Pawtucket Housing Authority security director James Ruthowski (at podium) outlines the mock evacuation exercise at Fogarty Manor on Friday, May 17. From left are Police Chief Paul King, Fire Chief William Sisson and city EMA Director Normand Menard. At right are members of the Student Emergency Response Team at Central Falls High School, who participated in the role of evacuees.
PAWTUCKET – A mock evacuation exercise Friday of Fogarty Manor that involved coordination of numerous state, local and federal agencies went off with only relatively minor hitches and proved a valuable training exercise for the first responders and others involved.
A crew of Central Falls firefighters, led by Privates Jarrod Pinotte and Tim Kelly, streams into Fogarty Manor Friday to fight a mock fire in an evacuation exercise combining the resources of several local, state and federal agencies.
“It was a learning experience that went well,” city Emergency Management Director Normand Menard evaluated the more than four-hour exercise, in which dozens of volunteer “actors” were evacuated from the 248-unit building at 214 Roosevelt Ave. in a practice scenario of a sixth floor fire, power outage and smoke throughout the housing complex.
Pawtucket Battalion Chief Jay McLaughlin communicates by radio with response team members taking part in Operation City View, a multi-agency mock disaster exercise conducted Friday, May 17 at Fogarty Manor on Roosevelt Avenue.
James Ruthowski, security director for the Pawtucket Housing Authority, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the exercise was a test of new t emergency plans recently drawn up by the PHA.
Pawtucket firefighters in full gear mass outside Fogarty Manor highrise.
An unexpected event that added a dose of reality to the exercise occurred when one of the volunteer “actors” experienced dizziness in her housing unit and was attended to by firefighters already in the
building. She required no further treatment, Fire Chief William Sisson said. Sisson said the extensive mock exercise, called Operation City View, was the first of its kind for an elderly and handicapped housing complex in the city and in the state.
Pawtucket Fire Capt. Richard Slater (far right), operating as a battalion chief, confers with (from left) city EMA Director Normand Menard, Pawtucket Housing Authority incident commander Tom Gifford and city Deputy EMA Director John Enright during disaster exercise.
Menard said other glitches were intentional to test responses, such as not supplying the full emergency plan to everyone who would normally have received it to test response capabilities. Deployed widely for the first time were new radios that allow diverse first responders to all use the same channel, Menard said.
Fogarty Manor resident and mock disaster exercise evacuee Roland Duffany is guided by volunteer Paula McAloon at St. Mary’s Church Hall, where the R.I. Red Cross staged a hot luncheon for the residents “displaced” by a fire at the city housing complex.
Besides residents of Fogarty and Kennedy manors, also taking part as volunteer evacuees were members of the new Student Emergency Response Team at Central Falls High School. (For other Fogarty residents, life went on uninterrupted.)
Sisson said approximately 31 firefighters from Pawtucket participated, as well as firefighters from the Central Falls and Valley Falls departments and their respective chiefs, Robert Bradley and Brian Jackvony, along with officers of the Pawtucket Police Dept. under Chief Paul King. Pawtucket also sent its new 21-member fire recruit class to observe.
The R.I. Emergency Management Agency was represented by Deputy Director Edward Johnson. Also playing roles were the R.I. Red Cross chapter, which ran an “emergency” food site at nearby St. Mary’s Church Hall; RIPTA, which put into play a new transportation evacuation plan that bused the evacuees to St. Mary’s; and the Salvation Army Canteen, which offered an onsite food and hydration station. Invited observers included managers of similar housing complexes in the city, several of whom expressed interest in holding such exercises, Sisson said.
Menard said he began planning the exercise, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Exercise Program through RIEMA, after becoming city EMA chief last December. He said a follow-up evaluation will be done in 14 days and a full report in 60 days.
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New Quarterly Series from WSBE Rhode Island PBS Premieres May 23
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Rhode Island Classroom explores the latest technology, lessons, and personnel who are making the grade in Rhode Island Kindergarten through grade 12 classrooms. The new 30-minute quarterly series, hosted by Margie O’Brien and produced by WSBE Rhode Island PBS, premieres Thursday, May 23 at 8 p.m., with rebroadcast Saturday, May 25 at noon.
Five independent stories are woven into the first episode, giving viewers insight into programs, projects, and initiatives that are sparking learning excellence in Rhode Island classrooms.
