Runners Mark Your Calendars For The Deerfoot 5K
When: Saturday, April 20 at 9 a.m.
Where: Ninigret Park
What: A 5K to commemorate Deerfoot (Tarzan Brown)
Cost: $25 – Link to register in post
Charlestown Rhode Island
Should Giant Troll Be Seated On A World War II-Era Landfill?
The Corps advised that the town coordinate with the Army Corps throughout the Ninigret Park planning processes, and should either of the troll statues require any soil disturbance below the ground surface, the Town should perform that work with full-time oversight by a munitions professional and perform soil testing to properly characterize and manage the disturbed soil.
Army Corps Presentation On Contamination And Remediation Of Ninigret Park
The Army Corps is investigating areas of Ninigret Park and the National Wildlife Refuge to understand the nature and extent of chemicals of potential concern and munitions and explosives of concern relating to former Department of Defense operations at the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field. Video of meeting in the post.
Join Save The Bay In A Cleanup Of Charlestown Beach
When: Saturday, March 30, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Beach
Help keep Charlestown Town Beach clean! Shoreline trash is ugly and dangerous to wildlife, and shoreline cleanups are a great way for volunteers to make a difference.
Charlestown Has Grown 11 Times Faster Than The State Yet The State Says We Must Grow Faster
Rhode Island’s shortage of housing that is affordable is blamed on decades of insufficient home construction. While that may be true generally for the state, home construction has proceeded apace in Charlestown. Between 1970 and 2020, Rhode Island’s population grew from 946,725 to 1,097,379 – a 15.9% increase in population. In those same decades, Charlestown’s population grew from 2,863 to 7,997 – a 179% increase.
New Rail Study Raises New Fears
“Because they had such a failed public process before, and because what they proposed was so devastating to the environment, historic resources, to people’s homes, they ought to want to start with a really open process, because people will assume that they don’t have any other ideas, because I’ve only heard of two, and one has been taken off the table. So if they have another idea, no one knows what it is, and the people in the path of that other idea ought to know, too.”
Legislative Hearing To Put Conservation Back Into State Green Bond
When: Wednesday, March 6 at 4 p.m.
Where: Room 35 – State House
Why: Let the legislature know you support House Bill 7550 which would return money for land preservation to conserve important landscapes, watersheds, and farms to the “Green Bond” that will be on the 2024 state-wide general election ballot. Attend the hearing in person, or send written testimony.
Chariho 2025 Budget Hearing
What: The public hearing on the Chariho Regional School District’s 2024-2025 budget
When: Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Chariho Middle School Auditorium
Why: The public hearing will concern the proposed school budget for the 2024–2025 budget year and any and all other business that may be lawful at said meeting.
Details in this post …
Why Do Some Chariho Grads Not Support Our Schools?
I am constantly amazed at the lack of fealty demonstrated by some acknowledged graduates of Chariho High School to their alma mater. They are a subset that proudly proclaim that they graduated from Chariho as they propose to cut the school system’s budget, programs and staff.
Electronics Recycling Drop Off
When: Saturday, March 2, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Mini Super, 4071 Old Post Road, Charlestown
Why: Indie Cycle is offering this great opportunity to dispose of your unwanted electronics that can be either recycled, reused or refurbished.
Open Seat On Town Council Will Be Filled By Vote Of Remaining Members
The Charter presents the Town Council with three options: leave the position vacant, hold a special election to let voters decide, or appoint someone to fill the position. The Council has chosen to fill the position as soon as possible and decided against holding a special election. The members of the Town Council will, therefore, vote to appoint Councilor Klinger’s successor. Anyone who wants to submit an application for the empty seat must do so by March 1.
DEM To Conduct Prescribed Burns At Great Swamp & Carolina Management Areas
The Carolina Management Area forms part of the northern boundary of Charlestown and the Great Swamp Management Area is partially inside Charlestown on the eastern edge of town. Prescribed, or planned, burning is a tool that natural resources managers use for maintaining habitat diversity and to protect communities from extreme fires by reducing hazardous natural fuels.
Keep The Focus On Government Officials’ Actions Not Their Unknowable Motivations
When government officials make decisions that seem to serve a minority interest or that do not seem to serve the interest of the public, it is not unusual for members of the public to assume a corrupt influence. That is an unfortunate distraction because it moves the public’s focus away from what government officials are doing to their often-unknowable motivation for doing it.
Rhode Island Poised to Take Early Role on High-Speed Rail Study
CHARLESTOWN — Years after a proposed “Kenyon to Old Saybrook” high-speed-rail bypass through areas like the historic district of Old Lyme and and Stonington’s Olde Mistick Village sparked public outcry in Connecticut, few realize the pivotal role that Charlestown played in stopping the plan, or at least delaying it until now. Story at CT Examiner.
Cotter’s Bill Would Replace Money Left Out Of State Budget For Land Preservation
A bill introduced by Rep. Megan Cotter, D-Exeter, would inject $16 million into this year’s Green Economy Bond to fund four separate programs to protect land from development and provide a healthy boost for the state’s environment. The bill already has more than 30 co-sponsors and bi-partisan support. Story at ecoRI.
