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Home
Opinion
Letters
Sat, Feb 8
Category:
Letters
An amazing rescue
To the Editor: I was very pleased to read of the awards and recognition given to Capt. Bob DiSanto for his rescue last August of two unresponsive boaters who had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. SafeSea and Bob have been welcome presences in New Harbor for many years,...
Editorial
Fri, Feb 7
Category:
Editorials
A survey worthy of discussion Last we asked a question: What does Block Island want to be? A recent survey undertaken by The Land Trust provides some answers to that question. The survey is a valuable document and is worthy of some attention and discussion For instance, 70 percent of the survey’s...
Editorial
Fri, Jan 31
Category:
Editorials
A budget for the future A budget discussion with Town Finance Director Amy Land this past week evolved into something other than a conversation about numbers and into the philosophical, to wit: What kind of town does Block Island want to be? A part of the answer to that question is buried in the...
Letters
Fri, Jan 31
Category:
Letters
This was sent to the Block Island Historic District Commission and copied to
The Block Island Times: To the Editor: Dear Block Island Historic District Commission, My name is Kristin Baumann and I am a resident of High Street. I would like to speak to you tonight about The Nature...
Editorial
Fri, Jan 24
Category:
Editorials
McConville is the right choice She’s authoritative, knowledgeable, reliable, and tough. And — she’s the right choice for the interim Harbormaster position that will open up with current Harbormaster Steve Land’s departure in mid-February. She’s been a valued member of the volunteer Rescue Squad for...
Letters
Fri, Jan 24
Category:
Letters
To the Editor: “For whom the truck tows, it tows for us all.” Truly, Pete Mott has spoiled the island with his AAA-endorsed services. On July 3, 2018, my son borrowed a car. It broke down on West Side Road after midnight. The car’s front axle broke and electrical systems failed. Thanks to the...
Letters
Fri, Jan 17
Category:
Letters
A success!
To the Editor: Thank you to everyone who came to my bake sale and who donated in-person, by mail or online! We were waiting for a few last minute donations to come in, so that’s why this letter is a little late. I’d also like to thank the Island Free Library for letting me have...
Editorial
Thu, Dec 26
Category:
Editorials
Some important projects on the way 2020 is looking like it will be a year of opportunities and challenges for the Block Island community. Perhaps the biggest challenges will come in the form of budgets; not just the annual vote on the municipal budget, but several other financial issues, related to...
Letters
Thu, Dec 26
Category:
Letters
A heartfelt thank you
To the Editor: This is an open letter to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, who delivered a Christmas basket to my house recently. Dear Ladies, Henry and I live on Old Mill Road. Alone now for some years. We have our habits. His dog-door...
Editorial
Sat, Dec 21
Category:
Editorials
A gift Dad had lost his job... and when Christmas came that year, we had no money at all. On Christmas Eve, Dad took each one of us kids out into the desert night one by one. “Pick out your favorite star,” Dad said. “I like that one!” I said. Dad grinned. “That’s Venus,” he said. He explained to me...
Letters
Fri, Dec 20
Category:
Letters
A wonderful gift
To the Editor: Need a great last minute gift? Read on! Our contractor has put the latest round of engraved bricks in the Mary D. Park and found we have several additional blank spaces, so we have a few more bricks to sell. (Sales will end for this terrace when they are sold...
Letters
Thu, Dec 12
Category:
Letters
A mainland car inspection
To the Editor: Letters to the editor are essential on a small island like ours. It may be one of the most effective ways to get a message out to the public. Please note that cars can no longer be inspected for emissions here on Block Island. I was made aware of it...
Editorial
Thu, Dec 12
Category:
Editorials
An island dilemma It sometimes seems we spend so much time figuring out how to take care of, and provide the most pleasant experiences for, our seasonal visitors that the needs of year-round, work-a-day island residents sometimes get overshadowed. It’s not really the case, of course, but it can...
Editorial
Island composting program a great idea
Sun, Dec 8
Category:
Editorials
Clair Stover, Executive Director of the Block Island Conservancy, said the island composting program initiated on Sunday, Dec. 1, got off to a brisk start. Stover said a number of folks dropped off their compostable material. The goal of the program is to utilize organic matter that would otherwise...
Letters
Sun, Dec 8
Category:
News
,
Opinion
,
Letters
‘Incorrect and misleading’
To the Editor: Regarding your reporting of my stepping down as the Block Island School Food Service Manager, the first sentence of your article is incorrect and misleading. To be clear, no questionable food handling practices have occurred since my employment and...
Letters
Thu, Oct 31
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
‘With gratitude and joy’
To the Editor: As I compose my thoughts this morning, Harbor Church celebrates the beginning of our 255th year on Block Island. Oct. 23, 1765 is the anniversary of our founding as a congregation, a date that is the basis for our annual Roll Call Sunday and Roll Call...
