Red flag warning continues, though some rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday

14-week virtual program offers in-depth plant training for home gardeners and green industry professionals

Register by Dec. 1 to earn Home Horticulture Certificate

Register by Dec. 1 to earn a Home Horticulture Certificate at URI. The 14-week virtual program is open to anyone interested in learning more about plants and landscaping.

Starting to think about your spring garden? Working in a field related to gardening and want to learn more about the science behind it? Interested in expanding your gardening knowledge to apply it to your own projects? For individuals near or far hoping to accomplish these aims in an online-focused program — without a volunteer requirement or need to drive to the University of Rhode Island campus — URI’s Cooperative Extension is offering its convenient Home Horticulture Certificate course, starting in January 2025, with applications for the course due by Dec. 1. The course will be held on Thursday evenings.

This year’s online Home Horticulture Certificate course starts in January 2025, covering everything from basic botany and composting to soil science and vegetable gardening.

All lectures are held Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 23 through May 1, 2025 on Zoom, covering everything from basic botany and composting to soil science and vegetable gardening.

Red flag warning continues...no rain in the forecast

 No outdoor fires and watch those cigarette butts

EDITOR'S NOTE: Donald Trump's Project 2025 plan calls for dismantling NOAA so you won't have to worry about these pesky notices for much longer.  - W. Collette

Taking a short break

Message from the Editor

By Will Collette

I'm taking a bit of a vacation from Progressive Charlestown. I'll still post important announcements, but I am taking a break from the pace of fully stocking the site with articles every day. I don't expect this to be a long break, but who knows?

An issue the election did nothing to resolve

How beef became a marker of American identity

A short history of how we got hooked on burgers and steaks

Hannah Cutting-Jones, University of Oregon

Beef is one of America’s most beloved foods. In fact, today’s average American eats three hamburgers per week.

American diets have long revolved around beef. On an 1861 trip to the United States, the English novelist Anthony Trollope marveled that Americans consumed twice as much beef as Englishmen. Through war, industry, development and settlement, America’s love of beef continued. 

In 2022, the U.S. as a whole consumed almost 30 billion pounds (13.6 billion kilograms) of it, or 21% of the world’s beef supply.

Beef has also reached iconic status in American culture. As “Slaughterhouse-Five” author Kurt Vonnegut once penned, “Being American is to eat a lot of beef, and boy, we’ve got a lot more beef steak than any other country, and that’s why you ought to be glad you’re an American.”

In part, the dominance of beef in American cuisine can be traced to settler colonialism, a form of colonization in which settlers claim – and then transform – lands inhabited by Indigenous people. In America, this process centered on the systemic and often violent displacement of Native Americans. Settlers brought with them new cultural norms, including beef-heavy diets that required massive swaths of land for grazing cattle.

As a food historian, I am interested in how, in the 19th century, the beef industry both propelled and benefited from colonialism, and how these intertwined forces continue to affect our diets, culture and environment today.

New RSV Vaccine Shows 80% Effectiveness

Helps save older people's lives and hospital stays

By Regenstrief Institute

A multi-state study published on October 19 in The Lancet is one of the first real-world analyses of the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine’s effectiveness. Researchers from the VISION Network found that the vaccine was highly effective in protecting older adults, including those with compromised immune systems, during the 2023-24 respiratory season. This was the first season after the RSV vaccine’s approval in the U.S.

The study showed that RSV vaccination provided about 80% protection against severe illness, hospitalization, ICU admission, and death due to respiratory infections. It offered similar protection against less severe cases in adults aged 60 and older who visited the emergency room but didn’t require hospitalization. Of this population, those ages 75 and older, were at the highest risk of severe disease and were the most likely to be hospitalized.

The Christian Right’s New Rallying Cry

Don’t Feed the Children!

By Jim Hightower 

An iconic Texas band, the Austin Lounge Lizards, has a song that nails the absurd self-righteousness of Christian supremacists: “Jesus loves me… but he can’t stand you.”

