Tom Gentz: “Thank you CCA for good judgment, sound values, a low tax rate, and for protecting the rural character of Charlestown”

The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is reprinted here with permission of the author Tom Gentz. Mr. Gentz is a past President of the Charlestown Town Council.

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Whether on the Charlestown Town Council, Planning and School committees, or as Town Moderator, CCA-endorsed officials have formulated policies consistent with our rural character and have brought respectful discussion to those debates in which they themselves disagreed. They have not always voted in unison, and the CCA Steering Committee has always supported worthy candidates without a litmus test for specific positions.

Candidates endorsed by the CCA and elected by voters protected farm land, homes, open space, and tribal land from the Federal Railroad Administration’s plan for a high-speed train that never mentioned Charlestown. CCA officials led the fight almost single handedly for Rhode Island and had public meetings at the Charlestown Elementary School and the Rhode Island State House. They met with Senators Reed and Whitehouse, Representative Langevin, Governor Raimondo, and many Rhode Island state staff members. CCA-elected officials attended a rally in Mystic, Connecticut, and testified at numerous Rhode Island Senate Finance meetings. CCA leaders invested thousands of hours of preparation time to execute this successful campaign against the high-speed train.

Invenergy’s plan to truck water for a gas and diesel powered plant in Burrillville ranked as another of the more harmful attacks on our rural character. Again, CCA candidates you elected spearheaded the opposition with a public meeting at the Charlestown Elementary School. The need for officials endorsed by CCA was never more apparent, as the line of outsiders wishing to disrupt our rural community seemed unending. This year, the permits for a Dollar General Store drew an outcry from neighbors and local businesses. Countless plans beyond the imagination for unwieldy development have a history of popping up.

CCA-endorsed candidates brought state-mandated affordable housing to fruition in ChurchWoods, Edwards Lane, and Shannock Village Cottages – attractive housing that is in character with Charlestown’s rural way of life. They provided an alternative for single use plastic bags and successfully implemented a state-sponsored program to support rooftop solar on homes.

They improved facilities at Ninigret Park, Columbia Heights, and the elementary school. In Ninigret Park for example, they enhanced signage, upgraded playground equipment, and installed tennis and basketball courts, a multipurpose path, and a dual zip line that can be used by older children and those of all abilities.

Through a major grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and with consistent educational efforts, Charlestown stands at the forefront in Rhode Island in working to reduce nitrates in residents’ drinking water and salt ponds. CCA-supported grants have helped maintain and dredge the salt ponds and have assisted those in the flood plain reduce insurance costs.

This list is long but not all-inclusive. Visit the CCA website at www.charlestowncitizens.org to learn more about the candidates CCA endorses and its mission. CCA’s candidates are uniquely positioned to represent the best interests of all Charlestown residents. CCA respectfully requests that you vote for all CCA-supported candidates in November.