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Want a great summer hike? Hit these 10 trails recommended by Walking RI’s John Kostrzewa

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6 months ago

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Want a great summer hike? Hit these 10 trails recommended by Walking RI’s John Kostrzewa


John Kostrzewa
 |  Special to The Journal

For such a small state (just 1,200 square miles), Rhode Island has an amazing number of different hikes with a wide range of terrains, wildlife, histories and glacial features.

Here are a few of my favorites that I’ve explored while writing the “Walking Rhode Island” column that are good options for summertime.

Enjoy!

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The Falls River tumbles over Stepstone Falls in Exeter, dropping 10 feet over a terrace of flat stones – some natural and some man-made from a quarrying operation – to create a cascade of splashing water. The white spray from the falls sparkles in the summer sunshine.

You can reach the falls by driving down Falls River Road, but it’s more fun to hike upstream on the Ben Utter Trail. You’ll be rewarded with a relaxing rest stop on the smooth, stone landings on the banks of the river.

Hundreds of migratory birds stop at the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown on their flights up and down the East Coast. You can spot and hear a wide variety of colorful songbirds and seabirds in the inland thickets and along the rocky shore while walking on a wide, flat path that rims a crescent-shaped beach. The waves crashing on the rocky coast are a bonus.

If you visit, don’t miss the white board at the end of the trail where visitors list dozens of birds they have identified while walking in the preserve.

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Cow Pond in Lincoln, nestled among low, grassy ridges on a hilltop, is a gathering spot for dogs and their owners. On summer afternoons, I’ve seen dogs splashing and cooling off in the water while their owners chat on the banks of the tiny pond.

Dog walkers, and other visitors, can take one of several old cart paths and dirt roads that cross wide-open fields and run gently uphill to the pond.

Chase Farm Conservation Park is not a dog park however, and pets have to be leashed. Any waste must be picked up and disposed of.

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Lion’s Head Gorge in Jamestown’s Beavertail State Park is a one-of-a-kind wonder, named for the crashing of waves into a high-walled cleft of rock, which sounds like a lion’s roar.

From a rocky trail that runs around the perimeter of the peninsula, walkers can view sailboats and Brenton Point in Newport across the East Passage and hidden beaches and caves along a path high above the West Passage. There’s also a panoramic view of the ocean from the rocks below an iconic lighthouse at the southern tip of the park.

A short dirt path runs down to the Branch River in North Smithfield and offers a good look at the dams built by John Slater to harness the waterpower and run what was once the largest textile mill in the United States. Another trail leads to the rebuilt Slatersville Mill, with a distinctive, five-story bell tower, that still stands at the end of a network of canals, sluice gates, raceways and bridges.

Further along the trail, you’ll find a white church, a common green, tenant houses and a commercial block of shops that in the 1800s formed the first planned mill village in America. Slatersville became a model for other mill towns and was replicated all along the Blackstone River during the Industrial Revolution.

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The wide, flat path that enters the Simmons Mill Pond Management Area in Little Compton is lined with dozens of hand-lettered signs that describe the trees, wildlife, rocks and rich history of the 433-acre preserve. It’s a special place to walk with children and grandchildren.

To extend your hike, choose from many well-marked trails that circle six ponds on the property to see an old grist mill site and a variety of birds, trees and wildlife.

Climb up a long slope to a grassy meadow at the top of Providence’s Neutaconkanut Hill (the highest point in Providence at 296 feet) and you’ll be rewarded with a sweeping view of the downtown.

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For centuries, the Narragansets held ceremonies on the hill, which became the northwest boundary of Providence under a 1636 agreement between Roger Williams and tribal leaders.

Other trails from the hilltop cross wetlands, brooks and rocky overlooks. Don’t miss the Camaros graveyard, the remains of Chevy automobiles that were stolen and stripped and are now slowly sinking into the hillside.

