Scholarship dinner
An annual dinner to raise scholarship funds for graduating North Smithfield and Burrillville seniors will take place today, Monday, May 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Serio’s Pizzarama on Church Street in Pascoag. The Burrillville Lions Club Scholarship Dinner will include a pasta and meatball dinner, along with raffles and a visit from the Burrillville Lion.
Tickets cost $10 or $5 for children 10 and under, and will be available at the doo,r with take out or eat in available. All proceeds will benefit students.
Attendance leaders
Congratulations to two North Smithfield schools on being recognized among the top three student attendance improvement leaders in the state last week. Gov. Dan McKee and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green announced that NSMS led among middle schools at 98 percent and NSHS led the high schools at 95.7 percent.
Legislator of the Year
May is Mental Health Month and the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island honored House Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Melissa Murray as the group’s Legislators of the Year.
Murray, a Democrat representing District 24 in Woonsocket and North Smithfield was recognized for her, “advocacy to establish an ombuds for special education; legislation to require annual status reports on low and moderate income housing applications; bills to cap out-of-pocket expenses for patients; legislation to extend the lifetime limit for Rhode Island Works benefits and increase the monthly cash benefit to 50 percent of the federal poverty level; and a law prohibiting licensed health care facilities from discriminating against patients on the basis of age, sex, race, gender and other characteristics,” according to the organization.
“During the pandemic, when many Rhode Islanders were struggling with behavioral health conditions and isolation, Senator Murray sponsored legislation to allow Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to meet during a state of emergency,” noted MHARI.
Mystery book club
North Smithfield Library at 20 Main St. will hold its Mystery Book Club meeting on Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. discussing, “The Neighbor’s Secret” by L. Alison Heller. Join the club and enjoy a cup of tea while talking about a mystery novel.
Register by visiting https://nspl.evanced.info/signup or calling 401-767-2780
Run/Walk Club
The North Smithfield Parks & Recreation Department’s Run/Walk Club has resumed, with participants meeting at the North Smithfield High School track Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. No registration is required and those who might like to participate are invited to show up.
Compost workshop
On Saturday, May 11 starting at 10 a.m., North Smithfield Parks and Recreation will hold a Composting Workshop at Scouter’s Hall in Pacheco Park. Learn how to turn your kitchen scraps into a healthy soil amendment. The workshop is being taught by an educator from Rhode Island Resource Recovery. Compost adds nutrients and improves the structure of you garden soil. An additional benefit is that you divert all those scraps from being added to the landfill and trash pick up.
The workshop is free and all attendees will be entered into a raffle for a kitchen compost scrap bucket.
Plant sale
The Halliwell Community Garden and North Smithfield Parks and Recreation will be holding a Plant Sale on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to noon in front of Scouter’s Hall in Pacheco Park. There will be many tomato varieties, including slicers, heirloom, paste and cherry as well as peppers, eggplant and other vegetables and herbs. Most plants are in paper pots, and if possible, buyers should bring a container to carry them home.
The proceeds will fund the assorted expenses of supplies for the Halliwell Community Garden, and visitors can also learn about the garden and volunteer opportunities.
Community Yard Sale
The Island at 1600 Victory Highway will host a yard sale on Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and non-members of the club are welcome to participate for a $20 fee. Those interested are asked to contact call the venue at (401) 762-0965 or stop in sign up.
Town meetings
The North Smithfield Town Council will hold a meeting on Monday, May 8 starting at 6:45 p.m. at Town Hall at 83 Green St. The agenda is here.
The Groundwater Protection Committee is expected to hold a meeting on Wednesday, May 8 starting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda should be posted 48 hours in advance on the Secretary of State’s website here.
A note on town meetings: Meeting agendas published after our weekly “things to know,” articles may not be listed above. Check the Secretary of State’s website for the latest updates.
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