CRU a winning slate for Charlestown

"Exceptional leadership, dedication, and a commitment to improving the quality of life for all Charlestown residents."

By Ronald H. Russo 

Left to right, top: Rippy Serra, Steve Stokes, Peter Slom.
Bottom: Deb Carney, Craig Marr

I am writing to express my strong support for the current Charlestown Town Councilors, Deb Carney, Rippy Serra, Stephen Stokes and Peter Slom, the four Councilors supported by CRU (Charlestown Residents United), and candidate Craig Marr, a local business owner and longtime volunteer member of the Charlestown Economic Improvement Commission. I commend their outstanding efforts on a bipartisan basis in serving our community. Over the past several years this council has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and a commitment to improving the quality of life for all Charlestown residents.

Under the council’s guidance, our town has seen exceptional budget management practices that have led to one of the lowest real estate tax rates in the state. This is a testament to their collaborative efforts in working for the common good of Charlestown. These dedicated public servants have demonstrated that effective governance transcends political divides, in a time when fiscal responsibility is paramount.

One of the most recent notable achievements of the current Town Council was their collaborative effort for an emergency repair to the west wall of the Charlestown breachway. Due to three consecutive storms in December 2023 and January 2024, the walls of the breachway could not keep up. Emergency action was required. This devasting situation has had a profound impact on the health of the pond and on our town’s residents and local businesses. The council’s ability to work collaboratively with all those involved, listening to the concerns of residents and taking decisive action was instrumental in moving forward with the emergency repairs, which should be completed by the end of the month.

Furthermore, council members Carney, Serra, Stokes and Slom’s commitment to transparency and open communication has been exemplary. They have facilitated well-run regular town meetings, community forums and accessible online resources ensuring that residents are well-informed and have ample opportunities to voice their opinions and concerns.

I believe their vision is exactly what our town needs. Their proactive approach to addressing change and their commitment to the well being of our town are truly commendable.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly support and endorse the reelection of the four members of our current CRU-majority Charlestown Town Council; Deb Carney, Rippy Serra, Peter Slom and Stephen Stokes and the addition of Craig Marr.

I also support the following CRU-endorsed candidates: Glenn Babcock and Laura Rom for Planning Commission, Ray Dreczko for town moderator, and Laura Chapman for School Committee.

I am confident that our community will be best served under their leadership.

A version of this article appeared as a Letter To the Editor in The Westerly Sun on October 7, 2024.

Mar. 13rd Charlestown Town Council Meeting Report

Lots of cheers and jeers on commission and committee appointments, plus cleaning up the financial management mess

Left to right: Susan Cooper, Rippy Serra Deb Carney, Grace Klinger and Stephen Stokes

Content from Charlestown Residents United

Main topics:

• ·       Committee and Commission appointments.
• ·       Food trucks in Ninigret Park.
• ·       No action on controversial proposed Chariho Schools tri-town subcommittee
• ·       Unexplained bill from our auditing firm.

Our preview of this meeting was published here.

The agenda packet for this meeting is here. The video for the meeting can be viewed here.

Of the 10 applicants for the Charter Revision Committee, the following 7 were appointed: Catherine E. Graziano, Margaret L. Hogan, Anne K. Mulhall, Lorna M. Persson, Laura A. Rom, Evelyn J. Smith, and Stephen C. Stolle. The Council appointed Catherine Graziano as the Chair. These 3 were not appointed: Walter B. (Peter) Mahony III, Craig T. Marr, and Bonnita B. Van Slyke.

Of the 5 applicants for the Ordinance Revision Ad Hoc Committee, the following 2 were appointed: William A. Coulter and Lewis E. Johnson. These 3 were not appointed: Michael J. Chambers, Brett C. Lill, and Bonnita B. Van Slyke.

Of the 5 applicants for the Parks and Recreation Commission, the following 2 were appointed: Frank D. Glista and Timothy E. Quillen. These 3 were not appointed: Melanie H. Champion, Sarah Ray Fletcher, and Walter B. (Peter) Mahony III.

Note that the Council has requested an updated Ninigret Park Master Plan, an important document for the Town's future, from the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Of the 16 applicants (Donna Green added after the agenda packet was compiled) for the Town Administrator Search Ad Hoc Committee, the following 9 were appointed: Paula A. Andersen, Thomas A. Cahir, Lisa A. DiBello, Colleen M. Dickson, Elizabeth A. Ennis, Louan B. Lyons, John F. Pacheco III, Ronald H. Russo, and Timothy A. Stasiunas. These 6 were not appointed: Ronald Areglado, Glenn A. Babcock, William A. Coulter, Donna Green, Michael Recht, Richard J. Sartor, and Stephen C. Stolle.