I think of this refrain when I behold today’s right-ring proselytizers wailing that the blessed rich should not be taxed to assure that everyone has the most basic human needs. Seems very un-Jesusy to me.

One bizarre focus of their religious wrath is a wholly sensible and Biblically sound national policy: subsidizing school districts to assure that every child has healthy meals to fuel their daily learning.

Yes, in the Christian Nationalists’ book of public abominations, government feeding of children is a holy no-no. Project 2025, the Republican blueprint to impose theocratic rule over America, proclaims school meals a socialist/Marxist evil to be eradicated.

The extremists cry that if there is any free-lunch “giveaway,” it must be narrowly restricted to truly destitute students. But publicly singling out those children would stigmatize them. Plus, how odd to hear Republicans demanding an intrusive, absurdly expensive, bureaucratic process empowering the government to decide who’s eligible to eat!

URI Awarded $1.4 Million for Research into PFAS Contamination in Water

Finding the cause is an important first step

ecoRI News

The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank has awarded a $1.4 million grant to the University of Rhode Island’s efforts to determine why groundwater and surface water are contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

URI’s Cooperative Extension is working with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to identify possible reasons why the contamination with PFAS, also know as “forever chemicals,” is happening. Public water systems use groundwater and surface water to supply customers with drinking water.

Grant funding was made available via the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation emerging contaminants program and is in addition to $38 million over five years — $7.6 million a year until 2026 — for treatment of drinking water generally from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Report: When It Comes to Wind Energy Production Growth, Ocean State Ranks First

We're Number One!

By Bonnie Phillips / ecoRI News staff

Rhode Island ranks first in the nation for growth in percent increase in wind energy production since 2014, according to a report released Wednesday by the Environment America Research & Policy Center.

The state ranks second in percent increase in electric vehicle (EV) registration, and 17th in the nation for growth in percent increase in solar energy production, according to the online Renewables on the Rise 2024 dashboard, which charts the growth of six key energy technologies by state over the past decade: solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and electric vehicle charging stations. 

Scientists Have Discovered Toxic “Forever Chemicals” in Bottled Water

Hmmm, they DO come in plastic bottles

By University of Birmingham 

A new study reveals that scientists have found toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water samples from across the globe.

Researchers discovered 10 ‘target’ PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals resistant to environmental breakdown—in tap and bottled water available for consumption in major cities across the UK and China. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were found in over 99% of bottled water samples collected from 15 countries worldwide.

They observed significant differences in PFAS concentrations between tap water samples from Birmingham, UK, and Shenzhen, China, with Chinese tap water found to have higher concentrations of PFAS compared to UK tap water.

However, the study demonstrates that measures such as boiling and/or activated carbon filtration – typically using a ‘jug’ water filter – can substantially reduce PFAS concentrations in drinking water, with removal rates ranging from 50% to 90% depending on the PFAS and treatment type.

Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease

Often doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account

Amy Huebschmann, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Judith Regensteiner, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Rates of heart disease and cardiac events in women are often
underestimated. eternalcreative/iStock via Getty Images

A simple difference in the genetic code – two X chromosomes versus one X chromosome and one Y chromosome – can lead to major differences in heart disease. 

It turns out that these genetic differences influence more than just sex organs and sex assigned at birth – they fundamentally alter the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents.

While sex influences the mechanisms behind how cardiovascular disease develops, gender plays a role in how health care providers recognize and manage it. Sex refers to biological characteristics such as genetics, hormones, anatomy and physiology, while gender refers to social, psychological and cultural constructs. 

Women are more likely to die after a first heart attack or stroke than men. Women are also more likely to have additional or different heart attack symptoms that go beyond chest pain, such as nausea, jaw pain, dizziness and fatigue. It is often difficult to fully disentangle the influences of sex on cardiovascular disease outcomes versus the influences of gender.

