In the News

Oakland Beach & Surburban Ave Clean up

Angela Stamoulos is dedicated to the revitalization of public areas in Oakland Beach. She and neighbors Heather Manchester and Beth White are leading the Oakland Beach Revival Society in projects focused on beautifying the neighborhood.

The Oakland Beach Revival Society, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was formed this year by neighbors wanting to improve the visual appeal of Oakland Beach’s public areas. On Oct. 4-5, neighbor volunteers joined forces to clean up the landscaped medians at the intersection of Oakland Beach Avenue and Suburban Parkway

CCRI students craft new logo for OB Revival Society

During the fall semester, a graphic design class from the Community College of Rhode Island partnered with the Oakland Beach Revival Society to establish a visual identity for the nonprofit neighborhood association. The student group was tasked with designing a logo that reflects the unique elements of the Oakland Beach area and waterfront community. After a comprehensive five-week development period, the team created a logo that combined three distinct visuals into a single mark: a quahog representing the local shell fishing industry, a swan referencing the local wildlife and a wave to symbolize the abundant coastline.

Oakland Beach neighbors paint with pride for community

At the turn of the century, Warwick’s Oakland Beach shimmered in 20th century seaside glamour. 

Connected to major regional cities through the New York, Providence & Boston Railroad network, the Rhode Island village bubbled in resort activity akin to nearby Newport. The town’s wax museum, roller coaster, bowling alley, dance hall, theater, arcade, carousel, restaurants, and hotels colored the neighborhood in vacation magic. 

But over a century later, when Rhode Islander Angela Stamoulos fell in love with the area and bought a house in 2012, the beach’s reputation had changed dramatically. 

“People were all like, ‘Are you crazy?,’” she said. Her friends and family were shocked. 

To combat these types of reactions, she helped form the Oakland Revival Society, a 503c nonprofit created by neighbors. The group works to rebuild and beautify. Now counting over 400 members in its Facebook group, the Society is at work on a new project beautifying Oakie’s convenience store located on Oakland Beach Ave. 

Stamoulos says the work is part of a greater philosophy guiding their action called the “broken window theory”, which suggests that visible signs of disorder in a neighborhood signal a lack of respect for the area to visitors and residents – triggering a cycle of neglect.

 The team is in the process of repairing and repainting the external walls of this central neighborhood spot, with plans to cover both sides of the building in murals that celebrate Warwick’s rich history. 

The goal is “signaling to people, there are people that live here, that care about this area, and respect it,” explains Stamoulos. “And as a visitor, you have to respect it too.”

Painter Mike Daniels grew up at Oakland Beach, and volunteers his time a few days a week to repaint the building and prepare it for its murals. He hopes his efforts will make a difference in the community he loves, so that kids growing up here now have a “little market like this one” to grab milk and bread at like he did.

“A lot of people just drive by and they'll look at it and complain about it,” he says. “These days I think it doesn't take much to just say, do you need help?” 

And the help is welcome for Oakie’s owner Sarfaraz Nawaz, who says rising costs have made projects like building improvements difficult to consider for many small business owners.

“It was just too expensive. It’s not the materials, the problem is the labor,” he says. 

In the coming weeks, the group’s executive board, Heather Manchester, Beth White, and Angela Stamoulos, will collaborate with three local artists (Hollie Morenzi, Kevin Coleman, and Danielle Parsons) to complete a mural on each side of Oakie’s that captures the beach town as seen on 20th century postcards.

 With each brush stroke, organizers hope the project sends a simple message: Oakland Beach is a community worth investing in.

 “What better way to connect the old grandeur with the future,” Stamoulos said.