Bob Watson Gets A Shout Out, And A DD Downer

RAVE: When I moved to Rhode Island in 2000, the casino question was a big issue here in East Greenwich.

Now the (un)lucky neighborhood is North Kingstown.

Do I want a casino in Rhode Island? Not particularly. I do not want it in my town, I do not want it in the next town down. I do not like gambling per se, I do not believe they raise revenues in any way. Okay, enough channeling Dr Seuss.

Sure, I can see how a casino might add to the local and state coffers at first blush, but I believe that in the long run, there are added stresses to the town’s and county’s services. Studies show that in addition to the street traffic that comes to town on the heels of a casino, there are other kinds of traffic — such as crime, drugs, and prostitution.

However, this is a rave, not a rant. Right now, it seems that the town officials are just playing kick the can with the idea and seeing how the teams come together. So I am sure I will be revisiting this issue in the future.

But as for the now ... I know I have been hard on Rep. Bob Watson. But, like many Rhode Island rogues, he has his charms and honestly, you have to have grudging admiration for a man who is willing to say,

This doesn’t change my overall viewpoint that we would be better represented by someone who has not been arrested. But I admire the man’s self-deprecating rhetoric.

RANT: I just read that Dunkin' Brands opened its 10,000th location of Dunkin' Donuts in mid-December. That's a major milestone; only a few restaurant chains have made it to five digits. But the Canton, Mass.-based company isn't ready to rest on its oily laurels just yet. According to CNN, Dunkin' plans to double its number of U.S. locations over the next two decades.

Far be it for me to stand in the way of commerce. But why does this news make me think that we may have another DD coming to our town soon? You may think I am creating slippery fried food conspiracies where they don’t exist, but who would have thought that the CVS would have been approved on South County Trail when we already have a Walgreen’s across the street and a CVS on Main Street?

All right, forget the over-duplication of DD’s - though frankly, I don’t get the popularity of a place that doesn’t even spell one of the words in its name correctly. Okay, Merriam’s accepts “donut” instead of the more etymologically correct “doughnut" — however, they do note that the former is a variant of the latter — but they also accept  “bromance” and “fist bump” as legit words, so really, what do they know?

Forget the fact that we have more than a few local enterprises which more than adequately supply our java-cake addiction: Allie’s,, , and now Mary Anne’s Coffee.

Here is my real concern: We already have two quadruple Ds (dangerous Dunkin’ Donuts Drive-through) on Post Road near First Avenue and on South County Trail near Frenchtown Road. Apparently, doughnuts of the Dunkin’ kind are not just dangerous for your arteries, they are also a traffic hazard.