While women who haven’t entered menopause have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men, their cardiovascular risk accelerates dramatically after menopause. In addition, if a woman has Type 2 diabetes, her risk of heart attack accelerates to be equivalent to that of men, even if the woman with diabetes has not yet gone through menopause. Further data is needed to better understand differences in cardiovascular disease risk among nonbinary and transgender patients.

Despite these differences, one key thing is the same: Heart attack, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease are the leading cause of death for all people, regardless of sex or gender.

We are researchers who study women’s health and the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents differently in women and men. Our work has identified a crucial need to update medical guidelines with more sex-specific approaches to diagnosis and treatment in order to improve health outcomes for all.

For the majority of the Supreme Court, a wetland where the water is out of sight is a wetland out of mind.

Wetland protections remain bogged down in mystery

Derrick Z. Jackson in EHN

Photo by Will Collette

It is mind-boggling, syllable pun intended, that scientists still do not know how many wetlands lost protection in last year’s crippling of the Clean Water Act by the Supreme Court.

A new peer-reviewed study in the journal Science said the range of possible protection loss is between a fifth of nontidal wetlands to nearly all of them.

Lead author Adam Gold, a watershed researcher for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the wild uncertainty is because the court arbitrarily created a new standard for federal protection divorced from the science of how wetlands support larger streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean.

The Sackett case involved an Idaho couple who sued after the Environmental Protection Agency stopped their backfilling of a lot near a lake to build a home. The court was unanimous in saying that in the case of that couple, the EPA overstepped its authority. But a 5-4 conservative majority, led by Justice Samuel Alito, a long-time skeptic of both EPA authority, and what constitutes any kind of pollution, went a fateful extra step.

Alito famously said that carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning, a key contributor to global warming, is not a pollutant. That is despite studies tying carbon dioxide to skyrocketing rates of childhood asthma. A 2011 study in the journal Asthma and Allergy, said the parallel increase of global asthma and carbon dioxide emissions is “remarkable.” There is evidence linking elevated carbon dioxide to longer pollen seasons.

On wetlands, Alito’s razor-thin majority instituted an “eyeball” test. The court said a wetland merits federal protection only if it is “indistinguishable” from larger waters, evidenced by a “continuous surface connection” to them.

The mosquito-borne virus ‘triple E’ continues its spread, worrying RI health officials

Climate warming is extending the time for mosquito-borne infections

By Nada Hassanein, Rhode Island Current

Mosquito-borne illnesses are a growing concern in Northeastern states, with health officials monitoring cases and advising residents to avoid outdoor activities near standing water and other environments prone to mosquito spread.

Of particular concern is eastern equine encephalitis, a rare disease that can lead to serious and fatal illness, caused by mosquitoes carrying the virus.

Known as EEE or “triple E,” the virus can cause disease in humans and animals such as horses and birds. It doesn’t spread from human to human, but is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.

While most people don’t develop symptoms or serious illness, 1 in 3 people who become seriously ill from the virus die, and about half of those who recover from severe cases will still experience long-term physical and cognitive effects, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting and drowsiness. Encephalitis is a rare and serious complication in which the infection causes inflammation in the brain.

Eight states — Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin — have reported human cases of the virus this year, for a total of 16 cases, according to the latest CDC data. Other states have seen cases in animals only. In Maine this year, triple E was found in two emus and one wild bird.

EDITOR'S NOTE: in its final mosquito report of the season, DEM made these comments about the total number of serious cases of mosquito-borne illnesses:

This mosquito season, Rhode Island announced 20 EEE virus findings in mosquito samples, 16 WNV findings, one confirmed human case off EEE virus, and six confirmed human cases of WNV. The State of Connecticut announced 72 EEE virus findings, 309 WNV findings, two JCV findings, nine human cases of WNV, and two animal cases of EEE, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced 333 WNV findings, 97 EEE findings, four human cases of EEE virus, three animal cases of EEE virus, and 18 human cases of WNV. Weekly mosquito trap density and mosquito testing results are available on RIDOH’s arboviral surveillance data webpage.

