Five Things: Land Trust, Fat Tuesday

Land Trust meeting: On the agenda is discussion of Boesch Farm, the website, and the trail adoption program. The meeting takes place in the conference room across from Council Chambers at Town Hall, at 7 p.m.

Water Street closed: Beginning today, Water Street at the Barbara Tuft's Playground will be closed 24 hours a day for approximately 5 weeks. No traffic will be able to pass because of the vertical trench sheeting that will be in the road. This construction is to replace the 90-year-old sewer main from the bottom of King Street to the Waste Water Treatment Facility. If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Public Works at 886-8618.

Blood donors needed: In the wake of last weekend’s blizzard and widespread power outages, the Rhode Island Blood Center lost nearly 600 blood donations, so they have put out a call for donors, particularly platelet donors, to consider donating blood during the early part of this week, helping to avoid a blood shortage. Each day the Blood Center holds multiple blood drives, besides its regular schedules at its five donor centers. For information about blood drives, please visit the Blood Center’s web site at www.ribc.org. The schedule for the Blood Center’s Warwick donor center (615 Greenwich Ave.) is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday: This is one of the few days of the year when excess is encouraged – so, feast away. For Christians, it’s a last hurrah before the 40 days of Lent, which begins on (Ash) Wednesday. The tradition of pancakes on this day comes from England (the photo!). 

Vacation head’s up: I’m going with the St. Luke’s youth group to the Dominican Republic next week (Sat., Feb. 16, through Sat., Feb. 23) and I’m NOT bringing my computer. In my absence, Asst. Regional Editor Patrick Luce will be editing the site. His email is patrick.luce@patch.com. But if you have something that can wait for my return, please do wait. I will have my phone but will be trying to not respond to work emails!