Message from Town Administrator
Gary Ezovski
There are weeks where I have no message to offer and there are others, like today, where I could write a book! I have three matters for our thoughts today.
First is my experience in having another opportunity to attend an Eagle Scout Court of Honor last Sunday. I know I have said it before, but I will never tire of expressing the respect that these young people and their families have caused me to have for the entire scouting community. Our Troop 1139 and the people who lead it are a great asset to this town. Congratulations to Troop 1139 Eagle Scouts number 71 and 72, James Hanlon and Cole Skinner, and thanks to the people who are the Troop.
My next comment is in reaction to the recent power outages after the high winds of last Friday and Saturday. While I don’t have ability to track the frequency of every outage at every location, I know there are strong beliefs that outages are occurring more frequently which may well be the case. We need to understand why. With that in mind, I have asked our National Grid representative if they track the actual cause of each outage to a point where the entities responsible can take appropriate action. I don’t know what level of response I will get, but my expectation is the highest frequency cause will be the obvious issue of trees falling. That said, I am hoping we can learn just who is responsible for the offending tree so we can try to assist in reducing that frequency. Given the impact of the gypsy moth infestation on oak trees a few years ago, RIDEM has advised that oak tree mortality has skyrocketed and that matter alone may be the reason for increasing outages. As these dead trees age, they will come down in pieces and more. DPW Director Pendergast and I requested and received a threefold increase in the town’s budget for tree removal to keep up with our responsibility in that need. Anyone suspecting a tree being a risk to power lines in the public way of town roads should contact my office or DPW to make that known. You can also make us aware of trees along the public way of state roads which we will bring to the attention of RIDOT and/or National Grid. It is equally important that each of us who are landowners take responsibility for the failing trees on our private property that are also part of the reason for some outages. Ultimately, wires and poles come down without regard to who owns the tree that takes them out. We don’t have control over aging wires that break or other electric components that fail, but we can and must improve some of the tree component of our system reliability problem. Please help us do that.
Last and not least, after a forty-six-year career in law enforcement, today will be Chief Steven E. Reynolds’ last day reporting for duty. For the past twenty-four years, Steve Reynolds has served our town as Chief of Police. Prior to becoming Chief, he served twenty-two years as a member of the Rhode Island State Police, retiring as Captain-Detective Commander.
Chief Reynolds has set a record as the longest serving Police Chief since inception of our Police Department in 1934. He has also established a record for respecting the men and women of the department and the needs of the town. His steady hand, calm courteous demeanor and his demand for the highest standards in law enforcement practice will be long remembered.
It is with great respect and appreciation that the Town of North Smithfield wishes Chief Steven E. Reynolds and his family good health and happiness as he steps into retirement from an esteemed career in law enforcement.
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In honor of President's Day,
Town Hall and Town Hall Annex
will be closed on Monday,
February 17th.
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HOLIDAY TRASH
PICK-UP
Please note that there
will be
trash and recycling pickup on Monday, February 17th.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
Agendas can be found on the Secretary of State Website by
(Agendas in PDF form will be posted next to the corresponding meeting, if available, before this newsletter is published.)
Asset Management Meeting
(
Agenda
)
Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at 6:30 pm
Memorial Town Hall
1 Main Street
Slatersville, RI 02876
Town Council Meeting
(
Agenda
)
Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at 6:45 pm
North Smithfield Middle School
1850 Providence Pike
North Smithfield, RI 02896
Budget Committee Meeting
(
Agenda
)
Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 6:00 pm
Memorial Town Hall
1 Main Street
Slatersville, RI 02876
Planning Board Meeting
(
Agenda
)
Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 7:00 pm
NS Middle School Cafeteria
1850 Providence Pike
North Smithfield, RI 02896
.
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2020 PumpkinFest ~ Upcoming Meeting
Mark your calendars for our:
14th Annual
North Smithfield
Great Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, September 19, 2020
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
North Smithfield High School Grounds
The first committee meeting will be
Wednesday, February 19th, at 6:00 PM
at
R&R Machine Industries, Inc., 147 Industrial Drive, North Smithfield.
must be submitted by May 1st
to be considered for this year's scholarship.
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The annual
Clean & Green Day
will be on
April 25th this year. Please mark your calendars!
The committee could use one or two additional members.
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National Grid Aerial Transmission Inspections
Winter 2020
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Please note that National Grid will be conducting a series aerial inspections of sub transmission electric lines in Rhode Island starting Friday, February 14th, and are expected to go through to the end of March (weather dependent).
The inspections require the helicopter to hover over transmission structures as high-resolution photos are taken. The inspections/photos will support engineering analysis of the transmission line structures. These aerial inspections complement the regularly-conducted, ground-level inspections by quickly and efficiently covering National Grid’s sub transmission system, even across rugged and isolated terrain.
The helicopter inspections are conducted by experienced trained personnel using high-powered gyroscopic binoculars and infrared technology. They are particularly interested in signs of wear- on power line conductors and lightning protection devices; damaged or leaning structures; loose or broken guy wires; broken, chipped or cracked insulator equipment and trees leaning toward the lines or into the transmission corridors.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your National Grid Community Manager.
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Important Information regarding the
Novel Coronavirus.
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STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program
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North Smithfield
Little League
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NORTH SMITHFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT
2020 POLICE OFFICER RECRUITMENT
Applications must be received no later than March 2, 2020 at 4:00 pm.
A $50 (testing/application fee) must accompany all applications. Please note that this application fee is NON-REFUNDABLE.
For further information, interested parties may contact a department representative at (401) 762-1212, ext. 200.
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Recycling Center Winter Hours
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Recycling Center drop-off hours are Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM until April 1st. Residents are welcome to bring yard waste or accepted recyclables. The town offers free drop off for ridged plastic and scrap metal items as well as used motor oil.
Please do not leave items outside the gate after business hours; we will take notice!
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All dogs within the town must be licensed by April 30, 2020 to avoid a late fee. The cost is $6.00 per dog, and proof of rabies immunization is required.
Licenses are available at the Town Clerk’s office located at the Municipal Annex, 575 Smithfield Road, Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Thursday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to noon.
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TOWN OF NORTH SMITHFIELD DPW
WINTER SAFETY TIPS
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Winter brings with it lots of fun activities, but winter also means mounds of snow to shovel and layers of ice to remove. During some snow storms, it becomes impossible for our plow drivers to know where the edge of the road is. Here are some helpful tips to ensure safety and efficiency during a snow storm:
- Use reflective markers to make the edge of the road more visible for DPW when plowing. This is the best way to ensure trucks stay off your lawns.
- Please remove everything from the roadway to clear it for the snowplows to come through (cars, basketball hoops, garbage cans, etc.)
- When shoveling snow or operating a snow blower, do not throw snow out into the street or sidewalk. This is not only against State Law (State Law Title 31-22-9), but this will ensure that snow does not freeze in the roadway or sidewalk and cause a hazard for vehicles and pedestrians. Please visit https://www.nsmithfieldri.org/home/news/snow-removal-policy for more information on our snow removal policy.
- Trucks are plowing or spreading sand/salt. Stay back from the vehicle at least 100 feet to avoid problems. Plow trucks often have to back up. There are blind spots in the mirrors. For your safety, do not pull directly behind them as they may not be able to see you.
- Trash and recycling collections may be canceled if weather conditions warrant. Check our website, www.nsmithfieldri.org, or call (401) 767-2200, ext. 348 for updates.
- Clear snow from around fire hydrants near your home/business to make them visible for our firefighters.
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for the North Smithfield/
Lincoln/Cumberland
Prevention Coalition
Winter Newsletter
Filled with lots of great information for parents!!
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North Smithfield Residents Food Pantry
Slatersville Congregational Church
25 Green Street
Slatersville, RI 02876
We currently need volunteers to:
- Help with pickup and delivery of donated food. A regular vehicle will do.
- Help on Wednesday and Friday mornings 9:30-10:15 to sort food,
and we need supervisors for those two times.
- Help when the food pantry is open the last two Tuesdays of the month 5:30 - 7 pm and the last two Saturdays 10 - 11 am to help with clients and carry bags to clients' cars.
- Coordinate the food rescue and distribution program, requires 4-5 hours a week.
Are any of these interesting to you? Please contact Rev Eileen at 769-2773.
The flavor of the month for
FEBRUARY
is
SPAGHETTI SAUCE
!
Any donations or monetary gifts for the food pantry can be dropped off at the Slatersville Congregational Church between 9:00 am and noon. You can also mail monetary gifts to
P.O. Box 1128, Slatersville, RI 02876.
An additional drop box for food items is available at the Town Hall during regular business hours.
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Our North Smithfield Animal Shelter is in
Need of Volunteers
We are ALWAYS looking for good volunteers! We require a minimum of one shift per month (hours are usually in the morning and about 2-3 hours long). We need people who love cats and/or dogs. Duties include cleaning, feeding and giving general loving! We work with your schedule (mornings) and provide full training.
18+ applicants only.
If you are interested in volunteering, please call us at (401) 766-0377.
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Senior Services, Inc.,
now known as Aging Well, Inc.
,
has provided services to seniors and adults with disabilities residing in Northern Rhode Island since 1975 in accordance with the Congregate Meal Program financed through a grant with R.I. Department of Elderly Affairs. Aging Well, Inc. provides nutritionally balanced lunches five days a week at our meal sites throughout Northern Rhode Island.
Aging Well Inc. offers activities, entertainment, computer classes, Alzheimer's Disease Support Groups and Wellness programs, which include a weekly blood pressure clinic and exercise classes.
Aging Well, Inc. also offers an Adult Day Care Program ("A Home for the Day") and a Community Information Specialist who can provide information on eligibility for all state and local programs, including RIPAE.
Senior exercise classes at Scouter's Hall,
13 Main Street, North Smithfield include:
- Zumba Gold, Mondays* at 10:00 AM
- Chair Exercises, Mondays* at 11:00 AM
- Zumba Gold, Thursdays at 10:00 AM
*No classes on February 17th.
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AGING WELL, INC. SERVES LUNCH IN NORTH SMITHFIELD!
Mondays at 11:30 AM & 12:30 PM
Thursdays at 11:30 AM
Please call in your order by 10 AM on the Thursday prior to the day(s) on which you plan to attend! Call Aging Well, Inc. at
(401) 766-3734 with your choice of meal.
Suggested donation is $3.00.
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This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
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