GREEN LIGHT

BULLETIN OF THE POINT ASSOCIATIONOF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

WINTER 2012-13

LVI No. 4LIGHT

WINTER 2012-13

CONTENTSPresident's letter ................................................................... 3An Early Christmas on the Point ..................................... 4A New Screening for the Point's Larry Kraman ........... 4Christmas Adventure .......................................................... 5The Point Survey ................................................................. 6Thanks! ........................................................................... 6Loving Your Old Wooden Windows ............................... 7Ghost Story .......................................................................... 8Candlelight House Tours ................................................... 9Thank you, Charlie Duncan .............................................. 9Annual Meeting provides PointedNeighborhood Info . 10You Can Get Here From There ..................................... 11At the Post Office ............................................................. 12St Patrick's Day Blizzard of 1956 .................................. 13Judging of the Newport Doorway Contest ................. 14Be Safe: Protect Yourself and Your Property .............. 15Planting on the Point — Fun Beautifying Newport ..... 17

STAFFEditor Alice ClementeAdvertising ................................................. JackMaytumBusiness ................................................. Tom GoldrickCirculation ................................. . ............. Marcia MalloryLayout .............................................. Donna Maytum

Meetings are generally scheduled for tbe firstMondayof the month and are open to Association members."Please call Beth for time, date, and location.EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERSPresident: Beth Cullen, 848-2945

president@thepointassodation. orgFirst Vice President: Jane Hence, 847-3767

vicepresidenfl @thepointassodation. orgSecond Vice President: "Laurie Shaw, 862-0930

vicepresident2@thepointassodation.orgCorresponding Secretary: JoanJLauch, 619-0110

corrsecretary@thepointassociation.orgRecording Secretary: Tom Kennedy, 849-8893

recordingsecretary@thepointassodation.orgTreasurer: Tom Goldrick, 849-9425

treasurer@thepointassodation. org

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

The Point AssociationThe Point Association is a group ofneighbors working together to improvethe quality of life in our neighborhoodby getting to know each other; preserv-ing our historic heritage; maintainingthe Point's residential character; beau-tifying our parks, streets, and piers; and

promoting public policies that strengthen all of Newport'sneighb orho o ds.

Cover:Photo by Jane Hence

Visit our website: www.thepointassociation.orgThere you will be able to:• update your contact information• pay your dues• stay up to date between issues of The Green Ught• learn about upcoming events• contact committee chairs• view Point photos

And so much more....

The weeks between the fall and winter is-sues of the Green Lzg-fehave been inordi-nately challenging this year for the Point,with the threat of expanded gambling to the northand the very real onslaught of Hurricane Sandy'swind and water from the south. The neighbor-hood has survived them both and now the holidayseason is upon us with the promise, at least, of amore tranquil and enjoyable time.

In this issue, you will find memories of a holidayjust past (Halloween)., of storms on the Point, theone just experienced and another, more horrificone many years ago. There is also a moment ofhope, however, in the story of a fragile butterflythat will surely resonate with those among us whohave witnessed the amazing monarchs swarmingoff our coast on their migration to winter homes.

May this winter be a good one for them and for us.

Alices

r

The Green Ught WINTER 2012-13

PRESIDENT'S LETTERTempestuous times on the Point! As I write, the northeast winds of winter storm Athena are howlingthrough our trees, in an attempt to outdo her sister, super storm Sandy's recent •visit to our coastline.Let's hope that all these weather events are not a foreshadowing of what is to come as the winter monthsprogress! Election Day brought turbulence, too, as a rigorous campaign to abate the hope of expandedcasino gambling at Newport Grand was successful. Proof that if a small, determined group of patriotswork hard for a worthy common cause, they will prevail, despite the pots of money backing the opposi-tion. Ward One will also see a change in leadership, as our diligent fellow Pointer, Charlie Duncan, willrelinquish his seat on Newport's City Council to newly elected Marco Camacho.

A happy tone was set by Hugo DeAscentis who favored us with an impromptu piano performance as allassembled in the Guild Hall for our well-attended Annual Membership Meeting on 18 October. Muchwas covered as we caught-up on Board business; greeted two beautiful new Born on the Point babies;discussed the casino referendum and took an informal poll which resulted in a "no dice" vote; welcomedJoan Rauch as the Board's new corresponding secretary; and thanked Jack Maytum and Shelley Kramanfor their many years of service. The meeting wrapped with a slide presentation summarizing the resultsof the survey conducted over the summer. Big thanks to Linda Narbey for pulling all the data togetherin such a colorful and creative way. If you missed the meeting, you can view the presentation by usingthis web address: http://bit.ly/TPA2012AA.

With all that has gone on this fall, one consistent theme shines through. Point residents gain so muchfrom our combined sense of pride in community. Our parks have never looked better. We now havetwo very active and engaged Vice Presidents, Laurie Shaw and Jane Hence. Our website allows you toupdate your own contact information, pay dues on line, and stay abreast of events and happenings...andlook at Point pictures if you are away and feeling a bit homesick. Another new and exciting way to keepconnected is the social media tool called 'The Point-Nextdoor". This network, which is not specific toonly Point Association members but available to all 690 households within the Point boundaries, offersan easy way to stay in touch and make our neighborhood safer, healthier, and more fun! And... isn't thatwhy we love Eving on the Point so much?

