Charlestown shorts

• L&M lays off more workers
• Get ready for winter, part 1
• Not faking housing bad news
• Also not faking housing good news
• Flood insurance rates going up
• Charlestown population boom?
• La, la, la, la, la
• Getting ready for winter, part 2

By Will Collette

Lawrence & Memorial cuts more workers

Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in Stonington, new owner of Westerly Hospital, announced on September 3 that it was cutting 33 more workers due to a variety of cuts in federal funding. Seven are union workers. The remainder include a couple of managers and 11 per diem workers. L&M is facing an administrative trial before a National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge on October 21 over NLRB charges that L&M has been using unfair labor practices to eliminate union jobs.

In the same announcement where L&M announced the latest job cuts, they had a piece of good news – Westerly Hospital operated in the black for the first two months under L&M’s new management.

Free energy audits and weatherization.

South County Community Action’s program to help low-income homeowners or renters save money on energy is under way. You can save a lot of money this winter if you get prepared now. Contact SCCA at (401) 789-3016 extension #338 to see if you qualify. Income restrictions apply. For example, if you are living alone, the limit is an annual income of $27,482. If you have a family of four, the limit is $52,850.

Rhode Island Housing wasn’t faking its budget woes.

For several months, we’ve heard Town Council Boss Tom Gentz rail against Rhode Island Housing for failing to come across with promised funding for two non-profit housing developments planned for Charlestown. He took their denial as a betrayal, even though officials at the agency said the problem was a re-ordering of priorities due to severe cuts in funding.

Well, they weren’t kidding, because Rhode Island Housing just laid off 30 of its own staff. Director Richard Godfrey blamed sharp drops in federal funding (thank you, sequester) plus lack of income from 12,000 mortgages held by RI Housing of which over 7% are currently delinquent.

According to the last audited statements for RI Housing (2012), the agency holds mortgages with remaining balances totaling just over $1 billion on single family homes.

Charlestown home values jump again.

Zillow.com reports that Charlestown home prices have squirted up. I recently reported an uptick in Charlestown home values to $305,000 during the month of June. The July numbers show another sharp rise to $308,500, a one month increase of 1.2%, which is not too shabby. That puts us up 2.3% over last year, but way down from our all-time peak of nearly $400,000 in 2005-2006.

This is also going to be a property tax reassessment year where contractors for the town will be coming around to check out your property to see what it’s worth for tax purposes.

Find out what’s happening to flood insurance.

RI Emergency Management will hold the South County version of its travelling workshops on pending changes to the federal flood insurance program. It’s no secret or surprise that rates are about to take a dramatic jump due to a phase out of subsidies and some discounts.

Click here to read an extraordinary article from the Warwick Beacon. The RIEMA session in Warwick has already taken place and left homeowners dismayed at the prospect of, for example, having to pay a $25,000 for $250,000 in flood insurance coverage. If you live in one of the many Charlestown properties in a flood zone, you should read this article to prepare you to ask the right questions at the upcoming session.

The South County workshop will be on September 17 from 4 to 9 PM at the Narragansett Town Hall’s Council Chambers, 25 Fifth Avenue, Narragansett.

Charlestown population projected to grow by 20%.

This wathins our population projection from the 2006 Comprehensive Plan.
TOTALLY WRONG.

Grab the smelling salts for Ruth Platner! According to new projections from the US Census Bureau, Charlestown is projected to grow from its present population of 7,827 to 9,329 by the year 2040. Take these predictions with a large heaping tablespoonful of salt, however.

Looking back over some past predictions…in Charlestown’s 1984 Comprehensive Plan, the town’s population was expected to grow to 8,440 by the year 2000, but fell short at 7,859…the 2006 Comprehensive Plan update predicted 2010 population to grow to 8,642, except it fell to 7,827…that same plan said Charlestown would hit 10,276 by 2025, except we are continuing to lose population as deaths outnumber births and our aging population means that negative population is going to be a feature in Charlestown for some years to come.

La-La-La-La-La!

The world-class Chorus of Westerly is looking for singers for its 2013-14 season for all voice parts and for children age 8 and up. You must be able to commit to perform for the entire season (rehearsals, plus seven scheduled performances). To schedule an audition at the George Kent Performance Hall, 119 High St., Westerly, contact Lee Eastbourne at (401) 596-8663 or lee@chorusofwesterly.org

Let it snow!

I love my snow-plow proof mailbox!

According to the Consumerist, one of my favorite consumer websites, now is the best time to buy a snow blower. Just because last year was a heavy snow year doesn’t mean that this winter will be equally bad, but you never know. 

Besides, this is New England and snow is a fact of life. As you get older, shoveling snow becomes more of a heart attack hazard.

Also, this would be a good time to consider getting yourself a snow-plow proof mailbox. I did and my beautiful new mailbox made it through last year's tough winter without a scratch. Click here for more details, including how to get one for yourself.

This is also the time of year to pick up on end-of-season clearance sales on summer stuff, such as lawnmowers.