Insects and their importance to migratory birds is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day on May 11. Charlestown is part of the Atlantic Flyway, one of the main routes for both the north and south bird migrations. Our town is home to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, which was established to protect migratory birds. The numbers of birds migrating through Charlestown is significant.
When: Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown RI
Find spring ephemerals and early blooming perennials and shrubs, perfectly timed for early pollinators and nesting birds, along with ferns and grasses.
With or without the May 7 Bond, the estimated yearly obligation in the Chariho operating budget would be approximately $2.3 Million for all three towns. Charlestown’s share would be approximately $553,254 per year. The big difference is that by passing the bond, Chariho will receive $112 Million from the state. The May 7 school bond is the most fiscally responsible and educationally sound plan for the district.
Early in-person voting is taking place now at Town Hall, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from now to May 6. Tuesday, May 7 is the all day Referendum. With or without the Bond, the Chariho operating budget will be the same, rejecting the bond will not save money. Please read the post for more details.
Despite the rain, Charlestown’s April 20 Litter Pick-Up Day had a solid turn out of dedicated volunteers, and a respectable amount of roadside litter was picked up. If we are measuring volunteerism, love of community, hard work and just plain responsible citizenship, then it was a huge success! Bravo to everyone who made the event possible.
The state is offering once-in-a-lifetime support to upgrade our schools; it’s a life raft to the taxpayers. Don’t drown in your own indecision. Don’t let the tax naysayers push you into a short-sighted decision. So vote to make your tax dollars go further with this offer from the state or reject the life raft that they offer and bear the full burden later on (or as they say in the advertising world, “future regret”).
Claims of “misinformation” are sometimes misinformation in themselves and that is the case with the claim that CCA is spreading misinformation about a “stadium”. A search this week of our entire website revealed that in over 1,000 posts and pages, 1,400 comments, and 1,600 media files there is only one instance of the word “stadium” and that is in a 2012 letter from the National Park Service.
When: Monday, April 29, from 6 p.m to 8 p.m.
Where: Quonochontaug Grange, 5662 Post Road, Charlestown
What: Charlestown’s State Representative Tina Spears and RI State Senator Victoria Gu, who represents the southern and most western parts of Charlestown, are holding an informational meeting on Climate Resiliency.
A URI-led team of researchers has found direct evidence of a species – the American woodcock, a migratory shorebird from eastern and central North America – that overlaps periods of migration and reproduction, a rare breeding strategy known as “itinerant breeding.”
When: Monday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road.
What: The Town Council will discuss the new Ninigret Park Master Plan
Link to the full plan and more in post.
Early in-person voting will take place at Town Hall, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 17 to May 6. Tuesday, May 7 is the all day Referendum. With or without the Bond, the Chariho operating budget will be the same, rejecting the bond will not save money. Please read the post for more details.
To celebrate National Bike Month, the Breachway Bikers Community Group and Charlestown’s Block Island Sound Bikeway Committee invite interested cyclists to join them for a ride.
When: Saturday, May 4 at 9 am sharp – NO RAIN DATE
Where: Meet at South Farm Preserve, 427 Old Coach Rd, (ample parking)
This year Charlestown voters will elect the individuals who will lead our town into the future, and it matters who is elected to town government. Much of what has been created and protected is at risk if people who cherish Charlestown’s beautiful, natural character do not stand up and volunteer to guide our town. Needed are individuals who understand that protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources are critical to maintaining our quality of life and our low tax rate.
Voters Passed the Chariho budget during Tuesday’s referendum. Charlestown voted 372 in favor to 78 against. Total District voters voted 1203 in favor to 949 against. Thank you to all who voted!
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with RI Department of Environmental Management, is hosting the Cinder Worm Workshop, now in its fifteenth year. There will be an evening class in fly tying instruction and one weekend evening of fly fishing, all free and without charge to registrants. The course syllabus is a treasure chest of comprehensive knowledge and instructional excellence. Dates and details in post.
The Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife is seeking the public’s help to identify Bald Eagle nests throughout the state. With your help, they can keep the nesting database up to date to better inform conservation in Rhode Island. Contact email to report your nest sightings is in this post.
DEM is reminding Rhode Islanders to remain vigilant for invasive species as their lifecycles progress and they emerge during the spring. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) and Winter Moth are two invasive species that remain the focus of DEM’s Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment’s Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) and Forest Health Program efforts to monitor and limit the spread of pests which represent a tangible threat to Rhode Island’s agriculture and forests.
The commission studying forest management and fire prevention in Rhode Island’s forests has released its final report, recommending that the state allocate considerably more resources to mitigating the risk of wildfires. With forestry staff at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management cut by 75% since 1990, the agency has been able to manage just 1% of the state’s forests.
What: 401Gives Statewide Day of Giving
When: April 1, 2024 (4-01!)
Why: 401Gives brings people together to make a difference for local nonprofits that protect our beautiful community that is so rich in natural resources. 401Gives unites and offers everyone a safe, comfortable, and familiar virtual fundraising experience all while giving nonprofits unrestricted funds that strengthen our community.
When: Monday, April 1 at 3 p.m.
Where: Room 313 – State House
Why: Let the legislature know you support a Bottle Bill that can make our roads cleaner and safer, reduce litter and marine debris, increase recycling rates, protect our environment and natural resources, and save taxpayers money.
2024 Earth Day Celebration
When: Saturday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Ninigret Park
What: Free activities for the whole family
Submit your information at the “Make the Green Bond Greener” link in this post, and the Rhode Island Land Trust Council will deliver a postcard on your behalf to your RI state legislators to let them know you support returning 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.
Susan Cooper argued for setting the appointment date for April 22 to give citizens time to find out about the opening and apply. The other Councilors disagreed that the period was too short with Councilor “Rippy” Serra saying that “everyone knows there is an opening.” We doubt that “everyone knows,” so we hope that our readers will share this post with anyone who might be a good moderator before the April 3 deadline.
Thomas Danbo will soon direct the installation of two trolls in Ninigret Park. Mr. Danbo’s Trolls are intended to have a message of environmental stewardship. The Trolls have the full support of our Town Council, but this is a Town Council that doesn’t always make choices that protect the environment.
With the sad and sudden passing of Town Moderator Charlie Beck on March 19, the Town Council will now appoint a replacement until the election of a new Moderator in November. This is on the agenda for the March 25 Town Council meeting.
When: Tuesday, April 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: All-day referendum on 2024/2025 Chariho Regional School District Budget
Under the state law governing Chariho, a majority of the citizens of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton must approve the Chariho School District Budget by referendum in order for the budget to be adopted.
Approximately 70% of all bird species are migratory and 80% of those that undergo migration do so at night. As countless numbers of birds pass overhead as you sleep, many of them will be drawn off course by bright lights scattered across the landscape below them, leading to fatigue and increasing risk of collisions with buildings.
When: Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
Where: Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown
What: “A Small Town’s Brush with Nuclear Power”, presentation by Journalist Brian Mitchell who was hired as the first editor of the Chariho Times in 1977, when plans to build a nuclear power plant in Charlestown were well underway. Brian will recount the story of reporting on this controversial proposal.
The final plan includes an appendix with comments, but missing from the comment collection is an important letter from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island in opposition to the installation of any lighting near the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. Also missing is a 2012 letter from the US Fish and Wildlife Service in opposition to lighting in Ninigret Park sent as an attachment with other correspondence. The missing letters both clearly state that there is no lighting that will not impact nesting and migratory birds in the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.
The Chariho School Committee voted to adopt the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget. The period for amendments has now ended, and the next step will be to present it to voters in April. During this final opportunity to make revisions, some items, such as the $434,000 that the committee had restored to Hope Valley School at a previous meeting, were cut from the spending plan. The final budget total, before state aid, is $58,341,117. Even if voters reject the bond in May, Hope Valley School is slated for closure.