Reflecting on all the good that happened this year - by Scott Avedisian

Scott Avedisian, Mayor of Warwick

November is here and just as quickly as the leaves are falling from the trees, the holiday season will soon be upon us. As the last of the autumn colors fade into winter whites, there’s still time to enjoy the fall season here in the Ocean State. As we begin to think about the start of a new year, we would be remiss if we didn’t stop to reflect on all the good that’s happened this year.

Warwick celebrated record-breaking summer season in our hotels. From June to August our hotels saw an 86% occupancy rate – and on Fridays and Saturdays in August that number reached an all-time high of 96%. These numbers are indeed a reflection of our hoteliers, who make customer service and quality a top priority. The Holiday Inn Express on Jefferson Blvd. is a perfect example. In May the hotel underwent a $4 million renovation. All the guest rooms, as well as event spaces and the hotel’s great room were remodeled. I am thrilled that so many people consider Warwick their go-to location that is both centrally located and an affordable destination.

Contributing to the record-breaking hotel occupancy numbers was the new airline service that flew into Warwick this summer. Condor Airlines made their maiden voyage into TF Green back in June. The German Airline provided the first ever international flights from Germany to Warwick, allowing travelers to take direct flights into Frankfurt. The seasonal service helped fuel our local tourism industry, as well as job creation. Condor’s service is scheduled to start back up again in June and run through September. Flights will be available on Mondays and Thursdays. It’s such an exciting time in Warwick and Rhode Island as we enter this new travel phase.

Work on TF Green Airport also continues to advance. With construction well underway traffic patterns are beginning to change. As work to lengthen the main runway continues, Main Avenue has begun its relocation process. Some roads have been reconfigured; while some neighborhood cross-streets have been closed. Residents are encouraged to use alternate routes such as Buttonwoods Ave. or West Shore Rd. intersections to access Main Ave. More road closures will take place in order to simplify traffic patterns and accommodate the new 3,400 foot of road which will be 4-lanes wide with sidewalks on each side.

The girls of Apponaug Softball League said goodbye to their beloved Winslow Park this summer. The field, which was relocated as part of the expansion process, was closed in June. The girls, along with the Warwick Firefighters Soccer, relocated to a brand new facility in the middle of July. The new park includes 4 softball fields, 2 practice and 3 regulation soccer fields, a new concession stand and playground, as well as new parking lots.

Projects throughout the city continue to take shape and offer our residents and visitors new and improved services. As 2015 approaches its final descent I can’t help but smile when I think about the new heights we reached this year.

Scott Avedisian is the mayor of Warwick and the chairman of the RIPTA board of directors.