Covering lots of ground, from crime to lemonade
By Will Collette
New Copar lawsuit confirms - and expands on - Progressive Charlestown reporting
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| Phil Armetta - his family wants to recover $11 million allegedly stolen from him by Sam Cocopard [photo by Steven DeVoto, Middletown Eye] |
Once again, it's hats off to Westerly Sun investigative reporter Dale Faulkner for his Page one piece in the Sunday edition of the Sun. Dale reports on a major lawsuit filed by the family of Connecticut Trash Titan Phil Armetta against Copar Quarry's former President and career criminal Sam Cocopard. The family claims Cocopard stole $11 million from Phil Armetta who is now under a conservatorship headed by his wife due to Armetta's "age and deteriorating mental condition."
Many of the details included in the legal filings confirm reports you may have already read either in Dale's many other Copar articles or articles I have written in Progressive Charlestown. Plus lots more details that heretofor were unconfirmed rumors.
Left unclear - Will the Copar sites in Bradford, Charlestown and Richmond continue to operate or be closed since they now seem to have been fronts used by Sam Cocopard to skim money from Armetta and other investors?
Is the Richmond Commons project dead now that Copar's deal with owner John Aiello has fallen apart?
Why did Armetta start doing business with Cocopard in the first place, given Cocopard's long history of crime? Where did Armetta's $11 million come from?
Why are the Armetta's pursuing this in civil court, given that it's unlikely Cocopard has any money, rather than file criminal charges?
The biggest question of all is why public officials in Westerly, Charlestown and Richmond (and even the US Army Corps of Engineers) chose to overlook the criminal, financial and other legal problems behind Copar? Did anybody do any due diligence? Why did these officials ignore documented reports both in the Sun and Progressive Charlestown?
Obviously, this story isn't over.
Charlestown unemployment drops in April
It’s good to see Charlestown’s
unemployment numbers fall from 10.5% in March to 8.7% in April,
most likely due to the beginning of construction season, or that Ray Mott hired
them all (see story below). A part of the decline was due to 30 more
Charlestown workers dropping out of the workforce.
But there was a real increase in the number of
Charlestown residents working, going from 4,079 in March to 4,133. The number
of Charlestown residents collecting unemployment compensation dropped from 477
to 393.
Charlestown’s unemployment rate continues
to be higher than the Rhode Island average of 8.3% and way above the 6.3% national average.
I was wrong
In the last Charlestown Tapas, I reported that it looked like the long-running legal battle between Charlestown and the owners of Shelter Cove/Johnny Angel's clam shack over parking rights was over, after Shelter Cove won a positive ruling from the Zoning Board of Review.I was wrong. While it looked like a solid victory to me, Shelter Cove was not happy with the conditions that were attached to the ZBR ruling that limits the total number of parking sites to 95. In a lawsuit filed against the Charlestown ZBR on May 12, Shelter Cove argues the ZBR was in error adding that limit, violated their due process rights and violated the state Open Meetings Act.
So, just when you thought it was over, there's this new development. Read the new lawsuit HERE.
Another cherished belief literally shot to hell
A new report from Movoto
Real Estate shattered one of the beliefs that we Charlestown residents have
held about our town – that we’re a very safe place. Turns out our neighbors in Richmond get to say that because, it turns out, Richmond is considered the safest place in Rhode Island.
But
Charlestown? We come in at 20th place.
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| The chopper used as a gunship last summer has been sold (CPD photo) |
South and North Kingstown make the Top Ten.
Hopkinton came in 13th.
Movato used crime rates rather than incidence in murders, violent crime and crimes against property.
Movato used crime rates rather than incidence in murders, violent crime and crimes against property.
On reflection, maybe we earned the
disappointing rating because we have a higher than average percentage of crazy
people with violent tendencies, several of whom I’ve reported on in Progressive
Charlestown. There’s also the chance of death from the skies.
Speaking of which, the word is that the
skies will be clear of helicopters with gun-toting yahoos. The chopper in last
summer’s famous incident was sold off and its owner is thinking about waiting
until next year to buy a new one.
