Before the Ocean State’s Constitution gets around to mentioning freedom of the press, freedom of speech or the right to bear arms, it enshrines the concept of “shore privileges.” “The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery and the privileges of the shore,” reads Article 1, Section 17, “including […]
Shoreline Access
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Coastal council to hear public testimony on contested beach right-of-way
If you’ve never heard of Quonochontaug Barrier Beach, you’re forgiven. This exquisite stretch of sand in Westerly is one of Rhode Island’s best kept secrets, because wealthy property owners have tried to keep it mostly for themselves. ”We would love nothing more than to be able to use it year round,” said Joy Cordio, a […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly voters seek to oust town council president over beach access settlement talks
Shoreline access advocates who want to remove Westerly Town Council President Chris Duhamel from office have initiated the process to force a recall election, submitting a “declaration of intent to petition for recall” at Monday night’s council meeting. The declaration was formally submitted towards the end of a public comment period in which numerous speakers […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly drops vandalism case against beachfront property owner
The town of Westerly has dismissed a criminal case against a beachfront property owner police say repeatedly spray-painted a shoreline right-of-way sign in Watch Hill. Last month, police charged David M. Roth, 76, with four counts of vandalism. Police believe Roth was responsible for vandalizing a sign that needed to be replaced multiple times over […]
Posted inBusiness, Shoreline Access, The Weekly Catch
What the loss of Hasbro would mean for Rhode Island, Westerly taxpayers call for new town solicitor, and more
What would it mean if Hasbro left Rhode Island? News broke this week that the company is considering moving their headquarters to the Boston area. Political Reporter Ian Donnis talks about what’s at stake. Also, Westerly’s town solicitor is facing scrutiny over work related to the Watch Hill Lighthouse, which was transferred in January to a private nonprofit amidst public outcry. Our South County Bureau reporter Alex Nunes gives us an update. And we talk to the co-creators of “Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza,” a musical documentary inspired by the Newport Navy sex scandal of 1919. That and more coming on this week’s show.
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly Town Council holds ‘infomercial’ for embattled solicitor, prevents public comment at meeting
Westerly Town Solicitor William Conley Monday night defended himself against criticism from the public and some members of the Westerly Town Council over his office’s failure to submit legal research and analysis to the federal government prior to the transfer of the Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private non-profit earlier this year. Conley also denied […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Property owner suing RI over beach access law faces vandalism charges
A Westerly property owner making a legal challenge against Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law has been charged with repeatedly vandalizing a beach right-of-way sign near his home. Police say David M. Roth, who owns a $10.8 million property in Watch Hill with his wife but resides in West Hartford, Conn., spray-painted a beach access […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Is Westerly’s solicitor botching legal work on shoreline access? Town councilors want answers.
Some members of the Westerly Town Council are questioning whether the town misspent taxpayer money on legal research into a closely-watched public access matter involving the Watch Hill Lighthouse that wasn’t submitted before a critical deadline and still hasn’t been released to the public. The matter is expected to come up at a special town […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
CRMC approves incomplete yacht club dredging application over public protest
On Tuesday, the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council unanimously approved an incomplete dredging application for Watch Hill Cove, despite public opposition from shoreline access advocates who faulted the proposal for failing to disclose a town-designated right-of-way that will be obstructed while the work is being done. State regulations say dredging applications must disclose all […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Shoreline Access, The Weekly Catch
What’s next in the fight over shoreline access, as coastal property owners take aim at Rhode Island’s new law?
Last week a judge sided with coastal property owners, saying Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law amounts to an unconstitutional taking of private property. We’ll talk with a law expert about where this fight could go next. Also, a few months after the merger of The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS, the board has announced a new CEO. We’ll get to know Pam Johnston, the former head of news at GBH in Boston. And a new book features the long-lost story of John Jacobs. Originally published in 1855, he gave a unique account of his life under enslavement in the U.S. and a scathing criticism of the systems that allowed slavery to persist. That and more on this week’s show.
