The Truth's Liberal Tilt

There's no media bias in citing facts about Obama's record.

By Jason Salzman

When you ask conservatives for proof of the "liberal media bias" they are so concerned about, you often get a response along the lines of, "The media are liberal because we say so! It's obvious."

So I was happy to find a case where the familiar band of conservatives was saying they had actual proof, hard evidence, of how the media favors the other side over their own.

Their evidence? An introduction to a speech by President Barack Obama.

Yum!

Fettuccine with Fresh Asparagus and Pancetta

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

I look forward to this time of year because one of my favorite things is stopping into just about any local market and picking up fresh asparagus. While you can buy asparagus year-round in the grocery store, the sweet flavor just doesn’t compare to when it’s fresh picked.

One of the places where I like to get these delicious spears is Sweetberry Farm in Middletown. Every year I look forward to the sign in the produce section that says “Sweetberry Farm Asparagus,” and I make a stop probably once a week, if not more. 

Don't miss beach pavilion ribbon-cutting today!

Help celebrate our new beach pavilions by attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Charlestown Town Beach pavilion at 3:30 this afternoon.

If you haven't seen the new pavilions, you will truly be impressed.

The contractors and the town are working hard to get the Certificate of Occupancy for the Charlestown Town Beach Pavilion before this weekend. Construction of the pavilion at Blue Shutters Beach is running about two weeks behind the one at Charlestown Town Beach.

In another sign of the season, our town workers were out early this morning setting up the lifeguard stands at the Town Beach. The local restaurants and businesses are getting busier every week and we can tell that the summer season is upon us.

UPDATE: Prices continue to slump, though sales show slight increase

Charlestown Real Estate Update

By Will Collette

Update: new Zillow numbers for sales in the month of April show a small uptick of 0.2% over March. The April average was $297,000. 


While real estate sales around Rhode Island are beginning to rebound slightly, it’s still hard to sell a home at the price you want.

Recently, the Westerly Sun reported a slight bump in March sales in Westerly, Richmond, Hopkinton and Charlestown. New statewide figures for Rhode Island just came out and they show a 24% increase for this April compared to April 2011.

Never too late

Melting Optimism 

by Tim Eagan


Click here to see the entire cartoon

Crushing College Dreams

On the very day that student loan debt reached the $1-trillion mark, Senate Republicans blocked a vote to extend the 3.4-percent interest rate on student loans for another year.

By Marc Morial

As graduation season swings into high gear, a new economic crisis confronts thousands of this year's high school and college grads — crushing college student loan debt.

America's student loan debt recently reached the $1-trillion mark. That's more than our total credit card and other consumer debt.

What has Chafee done to prevent future 38 Studios fiascoes?

Chafee Passed Rule To Shrink Size of EDC Loans

By Bob Plain in RIFuture.org

Local conservatives are trying to deflect blame for their wounded warrior former Gov. Don Carcieri by wondering aloud just what current Gov. Linc Chafee has done to rectify the situation with the loan to 38 Studios that he campaigned against. 

Well, he made sure such a big gamble would never be made again, for one.

Coming soon to 1, 1A, 2, etc.

R.I. Roads Sprayed Annually with Herbicides

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI.org News staff

Whether or not you like it, exposure to herbicides is unavoidable if you drive in Rhode Island.

Using truck-mounted hand-sprayers, all 1,100 miles of Rhode Island's state roads, highways and bridges are treated with herbicides twice a year by the state Department of Transportation.

This year, the herbicide dicamba, under the commercial name Vanquish, has already been sprayed on roadsides.

This "pre-emergent" herbicide was applied to road shoulders and curbs in late April and early May to stop the growth of weeds, brush and bamboo.

Glyphosate is sprayed in July to eliminate existing weeds and unwanted plant growth. Both are registered with state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and legal to use.

Platner’s Plucky Planners get ready to party

Yes, it’s that time again

By Will Collette

It’s the third Wednesday of the month and that means it’s Planning Commission time. If you ever find yourself with nothing to do and are looking for a good time, this is the place to be.

Last month, the Planning Commission had a remarkably light agenda with no old business and no new business, yet they somehow managed to fill two hours of meeting time anyway. The big excitement last month was the delivery of their new I-Pads – yes, taxpayers, we’re all paying to outfit our plucky planners with I-Pads.

Looking to the Future, not the past

Free Market Man battles...the Regulator!

By Tom Tomorrow




Click here for the whole cartoon.

We Can't Afford Energy Subsidies and Tax Breaks

Energy subsidies are obsolete, ineffective, and a huge waste of valuable public resources at a time when we are rummaging through the couch cushions to find loose change to pay for our ballooning deficits and debt.

By Ryan Alexander

Last year, the top six U.S. oil companies made $148.7 billion in profits. That works out to about $407 million a day, $17 million an hour, or $283,000 per minute. 

At that pace, in roughly the amount of time it will take to read this commentary, just these six oil companies will have earned about $3 million in profits. Not revenues, profits.

Good for them. Profits are a good thing. They are a sign of success, and successful companies are part of a growing economy. 

Sen. Whitehouse's staff to hold community office session in Charlestown

Got a problem with a federal agency? Help is on the way

Based on a news release from the office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Our US Senators and Representatives know that one thing that it can be hard for their constituents to deal with federal agencies on their own. Whether it's problems with Medicare, VA benefits, lost military decorations, small business assistance and a wide variety of other common problems, often citizens need some help.

To make it easier for Charlestown residents, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is sending his staff to meet with town residents who would like to get the Senator's help with problems with federal agencies.

On Thursday, May 31st, members of Senator Whitehouse's staff are coming to Charlestown. 

No joy in "I told you so"

Even the Winners are Losers in 38 Studios Fallout

By Samuel G. Howard in RIFuture.org

With all of the financial trouble coming out of Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios, quite a number of Rhode Islanders are probably justified in saying “I told you so.” And probably another bunch aren’t justified, but are saying it anyways. 

But here’s the thing, beyond the “things worked out the way I said they would” factor, do you actually feel good?

I don’t. I can’t rejoice in this turn of events. I certainly doubted the feasibility of it, but I wanted those doubts to be proven wrong. Was anyone truly hoping that 38 Studios would fail? They shouldn’t have been. Success would’ve been sweet.

OMG PD

Mushrooms, Mayhem and a Man In a Tree

By Samantha Turner, from Narragansett/So. Kingstown Patch 

Police Find Suspect – Up a Tree

Sometimes firefighters rescue kittens from trees. And sometimes, they rescue fully-grown men suspected of assault out of trees, which coincidentally happened this past week in Johnston.

Police arrived at the 25-year-old man’s home after the man allegedly assaulted a 61-year-old man by dragging him down a flight of stairs and knocking him unconscious, eventually sending him to the hospital with broken ribs. 

Is There a Y-Gate deal afoot?

What were representatives of the Westerly Y, Charlestown Land Trust and Sonquipaug Association doing in the Town Council Executive Session?

By Will Collette

Sources report sighting several of the key players in the Y-Gate scandal emerging from the Town Council’s closed May 14 Executive Session prior to the belated start of the regular Council session.

Spotted were Westerly YMCA Board Chair Malcolm Makin, Sonquipaug Association leader JoAnne D’Alcomo, and Karen Jarret and Russ Ricci, Charlestown Land Trust President and Treasurer, respectively.