feb2016f

Island - for ten years.

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By: Jenn Lombari

“Justin i Justin ha I refer h with the and talen

Levasseur’s innovated personality makes it easy for one to forget that he is a trained barber and worked with

“When Jordan o

Photography: Jacqueline Marque

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Snurfing to Shredding Vice President Brian Kelly

After graduating from hairdressing school, Levasseur worked at a hair salon on the East Side of Providence for three years at which time advancing his profession from hairstylist and teacher to platform artist, which is considered being “a rock star,” among hairdressers’.

RI Local 11

Executive Editor Jeffrey Manzo

Creative Director & Managing Editor David Patricio

He decid his own reception as well a

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Editor Anthony Manzo

General Manager Michael McDonald

Ladies And Gentlemen …

It’s Bear Bear & Maurice!!!

“I knew I had reached my limit with barbering, so I decided to go to hairdressing school. It was a challenge at first for me to learn how to do pretty,” says Levasseur.

Clad in

“It was a struggle to survive and to stay open, during 82-83 the recession. We had just opened Clad52-53 in, when reality

set in that we may have to close it down,” says Lawsnowboarding on fallen helicopter rence. shrapnel.

86-87 Snowboarding hit the big screen, Against-all-odds, remain open for but snowboarders were marginalized got him. He was found as a not strayonly afterdid he they had been wandering business worsefor economic times,months. since and ostracized on the mountains. around the nearbyduring federalthe prison a few winter

By Kara Caldarone also they grew Clad in over several Boarders were relegated to the The storyWorld goes War that II, thebut family (for some ungodly reason) a store outletand andhewarebackcountry, where they’d hike up anddumped years him atto:the gatesinofStonington, the shelter CT, afteranhours house in Westerly, RI and another store in Providence, ride down. Mad River in Vermont found his way over to the prison across the street. The shelRI. A able new to shoe store Wayland was one of the first mountains to ter was finally catch himwill andopen give in him a homeSquare, for six Bear Bear, a 7boarders, year old beginning terrier / bearded allow in 1986- weeks.” Providence, RI, in February 2016. collie mix and Maurice Cheeks, an 8 year 87, but they were banned again by 32 Chihuahua, to Rhode What makes Clad in stand out fromathe other women 25old 1992-93.belong Snowboards areIsland still bannedA year after adopting Bear Bear, they visited local shelter residents,atGail Greenwood Chil designer stores?Cheeks.

Simple. They cater to a womDeer Valley andand Alta in Mott.

Utah, and with a friend and clothing found Maurice He was adopted After their 17 year Chiquita, had an as an individual, not as aninunrealistic media image.

During the 1980’s, edges, soft day jobs unrelated to snowboarding Mad Riverold in dog, Vermont.

In 2007, from The Potter League formetal Animals Middletown, RI. He died, they were miserable.

A fewfor months Owning a Burton women’s designer clothing store was only and been rounded symmetrical regularly hang out at Yawgoo. off ered $5,000 video hada boots originally transported from aends high kill and shelter in had passed and they had gone to Malone, “Our success is based on exceptional-client service.

We Gamache grew up concept that Elizabeth & Statesnowboarding Lawrence had in, 2008. were introduced In run withYawgoon footage of anyone Philadelphia. “ He wasand justembraced. sitting in his his front Dylan NY for Chil’s mother’s memorial service. have designer experts’ at our stores to fit the personal Unbeknownst to them, at the time, their idea would 1986, Stratton Mountain offered the within walking distance of Yawgoo and a banned resort – an act called Greenwood stated, a on, whim, we owners said locations first style of every woman who walks throughwas ours doors’. riding a graffiti-covered turn into Clad in, that“On would turn into three organized snowboard instruction. pictured poaching.

Early resort ‘Let’s look at the pound.’

We believe great style hasinstructor no size limit and (and counting) 497local Angell Street, Providence, the first snowboard wallwe onhave the cover of September’s issue claimed that snowboards couldn’t Rhode In 1987, chosencame collections from around the world accomIsland, andbe158 Water Street, Connecticut, guidelines out. In 1998, of to Snowboarder Magazine. Influential controlled and Stonington, were dangerous to ‘’We Bear Bear and fell in love – telling modate every figure,” says Lawrence. and 32 saw Friendship Street, Westerly, Rhode Island. snowboarding was first introduced in snowboarding magazine Transworld’s skiers. Although, the stigma around ourselves he most likely had some DNA the Olympics, but the best freestyle end of the year list of most stylish snowboarders came more from the that Bette Mott grew in, era, works with innovated-global designers to Gamache’s ranked third “Itfrom was abychildhood accident that I riders got involved in women’s riderClad of the Terje Hakonsen, tricks had fact that dog early often looked up withA infriend her childhood town. provide an in outstanding and and fourth in 2015 for tricks clothing. minetraditional made“theater costumes declined to go protest. collection of quality in 2014 diff erentofthan skiers. distinctive merchandise from casual to formal.

They from antique-kimono-fabric, and I thought they were From the days of being barely done at Yawgoo.

Burton came to Yawgoo Valley Greenwood and Bear Bearwomen took obedience also collaborate, ongoing, with the Rhode Island School of amazing pieces ofhis art promotional that would love to wear,”maneuverable to being rebellious, February 2015 was the second during tours and classes with Betty Laurin in Middletown (RISD.) Visit their web has site at: www.cladin.com says Lawrence. newDesign generation of snowboarding coldest on record with an average scolded the RI ski area for not and that is where they learned clicker viewintheir merchandise line, get storetemperature information,of 18.4 degrees. RI nowtogone numerous directions. allowing boards, Max DeWardner, training. “ Bear needed some structure as andjump to order With that in mind,of Lawrence offered display out online. helicopters and ride also saw incredible snowfall. Skiers owner Yawgoo said.

Bytothe mid-some People a bit clothing of a wildman when we first home. She ofhe herwas friend’s in her Connecticut, backcountry; urban riders slide across and boarders alike will be wishfully ‘80s, Burton and any other boarders invited friends family to see if they take were rails, ride up walls and jump over thinking of fluffy precipitation. were and allowed at over Yawgoo – they’d interested ainquick buying any.toItshow was athey hit and everybody staircases. The half-pipes and big For those who have never class could safely loved them.

From there, Elizabeth opened a small airs have gotten bigger, and the aerial experienced the zen and thrills from maneuver it. store in CT, selling her friend’s designs. gymnasts keep topping each other board and mountain, take your humble “Seasons passes used to be mostly with more flips and rotations. correspondent’s word, as a snowboarder skiers,” said Bruno. “Come late ‘90’s With her husband readyseason to make a career change Given its lack of altitude and our of 20 years and wordsmith – adjectives early 2000’s, pass holders were in 2008, Clad80-90 in was% a perfect transition can’t describe it. Yawgoo has a snowboarders.

Thfor ey both comeof them.latitude’s often lack of snow, Yawgoo “We wanted to build and own something together and has seen its share of skilled, inventive list of class options for beginners rain or shine. They walk if they have the timingto.” was right to make the move,” says Lawriders. The Yawgoons are revered snowboarders – private lessons for one rence—or so Bruno they thought. in snowboarding circles and known or more people, Kindershred classes has been a snowboard locally for their videos, where they for tykes classes and walk-in groups instructor for around 19 years.

They expanded their line of merchandise to include: set up inspired and diabolical rails for beginners. They have numerous “I was a skim boarder, surfer women shoes, accessories and designer clothing.

They and jumps during the daytime at sized boards and boots to rent, and before snowboarding,” Bruno said. “I opened their new store—Clad in, inand 2008.

Yawgoo or use various stationary the people in the pro shop all know understood the physics the flow. objects as rails and props around the snowboards. For information about Instructors want everyone they teach Shortly, thereafter, the country plummeted to “The

By Kara Caldaronelessons visit Yawgoo.com/snowschool, state. All are sponsored by various to be better than them. Everyone’s Great Recession of 2008.” snowboard companies and work and check out Yawgoons.com. going to be better than someone at something.”

“Once the rail thing got big, everyone was getting into that, but some just hit the rails and they couldn’t ride,” said Bruno. “The Yawgoo kids who learn how to ride, then they get into the urban stuff, they just progress so quickly because they can already ride.”

“All those years without a park, they got so creative,” Bruno said. “It’s an incredible outlet for energy and people have no other place to put it.

The less they had to work with the more creative they got.”

26 RI Local

Assistant Director Peter Matteo Research & Development Danielle Manzo Board Members Michael Mota 12-13 Dr. Joseph Matrullo Dr. Paul Matrullo Photography Soozie Sundlun / EG Photo Michael Belsito Writers Kara Caldarone Brian Lowney Amanda Hemond Patrick Burke Kelly Paterson Allie Herzog Chef Adam Baffoni Adam Hogue Chelsea Hutchings Mario Farone Jane Vassar Contributors Al Matthews Susan Gazzero Stacie Venagro Tom Lopatosky Heidi Palmer McNeil Amy Manzo Sales Executives Jeffrey Manzo Sandra Pacheco Jim Lombari Jenn Lombari Michael Belsito Joe Gemma Honorary Member John “Big Ange” Manzi

4 Travel Tips

5 Front Page

35 Suit Yourself - Franklin Rogers

59 Chrissy’s Hair Salon

65 Johnston Mayor - Joseph

6 World News

36 12 Things You Didn’t Know

7 National News

37 Shelf Dig

71 Ask an Expert

39 Wil.O Hair Salon

75 Star Wars - Movie Review

11 Corks & Recreation

12-13 Sweenor’s Chocolates 15 Red Wine Braised Chicken Meatballs Recipe

19 Live the Live Food Blog

40 Walk Wickford

45 Ocean State Businesses Are #DSTRONG 47 Stacie Venagro Fitness

20-21 D’s Lectables Cookies

49 Winter Blues - Time to Move

26-27 The Rosendale

50 State the Facts

31 Reliable Gold

52-53 Head Rush Salon & Shave

32 Clad in

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78-79 Socialize Your Puppy 82-83 Bear Bear & Maurice 86-87 From Snurfing to Shredding

90 Silly Laws

91 What’s Up With That

96 Seen Out - The Dorrance 56-57 Cover Story

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TRAVEL TIPS

Feds: Alaska Airlines Pilot Flew Drunk - Twice

An Alaska Airlines pilot was too drunk to drive, let alone fly, when he piloted two flights on June 20, 2014, according to federal prosecutors. David Hans Arntson - who was immediately removed from “safety sensitive duties” after flunking a breath test and later retired from the airline - was arrested at his Newport Beach, Calif., home. Prosecutors say that after piloting a flight from San Diego to Portland, Ore., and a flight from Portland to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, he was selected for a random drug and alcohol test and was well over the legal limit for alcohol. His co-pilot says that when Arntson saw the Alaska Airlines test technician, he said “I bet it’s for me.”

