The Tea Party Shtick

Our founders wouldn't be amused.

M.V. Jantzen/Flickr

By Sam Pizzigati

Not too long ago, Americans only dressed up in George Washington wigs and tri-corner hats on the Fourth of July. But then the tea party came along. Colonial garb started turning up at rallies all year around.

In quick order, the legacy of 1776 started "belonging" to the tea party crowd. The Founding Fathers, the tea partisans claimed, wouldn't abide government interference in their lives. And neither should we. If we today just stayed true to 1776, the United States would remain forever "exceptional."

Why should anti-choice politicians focus on Roe...

...when the states are such easy pickings?

Dr. Jen Gunter

We occasionally feature one of the well-written articles by doctor and blogger Jen Gunter. You can visit her blog here.  This article is a follow-up to one we featured last week. Here is an excerpt:

Pregnant women with serious medical conditions may find themselves in an even greater bind as anti-choice laws have increasingly targeted state hospitals (see recent events in Kansas and Arizona). Why single out state hospitals for anti-choice legislation? Well, reducing/eliminating abortions at state hospitals affects education as these hospitals are typically teaching facilities, so with little to no access to abortion training these politicians hope the number of providers in the state will dwindle over time. They like to tell their constituents, “This is part of our message, that abortion providers are not welcome here.” As these lawmakers are largely motivated by anti-choice vocalizations and chest thumping, I think the easy pickings of anti-choice legislation against a state facility is the prime motivation. It’s a chip shot in a GOP controlled state and often neglected in the news because it’s buried in a state budget, so not a direct challenge to Roe. Oh, and I bet this kind of legislation helps to loosen campaign dollars.

Read the entire article here.

Rhode Island Community Food Bank launches summer food drive

Goal: 150,000 pounds of food this summer

By Will Colette

When school is out, the food safety net for many working families disappears. Without school lunch or breakfast programs, hard-pressed families have to figure out new ways to feed the kids on their own.

For many families where the breadwinners are out of work and out of benefits, there is no place left to turn but local food banks, such as Charlestown’s RI-CAN, the WARM Center, Jonnycake Center and local churches. 

Town admits the Charter Revision Advisory Committee violated the Open Meetings Act

But claims the violation was “unintentional”

By Will Collette

For the second time this week, Charlestown town government had an “oops” event over its compliance with the state Open Meetings Act.

The first time was Thursday. That’s when the judge in Donoghue v. Charlestown ruled that the Town Council did indeed violate the Open Meetings Act when they failed to properly inform the public that they intended to vote on February 13 to pay to the Charlestown Land Trust in the Y-Gate Scandal.

The second time was Friday when Town Solicitor Peter Ruggiero admitted the Charter Revision Advisory Committee (CRAC) violated the law by failing to file the meeting minutes of its final and decisive meeting on April 30.

The mythical green flash

I had heard stories of The Green Flash as the sun sets. And smugly thought, "yeah, sure." Well, here it is is, captured by camera (I should not say "on film") in a series of photos.

Plus a Blue Flash to boot.

You can see the full-sized image and read the story at Astronomy Picture Of The Day.

BREAKING NEWS: State rules against Narragansett challenge to casino vote

Ballot question on allowing full-scale casino gambling in Rhode Island can go to voters

By Will Collette

Rhode Island Superior Court Justice Melanie Thunberg has just issued her ruling in the judicial challenge brought by the Narragansett Indian Tribe that sought to block a vote in November to allow the Twin River and Newport Grand slot parlors to expand into full casinos.

The Tribe argued that the state was applying a double standard - that when the Tribe sought to develop a resort casino in Charlestown, the state applied far stricter standards than those it proposes to apply to expanded operations by Twin River and Newport Grand.

Bath Salts and A Sugar Buzz

By Samantha Turner

Bleeping Bath Salts

Narragansett police had an interesting time trying to wrangle a woman who was reportedly on hallucinogenic drugs this past weekend. Officers received a call from the staff at Bon Vue Inn in Narragansett regarding a 32-year-old woman acting erratically at the bar. Police were able to locate the woman quickly, as she was reportedly breathing heavily and shaking uncontrollably. The police tried to bring her to her boyfriend’s house, but she reportedly sprinted toward a nearby restaurant, at which point officers decided it was a good idea to bring her to the hospital.

