Westerly Sun — Charlestown man seeks restoration of beach signs that quote state's constitution

Charlestown resident Scott Keeley, standing at one of many Town Beach access points on Saturday afternoon, March 4, 2003, references an older sign once listing sections of the Rhode Island Constitution stipulating the rights of the people to access, use, and enjoy the state beaches and shorelines (ref: Rhode Island constitutional article 1, section 16 and 17). Jackie Turner, Special to the Sun

Mar 11, 2023

By Ryan Blessing — CHARLESTOWN — Scott Keeley has some big plans for Charlestown Town Beach this summer.

Keeley went before the Town Council recently with a proposal to revamp the welcome signs at the entrance to the beach and its parking lot.

His new signs would replace the worn and tattered existing ones, which have deteriorated from the effects of sun, wind and water over time.

Keeley, a Charlestown resident, is passionate about public access to the beach, and he wants his new signs to convey to visitors their rights to the shore.

“It’s a matter of letting people know that this is their shore,” Keeley, a registered patent agent, said.

In addition to the usual rules and regulations governing the beach such as prohibitions on pets and alcohol, the signs will also sport a quotation from pertinent sections of the Rhode Island constitution.

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