Before the Ocean State’s Constitution gets around to mentioning freedom of the press, freedom of speech or the right to bear arms, it enshrines the concept of “shore privileges.” “The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery and the privileges of the shore,” reads Article 1, Section 17, “including […]
shoreline access
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 8, 2025
If the ‘Taylor Swift tax’ is getting you down, you can snap up a Wyoming ranch bigger than Rhode Island for a cool $79.5 million. Welcome back to my Friday column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly voters seek to oust town council president over beach access settlement talks
Shoreline access advocates who want to remove Westerly Town Council President Chris Duhamel from office have initiated the process to force a recall election, submitting a “declaration of intent to petition for recall” at Monday night’s council meeting. The declaration was formally submitted towards the end of a public comment period in which numerous speakers […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly drops vandalism case against beachfront property owner
The town of Westerly has dismissed a criminal case against a beachfront property owner police say repeatedly spray-painted a shoreline right-of-way sign in Watch Hill. Last month, police charged David M. Roth, 76, with four counts of vandalism. Police believe Roth was responsible for vandalizing a sign that needed to be replaced multiple times over […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Sept. 20, 2024
On national pepperoni pizza day, you could do worse than the Roni Island at Pizza Marvin. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly Town Council holds ‘infomercial’ for embattled solicitor, prevents public comment at meeting
Westerly Town Solicitor William Conley Monday night defended himself against criticism from the public and some members of the Westerly Town Council over his office’s failure to submit legal research and analysis to the federal government prior to the transfer of the Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private non-profit earlier this year. Conley also denied […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Property owner suing RI over beach access law faces vandalism charges
A Westerly property owner making a legal challenge against Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law has been charged with repeatedly vandalizing a beach right-of-way sign near his home. Police say David M. Roth, who owns a $10.8 million property in Watch Hill with his wife but resides in West Hartford, Conn., spray-painted a beach access […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Judge sides with property owners in blow to new shoreline access law
A Rhode Island Superior Court judge says the state’s new shoreline access law has resulted in the unconstitutional taking of private beachfront property without just compensation to landowners. In two decisions filed Friday, Associate Justice Sarah Taft-Carter denied Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s motion to throw out cases brought by property owners in South […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Charlestown police accused of empowering ‘vigilantes’ to help patrol local beach
Shoreline access and civil liberties advocates are crying foul over a new policy in Charlestown welcoming private individuals to collect surveillance evidence for police to use in enforcing a vehicle ordinance on a barrier beach at the center of multiple beach access legal fights. Under the new policy rolled out by the Charlestown Police Department […]
Posted inLocal, South County Bureau
Westerly councilor flips off audience, makes ‘obscene’ gesture at public meeting
Members of the public are calling on the Westerly Town Council to take action against a councilor who repeatedly gave the audience the middle finger at a council meeting Monday night and made what several witnesses interpreted as an “obscene gesture.” Video of Monday night’s council meeting shows Councilor Robert Lombardo sticking up his middle […]
