ISLAND HISTORY


The town councilors took no action on a peace resolution regarding the looming war on Iraq,

Roughly 120 residents were in attendance during the 90-minute debate. The applause seemed evenly split in its support of the antiwar resolution. More than 100 American cities have adopted the resolution, said Ed McGuirl, a member of the advocacy group that proposed the measure. The statement also cited Jamestown as “particularly vulnerable to retaliation” because of its proximity to the Newport naval base and its dependence on bridges.

The captain and crew of the abandoned steamer Guilford were brought into Narragansett Bay by the destroyer Gale, and were soon shipped on to Boston by train, where they will be paid off.

Calls for aid were sent out when the Guilford was found to be in dangerous condition, and the crew being taken off by the transport Pocahontas and later transferred to the destroyer that was sent out from Newport.

The steamer, which was one of the U.S. Shipping Board’s vessels, was bound from Virginia with a cargo of coal when, off the Nantucket Shoals lightship, water was found to be coming in faster than the pumps could eject it.

There seemed to be one leak, but as the seams had opened up, the officers and crew were glad to see aid coming. The transfers were made in rough seas without the slightest mishap.

A large gathering was present at the third birth of the Jamestown USO.

The program was under the direction of Alfred Bowser, chairman, who gave the address of welcome. The invocation was by the Rev. Robert Cassidy and the benediction was by the Rev. Myron Hertel. Maurice Whalen, regional director of the USO, was present.

Solos were sung by Miss Mary Dutra, Cpl. Albert Nadar and Mrs. Alfred Weeden. Dancing followed with music by the Fred Kaercher’s orchestra.

A birthday cake given by the Army Mothers club was cut by Sgt. Morris Steinborn, Seaman Edward Knapp and Pvts. Charles Ide and James Thompson.

Between 20 and 30 gallons of oil from the aircraft carrier Wasp was cleaned from the shore of Jamestown by a six-man crew from the ship.

The oil came from an accidental discharge when the Wasp was transferring oil from a contaminated tank, a U.S. Navy spokesman said. The state provided the Navy with absorbent material to clean up the spill. Sailors raked the five-mile affected area and cleared away the residue.

According to Jamestown police, the spill was along a thin strip from the northern tip of the island to Westbury Road. The largest area affected was at Head’s Beach in the Jamestown Shores area where the strip was 4 to 5 feet wide.

The town solicitor has been directed to draw up an agreement that would allow Conanicut Marine Services to continue to lease two municipal piers at East Ferry for 10 more years.

Councilman Steven McInnis, who served on a special committee to evaluate the property, said the new rent will be $14,000 annually with escalators tied to increases in the marina’s rental rates.

The lease would allow the marina to share the steel pier with the public. The wooden pier would be set to encourage its use by lobstermen and commercial fishermen.

A week after Don Wineberg resigned as chairman of the Wind Energy Committee because he “could not serve a council majority that shows such poor financial, environmental and political judgment,” Bucky Brennan has stepped down from his post on the committee to determine the feasibility of wind energy.

“I do not support the town council’s decision to prevent voters of Jamestown from deciding on the benefits of installing a wind turbine at Fort Getty,” Brennan said. These resignations come after the council voted to use federal stimulus money to study the Taylor Point site. The committee’s recommendation also was to study the Fort Getty site.