Count the deer
Thu, Oct 31
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
Peter Krause, M.D. mentioned something during his review of the 25 years he and others have been studying Lyme disease on Block Island. He spoke of the increased numbers of cases his team has seen of the Powassan virus, a disease spread by ticks that can be deadly. “It’s really bad,” said Krause...
Letters
Thu, Oct 24
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
The Block Island Walk
To the Editor: Nationwide, fall is known as “Walk Season” for the Alzheimer’s Association, as local chapters gear up for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s events that are the largest fundraisers of the year. The Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter just wrapped up...
Building a life on Block Island
Thu, Oct 24
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
It has been, to say the least, a mixed-up October. Some of the most beautiful weather we’ve had all year has been tinged with some bad news, including the sudden resignation of Town Manager Ed Roberge, who will be leaving in a couple of months. But here is the good news: five deserving families and...
Letters
Thu, Oct 17
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A special citation
To the Editor: In September. the Block Island community was given a proclamation from Gov. Gina Raimondo. The words are so complimentary that I'd like to present them to you here. There is every reason for our community to be very proud of the many wonderful things we do...
Avoiding unintended consequences
Thu, Oct 17
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
Residents on Block Island pay attention to their land. Not only land they own, but public space as well. This is why the topic of proposed changes to the definition of developable land as written in the town’s development regulations has drawn so much attention and scrutiny. The Planning Board was...
Letters
Thu, Oct 10
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A celebration well
enjoyed
To Block Island Friends and Family, We would like to send a great big thank you to everyone who contributed to the celebration of life for our dad, Lew Gaffett, held at the Old Island Pub. It was certainly a celebration Lew would have so enjoyed. It was...
BIHS by-laws do the job
Thu, Oct 10
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
Recently,
The Block Island Times
was asked to review the by-laws of the Block Island Health Services Board of Directors, and we did. It is an imperfect document — why on earth any board would want up to 20 members is beyond us — but it is detailed and thorough enough for the job. There...
Letters
Thu, Oct 3
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Thank yous
To the Editor: The Hands That Rock Board would like to thank the Block Island businesses that sponsored our event including Ballards Inn,
The Block Island Times
, The Monieson family, Interstate Navigation, New Harbor Boat Basin, Yellow Kittens, The National Hotel and the...
Celebrating democracy
Thu, Oct 3
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
Block Island Utility District board members Barbara MacMullan and Everett Shorey seemed pleased by the one-third voter response to the Utility District’s election. A total of 471 voters out of 1,500 account holders who were mailed ballots cast their votes. When the Utility District was initially...
Letters
Thu, Sep 19
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Advice on the ballot
To the Editor: Several people asked me for advice on the Block Island Power Co. ballot question regarding the use of generators to peak shave and lower our costs overall. My position on this was stated at the Board meeting and I would like to restate it here. I support...
A great start
Thu, Sep 19
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
There was some speculation that affordable rental units were more of a necessity by the town’s working class families and individuals than affordable homes. However, that notion was seemingly dispelled when about 30 people showed up at an information session to learn about the financial guidelines...
Letters
Thu, Sep 12
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A most sincere thanks
To the Block Island Community: Please excuse the fact that I did not write personal thank you notes. My handwriting is kind of compromised and I can’t even read it. I would like to thank the community of Block Island for their gifts and support during my illness. These...
This is a no-no
Thu, Sep 12
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
This does not make New Shoreham Highways Supervisor Mike Shea happy. Furniture left on the side of the road, often under the guise that it is free, and sometimes left because the owners don’t want to bother taking it to the dump, is a no-no. This couch was still on the side of Corn Neck Road on the...
Letters
Thu, Sep 5
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A very happy ‘thank you’
The following was sent to Harbormaster Steve Land and copied to
The Block Island Times: Dear Harbormaster, We would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you, the medical staff at the trauma center and all involved in saving me and my wife’s life...
Curbing vehicle traffic
Thu, Sep 5
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
Block Island had a busy summer. Shops and restaurants were full, boats were packed to the brim, airplanes created a steady buzz at the airport. We’re certain that the majority of people left the island with happy, lasting memories. The downside is that between Memorial Day and Labor Day — that’s 97...
Letters
Thu, Aug 29
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Unravelling the fabric
The following prose poem was submitted by Nancy Greenaway:
Our Hometown Bruce Springsteen’s hometown is my hometown. Bruce and I grew up about three blocks from each other, a short distance from his song’s “textile mill.” The Karagheusian rug mill was opened...
Full speed ahead
Thu, Aug 29
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
At the first annual meeting of the Block Island Utility Board of Commissioners on Saturday, Aug. 24, enough ratepayers — who own the utility — showed up at Town Hall to create an overflow crowd. What they heard was exceedingly good news. Interest rates on loans are not normally the most thrilling...
