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« October 2007 | Today | December 2007 » November 30, 2007Tonight: Memory House opens at Trinity Rep.Opening tonight at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence is a production of Memory House. The play starts at 8 p.m. It is a pay-what-you-can night before regular prices kick in. The tickets tonight go on sale at 7 p.m. A blurb on the Trinity Rep. Web site describes it this way: "Maggie’s always tried to do the right things. But her dance career has been replaced by the grind of office-work, her ex-husband has found a younger model, and now her 18-year-old daughter Katia is questioning everything as her college application deadline looms -- especially her adoption from Russia." Read a preview of the show from Journal arts writer Channing Gray. The play runs through Jan. 6. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment FCC OKs TV stations' sale to investors group with R.I. tiesWASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $1.3 billion sale of 35 television stations owned by Clear Channel Communication Inc. to Newport Television LLC, a private equity group, subject to certain conditions. Newport is an investment group controlled by Rhode Island-based Providence Equity Partners. The sale will result in a violation of FCC ownership rules in nine markets and will require the divestiture of several stations. The agency announced the decision Thursday night. The sale was conducted within the context of a much larger plan that will take Clear Channel private. The San Antonio, Texas-based company is the nation’s largest operator of radio stations. Last month, shareholders approved the $19.5 billion sale of the company to a private equity group led by Thomas H. Lee Partners LP and Bain Capital Partners LLC for $39.20 per share. The sale of the 35 television stations will mean the new owner will be out of compliance with FCC rules that limit the number of stations one company may own in a single market. The market areas include Bakersfield, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Fresno and Monterey in California; Salt Lake City; Albany, New York; Jacksonville, Fla., and San Antonio, Texas. The companies asked the FCC for waivers to operate the stations for six months until it comes into compliance with the rules. The FCC granted waivers in eight of the nine markets, denying the request for Albany. Providence also owns a stake in Spanish language network Univision Communications Inc. and Freedom Communications Holdings Inc. and is in violation of the newspaper-broadcast station cross-ownership rule in five markets. Providence has said it would divest properties in those markets but has yet to do so, blaming “volatile conditions” in the credit markets. As part of its reasoning for granting the waivers, the agency in its decision noted the larger sale, which will result in Clear Channel spinning off a number of radio stations. -- The Associated Press When Clear Channel announced the buyout in November 2006, it said it would sell 448 of its 1,150 radio stations, all located in smaller markets, in deals separate from the larger transaction. Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps, an outspoken opponent of the consolidation of ownership in the media, filed the lone dissent to the transaction. “No one should be under any illusion that Clear Channel’s sale of its 35 full-power stations strikes a blow for de-consolidation,” he wrote. After the deal closes, Providence will have “attributable interests in a whopping 86 television stations and 99 radio stations in the United States” among other media properties, he added. Copps questioned the recent trend of public media companies being taken private, and asked whether the FCC has enough information about the ownership and control of such groups to determine whether such transactions are in the public interest.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Pop Warner team gets money to play in championshipPROVIDENCE -- The Mount Hope Cowboys Pop Warner football team has gotten the financial help it needs to get to the national Pop Warner championship in Florida, Mayor David N. Cicilline and City Councilman Kevin Jackson announced today. Cicilline and Jackson said they raised $12,000 to send the team -- Northeast champions -- to the national tournament in Orlando. The release says the team enlisted the mayor's help to lead the money-raising effort. A boost came from "a major contribution" from the New England Patriots, which Cicilline's office said responded to the mayor's request. Players ages 11 to 13 play on the Mount Hope football team. They won the regional title on Sunday over the Millbury-Sutton Raiders of Massachusetts. They previously defeated teams from New Hampshire and Connecticut. “I am incredibly proud of the Mount Hope Cowboys and I wanted to make sure that limited resources did not prevent the team from competing in the national championships,” Cicilline said in the statement. “I want to thank these generous organizations for answering the call. Their quick show of support speaks volumes about the spirit of community among businesses and other organizations in Providence.” Along with the Patriots' contribution, "gifts" came from the city Department of Recreation, the Vincent Brown Recreation Center Support Fund, Ocean State Job Lot, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sodexho, Aramark, and Walgreens, which will also provide travel bags to the players. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment In W. Greenwich, it's lights, cameras and family barnWEST GREENWICH -- A local movie crew is expected to wrap up filming in West Greenwich of “Tanner Hall,” an independent film created by two Brown University graduates Tatiana von Fustenberg and Francesca Gregorini. Filming began on Tuesday at Mishnock Barn, adjacent to Lake Mishnock near the Coventry line, town officials confirmed. Danny Albro, whose family owns the barn and some of the land around the lake, leased the grounds for the film’s parking lot and club scenes, he said. Albro said the intent was to make the area look like a fall festival. The crew has been going around shooting in various locations around the state. According to town officials, the entire area is set up like a carnival, complete with a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a cotton-candy machine, and other arcade-style equipment and games. The area is zoned commercial and film crews don’t need local permits to go on the land. Albro said the intent was to make the area look like a fall festival. The crew has been going around shooting in various locations around the state. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Photo: He wants Christmas in Cranston display
-- With reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:15 PM | Comment R.I. Guardsmen head to Fort Benning, then IraqSix Rhode Island Army National Guard members will leave for Fort Benning, Ga., tomorrow ahead of deployment to Iraq. The six members are from Company D, 126th Theater Aviation, and will take their C-23 Sherpa transport aircraft to Iraq for the unit's second deployment since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The unit's headquarters is Quonset National Guard Base. The unit was last in Iraq from December 2005 to November 2006. The unit won recognition as the Army’s Fixed Wing Unit of the Year in 2006. Most members being deployed were deployed with the unit in 2005-2006. A departure ceremony is tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Hangar 2, 104 Airport St., North Kingstown. The public is invited. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:35 PM | Comment Two Mass. men arrested on crack cocaine chargesTwo Massachusetts men were arrested on crack cocaine charges last night after a motor vehicle stop on Route 95 in Richmond. Paul A. Pitts, 39, of 204 Sycamore St., Holbrook, and John F. Burke Jr., 38, of 62 Constitution Ave., Abington, were each charged with possession of crash cocaine, a state police news release said today. Pitts was also charged with driving under the influence-narcotics, refusal to submit to a chemical test-blood, and driving while in possession of a controlled substance. The men, who were arrested at 8:50 p.m., were held at the state police Hope Valley barracks pending District Court arraignment, the police said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:21 PM | Comment Narragansetts' Brown protests Treaty Rock Farm dealLITTLE COMPTON -- Not everyone was happy with the recent deal to protect Treaty Rock Farm. John Brown, historic preservation officer for the Narragansett Indian tribe, attended today’s news conference announcing the deal and declared the land arrangement “illegal, suspicious and sneaky.” He said usually when federal funds are used to purchase development rights for land that has Native American history, the associating tribe is contacted. Brown said the Narragansett tribe should have been consulted on this venture and wasn’t. “We have a serious problem here,” he said. “What they’ve done they cannot do.” The tribe member said three federal acts require tribes to be notified when such deals are made. His tribe wasn’t aware of the pact, however, until a National Conservation Resource Service official called them this morning. Brown said he immediately called U.S. Sen. Jack Reed -- who was supposed to appear at today’s affair, but had a last-minute change of plans -- and didn’t get a response. He believes Reed didn’t come primarily because of Narragansetts’ complaints. The tribe is asking the federal funds be withdrawn and suspend the deal until the tribe is included, Brown said. He said there isn’t any way for those involved to fully know what is sacred, historical and important to the tribe without their input. -- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina At the news conference he confronted representatives of the conservation agencies and state officials, including Michael Sullivan, director of the state Department of Environmental Management. “There is tribal history on this farm, it’s called Treaty Rock Farm for a reason,” Brown said to those within earshot. Pointing toward Sullivan, he continued, “This gentleman told me it’s a done deal and it’s not a done deal without me. I am the tribe in these matters. With this [alleged illegal deal], I wonder what else the tribe is being left out of.” “For us not to know about this is unheard-of.” Few commented publicly on Brown’s concerns. John Berg, of The Nature Conservancy, said he has questions about Brown’s objections, especially because the tribe historically connected to Little Compton is the Wampanoag tribe and not the Narragansett tribe. Published town history says Little Compton originally belonged to the Wampanoag tribe, who were led by Awashonks, the sister of Metacom (commonly known as King Philip). They called the area Sakonnet. Treaty Rock Farm is the site on which she signed a 1676 peace pact with colonist Benjamin Church. “Our goal was to protect the place for everyone,” Berg said. “That’s what we did.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:13 PM | Comment OSHA may fine Smithfield contractor $116,200The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is proposing $116,200 in fines against a Smithfield contractor -- with a history of violations -- for failing to provide cave-in protection for employees at three Rhode Island job sites. OSHA said in a news release it has cited John Rocchio Corp. for alleged "willful and serious violations of safety standards" after inspecting East Greenwich and North Kingstown work sites. "On all three occasions, the company was reminded of its responsibility to provide cave-in protection, yet we repeatedly found employees working in imminent danger situations," Patrick Griffin, OSHA area director in Providence, said in the statement. "Equally disturbing is the fact that we have cited this employer six times in the past 10 years for this same type of hazard, and this behavior has not changed." The company has 15 days from receipt of its citations to ask for and participate in an informal cofnerencw with OSHA or to contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. All digs of 5 feet or deeper must be guarded because walls in such excavations can collapse suddenly, "burying employees beneath tons of soil and debris before they have a chance to react or escape," OSHA said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney For the lack of cave protection, OSHA said it gave two "willful citations" and one "serious citation," which carry a total of $109,200 in proposed fines. OSHA said it also issued three serious citations, with $7,000 in fines, for there being more than 2 feet of a trench's sidewall explosed below the trench box; letting an empoyee in a dig to work without a hardhat; and "not properly shoring a telephone pole adjacent to an excavation." OSHA said a willful violation is committed with "plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.' A serious citation is given when a death or serious physical harm is likely to result "from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known." Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:43 PM | Comment Alert: 2 Clinton volunteers held hostage in N.H.ROCHESTER, N.H. - A man claiming to have a bomb was holding one or more hostages at Hillary Clinton's campaign office today, police said. The man had what appeared to be a bomb strapped to himself, said Bill Shaheen, a top state campaign official. The two hostages were volunteers, Shaheen said. "We are in close contact with state and local authorities and are acting at their direction," Clinton said in a statement. "We will release additional details as appropriate." The man ordered the hostages onto the floor and then released a mother and her baby, said State Police Maj. Michael Hambrook. Two campaign volunteers were still being held, said Bill Shaheen, a top state campaign official. Witness Lettie Tzizik told television station WMUR of Manchester that she spoke to the woman shortly after she was released and that she was crying, holding the infant. "She said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape," Tzizik said. Clinton was scheduled to give an address at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Vienna, Va., Friday afternoon, but DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced from the podium that Clinton would not speak. Get the latest from the Associated Press ...
