Latest news with #coastalcommunity
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
This historic town was named the best small town to visit in Rhode Island. Here's why
When it comes to Rhode Island, there are a lot of charming small towns and cities for being such as small state. Bristol was recently named the most charming town in Rhode Island by HGTV. For a beach town, Conde Nast recently picked the classic coastal town of Newport. And Taylor Swift likes Westerly enough that she owns a house there, which feels like a pretty solid recommendation. But there's so much variety that when WorldAtlas made their list of the best small town to visit in each of America's 50 states, they went with an entirely different coastal community. Here is the town WorldAtlas says is the best to visit in Rhode Island. WorldAtlas named Jamestown as Rhode Island's best small town to vacation in, a green light shining on the edge of the Ocean State's recognizable New England bay. What WorldAtlas said about Jamestown: "Jamestown, an idyllic town in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay, is a reprieve of tranquility in today's stressful times. The open landscapes, affluent locals, and old buildings create a magical atmosphere for a peaceful retreat. The town itself has a population of 5,600, but it attracts loads of visitors who come to tour its iconic landmarks. Sites such as the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, Jamestown Fire Memorial Museum, and Jamestown Historical Society Museum are always full of people waiting for the next tour." For some good eats, WorldAtlas also recommended chowder from Narragansett Cafe, located at 25 Narragansett Ave, and pizza at Ace's Pizza on 5 Clarke St. "Fort Wetherill State Park offers the perfect experience with a combination of historic architecture and recreational activities," WorldAtlas said. "While exploring the 60-acre expanse, the silence will mesmerize visitors, only interrupted by the sound of flailing leaves and crashing waves." You can find the Fort Wetherill State Park at 3 Fort Wetherill Rd. Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@ This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Jamestown named the best RI small town to visit. What to do, eat there
Globe and Mail
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
The Association for Responsible Aquaculture Reports Allegations of Bid-Rigging in Nova Scotia Aquaculture Expansion
ARGYLE, Nova Scotia, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) reports that the coastal community of Argyle is facing a political storm amid serious allegations of conflict of interest, bid-rigging, and a lack of public consultations related to the expansion of aquaculture facilities along the region's coastline. Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests suggest that municipal staff and local oyster operators worked behind the scenes to fix the locations of Aquaculture Development Areas (ADAs) -placing them adjacent to residential properties without engaging affected residents or conducting meaningful consultation. The controversial site selection has prompted accusations of favouritism and secrecy, with constituents questioning why certain locations were chosen and who benefited. Despite repeated calls for transparency and accountability, the municipality has ignored these concerns. 'People feel betrayed,' said Susan Savriga, an Argyle resident. 'This wasn't a transparent process. It feels like the decisions were made behind closed doors to benefit a few, while the broader community was left in the dark.' Further compounding the issue, The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) is reported to have approved the contested ADA locations based on the municipality's recommendations-recommendations now mired in claims of improper influence. During a June 2024 council meeting, the Municipality of Argyle confirmed that no meaningful public consultation had been conducted on the site selections-further fuelling community frustration. Evidence and Escalating Concerns Freedom of Information (FOIPOP) documents made public via the Argyle Municipality website provide evidence of collusion between select oyster farmers and municipal staff to secure ADA sites and discourage public consultation. (available at this link). Six resident presentations outline detailed conflict of interest claims and are available for public viewing link. At least ten formal complaints from local residents have been filed under Section 12 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, demanding a full investigation. Residents allege that municipal councillors and staff enabled specific oyster farmers to secure preferential treatment under the ADA program. In response, the municipality has hired an independent third-party investigator. Simultaneously, the Nova Scotia Ombudsman has launched a separate investigation into the municipality's failure to conduct proper consultation. Despite these developments, the Municipality and DFA have refused to address or resolve the reported conflicts and continue to resist public calls for a reset of the ADA process to perform fair and open public consultations. Rising Barriers to Transparency In what residents describe as an attempt to stifle public oversight, the municipality has begun imposing excessive fees for FOIPOP requests. Additionally, it is invoking Bill 1, recently passed by the provincial government, to label certain information requests as 'trivial, frivolous, or vexatious,' potentially blocking further disclosures. Community Voices Call for Accountability "Seeing local councillors refuse to represent and listen to their constituents is extremely alarming,' said Lorelei Murphy, Former Liberal Candidate for MLA Argyle. 'Given the volume of concerns and perceived evidence presented by the residents throughout the area, I think it is council's obligation to hold an open and unbiased review of their decisions to this point and act accordingly moving forward." 'It's clear now that the farmers cheated,' said Chris Thibedeau, a member of the Argyle Residents Association (ARA). 'The email evidence shows individuals inside the municipality helped them. These are no longer perceived conflicts-they are real, and they must be investigated.' 'I've been respectful in all of my communications,' said ARA member Corey Clamp. 