Removing Local Control Removes Common Sense
Charlestown’s Zoning Ordinance contained a simple and fair method of determining setbacks for substandard lots. Replacing that with the state mandated formula will result in nonsense calculations, an increase in neighbor conflicts and a decrease in public safety.
Charlestown Wastewater Management Year In Review
Charlestown’s Wastewater Management Ordinance was first enacted in 1994. It was opposed by some as an invasion of privacy and a taking of property rights. Over time, most residents have recognized the importance of clean drinking water and a protected environment and now accept that they need to maintain and sometimes replace their septic systems.
Your Donation Works To Protect Charlestown’s Rural Character, Environment, Economy, Tax Rate, and Future
Charlestown Citizens Alliance is proud to be supported by the residents of Charlestown and those who love our town. When you support CCA, you support an organization that has been, for over 17 years, dedicated to civil and open government and to preserving and protecting those assets that make Charlestown such a unique and treasured place to live.
Bard AI Refuses To Make A Realistic Image Of High Speed Rail Destruction
Ruth Platner: “I asked Bard to make some images that combined high-speed trains with some of the destruction the new route would create such as the permanent fragmentation of 1,800 acres of permanently protected open space, but Bard refused to create such disturbing images. If these images violate the ethics of a robot, why are they okay to make a reality in Charlestown!?”
Eastern CT And Southern RI Left Out Of Meeting On High-Speed-Rail
The on-going “New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study” will recommend a new off-corridor route that meets goals for time and capacity included in the 2017 NEC Future Record of Decision. Whether that means a return to the idea of a bypass, such as the controversial route previously planned through Charlestown, or a direct inland route between Hartford and Providence is not yet clear, although a recent interview with Congressman Joe Courtney hinted that the direct inland route may already be off the table.
Conversation About Emerging Plans To Again Route New Rails Through Southern RI
CT Examiner editor Gregory Stroud shares information about current planning for high-speed rail in the northeast, including how the decisions made might affect southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. This 52-minute video is a refresher on the past flawed federal process and provides information about the “New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study” that began in November.
Governor McKee’s Proposed Budget Has No Money For Land Conservation
This year’s state Green Bond has no funding for: the State Open Space program; the Local Open Space grant program; Farmland Protection; or Forest Conservation. Please contact your state legislators and let them know that you are concerned about the lack of land and water conservation funding in the Green Bond. Links in post.
Chariho 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan
The Chariho School District has created an 18 page FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document explaining in detail the proposal to build three new elementary schools in each one of the Chariho towns (Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton).
A Fundamental Change In Charlestown
There is now additional evidence that the current Town Council majority favors development and an increase in the density of that development. What will remain at risk is the degradation of our groundwater (the sole source of our drinking water), unhealthy freshwater and saltwater ponds, and ultimately an increase in our tax rate when these negative environmental effects need to be mitigated.
Charlestown Named The Most Charming Small Town In Rhode Island
The travel magazine Afar has named Charlestown the most charming small town in Rhode Island. They describe Charlestown as “a town best known for its golden-sand beaches, hiking and biking trails, and the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, a magnet for migratory birds.”
Single Family Zoning Ends In Charlestown (Updated)
UPDATE: Although the Town Council did not make the changes the Planning Commission had strongly advised to limit ADUs to year-round use and to limit lot size, the Zoning Office is interpreting the ordinance in a way that does limit ADUs to year-round use and does limit the lot size to 20,000 square feet for non-family ADUs. There is still no minimum lot size for family ADUs. We have updated this post to reflect the Zoning Office’s January 25 memo.
Allen’s Cove-Eastern Ninigret Pond Pilot Watershed Project
When: Thursday, January 25, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Online ZOOM Meeting – register at this link
Staff from the Town of Charlestown and its partners at URI, the Salt Ponds Coalition, and Save the Bay are working to protect water quality in and around Greater Allen’s Cove and Eastern Ninigret Pond through grant funded septic system replacements, stormwater management improvements, water quality monitoring, and community engagement.
Charlestown Town Council Characterizes Information As Lies And Ignores Preferences Of Residents
Charlestown once rejected partisan divisions and, in turn, enjoyed a decade of smooth, open, good, and responsive government that provided low taxes and good schools while maintaining a high quality of life. Now, the current Town Council characterizes information as lies and is ignoring the preferences of residents expressed in the 2021 Community Survey.
Winter Is A Great Time To Explore Charlestown’s Open Space
There are great health benefits, for body and soul, when connecting with nature, and winter is one of the most beautiful times to hike in Charlestown. We are so lucky to live in Charlestown, where we have access to the Pawcatuck River, ponds, parks and public open space located throughout our town.
Ring In New Year With Bonfire And Then Stars In Ninigret Park
Bonfire
When: Sunday, December 31st at 5:00 p.m. (food trucks begin at 3:00 p.m.)
Where: Ninigret Park
Stargazing
When: Sunday, December 31st from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park