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CharlestownTrain

Town Writes Follow Up Letter To Federal Railroad Administration

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Charlestown’s Town Administrator, Mark Stankiewicz, has written again to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) asking for clarification on the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study. The concern is that the study leaves open the door for new rail alignments that could negatively impact Charlestown’s residents and natural resources. The Town has had no response to its August letter to the FRA. The text of Mr. Stankiewicz’s newest letter to the FRA is in the post.

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irene

Charlestown Climate Resiliency Commission Proposed

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Town Councilor Susan Cooper recently proposed forming a Climate Resiliency Commission dedicated to studying and analyzing the issues surrounding climate change as they impact Charlestown. To that end, she and Town Councilor Cody Clarkin have interviewed town staff and other experts and are proposing the ordinance language in this post to create the new commission.

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Photo of Kenyon Mill Flooded

Kenyon Industries Renewing Permit To Discharge Into Pawcatuck River

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Kenyon Mill is located on the edge of the Pawcatuck River in both Richmond and Charlestown and is engaged in the manufacturing of natural and synthetic textile products. The mill has been discharging to the river for centuries, since the early American industrial period. For over 30 years the discharge has been regulated by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and is now under the Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) Program.

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cardinal-winter

Winter’s Coming – Brother Can You Spare A Coat?

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Donate a coat and share some warmth with people in need.
The Town of Charlestown has placed a large bin at Town Hall, right inside the main entrance door, where you can place gently worn or new coats to donate to the Jonnycake Center. The coats will be distributed to those in need to help them stay warm this winter. Charlestown Town Hall is located at 4540 South County Trail.

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Photo of Milky Way over Frosty Drew Observatory by Scott MacNeill

A New And Better Telescope For Viewing Charlestown’s Dark Skies

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The Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park has just finished the installation of their new telescope, a model “CDK 600”, made by PlaneWave Instruments of Adrian, Michigan. The research-grade telescope will be the best telescope in Rhode Island. This bigger, better, and more modern telescope was funded in part with a $107,541.00 grant from the Champlin Foundation.

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Ninigret_NWR_Salt_Pond_Sunset

Brad Sherman Of Charlestown Wins 1st And 3rd Place In National Wildlife Refuges Photo Contest

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Contestants were asked to submit photos taken on one of the five National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island. The Refuges are Ninigret NWR in Charlestown, Trustom Pond NWR in South Kingstown, John H. Chafee NWR at Pettaquamscutt Cove in South Kingstown and Narragansett, Sachuest Point NWR in Middletown and Block Island NWR.

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CharlestownTrain

CT Examiner: About That Rail Route More Parallel To I-95

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Town Council member Deb Carney recounted assurances from Amtrak CEO William Flynn at the August 10 Town Council Meeting that the most likely new route for a high-speed rail connection from New Haven to Providence would be along the I-95 corridor. As far as NEC Future is concerned, the route “more parallel to Route 95” is the Kenyon to Old Saybrook Bypass. And if we are to believe the verbal assurances of Flynn, rail officials are once again on a collision course with eastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island.

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Photo of east beach with proposed nuclear cooling towers in the distance

The History Of Nuclear Energy And Ninigret Park

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When: Wednesday, July 28 at 7 PM
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 in post)
Why: Learn how the Charlestown Naval Airbase almost became a nuclear power plant and the environmental impacts of nuclear energy.
Presenter: Art Ganz, Marine Biologist

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Fireflies

Conserving The Jewels Of The Night: Firefly-Friendly Lighting Practices

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Artificial light at night may be one of the main drivers of firefly declines. These species are active at dusk or after dark, and artificial lights that are on at this time can make it harder for them to see each other. It may also make fireflies more vulnerable to predators that would otherwise be repelled by their light. The resulting decreases in reproduction and survival could have severe consequences for firefly populations.

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Photo of running water

Elevated Levels Of PFAS Found In Some Wells At Ninigret Park

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries since the 1940s. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects. High PFAS levels are often found at former military sites like Ninigret Park. The wells with elevated PFAS are not used for drinking water.

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Spring Equinox Drone Flight From Blue Shutters To Quonochontaug Pond

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On March 21, the first full day of Spring, Bob Petrone flew his drone to take advantage of that perfect spring day. There were few people walking the beach and the sky was a deep blue with no wind. The YouTube video in this post will bring the viewer on a 7 minute ride along the Quonnie coast from Blue Shutters to the Quonochontaug Breachway and pond.

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bottles

Two More Bottle Bills Introduced At Legislature

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Beverage container deposit laws, or “bottle bills”, are designed to reduce litter and capture bottles, cans, and other containers for recycling. We reported on the bill introduced to require a deposit on “nips” in an earlier post. There are two new bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, both of which require deposits on all single-use beverage containers.

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NipsTrash

Legislation Proposed To Require Deposit On “Nips”

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Rhode Island Representative David A. Bennett, who represents Warwick, has introduced legislation to require that every miniature alcoholic beverage container, which is known as a “nip”, that is sold in Rhode Island shall have a refund value of not less than fifty cents. The legislation was introduced on January 25 and referred to the House Finance Committee.

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Nip Bottle

Betty J. Cotter: A Nip Here, A Nip There, Everywhere A Nip

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This excellent essay is worth a read! “When you walk the roads of rural Southern Rhode Island, you are never far from the drinking habits of its residents. On a raw but sunny afternoon, we set off from the homestead armed with a garbage bag and a grabbing tool. It wasn’t much of a walk because we had to stop every few steps while one of us (me) operated the pincers and the other (my husband) held open the garbage bag…”

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Photo of Milky Way over Frosty Drew Observatory by Scott MacNeill

South County Tourism Council Podcast On Frosty Drew Observatory

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South County Tourism Council sat down with astronomer Scott MacNeill from the Frosty Drew Observatory to talk about the Sky Theatre in Ninigret Park, the Great Conjunction and favorite celestial bodies! Check it out and give it a listen. You’ll learn about the history of the observatory, our night sky, how we see the sky, science, upcoming celestial events, Charlestown’s Red Light District and much more!

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