According to a Justice Department press release, the technician gave Arntson two tests 15 minutes apart, with blood alcohol results of 0.134% and 0.142%. Federal authorities consider pilots intoxicated with a reading of 0.10% or higher, and the FAA’s limit is 0.04%, reports the Los Angeles Times.

For drivers, the limit is 0.08% in every state, with enhanced penalties beginning around 0.15%. Arntson, 60, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The Times reports that he told investigators that he didn’t have a drinking problem and had merely sipped a single beer with dinner the night before the flights.

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Former Concentration Camp to Become ‘Party’ Hotel

Thousands of people were held at Campo Mamula, an island concentration camp off Montenegro, during World War II, including 130 who died there.

Soon, people will mostly go there to party. Despite protests from relatives of those imprisoned at the site, Montenegro’s government has approved a plan to transform the fortress on the small island of Mamula, at the entrance to Boka Bay, into a luxury hotel with a “party ambiance.” Initially built at the end of 19th century to stop the approach of enemy ships, the fortress was used as a concentration camp during both World Wars before becoming a prison, reports Forbes. Today, it’s a popular tourist attraction, with visitors raving about the “stunning views” and “chilling beauty”—facets developers will now take advantage of.

Your Driver’s License May Not Work at Airport Security This Year

Traveling by air within the US in 2016? You may need to show more than a driver’s license. That’s because the feds are threatening to finally enforce a 10-year-old law requiring states to have higher standards when issuing those licenses, the New York Times reports. Called the Real ID Act, it requires states to demand immigration status, a Social Security number, and documents proving identity when granting a driver’s license. “Machine-readable” technology like a magnetic strip containing your personal information must also be on the license. Some states are vehemently opposed, but one way the feds can enforce Real ID is by making sure airport screeners only accept licenses that meet federal standards.

A big issue is the magnetic strip, which would eventually allow all states—and maybe the federal government—access to your private data. Passed after 9/11, Real ID is said to boost national security while reducing fraud and identity theft, but critics see government intrusion and hacker-vulnerable databases.

“This is a game of intimidation being played out between Congress and the federal government and state governments, with ordinary citizens being squeezed in the middle,” says a privacy advocate. Most states have made enough progress to get certified or have an extension, but Washington, Minnesota, and New Mexico are on the outs. As the Santa Fe New Mexican puts it, “Yes, get a passport; Real ID is coming.”

150 Friends on Facebook?

You’re close to 4 study shows.

Social media may make managing friendships logistically easier, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Facebook and the like aren’t actually helping you grow your circle of true friends. So reports evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar this month in the journal Royal Society Open Science, after analyzing research conducted in April and May of 2015 involving 3,375 people ages 18 to 65. While women typically have larger social circles than men, the average number of Facebook friends among this sample was 150, reports CNET. But the average number of friends one can truly count on in a crisis is just four, which reflects one’s offline numbers, and is remarkably consistent across backgrounds, gender, and age. Dunbar defines several friendship levels, each panning out from the four or five closest friends the average person maintains, reports the Washington Post.

From there, most of us widen the circle of “sympathy” friends we feel we can confide in to 15, and widen it again to 50 friends who are “close.” Most of us can’t seem to maintain much more than 150 “casual” friends, though, and the typical realm of total acquaintances tops out at 500. Even those with thousands of Facebook friends aren’t necessarily more social, Dunbar concludes: “Respondents who had unusually large networks did not increase the numbers of close friendships they had, but rather added more loosely defined acquaintances into their friendship circle.” And while social media can help slow the natural rate of “decay” that occurs over time, “that alone may not be sufficient to prevent friendships eventually dying naturally if they are not occasionally reinforced by face-to-face interaction,” he adds.

Mariah Carey Engaged to Billionaire

It looks like Mariah Carey will be tying the knot yet again. The singer, who split with Nick Cannon in 2014, has just announced her engagement to Australia’s fourth-richest person, billionaire James Packer, after about 10 months of dating. Her rep tells Us Weekly that Packer, 48, graced Carey, 45, with a 35-carat rock in New York City, shortly after the pair returned from a romp on Packer’s yacht in St. Barts. If all goes as planned, the wedding will be the third for both Carey and Packer, who runs a number of casinos.

FrontPage Top 4 American Sweethearts Of All Time

Marilyn Monroe

Halle Berry The NFL Has Its First Full-Time Female Coach

The Buffalo Bills made a power run through a glass ceiling by hiring Kathryn Smith, the first full-time female member of coaching staff in NFL history. Smith, who has worked in the NFL since 2003 and joined the Bills last year as an administrative assistant to head coach Rex Ryan, is the new special teams quality control coach, reports the Buffalo News. She started out at the New York Jets, where she became a player personnel assistant in 2007 and was promoted to assistant to the head coach in 2014.

Reese Witherspoon

Julia Roberts “She certainly deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment, just to name a couple of her outstanding qualities, and I just know she’s going to do a great job serving in the role of quality control-special teams,” Ryan said in a Bills press release. Her hire is a big step for the NFL, Bleacher Report notes, although there are already fulltime female coaches in MLB and the NBA, leaving the NHL with some catching up to do. (Last summer, the Arizona Cardinals made Jen Welter the first woman to hold any kind of coaching position in the NFL.) ShopInRI.com 7

NATIONALNEWS

WWII Sweethearts to Reunite on Valentine’s Day

Norwood Thomas’ reunion with his wartime girlfriend was incredible, but it came with one major drawback: “I can’t take you in my arms and give you a squeeze,” the 93-year-old World War II vet told Joyce Morris, 88, during a Skype call in November. “Well, we’ve got to get on that then,” she replied, per the VirginianPilot. A lot had changed since the pair last set eyes on each other in England, a few months before Thomas took part in the D-Day landings. When the war ended, he returned home and wrote to Morris, asking her to marry him. She thought he was already married and refused. Both then married other people, with Morris settling in Adelaide, Australia, and Thomas in Virginia Beach, Va. Morris, since divorced, tracked Thomas down after finding an article about him going skydiving for his 88th birthday, but a reunion seemed like a pipe dream. Some 300 generous donors changed that.

After becoming engrossed in the couple’s story, Barbara McDonald started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a trip. “Normally you read about this stuff in fictional books, you don’t ever see this in real life,” she told WTKR. Readers pooled $7,500, but the donations weren’t enough to get Thomas who is battling prostate cancer and living on a fixed income and his caretaker son to Adelaide. Then Air New Zealand stepped in. The airline is offering first-class airfare for Thomas and his son to visit Australia next month so the pair can finally be together again and on Valentine’s Day, no less. “I’m numb,” Thomas tells the Virginian-Pilot. “I have no idea what my emotions are going to be once we meet face to face.” “What would you do if I could give you a little squeeze?”

Thomas asked Morris in November. “We could always do with a hug, can’t we?” she answered. “Whatever age we are.”

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80-Year-Old Charged for Driving This

An 80-year-old man was charged after driving a car that was almost completely covered in snow with only a portion of the driver’s side windshield cleared for vision, police said.

The Police Department said the man received a $110 ticket after an officer spotted a car resembling a pile of snow on the highway.

The man, whose name was not released, was charged with having an obstructed view.

Police spokesman James Stanley said the man said he was too old and weak to brush it off. The officer cleared the snow from the man’s car and let him on his way. “He was going for a short drive in town. I understand his excuse was he was too old, too weak to brush off the snow,” Stanley said.

“Can’t make this stuff up,” the OPP wrote in a tweet alongside a picture of the car. “Driver charged today in Brussels actually driving like this.”

Thanks to Congress, You Can Sled Down Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

It took an act of Congress, but people are now welcome to sled down Capitol Hill. With a major blizzard bearing down on Washington, the US Capitol Police on Thursday said they won't be enforcing as in years past - a longstanding sledding ban. In legislation that cleared Congress recently, lawmakers instructed the police to not enforce the decades-old ban. In prior years, sheepish Capitol police officers reluctantly enforced the ban.

Last year, however, revelers orchestrated a "sled-in"—with the full support of Washington's nonvoting delegate, Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton. The police stood aside, avoiding the embarrassment and bad media coverage that would have come from breaking up the fun.

The police say they'll still be there this year, but this time they'll be watching to make sure the kids are having a safe time of it.

There Was Sub-$1 Gas in America in January It didn’t last long, but some residents in Northern Michigan saw gas prices drop below $1 in January. The site GasBuddy.com first picked up on the news at several stations in Houghton Lake, where an apparent price war temporarily drove prices below the milestone level. It appears these stations are currently the first stations in the country to see prices under $1 per gallon in years,” says GasBuddy. Prices of 95 cents, 78 cents, and, incredibly, 47 cents a gallon, were reportedly spotted, and reports stated that police were directing traffic as a result.

However, prices at the stations rose back up to levels of about $1.50 later on in the month. The price of gas is falling quickly all across the US, with the national average dropping to $1.94 last week. The price plunge comes amid a backdrop of falling oil prices—a barrel is now below $29, the lowest level in more than a decade.

wORLD NEWS Volvo: By 2020, No One Will Die in Our Cars

Volvo has just come out with a gutsy move, making what CNN Money is calling a “shocking pledge” that not a single person will be killed or even seriously injured in a new Volvo car or SUV by 2020. (Not including a driver who does something “really, really stupid,” as CNN puts it.) Engineers already have some ground to stand on, given that not a single person has died in the Volvo XC90 over the past four years.

And while it’s in an elite squad, that model isn’t alone—eight others claim the distinction. To reach its goal, Volvo (and other car makers working on similar safety features, including Ford and Tesla) is leaning heavily on autonomous technologies, reports Extreme Tech.

Some of the features are run-ofthe-mill—think better air bags and restraints—while others are more advanced, including adaptive cruise control, pedestrian and large animal detection, sign reading, and an assist to keep the vehicle between lane lines.

“Still, claiming something to be deathproof seems risky,” notes the Extreme Tech post. “They said the Titanic was unsinkable, after all.” Meanwhile, a review in Automobile Magazine calls the XC90 the “future of luxury transportation” with “crisp” handling and steering that provides “decent feedback.” It also notes that Volvo is planning to test its latest autonomy technology on 30 miles of highway in Sweden next year, while the Obama administration recently announced a $4 billion pilot program to study the tech further.

