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
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’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’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.
When : Tuesday, February 6th at 6 p.m.
Where: Westerly Town Hall Council Chambers, 45 Broad St (Second Floor), Westerly
What: The Westerly Planning Board will hear comments on a proposal to build a 2,300-unit housing complex adjacent to Winnapaug Pond, in Westerly. Message from the Salt Ponds Coalition and other details in post.
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.
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.”
When: Saturday, January 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Arcadia Check Station, off Rt. 165, 2224 Ten Rod Road, Exeter
This process is called Conifer Revetment and it helps restore rivers that have become wide and shallow due to flooding and storms. The trees are strategically installed to reduce erosion, provide refuge habitat, and stabilize stream banks.
When: Wednesday, December 13 from 6:30 pm to Thursday, December 14, at 2:00 am
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center in Ninigret Park
Cost: $5 Admission per person 5 years and older
The Geminid Meteor Shower is one of the best (if not the best) meteor shower of the year. Geminid Meteors are bright with a (seasonally festive) greenish hue that leave long-lasting dust trails in the sky.
As an organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and the habitats they rely on, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island strongly opposes the installation of any novel lighting at Ninigret, even those deemed to be “dark sky friendly.” A growing body of literature suggests that artificial light at night has the capacity to draw birds off course during migration and increase further the mortality associated with an already high-risk period in a migratory bird’s annual cycle.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has announced that the highly aggressive invasive plant, Hydrilla verticillata, has been found at Worden Pond in South Kingstown. Worden Pond is near the northeast corner of Charlestown and upstream to the Pawcatuck River that forms the entire northern border of Charlestown.
Did you know that all the animals at the Charlestown Animal Shelter have an account with Chewy all year round? They would love Santa to bring them some awesome enrichment gifts to enjoy while they wait for their permanent homes.
Be Safe! Be sure to wear at least 500 square inches of florescent orange when hiking on state, federal, or other public and private open space.
When: Friday, December 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail
Santa Meet and Greet, Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, Singing by Chariho Middle School 5th Grade Choir, and Drive in Movies
Did you miss the October 30 meeting on a new Ninigret Park Master Plan with the consultants working on the plan, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin? A video of the meeting is in this post. The next meeting at which VHB is scheduled to be present is November 30 at 7 p.m. at the Charlestown Elementary School.
Even if you missed the November 8 open house about Commercial and Village Design Standards, you can still give your input via a survey. The Committee seeks input for a set of design guidelines and standards for new commercial development in Charlestown. The goal is to achieve a more coherent and aesthetically pleasing view of development occurring in the commercial and village districts. Link to the survey in post.
When: Sunday, November 19 – 8:30 am check-in and bib pick-up opens – 10:00 am all races start
Where: Meet at DEM picnic area parking lot (GPS: 23 Sanctuary Road, Charlestown, RI)
What: 4 and 8 mile road race around Burlingame and Watchaug Pond
Register: Online pre-registration required for all participants. See post for details.
When: Wednesday, November 8 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (come anytime between those hours)
Where: Charlestown Town Hall in the Council Chambers
What: An interactive event with refreshments served
The Commercial and Village Design Standards Advisory Committee seeks input from residents and business owners for a set of design guidelines and standards for new commercial development in Charlestown. The goal is to achieve a more coherent and aesthetically pleasing view of development occurring in the commercial and village districts.
When: Sunday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Kettle Pond Visitors Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
What: Trick or Treating will be setup on the ocean trail that goes to the viewing tower.
Costumes are encouraged. There will be buckets with candy, and decorations along the trail.
When: Friday, October 27 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center in Ninigret Park
Cost: Tickets are required for visitors to attend this event. Tickets are free, though a suggested donation of $5 per person, either at the event or online, is very much appreciated. Link to get tickets in this post.
Dig out that old costume, put on your mask, and come out to the creepy woodlands of Ninigret Park to celebrate the Eve of All Hallows… If you dare…
When: Saturday, October 7th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: South Kingstown Land Trust Headquarters, 17 Matunuck Beach Road, South Kingstown
Who: Staff from the Tomaquag Museum
What: Watch art demonstrations, shop in the art market, listen to storytellers, play fun games, learn about nature during TEK Walks, and so much more!
On October 14 the Americas will experience a fabulous annular eclipse of the Sun. Stretching from Oregon, across the United States, Central America, to Brazil, the Moon will eclipse the Sun, leaving a small ring of Sun around the Moon. Charlestown is not along the path of the annular eclipse, but our area will experience a partial solar eclipse.
Charlestown’s own Carla Ricci made this award nominated film about the 1938 hurricane. As we move through the hurricane season, take a look at the story of this other storm that changed the face of our region. The film is 18 minutes long with an emphasis on impacts in our area.
Surface water and groundwater in Charlestown already experience significant adverse effects from development … increased density of development invariably results in increased nitrate-nitrogen and pathogens from wastewater and stormwater, even with the most diligent application of best management practices.
Since 1975, Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick, injured and stranded marine animals along 1,000 miles of the Northeastern coastline throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island and Fishers Island, New York.
More than 80 percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, now live under light-polluted skies. Many people live and die without ever seeing the Milky Way, but in Charlestown, we are so lucky to still have a clear view of the Milky Way.
A U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the Rhode Island Association of Coastal Taxpayers “lacked the proper standing to sue.” The lawsuit was filed against the R.I. Attorney General, The Director of Department of Environmental Management and the Coastal Resources Management Council Executive Director. The judge wrote that RIACT “seeks the wrong relief from the wrong defendants before the wrong court,”
When: Tuesday, September 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Ninigret Park
What: Join the Charlestown Police Department for free food, prizes, public safety exhibits, and more!
Using $610,000 in federal funding, the former volunteer fire station at the corner of Matunuck School House Road and Old Post Road in Cross Mills will be transformed into a memorial park honoring past and present Cross Mills volunteer firefighters.
When: Sunday, September 17 at 9 a.m.
Where: East Beach (drive to the end of East Beach Road, bare to the left of Blue Shutters Beach, go straight on the dirt road and the parking lot will be on the left)
Who: Salt Ponds Coalition and ORCA
Register: Registration information in post
Join Salt Ponds Coalition and their partner, ORCA, to clean up East Beach. Our beaches have seen a lot of visitors this year, and might need a little post-Labor Day TLC!
“There is no question that production of solar energy is crucial to slowing the rate of climate change and mitigating the effects of fossil fuel use,” Ellsworth wrote. “But solar installations are not appropriate in every setting. If there was ever a place where it would be obviously wrong to install acres of solar energy panels, the Beaver River Road Historic District is it.