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Opinion

Letters

Thu, Jun 20

Category:

Opinion, Letters

A great start To the Editor: I wanted to take a moment to thank the residents of Block Island and The Block Island Film Festival. We showed our film, “Nothing To Do,” at this year’s inaugural festival and couldn’t have been more pleased. The local audience was engaged and appreciative. My...
Follow the rules

Thu, Jun 20

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The members of the Block Island Health Services Board should heed the advice of some of its constituents: follow the guidelines outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order and create some separation of duties between Dr. Mark Clark and the board. Some compartmentalizing is necessary. At the outset of the...
Letters

Thu, Jun 6

Category:

Opinion, Letters

To the Editor: The island community is so lucky to have such a treasure among us in Kim Gaffett, and over the course of this winter and spring the library and the children of the island were incredibly fortunate to learn from her each week during our Healthy Kids Inside and Out program. The Island...
Letter of Appreciation

For Nurse Practitioner Liz Dyer

Thu, Jun 6

Category:

Opinion, Letters

We will probably never know why Nurse Practitioner Liz Dyer was so abruptly terminated as a staff member of the Block Island Medical Center, but we do know that she will be missed by many as a caring, compassionate and capable member of the Medical Center team. Our sincere and profound...
Democracy at work

Thu, Jun 6

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The crowd that gathered for the Town Council’s meeting on Monday night to speak about the Medical Center’s termination of Nurse Practitioner Liz Dyer was encouraging to see. It means that our democracy is at work, with people being given the chance to voice their concerns. First Warden Ken Lacoste...
Letters

Thu, May 30

Category:

Opinion, Letters

The Block Island Medical Center To the Editor: I am writing in to sing the praises of RNP Liz Dyer. In the years that she has worked on island as a medical provider, she has become a friend and an invaluable member of our community. Her patience, kindness, compassion and level of care is...
An inadequate response

Thu, May 30

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

After hearing the news that Nurse Practitioner Liz Dyer had been terminated without cause in the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 28, Block Island Medical Director Mark Clark said he would issue a statement. The statement, which can be read in full in the story that begins on page one, was sent...
Letters

Thu, May 23

Category:

Opinion, Letters

‘Shameful and wrong’ To the Editor: On Thursday, May 16, I was horrified and saddened to witness the treatment toward long-time school employee, Marsha Gutierrez by School Committee Chair, Bill Padien, and lawyer Denise Myers, as they tried to strip benefits from Mrs. Gutierrez’s retirement package...
Summer message from Chief Carlone

Thu, May 23

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

It's Memorial Day Weekend, the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year. This means that the ferries are almost at their full schedules, schools are ending their year, visitors are arriving, and we are ready to go. A few things to note: - Parking regulations are now in effect. To avoid a...
Letters

Thu, May 16

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Protecting the dunes To the Editor: The Block Island Residents Association would like to offer an addendum to Rosemary Connelli’s informative column “Protecting the dunes.” Since the devastation of Sandy, BIRA has invested over $15,000 in snow fencing to restore the dunes and beach grass to...
Sign the petition

Thu, May 16

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Block Island keeps wrestling with its affordable housing situation, and now it can use some help from the Rhode Island General Assembly. House Bill 5451 is designed to increase the income ceiling for families and individuals so that more people may become eligible for affordable housing on Block...
Celebrating family on Mother’s Day

Thu, May 9

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

This edition of The Block Island Times , while it was taking shape during the week, slowly emerged as a tribute to family, and children, young and old alike. It seemed fitting for Mother’s Day. The students of Mrs. Hart’s kindergarten class, as they do every year, penned their funny and...
If we don’t want more bans, we need to change

Thu, Apr 25

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

There is a crisis brewing in the recycling trade. In 2016, China imported 7 million tons of plastic products. The problem was that much of it was contaminated with other products, so it could not be recycled. As a result, in 2018, China stopped almost all of its plastic scrap imports, leaving it to...
Letters

Thu, Apr 25

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Blood Drive coming up To the Editor: Our next blood drive will be on Thursday, May 2 from 11:30 to 3:30 at the Block Island School gymnasium. We have given for so long we often forget who we help: - Women and newborns during complications with childbirth - People with heart disease and blood...
Letters

Thu, Apr 18

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Info, please To the Editor: Hello, I am a fourth grade student in North Carolina. In fourth grade, we do state reports and I have chosen Rhode Island. I am very excited to learn more about your state as I work on my research. Most of the information I get will be from books and websites...
Taking care of beauty

Thu, Apr 18

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

It has been a long, dull winter. The snow that sometimes appears to create that lovely white-blanketed New England landscape never appeared (some would say thankfully), and there was a good deal of gray sky and rain. Consecutive warm days that mark the firm arrival of spring struggled to arrive...
Letters

Thu, Apr 11

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Medical Center records The following was submitted to the Block Island Town Council and copied to The Block Island Times: To the Editor: The Medical Center is growing. The number and complexity of patients, the scope and quality of care continue to increase yearly. Block Island...
The effort to make housing affordable

Thu, Apr 11

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Although this week’s edition of the paper goes to the printer before we know the outcome of the vote, the effort to change the income requirements on Block Island so that more people may be eligible for affordable housing has been an excellent and well-timed one. State Rep. Blake Filippi, the House...
Letters

Thu, Apr 4

Category:

Opinion, Letters

‘A good man’ To the Editor: Life on this Island Block is quite unique in many ways. Certainly not conventional, and even unusual if you live here other than just the summer season. Death, on the other hand, is essentially the same everywhere. Howie Rice died rather suddenly just a few weeks...
Time to move forward

Thu, Apr 4

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The air has been cleared, people have had their say, and now it is time to put some effort into how to best utilize the Visitor’s Center in Old Harbor so that it can, without conflict, serve the needs of the entire island. Block Island, like every other vacation destination, has to fight for every...
Letters

Thu, Mar 28

Category:

News, Opinion

A letter from the Chief To the Editor: Earlier this month on a Friday night, a few teenaged kids, good friends, left a gathering in South Kingstown and ended up in a serious car crash that resulted in a 17 year-old boy named Aiden Mulligan receiving a critical, life-threatening brain injury...
The future is here

Thu, Mar 28

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Block Island has been exerting some of its old-fashioned independence during these opening months of 2019. The first municipally-owned high-speed internet service in the state amped up earlier this month, and just this week the Block Island Utility District acquired the assets of the once privately...
Town budget needs your input

Thu, Mar 21

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

“What goes up must come down” is a statement that may apply to the laws of physics but not to municipal budgets. Every year, town department heads submit their proposed budgets to the town. These requests reflect what each director feels is necessary to run their department. These requests are...
Letters

Thu, Mar 14

Category:

Opinion, Letters

“His loss is not mine alone.” To the Editor: So, it has been two difficult months since my loss of Donny, since our loss of Don. The night before last, I forewent my early morning walks throughout the house. I finally slept through the night. In the morning, I applied a touch of...
Dogged determination

Thu, Mar 14

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The saying “back to square one” almost always indicates that a lot of time has been wasted, with no tangible results. However, in the case of the Block Island State Airport, the statement applies in a positive way. After several months of dialogue, spearheaded by a very determined island resident,...
Letters

Thu, Mar 7

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Thank you, Mr. Kaufmann To the Editor: I read with interest last week’s article “At 92, still making music,” about Carl Kaufmann’s guitar building. I, and my students, have many fond memories from when Carl mentored a guitar building class at the school. It was one of those projects where I...
Horns of a dilemma

Thu, Mar 7

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

First Warden Ken Lacoste’s ambivalence about raising dockage fees in Old Harbor is an example, writ small, of a larger dilemma Block Island faces. What kind of services and experience should the island provide to its residents and guests, and how will these services be paid for? When Councilor...
Letters

Thu, Feb 28

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Seize the reins To the Editor: “The last day of deer hunting is Friday (Feb. 22),” noted the New Shoreham Town clerk. Why? It has long been established that the island herd remains many times over Department of Environmental Management’s acceptable number of animals per acre, and deer are...
Opportunities to serve

Thu, Feb 28

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The New Shoreham Charter Review Commission is appointed every 10 years to review New Shoreham’s Home Rule Charter and recommend changes to the Town Council. Changes to the Town Charter are decided by ballot questions in a general election or referendum. If you wish to serve on the Charter Commisson...
Letters

Thu, Feb 21

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Drone usage has rules To the Editor: Amateur drone flyers need to be aware that a special Federal Aviation Administration Interim Final Rule will take effect on Feb. 25, 2019. All drones must be registered and externally marked with a registration number obtained at www.faadronezone...
Help from time to time

Thu, Feb 21

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

During World War II, Block Island residents proudly defied an order to evacuate the island, opting instead for some good old-fashioned New England independence. It was a fine moment, to be sure, striking that balance between pride and duty. Block Island has been guided by that kind of spirit since...
Nominations sought for Bayberry Wreath Award

Thu, Feb 21

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

This year marks the 36th anniversary of one of Block Island’s signature recognitions: the annual Bayberry Wreath Award recognizing outstanding contributions to the health of the island’s ecology. If there is someone you would like to honor, The Block Island Times is now...
Letters

Thu, Feb 14

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Congrats! To The Editor The Block Island Yacht Club was formed in 2010, with a mission of promoting good fellowship and supporting Block Island maritime-related activities. BIYC Maritime Scholarships may be awarded each year by the BIYC to qualified Block Island High School graduates...
Letters

Thu, Feb 7

Category:

Opinion, Letters

To the Editor: Wow. First and foremost, thank you to Mason for being an incredible inspiration of courage and class. In your 10 years of life, you have mastered the fine art of strength and kindness. You have an entire community behind you, cheering you through this. Next, thank you to every single...
A modest proposal

Thu, Feb 7

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

The New Shoreham Town Council, tasked with coming up with some ideas about how another round-trip schedule could be added to the ferry schedule in the winter, has come up with an elegant suggestion. The members didn’t make it complicated, didn’t try to be too clever, or make a political point;...
Count the deer

Thu, Jan 31

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Hunting season will be over in less than a month, and it looks as though the number of deer taken will be more or less what the numbers have been in the past few years: about 150 or so. This will be, as members of the Deer Task Force point out in this week’s edition, about the same number of deer...
Letters

Thu, Jan 31

Category:

Opinion, Letters

ConserFest rolls along To the Editor: The 11th Anniversary of ConserFest was full of exciting new experiences. Despite the heat, we had a huge turnout at the Narragansett Inn for food, fun, and fantastic music! With your support, we raised almost $20,000 to support Island environmental...
The time is now

Thu, Jan 24

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Block Island has taken some baby steps toward preparing against the potential impacts of climate change and sea level rise. There has been a study done on the Corn Neck Road corridor, as an example, and there have been some very preliminary discussions on whether the locations for the Police...
Letters

Thu, Jan 24

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Many thanks from the Hall family To the Editor: We would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to Pastor Peter Preiser, his wife Carrie Johnson, Tony Pappas, Carrie Todd, Megan Hennessy, and to all those who participated in a beautiful service honoring our beloved Gayanne Hall duPont on...
Letters

Thu, Jan 17

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Bright lights To the Editor: The island shines a little less bright with the passing of Ginni Collins and Don Thimble within a few days of each other last week. Two pillars of island life; for decades each gave of themselves unto this special place. Who has not benefited from the generosity...
‘We’ve got to love’

Thu, Jan 17

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

We must realize that we are grappling with the most weighty social problem of this nation, and in grappling with such a complex problem there is no place for misguided emotionalism. We must work passionately and unrelentingly for the goal of freedom, but we must be sure that our hands are clean in...
Letters

Thu, Jan 10

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Early Learning Center thanks you To the Editor: The Block Island Early Learning Center would like to extend a very grateful thank you to the members of the community who contributed goods to our Holiday Basket, and also to those who purchased raffle tickets. The overwhelming...
Madness

Thu, Jan 10

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

Unless there is some historic breakthrough between the printing of this edition of the paper on Thursday and its distribution on Friday, the members of the United States Coast Guard will not be paid this week due to the partial government shutdown. The idea that these essential services, so...
Letters

Thu, Jan 3

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Stone wall concerns To the Editor: To anyone concerned with the stone wall between the library parking lot and the Darius Inn: We wanted to publicly respond to last week’s article in case there are others harboring thoughts about the missing stone wall. We were surprised to read in the...
An essential mission

Thu, Jan 3

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

It may seem that the partial government shutdown that has been in place for the past two weeks or so is nothing more than some sort of abstract policy fight between the White House and Congress, with no real tangible effects to our local lives or economy. But the U.S. Coast Guard is very much part...
Letters

Thu, Dec 27

Category:

Letters

‘Great respect and gratitude’ To the Editor: I have been coming to Block Island since I was an infant, in 1955. My parents bought a house here in 1960. My fond memories of growing up here are too numerous to count. My mother, Jane Scranton, is 92 and still lives on her beloved island. She...
A simple wish

Thu, Dec 27

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

At 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31 (Eastern Standard Time) the tiny independent island state of Samoa, located in the South Pacific, will be the first inhabited place to welcome in the 2019 New Year. A mere 102 miles to its east lies American Samoa — it’s right over the International Date Line that was re-...
Letters

Thu, Dec 20

Category:

Opinion, Letters

A year of change To the Editor: The Block Island chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness is a non-profit organization working to reduce the effects and stigma of mental illness. We aim to facilitate access to mental health care, support families affected by mental illness and...
Memories of Christmas

Thu, Dec 20

Category:

Opinion, Editorials

“Always on Christmas night there was music. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another uncle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which...
Letters

Thu, Dec 13

Category:

Opinion, Letters

Getting to the beach To the Editor: I was so happy to see the picture of the new beach wheelchair at Fred Benson Town Beach. I would like to thank all who helped in any way to obtain this most welcome addition, especially the Lion’s Club, Kathy (Szabo) at the Chamber of Commerce, Cindy (...

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