Century Later, Fate of Lost German U-Boat Revealed German U-Boat 1915

German U-Boat Discovered Jan. 2016

A German U-boat set off from the north coast of Germany for a routine patrol with four officers and 31 crew members on board on Jan. 13, 1915. It was never seen again. The mysterious disappearance sparked a rumor—believed to have been started by another U-boat commander—that the submarine had washed ashore in Britain with all those on board dead, perhaps caused by a gas leak, reports the Telegraph. After more than a century, that story has now been debunked. Offshore wind farm developers uncovered the wreckage of the U-31 sub in 100 feet of water about 55 miles off the coast of Norfolk, England. “We looked across the maps we had and this wreck didn’t appear on any of them,” a member of the survey team tells ITV News. “We knew pretty quickly that we’d found something really special.”

The scanning team first spotted the wreck in 2012, but marine archaeologists didn’t identify it as the U-boat until now. Divers initially suspected it was a Dutch sub that vanished in World War II. The U-boat is believed to have struck a mine and sunk. “After being on the seabed for over a century, the submarine appears to be in a remarkable condition with the conning tower present and the bows partially buried,” says one of the marine archaeologists on the project.

“Relatives and descendants of those lost in the U-31 may now take some comfort in knowing the final resting place of the crew.” The wreck will remain on the seabed and the director of the wind farm project says it will be left undisturbed. (Another German U-boat rests off North Carolina.)

2015 Was Hottest Year on Record - by a Longshot’

Last year was not just the hottest year since reporting started in 1880, but it was the hottest year by a long shot, based on NASA and NOAA data. The average global temperature in 2015 “shattered the previous mark set in 2014 by 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit,” NASA said. “Only once before, in 1998, has the new record been greater than the old record by this much.” It’s worth noting that 2014 already had an average global temperature 1.24 degrees higher than the 20th century average.

The Berkeley Earth Study, released last week, also noted that 2015 was “unambiguously the hottest year on record,” and the New York Times

reports that Japan’s meteorological agency is set to make the same announcement. The UK’s Met Office confirmed the record with its own findings as well. Fifteen of the 16 hottest years on record have taken place since 2001.

“Climate change is the challenge of our generation,” says NASA administrator Charles Bolden.

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Corks and Rec

There’s no shortage of holidays whose main focus are booze related and Valentine’s Day is no different, aside from the creepy baby in a diaper shooting love arrows. It’s the time of year when you bring sweets for your sweetie and if you want to impress them even more, you give them awesome wine. So here are some options to thrill that wine drinker near and dear to your heart not only on Valentine’s Day, but all year long.

Shloss Mulenhof Muller-Thurgau (practicing organic) was an easy decision to go with for a white wine seeing as it lends itself to be a great accompaniment to many different types of fare yet can be enjoyed without any food at all.

The Muller-Thurgau grape is a cross breed of Riesling and Madeleine Royale and it’s easy to see, or in this case taste, why they have been one of the most popular wines in Germany for decades. Look for aromas of tropical fruit, fresh peaches and undertones of flowers and herbs.

Medium bodied on the palate, with a well rounded mouthfeel, mouth-watering acidity and luscious minerality. Zesty fruit forwardness of green apple, ripe nectarine, baked pear are the key players here in terms of flavor. The clean, dry finish has hints of ginger, solidifying this as a truly well balanced white wine offering that over delivers on quality.

In terms of a red that will woo your honey, I recommend sticking with the “easy to please” category and going with Gilles Louvet Saint-Felix des Toureilles Saint Chinian (biodynamic). First pour into the glass unveils aromas of macerated strawberries and pungent herb notes. Soft notes of wild strawberries and raspberries are the first thing you notice with this quaffable sipper before your palate becomes enveloped with flavors of spiced blackberries, figs and black currants. The rich flavors of berries and spices make this a great red to pair with dark chocolate based desserts. The Saint-Felix will have you coming back for more faster than Cupid can pluck his bow.

Both of the wines are not only easy choices to help make your night more memorable, they’re also easy on your wallet, coming in at under $15. So as you’re making your decision keep in mind roses are red, violets are blue, why choose one bottle, when you can get two?

Colleen Arruda - High Spirits Liquors Wine and Spirit Specialist, All-Around Good Time

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By Kara Caldarone

26 RI Local

Sweenor’s Chocolates A Rhode Island Family Legacy

Sweenor’s Chocolates, a 3rd and 4th generation of Confectioners’, is not only a Rhode Island tradition, but also part of the state’s history that dates back more than 50 years—a business that has stood the test of time (and then some.)

companies, Bill and Claire Sweenor never made their three children join the family business; they encouraged each of them to branch out on their own and find their paths—and they did.

Before joining the business in 1985, their son Brian was on the US Rower’s Team in college and later was part of the World’s Rowing Championship Team. Brian is the primary candy maker today.

Their son Jeff started a construction business and remains in the industry today and their daughter Lisa was a

In October of 1962, Bill married his high-school sweetheart, Claire. And in 1979, Bill and Claire opened a 2nd store in Wakefield, Rhode Island, and eventually moved their kitchen there in 1983, as well.

Unlike most family-owned

“There are so many traditions that our customers celebrate with our candies. One customer in particular is Brad Asher. He has been filling his wife’s, Beth, chocolate-heart box every Valentine’s Day for the last 33 years, and each year he writes a new love note inside it,” says Dunham.

Never growing tired of own their products, Dunham, her brothers, and their families eat a few pieces of their candies every day. Dunham’s favorite is caramel pretzel.

Continuing with the family’s success, Brian still uses some of the original machinery from 50 years ago to make their candies. The ones that they had to retire are part of the Johnson & Wales Culinary Museum Collection.

Starting when Walter Sweenor began making sweets’, a craft he had learned from his father, from his small-kitchen basement to supplement his schoolteacher’s salary during World War II—which continues to produce the best, tasting, candies in the country today.

In 1955, to keep up with the demand, Sweenor opened “Sweenor’s Open Fire Candies,” a retail shop in Garden City, Cranston, Rhode Island. Shortly, thereafter, his son, William “Bill” Sweenor, joined his father business after attending college for a year.

after 13 years of living in North Carolina, I wanted to come home and be part of my family’s business, which I cherish” says Lisa “Sweenor” Dunham.

“We still have our grandfather’s original recipe box that Brian still refers to today,” says Dunham.

Software Configuration Manager In 2005, their daughter, Lisa “Sweenor” Dunham, moved back to Rhode Island, from North Carolina, to run the day-to-day operations of the business.

“I always loved Rhode Island and

From corporate to personal gifts, weddings, showers, parties, online and in store shopping, holidays: winter, summer, spring, and fall and much more, there’s always a time to enjoy Sweenor’s Chocolates, a timeless tradition that never disappoints.

For more information on Sweenor’s Chocolates as well as their store hours, visit their web site at: www. sweenorschocolates.com or contact them at: 401-783-4433. or 725-0790.

By: Kara Caldarone

RI Local15 27 ShopInRI.com

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Red Wine Braised Chicken Meatballs

By Chef Adam Baffoni Once February hits and the bitter cold New England winter is in full gear, I crave something hearty and warming. In almost every culture around the world, braised dishes are most popular during the cold seasons, because they are so deeply satisfying on a winter night. Braising is simply a cooking technique that includes cooking meat in a flavorful liquid for a long time at a low temperature, making it a very simple cooking technique. These meatballs are incredibly easy to put together. At home, I make a big batch and freeze some for later. If you do this, take the meatballs out of the freezer and put them in the fridge at least a day before you wish to cook them, so they can thaw. I like serving them over creamy polenta, but they’re also great over pasta or even risotto.

Ingredients 1 loaf French bread 3lb ground chicken 1 egg 1 handful basil leaves, roughly chopped 1 ½ cups cream 3 carrots, diced 1 onion, diced 2 cups red wine 1 can tomato paste Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation Cut the crust off of the bread and discard. Cut the bread into small cubes and place into a large bowl. Add the cream and leave to soak for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken, egg and basil and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bread from the bowl of cream, squeezing out as much as you can and add it to the meat. Mix well to combine, then roll into 2 tbsp meatballs.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large, wide pan over medium high heat. Sear the meatballs in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through.

You just want to get a nice golden brown crust on one side. Place the meatballs in a bowl and reserve. Once all of the meatballs have been seared, add the carrot and onion to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, allowing them to soften. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up any brown bits left on the pan from the meatballs. Add the tomato paste and return the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour, until the meatballs are fully cooked and tender. Serve immediately.

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6105 Post Rd. • North Kingstown 401.885.7499

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• Signature Coal Fired Pizzas • Everything Made From Scratch • Two Great Locations • Serving Lunch Specials Mon-Fri, 11:30-4 ce Providen via y Deliver

385 Westminster St. • Providence 401.454.7499 18 ShopInRI.com

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Wide Variety of

3rd & 4th Generation Candy Makers

Heart Shaped Boxes!

Pre-Packaged or Pack Your Own!

Gourmet Truffles Valentine Gift Baskets Tins & Trays Chocolate Novelties Sugar Free Chocolates Valentine Pops in Milk, Dark & White Chocolate

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Don’t Forget Your Sweetheart!

Valentine’s Day is Saturday February 14th

Notes from the Cooker, Traveler, Master Gardener and Serious Sipper of Creative Cocktails

by Al Milukas

A TWIST ON THE CLASSIC NEW ORLEANS BBQ SHRIMP The first thing you notice about the classic dish, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, is that it's not cooked on a barbecue grill and it contains no barbecue sauce. So why the name? Its origin goes back to the mid-1950's, to an Italian restaurant in New Orleans called Pascale's Manale. A regular customer had just returned from Chicago, where he had dined on an amazing shrimp dish. He asked the chef at Pascale's Manale to try and replicate it, and what resulted was actually better than the original. And though no barbecue grill or sauce was used, it is believed that they gave it the name "BBQ Shrimp" to cash in on the backyard barbecuing craze that was all the rage at the time.

The classic New Orleans BBQ Shrimp is served with shell-on shrimp, so you make a big, happy, buttery mess of yourself as you devour it. And it's served with plenty of crusty French bread. I like to peel the shrimp and serve it on rice.

For the seasoning...

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, very finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon white pepper Mix all the seasoning spices and set aside.

For the BBQ shrimp...

2 lbs. large wild-caught American shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1 stick butter (4 oz.)

1/2 cup beer 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce olive oil For the rice...

1 cup rice (I like organic basmati) 2 1/4 cups water or chicken stock 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning

Cook the rice following the directions on the package. I like using chicken stock instead of water when I cook my rice, and I add the olive oil and the Tony Chachere's (available online or at your favorite food store) to the stock before cooking. To cook the shrimp, I heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat.

