For over fifteen years, Mr. Fuller has been Associate Director for Operations and Technology at Seekonk Library and, since September, 2011, has been Interim Director.

He received his Master of Library Science from The University of Rhode Island in 1979 and a Master of Public Administration from URI in 1992.

He has been in public service since 1979; most of that time spent working in public libraries.  As a librarian, public administrator, policy analyst and computer system administrator, Mr. Fuller has spent his career deploying new information technologies and promoting innovative programs.

On learning of his appointment, Fuller thanked the Trustees, the staff and library users for their support and confidence. “I am looking forward to working with the Board, the Friends of the Library, the Library Trust and Town officials to provide the people of Seekonk with the exceptional library service that they demand and deserve.”

 The award was presented to Senator Tassoni at the Labor Assistance Professionals inaugural award luncheon, held today in North Providence.

Senator Tassoni was chosen to receive the award to acknowledge his years of service as a member of the Rhode Island Senate, as a community activist, a businessman and former union executive. He was also recognized for his sponsorship of legislation, now law, to establish a pilot “recovery high school” in Rhode Island, aimed at helping students recover from substance abuse disorders while earning their high school diploma.

 The Rhode Island Labor Assistance Professionals is an organization of employee assistance coordinators, benefit representatives, local union officers and joint program representatives. The group is dedicated to obtaining comprehensive alcohol, drug, mental health and other services for its members.

 Senator Tassoni, who is a founding member of the RI LAP, is currently serving his sixth term in the Senate. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government and member of the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans’ Affairs.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

6:00PM 

Join a famous frog, a glamorous pig, and their motley crew of friends for family movie night at the library. This new PG rated movie will be shown in the Campbell Auditorium. Bring snacks, a drink, and enjoy the show. Children under 9 are asked to bring a caregiver. 

The program is free and no registration is required.

 For more information call the Children’s Library at 725-3714 x209 or e-mail childrens@pawtucketlibrary.org

 For several weeks, 16 Burns Manor residents led by Beth Roberge and Terry McAloon have worked with cooperation from the Pawtucket Housing Authority and executive director Steve Vadnais, which operates Burns, and New Urban Farmers to bring a bland patch of ground to life.

 New Urban Farmers is supplying seedlings for peppers, cucumbers and other vegetables. The PHA is backing the effort with flowers along with hats and T-shirts.

 Burns Manor becomes the third PHA complex in the city to have spawned a garden, joining Fogarty Manor downtown and Galego Court on the west end of the city, which also boasts an aquaponics installation with three plastic geodesic domes overseen by New Urban Farmers.

 More on New Urban Farmers is available at www.newurbanfarmers.com. The website for the Pawtucket Housing Authority is www.pawthousing.org.

 Yesterday, Keith Stokes offered his resignation as Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), which I accepted.

 I thank Keith for his service to Rhode Island, not only at the helm of the EDC, but also as a former Board member of that agency and as the long-time Executive Director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce.

 Keith is committed to seeing Rhode Island succeed and I am confident that he will continue to be very involved in the state he loves.

Friends and families joined faculty and staff for the annual Academic Awards and Class Night ceremony in the Griswold Theatre.

Cooper, a junior majoring in Crimiinal Justice and Poltical Science, received the Political Science Award.

At the ceremony, Senior Class President Jana Gleason gave the welcoming address and Sarah Calgreen delivered the Ivy Oration.

American International College is a private, coeducational institution founded in 1885, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in the schools of Arts, Sciences and Education, Business Administration, Health Sciences and Continuing Education.

The flag of the Salvation Army will fly throughout this week outside City Hall during National Salvation Army Week. From right, Vivian Spencer, representing Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s office, Ernest Carlucci, deputy chief of staff for Congressman David Cicilline, Salvation Army board members Rep. J. Patrick O’Neill of Pawtucket, Lisa Dandeneau and Donna Gregson, Mayor Grebien, and Salvation Army Capt. Leo Sanclemente, with members and supporters of the Salvation Army.

PAWTUCKET — Members and supporters of the Pawtucket Corps of the Salvation Army, which was founded in the city in 1894, were on hand as Mayor Donald R. Grebien declared May 14-20 as “National Salvation Army Week in the City of Pawtucket” during a flag-raising ceremony held Monday, May 14 at City Hall.

During ceremonies Monday, May 14 in City Hall, (from left) Lisa
Dandeneau, board chair, and Capt. Leo Sanclemente of the Pawtucket Corps of the Salvation Army accept congratulations from Mayor Donald R. Grebien, who holds a mayoral proclamation designating this week as “National Salvation Army Week in the City of Pawtucket.”

National Salvation Army Week was first declared by President Eisenhower in 1954 as a reminder for Americans to give freely of themselves.

Capt. Leo Sanclemente, who with his wife Capt. Persida Sanclemente are the chief executive officers of the Pawtucket Corps of the Salvation Army, gives invocation during the ceremony in City Hall.

On Thursday, May 17, the Pawtucket Corps will celebrate substantial completion of a landmark rehab project of its 102 High St. headquarters with an open house beginning at noon, where it will honor several long time benefactors.

Mary Duffy Messier

Rep. Mary Duffy Messier (D-Dist. 62, Pawtucket, East Providence) is continuing to submit legislation focusing on Pawtucket issues, including a bill last week that would assist one of the city’s most well-known nonprofits: the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club.

The bill (2012-H 8128) would grant an increase in city tax exemptions for all personal and real property owned by the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club. The legislation is slated to receive a hearing from the House Municipal Government Committee on Thursday in Room 201 at the Rise of the House (approximately 5:30 p.m.).

“The Boys & Girls Club does so much for the city of Pawtucket,” said Representative Messier. “Giving the organization what it needs to continue providing essential services to our youth is simply a smart move for the city. We need to support the individuals, organizations and businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities.”

The representative also submitted legislation (2012-H 7160) earlier in the year to establish a restricted receipt account to pay for repair, maintenance and restoration of all streets used as a detour during the Pawtucket River Bridge project. She said after listening to her constituents, it only seemed right to her to take some of the millions of dollars collected in weight and axle restriction fees from the Pawtucket River Bridge and put it toward repairing the routes used for detours.

Additionally, her efforts to affect change statewide has been evidenced in her bill (2012-H 7660) to increase penalties and fines for motor vehicle offenses related to leaving the scene of an accident.

“That is an issue I feel strongly about, and I think it’s also an issue that has been overlooked in the past,” the representative said of her bill. “The consequences for a motorists’ decision to leave the scene need to be up to snuff with the level of wrongdoing. If we don’t take these offenses seriously, neither will those who commit them.”

Mostly, she says, she has enjoyed hearing from her constituents on the issues that are important to them this year.

“I think the legislation I have introduced so far reflects their desire for a better quality of life in Rhode Island,” Representative Messier said. “I look forward to keeping the conversation going with District 62.”

Governor Signs Executive Order in Ceremony with Rhode Islanders Who Have Experienced Difficulty Interacting with State Government

 Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today signed Executive Order 12-02, directing all state departments, agencies, and offices to recognize the lawful marriages of same-sex couples as valid for any purpose arising in the execution of their duties and to review their operations and take all actions necessary to extend respect to these marriages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Governor’s action represents a continuation of current state law and is consistent with the opinion issued by the Attorney General in 2007 stating that recognizing the valid marriages of same-sex couples does not violate Rhode Island public policy.

            Governor Chafee was joined at the State House signing ceremony by a number of Rhode Islanders who have experienced difficulty in performing routine business with the state.

            “Today, I am signing Executive Order 12-02 to make it clear that Rhode Island recognizes and respects out-of-state same-sex marriages,” Governor Chafee said. “Despite long-standing Rhode Island law respecting out-of-state marriages, and a formal 2007 opinion from the Attorney General, there remains confusion and inconsistency within state departments and agencies regarding the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages. Far too many Rhode Island couples have encountered problems with the state failing to consistently recognize the validity of their marriage, causing unnecessary difficulty, anxiety, and expense. This executive order sends a clear message to married Rhode Islanders, regardless of their sexual orientation, that they can and should rely on their marriage to protect them and their families in important ways.”

            Deborah Tevyaw and Martha and Patricia Holt-Castle joined the Governor at the signing ceremony. Deborah is the widow of Pat Baker, a career corrections officer who passed away last August after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. She spent the last months of her life lobbying members of the General Assembly to pass marriage equality. Pat and Deb were married for six years. After Pat died, Deb received a death certificate from the Department of Health that was inaccurate – it listed Pat as not being married and only included Deb as being the “source of information” relative to Pat’s passing. They were legally married for six years. Additionally, Deb encountered significant problems at the DMV when trying to transfer the title of the car she and Pat owned, which had been registered under Pat’s name. Pat was represented by GLAD, who advocated on her behalf to the governor’s office, and eventually the death certificate was corrected and the transfer was allowed to go through.

            “I know that Pat is watching today, and I know that she is very proud of this moment,” Deborah said.

Martha and Patricia Holt-Castle live in Pawtucket and have been married for almost five years. In 2010, they had their first son, Tobin. Martha gave birth to Tobin, but when they tried to have her wife Patricia’s name added to his birth certificate, they were told by the staff at Women and Infant’s Hospital that was not allowable. Martha and Patricia were legally married in Massachusetts.

“This obviously means a great deal to both Patty and me and is another way the state recognizes our family,” Martha said. “This brings a level of security to our family in a chaotic time in the days and weeks following a birth and is one less thing we have to worry about.”

Pawtucket, RI — The Rhode Island Summer Gospel Series and Woodlawn Baptist Church celebrates the start of their 2012 concerts on Friday, May 18 with a visit from the Mark Trammell Quartet.

 The concert starts at 7 p.m. at Woodlawn Baptist Church, located at 337 Lonsdale Avenue, the corner of Weeden Street and Lonsdale Avenue.Trammell was a member of some of Southern Gospel Music’s greatest groups before forming the Mark Trammell Trio about ten years ago.  Southern gospel legend George Younce,  called Trammell, who spent a decade with the Cathedrals, “one of the best quartet men in the business.”  Along the way, Trammel also had stretches with the Kingsmen and Greater Vision.

Trammel should be a familiar face to those who have followed the Gaither Homecoming events in person, or on national television.   “When you’re talking about the greats, you have to mention Mark Trammell,” Gospel Music Hall proprietor Francis Fulton said.

The Rhode Island Summer Gospel Series at Woodlawn is bring five nationally-known gospel quartets to  Pawtucket, giving concert goers a close-up look at groups that often play large arenas. There is no admission charge, but a love offering will be taken..

 Future concerts include a June 22 appearance by Tribute, Called Out in July, the Blackwood Brothers in August, and the Lesters in September.  All concerts  are free and will be held in the main church auditorium at the corner of Lonsdale Avenue and Weeden Street in Pawtucket.