A Message from the Town Administrator

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of former Administrator Kenneth Bianchi.

 

 

Obituary from Holt Funeral Home

Kenneth M. Bianchi

 

Kenneth M. Bianchi, 70, of Blackstone, and formerly of North Smithfield, passed away June 24, 2024, at home.

He was the husband of Brenda Bianchi, whom he married Sept. 19, 1983. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Reno J. and Lorraine (Belanger) Bianchi.

 

Kenneth spent much of his life in public service. He was town council chair of North Smithfield, and later was elected and served as Town Administrator for many years. He was Executive Director of the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority. He would later serve as Town Administrator of Blackstone, Mass., for years until he retired.

 

He was involved in giving back to the local and global community. He served as Treasurer of the John H. Chafee Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor, was a Fourth Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the board of directors of the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association, and many other organizations.

 

Along with his wife, Brenda, he is survived by his children, Andrew N. Bianchi of Blackstone and Leah Sandy, her husband, Phillip, and their son, Casey, of Waltham, Mass.; and his sister, Linda Bianchi-Burlison, and her husband, Harold, of Entwell, N.Y.; and his cockapoo, Sonny.

 

He will forever be remembered by family and friends as a man who helped all those in need, bringing a burst of energy to any room, and was genuine with all who he met.

 

His funeral was held Friday, June 28, 2024, and Burial was private.



Please keep the Bianchi Family in your thoughts and prayers.

 
 
Delays and cancaletions at airports are rising across the U.S. The number of flights have been cut by the FAA since Friday due to shutdown-related staffing issues. At last check, over 23-hundred flights have already been canceled with more than 83-hundred delays.        President Trump says he believes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went "too far" in the shutdown fight. During an interview with Fox News, Trump said Schumer "thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him." Trump discussed a series of topics, also saying he was not pleased when he saw the air traffic controller staffing issues in recent days, saying he would get the potential bonus money he discussed for them on Truth Social "from someplace."        An Arctic blast is hitting millions of people from the Midwest all the way to the Florida Panhandle. Parts of several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and New York could see lows 10-to-25 degrees below normal in the next 24-hours. It will be a dramatic change for Miami residents, who could see temps plunge into the 30's and 40's, just after reaching a high of 84 on Sunday.        Arizona Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva will reportedly be sworn in as early as this week. Multiple reports say she will be sworn in by House Speaker Mike Johnson before a vote is held on a government funding bill. Grijalva won a special election in September, but Johnson has not sworn her in due to the House not being in session.        A bid to overturn the right to same-sex marriages has been shot down by the Supreme Court. The justices declined to take up the appeal from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to overturn the 2015 landmark decision. The bid had been seen as long-shot by analysts.        Michael Jackson is still making history more than 16 years after his death. His classic hit "Thriller" re-enters Billboard Hot 100 chart this week at number ten. It makes Jackson the first-ever artist to rank in the chart's top ten in six different decades. Jackson last reached the top ten in 2018 when he was featured on Drake's "Don't Matter to Me."