Caution, December 2, 2023 Is Opening Day Of Shotgun Deer Season
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.
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Christmas Spectacular At Charlestown Town Hall
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
Video Of October 30 Meeting On New Ninigret Park Plan
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.
Take The Online Commercial and Village Design Standards Survey
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.
Blue-Green Algae Bloom at Worden Pond
The Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are advising people to avoid contact with Worden Pond in South Kingstown due to a blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) bloom in the pond. Blue-green algae can produce toxins that can harm humans and animals. People who have had contact with these ponds and experience symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.
Li’l Rhody Runaround Trail Race
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.
Commercial And Village Design Event: What Is Your Vision Of Charlestown’s Business Areas?
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.
Trick Or Treat At Kettle Pond
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.
Spooky Halloween Views at Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park
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…
Celebrate Cranberry Thanksgiving With Tomaquag Museum Staff In South Kingstown
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!
Partial Solar Eclipse At Frosty Drew Observatory
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.
“One Day… The Story of a Storm” – A Film By Carla Ricci
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.
Environmental Degradation Due To Intensity Of Development
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.
Marine Mammal First Responder Training Class At Cross Mills Library
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.
Video: Why So Few Can See The Stars And Why It Matters
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.
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Rhode Island’s Shoreline Access Bill
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,”
Megan Cotter: Rhode Island Needs New Path For Forest Stewardship
“Putting in the planning and maintenance work necessary to prevent forest fires has benefits far beyond public safety. Forests directly reduce carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, play a major role in filtering pollution from our groundwater and cool the land in the summer. Of course, they provide many intangible benefits too, as any hiker or kid in a tree fort will attest.”
National Night Out
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!
Understanding Nitrogen Reducing Septic Systems
When: Saturday, September 23 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: URI’s Onsite Wastewater Demonstration Center Grounds at Peckham Farm (Kingston, RI)
If you are planning to purchase a new nitrogen reducing septic system or already have one, then you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to join staff from URI’s Onsite Wastewater Resource Center and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for an in-person workshop to learn all about Nitrogen Reducing Septic Systems.
Become a SepticSmart Homeowner!
When: Tuesday, September 19 and Thursday, September 21
What: Learn about septic systems, how they work and how to care for them
Who: URI’s Onsite Wastewater Resource Center
Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to protect your family’s health, your wallet and the environment around you. The same workshop will be presented twice, once online, and once in-person.
Walking Tour of East Beach To Discuss New Lateral Shoreline Access Law
When: Thursday, September 14 from 5 p.m to 6:30 p.m.
Where: East Beach, Charlestown
Who: This walk will be led by Janet Freedman of the URI Coastal Institute, formerly the Coastal Resources Management Council’s (CRMC) coastal geologist, along with staff from CRMC, Clean Ocean Access, and Rhode Island Sea Grant.
What: Join a walking tour of East Beach in Charlestown where the discussion will be Rhode Island’s new lateral shoreline access law and what it means for beach-goers and property owners.
This event is free, but registration is required.
Old Fire Station On Matunuck School House Road To Become Memorial Park
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.
East Beach Clean Up
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!
Work Begins at Beaver River Road Solar Site
“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.
Endangered Toads Released At Local Preserve
The toads, which spend much of their lives buried in the soil, get their names from the hard appendages, or “spades” on their back feet, which the toads use to dig themselves into the ground. The plan was to release thousands of baby toads, or toadlets, on Land Trust property where a spadefoot toad research project has been underway since 2019.
EPA Praises Charlestown’s Current Subdivision Regulations
“Undeveloped lands are more than open spaces begging for development; they are working landscapes that with proper measures can mitigate human impacts by providing the ecosystem services we depend upon: maintaining water quality, soaking up carbon, preserving a sense of place, and sustaining habitats and communities.”
Roads Couldn’t Handle Washington County Fair Traffic
Officials are at a loss to explain why so many people decided to flock to the 57th annual Washington County Fair on Saturday afternoon, but whatever the reasons, the roads couldn’t handle the traffic. In an effort to clear the gridlock, emergency responders, organizers and fair staff, who were connected at all times by radio, agreed to stop selling tickets at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Quonnie Marsh Restoration and Annual Meeting
When: Wednesday, August 23, Brief annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. immediately followed by the Guest Speaker
Where: The Quonnie Grange, 5662 Post Rd, (Rt. 1) between East and West Beach Rd., next to Dunn’s Corners Fire Station (location map of the Quonnie Grange at bottom of post)
What: Hear about the recent major efforts to restore and maintain the vital salt marshes in Quonnie and Ninigret Ponds.
Who: Guest Speaker: Wenley Ferguson – Save the Bay.
Land Trust Board Members Bike The Length Of RI For Charlestown Open Space
Charlestown Land Trust Board members, Bill McCusker, Sheila Martin, and Patrice Fenton will cycle the entire 50-mile length of Rhode Island to raise funds for the Charlestown Land Trust! They are cycling from Douglas Massachusetts to the Mill Pond Preserve in Charlestown. You can make a donation to sponsor their effort by filling out their sponsorship form.
Development of the Quonnie Neck
When: Wednesday, August 9 at 7 p.m.
Where: The Quonnie Grange, 5662 Post Rd, (Rt. 1) between East and West Beach Rd., next to Dunn’s Corners Fire Station (location map of the Quonnie Grange at bottom of post)
What: The evolution of the Quonnie Neck, from the early rural farms of the 1800s to the present day beach associations, water systems, and paved roads.
Who: Presentation by Ken Andrew – Quonochontaug Historical Society Board Member