©2017 BREEZE PUBLICATIONS INC.
BREEZE PHOTO BY TOM WARD
Lifeguard MATTHEW LEVESQUE adjusts his shade umbrella while working on a
90-plus degree day last Friday at Notte Park Beach in North Providence.
Pelagio's future with NPPD in doubt after suspension
Beach day
NORTH PROVIDENCE –
Town workers are widening a dan-
gerous portion of Smithfield Road
to create a safer trip for pedes-
trians and motorists and prevent
accidents.
Public Works Director Bernie
Salvatore said it's a "huge job"
involving workers removing walls
of ledge abutting the roadway next
to Peter Randall State Park. The
ledge at the curved section left
pedestrians with "no choice but to
walk in the street," he said.
The road was only about 12
feet wide at this section, before
the widening project began, said
Salvatore, and will soon be the
standard 26 feet wide.
Salvatore expects to add a side-
walk as part of the project. This
would extend the sidewalk that was
required to be put in as part of the
Waterview Lane residential project
down to Peter Randall State Park.
The existing sidewalk "dumps you
off at the most dangerous part of
the street," said Salvatore. He said
he hopes to find enough money
DPW working to widen
dangerous stretch
of Smithfield Road
By ETHAN SHOREY
Valley Breeze Managing Editor
ethan@valleybreeze.com
See ROAD WORK, Page 17
Breeze
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JULY 26-AUGUST 1, 2017
NORTH
PROVIDENCE
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NORTH PROVIDENCE – Mayor
Charles Lombardi's suspension of
Acting Police Chief Chris Pelagio last
week puts the embattled chief's long-
term future with the department in
doubt.
Though Lombardi wouldn't con-
firm rumors that
he's planning to
replace Pelagio,
he said Monday
that he expects the
police department to
soon follow the fire
department's lead in
improving its stand-
ing.
"We had our turbulence in the fire
department at one point and now
they're the only ISO (Insurance
Service Office) Class 1 fire depart-
ment in the state," he said. "They're
the best, and I expect the same with
the police department."
Lombardi denied telling a media
outlet that he's looking for a new
police chief, despite a report to the
contrary, saying he's not ready to
make such statements.
Lombardi said some "malcontents"
in the police department have made
the job of improving the department
more difficult.
In a story on Pelagio's suspension
first reported at www.valleybreeze.
com last Saturday, Lombardi told
The Breeze he was recently "made
privy to" information on recent inci-
dents involving Pelagio, and he felt
he had an obligation to suspend the
chief based on that information.
By ETHAN SHOREY
Valley Breeze Managing Editor
ethan@valleybreeze.com
PELAGIO
See PELAGIO, Page 4
