©2021 THE VALLEY BREEZE
BREEZE PHOTO BY CHARLES LAWRENCE
MARK BOTELHO, of Greenville, walks his dog, RILEY, on a crisp early January day at Deerfield Park Monday. Botelho's New
Year's resolution is to walk more. See more photos on page 4.
Smithfield
brings new
ice rink
outdoors
Town also buys plenty of
equipment for businesses
SMITHFIELD – A new icy ameni-
ty is coming to Smithfield in the com-
ing weeks after Town Manager Randy
Rossi used funds from the town's Take
It Outside grants to purchase an out-
door ice rink.
Tucked behind the Smithfield Plaza
at 115 Pleasant View Ave., the new
outdoor rink is positioned closest to
the doors of the Smithfield Municipal
Ice Rink, 109 Pleasant View Ave., to
allow for access to skate rentals.
Rossi said the water in the rink is
still freezing to ice, and the facility
may not open for some time depend-
ing on winter conditions overnight
this week. Once the ice is frozen,
Rossi said the town will have a better
idea of the rink's hours of operation.
"We're still kind of working through
all the details depending on how
much of a response we're going to
get," he said.
Rossi said the town's website, www.
smithfieldri.com, will have more infor-
mation on the rink's opening.
Use of the rink is limited to
Smithfield residents, who will enjoy
skate rentals and skating free of
charge, Rossi said. He said night skat-
By JACQUELYN MOOREHEAD
Valley Breeze & Observer Staff Writer
jackie@valleybreeze.com
See ICE RINK, Page 10
Manlove: Senior tax freeze ordinance a mess
SMITHFIELD – Finance Director
Drew Manlove says he's ringing the
alarm on the loopholes and conflicts
he sees within the town's senior tax
freeze ordinance, which he says is
in dire need of updates.
During a presentation to the Town
Council on Tuesday, Manlove gave
an overview of the details and sta-
tistics of the property tax benefit
program, encouraging the council
to take action. He said the council
needs to focus on the intent of the
program and make amendments to
the ordinance.
Manlove said the complicated
ordinance does not contemplate
conflicts within it, and is complicat-
ed to implement, leaving tax officials
to sort through those conflicts.
"Our office is administerial. We do
not create policy for anything. It's a
hard place to be in," he said.
Manlove said he does not recom-
mend abolishing the policy, but
adjusting it.
"Tax freezes are complicated.
They're bad tax policy, to be quite
frank with you," he said.
During his presentation, Manlove
explained that any property tax ben-
efit program does not cost the town
By JACQUELYN MOOREHEAD
Valley Breeze & Observer Staff Writer
jackie@valleybreeze.com
See TAX FREEZE, Page 11
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