Sunday, May 18, 2014

Fourteen More Charlestown Tapas

Covering lots of ground, from crime to lemonade
By Will Collette
New Copar lawsuit confirms - and expands on - Progressive Charlestown reporting
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.

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.

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

REGISTRATION for Summer Day Camp at Ninigret Park will run for ages 5 - 12. Registration for this program will begin on May 20th for residents and May 28th for non-residents. The camp runs from June 30th until August 1st with a cost of $250. There will be extended weeks offered from August 4th - August 8th for $100. Also, from August 12-August 16 for a cost of $100. Trips are at an additional cost.

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

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

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

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.

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.