The Preservation Society of Newport County has announced some upcoming events  for the 2013 season at the various mansions. Please see their website  for additional details and additional events. If you’re staying at The Spring Seasons Inn, please be sure to ask about promotions we may have with the Preservation Society.

March 30 – Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch

April 28 – May 1 – The Newport Symposium “Hidden Treasures”

June 13 – Annual Meeting

June 21 – 23 – Newport flower Show

July 14 – Green Animals Children’s Topiary Party

August 3 – Summer Masked Venetian Ball

August 6 – An Evening in Honor of John G. Winslow

August 30 – September 2 – Newport Mansions Stores Member’s Sale

September 20 – 22 – Wine & Food Festival

November 24 – January 1 Christmas at the Newport Mansions

December 21 – Dinner Dance at The Breakers

www.newportmansions.org

Cassie was almost 15 years old when she took her own life the day after Christmas, 2005. I first met Cassie when I was assigned to tutor her oldest brother Dan while he was home from school. While I knew Dan from school, this was the first time that I had met Cassie and her family. Cassie was about five or six years old then and she was so exited to show me her litter of new kittens. Since that time I was fortunate to watch Cassie grow into the fine your lady that she was turning out to be. She had so much potential and I always enjoyed seeing her and her brothers in school or when I stopped by their farm.  Sadly, that all changed on December 26, 2005.

What we can do at this time is to support the Duncan family in their efforts to raise awareness of mental illness by taking part in this race. If you are a runner or a walker, participating in this race/walk through scenic Richmond, Rhode Island will do much to help spread the word. I have attached a PDF version of the race application form. Please feel free to download it or share it with others who might be interested. When you meet the Duncan family, you’ll come to love them as I have over the past fifteen years. Race Application.

Please use this link to vote Newport, Rhode Island the Happiest Seaside Town in America! The results will be published in the June, 2013 issue which goes on sale May 17th.  We’ll be glad you did and so will you when you visit the City by the Sea, Newport, Rhode Island.

Some of the scheduled events include the Chili Cook-Off, a Children’s Fair, a Chicken Wing Cook-Off and a special concert by the cast of BeatleMania.

Portions of the proceeds of the Newport WInter Festival benefit local charities. For times and events, please see www.newportevents.com/winterfest/

Greenvale will host live music by Dick Lupino on bass and vocals, Mike Renzi on piano, and Vin Pagano on drums. They will be performing their holiday album, “December Songs”.  In addition, the celebration will include walking tours, local food samplings, and mulled wine, along with tastings of Greenvale Vineyards’ award winning, estate grown wines!

Greenvale Vineyards is located at 582 Wapping Road in Portsmouth, along the Sakonnet River. This historic property produces approximately 3,500 cases of wine each year from twenty four acres of vines, which include Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Cayuga, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.  All the wines are made from estate grown, hand-harvested grapes.  The Tasting Room is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, with tours daily at 2:00 p.m. or by appointment. For further information, call (401) 847-3777 or visit us online at www.greenvale.com.

Shop Small and Receive $25

Celebrate Small Business Saturday on November 24, 2012 along with independently owned businesses throughout the country and American Express will give you a $25 credit on your account.

Small Business Saturday is a day for everyone to support the millions of small businesses that invigorate the economy and keep communities thriving. It began in 2010 when American Express founded Small Business Saturday to help small businesses get more exposure just prior to one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Last year, over 100 million people came out to shop at independently-owned small businesses on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Now, in its third year, Small Business Saturday will be even bigger.

To receive a $25 credit on your statement, enroll your card at www.shopsmall.com and then use your American Express card at The Spring Seasons Inn to reserve a room, pay a balance or use it in the Tea Room to pay for High Tea or Tea gifts. And if you are not visiting The Spring Seasons Inn, there are plenty of great small businesses where you can use your card. In order to receive the credit, you must enroll and use use your AMEX card on Saturday, November 24th, 2012. Don’t miss out on the fantastic opportunity!

Here at the Spring Seasons Inn we had no damage and only lost power for about two and a half hours so we were lucky. We are open for business and there is always something going on here in Newport. We are open year round so come and plan your stay in Newport with us.

Ellison hired Newport architect Richard Grovesnor to reconstruct and restore the mansion to the way it looked when Richard Morris Hunt restored it in 1881. Along with the purchase of the Beechwood Mansion, two other properties north of the mansion were acquired and will be torn down and reconstructed due to the amount of work that needed to be done. When all is said and done, the Beechwood mansion will house Ellison’s collection in the large rooms on the first floor, while the second and third floor will be used for his residence. When Mr. Ellison is not in residence, the second floor will be opened to display his art in a residence setting and will be one of the finer mansions in Newport. With the amount of work that is being put into the mansion, this may become one or the more popular mansions to see on Newport’s fabled Bellevue Avenue.