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February 4, 2008

Tonight: Music to put football out of sight, out of mind

After the Super Bowl, Giants fans aside, everyone else in these parts may need a diversion for the evening -- something to get away from it all -- whether it's rocking out or feeling the blues.

Illuminati and Number O.N.E. Click play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages.

The John Allmark 16 Piece Jazz Orchestra plays at Bovi's Town Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave., East Providence. 434-9670. 9 p.m.

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

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

Senate attacks Carcieri for Smart Staffing

PROVIDENCE -- A state Senate oversight committee says the Carcieri administration gave a no-bid state contract to a Massachusetts company and then fronted the company's payroll in what it charged amounted to an interest-free loan.

The committee also concluded that required written documentation "is insufficient" to indicate why Smart Staffing was picked over other vendors, "in violation of law."

The Journal reported that the state gave Smart Staffing Service an $11 million contract to supply employees to the state under terms not offered to other potential bidders and agreed to front the company the money to meet each payroll in advance.

The committee, in a press release, said it "can not make a determination as to whether the incompetence was due to ignorance, or arrogant and willful violation of the law. However, the committee is certain that the public deserves better.”

The oversight committee -- eight Democrats and one Republican -- met for six months last year, taking testimony as it probed state government's purchasing practices.

The news release says the committee had "17 areas of concern" and said the Carcieri administration "inhibited" the committee's progress and "violated the spirit" of the state Access to Public Records Act. That undermined the "transparency, accountability and public confidence by not providing the prompt production of requested documents or consistent, responsive testimony.”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Other problems the committee's report found:

* Though mandated to do so, the state Properties Committee has failed to issue regulations for acquiring and disposing of state property and for granting permission to use state property.

* The rules and regulations for the State Properties Committee are outdated.

* The chief purchasing officer has neither an active nor supervisory role in relation to the State Properties Committee "and is therefore in violation of state law."

* Also violating law, the Department of Administration has failed to prepare and disseminate training materials to state Properties Committee members. The state Properties Committee has also failed to come up with and put into use a training course for its new members.

* The State Purchase Card Program "may lack controls to ensure purchases are in compliance with the Master Price Agreement and fairly distributed among vendors."

* The Division of Purchasing violated the requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act and the state purchasing statutes when attempting to amend its small purchase regulations by memorandum.

* The Division of Purchasing does not supervise agency use of small purchasing authority.

* The Division of Purchasing has violated the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to set regulations "concerning all current formal and informal proceedings."

* Current records retention violated law by not including all contract documents "such as written determinations and supporting detail" in one contract file.

* The division did not produce written determinations dealing with noncompetitive contracts in a reasonable time, violating its own regulations.

* The division failed to produce statutorily-required reports.

* The expansion of, and changes to, the DataLogic Consulting contract -- the company whose place Smart Staffing took -- "resulted in a substantive change to the service being procured." The lack of documentation and absence of a new bidding process "undermines the basic statutory tenets of competition, accountability and transparency."

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:38 PM | Comment

Attleboro police probing dozens of house break-ins

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Police are investigating a series of as many as four dozen house break-ins over the past three months here and in surrounding towns that they believe are being committed by the same person or group.

Capt. David Proia said the breaks are occurring in house that are located in neighborhoods in Attleboro and North Attleboro that are nears exits to Interstate 95. That proximity to the interstate would provide the thieves with a quick getaway route, Proia said, but police don’t know if that is the reason for them being there.

The burglars’ method of operation is to break into houses from rear or side windows, ones that aren’t visible from the street and in the afternoon or early evening hours when occupants are not home.

“We’re asking people to clear bushes and shrubs near their windows, so we can see better,” Prioa said.

“They are taking small, expensive items,” Proia said. “They aren’t taking anything like big-screen TVs.”

It is not unusual to see a rash of burglaries by an individual or group in a geographic area, Proia said, but the breaks that police have seen here and in North Attleboro have lasted longer and spread over as large an area as this one. Casie like those are usually broken when an arrest is made inn one burglary and then police connect the suspect to others. They can also be cracked when a suspect is stopped for some other violation, such as a traffic citation, and evidence connecting them to a break in is detected.

Proia said police have collected evidence from some of the crime scenes, but he declined to describe what it was.

Police have tried to increase their patrols in residential neighborhoods they think might be targets.

“Everyone is out,” he said. “I’ve been out myself, I used an unmarked car.”

