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« December 13, 2007 | Today | December 17, 2007 » December 14, 2007Photo: Calm on the surface
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:02 PM | Comment Weekend: 'Nutcracker' at PPAC rings holiday noteFestival Ballet begins its holiday performances of The Nutcracker tonight at 7:30 at Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Tickets are $18 to $60 for the two-hour performance. For tickets and information, call (401) 421-ARTS or go to festivalballet.com. Tomorrow, Lost in Woonsocket, a documentary about two homeless alcoholics who were found living in the woods by the film makers, will be on Fox Providence, channel 64, at 7 p.m. For more ideas on what to do this weekend, especially as the holidays approach, visit projo.com's calendar of events and our Holiday guide. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Battle between sisters over mother's care endsPROVIDENCE -- The legal battle between two sisters over who should be in charge of their mother’s affairs now that she is incompetent to care for herself is officially over. Francine Ardito, of Reston, Va., has repaid the $16,000 she owed her 91-year-old mother, Laurette Borduas Eifrig, to purge herself of contempt. Now, all of Eifrig’s money has now been put in a brokerage account to be used for her care in an assisted-living facility here on Smith Street. If the money hadn't been repaid by today, an arrest warrant could have been issued for Ardito and the judge could have ordered her to pay a daily fine until she turned over the $16,000. According to canceled checks submitted to the court, Ardito used the $16,000 from her mother’s trust to pay a Virginia lawyer to sue her mother and Cuculo in an attempt to regain control over her mother’s affairs. But the fight between Ardito and Suzette Gebhard, of Warren, over where their mother should live and who should control her finances has permanently fractured the sisters’ relationship. And it has cost their mother -- who is now blind and suffers from dementia -- about $200,000 of her savings in lawyers’ and guardian’s fees. Their legal battle has also affected the sisters’ relationship with their mother at a time in her life when she most needs their support. Read more about the fallout from the sisters' fight tomorrow in The Journal and on projo.com. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:41 PM | Comment Search panel established to find new RIC presidentPROVIDENCE -- The search is on for a new president at Rhode Island College. President John Nazarian announced in late October he would step down in June after 58 years at the state college -- the last 18 as its eighth president. Today, higher education officials announced they have formed a 14-member search committee that will begin its work in January. Higher education officials say they hope to appoint a new president by July 1. “The next president of Rhode Island College will have a very tough act to follow,” said Michael Ryan, vice chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, and chairman of the search committee. “John Nazarian has devoted his entire professional life to the college … Now, we need to find the right individual who can build on all that John has accomplished and bring the college forward as we move toward the 21st century’s second decade.” The committee is comprised of members of the Board of Governors, faculty, students and alumni of RIC, and other community members. In addition to Ryan, four other governors will serve on the search committee, Kenneth Aurecchia, Brenda-Dann-Messier, and Pierre LaPerriere. Frank Caprio, chairman of the Board of Governors, will serve on the committee, ex officio.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:39 PM | Comment Chief public defender: R.I. violating rights of 'gap kids'The chief public defender today called witnesses in an attempt to show that Rhode Island is violating the rights of “gap kids” charged with felonies during the 4-1/2 months that state law treated 17-year-olds as adults. Public defender John J. Hardiman asked Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini to transfer 61 pending felony cases to Family Court, arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution’s due process and equal protection clauses to continue to treat this group of teens as adults for criminal purposes. Hardiman said the only reason legislators passed the law was to save money, and if they’d bothered to ask the state prison director, they’d have known the measure wouldn’t save a dime. Calling the law “arbitrary and capricious,” Hardiman questioned why these 17-year-olds should remain in adult court, saying, “There is no compelling state interest to maintain these children here.” But Procaccini said legislatures do a lot of things that don’t work out as intended. And he quoted from an opinion that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued in a Rhode Island case, saying, “Equal protection is not a license for courts to judge the wisdom, fairness or logic of legislative choices. The judiciary may not sit as a super legislature to judge the wisdom or desirability of legislative policy determinations.” The state’s most high-profile “gap kid” is Ryan Greenberg, 17, of Barrington, who was indicted earlier this month on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the July 17 boating death of another Barrington teenager, Patrick Murphy. And Greenberg’s lawyer, William C. Dimitri, this week filed a motion that echoes Hardiman’s arguments and calls for Superior Court to dismiss Greenberg’s indictment and transfer the matter to Family Court. After hearing testimony, Procaccini scheduled arguments by the public defender and state prosecutors for Monday, and he will issue a ruling at a later date. He said that whatever he decides will apply to all “gap kids” charged with felonies in the state, whether they’re represented by the public defender, private lawyers or no lawyers at all. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:28 PM | Comment Firefighters at blaze in Woonsocket at this hourWOONSOCKET -- Firefighters are on scene of a reported fire at 624 South Main St. at this hour. No other information is yet available. A fire on Tuesday evening destroyed a three-story apartment building in the same city. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:21 PM | Comment National Grid, DOT getting ready for Storm TwoUnlike many Rhode Island motorists, National Grid had an uneventful Storm One. But it's readying for Storm Two, which is expected to hurl more powerful winds at the state overnight Saturday and perhaps into Sunday that could test and topple power lines. The state Department of Transportation also said in a news release this afternoon that it is "readying its team" for the weekend. The forecast calls for slow and sleet to change over to rain. There is also the possibility that a flash freeze on Sunday could turn conditions icy. David Graves, a National Grid spokesman, said there was a 1:30 p.m. "system-wide" conference call today -- that included personnel in various aspects of operations in New England and New York -- and one or two such calls are expected tomorrow. As the storm's landing draws closer, the discussion includes positioning of crews in the utility company's service area. "They will anticipate -- as best we can anticipate -- where the highest winds and serious damage would occur and make contingency plans for moving crews into those areas from other sections of New England," said Graves. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney He said the company also has outside contractors that can assist in various locations. The company has a meteorology service that's tracking the storm and gives at least three forecast updates per day. A key thing may be the kind of snow that falls. Graves said yesterday's storm brought powdery snow less likely to impact power lines. A stickier, wetter snow that clings to lines is the kind that can bring problems for a power company. "I was just looking at last night's reports -- there were no [storm-related] outages. I happened to be the [spokesman] on call for New England last night and we had one problems in Worcester, which was not storm related at all," Graves said. Graves said there are other pre-emptive moves for this weekend. In areas where, as scheduling has it, repair or replacement projects were slated to happen, the company made decisions to in some sintance apply more personnel to get a project done ahead of the storm and other instances to postpone projects. National Grid has several tips and contact information for consumers in the case of a storm on its Web site. To report outages to National Grid, call 1-800-465-1212. The DOT "is ready to focus all of its energies now that yesterday’s storm is over and will be prepared to keep the roads clear this weekend,” Jerome F. Williams, the DOT director, said in the statement. “The department will use all resources necessary to ensure safe travel on the highways.” The DOT is "preparing for snow, sleet and freezing rain that will transition just to rain starting in the coastal regions and moving northward. Rain is expected to continue into Sunday afternoon. Be advised that a possible flash freeze may occur during Sunday afternoon," the release said. People who do not have be driving during the height of the storm should stay in, the DOT advised. And those who must be out on the road are asked to keep a safe distance between cars. Have to head out? The DOT offers several traffic tools on its Web site, from Web cameras to a "jam factor" report to traffic condition alerts.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:43 PM | Comment Update: Seeking answers to snowstorm strandingsPROVIDENCE -- Many city schoolchildren were stuck on school buses for several hours during last night's storm, and city officials today are being asked why. Mayor David N. Cicilline this morning gave Police Chief Dean Esserman and Chief of Administration John Simmons a week to conduct a review of the circumstances. This afternoon, while visiting bus drivers at the First Student depot off Union Avenue, Cicilline said that the initial traffic problems in the city were the result of backups on the interstates. When the highways backed up, it led to long lines of stopped cars waiting to exit Providence -- but the school bus situation was something that could have been avoided. “The interstates were clogged and it was really backing up into the cities and towns,” Cicilline said. “There was gridlock in the whole region and gridlock in the whole state, but this school bus issue is immediate and important. The idea that we had students on buses for that long, it’s completely unacceptable.” Cicilline said he is still trying to figure out where the chain broke -- whether it was a problem that originated with the bus company or the schools -- that prevented them from directing police to assist earlier. “How did that communication break down that the city and the police department were not notified? Is it from First Student? Is it from the school district? I activated this command center the moment I learned. We could have done that at five o’clock in the evening.” Bill Roche, contract manager for First Student in Providence, said that they knew that their 165 buses were having problems by 1 p.m. yesterday. By 2 p.m., he said, they were on the phone with the school department, constantly updating them with the locations of the buses and which ones were stuck. “We knew they were stuck by 2 o’clock. We were in constant contact with the school department all day, first every 15 minutes or so, and then every five minutes by the evening.” Schools Supt. Donnie Evans said today that part of the problem may have come from problems with the school department’s internal communication. “We need better internal communications in terms of where the buses are and how many kids are on them. Once the kids got on buses, and got in traffic, communication became a challenge,” Evans said. Police Chief Esserman told a Journal reporter today that he was first called just after 8:30 p.m. about the stranded students. He had heard sporadic reports from officers patrolling the city about stranded buses, but did not realize that there was a system-wide problem at hand. “I don’t know why I wasn’t called earlier,” Esserman said. “I don’t know the answer to that. I’d like to know why I wasn’t called earlier.” -- With reports from Journal staff writers Daniel Barbarisi and Steve Peoples, and projo.com staff writer Michael McKinney The Rhode Island National Guard commander said today the Providence Emergency Management Agency was in control during yesterday's storm -- a storm that he said did not warrant a "multi-jurisdictional event" that would have activated the state Emergency Operations Center. But Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, at a separate briefing earlier today, said officials should have triggered the Emergency Operations Center. "We had no ability in the absence of the EOC to respond," Roberts said. Cicilline has directed the team to talk to officials from the school department, the state Department of Transportation, and the First Student bus company to figure out what happened and what was done to keep parents informed. “Under any circumstance, it is unacceptable to me that our children were stranded for so long,” Cicilline said in a statement shortly before noon today. “It is one thing for adult commuters to be captive to the region-wide gridlock, but children separated from their parents and guardians are a special case, and extraordinary efforts must be made to facilitate their safe transport home.” Cicilline said any findings may be used to modify the schools' procedures. He said this afternoon that the city is going to look at ways to manage the flow of midday traffic out of Providence in future storms, perhaps staggering the departure of city and state employees, or of the school employees and buses. “We ought to look at whether there are ways that we can stagger some of that,” Cicilline said. Had they known how ferocious the initial snowfall was going to be, he said, they would have cancelled school altogether. “I think in retrospect, if we had known the kind of storm, the pacing of the storm, the kind of gridlock there was going to be on the interstates, we would have cancelled school from the beginning.” The National Weather Service had predicted a brief but intense storm, lasting several hours, that could have left 4 to 7 inches over the region. Forecasts on Wednesday afternoon had indicated the storm could arrive around 1 p.m., but it moved into the area around 11 a.m. -- With reports from Journal staff writers Daniel Barbarisi, Linda Borg and Steve Peoples, and projo.com staff writer Michael McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:58 PM | Comment M. Charles Bakst: Angry Roberts raises storm over storm
Journal photo / Steve SzydlowskiLt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts criticizes the governor's staff at a news conference this morning.
“Like every Rhode Islander, what I saw yesterday I never want to see again,’’ she declared at a news conference. This was not the policy wonk or the cheerful face that are more familiar aspects of Roberts’ persona. This was one furious woman, and, by the way, an ambitious politician with a great chance to make a splash and score points. Reporters flocked to Roberts’ office, drawn by the prospect of political bashing — an aspiring Democratic gubernatorial candidate vs. the term-limited, absent Republican governor — played out against the backdrop of a fresh, raw experience all Rhode Islanders shared. Roberts likened the state’s handling of the situation to a “debacle” or a “catastrophe,’’ a touch melodramatic, perhaps — though not if you had a kid stranded for hours on a bus. -- Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst Roberts groused that Carcieri administration officials rebuffed her offers of assistance and her advice that the state Emergency Operations Center be activated. She said, “This is New England. We have snow. I understand we can’t control nature. The timing of the storm was difficult. But we should be able to respond to a situation like this more effectively.’’ You perhaps thought Carcieri’s Iraq/Kuwait trip made Roberts acting governor. But a 1992 constitutional amendment deleted wording that put the lieutenant governor in charge whenever Number One was out of state. Indeed, Roberts said she hadn’t known Carcieri was going away until she saw news accounts that he was already abroad. No one can know for certain how much of an impact Roberts might have made had Carcieri aides been more welcoming yesterday. She said she could have assisted in coordinating and communicating. “The public in a situation like this wants to know who’s in charge, wants to know what’s happening.’’ It’s no surprise to me that a GOP administration would keep a Democratic lieutenant governor at arm’s length. Hello, this is politics. Roberts said she tries to work across party lines. “I don’t think this is the kind of situation where we stand on turf. I think this is the kind of situation where [it’s]‘all hands on deck.’’ To blunt Roberts’ attack, the administration offered a tableau of several officials, including Transportation director Jerome Williams. But the news conference was short on star power. The first words, from someone you wouldn’t recognize in a million years, were, “Good morning, my name is Brian Stern. I’m Governor Carcieri’s chief of staff.’’ Stern said, “Governor Carcieri and I share the frustration and anger of every Rhode Islander.’’ Stern & Co. tried to put the best face on the situation: It snowed hard, schools and businesses emptied, there really were plows out there, Roberts’ help wasn’t needed because by then things were getting better etc. And maybe the governor’s guys had a point. But I don’t imagine many Rhode Islanders were in the mood to hear what must have come across as bureaucratic excuse-making. This was a day for citizens to vent about Team Carcieri’s performance, and Elizabeth Roberts was more than willing to do it on their behalf. Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 4:00 PM | Comment School bus drivers tell tales of snow woe / Photo
“We just said, ‘Don’t think about it,’ and we started singing,” Braswell said. Russell Krapf knew it would be a long trip, and he made his riders use the bathroom before they left the school. They all made it, but he almost had his own “problem.” “I almost didn’t. I made it back here just in the nick of time,” he said. Bus driver Bonnie Elhonsali was stuck on the East Side for six hours, completing her route. She said she let the children use her cell phone to call their parents so the families wouldn’t worry. “It took me an hour and a half just to go four blocks,” Elhonsali said. Bill Roche, contract manager for First Student in Providence, said that they knew that their 165 buses were having problems by 1 p.m. yesterday. By 2 p.m., he said, they were on the phone with the school department, constantly updating them with the locations of the buses and which ones were stuck. “We knew they were stuck by 2 o’clock. We were in constant contact with the school department all day, first every 15 minutes or so, and then every five minutes by the evening.” Most of the runs averaged three or four hours, Roche said. There were a handful that had children on them for seven or eight hours. About 10 percent of the buses had no problem. The areas with the most buses stuck were near Routes 6 and 195 -- the Valley neighborhood, Smith Hill, Atwells Avenue, the East Side, he said. Several bus drivers said that they were stood up by their bus monitors, who did not show up for work yesterday or today. “They just didn’t show. And most of the monitors didn’t even come in this morning,” Elhonsali said CORRECTION: An earlier version of this item incorrectly gave the first name of Bill Roche. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:41 PM | Comment Twin River revenues fall more than $1M due to stormLINCOLN -- Revenue at the Twin River slot parlor was off more than $1 million yesterday due to the snowstorm. That's down an estimated 85 percent from the similar day last month, according to Craig Sculos, the venue’s general manager. The drop occurred even though the venue remained open until 11 p.m., far after most other businesses had closed up for the day. That closing was still three hours earlier than the normal 2 a.m. closing time. The state collects a share of revenue from the gambling facility. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:01 PM | Comment Pizza, hot chocolate ease the pain of stranded kidsPROVIDENCE -- There were the principals who helped children stranded at school as the traffic mess seized control of Rhode Island. And there were others who helped children waiting out in that mess. Elementary and middle school principals in Providence stepped in last night and cared for their students. At Kizarian Elementary School, eight students were stranded until 9:30 p.m. “We gave them snacks and watched a movie,” said Principal Debbie Ruggieri. “The kids were dancing, drawing pictures. They had fun and parents knew they were safe.” A half-dozen staff members stayed behind and helped Ruggieri answer phones. The police brought about 30 children home. At Windmill Elementary School, the principal ordered pizza and everyone had a party. The last bus, bus 86, didn’t arrive until 7:30 p.m., at which time seven children were left at school. “We called every single parent,” said Principal Eusebio Lopes. “We told everyone that the kids were stuck in traffic.” The biggest problem was communication between First Student, the bus company, and the schools. “We lost contact with Bus 86,” Lopes said. ‘It was very disorganized. It was like, ‘Why didn’t you call us?’” Communications between the bus yard and the schools have to be improved, Lopes said. In another instance, some students from the International Charter School in Pawtucket got a welcome reprieve at the Rhode Island Blood Center from sitting on the bus in Providence. When the bus was stalled in gridlock traffic on Promenade Street, the blood center invited the students to come in for a bathroom break. Before long, the kids were drinking hot chocolate and sitting in the big, comfy blood donor chairs. Before they left, the center staff gave them a case of apple juice and cookies to take to another school bus that was stranded on Promenade Street. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:59 PM | Comment Grant will help families displaced by Woonsocket fireThe Red Cross of Rhode Island said it has received dozens of calls from people seeking to help five Woonsocket families who were put out of their home by a fire Tuesday. The agency also announced it's gotten a $5,000 grant from CVS Caremark to help the families. The Red Cross news release said CVS CAREMARK is challenging the Woonsocket community to match its donation. People and local businesses who want to help match the grant can send a donation to the Red Cross at 105 Gano Sreet, Providence, R.I., 02906, or by going to www.riredcross.org . Donors who want to help the families directly are asked by the Red Cross to write “Woonsocket Fire” in the memo line of their check or online donation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:48 PM | Comment Motorists: Don't get stuck in a snowstorm unpreparedOK, it may be too late to offer up these tips to some drivers who got stuck in snow yesterday. But, never fear, there's another storm coming down the pike that you'll want to get ready for. Here are some steps you can take now to prepare: Keep a full tank of fuel to prevent gas line freeze-ups. Change the engine oil. Check your battery. Keep a spare key, in case you lock yourself out while you are clearing the windshield. Lubricate the locks with deicer. Carry a cell phone in case of trouble. Keep other emergency winter supplies in the car: Boots, hats, gloves, blankets, flashlight, reflective triangle and even a “coffee can heater.” (We're assuming you've already got a scraper and windshield wiper fluid on hand.) If you and your car do get snowbound: The Automobile Association of America recommends you stay in the car. You'll have shelter from the cold and it will making finding you much easier. You can also start your engine and keep it idling enough to stay warm. But remember: Running the car’s engines will mean that exhaust gases will be produced so it's important to check that the tail pipe is not be blocked by snow. -- Source: AAA Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:46 PM | Comment On the day traffic stood still, somebody won $96,094While many of us were sitting in staggering traffic yesterday, one Rhode Islander drew a winning lottery ticket for $96,094. Rhode Island Lottery said the Wild Money ticket was bought at American Performance Petroleum at 964 Cranston St., Cranston. The winner has not yet come forward to claim it. (Perhaps he or she is still stuck in traffic? Just kidding.) Meanwhile, the $151.9 million Powerball jackpot from the Nov. 28 drawing, whose ticket was sold in Rhode Island, has still not been claimed. Players have a year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:31 PM | Comment State officials differ over handling of storm responsePROVIDENCE --The debate over whether the state Emergency Operations Center should have been activated during yesterday's storm is gaining more traction today than many Rhode Island drivers and schoolchildren who were stalled or stuck on roads around the state. State officials don't all agree. The Rhode Island National Guard commander said today the Providence Emergency Management Agency was in control during yesterday's storm -- a storm that he said did not warrant a "multi-jurisdictional event" that would have activated the state Emergency Operations Center. Major Gen. Robert T. Bray, the guard's adjutant general, said the operations center has been triggered for hurricanes and severe flooding -- and the yearly Tall Ships celebration, when hundreds of old sailing ships come to Newport drawing thousands to Aquidneck Island. Saying that the traffic problem was confined to Greater Providence, Bray said "statewide, the emergency was well handled," which is why, he said, the EOC was not triggered. Governor Carcieri's chief of staff, Brian Stern, said at the same State House news conference attended by Bray and Col. Brendan Doherty, who leads state police, that it was an "unprecedented traffic disaster." He said he spoke to the governor, who has been in Iraq, yesterday evening. He said the governor was primarily concerned with whether there were fatalities or injuries and that the governor was assured there were not. Stern attributed the traffic gridlock largely to schools closing between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and businesses sending employees home at the same time, which meant a traffic surge. But Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, at a separate briefing earlier today, said officials should have triggered the Emergency Operations Center. "We had no ability in the absence of the EOC to respond," Roberts said. Roberts, a Democrat, took Republican Carcieri to task, adding, "It's the governor's responsibility to pull the trigger" on the emergency operations center. "What I saw yesterday I never want to see again," she added. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:31 PM | Comment Poor communications cited in school bus strandingsPROVIDENCE -- Many city schoolchildren were stuck on school buses for several hours during last night's storm, and city officials today are being asked why. Mayor David N. Cicilline this morning gave Police Chief Dean Esserman and Chief of Administration John Simmons a week to conduct a review of the circumstances. Schools Supt. Donnie Evans said today that part of the problem may have come from problems with the school department’s internal communication. “We need better internal communications in terms of where the buses are and how many kids are on them. Once the kids got on buses, and got in traffic, communication became a challenge,” Evans said. Chief Esserman told a Journal reporter today that he was first called just after 8:30 p.m. about the stranded students. He had heard sporadic reports from officers patrolling the city about stranded buses, but did not realize that there was a system-wide problem at hand. “I don’t know why I wasn’t called earlier,” Esserman said. “I don’t know the answer to that. I’d like to know why I wasn’t called earlier.” Police officers in four-wheel drive vehicles were immediately dispatched to the bus locations, and pulled children off and took them to their homes. “We pulled every 4WD vehicle we had, and we literally started going to every location and pulling off kids,” Esserman said. Just before 8 p.m., 60 out of the 152 Providence school buses were still on the road trying to drop off youngsters, according to Christina O'Reilly, spokeswoman for the Providence school district Most children were home just before 11 p.m., but 9 children were stuck at the bus depot after the buses could not reach anyone at their homes. Police took this final group home around 9 p.m. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi About three dozen adults were also stranded last night on Rhode Island Public Transit Agency's buses at Kennedy Plaza, and police fed them and took them to their homes as well. Fire Chief George Farrell said that firefighters received an emergency call to help a bus full of special needs students stranded in the Valley neighborhood. The students had been stuck for hours, and needed their medications. But because of the traffic, with cars clogging every street through Smith Hill and the Valley, the rescue couldn’t get close. The rescue driver left the streets and cut into the American Locomotive Mill Complex, and the firefighters then ran on foot to the bus, evacuated the children, and rushed them to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Farrell said that the backup was worst in the Smith Hill, Federal Hill, and Valley neighborhoods, all of which are close to Route 6, which was clogged late into the night. Esserman said that the tow trucks were towing cars constantly, but that the towing lots were full before long, contributing to the backup. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:07 PM | Comment Update: One storm down -- sort of -- and one to goIf you weren’t stuck in a car or a bus yesterday, it could have been considered a winter wonderland; cold, but not biting; powdery snow; and that pleasantly muted sound of a snow-filled night. Enjoy it if you can, it’s not going to last. Next up: Rain, sleet, snow and wind gusts 20 to 30 mph., possibly reaching 50 mph along the coast. This next storm – more of a classical Nor’easter than yesterday’s storm – is expected to move in early Sunday morning. Charles Foley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., calls it a “wintry mix.” But exactly when, where or how much precipitation we’ll get is still up in the air. “It hasn’t been nailed down,” he said. “Position, location and the timing – that’s what we’re looking at.” And if the snow leads to sleet and the sleet leads to rain, there’s a good chance we’ll see a buildup of ice, especially Sunday when the temperature drops to just 25 degrees. Early estimates see inland getting as much as six inches of snow before the precipitation changes to rain. That could lead to some localized flooding. As for the good news? Tides will be low, Foley said, so he doesn’t expect much coastal flooding. That’s as good as it gets. Follow the storm's track on projo.com's weather page -- and cross your fingers. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:17 PM | Comment Providence principals entertained late into the eveningPROVIDENCE -- Elementary and middle school principals in Providence stepped in last night and cared for their stranded students. At Kizarian Elementary School, eight students were stranded until 9:30 p.m. “We gave them snacks and watched a movie,” said Principal Debbie Ruggieri. “the kids were dancing, drawing pictures. They had fun and parents knew they were safe.” A half-dozen staff members stayed behind and helped Ruggieri answer phones. The police brought about 30 children home. At Windmill Elementary School, the principal ordered pizza and everyone had a party. The last bus, bus 86, didn’t arrive until 7:30 p.m., at which time seven children were left at school. “We called every single parent,” said Principal Eusebio Lopes. “We told everyone that the kids were stuck in traffic.” The biggest problem was communication between First Student, the bus company, and the schools. “We lost contact with Bus 86,” Lopes said. ‘It was very disorganized. It was like, ‘Why didn’t you call us?’” Communications between the bus yard and the schools have to be improved, Lopes said. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:46 AM | Comment Newport group spreads the word of danceA dance troupe that works with low-income students is getting $10,000 from the National Endowments of the Arts. The “Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants” program supports smaller groups that try to expand access to the arts. The money from the Challenge America grant will support Island Music Company's Open for Dancing, a festival that allows students to take place in dancing festivals in Newport. “Artistic Director Miki Ohlsen and I are thrilled to gain this recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts and to have the Senator’s strong support,” Dominique Alfandre, the executive director of the IMC said in a statement. “Open for Dancing is an event for the whole community, involving both students and community participants in the creation of original dance works for stunning Newport sites. It is a celebration of Newport’s historic landscapes and its lively cultural life.” The festival runs Sept. 17-21 in Newport. Guest choreographers will decide where, exactly the performances are held; in the past they’ve been at the Preservation Society of Newport, Doris Duke’s Rough Point and the Navy Base. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the NEA’s Council Of the Arts, wrote a letter in support of the troupe’s application. “While many school districts have been struggling to protect arts programming from budget cuts,” he said in a statement, “the Company has worked extensively in schools, teaching creative movement annually to 2,000 Rhode Island students, some of whom are low-income and may not otherwise have access to arts enrichment programs,” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment Photo: Plow up, snow down on the East Side
Posted by Jack Perry at 11:11 AM | Comment The storm's aftermath: Claiming towed carsAt the Providence Public Safety Complex, there's a line of people waiting to claim cars towed during yesterday's storm. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Jack Perry at 10:56 AM | Comment Cicilline orders police to review school bus delayProvidence Police Chief Dean Essermen and Chief of Administration John Simmons have a week to conduct a review of the circumstances that led to Providence school children being stranded on gridlocked school buses for hours during yesterday's snow storm. Mayor David N. Cicilline has directed the team to talk to officials from the school department, the state Department of Transportation, and the First Student bus company to figure out what happened and what was done to keep parents informed. “Under any circumstance, it is unacceptable to me that our children were stranded for so long,” Cicilline said in a statement. “It is one thing for adult commuters to be captive to the region-wide gridlock, but children separated from their parents and guardians are a special case, and extraordinary efforts must be made to facilitate their safe transport home.” Cicilline said any findings may be used to modify the schools' procedures. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:49 AM | Comment What happened to the school buses?Public schools in Providence -- like others across the state -- were delayed an hour this morning. But unlike other schools in the state, many Providence students haven't yet been home for 12 hours after a snowy jumble of traffic left school buses stranded with other traffic on unplowed streets and highways. Christina O’Reilly, spokeswoman for Providence schools, knows what the topic of discussion will be today at the Providence School Department: Buses. “I empathize with the parents,” she said, “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to sit around until 10 and wait for your child.” This, she said, is what happened yesterday. School dismissals were staggered: high school and middle school students were let out at 12:45 p.m. and younger students left near 1 p.m. It’s the same time difference as usual; buses take the older kids home, and return for the younger students. “By the time the buses completed their first run and got back to the kids for the second run,” O’Reilly said, the streets were already packed. And because students in Providence can attend schools around the city, buses weren’t restricted to neighborhoods, but had to traverse traffic across the city. In most cases, the elementary school kids had to wait in the school building – with teachers and principals – for a few hours. Then they got on the buses and had the same experience other commuters did. “Once the hour started to get really late,” O’Reilly said police and other state personnel were able to reach the buses and try to clear paths in traffic. They brought drinks and snacks for the students too. “Something like this has not happened in institutional memory,” O’Reilly said. “I’m certain that there will be plenty of discussion around the policy.” Reporters query: If you waited for hours for your child last night, or are a Providence school bus driver, please contact Linda Borg at lborg@projo.com -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:52 AM | Comment Fire damages Pawtucket pizza parlorThe state Fire Marshal is on the scene at a Pawtucket pizza parlor that went up in flames early this morning. Checkmate Pizza, at 1 Garden Street, was severely damaged after a fire broke out at 12:40 a.m. Firefighters were on the scene for several hours; no one was in the building at the time of the fire. Authorities have not determined a cause, which is still under investigation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:00 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Stuck on the school bus?Across the city last night, students spent hours stuck in school buses as snow continued to blast the state and roads filled up like parking lots. Christina O’Reilly, spokeswoman for the Providence School Department, said there will be plenty of discussion today between school and city officials about the current busing policy. But we're looking for parents and bus drivers to tell us what they think. If you had to wait for hours last night before your child came home, or if you were stuck in the driver's seat of a school bus, wondering what to do, please contact Journal staff writer Linda Borg at lborg@projo.com. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:46 AM | Comment 'Did the governor take all the plows to Iraq?,' reader asksThe problem yesterday may not have been the snow, but the traffic. That’s one reason DOT Director Jerome Williams suspects the roads were such a disaster. And a few of our commenters seem to agree. “I don’t blame DOT for this one. They can’t plow what they can't GET to,” one projo.com reader commented this morning. But the typical post reads something like this: “RIDOT can "insist" all they like about how many plows they made available. The fact of the matter is that I left Boston at 1:30 p.m. and got home to Rumford at around 9:15 p.m.” Survey: Tell us about your commute A New York ex-pat who has seen plenty of snow storms had a 5.5 hour commute from East Greenwich to Providence. “You have got to be kidding me with the performance of the RI DOT today. You would have thought an atomic bomb dropped on 95 with the amount of abandoned cars, it was a nightmare.” A common theme was comparing Massachusetts roads to those in Rhode Island. Posters who commute between states were pretty much in agreement about which state they thought handled the situation better. Video: See how the rest of New England is handling the snow “Here is what is pathetic. I live in Providence but work in Brockton. In Rhode Island there were no plows on the road, the roads were impassable, and cars were abandoned. As soon as I hit the Mass. border it was smooth sailing with dry pavement. How could this be?” A former Providence resident now living in Rehoboth says “my first thoughts in any snow storm is to head for the border, the sooner I get out of RI and into MA the safer.” “Did the governor take all the plows to Iraq with him? Is anybody in charge?” One poster wonders. Apparently not, according to Williams, who said there were more than 450 plows clearing the state roads yesterday; they began pre-treating right after the morning commute but were significantly slowed by mid-day traffic. With snow falling as much as three inches per hour at times, he said on WPRO this morning, the trucks just couldn’t keep up. But for all of the horror stories, the hours spent on the road and the dead cars, one lone poster reminds us to keep things in perspective. “Oh, by the way, it will snow in the winter and traffic will be heavy,” the poster writes.” Don't panic and things will go okay.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:43 AM | Comment Photo: Throwing the snow
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:06 AM | Comment Closings and delaysProvidence public school buses are running on a one-hour delay this morning, according to the superintendent's office. Some students spent hours on buses stuck in the cold, snowy gridlock. Schools, businesses and some government services across the state are closed or opening late today. Get the latest information on projo.com's closings Web site.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:20 AM | Comment National Grid expected to ask for rate increase todayWARWICK -- National Grid will ask for a rate increase. The utility is expected to make its case for a 5.2 percent increase for electricity rates at a hearing today before the Public Utilities Commission. National Grid has said the rising cost of crude oil makes the rate hike necessary. The George Wiley Center, a Pawtucket-based advocacy group for the poor, says too many customers are losing heat and electricity service because they're unable to pay the bills. The organization is urging the public to attend the hearing. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:03 AM | Comment Storm sets record, another storm on the wayWinter is here. You know all about the snow -- the Providence area set a record for the day yesterday with 8.2 inches. Looking forward, today we should see much warmer weather, with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature near 46 degrees, but a powerful coastal storm should move into the region late Saturday and early Sunday. That storm should bring snow, sleet and rain, but how much snow is still hard to predict, according to the National Weather Service. Snow should spread across most of southern New England after midnight, quickly becoming heavy, the National Weather Service says. The change to rain could trigger urban flooding, the weather service warns. Clouds should roll in tomorrow morning when the temperature reaches 33 degrees with wind gusts as high as 22 mph. We won't have to wait long for the next storm, set to move in Sunday. First, there's snow expected in the early morning. Then rain, maybe sleet, and wind gusts as high as 36 mph. Sunday night look for more of the same -- snow, sleet, rain -- in the evening, then snow later in the night. Relief should come Monday, with clear skies and a high temperature just shy of freezing. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageTodays' front page features a report on the storm that snarled traffic in Rhode Island and baseball's steroids report. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006