The Daily Press http://pawtuckettimes.com http://pawtuckettimes.com/apfeed.xml--1 Copyright The Daily Press 2012-10-03T22:53:37-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:61522012-10-03T18:44:30-04:002012-10-03T18:44:30-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesFollowing several machine recounts of the close race, the state Board of Elections certified primary election results on Sept. 19 showing incumbent Rep. William San Bento as the winner by one vote over Tobon. The board also rejected Tobon's request for a manual recount, prompting the ACLU to get involved.On Tuesday, attorneys for both San Bento and the Board of Elections submitted their responses of objection to the petition for a writ of certiari. A conference was held at the Supreme Court with the judges on Wednesday morning and a decision on the petition could be made as soon as Thursday, according to a source.In a press release announcing its decision to take on Tobon's case, the ACLU said that Tobon's “purported” one vote loss to San Bento “has been mired in controversy and confusion since election night.” It is stated that the petition will seek a review of the election results “in light of multiple errors that have come to light about the conduct of that election.”In a response filed on Tuesday, San Bento's lawyers wrote that “this court should see the petition of Carlos Tobon for what it is: a last ditch effort to manufacture some sort of an election controversy where none exists.” Drafted by attorney Jon M. Anderson and Frederic A. Marzilli, the response states that Tobon has “no evidence to support his claim, let alone evidence sufficient to satisfy the Buonnano standard (which maintains that Tobon had waited too long to file his petition since the general election ballots have already been printed). It further states that what Tobon is seeking—an order for a manual recount--“violates both the United States and the Rhode Island Constitutions.”Also responding on Tuesday was the Rhode Island Board of Elections, which submitted its objection to the petition by Tobon through attorneys Raymond A. Marcaccio and Peter F. Spencer. The response maintains that Tobon had been afforded “extraordinary relief” by the Board of Elections, including having had each ballot counted “publicly, objectively, and uniformly.”Additionally, the Board's attorneys wrote, Tobon has received a copy of every ballot (precinct, mail and provisional) that was rejected by the OPTECH reader and each of these rejected ballots was reviewed by the Board Commissioners to determine the voter's intent. They wrote that Tobon also received copies of each tape that tallied the ballot counts.The Board's attorneys also wrote that despite the repeated recounts, Tobon never had more ballots cast in his favor than that of San Bento. They noted that Tobon tied San Bento only once—and only when the Board ran 49 (rather than 50) mail ballots through the OPTECH reader.Both San Bento's and the Board of Election's attorneys submitted evidence of a “discrepancy report” that reportedly explains the missing ballot application that was unaccounted for at the Nathanael Greene Elementary School polling place. The fact that there was one more ballot than what the number of ballot applications could account for at that precinct had been a key point of Tobon's petition. According to a discrepancy report filed by the Nathanael Greene precinct supervisor Colleen Fonseca, when Pawtucket resident Tammy Lee Murray came to vote, she learned her name was not listed at the precinct and was told her voting place was at another location. Murray reportedly noted that her husband's name was listed at Nathanael Greene and she couldn't understand why hers wasn't listed there as well.Fonseca stated that a call was placed to the Board of Canvassers and a clerk was told to have Murray fill out a “voter affirmation card.” She wrote that Murray did this and then proceeded to get a ballot and voted without also filling out a ballot application. “Therefore, our count is off by one,” wrote Fonseca.Other points raised by the ACLU as to why a manual recount should be granted to Tobon included the fact that the count from election night and three separate recounts by the Board of Elections generated four different results—despite using the same electronic ballot reader for tabulation of mail ballots.The ACLU petition also alleges that “disquieting questions have arisen regarding the manner with which certain mail ballots have been treated that post-date the Board of Election recounts and the administrative hearing regarding those recounts.” The petition states, “Given these facts, which are undisputed, no one can plausibly maintain any confidence in the accuracy of the official results of this primary.” In their response, San Bento's attorneys wrote that “while it is a half truth that four different machine counts of the ballot yielded four different results, even accepting the half truth Mr. Tobon has to concede is that he did not win any of them. Indeed, he received the same 543 votes in all four of them. What changed were the number of votes Rep. San Bento received.”San Bento's attorneys also maintain that the court cannot impose a manual recount of all ballots because Rhode Island General Law 17-19-37.1 (1)(a) states that the only method by which a recount may be conducted is “by a manual refeeding of the computer ballots cast in said race into the optical scan voting equipment.” Moreover, they state that the “standardless manual recount sought by Mr. Tobon is a direct affront to the Equal Protection guarantee afforded to Rep. San Bento and the 544 voters who cast their ballot for him.”Pawtucket, RIBy DONNA KENNY KIRWANACLU files Supreme Court petition seeking recountPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:6152Change0Usable2012-10-03T18:44:30-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:61532012-10-03T18:45:49-04:002012-10-03T18:45:49-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesPawtucket, RIErnest A. BrownFOLLOW THE LEADERPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:6153Change0Usable2012-10-03T18:45:49-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:61562012-10-03T22:53:37-04:002012-10-03T22:53:37-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesObama in turn accused his rival of seeking to "double down" on economic policies that actually led to the devastating national downturn four years ago — and of evasiveness on details for Romney proposals on tax changes, health care, Wall Street regulation and more.Both men made frequent references to the weak economy and high national unemployment, by far the dominant issue in the race for the White House. Public opinion polls show Obama with a slight advantage in key battleground states and nationally, and Romney was particularly aggressive, like a man looking to shake up the campaign with a little less than five weeks to run.With a prime-time television audience likely counted in the tens of millions, moderator Jim Lehrer was pressed at time to enforce time limits on the two rivals. The president occasionally shook his head as Romney talked over Lehrer.And Romney virtually lectured Obama at one point after the president accused him of seeking to cut education funds. "Mr. President, you're entitled to your own airplane and your own house, but not your own facts."Romney said he had plans to fix the economy, repeal Obama's health care plan, remake Medicare, pass a substitute for the legislation designed to prevent another financial crash and reduce deficits — but he provided no specifics despite Obama's prodding.Said Obama: "At some point the American people have to ask themselves: Is the reason Governor Romney is keeping all these plans secret, is it because they're going to be too good? Because middle class families benefit too much? No."At times the debate turned into rapid-fire charges and retorts that drew on dense facts and figures that were difficult to follow. The men argued over oil industry subsidies, federal spending as a percentage of the GDP, Medicare cuts, taxes and small businesses and the size of the federal deficit and how it grew.Obama sometimes seemed somewhat professorial. Romney was more assertive and didn't hesitate to interrupt the president or the moderator.Despite the wonky tone of the debate, Romney managed to make some points by personalizing his comments with recollections of people he said he had met on the campaign trail. In another folksy reference, Romney told Lehrer, a veteran of the Public Broadcasting Service, that he would stop the federal subsidy to PBS even though "I love Big Bird."Generally polite but pointed, the two men agreed about little if anything.Obama said his opponent's plan to reduce all tax rates by 20 percent would cost $5 trillion and benefit the wealthy at the expense of middle income taxpayers.Shot back Romney: "Virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate."The former Massachusetts governor and businessman added that Obama's proposal to allow the expiration of tax cuts on upper-level income would mean tax increases on small businesses that create jobs by the hundreds of thousands.The two campaign rivals clasped hands and smiled as they strode onto the debate stage at the University of Denver, then waved to the audience before taking their places behind identical lecterns.There was a quick moment of laughter, when Obama referred to first lady Michelle Obama as "sweetie" and noted it was their 20th anniversary.Romney added best wishes, and said to the first couple, "I'm sure this is the most romantic place you could imagine, here with me."Both candidates' wives were in the audience.The two men debated before a television audience likely to be counted in the tens of millions. They will meet twice more this month, and their running mates once, but in past election years, viewership has sometimes fallen off after the first encounter.Without saying so, the two rivals quickly got to the crux of their race — Romney's eagerness to turn the contest into a referendum on the past four years while the incumbent desires for voters to choose between his plan for the next four years and the one his rival backs.Romney ticked off the dreary economic facts of life — a sharp spike in food stamps, economic growth "lower this year than last" and "23 million people out of work or stropped looking for work."But Obama criticized Romney's prescriptions and his refusal to raise taxes and said, "if you take such an unbalanced approach then that means you are going to be gutting our investment in schools and education ... health care for seniors in nursing homes (and) for kids with disabilities."Not surprisingly, the two men disagreed over Medicare, a flash point since Romney placed Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan on his ticket.The president repeatedly described Romney's plan as a "voucher program" that would raise out-of-pocket costs on seniors.He continued, directly addressing the voters at home: "If you're 54 or 55 you might want to listen because this will affect you."Romney said he doesn't support any changes for current retirees or those close to retirement."If you're 60 or 60 and older you don't need to listen further," he said, but he contended that fundamental changes are needed to prevent the system from becoming insolvent as millions of baby boom generation Americans become eligible.Romney also made a detailed case for repealing Obamacare, the name attached to the health care plan that Obama pushed through Congress in 2010. "It has killed jobs," he said, and argued that the best approach is to "do what we did in my state."Though he didn't say so, when he was governor Massachusetts passed legislation that required residents to purchase coverage — the so-called individual mandate that conservatives and he oppose on a national level.Romney also said that Obamacare would cut $716 billion from Medicare over the next decade.The president said the changes were part of a plan to lengthen the program's life, and he added that AARP, the seniors lobby, supports it.Jim Lehrer of PBS drew moderator's duties, with Obama getting the first question and Romney the last word.Five weeks before