The following items are from the Warren Beat, a weekly column devoted to the interesting and unique in Warren. Have an item for the beat? Call editor Ted Hayes at 253-6000, ext. 113.

Kick butts

Thanks to a recent $3,700 grant, both the Bristol and Warren Substance Abuse task forces and the Kickemuit Middle School will count butts this spring — cigarette butts, that is. In a move designed to enhance prevention in both communities and at the middle school level, both task forces, along with Kickemuit faculty, penned the tobacco grant a few weeks ago and received word late last week from grant facilitators at the R.I. Department of Health that it had been approved. "We're excited with the collaboration, which will also include participation from the recreation departments of both Warren and Bristol," said Warren task force coordinator Ann Roy. It will help fund a tobacco awareness campaign including community promotion, health class lessons, "Ghost Out Day" and "Counting the Butts" in the community on World No Tobacco Day, Saturday, May 31, 2008. On that day, cigarette butts will be picked up, counted and portrayed across the community to show just how many are out there.

Money talks

Warren should have its financial house in order after two major budget meetings later this week. At 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27 in the Bristol Town Hall, members of the Warren Town Council will meet with the Bristol Town Council, and administrators from both towns and the school district, to come up with the final budget numbers for the Bristol Warren Regional School District. Once officials have these figures, the Warren Town Council will meet 9 a.m. Saturday, March 29, for a final municipal budget session. Both meetings are open to the public.