By Will Collette
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| More more Mutts cartoons by Patrick McConnell, CLICK HERE |
Colin Foote’s killer released from prison
ColinsLaw.org which worked
closely with former state Rep. Donna Walsh (D) for stricter traffic safety
laws.
The site of Colin’s death is now covered
by a set of red light enforcement cameras. Those cameras, due to a variety of
problems the town’s contractor can’t seem to handle are STILL
not able to issue tickets to violators.
Pleasant Surprise, with an unsurprising twist
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| It was Brian Patrick Kennedy who got the quarry dust through the General Assembly, contrary to the e-bleat from the weasels at the CCA Party. It was not Rep. Flip Filippi who's main role was to grab headlines for himself. |
Both the RI House and Senate
have cleared bills that will require DEM to write new regulations to control
quarry dust and other air pollutants from mines, such as our many
local rock quarries.
In craven CCA Party fashion,
they give all
the credit for the legislation to their own state Rep. Blake “Flip” Filippi
(I/R/Tea Party -Block Island/Lincoln/Providence[Footnote 1])….when
it’s
not even his bill!
The sponsor of H5680A is
Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy (D). Flipper is the second co-sponsor. The CCA is so
loath to give a Democrat credit that they’ll fake
it for the Flipper. Flip’s main contribution to the cause was to grab some
media attention….for himself.
The Senate version of the
bill, Senate Bill No. 621 SUB A, also passed.
This bill was sponsored by Sen. Dennis Algiere (R) scarcely rates a mention by
the CCA.
Flipper’s two bills on quarries continue
to sit in committee “held for further study.” House
Bill No. 5676 Would give the
town of Charlestown powers it actually already has to regulate quarries.
The
other, House Bill No. 5740 , partially
addresses the environmental effects of quarries by telling DEM to write regs.
That bill completely omits any mention of the need to reclaim quarries. The
issues it does address are largely contained in Brian Patrick Kennedy’s bill.
Any bill that requires action by DEM
will be handicapped by DEM’s serious staff shortage, as we reported HERE. Even with a full staff, it would still
take at least one year, if not more, just to write the regulations. As for then
getting those
regulations enforced, faggedaboudit! Not that it’s not worth trying….but
keep those expectations low.
Block Island
Planning Board gives Jane Weidman a send-off
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| Will Platner get her pick? Silly question. |
As I
reported here,
Charlestown’s part-time town Planner Jane Weidman was recently terminated from
her part-time Planner gig on Block Island when the town simply wrote her out of
the new town budget without telling her. “Blind-sided,” to quote Weidman.
On
June 10, the BI Planning Board said goodbye to Weidman and debated how to tell the Town Council they were
displeased with the process they used to dismiss Weidman. The Planning Board,
which is appointed by the Town Council, was not consulted about the Council’s
decision to eliminate Weidman’s position and instead hire a GIS Specialist for
the job.
Two
Planning Board members pushed to send a letter to the Council from the Board as
a whole but that idea was defeated by a five to two vote.
At roughly
the same time that Weidman learned she was being given the ax in New Shoreham,
the town of Charlestown finally posted the job opening for Town Planner – as a
full time position. They waited almost two years to post the vacancy (former Town Planner Ashley Hahn left
in November 2013). That notice has since been taken down.
Seems to
me we’re likely to see the Town Council make a quick personnel decision very
soon, probably to hire Weidman who has pretty much done whatever Planning
Commissar Ruth Platner has told her to do.
On another
personnel note, the town has posted
the position of Parks and Recreation Director,
once held by ousted
P&R Director Jay Primiano and currently held
on an acting basis by Vicky Hilton.
Ticks carrying
more Lyme Disease
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has discovered that a higher percentage of black-legged
ticks are carrying Lyme Disease this year. They’re
finding Lyme bacteria in 34% of samples, compared
to 26%, the running five-year average. While these results are for Connecticut
ticks, I think we all understand that ticks do not respect state boundaries so
we may also expect an “up-tick” (sorry, couldn’t stop myself) in Rhode Island
results.
Connecticut orders Millstone to practice
for larger evacuation; Hartford Courant looks at harm to Long Island Sound
Our nearby Millstone Nuclear Power Plant (just 20 miles upwind from Charlestown) had a double-whammy of challenges to its basic operations. When the plant ran an emergency drill on June 17, simulating plausible scenarios involving failures of the cooling systems that keep the two operating reactors from melting down or exploding.These failures are all the more real, given that Millstone has been repeated cited by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for violations involving exactly those systems.
The exercise presumed the need for an evacuation within a 10-mile danger zone, but state officials insisted on extending the zone further east to Groton and west to Lyme. Still not quite at the Rhode Island line, but close. The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 caused by Japan’s huge earthquake now shapes a lot of emergency planning thinking for nuclear “events.” The danger zone for Fukushima extended out 50 miles from Ground Zero.
