August 19 School Supply Giveaway Party at the Jonnycake Center of Westerly

Wood River Health and the Jonnycake Center of Westerly join to help parents

Washington County-area non-profit organizations, including the Jonnycake Center of Westerly and Wood River Health have announced that they are partnering for a back-to-school supply giveaway party benefitting local children in need. 

This second annual event will take place on Saturday, August 19 from 10am to noon in the Jonnycake Center of Westerly’s rear parking lot at 23 Industrial Drive in Westerly. The event is sponsored in part by Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. 

After recognizing the importance of school preparedness, local organizations have come together for a second year to provide children with backpacks, school supplies, and educational items to ensure the school year starts strongly for all. Musical entertainment will be provided by WBLQ AM 1230, and there will also be games, face painting, craft tables and a visit by a firetruck! 

Families are invited to the event at the Jonnycake Center of Westerly’s rear parking lot at 23 Industrial Drive on Saturday, August 19 between 10am and noon to receive a free backpack that comes filled with essentials needed for school. The backpacks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Helping South County families

Local reps deliver $7,500 to Jonnycake Center for turkeys

From left, Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale  Deputy Director/Development Office Lisa Wright, Rep. Teresa Tanzi and her daughter Delia Tanzi Buchbaum, Jonnycake Center Food Pantry Coordinator David Olguin, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty and Jonnycake Center Executive Director Kate Brewster.

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Teresa Tanzi, Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty and Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee visited the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale this week to present a $7,500 legislative grant to support the center’s effort to provide food to those in need.

“Having enough to eat is one of the most urgent needs there is for any family. We joined forces to be able to make this a significant grant because we feel that providing food to those in need is one of the most important and worthy causes of all,” said Representative Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett).

Said Representative Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown), “As the winter approaches and heating bills rise, many people are facing daunting challenges to keep food on the table with all the other expenses. We are grateful to the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale for addressing the very serious problem of hunger in our area.”

Added Representative McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), “We live in one of the most prosperous nations on earth, and at Thanksgiving, every family should have a bountiful table. We are happy to have the opportunity to help the Jonnycake Center make that happen for needy families.”

Facebook users: TODAY, help the Jonnycake Center win a car to help area needy

Free, on-line voting “competition” – Toyota Highlander hybrid awarded to charity that gets the most votes

By Will Collette

Toyota is running an on-line competition on Facebook where it is giving away one brand-new hybrid SUV to whichever of five charities gets the most click votes each day for 100 days.

The Jonnycake Center of Westerly is up against four other charities on TODAY, Wednesday only, June 6. Click on Toyota’s “100 Cars for Good” site on Facebook TODAY ONLY. You will then see the Jonnycake Center lined up with its four competitors, like the illustration to the left.


Simply put - if the Jonnycake Center generates the largest number of Facebook votes on Wednesday, they win the car. So let's help them out.

Senator Sosnowski secures legislative grant for Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale

But no more for Charlestown charities

Sen. V Susan Sosnowski, third from left, presents a legislative grant check for $2,500 to representatives of the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale. Pictured, from left, are Food Programs Director David Olguin, Executive Director Kate Brewster and Client Services Coordinator Jennifer Krueger.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sue Sosnowski and former state Rep. Donna Walsh were great at getting strategic help for area non-profits. But after Walsh’s upset defeat to radical Libertarian-Republican Blake Filippi (R-Lincoln/Providence or somewhere else) in 2004, Charlestown charities are cut off from such aid. 

Filippi says he doesn’t believe in legislative grants, though his colleague, the equally rabid Tea Partier Rep. Doreen Costa, is going for the gusto, seeking a $4 MILLION state grant for the Quonset Air Museum. That's a change from Costa's position in 2013 when she wanted the legislative grant program abolished.

I suspect Flip would flip on his “principle” if he was told to do so by his patrons, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance for something they care about (e.g. fixing up the Quonnie Grange or a bike path). – W. Collette

STATE HOUSE — Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham) has presented a legislative grant for $2,500 to the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale. The grant money will be used to purchase food for the organization’s food pantry.

