Monday, May 14, 2012
New legislation to create the quasi-public East Bay Energy Consortium needs some clarification, including an explanation of proposed eminent domain power and issuing of bonds.
The East Bay Energy Consortium (EBEC), made up of the nine East Bay communities, has submitted a bill to the Legislature to enable the creation of a quasi-public agency. New legislation creates a need to clarify issues and to inform the public. Background: EBEC was formed in late 2009 to use renewable energy and energy efficiencies to save taxpayer money by reducing the amount of energy our municipalities pay for. (Schools, streetlights, water treatment, and municipal buildings require a lot of energy.) Each city and town joined through council resolution and a cash contribution or in-kind payment, and each city and town council appointed one representative and alternates to attend meetings and report back to the municipality. Entity: …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A letter of thanks to the community from Barry Schrutt of Photo World.
After 40 years of owning my own local business I have met and worked with many incredible people. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for supporting me and my business, Photo World, through the years. It has been a pleasure serving and working with you all. First and foremost I would like to thank my wife and my family for all of their support through the years. I couldn't have done it without them. Also, a thank you to all of my past employees and my most recent employee, Karen Balzano, who has worked with me for the last 22 years. The town of Bristol has been wonderful to me and I thank the surrounding towns including as well as surrounding towns including Warren, Barrington, Middletown and Portsmouth for their support. In the …
Friday, May 4, 2012
State Rep. Stephen Ucci (D-Johnston, Cranston), with the support of Rep. Richard P. Morrison (D-Bristol, Warren), has proposed a bill to give holders of EZ-Pass accounts a tax credit — what do you think?
A Johnston legislator has proposed a tax credit to EZ-Pass account holders who use the electronic payment system to cross the Newport Bridge and several local representatives are on board. Rep. Stephen R. Ucci (D-Johnston, Cranston) said in a press release that the bill is meant to help drivers recover some of the cost of using the Newport Bridge. "It’s an added expense to have to travel across a toll bridge constantly," Ucci explained. "Some of these folks have to use their EZ-Pass five days per week just to get to and from work. In this economy, everyone needs a little extra assistance and this specific population of people is getting hammered with fees." According to the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority website, Rhode Island …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
We know you have something to say, so join the conversation on Patch and share it!
About this time last year, Patch rolled out a new platform for members of the community to be heard. Now, we're making it even easier to get involved in Bristol-Warren Patch's Local Voices. At Patch, we're devoted to finding ways to make your life as ridiculously easy as possible. So we've changed the way blogging works to make it easier for you to start blogging right away. All you have to do to get started is visit our blogging page and click "Post on Patch." From there, let your typing fingers run rampant (but coherently, please) and when you're done writing and have saved your work, hit submit! Patch is more than a news site. It is a free place to post upcoming events. It's an online conversation about the community. But to keep the …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A Cranston teen has been served a $85 ticket for allegedly causing a bus carrying elementary school-aged children to crash, seriously injuring the driver of the bus.
Thirty-two people were sent to area hospitals after the bus they were riding in crashed off Route 4 in East Greenwich this week. According to police, the majority of the passengers were elementary school-aged children returning from a field trip in Newport. The bus’ driver was seriously injured in the crash after he was ejected from the vehicle. State Police have issued a ticket to the Cranston teenager who they said caused the accident when he veered into the left-front side of the bus. The 17-year-old was issued a summons for failing to stay in the lane of travel. The fine for the moving violation? $85. Do you think this is a fair punishment or should the teen driver face harsher charges?
A Letter to the Editor from Rep. Raymond Gallison.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, April 18
This letter is in response to a previous Letter to the Editor, A National Popular Vote Would Make Every Vote Count, submitted by Rep. Raymond Gallison. “This is unconstitutional” “This is the wrong way. We should have a Constitutional amendment” “This hurts small states” “Elections would be controlled by big cities” “The current system forces candidates reach out to all states” “It is rare that the popular vote winner loses” “The winner could win with a tiny percentage of the vote” “This encourages extremist candidates” “’Faithless electors’ will be a problem” “This undermines federalism.” “Campaign spending will skyrocket” “We are republic not a democracy” “This will result in mob rule” “This would produce a recount nightmare” “All …
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Letter to the Editor from Rep. Raymond Gallison Jr., and Sen. Erin Lynch.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, April 10
Under the current system of electing the President, Rhode Island is ignored. In 2008, both the Democratic and Republican candidates concentrated two-thirds of their campaign events and money in just six states, and 98% in just 15 states. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the states, including Rhode Island and almost every small state, received zero attention from presidential campaigns. The problem has nothing to do with being big or small, or red or blue. Nor is it the Electoral College or the Constitution that forces presidential candidates to ignore most of the country in this way. The problem is the winner-take-all state law that awards all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most votes in the state. Because of the …
Monday, April 9, 2012
A letter to the editor from Warren Council President Chris Stanley.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, April 9
Every year, against an ominous backdrop, the Town of Warren’s budget cycle quickly gathers lightning speed. The Town Council, keenly aware of the mounting economic problems and concerns, sits down in its chambers laboring to build a municipal budget in front of an audience of virtually no one. The second floor of the Town Hall should be full of sound and fury; instead the only voices we hear are our own. Alarmingly, the final budget simply slips through the fingers of our electorate at the annual Town Financial Meeting by default. To hit our financial targets, drastic surgery was required of this year’s municipal budget, and the council members plunged our scalpels deeply into Warren’s operational budgets with no one to bear witness to the…
Friday, April 6, 2012
A Letter to the Editor from Marina Peterson
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, April 6
On February 2, 2012, the National Popular Vote bill (H7388) was introduced into the Rhode Island House of Representatives by Representatives Gallison, Blazejewski, Valencia, Serpa, and Chippendale. The House bill has a total of 45 sponsors (in a 75-member chamber), including Representatives Christopher R. Blazejewski, Edith H. Ajello, Raymond A. Hull, Maria E. Cimini, Michael A. Tarro, Anastasia P. Williams, Scott A. Slater, Leo Medina, Charlene M. Lima, Peter G. Palumbo, Arthur Handy, David A. Bennett, Eileen S. Naughton, Frank G. Ferri, Robert E. Flaherty, Jared R. Nunes, Patricia A. Serpa, Scott J. Guthrie, Lisa P. Tomasso, Doreen Marie Costa, Donald J. Lally, Jr., Teresa Ann Tanzi, Spencer E. Dickinson, Donna M. Walsh, Samuel A. …
Monday, March 19, 2012
A letter to the editor from Liz Andreadis
According to a post on Facebook by Manny Correira today, there is only one candidate to date for the Miss 4th of July 2012 pageant. It's about time this competition got opened up to all girls who attend Mt. Hope High School. I know, my daughter for one, would LOVE to compete... she embodies the spirit of the 4th and lives for this holiday and all the festivities. But she is prevented from trying out to be Miss 4th of July... just because she is from the 02885. I think that maybe it's time to revisit this issue! Liz Andreadis, Warren Editor's Note: The competition is currently open to females (in good academic standing) who reside in Bristol, ages 16 to 20. According to Pat Squatrito of the Bristol Fourth of July Committee, there are …
David Bibeault
8:34 am on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
This is just another dumb idea that will erode Property rights and give more power to inept government bureaucrats. It appears EDC just lost $75 Million investing in video games. Taxpayers are ALWAYS on the hook for these bonds. We don't need more debt. We need to STOP spending money we don't have on foolish ideas like this. I think "quasi" is an old indian term meaning ripoff. more ›