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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.

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 5:38 PM | Comment

Carcieri appoints new state fire marshal

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today announced that he appointed Frank M. Sylvester, chief of Lincoln's Lime Rock Fire District, the new state fire marshal.

Chief Sylvester, a Pawtucket resident, will replace George S. Farrell, who resigned last spring to become Providence fire chief. State Police Supt. Brendan Doherty has been interim fire marshal, with Lt. John Blessing handling the day to day operations.

The appointment is subject to the state Senate's advice and consent.

“Chief Sylvester has the broad experience needed to fill the role of State Fire Marshal,” Carcieri said in a statement this evening. “From his time in the Lincoln and Pawtucket Fire Departments, to his military tours, and to his familiarity with marine firefighting and port security, his well-rounded experience in this state is a valuable commodity. I’m pleased he has agreed to serve in this position.”

Sylvester retired from the Pawtucket Fire Department in 1988, joining the Lime Rock Fire District as chief. He graduated from Roger Williams College with a bachelor of science degree in administration. He served two years in the U.S. Army and then 18 years with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

He is a member of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs, the New England Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment

Tomorrow's special session: What's on the list; what's not

PROVIDENCE -- The General Assembly will tackle a slew of bills during tomorrow's special session, including mandatory overtime for nurses and reconsidering the state's treatment of 17-years-olds as adults in all criminal matters.

But absent from the list tomorrow is a bill 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.

Much of what the legislature will do is consider overriding Governor Carcieri's vetoes of bills.

The House and Senate posted their calendars for tomorrow's action this afternoon. The reconsideration of 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters is on a committee calender and must clear committee to then go to the floor.

This afternoon, Governor Carcieri today urged the General Assembly to approve a tax incentive for A. Duie Pyle, a Pennsylvania trucking company building a distribution center in Johnston, during the special legislative session tomorrow.

It would give tax credits to Duie Pyle to offset about $330,000 in sales tax on the materials used to build the $9-million distribution center, the governor's office said. In order to get that, the company has pledged to create at least 120 jobs, most paying between $50,000 and $60,000.

The Journal has reported that the failure of the tax incentive to win legislative approval has been the subject of a federal investigation of state Sen. Stephen D. Alves, D-West Warwick, for allegedly killing the bill for not getting Johnston pension-fund business. Alves has denied any wrongdoing ,calling the allegations "ridiculous and baseless."

The U.S. Attorney's office and other federal authorities have been conducting a broad probe of alleged State House corruption dubbed "Operation Dollar Bill."
Carcieri's office issued a news release this afternoon noting that the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has recommended passage of the incentive.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:02 PM | Comment

Providence police sergeant injured by a car

PROVIDENCE -- Police Sgt. David F. Edes suffered a broken arm and a serious shoulder injury when he was struck by a passing car in front of the Roxy nightclub at 79 Washington St. downtown, the police said today.

Maj. Paul C. Fitzgerald, commander of the Uniformed Division, said Edes underwent shoulder surgery Sunday morning and remains a patient at Rhode Island Hospital.

Edes was in the street, standing outside a police cruiser and speaking to the officers inside the cruiser when he was struck by a westbound car at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Fitzgerald. He was working off-duty as a uniformed officer on a paid detail for the nightclub at the time.

The car was driven by Jeffrey Warhurst, 26, of 3 Colonial Rd., Coventry, the police said. He was given two traffic summonses charging him with failure to exercise due care and failure to have proof of auto insurance. Both are alleged civil infractions that are handled by the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:19 PM | Comment

Association president pleads no contest to charges

JOHNSTON -- After his acquittal on a felony assault charge, the vocal president of the Slack Reservoir Association has pleaded no contest to charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct.

Mark D. Barnes made the plea on Thursday in the aftermath of a jury trial in Superior Court, Providence, said Michael Healey, a spokesman for the state attorney general.

Previously, Barnes had faced a felony charge of assaulting a person over 60. He was accused of punching a man in the face during an argument about a property boundary in April of 2006. Jurors acquitted him of that count, Healey said.

After proceedings in September, jurors were unable to reach a
unanimous verdict on the two remaining simple assault and disorderly counts, Healey said.

Prosecutors opted against retrying the case and negotiated the plea. That means the charges against Barnes will be erased if he stays out of trouble over a year’s time, Healey said.

“Given this travel, we think that a nolo contendre filing is both a fair outcome and a wise use of limited resources,” Healey said.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Victory scene: 1,000 fans line Yawkey, awaiting Sox

BOSTON -- About 1,000 fans are lining Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they await the return of the World Series champion Red Sox, who bat around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep.

Media at the scene are 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 is floating overhead.

On Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans say 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 4:03 PM | Comment

Somerset police are seeking robbery suspect

SOMERSET, Mass. -- The police are asking the public's help in finding a male who robbed a Shell gas station at knife point on Wilbur Avenue early yesterday.

The suspect, described as a white male, five feet, four inches tall, weighing 145 pounds and 18 to 25 years old, took cigarettes and an undetermined amount of cash from the Shell at 1813 Wilbur Ave., the police news release said today. The suspect was last seen wearing a white baseball cap with a "B" on it and a white hooded sweatshirt with gold lettering across the front.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday, someone in a white Dodge Intrepid or Dodge Stratus drove through the Shell parking lot, looking inside the store as he drove.

The car was then parked, the driver walked into the store and around the counter and uttered an expletive in demanding the drawer be opened. The clerk opened it, the male looked inside and asked where the money was. He brandished a knife about six to eight inches long.

The male took the tray from the drawer to look underneath for more money. The clerk told police the male took all the cash from the drawer, grabbed about seven cigarette packages and drove off on Wilbur Avenue toward the Route 195 junction.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:48 PM | Comment

Health Department announces nursing home program

The state Health Department announced today a pilot program that aims to promote "individualized" care for nursing home residents.

In a news release, the department said most Americans say they never want to live in a nursing home and they do not think of “individualized” or “home-like” when a nursing home comes to mind. But a national movement is trying to "deinstitutionalize" nursing homes and make them better respond to residents' needs, the Health Department said.

In Rhode Island, the program will emphasize residents making a "wide variety of decisions and choices, such as when to wake up and go to sleep or when and how to bathe." And the program encourages a setting where older people will feel comfortable living, instead of a hospital-like environment.

It will begin Thursday and run for six months as part of the annual survey process for each Rhode Island nursing home.

“We want to encourage nursing homes to think about how well they are providing quality care while honoring the individual needs and choices of our elders," Dr. David R. Gifford, the state Health Department director, said in the statement.

"This pilot will give all homes an opportunity to consider how well they are creating an individualized, home-like environment where the best personal, health, and medical services are provided."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:40 PM | Comment

Photo: Hanging the banner at Fenway

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Tony Lafuente, with Flagraphics of Somerville, Ma., hangs the "2007 World Series Champions" banner on Yawkey Way outside Fenway Park.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:09 PM | Comment

Fresh food, fresh calendar/ Photo

Photo by Lucas Foglia & Kate Abarbanel
July photo of "Ripe 2008," a calendar featuring Brown & RISD students dressed only in locally grown fruits and vegetables.

There’s a month left to stock up on local fruits and vegetables at farmers markets across the state.

But even though many of the urban markets are closing for the winter, there's still plenty of local food available all year long.

To help you keep local food in mind, a group of fresh-food enthusiasts have produced Ripe 2008 – a calendar that showcases produce items every month that are grown right here in Rhode Island.

The coalition of college students and local graduates posed as naturally as the foods (read: nude), for the pictures. Each month offers a recipe, as well as a philosophy: “Eat slow – revel in the experience, savor the flavor. Breathe it in, bite, taste it. Enjoy, and harvest the beauty.”

Calendars are available at Brown University Bookstore, the Farmstead store in Providence and online at Farm Fresh Rhode Island.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment

Red Sox Fans await the champs' arrival

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Greg Martakos, of Salem, N.H., a Hooksett, N.H., police officer, stands outside Fenway Park, where he has been waiting all day to see the Red Sox players return from their World Series victory in Colorado.

BOSTON -- A crowd is growing at Fenway Park in Boston, where fans await the arrival of the 2007 World Series Champs.

On Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans say 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.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:52 PM | Comment

Update: Bishop Tobin's live chat has ended

As part of his ongoing series, An American Bishop: Inside the World of One Cathedral Square, Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller hosted Bishop Tobin for an hour-long chat today.

Bishop Tobin addressed questions about Catholic education, faith, charity, Mother Teresa and his own background.

A transcript of this chat will be posted shortly with the rest of this series, which can be found at www.projo.com/extra/2007/american_bishop/

Posted by Pam Cotter at 2:00 PM | Comment

Sox victory parade, with Papelbon dance, tomorrow

BOSTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Papelbon will take his wacky Irish gig on the road Tuesday when the Boston Red Sox hold their World Series victory parade.

The parade will start at noon from Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Common and end at City Hall Plaza, according to Boston.com.

The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route -- beginning at Fenway Park and ending near City Hall -- as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Mayor Thomas Menino said Monday.

Menino said 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 2004 rally fell on a rainy day, but tomorrow's forecast is for a clear sunny day with a high of 59 degrees and a low of 46 degrees. There will be northwet winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour around noon.

Menino acknowledged having the celebration on a week day would inconvenience some businesses and school children away, but he said players were eager to get home to their families and begin their vacation.

