalent of a designated driver. Candles, cards, jewelry, cozy things. You cannot go wrong. Nobody has ever gone wrong at The Paper Store.

👠 Shoes: DSW on Route 2. A gift card works. Picking the shoes yourself also works, if you know her size and taste. Proceed with caution on the latter.

💄 Makeup: An Ulta gift card is the adult equivalent of handing someone a winning lottery ticket. Just ask my wife.

💅 Nails: A Vida Nails gift card for a mani-pedi. Thoughtful, practical, and she will actually use it.

🧊 For the Wellness Mom: The Plunge Experience in Cranston offers cold plunges, infrared saunas, red light therapy, and more. For the mom who listens to Andrew Huberman on her morning walks and means it. A gift card here says "I see you and I respect your cortisol levels."

Happy Mother's Day, Warwick. Go see your mom this weekend and bring her a treat.

It was her birthday this week, so I guess we can give her a pass.

👉 See what showed up here.

True or False: In Rhode Island, it is illegal to throw pickle juice at a trolley.

Answer below...

Cantankerous (adj.) Bad-tempered, argumentative, and stubbornly uncooperative. The word dates back to 18th century America, likely derived from a blend of "contentious" and "rancorous," though nobody can agree on exactly where it came from, which feels very on brand for a word meaning difficult and contrary.

Nothing renders an otherwise pleasant person cantankerous quite like a self-checkout machine that needs attendant approval for the sixth time in a row. Or a Walmart shopping experience where you turn down every single aisle only to be met face-to-face with the same woman on speaker phone, volume blasting like a subwoofer. You cannot escape her. She is everywhere. By the time you reach the parking lot, you are fully, clinically cantankerous. Pro tip: Just go to Dave's next time.

Thanks to Elaine F. for submitting today’s word of the day! You can submit one yourself, here. I’ll be sure to include it in the next edition!

That's it for today. I'll be standing in the Tracy's Greenhouse parking lot pretending I know what kind of plant my mother wants if you need me. Have a great weekend. Keep smiling!