We made the Front Page of the Sun!

If points could be had just for showing up, the residents of Pleasant View and the Brushy Brook area have earned a few. At least, their efforts and concerns have been recognized by the local press.

The front page article in Monday's Westerly Sun was encouraging. Now, we need to keep the focus on our concerns for our water, public safety, and wildlife habitat.

I wish the Sun article had mentioned that a DEM representative was at the Planning Board Meeting to express concerns and not just that there were concerns expressed over the impact on Arcadia Management Area.

I just wish the State of Rhode Island, Audubon Society or Nature Conservancy could buy this property and annex it to Arcadia.

Monday, Monday

This week my son and I finish our unit on the History of Scotland with a side dish of the Legend of Nessie. Teaching a teen with autism is a challenge in and of itself, but sometimes, his "aspie" perspective can be a unique advantage.

The Loch Ness Monster is long time myth is how we began. In my son's mind, he had to find out the first siting of Nessie. He discovered was that it was in the 500's by St. Columba. He moved forward from there. He looked at sketches and photos.
His determination Nessie was probably a Plesiosaur and he figures there has to be more than one. He also figured that they feed on plants and sturgeon which are found in the loch. His logic and determination to research the facts are aspie traits. I have a feeling the Loch Ness mystery will be a part of our curriculum long after we finish Scotland.

Time for school!

Thought for the Day

Cree Indian Prophecy

Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only when the last river has been poisoned
Only when the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Walking 360 acres of forest and rock.

Hubby and I decided to walk the parcel of land where 300 homes are proposed. I had heard a neighbor talk about it being a "mining" expedition. I though he was joking. After seeing the "boulders" everywhere between the trees, in the clearings and even in the wetlands, I realized that he was stating fact.

For these developers to create 200 half acre lots with all the open space they propose, they will be crushing rocks for years. Then there is the issue of trees.
By the time you get 500 feet back from the neighboring property lines, this is a forest. Yes, there is a dirt road and a glorified cow path cut in them, but the rest is deciduous forest. There are oaks, maples and birch. There are seedling pines. There are signs of wildlife. Deer and fisher cat were the tracks I saw today.

This will not only be a mining operation, but a logging one as well. There is a 25 foot canyon at about 1500 feet back. Because I am a lousy mountaineer, I could not see if there was a stream at the bottom. I did find another stream further up.

What was remarkable was the quiet, and the echos, and the view from the top. You could see all the way across the valley to the next hill (Canonchet?) I really wanted to cry. This is a natural place which should not be any more disturbed than it already has been. It would be a great hiking venue and horseback riding trail.

It is a good place for humans to visit, but not live. I wish the State would just buy this land and annex it to the management area. Developing this land would be a crime.

I met a Rhody Fresh Farmer!

I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I met a Rhody Fresh Dairy Farmer here in Hopkinton. What a nice, hard-working guy. It made me think that unless you buy Rhody Fresh milk, you don't know where your milk comes from.

I have been guilty of not buying local milk. I think all of us are. When you think about it, the pennies per gallon difference gives you peace of mind. You know where your milk comes from and you may even know your farmer!

I plan to visit his farm at some point and meet the Happy Cows of Hopkinton.

January Thaw

In typical New England fashion, the weather is treating us to a day above freezing. The sun is bright and with a gentle wind, you can tolerate just a sweater if you keep moving. For a fleeting moment, you might feel a touch of Spring Fever.

I am going to enjoy this day. Tomorrow, they predict rain, sleet and snow.

The Serenity of Country Life

Back in June, I told one of my friends that we were moving to Hope Valley. She thought I would be lonely, bored and craving to move back to civilization. She could not have been more wrong. I don't miss the noise of the highway or the multiple runs of the fire station 24/7. I don't miss the litter or the fumes.

I love the serenity of my home, the friendliness of my neighbors,The Langworthy Library filled with local history info, the local business people, my mail carrier, West's Bakery, Hack and Livery and farm stands. How could I be bored? As an avid bird watcher, my own back yard affords me the best from sparrow to wild turkeys to hawks and our resident Great Horned Owl. We have streams to fish in and deer to watch. This part of Rhode Island is a treasure and endangered.

I can only hope that our efforts to reject the impending 300 house development called Brushy Brook is successful. The next planning board meeting should be interesting.

The Rockville Mill

The Rockville Mill project when first proposed sounded like a good idea.

It originally called for 8 apartments and artists studios in addition to the U.S.Post Office presently located there. The artist studios pulled together a project which is truly mixed use. However, the developer was told that this would not be profitable.

In order for this developer to make a profit and still offer reasonable rents, is it necessary to cram people into 14 apartments with no recreational space and woefully inadequate parking?

Eight really nice apartments along with some revamping of the site to provide some outdoor space would make sense.

Preserving the Rural Character of Hopkinton, RI

I have to be honest. I am a new resident of Hopkinton. We moved here in July, 2009 and were enchanted with the place. The wide open spaces, the wildlife, the stars at night, the Great Horned owl calling his mate, the fireflies and my neighbors. The folks here are friendly, kind, caring and fiercely independent.

Three hundred homes are proposed for a tract of land in Hope Valley. Three hundred homes in an area which has no public water or sewer or trash pick up. Three hundred homes on a piece of property which is adjacent to one of Rhode Island's environmental/wildlife jewels: Arcadia Management Area. Three hundred homes in a town with a volunteer fire and rescue with access to a narrow country lane with a one-lane bridge.

You might think, they have over 300 acres, and the over all density will be 1.19 acres how much will this effect the town and the wildlife? Let me tell you a little story...

I used to live in Warwick. When we first moved into our home, there was a small patch of wetland acreage across the road. White tail deer would come to feed in this little patch of paradise and drink water from the brook. For years, the city would not allow building because of the wet characteristics of the land. The deer were happy and so were the neighbors. Jump ahead ten years. Someone decided that it was now okay to build three pretty ugly raised ranch houses. They sure did truck in a ton of fill. The adjacent neighbor's land started to flood every time it rained, and the deer were gone. They never returned.

Now you might ask, where the deer went. I can't be certain. We first thought they moved across the main road into another wooded area. For a couple of years, they were occasionally seen in those woods. Then the big development was approved. Somewhere in the vicinity of 200 homes were built. The deer were never seen. Now, this development consisted of homes priced $400,000 and up. More sprawl and what was the last sleepy country road in Warwick is on the verge of needing a traffic light.

This is not what I want for Hope Valley and I am sure you wouldn't either. We have to come together as a community and remind our planning board of the provisions in the town comprehensive plan.

Hopkinton Planning Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hope Valley Elementary School
7:00 p.m.


Come to the next planning board meeting and let your voice be heard!