Several South County groups benefit from xmas eve grants

Rhode Island Foundation awards $180,000 in grants to feed RI’ers in need

By Chris Barnett

Sparked by a recent study reporting that thousands of Rhode Islanders are going hungry every day, the Rhode Island Foundation today announced $180,000 in emergency grants to seven social service agencies that provide food to low-income households.

"While we continue to pursue long-term solutions to poverty, we also support these organizations in providing immediate and critical assistance to struggling Rhode Islanders," said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

The announcement comes as proposed cuts to federal safety net programs threaten to overwhelm the state’s food pantries, which are already near capacity. According to the R.I. Community Food Bank’s 2019 Report on Hunger, Rhode Islanders in need missed over 11 million meals last year.

“The economy is strong, with low unemployment, but there are still thousands of Rhode Islanders who cannot afford three healthy meals a day. Demand for food assistance remains high at our member agencies as families struggle to afford basic household expenses,” said Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Food Bank, which received $50,000.

The money will help the Food Bank acquire 150,000 pounds of food-- enough to provide 185,000 additional meals. The organization will buy staples such as baked beans, rice, tomato soup, fresh produce and canned carrots, corn and peas for member agencies like the East Bay Food Pantry in Bristol, Progreso Latino in Central Falls, the R.I. Center Assisting those in Need in Charlestown and the West Warwick Senior Center Pantry.

A Bounty of Organic Vegetables right here in Charlestown

Yeah Team!!!

By Pat Kent

What a summer! The Charlestown Community Garden has surpassed all previous harvests.  Year to date, the garden has harvested 5,000+ lbs. (2.5 tons) of nutrient dense organic vegetables and the fall crops are sure to continue to increase the bounty.

All produce is donated to local food banks, which include Jonnycake Center of Westerly, the WARM Center in Westerly, Meals on Wheels, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Food Pantry in Charlestown and the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center in CT. 

Charlestown Chunks, #3

Unfortunately, we live in interesting times

By Will Collette

Guns

In the wake of the slaughter of innocents in Uvalde, Texas, we have still heard nothing from Charlestown’s State Rep. Blake “Flip” Filippi who is also House Republican leader. 

Several important gun control measures are about to come up for a vote as the General Assembly nears the end of its session.

Filippi and his MAGA colleagues Rep. Justin Price (R-Richmond) and Sen. Elaine Morgan who represents the northern half of Charlestown have always opposed any and all efforts to control gun violence.

Filippi, as the highest ranking Trumplican in the General Assembly, needs to take a stand on this issue. Instead, he tweeted out this:

Can anyone tell me why the hell Flip sent this out?

Filippi will finally have a serious opponent in the November election in Tina Spears, Democrat of Charlestown. Flip at one point might have faced two Dems for his House District 36 seat when Victoria Gu, also of Charlestown, announced her interest. 

But the retirement of Sen. Dennis Algiere who represents the southern half of Charlestown as well as all of Westerly, presented Ms. Gu with the opportunity to run for the open Senate District 38 seat. Spears and Gu are no longer prospective primary opponents and have announced they will support each other.

Victoria Gu

But Gu will face at least one, maybe two Westerly Democrats, in September primary. Michael Niemeyer, a member of Matt Smith’s RI Political Coop, had announced for District 38 earlier. Sources tell me another Westerly Democrat is likely to run.

Legal weed

Photo by Will Collette

The General Assembly has approved, and the Governor has signed, legislation to legalize recreational use of cannibis. Up to 33 retail licenses to sell will be allowed.

It’ll be interesting to see if anyone  wants to start up a cannabis store in Charlestown as a nice contrast to our existing gun shops. Maybe the Narragansetts will try to re-purpose the old Smoke Shop on Route 2.

