Fifth Warders gathered at Schanil Hall on June 28 for Gooseberry Beach’s annual Cocktail Party. The beach was founded on July 12, 1952, when a group led by Luke Curran, John Phelan, Andrew Healy, and Paskle Flack negotiated the purchase of the property from the trustees of Newport Hospital for $10,000.
Jonathan Brown Henry-Heywood did a stellar job organizing the evening, which featured food by McGrath Clambakes and music by Anita Mansfield. Dan Vara and Jamie McGlone mingled with Molly McGregor and Harle Tinney. Nearby, 5W queens Roni Mahoney, Kitchie Chestnut, and Regina Jones held court. On the deck, Harry Livingston and David Curtis chatted while Lisa Sicilian caught up with her former boss, Paul Fleming. Kelley Coen was enjoying herself after a triumphant night of fundraising for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.
Gift baskets lined one wall, drawing plenty of raffle tickets. A wrapped “mystery box” garnered particular interest—leave it to Jason Heywood to come up with such a clever idea! Lisa Bell contributed a set of her signature candles, while Cathy Moore and Clare Garcia created an “everything basket.” Moore was especially excited to win a curated collection of summer entertaining plates donated by Dottie Berube. Meanwhile, Harle Tinney walked away with a Fourth of July basket crafted by Marnie Winters, one of the Fifth Ward Ya Ya’s. Fellow Ya Ya Renie Sullivan was also in attendance.
Tina Chase was thrilled to win a painting of Keep Off Rock. She sat with her sisters Eileen Roberts and Tina Segerson. Schanil Hall is named after their father, Charlie, a founding member of Gooseberry Beach who conceived the idea of building a community hall in 1967—a space for members to hold meetings, host celebrations, and generate revenue to support the beach. The sisters were delighted to see Billy Connerton at the party and thanked him for installing plaques on the hall bearing their maiden name.
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