Mail sent to mail@CharlestownCitizens.org
In early June, Amtrak launched a website that allows the public to sign up for the study’s mailing list and provide input. Included is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Amtrak says the website will be enlarged as the study progresses and more information becomes available.
UPDATE: The Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management have lifted the recommendation to avoid recreational activities at Watchaug Pond in Charlestown. The harmful algae bloom caused by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) has cleared. Recent water testing laboratory results show algae levels are low and no toxins were detected at multiple locations, meeting safety guidelines.
The Moraine Preserve features hiking trails through the Mountain laurel, bringing the blossoms up close. It is an absolutely gorgeous experience just off Route 1. It is at its peak this week, so don’t wait, but pick a time of day when you can tolerate the heat.
When: Saturdays, June 27, July 11, July 25, August 1, and August 15, at 10:00 am
Where: Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Cost: Program is free
Registration: Please pre-register as space is limited – link to register in post
Hands-on experience that introduces children and their families to a variety of aquatic creatures living in the salt ponds.
A new state legislative commission will study ways to evaluate, plan for, and limit the impacts of new housing developments on public water supplies and watersheds in rural areas under legislation sponsored by Richmond Representative Megan L. Cotter and approved by the RI House on June 8, 2026.
When: Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 am
Where: Quonnie Breachway
Register: Registration required – link to register in post
Join the Salt Ponds Coalition for a walk where you will observe some of the birds species present on the salt ponds in early summer.
When: Sunday, June 14 from Noon to 4 pm
Where: General Stanton Inn, 4115 Old Post Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free
Founders Day is a family event hosted by the General Stanton Inn and the Charlestown “America 250” Committee.
When: Wednesday, June 10 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm
Where: Chariho Regional Middle School Auditorium – 455B Switch Road, Wood River Junction
Join the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), for a meeting on PFAS in drinking water for residents of Southern Rhode Island.
When: Saturday, June 20 from 12 pm to 4 pm
Where: Ninigret Park, 5 Park Lane, Charlestown
What: Dancing – Music – Games – Food
Cost: Free
Tomaquag Museum is Rhode Island’s only museum entirely dedicated to telling the story of the Indigenous peoples of this land.
When: Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 11:00 am
Where: Rooney Park, 14 Railroad Ave, Westerly, RI
The monument honors the legendary Narragansett marathoner and two-time Boston Marathon champion, Ellison “Tarzan” Brown. The statue was commissioned by the Ellison “Tarzan” Brown Memorial Fund and is destined for the Tomaquag Museum on the University of Rhode Island campus.
Only 179 People Voted – Thank You To Everyone Who Did Vote!
There is an assertion that the allowed number of dwelling units on any lot north of Rt.1 in Charlestown could be doubled if conventional septic systems were replaced with nitrogen-reducing systems. However, the limiting nutrient in freshwater systems is phosphorus, not nitrogen, and no commercially available wastewater treatment system, whether nitrogen-reducing or not, removes phosphorus.
The Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are advising people to avoid contact with Worden Pond in South Kingstown due to harmful algae blooms. All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, is high risk to health and recommended to be avoided at this location.
In 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration released a plan to bisect Charlestown with a new high-speed track known as the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass.” Amtrak made an announcement on May 21, 2026, that the study required by the FRA’s 2017 Record of Decision had finally received the federal and other funding to proceed. The “New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study” is on the table, and that is extremely important and could be potentially devastating for Charlestown’s natural, historic, and residential character.
When: Tuesday, June 23 from 5 pm to 6:30 pm
Where: Kimball Pavilion inside Ninigret Park, 5 Park Lane, Charlestown
What: First public meeting of the Ninigret Restoration Advisory Board for the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field formerly used defense site (Ninigret Park and the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District invites everyone to the first public meeting of the Ninigret Restoration Advisory Board.
