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    The Station Nightclub on fire in 2003

    23 Years Later: Rhode Island Remembers the 100 Lives Lost in The Station Nightclub Fire

    Monumenta artist Richard Fleischner and contemporary artist Uri Aran

    Rosecliff to Host March 6 Panel on Landmark 1974 ‘Monumenta’ Exhibition

    Aquidneck Island Police and Fire Hockey Club hosts benefit game for Mary Jane Milici at St. George’s Ice Rink

    Aquidneck Island Police & Fire to Host Benefit Hockey Game for MJ Milici, Portsmouth Woman Battling Rare Disease

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    Joe Paolino announcing sale of St. Joseph’s Hospital property

    Joe Paolino Seals St. Joseph’s Hospital Sale — Gifts South Providence Garden in Big-Hearted Move

    Monumenta artist Richard Fleischner and contemporary artist Uri Aran

    Rosecliff to Host March 6 Panel on Landmark 1974 ‘Monumenta’ Exhibition

    Aquidneck Island Police and Fire Hockey Club hosts benefit game for Mary Jane Milici at St. George’s Ice Rink

    Aquidneck Island Police & Fire to Host Benefit Hockey Game for MJ Milici, Portsmouth Woman Battling Rare Disease

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    Waterfront estate at Aquidneck Club sells for $6.6 million in Portsmouth RI

    $6.6 Million Waterfront Estate Sale at Aquidneck Club Becomes Second Highest on Record in Portsmouth

    Joe Paolino announcing sale of St. Joseph’s Hospital property

    Joe Paolino Seals St. Joseph’s Hospital Sale — Gifts South Providence Garden in Big-Hearted Move

    41 Castle Hill Avenue Newport RI

    “Castleberry,” a Coastal Retreat on Newport’s Ocean Drive, Hits the Market for $9.5 Million

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    “Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Feeney Hole of Newport, RI”

    Obituary: Jacqueline Feeney Hole (1944-2026)

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    Obituary: June Irene Winthrop Erickson (1938-2026)

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    Adriana Trevor Carvalho Obituary

    Obituary: Adriana “Trevor” Carvalho (2007-2026)

    Joe Paolino announcing sale of St. Joseph’s Hospital property

    Joe Paolino Seals St. Joseph’s Hospital Sale — Gifts South Providence Garden in Big-Hearted Move

    “Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Feeney Hole of Newport, RI”

    Obituary: Jacqueline Feeney Hole (1944-2026)

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Twenty-three years later, the Station nightclub fi Twenty-three years later, the Station nightclub fire remains one of the deadliest tragedies in Rhode Island history — and one the community will never forget.

On Feb. 20, 2003, what began as a night of rock music inside The Station nightclub in West Warwick turned into a nightmare. When the band Great White took the stage, pyrotechnics set off by tour manager Daniel Biechele ignited flammable soundproofing foam lining the walls. Within seconds, flames raced across the ceiling. Thick, toxic smoke swallowed the room.

One hundred people lost their lives. Two hundred thirty others were injured. Families were shattered. A community was forever changed.

Many who tried to escape found exits blocked or jammed as panic set in. Survivors have since spoken of unimaginable heat, darkness and chaos. In the aftermath, criminal charges followed. Biechele pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian took no-contest pleas. Biechele and Michael Derderian served prison time.

But accountability could not undo the loss.

The tragedy forced sweeping changes nationwide. Fire codes were strengthened. Sprinkler systems became mandatory in many venues. Pyrotechnics in small clubs were effectively banned. The lessons were written in law — and in grief.

Today, the Station Fire Memorial Park stands where the nightclub once did. Etched in stone are the names of the 100 victims. The quiet pathways and memorial benches offer a place for reflection, for remembrance, for love.

For Rhode Island, this is not just a date on a calendar. It is a reminder of lives cut short, of parents and children, friends and neighbors who never came home. It is a call to honor them — not only in memory, but in vigilance.

Twenty-three years later, the music has long faded. The memories have not.

#rhodeisland #newportbuzz
The sale of a waterfront estate inside the Aquidne The sale of a waterfront estate inside the Aquidneck Club has become the second highest residential transaction ever recorded in Portsmouth, underscoring the continued strength of the luxury market on Aquidneck Island.

The property at 272 Carnegie Harbor Drive sold for $6.6 million. The sellers were represented by Alexandra Thursby of @mottandchace; the buyer was represented by Jim DeRentis of @residentialpropertiesltd.

According to data from the Multiple Listing Service, the transaction ranks as the second highest sale on record in Portsmouth and the most expensive since 2023.

The 10,000-square-foot residence sits within the gated coastal enclave and looks west over the water, with two-story floor-to-ceiling windows designed to capture sunset views. The five-bedroom, 10-bathroom home is arranged around an open-concept floor plan anchored by a chef’s kitchen intended for large-scale entertaining.

A private primary suite includes a waterfront balcony, a spa-inspired bath and expansive walk-in closets. Each guest bedroom has its own en-suite bath. Outdoors, an infinity pool and multiple terraces extend toward the shoreline, framed by landscaped gardens. Residents of the Aquidneck Club also have access to golf, marina, equestrian and tennis amenities.

“This sale highlights the resilience and continued strength of the Portsmouth and greater Aquidneck Island market,” Ms. Thursby said. “The Aquidneck Club continues to drive strong demand in this highly sought-after community. It was truly an honor to assist my clients in finding the ideal buyer for their cherished home.”

Luxury transactions on the island have remained comparatively resilient, even as broader housing markets have moderated, driven in part by limited waterfront inventory and sustained interest in coastal properties offering privacy and amenities.

#realestate #portsmouthri #newportbuzz
Paolino Properties has finalized the sale of the f Paolino Properties has finalized the sale of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital campus on Providence’s South Side, advancing long-awaited redevelopment plans — while Joseph R. Paolino Jr. is making a major philanthropic gesture to permanently protect a cherished community garden.

The roughly 250,000-square-foot hospital complex at 21 Peace St., along with six adjacent parcels, has been sold to Providence-based Knight & Swan LLC, led by developer Federico Manaigo. At the same time, Paolino, CEO and managing partner of Paolino Properties and a former Providence mayor, will donate Peace & Plenty Gardens to the Southside Community Land Trust.

Founded in 1892, St. Joseph’s Hospital served the South Side for more than a century. Since acquiring the long-vacant property in 2017, Paolino said his team explored multiple adaptive reuse concepts to find a solution that would both respect the site’s history and meet modern needs.

“St. Joseph’s has a long and important history in Providence,” Paolino said, adding that the goal has always been to see it revitalized in a way that strengthens the neighborhood and the city.

Knight & Swan is known for award-winning historic rehabilitation projects, including the Stedman & Fuller Manufacturing Company Complex in the West End. The firm plans to transform the former hospital into new housing while preserving its architectural character.

Equally notable is Paolino’s donation of Peace & Plenty Gardens, one of South Providence’s longest-standing community gardens. Established more than 30 years ago, the garden supports food production, education and partnerships that promote neighborhood health and connection.

Paolino said he made a commitment that the garden would be permanently preserved — and chose to transfer it to the Southside Community Land Trust to guarantee its future.

For Paolino, the transaction reflects both investment and stewardship — pairing private redevelopment with a lasting gift to the community. “We remain deeply committed to investments that strengthen our neighborhoods while honoring their history,” he said.

📸 @captured.by.marc

#paolinoproperties #providenceri #newportbuzz
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