CCA Blog and Mail Box

When: Monday April 7 and Monday April 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at URI, 210 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI
Why: A proposal to build a twin-reactor nuclear power plant behind a barrier beach in our town came very close to fruition in the mid-1970s.
Register: You must register in advance for this course by April 6 at noon.

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When: Tuesday, April 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: All-day referendum on 2025/2026 Chariho Regional School District Budget
Under the state law governing Chariho, a majority of the citizens of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton must approve the Chariho School District Budget by referendum in order for the budget to be adopted.

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“Given all of what has been able to be ascertained about the Property, the Town’s ability to exercise any rights with respect to the Property are limited by the rights of others. In practical terms, this means that the Town cannot use the Property for public access to the beach, cannot put signage or fencing on the Property, nor occupy it in such a manner as to impede the rights of the other co-owners in the Property.”

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When: Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Register: Please use the linked form to register for this upcoming listening session
Staff from the Town of Charlestown and its partners at URI, the Salt Ponds Coalition, and Save the Bay are working to protect water quality in and around Greater Allen’s Cove and Eastern Ninigret Pond through grant funded septic system replacements, stormwater management improvements, water quality monitoring, and community engagement.

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The Department of Environmental Management is reminding Rhode Islanders to remove potential food sources from their properties as black bears emerge with warmer weather. Bird feeders, unsecured trash cans, livestock feed, and other easily available household and backyard food sources attract bears primarily in early spring, during droughts, or in the fall when they are trying to put on weight for hibernation.

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When: Wednesday, March 19 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free
Join the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council in partnership with the Charlestown Land Trust for a two-part film series on the natural history, latest science and conservation efforts surrounding river herring.

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When: Wednesday, March 26 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Who: Brian O’Connor and Paul E. Pezza, founding members of Protect Rhode Island Brook Trout (PRIBT)
What: Brian and Paul’s presentation will explain the urgent need to protect Rhode Island’s threatened wild brook trout populations

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What: The public hearing on the Chariho Regional School District’s 2025-2026 budget
When: Tuesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Chariho Middle School Auditorium
Why: The public hearing will concern the proposed school budget for the 2025–2026 budget year and any and all other business that may be lawful at said meeting.
Details in this post …

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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.

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Apologists for the current Town Council have cherry picked a series of events claiming to prove that the majority CCA Town Council from 2018 to 2020 did as the current Town Council has done and not respected the will of the voters by not advancing elected Planning Commission members in their voting order. This claim is not true, but because their lies are interspersed with just enough bits of truth, some will think them true.

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When: Saturday, March 15 at 10 am
Where: Mill Pond Preserve, 4962 South County Trail, Charlestown
Preregistration: Registration is required. Please sign up here to reserve your spot!

This walk is sponsored by the Charlestown Land Trust

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When: Wednesday, February 26 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Who: Wenley Ferguson, Director of Habitat Restoration at Save The Bay
What: Wenley’s presentation will explain salt marsh restoration in Charlestown and throughout the salt ponds and Narragansett Bay

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Each February, for four days, people watch and count as many birds as they can find and report them with phone apps or on a website. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.

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The Town Charter allows the Town Council to make appointments to the Planning Commission when there is a vacancy, but the Town Council ignored over 30 years of precedent in how to fill a vacancy in making the January 13 appointment. They also ignored other sections of the Charter that make clear the intent for these appointments.

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Shortly after the New Year representatives from the US Army Corps held a meeting at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center to provide an overview of its investigation and cleanup efforts and to gather feedback on how it can better inform the community about the current cleanup projects in Ninigret Park and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.

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When: Saturday, January 25th at 1:00 pm
Where: Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Rd., Charlestown
Who: Local writer Betty J. Cotter teaches writing and journalism at local universities and colleges and lives in the Shannock area of Charlestown
In this illustrated lecture, Betty, who is a Charlestown School graduate, will give details of the history of the school from its origin as the Pawcatuck Valley school in 1918, through its expansion in 1975.

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Anthony Dean Stanton, Chief Sachem of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, is speaking out against recent land transfers that he says are benefiting groups that are not legitimate American Indian tribes. The Narragansett Indian Tribe is Rhode Island’s only federally recognized tribe. The Narragansett have approximately 1,800 acres of land in Charlestown. Story at RI PBS web site.

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When: Wednesday, January 22 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Who: Presentation by Bill McCusker, President of both the Charlestown Land Trust and the Friends of the Saugatucket
What: Bill’s presentation will explore the South County springtime fish migration, focusing on river herring in the Saugatucket River

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There are great health benefits, for body and soul, when connecting with nature, and winter is one of the most beautiful times to hike in Charlestown. We are so lucky to live in Charlestown, where we have access to the Pawcatuck River, ponds, parks and public open space located throughout our town.

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When: Wednesday, January 1st
11:30 am arrival and registration, then plunge at 12:00 Noon sharp!