The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver. The team was expected to arrive back in Boston about 3:30 p.m. Monday and head over to Fenway Park.

Menino also said a “rolling rally” was easier for city officials to manage, because it spread out the crowds. He estimated security would cost $500,000.

Fans began celebrating immediately after the Red Sox won their second World Series title in four years.

Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said 37 arrests were made early Monday in the city, mostly for disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported.

Thirteen people were arrested after they refused to leave the Kenmore Square area near Fenway Park, police said. After police told a large crowd of people to disperse, several officers were struck by rocks and bottles. Sixteen cars parked along Newbury Street were vandalized, with broken side view mirrors and windows, or damaged windshield wipers.

The police department had announced it would have more than 50 cameras trained on the city to record any vandalism. Boston authorities cracked down on rowdy sports celebrations after an Emerson College student was struck and killed when police fired a pepper pellet into an unruly crowd celebrating the Red Sox’ 2004 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com staff reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:15 PM | Comment

Construction set to begin on Quonest Gateway project

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- The Quonset Development Corporation is holding a ceremony today to celebrate the start of construction on the controversial Quonset Gateway project, a complex of retail outlets and office buildings at the entrance to the Quonset Business Park.

In March, state planners rejected the original Gateway proposal, criticizing several of its key elements, including the inclusion of two so-called big box stores: a 117,000-square-foot Lowe's and an 89,000-square-foot Kohl's.

Those stores remain part of the project, overseen by the New Boston Development Partners. But the QDC made a range of revisions to win approval last month, adding more office space and partially hiding the large retail stores and parking lots.

The ceremony begins at 4 p.m.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:04 PM | Comment

Southern Union pleads not guilty to mercury charges

PROVIDENCE -- Gas company Southern Union pleads not guilty to charges that it illegally stored mercury in a vacant building in Pawtucket.

The Texas-based company is also accused of failing to report a 2004 mercury spill that occurred when vandals broke into the building and stole containers of the toxic metal.

The company faces a fine of more than $67 million if convicted on all charges.

Lawyers for Southern Union entered the plea today on the company's behalf in federal court.

An indictment earlier this month accuses the company of storing mercury without the required permit between 2002 and 2004. It also failed to notify the local fire department of the mercury spill, as required by law.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:45 PM | Comment

Rhode Island Hospital gets $11M grant

A federal research center has awarded Rhode Island Hospital more than $11 million – one of the largest in the hospital’s history -- to study skeletal joint diseases.

The National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded the $11.1 million, 5-year grant to fund the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Skeletal Health and Repair at Rhode Island Hospital.

The center will be headed by Qian Chen, director of cell and molecular biology and head of orthopedic biology at Rhode Island Hospital. He’ll lead a team of doctors and research specialists from various fields to study bones development, cartilage degeneration, and ways to repair and rebuild it.

This is the sixth grant of its kind to a Rhode Island institution – it’s the second to Rhode Island Hospital.

"The aging of the baby boom generation and soaring obesity rates mean we can expect to see a sharp increase in the number of patients with osteoarthritis and other joint diseases,” said Chen said.

“That’s why it’s critical that we not only expand our search for new and better treatments for joint diseases, but that we also recruit and mentor the next generation of orthopedic researchers – which our COBRE award allows us to do,” he said.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment

Gas prices up again

Gasoline prices have increased another five cents this week in Rhode Island, driven by higher crude oil prices, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.769 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

That's five cents more than last week and nine cents more than it was on October 15.

Prices in Rhode Island remain about nine cents below the national average.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:11 AM | Comment

No sanctions after alleged racist remark

NORTH KINGSTOWN — Town officials will take no action against Harriet Powell for allegedly making racist remarks during a Groundwater Advisory Committee meeting.

Several members at an Oct. 4 meeting charged Powell, the committee’s chairman, with making disparaging remarks about Irish, Italian and Hispanic immigrants.

In her defense, Powell said committee members and attendees misunderstood her comments, which were made during a private conversation before the meeting. She said her remarks were aimed at those who are intolerant of other ethnic groups.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Davis

Powell, 80, also serves on the Planning Commission and Asset Management Commission, as well as on other civic boards.

In response to complaints by Town Councilman Steven Campo and others, Town Manager Michael Embury and Town Solicitor James Reilly interviewed those who attended the earlier groundwater meeting. But there were “discrepancies” in the testimony given by attendees, the council said in a statement.

There was “inconclusive evidence to conclude the comments as reported were made in a derogatory context,” said council members, who voted 4-1 to take no action against Powell.

The council did, however, issue a warning that racism and inappropriate comments would not be tolerated by town officials and employees.

“The council in its determination does recognize that there should be no tolerance for any type of discriminatory language or actions, whether actual or perceived, by any member of a board, commission, or employee of the town of North Kingstown,” the board said.

