What more do you want?

By Kevin Necessary

 

VIDEO: Remember Sarah Palin?

Sarah Palin was John McCain's choice for Vice-President in McCain's 2008 challenge to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Many say Palin's unhinged right-wing politics paved the way for Donald Trump. Here is a new video from her - a message to Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of the few in the GOP willing to stand up against Trump. Here's Sarah's reaction in her own words.

 To watch this bizarre video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMtFeLKPcfc&t=6s

Trout fishing in Rhode Island starting next week

DEM Stocking Local Waters with Trout

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will begin stocking trout in freshwaters across Rhode Island next week for the fall fishing season – a popular time for recreational fishing.

The following waters will be stocked with trout beginning Tuesday, October 6:

• Burrillville – Round Top Ponds

• Coventry – Carbuncle Pond

• Exeter – Breakheart Pond, Browning Mill Pond

• Glocester – Spring Grove Pond

• Lincoln – Olney Pond (Lincoln Woods State Park)

• Little Compton – Eight Rod Pond

• North Kingstown – Silver Spring Lake

• Tiverton – Stafford Pond

Water levels at these locations will be reassessed at the time of stocking. Please note that due to low water conditions and Cyanobacteria algae alerts, several areas normally stocked with trout are not on this list. When conditions improve later on in the season, other areas may be considered for trout stocking.

Children's immune response more effective against COVID-19

But they do get sick, some can die and they can infect others

Yale University

Children and adults exhibit distinct immune system responses to infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, a finding that helps explain why COVID-19 outcomes tend to be much worse in adults, researchers from Yale and Albert Einstein College of Medicine report Sept. 18 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

A widespread and dangerous immune response to the virus has been linked to acute respiratory distress syndrome, the need for ventilation, and increased mortality in adults with COVID-19. These outcomes are less common in children, which has led to speculation that immune system response to the virus is somehow suppressed. 

But the new study, which examined serum and cell samples obtained from pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19, found that children actually express higher levels of two specific immune system molecules. The researchers believe this may contribute to the better outcomes.

Comparing face coverings in controlling expired particles

Surgical, N95 masks block most particles, study finds

University of California - Davis

Laboratory tests of surgical and N95 masks by researchers at the University of California, Davis, show that they do cut down the amount of aerosolized particles emitted during breathing, talking and coughing. 

Tests of homemade cloth face coverings, however, show that the fabric itself releases a large amount of fibers into the air, underscoring the importance of washing them. The work is published Sept. 24 in Scientific Reports.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the use of masks and other face coverings has emerged as an important tool alongside contact tracing and isolation, hand-washing and social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus. 

The CDC and the World Health Organization endorse the use of face coverings, and masks or face coverings are required by many state and local governments, including the state of California.

The goal of wearing face coverings is to prevent people who are infected with COVID-19 but asymptomatic from transmitting the virus to others. But while evidence shows that face coverings generally reduce the spread of airborne particles, there is limited information on how well they compare with each other.

SPA-Gate cover-up begins

Town blacks out elected officials’ correspondence on shady land deal

By Will Collette

This is the first of EIGHT pages of blacked-out photos

As it does at least once a year, the Charlestown-controlling Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) is working on a shady land deal. 

This time, it’s with one of its client groups, the Sachem Passage Association (SPA). It could lead to the town buying a small piece of property for seven times its assessed value. (Spoiler: the land is worth $61,900 but we might pay $426,000).

Welcome to SPA-Gate.

We have documents the town was legally required to disclose under the state’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA). These documents give us more than enough detail to know the deal is a really bad one for the town. 

We have other documents that are so heavily black-out (redacted) that they are useless.

These are documents that Charlestown, tightly controlled by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance, chooses to hide under an exemption in the APRA that allows the town to cover up correspondence to and from elected officials. 

To the upper-left is an e-mail from Council President Virginia Lee to Parks & Recreation Director Vicky Hilton with what are supposed to be photos of the land being offered for sale to the town. It is one of the more ridiculous examples of what has been covered up.