Beth Comery (who was formerly in law enforcement and is a long-time legalization advocate) summarizes the legislation in the Providence Daily Dose:

• Permits adults to possess and purchase up to one ounce of cannabis and cultivate up to three cannabis plants at home;
• Directs the Rhode Island Judiciary to automatically clear past convictions for cannabis convictions by July 2024;
• Creates a cannabis retail excise tax of 10%, in addition to the normal sales tax rate of 7%, with another 3% local sales tax;
• Reserves a quarter of all new retail cannabis licenses for applicants that qualify as social equity businesses while another quarter of new licenses will be awarded to worker-owned cooperatives; and
• Establishes a social equity assistance fund to provide grants, job training programs, and social services for communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization.

Those conditions about social equity seem to me to be favorable to a Tribal enterprise (will someone please pass the smelling salts to Ruth Platner?). The town would get a 3% cut. Maybe the Tribe could work out a parking deal with Town Hall since there are lots of unused parking spaces available and it's a short walk to the Smoke Shop.

American Rescue Plan money in Charlestown

Because Stankiewicz doesn't trust town
staff, he hired this guy instead

As I’ve reported earlier, Charlestown stands to receive $2.3 million in federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz told the Providence Journal he decided the town needed consultants to help the town figure out how to spend it because Town Hall staff lacked “the bandwidth” to handle the money properly.

You would expect that an experienced town manager would have “the bandwidth.” 

Stankiewicz never explained why his staff, who apparently haven’t been properly trained or supervised by Stankiewicz can nevertheless handle federal and state funding all the time, including large chunks we receive after every major storm.

Nonetheless, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance Council majority (the CCA-3) agreed with Stankiewicz. Finally, after spending almost half a million ARPA dollars in our proposed town budget (up for a vote by mail or in person up to June 6) without the benefit of the consultants’ advice, the town held a meeting with the consultants.

The Sun’s Jason Vallee covered the meeting. He reports the Council considered:

“grants or conditional funding to aid with affordable housing reconstruction and rehabilitation, investment in small businesses, construction of the Maddie Potts Memorial Field House, purchase of fire and ambulance equipment, and financial assistance to Wood River Health Services.”

One of the consultants the town hired is Trumplican candidate for Congress, Second District, Allan Fung – a potential ethics breech since Fung is an active candidate for Congressional District 2 which includes Charlestown. He has an open-ended contract with Charlestown for $250 an hour.

Not one single Republican in Congress – which Fung seeks to join – voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan.

Anyway, according to Jason Vallee, Fung said: 

“the community may be better situated to limit conditions, however, as providing unnecessary oversight can cause delays that would potentially lead to money going unused and returned.” And that “the town needs to be cautious in allocating funding directly to construction projects, noting that it would require following uniform federal RFP guidelines and other stringent regulations, or the town would risk the money being forfeited.”

That’s a big help, Allan, especially since Charlestown is still snakebit over controversies involving the management and spending of public money.

Vallee ended his article with a quote from the senior member of the CCA-3, Councilor Bonita Van Slyke of Arnolda: “We certainly need to take some time and digest this. We have only really just begun to look at where we might spend this.”

Yeah, well, we’ve only known about this money for about six months so in CCA time, I suppose that’s not enough time to digest it.

One observer expressed surprise that CCA leader Faith LaBossiere didn't come forward with some bicycle-related project, like a Bicyclists' Hall of Fame. But as it turns out, that idea come up 122 years ago in Newport. So sorry, Faith, you're too late.

Coverage of Fake Fire Districts wins coveted journalism award

Charlestown resident Will Collette poses for a photo at the Shady Harbor Fire District boat launch in Charlestown.  ALEX NUNES/THE PUBLIC'S RADIO

These fake fire districts do not fire fires. They don’t have fire stations, firefighters or fire trucks. But they do offer fire district residents an array of amenities such as public water, snow plowing, tennis courts, and are on the front line in fighting off any public access to their private beaches.

Alex Nunes, South County Bureau chief for The Public’s Radio, won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for his series on South County’s bevy of fake fire districts. In this series, Alex took a hard look at two of Charlestown’s fire districts – Shady Harbor and Central Quonnie – as well as others like Bonnet Shores, Watch Hill, etc.

