Adventures in Town Government

A Reliable “Opposed”

By Justin Katz | September 24, 2007 |

This meeting is definitely stretching out, but I’m glad that I’ve remained because I’ve witnessed a notable moment. To paraphrase Councilor Hannibal Costa (who has previously railed against unfunded mandates from the state), on a discussion about advertising to fill administrative jobs: If you look around the town, you’ll see that we have a lot…

Let’s Keep Everything Important Under Wraps

By Justin Katz | September 24, 2007 |

If I had the authority — as an audience member — I’d move to end executive sessions at these town council meetings. The council is running through a list of appointments and pretty much rubber stamping applicants (who are far outnumbered by openings, it seems), and the discussion over a town planning–related position became somewhat…

Prioritizing Priorities

By Justin Katz | September 24, 2007 |

It’s so much easier to be active in the summer. How am I supposed to keep up with Prison Break and Heroes if I intend to attend Tiverton Town Council meetings? Maybe it would be different if I could afford a TiVo machine, but such tools are out of my range of affordability. But there’s…

Update: Menard’s Canard Exposed; Alaska’s Chilly Reaction

By Monique Chartier | September 22, 2007 |

It’s a darn good thing Woonsocket’s Mayor Susan Menard keeps records. That was the only way she was able to determine that the source of the purloined speech she gave at the Woonsocket High School graduation in June was the City of Woonsocket’s controversial former Director of Human Services, John Dionne. The whole incident might…

Plagiarism and Menard’s Canard?

By Monique Chartier | September 16, 2007 |

Woonsocket (along with Jamestown) will be holding an off-year election this November, to be preceded on October 9 by a primary for City Council and Mayor on October 9. This is undoubtedly the driving force behind the revelation that significant portions of the speech that incumbent Mayor Susan Menard gave in June at Woonsocket’s High…

The Cranston City Republican Committee Invites You to Examine Mayor Michael Napolitano’s Record

By Carroll Andrew Morse | September 13, 2007 |

The Cranston Republican City Committee has put up a website questioning Mayor Michael Napolitano’s commitment to promises he made during his campaign and since taking office. This sequence of events listed compiled from the site is particularly illuminating…Mayor Napolitano’s budget has raised local property taxes “by over 5%, nearly the maximum allowed by state law”……while…

Trash Day Rant

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2007 |

After years of bringing my garbage to the town dump in Portsmouth, I actually rather enjoyed not having to go farther than the end of my driveway when I moved to Tiverton. The glow wore off the experience of deceptively free trash collection when my one non-construction-grade barrel was demolished during pickup. Being a believer…

Not Alone, but Alone?

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2007 |

The movement of the Tiverton School Committee meeting from the library to the auditorium at least seems merited tonight. In that sense, I’m not alone. Inasmuch as I’ve no evidence that I’m the only plain ol’ interested citizen in the audience, I may prove to be alone in another, perhaps more important sense. Perhaps it…

This Is the Way the System Works, the System Works, the System Works

By Justin Katz | September 6, 2007 |

As pleasant of an evening as it is to be sitting in my car at the Tiverton High School writing blog posts, I have to say that I’m a little disappointed at the way the system apparently works. Having been informed that tonight’s negotiation-related school committee meeting, wherein the committee would bring the town council…

Jumping into a Blue State

By Justin Katz | August 28, 2007 |

During a recess, one of the school committee members, a man to whom I frequently wave as he walks his dog by my house, came over to ask what brought me out this evening. For the time being, it’s probably to the good that my answer was simply “to become more involved” (with a reference…