Then I add the shrimp, and sear them on one side (about 30 seconds) and then flip them over to sear on the other side (another 30 seconds.) I'm not trying to cook them all the way through, just get them a bit caramelized. Then I remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside.

In the same skillet, heat the butter until the foam subsides. Then add the beer, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. I mix well, then add the shrimp back in the pan, simmering for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve the BBQ Shrimp over the rice…broccoli optional.

(401) (401) 323-2657 323-2657 There is nothing better than a homemade cookie straight out of the oven. Plenty of bakeries sell fresh cookies, but they usually have a very limited selection to choose from. However, that is not the case when it comes to D’s Lectables baked goods. Darlene Sicard is the baker behind all of the D’s Lectables items.

Let’s just say variety is key among her delicious offerings. Sicard’s cookie menu boasts almost 75 varieties of cookies alone! As if that is not enough she also has a vast selection of brownies, coffee cakes, and granola bars!

It started back when Darlene was 10 years old. Sicard would bake with her grandmother often, that is where she learned the ropes. “She showed me how to make pie crust and coffee cakes. I always enjoyed it.”

Although Darlene has had no professional culinary training in the past, she attributes a lot of what she makes not only to her grandmother, but also because she was crafty. She would make cards and photo collages, and then she started moving on to creating food baskets for family and friends. About 15 years ago, that’s when people were asking Darlene to make her gift baskets on the regular. Sicard liked it because she was personalizing things for people. After word got around, Darlene had enough orders rolling in to start up her own business. She has been running D’s Lectables for 9 years now.

Sicard loves to experiment and come up with new combinations. Since she has been at it for so many years, she feels she has developed the knack for knowing what flavors go together. Matter of fact about 98% of what she makes will get used as an item

in her line of baked goods.

What makes D’s Lectables such a great option to go with, is that Darlene sources most of her ingredients locally from eggs, to honey, to chocolate and so much more. However, some ingredients can’t be bought locally but everything that she does use is real and non-processed. The other important feature that Sicard’s company offers, is that she caters to people with health issues. Darlene whips up loads of gluten free and vegan products constantly. “It makes me feel great to be able to provide someone with something, they otherwise can’t have.” She finds her job both rewarding yet challenging.

Sicard is a very community oriented person and loves to support and help small businesses. So whenever she can obtain seasonal food items locally, she makes sure to grab them in order to concoct some serious fun flavors. Out of all her cookie varieties she makes, traditional chocolate chip is still the most popular.

People tell her she makes the best chocolate chip cookies, because of the texture and the use of real butter, opposed to margarine or shortening like so many companies do nowadays. D’s Lectables variety on ingredients is extremely varied too. One thing Darlene does differently from most companies out there, is she makes her own alternate sugars for those people who cannot have regular cane sugar. Her list includes apple, banana and date sugars as options for sweeteners. The lemon coconut cookie ranks as the second most popular cookie. Since she has a lot of health conscious customer’s coconut is widely used in many of her healthier versions of treats. Some of her

Iggy’s Famous Clam Cakes

Iggy’s Delicious Doughboys

other healthy versions include her signature black bean brownies, coconut shortbread and her newest cookie called the Resolution Maker, which is made with whole grains and walnuts, sweetened with date sugar and made with partial butter and partial coconut oil. These are all vegan as well as being great alternatives to less healthy snacks.

Darlene says people keep coming back for more because they get the same product every time, and they are always made fresh. D’s Lectables also has a cookie of the month that works in correlations to what is in season that month.

Besides ordering Darlene’s cooked baked goods which comes in various quantities even party baskets depending on your preference, she also is selling dry cookie mix and vanilla sugar packages. For more information on ordering or varieties and much more please visit D’s Lectables website at: http://dslectables.com.

By Kelly Paterson

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In-Store Butchers...

Full Service Meats

When you want to eat right, you need to eat fresh.

Armando’s will provide you with exactly what you desire. The best butchers in the industry give you just the cuts you want at a price you can afford.

All our fresh meats are products of the USA. USDA Grade A chicken and pork, as well as seafood, is always available at our two locations. For the finest products in New England, visit Armando’s today.

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265 PINE ST. (95N Exit 27)

401–727–0707 • MON–SAT 8–7 & SUN 9–3 • ARMANDOSMARKET.COM ShopInRI.com 25

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complete rehab that included raising the ceiling from 7ft. to 25ft. on October 1, 2015, The Rosendale was open for business.

With a selection of over 60 whiskeys, specialty drinks, wines, craft beers, succulent sandwiches, and unique appetizers to die for there is something for everyone.

“70% of our food served is purchased locally. Everything is fresh. From the garden to the grill is what we offer our customers,” says Manfredi.

The Rosendale customers consist of business professionals (lunch and after work crowd,) sport fans, families, tourists, musicians to industry people who love the neighborhood-like atmosphere masterly created

by Manfredi and Williams.

By Kara Caldarone Leave Your Title At The Door is the only House Rule you will have to follow before entering in *The Rosendale, a food & drink whiskey bar, located at 55 Union Street, Providence, Rhode Island, in an area that locals once referred to as the forgotten corner.

On January 1, 2015, owners’ Frank Manfredi Jr., and Garry Williams purchased what was then The Eighty Eight Lounge with the goal of transforming the lost bar into the type of place that invites and welcomes everyone.

“This place was dark, gloomy, and sketchy before we purchased it and revitalized it into the type of place where people can relax, enjoy themselves, and feel safe during the day as well as at night,” says Williams.

“We never intended on The Rosendale to reflect a whiskey-bar-theme, but as construction unfolded it was starting to feel more like a pub than the upscale bar that we initially planned,” says Manfredi.

From start to finish, Manfredi and Williams along with their friends and family did the entire rehab.

“Our blood and sweat is part of The Rosendale. We stayed true to our vision of opening a comfortable and attractive bar that serves outstanding food, a wide selection of drinks, and entertainment at affordable prices—we exceeded our expectations,” says Williams Manfredi and Williams had planned on opening their doors within a month or two of their purchase, or so they thought. Ten months later, with an unexpected10 RI Local 28 28ShopInRI.com ShopInRI.com

“It’s [The Rosendale] a great addition to the neighborhood, they’ve done an incredible job with this place. I like to come for lunch or after work. The food is outstanding,” says Chris Martin, a frequent customer.

“Our menu is simple but distinct in taste. Executive Chef, Nate Williams, educated and trained us in culinary dishes and helped us create our menu,” says,” Williams.

Food served at The Rosendale, without a doubt, will satisfy the most distinguished palates. Panko chicken fingers to hand rolled smoke mozzarella sticks as well as gluten free and vegetarian options are available.

Their signature sandwich, however, is a mouthwatering burger called The Prince of Providence made with braised short rib, ground beef, a fried egg, Applewood bacon, Swiss cheese and a pickled red onion—to die for.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, The Rosendale is the ideal-fun place to bring your sweetheart to; he or she will love it. And don’t forget to visit during “March Madness” (March 17, 18, and 19).

Williams and Manfredi will have Union St blocked off for a 3 day block party with live entertainment all 3 days for St Patrick’s Day and March Madness.

For additional information on their menu, hours, and upcoming events please visit: therosendaleri.com or call Frank or Garry at 401-421-3253. *The name Rosendale, established in 1915, was a company that once not only owned the building but also ran the first top-hat-lounge in the country.

BEFORE

AFTER

Iggy’s Famous Clam Cakes

BEFORE

AFTER

Garry Williams & Frank Manfredi Jr.

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By Kara Caldarone

What do you call a business that has not only survived, but also thrived during: The Depression of 1930, The Recession of 2008, and A Flood in 2014? If you said “Reliable Gold Ltd,” now located at 9 Wayland Square, Providence, Rhode Island, you are correct.

Photography: Jacqueline Marque

A family-owned business since 1934, Reliable Gold Ltd is part of Rhode Island’s economic fabric—that remains strong today.

The newest owner, 3rd generation, Rena Abeles, recalls fond memories, while growing up in the family business. “There was never any family dynamics. We worked together at the store and got along very well,” says Abeles.

Mainly because of the strong foundation that was laid down in 1934, when Henry Limer opened Reliable Gold Buyers in Downtown Providence, Rhode Island—a store for people to come in, sell their gold, and walk out with money in hand— during a time, financial resources was barren. Some of the gold that Limer bought, he scrapped; and some, he kept.

In 1946, Abeles’ Father, Leonard Rotenberg, joined the family business; and shortly thereafter, Abeles’ Uncle, Harry Limer, joined as well. After Henry Limer passed, Harry Limer and Leonard Rotenberg became the new owners of Reliable Gold Buyers.

And in 1958, Limer and Rotenberg moved the business to Wayland Square, changed the name to Reliable Gold Ltd, and began selling exquisite pieces of antique and estate jewelry that they had put aside, when they owned Reliable Gold Buyers.

Fast forward to 1987—after attending Boston University, majoring in theater, Abeles’ moved to New York, in pursuit of an acting career, got married, and started a family before returning to Rhode Island, 20 years later.

“My parents have always been generous and supportive of me and I had the opportunity to do the same for them,” says Abeles. She was thrilled to be back in Rhode Island and loved learning all aspects of the business from her father and uncle.

In 2005, Abeles bought the family business, after her father retired and uncle long since gone, becoming the 3rd generation at the helm.

“I had work for so many years under my father and uncle that by time I was ready to buy the business, I was very comfortable,” says Abeles.

Then in September 2, 2014, an unexpected flood completely perished the store when a sprinkler head went off at an office upstairs from Reliable Gold Ltd. “Our inventory was intact from being locked in safes, but our records, our paperwork and our computers were destroyed—it was devastating,” says Abeles.

A year later, in June 2015, Reliable Gold Ltd moved to: 9 Wayland Square, Providence, Rhode Island. “We are joyful to be here. Our new space is more open and we have room to exhibit new pieces from local artists’,” says Abeles.

Like mother, like daughter, Abeles’ daughter, Sarah “Abeles” Montane moved to Rhode Island, from New York, in 2012, with her family and joined the family business.

“I love working with my daughter. It’s a great feeling to have the next generation (4th) become part of the business, while my parents’ are alive to see it,” says Abeles.

To view their extensive collection of antique to contemporary pieces, visit their web site at: www.reliablegoldltd.com.

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Clad in

“It was a struggle to survive and to stay open, during the recession. We had just opened Clad in, when reality set in that we may have to close it down,” says Lawrence.

Against-all-odds, not only did they remain open for business during the worse economic times, since World War II, but also they grew Clad in over several years to: a store in Stonington, CT, an outlet and warehouse in Westerly, RI and another store in Providence, RI. A new shoe store will open in Wayland Square, Providence, RI, in February 2016.

What makes Clad in stand out from the other women designer clothing stores? Simple. They cater to a woman as an individual, not as an unrealistic media image.

Owning a women’s designer clothing store was only a concept that Elizabeth & State Lawrence had in, 2008.

Unbeknownst to them, at the time, their idea would turn into Clad in, that would turn into three locations (and counting) 497 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island, and 158 Water Street, Stonington, Connecticut, and 32 Friendship Street, Westerly, Rhode Island.

“It was by accident that I got involved in women’s clothing. A friend of mine made theater costumes from antique-kimono-fabric, and I thought they were amazing pieces of art that women would love to wear,” says Lawrence.

With that in mind, Lawrence offered to display some of her friend’s clothing in her Connecticut, home. She invited friends and family over to see if they were interested in buying any. It was a hit and everybody loved them. From there, Elizabeth opened a small store in CT, selling her friend’s designs.

“Our success is based on exceptional-client service. We have designer experts’ at our stores to fit the personal style of every woman who walks through ours doors’.

We believe great style has no size limit and we have chosen collections from around the world to accommodate every figure,” says Lawrence.

Clad in, works with innovated-global designers to provide an outstanding collection of quality and distinctive merchandise from casual to formal. They also collaborate, ongoing, with Rhode Island School of Design (RISD.) Visit their web site at: www.cladin.com to view their merchandise line, get store information, and to order online.

With her husband ready to make a career change in 2008, Clad in was a perfect transition for both of them.

“We wanted to build and own something together and the timing was right to make the move,” says Lawrence—or so they thought.

They expanded their line of merchandise to include: women shoes, accessories and designer clothing. They opened their new store—Clad in, in 2008.

Shortly, thereafter, the country plummeted to “The Great Recession of 2008.”

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By Kara Caldarone

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Things You Didn’t Know

1. Pole vaulter Sergey Bubka broke the world record for highest pole vault 35 different times—Nike paid him up to $100,000 for each new record.

2. Jim Carrey was supposed to be Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers franchise but he had to back out due to scheduling conflicts.

3. Apples, plums and pears are all a part of the rose family.

4. Six percent of Americans don’t know how to ride a bike.

5. Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” has broken Spotify’s records for most listens in one day (4.2 million) and in one week (21.9 million).

6. The state of Alabama spent $75,000 in taxpayer money to obtain the rights to ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’

7. George Washington is the only U.S. president to have received 100% of the electoral votes.

8. Studies suggest standing more could lower risk for obesity, illness, and death.

9. The average pasta serving size in 480% larger than what’s recommended.

10. Over 900 streets in the United States are named after Martin Luther King Jr. 11. According to a study, listening to chill-inducing music makes people more generous than listening to music they don’t like.

12. Singer, actor, and best-selling author Tyrese Gibson bought his daughter an island for Christmas.

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Think Globally, Shop Locally By: Jane Vassar Owners: Michele Meek, Allan Miller, Geoffry Meek In Rhode Island, what’s good is synonymous with what’s local. Living in a state that is blessed with a vibrant art and music scene, a healthy small business community, and great small farms means we have a variety of choices for highquality, locally sourced products and some really wonderful shops. But we work, we have lives, and there’s the weather.

(Sorry, had to use the “W” word.) So there are times when we resort to online shopping for the convenience, when we’d rather support local businesses. That’s where Shelfdig. com comes in.

Shelfdig.com is the creation of Michele Meek, Allan Miller, and Geoffry Meek, who asked the question, “how often would a shopper buy local, if it offered some of the convenience of online browsing and searching?” It’s a question that was answered in 2011 with an award as semi-finalist in the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition. Launched in November 2015, ShelfDig.com has grown in just a couple of months from 60 Providence stores to over 70 and allows shoppers to support local businesses while giving area stores a chance to offer an online shopping experience to their customers. With over 70 stores listed in one website, Shelfdig.com is a great way to introduce local stores to new customers. “You might not even know that there are stores in your town that have what you want,” says Meek.

How it works: the site is easy-to-use and free, for shoppers and for business owners. Shoppers can browse with or without creating a profile, by search term, neighborhood, or store. Or they can peruse Shelfdig’s own curated set of gift guides--suggestions of items organized under a userfriendly list of categories; there are a dozen or so, some with quirky list titles like Geeks and Techies and Beards and Cologne. Shoppers can zoom up-close on an individual item so that they can read a label or see texture, can add items to a wish list, put products on hold, or create a shopping list by neighborhood. After choosing their items, shoppers place them on hold, for pick up at the store later. Each store lists about 20 to 50 percent of its inventory on Shelfdig, and the online listings are updated frequently.

She adds, “The idea is to be able to browse and search stores near you. You’re seeing the items as they are on the shelf in the store--it’s not a Photoshopped item or a computergenerated photo, but …in the context, on the shelf in the store. It’s a lot easier way to browse, because they [the items and the context] connect to each other.”

If you’re a shop owner in Providence who would like to list your store on Shelfdig, you can contact Frieda Lorel through the website and someone from the team will come take photos of your store’s shelves and gather information for some of your products (it’s free).

Whether you’re a business owner looking to extend your reach, a shopper looking for local products or support local stores, Shelfdig.com can help you find what’s good. Even when the weather isn’t. (Ooops, I said it again.)

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Wil.O hair salon

The atmosphere at WIL.O Hair Salon is welcoming and calm. With a beautiful view of the Pawtuxet River, happy staff, and owners’ who provide services that fit their clients’ needs, it’s not surprising that when you walk inside their salon your stress will magically disappear.

Located in the heart of Pawtuxet Village, Cranston, Rhode Island, owners’ Melanie Mello and Jonathan Williams use the most up-to-date technology to handle a variety of hair types as well as requests.

Their background includes: Williams working at Vidal Sassoon for over ten years in New York, Washington D.C., and in Boston, MA, and Mello, a salon owner for over 25 years.

Mello and Williams are not only business partners, but also partners for life. “It was hair at first moment, when Jonathan and I met,” says Mello. By never overbooking, they can and do devote a generous amount of time with their clients’.

From formal to casual, foils to barbering there is a personal hairstyle for everyone.

“I’ve been coming here [WIL.O Hair Salon] for over a year and drive 30 minutes to get here. I even bring cookies and brownies in for the staff, I love this salon,” says John Smith.

For more information, services, and to book an appointment, visit their web site at: www.wilohair.com ShopInRI.com ShopInRI.com 41 41

Walk Wickford This Winter!

By: Bethany Mazza Photo By: Melissa Devine

While we all know winter in New England can seem hostile and cold; but there is also a quiet peacefulness about winter that settles in around now. The other thing that settles in around now is cabin fever. So… our favorite way to battle the winter blues and enjoy the serenity of the winter landscape is an outdoor winter walk. Yes, we said outdoors! A little sunshine on your face will make all the difference this time of year. With the days getting longer and the sun getting stronger Wickford is the perfect place to get some fresh air and if you are feeling a little chilly or just want to take it slow: all the shops and cafés in the Village are open year round and would love a visit!

There are plenty of streets full of historic homes to stroll down any time of year. However two of our favorite winter walks takes advantage of the many serene water views of Wickford. Each walk begins in the municipal parking lot on Brown Street overlooking the inner harbor. The distances (approximate) are round trip.

1. For the perfect one mile walk: exit the parking lot and take a right onto Brown Street and walk to the corner making a right onto Main Street Follow Main 5 blocks to the end and you will have arrived at the commercial fishing dock with 42 ShopInRI.com

panoramic views of the inner and outer harbor. There are benches for a rest; but since its winter you may want to keep on moving! On the way back, if you’re feeling energetic, you can take a short detour – right on Fowler and left on Church Lane - to pass by the Old Narragansett Church, a colonial structure dating back to 1707! See historicnorthkingstown. com for more info on this gem.

2. For a slightly longer 1.5 mile walk: exit the lot and take a left onto Brown Street, then a left onto 1A. Cross over the Hussey Bridge (more charming water views), pass Town Hall and continue to Beach Street. Take a left onto Beach Street and follow it to the end. You will have arrived at the North Kingstown Town Beach and it’s wide open vistas of Narraganset Bay. For a little warm up stop by the Wickford Art Association at 36 Beach Street to see what’s on view.

For hours visit wickfordart.org. Head back to Brown Street making sure to stop in and say “hi” to the local shop owners along the way.

On your walk you might even find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart. So bundle up and walk Wickford this winter. We can’t wait to see you!

-Wickford Village Association

e

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Ocean Community Businesses Are #D-Strong!

The Ocean Community is known for its incredible natural beauty, prestine beaches, culinary diversity and outstanding recreational opportunities. The quality of life here is exceptional, and one of the strongest assets we have is the people who live and work here.

Our business community is known for being incredibly generous to local charities, schools and fundraising events. From the regular donations of goods and services for raffles and fundraisers, to the overwhelming generosity of the “Bring Back the Beach” campaign in 2013, they have shown a capacity of caring that is extraordinary. Once again, that spirit of community and compassion has been demonstrated clearly with a number of acts of kindness to support the courageous battle of Westerly’s champion, Dorian Murray. At the tender age of 4, Dorian was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and battled his way through the challenge. Recently, at age 8, he had a diagnosis that is every parent’s worst fear. As a result of his condition and the limited time he has left, he made the brave decision to spend his days at home, without additional treatments, surrounded by those he loves and in the comfort of his home. The story of this amazing little boy with a huge heart has touched every one and efforts to provide support to the family have emerged from many sources.

We are immensely proud of the business community and all they have done to support this family. Bakeries have sold cupcakes and donated the proceeds, beauty salons have sold blue extensions and contributed the profits, restaurants have hosted benefit dining events

that were so popular they ran out of food. Blue lights have been installed in homes and businesses throughout the two state ocean community region, all for the purpose if showing community support and providing strength to the young man whom has inspired us all with his courage and optimism. Dorian’s one wish was to be “famous in China” and in less than a week, he had hundreds of social media messages from the great wall and at least 20 other countries. #D-Strong, the hashtag now known around the world, has united a world and put all of our lives and troubles in perspective.

To learn more about the many businesses that are holding events and fundraisers for Dorian, “like” the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce on Facebook. To follow Dorian’s progress and the outpouring of love and prayers being sent from around the globe, “like” the Facebook page “Praying for Dorian” and consider a donation to the GoFundMe account in his name.

Written By: Lisa Konicki

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Sticking To Your Resolutions?

by Stacie Venagro 2014 World Miss Fitness America and Miss Fitness Universe Here we are a little over a month into the new year! Have you stuck to your resolutions or better yet, your goals???

