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Connecticut’s US Senator Richard Blumenthal held a town meeting at the Old Lyme Connecticut Town Hall at noon on Thursday, December 22 to discuss the Federal Railroad Administration’s plan for the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon” bypass.
He said this proposal must be countered and combated, it must not be allowed to be approved as a plan.
Charlestown resident Kevin Tanner has set up a petition at MoveOn.org to let State and Federal officials know there is local opposition to the proposed railway path in Charlestown. The […]
Below is a Topographic map showing the proposed rail lines, the Pawcatuck River, and two conservation areas owned by the Westerly Land Trust. Click on the map for a larger […]
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released their final EIS on Friday to straighten the tracks of the Northeast Corridor. This is nearing the end of the EIS process, but did […]
One week before Christmas the Federal Railroad Administration has released their Environmental Impact Statement to straighten the tracks of the Northeast Corridor over the next several decades.
The following letter was submitted to local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Ruth Platner. Ruth Platner is Chair of the Charlestown Planning Commission. The North […]
At the December 12 meeting of the Town Council, the Council voted unanimously to support Burrillville in their opposition to the 1000 Megawatt gas and diesel power plant proposed in […]
November 14 marked the last Town Council meeting for Tom Gentz and George Tremblay. Both have done a tremendous job for Charlestown in their six years of town service. Tom […]
Following an extensive public process, and with overwhelming public support, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized the creation of Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge, dedicated to conserving and managing shrubland and young forests for wildlife in New England and eastern New York. The approval of the refuge marks a key step, enabling the Service to now work with willing and interested landowners to acquire land.
Mr. Malin repeatedly claims Charlestown to have banned wind power, and he campaigns to lift the ban. I write to refute his claim, and set the record straight. It was a very public process, and the moratorium was lifted when the ordinance was adopted five years ago on Nov 14, 2011.
Single-use plastic bags, the bags we are given to carry our purchases from a store, are a major source of plastic pollution, a health hazard to aquatic animals and an eyesore as litter along our roadways. Last May, the Charlestown Town Council approved up to $10,000 to underwrite costs for distributing reusable tote bags in an effort to reduce single-use plastic waste.
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is a member of the Charlestown Town Council. On […]
Please support the proposed Charter change for any citizen’s financial petition that involves bonding authorization (one which imposes a long-term future tax increase), to be submitted to town voters at a general election. This will allow time for prior due diligence, public input, and the largest possible voter awareness and participation.
Read detailed explanation in the post.
Charlestown Town Council president Tom Gentz addressed about a hundred residents gathered for the ChurchWoods groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, August 23, at the Church of the Holy Spirit. The following […]
The following letter appeared in the Westerly Sun on July 3rd and is shared with us here by the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is Vice President of the […]
On Wednesday, June 22, the Charlestown Planning Commission gave Preliminary Approval to ChurchWoods, the affordable, senior housing proposed for commercial land next to the Episcopal church in Cross’ Mills. New […]
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is Vice President of the Charlestown Town Council. Environmental […]
On June 18 the Rhode Island Legislature passed another version of the so called “Dry Lands Bill” that “provides that wetland buffers not be excluded from the calculation of buildable […]
Boston.com found three easy-to-get-to places in New England with a great view of the Milky Way and listed Frosty Drew as number one! The other two were the much more […]
At Monday night’s Council meeting the Town Council Chamber was filled with supporters of the acquisition of land that will provide residents access to 1,600 feet of frontage on the […]
On Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. the Charlestown Town Council will consider the acquisition of 27 acres of land in the village of Carolina that will provide public access to 1,600 feet of frontage on the Pawcatuck River.
Take a video tour of the land and learn about the:
Delegation Asks Legislature to Give Charlestown Ability to Regulate Quarries
Filippi’s Bill Authorizes Charlestown to Regulate Excavation and Extraction Activity
Town Councilors Tom Gentz and George Tremblay and a group of local citizens testified on Thursday, January 28th, before the House Committee on Municipal Government.
At their December 14 meeting, the Charlestown Town Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting the General Assembly to create enabling legislation that would allow the town to enact ordinances to […]
Under current state law, blasting at quarries and construction sites can take place without advance notice to those who live nearby and who may be adversely affected by noise or […]
The Salt Ponds Coalition is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Southern Rhode Islands Salt Ponds. This short film was produced by Vic Dvorak, a former executive director of the […]
The following letter is shared with us by the author George Tremblay. This was written in response to a letter that appeared in the Westerly Sun that falsely asserted that construction of senior housing was a misuse of disaster relief funding, that senior citizen housing does not belong in a village district, and that the town should have spent the housing money on the Breachway. As the letter below explains, the disaster relief funding exists only because of the housing. One might ask why the Westerly Sun prints such nonsense, but George set the record straight.
I was dumbstruck by the arrogant disregard for reality in the letter from Brandon Cleary on the use of Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Funds (Westerly Sun, July 15).
Pulitzer prize-winning author and historian Wallace Stegner described National Parks as “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
Charlestown’s public lands may not be National Parks, but they include a National Wildlife Refuge and some of Rhode Island’s most important recreation and conservation areas. From our miles of ocean beaches to the Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River we are a town rich in outdoor, public recreation opportunities. These public lands belong to all of us.
This Independence Day weekend, consider celebrating and enjoying this democratic idea of public land at one of the properties below.
We hope you have a great Fourth of July!
Said Charlestown Town Council President Tom Gentz, “Geoff Marchant, President of the Washington County Community Development Corporations, The Rev. Dr. Michael Tessman, the 2011 pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit, and I have waited years for this moment and are thrilled that the project has the funding needed to build well-constructed affordable units that meet the needs of our residents.”
In summary, the legislation requires that “Manufactured unwashed sand”, or quarry dust located within 1,500 feet of any occupied dwelling shall not be stockpiled without measures to control fugitive dust from trespassing beyond the quarry’s property line, and RI DEM is authorized to enforce compliance.