Police are asking anyone who sees someone suspicious or a suspicious vehicle in their neighborhood to call police.

“Give us a call,” he said. “We’ll respond.”

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:20 PM | Comment

Pats flying home from Arizona tonight

The Patriots are on their way home.

According to The Journal Sports Department, the team is expected to land at Boston's Logan International Airport around 7 tonight.

The Pats are then expected to head to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., and could arrive there around 8 p.m.

Check for reports on their welcome home after yesterday's Super Bowl loss, from The Journal's Joe McDonald, via projo.com's PatsBlog.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:58 PM | Comment

Fires are up, and Red Cross has gone through its budget

PROVIDENCE -- In the last two months local Red Cross volunteers have responded to 60 percent more fires around the state than they did a year ago, prompting ``a very real crisis’’ in the agency’s ability to offer help, said its chief executive officer, John Holt, today.

``We’re only halfway through our fiscal year and we’ve already exceeded the annual budget [of $130,000] we use to provide lodging, food, clothing, shelter and infant supplies,’’ Holt said.

The agency held a news conference to appeal to people and businesses go give more to the local Red Cross, which receives no financial support from the national organization.

In December and January, the Red Cross responded to 40 fires across the state compared to 25 for the same period a year ago. And last weekend, the first weekend of February, volunteers responded to four more fires.

More alarming than the number of fires, said Holt, is the increasing number of people needing assistance.

Because of the tough economy and the high cost of heating fuel, more families are living together and trying to save money by using alternative -- and often more dangerous -- forms of heating, said Holt.

``When our disaster action teams arrive at the scene of a home fire, it is not uncommon for them to find 10 or more clients who need assistance,’’ Holt said.

Holt said those wishing to make contributions to the Red Cross can write checks to: American Red Cross RI Chapter, 105 Gano St., Providence, RI 02906.
They can also make donations online by visiting the agency’s website: www.riredcross.org.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

The Red Cross helped 247 people between December and the end of January, said Holt, compared to 133 during the same period a year ago.

The United Way of Rhode Island offered today to give the Red Cross another $10,000 above its annual contribution if the agency matched the grant from other donors.

Met Life also committed another $5,000 for the cause.

``We need the financial support of the whole community to replenish our disaster assistance fund,’’ said Holt.

Providence Fire Chief George Farrell said many of the fires in the city this winter have been caused by space heaters used improperly. People place them too close to combustibles, use them with extension cords rather than plug them directly into outlets, and are even using them to dry their clothes, he said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:53 PM | Comment

Felon pleads guilty to gun possession in Pawtucket

PROVIDENCE -- A New York man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted he had a gun in his waistband while sitting in a parked car in downtown Pawtucket.

Felix Rodriguez, 31, of the Bronx was in a car parked on April 19 at Broad and Exchange streets when Pawtucket police approached. Officers were responding to a dispatch about a car in which occupants had shown a gun. The car matched description and officers ordered three people out of the car and patted them down, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Carl Corrente's office today.

An officer found a loaded, snub-nosed .44-caliber handgun. Rodriguez asserted he’d found it earlier that night during a fight at a strip club, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Rodriguez has past convictions in Virginia for cocaine trafficking and possessing a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Felons are barred by federal law from possessing a firearm.

Maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Rodriguez made the plea before Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court, Providence.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:47 PM | Comment

Seabees donate $50,000 for new museum at Quonset

A 1951 photo of the Seabee chapel at Quonset, where Seabee veterans hopes to build a new museum.

PROVIDENCE -- The Seabee Museum and Memorial Park at the Quonset Business Park announced a $50,000 donation today that will help pay for a new museum celebrating the history of the Seabees.

The New Boston Fund, the Boston developers who are building the Quonset Gateway project at the state-owned park, are giving the money.

"We have come to know the Seabees," Jerry Pucillo, a senior vice president at New Boston, said today at a press conference at the State House, where he called the Seabees "our heroic engineers."

The new museum is being incorporated in the Quonset Gateway development.

In all, the Seabees hope to raise $250,000 for the new museum by the end of next year.

The Seabees were "naval construction battalions that speedily built docks, housing, and airstrips in combat zones during World War II," according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Known by their slogan, “We Build, We Fight,” the Seabees' primary mission has been to handle critical construction projects in war zones.

For more business-related news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business.

Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 3:24 PM | Comment

Can yoga can help women quit smoking?