The new Town financial auditor, Marcum LLP, presented the audit for the year ending June 30, 2022. There was considerable discussion about the report, most notably developing actions to mitigate issues. The auditing firm also noted several areas of material weaknesses. 

There were also a significant number of restatements, changes made during the audit, in this year's audit. The complete audit report is available starting here. The Material Weaknesses section starts here. The statements are listed here.

The spring 2023 roadside litter pickup day was scheduled for April 22 from 8 am until 4 pm.

The Westerly Sun recently reported (here) on a "tri-town subcommittee" to discuss "unfunded mandates and other areas of mutual interest" regarding the Chariho School District. Council President Carney described to the Council, her opinions on this "subcommittee" - that if it is formed it be handled like other public meetings and that it cannot dictate things to the legally separate Chariho School District. Councilor Cooper gave her opinion that this is "not a good use of Town Council time." 

School Committee members Andrew McQuaid and Donna Chambers spoke to express concern about the motivations of some of the people organizing this subcommittee and urged our Town Council to be cautious in our participation. Our Town Council decided to take no action at this time, pending better definition of the group and the support of the Chariho School Committee. No vote was taken.

The Council approved two Ninigret Park Food Truck Nights for May 4 and June 29, 2023 from 5 pm until sunset. They will include live music and beer and wine. The location will be near the playground and gazebo near Little Nini Pond. They hope to have 10 to 18 food trucks on site for each event.

There was considerable discussion about the fee to be paid. The organizer stated that the trucks would be in one stated area of the park but he expected people to wander among other areas; so he listed four areas of the park. 

But according to Councilor Stokes, if the application claimed more than 500 people, one interpretation of the fee calculation would have it dropping from $800 to $350 for the larger event.

There were numerous other questions from those in attendance, that we don't normally see asked before the Town Council about other proposed events, such as insurance coverage, compliance with alcohol serving rules, whether an alcohol corral is needed, whether there will be proper handicapped parking, whether U.S. Fish and Wildlife have agreed to it, exactly where the live entertainment will be placed, ...

After this discussion, the Council approved the events unanimously.

The Council discussed a bill for an additional $30,410 from our financial auditors, Marcum LLP, at the February 13 Council meeting. That has now increased to a total of $55,992.07 in addition to the $69,500 originally quoted as the "all-inclusive maximum price" in the bid documentation. 

The Town has asked, several times, for information to substantiate the additional fees that are noted on the bill as "out of scope" and the Town has requested documentation for the authorization of those additional charges, as required in the contract, with little response. (The representative from Marcum LLP left the meeting before this agenda item.) 

A point was raised and discussed - that the contract, signed by the former Town Administrator, states that any litigation related to the contract will take place in New York.

The Council voted unanimously to direct the Town solicitor to attempt to receive more information and negotiate reduced fees for the outstanding bill with Marcum LLP. The Council also voted to continue this agenda item to the March 27, 2023 Town Council meeting.

The Council unanimously voted to continue not having agenda-setting meetings, judging the current procedure as working well. The Town Council 2023 meeting calendar was modified accordingly.

The second Town Council meeting in March will be on March 27 at 7 pm.

The Chariho School District Financial Referendum will be held on Tuesday, April 4, from 8 am until 8 pm. All voting will be in the Town Hall Council Chambers.

Another land scam brewing in Charlestown

Is SPA-Gate going to become Charlestown’s big 2020 scandal?

By Will Collette

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) loves to spend your money to buy over-priced land from its cronies, whether we need the land or not.

These deals are almost always brokered by CCA Party leader and Planning Commission chair Ruth Platner and she has another deal in the works - buying a small parcel of land from the Sachem Passage Association for almost 7 times its assessed value. The deal is very much like one we've seen before. 

Tom Ferrio and I started Progressive Charlestown in January 2011. One of the first big issues we covered in depth was “Y-Gate,” a scheme to spend over $800,000 in Charlestown and state tax dollars on a derelict campground on Watchaug Pond that had been abandoned by the politically-connected YMCA of Westerly.

