The Smithfield Times February 2020

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Noah Strong is the New Normal for the Antunes

By Jane Fusco Now that he is cancer free, that is exactly what the former cancer patient is attempting as he transitions into a regular routine of going to school, doing homework, playing video games, and attending sports practice.

Noah was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a fast-growing non-Hodgkin’s cancer of the immune system, on October 1 and underwent three months of intense chemotherapy and treatment at Hasbro Children’s Hospital that resulted in a cancer-free diagnosis on December 23, just in time to be home for the holidays.

“It was the best Christmas present ever,” said Noah’s mother, Amy Antunes.

But the family is being cautious since Noah is still susceptible to infection and needs regular monitoring. Burkitt’s Lymphoma has a 90 percent success rate if treated early though an aggressive protocol that can have some painful and distressful side effects.

Amy said that throughout the treatment, Noah’s positive spirit and courage kept the family strong. “He kept telling us, ‘Don’t worry, I am going to fight this,’” she said.

Noah came up with the #NOAH STRONG moniker that appeared on lawn signs, tee shirts, storefront windows, message

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boards across the community, and at the many fundraisers held in support of Noah and his family. David Antunes, Noah’s father, posted daily on a designated NOAH’S FIGHT Facebook page to provide updates on his son’s activities and progress.

While at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Noah became known as the mayor of Hasbro, regularly chatting with the doctors and nurses and making friends with the other cancer patients. They talked at length about games and sports and especially, what they were going to do when they were released from the hospital. He said he was very much at ease with his celebrity. “It was cool. I kind of liked it.”

Among Noah’s hospital visitors was former NFL player Joe Andruzzi, an offensive guard with the New England Patriots and a three-time Super Bowl winner. Andruzzi was there the day Noah was about to have his head shaved because the treatments were making him lose his hair. Andruzzi shaved his head for him.

Andruzzi’s football career was halted when he was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2007 and underwent treatment. He beat the cancer, and remains cancer free. His own cancer battle led him and his wife Jen to create the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) to

help cancer patients and their families meet life’s day-to-day challenges while dealing with the stress of battling cancer.

Right up until the end of his hospital stay, Noah was encouraging the other patients to “be brave, be strong.” Noah said that he wanted to give hope to the other patients because “it is a good thing to do.”

The community played a big part in keeping the family strong, Amy said, People provided meals and other assistance to the family from October to December, since one family member was at the hospital at all times during Noah’s stay. “We are so grateful that the community was on this journey with us,” Amy said. “We will never be able to thank everyone for all of the support they gave us.”

Amy also said that her 16-year-old son Matthew “grew up quite a bit” during Noah’s hospital stay and treatments, taking it upon himself to do things around the house without being asked. The brothers are close, she said, and it was hard for Matt to see his little brother endure such an ordeal.

What’s next for Noah and his family?

“We’re just trying to get back to normalcy as a family,” Amy said.

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Noah is up for that. He no longer needs medication as long as he is cancer-free. He is looking forward to returning to LaPerche Elementary school fulltime and get involved in basketball and baseball again. He knows he still has a way to go to rebuild his compromised immune system, and must have an MRI every month for a while, but doesn’t mind because he listens to his favorite rap music, especially Post Malone, during the test.

The family has decided to work together to raise awareness of pediatric cancer and dedicate time and effort to supporting research as Noah’s stories will help to educate other families going through it.

Noah has considered a future career in medicine, but for now, has his sights set on becoming a professional gamer, having played Fortnite and other video games extensively throughout his treatment.

His big brother Matt is just happy that Noah is home and that they are all eating dinner together again.

Editor’s Note: There is a blood drive in honor of Noah on Monday, February 10, 20202 from 3-7 pm at LaPerche Elementary School, 1 Limerock Road.

Noah has received four blood transfusions during his treatment.

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5

The language of love — the story of two unlikely lovers united by chance

By Brittni Henderson In 2016, after years of failed relationships, heartbreak, and a tainted vision of love, Mikala (Bazinet) Giordano, 30 decided to drop everything to help a friend in need that was living on a military base in Italy. Mikala’s friend was going through a divorce and needed help caring for her young daughter for a few months. Unbeknownst to her, life as she knew it was about to change drastically as well. This time, instead of hardship or pain, life would throw Mikala the love story she never knew she needed.

After spending just three days in Italy, Mikala was at the beach enjoying the beautiful southern Italian sun in the coastal city of Gaeta. There was a moment when she realized she needed to know what time it was, but there was no one around her that spoke English and she had not yet learned Italian. Suddenly, the gentleman sitting just behind her on the beach appeared to help her. Ciro Giordano, now 31, also did not speak English, but with the help of Google Translate and natural body language, the two strangers figured it out.

At that moment something sparked between the two.

Mikala admits that she was definitely “smitten” with Ciro at first sight, but was at a stage in her life where she did not believe in love. After being broken countless times by others, she was in a place where she just did not think it was feasible for her to ever find someone who would treat her differently.

6

“I was smitten by his smile and the laugh of this Italian man,” Mikala says, “and he later told me he was captivated by me, the ‘green-eyed American.’”

As the two began their courtship, Mikala’s friend would tag along to fill in any confusion if Google Translate or body language couldn’t get their messages across. Mikala admits that her friend was a true savior in their early stages of dating because without her, they would not have been able to get to know each other so quickly and so soon. The pair would go on different types of dates, some more “American” on the military base, like bowling and video games, and some more locally in downtown Naples and to learn more about Italian culture.

“No matter what, he was always willing to drop everything to see me,” Mikala says, “and that made me feel like a queen.”

The love began to blossom quickly, and Mikala realized that this was what love felt like. After about two months of dating, Ciro invited Mikala to Sunday dinner at his mother’s home. She was very nervous for many reasons, including the fact that no one spoke English or even Italian, but rather the local dialect Neapolitan. The entire time they were in his mother’s home, Ciro paid close attention to make sure Mikala was okay, held her hand under the table at dinner, and introduced her to each and every parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and everyone in between.

“I was so scared but felt so safe,” Mikala shares. “That was the first time that I realized I loved him. I let my guard down, drank the wine, laughed when I saw everyone else laugh, and used Google Translate when trying to add my own two cents.”

When it was almost time for Mikala to return back to Smithfield, RI, she had an epiphany. While on base helping her friend, she looked out the window and saw Ciro playing soccer with 10 American children. In this small moment, her heart melted. She knew what she had to do. She immediately called her mother and told her that she was here to stay.

“I told my mom, ‘I love this man. I’m not coming home.’” Mikala says.

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As with every type of relationship, Mikala and Ciro admit they have ups and downs, but have discovered their unique ways of helping each other get through them.

“We have times where we don’t see eye to eye, but are both learning that there is a balance. Not only within the relationship, but also with cultural differences as well. But our love always outweighed it all.”

Mikala feels strongly that one of the main pillars of their love story is the fact that neither of them bases their lives off of anyone else. They don’t allow anyone to tell them what is normal or how things “should” or “shouldn’t” be. They also each have people in their lives that have guided them through difficult times and have taught them important life lessons.

“My parents Steven and Lori Quattrini from Smithfield are my role models,” Mikala says. “Anytime we need advice, we call my mom.

From when Ciro met my parents, he has always said he wants to be like them, and that made me so happy to hear.

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My parents respect and love each other as a team. They have been married for about 20 years, but together for 27. They have a lot to teach us!”

Mikala and Ciro were married twice. The first in December 2017 in a secret ceremony for close family in America in the fountain at DePasquale Square on Federal Hill in Providence, RI. Mikala’s grandfather would not be able to attend their wedding in Italy, so they decided to hold a small ceremony in Rhode Island so he could attend.

In April 2018, the two wed in a beautiful ceremony in Naples, Italy.

The pair is excited to announce that they will be moving home just in time for Valentine’s Day 2020, as they are expecting their first child.

“Just another reason why I love Ciro— when I asked if we go to America for a few years for the birth of our baby, he did not question it at all.

All he said is, ‘If it is best for you and the baby, then it is best for me.’”

7

SENIOR SCENE While working years back as a reporter for community newspapers, I covered thousands of events and incidents. One of my most memorable assignments was a presentation by children from war-torn countries in the Middle East.

I’ll never forget what those children had to endure – the frequent bombing of their communities, the damage to their homes and the loss of parents and other relatives. When the bombs weren’t exploding, they were overjoyed; happy they could go to school or play with their peers and surviving siblings and parents. They cherished those moments and wanted them to be the norm. News of wars and terrorism triggers memories of that assignment and gets me thinking again about the senselessness of armed conflicts and how fortunate so many of us in the United States are to have never had to experience such pain and suffering.

Similar thoughts and feelings arose when I read a recent story in The Christian Science Monitor about Setsuko Thurlow, who is a hibakusha, an atomic bomb survivor. Noah Robertson, Science Monitor staff reporter, writes: “An activist for decades, Ms. Thurlow has repeated her testimony to students, teachers, politicians, the pope - anyone, she says, who will listen. Advocating for nuclear disarmament has taken her around the world, from Hiroshima to the United Nations General As-

By Paul V. Palange sembly in New York to Oslo, Norway, where in 2017, she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).”

It’s too painful for most atomic bomb survivors to share their stories, Kathleen Sullivan, head of ICAN’s Hibakusha Stories program, told Robertson. Under the program, survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima 75 years ago speak to children and faculty in New York public schools. Sullivan says Thurlow’s story empowers listeners. She feels that in a postCold War world, young people in particular tend to either ignore nuclear weapons or accept them as inevitable. Thurlow, however, fights that assumption.

She knows nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Both in the scale of the devastation they cause, and in their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically damaging radioactive fallout, they are unlike any other weapons, according to ICAN, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. A single nuclear bomb detonated over a large city could kill millions of people. The use of tens or hundreds of nuclear bombs would disrupt the global climate, causing widespread famine. Casu-

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alties from a major nuclear war between the United States and Russia would reach hundreds of millions.

The extreme destruction caused by nuclear weapons cannot be limited to military targets or to combatants, it’s stated on ICAN’s website. Nuclear weapons produce ionizing radiation, which kills or sickens those exposed, contaminates the environment and has long-term health consequences, including cancer and genetic damage.

Do leaders around the globe ever think about the fact that less than 1 percent of the nuclear weapons in the world could disrupt the global climate and threaten as many as 2 billion people with starvation in a nuclear famine?

The thousands of nuclear weapons possessed by the U.S. and Russia could bring about a nuclear winter, destroying the essential ecosystems on which all life depends.

According to ICAN, physicians and first responders would be unable to work in devastated, radioactively contaminated areas. Even a single nuclear detonation in a modern city would strain existing disaster relief resources to the breaking point; a nuclear war would overwhelm any relief system we could build in advance. Displaced populations from a nuclear war will produce a refugee crisis that is larger than countries have ever experienced.

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In addition, even if they are not detonated, nuclear weapons cause widespread harm to our health and to the environment, and spending on nuclear weapons takes away limited resources away from vital social services.

Thurlow was crucial in the UN’s 2017 adoption of a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, Sullivan states in the article. The treaty requires 50 ratifications to take effect; it has 34 so far.

Unfortunately, leaders of many nuclear armed nations such as the U.S. have refused to sign the treaty.

Nuclear disarmament would be a complicated and delicate process to complete, but it is a procedure that is necessary for the future of mankind as we know it.

It’s insane for people in power to think that threats emanating from nations such as Iran and North Korea cannot lead to a catastrophic incident or world ending holocaust.

According to Robertson’s article, when Thurlow tells her story, she relives memories of fear and shock. Despite the pain, she says it’s her moral obligation to deliver her message.

It’s our moral obligation to heed her message and advocate for nuclear disarmament. The notion that we have to accept nuclear weapons as a necessity is crazy. We should not and cannot wait another 75 years for that norm to change.

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IMHO

By Ron Scopelliti

Cutting the Cord Let me continue… Or haven’t I started yet? Sorry, but I’ve been having a tough time getting this month’s column started because I recently made a major change in my life, and it’s been interfering with my typical thought patterns. The big change is that, after months of consideration, soul-searching, rune-casting, and number-crunching, I decided to abandon cable TV and rely strictly on streaming through a Roku player.

One contributing factor was realizing that during the winter, my cable TV bill was higher than my gas bill, and during the summer it was higher than my gas and electric bills combined.

But the big thing that convinced me to leave cable behind was when AMC canceled “Lodge 49.” That was the last straw. They went and canceled a smart, funny, under-publicized show that had great music and all sorts of Thomas Pynchon references, but they keep renewing “The Walking Dead,” a show that had me rooting for zombies to kill off the main characters after the second season.

“Lodge 49,” on the other hand, had constantly-developing characters living out a funny-yet-poignant storyline. It had outrageous conspiracy theories and poked fun at everything from alchemy to MonaVie, which, now that I think of it,

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may be the same thing. It had guest appearances by Bruce Campbell, Cheech Marin, and Paul Giamatti, who was also an executive producer. How could it not become a cult classic? How could AMC not see the long-term benefits of keeping the show going for at least one more season?

You’d think they’d be making enough money off Walking Dead merchandise to subsidize “Lodge 49” which, admittedly, was performing pretty poorly in the ratings.

So for the past couple of months I’ve been living cable-free, and it’s had a number of effects. First, it made me realize that I’m just not part of the audience that cable is now aiming at.

Cable TV used to be edgy; it used to be a mind-broadening alternative to the “big three” broadcast networks. But now, instead of being an alternative to the mainstream, it’s gone mainstream to an extent that broadcast networks never even achieved.

Back in the day, cable networks used to have great latenight music shows like “Night Music,” hosted by David Sanborn and Jools Holland. There’s a great clip from of the show floating around on YouTube where the band Bongwater per-

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forms with guest musicians Bob Weir and Screamin’ Jay Haw- cially now that I’ve started asking him for lifestyle advice. kins, and another where Debbie Harry sings backup for Pere So now it’s 9 p.m. on a Sunday, and I no longer consider Ubu. You’d never see anything that cool on modern cable. it time to watch “Masterpiece” on PBS. Instead, it’s time to Instead you’re overrun by Kardashians, “housewives,” inept do whatever I feel like doing, and watch whatever I feel like and overbearing political pundits, and Pawn Stars. watching. Maybe it’s time to set aside my bitterness toward Given the bleak entertainment landscape on cable it HOSTED BY AMC and focus on all that streaming has to offer. Or I can should be easy to leave behind, but it hasn’t been. I grew up put on an episode from the single season of “Firefly,” and rein a house where the TV was always on, and it became almost new my bitterness toward Fox. The cat seems to agree that I HOSTED BY like a timepiece. I’d know it was 6 p.m. when I heard the news should go for the latter. come on, and I’d know it was 11:30 p.m. when I heard the John J.HOSTED Tassoni, Jr. BY 10 theme.

TIPS TOI hadn’t GET STARTED “Tonight Show” realized how much I’ve carJohn J. Tassoni, Jr. 10 TIPS GET STARTED ried on that tradition untilTO I stopped watching live TV. It’s GETTING STARTED: AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES HOSTED BY changed my perception of time. I no longer think of Wednesfrom Age-Friendly RI to discuss getting started 1 Meet with representatives GETTING STARTED: AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES day at 9 p.m. as time for “NOVA.” These days, my time exists BY John J.HOSTED Tassoni, Jr. Monday 3-4 pm Island Healthy Ageing Data ReportRI toto inform your work started to help make your community 2 Use the1Rhode Meet with 2016 representatives from Age-Friendly discuss getting completely aparthttps://healthyagingdatareports.org/rhode-island-healthy-aging-data-report/ from the timeline of television schedules, exand RI more age-friendly: John J. Tassoni, Jr.ORMonday 3-4 pm work to help make your community 2 Use the Rhode Island 2016 Healthy Ageing Data Report to inform your LISTEN LIVE @790BUSINESS.COM cept for my plan to watch the Indy 500 on May 24 via digital Wednesday Launching July 10,3-4 3-4pm pm RI more age-friendly: https://healthyagingdatareports.org/rhode-island-healthy-aging-data-report/ 3 Learn more and about age-friendly practices from around the world: https://www.who.int/ageing/global-strategy/en/ add AARP link antenna.

Launching July 10, 3-4pm WPRV 3 Learn more about age-friendly practices from around the world: ON OUR FREE MOBILE APP. SEARCH: LISTEN LIVE @790BUSINESS.COM OR https://www.who.int/ageing/global-strategy/en/ AARP link Monday 3-4 APP. pmSEARCH: stakeholders engageactively in the work. Consider the add following: 4 Invite And sinceto I’m choosing what I watch, I’m less likeON OUR FREE MOBILE LISTEN LIVE @790BUSINESS.COM OR WPRV • Library leadership • Community based organizations Monday 3-4 APP. pmSEARCH: WPRV stakeholders to engage inpacifying the work. Consider background the following: 4 Invite ly to• Community leave the TV on as noise.

Instead, ON OUR FREE MOBILE • Active•local volunteers foundationsbased organizations Library leadership • Community HOSTED BY I’m •listening to music, thelocalsilence.

I think my • Civic organizations Faith-based organizations • Active volunteers • Community foundations or just enjoying HOSTED BY HOSTED BY • Members of local healthcare and fitness • Town officials • Civic organizations • Faith-based organizations John J. Tassoni, Jr. cat’s noticed the change in the soundscape, because he seems LISTEN LIVE @790BUSINESS.COM communities OR • Members of local healthcare and fitness • Townfrom officials • Representatives local town departments: John J. Tassoni, Jr. communities morehousing vocalauthority, thansenior before.

