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!
Charlestown Rhode Island
Volunteer To Be A Member Of The Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council
Charlestown needs a second volunteer member for the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council. Up to two Stewardship Council members are appointed by each Town Council in the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Rhode Island and Connecticut environmental agencies, Save the Bay and of course, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association.
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!
Most Changes To Weaken Subdivision Ordinance Dropped At August 29 Meeting
Testimony was given by experts Jim Riordan of Weston and Sampson, a planner and water expert; Lorraine Joubert, a water expert at URI; Matt Dowling, the Town’s Wastewater Manager and Environmental Scientist; and Jane Weidman our professional and experienced Town Planner. They focused mainly on the important benefits of undisturbed land, and the reduction of impervious surfaces to benefit quantity and quality of groundwater.
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.”
Town Council’s Proposed Zoning Changes Significantly Increase Development Near Wetlands
When: Tuesday, August 29 at 6 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Town Council meeting to discuss changes to the existing subdivision ordinance that will allow developers to encroach on wetland systems and other sensitive areas. Impacted adversely by these changes would be what are called perimeter wetlands, areas that protect wetlands, and forested areas that together cleanse groundwater (the source of our drinking water), control flooding, reduce surface runoff into water bodies, and provide habitat for wildlife. These changes would place the burden of fixing the adverse impacts of irresponsible development on the taxpayers of Charlestown.
Elected Planning Commission Members Have Been Highly Qualified
Having failed to thwart the will of the voters and remove current elected Commissioners from office doesn’t mean that those who want to appoint Planning Commission members who are more to developers’ liking have given up. Now they are challenging the qualifications of all those who have been elected to the Commission.
Perseid Meteor Shower / Summer Star Party
When: Friday, August 11 from 9:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Campus in Ninigret Park
Why: To Celebrate Charlestown’s Beautiful Star-Filled Skies And See Some Passing Meteors
Who: Charlestown RI Dark Sky Advocates in Cooperation with Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center
The annual Perseid meteor shower has begun and will peak Saturday, August 12 until the early hours of Sunday, August 13.
Personal Attack On Long-Serving Charlestown Volunteer Dishonest
Rather than have an authentic conversation over the issue of the balance of experience on the Zoning Board of Review, Mr. Cahir chose to deflect using a groundless personal attack on a town volunteer and his family. He is certainly free to express those opinions. However, misrepresentation and making stuff up are not OK and are not only dishonest but toxic. Mr. Cahir needs to disagree better.
Brief History Of Charlestown’s Elected Planning Commission
“It is clear and unambiguous that the General Assembly’s passage of the ratification act and its signature by the Governor made this law a specific statute exempting Charlestown from the general scheme for the composition of a local planning board or commission.” For over 40 years an elected Planning Commission has given a greater, more effective voice to the citizenry.
RI ACLU Urges Town Council To Go Slow On Action To Overturn Planning Commission Elections
… tonight’s agenda item strikes us as a divisive and unnecessary undercutting of the Town Charter’s explicit and more democratically oriented decision to allow voters, not a public body, to determine the makeup of the town’s Planning Commission … there does not appear to be any reason for the Town Council to gratuitously interject itself into this matter and seek to undermine voters’ rights
Town Council May Go To Court To Overturn 41 Years Of Elected Planning Commissions
The goal is to change the outcome of 21 elections and remove current elected officials from office, thwarting the will of the voters, so that they can appoint Planning Commission members more to their liking. There is no basis for their removal other than this false claim that they were illegally elected. Who sits on the Planning Commission makes a difference, and that decision ought to belong to the voters.
Forbes Names Frosty Drew A Best Place To See Perseid Meteor Shower
Forbes names the eight best places in North America to see the Perseid meteor shower and Charlestown’s Frosty Drew Observatory is number two on the list! The annual Perseid meteor shower has begun and will peak Saturday, August 12 until the early hours of Sunday, August 13. Visit Frosty Drew or another dark place in Charlestown to see the beautiful show.
Supreme Court Rules Purcell Legally Entitled To Seat On Chariho Regional School Committee
The Supreme Court determined that the General Assembly expressly ratified the entire Charter. The Supreme Court concluded that the Charter was more specific than the Chariho Act. Accordingly, Johnson’s petition was denied and Purcell’s petition was granted. The Court held that Purcell is legally entitled to the office of Chariho Regional School Committee member. Link to full Supreme Court decision in the post.
Summer Star Party
When: Saturday, July 22 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Campus in Ninigret Park
Why: To Celebrate Charlestown’s Beautiful Star-Filled Skies
Who: Charlestown RI Dark Sky Advocates in Cooperation with Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center
All are welcome at this “Star Party” to enjoy our spectacular night sky in peaceful surroundings where we can be awestruck by its striking views.