If all this activity was not enough here in our often tranquil and cozy quarters — hang on — we had a fire,some flooding, a few forced entries to homes and cars, too. Oh yes, and we made it through Halloween'sgoblins on our streets! One could certainly become weary with all this current day activity, but all thatis necessary to put things in perspective is to take a leisurely walk down one of our splendid venerablestreets and take comfort in the fact that this is not the only time that so much tumult has occurred here.Remember...the Point survived revolution, foreign invasion, ravages of slavery, plundering of pirates,community redevelopment, and even the building of a bridge! If these old streets and houses couldtalk—what wise words would they offer? Stay vigilant, take pride in knowing and helping your neighbor,and carry on!

Hope to see you at one of the upcoming December events.Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

2012-13 WINTER The Green Ught

AN EARLY CHRISTMASON THE POINTby Hugo J. DeAscentisBorn on the Point ~ October 28, 1926

The beautiful holiday of Christmas is rapidly approach-ing and for me it brings back pleasant Point memoriesof my childhood living at 26 & 1 /2 Second Street. Myschool days were spent at the Potter, Calendar, andMumford Schools. The Point was a humble, familyneighborhood, though rich with family, friends, customsand heritage.

!My father was a Navy veter-an, who played the coronetin the Navy Band, in addi-tion to his duties as a mili-tary tailor. After his timein the Navy, he opened hisown tailoring business onSpring Street.

Though both my parentswere born in Italy, my father,as a proud member of theUnited States armed forces,

followed American traditions; however, Christmas waskept as an Italian type holiday. There was open housein most Italian homes. On Christmas Eve we gatheredto enjoy the old-world custom of the Feast of SevenFishes.

I am number seven of eight sons, so my mother couldnot leave the kitchen to buy toys, and my father couldnot afford to close his shop to purchase presents. Ourfirst Christmas tree was a surprise, for no one men-tioned where it came from though some in the family

nstfflas fltaros

w w w . t h i r d a n d e l m . c o m

say one of my older brothers "found" it on the Poiat andbrought it home much to the delight of us younger boys.

There was always plenty to eat and drink, and being alltogether made this lack of gifts unnoticeable.

A NEW SCREENING FORTHE POINT'S LARRY KRAMAN

Pointer Larry Kraman's film "David Amram: The First100 Years", which we saw in preview at the Jane Pickenstheater in 2011, was scheduled for its world debut on No-vember 11, 2012 at Symphony Space in Manhattan. Theevent was a fundraiser for the Hudson River Sloop Clear-water Foundation which was conceived in 1966 by folkmusic legend Pete Seeger in an effort to clean up the Hud-son River.

A concert planned to follow the film included not onlyPete Seeger but Cuban saxophonist Paquito Rivera, PeterYarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Tom Paxton, singer-songwriter John Sebastian, New Orleans blues and gospelsinger Henry Butler, blues-man Guy Davis, Josh White,Jr., David Amram and youth musicians from Clearwater'sPower of Song programs.

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The Green Ught WINTER 2012-13

CHRISTMAS ADVENTUREby Tom Kennedy

On Wednesday, December 21st of kst year, I drovethrough blustery, rainy weather south to MantolokingShores, N.J., where I was to be housed in my nephew'slarge, comfortable summer home on Barnegat Bay. Be-hind the imposing house are a large pool and a dock, thescene of boating, swimming, relaxation and much party-ing during the summer months. During the winter thehouse is usually empty, but my nephew opens it to familymembers and friends at Christmas to use as a base forthe annual family gathering on Christmas Eve afternoon.This year about 70 relatives and friends celebrated withmuch cheer at the reunion in the Hilton Hotel at ShortHills.

My eldest nephew, a Californian, my niece, a Manhat-tanite, and I were the only inhabitants of the great houseuntil Christmas Eve, when another nephew, his wife, andfour children would join us. On Christmas day, togeth-er, we would prepare a festive dinner for 15 at the shorehouse. The holiday celebrations in New Jersey are alwayslively and hectic. I return to Rhode Island cheerful, butslightly stunned and in need of a good rest

On the day after my arrival with the sun shining and theair warm, I pulled up in the driveway and opened the ga-rage door to enter the house with my bundles from theA&P. As I walked past the car, I spotted what looked likea monarch butterfly just inches from my front tire. Bend-ing down to convince myself that my senses were notdeceiving me, I reached out my hand and the butterflyfluttered over to a nearby hedge. I shook my head andproceeded to go about my business. Later, I shared thediscovery with my nephew and niece, who helped keep aneye on the creature during this balmy Christmas holiday.That night it rained in torrents and blew a gale. As I wasturning in for the night I inadvertently thought again ofthe butterfly and was saddened as I thought of its likelyfate in such stormy weather. Dawn brought clear skies anda temperate breeze. Emerging from the garage I lookedimmediately for the butterfly — and I found him still onthe hedge! He hadn't moved from his spot I decided totake a closer look, and to my astonishment, I spotted atiny round sticker on one of his front wings. The writingon the sticker was too small to read, but I assumed thatthis monarch was being tracked by someone. Suddenly I

felt responsible for this beautiful creature. I offered it myfinger as a perch and it climbed aboard and clung verytightly. More amazement! I decided to pkce him in theheated garage and to tend to him later, when I had a freemoment.

After a day of visitations and a pleasant walk along theboardwalk with my brother, I returned to the house andsearched through the cluttered garage for the butterfly.It was not where I had left it and was not to be foundamong the beach paraphernalia and the surfing equip-ment Perhaps it flew away when someone else openedthe garage door, or maybe it was lying dead in some hid-den corner of the disorderly garage. I didn't expect tosee it again.

