Here is the latest Rocky Point news

To buy all of Rocky Point, we need a bond issue on the ballot and approved by voters

One of the urgent tasks ahead is to get a bond issue, including money for the purchase of the remaining Rocky Point property, on the ballot in next November's election. To that end we have met with House Speaker Gordon Fox and other key members of that House, and Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and other key senators, as well as Governor Carcieri's chief of staff and Michael Sullivan, director of DEM. Resolutions have been introduced in both the Senate and House for a Rocky Point bond issue. Of course once a bond referendum is on the ballot, the support of Rhode Island voters will be required to make this important piece of our goal of a public Rocky Point a reality. 

Many other organizations are also interested in a bond issue. We have been closely consulting The Nature Conservancy, Save the Bay, the RI Land Trust Council and others, as well as with the responsible staff at DEM. We stay in close touch with the mayor of Warwick, Scott Avedisian, a strong supporter of a public Rocky Point, and his staff. 

How much will it cost? The park's bankruptcy complicates things — creditors must be satisfied and developers could still try to step in

Acquiring for public use the remaining property at Rocky Point is complicated by the fact that it is currently in the hands of the US Small Business Administration as receiver for the bankruptcy court. The cost of the acquisition is therefore uncertain, as the receiver is obligated to obtain the highest amount for creditors. And developers who have had their eyes on the property for residential development could at any time return to bid up the price. We have met with Mark Hayward, district director of the SBA, in order to understand the issues affecting the cost of acquisition and therefore the size of our task. 

Another chance to visit Rocky Point coming up. And the shoreline may be opened permanently for walkers 

Warwick Mayor Avedisian is planning to open the city-owned shoreline again for a two hour period in June, allowing visitors to drive or walk through; details in the next edition of Rocky Point News. And he has endorsed a city council resolution, introduced by Councilman John DelGiudice, to provide permanent access to the city-owned shoreline, possibly by creating a walking trail from a spot near the old access gate. City officials are working on plans and discussing with the SBA how to assure that visitors do not venture into the SBA controlled area, which poses many hazards. 

Friends are signing on — 5000 so far 

Our campaign to demonstrate the wide interest in a public Rocky Point is off to a good start. More than 5000 have signed on as Friends of Rocky Point via our website, at the flower show and salt water fishing show at the Providence Convention Center, at the Warwick Public Library, at commercial establishments such as Nick and Joan's café in Warwick (more than 900 so far!), and Town and Country Lanes in Johnston and through individual efforts to sign up friends and neighbors. Filmmaker David Bettencourt, creator of the movie You Must Be This Tall, is preparing a public service announcement to be aired on TV this summer. 

You can help: forward this update to friends and family who might be interested in the fate of Rocky Point, and encourage them to visit our website and sign up as Friends of Rocky Point. Or encourage your favorite business establishment to sign up new Friends (like Nick and Joan's, with spectacular success--above), an email to us will get them started. 

Our fundraising has kept us solvent as we develop our campaign 

We have received donations totaling more than $4,000 ranging from $5 to $250, plus larger in-kind donations, enabling us to buy supplies for our campaign and to save for the larger purposes of purchase and maintenance. We are all volunteers, have no paid staff nor expense accounts, and will hire no consultants unless paid for with foundation grants. We need additional donations, which can easily be made on line or by mail, see our home page. 

But to help with the purchase or contribute to getting the property ready for public use we will look for large gifts

We will be launching an effort to encourage large gifts, to be held in escrow for application to the purchase price of the remaining property or returned if a purchase does not happen. If you know someone interested in preserving open space and willing to discuss with us a possible gift to help the public obtain the Rocky Point property, please let us know or encourage them to contact us by email or by mail to The Rocky Point Foundation, c/o Beacon Communications, 1944 Warwick Avenue, Warwick RI 02889. We will be happy to meet and discuss with no obligations. 

Our website has other interesting stuff 

Finally, if you haven't visited the Scrapbook page lately, take a look, it has many interesting and poignant comments, and you might want to add yours. And the Views of Rocky Point page includes views of the little seen and unexpected rocky ridge, known in the old days as "the caves." We envisage that area would make an interesting and challenging nature trail, adding to the other attractions: scenic views of the bay, two sandy beaches and large open areas for sports.