“In addition the council believes that under no circumstance should a board or commission, or member of such, be engaged in conversation or debate during an official meeting that is outside the scope of the posted agenda under the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.”

A new policy to address the issues will be considered at a future meeting.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:02 AM | Comment

Sox on their way home as World Series champs

BOSTON --The Boston Red Sox return home to Fenway Park this afternoon, World Series champions again.

Mayor Tom Menino tells WBZ Radio he'll meet with team officials before announcing details of a public celebration, which could come as early as tomorrow.

Celebrations swept across New England after the Red Sox clinched the Series sweep with a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies last night in Denver.

In Boston, people sprayed each other with beer and some climbed street signs and utility poles. At least one small fire was set and a crowd flipped a pickup truck on its side. Police arrested 37 people, mostly for disorderly conduct.

One college student says two championships in four seasons is "pure heaven."

About 1,500 students at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst poured into the streets there. The school says the crowd was boisterous yet peaceful, but six people were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Thousands of students at the University of New Hampshire celebrated in the streets, with many carrying brooms and chanting ``sweep, sweep, sweep.''

-- The Associated press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:47 AM | Comment

URI groups meet to discuss "sticker ordinance"

A recently revised town ordinance that brands houses with bright orange stickers after they've been cited for hosting loud parties may be effective at keeping noise levels down, but does it unfairly single out students? Are there other ways to manage noise problems?

The University of Rhode Island Student Senate is hosting a forum tonight to discuss the ordinance, which has been a point of contention between some students and residents since it was passed in September.

External Affairs Chair Tom Aherns and Student Body President Neil Leston organized the event as a way to bring students and residents together to discuss student responsibility and accountability, student rights, the jurisdiction of URI officials, the year-long orange sticker and alternatives to the current ordinance.

The forum, tonight from 7 to 9, is open to the public. It will be held in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:04 AM | Comment

Hearing for woman accused of parrot mutilation continued

A court appearance by a woman accused of stealing a baby parrot and cutting off its leg has been postponed until next month.

The pre trial hearing has been postponed at least three times for a crime Warwick Police Sgt. Robert C. Rocco called "the most bizarre thing" he'd seen in 24 years on the job.

Police say Pamela Worden, 56, walked into a Petco store, stole a baby parrot, and cut off its foot to remove an identity tag used by the store to keep track of the $500 bird.

Officers found the bird in Worden’s apartment. It was alive, but bleeding. They also found the amputated foot, the bird’s ID tag, and a pair of scissors on a counter.

Attorney general spokesman Michael J. Healey said should Worden be convicted, prosecutors intend to ask for jail time, given the severity of the crime. Worden faces one count of felony possession of stolen goods and one count of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor.

Her hearing has been continued until Nov. 5 in Superior Court, Warwick.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:27 AM | Comment

Photo: The stamp of a World Series champ

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Darlene Polanco, of Providence, adds an official MLB sticker to a Boston Red Sox World Series Champion shirt at Mirror Image printing in Pawtucket this morning. Mirror Image is the company that prints the championship shirts for this area. The workers have been up all night after Boston's victory over the Rockies in Game Four last night.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:33 AM | Comment

Man arrested after car runs into utility pole

A Glocester man was arrested for driving under the influence early this morning after his car drove into a utility pole, knocking it over, according to the Smithfield police.

Adam Leszczyk, 22, was taken to the hospital after he lost control of his car just after 1 a.m. today on Putnam Pike near Barnes Street, according to Lt. Mike Mousseau. The car knocked down a utility pole, flipped over, and landed on its roof.

Leszczyk suffered superficial injures to his face, according to police. He was arrested for refusing to take an alcohol test and driving under the influence.

The downed utility pole was a support structure and did not disrupt any service. It was replaced at about 4:30 this morning.

The road was cleared by 2:30 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:53 AM | Comment

Dozens arrested after Sox take the Series

BOSTON -- Police say at least 37 people have been arrested in the post-World Series celebration in Boston. But they report no serious injuries.

See video here.

Officers in riot gear worked to clear crowds that filled the streets after the Red Sox finished off their World Series sweep in Denver by beating the Colorado Rockies 4-to-3. One unruly crowd tipped a pickup truck on its side.

Police shut down access to Fenway Park as the game neared its end in Denver. Customers in bars and restaurants around the Red Sox home field were told they would not be allowed to return once they left.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment

Clear but a chilly start

The good: we can expect clear sunny skies today. The not-so-good: It's going to be chilly.

It's not so bad, though.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 53 degrees; still four degrees higher than average for today.

A few clouds may roll in tonight when the temperature should drop to 37.

Tomorrow should be a little warmer, with a high temperature of about 62 degrees.

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

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment