Mageau’s Universal Legal Remedy

What is “Mageau v. Anderson” really all about?

By Will Collette

Former Charlestown Town Council President Jim Mageau is famous for filing administrative complaints and lawsuits against the town of Charlestown that he claims to love so dearly. Not enough to pay taxes to – he hasn’t paid a nickel in over ten years – but enough to take it to the legal woodshed on a regular basis, all on the taxpayers' tab.

Mageau would have us believe – because he truly seems to believe it himself – that every one of his past complaints and lawsuits carries with it the force of law. He throws the names of the cases around like talismans, as his magic charm to stop whatever evil-doing he sees around him. His current favorite citation is “Mageau v. Anderson.”

Breaking News: Affordable Housing resolution to be delayed

by Tom Ferrio

At the end of an emotional and somewhat contentious Affordable Housing Commission meeting this afternoon, Town Council President Tom Gentz, council liaison to the Commission and proponent of dramatic changes to the State Affordable Housing law, announced that more discussion was needed before the proposal would be brought to the Council for a vote.

Top 100 Income Tax Delinquents

Al Capone - America's most famous tax cheat

New list of RI's Top Tax Cheats released - includes three from Charlestown

By Will Collette

The Rhode Island Division of Taxation released its newest list of Rhode Island's biggest tax delinquents. They actually released two lists - one for income tax deadbeats and the other for business cheats.

A couple of notable celebrity cheats are making return appearances. The #1 cheat are the parents of Tea Party conservative state Representative Dan Reilly of Portsmouth. His mom and dad moved to Florida, leaving behind a debt of just under $1.4 million. They have topped the list for several years, but young Rep. Reilly says mom and dad are going to have their day in court this year and will get this all straightened out.

Things To Do in Charlestown - November 3 through 16

Here is your 2-week edition of suggested things to do in and around Charlestown.

DiBello takes a big step toward suing Charlestown

RI Human Rights Commission waives jurisdiction, grants DiBello "Right to Sue"
By Will Collette

Charlestown Council Member Lisa DiBello has been granted to right to skip the administrative complaint process and take her complaint of retaliatory firing by the town directly to Superior Court. On October 25, DiBello was granted this right. On October 26, she notified the town.

Meet Officer Friendly

Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World
By Ruben Bolling


Click here for the full cartoon.

One of these structures is bad and the other is good

Which building fits best in a traditional New England village?
Photos and words by Will Collette

Pat's Power Equipment
Old Post Road (US Route 1A)










Or....


Cross Mills Fire District
Old Post Road (US Route 1A)
less than a mile SW of Pat's
Power

What ever happened to the Dark Skies Ordinance?

It’s been replaced by an 82-minute movie

By Will Collette

Last July, to great fanfare, the Charlestown Planning Commission announced it has finally finished its “Dark Skies” ordinance, a plan to cut down on unnecessary light and preserve Charlestown's especially fine night-time views of the stars and planets.

This ordinance had been in the works for years. It looked like the Planning Commission had learned from its earlier mistakes with the tree ordinance and had built in practical measures to implement the ordinance and enforce it when necessary.

There was also (still is) a very strong majority sentiment in town in favor of practical measures to preserve our beautiful night sky. I even liked it.

So where is the ordinance that was, supposedly, ready to go last July?

Only for the courageous!

by Tom Ferrio

Your Progressive Charlestown staff has been studying the new Affordable Housing law proposal until we're cross-eyed.

Now we give you some resources to do it yourself!

This means war!

Attack of the 1%
By Ruben Boling


For the full cartoon, click here.

Gentz’s Affordable Housing Plan Revealed

Psssst, here it is!

Documents giving details of the plan to change the State’s affordable housing law were released yesterday and Progressive Charlestown acquired them through an open documents request.

In this article we provide them to you and give our first impressions.

by Tom Ferrio

Charlestown Anthropology 101: The affordable housing NIMBYs

Tom Gentz's "evolutionary adjustments" would make this
affordable housing. The current assessment is $169,100,
below the purchase price considered affordable for a family
of four earning 80% of annual median income.
(photo from town tax database)

Or, The gated community without gates

Professor Linda Felaco

At the October 11, 2011, town council meeting, Town Council President Tom Gentz first proposed his "evolutionary adjustments" to the State Low and Moderate Income Housing law.
The crux of Gentz's presentation, which was short on details and long on seemingly extraneous elements like maps of the salt ponds, seemed to be that because there were condos allegedly available for sale on Route 1 for $29,000 and $59,000, Charlestown ipso facto had affordable housing. However, no mention was made of the size of these mysterious condos or whether they'd be suitable for a family of four, which typically are the intended beneficiaries of affordable housing.

Yet Gentz wanted his proposal voted on right away, despite the fact that none of his fellow council members seemed entirely sure what exactly they were voting for, so he could "fast track" legislation to submit to the state General Assembly in January. This despite Charlestown's deep and abiding suspicion of anything being fast-tracked à la Whalerock.

But after having been authorized by the town council to work with the Affordable Housing Commission to draft the legislation, Gentz showed up at the next meeting of the commission without a draft or anything more substantive than what he'd already presented at the council meeting and informed the commission that they would not be able to see the proposal until it was complete.

Why the sudden urgent need for these "evolutionary adjustments"? Why the secrecy? Why the reluctance to involve the Affordable Housing Commission, the very people tasked with insuring that Charlestown meets the requirements of the state affordable housing law? The answers to these questions became apparent when the proposal was released.

Free Food!

The Chariho Culinary Arts students invite the Senior Citizens of the Chariho Community to join them for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, November 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chariho Career and Technical Center, 459 Switch Road, Wood River Junction.

Reservations are required and must be made by November 10, phone 401-315-2864.

This dinner is made possible by funding from the Chariho Community Innovative Projects Fund.

Errrr, nothing for Charlestown?

Smaller R.I. Wind, Solar Projects Get Federal Funds

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Sixteen local recipients have received a share of a $2.7 million state grant for renewable energy projects.

The projects range from municipal and residential solar panel installations to biodiesel processing. The funds cover a portion of each project's costs. The awards were made through the office of Economic Development and funded by the federal American Resource and Recovery Act.

Beach facility bingo

This land is your land, Part 3

By Will Collette

This is the third in an occasional series on Charlestown’s regulation of land and property. Read Part One here and Part Two here.

A commenter named T.J. Kahr recently wrote “The Charlestown Planning Commission in action is just so painful…I would rather have my fingernails pulled out one @ a time.”

Yup, that pretty much sums up the experience, whether you go in person or watch the Planning Commission on Clerkbase.