Yes NK: "Your Economic Success"
Photos
Last night was one of the first of many celebrations of accomplishment for the new Wickford Junction Train Station! The North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting at the train station and the developer, Bob Cioe, was an amazing host. The energy was high, the crowd was immense and the food was delicious last night as we celebrated the culmination of a long fought dream.
Bob Cioe, one of my heroes and as I often refer to him as "my favorite professor," has done a most amazing job working in a private/public partnership with the RI Department of Transportation to build his vision of the state-of-the-art Wickford Junction station. The MBTA train will begin service to the Wickford Junction Station on Monday, April 23.
Toby Aaron, the President of the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce, delivered a beautiful speech regarding the forward momentum and economic development potential for NK then handed the microphone over to my "old boss" April Williams McCrory, one of RI's most engaging public speakers, as she captivated us all in a heartfelt tribute to North Kingstown and the vision and innovation of Bob Cioe.
As I process the events of a wonderful day I realize that earlier in the day (after having a wonderful South County morning with my kids) I met a business associate at our local artisan coffee roaster, Updike's Newtowne, where we met up with other mutual business associates (and friends) then I proceeded on to the Quonset State Airport where I had the pleasure of running a meeting for an amazing group of professional women. I then went back to Updike's to organize next week's NK Neighbors & Newcomers meeting with my co-host. We continued our meeting at Nail Crew, in the train station development. I then met other business associates at Junction Trattoria & Bistro next door for a pre-meeting meeting and to catch up on work. Free WiFi and a delicious caprese salad!
I then proceeded over to the Train Station where I enjoyed seeing so many colleagues. We live in a wonderful place where relationships are sometimes complex but get richer with time, where dreams do become reality and where the best is yet to come!
In This Blog Post
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North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Center
8045 Post Rd, North Kingstown, RI -
Updike's Newtowne Coffee Roasting Company & Cafe
7726 Post Rd, North Kingstown, RI
deb
9:50 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
Postive momentum-hopefully more people will catch the fever! Great story Tuni.
deb
9:50 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
Great story Tuni! Positive energy is contagious, I don't know about you but I am hoping for a epedemic!
Tuni Renaud Schartner
9:56 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
I believe! And...I know I have a "will" so there has to be a "way"!
NKGOP Watch
2:27 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
The "NK Chamber of Commerce" is a JOKE and always "has been".
What a useless appendage comprised of blowhard nobody's!
NKGOP Watch
2:29 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
Although I have to add that April Williams is quite attractive, and a successful businesswoman too. Not the "Chamber", the individual businesswoman.
NKGOP Watch
2:44 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
OK so I want to work in Boston, and I live outside of Wickford. I get up at 5:00AM, out the door at 5:35. Get to the train station for a 5:53 train, which gets to South Station at 7:45 (if on time). Call it a 20 Min walk to my fictitious office, I'm at my cubicle at 8:10 give or take. My commute is 2 Hours 15 Minutes. EACH WAY. And it will cost $22 round trip.
The Return trip starts at 5:40 and lands at Wickford Junction at 7:18. My day is almost FOURTEEN HOURS from my front door and back. And it will cost me $475/mo for the train plus gas for my car.
The only way this can work is for people who can commute in 2x per week and work from home remotely the other 3 days.
Now lets look at a Saturday shopping trip. Oh WAIT, no trains run to/from Wickford on weekends. They only come down as far as Providence.
Sooooo... WHAT is the benefit of this train station? To commute to Providence? Park and wait for the train to replace a 30 min ride in my own car?
I dont see ANY "analysis" by the useless "Chamber" on any of this. Just a bunch of podunk "hip hip hurrah" with ZERO substance. As usual.
So from this "visionary" Cioe with cheers from his peanut gallery "Chamber" we got a Walmart, a Staples, I think some kind of Dental office, a bank branch (we dont have enough of those!) and now a train station that I just proved the math shows is useless. BRAVO! I used to like the old North Kingstown, what was I thinking!
Samantha Turner
11:02 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
To play devil's advocate: for some, the stress of commuting by car may outweigh the possible additional costs. (Also, who's to say gas prices won't keep rising and in a few months these prices will be a real deal?) When I visit friends in Boston for the weekend, I always take the commuter rail. It's not that I hate driving (I love it, actually): I just really, really hate traffic. (I am known for driving 5 miles out of my way to avoid sitting in traffic for a mere 5 minutes.)
For folks like Bob Cioe who took the train up to Boston every day, the time spent sitting on the train was put to good use doing homework, catching up on sleep, reading a book, etc. Bob's parents couldn't afford for him to live up in Boston while he was in college, but thankfully the 99 New Haven offered him the means to get to and from class. Who knows: there may be other students like Bob Cioe out there today who may use this commuter rail for the very same reason.
It may not work for you and many others, but the people above like me who hate commuting and traffic and those like Bob Cioe who could save money and use the commute to be productive, this may be just up their alley.
Samantha Turner
11:03 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
Also, your math is slightly off: there are monthly unlimited passes to Boston for $308 – not the $475 figure you have above.
Ed Renehan
8:06 am on Monday, April 16, 2012
In addition to Sam's excellent clarifications on math, I need also add that the price of monthly parking in Boston is several hundred dollars - a fact which further makes the economics of rail commutation a slam dunk. One more point: a workday rail commutation option into Boston will, in time, do a great deal to enhance housing values in the Wickford vicinity.
