Camp Shepard Initative Updated: May 26, 2023 Background I attended a meeting for the Camp Shepard Subcommittee on March 28, 2023. As I listened to the discussion to the meeting, several thoughts, questions, and ideas became very apparent. To begin, I attended a Town Council meeting on August 9, 2022. I requested to speak about…
Category: Economic Development
Economic Development
A Vision and Plan for Shepard Park
A goal without a plan is a dream. — Mark Cuban A goal without a timeline is just a dream. — Robert Herjavec The Initiative Begins The Camp Shepard initiative has received a great deal of attention and public discussion before and after its purchase by the Town. There are so many positive benefits for…
Route 44 & the EGO, Mineral Spring or Route 2? Part II
The Fallout A continuation of Part I from this post. You can view Part 1 by clicking here. What Now? “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1948 (paraphrased) In a recent article in the Observer, So what could happen? Well, look at the EGO…
Route 44 & the EGO, Mineral Spring or Route 2? Part I
Or Does History Repeat Itself? History Introduction With all that is quietly occuring in Smithfield (multi-family residential development, single-family housing starts, commercial development, “economic development activities), the recent article in the Observer was cause to think. Looking at the history of Route 44 since the early 1990, it is fascinating to read the litany of…
Minimum Wage — Public Policy or Family Principles? Part II
This post is a continuation from Part I. If you wish to read the first post, click here. There are several columns in this report as follows: Analysis Data and Methodology Two data points were gathered from 1938 to 2021; Federal minimum wage and inflation rate (Consumer Price Index). The analysis was rather simple –…
Minimum Wage — Public Policy or Family Principles? Part I
There has been alot of political, economic and business conversations about the minimum wage as well as a new term, “Living Wage”. While this blog attempts to discuss local and State issues affecting the Town of Smithfield, I believed that this article would be interesting to place here. Introduction The first minimum wage was enacted…
Economic Development or Mixed Development?! Part II
Introduction This article is a continuation of Part I. The EGO Vision and Power of the Salt Box When I was Chair of the EDC, I compiled a vision for two areas of the EGO. The two largest contiguous EGO properties are a) northeast of Route 116/Route 7 (behind the 280 Washington Highway) and b)…
Economic Development or Mixed Development?! Part I
Introduction While I have only lived in Smithfield for 18 years, my experience is much more extensive beginning in 1984 as a student at Bryant College. Then continuing after graduation in 1987 as an active alumnus visiting the campus often and then full-time faculty member in 1994. A nice town! Where are we going? A…
A Current Headline or One for the Future of Smithfield?
Or Does History Repeat Itself? History Introduction With all that is quietly occuring in Smithfield (multi-family residential development, single-family housing starts, commercial development, “economic development activities), the recent article in the Observer caused me to think. Looking at the history of Route 44 since the early 1990, it is fascinating to read the litany of…