Although extremely rare in humans, EEE virus is very serious and has a much higher human mortality rate than WNV. Approximately 30% of people with EEE virus die, and many survivors have ongoing neurological problems. Unlike WNV, which is prevalent in Rhode Island every year, EEE virus risk is variable, changing from year to year. For more information on EEE virus and ways to prevent it, please visit www.health.ri.gov/eee.

Common Chemicals Found in Shampoo and Plastic Could Be Quietly Disrupting Your Heart’s Rhythm

Do we really need toxins in our shampoo?

By University of Cincinnati

A study from the University of Cincinnati found that environmental phenols, commonly found in consumer products, can alter heart electrical activity, with specific effects differing between men and women. 

These moderate changes are unlikely to harm healthy individuals but may worsen existing heart conditions, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Environmental phenols are present in numerous everyday consumer products, serving as preservatives in packaged foods, parabens in shampoos, and bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic dishware. Consequently, people are consistently exposed to these chemicals on a daily basis.

Some of these environmental phenols are known to have cardiac toxicities. Now, an interdisciplinary study involving four University of Cincinnati College of Medicine professors is revealing their adverse impact on the heart’s electrical properties, and the research has been published in the journal Environmental Health.

How to overcome your device dependency and manage a successful digital detox

You CAN live without your smart phone

Kelley Cours Anderson, College of Charleston and Karen Anne Wallach, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Life in the digital world can be rewarding. It’s convenient to order groceries for pickup, share photographs or music, and keep in touch with family and friends, no matter the distance. However, it can also be draining. The feeling of being constantly “on” and productive has driven people to reconsider their balance in the saturated digital world.

More than 70% of American adults are concerned about how technology affects their mental health and personal relationships. This worry is reinforced through media that point to people’s unhealthy habits with social media and phones.

What to do? There is a fuzzy line between healthy and unhealthy digital consumption. Some folks feel the need to fully disconnect from the digital world to understand this boundary. 

The idea of digital detoxing is gaining popularity. This practice involves intentionally unplugging from digital technologies in the pursuit of balance and digital well-being. Nearly half of Americans report that they are making a conscious effort to regularly step away from their screens.

But is this attempt enough? It’s no surprise that 62% of Americans confess to feeling addicted to their devices and the internet. Despite people’s best efforts to unplug and strike a balance, research indicates that digital detoxes often fall short.

Digital well-being is subjective. We research technology and consumer behavior. Our recent research studied the digital detox journey, where people take a much-needed break from digital consumption, aiming to uncover what supports or sabotages those seeking digital well-being. Our findings highlighted four key strategies to improve the outcome of this journey toward achieving a healthier digital balance: replacement practices, social bonds, mindfulness and digital well-being as a journey.

Could Nuclear Energy Power the Ocean State?

Given its history, SHOULD it?

By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff

The nuclear reactor at URI's Bay Campus was built in 1960.
For more than 50 years it has provided data to researchers and students.
(RI.gov)

As Rhode Island tries to reach its climate goals, the discussions of solar panels and wind turbines are starting to include another carbon-free energy source: nuclear power.

Anti-wind power advocates have offered it as an alternative to ocean wind farms — which have come under fire after a blade at a wind farm off Nantucket failed this summer — while power brokers, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former Secretary of State John Kerry, are suggesting it might be the most efficient way to get to carbon neutral.

Fears around this type of energy, which does not produce carbon emissions but has caused several deadly catastrophes, including one in Rhode Island 60 years ago, has prevented development of nuclear power plants over the past several decades.

But improvements in technology and a push to decarbonize could make nuclear more pervasive, though obstacles still remain before large-scale nuclear power could come to Rhode Island.

Rhode Island already has one nuclear reactor, but like the state itself, it’s small. It’s a research reactor on the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus.