They get huge tax breaks on the large quantities of prime shore property they own – in the case of Shady Harbor, they pay no property tax at all. Residents can take an income tax deduction for the “tax” the fire districts are allowed to levy for what would otherwise be non-deductible home owner association fees,

These fake fire districts are simply plush gated communities who found a way to game the system and rip off other taxpayers. Congratulations to Alex for his fine writing.

CLICK HERE to read Alex’s work on this subject.

The Bishop, abortions and donuts

Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has decided to pick a fight with one of South County’s most popular donut shops, Allie’s Donuts in North Kingstown.

Now why would the state’s highest ranking Catholic cleric – who is, not coincidentally, a registered Republican and conservative activist – pick this fight?

It’s because Allie's employees chose Planned Parenthood as their charity of the month. Tobin called for a boycott against Allie’s without even confirming it was true, according to WPRI.

Tobin also weighed in on the controversy stirred by one bishop’s decision that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should be denied Communion because of her support of women’s right to choose.

Tobin told RI News Today that “all Catholics need to be in union with the Church, spiritually prepared, and in the state of grace, before they presume to approach the Table of the Lord to receive Holy Communion.“

Tobin has often criticized Pope Francis for his far more tolerant views on a broad range of issues including the conservative tendency to deny Communion to Catholics who are not “in union with the Church.” Pope Francis pointedly said “I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone.” 

Not only has Pope Francis expressed his tolerance for Catholics who are not 100% with the program, he just elevated the liberal Bishop of San Diego to Cardinal and has him ranking over arch-conservative Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone who had banned Nancy Pelosi from Communion.

If you happen to be passing Allie’s, you might want to stop in to buy some donuts. Tell them Bishop Tobin sent you.

Wood River and the Peacedale Jonnycake Center are teaming up.

Wood River Health Services’ Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program will soon be offered at the Jonnycake Center for Hope in Peace Dale. WIC is free and open to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding and post-partum mothers and children up to the age of five. Participants will receive access to infant formula through an EBT card, one-on-one nutrition counseling services and referrals to services that address each child's unique needs.

Individuals who enroll in the WIC program at the Jonnycake Center for Hope will receive a $25 gift card from Shaw’s supermarket; free diapers or pull-ups; wipes and socks; and underwear for toddlers and children. Following the appointment, mothers will be invited to become a Jonnycake Member and have immediate access to the Jonnycake Market.

For more information about available services, visit jonnycakecenter.org and WRHSRI.org.

Legislation of local interest advances in closing days of the General Assembly

Legislation to expand residents’ right to beach access advanced in the House of Representatives but is going nowhere in the state Senate. Even if it does pass, though, as the Boston Globe’s Brian Amaral pointed out, the proposed new law provides much less access than people think. 

Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D-Jamestown) got the full House to approve her legislation (2022-H 7540) to speed up emergency closures of aquaculture operations by moving responsibility for them to the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

Casino workers represented by Laborers Union Local 271 called for Rep. Teresa Tanzi’s bill (2022-H 7855) to be moved out of committee where it was sent “for further study” (i.e. to die) to give it a chance to pass. But before that could happen, management at Twin River announced they would unilaterally impose the ban. That’s a win for the workers and for Teresa (D-South Kingstown).

Two CCA elders cross the rainbow bridge

On May 22, a memorial service was held for former CCA Steering Committee member Rev. Jan Knost who actually died in 2021. His service in Dedham, MA was delayed due to the pandemic. On May 13, another CCA stalwart, Dr. Milton Krantz, died at age 94 in Mystic, CT. His lengthy and detailed obituary appears in the New London Day. While his obit notes his time on Charlestown’s Zoning Board, it makes no mention of the years he spent on the CCA Steering Committee nor his CCA officer status.