But more seriously, the e-mail black-outs mean you can’t see the by-play between the key figures. 

You can’t see how the deal evolved, what promises were made, whether there is any quid pro quo or corrupt practices or intent. In some instances, perfectly innocent documents end up looking sinister after the content is blacked out.

Since August 16, the town has sent me 91 documents relating to SPA-Gate. Of those, 76 have undergone some level of redaction (black-out). 

Nearly all have been censored under this exemption for elected officials (APRA, 38-2-2): “(M) Correspondence of or to elected officials with or relating to those they represent and correspondence of or to elected officials in their official capacities.”

I spoke to Kathy Sadeck, chief of the Open Government Unit at RI Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office. She said that just because a document CAN be withheld doesn’t mean it MUST be withheld or even SHOULD be withheld.

When the information is in the public interest or may involve some questionable or illegal practice, the Attorney General may not allow it to stay hidden behind the exemption.

Choices to disclose or hide are usually political and reflect either a commitment to transparency or to secrecy.

These documents would not be protected from disclosure to a grand jury or in a court of law.

Deb Carney never asked for these black-outs

Council member Deb Carney raised this issue with the Town Council when she learned her own e-mails had been censored without her knowledge or consent. Example to the left.

She suggested the Town stop censoring every piece of correspondence involving a Council or Planning Commission member.

CCA Council member Bonnie Van Slyke who represents Arnolda asked Deb:

“I wonder what the problem is here and why the mechanism set up, you know, to appeal to the Town Administrator if there’s an issue or to the Attorney General, I don’t understand. Deb, what is the problem? What is broken here?”

OK, Bonnie, you asked.

Every detail of Charlestown policy and practice has been controlled by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance through its secretive Steering Committee for the past ten years. That includes disclosure of information. There have been running battles over the public’s right to know for the past decade.

Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz does what the CCA tells him to do so appealing to him is pointless except to fulfill the steps set out in the APRA before making the failure to disclosure a bigger, legal issue.

Despite the 76 censored records, we have enough in those records the town had no choice but to disclose to understand why the CCA is so eager to cover-up SPA-Gate e-mails. Based on those records, here’s what we know.

Buying the SPA land is unnecessary - it can't
be developed and is bordered by two pieces
of town land the the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.
Plus, we apparently don't get the access road.

The Sachem Passage Association (SPA) is a non-profit residents association of about 100 households clustered on the Charlestown Moraine. They operated under the nom de guerre “Ill Wind” to try to block a proposed two-turbine wind energy project called Whalerock but failed and turned to the town for a bail-out. So in 2013, Charlestown bought the Whalerock property for $2.1 million. 

From that point on, SPA and the CCA were joined at the hip.

SPA owns Lot 5-95-5, 4.27 acres including its access road on Foster Cove. It's the land outlined in red on the map to the right. The access road does not appear to be included in this deal, raising the question of what the town would do with the land if the deal goes through.

Each of the SPA households has a deeded right of access to the lot, though the land has been largely unused. Thus, the SPA leaders decided to sell it.

We know an official approach was made to the town on April 24 by Ron Areglado, CCA Party candidate for Town Moderator, acting as SPA’s Secretary (READ HERE or below). Areglado led the unsuccessful anti-Whalerock fight that ended up costing Charlestown $2.1 million.

The SPA presented a January 21 appraisal that valued the land at $426,000 based on, according to the appraiser, the “extraordinary assumption” that a two bedroom house could be built there even though the appraiser admits this is virtually impossible. READ THE APPRAISAL HERE. Here is the most relevant passage:

We have a June 1 memo (READ HERE or below) from Town Tax Assessor Ken Swain to Town Planner Jane Weidman that details why he believes the town assessment of $61,900 is fair and reasonable given all the legal and physical restraints make it impossible to build a house on that property.

On June 4, despite Swain’s memo, Jane Weidman submitted an open space grant application (READ HERE) to RIDEM based on the phony price of $426,000.