PROVIDENCE -- Miriam Hospital researchers say they want to find out if yoga can help women stop smoking.

The hospital said in a news release today that in one of the first such studies, researchers at the hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine are including yoga in a smoking-stopping program to determine effectiveness.

The eight-week “Quitting in Balance," paid for by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, includes counseling and "complimentary health and wellness treatments" to help participants. All get smoking cessation counseling, but they will also be divided into one group enrolled in yoga and another group receiving "video-based health information."

The hospital said those eligible to participate must be:

* Women smokers, 18 to 65 years old, who want to quit

* Not regular exercisers

* In general good health

"As a form of exercise, yoga shares many of the same properties as traditional aerobic exercise, which past research has shown to be an effective addition to smoking cessation," the hospital news release said. "In addition, yoga’s emphasis on meditation may be of particular benefit in combating the negative effects and emotional stress that accompanies smokers during nicotine withdrawal."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:52 PM | Comment

Groundhog Day tally: Block Island population takes dip

NEW SHOREHAM -- The annual Groundhog Day tally is in, and as sure a Punxsutawney Phil is promising six more weeks of winter, six fewer people were on Block Island this past Saturday than last year.

Islanders have marked each Groundhog Day for going on five decades by counting every person on the three-by-seven-mile island. This year’s count -- 971 -- is down six from the year before and another 15 from 2006.

Organizers attribute the slight decline to Groundhog Day falling on a weekend, when some workers return to their homes on the mainland.

“If it’s a weekday and they’re here, they get counted,” said Donald Thimble, one of those overseeing the event.

The unofficial census is an annual ritual that takes place over beers and laughter at the Albion Pub, and makes an entertaining diversion during the cold winter months. Dozens of volunteers fan out to count anyone who spends the night on the island, checking to see if any unusual house lights are lit. Calls are placed; and the boats are closely monitored throughout the day to see who's coming and going.

“We make a ton of calls to see who’s here and who’s not,” Thimble said.

The census showed that the population on Old Town Road had risen slightly, while the number of people living on Spring Street and Center Road had declined, he said.

Despite the numbers, the island’s tight-knit year-round community continues to hover at 950, he said.

“Everything is pretty much the same" -- which is a good thing in his book, he says.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment

Carcieri appoints two to ethics board

Governor Carcieri has named two people to the state Ethics Commission: J. William Harsch, a lawyer in private practice who's served in state government and recently ran for state attorney general, and Sister Deborah H. Cerullo, a Catholic nun and former assistant district attorney in Massachusetts and New York.

Sister Cerullo, who replaces George Weavill, Jr., will serve a term that expires Sept. 1, 2011.

Harsch, a Providence lawyer who was the Republican candidate for attorney general in 2006, served in President Carter's administration, directed the state Department of Environmental Management and served as solicitor in Tiverton and Jamestown. He replaces James C. Segovis. His term expires on Sept. 1, 2012.

“Despite years of effort, Rhode Island’s political system is still beset by many ethical challenges,” Carcieri said in a statement today. “The Rhode Island Ethics Commission needs the leadership to not only prosecute misdeeds under the existing rules, but also to ensure that the current rules are sufficient to cover all the potential conflict of interest situations in state and local government.”

Carcieri said that as a former assistant district attorney and as a law school instructor, Sister "Cerullo is an ideal person to help enforce Rhode Island’s ethics laws."

The governor said Harsch “has proved his worth as a public servant in the federal, state and local governments, and as a private attorney" and that “Bill’s long experience will make him a huge asset to the Ethics Commission.”

The appointments do not require General Assembly approval, Carcieri's office said.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:31 PM | Comment

Students show improvement in statewide testing

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island elementary and middle school students once again improved on statewide tests, a clear sign of sustained progress, state officials announced this morning, with 65 percent of students scoring proficient in English in 2007 -- 3 percent higher than in 2006 -- and 54 scoring proficient in math, up 1 point from the previous year.

Most school districts showed gains, most notably in four urban areas: Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, and five of the state’s charter schools. In addition, different groups of students -- white, Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, low-income, special education and English language learners -- have shown steady improvement on the standardized tests which are administered in October.

Governor Carcieri and Education Commissioner Peter McWalters said the results establish a clear picture of progress over the three years the tests have been taken by about 72,000 students each year in grades three through eight.