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:04 PM | Comment Status of state worker layoffs' today unclearPROVIDENCE – Today is supposed to be D-Day for the dozens of state employees who received layoffs notices two weeks ago. By mid-day today, however, it remained unclear how many were, in fact, packing up to leave and how many had initiated a months-long process that would allow them to “bump’’ into a job held by another less senior employee. No immediate answers were available this morning on the status of Governor Carcieri’s vow to eliminate 1,000-plus jobs to save $100 million to help stave off a projected deficit of up to $450 million during the year that begins on July 1. And the numbers on how many people had received layoff notices dropped slightly from where they were at last report by the administration. But Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said as of today 154 layoff notices have gone out; another 330 state workers have been notified their jobs may be abolished or “privatized’’ in the future. In addition, the administration says it has put 168 temporary workers – also known as contract employees – on notice that, in the event they are still here, their jobs will end on June 30. Rounding out the administration’s count are reported plans to leave vacant the jobs of a presumed 487 state employees who leave voluntarily by June 30. If all of those assumptions pan out, the state will have eliminated 1,139 of the 15,000-plus state employees and 660 contractors who, at last report, were working for state government. -- Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg Neal confirmed the administration has offered state employees whose positions are being eliminated “the opportunity to remain in state service until the end of the current fiscal year if they agree to retire by June 30.
At this point, Neal said, “we currently expect that the majority of state employees with statutory status will bump into filled positions. As a result, while that employee may still be employed by the state at the end of this process, another currently unidentified employee will not.’’ In the end, he said, the administration expects the process "will result in savings.'' Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:44 PM | Comment World AIDS Day: Fundraising dance, dinnerFeel like dancing? Well then you’re in luck. Youth United for Global Action (YUGA) is hosting a 5-hour dance-a-thon tomorrow, World AIDS Day. The event, sponsored by Plan USA, will raise money for the group’s HIV/AIDS program in Uganda. Dancers need to register, but anyone can come and sponsor a dancer, make a donation or just pay the $10 cover. According to YUGA, 100 percent of donations will be used to help fund secondary education, AIDS-related workshops, vocational training and other support programs for young people affected by AIDS. The dance-a-thon is at the Loom Studio, 69 Eagle St, Providence. It starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight – so wear comfortable shoes. The fundraising begins tonight, though, at a sold-out dinner sponsored by AIDS Project RI where the Red Ribbon Community Service Awards will be presented. Honorees include David Abbott, Dr. Anne DeGroot, Sen. Rhoda Perry and Rep. Thomas Slater, among others. There will also be a silent auction and a performance by the Providence Gay Men's Chorus. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:30 PM | Comment Farmers' market moves inside as winter's bite arrivesWith winter air pretty much upon us, an every-Saturday indoor farmer’s market kicks off tomorrow from noon to 3 p.m. at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. At farmfresh.org, it says the Providence Wintertime Farmers Market promises winter-long "lettuces, arugula, bok choi, kale, collards, cabbage, chard, apples, cider, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, radishes, chilis, fresh herbs, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter squash, oysters, beef, pork, Narragansett Creamery cheese, eggs, honey, maple syrup." This month, too, there will be wreaths, trees, cauliflower, and broccoli. Come March, there will be maple syrup. Good timing. The high temperature in the area tomorrow is forecast to be 31 degrees. The low: 12 degrees. But it will be a clear day, though that's, um, cold comfort. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:47 PM | Comment Appeals court to hear Urciuoli, Driscoll argumentsOral arguments are scheduled for Monday in the First Circuit Court of Appeals, Boston, in the case of two former top Roger Williams Medical Center officials convicted of paying a state senator to carry out the hospital's agenda at the State House. Robert Urciuoli, who was medical center president, and Frances P. Driscoll, who was a senior vice president, were convicted in October 2006. They're both arguing that instructions U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres gave to jurors before deliberations prejudiced the case. Former state Sen. John A. Celona, a North Providence Democrat, was hired to a supposed job at an assisted living center and nursing home linked to the medical center. Prosecutors alleged that Celona's $700 to $1,000 weekly salary was payment to stop legislation that ran against the hospital's interests. Arguments will be heard at about 10:15 a.m. In September, prosecutors told the appeals court that the trial judge gave correct jury instructions. Federal prosecutors have been conducting a broad probe of alleged State House corruption. Most recently, Gerard M. Martineau, the former house majority leader, pleaded guilty to two felony charges. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Calif. man gets 5 1/2 years in bank-card scamA California man faces deportation after agreeing to plead guilty to taking part in a scheme to steal bank-card information from supermarket customers in Rhode Island. Arutyun Shatarevyan, 21, of Los Angeles, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 66 months in prison for his role in the scheme earlier this year that siphoned $132,000 from the accounts of Stop & Shop customers in Rhode Island. He will have to serve at least 85 percent of that sentence, or roughly 56 months, before he’s eligible for release, according to his lawyer Alex R. Kessel. The chance that Shatarevyan will be deported is “very high,” Kessel said, after a hearing this morning in U.S. District Court. Shatarevyan emigrated from Armenia to the U.S. as a boy. In sentencing Shatarevyan, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith noted the Californian “didn’t appear to be the ringleader of the operation,” which played out at Stop & Shop supermarkets in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Shatavyan and three other Californians were arrested by state and Coventry police Feb. 26 at the Stop & Shop on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry where, federal and state authorities said, the four had gone to retrieve a checkout lane PIN pad rigged to capture shoppers' financial-account information. Videotape evidence linked the men to 1,100 account thefts at Stop & Shops in Providence, Cranston and Coventry, and ultimately, to ATM withdrawals made in California, according to federal officials. The men removed or tried to remove original PIN pads from at least six stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The men were living in California before they flew to Rhode Island in early February. Two of the men, Arman Ter-Esayan, and Gevork Baltadjian, have already been sentenced in the case. Ter-Esayan, 22, of Valley Glen, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and aggravated identity theft. Baltadjian, 20, of Winnetka, was sentenced to 61 months in prison for playing a "minor" role in the scheme that siphoned $132,000 from the accounts of Stop & Shop customers in Rhode Island. Sentencing for Mikael Stepanian, 28, of Studio City, is set for Dec. 6. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Jack Perry at 12:05 PM | Comment Craftland show: Where function meets fantasyPROVIDENCE -- Feeling crafty? Even if you’re not up to the task of sewing, gluing, screen printing or welding, you can still send out homemade holiday cards and stock your closet with crocheted goods. Crafts galore can be found at Craftland, which kicks off this evening with an opening party and a chance to score some free goodies if you get there early. The 6th annual craft fair will feature doo-dads, tchochkes and nick-knacks from more than 150 artists in Rhode Island and beyond. Practical and whimsical, the fair is self-described as a place “Where Function Meets Fantasy.” The window at 235 Westminster St. is already offering a glimpse not only into what crafts will be available, but the ethos behind them. A dedication to the former Lupo’s nightclub, which used to occupy the space and featured murals of dead rock stars, adorns the wall. The current window display references the spirit with paintings and photographs different music icons, including Wendy O. Williams of Plasmatics fame and Lee Hazlewood – country and pop-music songwriter-musician-singer. See what DIY artists of a different type can do at Craftland, today through Dec. 22, Wed. – Sun., 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Th. and Sat., 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Can't wait or can't make it? Visit projo.com's new Holidays blog, where projo.com staffer Donna McGarry, an avid crafter, will be offerings tips on decorating for the holidays and more. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:57 AM | Comment Former Mass. selectman sentenced to five yearsA former Massachusetts selectman who attempted to lure a 15-year-old girl over the Internet to meet for sex was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to serve 5 years in federal prison. William Christensen, 61, of Southborough, Mass., pleaded guilty in August to using the internet to entice a minor for sex and interstate travel for sexual conduct with a minor. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly said if there had been a trial, prosecutors would have proved that in May 2006 a parent told Rhode Island state police that she had seen inappropriate sexual overtures in an online chat room. A detective posed as a 15-year-old girl and, prosecutors said, became involved in conversations with Christensen, who arranged a meeting for sex at an East Providence apartment complex. When Christensen, a former Southborough selectman, arrived at the complex, he was arrested by state police detectives. He was ordered to report to prison on Dec. 28; until then, Christensen in on home confinement. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:27 AM | Comment Ex-C. Falls councilman faces new sex abuse chargesA former Central Falls councilman who was arrested when the police found him partially dressed with a 15-year-old boy in his back seat faces new charges of sexual abuse brought yesterday by the state police. Capt. Stephen Lynch said Luis Gil, 45, turned himself in to the state police yesterday at 11 a.m. and was arraigned on three additional charges of sexual assault involving the same 15-year-old boy whom Gil was found with on Nov. 12. Gil was arrested and charged with one count of third degree sexual assault after Providence police found him and a 15-year-old boy both partially dressed, parked in Gil's car near the Henderson Bridge , both partially dressed. During the investigation that followed the arrest, Lynch said the Providence police learned Gil had sexually abused the 15-year-old at the former rectory of the Notre Dame Church, now privately owned, and in Lincoln Woods. The latest charges stem from those allegations. Police say in August 2007, Gil propositioned the 15-year-old while the teenager was waiting for a bus. The boy refused and, according to police, when he got on the bus, Gil followed him. When the 15-year got off the bus, according to Lynch, Gil propositioned him again and the two went to to Lincoln Woods. Gil was arraigned in District Court, Providence, and released on $10,000 personal recognizance in front of Judge Michael Higgins. He is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 15. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:47 AM | Comment Symposium to address 'valuable menhaden fishery'Wildlife in Providence, it’s not an everyday sight. But last month, thousands of fish found their way into the Providence River, slowly swimming in front of the Rhode Island School of Design and some making their way to Waterplace Park. The surge of fish, adult menhaden, was unexpected. But their appearance came as recreational and commercial fishermen have been at odds over who is catching them and if they are being over fished. To address some of the issues surrounding the allocation of menhaden, the Rhode Island Sea Grant and the state Department of Environmental Management are hosting a daylong “Menhaden Science and Policy Symposium” today. Biology, feeding practices, stock assessment and other scientific information about the fish are on the agenda of the symposium, which will include panels hosted by state legislators, commercial and recreational fisheries, Save the Bay and other stakeholders. The event starts at 8 a.m. at the Village Inn on Beach Street in Narragansett. “Menhaden are an important contributor to the health of Narragansett Bay and the ecosystem, as well as the economy,” DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “This symposium presents a forum for scientists, policy makers and stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues and share information concerning this valuable fishery.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:15 AM | Comment Historic spot in Little Compton to remain working farmLITTLE COMPTON -- Preservation groups and state and federal agencies have contributed $3.6 million to protect a historic farm in Little Compton. Treaty Rock Farm will remain a working farm. The coastal farm has been in continuous agricultural use since colonial times and was the site where a Sakonnet sachem and a colonist became allies during King Philip's War. The three sisters who own the farm will retain private ownership of it. The women sell beef locally through a program called RI Beef Co-Op, and that will continue. The conservation of the land will be announced at a news conference today with Senator Jack Reed among the officials expected in attendance. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny, but windy and chillyIt's going to be sunny, but don't let that fool you. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 43 with gusty west winds as high as 22 mph. The temperature should drop to 25 overnight. The winds should keep up, gusting as high as 28 mph. Saturday's looking even colder, with a high temperature near 32 and more wind from the northwest, gusting as high as 34 mph. Saturday night the clouds and the cold make comeback with a low temperature of just 13 degrees and mild northwest winds. Now for the big news: A 40 percent chance of snow Sunday afternoon, when the temperature should just break through the 30s. Sunday night the precipitation continues, but whether it's rain, sleet or snow, we'll just have to wait and see. The temperature will hit the high 20s. Rain should welcome us back to the work week Monday. Again, it could turn to sleet or snow in the afternoon. The temperature should reach the mid-to-high 30s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story on the big question in Warren. Who won the $151-million Powerball jackpot? Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 29, 2007Tonight: Rock, R & B, in Providence clubsThere's plenty to hear in Providence clubs tonight. Andrew Bird plays rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 7 p.m. $20 advance; $24 day of show; $25 reserved. Mark Cutler and Friends play rock at Nick-A-Nees, 75 South St., Providence. Call 861-7290. 9 p.m. East Side Horns and Mac Odom and Chill play rhythm and blues and Motown at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500, www.thehihat.com. 8 p.m. to midnight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment At least 2,500 in Cumberland get mistaken tax lettersCUMBERLAND -- At least 2,500 taxpayers received letters from banks and mortgage firms incorrectly stating that their property taxes were past due. Town Finance Director Thomas Bruce III said today that the mistake was caused by First American Corporation, which accessed town records earlier this month and incorrectly reported real estate tax account information to its banking and mortgage firm clients. Those financial institutions, in turn, issued delinquent notices based on the incorrect information. The Santa Ana, Calif.-based firm issued an apology to residents this week. Meanwhile, the town is limiting the company’s access to its records, according to Bruce. Many residents received the delinquent letters the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Carrie Gaska, a spokeswoman for First American, said that the less than 325 delinquent payment notices were sent out by area financial institutions as a result of the flawed data; Bruce says the town estimates that between 2,500 and 5,000 residents were sent the notices. The town was not aware of the problem until Monday, when some residents came to Town Hall demanding an explanation, said Bruce. Town officials met with the company’s regional representatives, who are based in Worcester, Mass., this morning. “Taxes are a very emotional thing. We had some elderly residents come in who were very upset. This ruined their holiday weekend,” he said. “People work hard to pay their taxes on time, and I think Cumberland taxpayers in general respect due dates.” First American Corporation is one of the largest business information firms in the nation with approximately 2,100 offices and $8.5 billion in revenue last year, according to its Web site. Most years, First American collects real estate tax payments from financial companies and delivers them to the town in one lump sum in May, said Bruce. This year was the first year that the company also assisted area clients with gathering information for late payment notices. It began gathering information from the town via the town Web site sometime around Nov. 12, said Bruce. But the software that the company designed was flawed, classifying residents who had not paid their taxes for the third and fourth quarters of the year (Nov. 30 and Feb. 28, respectively) as delinquent, according to Bruce. Gaska confirmed that a code in the program used by the company’s tax service branch was omitted, causing the error. “The result was that some [taxpayers] appeared delinquent when in fact they had paid,” said Gaska. The town was not informed that First American would be accessing the town information this month, said Bruce. In the future, First American will need to get written approval from the town Finance Department before it can access town records on a quarterly basis for the purpose of issuing delinquent notices, according to Bruce. The company will still be able to access town information and transfer tax revenue to the town from financial institutions once a year in May, he said. “At the moment we do not trust the company’s controls and therefore the town reserves the right to take control of the release of the information that is needed for” banks to send out delinquent notices, he said. Bruce stressed that the late payment notices were sent out by the banks and mortgage companies, and not the town. Gaska says that no other city or town in the state was affected by the flawed program. Home owners who need further assistance can call the Town of Cumberland’s Office of Tax Collections at (401) 728-2400 or First American at (800) 452-3787. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment Photo: Up on the housetop
Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 5:36 PM | Comment Update: No claim on $151.9-million winning ticket yetNo one has yet claimed the $151.9-million Powerball jackpot, the ticket for which was sold in Warren at Warren Mart on Child Street. The person who got the ticket played Quick Pick. A person this afternoon did claim a $10,000 prize at Rhode Island Lottery headquarters in Cranston. Besides the big jackpot, still outstanding are a $200,000 prize and a $10,000 prize purchased in Rhode Island as well. The winning combination was: 8 -- 23 -- 32 --37-- 39 Powerball: 38. The winner has 60 days from the validation date to make the difficult decision: annuity or cash payment. Choose annuity, and the winner gets $151.9 million in 30 yearly installments of a little more than $3.44 million after taxes. Chose the cash and the winner gets a lump sum of about $51.1 million after taxes. And that’s not the only choice: When to go public? What to buy? Which long-lost relatives get your new phone number? If you do happen to be the lucky winner, or are planning to win in the future -- aren’t we all? -- check out the FAQ section on the Powerball’s Web site. If your question isn’t answered on the Web site, send an email. It will be answered by someone who, apparently, is quite the comedian. Before today, the largest prize was $93.5 million in 2001 which went to Michael Goulden, of Pawtucket. And of course, the taxpayers of Rhode Island are supposed to get something too. If the big winner chooses annuity, the state gets profits from the taxes totaling about $354,000 over 29 years. If the winner goes for the cash option, the sate would receive a lump sum tax payment of about $5.26 million. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Cape Cod woman, son, sue tabloid over Kennedy storiesBOSTON, Mass. -- A Cape Cod woman and her son have sued The National Enquirer, claiming the supermarket tabloid fabricated stories that said she gave birth to a child fathered by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy. The defamation suit filed in federal court in Boston on Tuesday claims two articles that appeared in the tabloid in early 2006 contained "false and sensationalized reporting and outright fabrications." The articles claimed Caroline Bilodeau-Allen of Sandwich gave birth to a child fathered by Kennedy more than two decades ago, and the Democrat gave her money and other gifts to keep the incident a secret. The lawsuit claims Bilodeau-Allen and her son, Christopher Allen, were "emotionally devastated" by the articles and sought mental health counseling as a result. Bilodeau-Allen suffered severe weight loss and Allen, a 22-year-old college student, "was subjected to ridicule and scorn among his peer group." "These articles negatively affected every aspect of their being," said David H. Rich, a lawyer for mother and son. Rich would not comment on whether Bilodeau-Allen and Kennedy knew each other. The National Enquirer said in a statement that it had no reason to doubt the source of the information and that the plaintiffs declined several opportunities to deny the initial story prior to publication. "We intend to vigorously defend the lawsuit and have every confidence that we will prevail at trial," the statement said. Kennedy's office did not immediately return a message for comment. The lawsuit also named the tabloid's parent company, American Media Inc., which operates in Boca Raton, Fla., and reporters Alan Butterfield and Richard Moriarty as defendants. It seeks unspecified monetary damages. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:07 PM | Comment Ballard's Inn to pay $250,000 in wages, penaltiesNEW SHOREHAM -- A popular Block Island restaurant, accused of paying employees below the federal minimum wage and failing to compensate them for overtime, will pay $250,000 in back wages and penalties. In a written statement, the U.S. Department of Labor says Shoreham Inc., the parent company of Ballard's Inn, and its president must pay 154 employees about $207,000 in back wages. The restaurant admits no liability under the agreement, but it will pay a $42,000 civil penalty. Earlier this year, labor officials sued the restaurant for paying workers less than the federal minimum wage and forcing them to work overtime without adequate pay. According to the lawsuit, the restaurant also violated federal child labor laws. Officials at Ballard's Inn did not immediately return a call seeking comment. They have denied the allegations. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:49 PM | Comment AG asks Supreme Court to overturn smoke-shop rulingThe state attorney general is seeking for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that upheld a jury’s finding that a state trooper used excessive force when he twisted a Narragansett tribal member’s ankle during the 2003 smoke-shop raid. The state has filed an appeal with the high court, asking for a review of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision. If the ruling is allowed to stand, the state argues, it will have a chilling effect on police officers trying to arrest suspects who resist while claiming they are being hurt. “If we win in Supreme Court, this is over,” said Jim Lee, chief of the attorney general’s civil division. “If we win on the motions for a new trial, we have to try it again.” The case stems from a state police raid on 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 illegally selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes. The raid disintegrated into a violent confrontation and eight tribal members were arrested, including Adam Jennings whose ankle was broken during his arrest for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Jennings, his mother and another shop worker filed suit, alleging the state police violated their civil rights. A U.S. District Court jury concluded after a five-day civil trial in Providence that Trooper Kenneth Jones used excessive force and battery when he twisted Adam Jennings' ankle while placing him under arrest during the raid. The 10 jurors ruled in favor of two other troopers while awarding Jennings $301,000 in damages. Trial Judge Ernest C. Torres overturned that verdict, finding that Jones was protected by qualified immunity, which shields officers from liability when they act reasonably in doing their jobs. The judge concluded that though the public has a strong interest in ensuring that police do not abuse their authority, it has an equal interest in seeing that officers are not deterred from performing their duties for fear of liability. Jennings appealed to the 1st Circuit. A three-judge panel reinstated the jury’s verdict in March. That decision was affirmed by the full court in August, when it declined to review the case but sent it back to Torres in U.S. District Court to consider motions for a new trial. The state has opted to, instead, seek the high court’s review. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Lee repeated the state’s contention that Jones acted within the line of duty. “We think Trooper Jones’s action were appropriate under the circumstances,” he said. “Mr. Jennings was resisting arrest and Trooper Jones was using an appropriate hold to get him under control.” Jennings is among seven Narragansetts, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, awaiting trial in Providence County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges related to the raid Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:35 PM | Comment Hopkinton man gets 8 years in prison for molesting boySOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A Hopkinton man was sentenced today to eight years in prison after admitting he molested a boy during a 1998 camping trip. Domenic Marchetti, 30, pleaded guilty Nov. 23 to two counts of first-degree child molestation in a plea deal reached with state prosecutors. Six other child molestation charges were dismissed. Marchetti was sentenced to 25 years, with eight to serve and 17 years suspended with probation. He was ordered not to have contact with the victim until November 2032. Marchetti, of 704 Main St., is being represented by William J. Murphy, a lawyer who is also Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Before being taken into custody, Marchetti thanked Washington County Superior Court Judge Stephen Nugent for staying the start of the sentence until today. He was given credit for time he served following his arrest in April 2006. The police say Marchetti, then 21, molested the 12 or 13-year-old boy after they ate dinner while on a camping trip in the vicinity of Alton. The exact date and location of the incident was not known, but it was estimated to have occurred between May 31, 1998 and Aug. 31, 1998 at a site they reached by boat. The six dismissed child molestation charges stem from incidents that occurred between May 31, 1999 and Aug. 31, 1999, near Skunk Hill Road in Hopkinton, court records show. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:24 PM | Comment R.I. Hospital's chief of neurosurgery steps asideDr. John A. Duncan III has voluntarily stepped aside as chief of neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital, and Dr. Curtis E. Doberstein is serving as interim chief. Hospital spokeswoman Gail Carvelli said that Duncan retains full privileges to practice at Rhode Island Hospital, and the arrangement is temporary. No decisions have been made on who will be the permanent chief, she said. Duncan decided to step aside on Saturday, the day after a neurosurgery resident started to operate on the wrong side of a patient’s head, according to the hospital. The resident had broken the skin but realized the error before reaching the skull. Because two previous incidents of wrong-site neurosurgery had occurred this year at Rhode Island Hospital, the Health Department on Monday reprimanded the hospital and fined it $50,000. The Health Department had no role in Duncan’s move on Saturday. But in 2003, the department had found Duncan responsible for a December 2001 incident in which neurosurgery residents operated on the wrong side of a patient's head after a CT scan was placed backward on the viewing screen. Duncan was ordered to study and make recommendations on preventing medical errors. -- Journal staff writer Felice Freyer Posted by Jack Perry at 2:57 PM | Comment Former RISD employee's sentencing postponedPROVIDENCE -- The sentencing of a former Rhode Island School of Design employee who's admitted bilking the prestigious art school of nearly $1 million has been postponed until Tuesday. A sentencing hearing for Patrick Clyne started today in federal court, Providence, and it continued for much of the day when the prosecution and defense argued whether Clyne had lied about his ownership of property in Ireland. A probation officer will be called to testify Tuesday. Clyne has pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and