So what happened between June 1 and June 4 to convince our Town Planner to submit a request for state funding based on SPA's shaky appraisal? Nothing shows up in the records then or later to shed light on this decision. All e-mails involving town elected officials are heavily redacted.

On July 30, DEM awarded Charlestown $213,000 to pay for half of the bogus price listed in SPA's appraisal.

SPA-Gate is not a done deal – several shady CCA deals have been killed by public protests in the past when the details emerged. Plus, there are some fail-safes built in such as DEM's requirement that an independent appraisal be done, hopefully without the “extraordinary assumptions” (a.k.a. bullshit) that underlay the SPA appraisal. We do not have the state funding in hand. Yet.

Proponents of the SPA-Gate deal – the SPA officers, Planning Commissar Ruth Platner and the CCA members of the Town Council – have been laying low since the DEM grant was approved. The town is still waiting for SPA to hand over more documents. Meanwhile, there’s the black out of public records relating to SPA-Gate.

We are, of course, looking at an election on November 3. My sources say activity will pick up again after that depending on who wins in the Council and Planning Commission,

VIDEO: The 6 most revealing moments in the "debate"

To watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05pwqZ40pzE&feature=emb_title

 

Meet the Charlestown Residents United election team!

 

Friends, Charlestown Residents United (CRU) endorsed and supported candidates will be at various locations this weekend for socially-distanced discussion. Please look for several of them to be at the following locations: ·     Rippy's - Friday (October 2), 5 pm - 7 pm ·     Mini Super - Saturday (October 3) 10 am - noon  ·     Hungry Haven - Sunday (October 4) 9 am - 11 am Please also note that local Charlestown business Indie Cycle will be offering electronics recycling at the Mini Super on Saturday from 9 am until noon, while we are there. Please stop by; we would love to see you! And please mention this to your neighbors and friends. While we're writing, two other things: 1. Our candidates have been recording short videos. You can see all of them on our YouTube Playlist here. 2. If you use Facebook, please like and follow our page.     For Town Council Deborah Carney currently serves as the Town Council Vice-President and has 20 years experience in public service to Charlestown and the Chariho School District. Among her accomplishments while on the Council, Deb stood up for Charlestown’s residents and led the effort to secure a tax reduction for all of Charlestown's taxpayers for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Jodi Frank is excited to represent all the people of Charlestown as a Town Councilor. She has resided here for twelve years and lives in the Burlingame State Forest area of town. She served on the Charlestown Parks and Recreation Commission for 6 years. While on the commission, she served on the Multi-Use Trails sub-committee, volunteered at the ice skating rink and Harvest Festivals, and became one of the Tree Stewards of the town.  Scott Keeley has been an active citizen at town council meetings since he came to Charlestown in 2006, starting with the committee to install a dog park in Ninigret Park, and continuing with his current movement to citizens’ right to the shoreline. Scott and his wife Regina DeAngelo are mentors to the students at Chariho School’s Incubator Program, and do pro-bono work for local inventors through the Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG).   Grace Klinger has taken on Community Leadership roles in various places she has called home, over the past 40 years. Grace has been an active Charlestown resident since 2002. She is the Current Chairperson and a 12 year Member of the Charlestown Conservation Commission.  Stephen Stokes has been a resident of Charlestown since childhood and takes pride in the Charlestown community of both past and present. In addition to professional work in the fire service, Stephen has participated and served as a volunteer for Charlestown Ambulance and fire. He has worked with members of the Town Council and Planning Commission to help deliver the Solarize Charlestown Initiative and served on the Economic Improvement Commission.  For Planning Commission Patricia Stamps has been an active member of the Charlestown community for over 35 years. Patricia holds a Real Estate license with Randall Realtors here in Charlestown, listing and selling properties in our beautiful coastal community. She is also a part of The Breachway Grill team. Prior to working in Real Estate, Patricia ran the Charlestown icon, Market By The Sea, for several summer seasons serving the community with fresh seafood. Howard Stephens decided to run for the Planning Commission to make this great place to live even better. He believes in a balanced approach to growth and feels he would be effective helping the Planning Commission reach consensus on key issues. Howard believes in maintaining our rural character and developing the best business and recreational opportunities in the town that are cost effective solutions advocated by the majority of our citizens. For Town Moderator Charlie Beck has lived in Charlestown for 40 years, 38 of which he has co-owned the Charlestown Mini Super with his brother Tim. Charlie served on the Charlestown Town Council from 1992 to 2000. He served as Town Council President for six of those eight years. He is the current Town Moderator, elected in 2018.  Please Help!  Even in a small town, it takes a lot of money to communicate about candidates. Please consider supporting our candidates by making a financial contribution today! Any amount is greatly appreciated. Donation information can be found here. Our candidates will work to support, fair and unbiased government for all.  Thank you for your support. Tim Quillen, Chairperson, Charlestown Residents United           Charlestown Residents United (CRU) is a Political Action Committee dedicated to providing a voice to all Charlestown residents. Visit CRU's Website           ‌ ‌   Paid for by Charlestown Residents United P.O. Box 412 Charlestown, RI 02813   Contact Us

