NORTH PROVIDENCE – Tired of being told that a new animal shelter is right around the corner, a group of local advocates is planning a rally to draw attention to the situation.
Karen Vaillancourt, who is organizing the event with Cathy Lanni, said that while the topic of a new shelter has been spoken about since at least 2014, appropriate money “has yet to be set aside and used to build a proper, to-code animal shelter in North Providence,” and an architect experienced in building state-of-the-art shelters has not been engaged.
They’re inviting anyone who wants to join the cause to the North Providence Public Safety Complex, 1835 Mineral Spring Ave., this Sunday, May 16, for a rally running from 1 to 2 p.m. The event is titled “North Providence Needs A New Shelter Peaceful Show of Support,” and will be held on the sidewalk in front of the complex on busy Mineral Spring Avenue.
5/4/2021
Lombardi says town will keep up with newly revived cemetery
The newly uncovered Peach Hill Cemetery off Smith Street in North Providence. (Breeze photo by Ethan Shorey)
NORTH PROVIDENCE – Volunteers put in most of the heavy labor to clear away decades of overgrowth from the Peach Hill Cemetery this month, and Mayor Charles Lombardi is now pledging that the town will help take it from here.
The town has historically not been great with maintaining its old cemeteries, but Lombardi said he met with Department of Public Works staff last week to emphasize the need to put this cemetery on the list to actively maintain it. The Intervale Cemetery, which also got a volunteer cleanup effort this month, is another where the town needs to do a better job of upkeep, he said.
NORTH PROVIDENCE – Mayor Charles Lombardi said he was disappointed when North Providence’s Geneva Pond at Notte Park wasn’t included on an initial list of ponds being restocked with fish, effectively canceling his annual fishing derby this month.
After calling representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to ask why restocking wasn’t done in time for the event, he said they sent out a release that they would be delivering fish there on April 21.
Lombardi said there were about 20 ponds around the state that weren’t restocked during the first round, and he was told that the RIDEM didn’t stock them due to concerns over social distancing.
NORTH PROVIDENCE – As a young man first getting into law enforcement, Alfredo Ruggiero Jr., like many others, dreamed of one day returning to his hometown to lead its police department.
Ruggiero, 54 and the town’s deputy chief for the past year, said he was surprised and humbled upon hearing from Mayor Charles Lombardi that the mayor would not be running a search for a new chief and would make Ruggiero the replacement for the retiring Chief Arthur Martins when Martins leaves North Providence in June. That being the case, he said he’s definitely ready to assume the department’s top job.
4/27/2021
Volunteers uncover NP history at cemetery
Volunteers pose for a group shot midway through the first modern cleanup of Peach Hill Cemetery on Peach Hill Avenue off Smith Street last Saturday. At right is D’Nina Kemper, with her son Caleb, who purchased the home in front of the cemetery last October and said she was so happy to see people improving it. (Breeze photos by Ethan Shorey)
Peach Hill Cemetery contains headstones of town’s founding families
NORTH PROVIDENCE – Several of the neighbors along Peach Hill Avenue seemed to have little idea that a cemetery full of history was here long before any of their homes were built.