Week in Review

Fill-in coverage of PC for October 3-10

By Will Collette

Normally, Tom Ferrio pulls the duty of doing the weekly wrap-up. But this week, he and Suzanne have been on vacation in Europe.

They sent us this picture. Can’t wait to see what other presents they bring back.

As usual, Progressive Charlestown continues to be the only source of timely, in-depth and cheeky coverage of Charlestown’s politics and culture.

This past week’s highlights:

The on-going investigative series on the questionable dealings of Council member Lisa DiBello continued. For readers’ convenience, we published an interim summary of our coverage to date, “Lisa DiBello: the Story So Far.” We also shifted coverage to a charity, A Ray of Hope, that DiBello and her housemate (and town contractor) Deborah Dellolio have run from their home. We also introduced you to Mark Anthony DiBello, a televangelist and game show guru who coached Lisa DiBello to her first game show win on the Price Is Right.

Deb Carney:
Mageau target fires back

Former Town Council President Jim Mageau featured in several PC articles last week. After PC turned down a Mageau request that we publish a piece he wrote that attacked half a dozen people by name and without substantiation, Mageau got an even more scabrous piece published in our newspaper of record, the Westerly Sun. Deb Carney was one of those people prominently attacked. Read her brilliant response to Mageau here.

Linda Felaco wrote a moving and thoughtful piece on what we have learned – and failed to learn – in the ten years since 9/11. She also penned an interesting piece contrasting the growing upstart Occupy Wall Street movement and the corporatist Tea Party. Our friends at EcoRI added coverage of upcoming “Occupy Providence” activities likely to happen here.

Oyster Works stirred up some discussion about the economics of green energy with a report on how much energy is being saved by the innovative green building approach they employed when they built the new Charlestown Wine and Spirits store on 1A.

I covered a third batch of anonymous comments posted by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance on red light cameras and also examined another new CCA cause, the problem of “shadow properties” and the need to mobilize town resources in response. Among the options: mustering volunteers to serve as Charlestown’s Open Space Cadets.

Coming soon?

Partly in response to questions, but also anticipating imminent needs, I wrote two semi-legal pieces, one on the provisions in the Town Charter on the recall of elected officials and the other providing a definition of legal terms. The latter piece, the “Legal Lexicon,” features legal terms and procedures that are likely to come up now that Jim Mageau seems to have emerged from his undisclosed location and back into full public life.

All that plus an array of interesting commentaries, short takes and cartoons. Also be sure to check out our Facebook page, which has been updated with new photos taken in and around Charlestown.

We also featured articles on up-coming events:

Game showing winning made easy

TUESDAY: The Town Council holds its regular monthly meeting. The item that will probably set off the most fireworks is a report by Deputy Dan Slattery on an investigation he conducted on allegations of criminal dishonesty made by an anonymous citizen (let’s call him “Jim”). That anonymous citizen is not likely to be pleased with the report. Also, watch for Linda's toy windmill, which she will be bringing to the council meetings until the wind-power ban is repealed.

THURSDAY: Open auditions for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” in Providence. With all the game show fans we have in Charlestown, we’re looking forward to seeing if we send any competitors to fight for Charlestown’s honor.

Finally, with Halloween coming, Linda offers some ideas for things to do.