Thoughts on giving up Diet Coke. Again.

We occasionally feature one of the well-written articles by doctor and blogger Jen Gunter. You can visit her blog here.

My name is Dr. Jennifer Gunter and I am a Diet Coke addict. I had my last drink on Sunday, June 17th, around 6 pm. The photo is the Diet Coke that I drank that day. The last addition to the graveyard of my addiction.

Now many of you might think my use of addiction in describing my 30 year love affair with Diet Coke as hyperbole, but allow me to apply the CAGE questionnaire (an addiction screening tool) to my habit:

Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking? Why, yes. Yes I have. For 30 years I sustained a 4-5 can per day (at least that’s what I’m admitting to) habit. You don’t need to have a medical degree to know that’s too much Diet Coke. For the last 5 or so years I’ve really thought that I needed to do something about it (I was in full denial before).

Charlestown’s rating drops

Affordability is the key factor

By Will Collette

Maybe this is actually good news for the Charlestown Citizens Alliance candidates running in 2012, but Charlestown’s ranking among Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns fell by five positions this year to #19.  Last year, Charlestown was ranked #14. 

The main reason for the decline is a sharp decline in affordability. According to GoLocalProv’s yearly comparison, Charlestown’s median housing prices spiked by 20% (though Zillow.com would disagree) while median household incomes dropped.

That combination of factors caused Charlestown’s ranking for affordability to drop by 14 places to 32^nd place among 39.

Charlestown Land Trust plays Russian Roulette with the IRS

Will the Trust’s handling of conservation easements cause tax problems for itself and its donors?

By Will Collette

On June 25, the Y-Gate Scandal was extended for another month. At the request of the Charlestown Land Trust, the Town Council voted to defer action on the resolutions to consummate the Y-Gate deal – i.e. the payment of $398,000 in town funds for a “conservation easement” until its July meeting.

That gives us more time to examine exactly what a “Conservation Easement” means and why it is being used as the device to loot Charlestown taxpayers of their money for the limited use of a derelict piece of property.

State closes Little Nini Beach

Our previous article was about the importance of our beaches to our economy. 

This afternoon the State announced the closing of the beach at the pond in Ninigret Park, "Little Nini Beach", in a brief statement.

Beaches Are State’s Best Economic Resource

Fort Wetherill State Park in Jamestown

By Bob Plain on RI Future.org

Here’s a list that Rhode Island really should dominate: water quality at the beach. But despite our reputation for having the some of the best stretches of coastline anywhere, the Ocean State ranked 16th out of 30 states in a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, reports the Projo.

Last summer, according to the report, beaches were closed a total of 74 times as a result of too much bacteria in the water. Massachusetts, which ranked 12th, closed beaches more than a 1,000 times and only lists about twice as many shoreline access points as does Rhode Island.

The last people on the moon?

Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

In December of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon in the Taurus-Littrow valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. This sharp image was taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the valley floor. The image shows Schmitt on the left with the lunar rover at the edge of Shorty Crater, near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange lunar soil. The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites. Now forty years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon.

Read on to see the dramatic photo.

RI Solar Power Project Underway

 Installation of solar panels has begun at 16 properties on the city’s West Side, in a first-of-its-kind, large-scale green energy project created by the West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA) and supported by the state Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

The List

Lots of candidates to choose from - 12 for Council, 10 for Planning

By Will Collette

The deadline to file a Declaration of Candidacy was 4 PM yesterday. This morning, we found out who filed.

Fasten your seat belts, Charlestown. 

Here's the List:

Sometimes you can't leave well enough alone

by Tom Ferrio

I reached my limit yesterday afternoon. I got tired of our web address having that "blogspot" in it so I pulled the trigger on changing our web address to the simpler progressive-charlestown.com.

Then it dawned on me - should I really have done that 2 hours before leaving for fire district training?

Does ANYBODY actually live in Sonquipaug?