The scheme was pushed by the mostly non-resident Sonquipaug neighborhood who wanted the town to buy the land as an extension of their small vacation house backyards, as well as CCA insiders connected to the Westerly Y. “Y-Gate” was marked by secrecy, sneaky backroom deals, personal attacks and lies. Ruth Platner quarterbacked the scheme.

Central to the Y-Gate scam was a totally bogus appraisal that even the appraiser said was  based on assumptions “known to be false.”

In the end, the Y-Gate caper ended in a storm of public outrage at the CCA-controlled Town Council, but its legacy lingers on.

More often than not, Charlestown’s open space purchases are for parcels that are over-priced and bought from owners with CCA connections.

Almost a decade after Y-Gate, Charlestown is considering another remarkably similar land deal: spending almost half a million dollars of state and Charlestown money for a parcel scarcely worth $60,000 but owned by the CCA Party client group, the Sachem Passage Association (SPA).

In 2011, we had Y-Gate. In 2020, we have SPA-Gate.

You may recall the SPA (using the nom de guerre “Ill Wind”) as the group that fought a losing court battle to block construction of Whalerock, two industrial-sized wind turbines on the Charlestown moraine overlooking Route One.

Whalerock was a bad project, highly unpopular, but fighting in court against a proposed “LULU” (“locally undesirable land use”) is the worst strategy. I know that from 20 years of experience in fighting LULUs around the country.

The SPA leaders in that fight also decided to make environmental health the core of their raison d’etre, citing plainly silly pseudo-science to claim all manner of health problems connected to wind turbines. If you want to know where Donald Trump got his “windmills cause cancer” nonsense, just check the SPA’s sources for its health claims.

As SPA’s case started circling the drain, they drew Charlestown into the court fight. Then, when that failed, SPA prevailed on Charlestown for a bail-out. So in 2013, Charlestown bought the Whalerock property for $2.1 million.

Now they’re back with their hand out. On April 24, Ron Areglado sent an “Open Space Inquiry” (below) on behalf of SPA asking the town to buy a piece of land from them currently assessed by Charlestown at $61,900. Areglado was leader of the erstwhile “Ill Wind” group, served on the Chariho School Committee under the CCA banner and is running as the CCA Party’s candidate for Town Moderator.

The land is Lot 5-95-5, 4.27 acres (which includes the access road) on Foster Cove. It’s a pretty piece of land – I’ve seen it – but it is over-valued. The $426,000 SPA “appraisal” is based, according to the appraiser, on the “extraordinary assumption” that a two bedroom house could be built there even though the appraiser admits this is virtually impossible.

On June 1, town Tax Assessor Ken Swain was asked by town planner Jane Weidman to explain why Ken had assessed the property at such a low figure ($61,900) – especially when compared to the SPA’s $426,000 appraisal. Ken responded the same day, detailing exactly why the property is only worth $61,900. Here is his response:

Planner Weidman sent a memo on August 5 (below) to town administrator Mark Stankiewicz, Council President Virginia Lee and Planning Commissar Platner, laying out the next steps including the town’s commissioning of an appraisal based on real world conditions

Those real world conditions include:

• The probability that none of the regulatory agencies (Charlestown, CRMC, FEMA, etc.) would ever allow a two-bedroom house to be built there;
• Constraints imposed by the settlement in “SPA v. Ron and Mary Russo,” (CA WC-2014-0918);
• Unknown internal SPA issues including the fact that every SPA member has an individual deeded right of access to the land and would need to sign off, and last but not least;
• The high likelihood this property will be one of the first to go underwater due to climate change-driven sea level rise.

Despite all these dubious distinctions, Planning Commissar Platner is laying the groundwork for a big push to buy this property. She recently wrote an op-ed extolling the virtues of unlimited purchases of open space. Open space über alles.

She uses an old rhetorical trick called the “Straw Man” argument – setting up a false premise and then debating it.

In her letter to the editor, she starts with this:

Consultants in 2016 looked at the remaining land in Charlestown available to be developed for housing and determined that, if no more land is preserved, several thousand more units of housing will be built and our year-round population will triple. (Emphasis added). Occurring mostly in northern Charlestown, that development will dramatically alter the character of our community, destroy some of Rhode Island’s most critical forests that provide wildlife habitat and clean our water and the air we breathe, will reduce our attraction for tourism, and will significantly raise tax rates.

In other words, Armageddon. There is a fundamental flaw in this statement – just because something CAN be done does not mean it WILL be done. Platner would have you believe that every inch of undeveloped land will be turned into high-density housing bringing in hordes of (gasp!) people from outside.