True crime series schedule at URI announced - open to the public

Forensic Science Series to explore death in police custody, occult crimes, and forgery

Edhaya Thennarasu

Death in police custody from negligence, forgery, ritualistic and occult crimes, and the Innocence Project are among the topics that will be explored this fall during the University of Rhode Island’s Forensic Science Seminar Series.

“This year, we have many speakers covering interesting topics that are very timely,” said Dennis Hilliard, director of the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory at URI and adjunct professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Pharmacy. “We will have speakers talking about death in police custody, along with occult crimes committed by unusual groups, a day before Halloween.”

The annual series will be delivered both in a virtual and in-person format. There are a limited number of seats available for the free seminars. All seminars are Fridays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Room 100 of the Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, 140 Flagg Road, on the Kingston Campus. See below for instructions on how to take part in the lectures

Hilliard, who organizes the seminar series with Chemistry Professor Jimmie Oxley, will be the next speaker in the series this Friday, Oct. 2. His lecture will focus on the application of forensic science to crime scene investigations and the work of the state crime laboratory, including how it was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other speakers this fall are:

‘Smart mask’ designed by multidisciplinary team of URI students

URI students create a face mask that can monitor COVID-10 symptoms

Neil Nachbar

Vignesh Ravichandran wearing the smart mask

Health agencies recommend wearing a face mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. But what if a face mask could be used as much more than a mitigation strategy in the battle against COVID-19?

A team of students at the University of Rhode Island has developed a “smart mask” named RespDetect that can quantitatively monitor COVID-19 symptoms.

Using a respiration sensor in the mask, a throat microphone and an ear temperature sensor, a patient’s breathing rate, body temperature and coughing rate can be monitored wirelessly using an app. 

A health care provider can then use the data to determine the best course of treatment for someone experiencing symptoms of the virus.

The students came up with the idea for the mask in Associate Professor Kunal Mankodiya’s Wearable Biosensing Laboratory in the spring 2020 semester. Mankodiya was the group’s primary adviser on the project and Professor Manbir Sodhi served as a collaborator.

The eight students who worked on the project represented five different majors, with each taking on specific responsibilities.

A Real Vaccine Before the Election?

It’d Take a Miracle.
By Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson for ProPublica

Despite Donald Trump’s promises of a vaccine next month and pundits’ speculation about how an “October surprise” could upend the presidential campaign, any potential vaccine would have to clear a slew of scientific and bureaucratic hurdles in record time.

In short, it would take a miracle.

We talked to companies, regulators, scientific advisers and analysts and reviewed hundreds of pages of transcripts and study protocols to understand all the steps needed for a coronavirus vaccine to be scientifically validated and cleared for public use. As you’ll see, it’s a long shot in 38 days.

There are three key milestones that must be met: