The announcement was met with applause from the attendees.
Nearly 20 people participated in the public comment. Public comment he was limited to two minutes at a time, but was often interrupted by members of the board of directors explaining.
Brian Baker, a Connecticut resident who has owned a home on Block Island for 30 years, said a friend asked him to comment at the conference.
“I speak for my love of Block Island,” said Baker. “Where’s Ballard’s owner? Is he here? Shame he’s not here.”
Ballard’s owner Stephen Filippi did not attend the meeting.
“Everyone has the right to make money for their business,” said Baker. “But business has to be dignified.”
“I’ve been coming here since 1954. Our big night was Ballard’s,” he continued. “Steve’s father treated us and brought us…we came when we were kids—family night, lobster night. This is a farce.”
John Cotter, a part-time resident who spends the summer on the island, said he welcomes “day-trippers” who visit and support local businesses. “I request the Council to consider that this is not a new problem. .
John Willis, a 40-year resident, has criticized the city council for not hiring a permanent police chief after Chief Matthew Moynihan took office in South Kingstown in May.
“I’ve been a police chief for 17 years,” Willis said. “He quit because he didn’t get along with you, including the mayor. He walked into a beehive. You gave him a house his wife wouldn’t want to live in.” rice field.”
One chief candidate withdrew from consideration earlier this year. Captain Peter Chabot has been interim chief since June, and Chip Anderson will take over as interim chief starting August 15.
“I don’t think we need a town council or town administrator,” Willis said. “We need a police station.”
Monica Halshey, 78, called the disrespectful behavior on the island “appalling” and yelled at council members for failing to address Ballard’s issue since July 4. It would not be wise for the Council to comment.
Several speakers said they witnessed underage drinking in the town and admitted to jumping fences into Ballard himself. There is also
“It seemed like the perfect environment for something bad to happen,” said Monica Lares. “It wasn’t a pleasant experience for us, so we left quickly.”
Resident Christopher Blaine said that when Ballards hosts a large event, it is responsible for hiring its own boat charters to accommodate the large number of guests, rather than flooding the Block Island Ferry service with passengers. said.
Stephen Brunel, who has been vacationing on Block Island since about 1993, was one of the only people to speak out in support of Ballard, and was met with a chorus of boos during his comments.
He said the problem of overcrowding is widespread across the island and is a problem shared by all businesses in town.
“It’s everywhere. We have a lot of problems,” said Brunel. “Ballard’s aren’t the devil you’re making them out of. Ballard’s draws large crowds for events. I ask you…he wants to pay for security, he has been denied security.”
Commentators suggested that Ballard install barriers to separate public and private beaches and prevent people from breaking the law by bringing open containers of alcohol onto public beaches. , the New Shoreham or Block Island Ferry, the company that operates interstate navigation, has proposed limiting the number of visitors to the islands.
Here’s a video from the Block Island Ferry Port in New Shoreham on Monday night. The video was submitted to The Globe and shows over 100 people and police at the port before the ferry brawl. pic.twitter.com/uvSjC15zJO
— Carlos R. Munoz 📰 (@ReadCarlos) August 9, 2022
On Tuesday, Pawtucket’s Bruce Darerius told The Globe that Ballard was “a complete mess” on Monday. “said. WPRI-TV reported Monday’s fight at Ballard led to the cancellation of the Roots and Rhythm Festival, which was scheduled for August 21st.
The chaos spilled over into the Block Island Ferry queue, where hundreds of people waited to return to mainland Rhode Island. Additional unscheduled ferries were used to handle large crowds.
Fighting on the ferry began at about 9:35 p.m., according to State Police, when state troopers and officers from the Narragansett, North Kingstown, and South Kingstown Police Departments announced that the Block Island Ferry was in port. Addressed reports of disturbances on the way back. Galilee harbor.
Emergency services and law enforcement boarded the ferry, secured the vessel, and arrested those involved.
Rhode Island police said Tuesday that seven people were arraigned in connection with the fight.Michael Carvalho, 26, from Providence. From Pawtucket, he is Abdou Njie, 37 years old. Trent Manning of Providence, 32. Devon Silva of Pawtucket, 20. Miguel G. Silva, 36, of Providence, has all been charged with disorderly conduct. Laurie R. Cassandra, 30, from Providence, was charged with obstructing an officer in the performance of his duties. Chevron R. Townes, 20, from Providence, was charged with a prohibited non-firearm weapon. His 30-year-old Jacob Dover from Providence was arrested in Ballard on Monday and charged with disorderly conduct.
The suspect was transferred to Wickford Barracks, where he was arraigned before a magistrate and released on a pending Fourth District Court date, state police said in a statement.
On Thursday, the town council asked those “who want to be part of the solution” to email videos, photos and statements to town deputy official Millie McGuinness. It may be used to select witnesses that can be presented to the authorization committee.
Carlos Muñoz can be reached at [email protected] follow him on twitter @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews. Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected] follow her on her twitter @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.