On Christmas Eve, after the gala reunion, my othernephew and his family joined us at the shore house. Itold the story of the missing butterfly to Emily, at 18,the oldest of the four children, and a very bright youngkdy with enviable computer skills. She was dearly inter-ested. Our Christmas dinner was a great success and itwas time to wind down and call it a day. Suddenly Em-ily appeared in the kitchen and announced that she hadfound the monarch in the garage. Eyebrows were raised

(continued on p. 16)

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2012-13 WINTER The Green Ught

THE POINT SURVEYby Jane Hence

Here follow bits and pieces from this summer's Survey,presented as quotes from replies to two of the ques-tions. These replies were chosen as they seem to capturethe lovely variety and always interesting views of thosewho are our neighbors on the Point.

Among the answers to Question One (What broughtyou to the Point? Did you plan to live here, or arrive byaccident?):

"Moved here after six years in the Historic District topreserve our sanity."

"Accident.. .was looking in Newport in other areas.Wanted a larger yard, newer house, privacy—got noneof these, but it is the best neighborhood I have everlived in. I simply fell in love with this house and location,knowing nothing about 'the Point'."

"We were in a condo part time on Kay and wanted ahouse. Someone told us to look on the Point We didn'teven know what they meant"

"Grandparents moved here in 1918; parents moved inwith them in 1933."

Two replies to Question Six (If you could change some-thing in the Point neighborhood, what would it be?):

"Get rid of the bridge; it's what ruined Newport"

"STOP THE CHURCH BELLS" (the capitals are thewriter's).

More questions and answers will be in future Green Lzghtissues, which we hope will provide amusement, interestand thought and be enjoyed by all.

In all the beautyOne thing does not stay hidden:Please scoop the dog poop!

THANKS!from Ed Madden

The resounding defeat of Newport Grand's at-tempt to install a full-fledged casino will allowNewport to hold its head high. The yeomanefforts of Father Gene McKenna's ConcernedCitizens Against Gambling, including DavidWixted, Laurice Shaw, Councilman JustinMcLaughlin, Rep. Peter Martin, Nancy Corkeryand innumerable worker bees — plus the ninth-inning home run by Elizabeth Meyer — sank thegamblers' pirate ship, crewed by the NewportCity Council, to the bottom of the ocean whereit belongs.

Thank you!

Bronrdey — Cosweli Massey

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The Green Light WINTER 2012-13

LOVING YOUR OLDWOODEN WINDOWSby Laurice Shaw

There are many charms to living in an old house. Lookingeither at, or through, old windows is one of my favorites.What can compare with the wonderful wave and danceof old gkss? New windows don't give you a thing buta blank, dull stare. Old windows wink at you as if to say -they know a thing or two.

I repair and restore old windows. I enjoy it because it iscreative and helpful and helps me earn my living. Win-dows need tender, loving care and if treated right, will kstas long as your house. When you consider how long yourwindows have alteady been around it makes sense to stickwith a good thing!

There is little that might ail an old window that can not befairly easily fixed. The materials your window is made ofate superb! Ittepkceable actually. The wood yout windowis made of is certainly old growth pine or chestnut whichis much denser and mote compact than any of the 'farmedfast3 woods of today. Look how long it has alteady perse-vered under who knows what challenges! Today's woodis like.. .well.. .what comes to mind ate those little balsa-wood airplanes we used to fly as kids. If you're lucky theymight still be up to the task of giving light and protectionfrom the elements in 30 years but I sute wouldn't bet on it

Now the gkss...I've alteady mentioned the magic oflooking thtough a wavy, bubbly piece of gkss but thinkabout it.. .it is an image as fleeting as the memory of froston your window. Remember the magic of that beforewe were hermetically sealed in our homes? The gkss is amoving, captured bit of the past that has not been dupli-cated in anything but disappointing and expensive ways.

The window mechanisms ate also superior in many, manyways to more modern applications. Give me simple ropesand weights any day! A beautiful design. Many of thespring/pin mechanisms ate lovely and simple in their formand function and can work tektively effortlessly with a ju-dicious application of WD-40.

There are some easy tricks to keeping your old woodenwindows working smoothly.

First: Don't paint the tracks that yout window moves upand down in. It might look mote atttactive when youtwindow is up but it will cause friction and inhibit the useof the window.

Second: Because yout windows and the frames are madeof wood they will swell in the summer and shrink in thewinter. Not ideal. Howevet, if you wax the tracks youtwindow slides in with plain pataffin in the summer theywill move with greater ease. In the winter an applica-tion of that TVEore-Tite' rope/caulk type weather-strip-ping, or felt, eased into cracks can silence the breeze andrattle. There are many weather-stripping systems andmaterials that I use when folks want something motepermanent and less hassle.

Third: Paint is yout first line of defense. If you keepthe outside of yout windows coated in a ptotective seal-ing of paint you can avoid the problem of loose gkzing,which is the stuff that holds your window in. Fixingloose gkzingis simple, although time consuming. In ad-dition, I would caution against painting over wood thatmight have started some rot because that seals the tot inwhete it can just keep working away at that wonderfulold wood yout window is made of and, eventually, youhave a mote serious ptoblem. Wood tot in windows isunfortunate but, again, not difficult to fix.

So — my advice is to love your old windows. Repkce-ment windows can never hold up to the quality you al-ready have — even though it may be buried under leadpaint and rattle in the wind. They are the eyes to youthome that help you look out at the world they have beenseeing for a long time now.

If you want to talk windows please give me a call at 846-3945.

