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October 31, 2007

Tonight: Go get scared or watch Papelbon ... again

Looking for a way to get scared tonight?

Take a jaunt over to the Factory of Terror, open until 10 tonight, in Fall River, Mass. It's at 33 Pearl St. Admission is $17 for adults and $12 for children under age 10. Cash only.

For more about Halloween haunts, check out projo.com's listings.

For the rest of you, Sox player Jonathan Papelbon, fresh from doing several parade jigs and performing air guitar with a broom, will be on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS tonight.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

Photo: Fatal 95 wreck from the air

Journal photographer Andrew Dickerman got this aerial photo of the accident scene. Two people died around noon today. There are reports they were racing on Route 95 between exits 4 and 5 in Attleboro.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:08 PM | Comment

Station fire: Derderian finishes community service

Jeffrey Derderian has finished -- and exceeded -- the 500 hours of community service he was ordered to do after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges in the Station nightclub fire.

Derderian, one of two brothers who had owned the club, completed 534 hours of community service, the Rhode Island Judiciary said in a news release this afternoon.

An Oct. 22 letter from the Phoenix Society, an organization that helps burn survivors, said that Derderian had performed 402 hours of service. Another Oct. 22 letter from West Greenwich Fire and Rescue showed he had done 132 hours of community service.

Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. "has accepted the correspondence as verification that Derderian has fulfilled his court-ordered obligation. No further court reviews are planned," the news release said.

In the last update, on Sept. 1, Derderian had at the time completed 446 hours.

One hundred people died in the fire and in September 2006, Derderian and his brother Michael pleaded no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Michael Derderian is serving a four-year term at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Jeffrey received a suspended setnence, ordered to perform the community service and serve three years’ probation.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:21 PM | Comment

Photo/Cars in fatal crash were registered in R.I.

The midday accident on Route 95 backed up traffic for miles today.
Journal photo/Bob Thayer

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- State police say two drivers weaving through traffic as they raced at high speeds on Route 95 North in Attleboro (click for map)died when their vehicles were involved in a fiery crash.

Police say both vehicles are registered in Rhode Island.

The two cars collided, then went off the highway, up an embankment and hit the concrete abutment of an Interstate 295 overpass. The cars flipped over and burst into flames.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names haven't been released pending positive identification by the medical examiner and notification of family.
The 11 a.m. crash forced the closure of the two right lanes of Interstate 95 North and the ramp from Interstate 295 North to I-95 North, causing lengthy traffic delays.

One driver was in a 2008 Nissan sedan and the other was in a 2008 Honda sedan, says a state police news release.

The two left lanes are now open on Route 95 north in Massachusetts after being closed because of a fatal car crash next exit 4, the Rhode Island Transportation Management Center said this afternoon.

The Route 95 right lane and the Route 295 north ramp leading to Route 95 north remain closed.

The incident remains under investigation.

-- The Associated Press with projo.com staff reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:15 PM | Comment

Station fire defendants will pay about $20 million

Two additional defendants have reached a tentative agreement with victims of the 2003 Station nightclub fire.

Polar Industries and The Home Depot have agreed to pay $5 million, according to Mark Mandell, a lawyer for dozens fire victims.

Along with $1 million that the court registry is holding from Great White's insurance company, the total amount of settlement money that couild be awarded to the group is now $19.5 million.

U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux today appointed Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern to oversee the distribution of money among the more than 300 victims who filed suit seeking damages related to the fire.

In a surprise move announced by Mandell, McGovern has agreed to work with the victims for no cost beyond incidental expenses.

Read projo.com's Station fire coverage

One hundred people died and more than 200 were injured in the Feb. 20, 2003 fire that began when a pyrotechnics display inside the club during a Great White concert.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

The additional defendants who have tentatively agreed to settlements so far are:

Luna Tech Inc., of Alabama - and two of its European subsidiaries - which the lawsuits contend manufactured the pyrotechnics used by Great White the night of the Station fire.

High Tech Special Effects Inc., a Tennessee company that is alleged to have sold the fireworks used by Great White at the club the night of the fire.

Celotex Corp., which manufactured SoundStop board and then sold it for distribution to consumers. According to the lawsuits, the Derderians purchased SoundStop for their nightclub from Home Depot and then installed it in the ceiling of the drummer's alcove and elsewhere inside The Station.

Triton Realty and Raymond Villanova, owners of the building on Cowesett Avenue where The Station was located.

Joseph LaFontaine, of Warwick, owner of New England Custom Alarms, the company that installed the fire alarm system at the club when it was owned by Howard Julian, before the Derderians bought it.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:05 PM | Comment

Ocean State Job Lot warns of scam

A scam, apparently run out of Canada and involving a fraudulent $40,000-per-check-cashing scheme, illegally used Ocean Job Lot's name to randomly target people around the United States, the company announced today.

"Our company’s name has been used illegally and without our knowledge in this financial scam. When this surfaced, Job Lot immediately reported the phony giveaway to the United States Postal Investigation Service, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation] and other law enforcement agencies," Ocean State Job Lot said in a news release.

Canadian authorities are also investigating.

People began getting letters about a week ago from a company describing itself as Boyer Financial, Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. With each letter was a fraudulent check for about $3,850. The checks appeared as though they had been issued by by Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., parent company of Ocean State Job Lot.

People who got the letters were told they would receive “a grant” -- free money totaling $40,000 from the federal government if they simply cashed the enclosed check, faxed information back to the sender and called the “grant advisor." The remainder of the $40,000 would then be sent to the person.

But the checks were worthless, Ocean State Job Lot said today.

Job Lot and to local law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island, Maine, California, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Hampshire are aware of 33 scam letters brought to their attention.

The scam's intention was not clear, but "it may be an attempt to get personal information on the targeted individual, ultimately resulting in identity theft; or it may be a scheme to use the personal information to loot the recipient’s bank account," Ocean State Job Lot said.