Ospreys, once an endangered species in Rhode Island, now nest along rivers, swamps and waterways across the state. One of the best views of the fishhawks is from an earthen dike which forms the Great Swamp in South Kingstown. The ospreys nest high atop telephone poles, and if you are lucky, you can spot one taking flight, soaring high into the clouds and then diving into the swamp to spear a fish with its talons before flying back to the nest to feed its young.

It’s a breathtaking sight.

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Rhode Island is dotted with many old family farms that offer easy walks across rolling hills, pastures and fields.

Lawton Farm in Cranston has all that plus a footbridge over Cranberry Brook, which bisects the 54-acre preserve. Visitors can choose from 30-, 60- or 90-minute walks. The longer loop follows the perimeter of the land, lined with stone walls and red maple, black walnut and beech trees, while shorter paths cross meadows, hay fields and lines of hedgerow.

The glaciers that crept down from Canada 15,000 years ago carved out Long Pond in Hopkinton. The trail, high above the southern bank of the pond, crosses a ledge and passes ice-split erratics, giving hikers a great view of the crystal-blue water.

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But the most interesting feature is at the west end of the pond where the trail climbs the rocky steps of the “Cathedral,” a natural cleft cut between high rock walls. At the top, hikers can scramble up a giant outcropping, where scenes from the movie “Moonrise Kingdom,” were filmed, for a good look at the length of the pond.

The Walking Rhode Island column runs twice a month in the Providence Sunday Journal. John Kostrzewa, a former assistant managing editor/business at The Journal, welcomes email at johnekostrzewa@gmail.com. His book, “Walking Rhode Island: 40 Hikes for Nature and History Lovers with Pictures, GPS Coordinates and Trail Maps,” is available at local booksellers and at Amazon.com.



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Rhode Island

Vote: Who Was The Top Sophomore Football Player In Rhode Island Of 2024?

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3 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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Vote: Who Was The Top Sophomore Football Player In Rhode Island Of 2024?


The 2024 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months. 

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where sophomores that saw extensive playing time come into the mix. 

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore football player of 2024? 

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomores that won going head-to-head. 

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We’ve selected 14 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. – SBLive Sports

Voting closes on January 19th, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

The sophomore quarterback this season completed 126-of-216 passes for 2,015 yards and 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

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Brown has been the next signal caller next to Husereau that’s put up some significant yardage as a sophomore, throwing for 1,139 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Robertson played just about as well as any sophomore signal caller this past season and he’s got the numbers to prove it. The sophomore finished the season completing 57-of-126 passes for 836 yards and eight touchdowns.

Medina was superb out of the backfield for Woonsocket, rushing for 833 yards on 98 carries and scoring six touchdowns.

The Cranston West running back carried the rock 63 carries for 329 yards and a touchdown. Taylor is also averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Northup-Reed was assuredly one of the state’s top sophomore receivers this past season, hauling in 39 passes for 638 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

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The Broncos’ wide receiver was stellar through the air this fall, catching 29 passes for 547 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

Lora was one of the leaders among sophomores in receiving, catching 24 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns for the state champions.

Whether it was out of the backfield or catching the ball, Lynch was solid for North Smithfield. The sophomore rushed for 141 yards on 21 carries and then hauled in 21 passes for 295 and two touchdowns.

Cavalieri was a sure fire tackler for Mt. Hope, making 102 total tackles and a sack so far this season.

The East Greenwich linebacker had a solid season in the front seven, totaling 128 tackles and two going for a loss.

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Not far off from Padula’s totals was Colucci out of the secondary, with the defensive back notching 114 tackles and picking off a pass.

The sophomore defensive back was among the leaders in the interception department, racking up three so far this season.

Tied for the lead in the interceptions department with Jackson was Nyahkoon, with the sophomore totaling three along with 22 tackles and four pass deflections.