“I’m excited to be part of Rhode Island Classroom,” said host Margie O’Brien. “It gives me an opportunity to profile the best programs and teachers in Rhode Island.”
One of those programs is a statewide mentoring initiative aimed at empowering first-year teachers. The Rhode Island Classroom segment features a seasoned educator using his experience and enthusiasm to help elevate first year teachers from a status of ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ at a faster pace.
O’Brien also sits down with Education Commissioner Deborah Gist. Back to work after a life-threatening prognosis, Gist is ready to transform education here in the Ocean State. With critics fighting her every move, Gist is moving forward with standardized tests, teacher evaluations, and even pushing for full day Kindergarten.
Imagine the stimulating conversation 100 educators could create if they were able to chat for an hour? It’s happening, weekly, thanks to social media and technology. Every Sunday night, EDChatRI, a Twitter site, allows teachers, administrators – even students – to discuss pertinent lessons and policies. Rhode Island Classroom introduces the faces behind the Tweets.
O’Brien said viewers will be dumbfounded over how students at Community Prep solve math problems. The Calculator Club, founded by Dan Corley, challenges students to solve problems in their heads before the calculator gets the answer.
Rounding out the first show is a visit to a school where the lines are blurred between the stereotypical cliques of nerds, jocks, geeks, and popular kids. Rhode Island Classroom shows what appearing in a school play can do for the acceptance and confidence levels of a high schooler.
Future episodes of Rhode Island Classroom will explore new programs, people, and policies that are improving education.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable services: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable services: Comcast 819HD, Verizon 18 / 518HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 7776. WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 89, Comcast 294 or 312.
About host Margie O’Brien
Margie O’Brien is a proven communications professional. She has worked as a news reporter and anchor in both the Providence and Boston markets for 16 years. Margie was also the host of a Boston-based television program that showcased topnotch companies in Southern New England and their innovative and dynamic staff. Ms. O’Brien has acted as a spokesperson for a statewide political campaign and served as the Communications Coordinator for a non-profit based in Rhode Island. Margie is active with McCauley House as well as serving as a volunteer coach with the YMCA and local Recreation Department. Ms. O’Brien received a Bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College and a Masters Degree in Communications/Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College. Margie lives in Barrington with her husband, three children, and golden retriever, Callie.
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RBS Citizens and Citizens Bank name Mary Fasano Community Development Market Manager for Rhode Island and Connecticut
Mary Fasano
Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens announced today the appointment of Mary Fasano as Community Development Market Manager for Rhode Island and Connecticut. She is based in Providence.
Fasano will focus on leveraging the bank’s existing relationships with community organizations and leaders, and fostering new relationships to effectively serve the banking needs of the low- and moderate-income communities of Rhode Island and Connecticut along with small businesses and economic development initiatives.
Fasano has almost 20 years of banking experience and has worked as a commercial relationship manager in the not-for-profit middle market for Citizens Bank since 2006, where she was responsible for lending to nonprofit corporations.
As an active member of the community, Fasano serves on the board of the Olneyville Housing Corporation and also volunteers with a number of organizations including United Way of Rhode Island, Year Up Providence and Providence Inner City Arts.
She is a graduate of Saint Michael’s College and received her MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. She resides in Warwick, Rhode Island.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 47 branches and 125 ATMs in Connecticut. It has 24 branches and 52 ATMs in Delaware. It has 252 branches and 754 ATMs in Massachusetts. It has 80 branches and 202 ATMs in New Hampshire. It has 157 branches and 373 ATMs in New York. It has 82 branches and 190 ATMs in Rhode Island. It has 21 branches and 40 ATMs in Vermont. RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $126 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and through its subsidiaries has approximately 1,400 branches, more than 3,600 ATMs and nearly 19,000 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com
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UMW Awards 1273 Degrees
Caitlin E. Smylie of Cumberland, R.I., graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Mary Washington.
A total of 1,273 students graduated during the university’s 102nd Commencement in a graduate ceremony on Friday, May 10 and in an undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 11, on the university’s Fredericksburg campus. Dr. William “Bill” Cleveland Bosher Jr., public policy expert and former Virginia superintendent of education, delivered the commencement address for graduate students and Steve Pemberton, business executive, motivational speaker and noted author, gave the undergraduate commencement address.