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2012-13 WINTER The Green Ught

GHOST STORYby Ed Madden

Several years ago, a femaleguest at our B&B, the StellaMaris Inn, came down forbreakfast. In the midst ofcasual conversation, she en-quired as to whether anyonehad ever asked about ghostsin the house. I flippantly toldher that all respectable New-port mansions had their ownresident ghosts. With furtherconversation, she appeared tobe quite serious and told me that as a young woman shehad developed an awareness of things extra-terrestrial.She seemed at times to have a sixth sense and wouldanticipate events often before they happened. She neverexplored the world of spiritualism and otherwise beinga normal, personable and athletic female, relegated thesephenomena to the back page. She went on to marry andraise a family but from time to time would still haveflashes of a sixth sense. She would usually dismiss thesephenomena without dwelling on them.

The previous night she had returned from dinner withher husband and was in her bedroom getting ready forbed. Her husband was in bed reading and she was seatedin front of a table with a large mirror combing her hairwhen she became aware of a definite presence behindher. The presence was feminine and benign. My guestthought that her hair combing and toiletries were themain attraction. There was no conversation and, lookingin the mirror, my guest didn't see anything or anyone.Her husband was aware of nothing.

After several minutes, she felt the presence depart and

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not return. For no appar-ent reason, the name "Ag-atha" came to her mindand stuck with her untilshe fell asleep. There wasno further awareness ofthe presence on awakeningin the morning.

She asked me if the name"Agatha" had any signifi-cance in the history of thehouse. I was taken abackand asked her if she haddone any reading about

the history of the house. She stated that she had no priorknowledge of the history of Stella Maris, had not read orheard of the female owner's suicide and was flabbergastedwhen I told her the following story.

One summer night in 1874 during a family party, EdwardMayer, the owner of Stella Maris, noted that his wife wasbecoming increasingly depressed. She had recently beendiagnosed as suffering from melancholy (i.e. depression inmodern lingo) and was undergoing treatment. Unfortu-nately, valium and its cohorts had not been invented. Sheapparently slipped away from the festivities and was nextseen jumping off the end of the family's pier into the wa-ters of Narragansett Bay. She drowned before help couldarrive. Her name was "AGATHA"!

P.S. I have always been fascinated with stories of the oth-er world. I thought that it would be wonderful if I couldmeet AGATHA and communicate with her. I slept in herroom that night and on two other occasions in hopes ofconsummating my wishes. The only result was three ratherinsomniacal nights' rest!

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The Green Ught WINTER 2012-13

CANDLELIGHT HOUSE TOURSby Mary Beth Smith

One of the highlights of Christmas in Newport's annualevents is the Candlelight House Tour of Historic PrivateHomes held the three days following Christmas — the26th, 27th, and 28th. Each day there are 3 different homesopen to the public from 4 to 7 PM for $3 per person perhouse. These homes are primarily 18th and 19th c. withmost boasting original architectural elements.

2012 is the 42nd year for this tour, chaired by VanceGatchel, in her 19th year of finding homeowners willingto open their homes and acquiring over 100 volunteersto staff the homes. A monumental task done joyfully forthe visitors as well as providing funds for Christmas inNewport, a non-profit organization. These funds primar-ily support the printing of the annual calendar that listshundreds of events for the month of December.

This event not only prolongs the season but also allowsthe public to see how these homes are decorated for theholidays. Advance reservations/tickets are not necessaryand the listing of homes to be opened will be on the website by the middle of December. For details and a com-plete listing of all the Christmas in Newport events visitwww.christmasinnewport.org.

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THANK YOU,CHARLIE DUNCAN!

councilor, Marcowho held the seatother interests...

On November 6th,many results camevia the ballot box...for Point people thevote to reject the ex-pansion of gamblingtable games at New-port Grand...and na-tionally, the voters

. chose to keep Presi-dent Obama in placefor four more years.One big change forWard One and thePoint neighborhood isthe newly elected city

Camacho. Leaving Charlie Duncan,for the last eight years, free to pursue

The very good news is that Charlie, a former Point As-sociation president, isn't going anywhere. He has agreedto assume a seat on the Point Board as an advisor. Weon the Board look forward to his insight, experience,and contacts that will be most helpful as the Point facesmany challenges. With the future of the Navy Hospitalproperty still pending and the ongoing plans to rede-velop the city's North End, we will make good use ofCharlie's guidance as we work to protect and enhanceour special section of Newport.

When asked what aspects of the council "job" he willlook back on with the a sense of accomplishment, hisanswer was simple and reflective of his humble nature,"...only one thing, and that was representing us, helpingresidents resolve problems with the City and trying todo my very best for the City on the Council."

That says a lot. Though I will add something he toldmy son, a fellow scout, while they chatted after Massthis past Sunday: the values instilled as an Eagle Scout— good character, integrity, respect for others includingopponents, accountability, and demonstrating gracious-ness in victory and defeat — leave him with no regrets.Now those are words to live by, as most certainly CharlieDuncan does every day. Thank you Charlie for all youhave done for the Point, and will continue to do in thedays ahead!

2012-13 WINTER The Green Light

ANNUAL MEETING PROVIDESPOINTED NEIGHBORHOODINFORMATIONby Joan Ranch

President Beth CuHen welcomed members of the PointAssociation at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, Octo-ber 18, at St. John's Hall. As it was an event-filled eve-ning in Newport, attendance was especially appreciated.£CBorn on the Point" certificates were presented to RoseMae Dana and Helen Le Roy Huntley and accepted bythe infants' parents. Though the following recipientswere absent from the meeting, ccBorn on the Point" cer-tificates will also be presented to Marilyn Moffatt andEaston Tomaszek.