Follow SBLive Rhode Island throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

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To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi



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Rhode Island

Meet the former R.I. lawmaker taking on Deloitte after the RIBridges cybersecurity attack – The Boston Globe

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11 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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Meet the former R.I. lawmaker taking on Deloitte after the RIBridges cybersecurity attack – The Boston Globe


Peter Wasylyk has built a nice career out of filing class-action lawsuits.

The former state representative from Providence has been the lead attorney on some of the most high-profile class-action suits in the state, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he helped clients win a $17.5 million settlement in 2005. He also helped thousands of drivers in Providence secure small refunds on their speed camera tickets in 2018.

Now Wasylyk, who held office from 1985 until he lost a Democratic primary to current Representative Ray Hull in 2010, is at the center of another high-profile class-action lawsuit. He’s working with consumers to sue Deloitte Consulting following the cyberattack on the state’s public benefits system that Governor Dan McKee disclosed last week.

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McKee has said hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders could have had their personal data exposed.

”A class-action attorney is almost enforcing regulations because it helps the consumer be able to have these larger entities comply with the regulations,” Wasylyk said this week. “It’s a good feeling [to win] for each individual because they couldn’t litigate these small claims themselves.”

In this case of the Deloitte lawsuit, Wasylyk said he was working late last Friday night when he stopped to take a break and turned on the television. He noticed that McKee was having a press conference, and tuned in. He knew immediately that he was going to be working through the weekend on a lawsuit.

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”The calls and emails haven’t stopped,” Wasylyk said.

It’s too soon to say how the case will play out, but Wasylyk said he’d like both compensation and long-term credit monitoring for anyone whose data may have been compromised.

If you were wondering, yes, class-action lawsuits can be lucrative for the attorneys, too. Wasylyk said cases can last many years, and he has to pay a lot of costs up front, but the Blue Cross settlement eventually generated millions of dollars for the lawyers involved. He was also part of a major settlement involving 84,000 retirees from Sears in 2001.

But he said it’s most rewarding to deliver for a consumer who might not have the resources to fight big companies themselves.”It sounds little, but even $25 to some people means a lot,” Wasylyk said.

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

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Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.





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High School Schedule: Scores and recaps from Thursday’s games around RI

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19 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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High School Schedule: Scores and recaps from Thursday’s games around RI


Coaches are asked to send in game results by email – pjsports@providencejournal.com – or by calling the Sports desk between 6 and 10 p.m. on weeknights, at (401) 277-7340.

▶BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

East Providence 55, Mount Pleasant 53

The Townies built enough of a lead in the first half that despite being outscored, 32-29, in the second frame, they were able to hold on to edge the Kilties. Tyler Gomez scored 15 points and Franklin Lopez added 10 more in the win. Ledell Henton and Benji Mordan topped the Kilties in scoring with 18 and 14 points, respectively, in the loss.

La Salle 78, North Kingstown 61

Nick Tarro poured in a game-high 21 points and teammates Jake Marcone had 19 and Lucas Gillis added 10 more as La Salle upended North Kingstown and moved to 3-0 on the season. Landon Boddington led the 1-1 Skippers with 17 points.

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Barrington 60, Cumberland 40

The Eagles improved their record to 2-0 in D-1 with a dominant win over the Clippers. Barrington jumped out to a 12-0 lead and were never really challenged after that. Ryan Rigamonti scored 14 of his game high 20 points in the third quarter to pace the 2-0 Eagles and Caleb Satisfield and Colin McDermott also finished in double figures with 16 and 14 points, respectively.  The Clippers were led by Ben Jahnz‘s four three pointers and 16 points and teammate Dylan Briere, who finished with 15.

Division II

Juanita Sanchez 67, Chariho 55

Robert Frazier-Robinson led all scorers with 27 points and Tyrelle Paye added 11 as the Cavaliers evened their record at 1-1 on the young season. Sean Westnedge led the Chargers with 21 points and Kian Underhill added 13 in the loss.

