by Jeff Gross, contributing writer
Photo, top: Jon Gray
Ice Fishing – not yet!
With all this crazy weather one cannot trust the ice at all, and ice fishing won’t be a practicality until late next week, at the earliest. In the meantime stick to fishing in open water if you can help it, and by all means do not take motorized equipment out on the ice such as a snowmobile or ATV.
Up in Maine, unfortunately, an individual drove a pickup truck out on the ice and it went through the ice a good distance from the shore. Fortunately the driver survived. Another incident up in Maine when an individual drove a farm tractor out on the ice. Whether was an attempt to make the highlight reel on YouTube or what is beyond me, but dangerous nonetheless. Is your life worth far more than that silliness?
If we are fortunate to have ice to go ice fishing consider bringing a throwable life preserver in case somebody goes through the ice, and a good 50 ft of heavy-duty rope a minimum of a half an inch in diameter, that the person can put around them if they fall through, so they can be hoisted out of the water with the rope.
Trout are still there!
We’re going to have another warm spell into this weekend and they’ll be plenty of open water to do some trout fishing. The trout are still biting colored power bait and fluorescent-colored lures. If you go stream or river fishing be very aware of your footing as right now the rivers and streams are raging and full of debris picked up by the storms, and another storm, this Friday is supposed to produce even more rain.
Portsmouth Host Community with SouthCoast Wind Energy
They’re BA-AAAAACK! There will be a special Portsmouth Town Council Meeting at 7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at the PHS Auditorium, 120 Education Lane. The purpose of the meeting is for “Council discussion and a vote on the proposed Host Community Agreement with SouthCoast Wind Energy, LLC.” I am not an attorney, but in my lay reading of this HCA draft it concerns me that: (1) The Town gets $23.2 million in varying annual amounts over the next 33 years. In return the Town “supports SouthCoast in development of its Project and the Onshore Export Cables”, and the Town agrees it will NOT oppose SouthCoast’s applications for ANY federal, state, and local permits. (2) SouthCoast apparently can pull out at any time for any reason, but the Town cannot. (3) There is no mention of any Final Environmental Impact statement (we discussed the Draft EIS at a previous meeting). The full text of the Agreement is here:
https://www.portsmouthri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5683/Proposed-Host-Community-Agreement
Go read it for yourself and come to the meeting as an informed citizen!
Second Amendment – Eliminate all RI gun clubs? – penalties for ‘bad actor’ legislation?
On the second amendment front Rhode Island has its first anti-gun bill submitted, and how un-American. It’s H-0001, looking to eliminate all gun clubs in the state of Rhode Island. This law looks to ban all outdoor shooting for any club that is within a 1-mile radius of any kind of school, it’s soccer fields, football fields, or other property, and this bill includes all gun clubs in the state of Rhode Island in that one-mile circumference. This is not for safety reasons as it is submitted by the same bad actors that are looking to disarm law biding citizens and nothing less.
The US supreme Court has clearly stated that US citizens have a constitutional right to train and be proficient with firearms. These bad actors to gun rights that submit these types of bills obviously have American patriots targeted in their sights, too. Pun intended. But they will be in for a rude awakening as this writer has been in touch with various national groups and enforcement of US codes 241 and 242 is starting to gain traction.
Also noted are some efforts happening around the country to sue legislators, personally, which would involve their own assets, homes, etc. for violating the US Constitution. Two years ago this writer was laughed at, but now some highly influential colleagues, Harvard Law School graduates, and Second Amendment attorneys are considering that yes, indeed, suing these politicians is not out of the realm of possibility. Back in the day it took John F. Kennedy to convince people to put a man on the moon, now we are on our way to Mars! When the first politician is prosecuted under 241 and 242 and is forced to pay with their financial assets as compensation for violating the inalienable rights and constitutional rights of Rhode Island citizens, people will realize the magnitude of the situation.
Just this week a District judge in the state of Oregon issued his final ruling striking down the magazine ban and under-21 ban in the state of Oregon. This Justice fully understands the order set by the Heller McDonald Katana and Bruen decisions. To not abide by these decisions violates the constitutional rights of any and all US citizens. But on the left coast an Oregon District Judge Issued the Final order Striking down the states voter approved anti-gun bans.
Two of these now deceased bills are identical to Rhode Island’s ban on magazines holding more than ten rounds and the under 21-year old ban. At the House Judiciary hearings in 2023 Representative Knight quipped that all magazine and AR-15 bans were upheld in the USA, just as I was exiting the chamber. Knight’s statement prompted me to state that Oregon’s wasn’t, and I am not a lawyer, but the Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio Final Order proves my statement. Raschio ordered an injunction back in December of 2022. As the Heller decision explicitly states the Bruen decision reaffirms “Weapons in common use cannot be banned”.
In order for a anti-gun law to be constitutional there must be an analogous law in 1791. Rhode Island’s 11-47 laws have no matches in 1791. Firearms were even allowed in schools in 1791. The US constitution is the law of the land and will stand against challenges.
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Read more articles by Jeff Gross, here: https://rinewstoday.com/jeff-gross/
Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. Changing careers is a “great learning experience for everyone”, Jeff says, and I’m an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, a student of the sciences, and the world. The US holds too many wonders not to take a chance and explore them”.Jeff is the Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. Proud Golden Retriever owner. Ultra strong Second Amendment Advocate and Constitutionalist. “Determined seeker of the truth”. Jeff is a RIFGPA Legislative and Legal Officer, Freshwater Chairman, NRA Liaison.His subjects include Outdoors, Second Amendment, Model Railroading, and Whimsical.