One of the very few redeeming qualities of online learning was that I gained a basic understanding of how to edit videos. So, I’m using this page to collate times where I’ve spoken in public or have some fun making things in iMovie in my spare time.
This resident did everything right. He put up the signs. He talked to his neighbors. He came to the council and asked, respectfully, for help. And what he got back was 'we'll set up a speed detail' and 'let's work on it next week.'
But he said it himself — he wants something that forces drivers to slow down instead of hoping they will. But hoping is exactly what the town offered him.
Here's what gets me: this is a solved problem. Cumberland, right next door, has a written Traffic Calming Policy. A clear way for a resident to report a street. A team that actually reviews it. Real speed data, so the worst streets get help first — not the loudest ones. And it starts with the low-cost fixes before anyone spends a dollar on speed humps.
In two years, this council passed zero new ordinances.Keeping kids safe on a dead-end street shouldn't depend on one dad showing up every Monday night, hoping someone finally listens.
We have an opportunity to show our children that they need not grow up in a world of division and rudeness. We can begin the healing process - all it takes is remembering that we’re all neighbors. We’re all individuals.
The quarry is one of the issues residents bring up most. Here's the full story — from 1950s mining operations to this week's withdrawn zoning application — and why North Smithfield needs to stop being reactive and start writing ordinances strong enough to protect us from the next quarry.
My family worked hard to produce quality, honest work for this town. I want to continue that work.
I'm a big believer in believing in the best in people, that they're all doing their best and trying to make sure that things are fair and equal for everyone. Though sometimes it's really tough to believe them. So, recently, I went to ask: Are we holding everyone to the same standard?
Kevin Carriere: In 2016, John Beauregard wrote to the Valley Breeze. See, he was concerned that people have been on town council for quite a while and nothing seems to change. And it got me thinking, is that true? Like, have things just been the same and the same and the same?
Town Citizen #1: Now, with the same, we have the same problem.
Town Citizen #2: So we came to you guys last year with the same issue.
Town Citizen #3 This council we all thought the same thing.
Town Citizen #4: I was here I think two years ago doing pretty much the same presentation.
Town Citizen #5: So we did a lot of research, again.
Town Citizen #6: The same thing it was last year.
Councilman John Beauregard: It's the same thing with the police department.
———
Kevin Carriere: Oh, but it's been like different issues, right? Right? Right?
Town Citizen #7: I've been battling material sand and stone, Paul knows, since 85.
Town Citizen #1: You know, they're still driving before seven o'clock in the morning. They're still picking up at the quarry. Why?
Town Citizen #9: My father lives much closer to material sand and stone than I do.
Town Citizen #10: Material sand and stones petition to delay further presentation. And is anybody here from material sand and stone by the way?
Kevin Carriere: I see. Well, maybe it's time to get a new Town Council.
I have been frustrated. The Quarry. The Junkyard. And now, trees disappearing without a trace. Even when evidence is provided in public hearings, our leadership is not showing the gumption to hold companies accountable for harming our town. So, I went to ask if they had any plans to change that.
When we're thinking about what makes people upset about government, it's not necessarily the decisions themselves. What people tend to care about a lot more is the process. Was the process of reaching the decision fair and just and transparent? And so I developed a web app to help understand the bond vote. And then, on April 6, at Town Council, my tool came up…
If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I've done my research and I will bring receipts if questioned. After my first public comments, I came back to note that reducing the temperature requires us to see each other as individuals, not groups of people. None of us fit the label of any group perfectly. We are all people trying our best, and we should be treated in that way.
After witnessing immature behavior online by state and local leaders, I went to the North Smithfield Town Council to express my dissatisfaction with how our current council models both the receiving of feedback and showing respect for others.
North Smithfield is my home. When someone stood at this podium and said supporters of inclusive schools had no facts behind them, I had something to say about that.
It was April Fools Day, and I wanted to make something cute and humorous. So, I patched together some Town Council videos to make a pretty good rendition of Sweet Caroline.
I’m someone who is very willing to poke fun at myself. You can’t keep a room full of 18- to 22-year-olds engaged without some self-deprecating humor.
