I moved to the North End 20+ years ago and remember hearing a rooster on quiet mornings. It has been a while now that they have gone quiet and funny thing is, I miss it! We, collectively, have drifted so far from our food (sources) that having chickens, rabbits- yes, they are eaten, and other small farm animals in the city is unheard of. Things have changed and time has marched on. I understand that there are concerns on disease and unpleasant smells can be valid, but with proper care and over site these really are no problem to control. Change the zoning laws to allow for urban farming, responsible farming mind you. The law should provide for responsible persons to grow, raise their own foods. Everywhere doctors and scientists proclaim the benefits of eating locally grown food, free of additives and other assorted chemicals. We have the right to provide for ourselves, and should be able to choose how we do this. I would love to have a few chickens at our house. Fresh eggs are not only excellent flavor wise but are a renewable affordable resource of protean! Funds are tight and being able to provide affordable foods for a family helps. I know the savings may not put my daughter thru college, but as a wise man once said "a penny saved is a penny earned". So, in my humble opinion, let there be chickens!
Kit Mayers
103 Prospect Street
Woonsocket, RI

Yvette: Need to tell you a story about our neighbor. This 19 year old had ducks, chickens and rabbits. We watched him feed them, play with them. What teenager would stay home and have this great hobby. And not to mention, eggs for the whole family. ONE neighbor complained about the rooster and the came the Animal control officer and they told him to get rid of the chickens. I thought this was terrible....he was off the streets and doing something good for his family. I justt don't get this city, I really think they have better things to do with their time.
Hope the rules change.

Kit and Tired,
Thank you both for your intelligent and absolutely true responses. There is going to be a vote as to whether to allow chickens at next Monday's city council meeting, and it would be very great if you both could call the council members and express your support for this, and maybe even come to the meeting (at 7 pm on 2/18 in City Hall). Calling them is literally the only way it will pass at this point, and the only way my chickens won't be forcibly taken away. The numbers are below:
John F. Ward, CPA (401) 766-8743
Daniel M. Gendron (401) 769-4458
Roger Jalette (401) 597-5790
Christopher Beauchamp (401) 356-4940
Robert Moreau (401) 766-3608
Albert Brien (401) 766-3416
Marc Dubois (401) 765-7675 (he has introduced the proposed change in the law)

I agree Kit, our right to provide food for our families should be preserved and it is up to the City Council to protect this right. If chickens are not legalized, what's next? Will we have to destroy our backyard gardens and begin to rely solely on vegetables and eggs from the grocery superstore? We have no idea what the chickens were fed and what kinds of chemicals were sprayed on our produce. Woonsocket can choose to be a leader in this urban farming movement, or it can lag behind. We can make the choice now or we can be forced to follow when the rest of the state is already there.