Letters
Thu, Aug 22
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A great trip
To the Editor: On behalf of the Bristol Yacht Club, I am writing in thanks and recognition of the wonderful job the Harbormaster and his crew did in during our recent two-day visit to the island as part of our weeklong summer cruise. The Harbormaster’s office was extremely...
It’s your power company now
Thu, Aug 22
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
It could be, even after all the public meetings and votes that took place, Block Island Power Company customers are having a hard time adjusting to the fact that they now have a direct say in how the company is run. But the fact is that ratepayer participation has been lacking since the new company...
Letters
Thu, Aug 15
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Safety on the water
To the Editor: I want to thank the Harbormaster and his team for their swift action during the June 30th squall. Being a mooring holder here for the past 35 years we have never witnessed such a well-oiled team. This storm blew in here very quickly but it was evident from...
Navigating the Great Salt Pond
Thu, Aug 15
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
We often measure our busy days by how packed the ferries are when they pull into Old Harbor. The boats come in with relative ease and simplicity, always on schedule, with few, if any surprises. Private boat traffic on the Great Salt Pond (and in both harbors) is another matter entirely. An average...
Letters
Thu, Aug 8
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A good time was had
To the Editor: We are very pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Block Island Medical Center Fun Run co-sponsored this year with the National Alliance on Mental Illness- BI was successful despite the challenge of running in soft sand at high tide. The participants, who...
The key to a healthy future
Thu, Aug 8
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
The members of Block Island Health Services Board, after many years of conversation, have now embarked on an ambitious $7.5 million capital campaign designed to address the limitations of the Block Island Medical Center, especially in its trauma care unit. One room that cannot accommodate more than...
Letters
Thu, Aug 1
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Helping to reduce food waste
To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago there was an article in
The Block Island Times
regarding all the good and unopened food being tossed in the trash as renters leave the property. The amount of waste was overwhelming to me. This week I made up a sign...
Take your $50
Thu, Aug 1
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
In the aftermath of the four-day cell phone outage that impacted Verizon customers on Block Island this past week, the carrier set up an 800 number that allowed people to sign up for a $50 rebate. It seems to us that Verizon could have simply assigned that $50 rebate to every single customer that...
Letters
Fri, Jul 26
Category:
Letters
Cyber theft
To the Editor: Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that cyber theft is a reality! The Harbor Church has some endowments deposited in an investment firm affiliated with our denomination. We thought they were safe from being raided, but we learned otherwise. Here is our story:...
Letters
Thu, Jul 18
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
A grateful father
To the Editor: I want to publicly thank all involved with the treatment and medivac of my daughter, Sandra, on July 4, 2019. The whole procedure was efficient and professional. (By the way, Sandy is fine.) Mike Tripp Barrington, R.I. and Payne’s Dock
Getting it right...
Unchecked vitriol
Thu, Jul 18
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
What happened this week was kind of crazy. Some guy from Long Island posts a picture of his hand holding a chunk of old, dried paint, and the social media universe went nuts. But let’s start at the beginning. Someone deliberately chipped off a piece of Painted Rock. That much we do know, and that...
Thank you!
Thu, Jul 11
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
When a small town suddenly balloons to more than 20,000 people almost overnight, and to have things go as smoothly as they did over the Fourth of July celebrations, is a testament to the network of volunteers and professionals alike who work tirelessly to keep this island train on track. The island...
Letters
Thu, Jul 11
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Thank you for your support
The following was sent to Mike Muessel and Susan Schuyler of Oldport Marine Services and copied to
The Block island Times:
To the Editor: Dear Mike and Susan, The Committee for the Great Salt Pond and the Double Ender Committee would like to thank you for...
Three little words
Thu, Jul 4
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
We have three words of advice to all of those visiting and living in our little community for the next few months: Stop. Look. Listen. In the context of the summer, these three little words have two distinct purposes. As for the first, Block Island is going to be a treat for all the sens-es. Enjoy...
Letters
Wed, Jul 3
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
Our gratitude To the Editor:
Re: Harbors Patrol Response to Sunday’s storm
I find it hard to find words to describe the efforts of the Harbormaster team’s response to last Sunday’s afternoon squall line in Great Salt Pond. Between multiple boats breaking free, a man overboard, and a heart...
Letters
Thu, Jun 27
Category:
Opinion
,
Letters
To the Editor: After two Town Council meetings and a Block Island Health Services Board meeting, where a majority and plethora of the masses attending couldn’t quite fathom the circumstances of the Liz Dyer firing, I have the sad conclusion. For those of us that supported Liz Dyer, the fight is...
A declaration of freedom
Thu, Jun 27
Category:
Opinion
,
Editorials
From an article written by Samuel W. Mendum titled
“Block Island” and published in New England Magazine in August 1897:
“Probably no body of Americans exhibited more admirable courage than the inhabitants of Block Island at the outbreak of the Revolution. When they unhesitatingly...
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