Built in the 1960s, the reactor was originally constructed to test different materials’ vulnerability to radiation, according to Clinton Chichester, chair of the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission, which oversees the reactor.

Today, the reactor is largely used for engineering and medical research.

Native American Heritage Month at URI aims to raise awareness, build native fluency

Focus on history and activism at this year’s Native American Heritage panel

Kristen Curry 

The University of Rhode Island will celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November, recognizing the University’s place on the traditional stomping ground of the Narragansett Nation and the Niantic People. 

URI’s Multicultural Students Services Center and College of Arts and Sciences have planned a variety of events that will celebrate art, culture, history and activism over the course of the month. 

Organizers say events aim to make the larger URI community “fluent” in the history, practices and traditions of the University’s local Native American tribes with a focus on the Narragansett Tribe.

Alumna Silvermoon LaRose ’04 of the Tomaquag Museum will be one of the panelists on this year’s panel.

Junior Tre Hamlin is vice president of URI’s Native American Student Organization (NASO) and says the organization is focused on building awareness and outreach at the University, by informing and educating the larger community here.

Hamlin often reads the University land acknowledgement before events at URI.

Aquaculture Industry Declining Slightly in Ocean State

This should be a growth sector

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Oysters, scallops, and clams may still be growing by the bushel in state waters, but the aquaculture industry as a whole is declining in Rhode Island, according to a new report.

The latest numbers released by the Coastal Resources Management Council, the state agency that oversees Rhode Island’s burgeoning aquaculture sector, show that the dollar value for products grown in aquaculture farms declined 2.42% in 2023 compared to the previous year, earning slightly above $8 million. 

The industry saw a similar decline in employment, shedding 7.3% of part-time and full-time jobs in the industry in 2023 compared to the previous year. The figures come from a yearly questionnaire distributed to all aquaculture leaseholders by CRMC.

The declines are in spite of the fact the agency approved a new aquaculture lease last year, and approved more than 10 additional acres of state waters for aquaculture use. Benjamin Goetsch, the agency’s sole aquaculture staffer who wrote the CRMC report, found demand for farm-grown shellfish remains robust, noting that “demand and production remained very strong, with 2023 out-pacing all other years other than 2022.”

US government tries to rein in an out-of-control subscription economy

Very welcome and much needed

David Arditi, University of Texas at Arlington

A new rule set to go into effect in 2025 will make canceling subscriptions
much easier. violetkaipa/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Signing up for a subscription to a streaming service or newspaper has never been easier.

Canceling it, on the other hand, can be a cumbersome journey involving phone calls, letters or finding the option to cancel buried in a remote menu on an app.

And that’s if you remember to cancel in the first place.

Now, thanks to a new rule passed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, you may have an easier time getting rid of subscriptions you no longer want.

The rule aims to make canceling a subscription as easy as setting one up. The Federal Trade Commission refers to it as “click-to-cancel” under the logic that one click should be able to cancel a subscription.

It will go into effect on April 14, 2025.

The move updates a 1973 regulation called the “Negative Option Rule,” which governed subscription services for products like magazines or book-of-the-month clubs — physical items sent over and over. The phrase “negative option” refers to the fact that a subscriber, under the rules of the service, doesn’t need to do anything to remain subscribed; if a customer fails to cancel a subscription, a company can charge customers for another year. Silence is acceptance.

The 1973 rule only regulated “prenotification” subscriptions, in which a service would send subscribers a product and, if no action were taken, the customer was responsible for paying for it – a model that Columbia Records used for its Columbia House Record Club, which would periodically send music to subscribers and charge them for it if they didn’t return it.

The new rule requires companies that sign up customers online to allow customers to cancel online. Some companies have been forcing customers who had signed up online to cancel over the phone or in person. Under the click-to-cancel rule, companies will no longer be able to force customers to cancel in a different manner.

But I do wonder if this rule is merely a Band-Aid on a broken leg, particularly since more and more companies are starting to see value in making sure customers get locked into regular payments – and, in some cases, never fully own what they buy.

The people want bread and circuses. They will definitely get a circus

It's hard to accentuate the positive, but I will try

By Will Collette

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) got whipped again by Charlestown Residents United (CRU). All five CCA Council candidates were rejected. All five CRU candidates were elected.

The CRU picked up another Planning Commission seat.

The CCA's consolation prize, for what it's worth, was getting voters to reject most of the Charter revision questions the CCA opposed.

I am unspeakably shaken by Trump's win and the apparent loss of Congress to the MAGA mob, but there's nothing I can do about that except urge you all to get vaccinated and make whatever energy-saving improvements you need in your house before Bobbie Kennedy Jr. abolished the national vaccine program and the MAGA's wipe out green energy programs.

Over the coming weeks, we'll have time to ponder what else we must do, but for now, let's review the state and local results where for the most part, the good guys won.

Charlestown Town Council

Rippy Serra (CRU) edged out Deb Carney to win the right to the Town Council President's chair. Unless he declines, Deb would move to the VP slot. Voters re-elected 3rd-place finisher Steve Stokes, elected new Councilor Craig Marr of Breachway fame and gave Peter Slom his first full term.

The best CCA finisher, is Sarah Fletcher who ran as a Democrat and had the good fortune to appear first on the ballot. She finishes in 6th place and out of the money.

Planning Commission

CCA leader Ruth Platner and her dog's body Bonnita Van Slyke were soundly rejected by Charlestown voters, with Platner finishing 9th and Van Slyke in last place. Platner seems likely to stay on in her role as Planning Commissar where she can continue to terrorize small businesses and homebuilders. Maybe she'll let Van Slyke take notes for her.

Platner tried to make dark skies the town's marquee issue, but it clearly bombed with the voters.

 

For Planning Commission, the top vote getter was CRU candidate Glenn Babcock. Here are the Planning Commission results:

Charlestown Charter Revision Proposals

Charlestown voters voted on 11 proposed amendments to the Town Charter. Charlestown ballot questions. The CCA opposed five of those questions and had reservations about Question 8 which would prevent Council majorities from blocking the Council minority from putting items on Council meeting agendas. 

The CCA got their wish on four of the five questions they opposed. 

Voters rejected Question 7 and Question 15. Together, those questions would have equalized the terms of office for the Town Council and Planning Commission at four years, staggered. Voters also rejected Question 10 which would have made the use of a Search Committee to fill Town Administrator vacancies optional. 

In a victory for the Westerly Sun, voters turned down Question 9 which would have made it optional for the town to post notices in a print newspaper. Yeah ok, the Sun needs the revenue.

Voters ignored CCA opposition to Question 14 by approving it by almost 20 points. This vote means that emergency rescue services will now be included in the Town Charter as a basic municipal service. Why the CCA opposed this question is beyond me.

Instead the CCA devoted so much of its energy to trying to make Charlestown's dark sky this year's imaginary political crisis. They tried to convince voters that only they, the CCA, can protect our wonderful dark skies by blocking all development and buying more open space, even though more than 60% of Charlestown's land area is already protected open space. 

They also put a lot of energy into pushing their point of view on the Charter revision questions, perhaps at the expense of actually getting their people elected. Maybe this will work out for them in the long-run, but short-term, the voters inflicted a crushing blow to CCA power.

State Results 

As expected, Rhode Island voters have re-elected Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo by comfortable margins which is very good news. Their work in the new MAGA Congress will be a key part of any strategy to defend democracy, our basic rights and the environment against the attacks to come.

Controversial state Question 1 to convene a state Constitutional Convention lost big, as hoped. The other four state ballot questions, all for good job-creating programs, were approved by comfortable margins.

In local General Assembly races, all of South Kingstown's Democratic women won either by default or by wide margins. 

