Dan Lederer
I’m not sure if it makes me a nerd or not (or if people actually call people nerds anymore), but when I see a Rhode Island question pop up on Jeopardy! , I get excited.
It makes me feel like we’re getting a celebrity shoutout. It’s a feeling of pride, recognition and even respect. Last week, while “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker was guest hosting, Rhody made an appearance on the board: This single optimistic word is the official state motto of Rhode Island. Say it with me now: What is Hope? (It stumped all three contestants who, I’m sure, are regretting not brushing up on their Rhode Island history).
Built in 1914, the Historic Davenport has survived the 1918 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Author: Morgan Trau (KREM) Updated: 7:11 PM PST March 12, 2021
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. The hospitality industry has been crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some hotel staff saying they don t understand how they were able to survive this year. Downtown Spokane s Historic Davenport leaders said the past year has been hard, but this is not the first pandemic they ve faced.
The Davenport Hotel opened in 1914, just four years before the 1918 influenza pandemic. Director of Marketing Matt Jensen said the building has seen a lot. It s seen a pandemic, it s already survived one, Jensen said. So we re just happy to be able to survive [COVID-19].
Newport Daily News
NEWPORT Although the staff at OceanCliff Resort had decorated the ballroom with white table cloths, delicate flower bouquets, ornate dining chairs and a marble wedding cake, no one on Tuesday was getting married. Instead, the setup is a part of an ongoing effort to reopen Rhode Island’s struggling wedding industry.
“The biggest thing is keeping people safe, but letting people be able to celebrate again, and also putting people back to work,” said Luke Renchan, a spokesman for The Rhode Island Coalition of Wedding and Event Professionals. “Some of these couples have postponed their wedding three times because of a lot of these heavy restrictions. It s just a matter of showing what we can do to keep people safe and keep them in a structured environment.”