Did you know about 80% of resolutioner’s quit or give up by February 8th?! Yup, I said it! Why do they give up? A number of reasons but the main one being that it didn’t happen as fast as they wanted and find themselves going back into old habits because that’s what know. Instead, you should be making small changes weekly for a longer outcome. When you do everything at once you become overwhelmed and discouraged. You also tell yourself you’re on a “diet” when it should be a “lifestyle change” so you can stick with it. See the thing with diets is that it has a beginning and an end date.

This makes you go crazy by eating next to nothing, eliminating food groups, dropping your calories, etc. Now with a “lifestyle change” you are making small changes and learning moderation. For example, switching out your bagel in the morning to an egg sandwich on an English muffin is a more balanced breakfast and less calories than a bagel.

Another great example is how we eat each meal. Most people either skip or have little breakfast, a decent size lunch and a huge dinner. This should actually be reversed! You’re breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be your biggest meal, then decent healthy lunch, small dinner. When I say small dinner I mean portion sized protein and veggie. I like to keep the carbohydrate out of my last meal especially if I didn’t workout that day. Don’t worry you’ll still get your carbs in your protein and veggie naturally.

When going to workout in December the commercial gyms were dead, January they became packed and February they will slowly start to drop off. Reason for this is we think that we have to do a lot of cardio to burn calories in the gym.

When you aren’t sure what to do that’s where you flock to.

Instead you should be incorporating weight training to burn MORE calories than you would on a piece of cardio equipment. For some, it’s hard to wrap your brain around this but once you do it, you’ll see the changes and they’ll motivate you to keep going.

Be sure to check out our new location: 161 Macklin Street Cranston, RI 02920 First class is always FREE! Come try a class today and bring a friend.

Stacie Venagro Fitness is now located at 161 Macklin Street in Cranston

photo by Paul Buceta

Thank you, Stacie

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Winter Blues…Time to Move….

Susan Gazerro Here we are February, one of the most depressing months to a lot of people. One way, and the best way, to beat depression is to exercise. This is the best medication there is! We have all heard the word endorphins, the happy hormone. Well it is fact that when you exercise - your brain produces and releases these happy hormones. This changes your attitude. Put aside the other benefits to exercise: losing weight, having more energy, protecting your bones, improving your posture, etc., on top of all that - imagine having a better, more positive attitude!!! Who doesn’t want that?

Again, you don’t have to go to a gym, although I believe being around other people motivates you, but if you can’t get to a gym here are some helpful hints to keep you moving through the winter months: Morning: Wake up and stretch (a good 5min stretch) Jumping Jacks (20) Plank (30 sec) Sit ups (20) Afternoon: Walk (even a 15 min quick walk on your lunch break) Take the stairs (whenever you have the opportunity) Park your car in a distant spot and walk (if there is snow on the ground, grab that shovel and shovel…shoveling and raking are great forms of exercise) Night: Jumping Jacks (20) Plank (30 sec hold) Sit ups (20) Stretch before bed

Quotes: “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” -Unknown Never ever give up on anything you want. Whether it’s losing weight, going back to school, getting a new job, traveling, etc.. NEVER GIVE UP. When you give up is when you have regret. Always Dream BIG. No one can take away your dreams.

“A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can’t.” - Jack Dempsey This one is important to me because I think too many people take the easy way out and use excuses. The champion is the one who can’t but does. They find a way!!!!

“Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about” -Unknown If there’s anything or anyone you think about everyday……NEVER give up. Go after whatever you want in life and don’t let anyone stop you. Sure there will always be someone more experienced or more successful than you are but repeat these words “we are all human, if they can do it I can do it. I can do anything I put my mind to” Enjoy February 2016 as it is the only one you will ever have!

These are so basic and so easy to do. If you can’t jump for the jumping jacks you can also modify and do low impact. The point is to keep moving. Move whenever possible. Keep the blood flowing, the muscles engaged, and the fat burning!!!!

The key is when doing any type of exercise, whether in the gym, in your house, or outside, think about what you are doing. Engage your core. Put all your energy into the muscle(s) you are using. This builds endurance, makes you stronger, and gets results! Never quit.

Winter months are not an excuse to stop moving. You actually burn more calories in the cold as you use more energy to keep warm while you are exercising.

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STATE THE FACTS...

Arizona is the only state that has an English-only law in its public schools.

Connecticut is the only state that does not have a state statue covering home schooling (according to a 1996 survey by the Education Commission of the States).

Delaware is the only state that has no national park within its boundaries, though it has over a dozen state parks.

Florida is the only state with legislation on who can teach swimming. Life guards and swimming instructors must, by law, be certified.

Idaho is the only state that does not have a veteran’s cemetary.

Indiana is the only state that regulates and certifies hypnotists.

Louisiana is the only state in the union that does not have counties. Its political subdivisions are called parishes.

Michigan is the only state in the union to offer two state fairs – the Michigan State Fair, the oldest in the United States operating since 1849, and the Upper Peninsula State Fair celebrating its 79th year in Escanaba.

Mississippi is the only state in which over two thirds of its residents are classified as either overweight or obese.

Rhode Island is the only state that still designates Victory Day as a legal holiday.

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By: Kara Caldarone

Forget about Jesse James, there’s a new kid in town—Justin James “J” Levasseur, owner of Head Rush Salon & Shave located at: 1712 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence, Rhode Island, but he is not your grandfather’s barber.

This six-foot-tall, cigar smoking, bourbondrinking man is not what you think about when you think hair-salon owner, but then again Justin James “J” Levasseur is not your typical hairstylist.

“I like to think that I’m bridging the gap between barbering and hairstyling,” says Justin James “J” Levasseur.

Levasseur’s earliest memory of being interested in hairstyles was around five or six-years-old. “I used to cut my step-sister’s Troll Dolls’ hair. I would cut its’ tops off. I thought it would grow back, so I thought it was okay,” says Levasseur Growing up in North Providence, Rhode Island - a culture that prides themselves on fashion and appearances, Levasseur became interested in barbering while in high school.

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At the same time, he was captain of the North Providence High School Football Team: his nickname: “The Beast.” After completing his senior project on barbering and graduating from high school in 2005, Levasseur worked under two barbers’ in North Providence, Rhode Island - for ten years.

some of the old-school greats in his industry. “I’m not just doing military cuts; I’m a fashion-forward hairstylist and I teach my clients’ how to do their weekend look every day. Hot shaves are and will always be popular,” says Levasseur.

“I knew I had reached my limit with barbering, so I decided to go to hairdressing school. It was a challenge at first for me to learn how to do pretty,” says Levasseur.

He decided to come back to North Providence to open his own salon and on December 29, 2015, he did. “The reception has been great among other business owners’ as well as with my clients’,” says Levasseur.

After graduating from hairdressing school, Levasseur worked at a hair salon on the East Side of Providence for three years at which time advancing his profession from hairstylist and teacher to platform artist, which is considered being “a rock star,” among hairdressers’.

“Justin is more than my hairstylist, he is my friend.

Justin has been doing my hair for 11 years and when I refer him to other people, I know they will be happy with their hairstyle. He’s the full package. Personable and talented,” says customer Allen Paul.

Levasseur’s innovated personality makes it easy for one to forget that he is a trained barber and worked with

“When it comes to hair-styling Justin is the Michael Jordan of the game. He has been cutting my hair since he first started in 2005 and I never once considered going to anybody else. He has never been late, cancelled an appointment or made a mistake with my hair in 11 years,” says customer Michael McDonald.

Customer service is paramount to Levasseur’s success. “I am 100% about my clients’ and I’m always taking classes to keep current on hairstyles and trends,” says Levasseur.

To view Justin’s work, visit him on Instagram at: headrushsalonri or to make an appointment you can contact him at: 401-300-9202.

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Over Thirty Four Years

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Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena By: kara caldarone Photographs of family, sports and political figures, awards, and diplomas surround Johnston Mayor Joseph M. “Joe” Polisena’s office. Humbleness, strength, conviction, and openness radiates upon entering his modest corner of the world.

“I have an open door policy; if I’m not in a meeting or on the phone, I am happy to see anyone who wants to speak with me. I’m here for the taxpayers,” says Polisena.

Born on June 27, 1954, Polisena has always been a resident of Johnston. And what he has achieved in his life, so far, would take most people several lifetimes to reach.

Educated in the Johnston school system, Polisena was a quiet student. “I wasn’t a troublemaker in school, I was too afraid of my father if I got caught,” says Polisena. In high school, Polisena was on the wrestling team weighing in at total of 118 pounds.

He was also a DJ at a local radio station, but no one knew it. Not even his closet friends. The station made him go by the name Mark Elliott because they felt Joe Polisena sounded “too ethnic.”

In 1972, Polisena graduated from Johnston High School and shortly, thereafter, he joined the Johnston Fire Department while attending the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI.) “I realized while working on the fire department, I wanted to pursue a medical career,” says Polisena.

He later became part of the Johnston’s EMT Department and graduate from CCRI in 1985, with an associate degree in nursing. “I was only one of six men in the nursing program and when I graduated I was one-of-three,” says Polisena. In 1988, he graduated from Roger Williams University earning a Bachelor of Arts in health services.

In 2007, Polisena was sworn into office as the 4th Mayor of Johnston. His life is dedicated to the residents of Johnston.

Although he doesn’t golf and is not a big fan of traveling, he loves his boat and the lake that he calls home; it’s not uncommon for the citizens of Johnston to see their Mayor on jet skies or wakeboarding.

Some of life’s proudest moments for Polisena: Married to Lucille for 36 years, has a son, Joseph Polisena Jr., improved the town’s bond rating, the first mayor in Rhode Island, to bring a first-lady and Presidential candidate to town, Hillary Clinton; built a new athletic complex at the high school, After retiring from the Johnston Fire Department, Polisena brought in over 500 million dollars in new business and so served in the Rhode Island State Senate from 1993 to 1999. much more.

And from 2001 to 2007, he served as Deputy Majority To learn more about Mayor Polisena’s achievements, please Leader. “I also worked full-time at CCRI, as an Assistant visit the Town of Johnston’s web site at: www.townofjohnProfessor and Program Director of Fire Science and EMT stonri.com studies.

While still working full-time on the fire department, Polisena worked as an RN, part-time in St. Joseph’s Emergency Room. In 1998, he completed a master of education from Cambridge College.

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Ask An Expert The Best Time of Year to Hire a Home Improvement Contractor My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting and I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@ LopcoContracting.com. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column!

As we begin to delve into our plans for 2016, there may be home improvement items needing to be addressed on your agenda. You may be aiming to take them on yourself, hire a contractor for some help with them, or perhaps a combination of both.

If hiring a home improvement contractor is something you are looking to do, whether it is for painting, electric work, installing cabinetry, etc., I really do believe that this time of year is the very BEST time to hire someone to assist with these needs.

The biggest reason for this is, regardless of the trade, once the weather appears to turn more consistently “nice”, it may be next to impossible to find someone that is most capable in executing your project in the time period that is most ideal for you.

As ‘Spring’ hits, there is an annual “RUSH” in the industry, where the phone of everybody who is looked at as a viable option for whatever it is they do, begins to ring nonstop.

At that point, it may be challenging to get the most adept people to even have a conversation about whatever project it is that you would like to talk about, never mind actually scheduling the work. The dirty little secret in the home improvement industry is that the very best contractors pretty much have a good portion of their year already booked up by the time the weather starts to improve.

If one was to stop and think about it, there is a reason that the most sought after contractors (those with the best reputations, guarantees, and so on...) are hard to nail down and those that are not held in such high regard are not.

Your very best chance of catching lightning in a bottle – an awesome contractor with the time to chat about your project – is going to be during the time of year when traditionally the phones just aren’t as busy.

Home improvement projects are really exciting endeavors!

When tackling home improvement projects on your own, scheduling can certainly be very challenging.

When tackling home improvement projects with the assistance of a hired contractor, planning can be even more intense.

If aiming to hire a home improvement professional in 2016 in accomplishing a project, give yourself the best shot at hiring the best professional and hire them now! Otherwise, the specific project that you were hoping to hire someone for and to have done well before Memorial Day may be getting done well after Labor Day… Tom Lopatosky has run his own carpentry and painting business in Providence since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in carpentry and exterior & interior painting. In 2013, he was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PDCA and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association).

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RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • MUNICIPAL TREE REMOVAL SPECIALIST All Sizes & Types • Stump Grinding • Pruning

Free Estimate provided by a licensed arborist Fully Insured.

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star wars There’s something about a fandom or a movie that makes someone jump with joy. In this case, Star Wars made the whole world jump. After the opening crawl faded away, the movie started and I watched in wonder as we’re introduced to Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) who sacrifices himself for his droid BB-8 (Voiced by Bill Hader) in order to protect the special information he has to return to The Resistance. There were a lot of similarities compared to the originals and you can see it between the relationships of Rey/Finn, and Poe/Finn. I love the fact that they cast a female stormtrooper, Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) even though she didn’t get a lot of screen time, but it is confirmed she’s returning for the sequel.

My favorite scenes were probably the X-Wing and TIE Fighter battles. The action sequences were excellent and the plot very fluid. The interaction between Han Solo’s old space pirate friend Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) after finding a particular item was very emotional to me and after that the movie hit it’s turning point.

J.J. Abrams really put all of his vision into this making it the best movie possible. A lot of pressure and expectations were set atop his shoulders when making the movie. J.J. Abrams himself is a large Star Wars nerd and he is well known for reinventing the Star Trek franchise directing Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness as well as executive producing the upcoming movie, Star Trek Beyond.

Unlike George Lucas, Abrams incorporated as many practical effects into the film as he possibly could. For example, instead of making a CGI desert planet, he sent the actors (specifically Daisy Ridley and John Boyega) to 3 months of kickboxing and other training for the 90 degree heat and blistering sun of Abu Dhabi. They created the small village that Rey lives in and where she scavenges parts to survive. Many of the explosions were real and the creatures that the actors interacted with (including the little droid BB-8. Yep he’s real.) were not digital effects. Even though Oscar Isaac and several other actors performed on sound stages, others like Andy Serkis and Lupita Nyong’o performed as their characters, Supreme

By: Hannah Burke

leader Snoke and Maz Kanata through motion capture.

Using CGI and digital rendering, the producers bring the characters to life. Otherwise, the CGI used was little compared to the prequels (Yes you Jar Jar) The most exhilarating part of the movie was probably the climactic battle between Kylo Ren and Finn as well as Rey. Adam Driver really captured the turmoil of the character and you could feel the amount of rage just bubbling inside him. All of the actors did a great job of portraying their characters. The months spent by Lucasfilm and JJ Abrams on casting to find the perfect Rey, Finn and Poe paid off.

Even yet, there were still a lot of questions to be answered as the credits rolled across the screen. Who are Finn’s parents? Who is Snoke and where is The First Order now?

Who are Rey’s parents? Which is without a doubt, one of the most controversial questions. Some people believe that she is a descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi due to her powerful Force potential. Others think she is the daughter of Luke Skywalker. However, I think that Rey is the daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia. That’s just my opinion though, like all the others out there in the galaxy that we call the internet.

On a scale of 1 to 6, I give Star Wars: The Force Awakens a 6 diamonds. Rated PG-13 for mild action and violence.

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How To Socialize your Puppy to New People

By: Heidi Palmer McNeil

If you are one of the hundreds of families inRhode Island that received a new puppy around the holidays, time is of the essence to get your puppy on the right track to becoming a social, confident, happy family member! The Socialization Period is a short length of time when your pup is the most impressionable. Experiences that your puppy has during this period set the foundation for the future.

Photography: Photography:Jacqueline JacquelineMarque Marque

The Socialization Period Between birth and about 18 weeks of age, there is a period of time when a puppy is a sponge for new experiences. During this tender Socialization or Critical Period, the things that a puppy experiences will teach him how to react to similar situations in the future. It’s important that a puppy learns about his world and be happy and comfortable in it.

During the Socialization Period, if a puppy has a bad or scary experience meeting a toddler, then he might be afraid of toddlers in the future. If a puppy has a great, positive, experience meeting a toddler, then he will probably like toddlers in the future! It’s important that we expose our puppy to as many things as possible, but in a safe, controlled manner so that all of his experiences are positive ones!

If your pup is showing signs of fear, back away from the situation until he’s not acting fearful, give him treats and slowly approach again.

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You don’t want to force this or it will imprint on your puppy in a negative way. Go slow and let your pup determine the pace.

“It’s all Good!”

The principals used here are based on the psychology of Ivan Pavlov. In Classical Conditioning, we pair something great (yummy food) with something scary (ie. the toddler). We want the puppy to learn that Good things happen when I see the toddler (or fill in the blank.) Always carry yummy treats around with you in case you have the opportunity to socialize your pup to something new. Or, if you get into a jam (your pup is all of a sudden scared of something), you can offer yummy treats to try to turn the experience into a positive one. If you are doing a lot of socialization and using food, we don’t want our pups to get fat…just cut back on his regular meal portions.

Socialization to People •When your pup meets new people for the first time, have the person sit on the floor (or get low

to the pup) and offer a treat. Let the puppy approach the person at his own pace. By offering a treat to the pup, the pup learns that “good things happen when I see a stranger.” Don’t overwhelm your pup by OOHHING and AAHHING over the pup…he might get scared. This is especially true for the pup meeting children!

•When your pup is meeting children, please instruct the children to sit on the floor and offer treats to the puppy. Try not to overwhelm the puppy with too much petting, hugging or kissing.

•Have a Puppy Party at your home. Invite your friends over and have everyone get a handful of treats and sit on the floor. Each person can entice the puppy over and give the puppy a treat. The puppy will learn to happily go up to other people!

•If you’re out and about in the neighborhood with your pup and you meet someone different, hand the person a treat and ask the person to give it to your pup.

•If your pup is timid about going up to a person, have the person get low, turn his head sideways and not stare at the pup, and extend his hand with a yummy treat. Let the puppy approach at his own pace. Don’t force the issue.

The box listed next provides a checklist of people that you should introduce your puppy to before he or she is 16 weeks old:

PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE YOUR PUPPY TO...

(By 16 weeks old)

Men

Women Bearded Men Teenagers Children Uniformed people People on crutches People wearing hats People of a different ethnicity Toddlers Babies elderly people Disabled people Loud people By spending the time now to socialize your puppy properly before he’s 16 weeks old, you will set a solid social foundation for his future!

About the Author: Heidi Palmer McNeil, CTC, CPDT-KA is nationally certified in dog training and dog behavior and owns Pooch Pawsitive in Rhode Island. Heidi lives in Saunderstown, RI Pooch Pawsitive uses modern, clicker training and positive reinforcement training methods.

Pooch Pawsitive offers Puppy Preschool, Puppy Socials and Group Classes for the entire family in East Providence, RI at Rumford Pet Center.

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By: Jenn Lombari

Ladies And Gentlemen …

It’s Bear Bear & Maurice!!!

Bear Bear, a 7 year old terrier / bearded collie mix and Maurice Cheeks, an 8 year old Chihuahua, belong to Rhode Island residents, Gail Greenwood and Chil Mott.

After their 17 year old dog, Chiquita, had died, they were miserable. A few months had passed and they had gone to Malone, NY for Chil’s mother’s memorial service.

Greenwood stated, “On a whim, we said ‘Let’s look at the local pound.’ ‘’We saw Bear Bear and fell in love – telling ourselves he most likely had some DNA from a childhood dog that Bette Mott grew up with in her childhood town. “ Greenwood and Bear Bear took obedience classes with Betty Laurin in Middletown and that is where they learned clicker training. “ Bear needed some structure as he was a bit of a wildman when we first 84 ShopInRI.com

Photography: Photography:Jacqueline Jacqueline Marque Marque

got him. He was found as a stray after he had been wandering around the nearby federal prison for a few winter months.

The story goes that the family (for some ungodly reason) dumped him at the gates of the shelter after hours and he found his way over to the prison across the street. The shelter was finally able to catch him and give him a home for six weeks.”

A year after adopting Bear Bear, they visited a local shelter with a friend and found Maurice Cheeks. He was adopted from The Potter League for Animals in Middletown, RI. He had originally been transported from a high kill shelter in Philadelphia. “ He was just sitting in his run with his front

FUN FACT ABOUT BEAR BEAR & MAURICE:

legs crossed … so he came home with us. And now we’re Chihuahua converts!” said Greenwood.

Maurice decided on his own to become a “stuntman” for Bear Bear’s antics. He was never afraid of anything that rolled or moved, so when Bear Bear would be pushing a cart or wagon, Maurice would jump in and go for a ride. Now his training is becoming more advanced, proving that Chihuahuas CAN learn.

The dogs have just recently started performing for live audiences.

Twice at the Block Island library and also at some great, local nursing homes. After receiving his Alliance of Therapy Dogs certificate at Newport Hospital, Bear Bear is now able to enter those types of facilities.

