Cranston’s Departments of Public Works and Parks & Recreation brought in heavy equipment last week to clear large objects that were lodged in Stillhouse Cove following the near-record high tide of December 23, 2022. Participating were Ray Tessaglia, Parks and Recreation Director and John Corso, Highway Department Manager. Dennis Conte, City Mason, can be seen cutting up a large pallet.
Join your neighbors for the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA), Pawtuxet Village Association (PVA) Annual Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park and Pawtuxet Park Clean-Up.
Rain Date: April 30, 2023 from 10am to 12 noon.
Directions to Cleanup Locations:
To Stillhouse Cove: Take Allens Avenue South into Cranston. Narragansett Boulevard begins at the Providence/Cranston city line. Follow Narragansett Boulevard south until the waterfront is visible on the left. Park on any side street. Parking is not allowed along Stillhouse Cove. A check-in table will be set up across from Windsor Road.
To Pawtuxet Park: Follow the directions to Stillhouse Cove. Drive past the Cove to Ocean Avenue. Take a right. Follow Ocean Avenue to the end. Take a left onto Broad Street. Follow Broad Street over the bridge in Pawtuxet Village. Stay to the left. The road becomes Narragansett Parkway in Warwick. Pawtuxet Park is on the left just beyond O’Rourke’s Pub. Parking is available in a lot within the park. Please sign in with organizers upon arrival.
Over the last several years, EWPA has engaged in a number discussions of potential flooding scenarios in our area. On December 23, 2022, we got a full-blown demonstration.
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier was closed when the water level there peaked at 9.2 feet at 8 a.m. thanks to a 3.79-foot storm surge. It was the ninth-highest level ever recorded at the Fox Point gauge and the highest since Hurricane Bob in 1991.
The photos below demonstrate the flooding’s local impact.
On July 15, 2022, twenty Mystic Aquarium STEM Advantage campers from Cranston public schools (grades three to six) eagerly explored the water, shoreline and grass area at Stillhouse Cove. They proudly showed their friends the large clumps of seaweed and silversides, clams, and crabs they found.
Caitlyn Blankenship, statewide coordinator for STEM Advantage RI, said the campers visited Stillhouse Cove to learn how to be environmental stewards while advancing their knowledge on aquatic research. Campers took water samples to test the Cove’s Ph levels, oxygen and turbidity.
The campers were too engrossed in their activities to pay much attention to their high- profile visitors including Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and Cranston City council members Lammis Vargas, Jessica Marino and John Donegan. Also present were representatives from the United Way, the YMCA, the Rhode Island Foundation, and the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA).
See the Cranston Herald article below for full details.
On December 7, 2022, more than two years of work by EWPA and a team composed of a filmmaker, an artist, and a mason culminated in the unveiling of the “End of the Line” trolley sculpture and historic marker.
The-end-of-the-line-is-here-Cranston-Herald
In the most recently released episode of The Culpo Sisters, former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and her two sisters come home to their parents’ Edgewood home. It appears to have been filmed early in the Spring of 2022. During the episode, the youngest sister Sophie Culpo and their mother Susan walk down to Stillhouse Cove and observe that the swans must be about to lay their eggs (followed by a shot of Canada Geese in Pawtuxet Cove). They then sit on one of the park benches and engage in a deep conversation about the perils of fame. The full episode can be viewed here: (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8hccwn.
Perhaps the production company might think about making a contribution to the EWPA which installed the bench and maintains the Park.
The Site Committee, including board members and volunteers, spent a productive morning seeding the infiltration area damaged over the winter.
The infiltration area acts as a natural filter for storm water that flows into the bay. Catching bacteria and other organisms and larger items like trash before the water flows into Stillhouse Cove, this important feature protects the cove from bacterial or other blooms as well as from trash and plastics.
Thanks to the volunteers and board members that showed up to do this important work.
Interested in volunteering? Join us!
The EWPA “Site Management Committee” keeps the park and salt marsh healthy with ongoing maintenance and improvements. On Saturday we met to prepare for Spring. Volunteer with us and join us! http://stillhousecove.org/volunteer-with-us/
The Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA), Pawtuxet Village Association (PVA) Annual Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park and Pawtuxet Park Clean-Up.
We had perfect weather and a great crowd for our Stillhouse Cove cleanup today, hosted in partnership with Save the Bay and the Pawtuxet Village Association. Close to 100 people worked picking up garbage and pruning vegetation while at the same time connecting with neighbors and friends. Over (insert number) pounds of refuge was collected and Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins joined in himself.
EWPA President Barbara Rubine received a proclamation from the State of Rhode Island delivered by Rep McNamara and Mayor Hopkins, thanking the organization for all of the work done over the years to nurture and grow this beautiful waterfront space. Other notable attendees included Councilwoman Vargas, Senator Miller, Councilwoman Marino, Congressional candidate Joy Fox and EWPA Founding Board member Hy Goldman.
There were many conversations about how far the EWPA has come over the years, including stories about how way back in 1996, one neighbor used his car to tow the trees out of the cove area and one time a tow truck had to be called to help!
Thank you to everyone who came out.
How we can best prepare our community for current and future climate change and rising sea level? A Presentation by Shaun O’Rourke, Managing Director at the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank.
At the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, O’Rourke manages a portfolio of lending and grant programs to help accelerate infrastructure investment statewide. Shaun led the development of “Resilient Rhody,” the state’s first climate resilience action strategy under Governor Raimondo in 2018 and continues to work closely with municipalities to move from planning to action. His talk title is “Building Local Climate Resilience – From Hazards to Solutions” and will focus on how we can best prepare our community for current and future climate change and rising sea level.”
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