TONIGHT: fund-raiser for Cathie Rumsey

Rumsey running for state Senate District 34
By Will Collette

Cathie Rumsey (D) is running for the state Senate seat currently held by Frank Maher (R), who has served two terms and has done virtually nothing for the benefit of the people of his district. Due to redistricting, District 34 now covers almost the entire northern part of Charlestown north of Route One.

Maher got himself appointed to the Redistricting Committee, apparently thinking he could re-shape his district to his advantage. But how adding so much of Charlestown to his district helps him, is beyond me, since we never, ever spotted him in the much smaller north-eastern corner of Charlestown he represented.

Anyway, many Charlestown voters who were used to being represented by Sen Dennis Algiere (R) who usually ran without opposition (as is the case again this year), will now have a great new candidate to consider in Cathie Rumsey.

If you want to meet Cathie, who is by the way, endorsed by the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee, read on for details about her upcoming event on Monday.

TONIGHT: Town Council Preview for July 23 continuation meeting

With Y-Gate off the table, a really light agenda tonight

By Will Collette

When the Council met on July 9, they decided to postpone a momentous vote on whether to send the issue of spending $398,000 on the abandoned YMCA camp to the voters to their second July meeting, scheduled for July 23.

Other business the Council could not successfully complete at the July 9 meeting was also postponed to the July 23 meeting, most notably fixing the mess the Council created for itself through its peculiar process for selecting an executive search committee to try to find a new Town Administrator.

They also added an item – a surprisingly controversial “MOU” (memorandum of understanding) with other towns and agencies for the cleanup of fallen trees out of the Pawcatuck River.

With Y-Gate now off the table (click here and here for details), the July 23 Council meeting now has only two detailed agenda items on the docket for next Monday.

Chatting with Charlie

An interview with Charlie Vandemoer on Charlestown politics and the National Wildlife Refuge

By Will Collette

Charlie Vandemoer, US Fish & Wildlife Service

On July 11, Charlie Vandemoer, manager of the Ninigret Wildlife Refuge plus four similar facilities in southern Rhode Island, spoke with me for about an hour and a half.

At Charlie’s request, I did not record the interview, and instead must rely on my hand-written notes. I also didn’t take any photos of him, so the ones accompanying this article were taken of Charlie when he appeared before the Town Council.

Our subject was the political flare-ups that have put Charlie near the heart of a variety of contentious town issues over the past two years, ranging from the Y-Gate Scandal, the town’s rights to use the two parcels of land that comprise Charlestown’s Ninigret Park and the potential conversion of Larry LeBlanc’s controversial 81 acre site on Route One into open space..

Most of the interview was tense and we had several points where our exchanges were sharp, but by the end of the interview, we talked amicably about common ground, such as the need to return to a friendly balance between the important mission of the National Wildlife Refuge and the rights and interests of Charlestown.

Where that civility thing came from

Republican Ju-Jitsu

By Tom Tomorrow

Click here for the whole cartoon.

DEM reports first West Nile Virus finding

It’s in Westerly – so start taking precautions

DEM News Release

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that a sample of mosquitoes collected on July 9 in Chapman Swamp in Westerly has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).

Samples are tested weekly at the RI Health Department laboratory. The sample, or pool, of 35 mosquitoes is a species that can bite both birds and humans.

A Treasonous Monster

Portsmouth High Turbine: A Treasonous Monster

By Frank Carini, ecoRI.org

PORTSMOUTH — The continuing mechanical problems with the 1.5-megawatt wind turbine at the high school have angered and frustrated Town Council members and taxpayers. That’s understandable. The gearbox issue also has been a source of merriment and “I told you sos” from renewable energy antagonists. Their glee is mind-boggling.

Opponents of renewable energy fervently point out deaths and accidents connected to wind turbines. 

Economic Rapture Might Be around the Corner

If the deficit disappears, our economic nightmare might finally come to an end.

Mike Licht/Flickr

By Salvatore Babones

It's January 25, 2001, the first week of the Bush presidency and more than half a year before the September 11 attacks. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan testifies before the Senate Budget Committee, asserting:

"If current policies remain in place, the total unified surplus will reach $800 billion in fiscal year 2011. The emerging key fiscal policy need is to address the implications of maintaining surpluses."

As the poet William Wordsworth put it, "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive!"

Election 2012: Who’s in?

Lively races ahead for southern RI General Election seats

By Will Collette

Won't have Todd Giroux to kick around anymore

Now that we’re well past the deadline for candidates to submit signatures to qualify to be on the ballot, it looks like all of Charlestown’s local candidates for town office have qualified. 

There will be no primary for any Charlestown town position – the campaign is on, heading for the November 6 Election Day.

The field for Congress thinned out a bit. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse faced a potential challenge from a very strange guy – Todd Giroux – who told the State Democratic Convention that he would be willing to give up his challenge to Whitehouse if the State Convention, instead, gave him the House District 68 seat. I’m not making this up – click here. Giroux failed to get enough signatures to qualify as a primary challenger to Whitehouse. As did four other no-hopers, leaving Barry Hinchley (R), the only challenger standing to face Sen. Whitehouse.

Summertime vegetarian locavore dinner

Insalata verde. Mixed greens from our garden plus
tomatoes from the farmers market.

By Linda Felaco

To me, one of the best things about summer (other than the beach, of course) is being able to visit one of our many local farm stands or farmers markets and bring home fresh-picked produce, or, better yet, just stepping outside and picking food I've grown myself. Tonight, my husband and I made a vegetarian locavore dinner entirely with items grown here in Charlestown.

We started off with an insalata verde (shown at right) made with mixed greens we grew ourselves plus a couple of tomatoes we picked up at the farmers market this morning, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. (Other than a handful of cherry tomatoes that I've eaten straight off the vine, none of our tomatoes have ripened yet.)

There's always a reason

As the Mitt Spins

By Jen Sorenson




Click here for the whole cartoon.

Celebrating National Hot Dog Day

Beautiful day for it
By Will Collette

from Saugy's website

The exact date for National Hot Dog Day is pretty informal, according to Wikipedia, but one of the holiday trackers has it as today. Having been burned by a single source, I am less prone to declare today is the exact day, but I do know that all this month is being celebrated as National Hot Dog Month by none other than that ultimate authority, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council

Whether your taste runs to New York System wieners all the way, or to Rhode Island's finest Saugys, or to Tofu-Dogs, on a lovely summer day like today, there's nothing better than to fire up the grill and char up some tube steaks.

Nothing says summer like grilling

Grilled Littlenecks and Vegetables

Photos and text by KARA DiCAMILLO/ecoRI.org News contributor

Nothing says summer like grilling, and one of the things that I like most about cooking on the grill is the easy cleanup, especially on those hot nights. The other thing about the grill is that just about anything can be cooked on it. 

We Can't Put a Price on Nature

The greenwashed economy threatens our ability to pursue sustainable development.

fotdmike/Flickr

By Wenonah Hauter

A group of international scientists says that the earth is dangerously close to its tipping point of irreversible damage. Clearly, we need a way out of the mess we've made of the planet.

The so-called "green economy," which governments, business leaders, and some environmental organizations touted at last month's United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is actually a greenwashed economy. Its proponents ask questions such as: How can we put a price on nature so as to better manage it? Or, how can we make it financially undesirable to pollute? Those are the wrong questions, and they don't lead us to real solutions.

I “need” this “gig” like I need a hole in my head

It’s certainly no good for my blood pressure, and I don’t have health insurance

An open letter to “Peyton Storm”

By Linda Felaco

Regular readers may have noticed that I stopped writing for Progressive Charlestown back in April due to time constraints. I felt guilty about leaving Will and Tom in the lurch, but much to my surprise, I found that once I stopped writing, I didn’t miss it at all. I was able to get out of the house instead of being chained to my computer watching interminable Town Council and Planning Commission meetings. My vocal chords were no longer raspy from screaming at the many exasperating, infuriating, and downright ridiculous things going on at said meetings. The air smelled sweeter, the sun shone brighter, food tasted better. Every time I thought to myself, I really should try to write something for the blog, my next thought was Ugh, do I have to?

But then not one but two members of the Town Council started attacking my friends in the council chambers. As I told Will and Tom when I sent them the draft of my piece on civility last week: “Just when I thought I was out ... they pull me back in.”

New use for the YMCA Camp?

Don’t Take A Break On Summer Break

from Fake Science