Council, School Committee Start Budget Talks

December is a long way from June, when next year's budget is finalized at the Financial Town Meeting, but you've got to start somewhere.

Town Council and School Committee members sat down together Tuesday for the first time since the election brought two new members to the School Committee and everyone agreed that the spirit of collaboration that began two years ago and continued last year should be continued. It was the first of what both panels acknowledged would be numerous joint and independent sessions on the fiscal year 2013 budget, which will begin July 1, 2012. The School Committee, while an independent body, must live under the ultimate budget decisions of the Town Council, which by town charter must pass the budget. The School Committee submits a budget to the Council in March. The Council must pass a budget in May and voters have the opportunity to vote on the …

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What Next For Fire District In Wake Of Election?

Voters approved the nonbinding ballot referendum asking if the Town and the Fire District should merge by an overwhelming majority on Tuesday – 4,425 to 2,239.

Officials are pondering how to move forward after voters Tuesday approved the idea of merging the EG Fire District with the Town. The ballot question was not binding, since by state law any such change needs to be made by the General Assembly. Three of the five Fire Commissioners came out against merging the District with the Town, including board Chairman Bill Daly. “We didn’t really get the chance to get the word out,” he said. Still, said Daly, “we’re going to cooperate. I think we’ll present our point of view.” Town Manager Bill Sequino said the referendum passed “more overwhelming” than he he thought it would. As for what to do now, Sequino said, “I think the Council and the Fire District should get together.” Sequino said many …

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Anti-Vote And Sandy Hype

What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this week.

RAVE: The election is almost here. Finally. Never before have I been so thoroughly sick of a campaign – or should we just call it like it is? – drawn-out attack and counter-attack? How long has it been – a decade? I am usually a news yeller. I yell when a report on the war comes out. I yell when a piece on factories in India is broadcast. I yell at celebrity stories.  I yell at weather forecasts. Heck, I even yell at movie reviews. So you can imagine the noise I have been making lately. Even my cats are concerned. I don’t think I am alone when I say: I am sick and tired of the mudslinging between the candidates. I am sick and tired of the nonstop nasty mailers and ads. I am sick and tired of the bad behavior all around. Our politicians, …

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Rants and Raves

Debate Rave, Driving Rant

What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this week.

  RAVE: Hands up – who learned something new from the House District 30 Debates that took place last Wednesday? Seriously, I really want to know because I couldn’t make it. Darn school meetings. But my kids went and they certainly came back with a clearer sense of whom they would vote for – that is, if they were old enough to vote. I, on the other hand, read the follow up of the debate published on this site and now have a clearer sense of whom I will indeed vote for – because I am most certainly old enough to vote. So, did we really need to corral all of the candidates in one place to help us make an informed choice on November 6? Well, that’s debatable. If we are talking about the presidential debates, I would have to say no. However, …

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Elizabeth McNamara

1:38 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012

Thanks Bill!   more ›

Rants and Raves

Walk To School Day ... DAY? Why Not Always?

What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this week.

RANT: Is it just me, or is National Walk to School Day the most asinine day ever? Even National Tap Dance Day (May 25, in case you have a pair of metal-soled shoes gathering dust in your closet) ranks higher, in my opinion. Seriously, though, has it come to this? We really need a day set aside to encourage kids to actually venture outside and be pedestrians? OK, I know, life today is such that younger kids are no longer allowed to do so much as eat PBJ without an adult present. I promise, I will not drone on about how, waaaay back in my day, before down, Gore-tex and fleece had been invented, we were all walking to school at all ages and in all weather – usually lagging about a half block behind older neighborhood kids to spare them …

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Deidre Spelliscy Gifford: Candidate for EG School Committee

Gifford, School Committee chair, is running for her second term.

Name : Dr. Deidre Spelliscy Gifford Date of birth : 01 January 1958 Place of residence : East Greenwich, RI Attended college : Yes College : UCLA Degree : BS Year of graduation : 1981 University : UCLA Degree : Public Health Year of graduation : 1991 University : Cornell Medical College Area of research : Medicine Year of graduation : 1987 Job titles held : Medical Director Employers : Ri Executive Office of Health and Human Services Party affiliation : Democrat Running for a: Local office Running for position: School Committee Chamber/district: Incumbent: Yes First elected: 03 November 2008 Previous elective offices : School Committee Unsuccessful bids for elective offices: N/A Currently Chair of the School committee. Resident of EG since…

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Elizabeth McNamara

10:44 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012

Looks like it! Thanks.   more ›

Workshop Offered For Prospective Candidates

Operation Clean Government's "Candidate School" April 28 features speakers state treasurer Gina Raimondo and Central Falls receiver and retired justice Bob Flanders.

Operation Clean Government's "Candidate School 2012" program and faculty have now been finalized, according to Chairman Marie Sorman of Cranston. The event is a day-long, non-partisan educational seminar on how to run for political office. It is scheduled to take place in the Rhode Island College Student Union on April 28.   Justice Robert Flanders will be the featured luncheon speaker, and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo will close out the day. Other faculty members are described below. Tuition for the day-long training session is $95, payable via PayPal on OCG's web site, www.ocgri.org or by check to: Box 8683, Warwick, R.I. 02888. According to Margaret Kane, president of Operation Clean Government, "This is an ideal chance for …

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Eight EG Residents Seek Delegate Spots

Four residents are running to be Obama delegates, two residents are running to be Paul delegates, one resident wants to be a Santorum delegate, and one a Romney delegate.

Eight East Greenwich residents got enough signatures to run for delegate to the upcoming presidential political conventions — four Democrats for President Barack Obama and four Republicans, two for Sen. Ron Paul and one each for Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. The Rhode Island presidential primary takes place Tuesday, April 24. On the Republican side, Elizabeth Smith is running to be a Romney delegate, Pratik Chougule is running to be a Santorum delegate, and Erik Turgeon and Nathaniel Robertson are running to be Paul delegates. Chougule said he cares about this election in particular, but also decided to run because of the topsy-turvy nature of the 2012 GOP presidential race. "Rhode Island's primary could have a significant role on the …

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