“We’ve really been pushing hard on the new standards and the new assessments and we are beginning to see the results of that,” Carcieri said at a State House news conference. “There is much more work to be done, but we are moving in the right direction, with significant improvement in all grade levels and among all student groups.”

Fifth and eighth graders also took a writing test, but those scores were flat, with 48 percent of students scoring proficient, compared to 47 percent in 2006 and 51 percent in 2005, the first year the test was administered.

Read the press release.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

Rhode Island developed the tests, called the New England Common Assessment Program, or NECAP, with Vermont and New Hampshire three years ago.

“By joining with two other states that do not have high urban populations and that score among the highest on national tests, it was a policy decision to tie ourselves to high performing states,” McWalters said.

Not surprisingly, those states scored higher, with 70 percent of Vermont students and 73 percent of New Hampshire students scoring proficient in reading and 63 percent of Vermont students and 67 percent of New Hampshire students scoring proficient in math. Writing scores were about the same as Rhode Island’s: 48 percent in Vermont and 49 percent in New Hampshire.

Eleventh graders took the NECAP for the first time last October. High school results will be released Feb. 25, said state education officials.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:42 PM | Comment

DOT's main Web site down, but traffic center fine

The state Department of Transportation Web site is down today because of a computer server problem.

"It is the problem with the server itself -- and they are saying it should be up by tomorrow," said Frances Segerson, a DOT spokeswoman. She said the DOT noticed the problem around 7:30 a.m.

But that doesn't affect people who want to see the traffic situation on various highways around the state.

Traffic accident descriptions and live camera views are up and running on the DOT-affiliated Web site of the state Transportation Management Center.

The DOT's main site that is not working provides broader types of information and news releases.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:20 PM | Comment

Former Brown football star gets Super Bowl ring

PROVIDENCE -- A former Brown University football star gets a Super Bowl championship ring.

Rookie linebacker Zak DeOssie is the Giants' snapper on punts. His father, Steve, was a linebacker and snapper who also won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 1991.

In a sideline interview with WLNE-TV, the younger DeOssie said Sunday's Super Bowl win was the pinnacle of any player's career. He says he's lucky it happened so early.

His father says watching his son's team win the Super Bowl was even better than winning one himself.

Extra: For more about DeOssie, read Journal sportswriter Kevin McNamara's profile of the player from last April.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:51 AM | Comment

Major donation being made to Seabee museum

PROVIDENCE -- A museum honoring a famed Naval construction unit founded in Rhode Island plans to announce a major donation.

Officials from the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park say they'll release more details during a news conference today at the State House.

The museum commemorates the Naval Construction Battalions, where were created just before World War II. Unit members were skilled craftsmen, including electricians and carpenters, who also were trained to fight.

The museum wants to expand its facility at a former Navy base in where more than 100,000 Seabees were trained during World War II. The new site is located in Port Hueneme, Calif.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:45 AM | Comment

Update: Bowl ads: Some more winning than others

While this Super Bowl watcher found the game much more gripping than the much-vaunted ads, some at least verged on entertaining.

Two of the most talked-about commercials, according to the Associated Press this morning, were the spots for Tide and FedEx.

Watch the two clips here.

See more sneak previews of the ads as collected on projo.com's Get Ready for Super Bowl page.

Or, as we're sure Fox chieftain and MySpace owner Rupert Murdoch hopes you do, watch them all again at: http://myspace.com/superbowlads

Meanwhile, a separate survey from TiVo Inc., makers of digital video recorders, found that the E-Trade ad showing a baby talking about stock deals -- and spitting up at the end -- was the most-watched commercial during the game.

Counting in people who played back material on their DVRs, the commercials were watched by more people than the game, TiVo said.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:28 AM | Comment

Gas prices fall for fourth straight week

Gas prices in Rhode Island dropped again last week, the fourth straight week the price has fallen, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.039 at the self-service pump, down one cent since the previous week, according to AAA's weekly survey.

The average price here is 10 cents less than it was at the beginning of the year.

But Rhode Island prices are still six cents above the national average of $2.979.

And Rhode Islanders were paying 86 cents less per gallon, $2.179, at this time last year.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:55 AM | Comment

Singer Buble to perform in Providence

New-school crooner Michael Buble returns to Providence with a show Thursday, April 10, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Tickets go on sale Friday 8 Feb at 10 a.m. They are $87, $67 and $51.50 and are available at the box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (401) 331-2211 or by going to www.ticketmaster.com.

