In the News
A CT lumber company has purchased the old Benny’s building
Watch Hill Chapel celebrates its 150th anniversary
URI published a survey about housing in RI. House Republicans called RIHousing a “failed agency.”
The governor promises more funding for RIPTA but they still cut our local route down to a single trip in and out on weekdays 🫠
Israel paid for six Rhode Island state legislators to visit with Netanyahu
RI ACLU wins lawsuit to retain federal funding for four arts programs
Man pulled out of water off Niantic Avenue
Relatedly, the town is starting to use a sonar device for water rescues
Former town councilor Robert Ritacco’s sex assault case goes to trial
Westerly PD earns its first CALEA accreditation
Haversham Tavern is back and under new ownership
RI DEM awarded the town $300k to remediate the Potter Hill Mill site
Worst opinion of the week 🗑 🏆
Republican Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said she is “100% supportive” of ICE's latest operation in the state and that her office will not hesitate to prosecute immigrants without legal status who commit crimes. Noncriminals have also been swept up in raids that ICE calls “collateral arrests.”
Town Council (September 22)
whose streets? westerly’s streets
The petition for the town to abandon the terminus of James Street started really boring. Fences, property lines, maps, whatever. But once the lawyer piped down and the actual residents spoke up, it got interesting: apparently there has been an inter-generational, multi-decade war going on at the end of James Street, with an unmaintained piece of town property serving as the DMZ. The residents at #10 basically wanted to formally annex neutral territory.
Unfortunately for them, there is very little official or public appetite for the town to forfeit any property, especially after so many years of fighting for coastal access and the town charter update. The request was denied.
other government stuff
The planning board provided updates to its long-term strategic plans
The CRMC held a public hearing about Spring Avenue’s coastal right of way
The town council held its public workshop on the short-term rental ordinance
School Committee (September 17 and October 1)
no RIPTA, no school bus (monitors)
Our school district is fully staffed with bus monitors at 15 people. Guess how many we have now? 3, and it’s a required position per the state.
Apparently, it’s tough to fill bus monitor positions: the hours aren’t full-time, the pay is low, and it requires a level of maturity and responsibility since these positions are also mandatory reporters.
They also discussed routing and bus stops, EVs (valid concerns, but they talked about it a lot), and the status of a bus garage site (pushing back against the Planning Board’s recommendation to relocate bus storage due to possible drinking water contamination).
Boards and Committees
Planning Board (September 16)
Hazard Mitigation & Flood Management Plan Advisory Committee (September 18)
Harbor Management Commission (September 29)
Multicultural Committee (September 29)
Architectural Review Board (October 2)
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