ProJo features Ninigret

Retired ProJo editor John Kostrzewa still writes the occasional column. This week, he wrote a nice article entitled Walking RI: Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge harbors naval, tribal history

While the article details the landscape of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and tangentially Ninigret Park, the main focus of the article is on the historical and cultural history of the land, especially the Narragansetts, the colonial plantation owners who displaced them and farmed the land with slaves, and the World War II era Naval Auxiliary Air Field (NAAF).

A good example of Kostrzewa’s style and approach can be seen in this sidebar on Chief Ninigret:

Trail fact

Ninigret (1600-1676) was a sachem of the Niantic and Narragansett tribes and a major figure during inter-tribal rivalries and wars with the colonists. He led a decades-long war against the Mohegans and formed regional alliances with the Mohawks and Pocumtucks.

In 1637, Ninigret, also called Juanemo, joined the colonists and the Narragansetts to fight the Pequots. He refused to fight the English during King Philip's War (1675-1676) and died at the end of the conflict.

Affordable Housing?

Earlier, I reviewed the Westerly Sun’s coverage of Charlestown’s meeting with consultant and Trumplican Congressional candidate Allan Fung on how Charlestown should spend its $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. 

Mentioned in the Sun headline and briefly in the article without detail is affordable housing as a possible use. As Progressive Charlestown readers know, the CCA has long fought to block affordable housing in town especially for families with children. I seriously doubt the CCA will approve one nickel of ARPA spending on affordable housing.

Families have been barred entry and the children of Charlestown residents who have started their own families have had to look elsewhere for housing. All the while, the cost of housing in Charlestown has skyrocketed.

Data published by What’s Up Newport, taken from Zillow, name Charlestown as the 11^th most expensive town to buy a home, showing these price rises:

• 1-year price change: +$106,132 (+21.5%)
• 5-year price change: +$238,344 (+65.7%)
• Typical home value: $600,872 (#11 most expensive city in metro)

An example of what’s driving these higher prices is the recent record highest sale in Charlestown - $9.5 million for a nice little cottage on West Beach Road in Quonnie (right).

According to detail in the GoLocal article on the sale, this property had actually been flipped for a tidy $3 million profit, having been bought in September 2020 for $6.5 million.

The added $3,000,000 in valuation will mean an additional $25,000 in Charlestown property tax.

Southern Rhode Island Volunteers get Bank grant

Sometimes it seems that What’s Up Newport gives Charlestown more coverage than the Westerly Sun. A case in point is a short article noting BankNewport’s $10,000 grant to Southern Rhode Island Volunteers, headquartered in Ninigret Park.

The grant will support SRIV’s independent aging adult services.

SRIV director Deb Tanner said: 

"BankNewport provides vital funding that is used to provide transportation and delivery services for our seniors to access healthcare providers, food to maintain nutrition and security, as well as other vital assistance necessary for healthy aging.”

Gina screws Rhode Island again

Former Gov. Gina Raimondo may have hopped the first opportunity she got to leave the state to join the Biden Administration as Commerce Secretary. She left us with our ethically-challenged, inept accidental Governor Dan McKee.

Following the debatable custom of using public money to pay for a fancy portrait of former Governors to hang in the State House, a request for proposals went out from the RI Council on the Arts. The state raised its budget for the portrait from $15,000 to $25,000 and the National Governors Association kicked in another $50,000. If they spend all that money, it will be the most expensive portrait ever to hang in the State House.

There were 350 applicants, including 75 Rhode Island artists.  Of all those artists, Gina picked New Yorker Patricia Watwood for the gig. Thanks, Gina, for another nice hit to the Rhode Island economy.

 

Charlestown Chunks #4: Lawyers,. guns and COVID

All the local news that doesn't fit into a regular-sized article

By Will Collette

Sparsely attended "rally" of Fat White Guys Against Sensible Gun Control (screenshot from Scott McKay's twitter site). That's our state "Senator" Elaine Morgan to the right (of course) wearing a Deborah Birx scarf. She also spoke.

GUNS

It's never too early to teach your child how to fire a machine gun

As the General Assembly nears the close of its session, it seems likely that some new gun control measures will be enacted. They won't be enough to stop our outrageous gun violence, but they will be steps in the right direction. They will also infuriate right-wing gun nuts (see photo above). 

Nice to see Sen. Elaine Morgan, the Trumplican who represents the northern half of Charlestown had the guts to defy logic,  decency and the vast majority of voters to put gun rights ahead of innocent gun violence victims.

Her two local Trumplican colleagues, Blake "Flip" Filippi and Mad Dog Justin Price, have largely stayed out of the limelight. That's hard for Flip to do since he started mainlining publicity upon his entry into politics even though he not only supports gun rights but also illegal armed private militias. 

I suspect Justin Price is hiding in a cave with a small arsenal of automatic weapons waiting for the FBI to show up with an arrest warrant for his participation in the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

COVID

You need to stop saying the pandemic is fading or listening to anyone who says that it is. The pandemic is NOT going away. 

In Rhode Island, our infection rates are higher than they were a year ago and there are two new variants that are even more contagious than the Omicron BA 2.12.1 variant that has been infecting so many of your friends and family. 

The two new variants – BA.4 and BA.5 - are even more adept at evading antibodies to re-infect those who have had COVID already or break through those who are fully vaccinated. But getting fully vaccinated and masking up are still your best protection from landing in the hospital or dying. 

But that’s something many fully vaccinated adults aren’t doing. Instead, they are treating COVID like it’s gone and are going to big events, restaurants and taking long trips unmasked. My nephew Chris and his wife both got sick from COVID after an unmasked trip to a California wedding – a super-spreader event. Chris says he and the others were guilty of “magical thinking” that they were safe when they weren't. 

Guardian columnist Brigid Delaney says the pandemic has undergone “social death” where, though it is still all around us, nobody wants to talk about it anymore. 

Some alarming new research shows that even mild break-through cases can lead to “long COVID” effects. A new article in Fortune magazine states that studies are showing long COVID in COVID survivors at rates ranging from 10% to 80% with the most recent estimate at 23 million people. The article does a great job at laying out the effects and symptomology of long COVID. 

It’s been said before that just because we’re done with COVID doesn’t mean COVID is done with us. 

Other than knowing the infection rate is high, we don’t really know how many people are getting sick. Our vapid Gov. Dan McKee (right) has effectively dismantled the state testing system, plus most households now have home testing kits. 

There is NO mechanism to get home-test positive readings counted. Thus, all reported case statistics are grossly undercounted. And that’s without considering those who had asymptomatic COVID and didn’t use a home-test. 

A new survey of cases in New York City by researchers at CUNY indicated the real number of people with COVID is actually thirty times higher than the official count. 

McKee has been a leading voice of denial in Rhode Island telling people the pandemic is over and to go out and spend money in restaurants. COVID be damned. 

His approach epitomizes Rhode Island’s major problems: lack of leadership. A third top-ranking Health Department official, interim department director Dr. James McDonald, has resigned. Dr. McDonald took over when Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott resigned a few months ago after clashing with McKee over COVID policy. Tom McCarthy, former executive director of COVID-19 response, also resigned, explicitly blaming McKee for politicizing COVID response. McDonald said he was leaving for family reasons: to care for his very elderly parents. 

It’s not known who’s left on the Health Department bench to replace McDonald. Maybe McKee has a veterinarian crony from Cumberland who needs a job. Or maybe he just doesn’t give a shit. 

Ritacco released on bail

Speaking of corrupt politicians, on June 1, former Westerly Democratic Town Committee chair Bob Ritacco was formally charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault.

Both charges are capital offenses in Rhode Island that carry the potential for a life sentence. 

He was released on a $20,000 surety bond. 

These rape charges result from an alleged rape that took place almost exactly one year ago. 

This is not Ritacco’s first time under a legal or ethics cloud. CLICK HERE for more. 

Shoreline access bill passes House 

Here's the fence bill co-sponsor and full-time hypocrite Rep. Blake "Flip"
Filippi erected - illegally - in from of his own beach front property on
Block Island (Block Island Times photo)

The full House voted unanimously to pass H8055, the bill produced by the shoreline access commission. While that’s good news to local activists like Charlestown’s Scott Keeley, the compromise bill may face a harder sell in the state Senate. 

The bill would ensure people can walk along the beach freely up to six feet above the high tide line. It doesn’t address how you actually get to the beach. Parking is restricted or expensive all over the coast. 

Beach property owners, ranging from fake fire districts to out of state owners to beachfront business owners – such as bill co-sponsor Blake “Flip” Filippi – have notoriously blocked public paths to the beach. In 2015, Filippi erected a fence across the entire beach in front of one of his properties (see photo above). 

Alex Nunes at Rhode Island’s The Public’s Radio reports that despite the unanimous vote in the House, there is no Senate version of the bill and the bill is not a priority for the Senate leadership. 

Nunes quotes an e-mail from Senate spokesperson Greg Paré that the bill “is not a focus at this time” and the Senate has “not had hearings on it or conducted any of the necessary diligence on it at this point.” 

Accidental Gov. Dan McKee has not committed one way or the other, but that’s par for the course for him. 

To become law, bills must pass both houses of the General Assembly and then be signed by the Governor. The General Assembly plans to adjourn in a couple of weeks. 

Animal Rights group calls for federal investigation of Mystic Aquarium

Free these intelligent creatures from the taunts of children

Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN), a national animal welfare group with a history of successfully challenging animal abuses, filed a formal complaint with the US Department of Agriculture over the mistreatment leading to death of beluga whales at the popular Mystic Aquarium. 

We reprinted an excellent piece by Charlestown’s Cynthia Drummond in EcoRI last April on the deaths of beluga whales at the Aquarium. 

After Cynthia’s article ran in EcoRI, I cut back Progressive Charlestown’s coverage of Mystic Aquarium, including their events, seal releases in Charlestown and other news, pending a change in policy by the Aquarium. 

In my opinion, Mystic made the classic organizational mistake of taking on too much by those importing sick belugas from Canada. More belugas, more ticket sales. 

Belugas are remarkable, intelligent marine mammals. But none of these wonderful creatures whose intelligence rivals that of humans should be kept in watery cages unless there is a genuine medical reason why they can’t be released into the wild. 

I have long admired Mystic’s marine mammal rescue program that has saved, healed and then released hundreds of seals and sea lions usually from Charlestown’s beaches. 

As much as I have loved watching whales in the wild, watching them in a tank is just plain sad.HEALTH 

Million dollars to Tomaquag 

When the Champlin Foundation of Providence announced its new grant awards, one grant really stood out: a million dollar grant to the Tomaquag Museum to help it build “a comprehensive, four-building campus on 18 acres of rural University of Rhode Island land in South Kingstown” to honor the history and culture of Rhode Island’s indigenous people. 

I wish this project could have been built in Charlestown, perhaps in Ninigret Park. But Tomaquag’s partnership with URI makes a lot more sense. 

If this project had been proposed for Charlestown, it would have faced bloody resistance from the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA), the town’s professional Indian fighter attorney Joe Larisa and a death struggle with Planning Commissar Ruth Platner. All are committed to maintaining institutional racism in Charlestown largely centered on the Narragansetts. 

Tomaquag Executive Director Lorén M. Spears said this about the Champlin grant: 

“Support and enthusiasm for our campaign continues to grow, and this gift from Champlin further underscores the momentum we have for elevating the stories of Indigenous people and engaging more Rhode Islanders in exploring, understanding, and honoring that legacy.”

Jonnycake Center forms another partnership

In the last Charlestown Chunks, I wrote about a new partnership between Wakefield’s Jonnycake Center and Wood River Health Services to provide food, nutrition and services to pregnant women, babies and small children. 

The Independent reports another partnership, this time between the Jonnycake Center and the Westerly Credit Union to help low-income households with trashed credit rebuild their credit rating, using $500 micro-loans. 

Having a decent credit history is one of those things you don’t appreciate until you lose it and find you can’t rent an apartment or get a car loan. 

Those who receive the micro-loan will get credit counseling and home finance education and will be expected to pay back the loan in one year. The idea is to show a pattern of reliability to help lift credit scores higher. 

Said Jonnycake Center director Kate Brewster, “The credit union wanted to do more for the community at the time the Jonnycake Center identified the housing problem for rentals for low-income individuals and families… Without a good credit score, they may be unable to qualify for housing in a tight market where rentals are scarce anyway.” 

Save Spanish 

In my youth, an anarchist friend of mine used to tell me “petitioning the government is like pissing in the wind.” Though that’s still mostly true 50 years later, there are some petitions worth signing. 

Alex Korus has started up a Change.org petition to try to save K-12 Spanish-language classes at Chariho as the district cuts back after voters twice defeated their proposed budget. 

Alex makes the sound argument that this will hurt students’ ability to compete for college admissions. He notes it’s easier to learn languages when you’re young – I can certainly attest to that. Then there’s the fact that Spanish is the largest second-language in the US spoken by almost 42 million people. 

Support Alex and his fellow Chariho Middle Schoolers by signing the petition HERE.

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Learning how to protect yourself from rip-offs

Tanzi, Welcome House, Jonnycake Center, host Capital Good Fund in Peace Dale

Just days after a federal agency proposed long-awaited stricter limits on the payday lending industry, Rep. Teresa Tanzi brought the Capital Good Fund to South County to provide local residents with information about its small-dollar loans and other programs to build credit and avoid predatory lending traps.

The event, held at the Welcome House of South County June 6 and hosted by Representative Tanzi and the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale, was free and open to the public, and gave attendees insight into the financial coaching and lending products the Capital Good Fund can provide to Rhode Islanders.

Representative Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett) explained:

New food and health program kicks off in Wakefield next week

Rhode Island Food, Fitness and Fun launches new 8-week session in Wakefield Sept. 24

Dawn Bergantino

Rhode Island Food, Fitness and Fun, a family-based program aimed at instilling lifelong healthy habits in children, ages 6 to 11, will be launching a new 8-week session for families in and around Wakefield beginning Sept. 24. 

The sessions, being held in collaboration with the Jonnycake Center, will be held each Tuesday through Nov. 19. 

Operated through the University of Rhode Island’s College of Health Sciences, the program began as a collaboration among South County Hospital, URI faculty, local physicians and pediatric dietitians to develop an early-intervention program that would meet the needs of overweight and obese preadolescent children.

Obesity among children and adults is a growing public health crisis in the United States. According to some of the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 5 school-age children and adolescents in the U.S. (ages 6 to 19) are obese, compared to 2 in 5 adults.

Charlestown Town Council Preview – Columbus Day pushes meeting to Tuesday

Last regular meeting of this Council session before the election

Deputy Dan's last round-up

By Will Collette

This will be the valedictory meeting for Town Councilors Lisa DiBello and Dan Slattery who have both decided not to run for re-election. 

Councilor DiBello just signed a settlement agreement with Charlestown to end her $1.5 million civil lawsuit for a total of $450,000. She has decided to take the money and not run for a third term, even though her name will still be on the ballot on November 4. She told the Westerly Sun she is thinking about leaving town.

Councilor Dan Slattery, after two terms as the CCA Party’s head-banger on the Council, did not even file a declaration for a third term. After his very colorful career on the Council, I can’t wait to see what he decides to do next – maybe he’ll go back to being President of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance or will start a private investigation company or train attack dogs or maybe go into the charter school business with Ron Areglado and Donna Chambers.  

This meeting will address the future of the Charlestown Community Garden, the town’s next bumbling move to curb mining operations and perhaps the completion of the CCA Party’s stacking of the membership of the Zoning Board of Review. As always, we could see some surprise craziness where we least expect it.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, not the usual Monday, due to Monday being Columbus Day. 

Here’s the agenda with my snarky commentary in bold red.