The potential for a major accident at Millstone is still a hypothetical, although a distinct possibility, especially given Virginia-based Millstone owner Dominion Energy’s track record. However, the Hartford Courant recently looked in depth at the on-going negative effect Millstone has on the ocean.
As the Courant notes:
“The Millstone nuclear plants suck in about 2 billion gallons of seawater a day to cool their reactors and then pump the heated water back into Long Island Sound , a shallow estuary scientists say has been warming for decades.”
The way Millstone is constructed,
if they don’t suck in all that seawater, the
reactors will fail and could lead to the worst case scenario of a meltdown and
explosion rivalling Fukushima.
Suffolk County, NY’s County
Council appropriated $80,000 to have scientists at Stoney brook University
study Millstone’s effect on the waters of Long Island Sound. Of course, we in
Charlestown are only concerned about the unproven health effects of wind
turbines.
New Bedford voters overwhelmingly approve casino
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| The CCA Party has cold sweats thinking the moraine could look like this (I wouldn't like it either, but I don't worry about it happening) |
On
Tuesday, New Bedford
voters said YES by almost a three to one margin to advance a
proposed casino that would be built on currently contaminated, derelict land on
the harbor waterfront. The casino would be operated by Foxwoods.
This
could be one of three resort casinos, plus slot parlors, built in Massachusetts
that will further glut the casino market in Southern New England.
It’s
yet another tangible reason why a Narragansett casino in Charlestown is a
virtual impossibility. Even if the Narragansetts wanted a Charlestown casino (which they don’t) and could overcome the serious logistical and financial
barriers to entry (which they can’t), between the new casinos in Massachusetts
and the existing ones in Connecticut, there is no market left.
Will
the Charlestown Citizens Alliance now stop using the “threat” of a casino to
whip up fear among Charlestown voters, or will they continue to use it as their
own
special code to maintain that “Us versus Them” attitude that is one of
the CCA’s key to power? What do you think?
RI Attorney General
rules against Charlestown in Open Records complaint
Attorney
General Peter Kilmartin ruled the Charlestown Police Department
violated the state’s Access to Public Records Act
(APRA) by failing two specific administrative responsibilities. The complaint
noted that CPD undertook corrective action so the AG’s Office will take no
further action. No actual records were withheld. To read the decision, click here.
The
complaint was filed by Access/Rhode Island and this decision is one of many
findings against Charlestown town government since the CCA Party took over
control in 2008.
Aldi to open new store in the former Shaw’s in Westerly
CCA
School Committee member Ron Areglado will no doubt be relieved to learn that
come October, the former Shaw’s building in Westerly will no longer be vacant.
Areglado has been heard about town expressing concern about the vacancy and
suggesting possible uses for the building.
In an apparent effort to branch out
into commercial real estate development, he’d even forwarded his suggestions to
the appropriate authorities. Gee, wonder why. One also wonders why he didn’t
take advantage of the spot himself for his Center for
Ethical and Moral Leadership (which may or may not exist).
Aldi, for those who haven’t had the
pleasure of shopping there, is a discount grocery chain owned by one of the
pair of brothers who founded Trader Joe’s. The chain is wildly popular in its
native Germany.
Here in the U.S., it’s perhaps best known for its shopping cart rental system, in which you insert a quarter into the locked row of shopping carts to release a cart. The quarter is then returned to you when you return the cart to its proper location. Aldi is also known for its house brands and as a price setter on milk and bananas.
Here in the U.S., it’s perhaps best known for its shopping cart rental system, in which you insert a quarter into the locked row of shopping carts to release a cart. The quarter is then returned to you when you return the cart to its proper location. Aldi is also known for its house brands and as a price setter on milk and bananas.
When
the store opens in October, you just might spot Maureen Areglado shopping there
if she finds the Aldi-brand Greek yogurt comparable to her favorite, Chobani,
and they manage to beat Walmart’s price it. She reportedly has an “app” that
tells her if she’s about to pay too much for a grocery item, as well as a
Frequent Flyer app that points the way to the best deals in tropical time share
condominiums.
Winter-weather
recovery low-interest loans
If your
small business suffered losses from this past winter’s brutal weather, the
South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation
and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering 5% fixed rate
loans of up to $50,000 to help you bounce back. The application is available on
SEED’s website www.seedcorp.com.
Congratulations
to….
Arrowhead Dental of Charlestown.
In the current issue of Rhode Island Monthly [no link], three of their staff dentists
were named among Rhode Island’s best dentists. The three are Arrowhead owner
Dr. Bruce Gouin, his son Dr. Brendan Gouin and Dr. Nectara Stefano. In the
interests of full disclosure, Cathy and I have been patients of Dr. Stefano for
over ten years and we certainly would pick her as Top Doc.
Eco-RI. Our friends at
Eco-RI were commended by the Providence Business News for practicing what they
preach. In addition to being the only environmental news service in Rhode
Island, they also run a recycling effort that, according to PBN, has diverted
over 40,000 pounds from the state Central Landfill. They are a non-profit
organization very worthy of your support. Tom Ferrio and
I are active supporters.
Mystic Aquarium
Marine Animal Rescue.
So far this summer, hardly a week goes by without another
release of a rescued and rehabilitated seal or sea lion. They take hurt
animals from all over New England, patch them up and send them back into the
wild. If you’ve never seen one of their releases at Blue Shutters Beach, it’s
great thing to see. It’s a fine
thing they do at the Aquarium so if you’d like to support their work, click here. Here’s
Wasabi, their most recent release:
Charlestown
water holes.
In the same issue of Rhode Island
Monthly
that honored our local dentists at Arrowhead, they also rated Rhode Island’s
best fresh-water swimming spots. They only listed five, and one was in
Massachusetts.
Of the four Rhode Island’s best, #1 went to Little Nini Pond
with its free parking family-friendly style and the amenities in Ninigret Park,
although watch for the CCA Party Town Council members to decide to levy a $1
per child parking fee as part of their plan to make Ninigret Park a child-free
zone. #2 went to Watchaug Pond.
Jobs and employment news
Though Charlestown has seen a one-month improvement
in its unemployment rate, down from 8.5% in March to 6.6% in April, Charlestown
is still way behind the state
average which fell to 5.9% below 6%
since 2007.
Even though the Charlestown Citizens Alliance
promotes the image of Charlestown as a retirement community that should ideally
be comprised only of wealthy pensioners, the reality is that more than half of
Charlestown population – 4,113 out of 7,781 or 53% - are adults looking for
work. The CCA might brag though that the numbers are shifting in their
direction. In December 2014, the Charlestown workforce was 4,519 so there are
over 400 Charlestown residents who have dropped out of the workforce.
- The Mystic Arts Center in Mystic, CT is looking for an Events Coordinator
- Thundermist Health Center in Wakefield is looking for a Behavioral Health Nurse Practitioner.
- The WARM Center in Westerly is looking for a Driver/Maintenance
- The YMCA of Greater Providence is looking for a Health and Wellness Coach and Summer Camp Counselors to work in Peace Dale.
- The South County Community Action Agency is looking for a Program Manager for their Family Care Community Partnership
- According to Patch, the Block Island Ferry company is still looking to hire summer help. Click here for more detail.
- Patch also reported that the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association is about to open up to applications for apprentices to sign on to learn the crafts needed to snag a good blue collar job in Rhode Island’s growing maritime industry. By completing an apprenticeship training program, your chances of landing a job improve significantly. Click here for more information.
Other employment news
Death in the family. One potential
cloud on the horizon for the maritime industry is the recent death of Richard Carpenter, 77, of North
Kingstown. Carpenter was the co-founder of SENESCO
Marine, a ship-building company that employs 300 people at Quonset.
Sometimes, after the death of a figure like Carpenter, the new leaders of the
company may get itchy to make big changes. Case in point – the PawSox after Ben
Mondor’s death. Senesco is an important part of Rhode Island’s growing
ship-building industry and I hope the company sticks around.
First contract approved. UCONN’s Graduate
Assistant Union had its contract proposal approved by the Connecticut
legislature marking a historic break-through for this particular group of
workers. Part-time faculty and student workers all over the US and particularly
in New England have been organizing for respect and better working conditions
in a cloudy legal environment that sometimes does not recognize their right to
organize and bargain for contracts.
L&M Westerly doing OK. Despite grumpy
noises from Bruce Cummins, the CEO of Westerly Hospital’s owner Lawrence &
Memorial Hospital of New London, it looks like Westerly Hospital is doing ok.
L&M has extended its
commitment to Westerly Hospital and plans to spend $1 million in upgrades to its cardiac
unit. They are also talking to
Yale-New Haven Hospital about a possible affiliation.
Yale-New
Haven is a major medical center in New England and an affiliation would
probably boost the level of care at the L&M chain, including Westerly
Hospital.
But
one thing that might make Yale-New Haven an attractive hook-up for Bruce
Cummins is that Yale-New Haven is pretty hard-core in dealing with its unions. In 2007,
Yale-New Haven was ordered to pay $4.5 million for labor law
violations.
FOOTNOTE
[FN1]
Filippi is registered to vote from his mother’s address in Block Island, except
he doesn’t live there. Numerous official records place is actual residence as
his mother’s other house in Lincoln, where Flipper grew up and graduated from
Lincoln High School. Except he doesn’t live there, either. Filippi told Bob
Plain, editor of Rhode Island’s Future, that he actually lives in an apartment
in Providence where he has his law practice. Filippi claims to be a full-time
lawyer in Providence, a full-time cattle farmer in Lincoln and a full-time
entrepreneur, owning Ballard’s of Block Island, as well as being a member of
the General Assembly. In his spare time, he takes ultra-fast flying lessons
from Superman to make it from one place to the other. Whaddaguy, our Flipper!