▶GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I/II

South Kingstown 33, Cranston East 21

Makenzie Ribeiro led the Div. I Rebels with 13 points and Abigail O’Rourke added 5 to even SK’s record at 1-1. For the Div. II Thunderbolts (0-3), Ceanaa Tuazon scored a team-high 8 points and Isabella Dupret had 7 in the loss.

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Division II

Narragansett 54, Johnston 18

Delaney Bonneau paced the Mariners with 15 points and recorded 6 rebounds and 3 steals in the win. Grace Blessing had 13 points, 8 assists and 9 boards and Brooke Caffrey added 12, as Gansett improved to 3-1. Annabella Gesualdi led the Panthers (1-3) with 9 points in the loss.

Division III

Davies 68, Times2 28

Aniyah Gomes poured in 17 points and teammates Jojo Ali and Deidra Delille scored 14 points apiece as Davies overwhelmed Times 2 in D-III contest. The Patriots’ win spoiled a solid outing by the Eagles’ Hadiya Jennings, who pumped in a game high 21 points in the loss.

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More: D-III is the biggest division in RI girls hoops. Here are 10 players you’ll need to know

▶BOYS HOCKEY

Nonleague

Ponaganset 5, Mount St Charles 5 (Tuesday)

Jake Steinkamp recorded a hat trick as Ponaganset scored twice with two minutes left to knot their nonleague contest with Mounties. Brennan Printer and Cody Sabatos also scored for the Chieftains. In net, Ponaganset goalies AJ Murgida and Rootie Boisvert made 15 saves apiece. (No stats were provided for Mount St. Charles.)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Mount St. Charles at Juanita Sanchez, 6 p.m.

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Portsmouth at Hendricken, 6:30 p.m.

Times2 vs. St. Patrick at RI School for the Deaf, 7 p.m.

Coventry at Westerly, 7 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bay View at St. Raphael, 3:45 p.m.

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Central at PCD, 4:30 p.m.

Juanita Sanchez vs. Moses Brown at Wheeler School, 5:30 p.m.

Scituate vs. Rogers at the Martin Recreation Center, 5:30 p.m.

Paul Cuffee/St. Patrick at Mount Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Shea/Tolman at Classical, 6 p.m.

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Westerly at Portsmouth, 6:30m p.m.

Coventry at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

Achievement First at Burrillville, 6:30 p.m.

Hope at Prout, 6:30 p.m.

Ponaganset at Barrington, 7 p.m.

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Cranston West at La Salle, 7 p.m.

South Kingstown at North Kingstown, 7 p.m.

Cumberland at East Greenwich, 7 p.m.

Tiverton at Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Middletown at Exeter-West Greenwich, 7 p.m.

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BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Pilgrim vs. Moses Brown at Thayer Arena, 3:45 p.m.

Portsmouth vs. Ponaganset at Levy Arena, 5 p.m.

South Kingstown/Westerly vs. Narragansett/Chariho at Boss Arena, 6:30 p.m.

Coventry/Johnston vs. Cumberland at Lynch Rink, 7 p.m.

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Barrington at Burrillville, 7 p.m.

Smithfield vs. Hendricken at Thayer Arena, 7:15 p.m.

West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich vs. East Greenwich/Toll Gate at Benny Magiera Rink, 8 p.m.

Rogers Co-op vs. North Kingstown at Boss Arena, 8:15 p.m.

Prout vs. La Salle at Smithfield Rink, 8:30 p.m.

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GIRLS ICE HOCKEY

Smith/Cov/MB vs.TG/Pilgrim at Thayer Arena, 5:30 p.m.

East Bay Co-Op at Cranston Co-Op at Cranston Vets, 8:10 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

PCD vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

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GIRLS SWIMMING

Smithfield vs. BVP/CF at MacColl YMCA, 4:30 p.m.

Toll Gate vs. Tolman/Shea/St. Pats at Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, 5 p.m.

PCD/St. Rays vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

Mt. Hope vs. Burrillville at Smithfield YMCA, 6:15 p.m.

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BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.



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