Block Island Times

Town proposes to buy Old Island Pub

At what many would consider the last minute, the Town Council approved a bond referendum of $ 2.1 million for the purchase of the Old Island Pub. The decision was evidently announced at the end of the council’s meeting on April 17 when they came out of closed session. Heretofore, all the discussions had been in closed session. Unfortunately, the video feed of the meeting had either shut off or there was some other technical difficulty, so even though the council made an announcement or statement about the purchase, it is not “on tape.”The Council was not 100-percent united in its vote. Councilor Martha Ball voted against the purchase. Later she told The Times she didn’t think it was a good location for the hoped-for uses. She was further concerned about the levels of debt the town is reaching.The Block Island Times has received numerous letters about the matter, and a lengthy statement from First Warden Keith Stover on the genesis of the purchase, which will not go through if it is rejected by voters on May 1.Below is Stover’s letter, followed by the many letters to

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