Marching into spring (hopefully!)

From the editor ~ March/April 2026

Dear readers,

This is technically a Spring Issue, but I have a feeling winter will still be in full swing by the time this magazine arrives in your mailbox. As I write this, my street remains unplowed from the “Blizzard of ’26,” which earlier this week brought an historic 34 inches of snow to Newport in less than 24 hours. It’s hard to imagine we’ll be seeing grass anytime soon.

We can, however, count on a sea of green sweeping the city’s streets on Saturday, March 14, when the Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns for its 70th installment. For this issue, Colin Howarth takes a look at the history of the parade — which dates back to 1842 — and talks to several locals who’ve been involved for years. It’s a must read. That story is accompanied by archive photos from Dave Hansen, who shot the parade for years as the chief photographer at The Newport Daily News. (Fun fact: Colin covered the parade as a young reporter at The Daily News, when Cathy Callahan, our copy editor, was the paper’s City Editor, and I was working on the newsroom’s Copy Desk.)

We also have the final selections of this year’s photo contest, which showcase Newport County in all its glory, in all seasons and times of day, from vantage points you’ll likely recognize. When you do venture out, whatever the conditions are, our profile subject, Meredith Ewenson, is ready to guide you to her favorite hiking trails, whether in person or via her social media recommendations.

Our food story this issue takes us to one of Newport’s most iconic and beloved institutions, the Clarke Cooke House, where Andrea McHugh sits down with longtime Chef Ted Gidley, who’s been at the helm there for 30 years and counting.

Lastly, as a lover of creative nonfiction, it’s my pleasure to share an essay by Tom Cowen, who I met several years ago when we were both students in the Newport MFA creative writing program at Salve Regina University. In the piece included here, Tom examines aspects of his life through his relationship to the Cliff Walk over the years, spanning his engagement, family trips with young children, the tragic loss of his son, enrolling in the Newport MFA, and the collapse of a portion of the walk followed by multiyear efforts to secure funding for its eventual repair.

I hope these stories get you through the rest of winter and perhaps inspire an outdoor excursion — camera in hand! — or creative writing project of your own.

Until May,

Helena

Managing Editor

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