Welcome to Newport…
… and the 28th and final printed issue of the Newport Harbor Guide under our management.
While our website will stay active with articles going back to 2010, the future of the magazine is uncertain. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope the following words from the convocation of the Schooner Bill of Rights will inspire someone to take over publishing this challenging, entertaining and worthwhile endeavor.
Fifty years ago in Bristol, Maine, Reverend Whitmore E. Beardsley of Park Place Congregational Church in Pawtucket, RI, announced, “I have been asked to dedicate this ship and the symbols with which she is adorned. However, it seems to me that we should dedicate ourselves to the ideals for which she was built. The meaning of her name, Bill of Rights, is self-evident, the upholding of that meaning is our duty.
Her colors, again, speak for themselves, for they are our national colors. The trailing branches with oak leaves and acorns remind us of the white oak from which her timbers were made, strong and resilient. Instead of a figure-head, she bears a shield, with our nation’s colors, and four stars representing the four members of the Davis family. The fouled anchor speaks of persistence in difficulties, and her motto, Fortuna Audentes Iuvat (fortune favors the bold), reminds us that boldness as well as persistence is asked of us.
So as the Bill of Rights is launched, let us remember the challenge to us: To uphold freedom for all, to be strong in times of testing, to be persistent in tribulations, and to be bold and venturesome in behalf of those things we hold dear.” (March 17, 1971)
More of the Bill of Rights story and her crew follows in these pages. As for the Harbor Guide, I have been equally blessed with a great crew. They include Gayle Bordlemay, designer, and Charlotte Johnson, who does everything else. Sincere thanks to Onne van der Wal and Billy Black for their photo contributions that make each issue sparkle, and to our long-time writers, Anita Rafael and Andrea McHugh who keep you reading to the very end. Most of all, we thank our consistent advertisers without whom we couldn’t publish each year, so please let them know you saw their ad in the Newport Harbor Guide.
I hope you enjoy your time in Newport and surrounding areas and that you feel free to send me a note when you can.
Capt. J.M. Davis, Jr., Publisher