Amtrak has the go-ahead to move forward with a long-awaited two-year study to decide how best to achieve high-speed rail service linking New Haven and Providence on the Northeast Corridor. Will it include the destructive “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass?” This is just the beginning—there is nothing definitive yet. Story is at the CT Examiner and you may need a subscription to read.
What: Financial Town Referendum
When: Monday, June 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail
Monday, June 1, is the annual Financial Referendum on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. The June 1 vote is on the municipal services portion of the budget; the Chariho portion was approved by voters on April 7.
When: Saturday, June 20 from 10 am to 4 pm (Rain or Shine)
What: Cross’ Mills Public Library will host its biennial garden tour
Why: Summer is coming and the gardens are beautiful!
Cost: Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the Library or online
When: Saturday, May 23, from 8am to Noon
Where: St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 15 East Beach Road, Charlestown
Hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, mixed containers, vegetables, and herbs.
When: Saturday, May 16 from 10 am to 2 pm (Rain date is May 17)
Where: 4891 Old Post Road, Charlestown ( across from Ninigret Park)
What: An opportunity to connect with the local emergency medical services (EMS) team and see what they do every day to serve the community
When: Sunday, May 17 at 9am
Where: Meet at the South Farm Preserve parking lot off of Old Coach Road
What: Join with the Charlestown Conservation Commission to help them maintain this beautiful property.
Owned by the Town of Charlestown since 2002, this 87 acre property was purchased with a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management open space grant and Town Open Space Bond funds.
When: Saturday, May 16 from 9 am to Noon
Where: Meet at the Ocean House Marina, 60 Town Dock Rd, Charlestown
Who: The Coastal Pond Management Commission is sponsoring this event
Coffee, refreshments, garbage bags, gloves, and boat shuttle service will be provided.
According to the report, the highest growth rates for the three-year period 2021 to 2024 were in West Greenwich, 6.11%; Glocester, 5.62%; South Kingstown, 4.8%; Exeter, 4.64%; Charlestown, 4.58%; Central Falls, 4.55%; Cumberland, 4.55%; North Kingstown, 3.37%; and Tiverton, 3.16%. The report states that “maintaining the momentum is critical to resolving our state’s housing crisis.” But that momentum is aimed squarely at Rhode Island’s remaining farms and forests and away from urban areas.
Parade on Old Post Road on Sunday – CANCELED
When: Sunday, May 24 at 1 p.m.
Where: Starts at the South Kingstown line and ends at Charlestown Liquor Store
Parade in Carolina on Monday – CANCELED
When: Monday, May 25 at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Starts at the Richmond-Carolina Fire Station and ends at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown
When: Thursday, May 21, from 6 pm to 7 pm (Rain Date: Thursday, May 28)
Where: Carter Preserve Western Trailhead, 931 Kings Factory Rd, Charlestown
Registration: Preregistration is required for this walk – link to register in post
A Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) walk focuses on understanding nature through Indigenous perspectives and ecological knowledge.
The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island announce their 26th Annual Amateur Photo Competition to highlight the beauty of the five refuges that comprise the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Amateur photographers are encouraged to enter their existing refuge color photos or to take new ones. Photos and a $10 entry fee per photo must be received by September 8, 2026.
When: Saturday, May 9 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.
When: Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon
Where: URI Botanical Gardens. Attendees are encouraged to park behind the URI Fine Arts building in Lot 7 off Flagg Road.
The sale will feature annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetable seedlings grown by URI Master Gardener propagation volunteers in the East Farm greenhouses.
What: Budget Public Hearing on the 2026–2027 Charlestown Municipal Budget
When: Monday, May 4 at 7 p.m
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
The purpose of the public hearing is to present the Town Council’s proposed municipal budget to the voters and to hear their questions and comments.
Charlestown resident and Narragansett Tribal member Thawn Sherenté Harris ran the 2026 Boston Marathon on April 20, to honor his great uncle, Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon. Harris, 47, ran the marathon in under four hours, which is an impressive time.