Farmer’s Market
Vol. 38, No. 40
BORN FREE
THURSDAY, October 7, 2010
What’s Inside
A Walk to School
Broadway Improvement Project Gets a $240,000 Boost By Tom Shevlin
OKTOBERFEST
in this week’s CALENDAR
Table of Contents CALENDAR CLASSIFIEDS COMMUNITY BRIEFS CROSSWORD EDITORIAL MAINSHEET/02840 NATURE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REALTY TRANSACTIONS RECENT DEATHS RESTAURANTS TIDE CHART
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Elementary-school children walk to Middletown’s Forest Avenue School, with principal Stephen Ponte, yesterday, as part of International Walk to School Day. (Photo by Rob Thorn)
Winds of Change in Middletown By Jill Connors A standing-room-only crowd filled the council chambers of Middletown Town Hall Monday night to voice opinions about proposed changes to the town’s wind turbine ordinance, during the first of two public hearings. The second public hearing will take place Oct. 18. The changes, submitted by the Middletown Planning Board in August, seek to define existing terms and add new language primarily on the topic of the visual impact wind turbines may have. A key phrase that has been proposed would make it a requirement that wind turbines not interfere with “scenic, natural or historic resources” in town. The Planning Board has indicated that inserting the phrase will bring the wind turbine ordinance, which was originally approved in February 2010, in line with the Middletown Comprehensive Community Plan. (Rhode Island law requires that all towns have a Comprehensive Plan, and that zoning ordinances not conflict with that plan.] Interest in the wording of the wind turbine ordinance has grown in recent weeks in Middletown as news has spread of one resident’s application for a special-use permit to construct a large-size wind turbine in the vicinity of Second Beach; that application, however, was not part
A contemporary wind turbine is a high-tech version of old-style windmills; both harness the power of the wind, a natural resource in abundance in coastal towns. In Middletown, municipal and residential wind turbines are under consideration. of the public hearing, a procedural fact voiced by council member Barbara VonVillas at the start of the meeting. As evidenced by the large crowd and the opinions voiced by a dozen speakers, adding the wording “scenic, natural or historic” is controversial. “There are few areas in Middletown that could not be described as “scenic, natural or historic,” said Peter Tarpgaard, of Longmeadow Ave., a member of the Wind Turbine Committee and
the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, noting that adding such language would effectively mean the town would have no wind turbines. “The Comprehensive Plan encourages clean energy,” he added. Richard Price, of JH Dwyer Ave., spoke in favor of the changes, saying, “The wrong siting for industrial turbines is going to ruin our natural beaches and areas. It’s time to make sure we protect our scenic vistas.” Susan Adie, of Willow Ave., expressed concern over the changes because of uncertainty over who would decide what is scenic, natural and historic. “I fear we will miss the chance to embrace green technology,” she said. Karen Roarke, of Renfrew Ave., a former member of the Middletown Town Council, described the contradiction of the town’s website presenting images of the natural beauty of Middletown’s beaches at the same time the town is considering an application for a large-size wind turbine in the vicinity of Second Beach. “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t market your town as scenic but also have industrial-size energy generators,” said Roarke. “Quality of life is what keeps people coming here, and once it’s gone, it doesn’t come back.”
See “TURBINES” on page 3
In what could provide a much needed spark to a proposal to revamp Broadway, the state announced on Wednesday the award of $238,756 in grant funding for streetscape improvements aimed at making the heavily trafficked stretch more pedestrian friendly. Representatives from the Rhode Island Statewide Planning Program, Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the Safe Routes to School steering committee notified the city of the grant in a letter to planning department officials dated Sept. 16. In total, 24 project applications from 15 municipalities requesting over $4.5 million received, however, just over $2 million was awarded. Newport’s proposal to make improvements to Broadway, home of Thompson Middle School, was among the handful of projects selected.
See “broadway” on page 13
The School–Build It or Not? By Tom Shevlin It’s been almost 10 years since conversations over reorganizing the Newport’s public schools began to percolate into the city’s public discourse, and for most of that time, it didn’t seem like the community would would ever reach a consensus. Now, almost suddenly, the issue is coming to a crescendo, and the consensus reached of state and school officials will be put to the test. In a little less than a month, voters in Newport will be asked to weigh in on a $30 million bond referendum to construct a new elementary school at the site of the aging Sullivan School on Dexter Street. If approved, the state has agreed to reimburse the city an estimated 42 percent of the total project cost. The proposed school, to be named after the late Sen. Claiborne de Borda Pell, is slated as a K-4 facility and would take the place of the city’s traditional neighborhood elementary schools. The design calls for one building, housing what will essentially be two distinct schools: one K-1, and the other for grades 2-4. The 842-student facility would be divided into three wings connected by a central stem housing music, art, and multi-purpose rooms. The two largest wings, which would make up the main frontage of the school would be dedicated to classroom and general educational space. The third wing would be located at the back of the building, featuring a cafeteria and gymnasium space that would open up into play areas for both grade-specific and general use.
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And while the prospect of passing a $30 million construction bond during one of the nation’s worst economic downturns may seem like folly to some, proponents, like Newport Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John H. Ambrogi, argue to the contrary. “Oddly enough, the timing is right for this,” Ambrogi said during a recent interview. School Committee Chair Jo Eva Gaines, who made it a priority to put a school question on the ballot for voters by the end of the year, said that she hopes voters will see not only the need for the new facility, but the benefits of it as well. “I really think the more people learn about it, the more likely they’re going to be to support it,” she said earlier this week. That both new and seasoned members of the School Committee have gotten behind the plan, is also a testament to the diligent manner in which the committee has developed the proposal, she added. Should residents vote to approve the plan, it would end a nearly decade-long debate over how to consolidate the city’s aging and according to the state, “obsolete” elementary schools. However, the degree of voter support for the project given the current economic conditions and other capital improvement projects facing the city remains uncertain at best. The School Committee has discussed for several years plans to consolidate its elementary program under the mantra of “fewer, newer” schools. But until recently, it had failed to agree on a plan that the state is willing to finance.
See “SCHOOLS” on page 6