Downtown Planning Initiative Has Busy Calendar

Volunteer members of the Downtown Planning Initiative (DPI), will be handing out their just-printed East Greenwich brochure at Thursday’s Main Street Stroll, members discussed at its meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall.

The brochure, touting things to see and do in town, has also been distributed to state visitor centers and placed in a number of business locations.

Chairman Doug Truesdell, who represents the DPI on the Odeum Board, reported that Odeum board members would also be out for the Main Street Stroll with information on seat sponsorships, which are available for $150 each.

Truesdell said the Odeum board is finalizing the list of everything that needs to be accomplished to become code compliant so it will have an accurate total of the amount of money needed. That information will be a key component in the approach to potential corporate contributors which is getting under way.

Sept. 24 has been set as the date for the second annual community movie night at Academy Field, with Sept. 25 as a rain date.

DPI is also partnering with the Lions Club to revive a fall road race.  The Hill and Harbor Turkey Trot is on schedule for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Looking to the future, committee members discussed how the community could better commemorate the town's heritage as the birthplace of the Continental Navy and decided to investigate the possibility of a spring festival.

The committee also discussed its own future, discussing whether the goal of enhancing town life will continue to work best under the wing of town government or whether it could accomplish more as an independent nonprofit.

Truesdell said he will be looking at similar committees in other communities and investigating requirements for nonprofits.