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As many of us in Charlestown look forward in the coming months to a holiday season full of delicious food, others are facing imminent food insecurity. Please join us in supporting our neighbors in need. The Rhode Island Center Assisting Those In Need (RI CAN) is a local lifeline to many.
When: Vote from November 12 to December 2
Where: Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail – or by Mail ballot
What: Special election to fill a Town Council seat left vacant by the passing of Richard “Rippy” Serra
Please support Independent candidate Bonnita B. Van Slyke in the December election.
Because Town Councilor Richard “Rippy” Serra’s passing on August 7 created a vacancy on the Town Council more than one year prior to the 2026 election, the Town’s Charter requires a special election rather than an appointment to fill his seat. The person elected on December 2 will serve until December 2026. In this post are candidates, deadlines, polling places and more.
After a lengthy discussion, the Chariho School Committee voted at the October 21 meeting to choose the single, or unified elementary school option for Chariho’s Stage 2 application to the state. The application is part of the district’s five-year capital improvement plan, which is mandated by the RI Department of Education. Read the story at the Beaver River Valley Community Association website.
Coastal planners in Rhode Island are asking the public to take photos of flooding of low-lying coastal areas that occurs during the upcoming extreme high tide (called King Tide) arriving on November 5, 6, 7, and 8 and share their photos using the MyCoast App. These photos can identify where resilience efforts are needed. You can take photos at any beach, or flooded roads, parking lots, buildings, seawalls, playgrounds, and yards.
When: Saturday, October 25 at 3:30 p.m.
Where: Mill Pond Preserve, across from East Charles St. on South County Trail
RSVP: Please register for this event
The Charlestown Land Trust invites you to join them at Mill Pond Preserve for their annual S’mores Social. Enjoy a marshmallow roast with good company and conversation!
When: Friday, October 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center in Ninigret Park
Cost: Tickets are $5 per person over 4 years old, either at the event or online. Get tickets one or two days before the event. Link to get tickets in this post.
Dig out that old costume, put on your mask, and come out to the creepy woodlands of Ninigret Park to celebrate the Eve of All Hallows… If you dare…
When: Saturday, October 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Ninigret Park Parking Lot
Pre-register your trunk: Trunks and people handing out candy must pre-register to participate. For all others, this is not required. Link to pre-register in post.
Dress the kids in costumes and enjoy trick or treating with a twist; instead of going from house to house, participants will trick or treat from one decorated car trunk to another.
When: Friday, October 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Visit the Charlestown Town Hall with your little witches and ghosts and go trick or treating through all of the Town Hall departments. Enjoy the spooky decorations and pickup some extra candy.
Cost: Free for all
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the special election is November 12.
If you think an out of town trip, bad weather, or any other reason may stop you from voting in the December 2, 2025, special Charlestown Town Council election, consider ordering a mail ballot. Or if you simply enjoy the convenience of voting by mail, the reason, “I choose to vote by mail” is now an allowed reason to request a mail ballot.
When re-elected to the Town Council, Bonnie will hit the ground running to stand up for the best interests of our town, and she will bring a much-needed balance to the Town Council where everyone is now part of the same political group. Bonnie is committed to accountable and ethical leadership, sound fiscal management, local control over land use, wise stewardship of our natural resources, and positive educational leadership.
When: Tuesday, October 14, at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Bonding of already-paid-for land purchases is back on the Town Council agenda
A majority of the Charlestown Town Council is considering using money designated by voters in 2015 for one thing—preservation of open space—for something else. And it makes no sense that it would be OK for the Town Council to issue a bond in order to be able to spend the money again—effectively spending the money authorized twice.
RI law limits the amount that CCA can donate to one candidate and as a result, Bonnie Van Slyke will have to raise and spend her own campaign finance funds. If you want to make a donation to Bonnie’s campaign in the December election, please follow the directions in this post.
Thank you to everyone who gave up part of a beautiful summer day to visit us at the Charlestown Mini Super on October 2, 3, and 4 to sign Bonnie Van Slyke’s nomination papers for the December 2 special election. Thank you especially to the Mini Super for generously allowing us to set up Bonnie’s nomination papers in front of the store!
When: Saturday, October 4 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Saint James Chapel, 2079 Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, Charlestown
Who: Staff from the Tomaquag Museum
What: Watch art demonstrations, shop in the art market, listen to storytellers, play fun games, and so much more!
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center in Ninigret Park
When: Saturday, October 4, from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Cost: $5 Suggested Donation per person 5 years and older
Stop in for a fun autumn night under the beautiful moonlit skies of Ninigret Park and become acquainted with our only natural satellite, the Moon!
Where: Charlestown Mini Super, 4071 Old Post Rd. (map in post)
When: Thursday, October 2 from 1 pm to 3 pm
When: Friday, October 3 from 1 pm to 3 pm
When: Saturday, October 4 from 1 pm to 3 pm
What: If you are registered to vote in Charlestown, all we need is your signature on Bonnie’s nomination papers. Bonnie will be volunteering her time for the next year; please take a few minutes of your own time to help her get started.
When: Saturday, October 18, from 9 am to 11 am
Where: Charlestown Town Beach
Help keep Charlestown Town Beach clean! Shoreline trash is ugly and dangerous to wildlife, and shoreline cleanups are a great way for volunteers to make a difference.
When: October 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Over 25 art workshops and exhibits in multiple locations in Hopkinton, Richmond and surrounding areas
What: Visit local artists and artisans in their studios and workshops and view their amazing work
Cost: Free
CCA is pleased to endorse Bonnie Van Slyke for the 2025 special Town Council election. Bonnie served from 2014 through 2022 on the Town Council and has the proven skills and dedication to do what’s right for the town, our environment, and Charlestown’s taxpayers. Bonnie’s experience on the Town Council will allow her to hit the ground running if elected in December.
When: Tuesday, September 30 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: A Town Council workshop to discuss options for implementation of a Homestead Tax Exemption for Charlestown
For the workshop, Ken Swain, the town’s Tax Assessor, has prepared materials showing what the resulting tax rate will be and the impact on tax bills for different kinds of property.
In Charlestown, the fall bird migration begins in August and continues into November. Birds are tracked on radar and thousands of birds are passing through Washington County each night. In this post are links to tools that predict and monitor bird migration in real time through our area, and tips on how you can help the birds in their long migrations.
Much of Tuesday’s meeting of the Chariho School Committee, in the middle school auditorium, was devoted to the presentation of options for the redesigns of the district’s three elementary schools. Read the story at the Beaver River Valley Community Association (BRVCA) website.
When: Wednesday, October 8 from 6 pm to 8 pm
Where: Quonochontaug Grange, 5662 Post Road in Charlestown
What: Charlestown Land Trust Members’ Annual Meeting with guest speaker Ana Flores, a celebrated ecological and interdisciplinary artist—sculptor, painter, and writer
What: Be Safe! Be sure to wear at least 200 square inches of florescent orange (usually a hat and or a vest) when hiking on state, federal, or other public and private open space.
When: September 13, 2025 – February 28, 2026 for deer, and until May 31 for other game
When: Wednesday, September 24 at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Two public hearings before the Planning Commission
The first is a continuation of the public hearing for a Master Plan for a major 24-lot residential subdivision on 29 acres in Carolina Village and a public hearing on Final Plan, Phase 1, for a major residential subdivision called Summer Winds which is located very close to Ninigret Park.
The Rhode Island Environmental Education Association has named the Chariho Regional School District “Organization of the Year,” for its sustainable practices, environmental education and outdoor learning opportunities. Read the story at the Beaver River Valley Community Association (BRVCA) website.
When: Sunday, September 28th at 10 am
Where: Mill Pond Preserve, across from East Charles Street on South County Trail
Cost: This event is free and open to all, but space is limited, so you must RSVP
The Charlestown Land Trust invites you to join them at Mill Pond Preserve for a fascinating fungi hunt with foraging experts Laura and Ken Orabone! Discover the hidden world of mushrooms and enjoy the beautiful Preserve! (Not intended for edible mushroom identification.)
Contestants were asked to submit photos taken on one of the five National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island. All the entered photos will be on exhibit at Kettle Pond Visitors Center in Charlestown until September 26 and then exhibited at Sachuest Point Visitors Center until October 14.
When: Tuesday, September 30 at 10:00 am
Where: Ninigret Wildlife Refuge (rain location Kettle Pond Visitor Center)
What: Learning to sketch the beautiful, natural environment of Ninigret Pond
Pre-registration: Reservations are required (link to register in post)