'Yet weeks go by with no reply from my councillor. People are watching. If you can't respond to your constituents, you should step down.' As public pressure builds, residents are calling for a full halt to aquaculture approvals until an independent review is completed. The integrity of the municipal governance, they say is on the line. About the ARA The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) in Argyle is a community stakeholder group of over 400 residents concerned with the lack of transparency and fairness offered by the Aquaculture Development Area (ADA) Pilot led by the Municipality of Argyle and the NS Dept. of Fisheries and Aquaculture. While the ADA is a government led effort, the ARA represents the public and residents of Lobster Bay who seek fairness and a balance of realizing aquaculture expansion in non residential areas in a manner that promotes Tourism and the local harvesting of seafood. ARA is not anti-aquaculture. The goal is to make sure the ADA achieves balance and offers a win for all stakeholders including industry and the public. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Movie by BAFTA-winning director, starring Gemma Arterton, switches filming away from Scotland after arts body rejects funding bid
A movie by a BAFTA-winning director and starring a slew of stars, including James Bond actress Gemma Arterton, is switching filming away from Scotland after it failed to secure arts funding. Scottish director David Blair had hoped to film Storm Witch in Scotland, depicting the tyranny and fear that pervaded the country during the 17th century witch trials. A roster of high-profile stars, including Arterton, Trainspotting and Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd, and Game of Thrones star Kate Dickie have all agreed to be in it. However, the movie, which is expected to cost around £5.5million, will now be filmed elsewhere after it failed to secure cash from Screen Scotland. Producer Alice de Sousa said the team had hoped to ultimately secure as much as £500,000 of funding from Screen Scotland but did not even manage to get initial development funding. She said: 'Having done the recces and spent a year going down this avenue it was quite a blow. 'It speaks to the quality of the script and David's reputation that the cast have stayed attached to the project.' Set in the 17th century, Storm Witch centres on a small coastal community whose villagers become suspicious of a 'remarkable but mysterious' woman called Morag (played by Arterton), who is said to be 'uniquely connected to the nature'. The villagers are said to be consumed by the daily struggle for survival 'from an inclement sea' and pushed to the edge of the land by merciless feudal landowners. However, the development of a dangerous love triangle, the societal pressures on women as well as the superstition and religious fervour of the time combine with terrible consequences that threaten to tear the community apart. Ms de Sousa said scriptwriter Tristan de Vere Cole' spent a lot of time trying to make the film 'authentically Scottish' and that filming would have seen a 'significant amount of money' spent in Scotland. And while she is keen to highlight that Screen Scotland is not alone in what she feels is a lack of transparency, she believes there should be more feedback for projects when they fail to secure funding. She said: 'There's a lack of transparency on how decisions are made and that's wrong because ultimately this is taxpayers' money. 'When I asked for feedback in writing, we never got it.' She added: 'We didn't go in asking for £500,000. We asked for development money to be able to employ Scottish crews to get to the point where we could make an application for film funding. 'It was to do more recces, do storyboards, to do a director-level location scout. The film's producer Alice de Sousa said scriptwriter Tristan de Vere Cole had 'spent a lot of time trying to make the film 'authentically Scottish' and that the plan was to film there 'For me, it was important to find out because if we didn't get development funding, I thought we're probably not going to get film funding. 'So when I asked 'Does that also mean we will not be funded for production' I got told 'no', but again that was verbal, I never had anything in writing.' Mr Blair, who said he has never managed to secure funding from Screen Scotland, said: 'To me, a three or four page response should be compulsory.' He added: ' If you have doubts about a script, why not invite the creator in to discuss what he sees from the words, what he sees from the page?' Ms de Sousa is due to attend the Cannes Film Festival this week to secure the rest of the funding needed for the movie, which she said already has a significant sum from a Canadian backer. The prospect of the upcoming film is one that excites Mr Blair. Sharing his thoughts on it, he said: 'On a first read, I was immediately attracted to the emotional and lyrical themes that, as well as telling of the past, laid down a sobering marker for the present.' Screen Scotland is part of public arts body Creative Scotland, which faced fierce criticism last year after it emerged it had awarded almost £85,000 to an arts project paying people to perform extreme sex acts. Funding for the Rein project was eventually withdrawn following a backlash. Creative Scotland claimed the application for Rein had not made it clear live sex acts would be featured - despite the inclusion of STI testing for actors and mention of 'genital contact'. Touching on the furore, Mr Blair said: 'You just think 'What kind of homework went into that?'. It was absolute madness.' A Screen Scotland spokesperson said it is currently working with Scotland-based writers, directors or producers to develop over 40 new feature films and has supported 15 feature film projects from Scotland-based writers, directors, or producers into production in the last three years. A spokesman added: 'All applications for funding are evaluated based on our published criteria. 'Unfortunately, not all projects qualify, resulting in some unsuccessful applications. While we don't discuss individual cases publicly, we do understand the disappointment this may cause, and all unsuccessful applicants are offered the opportunity to discuss feedback with the Screen Scotland team.'