Committee Reports began with the Treasurer's Reportgiven by Tom Goldtick. He stated that the Point As-sociation assets for the year total $40,000. He expectsa $349 deficit for the current year. Jack Maytum, Mem-bership Chair, reported that there are 361 paying mem-bers of the association of which 73 are new members.Forty-three of the new members are a result of theneighborhood survey conducted this summer. Those inattendance would have an opportunity to pay dues at theend of the meeting.

Beth Cullen reported for Alice Clemente, Editor of TheGreen Light, that the deadline for articles for the winterIssue is November 5. There will be an effort to contactthose who volunteered to write for the periodical via thesurvey by the next issue. Also, an ALN, Alliance forLivable Newport, meeting was being held simultane-ously with the annual meeting; therefore, informationfrom the Point's representative, Lauren Carson, wouldbe available on the Point Association website within 24hours.

The Beautification Team members reported that theyhad completed several projects and had spent their en-tire budget for last year on plants. Among the complet-ed projects were Arnold Park where trees were cut, theshrubs lowered, and a huge plant placed at the entranceand Storer Park where the area along the Hunter Housewas cleared, cleaned and mulched. The area in front ofthe Long Wharf Pumping Station now has been plantedwith beautiful rose bushes, and new plants now gracethe Mary Ferrazzoll Park An announcement was made

that Saturday, October 20, was Cleanup Day on the PointVolunteers were asked to bring gloves and bags; bulbswould be planted in three parks

Amy Harrison from St. John's Church announced twoevents: the Harvest Dinner on November 3 and theThanksgiving Service at 8:30 a.m. in the church. AllPoint neighbors are invited to both events.

Beth Cullen spoke quickly about three committees thatneed to be formed in this next year — a traffic committee,a history and archives committee, and an odds cn endscommittee that will follow up with problems, complaints,and ideas. More about these committees will be forth-coming.

The Nominating Committee announced three Board po-sitions that needed to be filled for the upcoming year.John Ward, nominating committee member, nominatedBeth Cullen as President, Laurie Shaw as First Vice-Pres-ident, and Joan Rauch as Corresponding Secretary. Afterno other nominations came from the floor, all positionswere accepted by the attending members.

Laurie Shaw asked that the Point Association take a standon the referendum on gambling in Newport. While thePoint Association rarely takes political positions, this issueis vital to the neighborhood based on the proximity to theSlots business. Laurie explained that if the issue passedin the general election on November 6, there Is a concernthat the state could allow not only more games, but alsoan expansion or relocation of the building. Newportreceives only about $200,000 per year from this business.If Newporters pass this issue on November 6, we neveragain have a say; if this issue does not pass by the citi-

. zens of Newport, the issue can be brought up again intwo years. The yellow ballot that Newport residents willreceive on Election Day is the host community vote foror against this issue. Votes were taken by the attendingmembers to reject the issue: twenty votes rejected, fourvotes accepted, and five were undecided. Peter Martin,State Representative and Point member, reminded neigh-bors to get out and vote on Election Day. However citi-zens vote is what we will live with; voting is crucial.

Mike Cullen spoke about ways to £CKeep in Touch" In theneighborhood. There is the Point Association's website,

np. 18)

10 The Green Light WINTER 2012-13

YOU CAN GET HEREFROM THEREby Ed Madden

Our two paths crossed in Newport in 1990.1 had movedhere with my wife and family from East Greenwich, R.I.,to take up residence in a lovely home on WashingtonStreet that needed a lot of T.L.C. Our plan was to convertthe home to a B&B and this is where we first met.

Frank Nagle was the owner of the Newport HardwareStore on Broadway. He had been raised and educated inNewport. He graduated from De La Salle Academy in1955 and served four years in the U.S. Air Force from1955-59 as an aircraft mechanic. On returning to Newportafter discharge, he worked in the service department ofa home heating company, had additional training at N.E.Tech and obtained an associate degree at Roger WilliamsJr. College in 1965.

A job in the sales department at Stanley Hardware resultedin nationwide employment and travel. His job took him toMinneapolis, New Orleans, New Jersey and Indianapolisto name a few places. It was in Milwaukee that he met andmarried his bride, Roberta, in 1967. A change of employerseveral years later to Knape & Vogt Manufacturing led tofurther travels as national sales manager. Then further em-ployment as a national sales manager for a plumbing prod-ucts manufacturer for four years completed his appren-ticeship and travels. Frank was primed for the ultimatemove to self-employment and ownership. He returned toNewport and he and his wife took over the Sullivan Hard-ware Store on Broadway in 1980. This proved to be a per-fect match for their talent and, for 33 years, their NewportHardware Store has been a Broadway beacon for all of usdo-it-yourselfers on the Point and elsewhere in Newport.

Rep. Peter MartinDistrict 75Newport

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The conversion of our home to a B&B in 1990 nearlycleaned out many of Frank's shelves. As much as hissupplier kept us on a 24/7 schedule, his expertise and in-valuable advice and recommendations, utilizing his vasttraining and experience, kept us out of harm's way.

This man who always seemed to be available and appar-ently never got around to taking a long vacation is retir-ing now. We wish him a well-deserved rest and will misshim but hopefully he may reappear from time to time inthe Newport Hardware Store at the Casino Terrace runby his nephew Joseph Nagle. It's hard to keep a goodman down!