Charlestown Town Council Removes Environmental Advocates From Zoning Board
As conservation-minded Zoning Board members’ terms expire they are being replaced with new members with ties to the building and development industries. Town Councils have the power to make appointments and move regulations in whatever direction they choose, but residents should be aware of the direction this Town Council is taking which is one that reduces environmental protections and encourages faster growth.
Beach House Owners Challenge Expansion Of Public Land Above Seaweed Line
Owners of beachfront property in Rhode Island went to court Friday to fight a new state law that moved the border between their private land and the public beach to 10 feet inland from the “seaweed line.” Story includes a link to the lawsuit.
Salt Ponds Coalition Online Auction And Fundraiser
Salt Ponds Coalition 2023 Online Auction Starts July 10
When: Starts Monday, July 10th at 6:00 a.m. and ends Thursday, July 13th at 7:30 p.m.
Salt Ponds Summer Celebration And Fundraiser July 13
When: Thursday, July 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Details and links to join the auction and fundraiser in the post.
Informational Program For Private Well Owners
When: Wednesday, July 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Cross’ Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown (map in post)
Registration: Please register by calling the Cross Mills Public Library at (401) 364-6211.
Cost: Free
Safe Well Water? Test to be sure.
Striking Rhode Island Development Trend: Make It Easier to Build Everywhere
As the Town Council works to weaken Charlestown’s development regulations and remove local environmental protections, the legislature enacted many new land use laws that will also weaken environmental protections. This article from ecoRI News discusses some of those state legislative changes. “By erasing the part about protecting the environment in a significant manner, the General Assembly misses a key point about public health and neighborhood well-being: If we don’t protect the environment, we can’t protect ourselves.”
Archery Days at Kettle Pond Visitor Center
When: Fridays, July 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center Archery Range, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown
What: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with support from the RI DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife and Narragansett Bow Hunters is now offering FREE archery days this summer.
USFWS will supply all of the equipment (please do not bring your own).
The Charlestown Town Council Limits Public Participation
How will real discussions and debates occur when members of the public are not able to participate fully? Allowing citizens to ask questions, provide input, and offer comments is essential to an open and transparent government. Not gathering the information available and then weighing all the evidence in order to make considered decisions is not transparent, is not in the best interests of the citizens of the town, and also makes no sense.
Update On Zoning Ordinance Changes For Subdivision of Land, Self Storage, And Cannabis
On May 22 the Town Council held a public hearing on the Planning Commission’s request to not accept new Public Storage Facility applications until the town has new design guidelines. On June 12 the Town Council voted 4 to 1 not to require increased residential buffers, and to allow cannabis retail sales on any lot zoned C3 or C2. The Town Council continues to propose changes to the Zoning Ordinance for the subdivision of residential land that would reduce developers’ costs, increase the number of allowed lots… Details on all of these in the post.
RI Shoreline Access Bill Passes House And Senate
Rhode Islanders’ rights to the shore are clear, but what has been less clear is where exactly you get to enjoy those rights. Legislation passed on June 15 that provides a measurable line of where public access may be exercised: “where shore exists, on wet or dry sand or rocky beach up to ten feet landward of the high tide line but not where no passable shore exists.”
ecoRI: Once Again, Legislature Kicks the Can of Litter Reduction Down Trash-Filled Road
Once again, the General Assembly sidelined bills that, in other states, have shown a proven and powerful impact on reducing litter and increasing recycling rates for materials, such as plastic, that could be repurposed to make new commodities. At the Rhode Island Statehouse, the loudest speakers against bottle bills include people representing liquor, grocery, and convenience stores.
Congratulations To Frosty Drew – A Treasured Charlestown Educational Institution
This June 14 marks the fourteenth anniversary of the grand opening of the John G. Drew Sky Theatre in Ninigret Park. Over the last 14 years, the original dream of connecting views seen through the large telescope to a screen in the Sky Theatre has been accomplished—and more.
Mountain Laurel Blooming Now At Moraine Preserve
Our Mountain Laurel is particularly beautiful at the moment. It is an absolutely gorgeous experience right here just off Route 1. Laurel has an artistic architectural quality while being human scale bringing the blossoms up close. Truly breathtaking at every turn of the trail. It is at its peak this week, so don’t wait. Make sure to bring the kids, the precious fairy garden feel is bound to inspire their imaginations.
Native Plant Gardens Tour, Tiny + Wild Book Signing, And “On the Wing” Exhibit
When: Garden Tours – Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and June 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
When: Presentation and Book Signing – June 24, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
When: “On the Wing” Exhibit – Now until August 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, Bend Road in Charlestown (map in post)
Learn about planting a native garden or meadow and why our corner of the world is important to migratory birds.
How Others See Us – Story About Charlestown in Boston Magazine
How to Spend a Beautiful Summer Weekend in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Beaches and hiking trails await, not to mention a unique shopping destination, award-winning Indigenous cuisine, and an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet—just a short road trip from Boston. Read the full story in Boston Magazine …