NKGOP Watch
2:45 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
And the above is assuming train station parking is free.
Tuni Renaud Schartner
7:49 am on Saturday, April 14, 2012
What a negative comment to wake up to. ..
deb
12:56 pm on Sunday, April 15, 2012
Smile Tuni- Mr. NKGOP is a frustrated nobody with his own agenda. Seems to me he is a male chauvinist with a inflated opinion of himself. He is not married, no woman would put up with him. If he is employed, he is so unhappily-he feels that he is too good for his position. He frustrates people easily with his grating personality. He does not have many friends, he is a lonely man-the computer is his favorite companion. It's a lonely little life he leads, that is what makes him so negative. He will just go on ranting, that is the only thing in his life that gives him a feeling of importance, he thinks we all care what he has to say-he thinks he has found a "audience. I say, let's all ignore this creep-if we don't react he will try to find another audience somewhere else, hopefully far far away!
deb
7:59 am on Sunday, April 15, 2012
NKGOP is part of the problem in NK not part of the solution. For someone that has all this time on his hands, you'd think he could come up with some great ideas instead of bashing everyone else's. His RANTINGS are getting droll and rather tiresome, perhaps he needs to find himself a full time job? Or better YET, I wish his computer a horrible virus... here is some of your negative energy right back at you Mr. Coward NKGOP. Why don't you use your real name? It's easy to spew when you can hide. My suggestion? You loathe it here so much and nothing seems to give you pleasure, MOVE! Far, far away! Perhaps then you can find some peace as can the rest of us.
Concerned Resident
8:35 am on Sunday, April 15, 2012
@ Deb: one word, "Bravo"...................just hope NKGOP goes away!
Ed Renehan
8:09 am on Monday, April 16, 2012
Right on, Deb!
Tuni Renaud Schartner
1:17 pm on Sunday, April 15, 2012
Deb, bravo! Well said and probably long overdue. I'm sure many are glad someone finally wrote those sentiments, as I'm sure there are a lot of us out there that have been thinking them! No more time wasted on negativity...too much work to be done and life to be lived!
Samantha, I couldn't have said it better myself! The facts are the facts. Bob Cioe personifies so much of what we should emulate: old fashioned, hard-working work ethic, high levels of intelligence, ambition and innovation and the most important (and my favorite part of him) kindness!
YES-NK!!!
Amy Feucht
1:37 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuni- Thanks for this overview of a terrific event. I would only add that Mr. Cioe fought for the train station for many years and never gave up. I love tenacity and it's this attitude that is also worth celebrating. As always I agree with the incredibly thoughtful Ms. Turner. I would add that should I end up working in Boston I would use the rail sometimes and drive other times- I would welcome the calming time on the train and be glad to use less gas as a way to support less polution and to Ms. Turner's point less traffic. Most importantly I really am glad when communities can come together for good. Tuni thanks for being a force for good here in NK.
NKGOP Watch
5:59 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
I stand corrected. I just wish the minions could be as constructive and positive as Samantha! Instead they sound just as negative as me and that might even be a trademark infringement!
NKGOP Watch
6:09 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
However, we still cant do Boston day trip on a weekend. Maybe that will change.
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Maybe the "Chamber" which has always been useless if not worse, will improve now under new management.
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The new management of the NK Chamber of Commerce should look to economically vital areas where their local Chamber actually did make a difference, and do the same things. Finally, RI is slated to reenter recession, while the rest of new England is in economic recovery. That's not me talking, this was just published in the media.
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So, we do still have a long way to go, Allah willing.
deb
11:07 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Bravo NKGOP! An idea! I am impressed-keep them coming.
NKGOP Watch
12:58 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Commuter train story, not exactly related but sad that other passengers would not help!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/21/boston-woman-stops-man-who-allegedly-flashed-her-on-train/
NK Native
11:49 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I do agree that we need weekend service and a late night service. I would love to take the train to Boston or even Providence but the schedule as is does not fit my travel needs. Tonight for example I have an event in providence and I was all excited to take the train but the I realized that i would have to catch the 9:23 train as it is the last one to Wickford Junction and my event goes till 10. So no train for me:(
Scott Madison
10:49 am on Thursday, May 3, 2012
Interesting report from Jim Hummel on the ongoing operational costs that NK taxpayers may or may not have been aware of with the train station, along with monthly commitment payments to private companies. From the report:
* The state paid Cioe $3.2 million for the land that houses the four-level, 1,100-space parking garage. Cioe's company will also be paid to operate the facility. The state is paying Cioe's company a $15,000 per month management fee.
* It is also paying a $15,300 monthly parking operator fee.
* Estimated $8,400/month electric bill.
* Throw in trash and snow removal, landscaping and other costs and the bill to maintain the facility comes to $56,000 a month.
**** That's $672,000 a year. ***
The D.O.T. is banking on the $4/day parking fee and other revenue generated from concessions inside the station to initially generate up to $10,000 a month.
That still leaves the state responsible for more than half a million dollars in operating expenses every year. A spokesman tells the Hummel Report D.O.T applied for a federal grant to cover those costs.
See/Watch the full report here: http://hummelreport.com/5.3.2012.wickford.html
Train station = higher taxes? Great.....