Monday, May 20, 2013
Eva-Marie Mancuso, the state’s new Board of Education chair, uses courtroom demeanor to try to convince angry teachers and nervous parents that change is necessary.
Eva-Marie Mancuso enjoys a lively debate but is clear about one thing: When it comes to educating Rhode Island’s children, the status quo is not an option. At a recent Q&A session in East Greenwich, the state’s new Board of Education chair, sparred with state Sen. James Sheehan (D-NK, Narr.) over teacher evaluations, cajoled teachers to work with the state, and tried to reassure at least one parent that using passage of a test as a graduation requirement is the right move. The forum, organized by the East Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, was held at EG’s Town Hall, the former Kent County Courthouse. The setting suited Mancuso, a personal injury lawyer. Although the new Board of Education for the first time combines all levels of public…
The cost of the Smithfield's Enterprise Funds is expected to go up by about $300,000 in the next fiscal year.
As part of Smithfield's budget for fiscal 2014, the so-called Enterprise Funds — separate budgets that pay for the water supply, sewer service, and the municipal ice rink — are expected to go up by about $300,000, requiring higher fees charged to residents and users of those services. According to the proposed fiscal 2014 budget [click the link to see the document] sewer users will see a $10 increase — to $320 per unit — while the town's water supply board will hike rates to pay for an expected increase in the cost to use water from the Providence Water Board. "Despite this proposed increase, the Town continues to have one of the lowest per unit [sic] sewer usage rates within the State of Rhode Island," a note in the proposed spending plan…
Smithfield School Committee members are scheduled to meet Monday night beginning at 7 pm.
Following the Smithfield Town Council's decision last week to offer the school district another $150,000 — contingent on the results of a performance review — the school committee is scheduled to take up the matter of its fiscal 2014 budget on Monday night at 7 pm at Smithfield High School. Supt. Robert O'Brien said in a phone interview that the school board is expected to consider whether to bring the original request for $300,000 — which the council rejected last week — directly to voters at the Town Financial Meeting, scheduled for June 13. "We don't have another meeting [before the financial meeting], and they need to decide whether they want to bring some kind of resolution forward," explained O'Brien. "It's strictly the school …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Town Councilors on Tuesday night approved Fire Chief Robert Selzter's request to pay for two new Emergency Management Technicians as part of a roughly $70 million budget plan.
Following Tuesday night's town council vote to approve $78,000 from the town and $25,000 from the fire department to fund two new EMT positions, Smithfield Fire Chief Robert Seltzer said he was pleased at the decision. "That gives us what I was aiming for — I was trying to get two started this year, and that gives me money for 3/4 of the year because by the time we get them trained, three months will go by," Seltzer explained in a phone interview. "We had started off requesting four, and we ended up with two, but that's fine — we have an issue we need to address with the out-of-town rescues coming in and the very long times of waiting for them to arrive at scenes." Seltzer had previously explained that residents had to wait up to 15 …
41.873044
-71.55612
Smithfield Fire Department
604 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI
/articles/council-grants-smithfield-fd-request-for-two-new-positions
2267960
/locations/9395921
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Entire additional $450,000 budgeted for schools in escrow pending department review.
Supt. Robert O'Brien walked into last night's Budget Hearing at Smithfield High School hoping for $300,000 added to the School Department's budget, but he got half — with a condition. Town Manager Dennis Finlay's $32,844,732 school budget appropriation had already added $300,000 in response to O'Brien's request to add $1.1 million to the budget, but the superintendent and School Committee Chairman Richard Iannitelli had hoped to convince the Council to add at least another $300,000 that they said would save 18 teaching jobs and add a full-time technology teacher and a half-time music teacher. But after about 20 minutes of deliberation, the Council denied the request for $300,000, then approved adding $150,000 to the budget, but …
41.885063
-71.508159
Smithfield School Department
49 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI
/articles/smithfield-town-council-oks-150k-extra-for-schools-pending-performance-evaluation
507111
/locations/9389284
Welcome to Wednesday, and check out these things to know:
Relay For Life Craft Show & Bazzaar The fifth Annual Spring Vendor Craft Showand Bazaar benefiting the American Cancer Society, sponsored by Team Rockin' Robins with theSmithfield Relay for Life, will be held May 18 at Woonsocket's Kennedy Manor, 547 Clinton St., from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. Fundraising games include a Penny Social, Split the Pot, Scratch Ticket, Relay Items and Basket Raffles. More than 20 vendors will participate. Hot Dogs, Drinks and Baked Goods will be offered as well. All proceeds will benefit the Amercian Cancer Society. Contact Michelle Burns 401-556-2367. You can donate directly to Team Rockin’ Robins at their web page. Meetings - The Smithfield Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition meets today, 2:15 p.m., at the …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
It's Tuesday, Smithfield - here are some things to know:
Relay for Life tonight - The Smithfield Relay for Life teams meet tonight at 6 p.m. at the East Smithfield Library, 50 Esmond St, for a Team meeting open to all Smithfield Relayers. This will be an open discussion. Come and pick your team cancer color for our 2013 Relay event, and learn about this year's theme. There will be a planning meeting immediately following at 7 p.m. New members always welcome! Any time commitment you have to offer is welcome. Budget dates: The Town of Smithfield will hold its Public Budget Hearing tonight, May 14. The Financial Town Meeting will be held Thursday, June 13. Both meetings at Smithfield High School, 7 p.m. Coyne Family Fire Fund - On the afternoon of Tuesday April 30th, Lt. John Coyne of the …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Results from a recent executive survey ranked Rhode Island 37th for business.
A CEO magazine ranks Rhode Island as one of the worst states in the nation for business. Chief Executive Magazine ranked Rhode Island 37th based on a survey of corporate leaders. Survey respondents rated the Ocean State poorly in the area of taxation and regulations. Massachusetts and Connecticut ranked even worse. Massachusetts was ranked 47th and Connecticut came in at 45th place. The worst three ranked states in the survey were California, New York and Illinois. Texas, Florida and North Carolina, on the other hand, were ranked as the three best states in which to do business. What do you think about Rhode Island’s business climate? Is this a good state in which to do business?
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Welcome to Wednesday - check out these things to know:
Planning Board - The Smithfield Planning Board meets May 11, 9 a.m. at Town Hall. They'll be discussing a 32-unit development on Stillwater Road. McCabe PTO Yard Sale - Collections start this week for the McCabe PTO Cougars Yard Sale on June 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. All donations are tax deductible Coyne Family Fire Fund - On the afternoon of Tuesday April 30th, Lt. John Coyne of the Smithfield Fire Department and his family lost their home due to a tragic fire. The Smithfield Firefighters, along with close friends of the Coyne's, have set up a fundraising page to help alleviate some of the financial burden that John and Dawn will face over the upcoming months. Although nothing can replace all that they have lost, every dollar will help…
Thursday, May 2, 2013
A bill legalizing same-sex marriage passed 56-15.
Sixteen years after legislation was first introduced in Rhode Island, same-sex marriage is now legal in the Ocean State. On Thursday afternoon, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the legislation with a vote of 56-15. "This is a great day in Rhode Island, not just for the many Rhode Island families who will now get the recognition and equality that they so richly deserve, and not only for the thousands who have been fighting for decades for the dignity and rights of all citizens," said House Speaker Gordon Fox, the first openly gay House Speaker in the nation who has cosponsored the legislation every year. "It is also a wonderful day for the generations of future Rhode Islanders who may never know a time when some people …
Joe Smith
11:44 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
Do your homework instead of buying the party line. If water rates were going to increase, then why is the 2014 budgeted amount for water ($640K) the same as the 2013 budgeted amount for water ($640K) -- page II-5 of the proposed budget. Note in the same page how the water board will have given back $1M (million!) to the general fund (after covering expenses, capital improvements, depreciation) by… more ›