New library sign will be dedicated to the late Rep. Clinton Remington

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BURRILLVILLE – Clinton Owen Remington III served his community in many capacities during his lifetime, from a decade spent representing Burrillville in the state legislature, to membership in countless local committees and associations.

And now, a new sign at Jesse Smith Memorial Library will memorialize his contributions, while helping patrons to find the currently under-marked facility.

Remington died in mid-August, and his family requested donations to Friends of the Library in lieu of flowers.

The organization received significant donations as a result of the request according to Peggy Dudley, a member of both Friends, and the library’s Board of Trustees. Thanks to the funding, the group has commissioned a local contractor to build the long hoped for sign, which they aim to have installed within the next month.

Remington was a graduate of Burrillville High School and Williams College, and received a masters of business administration at Bryant College. He served in the Army for three years, and was president and CEO of Remington Lumber Company for many of the years that followed.

Remington later worked as district manager for Ace Hardware Corporation, a position he held until his retirement in 2015.

Remington also served for a decade representing Burrillville in the Rhode Island State Legislature, and served on many committees and associations, both in and out of town. Among them were the Government Affairs Committee of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, the American Cancer Society, and the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee.

He also served on the Burrillville Democratic Town Committee, the Burrillville Lions Club, the Harrisville Fire District Operating Committee and the Industrial Foundation of Burrillville.

Dudey said Friends of the Library had long been working on raising enough funds to create a sign for the facility, which is currently only marked by plastic letters on a library overhang.

“For quite awhile, the Trustees of the JMS Library have wanted to have a sign made which identifies the building as a library,” Dudley said. “We could never find the money in our budget to pay for a new sign.”

The donations in Remington’s name, she said, have finally made it possible.

“We collected a significant amount of money,” Dudley said.

Dudley took the project to the Burrillville Redevelopment Agency, the group responsible for efforts over the past several years to improve the village. The group granted approval to creation of a 32 X 78 inch carved wooden sign in memory of Remington, stipulating that the marker should be in keeping with the style and color of others erected in the area.

The new sign is now being built by Pascoag businessman Ace Farrell of Farrell Signs, the company responsible for many such wooden markers throughout town. It will be erected to the right of the building’s front door and will stand on on two cedar posts with caps.

“We anticipate it will be put in in the next month or so,” said Dudley, noting that the group plans to hold a dedication ceremony in April.

And it will fully paid for by Friends of the Library, thanks to donations in Remington’s name.

“Since we were financially able to do this project solely due to the donations we received in memory of Clinton O. Remington III we wanted to have ‘sign donated in memory of Clinton O Remington III’ carved into the sign under Jesse M Smith Memorial Library,” Dudley said, thanking supporters for the achievement. 

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