Portsmouth This Week Interviews New Melville Campground Manager

The featured guest on last week’s edition of Portsmouth this Week was Justin May, the new manager of the town’s Melville Campground. He was interviewed by host, Doug Smith.

They discussed various topics, including Mr. May’s background in the campground business, the current status of the campground, new amenities planned for the camp, including WiFi, and the current occupancy rate.

The Melville Campground has 123 sites, making it the smallest of the three campgrounds that he and his wife, Cameron, manages, but its location on Aquidneck Island makes it especially attractive to campers.

Mr. May indicated that many weekends are already fully booked, especially those related to events on the island, such as the music festivals in Newport. He is ready to install Campground WiFi service and is currently waiting for Cox cable to provide the hookup, and also has plans for upgrades to his water, sewer and electric system. Guests at the campsites include European campers who rent an RV and travel up or down the coast.The average length of stay at the campground is 4 days, and they are open from 1 April through 1 November.

While the campers area usually focused on Newport, many are interested in local history and would patronize local restaurants and local events, such as those held frequently at Greenvale Vineyards, if they see information about them. Guests also like the adjacent Portsmouth Pond for the scenic trails and fishing. More information on the Campground is available at the Portsmouth Town Hall, the campgrounds office and on the internet at www.camprhody.com.

Portsmouth this Week (PTW) is a weekly public access program that airs on Cox channel 18 at various times. It is also available anytime on Youtube directly or through links on the Portsmouth Town website.

Next week’s PTW will feature Portsmouth police Sgt. Steven Burns te Portsmouth Harbormaster, and a member of the Portsmouth Harbor Commission discussing boating safety and local boating rule and regulations.

Check out the video below: