The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are advising people to avoid contact with Slack Reservoir in Greenville (which spans Smithfield and Johnston town line) due to a blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) bloom in the pond. Blue-green algae can produce toxins, including microcystins, that can harm humans and animals. Very high levels of microcystins were detected in water samples taken from the Little Beach area near Terrance Drive. Visual monitoring found another likely blue-green algae bloom in the Green Lake area of the reservoir.

All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, should be avoided. People also should not ingest water or eat fish from Slack Reservoir. Pets can also be affected by exposure to the algal toxins and thus owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.
Skin contact with water containing blue-green algae commonly causes irritation of the skin, nose, eyes, and/or throat. Common health effects associated with ingesting water containing algal toxins include stomach ache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Rarer health effects include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are at a particular risk for health effects associated with algal toxins. People who have had contact with these ponds and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

If you come into contact with the water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible and, when you get home, take a shower and wash your clothes. Similarly, if your pet comes into contact with the water, immediately wash your pet with clean water. Do not let the animal lick algae off its fur. Call a veterinarian if your animal shows any symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning, including loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water. People are cautioned that toxins may persist in the water after the blue-green algae bloom is no longer visible.

It is possible that blue-green algae blooms may be affecting other waterbodies in Rhode Island. People are advised to avoid contact with waterbodies that exhibit bright green coloration in the water or at the water surface and/or dense floating algal mats that form on the water’s surface. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese. To report suspected blue-green algae blooms, contact DEM’s Office of Water Resources at 222-4700 or DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov and if possible, send a photograph of the reported algae bloom.

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For: Immediate release
Date: November 4, 2019
Contact: Joseph Wendelken (401-378-0704)

Road Work Notification: The Greenville Water District will begin installation of the water line on Greenville Avenue starting on Monday, October 7th. The majority of the traffic on this road is early morning and late afternoon. The GWD has spent the last week laying out the scope of work and has found the traffic to be minimal during daytime hours which will help to complete this project in a timely manner.

It is expected that the replacement of the water lines will protect the road from any future repair and restoration upon completion of the overlay for many years to come.

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Mosquito-Borne Illness Prevention at Athletic Facilities

Due to the recent illnesses and detection of mosquitoes carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) within the state and region, all town outdoor athletic facilities will close at 6:30PM or dusk (which ever comes first) for town youth recreation leagues.

EEE and WNV are spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Upon the advice of state health and environmental officials, the town is closing all outdoor athletic facilities for youth recreation leagues at 6:30 or dusk (should dusk come sooner). This closing is intended to avoid the time period when mosquitoes are most active. Additional steps to take in reducing exposure to the virus when outdoors include encouraging athletes to wear an EPA-registered insect repellent that includes contains DEET, Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and picaridin outside the US), IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), Para-menthane-diol (PMD), and/or 2-undecanone. Insect repellent should be re-applied every four ours. Athletes and spectators alike are also reminded to cover exposed skin to limit mosquito bites. Lastly, open water containers/cups should be emptied and properly disposed of to prevent additional spots where mosquitoes can lay eggs.

The town continues to make every effort to limit the population of mosquitoes that potentially carry serious illnesses spread by mosquitoes. The town has placed larvicide in storm drains in an effort to disrupt mosquito breeding grounds. These efforts are effective in reducing the mosquito population; it does not eliminate the threat of mosquitoes carrying these viruses. We will closely monitor conditions and advice from state environmental and health experts as we work to protect the public’s health.

Randy Rossi, Town Manager
Todd Manni, Director of Emergency Management
Robert Caine, Director of Parks & Recreation

The Smithfield Town Council has a new initiative program called “Smithfield Samaritans,” and encourages anyone in the community to self-nominate or submit a name to the Town Manager, of a Smithfield resident or business in town who is doing or has performed an act of kindness or a good deed that is notable or charitable.

The Town Council will review all nominations that are submitted and will each month select one individual or business to be recognized with a citation and the opportunity to speak at the council meeting explaining their good deeds “on the record.”

The nomination form is available online here as well as printed copies available in town hall.

Click the image to print, view or download the .pdf form

Troop 2359 Smithfield is a brand new troop in town that meets every Wednesday from 7-8:30 PM at the Elks Lodge at 326 Farnum Pike in Smithfield. Boy Scouting is for boys age 11-17, and is a community-oriented program that instills values such as citizenship, teamwork, honesty, respect, responsibility, and fitness, while being a lot of fun. We practice skills for life, from first aid to public speaking to wilderness survival, while helping our community through service projects.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact Troop 2359 Scoutmaster Mike at mguilmain@cox.net or call 401-578-5261.

Pack One Smithfield is a Cub Scout Pack in town that meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the RC LaPerche Elementary School on Limerock Road in Smithfield. Cub Scouting is for boys and girls in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Up to age 11, and is a community-oriented program that helps our children grow up in a way that promotes mutual respect for others while understanding more about the community we live in.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact Pack One Cubmaster Mike at mguilmain@cox.net or call 401-578-5261.

The Anna McCabe Basketball Court Committee is seeking individuals, families, or businesses to sponsor the renovation of the Anna McCabe Basketball Courts.

For additional information, please see the linked application. Applications must be received by Friday, June 8, 2018. If you have any questions, please call the Smithfield Town Manager’s Office at 401-233-1010.

Find the application and further information here:https://smithfieldri.com/pdf/tm/McCabe_Courts_Sponsorship.pdf

The Town of Smithfield Historic Preservation Commission is offering a Historic Home Marker program for homes and properties that are listed on our Historic Inventory. We are proud to offer this program to recognize the historic buildings in our town and celebrate our rich history. The plaque is an 11×16 inch oval, with a decorative molded edge, made of a durable and weather resistant PVC material. The plaques are painted slightly off white, silk screened with black borders and lettering, featuring a green town crest. All building names and dates are hand painted in black paint by a local Rhode Island Artist.

Any building appearing on the Smithfield Historic Inventory will have an application reviewed. If your building does not appear on the inventory, and you feel this is an error, please contact the SHPC and we will address this issue. The Smithfield Historic Inventory can be found online here.

The Smithfield Historic Preservation Commission is a not-for-profit Town Commission. The debut of this Historic Marker Program was a great effort by the Smithfield Historic Preservation Commission over the last year. The commission strives to provide the residents of Smithfield with markers of the highest quality available, while keeping the cost born to the applicants at the lowest possible price point. This was made possible by the generosity of a local benefactor, who donated funds to cover the bulk of silk screening the markers, while a local company in Smithfield was kind enough to cut the raw material into beautifully routed ovals at no cost. The fee of $35.00 (thirty five dollars) paid by each applicant goes directly toward covering the materials cost and for the artist who will be hand painting the name and appropriate date on your marker.

Full Information and Application (.pdf)

Is your home on the historic inventory?  Check here (.pdf)

Prior to Memorial Day, the Friends of Smithfield Cemeteries, VFW 2929 and the American Legion flagged the 170 veteran cemeteries in town.

If anyone knows of a veteran’s grave in town that does not have an American flag, please contact Bob Buonaccorsi at 349-4074.

We want to be sure all veterans are honored.