You can’t logically jump from “possibility” to “certainty” and expect to be taken seriously.

The CCA Party and Ruth Platner in particular have a long history of exaggerated claims of threats that could happen, but probably won’t. Fear has driven their election success and like Donald Trump, they are hoping it will work for them again in 2020.

In my article on why we must challenge and end institutional racism in Charlestown, I noted that this is the kind of coded rhetoric – frankly, lies – that Charlestown uses to keep “people from Providence” out of Charlestown.

I repeat – just because something is theoretically possible, it doesn’t mean it will happen. There is just as much likelihood that all undeveloped land in Charlestown will be developed as there is for the SPA-Gate property to become a two-bedroom house.

Platner then goes on for a couple of paragraphs to praise all the great things the CCA Party has done to prevent Armageddon before setting up the next Straw Man. Here it comes:

Our opposition in this year’s election is claiming that we have too much open space, that we should acquire no more, and that land preservation is competing with development and causing residential growth to be too slow. The data do not support their claims.

I tried to find a source for Ruthie’s extraordinary claim. The closest I came to the inspiration for Platner’s Straw Man claim is an August 20 Westerly Sun letter to the editor by Steven Williams, especially this paragraph:

One time, a senior CCA member told me the town could never buy too much open space. I disagreed then, and I do now, unless my two criteria are met. I believe we have plenty of open space, especially when you add state and federal land into the total. The town’s responsibility is to protect and maintain all our properties. This year, the budget commission had to add additional money to the budget to supplement maintenance of our existing open spaces.

In 2016, Williams was once part of the CCA Party Town Council team until he resigned from the Council in 2018. He is not a 2020 candidate for any town office either for the Charlestown Residents United or any other organization.

He did NOT say Charlestown had “too much” open space – he said we have “plenty” especially when you consider federal and state land. He argued for two sensible criteria for new open space purchases: sensible price and a “reasonable purpose.” Williams' letter is neither anti-open space nor pro-development (read it yourself), just pro-common sense.

A 2016 survey map done by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (below) to support their proposed Great Thicket wildlife refuge shows more than 60% of Charlestown is protected land, not including all the acreage of fresh and saltwater ponds. It is hard evidence that supports Mr. Williams' statement that Charlestown has "plenty" of open space.

It’s not unreasonable to ask when enough is enough. It’s reasonable to call for more strategic acquisitions rather than follow Platner’s policy that “Charlestown could can never buy too much open space.”

Platner wraps up her screed with one more Straw Man:

Development is proceeding at 5 to 10 times the rate of preservation, yet our political opponents see land conservation as a threat to population growth!

The proof, Ruthie, show us the proof. As Carl Sagan said, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” I’d like to see the numbers Ruthie cites. More importantly, her claim that CCA Party opponents “see land conservation as a threat to population growth” needs to be documented. Who said it and when?

Everything point in this article is documented. Ruthie: it’s your turn.

Predictable

Clueless And Self-Absorbed

From Osaka to Seoul to Washington, Trump Puts His Inanity on Full Display

By Terry H. Schwadron, DCReport Opinion Editor

Donald Trump returned from Asia, where he insulted allies and befriended the nation’s biggest strongman foes from Russia, China and North Korea in time to turn our Fourth of July celebrations on Thursday into a self-aggrandizing party about, well, Donald Trump.

Max Boot wrote in The Washington Post provided a strange, not-altogether-comfortable link between the foreplays with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Jianping Xi and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to the announced plans for Trump’s Fourth of July extravaganza in Washington.

“Oh, the cruel irony. President Trump is planning to turn the Fourth of July celebrations into his own Salute to America. And yet, while attending the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Trump made clear that he has no idea what America is all about.”

At one point, Trump was asked by Peter Baker of the New York Times about a verbal attack by Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Western-style liberalism, Trump responded by criticizing San Francisco and Los Angeles, which he said are “sad to look at” because they are “run by liberal people.”

‘So, Trump doesn’t know the difference between West Coast liberalism and Western liberalism — between supporting the Green New Deal and supporting the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence that all people are endowed ‘with certain unalienable Rights,’ including ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,’” argued Boot.  

Election Summary

The List

By Will Collette

Charlestown voters won’t have to deal with local ballot questions calling for Charter changes (amen). CCA Party-aligned CRACers[1] pushed a collection of ill-conceived measures in 2012 and then they mostly went on to take patronage positions in the CCA Party town government. But for 2014, no charter changes this year.

The CCA Party has nominees for every open elected office in Charlestown – five for Council, five for Planning Commission, two for Chariho School Committee and one for Town Moderator.

Town Democrats have fielded three endorsed Democrats for Town Council – Paula Andersen who is running for a second term, Brandon Cleary who was elected to Planning in 2012 but is now running for Council and Ron Russo. Henry Walsh is defending his position as Town Moderator.

For the first time in a long time, you won’t see Jim Mageau or CCA Party Council member Dan Slattery on the ballot. Councilor Lisa DiBello cancelled her re-election campaign after receiving a $450,000 pay-out from the town. However, she is still on the ballot[2]. It will be interesting to see what she decides to do if she comes in among the Top Five.

Beware of false independents

A check of 'independent' candidates' backing

Letter to the Editor
By Suzanne Ferrio

In-de-pend-dent - not dependent: as not subject to control by others, not affiliated with a larger controlling unit, not requiring or relying on something else, not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct, not bound by or committed to a political party (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

In the upcoming Charlestown local election, there are nine candidates on the ballot who will be listed as Independent. There is only one candidate who fits the definition as stated above: Craig Louzon, who is running his campaign with his own opinions and financing.

The claim by Charlestown Citizens Alliance that their candidates are true "independent candidates" is questionable and misleading when you consider the following:

• They are all endorsed by one political group - Charlestown Citizens Alliance 

• They campaign under a unified platform - Charlestown Citizens Alliance 

• They campaign as united candidates - Charlestown Citizens Alliance 

• 100 percent campaign financing by one entity - Charlestown Citizens Alliance 

• 60 percent out-of-state financing - Charlestown Citizens Alliance 

Charlestown Citizens Alliance is not an officially-recognized political party; they are a registered Political Action Committee or PAC whose sole purpose, by definition, is to raise money for special interest groups. 

If their candidates are truly independent, why is it not a single one has offered their own platform, sent out their own campaign material or secured any individual funding?

With Charlestown Citizens Alliance providing everything for their campaign, how can their candidates claim to be independent? More importantly, can they be trusted to be "independent" if elected?

Your vote is important. Vote on Nov. 4 and please support Paula Andersen, Brandon Cleary, and Ron Russo for Town Council, Henry Walsh for Town Moderator and Craig Louzon for School Committee.

This Letter to the Editor was submitted to The Westerly Sun, The Chariho Times and Progressive Charlestown.

UPDATED: CCA files changes to report showing who REALLY owns the CCA Party

UPDATED: CCA Party changes its financial disclosure report to include more non-residents.
Most CCA Party funding comes from out of state

Who says Charlestown's non-residents don't have the right to vote?
They vote early and often and OWN Charlestown town government. They've 
turned Charlestown into a government subsidized retirement village where, 
as Ron Areglado says, they can spend their time in quiet contemplation. 
Of their wealth.

By Will Collette

UPDATE: As of this writing, the CCA's final pre-election campaign finance report due on Tuesday, has not been posted. It is listed as "status pending."

However, the CCA Party did file two documents amending the report they filed on October 7 (click here for that report). 

These amendments show even more non-resident funding, boosting the CCA Party's total to more than 60% coming from outside of Charlestown.

Continue on for the new donor list reported in the CCA Party's amended report.

Charlestown Democratic candidates file their declarations

Concentrating on control of Town Council because that's where the power is

By Will Collette

Topping the ticket: Rep. Donna Walsh & Council Vice-Pres. Paula Andersen

Today was the deadline for candidates for election to file their Declarations of candidacy at Town Hall. 

Led by incumbent State Representative Donna Walsh and incumbent Town Council Vice-President Paula Andersen, three other Democrats filed their declarations to run for Charlestown Town Council as the endorsed Democratic slate.

They are:

• Brandon Cleary, a professional fire fighter with the Cranston Fire Department. Brandon has served on the Planning Commission as the first Democrat elected to Planning in almost a decade. He has decided to run for Council where he believes he can make more of a distance.
• Nick Bottai, a student at URI. Many of you have already met Nick who waits tables at the Breachway Grill as one of the several jobs he does to try to pay his tuition. Nick is active in the URI Democrats and is eager to serve his hometown in his first quest for public office.
• Ron Russo, a retired businessman. Ron has been active on the Charlestown Economic Improvement Commission and is also making his first bid for public office in the hope of bringing some sanity to the way Charlestown treats its citizens and small businesses.