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For the last three years, another high-speed rail planning process, independent of the Federal Railroad Administration, proposes a new route that would go inland through Connecticut instead of along the shoreline. The proposed new route would cross Long Island Sound with a 16-mile tunnel to New Haven, and then north to Hartford. From Hartford it would travel east to UConn at Tolland Connecticut, and then on to Providence and Boston.
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.
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.
On Wednesday, January 27, at 7 p.m. at a virtual meeting, the Charlestown Planning Commission will open a public informational meeting on the Master Plan application of Storage Place LLC to build a self-storage complex on property just north of Rt. 1 at the site of the Mini Golf (pictured in the banner image), Lot 102, Map 14, 5677 Post Rd.
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…”
There are many of you who already pick up roadside litter as you take an afternoon walk or you may continuously clean the litter tossed in front of your property. Community litter pick up days are a chance to get more people involved and raise awareness about this issue, but is there more we could do?
Covid-19 pandemic is heating up the housing market and growth in Charlestown is accelerating at a rate not seen in over 20 years. Charlestown normally sees about 20 new residential lots created per year. The Planning Commission currently has almost 80 residential lots/units in various stages of review and an additional 360 self-storage units and other commercial developments proposed.
If you don’t regularly check your Promotions tab, or would prefer the CCA email to arrive in your primary inbox, there are two different ways you can teach Gmail to put CCA email in your Primary tab.
Starting in mid-November, we hosted a fundraiser in support of the primary food bank in Charlestown — the Rhode Island Center Assisting those in Need. Thank you to everyone who donated!! We raised over $5000.00 and an anonymous donor has matched each of your donations to result in over $10,000.00 to support RI CAN!
Charlestown is part of the only undeveloped area along the Eastern Seaboard that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the inland forests of New England and Canada. Charlestown contains critical wildlife habitats and recreation areas that are important in their own right, but in a regional context they are even more important. Fragmentation of this corridor diminishes the importance of the entire corridor for both wildlife and recreation.
With the swearing in of the new Town Council in Charlestown last week, I took the opportunity to review the accomplishments of those public servants who have moved on to other pursuits in life. The Town of Charlestown has been fortunate in that over the past 10 years the residents and taxpayers have enjoyed a well-run government.
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!
Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to cast your vote in a free and open election of government officials are some of the most important elements of the United States of America. This past November 3rd and the weeks leading up to it, the citizens of Charlestown cast their votes in record numbers to elect officials who would represent them for the next two years or more.
The 300-square mile watershed provides abundant clean groundwater that serves as the sole source of drinking water for more than 60,000 local residents and supports roughly 70 percent of Rhode Island’s globally imperiled species. The Pawcatuck, which forms the northern border of Charlestown, is very popular for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and other forms of outdoor recreation.
A team of University of Rhode Island researchers is conducting a series of geophysical tests to determine the extent drinking water wells are being contaminated by an intrusion of salt water. They are focusing their efforts along the edge of the salt ponds in Charlestown and South Kingstown, where the problem appears to be the most severe.
Lisa Tewksbury, Charlestown resident and director of the URI Biocontrol Laboratory, has launched a targeted biocontrol effort to fight the emerald ash borer. First found in RI in 2018, emerald ash borers are threatening to destroy the entire population of ash trees in Rhode Island. Do you have an ash tree in your yard or on your street? If so, watch out for this invasive beetle. Lisa and her students are deploying three species of parasitic wasp from Asia that lay their eggs in the beetle’s eggs or larvae to try to control the ash borer.
We are lucky to live in such a wonderful place that is well run and managed by people who truly care. I sadly discovered that this town is divided and have witnessed these ill feelings first hand with false political attacks, some directed at me. We need to put politics aside and put the future and well being of this town first.
Tonight is my last regular meeting as president of the Charlestown Town Council. I am so grateful to the people of Charlestown for your vote of confidence over the last 6 years and the opportunity to serve you with the best I had to offer. I hope you are even more engaged in town government in the future, including adoption of an updated Comprehensive Plan which will set the tone of our town for the next 10-20 years.
For my family, the most wonderful aspects of Charlestown are its dark skies, open space, rural charm and beautiful beaches. Over the past two terms, I have had the good fortune to work with the other Council members who were willing to give their time to the town. I challenge each newly elected Town Council member to think about what is best for the town overall and to value the attributes that make Charlestown special.
A 3.6 magnitude earthquake occurred at 9:10 a.m., Sunday, November 8. It was centered 30 miles southeast of Providence on the north shore of Buzzards Bay, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Charlestown residents reported a loud rumbling noise that sounded like a very large truck and shaking houses that went on for what seemed like about 10 seconds. No damage has been reported.
Red-Spotted Newts are a species of salamander that are found in Charlestown. They help to control mosquito populations by eating their larvae. The biggest threat that newts and other salamanders face is habitat loss and fragmentation. They are considered indicator species, meaning the health of their populations tell us about the health of the environment in general.
Candidates endorsed by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance have long championed protecting our irreplaceable natural and scenic resources because these are linked directly to our healthy tourist economy, our health, and our low tax rate. CCA candidates have called for responsible development and have opposed unfettered, willy-nilly residential and commercial developments that benefit developers and large corporations, not our residents and local businesses.
Ruth’s clear, strong voice emphasizes that the 2020 Charlestown election is an opportunity to maintain the rural character and low tax rate that residents cherish. Many have moved to Charlestown because of these two factors. Vote for Ruth Platner to preserve Charlestown’s rural character.
In 1979, a federal judge awarded a portion of the Naval base to the federal government for a wildlife refuge and then the remainder to the town of Charlestown for general open space purposes. The judge stated that the use of the 237 acres was not to be inconsistent with the use of the other 367 acres. This decision and the resulting victory on appeal was the death knell for the proposed nuclear plant and is a decision that has been honored over time by Charlestown officials.
Charlestown is one of the best-run, lowest-taxed, most-beautiful towns in the entire State of Rhode Island. Not only are their integrity and civility unassailable, CCA officials and candidates have demonstrated, time and time again, that they have Charlestown’s best interests at heart. After receiving a mailer that falsely attacks the integrity of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) elected officials, I write to set the record straight.
The bigger question is why did everyone on the commission vote for Ruth Platner as Chair? The answer is, she is incredibly dedicated to preserving Charlestown’s natural beauty, keeping low taxes, and balancing growth. No, she obviously does not singlehandedly halt trains ripping through the middle of Charlestown, nor box stores, but she is always there as a quiet, dedicated leader.
The 1,112 acre Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve is beautiful in October. There are 8 miles of hiking trails to help you explore this beauty. Here are just a few pictures. To really experience that beauty you need to take a hike.
As our local elections near, elected Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) members of the Town Council, Planning Commission and others in Town Government should be proud of the civil, open, and well-run local government that has been achieved amid one of the most politically divisive times in our nation’s history and a global pandemic of tragic proportions. By contrast our opposition has based their campaign on attacking CCA with claims that are deceptive and completely false.
What I observed was a commitment of the Planning Commission and its chairwoman, Ruth Platner, to approved policy when reviewing applications from prospective business enterprises. These regulations not only preserve the character of Charlestown, but they also protect independent operators of locally owned small businesses from being swallowed up by big-box Goliaths.
David Wilkinson is running for re-election to the Charlestown Town Council. In his first term, he demonstrated his business savvy by getting to the heart of budget issues and was singularly instrumental in getting the tax rate reduced to its present level.