The Narragansett Elementary School just held its annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser this past week, right before vacation. The event is held to help raise money for the American Heart Association while educating students about the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle. The students are divided into four different areas where they try out different jump rope styles. NES students have been learning about healthy living in Health and Physical Education classes taught by NES Physical Education and Health teachers Mary Beth Marcotte, Paul McCaffrey and Holly Grennan. Third …

The Narragansett Elementary School Winter Concert was held this past Thursday to great acclaim, and thankfully this year, on the original schedule date.  The concert was split into two separate performances this year, with the NES Strings playing at 6:30 p.m. and the NES Band and Chorus at 7:30 p.m. The string portion of the evening consisted of violin, viola and cello players from the second, third, fourth grade under the direction of Emily Chen. The band and chorus consisted of third and fourth graders under the direction of Mike Andrea. Both performances played to a packed house.

BARRINGTON – The Narragansett High School varsity girls’ swimming team is still looking for its second win of the year, although it’s getting closer with each attempt. In the Mariners’ (1-4-1, 1-4-1 Division I) most recent meet Tuesday night, they were edged 50-44 by the Barrington Eagles (3-2, 3-2 Division I) at the Bayside Family YMCA. For a full score box score from The Providence Journal, click here. Event winners for the Mariners were Danielle Whitaker (100 breaststroke), Angelica Spinazzola (100 butterfly and 200 IM), Bianca Spinazzola (200 and 500 freestyle). The Mariners also won the …

In accordance with one of the New Years many time honored traditions, hundreds gathered at Narragansett Beach the morning of Jan. 1, 2012 to take a dive into the bay. The unseasonably warm day, with air temperatures in the 50s and water temperatures in the 40s, made for the perfect day to take a dip. Diehard plungers came dressed in their New Years best, with props, hats and even themed bathrobes in honor of the occasion.  At the strike of noon the dash into the water began, and while it was over shortly thereafter for some, a few hearty New Englanders stuck it out long enough to thoroughly …

Hundreds of hearty souls gathered today at the Narragansett Town Beach to participate in the Seventh Annual Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by The Lion’s Club Sunday.  The money raised from the $20 entry fees will benefit the Jonnycake Center and other local Lion’s Club charities. With unseasonable temperatures in the 50s, townies young and old donned outrageous hats and funky bathrobes, and finally unveiled all (well, except for their tropical swimwear) as they took to the icy ocean hootin' and hollerin' as they welcomed in the brand New Year all over again! Check out our photo gallery of the …

While we had two staffers at some area plunges, we realize that, heck, there were plunges going on everywhere Sunday morning! Therefore, we present the following photos, which were submitted to us by Janet Welch and Missa Lissa. You can submit your own photos with the “add photos” button on this story, or send them to Narragansett@patch.com or Stephen.greenwell@patch.com. Looking for a photo gallery of staff content? Click here!

October is the month for hayrides, pumpkin decorating and costumes, all of which could be found at Kinney Bungalow Sunday afternoon for the 15th annual Pumpkin Festival. Children were dressed in their halloween finest, from princesses to ninjas and even a turkey.  Inside the Kinney Bungalow, guests could enjoy baked goods, apple cider and the musical stylings of a live band. There were also tables lined with a variety of delicious pies from the annual pie baking contest.  The festivities continued outside where children eagerly painted dozens of pumpkins and created halloween crafts. Face …

The first five minutes and the last 10 minutes went pretty well for the Narragansett Mariners football squad vs. the Division II Chariho Chargers on Friday night. Unfortunately though, they did play those other 33 minutes, and the end result was a 37-21 Chariho win. Narragansett (0-1) took an early 7-0 lead, on a touchdown pass from Mark Griffith to senior wide receiver Steve Smith. However, Chariho scored the next 31-0 points, picking off a pass and forcing a fumble in the first half to keep control of the game. The lone bright spot for the Mariners after the first quarter came with both …

Some shots of Hurricane Irene from Fort Wetherill State Park and Bevertail Road in Jamestown. For our previous photo gallery, click here.

Sick of Irene yet? I kind of am. I'm over this whole "not having power" thing as well. However, here are some of the photos I took while out and about after the brunt of the storm yesterday. Most of these were taken between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., after winds died down, but before there were the insane driving conditions of no traffic lights on major roads. Have your own photos you'd like to submit? You can e-mail them to stephen.greenwell@patch.com, or upload them to this story by clicking "add your own!"

Tomato Day 2011 was a smashing success this year, with about 2,000 people in attendance at the Coastal Growers Farmer's Market at Casey Farm on Saturday. Thirty varieties of Rhode Island grown tomatoes were available for tasting under the tomato tent during the event. Examples included Goldie, Black Prince, Candy Stripe, Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, Tigerella and Defiant. For those not familiar with any tomato past Beefsteak or Big Boy, there was a book on hand to peruse: The Heirloom Tomato – From Garden to Table, by Amy Goldman. Tomato Day began as a way to promote the new farmer's market …

Keep your eyes peeled to when you’re looking out at the Atlantic Ocean this week – If you’re lucky, you might spy Poseidon. In this case though, Poseidon isn’t the Greek god of the sea. He is a healthy harp seal that was released by Mystic Aquarium from Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown on Wednesday morning. Poseidon was rescued by the Maine Department of Marine Resources on May 29 in Phippsburg, Maine, after being found on the beach lethargic and having a seizure-like activity. Upon an initial exam, Poseidon had signs of dehydration and hyperthermia (body temperature of 106 degrees when 98.…

A crowd of local residents braved some intense heat on Saturday morning to turn out for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Canonchet Farm Trail. Bill Bivona of the Narragansett Tree Society did the honors, as several scouts who worked on the project looked on. Also on hand were Town Manager Grady Miller, Town Councilor Susan Cicilline-Buonanno and town officials. According to Bivona at a previous council meeting, the work by the scouts and the Narragansett Tree Society restored a previously-existing trail that had become overgrown in recent years. It is separate from any bike trail that will…

Just in time for the Fourth of July, a special American Flag hangs in the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library. This particular flag was previously flown over the United States Army's Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan on December 30, 2010.  Efforts from Narragansett Boy Scouts Troop 1, the Lions Club, and employees of Verizon made this possible beginning this past winter. With their combined efforts, 50 backpacks filled with supplies and toys for local children were sent to troops stationed in Afghanistan.  The flag they received in return for their generosity now hangs proudly from the second-…

With high goals and elevated enthusiasm, riders in the 2011 Bike MS charity race took off from the Pier School shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The sky was grey and the air was moist, but the rain held off for about 1,000 bike riders who took to the roads for the first half of their 150-mile, two-day road trip to New London’s Connecticut College and back again to Narragansett. Although there was a hard start scheduled for 8 a.m., most riders took off prior, not wanting to be in the massive start.  Got your own photos from the Bike MS race you’d like to post? Feel free to upload them!

Narrow River Preservation Association Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day, as the sun was shining and the water was semi-warm. The Narrow River was the location for the Narrow River Preservation Association 2011 Turn Around Swim. More than a hundred contestants showed to support by swimming in the mile race. Supporter David Smith said, "It’s not only a race, but it’s a great way to enjoy the river.” Supporters and fans lined the dock at the University of Rhode Island Rowing Center in North Kingstown. Kids jumped from dock to dock, climbed on the rocks and enjoyed an early morning swim. …

As the school year comes to a close, the athletic seasons for the Narragansett Pier School student athletes does too. In a ceremony at the school on Tuesday evening, 153 student athletes were honored at the Athletic Boosters Club Awards Night and the 12th Annual Katie DeCubellis Sportsmanship Award Presentation. The event kicked off with an ice cream social, complete with Brickley's Ice Cream and toppings galore. After the crowd enjoyed the variety of flavors, jimmies and gummy bears, the coaches each took to the stage to honor their team before handing out medals. The honorees represented …

A graduation ceremony full of smiles, songs, laughs, and a slide show ushered a new group of students into the ranks of Narragansett High School alumni. Looking for a story about the ceremony? Well, Brooke wrote one right here, which also has some video of the class song and other speeches. We also have a live blog from the night, which features video of the procession, several speeches and Twitter comments. A straight list of the 98 graduates, along with their honor society status, is here. And finally, there was a profile of Ana and Olivia DiPrete here, and press releases on scholarship …

The Narragansett Elementary School held its annual field day last Friday and a great time was had by all. Events included a dunk tank, walkathon, inflatables, field games,and a magician. The event is organized every year by the NES Physical Education Department.  Teachers and parent volunteers manned the various stations.

The Narragansett Elementary School students held their annual Flag Day Parade on Tuesday afternoon at Sprague Park. The event started at about 9 a.m., with students making the short march from the school to Sprague Park. Included in the march and a short ceremony were town police, fire officials and veterans. Fourth grade teacher Kathleen Ward-Bowen served as one of the organizers. Do you have your own photos from the event? Feel free to upload them, or to send them to Local Editor Stephen Greenwell at stephen.greenwell@patch.com for uploading.