Leadership is about understanding the long term consequences of an action and building a consensus around it. Good leadership is when you get it right.
In 2011, while the Charlestown Citizen Alliance was busy banning (and then writing a highly prohibitive ordinance which effectively stopped development), I was testifying against their Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) allies who opposed all wind technology including the Deepwater Wind project. https://youtu.be/bSyYTPp6C-U
The land mark off shore wind farm is currently in the headlines putting RI on the map as the US leader in this important green energy technology. Yesterday, there was a conference in Warwick by the American Wind Energy Association.
"We have recognized that the opportunity is vast," said Zayas, director of the DOE's Wind and Water Power Technologies Office." http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20161025/ris-deepwater-wind-focus-of-national-wind-energy-conference.
The headline of the Charlestown Press reads "Business leaders, elected officials tour Block Island Wind Farm" where Catherine Bowes senior manager for climate energy at the National Wildlife Federation spoke of the project in glowing terms.
If the CCA types had had their way this project would have been stopped too.
Now more than ever it is critical that we move to renewables as soon as possible-
"...recent data that has been collected but has yet to be made official indicates sea levels could rise by roughly 3 meters or 9 feet by 2050-2060, far higher and quicker than current projections. Until now most projections have warned of sea level rise of up to 4 feet by 2100."
It's time for us to get it right. Said I have said many times out in the field, If elected I pledge to lead the way to a renewable future.
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Setting The Record Straight- Some of you may have seen the article in the paper where George Tremblay takes a few words technically in error out of my brochure and makes a major case out of it.
A full statement will be submitted shortly after it is proofed.
What is the CCA's position on Wind Power or Climate Change? Maybe Mr. Tremblay will tell us.
What is the CCA's position on Wind Power or Climate Change? Maybe Mr. Tremblay will tell us.
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IMPORTANT Church Woods Update. If you are interested in submitting an application contact Jerry Bertrand @401-667-7185 ASAP. They already have 60 applications in. They won't begin the official screening process until next year after they have selected a property manager. The guidelines are the usual HUD income guidelines @ $50,000 for a couple or $25,000 for singles. They will not know the actual numbers until 2017.
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Ninigret Pond Updates:
IMPORTANT: Ugly but necessary. If you have any skin rashes it is important that you report it to Matt Dowling at the Town Hall 364-1200 ASAP so he can investigate and find the source. Someone reported to me (who didn't want to get involved) that bathers got a nasty rash near Hoxie Road at the end of the summer. South County Hospital said it was a type that was typical of Sewage. If anyone knows anything about this or similar report this as well. This is a potentially dangerous health risk.
Boaters have reported that "weeds" are getting caught up in their boaters. This will be fixed after the pond is dredged this fall. The weeds are likely "eel grass' which is very good for the pond. The bad news is that they are likely growing faster because of the fertilizer people are dumping on their lawns and that the water is warmer due to climate change. BOTTOM LINE- if you want to help control the vegetative growth on the pond, help use control the fertilizer and global warming.
Finally, one resident complained because an out-of-town neighbor mood down the natural buffer zone to put in a lawn. I found out that there is supposed to be a 50' buffer zone around the pond. Pond loves unite- this is important, it's called a buffer zone because it is necessary. The pond has enough stresses on it. If I am elected CRMC has offered to take me on a tour so examine the condition and their recommendation.
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PAC's are typically organized by special interest groups to raise money to elect or defeat a candidate, however they function, in this case as a party of the special interest group that formed them.
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Here are five things that, when presented, everyone seems to agree with.
Charlestown needs:
-diverse voices on the council (and have a more transparent process)
-to show we really want to protect nature by mitigating the causes of climate change by setting the example of how we can move quickly to renewables
-to build on our rural character and strengthen our economy by helping local farming, aqua-culture and clean-tech enviro-businesses.
-to strengthen ChariHo by leading the way to finding funds for their Green Building and Renewable Energy Installation Program
-to address long term problems like water (supply and waste) and the conditions of our ponds and waterways more directly, too many times the "can has been kicked down the road." There has been some progress here but not enough.
In General, putting this off will cost the Town more in the long run and we need to think more about the future generations who will inherit these conditions.
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There is a lot of talk about preserving the rural character but not enough about expanding aqua-culture, saving and bringing back family farms or using goats for lot clearing instead of power tools and bulldozers. These are characteristic industries of the traditional rural economies which need to be protected.
Here is successful entrepreneur Perry Raso of the Matunuck Oyster Bar explaining about his journey and URI's aquaculture program. This is inspiring.
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There are may artists living in Charlestown and this could be an economic engine if it was supported like we can see in Hopkinson or Westerly. The Charlestown Art Festival is the kind of thing I would like to see more of. It would be great to see an artist Co-Op, perhaps in the old fire station on the corner of Matunuck School House Road and Old Post Road.
Climate Change is accelerating at a rapid rate and we can not afford to foolishly challenge nature by making it worse. It is already devastating our shoreline, threatening our shellfish with ocean acidification and our salt ponds are trapped in between pressured by innundation. There is a better way and I believe that Charlestown should lead the way by "walking the walk."
One of the things that inspired me to run for Town Council was the way an important issue, the proposal to build a Power Plant in Burrillville to exploit fracked gas from Pennsylvania and export the electricity to Massachusetts and Connecticut. The President of the Burrillville Land Trust, Paul Roselli, asked me to present a request for Charlestown to support the wishes of the majority of residents who opposed the power plant.
On July 21st and invited the council to attend after representing the Burrillville Land Trust asking the Town Council to oppose the Invenergy Power Plant. Gentz said that first the Town of Burrillville would have officially oppose it (which just happened) and they would need to learn more as they did not know about the proposal.
Myself and several others testified but the council was not inclined to consider it stating that they didn't know anything about the proposal, one of the biggest environmental issues and a political "hot potato in the state for 2 years, which I thought was odd for a council that regularly touted themselves as "environmentalists." I then invited them to the Office of Energy Resources public hearing as URI. https://www.facebook.com/events/811322758969172/
No one attended.Only Gentz replied. It was sent to the CTC for the OCT 11 mtg agenda.
The matter has been requested to be put on the agenda for the next town council meeting.
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One of the things that inspired me to run for Town Council was the way an important issue, the proposal to build a Power Plant in Burrillville to exploit fracked gas from Pennsylvania and export the electricity to Massachusetts and Connecticut. The President of the Burrillville Land Trust, Paul Roselli, asked me to present a request for Charlestown to support the wishes of the majority of residents who opposed the power plant.
On July 21st and invited the council to attend after representing the Burrillville Land Trust asking the Town Council to oppose the Invenergy Power Plant. Gentz said that first the Town of Burrillville would have officially oppose it (which just happened) and they would need to learn more as they did not know about the proposal.
Myself and several others testified but the council was not inclined to consider it stating that they didn't know anything about the proposal, one of the biggest environmental issues and a political "hot potato in the state for 2 years, which I thought was odd for a council that regularly touted themselves as "environmentalists." I then invited them to the Office of Energy Resources public hearing as URI. https://www.facebook.com/events/811322758969172/
No one attended.Only Gentz replied. It was sent to the CTC for the OCT 11 mtg agenda.
The matter has been requested to be put on the agenda for the next town council meeting.
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