Where: Charlestown Town Beach
Registration form in post

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Bonfire
When:Tuesday, December 31st at 5:30 p.m. (food trucks begin at 4:00 p.m.)
Where: Ninigret Park
Stargazing
When: Tuesday, December 31st from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park

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The Chariho School Committee was expected to vote on a new Chair at the Tuesday meeting, but the position remains vacant after seven of the 12 committee members voted to approve a motion to table the vote. The move has infuriated many residents, including Etta Zasloff of Hopkinton, who, after attending the meeting, filed a complaint with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office, alleging a violation of the Open Meetings Act. Reynolds said she was worried about the future of the school district. “I have some real concerns about the direction that Chariho will go in, for the students and for our reputation and for our community as a whole.”

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The 1,100 acre Francis Carter Preserve in Charlestown is a haven for a number of struggling bird species, and an important site for studying what these species need to survive. One of those species is the American Woodcock. Recent URI PhD Colby Slezak tells how following the migrating shorebirds revealed a nesting pattern rarely ever seen before.

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When: Wednesday, January 8 from 5 pm to 8 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
What: Community Meeting on Environmental Restoration at Former Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field

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When: Thursday, December 12 at 5:00 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall (Town Council Chambers)
What: The Climate Resiliency Commission will host a public meeting on the development of the new Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
Attend the meeting to ask questions and add your ideas about hazard mitigation. Link to Hazard Mitigation survey in post.

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When: Saturday, December 7th from 12 p.m to 4 p.m.
Where: Quonochontaug Grange, 5662 Post Road Charlestown
The Tomaquag Museum Team invites you to join them in celebrating Nikommo, a beloved Narragansett tradition that’s all about giving back. It’s a fantastic chance to dive into Native arts and enjoy some amazing storytelling.

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Where: https://www.32auctions.com/CLT2024HolidayBazaar
When: Friday, December 6, 12 a.m. to Monday, December 9, 9 p.m.
Ring in the season of giving with the Charlestown Land Trust’s fourth annual online holiday auction. The proceeds directly support the protection and stewardship of the open spaces in the Land Trust’s care as well as their outreach efforts and programming.

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We live in a beautiful community, rich in natural resources. Giving your friends and family gift memberships in local environmental organizations, or making year-end gifts directly to these organizations, can help to preserve and protect our local environment. In the post are ideas for holiday gifts that can make a positive difference in our local environment.

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The holidays are rich in good food and drink. We shouldn’t forget to thank the farmers who make it all possible nor forget those who sadly experience hunger this time of year.

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Education is central to a strong community. We offer these gift giving ideas to build and broaden educational opportunities in Charlestown.

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During the summer of 2016, the Charlestown Town Council began to distribute reusable tote bags in an effort to reduce single-use plastic waste. The bags have proven hugely popular and would make a great gift. They can be purchased at Town Hall.

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When: Friday, December 6 from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm
When: Saturday, December 7 from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm
Where: Cross’ Mills and Charlestown Beach Business Areas

When: Saturday, December 14 from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm
Where: The Fantastic Umbrella Factory, 4820 Old Post Road

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When: Friday, November 29 at 10am
Where: Meet at the Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve on Railroad Ave. in Carolina
Who: Hike will be led by Bill McCusker, Charlestown Land Trust President
Cost: Free and open to all
RSVP: You must register for the hike

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Ninigret Park’s history as a former military site necessitates careful management to ensure public safety and environmental integrity. Charlestown must collaborate with federal and state agencies, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and RIDEM, before initiating any changes within the park. This collaboration is essential to maintain ongoing remediation efforts and to prevent the town from incurring significant liabilities.

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The Charlestown Land Trust (CLT) is gearing up for their 4th Annual Holiday Bazaar Fundraising Auction, and they would love for you to be a part of it! They’d be thrilled if you could donate an item, service, or experience to their auction! Your contribution will be fully tax-deductible and will help the Charlestown Land Trust raise critical funds to continue their mission of protecting open space in Charlestown.

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This development is being proposed under new state legislation that requires that the “density bonus for a project which provides at least twenty-five percent (25%) low- and moderate-income housing shall be at least three (3) units per acre”. Three dwelling units per acre is considered a high risk for potable water, but the legislation is not based in science.

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When: Saturday, November 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 15 East Beach Road, Charlestown
Holiday Baskets of Greens, Crafts, Baked Goods, Jewelry, Books, Quilts, Santa’s Workshop, Soft Goods, Nearly New Items, Coffee, donuts, and more

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When: Saturday, November 23, 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Where: St James Family Center, 2079 Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free parking and admission
This Holiday Sale features beautiful and well priced holiday decorations for your house, dining table, mantle and outdoor displays, hand made by Garden Club members to raise funds for their scholarship program.

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When: Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15
Where: Ninigret Park (see map in post for location of vault)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District will remove a buried electrical vault that was used for runway lighting at the former Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.

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Amendments proposed by the Affordable Housing Commission would encourage the seasonal use of Accessory Dwelling Units, make it harder for tenants to find year-round housing, make the units less affordable, and increase impacts in coastal pond neighborhoods where nitrogen levels in groundwater are already too high.

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This level of growth in such a short time is unprecedented for our town. These new 499 units do not include the additional units in other new subdivisions that have been approved and do not include any ADUs that will be approved. This growth is the result of state legislation, but the current Town Council didn’t join with other rural towns to oppose the legislation or seek any solutions. Adopting a “more housing at any cost” strategy really does eventually have a cost.

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