Newport County Highlights: Gaines Awarded, Secret Garden Seeks Volunteers
Community news from Newport County covers awards, charity vehicles, leadership changes and volunteer needs. Events include a March St. Patrick’s Day parade and a June garden tour.
Downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The parade marched through downtown on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Spectators braved blustery weather and wore green bead necklaces.
Jo Eva Gaines Honored
The Rhode Island Foundation presented its 2026 Black History Month Award to Jo Eva Gaines. Gaines Awarded recognition applauded her leadership in local education.
Gaines has served as a classroom teacher and as Director of Guidance for Middletown Public Schools. She also sat on the Newport School Committee and the R.I. Association of School Committees.
She currently serves on the R.I. Board of Education. Her community roles include membership in Delta Sigma Theta and the Women’s Newport League.
Gaines has served on the boards of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Big Sisters R.I. She also served on the R.I. School Building Task Force led by Seth Magaziner.
Her honors include the NAACP Outstanding Educator Award, the Howard Kay Award, and the Paul Crowley Award.
West Place Receives Customized Defender
West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton won a customized Defender 130 in the 2025 Defender Service Awards. The award was presented by CHASE at Land Rover Warwick.
The Defender 130 seats up to eight people and offers 88.9 cubic feet (2,156 liters) of load capacity. Winners received personalized wraps, purpose-built accessories, and a $30,000 grant.
Six organizations received Defender 130 vehicles to support their charitable missions. Wendy Taylor, West Place founder and executive director, said the vehicle will increase visibility and care for overlooked animals.
Boys Town New England Names New Executive Director
Boys Town New England promoted Marcy Shyllon from interim to executive director. She brings more than two decades of child welfare and juvenile justice experience.
Shyllon began at Boys Town in 2006 as a Youth Care Worker in Philadelphia. She relocated to New England in 2008 and advanced through multiple leadership roles.
Her accomplishments include tripling the Foster Care Program and launching the LIFT program. For eight years she served as Senior Director of Program Operations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
She served as interim executive director beginning in September 2025. The organization credits her with steady leadership through a transition period.
Volunteer Call: Secret Garden Tour
The Newport Secret Garden Tour seeks volunteers for weekend tours on June 26–28. Tours run daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the city’s historic Point Section.
Secret Garden Seeks Volunteers who will serve as garden hosts. Each garden usually has two hosts per three-hour shift.
Shifts are 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Volunteers receive a free weekend ticket to visit all twelve gardens.
To sign up, visit the short registration link at https://buff.ly/48AaQmO. Additional information is available at secretgardentours.org.
Follow-up
Filmogaz.com will continue to track local stories and community events. Check back for updates and more Newport County coverage.