The university awarded 85 Master of Business Administration degrees, 111 Master of Education degrees, 15 Master of Science in Management Information Systems, 34 Master of Science in Elementary Education Degrees, 418 Bachelor of Arts degrees, 61 Bachelor of Liberal Studies degrees, 63 Bachelor of Professional Studies degrees and 484 Bachelor of Science degrees. Two graduates received both the MBA and the MSMIS in a dual-degree program.
The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers. In recent years, the university has seen its academic reputation garner national recognition in numerous selective guidebooks, including Forbes, the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review’s 2012 edition of 150 “Best Value Colleges” and the 2013 edition of “The Best 377 Colleges.”
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13 Summer Street
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
6:00pm
Join Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Santa Claus for an action packed Family Movie Night at the Pawtucket Public Library on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 6:00pm. The PG rated movie will be shown in the library’s Campbell Auditorium. Bring snacks, a drink, and enjoy the show. Children ages 10 and older may attend without a caregiver. The program is free and no registration is required. For more information, call the Children’s Library at 401-725-3714 x209 or e-mail childrens@pawtucketlibrary.org.
Tags: AP Today
PAWTUCKET — The Pawtucket Veterans’ Council will conduct its annual Memorial Day ceremonies in Pawtucket on Monday, May 27 at several locations throughout the city.
Wreaths will be laid as follows:
9 a.m., Pawtucket Veterans Memorial (Scallop Shell), Slater Park, Armistice Boulevard entrance.
9:15 a.m., Hiker Memorial, Grove Street Park, Exchange and Cottage streets.
9:30 a.m., Korean War Memorial, Park Place.
10:00 a.m., Mineral Spring Cemetery, Mineral Spring Avenue and Conant Street.
At 11 a.m., the principal ceremony will take place in the Veterans Amphitheater, Roosevelt Avenue and Exchange Street (adjacent to fire department headquarters).
The events will be led by Capt. Jim Robbins, Commander Maurice Trottier, Penny Trottier, vice president of the R.I. State VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Robert Balthazard, president of the Fleet Reserve, Commander Ted Martins of the Korean War Veterans Association, and master of ceremonies Jack Lucas, state department officer with the Department of Rhode Island, American Legion.
Mayor Donald R. Grebien will attend the principal ceremony and deliver brief remarks.
Members of the Pawtucket City Council and Pawtucket General Assembly delegation are cordially invited to attend, as well as members of the general public, particularly veterans and military families.
All times are approximate. In the event of inclement weather, the 11 a.m. ceremony will be held in the Major Walter G. Gatchell Post, VFW, 159 Fountain St. at Blake Street (behind Tolman High School).
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HIKE
Please join the Ten Mile River Watershed Council for our Annual Father’s Day Paddle. We will meet at Kimberly Rock Sports Complex on Ferris Avenue in East Providence on Sunday, June 16, at 10:00 AM. We will paddle on Central Pond on the East Providence/Seekonk border and up the Ten Mile River into Slater Park in Pawtucket before turning around and heading back down river. This is an urban wilderness that is best viewed on the water. The paddle will be followed by a picnic. The cost is $5.00 for non members. Please register for this event by emailing ktggroup@aol.com. For more information about the Ten Mile River Watershed Council, visit www.tenmileriver.net.
Please join the Ten Mile River Watershed Council for our free annual Summer Solstice Hike. We will be meeting at the Seekonk Library on Newman Avenue in Seekonk on Friday, June 21, at 6:30 PM, the walk starts promptly at 6:45. From there we will be walking through Seekonk Meadows and the Charles Mararian Farm. The trail offers good views of Gameno Pond, Central Pond and some cellar holes being taken over by forest. This will be a 2.5 mile walk with some up and down, so bring water and wear sturdy shoes. Bug spray will be provided. Please register for this event by emailing bencote81@yahoo.com. For more information about the Ten Mile River Watershed Council, visit www.tenmileriver.net.
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The Rhode Island Post Card Club, organized on May 25, 1958, celebrates its 55th Birthday at its next meeting on Sunday May 26th, 2013 from 9 AM to 2 PM at the Knights of Columbus St. Anthony Council Hall, 1 Volturno Street in North Providence. The hall is easily accessible from Route 95 by taking the Branch Ave. exit and heading west. Turn right onto Charles St. and then left onto Volturno. Post cards of all descriptions including town views and holiday greetings are available. A potluck buffet will be enjoyed at noon. Guests and club members are requested to bring along their favorite dish. There is no admission charge.
A special presentation “Once Around the Bog: Tracing the History of Edaville with Postcards, Pictures, and other Ephemera” will be given at 1 PM. Club member Reinhard Wohlgemuth will attempt to answer the question “What is it about this place that makes many people return year after year and generation after generation?” as part of his PowerPoint presentation. As a postcard collector who prides himself of having all but one commercially published postcards of Edaville in his collection he also amassed many other interesting pieces of ephemera since he started visiting there in 1976. All his postcards and other pieces of his paper collection will be on display for you to peruse as part of the event.
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Lisa Baldelli Hunt
STATE HOUSE – The House Municipal Government Committee today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Lisa Baldelli Hunt to change the tax classification of apartment buildings with four to ten units from residential to commercial.
The legislation will allow tax relief for Woonsocket’s small businesses as well as residential taxpayers, she said.
“At a time when our city is being squeezed from every direction to raise revenue, this is a way to ease some of the burden on most taxpayers, from the single-family and triple-decker owners to those who own and operate small businesses throughout our city,” she said.
The legislation (2013-H 6102) would move four- to 10-unit rental properties from the residential tax rate, currently $32.26 per $1,000 of value, to the commercial tax rate, $38.27 per $1,000. The bill has one exception: Four-unit properties that are owner-occupied would be allowed to pay the residential rate, provided the owners fill out a form created by the city Tax Assessor’s office.
By increasing the number of properties paying the higher commercial rate, the city will be able to reduce both the commercial and the residential rates and still raise the same amount of revenue, said Representative Baldelli Hunt (D-Dist. 49, Woonsocket).
“This is, by no means, a panacea, but it will give some measure of relief to most Woonsocket taxpayers,” she said.
The bill, which is cosponsored by Rep. Robert D. Phillips (D-Dist. 51, Woonsocket, Cumberland) and Rep. Stephen M. Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), is expected to come to the House floor for a vote on Wednesday.
“With this change, we can ease the burden on the small businesses that are carrying a big load. We have to do something to stop the ones we have from leaving our city,” said Representative Casey.
Representative Phillips also testified in favor of the bill.
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Tim Brown (left), president and CEO of Jamie Oliver At Home, hosted a well-attended debut event for the new business on Wednesday, May 15 at its headquarters in Hope Artiste Village.
PAWTUCKET – An enthusiastic group of well-wishers crowded a large suite at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., for the launch event Wednesday night, May 15, for Jamie Oliver At Home, a direct sales business created by the British chef, TV personality, author and restaurateur.
According to its website, the new enterprise offers self-employed consultants the opportunity to host Jamie Oliver in-home parties featuring the celebrity chef’s wide “Jme” product range. “This new
venture celebrates and combines Jamie’s passion for food, education and bringing people together in the home,” according to the website, www.jamieoliverathome.com.
Company President and CEO Timothy J. Brown, a former executive with Princess House, said Jamie Oliver At Home shares a similar model. Brown at Wednesday’s event welcomed a visit from Charles Collis who he noted founded Princess House 50 years ago.
Tim Brown, president and CEO of Jamie Oliver At Home, with his daughter Meredith (left) accepts a proclamation presented by mayoral aide Lammis Vargas (center) from Mayor Donald R. Grebien welcoming the new business to the city.
Since launching in 2009, the similar Jamie at Home has enlisted more than 4,000 people to become one of the fastest growing direct sales businesses in the United Kingdom.
Brown, a Providence resident who said the Hope Artiste facility is ideal for his operation, said the city and Mayor Donald R. Grebien had been very welcoming to his new business. “Everybody’s been great. We love Pawtucket,” he said. Lammis Vargas, administrative assistant to the mayor, who was out of town and unable to attend but has been working with Brown for months, presented Brown with a mayoral proclamation elcoming the new business to the city.
Brown introduced his key staff people to the large crowd of well-wishers including his daughter Meredith, wife Amelia, deputy chief Mary Pat Smith, creative marketing director Michelle Girasole and vice president for sales Chad Leonard.
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AUDUBON OSPREY
LINDEN PLACE
PAWTUCKET ROTARY
TAYLOR ALLISON
