Bridge demolition; RI primary battles; Paddington Bear artist: Top stories this week

Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Sept. 1 , supported by your subscriptions .

• Marinas – the main way the average Rhode Island boater accesses the water – have traditionally been independent, family-owned businesses. But that's changing in Rhode Island, with large corporations snapping up 14 marinas across the state in the last three years , driving up prices and catering to luxury yachts. What does that mean for less affluent recreational boaters and people who make a living on the water? We explain the trend and its impact on the Ocean State.
• PVDFest continues today in downtown Providence, through 8 p.m. Here's all you need to know about how to go.
• The New England Patriots begin their season on Sunday at a time of seismic change for one of the NFL's most storied franchises. Journal sports columnist Bill Koch looks at the three men tasked with turning things around after two straight regular seasons below .500. For that, plus a recap of Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla's championship reception at the State House, URI football's thrilling win over Holy Cross , and more coverage of high school and college sports , go to providencejournal.com/sports .
• These Rhode Island restaurants are gone, but their legacy lives on in chefs' secret recipes shared by food editor Gail Ciampa.

Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com :

The I-195W Washington Bridge is coming down. Here's how it'll happen and what to expect

PROVIDENCE – The asphalt surface that millions of drivers crossed on the westbound span of the Washington Bridge is being ripped off the condemned structure and dumped into trucks, marking the first stage of the demolition process .

By the end of January, the superstructure of the bridge – all of the horizontal bits that cross the river – should be gone. Of the old bridge, only the vertical supports that held the superstructure up, known as piers, will remain.

Why will it take more than four months to tear the bridge down? Will the demolition cause any new traffic disruptions ? And what's the latest on the construction of a new bridge ? Read the full story to find out.

Transportation: The I-195W Washington Bridge is coming down. Here's what to expect

Child 'fought for her life' for three days after being shot. Two men now face murder charges

PROVIDENCE – Footage from the shooting that fatally injured 7-year-old Ny'eil Pires shows two men opening fire on the girl and her family, according to a prosecutor.

Ny'eil Pires "fought for her life" at the hospital for more than three days before she died on Monday, Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl said Tuesday when the two men appeared in District Court, Providence.

Shaheem Nathaniel and Ahmari Cabrera, who were arrested on Friday, face murder charges , and the two are accused of carrying out the shooting on Florence Street in an attempt to kill Ny'eil's father , Nelson Pires.

Crime: Child 'fought for her life' for three days after being shot. Two men now face murder charges

Here are 12 General Assembly races to watch on primary day

Put the quahog rake down and pick up the little rubber-tipped ballot-signing pen: Primary day is near.

The November presidential election might seem like it's all that matters this year in politics, but there are state and local Rhode Island races to pay attention to , and many of them are decided on Tuesday, Sept. 10 .

It's true that there are fewer competitive General Assembly primaries this year than normal.

And in city halls, only the Cranston mayoral primary has been truly contentious.

But there are exceptions to every trend, and this year Cranston, Johnston and Woonsocket have some of the old-fashioned Assembly primary battles we've come to know and love .

Read the full story to catch up on a dozen Assembly contests, all Democratic primaries, that will bear watching.

Political Scene: Here are 12 General Assembly races to watch on primary day

How a RI artist came to draw one of the world's most beloved children's book characters

Journal columnist Mark Patinkin enjoys finding superstars hidden in Rhode Island . This time, it's R.W. Alley, illustrator of the beloved "Paddington Bear" children's book series .

Mark visits the creative chaos of Alley's home studio in Barrington, where his illustrations have brought Paddington to life for 25 years. Along the way, in those books and in some of his own, Alley sometimes slips in some shout-outs to Rhode Island , from a view of Middletown's Second Beach to an "I 🧡 RI" mug nestled on a shelf.

Read the full column to find out how this Annapolis, Maryland, native landed in Rhode Island and won his dream job.

Mark Patinkin: How a RI artist came to draw one of the world's most beloved children's book characters

Can you pick fruit from a neighbor's tree or public park? What RI law says about foraging

It's getting to be that time of year: Apples are growing, blackberries have ripened – and pretty soon, you'll be able to find piles of smashed, rotten, unpicked fruit on a city sidewalk or in a suburban parking lot near you.

It's hard to believe, but there are plenty of people out there who own fruit trees and never harvest the fruit. And, sadly, Rhode Island law prohibits the rest of us from helping ourselves before it goes to waste.

Whether anyone actually follows those rules or enforces them is another story, of course. But before you go foraging this fall, you might as well know what the rules say. ( Remember what happened to Dorothy when she picked apples in Oz. )

Lifestyle: Can you pick fruit from a neighbor's tree or public park? What RI law says about foraging

To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com . Find out how to subscribe here .

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bridge demolition; RI primary battles; Paddington Bear artist: Top stories this week