|
Town of North Smithfield
January 11th, 2019 Edition
|
|
|
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NORTH SMITHFIELD
|
|
|
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Day, all town offices will be closed on Monday, January 21st, 2019.
There will be no trash or recycling pick up on Monday, January 21st. All routes will be delayed one day all week.
Residents are urged to plan accordingly.
Have a Safe Weekend!
|
|
|
|
Two Town Executives to Speak
Burrillville Town Manager, Michael C. Wood, and North Smithfield Town Administrator, Gary Ezovski will deliver respective ‘state-of-the-town’ addresses to the Lions Club serving both towns on Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30 p.m. at Uncle Ronnie’s Red Tavern Function Room in Nasonville. These well-respected municipal leaders will provide updates as to current and planned happenings in an informal setting followed by a ‘Q & A’ session for attendees.
The event is free of charge and open to all Lions, families, friends, prospective members, business leaders, and town residents; members of the general public are most cordially invited to attend. Refreshments and a light supper will be served. For further information, please call 568-4141 or 338-6334.
|
|
|
|
"I GOT CAUGHT READING"
The Police Department is piggy backing with other departments nationwide to encourage kids to read. We printed bookmarks to give to those kids we see reading a book, instead of them playing with a digital device or playing video games. The SRO’s will be looking to “CATCH” kids reading and to those they catch, they will give a bookmark. This is all in advance of NS schools celebrating World Read Aloud Day on February 1st.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adopt a Fire Hydrant
With over 150 fire hydrants and cisterns, (Underground Water tanks), in town, the North Smithfield Fire and Rescue Service is looking for the communities help with keeping them free and clear of snow and ice. After a storm, Fire crews will be out to clear hydrants and cisterns but with only two trucks on the road and such a large number of them, it can take us a considerable amount of time to get to them all. Any help we can get from the community to accelerate the process would be greatly appreciated. If you have a hydrant or cistern on or near your property, consider clearing it out so that we can access it in the event of a fire in the area. Help us help you!
|
|
|
|
Winter Safety Tips
We hope everyone had a great holiday season! We wanted to pass on a few safety tips as we enter the “JOYFUL” days of winter:
1. With cold weather comes frozen bodies of water. Never assume that frozen lakes, ponds, and streams are safe to walk on. Always call the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) 24 hour Hotline at (401) 667-6222 to check on ice conditions before lacing up those skates or stringing up the ice fishing tilts.
2. Normally, winter = snow. Some love it and others not so much! Either way, it still falls from the sky, and we all must deal with it. Please try to keep all driveways, sidewalks, steps and other access points to your home free and clear of snow at all times. In addition, keep snow and ice clear of dryer vents, gas meters, and any other ventilation points from your home.
3. Clean your chimney! It is important to have a maintenance plan for your heating devices in your home. Fuel burning appliances require regular maintenance in order to retain efficiency and safety features.
4. Lastly, we cannot have a fire safety release without mentioning the most important thing: Always check and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home!
As always, feel free to contact the North Smithfield Fire Prevention office at (401) 762-1135 Monday through Thursday between the hours of 07:00 a.m. and 05:00 p.m. for any fire safety questions you may have.
|
|
|
|
Christmas Trees CAN be RECYCLED
Live Trees: Are composted
Artificial Trees: Are recycled with scrap metal.
All trees must be free of ornaments, tinsel, lights and cannot be in plastic bags.
We will be offering a curbside pickup for live trees starting Tuesday, December 26, 2018 through January 11, 2019. Live trees will be picked up by DPW on your trash day. Pickups are weather permitting. Residents can also bring the trees to DPW when our recycling center is open. From January 1, 2019 through April 1, 2019, we will only be open Saturdays from 9 AM- 1 PM.
|
|
|
|
Our North Smithfield Animal Shelter is in
Need of Volunteers.
You can volunteer as many or as few days or hours that you can. Every little bit helps! Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a rewarding experience.
Please call the North Smithfield Animal Shelter at 766-0377.
|
|
|
|
We need to continue our strong recycling effort going forward. RIRRC is cracking down, and loads are being rejected at a cost of almost $800 per load. Reduced international demand for recycled materials is the reason for these rejections. Unacceptable materials like plastic bags or any plastic or metal that isn’t a container can result in rejection of an entire truck load of material. Below are some helpful tips from RIRRC to keep recycling up in our community and avoid recycling loads to be rejected. Starting December 10, 2018 items at the curb that are not accepted at the curb will be left behind with an orange sticker explaining why it is not accepted. Please visit our website for more information on our recycling programs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Next 2018 Tax Bill Is Due
January 15, 2019
Dear North Smithfield Taxpayer:
ALL 2018 Real estate, motor vehicle and tangible personal property bills were mailed on July 13th.
Please be aware ALL bills are due on the date listed on the bill stubs. Because there are no complications with auto taxes or budget timing this year, we are back to our regular billing cycle and due dates.
The dates are also listed below.
Real Estate, Motor Vehicle and Tangible Personal Property
1st payment due 08-15-18
2nd payment due 10-15-18
3rd payment due 01-15-19
4th payment due 04-15-19
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Tax Assessor’s Office at 401-767-2200 ext: 323 or the Tax Collector’s Office at 401-767-2200 ext: 511
|
|
|
|
TOWN OF NORTH SMITHFIELD DPW
WINTER SAFETY TIPS
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 snow plows to come through (cars, basketball hoops, garbage cans etc.)
- When shoveling snow or operating a snow blower, do not throw snow out in to 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. 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 potenial pick-up delays.
- Clear snow from around fire hydrants near your home/business to make them visible for our firefighters.
|
|
|
|
For the next several weeks, North Smithfield Emergency Management, CERT and REACT will be providing articles on survival preparation for an emergency. Many emergency response organizations have encouraged citizens to have three days of emergency supplies on hand in case disaster strikes, but because we live in a world where terrorism and cyber attacks have created possibilities of long-term outages of every day necessities, we should now consider being prepared for at least two weeks.
Those who have already prepared for three days have a good start as many items for three days will be good for the two week preparation. Flashlights, radios, extra batteries, first aid kits, contact information and manual can opener are items handy for three days or two weeks. Future articles will advise about other necessities that will be required for longer outages.
The key to survival in most cases will be to stay in your own home (shelter in place) as long as it is safe. Have an emergency plan that your family is familiar with and discuss the importance of knowing the location of emergency supplies. Community shelters may become overloaded and not have the abundance of supplies needed to sustain shelter goers for a long stay. First responders may be overwhelmed with disaster emergencies and should not be counted on to provide you with emergency supplies.
Hopefully, the forthcoming articles will give you food for thought in your preparation for a catastrophic emergency. This week's article will discuss Disaster Planning.
|
|
|
|
Disaster Planning Is Up To You
"The recent severe storms and tornadoes that have occurred over the last several months here in Northern Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts should serve as a reminder to all Rhode Island residents that each household needs to have a disaster preparedness plan", said Colonel Peter E. Branconnier at the North Smithfield Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The first 72 hours after a disaster are critical. Electricity, gas, water and telephones may not be working. In addition, public safety services such as police and fire departments may not be able to reach you immediately during a serious crisis. Each person should be prepared to be self-sufficient - able to live without running water, electricity and/or gas, and telephones - for at least three days following a disaster. To do so, keep the following on hand and rotate supplies to keep them fresh:
- Maintain enough nonperishable food for each person for at least 72 hours.
- Store enough so each person has a gallon a day for 72 hours, preferably for one week. Store in airtight containers and replace it every six months. Store disinfectants such as iodine tablets or chlorine bleach, eight drops per gallon, to purify water if necessary.
- First aid kit: Make sure it is well stocked, especially with bandages and disinfectants.
- Fire extinguisher: Your fire extinguisher should be suitable for all types of fires. Teach all family members how to use it.
- Flashlights with extra batteries: Keep flashlights beside your bed and in several other locations. Do not use matches or candles until you are certain there are no gas leaks.
- Weather Radios: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, with battery backup, portable radio or portable television with extra batteries: Telephones may be out of order or limited to emergency use. The NOAA weather radio, portable radio or portable television may be your best source of information.
- Miscellaneous items: Extra blankets, clothing, shoes and money. Wear sturdy shoes just in case you need to walk through rubble and debris.
- Alternative cooking sources: Store a barbecue or camping stove for outdoor camping.
- Ensure there are no gas leaks before you use any kind of fire as a cooking source and never use charcoal indoors. Gasoline-powered appliances should be filled away from ignition sources.
- Special items: Have at least 72 hours of medications and food for infants and those with special needs. Don't forget diapers.
- Have an adjustable or pipe wrench for turning off gas and water, and a shovel or broom for cleaning up.
- Assemble an animal emergency supply kit and develop a pet care buddy system with friends or relatives to make sure someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so. Be sure each of your pets has a tag with your name and phone number. Whether you decide to stay put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, you will need to plan for your pets.
Pay attention to directions from your local emergency manager, police and others and obey instructions in the event of an evacuation. Everyone who has subscribed for their cellphone should be getting Code Red warnings. All household and business landlines are already subscribed. If not, you should obtain a NOAA weather radio to receive alerts and learn the language of weather warnings:
- A watch is issued by the National Weather Service when the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain.
- A warning means seek shelter now, in a storm shelter, interior room (bathroom best) or cellar.
|
|
|
The Town of North Smithfield is Seeking Volunteer Members for Several Committees
* Planning Board Committee
* Economic Development Committee
* Budget Committee
Anyone interested in volunteering, please contact Gary Ezovski at 767-2200 ext. 303 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
|
|
|
Town of North Smithfield
Department of Public Works – Highway Division
Snow and Ice Removal Policy
|
|
|
"SCOUT ME IN!
A new BSA Troop is launching February 1st for Girls ages 11 through 17.
The historic move means boys and girls will soon experience the values-based, life-changing, Instagram-worthy moments offered in all of Scouting’s programs — from Cub Scouting all the way to Scouting’s highest honor, the rank of Eagle Scout.
Troop 438 North Smithfield will be a troop providing these awesome opportunities to Girls in our community soon! We will be hosting an informational night Friday, January 18th 6:30 PM - 8PM at Scouter's Hall, 32 Main Street, North Smithfield.
Any questions can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."
|
|
|
North Smithfield Residents Food Pantry
Slatersville Congregational Church
25 Green Street
North Smithfield, RI 02896
The flavor of the month for January is
CANNED PASTA
Any donations or monetary gifts for the food pantry can be dropped off at the Slatersville Congregational Church between 9:00 am and noon. An additional drop box is available at the Town Hall during regular business hours.
|
|
|
Senior Services, 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. Senior Services, Inc. provides nutritionally balanced lunches five days a week at our meal sites throughout Northern R.I.
Senior Services, Inc. offers activities, entertainment, computer classes, Alzheimer's Disease Support Groups, and Wellness programs, which include a weekly blood pressure clinic and exercise classes.
Senior Services, 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.
JANUARY 2019 Senior Services Newsletter
JANUARY 2019 Calendar of Events
JANUARY 2019 Menu
Senior exercise classes at Scouter's Hall, 32 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
|
|
|
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Agendas can be found on the Secretary of State Website by
CLICKING HERE
|
|
|
Budget Committee Meeting
Monday, January 14th @ 7:00 pm
Town Hall Conference Room
1 Main Street
Slatersville, RI 02876
School Committe Meeting
Tuesday, January 15th @ 6:30 pm
North Smithfield Middle School
1850 Providence Pike
North Smithfield, RI 02896
Sewer Commission Meeting
Wednesday, January 16th @ 7:00 pm
Primrose Fire Station
1470 Providence Pike
North Smithfield, RI 02896
Planning Board Meeting
Thursday, January 17th @ 7:00 pm
Primrose Fire Station
1470 Providence Pike
North Smithfield, RI 02896
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A horrific scene in New York today as a man set himself on fire outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan where former President Trump's criminal trial is taking place. Police rushed to put out the flames with fire extinguishers and blankets. The person was taken to an ambulance in critical condition. 