Speaking of dangerous behavior…
Rhode Island’s death toll from heroin and
fentanyl overdoses continues to climb, but it’s not as bad as some might think. For those of you who attended last week’s Town Council meeting, or watched it on Clerkbase (presuming you could access it, which is tricky), you would have heard Town Council Boss Tom Gentz lead the audience in a moment of silence which he dedicated to the victims of the South Korean ferry disaster and also “the over 900 Rhode Islanders who have died from heroin overdoses since the first of the year.”
Nine hundred overdose deaths! Whoa! Except
that our fact-challenged Town Boss was off by one decimal point. It’s actually 90+ ODs, not 900. Scary way to start a Council meeting that dealt with the town budget where decimal points can make a really big difference.
Behave
yourselves on the road
The Southern
Rhode Island DUI Task Force will be on
the lookout for drunk and distracted drivers. This extra vigilance is being
funded through the RI Office on Highway Safety’s Blue Rip Tide program.
In a
statement, CPD Chief Jeff Allen said, "Impaired driving and distracted
driving—to include texting—results in unnecessary carnage on our roadways. One
life lost at the hands of an impaired driver is unforgivable. The sole purpose
of this concerted effort is to save lives." The program kicked off on May
16 and that’s why there were so many extra cruisers along Route One this past
weekend.
The Southern Rhode Island DUI Task
Force is comprised of about 30 law enforcement officials from 11
communities and State Police. They will patrol state and local roads starting
May 16. The program was made possible through the Rhode Island Office on
Highway Safety’s Blue Rip Tide grant program.
In
April, Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz reported to the Town Council
that Sensys, the contractor that plans to install and operate cameras at Charlestown’s four stop lights along Route One that will catch and fine
violators hopes to have the system up and running by this summer. The project
was held up by defective sensor plates at one of the intersections.
Rather than
wait for RIDOT to make the repairs (which could be a very, very long time),
Sensys notified DOT that it will make the repairs themselves. Provided DOT
consents. Since I haven’t noticed any work at all happening, it looks like
they’re still waiting on DOT.
…For running red lights, your
punishment will be confinement in the “Pain Cave”
Noted
Charlestown architect Megan Moynihan of Oyster
Works is also a triathlete and a very serious fitness person. So serious
that her design for a home gym, a.k.a. “Pain Cave,” is featured in the May
issue of Triathlete Magazine.
You might want to consider subscribing to Triathlete Magazine because, I swear,
they even have a swimsuit
edition, though they’re not quite at SI’s level yet.
Like
all of her work, Megan’s gym design is not only functional, but saves energy
and is very cool looking. Congrats, Megan, for the recognition.
Charlestown Parks & Recreation programs over
the next week
Fitness Classes
Zumba: Monday Evenings, 5:30-6:30 pm
Pilates & Strength Conditioning - Tues/Thurs-5:30-6:30 pm
Tai Chi: Monday Mornings- 10:30 am
Yoga: Monday Evenings: 6:45 pm
Tuesday Mornings: 8:30 am
Thursday Mornings: 9:00 am
Saturday Mornings: 8:30 am
All classes are $5/class no pre-registration necessary
Held at the Community/Senior Center in Ninigret Park
For more information,
call Charlestown Parks & Recreation at 364-1222.
Lawrence and
Memorial Hospital workers face more staff cuts
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| Management threatens more job cuts |
Fresh
off a bitter strike and lock-out last December followed by a hard-won contract,
Lawrence & Memorial, owners of Westerly Hospital, informed
3,500 workers that new staff cuts are coming either through attrition or
lay-offs or both. L&M laid off workers before the strike, and actually
forced the union into the job action. New cuts were not entirely unexpected,
but not welcome.
AFT-Connecticut
represents nearly all L&M workers. AFT staffer Matt O’Connor said the union
locals are “ready to work with the administration to ensure that all of their
members remain employed.”
Frank Hopkins of Charlestown joins Wood
River Health Services board
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| Hopkins is to the right, rear |
Mr. Hopkins is the Chief Operating
Officer for University Pathologists with a long and distinguished career. He
started in medicine as a Navy corpsman and went on to a rising career in
nursing at area non-profit hospitals and the VA. He earned an MBA Health Care
Administration from Bryant.
