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« October 9, 2007 | Today | October 11, 2007 » October 10, 2007Catch a film at Local 121 or hear Redbone' s bluesProvidence restaurant Local 121 is offering a filmfest, with a 1950s film noir tonight. But hurry -- the movie Kiss Me Deadly, directed by Robert Aldrich, is slated to start at 7 p.m. Keep in mind the restaurant advises recommendations for the movie coupled with an a 5 p.m. la carte dinner, so there might not be room. Still, it might be worth a shot tonight, which is the first scheduled movie night. If there's no room, well there's always the music scene. Leon Redbone plays blues at Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 765-1900. 8 pm. $33. Brickpark plays rock at Olives, 108 North Main St., Providence. Call 751-1200. 10 p.m to 1 a.m. No cover. Includes karaoke. Jim Hitte plays jazz at Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 7 to 11 pm. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment BIF-3: Mossberg interviews Richard Wurman
Mossberg taks about conferences Richard would host that would feature, typically, Larry Ellison (Oracle), Bill Graham, a juggler, Yo Yo Ma, Norman Lear, Jeffrey Katzenberg showing parts of Shrek, a storyteller, singers, Nobel prize winners. Wait for the punchline: "But he sends emails in all caps." Mossberg: Why is everybody here? Wurman: It's the age of also... We use email, snail mail, phone, fax... We're always approaching how to communicate with another human being. We do it in a fancy way and make money from it but underneath it all, you're making conversation. You should only be able to copyright bad ideas. Good ideas should be public. W called R and asked what to call his conference: "Call it D," Walt said, shaking his head. (He did.) Wurman is the man behind many atlases. "You don't drive across the United States alphabetically. And the maps are all different scales and different legends. You leave one state and on the next map it takes an hour to go the same distance that took 10 minutes. So I decided to make my own atlas. "Which Rand McNally then picked up." Newest project: The rise of supercities. 19 cities in the world with a population of 20 million people each in the 21st century. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:45 PM | Comment Wounded seal will be released in R.I. watersMYSTIC, Conn. -- A seal that stranded itself in Bridgeport this summer after being shot in the eye will soon be released into the ocean following successful treatment of its other eye. The adult male harbor seal, which stranded itself in July, had no vision in its left eye because of the gunshot. Veterinarians at Mystic Aquarium had planned to release it earlier, but were reluctant because of a condition in its good eye known as corneal edema, or clouding of the eye. Now that's cleared up and the seal is scheduled be released into the ocean on Tuesday in Charlestown, Rhode Island. The seal should be able to hunt and survive in the wild despite its handicap. The animal is between 20 and 25 years old and weighs 212 pounds. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment DMV workers, four others, arraigned in license fraud
Three others were also arraigned in District Court, Providence, today for buying the licenses and another for being the accused middleman, according to a prosecutor. Five of the six made bail and are now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. In all, the State Police today announced 11 arrests. The police said they have arrest warrants for another 21 people. The 10-month investigation began after State Police Detective Matthew C. Moynihan of the High Intensity and Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information about Registry workers being involved in a scheme to issue fake driver’s licenses. This is how the scheme worked: The police said customers would obtain a Rhode Island identification card using fraudulent documents and assumed names. For a fee of at least $2,500, the fraudulent identification card would then be converted to a Rhode Island driver’s license. In most cases, the Registry employee who handled the transaction would note in the file that an out-of-state license was turned in to the Registry in exchange for the new Rhode Island license. The investigation revealed that the out-of-state licenses did not exist. "The new licenses allowed the recipients of the new Rhode Island license to establish this new identity and conceal their past identity for reasons that included, but were not limited to, their criminal history, outstanding warrants and/or immigration status," the State Police said in their press release.
Dolores Rodriguez-LaFlamme, 40, Providence, who worked in the Registry's Pawtucket branch, was charged with making 17 licenses -- 17 counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud. She and Soraya Santiago, 42, of Pawtucket approached the judge, their arms linked by handcuffs. Rodriguez-LaFlamme posted the $5,000 bail with surety imposed by Judge Walter Gorman in District Court, Providence, according to a court clerk. She must surrender her passport and sign a waiver of extradition, the judge ruled. Erik Wallin, a prosecutor with the state attorney general's office, had sought $10,000 bail with surety -- which means a person must pay 10 percent of the dollar amount or post the full amount in property. Wallin told the judge he was concerned of her flight risk, saying she demonstrated the ability to make identification that looked real but was not validly obtained. An affidavit by state police detective Matthew C. Moynihan states a check with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Providence found that Rodriguez LaFlamme is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic "who has been ordered deported from the United States after an application fro adjusted status was denied following an investigation into two fraudulent marriages. She currently has an appeal pending on this deportation order." A defense lawyer countered in court that Rodriguez-LaFlame she has not been deported, but rather there is a proceeding pending. He also said she has children and is married to an American citizen. Santiago is accused of making 11 licenses -- 11 counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud. She was released on personal recognizance, must relinquish a passport and sign a waiver of extradition. The same defense lawyer who spoke on behalf of Rodriguez-LaFlamme argued on Santiago's behalf for a less stringent bail than the prosecution sought. The lawyer said Santiago has lived in Rhode Island 20 years -- 18 of those in Providence and has several children Santiago was hired June 2000 and LaFlamme was hired July 2000. Both were making $38,055. The accused middleman is Luis Rivera, 55, of Providence who had not made the $5,000-with-surety bail as of late afternoon. He must relinquish a passport and sign a waiver of extradition. Rivera was charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting/ "This defendant collected money, which he would then pass on to individuals," Wallin said in court. Also arraigned was Jose Bueno, 30, of Providence, who made the $5,000-with-surety bail set by the judge this afternoon; Jose Nieves, 43, whose bail was set at $5,000 with surety; and, Arismendy Gonzalez, 51, of 33 Elma St., unit 3B, Providence, who was released on $10,000 personal recognizance. All were charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting. Nieves was being held without bail anyway as a fugitive from Brockton, Mass. All six are due for Dec. 5 pre-arraignment conferences and Dec. 12 arraignments in Providence County Superior Court. Some have determination of attorney hearings set ofr Oct. 24 because they said they could not afford a lawyer. "In the post-9/11 world, law enforcement agencies at every level literally ‘cannot be too careful,’ and the integrity of the records systems relied upon by law enforcement is mission-critical," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement. "Therefore, this scheme was a serious breach of the public trust, and I commend the State Police for their fine work in having dismantled it. We will prosecute these cases, and any others resulting from this investigation, to the fullest extent of the law. Wallin argued in court that each defendant presented a flight risk, given that each had allegedly shown the ability to get a real-looking license through fraudulent means. That argument worked in some instances, but not others. The Immigration and Naturalization Services has lodged immigration detainers against several of the defendants. Wallin said outside the courtroom that this is a ,way to determine whether someone is a citizen. . Identity fraud is a felony offense punishable by up to 3 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine for a first conviction. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:42 PM | Comment Photo: Dice K strikes a pose
AP Photo Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:29 PM | Comment BIF-3: Pirates as innovators
Matt Mason (The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture Is Reinventing Capitalism) talks about illegal activity. Pirates are one of the most outstanding groups of innovators on the planet. "People have turntables in their bedrooms... connected to transmitters and they play all kinds of music for the city. Completely unregulated, completely illegal, and I loved it." "There are 150 pirate stations, mostly in London. They're tolerated because it's providing innovation that trickles up."
Posted by Sheila Lennon at 3:56 PM | Comment House panel clears Kennedy's mental-health billWASHINGTON -- A key House subcommittee today cleared Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy’s signature legislation to put insurance coverage of mental illness on an equal footing with that of physical ailments, bringing the bill a step closer to what Democrats and Republicans both said is a likely presidential signing ceremony this fall. "I think there is a determination by the leadership in both houses of Congress to get mental health parity enacted before adjournment this year,’’ said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which passed the measure on a voice vote. The full committee is slated next week to clear the measure for action on the House floor. The measure already enjoys the support of a bipartisan House majority. If the House passes the mental health bill, compromise negotiations would ensue with the Senate, which passed its version on a bipartisan voice vote last month. The chief Senate sponsors are Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. -- father of Rep. Kennedy -- and Sens. Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, both Republicans. While he has not endorsed either bill, President Bush has expressed support for equal medical insurance treatment of mental and physical illnesses, so backers of both versions are optimistic that he would sign an eventual compromise. Nevertheless, some spirited fights lie ahead on the details of the legislation, as today’s subcommittee debate confirmed. Republicans argued strenuously that Kennedy’s bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., would impose unnecessary costs on insurers and perhaps even drive some to drop mental health insurance altogether. But they failed on a 19 to 9 vote, generally along party lines, to amend the measure to bring it closer to the Senate version, which enjoys the support of the business community. -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:33 PM | Comment Hard news out of Cleveland: School shootingEyes are turning toward Cleveland this afternoon for breaking news after a gunman opened fire at a downtown high school. Mayor Frank Jackson said three young people and two adults were hurt, according to the Associated Press. Cleveland.com is reporting four people were shot, and one girl was hurt leaving the building. SuccessTech Academy had been secured and there was only one suspect, he said. "They have the shooter," Jackson said. He did not elaborate. Cleveland has been on the radar of baseball fans since the Indians defeated the New York Yankees to face the Red Sox in the upcoming playoffs. Game 1 of the series is this Friday in Boston. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:04 PM | Comment Mass. man charged with murdering wife 21 years agoACUSHNET, Mass. -- A judge has ordered an Acushnet man to be held without bail for allegedly murdering his estranged wife 21 years ago. Forty-four-year-old Robert Roy is charged in the death of Marni Roy, who was 19 years old at the time of her death. Prosecutors say Roy went missing on March 4, 1986. Her body was discovered four years later by recreational divers in a privately owned quarry in Dartmouth. The skeletal remains were tied and weighted down by cinder blocks. Bristol District Attorney spokesman Gregg Milliote says Roy was a suspect when his wife went missing and when her remains were found. Testimony from new witnesses allegedly tied Roy to the killing. Milliote says Roy was jealous of the attention men were giving his young wife. He is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on December 5. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 3:03 PM | Comment Man found under SUV died from skull, brain traumaA 57-year-old Central Falls man found dead under his SUV Sunday in a Cumberland parking lot died from injuries to his skull and brain due to blunt force trauma, the state Medical Examiner's Office announced this afternoon. Arthur Hyatt, a Vietnam War veteran, died Sunday — his birthday — in the parking lot of a Cumberland American Legion Post. The police and bar patrons said that they believe Hyatt drove up one of the lot's ramps but perhaps went too fast and tumbled off the ledge. The police received a call from one of the bar patrons but were not saying yesterday whether there were any witnesses to the accident. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:00 PM | Comment Station Education Fund gets boost from local schoolsSeven local colleges and universities today announced their contribution to children who lost one or both parents or guardians in The Station nightclub fire. The pledges could be worth nearly $13 million to the Station Education Fund, which works to provide the 76 teenagers and children with financial aid to use for their educations. Johnson and Wales University; the New England Institute of Technology; Bryant University; and Roger Williams University together made pledges that could be worth up to $12.8 million. All recipients must meet the same academic standards as other students. In addition, Providence College, Brown University and Salve Regina University have pledged support in different ways. The Station Education Fund is a nonprofit charity co-founded by Station nightclub owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, along with Jody King, a childhood friend of the Derderians, whose brother Tracy King was a bouncer at the club who died the night of the fire. Extra: More about the disastrous fire and its aftermath ... -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Johnson and Wales announced a $15,000 scholarship, renewable for four years, to each of the 76 children. New England Tech pledged up to five scholarships per year to the children worth a maximum $13,000. Bryant and Roger Williams both pledged to offer three children renewable scholarships worth $15,000. Brown is accepting the group into its summer college preparatory program and Salve Regina is offering college advisory services to everyone as well as an annual $500 book scholarship for those enroll at the school. Providence College will establish a scholarship in the name of Rebecca Shaw, a former PC student and daughter of a faculty member who died in the fire. The scholarship will cover 100 percent of the student’s need. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:53 PM | Comment BIF photos: 'Green architect'; 'Feed' 'zine founderMore storytellers. I've taken photos and a break, so I'm linking to Brian Jepson's posts on the BIF blog.
His demonstration of Recombination: Today, BIF is optimized to save lives. In our minds, we redesign Kaplan.
Johnson on Outside In: "City papers aren't going to cover granular news -- a new deli opening." The takeaway meme here: "Hunch-supporting environments." The scene:
Posted by Sheila Lennon at 1:55 PM | Comment Federal money to help with home ownershipThe federal government has awarded two Rhode Island organizations $213,547 to help homeowners, renters, buyers and homeless people make sound decisions about buying and keeping homes. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation $164,624 and the Urban League of Rhode Island $48,923. “These awards will help make certain that more families have access to housing counselors who can give them advice about how to find affordable rental units, purchase a home, and avoid foreclosure,” said Sen. Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Housing and Transportation Subcommittee, which oversees HUD. “We need to ensure that families in Rhode Island can live in safe, high-quality, and affordable housing.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:38 PM | Comment State police to announce identity-theft arrestsThe Rhode Island State Police will hold a 3 p.m. news conference at headquarters in Scituate about "numerous arrests related to identity theft," a news release says. Several defendants in the identity theft arrests will be arraigned in District Court, Providence, at 2 p.m. No other details are available. Come back to projo.com for more information after the arraignment and the press conference. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:14 PM | Comment Mayor takes his night out to Washington ParkPROVIDENCE – Washington Park residents can meet with Mayor David N. Cicilline tonight in their neighborhood to ask questions, voice concerns or just talk. The monthly Mayor’s Night Out events give residents a chance to meet with their elected officials and city department directors, one on one. Meetings – up to 10 minutes per person or group – are on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you want Cicilline’s ear, be sure to show up on time. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at the Washington Park Community Center, 42 Jillson St. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:13 PM | Comment Sundlun settles Lloyd's lawsuitPROVIDENCE -- Former Gov. Bruce G. Sundlun won’t have to face a federal trial tomorrow morning because a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit that the Society of Lloyd’s filed against him in an attempt to collect $300,000, lawyers for both sides said today. Robert G. Flanders Jr., the former state Supreme Court justice representing Sundlun, and Matthew T. Oliverio, a Providence lawyer representing Lloyd’s, both said they are “reasonably satisfied” with the resolution. They said the terms of the settlement will not be disclosed. “We agreed the terms would be confidential, including what amounts, if any, are paid,” Flanders said. They said they reached final terms yesterday and planned to file a dismissal stipulation in U.S. District Court in Providence today. A bench trial had been scheduled to begin at 10 tomorrow morning before Senior U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux. Lloyd’s claimed Sundlun, a Democrat who was governor from 1991 to 1995, had failed to pay a required premium for reinsurance and now owed about $300,000 in principal and interest. Lloyd’s is a British insurance market in which financial backers -- or “members” -- come together to pool and spread risk. The members include corporations and individuals -- or “names” -- who provide the capital that serves as security for Lloyd’s policies. Sundlun, 87, of Jamestown, became a Lloyd’s member in 1979 and effectively “ceased underwriting” in January 1993, according to the lawsuit. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Lloyd’s market sustained losses of more than $12 billion, thanks in part to large claims from American workers afflicted with asbestosis and lung cancer. With its survival threatened, Lloyd’s instituted a plan that required each member to buy reinsurance for their pre-1993 underwriting responsibilities. But Sundlun never paid the required premium, according to the lawsuit. And in June 1997, a default judgment was entered against him in England for $163,835. Sundlun had maintained he didn’t owe anything. In an affidavit, Sundlun said he “understood that any membership in Lloyd’s would be an honorary position and that I would face no risk or liability.” He also claimed he never signed a membership application or a 1987 “General Undertaking Agreement,” but he has since withdrawn that legal argument. In a pretrial memorandum filed Sept. 28, Flanders said Sundlun’s “legal position in a nutshell” was that the default judgment should not be enforced because Lloyd’s failed to serve Sundlun before obtaining that judgment. “Instead of causing Sundlun to be personally served with legal process, Lloyd’s served process on an entity in England that it unilaterally designated as Sundlun’s ‘agent’ three years after Sundlun resigned (effective Jan. 1, 1993) as a member of Lloyd’s,” Flanders wrote. “But Sundlun never even knew about such a designation, much less did he even agree to it.” In its pretrial memo, Lloyd’s said, “Sundlun personally signed applications and provided financial information to Lloyd’s with the specific purpose of becoming an underwriting member of Lloyd’s. Moreover, Sundlun acknowledged his potential unlimited liability and risks of membership.” The memo, written by Oliverio, said that while Sundlun stopped underwriting, his membership would continue until all his obligations were settled by Lloyd’s. Oliverio argued that serving Sundlun’s agent in England constituted valid service on Sundlun himself. Lloyd’s asked the court to make Sundlun pay for the attorney’s fees and costs it incurred in defending the validity of Sundlun’s signature. “It is appropriate for this court to impose a monetary sanction of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to be paid to the plaintiff, as defendant Sundlun was objectively unreasonable in contesting his signature,” Oliverio wrote. “This defense thwarted summary judgment, as it purportedly created a genuine issue of material fact, and it necessitated the retention of a handwriting expert to authenticate Sundlun’s signature.” Last week, Flanders said Sundlun had dropped the challenge to the signature’s validity because “we wanted to focus on the service of process and cut the length of the case. It simplified the case greatly.” Today, Flanders and Oliverio declined to comment on how the signature issue had been resolved. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:20 PM | Comment Martineau to be arraigned on fraud charges Friday
PROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau is scheduled to be arraigned in District Court Friday afternoon after prosecutors say he steered legislation on behalf of a health insurer and a pharmacy company while receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to make plastic and paper bags for the companies. Martineau agreed to plead guilty to two fraud charges related to the scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced yesterday afternoon. Today, the office said he is expected to sign a plea agreement after Friday's arraignment. Now, Martineau is the second ex-legislator, after former state Sen. John Celona, to admit to selling his office in the federal State House corruption probe known as Operation Dollar Bill. As part of a $900,000 corruption scheme that the longtime Woonsocket Democrat has admitted to, Martineau sold 10 million bags to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island — but fewer than 2 million bags were ever manufactured, according to court documents filed yesterday by federal prosecutors. In return, according to U.S. District Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, Martineau used his position in the legislature to affect the outcomes of legislation for the two companies. Martineau faces two counts of "honest services mail fraud." Each carries a maximum five years in prison and several hundred thousand dollars in fines. Read the full text of the charges against Martineau. Read the full text of Martineau's plea agreement.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:59 AM | Comment At the aquarium: My, what a toothy grinJust try asking these patients to open their mouths and say ahhhh ... But come next Thursday, Oct. 18, it's time for their semi-annual physicals: sharks, that is, at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in Connecticut. The aquarium today invited the media to attend with this line: "How do you give a shark a physical? Very carefully!" The aquarium's "shark residents" check-ups from the aquarium's veterinary staff are slated to happen from 6 to 10 a.m. Staff measure the sharks' length, girth and weight while also taking blood samples. "As you can imagine, sharks aren’t the easiest animals to examine," the aquarium says in a news release, "and you can forget about trying to get them to share their dental insurance information with you!" -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:43 AM | Comment BIF-3: WSJ's Walter Mossberg
Co-host, WSJ columnist -- and Warwick native -- Walter Mossberg, right, is interviewing Jason Fried of 37 Signals, which makes Web-based software for businesses: -- Basecamp collaboration tool -- messaging, scheduling, calendar. Mossberg compliments the wonderfully named, open-source* Ruby on Rails, a web development framework that helps in writing write web based applications. "How come most of America is shackled to a piece of crap like Outlook?" asks Mossberg, to much laughter. He's stealng the show here. "Outlook was made by a small, smart team at Microsoft-- a combination of a PIM (personal information manager) and email in one product. (It was) sleek and small and clever and it just has become, I think, a sort of mess." (Walt doesn't like Google's gmail either -- "I don't look to read mail like a conversation.") He doesn't buy that Web-based software eludes the mess. "Different delivery model, but not a new service model. It's still subject to the pressure of feature creep." "How do you balance the mantra of simplicity? (Have you tried to buy a clothes dryer lately -- it's like a 747.) ...the demands of a vocal set of customers who want more features?" Fried: "You have to be Steve Jobs. You have to say no." Mossberg agrees, quoting Jobs: "I'm prouder of the things we haven't done." His best line: "People who write open-source sourceware would not know a normal consumer from a bag of Cheetos." Fried agrees: "Customer experience is not the point of open source software." *Open source: "Refers to software that is distributed with its source code so that end user organizations and vendors can modify it for their own purposes." The Firefox browser is open source, and most of the extensions written for it come as a result of someone writing a little tool for their own use and releasing it to everyone else. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:25 AM | Comment Firefighters compete for kitchen bragging rightsWho's the best firehouse chef in the city? Providence firefighters will drop their gloves and pick up their spatulas this afternoon in an effort to find out. Chefs from at least four firehouses and the dispatch office will compete at 2 p.m. in the Providence Firefighters' Cook-off at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant in downtown Providence. Firefighters are holding the competition to raise awareness for Fire Prevention Month, which is this month. The department will distribute educational material and has also donated smoke detectors to be distributed to restaurant patrons. The winning chefs will win prizes, and the restaurant will place winning dishes on its menu this month.
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:45 AM | Comment Conn. company recalls chicken and pasta dishA Connecticut company is recalling more than 70,000 pounds of prepackaged chicken and pasta because it may be contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria. Aliki Foods, Inc., is recalling its chicken broccoli fettuccine alfredo made with white chicken after sampling revealed potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The product was distributed in the northeast, including in Rhode Island. The five-pound boxes have the establishment number “Est. 219” and best if used date “Sept. 08.” In some populations – including pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and cancer patients – the bacteria can lead to influenza-like symptoms, septicemia, meningitis, encephalitis, cervical infections and other problems. For more food recall information, visit the USDA or FDA recall Web sites. Recorded food safety messages are available in Spanish and English 24-hours a day at 1(888) MPHotline (1-888-6854). Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:38 AM | Comment Getting to know the police on a different levelWEST WARWICK – The police want you to know what they’re doing when they’re not writing you a ticket. Enter Citizens Police Academy. Today’s the first day of 12 classes that will give civilians a glimpse into the life and duties of a police officer. Participants will get a chance to identify an impaired driver, investigate crime scenes and identify illegal drugs. They’ll also get a tour of the police station and a chance to test their shooting skills at a police firing range. "Most people don't deal with the police on a good level," said patrolman Scott Amaral of the community policing unit, which is holding the academy. "They see us when a crime has been committed, there's an accident or they're getting a citation. It's a good way to see police on a different level where they can interact with one another, teach and ask them questions." -- with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:33 AM | Comment Creativity counts in Soapbox Race this weekendThe rules of the Red Bull Soapbox Race go something like this: no engines, and make sure your vehicle conforms to some size requirements. That’s about it. For seven years, the race has seen its fair share of odd vehicles as it traveled to more than 30 countries. The first U.S. pit stop was in St. Louis in 2006 See what the drivers get away with when they bring their homemade vehicles to College Hill in Providence this Saturday. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the first race begins at 1 p.m. Speed is just one factor in a race where judges will also look for creativity and showmanship. That may be what propelled the A-Team to 1st place in the Seattle competition earlier this year: Click below for street closures. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson And while there may not be too many rules about what kind of vehicles drivers can race, there are quite a few about what spectators can and can't do during the race: no food, no pets no glass, though coolers are allowed. Read the complete list of rules and parking regulations online. Beginning tomorrow, the following streets will be closed to all but local traffic: -- Waterman Street between Memorial Blvd. and Brown Street -- Canal Street between Steeple Street & Washington Place -- Washington Place between N. Main Street & Memorial Blvd. -- Benefit Street between Angel and College Streets -- Prospect Street between College & Waterman Streets N. Main Street between Market Square & Thomas Street will remain open until 2 a.m. on Saturday Prospect Street between Angel & Waterman Streets will close to all traffic at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and remain closed until Sunday. All of the streets involved will close to all traffic at 6 p.m. Friday and reopen after the race on Saturday as soon as they're clear. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:23 AM | Comment BIF-3: Esserman on community policing
PROVIDENCE -- Chief Esserman is saying most crime does not get reported, or solved. "We're anonymous and distant and you don't know who we are... It's a one-way relationship. America has accepted that." Community policing: "We're in the midst of a quiet revolution. We're thinking of becoming a different type of police force, a department that has moved into the neighborhoods of the community." "Crime is up nationwide...But crime is down here. ... We have an honest mayor. Let me say that again. We have an honest mayor." "One day I hope people will call 'the family cop.' " Posted by Sheila Lennon at 10:21 AM | Comment URI to host Web chat with CNN's AmanpourCNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will take questions via the Web next week through a chat service at University of Rhode Island. The 30-minute Web chat is slated for Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to a news release. Amanpour, a 1983 URI journalism graduate, will answer questions about her work, experiences and career. People can submit questions in advance or the day of the chat. Amanpour will respond to as many questions as possible during the 30 minutes. A transcript will be posted when the chat ends. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:29 AM | Comment BIF-3: Under wayBusiness Innovation Factory is hosting a theater of ideas called the Collaborative Innovation Summit at Trinity Rep today and tomorrow. I spent the first half-hour of this conference wrestling my laptop onto the wi-fi network while taking notes for when I got in. Finally, we're here. Saul Kaplan of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation -- his title here is Chief Catalyst -- welcomed the roughly 350 attendees. Euan Semple, who introduced blogs, wikis and rss to the BBC, spoke of "the daftness of organizational life, where people sometimes fight with each other who should be helping each other." The BBC's "troublemakers -- the people who were breaking the things that needed to be broken -- were video editors." Posted by Sheila Lennon at 9:28 AM | Comment Business Innovation Factory taking over TrinityWall Street Journal columnist and editor Walt Mossberg will join Mavericks at Work author Bill Taylor in Providence today as hosts of the Business Innovation Factory’s Collaborative Innovation Summit. The BIF, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Providence, works with its private and public sector members to develop, test and implement new ideas. The BIF Web site promises the event will be free of PowerPoint slides, but full of “storytelling” from participants across the spectrum of industries, such as Providence Police Chief Colonel Dean Esserman, and Paul English, who created gethuman.com, a Web site to help callers bypass automated phone systems. Another prominent participant -- Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and a blogger himself. Even the location of the event could be considered a new idea -- it's being held at the Trinity Repertory Company's theater on Washington Street. The event, which begins this morning, is already sold out, but projo.com blogger and producer Sheila Lennon will post updates to the projo.com's 7to7 blog and her own Subterranean Homepage News blog throughout the day. BIF is hosting its own blog as well, at: http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/weblog/ Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:40 AM | Comment Incumbent Menard wins Woonsocket primaryWOONSOCKET — Mayor Susan D. Menard is in the running for a seventh term in office. She was the top vote-getter in yesterday’s mayoral primary, receiving 1,802 votes. She’ll run against Todd R. Brien, a retired police officer, who received 1,528 votes. Brien ran unsuccessfully against Menard in 2005. A third candidate, Michael A. Mello, received 94 votes. In the City Council races, the top 14 of 17 vote-getters will go on to the November election to vie for seven seats. Click below for the results of the council primaries. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina In the City Council races, the top 14 of 17 vote-getters will go on to the November election to vie for seven seats. President of the City Council Leo T. Fontaine was the top vote-getter, receiving 2,369 votes. Incumbent John F. Ward received 1,927. Suzanne Jean Vadenais, an incumbent, received 1,660 and former state Rep. Stella Brien received 1,544. Incumbent William D. Schneck Jr. received 1,522. Newcomer Christopher A. Beauchamp received 1,439. Incumbent J. Michel Martineau received 1,393 and fellow council incumbent Normand J. Laliberte Jr., received 1,348. Newcomer Robert D. Phillips received 1,313 votes while former Councilman Roger G. Jalette Sr. received 1,261. Newcomer Daniel M. Gendron received 1,154. Edward M. Roy Jr., a newcomer, received 997 votes. Christopher M. Roberts who is running for the first time received 904 votes. Newcomer Thomas W. Wrona received 640. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:24 AM | Comment Fisherman's death being investigatedNEW LONDON, Conn. --The U.S. Coast Guard is reviewing its evacuation of an asthmatic fisherman who died after he was flown by helicopter to a hospital. Kyle Riley, of Rhode Island, was aboard the scallop boat Resilient off New Jersey last Saturday when he was taken by a Coast Guard helicopter to a New Jersey trauma center. Riley was conscious when he left the boat, but his condition deteriorated within seconds. Coast Guard officials say Riley needed CPR when he was hauled onto the aircraft. He died the following day in an Atlantic City hospital. Riley's brother, Norman, says he wonders if his brother might have survived had Coast Guard rescuers inserted a breathing tube into his airway. Coast Guard officials say they're investigating the case. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:06 AM | Comment Rainy and about 60 degreesWhat you see is what you get. The National Weather Service is forecasting rain on and off all day today with the most rainfall before 9 a.m. The temperature should just break 60 degrees. More rain tonight, turning into a drizzle later in the evening with an overnight low in the low 50s. Fog is expected to roll in after 3 a.m. tomorrow, giving way to light rain and possibly heavier rain later in the day. Temperatures should reach the mid 60s. For weather updates throughout the day, check out projo.com's weather page Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau's plan to plead guilty to fraud charges. And the fishing series continues with the fourth of the five-part series. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006