filing a false tax return. Clyne was responsible for the upkeep of fire-safety equipment, such as alarms and extinguishers, at the art and design school in Providence. Prosecutors say he set up a shell company that billed the school for fire safety-work that was never actually done. He was fired from the school in 2005. Clyne pleaded guilty in August, and prosecutors have agreed to seek a reduced sentence. -- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski and The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 2:53 PM | Comment Police: Central Falls man followed trucks, stole parcelsForget following the money. In cracking this crime, the police say, it was about following the mail. A Central Falls man has been arrested on larceny charges after the state police said he followed delivery trucks then stole parcel packages left at addresses on Providence's East Side. Obdulio Crespo, 32, of 30 Washington St., Unit 817, was arrested Tuesday on two counts of larceny over $500, a state police news release said today. Crespo was released on $10,000 personal recognizance at District Court, Providence, arraignment before Judge Michael Higgins. A Dec. 11 determination of attorney hearing is scheduled and a pre-arraignment conference is slated for Jan. 29. The state police said the arrest capped a two-week investigation into parcel package thefts. Detectives were told of a suspicious vehicle following delivery trucks in the area, and the police said surveillance resulted in Crespo's arrest after he was allegedly caught stealing packages that had just been dropped off at two Grotto Street residences. The police said they recovered more goods stolen from parcel delivery services when they searched his home and vehicle. Those included household items, beauty supplies, power tools, jewelry and electronic equipment. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment T.F. Green ending valet at Garage B, dropping parking priceWARWICK -- T.F. Green Airport is ending valet service at Garage B and halving the price for parking at the covered lot. The move follows the expiration, at midnight tomorrow, of a contract with The Parking Company, the longtime operator of the complex. The Chicago-based Standard Parking Corp. is the new parking operator for all parking facilities at the state's main airport. Parking at the 750-space parking complex will now cost $17 per day, about half the price under The Parking Company. Under the previous arrangement, about 50 to 100 travelers used the garage every day, according to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. It is now expected to fill up, corporation spokeswoman Patti Goldstein said. “It was being underutilized,” Goldstein said. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:36 PM | Comment Video: Bank robber may have to return lottery jackpotBOSTON -- The winner of a $1 million lottery scratch ticket may not be so lucky after all: He's a convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to gamble. Timothy Elliott faces a Dec. 7 court hearing over whether he violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the $800 Million Spectacular game at a supermarket in Hyannis. Elliott was placed on five years' probation after pleading guilty in October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a January 2006 heist at a bank on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, he "may not gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played." Elliott, 55, has collected the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from the Massachusetts lottery commission. A picture of Elliott, holding his first check, was posted on the lottery's Web site Monday, though it was removed by Wednesday. As part of his sentence, Elliott was put under the care of the state Mental Health Department and sent to a hospital for treatment, and state officials refused Wednesday to say whether he was still being treated. "This is kind of new territory," he said. See a related video from the Associated Press. -- The Associated Press A telephone number for Elliott could not immediately be located Wednesday, and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer. The lottery routinely cross references the names of winners with the state Revenue Department to see if they owe back taxes or child support, lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld said. In those cases, winnings go straight to the Revenue Department. But in this case, it will be up to the court to determine what will happen with Elliott's winnings. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:29 PM | Comment ABC 6 announces new evening anchor
PROVIDENCE -- ABC 6 WLNE today announced Allison Alexander, who most recently anchored morning and noon newscasts at the Cleveland CBS affiliate, as the new anchor for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. Her appointment takes effect Jan. 1. Stephen Doerr, ABC 6 vice president and general manager, said in a statement that Alexander "is one of the brightest, most talented journalists working in local media." "I am delighted to be joining WLNE, one of the fastest-growing, most innovative news organizations in the business," Alexander said in the statement. ABC 6 said that Alexander has won an Edward R. Murrow award for reporting and has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press. She graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, ABC 6 said. She and her husband, Craig, will move to Providence next month. How the appointment affects the anchor line-up -- and what form the evening newscasts will take -- was not clear. Doerr said the station is sorting through assignments. NBC 10 recently added Dan Jaehnig, who worked at 10 before spending five years at Fox 25 on Boston, to co-anchor its 5 p.m. news and report weeknights for the 11 p.m. news. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:48 PM | Comment Carcieri calls ACLU assertions about interpreters falseGovernor Carcieri today called "irresponsible" the Rhode Island ACLU's questioning whether cutting four Department of Human Services language interpreters will violate a consent agreement and raise the specter of federal legal action against the department. In a news release, Carcieri's office described the ACLU's assertions as false charges and said the human services is fully complying with applicable state and federal laws and the 1997 consent agreement "requring that the state make available language interpretation services for those seeking welfare and other benefits." “Governor Carcieri is confident that the Department of Human Services will continue to provide access to the appropriate language interpretation services, as required by federal law and by the 1997 consent agreement,” Jeff Neal, Carcieri's spokesman, said in the statement. “This issue was examined in depth as the state prepared its plans to reduce the size of the state workforce. The state was convinced that we could reduce the number of language interpreters -- especially those translating less commonly encountered languages -- while continuing to provide the appropriate translation options through existing contracts with outside language interpretation services.” The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is questioning whether Carcieri’s cut of 4 out of 17 DHS staff interpreters will violate the consent agreement. The Journal reported today that it has made requests since last month to interview the governor about the interpreters and that Neal said yesterday the governor plans to announce new initiatives in the area and would not do an interview with the Journal until then. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Roger Williams hospital fulfills agreement with U.S.Roger Williams Medical Center has fulfilled its deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said in a statement. The 2006 agreement between the medical center and the U.S. Attorney's Office required the medical center to meet certain conditions to avoid prosecution for wrongdoing by two executives. The programs mandated by a deferred prosecution agreement “generated needed ethical reforms,” Corrente said, “Yet allowed the hospital to maintain its vital role in Rhode Island’s health care system and preserved the livelihood of hundreds of dedicated professionals.” The Medical Center, itself, was also indicted in 2006; the hospital and the U.S. Attorney’s Office entered into the deferred prosecution agreement, agreeing to a series of ethical changes. U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres dismissed the charges against the Medical Center. In turn, the hospital agreed to several new programs, including the creation of a comprehensive ethics program, the transition of 16 seats on the board and new governance. "Today," the Medical Center's current President and CEO Kenneth Belcher said, "Roger Williams is a better and stronger institution because of the programs and systems we have implemented with the guidance of the U.S. Attorney's office and our monitors. " Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:01 PM | Comment Study: Anti-terrorism missions diluted at local centersWASHINGTON -- Local intelligence-sharing centers set up after the September 11 attacks have had their anti-terrorism mission diluted by a focus on run-of-the-mill street crime and hazards such as hurricanes. That's the conclusion of a survey by the Government Accountability Office that was obtained by the Associated Press. Of the 43 ``fusion centers'' already established, only two -- one in Rhode Island and the other in Kansas -- focus exclusively on preventing terrorism. The original intent of the centers was to coordinate resources, expertise and information of intelligence agencies so the country could detect and prevent terrorist acts. But directors of the facilities complain they are hampered by lack of guidance from Washington and were flooded by often redundant information from multiple computer systems. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:55 AM | Comment Update: $151M Powerball winner still a mysteryThe odds that you’ve won the largest Powerball jackpot in the state’s history are still pretty slim – about one in 146,107,962 -- but the winner hasn’t come forward. So if you haven’t checked your ticket yet, here’s what you're looking for: 8 -- 23 -- 32 --37-- 39 Powerball: 38. If that’s what you see, Jennafer Rampone of the Rhode Island Lottery suggests you sign it, lock it up, and find a good financial and legal advisor. But do it fast. The winner has 60 days from the validation date to make the difficult decision: annuity or cash payment. Choose annuity, and the winner gets $151.9 million in 30 yearly installments of a little more than $3.44 million after taxes. Chose the cash and the winner gets a lump sum of about $51.1 million after taxes. Decisions decisions. And that’s not the only choice: When to go public? What to buy? Which long-lost relatives get your new phone number? If you do happen to be the lucky winner, or are planning to win in the future – aren’t we all? – check out the FAQ section on the Powerball’s Web site. It breaks down all of your burning questions about statistics, taxes and annuities. It also answers some questions you may not have thought of, like ‘Why not give 151 people $1 million each instead of one gigantic prize?’ If your question isn’t answered on the Web-site, send an email. It will be answered by someone who, apparently, is quite the comedian. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson This is the first time in more than six years that a Rhode Islander has won the Powerball – the largest prize in the state’s history. Before today, the largest prize was $93.5 million in 2001 which went to Michael Goulden, of Pawtucket. The mysterious Warren shopper wasn’t the only RILOT winner – there was one $200,000 and two $10,000 Powerball tickets sold in state as well. And of course, the taxpayers of Rhode Island are supposed to get something too. If the big winner chooses annuity, the state gets profits from the taxes totaling about $354,000 over 29 years. If the winner goes for the cash option, the sate would receive a lump sum tax payment of about $5.26 million. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:45 AM | Comment Clearing with a high of 52The early morning clouds should part soon, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 52 degrees. South winds should pick up as the day goes on, gusting up to 33 mph. The skies should stay clear tonight when the temperature drops to 27 degrees. Sunny tomorrow with a high temperature in the low 40s and west winds gusting up to 24 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs and a story about the problems residents of downtown Providence have with the city's nightlife. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 28, 2007Tonight: Early look of Christmas in Bristol at BlithewoldCatch Christmas early tonight at Blithewold mansion in Bristol. An 18-foot decorated tree in the entrance hall opens to rooms of Victorian-themed displays in the Tudor-style mansion, just south of Bristol center on the shore of Narragansett Bay. It is open till 8. Admission is $10. For information call (401) 253-2707 or www.blithewold.org. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment ACLU: Cuts could put state in violation of Civil Rights ActThe American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is questioning whether Governor Carcieri’s recent cuts of four interpreter staff jobs will put DHS at risk for federal legal action under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination “on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.” The ACLU charges that the state Department of Human Services may have violated a 1997 consent agreement with the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, which forced the state to overhaul the way in which it provides interpreter services. Executive director Steven Brown said the ACLU is also considering filing a formal discrimination complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights, in light of those layoffs. “The layoff of all three staff interpreters for the Southeast Asian community, as well as one of only two Portuguese interpreters, raises serious questions about the Department’s ability to comply with the agreement,” Brown said today. According to Brown, recent public comments on talk radio by the governor objecting to any state-funded interpreters at the agency "casts doubt on his commitment to acting in accordance with federal civil rights laws on the subject.” A spokesperson for the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights said the agency “would not be able to make a judgment about whether or not a state was in compliance without a holistic analysis” of the state’s current program. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Photo: Rocking the Vote at RIC
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:41 PM | Comment Alum gives URI $1 million towards wellness centerSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The University of Rhode Island has received a $1 million donation to help construct a new student wellness center. The gift comes from Michael Fascitelli, a member of the class of 1978 and a real estate executive. The school says the money will go toward the $5.5 million renovation of the former Roger Williams Dining Hall. It will be converted to a wellness center that will include cardiovascular equipment, aerobics and dance studio space, as well as offer wellness workshops. URI says when it surveyed students about what they wanted to have campus, a wellness center was at the top of the list. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:47 PM | Comment AG seeks to try driver, 16, in fatal crash as an adultState Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch’s office today filed a motion in Family Court seeking to try as an adult the 16-year-old Barrington driver of the car in the car crash that killed Jonathan Converse, 16, this month in Barrington. The driver, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, has been charged with one count of driving to endanger, death resulting, the attorney general's office said in a news release. The driver is scheduled to be back in Family Court on Dec. 17. The filing of the motion came on a day that saw another development in the matter: Barrington police announced that two Barrington teens who bought alcohol the night of the fatal crash did so at SNM Liquors in Providence. A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, of 491 Douglas Ave., 2nd floor, Providence, is slated to answer a charge of selling an alcoholic beverage to a minor in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13. Lynch’s office has subpoenaed the driver’s medical records to see if he was under the influence at the time of the crash on New Meadow Road. “I never make the decision to try to waive a juvenile lightly because I believe in the rehabilitative power of our juvenile-justice system and of kids themselves,” Lynch said in the statement. “I didn’t make this decision lightly, but I make it resolutely. How many teenagers have to die before Rhode Island, collectively, grasps the fact that reckless and irresponsible behavior often results in human misery?” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Assistant Attorney General Susan Urso, chief of Lynch’s Juvenile Unit, and Assistant Attorney General Jay Sullivan filed the discretionary waiver motion before Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., Lynch's office said. It will be up to Family Court to determine if waiving the youth is appropriate. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:04 PM | Comment Johnny's got a letter for his dad / Photo
CENTRAL FALLS -- Six-year-old Johnny Pina has a letter folded up eight times which he carefully opens like a treasure box to show other people. It’s a picture of a person with a big ball in his hand in front of bowling pins. The picture is of his dad, John Pina, 27, who has been training with the National Guard for the past 75 days in Fort Dix getting ready to go to Kuwait and then Iraq. “My dad loves bowling,” he says. Johnny and his classmates at Capt. G. Harold Hunt School spent part of today writing letters to his dad and the other men and women of the National Guard 103rd Field Artillery who will be deployed in mid-December to Kuwait and then Iraq. While his teacher Christine Cianciolo played American hymns like God Bless America, the children in Johnny's class wrote letters that say, “Thank you for fighting to protecting us,” and covered the letters with drawings, letters and words they are learning to write. They put stickers on them that say things like “You are my Hero” and “Love You.” Johnny will get to give his letter to his dad in person in a couple of weeks when his dad comes in December for four days before going to Kuwait. “I think those four days stick out in his mind,” says Cianciolo. “He is always saying four days." -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:01 PM | Comment Examiner identifies 85-year-old found off GalileeThe body found in the water in the Port of Galilee, Narragansett, on Nov. 15 was that of Robert Forloney, 85, of South Kingstown, the State Medical Examiners office said today. The cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries," the Medical Examiners news release said. The morning of Nov. 15, a ferry worker had informed Coast Guard that a man who frequented the docks could have fallen into the water. A walker was found at the end of the pier where the ferry is usually berthed and his car remained parked overnight on the dock. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment Airport promotes lawyer to fill in as executive directorWARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today promoted its top lawyer, Peter A. Frazier, to head the agency as it searches for a permanent replacement for Mark P. Brewer. Brewer, the executive director since 2004, is leaving next month to run the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. He is paid $188,000 for overseeing T.F. Green Airport, the North Central airport and the state airports in Quonset, Block Island, Newport and Westerly. Frazier, the first staff attorney at the 15-year-old agency, will be responsible for three costly and complex projects: an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million new airport transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway.