-- Rick Massimo

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:42 AM | Comment

Oster trial postponed due to illness

PROVIDENCE — The trial of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster has been postponed for a day because two jurors have the flu.

Testimony concluded early Friday when one of the jurors felt ill.

Oster is on trial in Superior Court for bribery and conspiracy.

He is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy. He is accused of conspiring with former planning board member Robert Picerno to shake down two different potential buyers of the land in 2001.

The trial is expected to resume tomorrow.

-- John Hill

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:02 AM | Comment

We'll be grieving, but not for long

What is the appropriate mourning period for a Super Bowl loss?

Under normal circumstances, I'd say 10 days. But this time, when an unknown catches a pass with one hand on top of his helmet, it's not worth being down for more than a few days.

On top of his helmet! What are you supposed to do about that?

Besides, on Thursday the URI Rams go for their fifth win in a row against U. Mass. The Pats aren't the only winners around here.

The Rams are 19-3 and a good bet to make the NCAA tournament.

Not only that, but Spring Training starts for the Red Sox in less than two weeks. The defending World Champions play their first exhibition game Feb. 28.

So hang in there. This too will pass.

-- Peter Phipps, projo.com

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:23 AM | Comment

From a distance: Super Tuesday in New England

Just because we won’t be voting on Super Tuesday doesn’t mean some Rhode Islanders won’t be doing their part to help their candidate of choice tomorrow.

Supporters of Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama are departing by bus from Hope High School in Providence tomorrow morning for a Get Out the Vote trip to those nearby states – Connecticut and Massachusetts – that will be holding a presidential primary.

Candidates and their supporters have already been working the New England Super Tuesday states.

Republican Sen. John McCain spoke at a rally at Sacred Heart University in Fairfiield, Conn. yesterday.

And Democratic candidateSen. Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea are scheduled to arrive in the state today, as is Obama, who had the Democrats’ 2004 presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, campaigning on his behalf at a Baptist Church in Bridgeport.

No word on the whereabouts of Republican and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's whereabouts tomorrow, but today he's in Georgia.

When do Rhode Islanders get their chance to vote? On Tuesday, March 4.-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from the Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:41 AM | Comment

Post-Super Bowl calendar: Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday

New Englanders may be forgiven for not noticing. But there was another extravaganza going on this past weekend aside from Super Bowl frenzy.

It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans, with parades and parties leading up to tomorrow's culmination.

Watch a video of the celebrations as the city celebrates its post-Katrina recovery.

And remember, after tomorrow's Fat Tuesday indulgences, it's time for Ash Wednesday, and for those who follow the practice, the season of Lent.

In Rhode Island, the Diocese of Providence lists Lenten events and information on its Web site.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:36 AM | Comment

Emergency responders to discuss this busy fire season

With a handful of house fires last week – including two fatals – and more than 40 in the past two months, the emergency responders find themselves at nearly two times as many disasters as this time last year.

The Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter, United Way of Rhode Island and the Providence Fire Department come to the aid of people who are affected by fires.

The three organizations are holding a press conference today to talk about what they do and what they need to do it better.

Providence Fire Chief George Farrell is going to talk about fire prevention and safety measures. Joining him will be John Hold, CEO of Red Cross, United Way President and CEO, Anthony Maione. They’ll discuss what they do and their organizations’ need for assistance to do it.

The press conference is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:27 AM | Comment

Fires in Mattapoisett, Milton, Mass., kill 2

Two people have died in house fires in Milton and Mattapoisett.

Massachusetts Fire Marshal Stephen Coan withheld the identities of the victims and said investigators were working to determine the causes of the fires Sunday.

In Milton, authorities received a call about 7:30 Sunday night from a man saying his house was one fire. When firefighters arrived, they found most of the windows blown out and every room in flames.

Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Mahony says a body was found in second-floor bathroom, near a window. He says the house was full of clutter, which made it hard for firefighters to enter.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Today's weather

It's going to be unseasonably mild today, but not unseasonably dry. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 44 degrees today with cloudy skies and a slight chance of rain in the early evening.

The rain could turn to snow later in the evening, when the temperature drops to the mid 30s. Late tonight and early tomorrow morning, we could see more rain and winds between 5 and 10 mph.

More mild temperatures tomorrow with a high of 47 and winds between 9 and 14 mph.

For weather updates throughout the day, visit projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page reports the bad news of the Patriots' Super Bowl loss.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment