Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: See which Middletown artists now grace the town’s official holiday cards.

Also, don't miss Tiverton Farmers Market - Annual Christmas Specialty Market on the Middletown Patch calendar

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Friday December 19th Patch AM
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Good day Middletown! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • See which Middletown artists now grace the town’s official holiday cards.
  • How will 36 new affordable homes reshape Middletown’s town center?
  • Could Middletown’s new street fair reshape the Atlantic Beach District?

Also on today's calendar: Tiverton Farmers Market - Annual Christmas Specialty Market and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Middletownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Middletownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Very windy; rain, with a high of 57 and low of 29 degrees.
  • Saturday: Cooler; breezy in the morning, temps: high: 40, low: 35.
  • Sunday: Windy with decreasing clouds, with a high of 49 and low of 21 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Middletown Announces Winners of 2025 Holiday Card Art Contest (thenewportbuzz.com) — Middletown has named four local artists, including two Gaudet Middle School students, as winners of its 2025 Holiday Card Art Contest, with their work featured on the town’s official cards. The pieces highlight beloved spots like Second Beach, Prescott Farm, and Surfer’s End, and were celebrated in a ceremony at Town Hall that underscored community pride and creativity.
   

2. Middletown Planning Approves Affordable Housing Project (newportthisweek.com) — Middletown’s Planning Board has approved a 36-unit affordable housing project across from Town Hall, moving the town closer to its state housing mandate and unlocking access to Rhode Island Housing grants. The board also cleared the way for a new arcade at the Valley Road mini-golf site, adding another family-friendly business to the neighborhood while reviewing potential noise concerns.
   

3. Middletown Forms Plan to Host a Street Fair (newportthisweek.com) — Middletown leaders are mapping out a new street fair in the Atlantic Beach District, aiming to boost local businesses and create a lively community gathering to rival Newport’s Broadway Street Fair. Officials are weighing costs, road closures, parking, and volunteer needs, while business owners and the town’s economic development committee begin shaping what the event should look like.
   

4. Middletown Coastal Access Alliance Signs Memorandum with CRMC (newportthisweek.com) — Middletown’s Coastal Access Alliance has formally agreed to steward six public shoreline rights-of-way, with the town handling signage and maintenance while volunteers monitor and clean the sites. The deal, overseen by Rhode Island’s CRMC, ties into a broader Aquidneck Island climate resilience effort and opens new opportunities for residents to volunteer in protecting local beaches and coastal access.
   

5. Solar Program Designed to Help Low-Income and Environmental Justice Zone Residents Instead Leaves them Stranded (ecori.org) — Middletown homeowners in designated environmental justice areas were eligible for a state-backed solar program that has now been thrown into limbo after its vendor, PosiGen, filed for bankruptcy. The initiative had promised lower electric bills for low-income residents, but applications are paused and the state hasn’t said how existing contracts will be handled. Local participants are urged to contact PosiGen directly while officials weigh next steps.
   

📸 Around Middletown

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Middletown

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📣 Middletown Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Friday December 19
  • "Jamestown: Architecture, Landscape, and the Making of a Rhode Island Paradise" Book Signing with Author John Tschirch
    The Colony House , Washington Square , Newport
    10:00 am
  • Coastal Queen
    Coastal Queen Cruises , 5 Bowen's Landing , Newport
    3:00 pm
  • Elf w/ Holiday Concert by Motion Avenue
    The JPT Film & Event Center , 49 Touro St , Newport
    6:30 pm
    • Saturday December 20
  • Saturday Storytime In-Person
    The Friends Room
    10:00 am
  • The Bit Players
    Firehouse Theater , 4 Equality Park Pl , Newport
    8:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Don’t delay!
    Until January 31, people who are pregnant can get vaccinated to protect against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). If you're pregnant, talk to… (Nextdoor )
  • New Moon Ceremony w/vibrational sound healing
    at Love Defeats Yoga studio to inspire healing , truth, love, community, and connection. Join us at 7 PM to share your intentions for what new seeds… (Nextdoor Kesson Farm)
  • Town of Middletown, RI posted a job opening for Labor Equipment Operator I in Middletown. Apply here.
  • The Home Depot, Inc. posted a job opening for Lot Associate in Middletown. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Middletown here.

Ok Middletown! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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