Elizabeth Hammond and Sarah LaFontaine

North Smithfield Public Comment

Government EN ↓ 6 episodes

Between school drop-offs and running businesses, who has three hours for a Town Council meeting? Stop sifting through social media rumors and dense agendas. Public Comment is the go-to podcast for North Smithfield news that actually impacts your life. Hosts Sarah and Elizabeth—moms and local business owners—do the heavy lifting for you. We track school funding, tax spending, zoning, and the environment, delivering clear facts for your morning commute. Stop guessing and start knowing. Local news, made for neighbors, by neighbors.

Author

Elizabeth Hammond and Sarah LaFontaine

Episodes

Episode Six: Material Sand and Stone and HT Auto 02.07.2026 59:37

Sarah and Elizabeth are back with a deep dive into two of North Smithfield's most contentious local issues. First up: the quarry. Known officially as Material Sand & Stone (or Pound Hill Quarry), this operation has been battling the town over grandfathered mining rights, noise ordinances, silica dust, and well contamination since at least 2022 — though the legal saga stretches back to the...

Episode Five: Candidate Chat with Paul Jones 19.06.2026 49:06

Sarah and Elizabeth sit down with Paul Jones — small business owner, community advocate, and candidate for North Smithfield Town Council — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to govern a town well. Follow Paul's campaign at his website, electpauljones.com and get in touch at paul@electpauljones.comFollow Public Comment at facebook.com / publiccommentnorthsmithfield ...

Candidate Chat with Kevin Carriere 04.06.2026 44:16

In this episode of Public Comment North Smithfield , hosts Sarah and Elizabeth interview Kevin Carrier , a candidate for North Smithfield Town Council and professor of social and political psychology at Stonehill College. Kevin discusses his three core campaign priorities: government transparency , environmental protection , and housing affordability in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The conversa...

The Police Station Renovation 20.05.2026 52:00

The North Smithfield police station has been a problem since 2014. In this episode, Elizabeth Hammond and Sarah LaFontaine break down the full history — from the original $5.4 million bond that wasn't enough, to a failed $20 million ballot measure, to the $9 million bond that finally passed in early 2026. They dig into what "minimum standards" actually means for the officers and resi...

The Halliwell Property 23.04.2026 50:30

What do you do with an empty lot where a school used to be? If you're North Smithfield, RI — apparently you think about it for seven years. Elizabeth and Sarah dig into the full Halliwell Elementary saga: the closed school, the demolished building, the $5M in federal grants, the multi-generational center that never quite came to be, and the latest pivot back to Scouters Hall. They break down w...

Welcome to North Smithfield 23.03.2026 1:05:51

Follow us on social media @NSpublic comment North Smithfield residents can join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northsmithfieldpubliccomment Transcripts are available at our website nspubliccomment.com Correction: Elizabeth mentions volunteering at CPAC in 2010. The conference she mentioned took place in 2011.Sarah and Elizabeth introduce themselves and their podcast — a monthl...