That, plus a long history of
community service, makes him a welcome addition to the Wood River Board. Wood
River is a non-profit community health center that provides a broad range of
health services to over 9,000 people in southwestern Rhode Island. For more
information, check out their website at www.woodriverhealthservices.org.
Passings
Two Charlestown political
figures from opposite ends of the political spectrum died recently within a day
of each other. On
May 10, Carol Miller died at Westerly Health
Center. In her obituary, her family wrote that “in her legacy of service, she
was the first woman and the first Democrat elected to the Charlestown Town
Council in 1992.”
Deb Carney, Donna Walsh
and now Paula Andersen followed Ms. Miller as proud Democratic women serving
Charlestown on the Town Council.
At the far right of the
political spectrum, Tom
DePatie died on May 9. DePatie was a Republican
activist and founder of the Rhode Island Shoreline Coalition which turned into
the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition which then morphed into its present format
as the RI Taxpayers. DePatie was also a founder and long-time steering
committee member of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) and a vocal advocate
for voting rights for non-residents.
Mott
& Chace keeps growing
It seems like the fastest growing business in Charlestown – except
possibly Arrowhead Dental, is Mott & Chace Sotheby’s Realty. Cathy & I
bought our home through Ray Mott in 2000.
Ray and his partner Judy Chace announced the opening of their third
office, this time in Narragansett.
Just a few weeks ago, they announced the opening of their second office in
Watch Hill. Maybe this all means that the real estate market really is
bouncing back. Or just that they’re good at selling it. Either way, it’s good
to see a Charlestown business thrive.
Odd
business moves
Two iconic Rhode Island businesses are running odd promotions this
summer. The revived Narragansett Beer plans to put a new “Shandy”
on the market that combined their brew with Del’s lemonade. While the idea of a lemon-flavored beer is
not new, it never really appealed to me.
I’d just as soon try some of the
Hitching Post’s amazing clam cakes dipped in ice cream.
But these guys are smarter about what will sell than I am, so good luck
to them.
Washington
Trust’s new “I Luv RI Renovation Challenge” is another promotional move
that has me baffled. The bank wants contestants to submit
before and after photos of the worst kitchen or bathroom or yard and then the
renovations done on them to make them look less crappy. It seems a little like
an updated, internet version of the old “Queen for a Day” game show (whereby I
date myself because most readers probably weren’t born when Queen for a Day was
a popular day-time TV hit).
The contestants will be judged by
Facebook people who look at their cruddy before and wonderful after photographs
and vote. If you are one of the weekly winners, you get a $100 VISA gift card
which might help you pay the monthly interest on the loan you took out to do
the renovations.
The Losers will get a personal
message from me informing them, if they aren’t already aware of it, that they
really are losers.
Millstone neighbors getting anti-radiation pills
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| Charlestown in relation to the five closest nukes. Millstone is the closest |
If Charlestown was within the 10-mile
emergency zone, instead of 20 miles downwind, we’d all be getting free
potassium iodide pills, courtesy of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
If there was a radioactive “oops” at one or both of the operating nuclear reactors at Millstone (just outside of New London), residents would be urged to take the pills to lessen the harm the radiation would do to the body.
If there was a radioactive “oops” at one or both of the operating nuclear reactors at Millstone (just outside of New London), residents would be urged to take the pills to lessen the harm the radiation would do to the body.
The only problem is that potassium iodide
only prevents the thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive iodine and does
nothing to protect the other organs and nothing about other forms of
radioactive exposure. Plus, they really only work on children or young adults
whose bodies are still developing.
Consider them a placebo. Or would you
prefer the unofficial NRC health directive that if Millstone blows, you should
immediately put your head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye.
I bought a supply of potassium iodide when
Cathy and I were living outside of DC when we really never knew what might happen.
My worst fear was a suitcase nuke, in which case the pills might do some good,
provided it happened while we were home in the burbs and not at work downtown.