In the rematch for Senate District 38 between incumbent Sen. Victoria Gu and MAGA dude Westin Price, Victoria won by a handy 15 points. This district includes the southern half of Charlestown.

Charlestown's state Rep. Tina Spears was unopposed and thus automatically re-elected.

In Senate District 34 which includes the northern half of Charlestown, MAGA state Senator Elaine Morgan (R) beat Democrat Steve Moffitt. Last night, her margin seemed insurmountable at over 20 points, but by morning, that lead was trimmed to 8 points. Still, that doesn't count so she wins and will continue to grace the State House with her toxic personality for another term.

In neighboring House District 39, there was another rematch. Hardworking state Rep. Megan Cotter (D) faced MAGA insurrectionist Justin Price. Pundits predicted this race would be very close since Megan only won by 22 votes in 2022 and the district is one of the most conservative in the state.

They were wrong. This time, Price was sent home to watch The Price Is Right by a margin of 8 points and 654 votes.

What's next?

On the national level, I really don't know except to know that it's going to be bad.

I just turned 75. After a lifetime as an activist, it's hard to face this kind of loss though I am happy at what's happened here at home. Almost 15 years ago, Tom Ferrio and I started Progressive Charlestown as a counterweight to the Charlestown Citizens Alliance.

We did a lot of other stuff - lots of national politics, environmental news, weather reports and public service announcements, cartoons, science and astronomy. Basically whatever interested us and might interest you. A total of almost 30,000 separate posts.

Over 15 million people clicked on our posts, 2 million in the past year alone and almost 42,000 just yesterday. We never considered "monetizing" the site and just did it as a combination public service and source of entertainment for us as well as for you.

We accomplished the main thing we wanted to do when we started this thing: to bust the CCA. Now that this has been done, I am trying to decide if I want to continue and, if so, how much I am willing to put into it. I'm talking to family and friends but would also like to hear from you. 

I would really like to see others step up to keep the site going. 

Please e-mail us at Progressive Charlestown with your thoughts about its future direction. On

If you are a public water user in Richmond or Hopkinton, there's a boil-water alert

Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Issued for Customers of the Town of Richmond and Town of Hopkinton Public Water Systems

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is alerting customers of the Town of Richmond Public Water System and the Town of Hopkinton Public Water System that they should boil their water before consuming from Thursday November 7th through approximately Tuesday, November 12th. This boil water advisory is a precaution while a water storage tank is being repaired.

When repairs are being made to a water storage tank that is not isolated from the system, bacteria may get into the water supply. RIDOH wants to assure customers that there is currently no confirmed bacterial contamination within the water system(s) or the water that supplies the systems. Once the repairs on the storage tank are complete, and before the boil water advisory is lifted, the water system will disinfect the system (within safe levels), flush the pipes, and test the water (at least two consecutive samples collected 24 hours apart). RIDOH will review and approve water sample test results to assure no bacteria entered the water system. Once the repairs on the storage tank are complete, RIDOH will announce when the advisory is lifted. Customers will also be directly notified by the water system when the advisory is lifted. A list of addresses impacted by this precautionary boil water advisory are listed below.

RIDOH advises: 

• All water used for drinking, preparing or cooking food, making ice, brushing teeth, or making infant formula should be boiled vigorously for at least one minute. Alternatively, customers can use bottled water. 

• Wash dishes in a dishwasher and use the sanitizer cycle. If you do not have a dishwasher, wash dishes in warm, soapy water and rinse the dishes with pre-boiled or bottled water. 

• Infants and young children should not be bathed in this water because they may swallow it accidentally. Anyone else using this water for bathing or showering should be careful to avoid swallowing the water.

Contaminated water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. Infants, young children, or people with weakened immune systems may have more severe symptoms. Boiling the water kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Additional guidance is available online. RIDOH is sharing specific guidance with restaurants and other food establishments in the area. (Guidance for food establishments is also available online.)