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McCabe Elementary School Receives National Honor From Special Olympics

By Paul Lonardo Last September, Special Olympics named Anna M. McCabe Elementary School a “National Banner School” for its dedication to inclusion, advocacy and respect. McCabe became the first of two elementary schools in the state to receive the distinction and is one of only four schools in the nation to earn the honor of being celebrated by Hasbro, who is a supporter of Special Olympics. Along with McCabe Elementary School, the Class of 2019 National Banner Unified Champion Schools in Rhode Island include Smithfield’s R.C. LaPerche Elementary, Smithfield High School, as well

Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 National Standards of Excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.

The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports (where students with and

Crystal Greene and Michelle Coleman of the Down Syndrome Society of RI conduct the assembly to announce Hasbro’s involvement with their organization at McCabe Elementary School. Photo Credit: Photo: Albert Tavakalov as Cranston High School East. Hasbro’s Philanthropy team announced their involvement in McCabe’s celebration with a toy chest reveal during a schoolwide assembly given by the Down Syndrome Society of Rhode Island on January 7th.

Hasbro’s global philanthropy and social impact director, Kevin Colman told students that they were chosen because they proved to show extraordinary commitment to inclusion. He then removed a cover from a blue toy chest as 3 red balloons floated up to the ceiling. One by one, he pulled out Hasbro board games and displayed them on the table. Students clapped and cheered as he told them these games would be left for McCabe students to have in their classroom. Colman told McCabe that Hasbro would be back for the January 31st National Banner Ceremony.

According to the Special Olympics website, a Special

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without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

On January 31, a ceremony took place at the school officially honoring McCabe Elementary for its National Banner Status. It was a proud moment for everyone at the school, but perhaps none more than Alicia Marques-Jordan, the elementary schools Unified coach. Marques-Jordan, now in her seventeenth year at McCabe Elementary School, has been named Teacher of the Year two times for incorporating technology into her physical education class.

When she first began teaching, she recalls that students with disabilities were not always included in general PE classes.

February 2020

“Sometimes they would be taken by an adaptive phys ed teacher,” Marques-Jordan says. “I have my adaptive certification, as well, but to me it seemed natural to keep the students with disabilities in the classrooms with their peers.”

Marques-Jordan invited the students and their APE teacher to stay in the general Physical Education class with their peers. It turned out to be such a positive experience for all of the students that the practice continued during PE classes and Marques-Jordan eventually took over the role as APE as well. Within the next few years, middle and high schools were offering Unified sports programs.

“They would have sports teams that had students with intellectual disabilities playing alongside those who did not,” Marques-Jordan explains. “It looked like so much fun, and I just wished there was some kind of similar program for the elementary schools.”

On a whim, Marques-Jordan began researching on-line to try to find what, if anything, could be done unifying younger students with disabilities with their peers. She learned that nothing definite had been adapted for elementary schools, but that Special Olympics had some things under development, and it was almost ready to be released. Whatever it was, Marques-Jordan knew it was something she wanted for her students, and she saw to it that McCabe became a pilot school for these early unification efforts for elementary schools.

The importance of unified sports was evident, and its success was immediate to Marques-Jordan. Around the country, the ideals of inclusion and unification have continued to expand as more schools got involved.

In becoming a National Banner School, Marques-Jordan filled out all the paperwork and submitted it to the Special Olympics, unsure if her school would be nominated, despite her knowledge that McCabe Elementary fulfilled all of the necessary criterium within the organizations “10 Standards of Excellence” by which the school would be evaluated.

“It was a great honor,” Marques-Jordan says. “With so many schools applying for banner status, the recognition is so special in itself.”

The fact that three of the state’s four schools to be hon-

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ored by the Special Olympics is no coincidence according to Marques-Jordan. McCabe and Smithfield High School are within walking distance of each other, and that only adds to the rapport that the teachers and administrators have with one another. They support each other’s unified programs and share a common goal and passion for enriching the experiences of all their students as they progress through the town’s educational system together.

McCabe hosted the first annual Bocce Bonanza event for the district’s Unified groups last March and plans to hold it again this year. Twelve unique bocce courses were set up around the gym. Unified pairs from LaPerche and McCabe tried their hand at Froggy Frenzy among other bocce themed stations. And then the following day, Unified pairs from the high school and McCabe had a chance to square off to see whose ball would travel down a tube and land closest to the emoji polina.

“At the end of every year, LaPerche, on the other side of town, holds a Unified Field Day, and all the elementary schools go over to take part in that event,” Marques-Jordan says.

When asked if she was surprised that 3 of the 4 schools receiving national banner status were right here in Smithfield, Marques-Jordan said. “No, not at all. Each school’s unified program looks vastly different from the others and that is ok.

Unified programs are not one size fits all. That’s what makes this program so special. We are all able to tailor our programs to fit our own specific student population needs. All three schools do that extremely well, so it is not surprising that all three schools are National Banner Schools.

Special Olympics’ inclusion pledge should be one that everyone should vow to uphold: I pledge to look out for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied.

I pledge to overcome the fear of difference and replace it with the power of inclusion.

I choose to include.

To find out how to get involved, contact Special Olympics Rhode Island 370 George Washington Highway in Smithfield 401- 349-4900 or visit https://specialolympicsri.org/

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SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

By Sophia DeJesus

Alumni Day at Smithfield High School Alumni Day. A day where graduates from Smithfield High School are excitedly welcomed back and encouraged to spill to current seniors about how they ever managed to make it out of high school alive. From class of 2009 to 2019, each

and experiences they’ve faced since graduating.

To start, a microphone was passed around as the eleven alumni introduced themselves. The 2020 seniors sat atten-

Daniel Phillips, a SHS Alumni, speaks to students at the SHS Alumni Day on December 18. Photo: Albert Tavakalov graduate had a piece of advice to offer to the 2020 seniors. An excited buzz ran throughout the auditorium as the group settled into their seats. Guidance counselors and teachers ran to greet the alumni and happy whispers could be heard as hugs were shared. This day was to share about life after high school, the struggles of being a new adult, as well as important lessons

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tively as the speakers shared some background information about who they were in high school.

As the speakers started to share advice, 2017 graduate, Kayleigh McElroy, emphasized, “if you feel college is not for you, don’t feel pressured to go to college because you will have so much [debt].” A murmur of agreement was passed around

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the auditorium, and it was at this point the supervising teachers mentioned for the alumni to “be more realistic” and “comment more like that”. This comment got John Hawkins’ attention, --who graduated in 2009-- and inspired him to reminisce about his high school days.

“School wasn’t for me.” He started off. The seniors laughed, many of which could relate. Hawkins smiled as he continued and said, “if schools not for you...it’s not the end of the world, there’s plenty of other opportunities out there for you.”

Like plenty of seniors are currently considering, John Hawkins didn’t go to college. However, he now has his own successful hardwood flooring business. Hawkin’s Hardwood Flooring was not his initial plan after high school, however, he made sure to stress to the students that they “won’t always end up doing what [they] think [they’re] going to do,” and that’s okay.

The mic was passed around the table once more, and when it was 2011 alumna, Bailey Saddlemire’s turn, she spoke more about academics and her experience in college.

She was an involved student with interests in music, however, she commented on how in high school, she was also an anxious student. Though she noticed in college, things were much different. “College professors are so understanding... if you’re working hard in college, typically you’re able to get through.” Saddlemire wanted the seniors to know that college

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is about putting in effort and managing time properly. She also stated, “the best students are the ones that [can] advocate for themselves.”

Remy Sands, a 2014 alumna also wanted to emphasize the beauty of tech schools. Like John Hawkins, college wasn’t for her. Now the owner of Lovely Lash --a salon in Smithfield,-- she’s creating a name for herself by doing eyelash extensions. “When you’re 18, it’s so crazy to be expected to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life,” she said. The students nodded in agreement as Sands continued to speak. Though owning a business isn’t what she imagined for herself, she laughed as she said, “you have to learn how to pay your own bills! Bills are real, and they creep up on you.”

Alumnus Shane Briggs, who’s a recent 2019 graduate, also decided to offer his story and some advice. He described himself as “that guy,” and to anyone that knows him personally, will understand exactly what he means. He was highly involved in high school, a friendly athlete, as well as a good student. Trying to get through college with as little debt as possible, his original plan was to attend RIC. However, upon further thinking, Briggs took advantage of the Rhode Island Promise, and through the joint admissions program, he will eventually transfer to URI. His final piece of advice was, “college is just as much about not knowing what you want to do, as much as knowing what you [actually] want to do.”

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INSIDE THE BROWN BAG

By Peg Brown

The Perfect Square It was the victim of my first ironing lesson, a prop for early childhood birthday games, and an important fashion accessory for years—the handkerchief. As we endure the colds and flus of the long winter months, that box of Kleenex often emerges from the bathroom cabinet to assume a prominent place on every counter and desk. But it wasn’t always the preferred alternative to managing a runny nose.

As children, the white square of cotton (or, for special occasions—linen), was the way my grandmother introduced me to the joy of ironing. In truth, grandma ironed everything, including grandpa’s shaving rags—when straight razors, leather sharpening straps, and shaving cream in mugs were the daily tools of personal hygiene. And ironing was a process then—sprinkle the handkerchief with water from a soda bottle with a red cap repurposed as your source of steam, line up the corners, press, fold in half—line up the corners again—press—and move on to the dozen or so that still lurked in the laundry basket.

My grandfather and father stuffed handkerchiefs in their front pockets every day, and never considered whether or not it was good practice to blow a nose and return the wrinkled, and somewhat damp cloth, to that same front pocket for the rest of the day. Had they not used handkerchiefs, I have no idea what Santa would have brought them for Christmas. The box of white handkerchiefs was as much a part of gift giving to male relatives as was the obligatory holiday tie.

My grandmother elevated handkerchiefs to a fine art form. She spent thousands of hours with a very small steel crochet hook and fine variegated colored thread, trimming these squares with inches of intricate crochet and tatting. EVERY elementary school teacher I had received these as gifts at Christmas. Of course, these were never used by anyone, except perhaps to appear as an accessory in a dress or shirt pocket, or stuffed under the cuff of a long-sleeved blouse, lace tangling over the hand.

My suspicion that these were never used is confirmed every time I walk through an antique mall or consignment shop, and discover dozens of these beautiful creations—maybe 12 for a $1. I am going to admit to buying many of them in a

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futile effort to honor the labor that I know created these heirlooms—and of course, never use them, except in a pocket, stuffed up a sleeve, or turned into a fancy pillow, A favorite Florida vendor of mine turns these treasures into gift bags, book marks, and greeting cards giving me an outlet for all I’ve collected. I just turn around and buy what she makes.

We all know what happened to change the culture.

Kleenex. However, Kleenex is not a recent product. The first tissue was actually introduced in 1924. The base product was designed during World War I to use in gas mask filters as a replacement for cotton. The original target market for Kleenex— Hollywood. Kleenex was designed to be used to remove theatrical makeup using cold cream, and was often endorsed by stars, including Helen Hayes and Jean Harlow, iconic movie stars of their time.

The cost of a box of Kleenex in 1924 for 100 sheets was 65 cents—which translates into approximately $9 today. It was truly a product meant for the wealthy, glamorous, theatrical crowd. However, when the company began to receive letters from customers indicating they used the product as a disposable handkerchief, the marketing message changed. By the 1930s, Kleenex was using the slogan, “the handkerchief you can throw away.”

Yet, the handkerchief as fashion accessory continued well into the 1960s. “Pocket squares” as they were called (which featured a rolled hem in contrast to the stitched hem of an ordinary handkerchief ), were often sported by celebrities.

Many of the dozens of ways in which you can fold a pocket square are named after movie stars of the 1940s, including The Cagney, The Astaire, and The Cooper. Supposedly, pocket squares had a renaissance in the 2000s thanks to television shows like Mad Men, but I can ‘t personally attest to this report.

World War II and the rationing of paper products temporarily limited the use of Kleenex, but because the company’s technology was useful in making bandages for the war effort, the related “patriotic” publicity kept the company in the spotlight.

February 2020

In 2019, Kleenex was sold in 170 countries, generating approximately $1.7 billion in revenue.

Used by an estimated 169.4 million Americans, Kleenex continues to bury the competition and other generic brands. If only grandfather had bought that stock!!!!

And, oh, the early reference to handkerchiefs and birthday party games. We often engaged in “A Tisket, A Tasket” rhyming game where we all sat in a circle on the grass or floor and one of our group would skip around the circle with a handkerchief in hand, while we recited the rhyme, culminating in “and on the way I lost it, I lost it….” The nearest child would pick up the handkerchief and chase the dropper. Supposedly, the “dropper” would receive a kiss or have to reveal the name of a sweetheart. We, of course, were too young---we saved that stuff for sixth grade and Spin the Bottle!

Some fun facts on the origins and importance of handkerchiefs: • There is supposedly one reference to a handkerchief in the Bible—a Greek word meaning “sweat cloth” was translated as “napkin” and is used a few times, including in the books of John and Luke. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary, 1897) • King Richard II of England is said to have invented the cloth handkerchief as he was observed using a square piece of cloth to wipe his nose.

• In the 1700s, women waved white handkerchiefs to indicate approval of actions at public events.

• And literature contains numerous references to handkerchiefs, including the famous presentation portrayed by Shakespeare’s Othello of his mother’s handkerchief to his wife—leading to much mayhem.

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Author’s notes: • “Kleenex” is actually a takeoff on the word “clean” with the “ex” added to incorporate Kimberly-Clark’s other popular product of the time, Kotex.

• Thoughts on the last article on cursive writing—If your children or grandchildren are sending you texts, do they often add an emoji? Or just use an emoji that leaves you guessing what is actually meant? It seems that millions of years ago we relied on cave drawings—have we come full circle and resorted to just using symbols as a way to communicate? Hmmmm.

• And, completely unrelated to anything, is there any package, box, or container that now doesn’t require a pair of scissors, box cutter or machete to open? —or is my arthritis just getting worse?

• Keep warm and get those tissues ready!

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17

NAVIGATING HEALTHCARE

By Diane L. Marolla, LICSW

Are you choosing wisely when it comes to your healthcare?

“The first wealth is health.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson It is now the year 2020, and I have worked in the healthcare field for thirty-three years. I would like to say that for the healthcare consumer (and all of us are healthcare consumers) that navigating healthcare is easier and less expensive, but that is not that case. In the “old days” we were given a health plan through our employer. Our employer paid for it, and we didn’t have co-pays or deductibles (yes, I am old enough to remember these days). In the mid to late eighties, employers recognized that “free” health insurance plans would not be financial sustainable, therefore, employers started requiring that their employees pay health insurance premiums through their paychecks. Deductibles and co-pays became the norm.

As time has progressed, our premiums, deductibles, and copays have increased, and our coverage is less. The managed care organizations (health insurance companies), have become more and more powerful and profitable. It is the managed care companies that decide how care will be delivered to us, by whom, and how much it will cost us (although they deny this). If we don’t agree with their policies, they won’t pay for our care, and we will be left paying the bill. Now, more than

or even bankruptcy.

Recently, I learned of a free consumer education campaign in Rhode Island that can help all of us make better health care decisions and ask the right questions when we are sitting with our doctors. The campaign is called Choosing Wisely. I recently spoke with Joanne Bilotta, Choosing Wisely-RI Campaign Manager and Board Member of the Rhode Island Business Group on Health (RIBGH), about the campaign in Rhode Island. Joanne informed me that it was the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation (ABIMF) that launched the Choosing Wisely campaign following research conducted by the National Academy of Medicine that determined over 30% of the healthcare dollars spent in the United States are for unnecessary tests and treatments and the results of their own survey which found the following troubling facts: • “Physicians felt pressured by patients to prescribe unnecessary tests or treatments and feared lawsuits or losing patients if they said no.”

• “Physicians lacked the tools to have conversation with patients.”

• “Patients felt uncomfortable asking their doctor questions.”

PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/choosingwiselyri/ ever, it is important for us to become more educated about our healthcare and to do everything possible to stay healthy and ask questions, or else it can cost us thousands of dollars

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The Choosing Wisely campaign is an international campaign active in 20 countries. In Rhode Island, this campaign is growing rapidly and is supported by RIBGH and their 90+

February 2020

RI employer members, RI Medical Society, Hospital Association of RI, Governor Raimondo, United Way of RI, and the RI Foundation. The Choosing Wisely campaign is designed to empower consumers to become engaged in their healthcare decisions and treatment options by asking their health care clinicians the following questions: 1. Do I really need this test or procedure?

2. What are the risks and side effects?

3. Are there simpler, safer options?

4. What happens if I don’t do anything?

5. How much does it cost and will my insurance pay for it?

Why are these five questions important to ask? Here are recent and startling statistics from the October 7, 2019 communication from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Waste in the US Health Care System: Estimated Costs and Potential Savings that might surprise you: • The United States spends the most money on healthcare than any other country.

• 30% of our healthcare spending is considered waste.

• $75.7 billion to $101.2 billion of healthcare dollars in the United States is spent on overtreatment or low value care.

The terminology “low value care” was a term that Joanne mentioned to me in our conversation about the Choosing Wisely campaign. What does low value care mean? Simply stated, it means that it is medical treatment, tests, medical procedures and medications that aren’t necessary and can often be harmful to patients. You may be saying, but surely this can’t be the case, but it is true. Think of the opioid epidemic and the thousands of lives lost in this country because patients were prescribed opioids for pain and were unaware that the medications were addictive and deadly. According to the Center of Disease Control, from the years 1999-2017 a total of 702,000 Americans have died of drug overdoses. Specific to unnecessary medical tests, an online article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (ncbi.nim. hih.gov) states “Physicians reported that an interpolated median of 20.6% of overall medical care was unnecessary, including 22.0% of prescription medications, 24.9% of tests, and 11.1% of procedures.” According to the Center for Disease Control “about 30 percent of antibiotics, or 47 million prescriptions, are prescribed unnecessarily in doctors’ offices and emergency departments in the United States, which makes improving antibiotic prescribing and use a national priority.”

As we enter a new decade, all of us need to make a conscious effort to be better healthcare consumers by taking better care of ourselves and asking more questions when it comes to our healthcare.

To find more information about the Choosing Wisely campaign in RI go to https://www.ribgh.org/choosing-wisely-ri. There are also over 110 free patient friendly materials available at www. choosingwisely.org/patient-resources to help patients decide when a procedure, medication and treatment is necessary or not.

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19

Craft Brew: Local Rock Band The Legendary Brewmasters

By James Gass

Many of you might remember me as a naturalist for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, when I managed Smithfield’s Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge and the Fort Nature Refuge in North Smithfield back in 2000-2004.

But I’m also a musician, and there might be some of you who have seen me perform with my all-original rock band, The Legendary Brewmasters. I’m the lead guitarist.

The Brewmasters play gigs throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. This past summer we played alternating Sunday afternoons exclusively at Coach’s Pub here in Smithfield.

Our music is straight up rock influenced by many styles and genres. Think of an original band that has a classic rock vibe (but with a twist) and you get the idea. Each musician brings his own unique sensibility to the mix, blending different musical styles seamlessly. We feel it is a completely unique sound that is unlike any other on the local music scene.

The Brewmasters were formed back in the summer of 2015. I answered an ad on Craigslist from a start-up band in Mansfield, MA seeking a lead guitarist. When I arrived at the audition I was greeted by guitarist and songwriter Mike McCullough, an Australian transplant that had been working in Rhode Island for about 6 years who was trying to get something going musically. The drummer was Cranston native Dennis DiMauro, a buddy of Mike’s from work. They didn’t have a bassist or even a band name yet, but Mike had a huge catalogue of tunes he had written with his brother Simon back home in Australia, and I saw promise. Mike also had an amazing singing voice, rich and powerful.

The audition went well and we agreed to forge ahead. We would rehearse at Mike’s or Dennis’s place on Sunday afternoons while writing songs and looking for a bassist. I eventually suggested my friend Rob Alho, who is a gifted songwriter and bass player. Rob agreed to join us and we started to write more tunes and play out, usually at AS220 in Providence, The Common Pub in Bristol or The News Café in Pawtucket, which are all great venues. The News Café became our favorite place to play.

After about a year Mike and Dennis unfortunately had a falling out and Dennis left the band. We replaced him with an excellent drummer I had worked with previously, Mike Minisce, who had already been on the New England music

20

scene for over 20 years in a cover band called The Name. He was a polished professional and it greatly improved the band’s sound. We began to build a solid repertoire of original tunes and began to record them informally at Mike McC’s place.

We still didn’t have a band name that everyone could agree on. For a while the working moniker was Thunderbug (Mike McC hated it). Since we all enjoyed a taste of the finer things in life including good bourbon, we tried to come up with a name that incorporated the word “whiskey.”

However, it was nearly impossible to think of a band name with the word whiskey in it that hadn’t already been taken.

Whiskey Jack, Whiskey Republic, Whiskey Rebellion, you name it, it was already being used. One day Rob was looking at the label on a beer can and it said “hand crafted by our legendary brew masters,” or something to that effect. We loved it. The name stuck.

The next few years would see more personnel changes and an evolution of the Brewmaster’s sound. Throughout it all, Mike McC and I would remain the core of the band and its primary songwriters. Rob eventually left and was replaced briefly by local impresario and Smithfield native Ray Parsons, who had a dynamic and entertaining stage presence. Mike Minisce left and was replaced by North Scituate drummer Ethan Thurber. When Ray left he was replaced by Dante Sanchez from Colorado, who is majoring in Physics at URI. This is the current lineup, with ages ranging from 22 (Dante) to 59 years old (me). It makes for a very interesting and unique musical amalgam. The differing tastes and influences stretching over forty years, ranging from Primus and Metallica to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, combine to make something utterly new musically. With the addition of Dante on bass and especially Ethan on drums, the band has become a rocking rhythm machine.

The Legendary Brewmasters are stepping back from performing for a few months and will be focusing on recording some new songs at Newcastle Sound in Bristol, RI. Look for local shows, including some all-acoustic gigs, to be announced later this spring. To get a taste of the Brewmaster sound check out https://www.reverbnation.com/thelegendarybrewmasters. Songs are also available for purchase on Amazon, Spotify, YouTube and ITunes.

February 2020

Greenville Public Library celebrates ribbon cutting of new parking lot, traffic pattern

By Brittni Henderson The Greenville Public Library celebrated the completion of its parking lot and traffic pattern project on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Greenville Public Library Trustee President Stephen Cicilline cut the ribbon at the event. Library staff in attendance included Director Dorothy Swain, Assistant Director Cassie Patterson, and several other staff members. Also in attendance were Town Council President Suzy Alba, Vice President T. Michael Lawton, Town Manager Randy Rossi, Dina Cesina, Maxine Cavanagh, and members of the Greenville Public Library Board of Trustees.

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Dorothy Swain and Stephen Cicilline cut the ribbon for the new Parking Lot and Traffic Pattern at the Greenville Public Library on Sunday, January 5. Photo: Albert Tavakalov

The project, which began in July 2019, added 50 parking spots, as well as a new entrance and egress off of Pleasant View Ave. With the addition of the new traffic pattern and parking spots, there was also some landscaping work done to what was already in place.

As the project progressed, there were some minor cutbacks in landscaping due to unexpected ledge removal. Six benches were originally included in the budget, but were also removed due to funding. Swain hopes that members of the community will come forward to purchase a bench in the name of their family or a loved one.

The library’s Board of Trustees started planning this project since 2015, and the Champlin Foundation awarded the library $700,000 in 2017 to fund the renovations.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the project,” Swain says. “While it looks beautiful, it also now provides our patrons with a much safer way to access the library.”

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The Bonding of Father, Daughter, and Guitar

By Harry Anderson

She saw her father but To get them up and running, Morgan’s grandparents once a week. When Morgan Piatek had told him that paid Collins’ fee and cost of Mr. Lenore, her ceramics the wood. On a raw Saturday teacher at Smithfield High morning in March of 2018 School, was pushing her to the Piateks, in work clothes, pursue the arts, the idea to showed up in Dan Collins’ take his daughter to Shady Shady Lea Mill studio for Lea Mills in North Kingston their first of many four-hour for a look-see struck him. sessions. They followed him For more than a century this to a closet where all sorts of stolid building had manufacwood was stored, reminding tured woolen goods, but now them that each wood would houses a warren of studios yield a unique sound. where the such as glass blow “It’s your decision, Morers, painters, potters, jewelry gan.” designers, sculptors ply their Two hours later, she creative skills. Their visit to placed on the workbench Shady Lea Mills would belengths of red wood for the income a turning point in the strument’s top, red gum for its lives of father and daughter. sides and back, mahogany for The studio that caught its neck, and ebony for its fret Morgan’s attention smelled board. of saw dust and lacquer and

“I loved the grain and the gun oil. In the center of the color, and hoped my choice room stood a band saw and would produce a good sound.” a planer. Atop a workbench Wanting space to showwere rasps, chisels, spinner case such performers as folk sanders, and dangling on singers and jazz trios, Colhooks along a far wall were lins moved south down US guitars at various stages of 1 to Peace Dale, a Wakefield construction. village, to found the Pump

“Dad, that’s what I want House Music Works. The Piateks and their work-in-progto do. I want to build my own guitar!” ress went along with him.

She could read music, “Making a guitar isn’t having self-taught guitar easy. You have to be very preplaying and playing clarinet cise, and we kept making mistakes. But I said to Dad that with the Sentinels’ band. But I wasn’t quitting! It was cool, never had she handled a chisMorgan Piatek with the guitar she created at though, how every mistake led el or stood at a band saw.

Shady Lee Mills Studio. Photo: Albert Tavakalov to an artistic thing. Originally I “If you want to do it, go wanted something simple, but ahead and do it. Haven’t I always said this? Just as long as it’s not super dangerous.” as things progressed the project took on multiple meanings.

On the spot they signed up with Dan Collins, who The rosette, for example . . . the circular design around the would guide them from start to finish in the making of a gui- sound hole. My intent at first was to use a simple geometric tar (Kevin Piatek’s telling him that he would be undertaking pattern, but that didn’t work out. The wood kept splitting. So instead I used scrap pieces of spalted maple, granadillo, and the project, too).

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February 2020

quilted maple and inlaid and glued them around the sound hole, ending up with a pretty cool abstract design.”

Not until the neck had been shaped and glued to the body did Morgan yelp with excitement: “Wow, Dad, this is awesome!

It now looks like a guitar.”

By this time Morgan had graduated from Smithfield High and had begun freshman year at RIC. Many more Saturday sessions at the Pump House lay in store for her before she strummed the first chord. The hardware had to be installed --- the tail piece, the tuning heads, the strings. But before that, the sanding and oiling faced the Piateks. Week after week Morgan and Kevin, sitting side by side at the work bench, slathered gun oil on the exotic wood and sanded and rubbed, sanded and rubbed. All the while they chatted. She told him about her classes, he about his job with an engineering firm. They talked about a sundry of things: the weather, the news, and eventually about their hopes and uncertainties.

“With each application of gun oil,” Morgan says, “our awe grew and grew, and I knew that, hey, there’s more going on here than what meets the eye. And when Dad caressed the body of the guitar that now was a shining beauty and sort of purred --- ‘Wow, coming here is really therapeutic!’ --- I, like, decided what I would do with my life. I would get my degree in Art Therapy and go on helping people.”

On an October 2019 morning in the midst of Indian summer, she embraced the finished guitar and played a riff that cast a spell in the workshop of the Pump House.

Today, Morgan is a second semester sophomore at Lesley College, having transferred from RIC. Accepting Dan Collins’ invitation to be the closing act on his Saturday open mike nights, she comes down from Cambridge to sing while fingering the strings of her new guitar, loving the mellowness coming from its gleaming body that father and daughter had created.

And Kevin never misses a gig.

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23

Smithfield’s Derek Grundy’s Long Professional Journey Began on Solid Ground

By Paul Lonardo Derek Grundy grew up in Smithfield and graduated from Smithfield High School 2001. Since then he has traveled to many exotic locations all over the world. Sports has always been a big part of Grundy’s life. As a member of a Sentinel basketball team that won the State Championship, he earned All State First Team honors and in his three seasons playing varsity basketball he became the school’s All Time Leading Scorer with 1,380 points.

Grundy credits his success in the game to his parents, Tom and Cathy, who always supported him, as well as his coaches Joe Bennett and Mike Tartaglia, who instilled in him the ideals hard work, dedication, and teamwork from the time he was 10 years-old playing for them at Saint Philip School CYO in Greenville.

“I truly believe that universally it is not about what you say to people, but it is about how you make them feel,” Grundy says. “I have tried to focus my management style around building trust and strong bonds with people no matter where the location is within the world.”

Grundy says that this was an idea he learned from his coaches. “It doesn’t matter where your teammates are from, you treat each other with respect and align on winning together and you can

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make it happen.”

Grundy’s father, Tom, a high-level distance runner and standout at URI, taught leadership skills to his son at an early age.

“He told me that a leader knows how to help other people get better and encourages them through good times and bad,” Grundy says. “I have taken that advice within my career, and so far, I believe it has worked well universally.”

Grundy went on to attend Endicott College in Beverly, MA, where he studied Sport Management. He continued to play the game he loved and also met the love of his life, Sarah, who became his wife. At the end of his sophomore season, he sustained an injury and opted to sit out his junior year. Unable to walk away from basketball completely, he decided to get involved in coaching high school basketball, spending four years at Pingree School in Hamilton, MA, first as head coach of the JV and then Assistant Coach of the Varsity team. While coaching at Pingree, Grundy worked with Hoop Mountain basketball camp company and went on to complete an MBA degree at Endicott College.

Before completing the program, his uncle, Dan Grundy, who worked at Nike for many years, put his nephew in touch with someone who suggested he join a startup footwear company

called AQx. Embracing a nothing-ventured-nothing-gained attitude, Grundy signed on and moved to Oregon.

“It was a great way to get my foot in the door of the footwear world,” Grundy says, “doing everything from sales, to marketing, dealing with Asia suppliers, and even picking and packing shoes directly for our ecommerce business.”

After three years with AQx, Grundy moved closer to home when he went to work for Reebok in Boston. His six years with this company opened his eyes to a whole new world of experiences that educated and changed him on every level. He traveled all over the world, including Asia, South American and throughout Europe. He especially took a liking to his trips to Asia.

“Going to see factories that had over thirty thousand people working was incredible,” he says. “It made me realize all that went into making a single pair of footwear and I knew I wanted to

February 2020

be a part of that world someday.”

When Grundy was given the opportunity to move to Asia to start Reebok’s first Vietnam footwear creation center, he jumped at the chance.

“I spent four years in that role and grew the business, but most importantly made great connections and an accelerated learning curve on the footwear manufacturing business.”

Grundy hadn’t gotten on a plane until he was seventeen, and he didn’t have a passport until he was in his mid-20’s, but both of his sons, Brendan (7) and Colin (3), are world travelers with visa stamps in Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India.

“My wife and two boys really enjoy living in South East Asia, being able to travel frequently, and meeting people from all over the world. They truly embrace what it means to be global citizens. I get to see my kids grow up with this opportunity and it makes me very proud to see the impact that it has on them in terms of accepting diversity, being open minded, flexible to change, and being very inquisitive and curious about how the world works.”

Ready for a new challenge, Grundy began work for Taiwanese Footwear Manufacturer, Hong Fu Group. He currently runs their exclusive Nike Footwear factory in Than Hoa, Vietnam, which employs 25,000 workers and produces two and half million pairs of footwear per month for Nike. They recently opened a second factory employing 10,000 workers

and producing a million pairs per month.

“It has been an incredible experience,” Grundy says, “to be able to lead and manage such a scope. Sometimes it is like managing a city due to the size and scale of the operation. I enjoy being able to give people opportunity.”

Grundy has embraced the Vietnam culture and the people. He has even studied the language to a level where, although he is not fluent, he can get by pretty well and engage in casual conversations.

“I have found that as your scope changes, you need to focus on improving a couple critical skills. Number one is listening and number two is prioritizing. I think if you can do both of those well, it will allow you to really understand the people you work with, internally and externally, and it will allow for you to focus on the right things that they are looking for. I think it is universal and can be applied in all industries.”

Grundy is looking forward to see what the future holds for him and his family in a world full of opportunity.

Today Grundy’s goals are centered around being a positive role model for his sons. He says, “I tell them each day that they have two goals: one is to be nice to everyone; two is have a lot of fun. I feel it is simple advice but if they follow it, they can have a complete day including helping others, building relationships, and having joy finding their passions within their day.”

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Georgiaville Village Green

By Joe Siegel Georgiaville Village Green, on Whipple Avenue, is Smithfield’s first low-income housing development.

Georgiaville is a historical village centered on the cotton mill built there in 1853 by Zachariah Allen. Now a condominium complex, the former mill is surrounded by a reservoir and the historic stone and wood houses built for the mill employees.

The first mill in Georgiaville, then known as Nightingale’s Village or Georgia Factory, was built in 1813 by the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Co. The stone mill was built alongside the Woonasquatucket River.

“Mill workers were housed in two groups of stone houses built along Stillwater Road near the mill,” according to a report on Smithfield from the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. “A short distance to the west, along Farnum Pike, another part of Georgiaville was developing. Here, a hotel and a row of houses lined the road.”

The entrance to the development is across the street from the former Georgiaville mill, now known as the Homestead Condominiums.

The complex is located on the site of the former Narragansett Gray Iron Foundry, a mill building that was demolished by the previous owner. Planning for the project began in 2014. Environmental remediation of the foundry site began in the fall of 2017 and construction started in the spring of 2018.

The 42 townhouse style units are available to rent. A one bedroom unit rents for $701 a month. A two-bedroom is $725, and a three-bedroom is $838. Anyone who is interested in renting a unit can pick up an application at the Smithfield Housing Authority’s office at 7 Church Street in Greenville, or by downloading one from their website - http://www.smithfieldhousingauthorityri.org. The lease is for a one-year period.

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Photo: Joe Siegel Applicants have to meet income eligibility requirements. The housing will be available to individuals and families earning less than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), or $43,260 for a family of four. Five of the units will be reserved for individuals and families with disabilities earning less than 30% AMI, or $24,600 for a family of four.

“The Town of Smithfield has been a great supporter of this development and has worked closely with the development team,” said Clare Fortin, Executive Director of the Smithfield Housing Authority.

Fortin said the town and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) both provided financial support through the Community Development Block Grant Program and Brownfield Remediation and Economic Development Fund Grant Program. The RIDEM funds were used to remediate the property. Financial support in the pre-development phase was also provided by Housing Ministries of New England and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

Coventry Housing Associates and Gemini Housing Corp. were the developers. Barbara Sokoloff Associates served as the development consultants, Robinson Design provided architectural services, and Stand Corporation is the General Contractor. The project was funded through RI Housing and Citizens Bank.

Fortin said 38 units are being rented with the remaining five being leased before the end of January. There is currently a waiting list for applications.

Construction is expected to be completed in the spring with the completion of a play area and solar panels. A ribbon cutting ceremony will also be held.

Georgiaville Village Green is the recipient of the Paul Davidoff Award for the 2019 RI American Planners Association award.

February 2020

PAYNE’S PICKS MOVIE RELEASES The Lodge – February 7 - Is it just me or does late winter and early spring now rival Halloween for all the great horror releases? Starring Riley Keough (Elvis Presley’s oldest grandchild), The Lodge follows the story of a stepmom (Keough) and her two stepchildren spending a weekend together in an isolated winter cabin. FilmNation calls the film a “psychologically chilling slow burn.” Sevein Fiala is the film’s co-director and he also directed one of the most terrifying films I’ve seen in recent memory – Goodnight Mommy.

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You – February 12 - Just because I enjoy really good filmmaking and screenplays doesn’t mean I don’t have a few guilty pleasure favorites. Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, starring Lana Condor, is definitely one of those movies. It’s based on a young adult novel by the same name, about a girl whose private love letters get sent to each of her crushes. This month Netflix is releasing the second installment (of three) in the series – just in time for Valentine’s day. So ladies, you can either force your significant other to watch this one during your romantic date night or – more appropriately – save it for a Galentine’s night in with your besties.

MOVIE REVIEWS Marriage Story - You’ve likely been hearing all the buzz about Marriage Story this month (starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson) with its award season wins. And you might be wondering: “Is this movie all it’s cracked up to be?” That depends. If you’re looking for an actual romantic “marriage story,” it’s probably not your cup of tea. For the most part, this film is depressing. It’s about divorce, not marriage. But it’s also so well acted – and so funny in a raw and real way.

It carefully examines the complexities involved in untangling the knots of a complicated and broken relationship – from working with divorce lawyers to fighting for child custody. It’s heart-wrenching. Every scene with Laura Dern, who plays one of the divorce lawyers, is hilarious. I also have a newfound appreciation for Adam Driver, whose character in Girls all those years ago had left me with a bad taste. In fact, even though his character is supposed to be the “bad guy” in Marriage Story, I found myself rooting for him and wanting him to triumph.

Now that’s a sign of a movie with heart.

Uncut Gems - Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who also directed 2017’s Good Time with Robert Pattinson, Uncut Gems stays true to its title – raw and gritty. Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler and gambling ad-

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By Sarah Payne dict. His performance is so good, it’s actually a bit unnerving. For most of the movie, the camera jerks around unevenly and centers uncomfortably close on Sandler’s face as he digs himself deeper into debt and in more trouble with his loaners.

While I certainly appreciated all the actors’ performances, I wouldn’t say it’s a pleasant viewing experience. For more than two and a half hours there a sense of impending doom and as you wait for the other shoe to drop – for any one of Howard’s poor life choices to come back and bite him.

Knives Out - If you’re looking for a classic “whodonit” mystery film with a sense of humor and style, Knives Out is for you. Daniel Craig plays Benoit Blanc, a private detective hired to investigate the apparent suicide of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer.

Craig and Plummer are rounded out by a stellar cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and Toni Collette.

Even with that cast, Ana de Armas, a relatively unknown Cuban-Spanish actress who plays Harlan’s nurse, is the film’s lead and breakout star.

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Devine Faith

By Jim Ignasher Don Turbitt is a man of faith who believes in miracles.

In 1969 his wife Pat was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a debilitating disease for which there’s no cure. The news was devastating, and faced with the prospect of losing his wife and raising their three young children by himself, Don turned to prayer.

He’d been raised Catholic, and attended church on a regular basis, but describes himself at that time as being “lukewarm” towards his faith.

“I went to nine years of Catholic school.” he related in a recent interview. “I knew a lot about God, but didn’t know God personally.”

After his wife’s diagnosis, Don decided to go to church every day for a year and pray for a miracle. Thus began a profound change in the direction his life was to take.

Several months later Don learned of a book about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary which had appeared in Garabandal, Spain. He ordered the book, and when it arrived his wife was the first to open it. When she did so, a scapular (A Catholic religious item) fell out of the book and landed at her feet.

When she picked it up she felt an electric shock pass through her entire body! Then, at her next medical appointment, the

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doctors were astounded to find no evidence of her disease! Since M.S. has no cure, doctors pronounced Pat to be “in remission”, and told her it would come back.

“That was fifty years ago,” Don recalled, “and it hasn’t come back.”

Don continued going to daily mass, grateful to God for His intervention, but there was more to come. One day the priest suggested to Don and Pat that they attend a Charismatic Prayer Meeting. Briefly, such meetings involve weekly gatherings outside of mass to deepen one’s faith and grow closer to God. The meetings were run by Father John Randall of Holy Ghost Church in Providence. Attendees prayed together and gave witness to changes in their lives, with short teaching sessions given by Father Randall and lay people. Through the meetings Don and Pat grew in their faith and experienced God’s presence in their lives.

After awhile, the couple began holding Charismatic Prayer Meetings in their home. Attendance was small at first, but over several months grew to fifty people, necessitating a change of venue to St. Augustine’s Church in Providence. Eighteen months later attendance had grown to 300.

Don was a Providence firefighter for twenty-two years before retiring in 1985. He supplemented his fireman’s pension by starting three small but profitable businesses.

“I owned three businesses’s and was making good money.” He told me, “Then one night (in 1986) I had a dream where God clearly spoke to me and told me to give up my businesses and work full time for Him.” He referred to a Bible verse Mathew 19:21 about selling all that you have, give to the poor, and come follow me.

After leading prayer meetings for several years Don was invited to begin some overseas work as a missionary preacher with Renewal Ministries, evangelizing to thousands instead of hundreds.

Don’s first trip was to Poland, but over the years his work has brought him to twenty five different countries, where he’s prayed over the sick for healing, preached the word of God, and had many interesting experiences.

One in particular involved a time when he was arrested by Russian police in Siberia. A priest had invited him to come and speak at his church, and although Don had obtained a

February 2020

tourist visa for Siberia, he didn’t have one to enter the town where the church was located.

Not to worry, he was told through his interpreter, people “sneak” in all the time.

As Don, the priest, and the interpreter drove through the town they passed the police station, where the priest commented that the police were tough on churches, but easy on drug dealers. (The town had severe substance abuse issues.) Without thinking, Don had a sudden flash of intuition and said, “A policeman will join your church and help you.” to which the priest seemed highly skeptical.

Three days later, just after a service, Don and his interpreter were arrested and brought to the police station for not having proper visas.

“I was the first American ever arrested in that town,” he recalled, “but the officers treated us well. They allowed us to sleep in an office instead of a jail cell.”

The following morning they were brought to court, but the judge wasn’t ready, so two officers took them to gather their luggage. As they were packing, Don offered to pray over the officers to help them receive the Holy Spirit, and surprisingly, they agreed. As he did so, the first officer said that something powerful was happening to him, and while Don moved his hands before the chest of the second officer, the men exclaimed, “It’s hot! It’s hot!”

Back in court, a KGB agent pressed for a harsh sentence.

Then the judge asked Don what he had to say for himself, and he replied that he’d only come to preach to help people get free of drugs and alcohol. Before the judge could speak, the prosecutor sitting with the KGB agent abruptly stood up and said “I believe him!”

Don was fined the equivalent of $143 American dollars and ordered to leave town. Afterwards, one of the police officers Don had prayed over asked the priest if his church counseled drug addicts, to which the priest answered in the affirmative.

The officer replied, “That’s what I do on the police department.

Can I join your church?”

And at that moment Don’s prediction came true, although he takes no credit for it. He knows it was God working through him.

Here in Smithfield, Don mentors monthly meetings of The Men of St. Joseph, held at St. Philip’s Church as part of their Catholic Men’s Ministries program.

Don was responsible for founding the MOSJ in Providence, twenty-five years ago, and today the organization is active in eighteen countries.

By the time this article is published Don will be in Poland on yet another evangelical mission. He has nine more overseas trips scheduled for 2020. His message is clear, have faith, for nothing is impossible with God.

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29

STARGAZING

By David Huestis, Historian, Skyscrapers, Inc.

Observing the Inner Solar System: Mercury and Venus When guests visit the local observatories, staff astronomers always look to impress them with great views of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars when any of these worlds are observable. The wealth of detail visible through each facility’s telescopes can awaken the sense of awe within children and adults alike. What child hasn’t marveled at the Moon’s vast craters? Who hasn’t watched the parade of Jupiter’s Galilean moons orbiting this gigantic planet and not thought about Galileo’s first view of this phenomenal sight? We sky interpreters love to hear the oohs and aahs as folks get a glimpse of Saturn’s magnificent rings for the first time. And when dust storms on Mars don’t spoil the view of this desert-like world, who can’t help but wonder if life may exist beneath its surface?

Any night amateur astronomers can introduce casual stargazers to these magnificent worlds is a wonderful experience.

However, while the afore-mentioned objects get most of the glory, there are two inferior planets of our solar system that are often neglected. No, they do not have any neuroses.

Inferior is an astronomical term meaning these planets orbit between the Sun and the Earth. I’m referring to Mercury and Venus. Consequently, they do not stray far from the Sun in

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the sky from our Earthly perspective. Examine this brief video which explains what we observe: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wL9Lue4fyE Whenever Mercury and Venus appear above either the eastern or western horizon these events are called elongations. Mercury can appear no more than a maximum of 28 degrees away from the Sun, while Venus can appear no more than a maximum of 48 degrees away from the Sun. Elevation above one’s horizon varies from one elongation to another.

Throughout the year we have several opportunities to observe these worlds. Unfortunately, we cannot view the surfaces of either of these planets with a telescope, but telescopically we can observe each planetary disk as it goes through phases similar to that of our Moon. Because the position angle between the Earth, Sun and Mercury/Venus is constantly changing due to our orbital positions relative to one another, we see these two planetary disks change phases. Please review the graphic at the following website: http://www.ifa.hawaii. edu/~barnes/ast110_06/rots/0520a.jpg. A picture is most definitely worth a thousand words.

Perhaps you’ve noticed a bright heavenly beacon high in the southwest sky after sunset since the beginning of the year. That’s Venus. On February 1 the goddess of love will be about 30 degrees above the horizon. On that same evening much, dimmer Mercury will be less than 10 degrees above the west-southwest horizon. You’ll require an unobstructed view to locate it. Through a telescope Venus’ disk will be 73% illuminated, resembling a waxing gibbous Moon phase.

Mercury’s disk will be about 83% illuminated and will also resemble a waxing gibbous moon phase. Mercury will continue to rise higher into the sky each evening, being at its highest elevation above the horizon on the 10th. This date would be the optimum time to view the closest planet to the Sun. Its phase will then resemble that of a first quarter Moon. After this date Mercury will quickly sink back towards the western horizon and the Sun. Observing opportunities for Mercury are fairly short and are counted in weeks. Around March 1 Mercury will be seen in the morning sky before sunrise. On March 24 Mercury will be at its highest elevation above the eastern horizon.

After February 1 Venus will continue to rise higher and higher into the evening sky and away from the Sun and horizon. Venus’s larger orbit results in the planet appearing much farther from the Sun in our sky than Mercury does. Therefore, observing opportunities for Venus are counted in months.

On March 24 Venus will be at its greatest elongation from the Sun, and therefore at its highest point (about 40 degrees)

February 2020

above the horizon after sunset. The phase will now look like that of a first quarter Moon. Four days later on the 28th a waxing crescent Moon will be located about six degrees to the left of Venus. This sky scene will be a beautiful image to capture with a camera.

It is interesting to note that Venus has been approaching the Earth since superior conjunction (passing behind the Sun from our viewpoint) on August 14, 2019. As Venus draws closer to our planet the size of its planetary disk gets larger. See this website for a graphic that illustrates this progression: https://en.es-static.us/upl/2019/10/venus-2019-2020ottewell-north-lg.jpg. By March 24, despite the waning phase, Venus’ brightness will remain fairly constant because its larger apparent size compensates for the decreasing illumination.

In addition, if you know where to scan, you can even observe Venus in broad daylight, being careful not to stray too close to the Sun for eye safety. Use a building to block the Sun from direct view before beginning your sweep of the sky.

However, it’s best to observe Venus in early twilight before the sky darkens. Venus is so bright that too much contrast is a problem when observed in a dark sky. A small refracting telescope or even a scope used for bird watching will show Venus’ changing phase. Check it out every couple of weeks or so.

After elongation Venus will begin to sink towards the horizon. It will still be coming towards us, all the time the phase will be decreasing to a smaller and smaller crescent. We’ll lose sight of Venus by the end of May. In conclusion, please remember, weather permitting, the local observatories remain open during the winter months to share beautiful views of the heavens. Snow, ice or below freezing temperatures can force closures, so please check the respective websites for any cancellation notices and observing schedules before venturing out for a visit. Seagrave Memorial Observatory (http://www.theskyscrapers.org) in North Scituate is open every clear Saturday night. Ladd Observatory (http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Physics/Ladd/) in Providence is open every clear Tuesday night. The Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory at the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick (http://www.ccri.edu/physics/observatory.htm) is open every clear Wednesday night. Frosty Drew Observatory (http://www.frostydrew.org/) in Charlestown is open every clear Friday night.

I hope that Venus, the Roman goddess of love, will smile upon you and yours on Valentine’s Day. Just be vigilant against any errant arrows from her son Cupid! Clear skies to all.

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31

50 YEARS AGO

FEBRUARY,1970

The Bryant University campus is home to one historic barn and two 18th century houses which in February of 1970 stood exactly where the dome of the Unistructure is located today.

As construction preparations for the Unistructure were underway the buildings became the center of some local controversy. The school had originally planned to move the structures to another location on campus so as not to look out of place amid the modern architecture, but some felt they should remain where they were. Then the possibility arose that they might be sold at auction and removed from Smithfield all together.

On February 5, members of the Smithfield Town Council and representatives of the historical society met with Bryant officials at the Town Hall, where an agreement was reached to retain the buildings on campus, but not at their original location.

Today the buildings can be found on the campus portion of John Mowry Road.

— 1st Lieutenant Anthony J. Fascitelli, Jr., of Greenville, was serving in the U. S. Air Force.

Airman 1st Class James P. Coupe of Greenville, was serving at Da Nang Air Force Base in Vietnam.

By Jim Ignasher

PFC Howard R. Turner, Jr., of Esmond, was serving with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam.

Sergeant Lea T. Lariviere of Georgiaville, had finished a tour of duty in Germany and was home on leave.

— The Junior Naval Cadets of Smithfield announced the following promotions: Thomas Howarth to full lieutenant.

Stephen Votolato to Distinguished Cadet.

Dennis Straight and Paul Arella to Senior Cadet 1st Class.

Robert Varr to Senior Cadet 2nd Class.

Keith Straus and Dennis Henlin to Senior Cadet 3rd Class.

Gregory Straight to Cadet 1st Class.

Richard Cardarelli and James Bicknell to cadet 2nd Class.

Thomas Straus, Michael Barfato, and Robert Ferguson to Cadet 3rd Class.

— Esmond Girl Scout Troop 894 held a meeting at the Esmond Recreation Hall where the following girls were made official Girl Scouts: Pamela Shaw, Karen Despres, Deborah LeBlanc, Danielle Desautel, Kathy Richardson, Diane DeCessere, Donna Cooke, Marilyn Maltais, Mary Sward, Beth Cerroni, Linda Parks, Marion Passano, Julie Cerroni, Laura White, Mary Webster, and Melony Sheppard.

— The Smithfield Golden Agers held a meeting over which Mrs. Albina Whitecross presided. Hostesses included Stella Hill, Mary Cardello, Ann Ethier, Blanche Belhumer, and Mae Creighton.

— The Apple Valley Chorus placed 2nd in the annual Division IV Competition held in Norwood, Massachusetts. The win made them eligible to compete in the Northeast District Competition in October.

The Apple Valley Chorus was directed by Roger Jordon.

— One local car dealer was offering for sale a 1966 Ford “Country Squire” station wagon – remember them? The vehicle was equipped with a luggage rack, 2-way tailgate, radio and heater, power steering and a V-8 engine with automatic transmission, all of which were dealer options at the time. The price, a mere $1,495.

The same dealer was also offering a ’67 Mustang for $1,595, and a ’68 Lincoln for $3,395.

— A local oil company was advertising 200 gallons of heating oil for $30, plus tax, and cash on delivery. For those doing the math, that came about seven cents a gallon.

32

February 2020

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䜀伀伀䜀䰀䔀

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眀眀眀⸀愀氀氀琀漀眀渀爀椀⸀挀漀洀

The Smithfield Senior Center’s 2020 New Year’s Party on Friday, January 10, 2020 had members dancing and celebrating the new decade!

Photo: Albert Tavakalov

The Smithfield Times, Inc.

䌀甀猀琀漀洀椀稀愀戀氀攀 䴀䰀匀 匀攀愀爀挀栀 一攀眀 䰀椀猀琀椀渀最 䄀氀攀爀琀猀 䤀渀猀琀愀渀琀 䠀漀洀攀 嘀愀氀甀攀 䄀猀猀攀猀猀洀攀渀琀猀 33

Obituaries Leo E. “Pat” aka “Leo the Barber” Labrie January 2, 2020 www.thequinnfuneralhome.com Christopher A. D’Angelo December 31, 2019 www.robbinsfuneralhome.com Claire A. (DiPaolo) Birkmaier December 31, 2019 www.maceroni.com

543 Putnam Pike Smithfield, RI 02828 401.232.9600 • www.smithfieldtimesri.net John J. Tassoni, Jr., Publisher john@jtsentinelgroup.com Ann Marie Donahue, Executive Editor amdonahue@smithfieldtimesri.net — ADVERTISING AND SALES Camilla Spliid - cspliid@smithfieldtimesri.net Grace Genereux - grace@smithfieldtimesri.net

Mary C. (Genovese) Azevedo January 18, 2020 (age 92) www.robbinsfuneralhome.com Roland LaPorte January 15, 2020 www.andersonwinfield.net

Mary Fague McGarry - mmsmithfieldtimes@gmail.com — WRITERS Harry Anderson Peg Brown Sophia DeJesus Brittni Henderson Robert Houghtaling Jane Fusco David Huestis Jim Ignasher Bea Lanzi Paul Lonardo Diane L. Marolla Paul Palange Sarah Payne Ron Scopelliti Joe Siegel — Albert Tavakalov, Photographer Sandra Achille, Photo & Creative Contributer — The Smithfield Times, Inc. does not assume any financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements that have received final approval or are submitted camera ready.

34

February 2020

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