Ocean State Job Lot is "outraged that residents of these states, and perhaps others, have been targeted as potential victims. We are equally outraged that our company and our good corporate name have been used in this shameful attempt to swindle unsuspecting consumers."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:50 PM | Comment

Carcieri's lawyers argue for executive privilege

PROVIDENCE -- The state’s high court heard arguments today about whether Governor Carcieri should be called to take the stand at the trial of the seven Narragansett Indians facing criminal charges stemming from the state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in July 2003.

Defense lawyer William P. Devereaux and Marc DeSisto, representing the governor, presented their cases under occasionally heated questioning by the Supreme Court justices.

DeSisto urged the judges to overturn a ruling by the Superior Court judge that Carcieri could be called to testify about the orders he gave then State Police Col. Steven M. Pare leading up to the raid. DeSisto argued executive privilege should shield the governor -- and high ranking governmental officials -- from testifying unless he has direct and highly relevant personal information about the case that cannot be gotten from other sources.

The issue of executive privilege has not been tested in Rhode Island.

“Hailing the high executive into court unnecessarily disrupts administrative functions,” DeSisto said.

Justice Francis X. Flaherty asked why the governor’s appearances on talk radio and before a commission reviewing the raid in the days and weeks that followed were not equally as disruptive.

DeSisto responded that the governor has the obligation to “reach out" to the public on certain issues.

“Doesn’t he have the obligation to tell the same story under oath?,” said Chief Justice Frank Williams.

The governor should only be called to testify in “rare cases,” otherwise the system will lead to abuse, DeSisto said.

Devereaux argued the governor’s testimony could be vital to defense arguments that troopers used excessive force by disregarding Carcieri’s order that they back off if they met resistance.

“The jury deserves to consider the orders,” he said. The information being sought, he said, was not confidential.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

The justices questioned Devereaux with equal intensity.

Goldberg asked why TV crews had been at the scene the day of the raid and whether the defense was inviting a “circus-like atmosphere” into the courts.

Flaherty wondered whether the same evidence could be gotten by other means, which Devereaux likened to providing testimony by “boom box.”

The cases grew out of the state police raid of a Narragansett smoke shop in Charlestown on July 14, 2003. Governor Carcieri ordered the police to execute the search warrant on the roadside store after the tribe began selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes, in violation of state law.

The raid disintegrated into a violent confrontation. Seven tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, face misdemeanor charges of obstruction, disorderly conduct, assault and resisting arrest.

The court will issue a decision in six weeks, Williams said.

In the meantime, the Supreme Court has urged the parties, including the attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting, to mediate the cases.

“We weren’t kidding when we put that in the order,” Williams said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment

Alert: Fatal crash stops traffic on 95 north, Attleboro

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- State police say at least one person is dead and there is a possibility of additional fatalities after a fiery multi-vehicle crash in Attleboro.

Sgt. Mike Rafferty says the crash occurred at the junction of Interstates 95 and 295 at about 11 a.m. Firefighters were sifting through the charred wreckage of the two overturned vehicles.

The crash forced the closure of the two right lanes of Interstate 95 North and the ramp from Interstate 295 North to I-95 North.

State Police plan to close all northbound lanes of I-95 during the investigation.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:30 PM | Comment

Tropical storm Noel on its way to Florida

The National Weather Service is warning southern Floridians to look out for winds gusting over 25 miles per hour, strong rip currents;15-foot seas; and even a “remote …possibility of a weak tornado or waterspout.”

Tropical storm Noel is expected to strengthen during the next 36 to 48 hours, according to the service’s National Hurricane Center. Wind and rain advisories may turn into a tropical storm warning within a day or two.

The storm, which is responsible for more than 45 deaths in the western Caribbean, is expected to approach Florida in the next few days.3

See video of the storm's aftermath in the Caribbean and current conditions in Florida.

Officials say that despite some rain in Florida, the storm is not expected to bring relief to areas of the Southeast experiencing drought.

-- with reports from The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:09 PM | Comment

Update: Gas leak repaired

Tenants at a Lincoln complex are returning to their apartments after the source of a gas smell was pinpointed and sealed.

Police said a caller complaining of a gas smell came just before 9:30 this morning from an apartment at the complex on 25 Spring St. in the Manville section of town.
About 10 residents were evacuated.

A National Grid technician found the source: a loose connector on the back of a stove unit. The gas was turned off, and the technician replaced the faulty is connector, according to spokesman David Graves.

The building was vented and residents were allowed to return to their apartments. The technician is manually relighting pilot lights in each unit.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:00 AM | Comment

Widow sues woman who crashed into Mass. hospital

BROCKTON, Mass. -- The widow of a doctor killed when a 76-year-old woman crashed her car into Brockton Hospital has sued the driver for $10 million.

The wrongful death suit by Kathleen Vasa, widow of 58-year-old Mark Vasa of Norwell, was filed against Jane Berghold last week.

Berghold, a breast cancer patient at the hospital, drove her car into the radiation therapy unit at the hospital on October 15. Vasa, the chief of the unit, and 59-year-old hospital secretary Susan Plante sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

Berghold's attorney declined comment to The Enterprise of Brockton. She has said previously that her car didn't stop when she tried to brake.

Berghold is scheduled to appear before a clerk magistrate in December to determine if she will be criminally charged.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:06 AM | Comment

Special master for Station Fire suit to be appointed

A U.S District Court judge today will consider the appointment of a special master to devise a plan to divvy up settlement money offered to the victims of the Station nightclub fire.

Lawyers representing two foam manufacturers being sued by the victims dropped their objections Monday to the appointment of Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern as special master.

Extra: Read about the Station nightclub fire on projo.com

Lawyers representing General Foam and Foamex say they’ll hold onto their right to object to settlement offers and won’t have to pay any of McGovern’s fees.

In recent weeks, some of the approximately 90 defendants made tentative offers worth about $13.5 million to people who lost loved ones or were injured in the Feb. 20 2003 fire that killed 100 people.

-- with archive reports

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:54 AM | Comment

Carcieri's lawyer to argue before high court

PROVIDENCE -- A lawyer for Governor Carcieri is scheduled to go before the state Supreme Court to argue that Carcieri shouldn't have to testify in a trial over a violent raid at a Narragansett Indian smoke shop in 2003.

Seven tribe members face criminal charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault for the state police raid on the shop, which was not charging taxes on cigarettes.

Defense lawyers want Carcieri to testify about an order he says he gave to police to pull back if they met resistance. Instead, a fight erupted between tribe members and police.

A Superior Court judge has said Carcieri's testimony could be relevant.

Carcieri's lawyer says executive privilege protects him from being forced to testify.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Nothing scary about this forecast

Look for a sunny day with a high near 65 degrees and a comfortable night for trick-or-treating.

Tonight should be partly cloudy with a low around 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story about the poor condition of Rhode Island's historical cemeteries.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

October 30, 2007

Get scared tonight and tomorrow

Aside from watching "Halloween" played on some television station tonight, it may be a good time to plan out how to scare yourself and your loved ones tomorrow.

Or get a jump on things by getting scared tonight.

Open till 10 tonight and tomorrow night is the Factory of Terror in Fall River, Mass. It's at 33 Pearl St., (no phone number available) open Thursdays and Sundays, 6:30 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 6:30 to 11 p.m. through October, as well as tonight and tomorrow, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Admission is $17 for adults and $12 for children under age 10. Cash only.

Then there's Field of Screams in West Greenwich, 179 Plain Meeting House Rd. Call 884-7369, open Thursdays and Sundays 6:30 to 9p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 6:30 to 10 p.m. in October, plus Oct. 29 and 30 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and $13 for children under 12.

Check out projo.com's guide to Halloween scariness.

As for tonight, there's always the music scene.

ContraBand plays acoustic rock at Rocky Point Pub, 1705 West Shore Rd., Warwick. Call 739-9800, www.rockypointpub.com. 7 p.m.

Dancing Nancy plays a tribute to Dave Matthews at Gillary’s Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. Call 253-2012. 9:30 p.m.

Rod Luther plays jazz at The Chanler, Spiced Pear Restaurant, 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport. Call 847-2244. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Sevendust, 10 Years, Neverset and Black Light Burns play rock at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 pm. $22.50 advance; $25 day of show; $30 reserved.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

House committee OKs repeal of law on 17-year-olds

PROVIDENCE -- A legislative committee today took a first step toward repealing state law that treats 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters.

Both the House and Senate, which are meeting in special session today, would have to approve the change for it to become law.

The bill that came out of the House Finance Committee is not retroactive to existing cases. There have been 49 17-year-olds jailed at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston since July 1, when the law took effect, and others arrested whose cases would continue in adult court if the bill as approved in committee becomes law.

There was debate in the committee over the bill's wordin, so whether the absence of it's applying to those alreeady jailed or arrested will remain remains to be seen when the the House and Senate take it up.

The bill as passed in committee seals police and court records for the cases of 17-year-olds, including for the people already in jail and arrested.

“I want to commend the House Finance Committee for making a necessary course correction to a law that was short sighted and, in the long term, damaging to Rhode Island’s interests,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement this evening.

The General Assembly's special session is considering a spate of bills, including efforts to override Governor Carcieri's vetoes of bills. Added to the calendar of bills that wil be considered is one to move the state's presidential primary from March 4 to a Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primary, which many states have gone to. Neither chamber has taken up the measure yet as floor debate heads into the evening.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKiney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:44 PM | Comment

Delcarmen drums through the streets of Boston

Manny Delcarmen, a member of the Red Sox drumming circle, works on the railing of a duck boat.

Journal Photo / Bill Murphy

Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:52 PM | Comment

Another Sox parade: Crowds line up in Taco Bells

While the Sox players paraded through Boston today, a whole other kind of parade wound through -- and, in at least one instance, out the doors of -- several Taco Bells around Rhode Island.

Some local outlets of the national chain were swamped with customers this afternoon -- all thanks to a World Series stolen base by Red Sox rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury. Taco Bell agreed to give customers one free taco from 2 to 5 p.m. today if someone stole a base in the series.

More than 40 cars lined up at the drive-through of the Taco Bell on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston -- a line-up that stretched out onto Aqueduct Road. At the peak of things, five police officers were on scene to keep traffic flowing.

In North Providence, at the Taco Bell on Mineral Spring Avenue, manager Erika Duarte estimated the outlet had given out about 1,000 tacos in the first 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. She said she initially called the police out of concern for the potential for things getting out of hand but that in the end people were well behaved. One detail officer was on scene to keep traffic moving.

In Cranston, Lisa Ruggiero and her three sons Brian, 10, Daniel, 8, and Andrew 3 waited in line to go through the drive-through. They had watched most of the series on video because the games ran past their bedtimes.

"We love Jacoby Ellsworth, we're glad he's the one who own this for us. We saw him in Pawtucket [for the minor league Pawtucket Red Sox] and we know he's going be a big star," said Lisa Ruggiero.

But others coming and going did not display the red "B" one might expect. Yes, there were peole dressed in Yankees garb and even a car bearing a Yankees sticker seen exiting the Taco Bell.

However, another patron in Cranston, Hector Cabrera, swore to a reporter his loyalty to the Red Sox despite wearing a Yankees cap. A friend's hat, he explained, while eating a free taco.

The line stretched from the counter to the door at the Taco Bell in the Wakefield section of South Kingstown, said Stephanie Histen, assistant manager of the restaurant on Old Tower Hill Road.

At least 200 customers have gotten free tacos at an overflowing Taco Bell on Post Road in Westerly since 2 p.m., said Stephanie Thompson, the assistant manager there. She said the restaurant ordered 650 to 1,100 extra tacos in preparation for today.

In Warren, the Metacom Avenue Taco Bell has had a full parking lot and six or seven cars waiting in the drive-through.

In Attleboro, Mass., the police reported traffic slowdowns in the area of the Taco Bell there.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writers Barbara Polichetti, Richard C. Dujardin, Maria Armental and staff reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:18 PM | Comment

Sox' next stop: Providence, Hartford, both, neither?

Now for the Sox' next victory lap: Will it be in Providence, Hartford, both, neither?

Bids to get a visit from the World Series champs emerged today even as the Duck Boats filled with players and Jonathan Papelbon and his broom/guitar were making their way through Boston streets.

Governor Carcieri said this morning his office will be in contact with the Red Sox in hopes of getting a rally similar to the one held in Providence in 2004, the Associated Press reported. Three years ago, Sox pitcher-at-the-time Bronson Arroyo brought the World Series trophy to the State House.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell -- an admitted Yankees fan -- has sent a letter to Sox owner John Henry seeking to have the team come to Hartford.

Rell's office issued a news release today saying that in 2004, "Red Sox players, team management and other representatives of the organization came to Connecticut for rallies in New Haven and Hartford following their historic World Series win," the release said, as well as traveling to other states.

Rell declared the 2004 day of the rally “Boston Red Sox Day” in Connecticut, the news release noted. "If team owners agree to bring the team back to Connecticut this year, Governor Rell said she would be honored to issue another official proclamation in the team’s honor."

“Connecticut is a state divided among Red Sox and Yankee fans with a fair amount of New York Mets fans in the mix. Nevertheless, Connecticut considers itself to be a big part of Red Sox Nation,” Rell said in the statement. “A rally in Hartford would be an opportunity for Red Sox fans to show their admiration for the team and honor them for their championship season.”

Rell's statement conceded she is a "faithful Yankees fan. However, as a baseball fan and someone who appreciates this historic pastime, I would be honored to have the Red Sox organization come to Connecticut so we can join Red Sox Nation in saying ‘congratulations’ for winning a second World Series in four years and ‘thank you’ for another unforgettable Fall Classic."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and the Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:04 PM | Comment

Lawmakers will seek earlier presidential primary today

PROVIDENCE -- It turns out lawmakers today expect to introduce legislation to move Rhode Island's presidential primary from March 4 to the earlier, "Super Tuesday" date on which many states will now hold primaries.

A new version of the bill is expected to be introduced during today's General Assembly special session. The move follows the failure of legislation in the regular session earlier this year to clear the House after passing in the Senate.

The calendar of bills, including attempts to override Governor Carcieri's vetoes, posted yesterday did not include the presidential primary proposal.

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed confirmed the Senate will take up the bill during today's session. House leaders had not yet been reached, but Greg Pare, spokesman for the Senate president, said the House has agreed to take up the bill as well.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment

GTECH Holdings cuts about 50 R.I. employees

PROVIDENCE -- GTECH Holdings Corp. fired about 50 of its Rhode Island employees today, saying its acquisition by Lottomatica SpA last summer had made possible a range of consolidations.

Over all, the company is laying off 125 employees across its global operations, GTECH spokesman Robert Vincent said.

Lottomatica, based in Italy, bought GTECH last August for $4.8 billion.
But it kept W. Bruce Turner as chief executive officer, and the company has maintained a large presence in Rhode Island, where it completed a new high-rise headquarters downtown late last year.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:53 PM | Comment

Reactions to issues on tap at Special Session

PROVIDENCE -- Nurses are planning to show their support at the State House today for a bill that would end mandatory overtime.

And Attorney General Patrick Lynch sent his own letter of support to lawmakers, commending them for addressing Article 22, which allows 17-year-olds to be sentenced as adults.

Absent from the list of bills on the table at today’s Special Session of the General Assembly is one that would end mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes -- legislation an advocacy group had lobbied for last week -- and a measure to move the presidential primary to a "Super Tuesday" on which many states will hold primaries.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archival reports

At 3 p.m. today, local nurses plan to hand-deliver letters of support from nurses in more than 25 states.

Governor Carcieri vetoed the bill, which passed unanimously, in July, citing a nursing shortage and saying at the time that mandatory overtime “should be negotiated through the collective-bargaining process.

In Lynch’s letter to Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Stephen D. Alves, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the Attorney General calls Article 22 “ill-advised” and “myopic.”

But the legislation was enacted into law properly, and it is not flawed, Lynch asserted, and so in his letter he “strongly” recommends that if the law is repealed, it is not done so retroactively.

Since the law took effect July 1, more than thirty-six 17-year-olds have spent at least one night in the state prison, accused of crimes that previously might have resulted in a locked stay at the Training School. Those youths have adult criminal records now instead of a juvenile record that would have been sealed by the Family Court.

The House and Senate posted their calendars yesterday afternoon. The reconsideration of 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters is on a committee calendar and must clear committee to then go to the floor.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment

E. Providence man dies today after Sunday collision

PROVIDENCE -- A 51-year-old East Providence man died this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, where he has been since a motorcycle crash Sunday, according to the police.

Michael Stevens suffered severe head injuries when his 1977 Harley Davidson motorcycle collided with a 1990 Toyota Corolla just after 5 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Waterman Avenue and North Broadway in East Providence. He was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was in critical condition until today.

The female driver of the car was not injured, said Sgt. Thomas Rush, head of the East Providence Police Department’s traffic division. He would not identify her because the investigation of the accident is ongoing.

Rush said no witnesses to the accident have yet to come forward, and asked anyone with information to call the traffic division at (401) 435-7654.

“We need someone who saw it but wasn’t involved,” he said.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:59 PM | Comment

Parade scenes: Papelbon mugs; Schilling exults

Red Sox heroes Jonathan Papelbon, top, and Curt Schilling celebrate from the Duck Boats.
Journal photos Bill Murphy

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:52 PM | Comment

Sox parade: Papelbon's air guitar.. with a broom

BOSTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Papelbon is doing air-guitar on a Duck Boat in Boston Common ... with a broom.

Already known for the Papelbon dance -- that jig-like series of steps that replaced "Cowboy-Up" of yesteryear as a team badge -- Papelbon's improvisations this afternoon include celebrating the Sox's four-game World Series sweep of the Rockies. (Some purists might quibble over whether it's truly an air guitar if anything other than one's own arms mimic the riffs and licks, but that's a discussion for another time).

He's not alone. People are selling brooms and waving brooms celebrating the sweep as the victory parade wends toward its finish at City Hall Plaza.

As for any musical aspirations, Papelbon's in good company. Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix was known to strum a broom as a boy before he got his fingers on a Fender Stratocaster.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:39 PM | Comment

Diversity Career Fair runs until 5 at the Crowne Plaza

WARWICK — Where else can you find more than 15 companies holding on-the-spot interviews? Only at today’s projoJob’s Diversity Career Fair, now through 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, Route 5, in Warwick.

More than 15 companies conducting interviews for job openings. Plus, there are free seminars. Learn how to write an effective résumé, and attend seminars on proper workplace attire and professional presentation.

Click here to see the full list of exhibitors and seminars at the projoJobs Diversity Career Fair.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:16 PM | Comment

Sox parade: Guitars pound and cheers of 'Manny!'

Journal Photo / Bill Murphy

BOSTON, Mass. -- A confetti hailstorm, the pounding guitars of the Dropkick Murphys, the erupting cheers for David Ortiz and the chants of "Manny! Manny! Manny!" are flowing fast through Boylston Street this afternoon.

College students are near people taking time off from office jobs, who are next to construction workers holding up signs -- people from different status, backgrounds, incomes, but all united for the Red Sox victory parade. It will make its way to Boston Common and then City Hall.

People watch the action from atop the Atlantic Fish Company, where the fresh catch of Chilean sea bass lists for $34 -- for one person. And it's a day when Lord & Taylor, the staid clothing store, accommodates the Irish punk sounds of the passing Dropkick Murphys.

At one point, the parade appears to slow as Manny Ramirez plays to admirers from the Duck boat on which he and Ortiz are riding.

Look: there are members of the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox of 1967.

There's former Sox pitcher Luis Tiant waving to the crowd.

Current manager Terry Francona draws cheers and there's a big outburst of support for Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment

Nazarian retiring after half-century at RIC

Longtime Rhode Island College President John Nazarian announced today he will retire when his contract expires in June, capping 58 years at the college, the last 18 as president.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but there was always something going on, and I want to leave the college in good hands,” Nazarian said in a phone interview Monday. Last month, on his 75th birthday, Nazarian met with Frank Caprio, chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, and informed Caprio he would not be seeking another three-year term as president.

“The name John Nazarian is synonymous with Rhode Island College,” Caprio said. “We are grateful for his years of dedicated service and will miss him, both as a colleague and a friend.”

Nazarian, a native of Pawtucket, graduated from the Rhode Island College of Education, as it was then called, with a degree in math, in May 1954. That fall he began his career there as an instructor of math and physics. He was promoted multiple times, becoming an administrator in the early 1970s, and serving as vice president of administration and finance for 13 years before becoming president in 1990.

“When I started here, I was a teenager,” Nazarian said. “But to make a commitment for another three years, well, it seemed presumptuous. You don’t know what will happen to you. Thank God I’m in good health and the college is in good shape. I’m happy I’ve been given the privilege to do what I’ve done. But I think it’s time.”

Click below to read Nazarian's retirement announcement.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

Your turn: Share your favorite John Nazarian story

Nazarian is known for his attention to detail, and his sometimes criticized for his micromanaging style. He personally signs over a thousand diplomas each spring, frequently meets with and e-mails students, and attends even relatively minor meetings on construction projects, to ensure they are built on time and within budget.

Nazarian said he is looking forward to some unstructured time when he retires.

He hopes to travel, spend time with his relatives — many of whom live in Rhode Island — golf, and read a stack of mystery novels that has grown tall in his Pawtucket home.

The Board of Governors will establish a search committee within the coming weeks and will launch a national search for a new president, Caprio said.

Nazarian is credited with overseeing a period of growth at the college, both in terms of enrollment, which reached its highest level this fall with almost 10,000 students, and in new buildings and major renovation projects. Highlights include a $30-million, 363-bed residence hall that opened last month, a $4.8-million renovation of Alger Hall, and almost $6 million to expand and renovate the Student Union.

In 2000, the college dedicated a $10-million Center for the Performing Arts in honor of Nazarian, a gesture the president says ranks among his happiest memories.

“If you ask the question if Rhode Island College is a better place for having John Nazarian as president for the past 18 years — the answer is a resounding yes,” said Jack Warner, Rhode Island’s commissioner for higher education.

“Rhode Island College has been his life’s work, a place into which he poured his heart and soul. The students, faculty and staff are better off because John Nazarian was president.”

--
Rhode Island College Community

As many of you may know, this year represents the third year of my sixth three-year contract as President of Rhode Island College. On September 6, I celebrated my 75th birthday and on that occasion, I met with the Chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education and informed him that I would not be seeking renewal of another term as President.

It was my intention to make this announcement at the end of November or early December. After deliberating on the issue, I believe it is in the best interest of the College that I announce it as early as possible so that the Board of Governors, along with the entire Rhode Island College Community, can begin the search for a successor for the Presidency.

When I first started at Rhode Island College (then Rhode Island College of Education), I was a teenager and have been here ever since. I have experienced the transformation from a teachers college to the great institution that it is today – serving the citizens of the State of Rhode Island. I am privileged to have had the honor to attend the College, to serve as a member of the faculty, to serve as an administrator, and to serve as its president. I am grateful to all who guided me along the way on this trip of 58 years.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the College for all these years. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

John Nazarian

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment

Sen. Kennedy back at work after surgery

WASHINGTON — Sen. Edward Kennedy was back at work in the Senate today for the first time since his surgery earlier this month to clear a partially blocked artery in his neck.

“I’m feeling fine,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “I think it’s just about getting the energy level back ... The strength has been coming back daily.”

Kennedy, 75, had been resting at the family’s Hyannis Port compound since his Oct. 12 surgery in Boston. The blockage in Kennedy’s left carotid artery, which supplies blood to the face and brain, was discovered Oct. 4 after a routine physical examination and MRI on his back.

-- The Associated Press

Kennedy’s Tuesday schedule includes planned remarks on the Senate floor about children’s health insurance and Amtrak funding, the weekly luncheon with Senate Democrats and a meeting about education legislation. Kennedy also plans to watch Tuesday night’s televised Democratic presidential debate.

The Senator was flooded with get-well greetings from Democrats and Republicans alike as he recovered, though “there was a kind of continuing sense from some of the Republicans that I maybe ought to stay in Massachusetts a bit longer,” he joked.
Among those making a call was President Bush.

“He was calling to wish me well, but we talked a little shop as well,” Kennedy said.
The senator said he used the chat to lobby him about the No Child Left Behind law. Kennedy played a key role crafting the five-year-old education law, which faces a tough renewal fight in Congress.

Kennedy also took time to watch the Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

“What a time for the Red Sox,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the staples on his neck were removed by doctors on Cape Cod. He has a routine follow-up appointment with his doctors in about 10 days, but does not anticipate any problems.

One of Kennedy’s doctors said after the surgery that the senator’s overall health was excellent. Kennedy is on blood-pressure and cholesterol medication.

Kennedy has been bothered by an aching back since a 1964 plane crash, which killed a pilot and one of Kennedy’s aides.

Then-Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., who was traveling with Kennedy, pulled him from the wreckage but Kennedy suffered a back injury, punctured lung, broken ribs and internal bleeding. Because of the persistent pain, the senator often leans on a wall or sits on a stool when he otherwise would be expected to stand for an extended period.

Kennedy is the lone surviving son in his storied political family. His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash; President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and Robert was assassinated in 1968, when he was running for president.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:59 PM | Comment

Victory parade gets rolling in Boston

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Spectators in Boston await the parade

BOSTON -- Thousands of people have crammed the historic streets of Boston’s Back Bay in anticipation of seeing their baseball heroes roll by in World War II-era amphibious duck boats as the city celebrates the World Series victory of the Boston Red Sox.

It was the second time in the last 4 years that the Red Sox have been World Series champs. It is a rare to see the main streets of Boston free of cars. People are lined up from Fenway Park, through the Back Bay neighborhood, onto Boston Common and into City Hall Plaza for the parade.

It looked somewhat like the annual Boston marathon, another event where onlookers are lined up eight- and nine-people deep.

News helicopters hovered over the event as people of all ages streamed into the city: some pushing strollers, college kids from local universities ditching classes, and people wearing all manner of Red Sox regalia and gear to cheer on their team.

Jessica Posner, a Northeastern University junior, sat with a hamburger watching the event on the big screen at Daisy Buchanan’s on Newbury Street.

“I can’t wait to see Johnny Papelbon do his river dance,” she said. “He is so hot.”

The gathering has been peaceful so far.

Hundreds of police officers and firefighters are patroling the streets. People are leaning from office windows with “We did it again,“ and “We are champions” signs.

Needless to say, Back Bay bars are doing a brisk business.

To view the live streaming video of the parade, click here

-- Journal staff writer Scott McKay

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:33 PM | Comment

Storm leaves Dominican, hits Cuba, Bahamas

MIAMI -- The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Noel has weakened a bit after causing floods and mudslides and at least 20 deaths in the Dominican Republic.

The storm continues to dump rain over portions of Cuba, the island of Hispaniola and the Bahamas.

Noel had been forecast to hit Haiti hardest but veered toward the other country on Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, apparently catching residents off guard yesterday.

Forecasters say a tropical storm warning remains in effect for portions of Cuba and the Bahamas. They add that a tropical storm watch could go into effect for parts of southeast Florida later today or tonight.

Noel temporarily knocked out the Dominican Republic's entire power system, plunging more than 9 million people into the dark for about two hours.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:27 PM | Comment

Photo/parade coverage: 'Boston is crazy right now'

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Some of the many spectators lining the streets of Boston for a better look at the world champion Red Sox. Commentators say the town is going crazy.

To view the live streaming video of the parade, click here:

Posted by Pam Cotter at 12:04 PM | Comment

Update: Passenger in fatal crash released from hospital

A Westerly teenager, who was in a one-car accident in Connecticut last night in which the teenage driver and another teenage passenger died, was treated and released from Hasbro Children's Hospital.

Brandon Algier of Westerly, who was a passenger, was taken by helicopter to Hasbro Children's Hospital, where he was treated but not admitted.

Jay Naylor, 18, and Elizabeth Greenhall, 16, were killed when the car they were in drove off the road.

The two Hopkinton teenagers were "great" and "creative" kids, Chariho Superintendent Barry Ricci said this morning.

All three were wearing seatbelts, according to a police report.

Counselors from throughout the district were sent this morning to to Chariho Regional High School, where the two Hopkinton residents went to school. Ricci said several students have sought time with the counselors, but along with the professionals, "the students also support themselves."

Naylor was interested in computers and electronics, and Greenhall was a interested in graphics and communications, Ricci said. "She had an artistic flare... They were both just good young people."

Connecticut State Police say Naylor was driving south on Route 49 in North Stonington, and Greenhall was sitting in the passenger seat when the car hit a telephone pole, drove off the road, rolled on its side, and slammed into a tree.

The two were pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is still under investigation.

-- projo.com staff writers Brandie Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Randall Edgar

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:46 AM | Comment

More photos: The Nation awaits the world champions

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
One fan volunteers to do his own dance along the Red Sox parade route.

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Who's in school today? Not this guy. He's celebrating the Red Sox' World Series win.

Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:43 AM | Comment

Photos galore for Sox fans as the Nation celebrates

Crowds line up along the parade route in Boston as the Red Sox victory parade is about to start.

Want more photos of all the Red Sox excitement? click below to see all the best photo galleries of the World Series and its aftermath. You'll find even more at projo.com/redsox:

The World Series: Red Sox homecoming

The World Series: The post-championship celebration

The World Series: The pitchers

The World Series: The fans

The World Series: Game 4: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3

Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:27 AM | Comment

Update: Teens killed in accident were 'great,' 'creative'

Two Hopkinton teenagers killed in a car accident in Connecticut last night were "great" and "creative" kids, Chariho Superintendent Barry Ricci said this morning.

Jay Naylor, 18, and Elizabeth Greenhall, 16, were killed when the car they were in drove off the road.

Naylor was interested in computers and electronics, and Greenhall was a interested in graphics and communicaitons, Ricci said. "She had an artistic flare... They were both just good young people."

Brandon Algier, 13, of Westerly, was taken by helicopter to Hasbro Children's Hospital.

Connecticut State Police say Naylor, was driving south on Route 49 in North Stonington, and Greenhall, was sitting in the passenger seat when the car hit a telephone pole, drove off the road, rolled on its side, and slammed into a tree.

The two were pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is still under investigation.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:23 AM | Comment

Watch the Sox parade here / photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Nevermind the weather, Bostonians are hot for the Sox, who will march through town in about an hour.

Wish you could be in Boston to see the Red Sox' World Series victory parade?

We've got the next-best thing: live, streaming video of the noontime rally that will start at Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Commons and end at City Hall Plaza.

Our media partner, WPRI-TV in Providence, is providing the live feed via Fox. The link will be posted on our homepage closer to the start of the rally.

The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said.

Menino said pitcher Jonathan Papelbon will dance, and the Dropkick Murphys also will play along the parade route.

“He has to do a dance,” Menino said. “He promised the people he would do a dance.”

The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver.

Posted by Pam Cotter at 10:20 AM | Comment

Photo: Fire damages Warwick tavern

Police and firefighters still on the scene of an early-morning fire at Lakewood House & Tavern, 651 Warwick Ave., Warwick. Journal photo by Kathy Borchers.

An early morning fire damaged Lakewood House and Tavern in Warwick.

Police Lt. Joe Coffey said a fire alarm went off at about 4:15 a.m. When crews arrived, no one was in the building at 651 Warwick Ave.

There is damage to the roof and the rear door of the building, but Coffey says it’s not clear yet how much structural damage was done. So far, it doesn’t appear that any nearby buildings were damaged.

Arson detectives and the fire marshal are on the scene now.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:06 AM | Comment

Governor seeks Sox celebration in Ocean State

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri is hoping that Rhode Island will once again be able to join in the celebration of a Red Sox championship.

The governor says his office will be in contact with the team over holding a rally similar to the one in 2004, when then-Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo brought the World Series trophy to the State House in Providence.

Carcieri points out that Rhode Islanders make up a big part of Red Sox nation.

The World Series champions are being honored today with a Duck Boat parade in Boston.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Sunny skies and a high near 63

Today is looking a bit warmer than yesterday with the National Weather Service forecasting sunny skies and a high temperature of 63 degrees.

Expect some clouds overnight when the temperature should drop to 41 degrees.

Tomorrow will look like today, with clear skies, a high temperature near 64 and winds between 11 and 14 mph.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a big photograph of Red Sox' designated hitter David Ortiz holding up the World Series trophy after the team returned to Boston.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

October 29, 2007

Tonight: Big band swings, swinging blues and rock

If you need a break from Sox euphoria, or, more likely, you're a Yankees fan, here are some things to do tonight.

Big Band Swings plays at the Cornerstone Playhouse, 213 Robinson St., Wakefield. Call 284-1850, www.thetruebrewcafe.com. 7:30 p.m.

SBT, Johnny Clothes Hanger and the Anti Babies and Acetone play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 8 p.m. $5. All ages.

Mark Taber plays blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

Photos: Sox return to Fenway with trophy

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
David Ortiz gives the fans a glimpse of the World Series trophy as the Boston Red Sox return to Fenway Park Monday afternoon from Colorado.

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Red Sox pitcher Mike Timlin gives his daughter a ride on his shoulders and greets fans. The team bus arrived at Fenway shortly after 5 p.m.

See the earlier blog item..

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:59 PM | Comment

Barrington student allegedly compiled 'hit list'

BARRINGTON -- Police say they will refer a 16-year-old high school student to Family Court, probably on a charge of disorderly conduct, after he allegedly compiled and printed list, labeled a "hit list," of six students and teachers using a school computer.

Police were called to the high school around 3 p.m. Friday after the list was discovered, but by then the teacher who found it and the student who reportedly wrote it had left, Chief John LaCross said today.

But the probe continued over the weekend, with the student telling police that the list was meant to be a joke.

LaCross said both the student and his family were cooperating.

There was no disruption of classes and the Homecoming football game went off as scheduled Friday night.

LaCross said he expects the investigation, including further interviews, to be complete by Wednesday.

``We take this matter as a serious offense, especially in light of the things that happened at Virginia Tech and other schools,'' said the chief. ``Even constructing a list as a joke is no joke. We will investigate it thoroughly.''

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:46 PM | Comment

Station fire: Foam firms won't oppose special master

PROVIDENCE -- Lawyers representing two foam manufacturers being sued by victims of The Station nightclub fire today dropped their objections to the appointment of a special master who would devise a method to equitably distribute settlement money offered to the plaintiffs.

This makes it more likely that Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux will approve the appointment of Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern as special master in The Station fire civil cases. Lagueux is scheduled to take up the matter at a hearing tomorrow Wed afternoon.

Lawyers representing General Foam and Foamex, two foam manufacturers that are being sued by the fire victims, had filed objections to McGovern’s appointment by the court. But in newly filed papers, lawyers James A. Ruggieri and Gerald C. Demaria say they are withdrawing their objections because the victims’ lawyers have clarified the limited role McGovern would play.

They say that as long as they can preserve their right to object to settlement offers and won’t have to shoulder any of the fees that McGovern charges -- and because the victims are not asking McGovern to play a role in the court’s review of settlements -- they won’t argue against his appointment.

Lawyers for those who lost loved ones or who suffered injuries in the Feb. 20, 2003, fire -- which took 100 lives and caused injuries to more than 200 others -- are asking the court to approve McGovern’s appointment so that he can develop a matrix to divvy up money that is being offered by some of the defendants to settle the lawsuits now pending against them.

In recent weeks, a handful of the approximately 90 defendants who remain in the civil suits have made tentative offers totaling $13.5 million to settle the victims’ claims. The victims’ lawyers are currently negotiating with more of the defendants and are hopeful that additional settlement offers will be forthcoming.

No settlement money has been paid out yet; Lagueux would have to approve all proposed settlements before the victims get any money.

McGovern has performed similar duties as a special master more than 50 times in other complex tort cases around the country, including the DDT toxic exposure litigation, the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device litigation and the silicone breast implant cases. He has also participated in developing a reparations system for people, businesses and government entities affected by the Iraq war.

If appointed by Lagueux, he would develop a grid to decide how all of the settlement money that is offered would be divided among each of the plaintiffs, depending on the degree of injury, number of dependent family members as well as other variables. McGovern would interview the victims and their families and then devise a matrix that would be used to apportion how much each would get. The court would still independently have to approve all settlement offers after determining that they were being made in good faith.

Demaria and Ruggieri say in their court filing that they have been assured by the victims’ lawyers that all costs associated with McGovern’s hiring will be borne by the victims pro-rata and that all of the victims’ attorney fees will be based solely upon whatever their clients recover in damages.

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment

Victory scene: Schilling puts the fans on camera

BOSTON -- While flashbulbs popped at him and his World Champion teammates, Sox pitcher Curt Schilling pointed a camcorder at the faithful hundreds as he and family drove by the cheering crowd outside Fenway Park this evening.

For the faithful lining Yawkey Way, it was about sightings. Look, there was Jon Lester. And catcher Jason Varitek. And team owners John Henry and Tom Werner appeared for the crowd.

David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, held aloft the World Series trophy as exited the team bus that arrived around 5 p.m. outside the park.

Pitcher Mike Timlin walked through the crowd with a little girl sitting on his shoulders. And There was Kevin Youklis.

Besides cheers for the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox, the crowd on Yawkey Way chanted: "Don't Sign A-Rod!"

The Yankees -- remember them? -- and slugger Alex Rodriguez have apparently parted ways.

As the afternoon unfolded, about 1,000 fans lined Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they awaited the return of the Sox, who batted around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep.

Media at the scene were hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m.

A Direct TV blimp floated overhead. And on Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans noted the cars of their favorite stars.

Fans said the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife.

Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H.

Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center.

After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway.

Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six.

He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn.

He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy.

“I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.”

But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment

Cranston East student suspended for toy gun in school

CRANSTON -- A Cranston High School East student who brought a toy gun to school today has been suspended for 10 days.

Officials detained the student after an early-morning report of a gun on the premises brought a school-wide lockdown.

Police and school administrators went from classroom to classroom looking for a pupil in a black, hooded sweatshirt, according to students.

“We did find him very quickly,” said Raymond L. Votto Jr., the chief operating officer for the Cranston School Department.

Votto said a student reported seeing the gun at about 7:50 a.m.

Officials, mindful of the Columbine and Virginia Tech school shootings, ordered the lockdown or “shelter-in-place” and summoned police, Votto said.

Sophomores Benjamin Pittman and Steven Mulhall, both 15, recalled some anxious moments, as teachers moved to lock classroom doors.

“I kind of thought it was the Virginia Tech thing,” Pittman said, standing outside the high school yesterday afternoon.

But the students, who train for a lockdown during the school year, said the incident lasted only about a half-hour.

Pat Lavey, 17, a senior, praised the administration for moving quickly to lock down the school and for sending students home with letters explaining the situation.

“That’s definitely showing that they take everything seriously,” he said.

Votto said Cranston East administrators could recommend that Superintendent M. Richard Scherza impose further sanctions on the student with the toy gun, up to and including expulsion.

Col. Stephen C. McGrath, the police chief, said there would be no criminal charges in the case.

McGrath and Votto both praised the student who reported seeing the gun.

-- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:15 PM | Comment

Expect road closure in Coventry next month

COVENTRY -- Beginning next month, for about six weeks, Main Street between Sandy Bottom Road and South Main Street will be closed as a throughway during daylight hours to allow for the next phase of sewer installation fanning westward, officials announced today.

Crews will be digging trenches along the Route 117 stretch beginning Nov. 5. Work, including installation of sewer lines and service laterals to homes and businesses, is expected to continue through Dec. 15, weather permitting, said Town Engineer Sheila Barrett.

This project is the latest effort to bring sewers to areas now dominated by septic systems. It is costing the town roughly $3.2 million, thanks to a loan from the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency.

The project includes the line extended from the Sandy Bottom Lane pumping station toward Main Street, which began in September, and a sewer-line extension out near the police station, west to Ken Ray Drive and then back east toward Main and South Main streets.

Coventry police will help motorist and pedestrians if they need access to homes and businesses.

Motorists passing through will be directed to detours. They include:

*Drivers heading eastbound on Route 117 will detour onto South Main Street, east onto Wood Street and north onto Sandy Bottom Road.

*Drivers heading westbound, will detour south on Sandy Bottom Road, west onto Wood Street and north onto South Main Street

*Truck or oversized vehicles eastbound on Route 117 will detour onto Hill Farm Road south to Harkney Hill Road onto Route 3

* Trucks westbound on Route 117 will detour south onto Sandy Bottom Road to Tiogue Avenue, (Route 3) south and north onto Hill Farm Road at Harkney Hill Road and back to Route 117

Coventry police advise all large truck traffic to use exit 5 on Route 95, to Victory Highway, northbound and pick up Route 117 there, to access points west of South Main Street, because detoured roads will be too narrow for the wider turns.

Motorist with safety concerns may call the Coventry Police Department at (401) 826-1100.

-- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:10 PM | Comment

Victory scene: Big Papi holds trophy outside Fenway

BOSTON -- David Ortiz, a.ka. Big Papi, held aloft the World Series trophy as he walked along the cheering hundreds gathered outside Fenway Park this evening.

It was about 5 p.m. when the team bus pulled up outside Fenway Park.

Pitcher Mike Timlin walked through the crowd with a little girl sitting on his shoulders. And There was Kevin Youklis. And look, team owners John Henry and Tom Werner appeared for the crowd.