by NNN Contributor Jerry Noel

Last week, the owners of Local 121, Trinity Brewhouse, the Hot Club, Benders Caffe, and The Garden Grille all announced their commitment to stop selling bottled water. They have signed on to a national campaign called "Think Outside the Bottle." 

Also, Mayor Cicilline introduced city plans to stop spending taxpayer dollars on bottled water. "Bottled water sends the wrong message about our public water systems," he said. "Our tap water is among the best in the world and to keep it that way we need to continue to invest in it, not in generating mountains of plastic bottle waste."

“Restaurants like ours have always showcased the highest standards of cuisine and new culinary innovations,” said Josh Miller, a State Senator who has been a champion for the environment. He owns three of the bottled-water-free restaurants, Local 121, Trinity, and the Hot Club.  “By not serving bottled water, we are also modeling best practices when it comes to protecting the natural environment and resources that we rely on for our business.”

What you can do -- patronize these restaurants, and thank them for their efforts! And do what you can at home to cut down on plastic waste.

If you aren't registered yet, you can still vote in the presidential election. Rhode Island offers same-day registration for the presidential race. Click here for a list of same-day registration sites. In Providence this option is offered at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. In most other localities it takes place at the town hall.

2. How to vote. We aren't going to tell you. But we do recommend you make full use of the many election guides available online. FairVote's 2008 candidate survey should be particularly useful for General Assembly candidates. Common Cause of Rhode Island has a legislative scorecard. Project Vote Smart has information for both local and national candidates.

3. What to do if you run into problems. You can call the Secretary of State's help line at 401.222.2340. You may also call your local Board of Canvassers (here's the statewide list)--just don't be surprised if you're greeted with a busy signal.

If you run into irregularities at the polling place, you can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). This number, run by the nonpartisan coalition Election Protection, is good nationwide. Election Protection has signed up thousands of lawyers to assist voters with urgent legal questions.

4. How to stay informed. Voting isn't just a one-day event--it's part of a complicated tangle of local and federal election laws and practices that have evolved over decades, and have continued to mutate after the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

The national FairVote is, of course, an indispensable resource for people looking to become more informed about elections. Our director, Rob Richie, has just written a great editorial in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution summarizing the proposals we're making for elections administration. Also take a look at our presidential campaign tracker, which shows just how seriously the current Electoral College system distorts the presidential campaigns. (Maybe you've heard about our suggestion for changing this).

The Brennan Center and Demos are two prominent think-tanks, both of which do well-respected work on registration and election practices.

Rick Hasen, a professor at Loyola Law School, is on fire with his Election Law blog. For another legal perspective, visit OSU's Moritz College of Law Election website. Want to watch the cases in front of courts right now? Visit Moritz's pending litigation tracker.

Wired magazine online's Threat Level blog is focusing almost entirely on elections these days, with a special technological perspective. And I'd also recommend dropping by FiveThirtyEight.com for Electoral College projections. It's run by an Obama supporter, but political junkies of all stripes should take a look at its detailed and often provocative analysis of the way the campaigns respond to the current Electoral College system.

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FairVote RI || fairvote.org/ri/ || 145 Wayland Avenue || Providence, RI 02906

It's still Fall here in RI, and while it's getting chilly, some of our local farmers are still in harvest mode. The Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market is going strong with a wide variety of produce, and plans to keep going till November 22. Last weekend they had leeks, lettuce, many varieties of apples, many colors of peppers, pumpkins, potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, honey, cherry tomatoes, basil, acorn squash, butternut squash, tomatoes, bread, carrots and eggplant.

So don't forget your local farmers! Check out your local markets and farm stands right through Thanksgiving (click here to find a local market with its current schedule). You will have to wear a coat, but you will not have to worry about your vegetables wilting. And even after your local farmers market closes down, you can find local products at the Providence Wintertime Farmers Market, all winter long. It opens on Saturdays starting Dec. 6, click here for info.

We're hearing lots about a future green economy as we count down to Election Day, and today Providence Mayor David Cicilline presented Providence’s first-ever, strategic plan for creating a more sustainable city government and accelerating the green economy with Greenprint Providence.  "The wide-ranging plan contains a number of initiatives designed to help position Providence at the leading edge of a green economy poised for explosive growth," according to a news release from the mayor's office.

“The challenges presented by climate change and by the cost of our dependence on foreign energy mean that we have to make radical changes, but it also means an incredible opportunity is there for the taking,” said the Mayor. “Greenprint Providence is an effort to help push our city to the front edge of the energy revolution.”

Click on "More..." for the full text of the news release and links to lots more info on this new initiative.

Are your book shelves a bit saggy? Is your study a fire hazard? RI Natural History Survey has got the solution for you! Donate your rarely opened, duplicate, or boring old natural history books to their annual used book sale. You’ll get a happier home, room for new books, and a potential tax deduction to boot.

Donations can be dropped off at the Survey office in the Coastal Institute, Room 101, on the URI Kingston Campus (at the corner of Flagg Road and Greenhouse Road). Please include your name and address and a list of books in the bag or box if you want a tax receipt.  Deadline for donations is Friday, November 14.

The book sale will be held in Swan Hall, at URI Kingston, starting at 6:30pm, Thursday, November 19th, prior to the lecture by Thomas Kunz on “Bats & Wind Energy.”

Questions? Contact Kira at the RINHS administrative office (401) 874-5800 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

There are plenty of ways to get out and celebrate Halloween, here are a couple that offer a special connection to the outdoor world.

Ladd Observatory, on Hope Street in Prov, opens on Thursday night, Oct 30, from 7 to 10, offering a look at Jupiter and its moons, weather permitting, and a special search on this dark moonless night for far-off objects normally too dim to be seen. But whatever the weather, there will be all kinds of ghoulish pleasure within the historic building -- tricks, treats, and surprises. Come as you are, or come in costume, either way, we have candy and other snacks for you. Note that the Observatory was a favorite haunt of H.P. Lovecraft when he lived in Providence...

On Friday night, Oct 31, all ages are invited to celebrate with the creative souls at The Steelyard for an iron-pouring celebration. Gates open at 6 pm for a ceramic bowl sale, bike art and costume building with Recycle-A-Bike, and a pumpkin flinging trebuchet. Hot cider and snacks will be available by donation. At 7, you can catch the Iron Guild's casting performance ... expect zombies, brains, and candy. Stick around after the pour for music from local Providence band Animal Hospital. All this for $5 each! Click here for all the details.

Thinking summer was too short, and time to put the kayak away for winter? Not so fast! The Inuit paddle in cold weather, why can’t we? A free clinic this weekend, Saturday, Nov 1, will help you choose the right clothing and gear to stay warm, comfy, and safe this winter. You’ll get advice from expert paddlers in the outdoor industry and the emergency medical field. Plus you'll find deals on new and used kayaks, and 15% off all in-stock accessories. Refreshments provided. No matter what kind of paddling you enjoy, cold-water safety is important, so don't miss this event. Bring a friend. 10 a.m. to Noon at the Kayak Centre of Rhode Island, 9 Phillips Street in Wickford. For more info visit their Web site.

NNN editor Mary Grady is out in the field on assignment today, and there just wasn't a chance to get out today's newsletter. We will get back to our regular schedule next Thursday!

For today, if you are looking for ideas for things to do this weekend, check out our NNN Community Calendar, which is always updated every day by a slew of contributors. You can find more listings at the Projo Green page, and at the Save The Bay Web site.

We'll be back on our normal schedule next week! Meanwhile, take some time to explore our archives and all our content, via the navigation links across the top of the page and the categories in the left sidebar. Happy weekending!