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2012-13 WINTER The Green LJght 11

AT THE POST OFFICEby Isabel Griffiths

I went to the post office at about 11:00 am on Saturday.I like to go at a busy hour every once in a while just to"take the pulse of the nation." I had a large envelope tomail. There were about five people in line.. .the actionbegins:

One woman was on duty - dogged, determined, andmost concerned that every piece of mail was really go-ing to the place intended. "Are you sure this is where yousay it is?" Looking at her screen she asks about spellingand zip code and comes to an agreement that the mailwill go to the correct destination.

"We all watch. By now there are ten people in line. I amcurious about a young man who will be up next. He lookslike someone from the South Seas and doesn't seem tospeak much English. Three or four family members waitoutside for him. The postal clerk tells him his envelope,picked from those on sale at the post office display, isincorrectly addressed. "Where is it going? But that hasto be here," she says, pointing at the envelope. "Write ithere," she says and motions him aside.

We all watch. The young man obviously has not a clueabout how to fix the problem. Then a woman who hasbeen gossiping with someone in line steps up beside himand says, "Can I help you?" They huddle together overthe counter while the line begins to move. She takes alook at the envelope and waves it at the clerk. "Is thisfree?" she asks. C£Nothing is free," calls the clerk who isstacking a package in the back. This cracks up the wholeline of waiting customers; we laugh together.

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The young man and his new friend work out the address.The letter is going to the Marshall Islands. The clerk mo-tions him to bring his envelope. We hold our breaths. ccican't seem to find this," she says as she taps her machine.The young man provides some numbers; she taps againand the appropriate sticky labels appear. She wields herstamp — thump! And thump! (By canoe, longboat?). Look-ing official, the envelope begins its journey. Who knowswhat is in it A birthday card? Money order for $50,000?Secret codes? It's on its way. How absolutely lovely thatno one will open it to check After all, this is the UnitedStates Postal Service!

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12 The Green ~L,ight WINTER 2012-13

ST. PATRICK'S DAY BLIZZARDOF 1956by Dave Moore

On Saturday, March 17, 1956,1 turned twenty-four and itturned out to be the worst birthday of my life. My ship,the USS Broivnsoft, was tied up next to the Charles H. Roan,and the Samuel B. Roberts at a large mooring buoy off thePoint in Newport. Just three days earlier I was in Bruns-wick, Georgia, finishing five weeks at the Naval Air Con-trol School. I guess the other officers on board felt that Ihad had a "cushy" vacation while they stood watches anddid sea duty. Therefore, they disregarded my birthday andordered me to stand duty for the weekend while they wentashore.

The Captain was a little hesitant in leaving me in chargewith just a third of the crew because there had been snowwarnings. Also, I had only a year's experience as a navalofficer. It was important to him, however, to get hometo his wife, near Boston, as he hadn't seen her in quitea while. The Executive Officer said I was promoted to"Command Duty Officer" which meant that I had com-plete charge for the safety of the three ships while theywere gone. This seemed way above my pay grade!

The Captain and the liberty launches left the ship at 4:00p.m. on Friday, the 16th. It was a bitter cold day and thewind had picked up making it a rough passage for them tofleet landing. I took my duty to heart and went aboard theother two ships and introduced myself. I found that mostof their senior officers and crew had also left the ships forthe weekend.

Very soon the wind started to howl and within an hour itstarted to snow. It was the start of a Nor'easter and thelaunches were no longer running. I could feel the shipstugging at the mooring lines so I worked my way up to thebows and inspected the lines. The snow was now com-ing down almost horizontally and was stinging my face. Icalled the Chief Engineer and told him to light off anoth-er boiler — in case we had to get underway if the mooringlines parted or if some other vessel drifted down on us.In the past I had stood deck watches at sea where I hadcontrol of the ship but never in sight of land let alone acrowded harbor in the middle of a blizzard. Returning tothe other two ships, I suggested they be ready also. It was

important to contact the Captain, but a message arrivedsaying that he was already on his way back to Newport.Unfortunately, there was no way for him to get back tothe ship in this storm. Next, I went up on the bridge totry to get a compass bearing in case I had to get under-way to leave the nest and the bay.

Just about this time an Ensign from the middle shipcame over to me and asked me to encode a high prioritymessage to the Commander of the Destroyer AtlanticFleet. He knew I was the Communications Officer anddid all the encrypted messages on board. I told himI was too busy with ship preparations and didn't havetime. He said he did not know how to do it, and hebelieved his career was on the line. Feeling sorry forhim, I took his message and went into the crypto shack.I tried to do this as fast as possible as I could feel theships straining at the mooring lines — just like houndson leashes seeing a rabbit. I soon found out that thishigh priority message to a senior officer required a spe-cial type of code that I was not very familiar with — butI did my best, although I was sweating hard thinking ofmy responsibility.

* * *

(continued on p. 14)

Since 1854, our mission has beenthe collection, preservation and interpre

of Newport County history.

2012-13 WINTER The Green 'Light 13

(continued from p. 13)

Unbeknown to me, there was a tragedy occurring at anest of four destroyers at a mooring somewhat asternof me. The USS Preston and the Irann were two of theships involved. The Preston had just returned to New-port from the Charlestown Navy Shipyard in Bostonwhere she had undergone her scheduled yard overhaul.The Irann had undergone overhaul in Philadelphia.

The Preston had sent their first liberty launch in at fouro'clock at about the same time we did. They also noted itwas a very rough trip because of the high winds. Whenthe boat crew returned for another trip, they knded inthe rektive shelter between the sterns of the Preston andthe Irann. The wind had come up with a wild ferocityand the heavy snowfall limited vision to a few feet fromthe nest Their duty officer had the same concerns thatI had about the nest breaking up or something driftinginto it He sent a message to his Captain explaining howrough it was getting and asked if they should cease usingthe kunches. The reply was to stop them after the nextboat came back.

The officer went to the stern of the Preston as the kstkunch approached and noticed the boat was tossed sohigh on the waves that its keel could be seen at times.As the launch was ready to tie up, two of the boat crewjumped to the Preston's kdder. When the bowman triedto follow, he slipped and fell into the freezing water.Crewmen on the destroyer's stem shouted for someoneto throw him a line, but none was avaikble. One of thesailors climbed down the kdder and was able to grab theswimmer by the life jacket, but the sailor was torn from

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bis grasp when the strap broke. Meanwhile, in the confu-sion, the kunch had not been fully secured and began todrift aft out of reach.

The ship's twenty-four foot whaleboat was quickly loweredto assist in the rescue. Five men boarded the boat, includ-ing Annapolis graduate LTJG John Juergens and ReeseB. Kingsmore. They were able to find the rapidly drift-ing forty foot kunch and the two got aboard and startedthe engine. The three others stayed in the whaleboat andbravely continued to search for the sailor who had fallenoverboard. Boatswain Mate 2nd Ckss R. C. Moore servedas coxswain, although that was not his normal duty Hehad told his shipmates he was going along to make sureeverything was done right

When the liberty kunch appeared out of the storm and ar-rived safely, there were cheers from the ships. The kunchcrew was taken below for warm dry clothing and medici-nal brandy. However, the whaleboat had not returned andthe wait made everyone very nervous. The shore-basedcommodore also wanted a report as soon as anything new

(Continued on p. 15)

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(continuedfrom p. 14)developed. The hours passed as the day turned into night

As dawn broke a boat from the Destroyer Tender Cascadewent out for the search. The wind had died down, but itwas still snowing. One of the crew spotted the boat Ithad washed ashore on the beach of the Barclay DouglasEstate on Ocean Drive near the mouth of the harbor.

Finally, the duty officer at the Base Commander radioedthe worst possible news. Not only had the sailor who hadfallen overboard from the launch died, but also the threewho had selflessly set out to rescue him in the whaleboathad also perished. The crew of the Cascade had discoveredthe frozen bodies of Moore, Britton and Hutchinson lyingin the boat They had died of exposure.

The storm finally abated and the Captain and crew start-ed returning to my ship. They told me the wind velocityhad reached 70 mph, snow fall was almost ten inches, andsome drifts were five feet in height The Captain congratu-lated me for a "job well done." I also received an urgentmessage to report to the Base Communications Officer.I thought I was going to get another commendation formy encrypted message sent out during the height of thestorm. Instead, I was told my message could have com-promised that whole fleet- wide coding system. My heartsank, but then he said he was going to let me off the hook.He said our own best code breakers could not even de-code it — therefore, no one else could either.

References:Rider, George S.K. - My Navy Memories, Saint Patrick'sEve Tragedy 1956.NewportDaily Neivs, Saturday, March, 1956 — Front page.

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BE SAFE! PROTECTYOURSELF ANDYOUR PROPERTYbyJoanRauch

The best way to deal with every kind of crime is to takeevery step possible to prevent it With long dark nightsapproaching and many of the neighborhood homeswith black windows, it is critical to follow basic commonsense rules of crime prevention and safety.• Keep all doors and windows locked at all times• Never leave a spare key under the doormat or in themailbox• Never leave notes on doors whenever going out evenfor a few minutes• Install deadbolts• Never open the door for someone you don't know;beware of solicitors• Keep curtains closed at night• Install motion detector lights outside your home• Cut trees and shrubs that provide hiding places forcriminals• Consider an alarm• Keep your garage door down• Park in well lighted areas• Keep valuables out of sight in your home and car• Lock your car doors — always and without fail• Deck your home with holiday decor, however small,to indicate that you are home• Remove snow from your sidewalk and perhaps yourneighbors' sidewalk if they are absent• Report suspicious behavior• Communicate and look out for your neighbors• Walk with friends and neighbors rather than alone• Cancel newspapers and mail when not at home; pickup neighbors' newspapers and mail when they are notin residence• Carry a cellphone; call for help if feeling threatened• Clearly display house number so the emergency ser-vices can find your house

With diligence and personal responsibility, Point resi-dents and homes can be safe. In the event that thereis suspicious activity or a threatening feeling, always call911.

2012-13 WINTER The Green Light 15

(continued from p. 5)

Was she serious? A deputation set out for the garage. Ispotted the monarch and grabbed it by the wings. It wasbrought into the kitchen and placed in a large, plasticjuice container with a flap top. Our butterfly looked tobe in good shape despite some cobweb remains on itswings. A magnifying glass was produced and we read theinformation on the little wing patch. Emily powered upher laptop and went on line to "Monarch Watch." Sheemailed the requested information to the website, whichincluded the code found on the sticker and the details ofthe discovery. We were all quite pleased with ourselves.Sampson (Emily's name for the monarch after we ascer-tained that it was a male) looked quite uncomfortable inthe container. Emily, who had some experience raisingbutterflies in grammar school, decided to offer Samp-son a drink. She placed a folded paper towel in warmsugar water and placed it in the bottom of the contain-er. Sampson reacted quickly with his proboscis and wewere all delighted. Then she decided that he needed aperch and brought in a twig from outside and placedit in the container. Sampson climbed up the surface ofthe twig and looked considerably more at home. Thatevening we gathered around Emily's laptop and learneda great deal more about monarchs. What truly wondrouscreatures they are! This delicate, colorful insect flies twothousand miles from Canada or the northern UnitedStates to Mexico for the winter!

Emily volunteered to take care of the monarch. I left forhome the following day, hoping to hear from her if shereceived any feedback from Monarch Watch. Sometimelater, in January, I received a message that Sampson haddied. His origins remain a mystery. That he survived aslong as he did in northern climes was a wonder. By los-ing his way on his southern migration, he found a specialplace in our lives and in our Christmas memories.

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PLANTING ON THE POINTHAVING FUNBEAUTIFYINGNEWPORTby Beth Cullen

Newport's Long Wharf iseven more picturesque dueto the recent beautificationefforts by members of thePoint Association.

As part of ongoing parkand roadside improvementprojects, Joan Simmons,chair of the Point Associa-tion's beautification com-mittee, and Laurice Shaw,Point vice president, rolledup their sleeves, and tack-led a garden in front of thecity's pumping station onLong Wharf. After remov-ing the old shrubs, theyplanted 7 new rose bushes.These pink "Knock Out"roses are disease resistant, have a very long bloomingseason, and require little to no maintenance.

Earlier in the summer, the Friends of the Waterfront'sMary Ferrazzoli Park, at the southeast corner of LongWharf, was also given some special sprucing by Pointplanters. Lilies, Black-eyed Susans, Echinacea, grasses,and marigolds were incorporated around the base ofthe park signs. Some plant materials were purchasedwith a portion of the proceeds from the Point Associa-tion's annual spring plant sale, and "left-over" perenni-als from the sale were also used. Others were donatedfrom the gardeners' own backyards.

Scott Wheeler, Newport's Tree and Grounds Supervi-sor, said it best, "The City does its best to insure thatthe grass and trees in our parks are well maintained butwe depend on partnerships with neighborhood asso-ciations and adopt-a-spot sponsors to bring our publicspaces to the next level. The beautiful new flowerbeds

in Mary Ferrazzoli Park and on Long wharf sponsoredby the Point Association are perfect examples of what ispossible when we work together."

Gardens were dressed with com-post and mulch supplied by thecity. The Point Association sup-plied the labor and the plant ma-terials. Together, they achieved awonderful public-private partner-ship, resulting in enhanced publicspaces.

The Point Association was incor-porated in 1955, with a missionto preserve and protect the areathat reaches from Cypress Streetsouth to Long Wharf and fromFarewell Street west to the harbor.For over 55 years, Point volunteershave given of their time and talentto tackle the job of improving themany parks and green spaces thatare woven throughout their historicseaside corner of Newport.

The plantings on Long Wharf aregreat examples of how all New-

porters can dig in, get engaged and make our commu-nity even more attractive. Gardening with friends is fun.Why not have fun while making Newport's public spacesmore beautiful? To learn more about public site plantingand take community gardening to the next level, contactScott Wheeler, swheeler@cityofnewport.com, or visitwww.NewportinBloom.org.

2012-13 WINTER The Green Ught 17

(continuedfrom p. 10)

wwwthepointassociation.org, which is the formal wayto know about the Point. Mike specifically explained thewebsite, www.wildapricot.com, which tracks members,renewals, and allows board members to send informa-tive emails to the entire membership at once. Anotherwebsite, www.nextdoor.com, is a for profit site thatauthenticates neighborhoods and allows conversationamong neighbors. It is especially valuable for publicsafety issues. Also establishing communication withthe police department is www.newportready.org. It isimportant for neighbors to offer email addresses andphone numbers to receive critical information that istimely. Examples of that kind of information would bedirections regarding hurricane evacuations or timely no-tification of a crime that happens in the neighborhood.Lastly, there is a Facebook group called Pointer Sisters, agroup of women who remind each other of upcomingevents. Point Association members are welcome to goto Facebook and sign on as members.

Approximately every 10 years, there is a survey present-ed to neighbors regarding what our future should look

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like in the neighborhood. Jane Hence spearheaded thisyear's efforts by -writing the questions and getting the sur-vey out Who we are as a neighborhood, what is impor-tant to us and how the Point Association could improvethe quality of life in the neighborhood were some of thethings addressed in the survey. There were 91 returnsamong members and 58 returns among non-members., atotal response rate of 24%. While the entire results will beon the association website, a few interesting notes: 67%of residents are fulltime residents, 25% of residents havelived on the Point for 20 plus years, and one of the mostfavorite things to do is — walking!

Refreshments followed the motion to end the meeting.

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THE POINT ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP FORMPlease mail this form to: PO Box 491, Newport, RI 02840, with check made payable to: The Point Association

If you prefer, apply and pay online at: www.thepointassociation.org

Individual $10 Family $15 Subscriber $25* Patron $40**Subscriber & Patron levels support The Point Association's continued efforts to beautify and protect our special neighborhood.

Please check membership status: Renewal New Member

Name:

Mailing Address:

Phone: Primary Email:_

POINT COMMITTEES & ACTIVITIESMany hands make light work. Please check your volunteer interests.

Beautification Waterfront The Green Light Plant Sale Communications

Membership Event Planning History & Archives Public Services

Thank You !

2012-13 WINTER The Green LJght 19

SAVE THE DATESinvite a neighbor and participate

Sunday, December 23rdPOINT CAROL STROLL

All ages WelcomeMeet at St John's Guild Hall 4:30 pm

For more information., contact Beth Cullen

December 26th3 27th, 28thChristmas in Newport

CANDLELIGHT HOUSE TOURS4 to 7 pm

,,e^

^CXtTHE GREEN LIGHTTHe Point AssociationP.O. Box 491Newport, RI 02840

OR CURRENT RESIDENT