You can have my guns when I have a Gort on every doorway.(R) Burrillville, No.Smithfield, Glocester All rights reserved(R)2014 All photos and published properties the sole ownership of W.Gauvin Barber No sharing or reposting without his written consent.
Always searching the web for interesting items for the Outdoor Scene. This is a great way to Dutch Oven cook or when on the Ice Fishing One of the benefits is that you get to meet interesting folks who share a wealth of wisdom from their experiences. One particular item was the Swedish Log Candle which was news to me. Of course, any topic with fire interests me because firecraft is my specialty. In this case, it’s not a fire making method, but more akin to a campfire method. It all begins with a seasoned log and a chainsaw. First, stand the log upright and begin to cut downward using 4 overlapping cuts in the same way that you would cut a pie, creating 8 equal triangles. Each cut can be made as low as 4 inches from the bottom. Some suggest that you can use the chainsaw blade tip to cut slightly lower at the junction of cuts, thus creating a shallow well at the bottom. Next, you need an accelerant such as kerosene, lamp oil, or lighter fluid to use as a fire starter or primer. Because I’ve already used my chainsaw, I also have the accompanying mixed gasoline, which works very nicely. Just pour the fluid down the middle of the cuts, wetting each wedge tip in the process, then let it soak for a minute or so. Be sure not to stand over the log when you light it, but stay off to the side, lighting it with an outstretched hand.
After a slight “poof” of flame, the fire slowly begins to grow, starting slender then broadening outward. The edge of the wedge acts as kindling which sustains the process. As with all campfires, the quality and type of wood will determine the speed and brightness of the flame along with the duration of burn time. With appropriate cookware and suspension, this could be used for cooking, or with supervision and safe surroundings, it could be used decoratively at your next event. In any case, it’s a fun experience and well worth the time and effort to make. Source: SURVIVALTEK
State Senator Paul Jabour will be calling on Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin to review the statutory authorities of the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College Foundations, in light of the recent decisions made by Governor Gina Raimondo to use both to fund governmental activities.
"I'm going to be sending [Kilmartin] a formal letter shortly," said Jabour, who represents District 5 in Providence and serves on the URI Foundation Board "It will cite the statutory authority of each entity, and what they can -- and can't -- do."
Gov. Gina Raimondo's $7,000
Jabour had demanded that Raimondo return the $7,000 she received from the URI Foundation for a trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos (which she did when she cancelled her trip), and also introduced legislation demanding that the appointment by Raimondo of Richard Culatta to be Rhode Island's first chief innovation officer -- funded by the Rhode Island College Foundation -- be subject to General Assembly review as with other cabinet level positions.
"I want Kilmartin to say whether the RIC Foundation can -- or can't -- have that type of special arrangement as put forth by the Governor," said Jabour. Source:GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle
We are offering a candy making program on Saturday, February 6 at 11am. Registration is a MUST to ensure enough supplies for everyone. Please sign up by Thursday, February 4. This program is free and all materials will be provided by the library. This is for adults and children, and participants will get to take their candy home. We hope to see you there!
A big chunk of a busy Boston neighborhood — and control of one of the city’s best-known landmarks — is on the market.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Boston University said Thursday that it has hired a real estate firm to sell a block of buildings on the northern side of Kenmore Square along Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street, including one that carries the Citgo sign on its roof.
The famous flashing sign, which has served as backdrop to Fenway Park home runs since 1965, is not itself for sale; it’s owned by a sign company that leases air rights atop 660 Beacon St .
But the property sale raises questions about the sign’s future. It is not a protected landmark and BU said there are no conditions included in the terms of the sale, though a university official said he expected it would probably stay put.
Putting the nine buildings up for sale is the final move in a decades-long plan by Boston University to spark redevelopment in the once-grungy square that serves as its front door, a bustling crossroads where it bought up much of the real estate in the 1970s.
Since then, many of the businesses that gave Kenmore its old character have gone — the music clubs and dive bars, the IHOP and the Deli Haus, and, for that matter, the methadone clinic that brought hundreds of addicts to the neighborhood every day. Now there’s a spruced-up T station, destination restaurants such as Eastern Standard, and the block-length Hotel Commonwealth, which just underwent a swanky renovation — all on the southern side of Kenmore Square.
The north side, home to BU’s Barnes & Noble campus bookstore and a hodgepodge of restaurants and storefronts with offices above, is less changed. BU — which would rather focus on education and research than redeveloping Kenmore Square — wants a new owner to finish the job, said Gary Nicksa, BU senior vice president for operations.
“We have a long-term interest in the development of Kenmore Square,” he said. “We don’t want to see it revert back to what it was. We’d love to see it develop — as other parts of the city have — with a mix of commercial and residential space.”
The school hired brokerage firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank to shop the properties — nine buildings covering 1.5 acres wrapping from Deerfield Street around to Commonwealth Avenue, where it intersects with Beacon.Nicksa said he hopes to have a deal in place in a few months.
Executives at Newmark did not return messages seeking comment Thursday.
No estimated sales price was offered, though the properties could easily fetch tens of millions of dollars. The market for office buildings in Boston — including smaller, second-tier buildings such as these — has been strong of late.
Just this week, Synergy Investments sold four smaller downtown buildings for $90 million, after buying them for a combined $56.2 million in 2012 and 2013. Rents on so-called Class B space have climbed 30 percent in a year, according to real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. And the Hotel Commonwealth — right across Kenmore Square — just sold for $125 million.
That hot market helped push BU to sell now, Nicksa said, after considering a sale several times in recent years.
Plans for the buildings will ultimately be up to the new owner, though Nicksa said BU hopes to keep a voice in the redevelopment. Any large-scale project would need approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
Pam Beale, who has operated Cornwall’s Pub in Kenmore Square since the 1980s, said she hopes whoever buys the building she’s now in respects the unique character of the neighborhood.
“I hope someone with a feel for Kenmore buys it,” she said. “This place has always been a little fun and a little offbeat. It has its own identity.”
Part of that is Kenmore’s many small local businesses, said Beale, who serves as president of the Kenmore Association, a neighborhood business group. She had to move her bar 15 years ago to make way for the Hotel Commonwealth, and said BU helped. She said she hopes any new development makes similar efforts to preserve businesses such as hers.
“We will be part of the process,” Beale said of the Kenmore business group. “It will be a continuing dialogue, and hopefully everybody will end up in a good place.”
Then there’s the question of the Citgo sign, which looms over Kenmore Square and Fenway Park from atop 660 Beacon St.
It would not technically be part of the sale. The sign is owned by a company that leases air rights from BU, Nicksa said. It will be up to a new owner to decide whether to extend that lease.
That’s because, despite being one of Boston’s most recognizable landmarks, the sign is not an official city landmark — a status that could give it extra levels of protection from being torn down or moved.
That prospect was raised in the early 1980s when Citgo tried to remove the sign. Preservationists persuaded the Landmarks Commission to delay demolition long enough that Citgo changed its mind and restored it instead. It was restored again in 2010. But efforts to have it declared a city landmark failed, and have never been revived.
“There are no official protections in place for the sign,” said John Laadt, a Landmarks Commission spokesman.
The state has no particular say in the matter either, said Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Secretary of State William F. Galvin, who oversees the Massachusetts Historical Commission — though Galvin’s office could review any development plan that involves public funds. Nor is it on the National Register of Historic Places.
Still, Nicksa said, any change to the Citgo sign seems unlikely, if only because its presence makes the buildings beneath it, and the character of Kenmore Square, so much more valuable.
“We’re not going to presume anything at this stage,” he said. “But there’s real value there. It’s not something that can be replaced. It’s one of the unique attributes of the property.”Source: Tim Logan Globe Staff
Meeting: Thursday Jan. 21, 2016 Crystal Lake Golf Club, 100 Bronco Highway Rt. 102, Mapleville, Rhode Island 02839 Time 5:30 pm till 7:30 pm
Will the Access Northeast Power Plant Project bring abundant, domestic natural gas into the region as early as the winter of 2018 ?
Open House, Spectra Energy and Eversource Energy representatives will be available to answer questions about the proposed facilities, Safety, Land Acquisition, Environmental and Permitting Processes, Construction and Operation, and other aspects of the Project. The PUBLIC is invited, and we encourage all interested persons to attend.
Wallum Lake resident Dennis and Catherine Sherman addressed the Burrillville Town Council last Wed. Jan. 13th at the monthly meeting to address the lack of notices from the company to Burrillville residents about Public Input meetings and was told the Council would address the constant problem.
This $1,200 notice was in the Providence Journal today Wed Jan. 20th one day before the OPEN Hearing and I checked the Town Web-Site with no notice. I hope the message spreads to all parties concerned on the biggest undertaking in the Town of Burrillville's history. This is Your Town's Future at stake !Wayne
Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton is pleased to announce that The Town of North Smithfield will end the year with just under $650,000 surplus and the School Department will end with just under $850,000. This is a significant accomplishment and indicates a complete turnaround of Town finances. The Audit, performed by Bacon and Company, LLC. shows a very strong and financially stable outlook for the Town. " The Town Finance and Assessing departments have worked long hours to rectify previous problems and to set in place a number of checks and balances that ensure stability", stated Hamilton. " This positive Financial news is good for the entire community.
Having both the municipal and school finances in a very positive report is indicative of very capable finance and assessing departments who have not only adjusted all the issues that had been in the past, but instituted new policies and procedures that now reduce the Town's liability.
The Audit report will be presented by the Finance Director to the Town Council at the January 19th meeting.
All three Sam's Club store fronts in southern New England will close their doors come February; this according to a statement from corporate headquarters.
The three warehouse club stores are located in Warwick, Seekonk, and Fall River.
According to the press release the stores are closing due to a combination of factors including a waning membership base and declining sales.
The clubs closed temporarily Friday and will remain open Saturday until February 5 when they shutdown permanently.
Sam's Club is owned by the Walmart Corporation which is also shuttering 269 store worldwide as they review their fleet of stores.By NBC 10 NEWS
Electric Rate Decrease for 2016! Pascoag Utility District (PUD) is pleased to report that our pass-through rates (Standard Offer, Transmission and Transition) were decreased beginning January 1, 2016. On top of that reduction, Pascoag is also applying a credit of $0.00222/kWh to return a portion of our Purchase Power Restricted Fund, which had built up over time to a level great than PUD needs as an assurance against any potential power price spikes. This overall cost reduction is evidence of our strategy to purchase the most cost-effective power through long and medium-term power contracts, and to be very cautious in all spending activities for operations, maintenance, capital construction, and other business related costs. For an average residential customer, the decrease totals almost 12% in an overall bill reduction. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and cost-effective 2016!
Lowest rates in the Ocean State.
Posted by Wayne G. Barber Providence, RI- The StopTollsRI.com coalition will hold a joint press conference and rally with the Republican Policy Group (RPG) at the State House this Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 3:00 p.m., in opposition to any and all toll proposals.
The question is not whether Rhode Island bridges need to be repaired but how to pay for it. Both groups are opposed to Raimondo’s flawed truck toll plan and ANY plan involving tolls, recognizing it as a grievous assault on RI’s businesses and residents. The Republican Policy Group has proposed a “pay-as-you-go” plan that provides more funding for construction and repair than the Governor’s plan does - $875 million vs the Governor’s $620 million.
The RPG is not the only voice proposing “pay/go”. The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, along with its introduction of a public/private partnership, proposes a “pay/go” plan as well. StopTollsRI.com supports the “pay/go” plan as a better alternative to tolls, specifically because it will not hurt any particular industry, it will not increase the cost of every product purchased in the state and it provides more money for bridge repair.
Many businesses testified last year that RI would experience numerous job losses in the trucking industry if truck toll legislation passed. In a move that is expected to repeat itself if tolls get closer to a reality, UPS announced last week that they were pulling 10 tractor trailer trucks, along with the associated jobs, out of RI and moving them to Massachusetts.
“The trucking industry told leadership that there would be job losses. This is just the first of many losses that are expected to occur if the Governor’s toll legislation passes,” said StopTollsRI spokesman Tony Viveiros. Mr. Viveiros continued, “When we fought against the Sakonnet Toll, it was the same situation. The General Assembly ignored the negative financial impact of tolls on the local and state economy. They are doing the same thing here. UPS is proving that STOP was right."
Monique Chartier, spokesperson for StopTollsRI.com, pointed out, “Outrage over tolling in this state is a non-partisan issue. It makes much more sense to prioritize RI’s nearly $9 billion budget. Our budget should reflect the most important spending and you don’t get much more important than safeguarding our bridges.” Chartier continued, “Our coalition is deeply concerned about the many flaws in the Governor’s toll plan but of equal concern is the lack of transparency. The Governor provided maps from 1882 last week in response to an APRA request for gantry locations. This highlights just how disingenuous this administration is about a public legislative process.”
StopTollsRI.com member Larry Fitzmorris emphasized, “This press conference is to let our elected officials know that voters understand how RI government works - it will be Truck Tolls Today, Cars Tomorrow."
StopTollsRI.com is a coalition of citizen groups opposing not just the Governor’s Truck-Toll plan, but ANY toll proposal. The public is also encouraged to take action to oppose tolls at www.StopTollsRI.com.