A closer look at a committee application

And, among other things, where you are registered to vote

By Will Collette

On June 25, the Charlestown Town Council decided how it will handle the 19 applications it has received from people who want to serve on the screening committee for the next Town Administrator.

The Council decided it only wants a nine-member committee. They also decided that Town Tax Collector JoAnn Santos, who also serves as Treasurer to Council member Lisa DiBello’s “charity”, A Ray of Hope, is ineligible.

Then they decided to take the remaining 18 applications and apply an elaborate selection process described by my colleague Tom Ferrio in his comment, below. They would let Town Clerk Amy Rose Weinreich tabulate the ballots and perhaps do some random selection to pick the final nine names. The Council will make the final selections at their July meeting.

But there is at least one name going into this process that is problematic.

What's Happening in Charlestown - through July 7

Summer is in full swing and we have lots of activities for both our residents and our summer guests.

Get out and have fun with these suggestions. Remember to find details of time and location in our Calendar.

Election scorecard so far

Declarations deadline at 4 PM

By Will Collette

As of lunchtime, a healthy number of candidates for Charlestown office had filed their Declarations of candidacy. Incumbent Rep. Donna Walsh (D) will face Tina Baker Jackson (R) for the House District 36 seat.

Three incumbents have declared for Town Council so far - Boss Tom Gentz (CCA), Deputy Dan Slattery (CCA) and their ally, Lisa DiBello who has declared she is running against Progressive Charlestown. Thanks to her attack from the Council podium on Monday night and the Westerly Sun's page 1 coverage yesterday, Progressive Charlestown readership jetted up by 40%. Thank you and please keep the insults coming!

Cartoonists Prepare for ‘Obamacare’ Ruling

From Daryl Cagle's Cartoon Web Log

On Thursday, the Supreme Court will rule one way or another on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care reform legislation.

Rarely are political cartoonists given a heads-up like this prior to a big news event. Normally, we draw two types of cartoons – breaking news, like the death of Osama bin Laden or the BP oil spill, or cartoons on evergreen topics, like money in politics, global warming and the right versus left divide.

Read the rest of the article and see alternative versions of how the first frame above plays out here.

Go Take a Hike ... in the Great Swamp

rails are flat and wide at the Great Swamp
Management Area. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News photos)

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

What: Great Swamp Management Area.
Location: South Kingstown.
Size: 3,349 acres.
Accessibility: Easy.
Who should go: Families, birders, day hikers.
Info: 401-789-7481, dem.ri.gov.

It's not an enormous, bug-infested marshland as its name suggests, but from a hiker's standpoint, the Great Swamp Management Area is mostly dry terrain and wooded trails that skirt several vernal pools, ponds and an impressive 138-acre manmade marsh. Turtles, frogs and waterfowl are abundant and easy to find.

Lisa DiBello announces she is running for re-election

…And thanks me for it

By Will Collette

The biggest drama at the June 25 Town Council continued monthly meeting came when Councilor Lisa DiBello spoke during “Council Comments” to announce her intention to run for a second term as Town Councilor, citing her disgust and anger at Progressive Charlestown in general, and me, in particular, as her motivation.

My bad, I guess, for giving Councilor DiBello a reason to run again.

BULLETIN: Judge rules town violated the Open Meetings Act in Y-Gate case

Judge Stern calls Town Council notice about Y-Gate vote a "misleading statement"
By Will Collette

Just minutes ago, the Town of Charlestown lost the first major round in the case of Donaghue v. Charlestown. Dr. Jack Donoghue brought suit against the town to block the Town Council majority's vote on February 13 to give $475,000 to the Charlestown Land Trust so it could buy the derelict campground owned by the Westerly YMCA.

Dr. Donoghue alleged that the notice posted in the agenda was misleading and failed to meet the standards for proper public notice set out under Rhode Island's Open Meetings Law.

Judge Stern completely agreed.

Read Judge Stern's decision by clicking here. To read all of our coverage of the Y-Gate Scandal, click here.