Kathleen C. Hittner, the agency’s chairwoman, says Frazier will succeed as temporary caretaker because he has been involved with those projects for several years. “We don’t expect any slowdown in any of our projects. He is a very good leader,” Hittner, an anesthesiologist and the president of The Miriam Hospital, said in an interview. “He really knows what’s going on, and he has a relationship with the board.” The agency’s Human Resources committee -- made up of members Robert Sangster, Joseph M. Cianciolo and James C. Forte -- endorsed Frazier as interim director on Nov. 14. The full board approved the appointment today. “The board recognizes Peter’s involvement in a number of critical airport projects and feels he will serve the corporation well in the interim position,” Hittner said in a statement after the vote. Frazier has worked for the agency for less than three years. He was hired in February 2005 as chief general counsel after leaving the Holland and Knight law firm. But Frazier has worked extensively in the aviation industry, according to Patti Goldstein, the agency’s spokeswoman. After completing a law degree from the University of Akron, in Ohio, Frazier earned a masters degree in air and space law at McGill University in Montreal. At Holland and Knight, he specialized in aviation law. Still, Frazier is not in the running to replace Brewer as the agency’s fourth director, Goldstein said. The board has hired The Mercer Group, of Atlanta, Ga., to lead a nationwide search for the post. “This is a very pivotal time for us,” Hittner said. “We want to make sure we do this right.” Frazier’s tenure as interim director, meanwhile, may be short. Today, Hittner said the board has scheduled five interviews for next month, including candidates identified by The Mercer Group and others who approached the agency. Brewer’s replacement could be named by next spring, Hittner said. “I don’t think it will be that long. It’s a pretty popular job,” Hittner said. “I don’t think we looked for a long-term, short-term solution.” Hittner declined to disclose the names of the candidates being interviewed next month. The airport corporation recently named a replacement for Laurie Cullen, the former senior vice president for planning, engineering and environment. Ann Clarke is scheduled to start next week, almost two years after Cullen left. The board is still searching for a successor to Marci Greenberger, the senior vice president of operations and maintenance. She left her position in August. In addition to the expansion projects, Brewer’s replacement will inherit an airport at perennial loggerheads with its neighbors and grappling with steep declines in passenger traffic. Last year, passenger traffic at Green plummeted by 9 percent, from 5.7 million in 2005 to 5.2 million last year. This year, airport officials project passenger traffic will be approximately 5 million, a 4-percent drop. But Hittner insists those trends will not discourage quality candidates. “It isn’t going to make it difficult,” she said. “We have people who are very interested in the challenge.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Providence store ID'd as alcohol source in Barrington fatalBARRINGTON -- SNM Liquors on Douglas Avenue in Providence was the store where two Barrington teenagers bought alcohol that was involved in the New Meadow Road car crash that killed 16-year-old Jon Converse this month, the Barrington police said today. A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, is accused of making the sales, the police said in a news release. He is scheduled to appear in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13 to answer the allegation of selling an alcoholic beverage to an underage person. The two boys who made the purchase, ages 16 and 17, will be petitioned to Family Court. They were not in the car at the time of the crash, Det. Josh Birrell said. On Nov. 5, prosecutors allege that a 16-year-old Barrington boy was driving a car more than twice the speed limit after drinking six beers. The car then struck a tree in the area of 200 New Meadow Road. Converse, who was not wearing a seat belt, was the front-seat passenger. He was declared dead at the scene. The driver and two back-seat passengers -- ages 16 and 17 -- survived. All four boys in the car were juniors at Barrington High School. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Update: Providence fire brought under controlPROVIDENCE -- A heavy, second-floor fire at the 150 Rounds Ave. residence was brought under control just after 3 p.m. Two firefighters were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for what was believed to be minor injuries. The residence was occupied, but the person or people inside got out safely. The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. About 15 minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm. Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:23 PM | Comment Exec. director of RI Philharmonic has stepped downThe executive director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic has stepped down after being told he was being let go. David Wax, who joined the orchestra in 2001 after a long stint as head of the Houston Symphony, submitted his resignation to the board last week. In a news release, board president Almon C. Hall said that the board feels a “different form of leadership is required for the Philharmonic’s future growth. Hall would not elaborate on the phone except to say that board wants to look at the leadership skills required for the next five to seven years to “take this organization to a totally new level.” But Wax, in letter sent to board members, said that Hall told him that there was a “need for new executive leadership” and therefore the board wouldn’t be renewing his contract, which would have been up in the fall of 2008. Philharmonic conductor Larry Rachleff said that he was not consulted about the move to oust Wax and said that he was surprised when Wax told him about it on Nov. 17. Rachleff said he had a “wonderful” relationship with the executive director. -- Journal arts writer Channing Gray Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:00 PM | Comment Man who defrauded RISD to be sentenced tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- A Providence man who pleaded guilty to mail and tax fraud charges for defrauding the Rhode Island School of Design out of nearly $1 million in a billing scheme is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 11 a.m. Patrick Clyne, who was RISD fire safety manager for several years, set up a shell company that billed the college for work that was never done, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said in a statement. The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for filing a false tax return is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An information charged Clyne with one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. An indictment returned in March accused Clyne and his wife, Ibtisama Bradley, of participating in the scheme. As a result of the plea, the government said it would dismiss that indictment and Bradley would not face any additional charges. From 1997 to November 2005, Clyne was RISD fire safety manager, overseeing and maintaining fire safety equipment, including alarm systems, emergency lighting, and fire extinguishers. He had authority to request and approve fire safety work for the school. Prosecutor Andrew J. Reich said at the plea hearing the government could show that in 1997 Clyne caused a company called Ankh Electric Ltd to be incorporated and bank account to be opened in the company’s name. Between 1997 and 2005, Clyne approved fraudulent invoices for fire safety work said to have been performed by Ankh Electric for RISD. RISD mailed checks to Ankh Electric, initially to 88 Manton Ave., and then to a Providence post office box. Over eight years, the fraudulent invoices totaled $981,794, but Ankh Electric did not provide the services described in the invoices. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Reich said the government could also prove Clyne filed a 2003 income tax return that failed to report all of $180,754 that RISD paid to Ankh Electric in 2003. Under the plea agreement, Clyne admitted to a total tax loss to the government of $162,743 between 2001 and 2005. Clyne is also forfeiting to the government any ownership interest in property that he and Bradley bought in Ballinamore, Ireland, with fraud-scheme proceeds. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Working Fire on Rounds Ave., ProvidenceCrews are at the scene of a heavy, second-floor fire at 150 Rounds Ave in Providence, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm. Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:43 PM | Comment R.I. sex offender faces new charges in MaineA 36-year-old former Rhode Island man with a history of child molestation convictions that stretches back to the 90s has been arrested in Maine and faces new sexual assault charges. On Nov. 16, Olin Stevens was taken into police custody in Maine, where he was living, to await extradition to Woonsocket for failing to notify the police that he had moved. Four days later, allegations surfaced that Stevens had sexually assaulted two victims under the age of 14 in that state, according to Charles Rumsey, deputy chief of police in Watterville, Maine. He now faces two counts of gross sexual assault and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with persons under the age of 14. Stevens was also in violation of Maine laws by not registering as a sex offender when he moved to the state. “We were not going to charge him for that,” Rumsey said, “simply because we were happy that Woonsocket was going to take him off our hands. Now we’re charging him with the whole laundry list.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:38 PM | Comment Trial of woman charged with DUI postponedThe trial for Kellie Woodbine has been postponed. Woodbine, of Cumberland, faces a charge of driving under the influence, death resulting and driving recklessly, death resulting after a crash on Route 95 that led to the death of her passenger, 16-year-old Samantha Marie Beaudette. The accident occurred near the Broadway overpass of Route 95 about 12:40 a.m. Dec. 30, 2005. Samantha, trapped in the wreckage, was severely burned. She died at Rhode Island Hospital on New Year's Day after surgery in which both legs were amputated. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:05 PM | Comment RIPTA does detours, tooFull tankers and local residents aren't the only ones affected by the new weigh restrictions on the Pawtucket River Bridge. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced an immediate detour for its #99 – Providence/Pawtucket line. The inbound bus to Providence will leave Roosevelt and take Main Street to High Street, then Exchange Street and finally onto Dexter-George, where it will pick up the old route. The route of the outbound bus to Pawtucket will remain the same. For schedule information, please call 781-9400 or visit ripta.com. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:00 PM | Comment Providence library to get an upgradeA 130-year institution is upgrading its information systems thanks to a $106,000 grant from the Champlain Foundations, an organization that awards grants to tax exempt organizations for renovations, expansions or debt payments. The Providence Public Library will use the money for a host of technology updates, including upgrades to hardware and expansion of public access to computers. Don’t be mistaken, the library already has a comprehensive Web site where visitors can download free audio books, send librarians questions via email, or view pages of old photographs from the library’s collection of historical documents. “This year’s grant will help us not only stay abreast of developments in technology,” Director Dale Thompson said in a statement, “but to move forward with varied digital library services as we pursue the Library’s mission in an increasingly technology savvy world.” -- staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:48 PM | Comment Study: R.I.'s wealthiest gave least to charity in 2005BOSTON -- An annual study on charitable giving finds Rhode Island's wealthiest residents gave the least money to charity in 2005. The wealthiest Rhode Islanders gave about $12,500 to charity in 2005. By comparison, wealthy residents in the top-ranked state, Wyoming, gave away an average of nearly $95,000. The Catalogue for Philanthropy ranks states on average income and average amount given to charity. For the first time, the 11th annual study measures only the philanthropic generosity of those with incomes above $200,000, based on 2005 federal tax data. The nonprofit organization has in the past faced criticism for not taking into account state-by-state tax burdens and cost of living. The latest study addresses those concerns. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:45 PM | Comment Supreme Court denies man's appeal for new trialPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision denying a convicted child molester's appeal for a new trial. James Woods appealed to the high court his conviction on two counts of second-degree child molestation after the Superior Court denied two motions for a new trial. Woods was living in Providence when he was accused of touching a girl on her buttocks and forcing her to rub his penis over his clothing, according to the state Supreme Court decision today. The girl's foster mother confronted Woods, who denied the allegations, and the foster mother reported the allegations to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, which sent an investigator to the home. The Providence police investigated and a warrant was issued for Woods on Jan. 20, 2004. Woods turned himself in on Feb. 3, 2004. A jury returned a guilty verdict after about 90 minutes of deliberation. Woods moved for a new trial, asserting that no reasonable jury could find the girl he was convicted of molesting credible. The Superior Court judge disagreed. Before the sentencing hearing, Woods filed another motion for a new trial based on new evidence. At an evidentiary hearing, the judge found that testimony from Woods' main witness was not credible and denied the motion. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:05 PM | Comment R.I. Airport Corp. will appoint interim directorWARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today will appoint an interim director to replace Mark P. Brewer, who is leaving next month to take over Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. The corporation board has promised a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. In the meantime, the interim executive director will be overseeing three costly and complex projects, an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway. The board meeting begins at 4 p.m. at 2000 Post Road in Warwick. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:38 AM | Comment Fire destroys almost-finished Block Island homeBLOCK ISLAND — A house that was in the final stages of construction was destroyed last night in a fire that was already shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived, said Fire Chief Ned Connelly. No one was living in the single-family, two-story house on Champlin Road, and no one was injured, Connelly and other town officials said. Firefighters were on the scene from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get the fire under control and then several hours to make sure it was extinguished, Connelly said. About 25 firefighters responded and “did a great job combating this fire,” he said. “The roof was gone when we got here, flames were coming from everywhere,” he said. “It was a defensive operation from the very beginning.” Connelly said state fire marshals were expected on the first morning ferry to help with the investigation. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:21 AM | Comment State police enforcing truck ban on 95 bridgePAWTUCKET -- As the state police handed out tickets to overweight trucks crossing the Pawtucket River Bridge on Route 95, the detours the state Department of Transportation has laid out to get trucks through the city's streets seemed to be working smoothly this morning. It wasn't clear what would happen during the rest of the day, but one of the DOT officials watching the situation this morning said the detours were working so smoothly that, "This is like watching grass grow." Paul T. Kennedy, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said truck traffic seemed light, apparently because truckers were using the highway detours the DOT has set up around the city, primarily using routes 146 and 295. The DOT has posted a 22-ton weight limit on the bridge after discovering that many of its structural elements have deteriorated to the point that it can't carry its normal load. The DOT has set up detour signs on Route 95 north and south of the city directing truckers to the highway detours. The local detours, through city streets, are intended to carry trucks going to and from the immediate Pawtucket area. Fully loaded tractor-trailer trucks can weigh more than 100,000 pounds. A truck weighing that much can be fined as much as $8,000, the state police said. Troopers were using portable scales the size of a thin suitcase that can weight a truck anywhere it can park. One scale is put in front of each wheel and the driver told to move forward onto the scales. The DOT was filming a key intersection, at Marrin and George Streets, where the agency has blocked off the George Street ramp onto Route 95 northbound where it crosses the bridge, again because of deterioration of that edge of the bridge. But only a scattering of trucks were using the detour, which diverts traffic to the Division Street Bridge to cross the river. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis Posted by Jack Perry at 10:33 AM | Comment Pawtucket station owner hopes business isn't detoured
Right in the middle, just off the exit ramp, is a Sunoco gas station run by Omar Ahmed. In 2001, the School Street exit was closed for two months. Ahmed said it almost put him out of business. This morning, the fears returned after the state Department of Transportation said the detours may be in place for years. Although the exit ramp is still open, detours and blocked roads make it difficult for any traffic other than vehicles exiting the ramp to get into the station. It’s also likely that the stopped traffic and presence of police on several corners discourage people from making the U-turn from Prospect onto school Street. Ahmed said he was also upset with the lack of information he received from the DOT. “Nobody informed us,” he said. “They just started up yesterday.” Traffic driving east on Division Street and northbound on Prospect created a miniature traffic jam near the intersections of Prospect and School Street. Only a few trucks, which were re-routed to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, drove through the area this morning. They were, however, particularly conspicuous next to the no truck signs dotting the narrow streets. Traffic on the Route 95 slowed to about 25 mph just on the bridge this morning, but picked up after Exit 29 northbound and Exit 27 southbound. The brief backup made it just as short of a trip from the now-closed George Street entrance to the next entrance on the detour as on the highway. It may be frustrating, but if today is an indication, commuters may not have to worry about too much time lost – the detours added up to about three minutes. For Ahmed, however, the loss could be greater. He wants the government – whether local, state or federal to offer some assistance. “I’d like to see some sort of compensation,” he said, but he’s not optimistic. Six years ago, he said, “I talked to (state officials) and asked them to compensate me for my loss. They say they don’t do this.” -- Brandie Jefferson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:08 AM | Comment Mass. lawmakers consider bill that would ban spankingBOSTON -- A bill that would prohibit parents from spanking their children is being criticized as unnecessary and unenforceable by many Massachusetts lawmakers. The measure - being heard today by a legislative committee - defines corporal punishment as "the willful infliction of physical pain or injurious or humiliating treatment." Representative Jay Kaufman of Lexington said he submitted the bill at the request of a local nurse. Several lawmakers said parents are best able to decide on discipline, and point out that state law already bans the physical abuse or neglect of children. The state's highest court ruled in 1999 that parents could spank their children, so long as it doesn't cause serious bodily harm. Some lawmakers question how police could possibly enforce such a ban. The Legislature has ended formal sessions for 2007, so the earliest the bill could be debated would be next year. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:20 AM | Comment Last Reminder: Detours on Route 95 begin todayDetours on Route 95 in Pawtucket begin today, and you may want to get used to them. A state Department of Transportation official has said they may be in place for several years. Beginning today, vehicles weighing more than 22 tons will need to take detours to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, between exits 27 and 28. For trucks that need to go to Pawtucket, local detours have been posted today. The Northbound George Street entrance ramp will be closed to all traffic. Southbound traffic will be directed to exit at Exit 30/Roosevelt Avenue, in Central Falls and follow detour signs to the Cedar Street entrance ramp. Northbound traffic will use Exit 27 and follow signs to the Division Street Bridge, which will handle traffic that would normally use the George Street ramp. Browse alternate routes and maps at the DOT's Web site. The DOT’s acting chief engineer, Kazem Farhoumand said that the agency has not yet decided whether, or how much, to repair the bridge until it can be replaced. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:37 AM | Comment Race-car driver wins "Dancing with the Stars'LOS ANGELES -- Fan support is just as critical as fancy footwork when it comes to winning "Dancing With the Stars." As a pure dancer, Spice Girl Melanie Brown was easily the most polished finalist, consistently wowing the judges with her versatility and flair. She and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were the highest-scoring couple throughout the hit show's fifth season. But on Tuesday night, viewers snubbed Brown and gave the mirrorball trophy to race-car driver Helio Castroneves. The fourth consecutive man to win the contest, Castroneves' personality, enthusiasm and flashing smile - combined with an effortless quickstep on his final performance - clearly resonated more with voters. "It's not only about dancing, you know? It's about popularity," Castroneves said after the show. "That's what I'm actually very happy about." His partner, Julianne Hough, also had won last season's competition, with speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno. "She has an incredible fan base," Castroneves said. The only female winner has been Kelly Monaco, who took the crown during the first season in 2005. Despite her talents, Brown was unable to break the streak. She said that losing "was a horrible feeling. I'm not going to deny it." Earlier Tuesday, Marie Osmond was the first finalist to be eliminated. She probably deserved it after a doll-inspired freestyle dance that was panned by judges and bloggers alike. Osmond came into the finale in third place. Castroneves was in second, just one point behind Brown. At age 48, Osmond's frisky days were behind her, especially compared with young hotsteppers like Scary Spice or Sabrina Bryan of the Cheetah Girls. But Osmond said voters kept her afloat during the 10-week contest as she endured the death of her father and fainting on stage. "We knew every single week that we were here because of them," she said after the finale. "Obviously, I'm not the best dancer. We know that." The ABC show began in September with a dozen dancers. Model-actress Josie Maran was the first to be eliminated. Other nixed contestants were actresses Bryan, Jennie Garth and Jane Seymour, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, entertainer Wayne Newton, boxer Floyd Mayweather, model Albert Reed and actor Cameron Mathison. Mathison shed his shirt after his last dance Tuesday. Maybe if he had done that earlier, he would have ended up as the man holdi |
