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ContentsLetter From the P re s id en t ..................................................... 3M em bership R e p o r t ...................................................... ............ . 4B om on The P o in t.........................................................................4Pointers in the N e w s ..................................... 5New to The P o in t ..........................................................................6The Point P ic n ic ............................................................................ 7Plant Sale R e p o rt....................................................................... . 7W aterfront N o te s ..........................................................................8M em bers’ Cocktail P a r ty .............................................................9Scenes from Storer P a r k ............................................................10St John’s Church Sum m er E v e n ts .......................................... 11Tall Ships Past and P re se n t...................................................... 12Tall Ships P o e m ........................................................................... 13Rem em bering the E ls te rs .......................................................... 14Elizabeth Covell Ramsey P o em ............................................... 14Walking on The P o in t ................................................................15First W ard C a n d id a te s ...............................................................16Secret Garden T o u r .................................................................... 17USS Constellation in N e w p o rt................................................18Nostalgic M om ent from O ur S c rap b o o k .............................. 19Save the D a te ........................................................................2)

StaffE d ito r ..............................................................................Abfl WallAdvertising Loretta GoldrickBusiness...................................................................Tom GoldrickCirculation.............................................................. Marcia MaUorj'L ayout................................................................... Donna Maytum

Photography.............................................Sarah Gill, Jane HenceProduction ........................... Jane Walsh, Martha and Alan W’allSketches..........................................................................Jane Hence

Point Association Executive Committee OfficersPresident, Jack M aytum .................................................... 849-4395First Vice President, Hillar Sarepera.............................. 848-9906Second Vice President, Louisa B oatw right.................... 847-4956Recording Secretary, Diane Q u in t................................... 619-0525Corresponding Secretary, Isabel G riff ith ........................ 849-6444Treasurer, Mike Sim m ons.............................................. 847-1403

^‘’"G R E E N L IG H TX L I X N o . 3 F A L L 2 0 0 4

Meetings are generally scheduled fo r the first Monday of the month and are open to Association members. Please call Jack fo r time, date, and

location.

Copies o f the Green Light m ay be purchased for $ 1.00 at B ucci’s C onvenience Store, Poplar at Tham es.

The Point Association is a group of neighbors working together to improve the quab ity of life in our ncighliorhood by getting to know tairh ofhcr; preserving our lit-a.-ww h-*-’

tage; maintaining the Point’s residtaiti;.' ■ : - • o beautifying our parks, streets, and pnw , i moting public policies that strengthen all oi Newport’s neighborhoods.

y g g p R/iJjyBOV ' ..... '- /' ' ' ' nearby liristol, RI, on May 14, 1954. u 7

iR , ras Cup defender launched by the Herh 'o,unit tnc u.\u! t ii / f/ I'.ti trt Jenofh overall. Photo courtesy of fhe Rosenyeid C.ollectioH at Shsiii Seaport, httpf jwmr.mysticseaport.orgjresearch!ro- msenjeld. btm. ”

T h e P o i n t A s s o c i a t i o n

From the Editor

As this issue goes to print, 1 have to w onder w hat becam e o f the summer. F m sure that sam e thought is on everyone’s m ind to som e extent. It seem s like ju st yesterday that I was w riting a sim ilar letter for the Sum m er issue o f The Green Lightl A nd yet as I look out my window, I see the tom atoes are tun iiog red on those plants that I w ould sw ear I ju s t planted, I recall last n igh t’s excellent Point A ssociation m em bers’ cocktail party that I w ould sw ear was still a m onth aw ay on the calendar, and m y wife rem inds me that our daughter ju st had her 4-m onth birthday. T im e flies. It happens every sum m er! I hope yours was as enjoyable as mine.

G iven the Tall Ships and the A m erica’s Cup racers this sum m er, this issue was originally intended to have a m aritim e them e. Inevitably, however, too m uch was going on to restrict ourselves to ju st that area. So you will find another sam pler o f item s that w ill, I hope, touch on som ething o f interest to you. In addition to the sum m er’s happenings, we also look ahead to the com ing F a ll T hough The Green Light generally rem ains apoli thought it m ight be helpful to introduce to you I candidates running fo r the First W ard City Coma ■ ■ the N ovem ber election.

Finally, d o n ’t forget that The Green H The Point A ssociation— w elcom es yoi tion. W hether i t’s story ideas or the st photos, or o ther contributions, we wel and assistance. (A nd I thank those wfi uted.) Finally, d o n ’t forget the M cinbt O ctober!

Alan

2 T h e G reen L ig h t FA L L 2 0 0 4

P R E S ID E N T ’S L E T T E RThe summer of ’04 is rapidly closing and most of The Point Association’s official, and very successful, summer-time events such as the plant sale, picnic, and cocktail party have all come and gone. Now it’s time to gear up for the fall season and prepare for our annual meeting on October 21“ and a very important election on November 2”'.

It’s been relatively quiet in our neighborhood this summer. Except for the Tall Ships’ weekend, few me m ­bers have bothered to phone or otherwise complain about increased noise, traffic, construction activity, vandalism or other seasonal maladies. There seems to be a notable decrease in “party house” incidents. Whether this is due to economics, demographics, improved police vigilance or other cause is unknown, but we’re thankful antnvay.

The Tall Ships’ festivities highlight the dilemma posed by Newport’s position as both a tourist mecca with a beautiful deep-water harbor suitable for berthing large numbers of ships and also as a quaint New En­gland colonial city with compact neighborhoods and narrow streets. The city administration planned well in advance to facilitate the movement of large crowds. The Rhode Island National Guard was mobilized to provide traffic direction and a fleet of busses shuttled visitors from satellite parking lots to the ships on Goat Island. City Manager Jim Smith briefed me on his plans for reducing car traffic and tourist parking on the Point. Jim is a Bridge Street resident and is well aware of our allergy to the congestion that large summer events can bring to our neighborhood.

While the prior planning and consultation was admirable, we aU know some procedures could be improved. For example, the busses were too large, too noisy, and too frequent. Smaller trolley-type vehicles would be better suited to Third Street. A suggestion by a Point resident led the city manager to temporarily cover the stop signs on Washington Street to reduce the brake and acceleration noise of the busses. The same tech­nique should be used on Third Street in the future. National Guard troops weren’t in position early enough to prevent many visitors from occupying parking spaces on the Point. However, I have no doubt that the buses and other control measures implemented by the city were very effective in mitigating the impact of such a large swarm of tourists and their automobiles to our neighborhood. We need to admit that the beauty of our community and its nautical heritage is what brought many of us to Newport in the first place. We should do our best to accommodate those rvho want to enjoy that same heritage, if only for a day.

JACK

Fall M em bership M eetingH afbor H ouse ~ U se Chapel Entfan ce on Battety Street

Thursday ~ October 21®* ~ 7:00 p.m .Be sure to attend, for T H R E E iinportant reasons!

#1 — Our special guest speaker John “Fud” Benson wiU give a presentation on the stone carving work of The John Stevens Shop, which was founded in 1705, and has been located at 29 Thames Street since 1781. #2 — There will be a presentation on a proposal to repair and enhance the Storer Park quay. This effort could require use of Point Association funds, augmented by funding from other sources. The Executive

Committee is hoping for member comment and discussion on the proposal.#3 - N e w Officers! The Point Association’s Nominating Committee has been seeking eligible, willing

candidates to fill the following Point Association Executive Committee positions — President, 2"** Vice President, and Corresponding Secretary. The new officers wiU be appointed at the Fall meeting.

F A L L 2 0 0 4 T b e G reen L ig b t 3

M EM B ER S H IP R E P O R Tby Patricia and Rich Carrubba W e l c o m e , N e w M e m b e r s !Marsha FrancisDavid Garvey & Julienne Stewart Catherine Koulouvardis

N e w M e m b e r s h i p P r o g f a m We have a new Membership Program to enlist more Point residents into our organization and we’re seek­ing the assistance of all our neighbors. Effective im­mediately, a temporary complimentary membership will be available to all residents old and new who are not presently members. So, if you know of someone who has just moved into the neighborhood, or some­one you think would enjoy a trial membership, please contact Patricia Carrubba, Membership Committee Chair, at 847-5815 so that we can contact him or her, and offer a limited complimentary membership.

We’ll report the results of this new program in a fu­ture edition of The Green Tight.

B O R N O N T H E P O IN Tby Bill Hall, History and Archives

The Born on the Toint program rec­ognizes newborns and others who w ere Point residents at the tim e o f their b irth s.

!Certificates were distributed at the April membership meeting for three newborns - Bryan Ty Babcock, Jake Harrison Sweeney (pictured above, born November 26, 2002), and Cora Kathleen Wall. Bernard Mazza, currently a resident at Harbor House, also received his certificate.

The next round of Born on the Toint certificates will be readied for the October 21, 2004, membership meet­ing. Anyone interested in information or an applica­tion may contact Kay O ’Brien at 847-7311.

Applications must be returned by October 8, 2004.

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P O IN T E R S IN T H E N EW Sby Kay O ’Brien

A few years ago, Brian Comfort was contributing ar­ticles to The Green Ught. Now he’s the editor of New­port This Week, writing informative and interesting ar­ticles in depth. A recent example— “The Battle for Access” in the July 22 issue, discusses Newport’s origi­nal charter, which guarantees public access to the wa­ter. Today, Newport is a far different place, but we can thank Friends of the Waterfront and others for working to preserve these rights of ways.

The Fall 1998 issue of The Green Ught told the storyof converting a two-story concrete block building on Bridge Street from an auto repair business to a hand­some home for shops and offices. At 9 Bridge Street, Cottage and Garden, with many one-of-a-kind items, is celebrating a fifth anniversary. Congratulations, Eleanor Gobis.

Almost forty years ago, Use Buchert Nesbitt and her late husband, Alexander, opened the Third and Elm Press, a Point treasure. Last September, Use visited the deserts of Utah/Arizona and has recently had a showing of monoprints called Desert Junipers at her gallery upstairs. Different from her woodblock prints, a monoprint is a single image. Using a broad brush and thinned printing ink. Use brushed each image di­rectly on a plexiglass sheet. Next, the plexiglas is cov­ered with a sheet of dampened etching paper and placed on the handpress, which pulled the print under heavy' pressure. Between each printing, the Plexiglas sheet is cleaned, and the process repeated. You are welcome to stop in at Use’s shop and gallery, always educational and fascinating.

Many Pointers know that Peter Martin has been a long­time volunteer for the Old Colony & Newport Rail­way. In June, Peter spearheaded the organization of a trash cleanup along the tracks. Volunteers from the O C & N R joined with volunteers from the Rhode Is­land City Year program and a crew from the City of Newport Clean City Program to collect a total of 14 shopping carts, a couple of mattresses, an extremely large tire, and nearly two dozen garbage bags of trash.

Though not a Pointer in terms of his residence, stone carver Nick Benson, owner of The John Stevens Shop at 29 Thames Street— lower Thames is part of The Point— was highlighted in Nenport This Week in late May for his work on the new National World War II Memo­rial in Washington, DC. Benson spent 11 months com­muting to Washington, DC, from his Newport home to carve 3,875 individual letters ranging in size from an inch to over 19 inches.

Finally, who can beat this record? Claire Maytum, Jack and Donna’s daughter, has graduated from Drexel Uni­versity with a 4.0 average. Congratulations!

FALL 2004 T b e G reen L ig h t

N EW T O T H E P O IN Tby Jane Hence

Charles and Patty Shumway live at 14 Poplar Street, having been lured to Newport by several of the tradi­tional and irresistible charms of our delightful city - sailing, grass tennis courts, and the remarkable col­lection of architecture. The Shumways live here dur­ing the summer half of the year and in Naples, Florida, in the winter.

Charlie knows Newport and Rhode Island well, as he went to Brown and has always been a sailor. He is now involved with the New York Yacht Club’s team racing program and does quite a bit of racing on big­ger boats both here and in Europe. Charlie is involved

in computer foren- sics, real estate and movie theatres in Florida. Patty was born and grew up in Litchfield, Kentucky eventually went to Chicago where she was a Playboy Bunny for many years, and then fell in love with Newport at first glimpse. She is cur­rently writing a book.

The Shumway home at 14 Poplar St.

The Shumways have restored the exterior of their classic Newport cottage and are about to begin on the garden. They enjoy every aspect of living in New­port and feel fortunate to be living on the Point, which is full of “so many wonderful old houses”, a wonder­ful complement to Florida.

N O L O N G E R N E W T O T H E POINT.., b u t n e w t o The Green U g h t

On a recent beautiful summer afternoon, I met with Kathy and Jim Smith in Storer Park, which is less than a minute from their house on Bridge Street, where they moved over a year ago and are now in the midst of alterations and a small addition.

Newport is the ninth city of which Jim has been the manager. He has been a city manager for thirty-five years, beginning in Draper, Utah, near Salt Lake City. Midway through this career, he found himself manag­ing Berlin, New Hampshire, where he met Kathy, who was born and grew up in that state.

Jim is from Sandusky, Ohio, and while studying pre­law in college, found a summer job with the city attor­ney. Circumstances changed before summer began and he was asked to work for the city manager instead. This is a perfect example of fortuitous luck, as Jim found irresistible the possibilities of having an imme­diate impact as a result of one’s work and decisions. He moved his focus away from the law and attended the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) to study public administration.

Jim and Kathy’s older children are grown and living in Ne w Hampshire,New York, and Mon­tana, with the young­est child here in New­port. The entire fam­ily is happy to be in Rhode Island and on Bridge Street. Jim has always loved to sail and spends his spare time, when he has it, crewing on mid-size boats and involved with Sail Newport programs, Smith

It is clear that the Smiths care about their city. Jim mentioned concerns about the condition of our infra­structure and funding for the two most highly impacted areas: police and fire. For a city of this size, the num­ber of firemen and policemen is somewhere around double the average figure, because of the demands of our tourism industry. I found the caring and knowl­edge the Smiths bring to Newport to be a comfort and their appreciation for and enjoyment of our unique and charming city to be a very nice bonus.

The Green L igh t FALL 2004

T H E P O IN T P IC N ICA sizeable crowd gathered for this year’s Point Picnic held on a gorgeous June 30. This year’s gracious hosts were Lyn and Peggy Comfort, who opened up their beautiful waterfront lawn to over 50 guests. Some Pointers may recall that the Comfort’s home at 62 Wash­ington St. was, through 1988, the site of many previ­ous annual picnics, when the home belonged to Esther Fisher Benson (who passed away in early 1999).

Our hostess Peggy Comfort with Dick Svelta

Our host Lyn Comfort

with Bill Boatwright

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P LA N T S A L E R E P O R Tby Isabel Griffith

Many thanks to all who attended the Plant Sale on Sat­urday, May 22. No one seemed to be in a hurry, so there was plenty of time to visit and catch up. Many conversations were about plants and shrubs that did not survive the hard winter. Perhaps, because of that, sales were up; many satisfied customers went home with local perennials to fill in the bare spots.

Once again, Anita McAndrews and her son, Sean, gra­ciously lent us their driveway and beautiful garden on Washington Street where we had plenty of space for display. So many people were part of making this a smoothly running, successful event! I apologize if I have left out some names — Marcia Mallory, Mike & Joan Simmons, Eleanor Flowers, Laurie Shaw' & Herb Rommel, Jack & Donna Maytum, Ralph Padulla, Bruce Howe, Don & Loretta Roy, Bill HaU, Gusina Powell, Jane Walsh, Gail Gunning, Sarah Gill, Rich Carrubba, Merry Preston, Marty Williams, Deborah Kelsey, Trish O ’Connell, BiU Souza, Connie Heird, Nancy Quatrucci, SaUy MacKay, Elaine Cascio, Jennifer Hall, Use Nesbitt, Lisa Elliot, John Lingley, Ruth Shore, and Sarah Kessler.

And to all the “elves” who mysteriously deposited plants without being seen, we thank you as well.

N E X T YEAR: We plan to hold the sale on Saturday, May 21. Marcia Mallory has volunteered to handle pub­licity. NOTE: We need someone to take over solicita­tions. Donations from local merchants are important to the success of the sale. We can have the sale with­out them, but it won’t be the same. If you are inter­ested in hearing more about this job, please contact Isabel Griffith - 849-6444.

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FALL 2004 The Green L ight

W A T ER FR O N T N O T E SBy Liz Mathinos

With all the many wonderful activities on the water­front this summer, it has been “all quiet on the water­front” as far as concerns about future developments. Some ongoing items to watch:

V A N Z A N D T PIERBecause of its significance as a fishing pier, Van Zandt Pier is included in a study for repairs as part of a fed­eral grant to provide alternative fishing sites caused by the demolition of the Jamestown Bridge. Please call and write your congressional delegation to sup­port Van Zandt Pier repairs.

N E W P O R T SHIPYARDThanks to Charlie Dana for the wonderful public ac­cess provided during the mini-America’s Cup. This first rate event showed how this last shipyard in New­port is so important to retain for our working water­front. Possible development at this site is an office space and yacht storage building.

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W A S H I N G T O N STREET EXTENSION/CYPRESS STREET RIGHT OF W A YThe city’s Washington Street Extension (WSE) leaseagreement with abutters is still a cause of concern andunder scrutiny by concerned citizens. Watch for newdevelopments.

CENTRAL N E W P O R T U R B A N DESIGN/ R E D E V E L O P M E N T A G E N C Y At a June workshop held by the Redevelopment Agency on the Central Newport Urban Design, Ken Taylor mentioned planned unit development. This planning tool, much like flexible zoning, will be the next “battle” on the waterfront because the first item will be to re­vise parking requirements. When planned unit devel­opment reared its ugly head in the late 1980s, it was soundly defeated, and once again the pros and cons must be carefully considered. If planned unit devel­opment or flexible zoning makes it far too easy to lessen or eliminate parking requirements, it will set the pre­cedent for making it fai ... mr future large devel­opments like expansioi (i;i Newport Harbor Ho­tel, Waites Wharf, etc.

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mT h e G reea L ig h t F A L L 2 0 0 4

S C E N E S FRO M S T O R E R P A R K

Storer Park was the scene of much activity over the summer. Some of it was routine and to be expected— basketball players, dog walkers, and sun worshipers, for example— but there was the occasional special event or surprising vignette that would catch the lucky observer’s eye. Here is just a sampling of those spe­cial moments.

the Four Heads project over four years ago and has been maintaining it— and subtly changing it— ever since. He also admitted to just this summer starting a small— but eventually highly visible— topiary at a well known Point home. We leave it to the

ate observer to iden- rhy the latest changes to le location and identifi-the Four > ieads- -as well

cation of his newest project on The Point!

UBS T R O P H Y R E G A T T A BETV/EEN T E A M ALINGHI A N D O R A C L E / B M W

During the America’s Cup Class sailboat races in June, crews from the boats could be seen stretching out the huge sails to allow them to dry at the end of the day Some Pointers expressed concern that trees in the park were being harmed by having sails tied off to them. In any case, the sight was not one normally seen in the park!

■ m .

IX RKLOCATIONThanks to Scott Wheeler of the City’s Department of Parks for responding to a suggestion to relocate two of the hearty concrete planters out of the shade of a tree and into the sun where plants can thrive.

I Scott W'heeler and an anonymous assistant stabilise a planter box as it is moved.

T H E F O U R H E A D E D SCULPTURE GETS A HAIRCUT Eugene Platt of the New­port Preservation Society is the creator of what he has recently dubbed “The Four Headed Sculpture.” He was caught giving the topiaty' a much-needed trim late on a Friday afternoon in early August, and stopped to chat for a few minutes. Eugene covers a wide territory for the Preservation Society'. Besides Storer Park, his work can be seen on the Cliff Walk and at the Green Ani­mals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth. Eugene started Job complete!

I

10 T h e G reen L ig h t F A L L 2 0 0 4

SX JO H N ’S C H U R C H SU M M ER E V E N T Sby Mary O ’Neill-Barrett

Bristol Cathedral ChoirThe Choir of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England, was the centerpiece in this years “Celebration X ” at The Church of St. John the Evangelist, on Washington St. The Choir’s four-day repertoire of sacred music was especially dedicated to the late Bruce J. Shaw, long­time Parish Clerk at St. John’s, who also served as chairman of many previous English choir musical fes­tivals. The first service was a Sung Muss on Thursday evening, July 22, the day of their arrival. Their gifted choral efforts continued during Friday and Saturday services, and were highlighted by their choral work on Sunday’s Feast of St. James the Apostle in a beautiful Sung Mass.

Official Hosts for “Celebration X ” were the Rev. Canon Jonathan Ostman, Rector, and Jonathan F. Babbitt, Organist/Choirmaster. A number of parishioners also opened their homes, acting as home-hosts for choir members during their Newport stay. An old fashioned ice cream party on the lawn of St. John’s on Sunday afternoon hosted by Fr. and Mrs. Ostman marked the final event, which mingled parishioners, guests, and members of the choir for a final gathering before their return to England on July 26.

The Choir consists of 16 choristers, aU of whom are being educated at Bristol Cathedral School, and six lay clerks. The choir was supplemented by nine wonder­fully rich adult-male voices plus a combination of Su­pernumerary lay clerks and deputies. Leading the group to Newport was the Rev. Canon Brendan Clover, Precentor, who is responsible for the music and liturgy at the cathedral. The choir enjoys a wide range of ac- ■ tivities outside their church music, including radio, TV, and concert work throughout the United Kingdom.

The Bristol group brought to Newport a rich choral history, as there has been a choir at their cathedral since the reign of Henry VIII. A tradition of sacred music dates back to 1180 when the Augustinians founded an abbey on the site of the present-day cathedral. Bristol Cathedral has an illustrious musical heritage and was the site of the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in an English church in 1758. The cathedral

is also known for its magnificent organ and wonderful acoustics— all set in a gem of majestic architectural beauty.

Summer Family FairThe 12th annual Summer Family Fair was held Saturday, July 31, on the church lawn. Fair Chairperson was the friendly and able Mrs. Mary Ostman, wife of the Rev. Ostman. Mrs. Ostman once again forged a creative team of parishioners and friends to make the fair one of the most successful projects staged by the parish.

The fair’s lasting appeal has always been that it is geared for young and old alike - truly a family affair. Children’s games and special crafts kept youngsters of all ages busy and happy while adults wandered among a vari­ety of specialized booths. Always a popular showcase were the homemade baked goods, which this year showed off the creativeness of every baker in the par­ish. Items ranged from simple but tasty sugar cookies to very fancy tarts and cakes fit for an,y elegant dinner party table. Next was the booth that displayed a vari­ety of handmade gourmet foodstuffs that quickly sold out. Other popular booths included handcrafted items for the home and family plants for indoor decoration and outside use, a traditional Whke Elephant shop in the Guild Hall, and used books and CDs plus used sum­mer clothing for adults and children.

Newport merchants, parishioners, and friends of Mrs. Ostman allowed her to gtrw fair bidders a great array of items upon which to bid at the silent auction. The silent auction boasted, among other things, specially selected pieces of clothing, a ship’s model, dining-out certificates, hats, silver bracelets, pearls, and even hard­ware store tools. The popular luncheon tent— held under the trees on the front lawn— had a tasty menu that was created especially by members of St John’s Men’s Club, who also staffed the luncheon booth.

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1 I

T A L L SH IPS PA ST A N D P R E S E N Tby C D R Ralph C. Weiss, USN, Ret.

What is a Tall Ship? The Tall Ship is the larg- ;st hand-operated ma- :hine ever built. The Tall Ships races are a product of the Cold War. An English law­yer, Bernard Morgan, a man with no connec­tion to the sea, came up with the idea in the 1950s. He was con­cerned that the political climate had reached such a level that it was

haUng a deleterious effect on the youth of the 'world. Morgan conceived the idea along the same principle that Baden-Powell conceived the idea of training Boy Scouts after World War I. Morgan’s plan called for each nation to come together in good will and vie in an in­ternational sailing competition.

With the help of yacht designer and ocean racer Cap­tain John Illingworth, and the support of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Morgan went on to draw up the rules and arrange the first race from Devon, England, to Lisbon, Portugal. The most important rule was that half the crew must be youth under training between the ages of 16 and 21. By 1964, the biennial races sponsored by the British Sail Training Association were well established.

In 1972, Captain Barclay Warburton III of Newport took his 74-foot hermaphrodite brig Black Pearl to England to participate in a race from Cowes, England, to Malmo, Sweden. He was so inspired by what he saw at this international gathering that he decided to create a similar organization in the United States. In the spring of 1973, the American Sail Training Asso­ciation (ASTA) was formed.

The goals of the sail training program are 1) to help people gain sailing experience, 2) to increase under­standing of their relationship with others, and 3) topreserve the maritime heritage and marine environ­

ment. Warburton summed it up when he said, “the fi­nal step in the process obviously is the undertaking of the need for self-discipline...It is at this point in life, wisdom begins.” This process was to take place by learning aboard ship, competing in tasks and games that lead to shipboard safety, and by racing. The general public has lost sight of this purpose because of the commercialism of the spectacle.

On June 26, 1976, the Argentine ship Libertad entered Newport Harbor and fired a 21-gun salute to kick off our grand bicentennial celebration of 85 ships with over 4,000 crew members. This was the first Tall Ship race that ended in the U.S., and Newport specifically. It was the greatest gathering of sailing ships that the world had seen in the 20th-century. The US Coast Guard ship Eagle and the Romanian ship Mircea, both of which participated this year, were also here in 1976.

The original Tall Ships races had two divisions. This year, there were three divisions: Class A - AU square-rigged vessels over 120 feet and fore and aft rigged vessels of 160 feet and over, Class B - fore and aft rigged vessels 100 to 160 feet, and Class C - fore and aft rigged vessels 30 to 100 feet. Of the 20 TaU Ships in Newport in

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2004, six were Class A, eight were Class B, and six were Class C ships. Finally, for those looking to the future, ASTA Newport will again host a sailing/training/racing international gathering in 2007 to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the US Naval Command College.

C D R Weiss served as the liaison officer fo r the 3 7 0 ft Spanish tall ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano in 1976 and the 376ft Russian Kruyenshtern in 2000; two o f the world’s largest Fall Ships.

This poem was written by Edith Ballinger Trice, the first editor of The Green Light, and originally appeared in the July 1976 issue of the same.

T H E TALL SHIPS Back to the welcoming harbor of the past

They come at last!Square rig and towering mast

Again shall print their pattern on the sky;The sea gulls, wheeling high,

Shall greet them with a shrill, remembering cry.

Perhaps, when in the watches of the nightOnly a riding-lightShows them in shadowy sight,

Warehouse and wharf long gone will ghostly wake, And for their sake

Into old business silently will break.

Turn back the centuries and bid them come!Relive the humOf ancient commerce - and the drum

That sounded Freedom far across the main.“Tis not in vain

The Ships to Newport Harbor come again!

Edith Ballinger Price

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F A L L 2 0 0 4 T b e G reen L ig b t 13

R E M E M B E R IN G T H E E L S T E R Sby Susanne Whitley

In the Spring of 1967, Naval officer Bob Elster, and his wife, Dede, bought the Pont Claggett House c.1753 at 59 Second Street. The sellers were Eleanor and George Weaver, who had partially restored the house. Dede and Bob, with the aid of college son Bobby and an electrician, did all the rest of the work.

Dede and Bob were immediately involved in the ac­tivities of the Association. Dede ran the pot-luck sup­pers and the “Holly Teas” at Christmas time. I can see her now officiating in her lovely pastel colonial cos­tume at the teas. She also ran for several years a tea for the benefit of “The Secret Garden Tour” in what was then the lovely garden of Nat Norris’ at Second and Bridge Street. To help with these events she had a large collection of tea cups and saucers.

In addition, Dede ran the house tours for “Christmas in Newport.” In aU of these events Bob was her will­ing helper. He was a member of The Newport Artil­lery, members of which have for many years served as hosts in this Christmas event.

It is hard to reduce to a few paragraphs two people who were a vital part of this neighborhood for over

30 years. But everyone I know knew Dede and Bob, and their recent deaths remind us how important it is to remember those who contribute to the community.

This poem mas written by Elizabeth Covell Ramsey, age 95 on May 27, now a resident of the Nina lynette Nome on Washington Street. It was inspired hy the view of Narragansett Bay from her secondfloor window. Betty grew up in her family’s Sanford Covell House (‘Vpia Marina”) ai 72 W'ashington Street (now owned hy her daughter Anne Ramsey Cuvellier), ernd we’re happy that she has come home to Newport and The Point after many years of living in the W'ashington, D.C. area. (Note: “AquidneckC means Isk of Peace.)

N A R R A G A N S E T T BAY King PhiMp’s found out, to his grief Aquidneck is the isle of peace When Pequots shook the tomahawk From WAM-PAN-O-AGS, not a squawk.

Now Harbor Master sets the slots.As brawny men pull lobster pots,The cruise ships anchor, white and tall. And tourists visit Marble Hall.

The low-slung oilers, night and day,Move sluggishly their northbound way. Returning high, they seem to say.Farewell, aU anchors are aweigh.

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W A LK IN G O N T H E P O IN Tby Kay O ’Brien

After a long wait, summer seems a fleeting season, but also the busiest of all. Here on the Point, the scene is ever changing, especially on the waterfront. With or without a camera, images will linger. When meeting neighbors or visitors, just mention the Fourth of July, Queen Mary II, and gridlock, or the four-day visit of the TaU Ships, and hear their stories.

With summer activities everywhere, there’s no better place to catch the action than the shipyard. Their public access promises excitement either outside or inside the fence. It tvas almost like former America Cup races in Newport h a v i n g t h e champion boat from Swit­zerland, here in the shipyard with Oracle from San Fran­cisco. Watching weeks of preparation and then a week of racing here in the bay in our front yard was unfor­gettable. Photographs of these racing machines in action were spectacular. Also at the marina were beau­tiful yachts readying for a quick sail to Bermuda.

FoUowing the National Guard Air Show at Quonset, the Air Force Thunderbirds stayed over extra days for photo ops, roaring overhead to show off our great location.

On the Fourth of July, the huge, newly-built Queen Mary II came into the bay and moored off Goat Island so that passengers could view the fireworks. (Tight se­curity kept them out of New York harbor.) Of the thousands who came to the Point and nearby to watch, each wiU remember how long it took to get home. And what would Battery Park look Uke the morning after

this crushing crowd? Thanks to a new spotless with extra trash bags filled and...

Then came the Tall Ships. With only a small window of opportunity to arrange the July 16-19 visit, plans were hurriedly set in motion. Basically the plan pro­vided mooring spots for most ships at Goat Island. Visitors were encouraged to leave their cars in desig­nated parking areas near the PeU Bridge, with school buses providing further transportation to the Connec­tor/Long Wharf area where cars were not permitted. Inbound buses traveled Washington Street and exited on Third Street. All activities were on Goat Island where a $5.00 fee was required for a walk across the causeway with a security check before entrance to Goat Island. Extra trash containers were plentiful as were portable toilets, and streets were swept each night. Po­lice, National Guard, and volunteers were everywhere. Lines were very' long to get across the causeway and to go onboard the ships, but spirits were high. Now there will be studies and much discussion on the pros/cons of handling such a popular event.

At the same time as the Tall Ships, the “normal” yearly events, such as the Black Ships Festival, the Greek Fes­tival, the Music Festival, and many more, were “things to do.” How popular Newport is!

One of the perks of walking is the leisure to check changes along the way — a house getting a new paint color, where the squirrels have found acorns, new gar­dens or spots of color, or just watching the boats or the sky. Thanks must go to all those who help keep our parks so inviting. They look great and are appreci­ated by both residents and visitors — two-legged and four-legged!

Always intriguing are additions, renovations, and works in progress. The real “double-take” is now the restora­tion of the Fairchild stable on Second/Pine Streets. This carriage house was built in 1876 by Charles McKim and has a historic past and, before long, a new future. And at the busy corner of Washington/Connector Road stands the handsome colonial Simeon Potter House with its restoration complete. The house received the New­port Historical Society’s Historical Preservation Award for a private residence in late May.

Continues on page 18

FALL 2004 T h e G reen U g h t 15

CITY COUNCIL FIRST WARD CANDIDATESE ditor’s N ote: There are three candidates running in the upcoming No­vember election for the First Ward’s City Council seat. To help Pointers get to know the candidates better, we asked each candidate to provide a short

Marvin AbneyA retired A rm y O fficer, he holds M asters degrees in B usiness A d m in is tra tio n an d M an ag em en t, an d a B achelors in Public A dm inistration . His wife Cheryl is the g ran d d au g h te r o f the late Leo A m ado, once ow ner o f T ea’s F irst <& T a sl Stop, an early establish­m en t on the Point. H e attends St. Jo h n ’s C hurch on W ashington Street.

Active in the com m unity, he is L ‘ A lternate , N ew ­p o r t Z o n in g & R eview B o ard , and serves o n th e B oards o f the M artin L u th er K ing C enter, the List A cadem y o f A rts and M usic, the N e w p o rt C ounty YM CA, N e w p o rt C om m unity Schools, N e w p o rt P u b ­lic E d u ca tio n F oundation , and the C om m ission on M inistry fo r the E piscopal D iocese o f R hode Island. H e is a m em ber o f the N e w p o rt Public Schools S tra­tegic P lanning C om m ittee and C o-C hair o f the School Improvement Committee, Coggeshall Elementary.

“I believe communities are best served when mem­bers step forw ard to actively partic ipate in the deci­sion-m aking processes th a t benefit the com m on good. T h ro u g h vo tin g , c itizens p lace th e ir tru s t an d re ­sources in individuals w ho prom ise to honestly and fairly stand for their in terests in public m atters. In my view, g o vernm en ts and elected officials at all levels should be responsive to the people to w hom they’ve been en tru sted to represent. W ard I is large and di­verse. My goal is to w ork hard to earn your confi­dence and vote. As I talk w ith W ard m em bers, m any o f you have the sam e concerns as I. I wiU w ork to ­w ard bringing quality leadership to City governm ent. T h e con tinued im provem en t o f o u r schools depends in p a rt o n a solid re la tionsh ip betw een o u r School B oard and City Hall. I w an t to ensure tha t the history and character o f ou r neighborhoods is alrvays a m ajor factor in decisions m ade by the Council. I w an t to begin a process th a t allows for substantive dialogue by citizens th a t addresses the tough issues th a t effect n o t only W ard I, bu t also o u r w hole city. N e w p o rt is a leading city th a t deserves leaders w illing to listen.

study the issues and act w ith confidence.’

C harles Y. D uncanA n In tro d u c tio n to C harles Y. D u n can , C and idate , C ouncilm an L ‘ W ard, N ew p o rt.

B o rn in L o u isv ille , K en tu ck y , 1934. E d u c a tio n ; G raduate, Class o f 1952, Louisville M ale H igh. Butera School o f A rt, B oston , M assachusetts. Scouting: Eagle Scout, G o d & C ountry, SES. Q uarte rm aster, Scout M aster, U nit C om m issioner.

V ocation: US M erchan t M arine 1952-1980. Licensed M aster o f all gross tons, steam o r m o to r vessels. L i­censed p ilo t o f +1,200 miles. M arine O fficers Assn. L ocal 54, C o u n c il 13, I.B.T. A u th o r o f Y O U ’R E T O O K IN G A T M Y R IP E R . O w ner D u n can Signs, Dr. Alarcus W heatland Blvd. since 1980.

C om m unity P artic ipation : P arish io n er o f St. Jo sep h C atholic C hurch Com m unity, Past Scoutm aster T roop 79 (Tonom y Hill), 13 years m em ber N ew p o rt Z on ing B oard o f Review and 2 years as C hairm an, Past P resi­den t Poin t A ssociation, past m em ber N ew p o rt C har­ter Review C om m ission.

Aly prom ise to you: W hen elected C ouncilm an, I will actively rep resen t the T W ard, being available for you at my shop, 65 D r. M arcus W heatland Blvd. o r my hom e 25 Third St, or by phone at 846-0294 and 846-0796. Iprom ise to actively advocate fo r and respond to the needs o f the residents o f the F irst Ward.

Peter F. L anouetteMy m essage is simple. T h e past couple o f term s the 1 “ W ard hasn ’t been properly represented . T h e desires and needs o f the diverse people in our tvard w eren ’t being heard.

T h e Van Z an d t Bridge should be rebuilt. T h e increased traffic from the re-rou ting o f early m orn ing traffic has added to the distress. School buses d o n ’t use it b u t tourists in the sam e buses can.

T h e rou te o f traffic during Tall Ships was IE planned. P ro p er con tac t and com m unication could have resolved the p roblem . Sending buses east on A dm iral K albfus R oad (Rte 138) to the top o f B roadw ay and in to the

16 The Green L igh t FALL 2004

city via th a t b road and op en m ain thoroughfare. C om ­m ercial traffic is com m onplace on Broadway.

We need a stop sign so u th b o u n d o n T h ird St. and Sy­cam ore St. K ids from Bayside Village, R olling G reen and T onom y Hill walk there to get to the piers to swim and fish. T oo o ften disaster has been narrow ly m issed there. D rivers heedless o f the kids ru sh th rough that in tersection . I t ’s a sim ple problem . W hat will it take?

M arvin A bney and Charles D u n can are great candi­dates fo r Councilm an. I like their ideas, their dedica­tion and atteiitiveness— som eth ing sorely m issing for too long in the F irst W ard. I can’t decide w hich to vote fo r [however] so I ’m voting fo r me. I t ’s a m atter o f principle.

We m ust be heard! D em ocracy has fallen v ictim o f cronyism . T he call fo r residents only in city jobs is xenophobia at its w orst. T h e ineptitude this in troduces to our essential services will be paid for dearly in civil suits against m istakes com m itted by the second rate choices this referendum will doom us to. T h an k you.

V A L ED E S I G N

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S E C R E T G A R i i L L ' L © ?

Visitors from all over converged on the Point for three days in late June, searching for the white flags marking the secret gardens h idden in our neighborhood.

Garden of Walter Wdhitley, 45 EJm St. V-'alter IWhitky with of Port Fudhm, W'ashington.

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■

Garden of Derek <& Anne Coulton (on left), visited hy sisters Marie Itedberg of Jamestown and Sigrid Gallagher of Bristol.

Garden of Anne PJtterhusch (in foreground), 7 Cherry St. Vi.sited by Carolann Thompson, Margaret Marcotte, Marie Horan, Cheryl Cummings, foanne Basile, and Ann Holleran; all of Massachusetts.

FALL 2004 The Green U g h t 17

THAT WAS THEN... USS Constellation in NewportNOTE: Many thanks to Herbert E Rommel, CAPT (Retired), USN, for providing the source materials and photographs for this story. Portions of the article were taken, with permission obtained as a result of his ef­forts, from the July 2004 issue of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society Log.

T h e Postal Service released a new stam p on 30 June p ic tu ring the venerable N avy sail sloop USS C O N ­S T E L L A T IO N , to d a y a t o u r i s t a t t r a c t io n in B altim ore’s In n e r H arbor. T h e stam p, rep o rts the Posta l Service, ce lebrates the 150th anniversary o f her construc tion . T here has long been debate as to the sh ip’s actual co n stru c tio n date, w ith som e argu­ing tha t she was originally launched in 1797, the same year as the USS C O N S T IT U T IO N . W hile this issue is w o rth exploring, o u r m ain in terest here is on the sh ip ’s h isto ry relative to N ew port.

USS Constellation dressed for Queen EJiyabeth’s birthday during visit of HMS York, Nenport, RI in 1937.

In the decades after the Civil War, the C O N S T E L ­L A T IO N w as o n e o f A m eric a ’s m o s t im pressive ships, show ing the flag at various ports a round the globe. She was retired in 1894 and laid up as a b a r­racks and train ing ship at the N avy b o o t cam p at N ew ­po rt. She was there in 1908 w hen she becam e one o f the first ships in the N avy to get a p o s t office. A co m ­m o n location to see her early postmarks is on picture postcards o f N ewport sent home by recruits.

Over the next several decades, the CONSTELLA­TIO N continued to serve as a training ship. It also 18

participated in the 1914 Star Spangled Banner Cen­tennial Tour. Its last appearance as a commissioned ship occurred during the commemoration o f the 150th anniversary o f the Declaration o f Independence on July 5, 1926. Decommissioned by the Navy in 1933, the CONSTELLATION was recommissioned in 1940 and for a time during World War II held the honorary title o f Flagship o f the Atlantic Fleet. She again had a post office throughout the war, although postm arks from this period are not common. In 1955, having been decommissioned once again, the ship was brought to Baltimore and d o n ated by the Navy to a local non­profit foundation.

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The rear of the postcard, dated “Sept 20, ‘12”, is signed by “Roy” who was apparently assigned to the ‘Yeoman School, Naval Training Sta. Newport, RI. ” He notes that they’ve just moved off the ship and into a barracks. The CON.ITEL- LATION postmark is also visible.

From page 15

Real estate signs continue to com e and go as do seller, buyers, owmers, and renters. Have you greeted any new neighbors? T he long and sh o rt o f our busy sum m er included highs and lows. Yes, it was noisy and crow ded at tim es, w e shared ou r space w ith thousands, b u t there w ere happy tim es, and sum m er com es b u t once a year!

The Greet! L igh t FALL 2004

N o s ta lg ic M o m e n t f ro m O u r S c ra p b o o k

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The Neivport waterfront during the 1976 Tall Ships visit is alive with activity. This black eZ white image is courtesy of Pwilph Weiss, and was derived from a large framed color print produced by TD. Lowes, Buffalo, NY, and C. FremontSmith, Newport.

The Point Association Membership FormP lease m ake ch eck payab le to Tbe P oin t A ssociation an d m a il w ith form to P O B ox 45f

N ew port, MI 02840. A subscription to T h e G r e e n L i g h t is in clu ded w ith a ll m em bersM ps,

In d iv id u a l $10 _Family $15 S u b scrib er $25 J N tfo ii $40

N a m e :

P h o n e : F a x : E m a i l :

M a i l i n g A d d r e s s :

S e c o n d A d d re s s ( i f a p p lic a b le ) :

C o m m i t t e e s a n d A c t i v i t i e s

Y o u r p a r t i c i p a t i o n i s w e lc o m e . P l e a c e c h e c k t h e c a t e g o r i e s o f i n t e r e s t t o y o u .

O B e a u t i f i c a t i o n □ H a r b o r W a tc h O G r e e n l i g h t □ P l a n t S a le O M e m b e r s h i p

□ P r o g r a m / E v e n t P l a n n i n g O H i s t o r y a n d A r c h iv e s O C M ld r e n ’s A c t iv i t i e s

□ P u b l ic a t io n s /C o m m u n ic a t io n s /W e b O N e ig h b o r h o o d W a tc h □ U n d e rg ro u n d W ires

FALL 2004 The Green L igh t 19

S a v e t h e D a t e

Fall Membership Meeting Thursday October 21 7 p.m.Meet in Harbor House - Use the chapel entrance on Battery Street. See the announce­

ment on Page 3 for additional information about this important meeting.

Fall Cleanup & Bulb Planting Saturday October 23 9 a.m.Join your friends and neighbors to clean up Storer and Battery Parks

and to plants bulbs that will bloom next spring. For more information, please call Marcia or Coles Mallory, 849-5659.

Get out and VOTE Tuesday November 2

T H E G R E E N L IG H TThe Point AssociationP .O . B o x 4 9 1

N ew port, RI 02840

Presorted Standard

U.S. Postage P A I D

Newport, RI Permit No, 36