UPDATED: AMICA pushing for veto of crony legislation

Rep. Donna Walsh and Rep. Teresa Tanzi fought against crony legislation - Governor will veto

Auto body work can be dirty business

By Will Collette

UPDATE: according to GoLocalProv, Governor Lincoln Chafee announced last Monday night, June 25, that he will veto this bill. 

One of the bills that slid through the General Assembly in the wee hours of morning as they were heading to adjournment was a bill, H-7822A, that gives auto body shops the OK to sue insurance companies if the repair shops believe the insurance company isn’t paying enough for auto body work.

Well, I’m no fan of auto insurance companies (I think most are blood-suckers, frankly), but neither am I a big fan of auto body companies.

And this bill had one additional major problem – cronyism- that led to three courageous legislators to vote NO to sending it to the House floor (our own Rep. Donna Walsh and Rep. Teresa Tanzi were two of those three).

Scientific Mystery solved

Why Do Fire Flies Light Up At Night?

From Fake Science

Wisconsin's Alien Seed

There can be no joy in the fact that money rules.

By Jim Hightower

"Scott Walker Wins Wisconsin," screamed headlines across the country after the labor-bashing incumbent governor hung onto his job in the June 5 recall election.

Well, yes...but no. Walker will get to stay in office for the rest of his term, but he didn't win the election — money did. This was a victory for the Citizens United edict issued two years ago by the Supreme Court's five-man corporatist majority. This anti-democratic ruling opened the door for unlimited sums of corporate cash to barge into our national, state, and local elections and take charge. Walker is the first ugly sprouting of that alien seed.

Why is only 30% of PET plastic being recycled?

Jamestown Man Charts Course for Plastic Innovation

By JOANNA DETZ/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Less than a week after Rhode Island rolled out its new single-stream recycling system, Michael Brown placed a plastic cup of water on a conference room table before sitting down with a reporter. As he took his seat, he noted with a wide grin, that the cup is now recyclable in Rhode Island.

Brown, 54, who wears black-rimmed glasses and sports a wisp of a goatee below his lower lip, is the owner of Packaging 2.0, and he is thrilled about the state’s new recycling program, which now accepts most plastics Nos. 1-7, including clamshell containers.

Town Council Meeting - June Part Two Play-by-Play

by Tom Ferrio

This meeting is the continuation of the June 11 meeting. But that doesn't mean it consists of boring left-overs.

It seems that the Council grouped the hottest topics together for their second meeting of the month. Going in to the meeting it feels like this will be the title bout after some warm-up matches.

It's 7 pm and here we go...

Running for Magician-in-Chief

Republicans are embracing a dangerous Marxist philosophy.

By Donald Kaul

Our long national nightmare is over. Mitt Romney has won the Republican nomination for president. Let the etch-a-sketching begin.

Romney was officially put over the top by the Texas primary last month, although in truth his victory had been a foregone conclusion ever since Rick Santorum (remember him?) packed it in weeks before.

His task now is to persuade moderates and independents that he's not as crazy as he's sounded so far, while simultaneously convincing the Republican right wing that he is. It's not an easy task, but it's one he's well suited to.

Doctors oppose "Obamacare"?

For those of you who mistakenly think most physicians oppose the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), please read this letter from the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, representing its 60,000 members.

Vote for me!

First Charlestown Declaration of Candidacy filed

By Will Collette

It figures that the first person to file his Declaration of Candidacy for Town Council is none other than Charlestown Citizens Alliance Steering Committee member and current Town Council President Boss Tom Gentz.

It'll be fun to see his reasons why Charlestown voters should give him a second term. Could it be his staunch advocacy for giving $398,000 in town taxpayer money away in the Y-Gate Scandal (watch him at tonight's Town Council meeting). 

Something to dream about in Charlestown

New Bike Path Links Burrillville Villages

By DAVE FISHER/ecoRI News staff

BURRILLVILLE — A new way to travel between the Pascoag and Harrisville villages is now open, but if you’re in a car, you’re out of luck.

Town and state officials recently cut the ribbon on a new bike path that runs between the two village centers. The path is about a mile and a quarter long, and traverses a 55-acre tract of land that has been preserved as open space as part of the deal that allowed the bike path to be built.

PREVIEW: Round Two of the Town Council’s June meeting TONIGHT, June 25

Y-Gate Scandal, Platner’s Power Putsch, CRACers and Town Administrator Search Committee top the bill

By Will Collette

This second June meeting was made necessary because the Town Council grossly overloaded the regular June 11 meeting with so many controversial issues that it was simply impossible to finish that meeting at a reasonable. Even with CCA Town Council Boss Tom Gentz’s effort to bully fellow Council members into considering his two resolutions to fork over $398,000 in town money to the Y-Gate Gang.

At this continuation meeting, Y-Gate will once again be taken up near the end of the agenda, meaning late in the evening, long after the time when our Town Councilors lose their ability to concentrate. 

Business as usual, where Charlestown taxpayers, business owners and residents will get screwed with their pants on by the Town Council majority unless there people once again rally around to stop them.

The Y-Gate Scandal – more deception surfaces

Discoveries from deep within town records

Sort of like the way Y-Gate was handled from the start.
Read the rest of this Dilbert cartoon here.

By Will Collette

Sparked by revelations in the sworn testimony of Council member Gregg Avedisian, old Y-Gate records are now getting a lot of deep scrutiny, and not just by your Progressive Charlestown staff, with some surprising results.

Read Avedisian’s sworn deposition in the Y-Gate Scandal by clicking here.

Readers are e-mailing in tips about records they are finding by going back into attachments to minutes of meetings from over a year ago.

A picture is emerging of a Town Council all too willing to be played and manipulated by such Y-Gate players as Boston lawyer and de facto “mayor” of the Sonquipaug neighborhood Joanne D’Alcomo, Charlestown Land Trust Treasurer Russ Ricci and Planning Commissar Ruth Platner.

Greatest Crime-fighting team ever!

CLICK HERE to read about their latest adventures...

Tesla can get very angry!

Last week we published a preview page from OMg Science. The theme of the article was the competition between Pierre Curie and Nicola Tesla for the affections of Marie Curie.


Now we have found a photo that illustrates what happens when Tesla gets angry. (read on for the photo)

Low-Wage Nation

Poverty and inequality are threatening our democracy.

By Peter Edelman

With its catchy "We are the 99 Percent" slogan, the Occupy movement focused millions of Americans on our nation's chronic inequality. As that movement regains momentum, it must pay more attention to the whole 99 percent.

We certainly should worry about how the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans isn't paying its fair share of the cost of running the country. But we should be just as worried about how people at the other end are doing.

When a politician decides...

... if the life of the mother is at risk

Dr. Jen Gunter

We occasionally feature one of the well-written articles by doctor and blogger Jen Gunter. You can visit her blog here.

“I have a 20-year-old with what I can only describe as a poorly repaired heart defect and, uh, suboptimal follow-up,” the cardiologist’s voice was rushed.

“That’s no good,” I said.

“Yeah, well, it gets worse. She had baby two years ago. Went into heart failure around 36 weeks. I’ve got the records. I have no idea how she made it home.” And then he added, “She had a c-section, but no one tied her goddamn tubes.”

Numbers for Charlestown and our region are good news and bad news

Good news for rich people, Charlestown mortgage holders, beach goers

Bad news on the weather, for Bradford mortgage holders, people with indoor plumbing, Uncle Fluffy’s Porsche

By Will Collette

Hot enough fer ya?

Here it is, the official start of summer, and we’re getting hammered with dangerously high heat and heat-related bad air.

Better get used to it.

We’re #1!!! 

Scientists from Climate Central, a research and public outreach organization, recently issued a rating of the states based on how quickly average temperatures are rising. Coming in first place is Rhode Island, rated tops for the fastest warming trend over the past 100 years. Yep, hooray for Little Rhody for winning a national state competition. Even though this is certainly a dubious distinction, we Rhode Islanders do love it when we come in first in something.

Harsh reality

It's not real until you see it on TV

By Tim Eagan




Click here for the whole cartoon.

Training Opportunity

Langevin, Whitehouse Announce 

Special Skills Training Opportunity

Using resources recently acquired from a federal grant program, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) today launched an effort that will allow workers to acquire career-specific skills in a relatively short time frame for two high-growth fields. 