Election Day, early voting is under way in scattered states and beginning in more every day. Opinion polls show Obama with an advantage nationally and in most if not all of the battleground states where the race is most likely to be decided.That put particular pressure on Romney to come up with a showing strong enough to alter the course of the campaign.The sputtering economy served as the debate backdrop, as it has for virtually everything else in the 2012 campaign for the White House. Obama took office in the shadow of an economic crisis but promised a turnaround that hasn't materialized. Economic growth has been sluggish throughout his term, with unemployment above 8 percent since before he took office.The customary security blended with a festival-like atmosphere in the surrounding area on a warm and sunny day. The Lumineers performed for free, and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am delivered a pep talk of sorts to Obama's supporters. School officials arranged to show the debate on monitors outside the hall for those without tickets.There was local political theater, too, including female Romney supporters wearing short shorts and holding signs that said, "What War On Women?" — a rebuttal to claims by Obama and the Democrats.Both campaigns engaged in a vigorous pre-debate competition to set expectations, each side suggesting the other had built-in advantages.Romney took part in 19 debates during the campaign for the Republican primary early in the year. The president has not been onstage with a political opponent since his last face-to-face encounter with Arizona Sen. John McCain, his Republican rival in 2008.Obama and Romney prepared for the evening with lengthy practice sessions. Romney selected Ohio Sen. Rob Portman as a stand-in for the president; Obama turned to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to play the Republican role.The two presidential rivals also are scheduled to debate on Oct. 16 in Hempstead, N.Y., and Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla.Pawtucket, RIDAVID ESPO and JULIE PACE (AP)Obama, Romney clash on economy in first debatePawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:6156Change0Usable2012-10-03T22:53:37-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:7372010-10-18T17:38:06-04:002010-10-18T17:38:06-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesWitnesses told officers the man demanded money from a female teller. She immediately gave the suspect cash before he left the bank, located at 1021 Fall River Ave., and entered a green minivan, which had been parked near a planter abutting a nearby McDonald's restaurant.The van reportedly traveled onto Highland Avenue and moved westbound toward East Providence. Mace indicated the van's rear plate may have been obscured for the purpose of concealing it from potential witnesses, and suspect vehicle information was immediately broadcast to Seekonk and East Providence Police officers. They searched the area for the van, but were unable to locate it. Seekonk detectives had begun working with Bank of America officials to investigate the heist.Anyone with any knowledge or pertinent information about the crime is asked to contact Det. Thomas Hedrick at the Seekonk Police Department at (508) 336-8123.Pawtucket, RIJon BakerMasked bandit robs Seekonk bankPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:737Change0Usable2010-10-18T17:38:06-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:8382010-10-24T22:59:07-04:002010-10-24T22:59:07-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesNever was that more evident than Thursday evening, when Frost — as President/Chief Executive Officer of ATW Companies Inc. of Warwick — hosted a Grand Opening celebration of a new manufacturing business named Parmatech-Proform Corp., located at 825 Waterman Ave.There was no hiding Frost's elation as he introduced the new 25,000 square-foot site to Gov. Donald Carcieri, General Treasurer/gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Mayor Joseph Larisa and other honored guests.“I feel incredibly proud of this place,” said Frost, a down-home, amiable sort who admitted before the ribbon-cutting with the governor to being nervous about delivering his speech. “A.T. Wall, the founding father of this company, has been in Warwick (previously Providence) since 1886. I'm a native Rhode Islander and I live in Narragansett, and anything we can do as a corporation with the legacy we have to help the state's economy, I feel, is a social obligation.“I feel married to Rhode Island, and it's of paramount importance to our companies to do what we can to contribute to the state,” he added. “We want to be part of bringing Rhode Island back to where it was, where it needs to be.”ATW Companies is the parent to four businesses, including A.T. Wall Co. of Warwick; Judson A. Smith Co. of Boyertown, Pa.; Parmatech Corp. of Petaluma, Calif.; and now Parmatech-Proform in East Providence.As a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATW, Proform focuses on metal injection molding (MIM) and secondary MIM operations for the medical, telecommunications, firearms, hand tools, semiconductor and electronic packaging markets. It's main purpose is to augment and complement Parmatech's Claifornia-based MIM operation.Proform had been located in New Bedford, but Frost decided to move it to East Providence for several reasons, the most significant being he wanted it in Rhode Island.“We needed to expand our facilities (at Parmatech) in California; pure and simple, we ran out of room,” said Proform General Manager Brian McBride. “That meant getting out of our building in Petaluma or move it out of state, and that's what we decided to do.“Two years ago, we had a choice of green fielding — starting from scratch — or finding a small MIM company we could buy,” he continued. “We found Proform, a small division of Morgan Alberox in New Bedford. Once we made the purchase (in Sept. 2009), Morgan Alberox officials wanted us to pull out of the building, so we chose this site. We did that so our 12 employees could work here without a lengthy commute.”Stated Frost: “ATW Companies is very excited about expanding within Rhode Island, our long-established headquarters and base of operations. In addition to increasing our capacities on the East Coast, we expect the new facility will generate over 100 jobs to the area over the next three years.”Those jobs would include manufacturing technicians, manufacturing line employees, mechanical quality technicians, product and processing engineers and business support personnel (such as secretaries, public relations people, etc.).Proform is located at the old EFD Co. building, and Ron Mitchell Construction Co. of Ashaway began demolition/reconstruction/renovation work this past January. Mitchell, the owner, indicated he worked closely with his construction manager, Paul Yoe, in developing such plans.The move became official Sept. 3; that's when the 15 employees (three new ones have been hired since) went to work.When asked what Proform does exactly, McBride indicated workers take a metal powder with a bonding agent, then shoot it into a mold to create what he calls a “green part.” It then is sent through a sintering process, which shrinks the part by about 20 percent and turns it into a solid state.McBride also mentioned they use a furnace to “sinter,” one that reaches heat of over 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.“We have a lot of parts that go into firearms, medical instruments/devices, orthodontic/dental brackets, cellphones and the like, so we're producing custom metal components,” he noted. “We then sell these parts to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Any company who needs a small complex metal part, we make it for them.”D.J. Lauck, a sales manager out of the Petaluma plant, explained companies go to them and ask if they can fabricate a metal part through the MIM process – at competitive prices. If the answer is yes, they begin work.Frost estimated the cost of the building and its new equipment at between $7.5-10 million. One piece, in fact, he bought from Tiyoda-Serec Inc. of Quonset.“I did that because it was another Rhode Island company,” Frost offered. “Anything I can do to buy not only American products but those made in Rhode Island or New England, I'll do. Right now, it's all about re-qualifying our projects with our customers, making sure they're satisfied. They need to know we have control over our quality processes and products.“We're also looking right now for engineering staff to step in and help us,” he added. “This process is 90-percent thinking and 10-percent doing. We need talented engineers to lay out the process. That will ensure we're making those quality parts.”Sen. Whitehouse, for one, admitted being impressed with the facility.“It's incredibly exciting; Proform is a manufacturing company that has chosen to relocate to Rhode Island, and has great high-technology knowhow,” he said. “It's also driven by Peter's enthusiasm. He understands Rhode Island is a great place for this kind of work. It's exciting when you see business leaders who believe this is a great place to grow a company.”Caryn Mitchell, ATW Companies' Chief Financial Officer, agreed.“It feels great to bring manufacturing jobs to Rhode Island,” she said. “The fact that so many manufacturing jobs have moved offshore is a tragedy. We want to make it known it's happening with us in Rhode Island.”Before the ribbon-cutting, Carcieri revealed he loves attending manufacturing business openings “because it gets the juices flowing. You people are doing real things. I've known the Frosts for a number of years, and they have such a great history. It's a great company.“I'm really excited about talking to Peter about what he wants to do for East Providence and the state,” he continued. “People are focused on manufacturing and how we compete. I still say the United States is the best place to do business, though there is tough competition from Asia, the Pacific.“I'm thrilled you're relocating in Rhode Island, Peter ... We need to grow the economy of this state. It's all with an eye toward making our state competitive.”Carcieri then gave Frost a citation from the Governor's Office, wishing the Frosts and Proform great success in future years.Mayor Larisa also proclaimed Oct. 21, 2010 ATW Companies Day in the city, and the audience – which previously had been served hors d'oeuvres and cocktails – applauded loudly inside Proform's cafeteria.“Our goals? A year from now, we hope to be at $3.5 million in revenue, and – within five years – up to approximately $20 million,” Frost explained. “We're hoping to expand as quickly as possible. We may not reach those numbers right away, but that's where we want to be.”Pawtucket, RIJon BakerManufacturer opens shop in East ProvidencePawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:838Change0Usable2010-10-24T22:59:07-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:7312010-10-18T15:01:09-04:002010-10-18T15:01:09-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesThose answers were trotted out once again Thursday at Brown University in response to questions posed by political science Professor Marion Orr before a mostly student audience that filled one of the school’s lecture halls.Democrat Frank Caprio talked about getting each of the state’s small businesses to hire one person, and told the tale of the family sitting around their kitchen table deciding which bills to pay and which to put off for another month.Independent Lincoln Chafee once again boasted about his “vision” in planning to locate a train station next to Green Airport – the closest Amtrak station to a major airport in the country and his work in the Senate to get the funding to make it a reality.Republican John Robitaille reminded everyone once again that Rhode Island doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem and needs to cut spending and lower taxes,Moderate Ken Block told of the billion dollars his computer software firm saved the state of Texas and how that success could be repeated here and how the Economic Development Corporation’s loan guarantee deal with Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios “is not economic development, it’s economic desperation.”But all that familiarity of appearing together behind lecterns several times a week may now be breeding contempt.Block, who perhaps has the least to lose because he is still mired in the single digits in the polls, but who needs to get at least 5 percent of the vote on November 2 to keep his fledgling party alive, is the one of the Fab Four – Independent candidates Joseph Lusi, Todd Giroux and Ronald Algieri, while they will appear on the ballot, seldom get invited to these events -- who most freely throws elbows at his opponents.At the Brown forum, Block derided Caprio’s line that he would “put wind at the back of small businesses as “meaningless drivel,” saying that as a small businessman it does not give him the incentive to hire one employee.He ridiculed Chafee for proposing a 1 percent increase in the sales tax that would raise almost $100 million, then saying he would use it to cover several hundred million dollars worth of various programs. He questioned whether Chafee would use it to send illegal aliens to college when a question came up about allowing undocumented students who graduate from Rhode Island high schools top pay lower in-state tuition at state colleges.Block said, “John Robitaille says he is going to slash and burn the budget, but he won’t tell us exactly what he is going to do.”Chafee blew an opportunity for an easy applause line during opening statements when, after Block appealed to the student audience not to hate him because he graduate from Ivy League rival Dartmouth College and Caprio made reference to attending Harvard, Chafee failed to appeal to the hometown crowd by saying he graduated from Brown. Robitaille attended Providence College.All four candidates agreed that they do not favor the proposed constitutional amendment to change the official state name, dropping the “and Providence Plantations” and just keeping State of Rhode Island. While some minority groups say the word plantations is offensive because of its associations with antebellum slavery in the Old Confederacy, Robitaille said, “prejudice is in the heart, not on a piece of paper. Chafee noted that “the very important word Providence is in there as well.” Chafee also contends that because the U.S. Constitution makes reference to Rhode Island and Providence Plantations as one of the original 13 states, that document would have to be amended as well.The candidates for the most part said they favor all three of the bond issues that will be on the November ballot as well, one for transportation funding, one to construct and refurbish buildings at the University of Rhode Island and Rode Island College, and a third to purchase open space at the former Rocky Point and on the Providence waterfront as well as to make improvements to Fort Adams in Newport.Chafee, Caprio and Block all reaffirmed their support for same-sex marriage, but Robitaille, while he favors civil unions, says he would stop at extending the term marriage beyond the relationship between one man and one woman.On immigration, Chafee and Caprio clashed, with Chafee saying one of his first acts as governor would be to repeal Gov. Donald Carcieri’s executive order requiring state vendors to use the federal E-Verify system to ensure that all their employees are eligible to work in this country and having State Police and corrections officers work with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to identify and deport illegal aliens who are arrested in Rhode Island. Caprio said he would continue the order.Robitaille said he would continue the executive order but modify it to make it similar to a Florida law that “contains significant deterrents to profiling.”Block says he supports E-Verify, but is “against any policy that would encourage ethnic or racial profiling.”Chafee would grant in-state tuition to undocumented students who graduate high school here. Caprio said he would prefer to see the same goal accomplished through federal legislation called “the DREAM Act.”Robitaille and Block both opposed the notion.Robitaille said “While we have veterans living under bridges and children still going to bed hungry and people living in substandard housing, I don’t think directing resources to people who should not be here makes sense.” He called it a case of “screwed-up priorities.”Pawtucket, RIJim BaronDebates starting to breed contempPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:731Change0Usable2010-10-18T15:01:09-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:7322010-10-18T15:15:19-04:002010-10-18T15:15:19-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesThe company has recently purchased a 24,000-square foot building to house its retail and wholesale operations at 50 Division St., relocating from its former leased space at 225 Conant St. in Pawtucket. Providence Yarn is expected to occupy and operate out of its new location in early November, and will also be holding a grand opening of its retail store, The Yarn Outlet (date to be announced).Providence Yarn President Terry Schuster noted that the new headquarters, formerly known as the Toole Building, will be renamed the Charles Samdperil Building, in memory of her father, Charles Samdperil. He served as president of Providence Yarn from 1986 to 2005.“Our eighty-year-old company was founded by my grandfather, Isadore Samdperil, and has been in three locations throughout its history,” she said.According to Schuster, Providence Yarn continues today under third-genera¬tion family ownership when she succeed¬ed her late father, Charles, in 2006.“This move will allow our company to expand both its retail knitting yarn store as well as its wholesale distribution and supply-chain partnership operations of industrial yarns, allowing us to better meet the needs of our customers,” saidSchuster. Currently, the company employs 10 people and plans to increase its workforce as its operations grow, she added.Andrew Schuster, Terry Schuster's step-son, is employed as director of new business development, where he will be involved with the industrial yarn whole¬sale operations. This part of the business will be expanding its offerings of indus¬trial yarns and fibers for a variety of applications, including industrial, medical, geo-textile, and water filtration, as well as its traditional applications including rope, narrow fabrics, and wire and cable. Schuster noted that Providence Yarn is a supply chain partner, assisting customers with inventory management and technical solutions.The retail store known as the Yarn Outlet will be in a bigger and brighter new space, with easy access from Division Street and ample parking. Schuster said that the store will expand the number, styles, fibers and colors of knitting yarns it provides as well as a selection of patterns and books.“Yarn Outlet staff will be offering additional knitting classes for all knitters from beginners to experts,” Schuster said.Schuster added that the popular “Sit n' Knit” sessions will be held in an expanded area of the retail store where there is room for participants to relax, work together, share their stories and receive help on knitting projects.In addition, a new program, “Knit for the Needy,” will provide special discounts to customers who create knit gloves, scarves, sweaters and quilts for those in need. The collected items will be distributed through local religious groups and other organizations.Schuster said that the com¬pany had been looking for a new location for awhile and just happened to learn that the Toole building was available. “When we saw it, we knew it was right,” she stated.” We are excited to keep our company in Pawtucket, especially with its long historical ties to the city.”Providence Yarn does no manufacturing, so the use fit in well with the city's zoning in the riverfront district, Schuster said. The new space also offers better room and configuration for its warehousing operations, and convenient parking and truck access.Schuster noted that former Pawtucket Planning Director Michael Cassidy, interim Planning Director Barney Heath, and Herb Weiss, the city's Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, were very helpful to her company during the acquisition and regulatory approval process.“On a personal level, we feel fortunate to keep the family tradition here in the city. We've always been in Pawtucket and Pawtucket has been good to us,” Schuster said.Pawtucket, RIDonna Kenny KirwanProvidence Yarn RelocatesPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:732Change0Usable2010-10-18T15:15:19-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:7332010-10-18T15:50:48-04:002010-10-16T15:20:15-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket Timesflare up in the rubble of the Union Wadding Mill complex as late asFriday afternoon, keeping city firefighters busy. According to RobertHowe, the city's Emergency Management Director, two enginecompanies and a ladder truck remained on the scene, trying to dousesmoldering areas of the sprawling, circa 1847 brick building.Howe said that fire officials were concerned about the stability of the remaining exterior brick walls of the mill building along Goff Street and Pine Street, so detours would remain in place until further notice along Goff Avenue and from Pine Street to BayleyStreet. Another matter of concern, Howe said, was the forecast of an impending nighttime storm that could bring rain and high winds, further weakening the remaining walls. He said fire crewswould be on hand throughout the night to keep a close eye on the burntout structure. Fire Capt. Steven Parent, the city's fire marshal, said that a crew of fire investigators from the city, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms would be entering the site on Saturday morning to begin sifting through the rubble as part of the investigationinto the cause of Wednesday night's seven-alarm blaze. Parent said the electricity had been turned on by mid-day Friday and thetenants of The Lofts apartments, located in two smaller buildings nextto the Union Wadding mill, had been allowed back into their homes.City Building Official John Hanley said that the apartment buildings are basically unconnected to the main mill complex except for a couple of small fire wall separators. He said theelectricity had been restored and by Friday afternoon, the gas companyhad given clearance for the gas to be turned back on. He said that once the main fire in the mill complex had been brought under control, it was more of a matter of inconvenience for the tenantsto return than a safety issue.Pawtucket, RIDonna Kenny KirwanHot spots at Union Wadding Mill keeping firefighters busyPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:733Change0Usable2010-10-16T15:20:15-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:8032010-10-19T21:51:51-04:002010-10-19T21:51:51-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket TimesIn a ceremony at the Hope Artiste Village, city resident Richard Kazarian, a noted historian, antiques dealer and civic leader, was the recipient of the 2010 Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities. In addition, nationally recognized, award-winning singer, songwriter and storyteller Bill Harley, of Seekonk, Mass., was given the 2010 Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities.Billed “A Night of Curiosity,” the event, which featured a live auction as well as a performance by Harley, drew an eclectic and artsy crowd to the renovated mill complex on Main Street. Patrons of the arts and a smattering of politicians mingled with artists from around the state in what was RICH’s 8th Annual Celebration of the Humanities.Mary-Kim Arnold, RICH’s executive director, noted that the focus this year was on civic education. Through its efforts, RICH has awarded more than $245,000 in grants to support independent scholars and organizations in their humanities projects. She noted that “curious, creative and expansive thinkers make for a better community” and said that both Kazarian and Harley were chosen because they embody this description as well as care deeply about their community.Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, whose husband, Tom Roberts, was RICH’s founding director, presented Kazarian with this year’s prize. The prize is awarded annually to an individual or group whose work is distinguished by “inventive, imaginative and original inquiry in the humanities.”Citing Kazarian’s far-reaching work with everything from chairing the Pawtucket River Bridge task force to moderating the city’s recent mayoral debates, Roberts said the term “civic provocateur” was an apt description for him. “And I can’t think of a better thing to be,” she added.Kazarian spoke of growing up in the city during hardscrabble times when immigrant parents toiled in the local mills to provide a better life for their children. He noted the irony of honoring the humanities in mill buildings such as Hope Artiste, where the poor working conditions of yesteryear would appear to run contrary to the values RICH holds dear. Yet, he noted how in its broadest sense, “the humanities is about elevating the spirit,” and said the mill setting served to provoke thought and to highlight the importance of “lifting the city” so it can begin to “right historic wrongs.”U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, an honorary board co-chair, presented Harley with his award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities. The award is presented annually to an individual or group “whose career achievements demonstrate humanities excellence, reflect RICH’s mission and core values, and enrich public life in Rhode Island.”Whitehouse noted that among Harley's many accomplishments, which includes releasing 29 albums, authoring 10 children's books and winning two Grammy awards, Entertainment Weekly labeled him “the Mark Twain of contemporary children’s music. He also noted that the prolific writer and recording artist is a long-time commentator on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” has worked on numerous theatrical productions, and is currently promoting a new spoken-word CD, The Best Candy in the Whole World, and conducting research for a new book on the culture of schools.Harley, a native of Ohio, noted that while he makes his home “across the border” in Seekonk, he has always maintained a strong connection to Rhode Island and said the reason he loves the smallest state is “here in this room, in this moment. Despite all we’ve faced, you make it still a hopeful place.”Harley said the award made him think about “boundaries and borders,” and how “it’s at the edges where the most interesting things occur.” He said the RICH has “reached beyond the borders of the state” in its mission and efforts to promote the humanities. Secondly, he noted that borders are constantly being crossed between the arts and humanities, and said, “my job is to make my audience look at the world in a different way. Between arts and humanities, I have no borders.”The third border that Harley thinks it is important to cross is the one that reaches “from the adult world to the world of childhood.” “I want to give my voice to the voiceless,” he stated. He pointed out the importance of not de-valuing daycare providers, teachers, and others who work with children because “what happens to a child determines what happens to the world.”Pawtucket, RIDonna Kenny KirwanKazarian, Harley win awards in humanitiesPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:803Change0Usable2010-10-19T21:51:51-04:00 urn:publicid:dailypress.com:8042010-10-19T22:03:39-04:002010-10-19T22:03:39-04:00Copyright 2010 Pawtucket Times“I was doing hazard waste operations for Clean Harbors Inc. of Rhode Island, and working with Groundwork Providence, an environmental company that trains everyday people to be able to do jobs such as farming,” said Hoffa, a 26-year-old city resident. “I first came out to network with people and help the New Urban Farmers (NUF) build the greenhouse, but I kept coming back as a volunteer because I loved the work.“I'm doing this to help the kids; I mean, I have a little one of my own, and I want him to know how to grow his own food and keep the environment clean when he gets older,” he added. “This is something that works for everyone, and I feel I'm gaining experience by helping Galego Court children now. I've made friends with so many people, and it's been a wonderful experience.“The best reactions of growing their own foods have come from the children themselves. They see their own work. They see the vegetables they planted come up, and they're so excited. They jump up and down, or they run home to tell their families. It's like watching a little kid open up his first gift on Christmas morning.”Hoffa wasn't the only one impressed by the one-acre community garden located behind Galego Court. Attendees of the mammoth “Harvest Celebration” all gushed at the 80 garden beds — some four feet-by-four feet, others four-by-eight. They included Richard Godfrey, Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing and KeepSpace Advisory Committee member; U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse; Curt Spaulding, New England Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator; and Richard Walega, who holds the same position at the New England Regional Office (Boston) of the U.S. Department of Housing Among the others” Steve Vadnais, Pawtucket Housing Authority's Executive Director; Thomas Mann, Pawtucket Foundation's Executive Director; and Mayor James E. Doyle.All were there to recognize and thank Bleu Grijalva, NUF's Founder and Director; his Assistant Director Emily Jodka; and dozens of volunteers and Galego Court gardeners.Grijalva and Jodka received Congressional citations from Reed and Whitehouse, as well as a city citation from Doyle. Additionally, Godfrey accepted a “Smart Growth Award” for KeepSpace – a widely-inclusive partnership initiative launched in 2007 to change the way Rhode Island thinks about, builds and approaches “community” – from EPA and HUD officials.In fact, Walega announced KeepSpace as one of only eight recipients nationwide to receive targeted technical assistance – $65,000 – for growth and development issues.“This celebration blows my mind,” Grijalva grinned in front of the 120 folks who took in the event on this golden autumn day. “I never expected this kind of turnout, but the enthusiasm confirms we're moving in the right direction. Not once but twice this year, we've had this many people.”**Grijalva referred to “Pawtucket Proud Day,” hosted by the Pawtucket Foundation, held on June 8. That's when over 100 volunteers – most of them businesspeople whose employers allowed them to take part – on company time – in cleaning and bettering the city and its folks – arrived at the previously rundown playground and turned it into a community farm of sorts.“I had been involved for over 25 years in the food industry, and – eventually – that led to me doing organic farming in Little Compton,” he said. “It was then I noticed the food we grow was catering only to one demographic, the upper echelon of those on the pay scale. I was thinking we needed to make it more cost-effective for those less fortunate, so we decided to hit the cities. We went to some of the most challenged areas statewide, Pawtucket and Central Falls, and build a garden for their use.“Right now, we have over 80 garden beds here,” he continued. “We loaded them with soil and compost, planted the seeds and landscaped the area. We taught these people how to grow pumpkins, tomatoes, butter nut and summer squash, peppers, watermelons, flowers and herbs. The NUF members cared for the gardens with the residents, and now over 65 households here have gardens.”NUF is a non-profit organization that set out to preserve and restore the environment by creating sustainable agriculture systems in the city. At Galego Court, they helped individuals empower their lives.Grijalva and Doyle – among others – called it a unique partnership between the PHA, KeepSpace and the Pawtucket Foundation, providing a natural place where children and families may learn and grow.“We're working to remove the barriers to fresh food access in Pawtucket and Central Falls and positively impact the health of our community,” noted Grijalva, who explained the residents collected – throughout the summer and early fall – over 2,000 pounds in produce.“I'm here to salute you, for what you all have done to make this place a real community,” Reed stated. “This garden, and environment, adds to the feeling of 'home,' not just a bunch of city streets. This is recognizing we need to pull together different organizations if we're going to meet the challenges of this country, this state and this city.”Walega congratulated KeepSpace for making sustainability a real concept for urban areas.“This teaches kids to be aware of good, healthy eating habits,” he offered. “I know these kinds of programs KeepSpace will continue to have.”Doyle claimed such a program is critical for two reasons.“They're getting a chance to plant vegetables and fruits that they can consume; and, second, it gives them an opportunity to work together,” he said. “You know, five years ago, the PHA didn't know it owned this property, and that's a true story. When people in public housing have something like this, and they all work together, the city itself becomes a better place.”Mann called the garden an impressive site.“It's important for our future sustainability,” he mentioned, “and embracing a project like this only helps the urban cause.”**After the speeches, attendees enjoyed food samplings of borscht – a beet, potato and cabbage soup; honey tasting; cider; and others. Children ages 14 and under received a free pumpkin, and kids also partook in face painting and other games. Some bobbed and weaved to the music of the Hot Tamales, a local brass marching band.“This is incredibly impressive, in that it's all about community,” Godfrey said while sipping on some borscht. “It's not just about four walls and a roof, but the residents who live inside them. We need to focus more on communities and helping them, not just here at Galego Court but the 100s of communities and neighborhoods statewide.“Look at the work (First Lady) Michelle Obama has done with gardens and addressing childhood obesity, nutrition,” he added. “It all has filtered down to what we see here at Galego Court. This is a celebration of our KeepSpace initiative, and it really has brought everyone here to work together on these community projects.”Stated NUF's Emily Jodka: “This is so great! It's exactly what I had hoped for. I guess I didn't think we were going to have an end-of-the-year event like this. It's nice to know all these dignitaries came here to support us. At first, I thought people didn't really understand how big this was going to be or what we had planned.“But when the residents saw the amount of volunteers we brought in, and that they were all here to help them, it just snowballed. We've heard a lot of great things from the residents, such as how good the tomatoes tasted as opposed to store-bought, and how sweet they were. That was music to our ears. I know this program will continue here.”Darlington resident Geoff Grinsell is currently unemployed, so he chose to volunteer his time to Pawtucket Proud Day and the project back on June 8.“I remember this area when I was younger, and I think it was called Crook Manor,” he said. “The idea of helping to create a garden here and putting in a positive thing, I thought it was cool. That's why I volunteered, and I had a great day.“This is such a positive thing for this area. I think it gives these people a source of community pride. You know, the basic concept of gardening is you prepare the ground, plant a seed and – with a little tender loving care, sun and water – you then see the results of your labor. These people know all they have to do is walk several yards, pick your vegetables and then head back home to cook them and eat them.“It's so great for kids in this setting; they understand food doesn't come from the market, but from in the ground. It shows them the true source of foods they need to eat to remain healthy.”Pawtucket, RIJon BakerGarden of Life brings farming to PawtucketPawtucket Timesurn:publicid:dailypress.com:804Change0Usable2010-10-19T22:03:39-04:00