The Public’s Radio — One Square Mile: In Westerly, shoreline access emerges as key issue in 2022 races
Westerly resident and shoreline access advocate Jim Tarbox at Fenway Beach in the Weekapaug Fire District. Alex Nunes, The Public’s Radio
Oct 20, 2022
By Alex Nunes — Voters following the 2022 elections in Westerly are witnessing something they haven’t seen in years. Candidates are widely promoting their support for public access to Rhode Island’s shoreline.
Jim Tarbox is a Westerly resident who’s closely watched beach access issues since the 1990s. Today, he’s continuing to advocate for public access to disputed rights of way, like the blocked-off Spring Avenue in the exclusive Weekapaug Fire District, which is currently being reviewed by the state. As part of our ongoing series One Square Mile: Westerly, Jim Tarbox spoke with South County Bureau Reporter Alex Nunes.
ALEX NUNES: How would you compare the attention around shoreline access in town today versus at other periods of time since you've been following this issue?
JIM TARBOX: It’s a great question. When I first became involved, there were still a lot of older gentlemen that had been using the shoreline to fish, clam, for many years, and they could see it coming. There was a pretty, pretty good number of people that were outspoken about it and were educating themselves about it. And then what happens is people get apathetic and they get on with their lives. And so things cooled down for quite a while. Then, I believe, in about 2008, there was some question about the parking on the west side of the Quonochontaug Breachway. And again, at that time, people mobilized. And then again, there was a lull–people get back with their lives. But the problem is that the fire districts never stop. The positive thing is that for the last two to three years, it's the most informed group of people that I've seen in my lifetime regarding rights of way, and the most mobilized, the most energized.
ALEX NUNES: With all this mobilization, what has been the response from the town council? Have they said, “Okay, people, we hear you. Here we go. This is what we're going to do”?
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