Read on to learn how this program can help you.

Not lemons, lemonade

A How it feels to be a Lifetime Non-Achiever

By Rep. Donna M. Walsh

Providence newspaper columnist recently nominated me for a Lifetime (Non) Achiever Award.

That’s just what I needed on the heels of announcing my intention to run for re-election.

This columnist wrote that line at the beginning of a piece he wrote on my 11 year effort, so far unsuccessful, to get a law passed that would require magistrate judges to be picked based on merit, rather than being political appointees. For 11 years, in both the House and Senate, I have introduced that bill and worked with Common Cause for its passage.

Each year, the bill eventually died in committee “pending further study.”

Happy Birthday Alan Turing

Why the tech world's hero should be a household name

The life and achievements of Alan Turing - the mathematician, codebreaker, computer pioneer, artificial intelligence theoretician, and gay/cultural icon - are being celebrated to mark what would have been his 100th birthday on 23 June.

In his short life he had an incredible impact on World War II and the dawn of the computer age. But his story is also filled with tragedy.

To mark the occasion the BBC has commissioned a series of essays that ran during the week.

Read on for some highlights and links to the essays.

Get off your butt! Your schedule for today

Get caffeinated early because we have a lot to do today. The schedule is so crowded that you have to make choices and your day will be full.

There are so many choices that we wrote an entire article for this day. You can look up details there and we narrow down your choices with your day's schedule here.

So let's  go!

State Democratic Convention endorses incumbents for Congress

But the fringe candidates make an otherwise predictable evening more entertaining

Cicilline accepts the state Party nomination

By Will Collette

Cathy and I went to the Democratic State Convention Friday night as State Committee members to cast our votes to endorse the Democratic candidates for Congress in this year's election. Happily, though predictably, the Convention unanimously endorsed Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. David Cicilline and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in their endeavors to be re-elected.

This Convention was pretty much a done deal, which was fine with me because I really like all three members of our Congressional delegation who are up for re-election. In 2010, the Convention had several contested seats - Patrick Lynch versus Frank Caprio for Governor, William Lynch versus David Cicilline for the 1st Congressional District, and Peter Kilmartin versus Joe Fernandez (endorsed by Charlestown Dems, Joe died suddenly just a week later) for Attorney General.

The only drama this year came from the three fringe candidates challenging the incumbents. Of the three, one was an angry, insulting jerk, another seemed to be off his meds and sounded like he was attempting to blackmail the Convention, and the third was not nearly as bad as I was expecting.

Where more is less

Camp Austerity

By Jen Sorenson


Click here for the whole cartoon.

Theatre By The Sea Features ‘Music’

The 79th season for Theatre by the Sea will feature ‘The Sound of Music.’ (The actual play – this isn’t a clever headline.)

The summer season continues at Theatre By The Sea with the Tony^® Award-winning masterpiece, The Sound of Music, opening on June 20.

Sponsored by Citizens Bank, this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical follows the adventures of a high-spirited young novice who is ill-fitted for the life of the convent.

Artist Reception

Kate Huntington  "Soaking up the Sun"   20x24 oil on canvas

Meet an artist or two, chat with your friends and neighbors, have a drink and a nibble and browse some great artwork and jewelry.

The Charlestown Gallery is holding an Artist Reception on Saturday, June 23, from 5:30 until 7:30 pm. (Yes, I have now lost count of the number of recommended events to attend on Saturday!)

Owners Renee and Gilly have built a popular business offering local art to both full-time residents and seasonal property owners looking to add an artistic touch to their homes. And the Gallery has air conditioning, an important feature this time of the year!

They also generously give to the community, opening up their space for events like the annual Charlestown Historical Society benefit auction. I'll be there to say "hi" and I hope you will too.

And consider walking next door for dinner at the Hungry Haven. You must appreciate BYOB!

by Tom Ferrio. Not a paid advertisement.

Opening day at the Charlestown Farmers' Market

The organizers of the Market have done a great job this year.


I'm not sure if this will work for everyone but I've posted some photos of today's opening day on Facebook, here.