Member Organizations:
Concerned Island Citizens
The Gaspee Project
Little Compton Taxpayers
North Kingstown Taxpayers
Ocean State Taxpayers in Action (OSTPA)
Portsmouth Concerned Citizens
RI Taxpayers
Sakonnet Toll Opposition Platform (STOP)
Supporting Organizations:
Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity
WatchdogRI.org
The Coalition Talk Radio
DontToll.com
WARWICK, R.I. — Among the parties seeking to play a formal role in state regulatory proceedings on a plan to build a massive natural gas-fired power plant in Burrillville are state energy officials, neighbors of the proposed facility, environmental groups, political activists and a nun.
Twelve motions to intervene in the approval process for the Clear River Energy Center were submitted by the deadline last month set by the state Energy Facility Siting Board. They range from the obvious — National Grid, the state Office of Energy Resources, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Town of Burrillville — to the less expected — Occupy Providence, the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America and Sister of Mercy Mary Pendergast, an environmental activist who opposes hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of natural gas.
“The Paris agreement is calling for an end to the fossil fuel era NOW!,” Pendergast’s motion reads, making reference to the recent international pact on climate change. “Yet the Burrillville plant will lock RI into fracked gas for the next 30 years.”
Her petition and those of the other parties will be ruled on by the three-member siting board at its first hearing on the controversial proposal on Jan. 12. The preliminary hearing kicks off a process that could take many months to play out as the board considers a plan from Chicago company Invenergy to build a $700-million facility that could be the largest power plant in New England that burns natural gas for fuel.
Intervenor status in the case is important because it will allow a person or group to introduce witnesses during the approval process and present evidence. In past cases before the siting board and in similar proceedings on energy projects before other state regulatory bodies, intervenors have typically been represented by attorneys.
Whether that will be a requirement in the Clear River case is up to the siting board whose members include the chair of the state Public Utilities Commission, the director of the state Department of Environmental Management and the associate director of the state Administration for Planning.
“The board has required in the past for parties to have a lawyer if they are going to participate,” said Todd Bianco, coordinator for the siting board. “Whether someone can represent themselves may be different.”
Invenergy has objected to the motions for intervention filed by Pendergast, Occupy Providence, Fossil Free Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America, Fighting Against Natural Gas and Burrillville Against Spectra Expansion, as well as Burrillville residents Paul and Mary Bolduc and Dennis and Kathryn Sherman.
The company has raised questions about whether they will have attorneys and has also argued that their interests would be adequately represented by others, including the Conservation Law Foundation, a regional environmental group with an office in Providence, and the Town of Burrillville.
- Some of the would-be intervenors have been fighting against the proposed plant since it was first put on the table last summer. They include Fossil Free Rhode Island, Fighting Against Natural Gas and Pendergast, who have all protested against other proposals to expand the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, including plans to expand natural gas pipelines that pass through Burrillville.
The Conservation Law Foundation is also opposed to the Clear River plan, arguing that committing to another power plant that relies on fossil fuels will undermine the development of carbon-free sources of energy, such as wind farms and solar arrays.
Although state construction unions have come out in support for the plan, which Invenergy says will support 300 temporary jobs, they have not filed motions to intervene. Governor Raimondo also backs the plan, but her office is not seeking to intervene. The state’s interests in the case will be represented by the Office of Energy Resources.
Even if a party is not granted intervenor status, it does not mean it won’t be able to register opinions on the plan. The siting board is required to solicit public comment on the proposal. Bianco said that as many as three public comment hearings could be scheduled.
At the Jan. 12 hearing, along with ruling on the motions for intervention, the siting board will also lay out the issues that must be addressed in the approval process, determine what other permits the proposal must seek and consider what types of advisory opinions are needed from other state agencies before a decision can be made.
The hearing starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Public Utilities Commission's offices at 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick
First, stand the log upright and begin to cut downward using 4 overlapping cuts in the same way that you would cut a pie, creating 8 equal triangles. Each cut can be made as low as 4 inches from the bottom. Some suggest that you can use the chainsaw blade tip to cut slightly lower at the junction of cuts, thus creating a shallow well at the bottom.
Next, you need an accelerant such as kerosene, lamp oil, or lighter fluid to use as a fire starter or primer. Because I’ve already used my chainsaw, I also have the accompanying mixed gasoline, which works very nicely. Just pour the fluid down the middle of the cuts, wetting each wedge tip in the process, then let it soak for a minute or so. Be sure not to stand over the log when you light it, but stay off to the side, lighting it with an outstretched hand.
Source: SURVIVALTEK