If you ask Greenwood what the best performances have been so far, “We would have to say Block Island Library. We did two shows in one day and both shows were single room occupancy. Almost the entire island, kids and their parents, came out. It was interactive. We tried to get each kid involved in some of the tricks

either by holding hoops for the dogs to jump thru or laying down for them to jump over. We had treat bags for everybody. The dogs loved it, as did we. The library staff there is so great! It was so much fun. And an adventure to boot what with the ferry ride and all.

And of course, who can resist the utter sweetness that exists in a dementia ward at a nursing home and the smiles on patient’s faces when they reminisce about their own dogs.

You can’t get thru a visit with balling your eyes out.”

She also added, “We’d love to refine the “show” and try to be more “professional” of course but if you look at any of the videos shot at any of our visits you’ll see that we’re different than the slick dog and pony circus acts you see on TV. Our dogs do amazing tricks like ride scooters, skateboards and push baby carriages etc., but they are also real dogs that kids are welcome to hug and pet (sometimes right in the middle of a trick!)’

The dogs were also featured on the

‘’All of our dogs over the years have been vegetarian and mostly vegan. We don’t believe that companion animals should contribute to the pain and suffering of other animals caused by the meat industry, and least of all the horrific pet food industry. It’s a win win for everybody. To those that say we’re depriving the canine it’s “natural” diet I would point out that one of the oldest dogs on record was a vegan Border Collie (27 years old) There are many great sources of plant protein for dogs (as Chil and Gail live on). And they love it. In fact, BB and Mo turn up their noses at hotdogs but go crazy for chick peas! ‘’ -Gail Greenwood PBS Kid’s show ‘Martha Speaks” in a segment about dogs who “work” (as actors in music videos) “We’re currently shooting a new video featuring the dogs (again) for our band, Benny Sizzler. They currently star in Benny Sizzler’s “RI Dead” (available for viewing on YouTube, of course). Stay tuned!

Be sure to “LIKE” Bear Bear and Maurice on Facebook and take a look at all of their videos so far.

The page is updated often with new videos often. Don’t forget to share them as well.

You can book Bear Bear & Maurice through the Bear Bear & Maurice Facebook page!

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From From Snurfing Snurfing toto Shredding Shredding

By Patrick Burke

Snowboarding wasn’t created in one time and place, it came about organically from people who enjoyed skiing, surfing and skateboarding. In over 50 years it has evolved from an odd novelty into a respected winter sport.

The attitude that made surfers come up with ways to surf on land was the same that made them want to surf on snow. Who knows how many longhaired individualists may have slid sideways down a hill, but Utah resident M.J. “Jack” Burchett’s 1929 plywood and horsehair-strap contraption is often credited as first.

For whatever reason, Burchett’s version never picked up and snowboards were foreign again until the mid-60s amid skateboarding and surfing revolutions.

“In the early days out west, guys would just take their short boards [surfboards] into the powder,” head of the snowboard school at Yawgoo Valley in Exeter, RI Drew Bruno said. “Then there was the Snurfer.”

The late ‘60s and into the early ‘70s, a few inventors and their prototypes would get people thinking about snowboarding.

Dimitrije Milovich, the inventor of the swallowtail design and owner the earliest snowboard company Winterstick, was sliding on across snow on a lunch tray in upstate New York when had an idea. In 1965, surfer and chemical engineer Sherman Poppen invented the Snurfer in his Muskegon, Michigan home so his daughter could ride snow-covered dunes. The Dr. Seusssounding amalgam of snow surfing, the original Surfer was just two 32inch plastic skies fused together with a lanyard attached at the front for steering. Poppen patented his “surf type snow ski” on April 16, 1968, and Brunswick Corp, a local company that previously made bowling pins, alleys and balls began producing the toy for $15 dollars each. Over one million original Snurfers were sold, but some still have nightmares of 88 ShopInRI.com

those uncontrollable strapless deathsleds.

“Snurfer – Now you can surf in the snow,” claimed advertisements.

Two innovators really took snowboarding to new levels. Jake Burton Carpenter had been riding a Snurfer since he was 14-yearsold. Working out of a garage in Londonderry, Vt., the man whose middle name would become synonymous with snowboarding founded Burton Snowboards in 1977

Tom Sims & Jake Burton Carpenter

and was innovative for testing fins and foot straps. Across the U.S., in Santa Barbara, California, former World Champion Skateboarder Tom Sims began making skiboards with Chuck Barfoot in the ‘70s. In 1979, Paul Graves ripped a Snurfer in a LeBatt beer commercial. But after Burton entered a Burton board in 1979’s annual Snurfer contest at Muskegon Community College, the yellow toy Snurfer’s days of competing with the snowboard were numbered. In April 1981, a surf shop owner in Boulder, Co. organized the first snowboard competition at Cooper Mountain, which also featured the first freestyle competition. Scott Jacobson placed first overall, Burton got third and Sims came in second. In 1982, Graves organized the National Snowsurfing Championships at Suicide Six Ski Area in Woodstock, Vermont with Snurfers racing boards for the last time. In 1983, Burton and Sims held separate competitions; Burton’s National Snowboarder Championships at Snow Valley, Vt. and Sims’ World Snowboarding Championship were held at Soda Springs near Lake Tahoe and featured the first ever halfpipe. By 1985, Tom Sims played Roger Moore’s stunt double in the Bond film “A View To Kill” where the British 007-agent escapes hapless skiing henchmen by

snowboarding on fallen helicopter shrapnel.

Snowboarding hit the big screen, but snowboarders were marginalized and ostracized on the mountains.

Boarders were relegated to the backcountry, where they’d hike up and ride down. Mad River in Vermont was one of the first mountains to allow boarders, beginning in 198687, but they were banned again by 1992-93. Snowboards are still banned at Deer Valley and Alta in Utah, and Mad River in Vermont. In 2007, Burton offered $5,000 for video footage of anyone snowboarding a banned resort – an act called poaching. Early on, resort owners claimed that snowboards couldn’t be controlled and were dangerous to skiers. Although, the stigma around snowboarders came more from the fact that early riders often looked different than traditional skiers.

Burton came to Yawgoo Valley during his promotional tours and scolded the RI ski area for not allowing boards, Max DeWardner, owner of Yawgoo said. By the mid‘80s, Burton and any other boarders were allowed at Yawgoo – they’d take a quick class to show they could safely maneuver it.

“Seasons passes used to be mostly skiers,” said Bruno. “Come late ‘90’s early 2000’s, season pass holders were 80-90 % snowboarders. They come rain or shine. They walk if they have to.”

Bruno has been a snowboard instructor for around 19 years.

“I was a skim boarder, surfer before snowboarding,” Bruno said. “I understood the physics and the flow.

Instructors want everyone they teach to be better than them. Everyone’s going to be better than someone at something.”

“Once the rail thing got big, everyone was getting into that, but some just hit the rails and they couldn’t ride,” said Bruno. “The Yawgoo kids who learn how to ride, then they get into the urban stuff, they just progress so quickly because they can already ride.”

“All those years without a park, they got so creative,” Bruno said. “It’s an incredible outlet for energy and people have no other place to put it.

The less they had to work with the more creative they got.”

During the 1980’s, metal edges, soft boots and rounded symmetrical ends were introduced and embraced. In 1986, Stratton Mountain offered the first organized snowboard instruction.

In 1987, the first snowboard instructor guidelines came out. In 1998, snowboarding was first introduced in the Olympics, but the best freestyle rider of the era, Terje Hakonsen, declined to go in protest.

From the days of being barely maneuverable to being rebellious, the new generation of snowboarding has now gone in numerous directions.

People jump out helicopters and ride backcountry; urban riders slide across rails, ride up walls and jump over staircases. The half-pipes and big airs have gotten bigger, and the aerial gymnasts keep topping each other with more flips and rotations.

Given its lack of altitude and our latitude’s often lack of snow, Yawgoo has seen its share of skilled, inventive riders. The Yawgoons are revered in snowboarding circles and known locally for their videos, where they set up inspired and diabolical rails and jumps during the daytime at Yawgoo or use various stationary objects as rails and props around the state. All are sponsored by various snowboard companies and work

day jobs unrelated to snowboarding and regularly hang out at Yawgoo.

Yawgoon Dylan Gamache grew up within walking distance of Yawgoo and was pictured riding a graffiti-covered wall on the cover of September’s issue of Snowboarder Magazine. Influential snowboarding magazine Transworld’s end of the year list of most stylish tricks had Gamache’s ranked third in 2014 and fourth in 2015 for tricks done at Yawgoo.

February 2015 was the second coldest on record with an average temperature of 18.4 degrees. RI also saw incredible snowfall. Skiers and boarders alike will be wishfully thinking of fluffy precipitation.

For those who have never experienced the zen and thrills from board and mountain, take your humble correspondent’s word, as a snowboarder of 20 years and wordsmith – adjectives can’t describe it. Yawgoo has a list of class options for beginners snowboarders – private lessons for one or more people, Kindershred classes for tykes classes and walk-in groups for beginners. They have numerous sized boards and boots to rent, and the people in the pro shop all know snowboards. For information about lessons visit Yawgoo.com/snowschool, and check out Yawgoons.com.

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Silly Laws

In Sulphur, Louisiana saying obscene things on the telephone is illegal.

In Chicago, it is forbidden to eat in a place that is on fire.

In Michigan, it is illegal for a man to scowl at his wife on Sunday.

In Washington, it is illegal to pretend that one’s parents are rich.

In New York, the penalty for jumping off a building is death.

In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk.

In Oregon, it is illegal to place a container filled with human fecal matter on the side of any highway.

In Alaska, it is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.

In Alabama, it is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday.

In California, Peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways.

In Indiana, hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide.

In Mobile, Alabama it is unlawful to howl at ladies inside the city limits.

In Wichita, Kansas one must get a permit from the city if they wish to take dirt from the airport.

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In Virgina, Swearing at someone over the phone in virginia is punishable by a $100 fine.

1. The total weight of all the ants on Earth is almost equal to weight of all the humans on Earth.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 2. There are no words in the English language that rhyme with purple, orange, silver or month.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 3. If you touch your tongue while yawning, it can stop the yawn.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 4. When hippos are upset, their sweat turns bright red.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 5. The average iPhone user has 40 apps installed on their phone and Android users average 25.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 6. Forgiveness actually has health benefits! It can reduce the risk of heart attacks and slow the spread of cancer.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 7. The average person wakes up about 6 times every night.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 8. A snail can stay asleep for 3 whole years.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 9. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were 13-yearsold when they started writing the script for “Superbad.”

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? 10. The White House was originally called the “President’s Palace.” It became the White House is 1901.

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