Smithfield Times March 2017

COMPLIMENTARY

MARCH 2017

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Home is Where the Ice is

By Brittni Henderson

“Every year we say we’re not going

to do it,” Anjie Votolato says as she smiles at her two sons Mitchell, 27 and Griffin, 24.

“Yeah, but then Griffin bats his eyelashes!” Mitchell adds with a laugh.

This longtime Smithfield family has a special tradition that involves digging a hole in the ground, constructing boards, getting a truckload of water, and creating a handheld Zamboni—which Griffin boasts was a hit at his seventh grade science fair.

For the Votolatos, this ritual has become more of a yearly celebration for friends, family members and neighbors, many of whom have assisted in the yearly construction in some way.

Home Ice, or the Votolato family ice rink, has been a work in progress for over

(L-R) Shane Benjamin, Griffin Votolato, Mitchell Votolato, Marco Scotti, Robbie Reall, Colby Fugere and David Jacques. Photos by Albert Tavakalov/The Smithfield Times 25 years. It all started back in college for the boys’ father Ernest. While he was

in his undergraduate years at Bowdoin, his fraternity brothers would create an

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ice rink for the neighborhood to utilize in the wintertime. They would plow a nearby field in the shape of a rink and have the local fire department help them flood the field to the perfect ice-freezing level.

Over the years, the Votolato’s rink on Tarklin Road has grown bigger, gotten more high-tech, and more skaters have laced up to enjoy the wonderful experience.

“Every November, the day we put up the rink is more like much that they played hockey frequently growing up, includa party,” Anjie shares. “I cook, while friends and family come ing both for high school teams. Mitchell was a part of the Smithfield High School Sentinel squad, while Griffin played to help set everything up!”

While their sons were younger, Anjie and Ernest relied as a LaSalle Ram for three years followed by two years at New on their friends to help put up the rink each year. The Reall, Hampton Preparatory High School in New Hampshire.

Mitchell, Nakhoul, and Cascione families not only contribut- Home Ice has hosted 3-on-3 tournaments, New Year’s Eve ed the man (or woman!) power to help build Home Ice, but parties, high school team gatherings, and innumerable Friday and Saturday night skates crucial parts of its everyday under the lights. Anjie always functionality, as well. What makes sure that the woodcould truly be a three man, stove-heated Home Ice hut is all day job, has become the stocked with warm, delicious annual rink party—which snacks for skaters needing a also lasts all day, but by the break. All of her hard work end, it’s more of a fun sodoesn’t go unnoticed—the cial hour while the adults boys always make sure to and “kids” eat, drink, and maintain the ice during gathlook forward to the first erings, ensuring that the rink day the ice will be ready for will be ready for the next time. skating.

“We are anxious to see Now that the aforemenwhat happens next season, tioned “kids” have grown though,” Anjie shares. into mature young men, With Griffin heading off their friends have mostto pursue dental school at the ly taken over the job that University of Maryland in their fathers once had. the fall, Team Votolato will Also, just as the children be down one crucial player. have matured, their skating Hopes for a follow-up season skills have, too. seem high, but Home Ice fans “I had no idea that they will have to stay tuned to see would develop such a love what changes occur over the of skating,” Ernie says. next year!

Griffin and Mitchell both took to skating so Anjie, Ernest and Ridley Votolato.

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All-time bests

By Laurence J. Sasso, Jr. The incredible Super Bowl comeback victory of the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons stirred New England fans and football aficionados everywhere to say it was the best football game ever played. Also, there is widespread opinion, at least in this part of the country that Tom Brady is the best quarterback ever, and ditto about Bill Belichick being the best coach ever.

No matter how obvious it might seem to some of us, inevitably there will be a debate. That’s what we do when someone declares that anything is “the best.” We argue about it. We offer evidence pro and con, and we spend stormy nights culling through Google seeking

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support for our point of view.

So, why not offer a few of our own all-time bests?

To begin with let’s address the question of that iconic game on Feb. 5. From this perspective, the Patriots’ Super Bowl win sure does look like the best professional football championship game ever played, even if we haven’t seen a large enough sample to speak with true authority. No one has seen every such game, so the debate eventually boils down to gut feelings garnished with stats. To us, though, it is the best!

How about the best World Series game? There are a lot of candidates, of course. New York Yankee pitcher Don

Larsen hurled a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in game 5 of the 1956 World Series. Also, some people rate the Minnesota Twins’ victory over the Atlanta Braves in the 1991 World Series as the greatest series ever played, with five of the seven games being gritty battles decided by one run and three games going into extra innings.

Game 7 was a thriller in which WS MVP Jack Morris pitched a complete game, 1-0 ten-inning shutout to clinch the championship for Minnesota. However, for best single World Series game, the verdict must go to the Boston Red Sox game six, 12 inning heart-stopping win over the Cincinnati Reds in 1975.

5

Who will ever forget Sox catcher Carlton “Pudge” Fisk’s iconic game-winning home run off the left-field foul pole?

But even more memorable are the twists and turns (such as Bernie Carbo’s thrilling pinch hit home run) that combine to make the entire game a pulse-pounding contest that will not fade away.

Now let’s move from sports to a larger sphere. Who is the best president of the United States? Abraham Lincoln would get a lot of votes. He led the nation through the tragic years of the Civil War, ended slavery and preserved the union. Franklin Delano Roosevelt merits plenty of consideration too. He steered the country toward economic recovery during the Great Depression, directed the United States’ inspiring triumph (at great cost) in World War II, set the stage for the establishment of the United Nations, and was the architect for the emergence of the USA as a world power. Yet, from this vantage point, let’s go back to first causes. George Washington gets the nod.

The father of our country, in fact as well as in fancy, George Washington must be credited for establishing the principles that still guide our definition of the office of the presidency. He initiated the custom of limiting the presidential time in office to two four-year terms (which prevailed until Franklin Roosevelt broke with precedent, ran four times and was elected each time).

The 22nd amendment to the Constitution which passed in 1951 in response to Roosevelt’s departure from custom, codified into law a two-term limit.

George Washington also set in place the cabinet system and declined to use the title “Your Majesty,” choosing instead Mr. President, a significant standard in a democracy such as ours, and even though he wore a wig, his hairstyle is preferable to some we have since seen in the White House.

Let’s conclude with one from the arts. Who is the best operatic tenor ever? In this view, there can be only one: Luciano Pavarotti. Possessed of a

mind-boggling range, Pavarotti also had amazing timbre and texture in his voice, able to add coloration and grace to passages other tenors, happy just to hit the high notes at all, must have felt great envy for. While they might struggle like climbers scaling Everest above the oxygen line, Pavarotti soars past them still climbing when he hits the summit, still capable of more. For a sample of his immense talent check out “Mes Amis” from Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment. The great Pavarotti hits nine high C’s in a row in the famous tenor-killing aria. It earned him the title King of the High C’s from critics. Yet, he could sing “Ave Maria” or “O Holy Night” with such emotion and warmth it brings tears to your eyes. Yes, he’s the best!

This could go on and on, but we’ll leave such titles as the best WWE wrestler and all-time greatest lip sync contestant to the realm of fake entertainment.

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March 2017

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day All Month at Cumberland’s Blackstone River Theatre If you want to hear world-class Irish

music, Cumberland’s Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., has booked a March line-up for the ages featuring four of the top touring groups from Ireland and two regional acts that perform Celtic and Irish music as well as step dance. Advance tickets can be reserved by phone 725-9272 and purchased at the door.

Saturday, March 4, sees two acts performing together that have each sold out the Cumberland theater on their own in the past – Irish supergroup Lúnasa with acclaimed vocalist Karan Casey. Because of their combined popularity, Blackstone River Theatre has scheduled two shows, one at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. with $30.00 admission at the door.

Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron

of the arts, Lúnasa boasts some of the top musical talents in Ireland. The band pairs flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in melodic arrangements. Joining them

will be award-winning Irish vocalist Karan Casey. Karan has recorded six solo albums, has won Best Irish Female Vocalist twice, Best Irish Folk album, and also a Grammy for her collaboration with Paul Winter.

Continuing with another top name in Irish music, Blackstone River Theatre brings Sharon Shannon in the next night for a Sunday, March 5, show at 7 p.m. Shannon has achieved legendary status worldwide (and has been credited with making the accordion ‘cool.’) With a 20-year career playing traditional Irish music, her current musical exploration also incorporates country, French Canadian, reggae, hip-hop, dance and classical. Tickets for Sharon Shannon Band are $25.00 in advance/$30.00 the day of show.

One of Irish traditional music’s leading bands, Téada, appears on Saturday, March 11, at 8 p.m. An Irish band with a truly international reach, Téada has headlined major music festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Australia. Past winners of

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‘Best Young Irish Traditional Act’ at Ireland’s Music Awards, the five-piece band will be joined by vocalist and accordion player Méabh Begley from West County Kerry. Admission for Téada is $20.00 in advance/$24.00 at the door.

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Pendragon will perform a St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 in advance/$18.00 the day of show. For 33 years, the Rhode Island-based ensemble Pendragon has embraced Celtic tradition and honing their timeless sound of roots music with a contemporary edge. Pendragon is award-winning step dancer and percussionist Kevin Doyle, Bob Drouin on fiddle, bouzouki and tenor banjo, Russell Gusetti on guitar and concertina, Josh Kane on flute and whistles, and vocalist Mary Lee Partington. They will be joined by special guests, All-Ireland uilleann piper Torrin Ryan and guest step dancer Erika Damiani. Pendragon’s music celebrates the lives and lore of generations of New Englanders who brought traditions from Ireland, Scotland, French Canada to the banks of the Blackstone River.

Closing out the month-long celebration will be Irish harpist and vocalist Áine Minogue Saturday, March 25, at 8 p.m. Áine Minogue (pronounced Onya) has had phenomenal success both here and in Ireland with her combination of harping, singing and storytelling with a touch of poetry.

According to the theatre, Áine Minogue’s concerts are known for their intimate “getting away from it all” feel. Admission is $15.00.

For information on this month’s programming and more, visit the Blackstone River Theatre online at www.riverfolk.org.

March 2017

Sister’s Easter Catechism Promises to Crack Up Audiences this March at Trinity Rep

By Marilyn A. Busch

Celebrate the Easter season with “some bunny” special at Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven? at Trinity Rep from March 1st through the 19th. Sister’s Easter Catechism sheds a comical light upon the great mysteries of the Easter season – plus those fuzzy bunnies, bonnets and baskets.

Originally created by Chicago actress Maripat Donovan, Sister’s “sinfully funny” series of comedic religious “refresher courses” have been in session now for over 23 years, with seven different themed shows touring the year-round.

For the Rhode Island performances, actress Nonie Riley will take on the mantle of Sister. I spoke to the actress from her home in LA, where she told me she was celebrating her 17th year touring as Sister. “It’s a great job for an ‘old bag’, because I don’t have to be cute,” she says with a laugh, “I just have to look like a mean old nun.”

While the show will ring true with anyone that grew up in the Catholic church culture, Riley points out that it also attracts a wider audience. “This show has a strong appeal to non-Catholics,” she explains, “there’s always been a fascination with the church - and the saints, the rules, the nuns. The show is not a real catechism class,” she says, “but a really funny comedy.”

And Riley surely knows her way around comedy. The Chicago native honed her improvisation skills with the acclaimed Second City and has had a long career as an improv comic, actress and television writer. She also brings with her the wealth of information she received growing up in an Irish Catholic family of ten and attending Catholic School in the 50s and 60s. She readily admits getting into her share of trouble with the nuns. “I was not a saint,” she says with a chuckle, “so my mother finds this all very ironic.”

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Priests and nuns were a big presence in her neighborhood in Chicago, and in her family life as well. “My aunt was a nun, you had the priest or the Monsignor over to Sunday dinner, it was just just part of who you were…I grew up in the culture, I understand it.”

As for Sister’s Easter Catechism, Riley explains that while scripted, there is a lot of audience input. “I don’t think of it as a one-woman show because I interact heavily with the audience. I never feel like I’m up there myself.” All of the shows have a question & answer period where audience members can ask Sister anything they wish about the Catholic Church. When asked if she has ever been caught without an answer, she says so far she’s been pretty lucky. “The real trick to having fun in the show is letting other people talk…so every show is so different. You could go to 10 shows in a row and never feel like you were looking at the same thing… that’s what the audience brings” The best advice she ever received was from the show’s author, Maripat Donovan who told her to “just play the character as if you yourself became a nun.” The shows don’t mock the church, but as Riley explains, “the success of these shows is that we are having fun, but we are not making fun.

All of which makes it the perfect part for Riley. “I try to give people some bang for their buck,” she says, “I want them to leave with a smile, let’s have fun, let’s see what people are in the mood for…that’s how I approach every show.”

Sister’s Easter Catechism, Will My Bunny Go to Heaven? is playing March 1-19 at Trinity Rep, 201 Washington St., Providence. Tickets are $29-$49 and are on sale now online at www.trinityrep.com and by phone at (401) 351-4242.

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Face the Fire and Love the Battle Two young men credit SHS men’s hockey for success on and off the ice

By Brittni Henderson

For two young Smithfield men, their

past and present experiences with one high school sports team taught them far more than just how to win a game.

Marco Scotti, 23 and Luca Ragosta, 18, are former and current players on the Smithfield High School hockey team.

While the two agree on the fact that they grew as hockey players during their tenure with the team, they point out that the most important thing they’ve learned is simple: how to be a good person, especially off the ice.

Scotti, who graduated from SHS in 2011 has been lacing up his skates since he was 3 years old, joking that he was “basically born with a hockey stick in his hands.” He credits his father as the reason he started playing at such a young age, but it was his talent that kept him going throughout the years. Before playing for the Sentinels, Scotti was a part of the Rhode Island Saints, Rhode Island Blaze, and Northern Rhode Island Vikings hockey teams.

“Hockey has taught me many things about life,” Scotti shares, “but there’s one slogan that I lived by in high school, and live by today. ‘Love the battle.’ Regardless of your situation in life, you NETWORKING

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will always hit obstacles. Whether they are large or small, you can’t avoid them.

You have to stick your nose in there and battle through it. Face the fire and love the battle!”

Scotti is grateful for the positive influence of head coach Robert Jackson, citing that he is one of many young men whose lives Jackson touched with his inspiring coaching style.

“Jackson’s coaching philosophy was never just about hockey,” Scotti shares.

“He would constantly relate hockey to real life situations, which was extremely inspiring during my days wearing green and gold.”

The relationship between player and coach continued into the years following graduation. Before the 2014-15 season, a fantastic opportunity arose for Scotti—a chance to come full circle and coach the very team he played for just a few years prior.

“My favorite aspect of coaching is the fact that I am assisting my head coach at my old school in my hometown. It’s extremely heartwarming,” Scotti says. “I also enjoy seeing the young men on the team meet their fullest potentials and watch them progress, little by little, so

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Luca Ragosta has been experiencing this firsthand.

Ragosta, who is a senior on the Sentinel hockey squad, also has hockey in his postgraduate sights. Growing up, Ragosta would go to SHS games to watch players like Scotti in action, eager to get out on the ice one day himself. Before wearing green and gold, he played for

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the Northern Rhode Island Vikings, Providence Capitals, South Shore Kings and the Rhode Island Saints, to name a few.

Similar to the sentiment felt by Scotti, Ragosta feels like being on this hockey team is unlike any other. While he enjoys the Luca Ragosta other activities he participates in— lacrosse and tennis—there is a unique bond that comes along with a group of hockey players.

“It’s like a second family,” Ragosta says. “For the most part, everyone gets along.”

That feeling even extends to the opposing teams, such as Mount Saint Charles, which is always one of the fiercest matchups on the Sentinel’s schedule.

“I am friends with guys on other teams, including Mount,” he says. “We might be fighting for that win during the game, but once it’s over, we’re all friends outside of the rink.”

Camaraderie is vital inside and outside the locker room, and Ragosta says that this has helped him to become a less selfish, team player in every aspect of his life.

“Coach Jackson has always taught us how to be good people in the community because everyone knows you. They’re always watching,” shares Ragosta.

At the time of publication, the Sentinels were 12-4, with just a few more games left on their schedule. Check out sentinelhockey.com to see a full schedule, as well as where the boys will be during the postseason!

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Inside the Brown Bag

The Advice

By Peg Brown It certainly is way too late for me— about 55 years too late. However, with my seventieth birthday just a few months away, I thought I’d just buy it anyway—Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide. As it turns out, the guide was originally published in 1953—certainly in time for me to have taken full advantage of its sage wisdom written by fashion model who had contracts throughout the 1940s and 1950s with such prestigious firms as the Ford Modeling Agency in New York City.

I probably would never have known about the guide had not a recent newspaper article caught my eye — “Teen follows ‘50s popularity guide and it works (minus the girdle).” Apparently a 13-year-old from Brownsville, Texas, who considered herself “one step above substitute teachers,” found the guide and, deciding she had nothing to lose, secretly followed it for a year, recording her experiences as she conducted her experiment.

As she implemented Cornell’s suggestions, her popularity grew, she found herself with more friends, and—you guessed it—wrote a book about her experiences called Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek! by Maya Van Wagenen.

Anticipating I could pick up some pointers that might move me up a few notches in the popularity rankings of my high school class, and with just a few weeks to prepare for my seventieth, I ordered the original book from Amazon.

12

Chapter I—Introduction: A good start. Betty started her modeling career posing for “tubby teen pictures.” So far, I can identify. Next nugget — “recognize that success is up to you.” So far, so good. I was always a control freak.

Chapter 2—Figure Problems: Oh, oh. I sense a challenge. “What you feared has come to pass, what a popped button or a pulled seam has been plainly insinuating for some time, is true: you are overweight.” The executive summary of the rest of that chapter—deal with it. After wading through sample menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner as suggested by Betty, and looking at my high school picture, I realized that I had failed this chapter in my bid to become popular in high school.

On to Chapter 3— Skin Problems: I was lucky as a teen—I didn’t have too many skin problems that a good cleaning or a good squeeze couldn’t solve.

Chapter 4—Hair: On this point, I felt I must have scored some popularity points in my youth. I inherited a thick head of hair—unfortunately, it was not blond—but it was most often clean, neat and coiffed. According to Betty, I did miss choosing the best hairstyle for my round face—it should have been long, “styled with interest at the top,” smoothed away from the face and simple. I probably got half credit on this point in the popularity department.

Chapter 5—Makeup: I didn’t even read this chapter. I was and still am a complete washout when it comes to

makeup. I still consider wearing lipstick and mascara to be a sign that I am attending something akin to a royal coronation. Definitely a popularity demerit.

Chapter 6—Good Grooming: I think I must have picked up a few popularity points here. I used deodorant, shaved my legs (well, not so much in the winter when I wore knee socks), always had fresh underwear—and yes, wore a girdle to school every day of my life beginning in junior high as Betty suggested. She also advises teens to wear bras—like I had a choice in that department—chubby, remember. I also polished my shoes (I actually got my own shoe-shining kit at age 7—what was that about?), wore slips, fastened my nylons to the garter belt at the reinforced top and ironed my clothes.

Chapter 8—Clothes: Thanks to my Mother, I probably scored points here. I was definitely the tailored type and most of my clothes reflected that style—except for the red crinolines. I did have classic basics as the core of my wardrobe—and when I didn’t, I raided my Mother’s sweater drawer after she left for work. I was given to indulging in a bit of “frou-frou,” but in general my choice in clothes would probably be best described as—OK—boring—but consistent!!

Chapter 9—What to Wear Where: This actually wasn’t a problem. We had to wear skirts or dresses to school (not even allowed to wear those risqué culottes). I had decent underwear, although I didn’t have what Betty describes as the prerequisite black bra—that came later (wink, wink). I definitely never wore what Betty describes as “the tawdry, the tinselly, the tacky.” (Not that I wasn’t occasionally tempted.) I had a few going

March 2017

to church ensembles and formal wear that was in keeping with the norm of the day. What I didn’t have (and Betty almost considers these indispensable), was a strand of pearls—a strand of REAL pearls. All in all, I think I must have picked up a few more points in this category.

Chapter 10—Money (How to Earn Extra) and Chapter 11— On the Job, I just skipped. Other than baby-sitting, I never had a job in high school and, very fortunately, I didn’t have to rely on that income to build a wardrobe.

Chapter 12—Look Pretty—Be Pretty: Betty’s point here—be nice to everyone—you’ll be more popular. I know as I’ve aged, I scored fewer points in this category. Let’s leave it at that.

I skipped most of the rest of the

book, glancing casually at the calorie list, illustrations of suggested exercises, directions on writing personal thank you notes, how to behave away from home (who traveled ever?), and being shy—never one of my problems.

Having read this guide, albeit too late in life, where did I fall on the popularity meter oh so long ago?

The top tier of popular classmates was, as today, as always—the athletes. And in my day, they were mostly male—with the exception of the cheerleaders. So, not Tier I. Tier II were the “cool kids”—best defined as those who shared friends in upper classes, knew all the new dances, always got invited to the in-parties and the prom, served as class officers, shared secrets in the girls’ bathroom, had the

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best clothes and were fairly good students. Although, the class clowns were always part of this group.

Tier III—The smart kids. Here’s where it starts to get fuzzy. There was much cross over between these top three Tiers—athletes were class officers—so were smart kids. All were well groomed.

So here’s where it gets confusing.

Unlike Maya, I was not bullied, I think I was a step above substitute teachers—I was never part of the athletic crowd (except when someone wanted to get on the good side of my Father, the coach); I was NEVER part of the “cool kids”—and, I did fairly well academically—but was well out of reach of the really smart crowd.

On second thought, maybe Betty’s book wouldn’t have helped improve my popularity ranking after all.

What did I learn in preparation for my next two decades? I’m wearing my pearls—but I am ditching the girdle!

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Scrapbook Haven is a Place to Preserve Memories

By Jane Fusco

Rosann Maneca believes that every-

one has the ability to create a beautiful work of art, something that she has seen time and again in the 20 years that she has been scrapbooking.

Last Fall, Rosann opened Scrapbook Haven at 975 Greenville Ave. so that scrapbookers would have a dedicated place and space to practice their craft.

“I wanted a place that allows people to bond in a creative atmosphere,” Maneca said. “When people try to do scrapbooking at home, the whole basement ends up on the dining room table.”

Scrapbook Haven has all the supplies a scrapbooker needs, plus classes, monthly clubs and crops. What is also plentiful at Scrapbook Haven is inspiration.

N SHOWERS AND TUB SHOWERS Maneca said that assembling scrapbooks can be time-consuming and that

Sharon George (left), manager and Rosann Maneca, owner, of Scrapbook Haven.

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“Everyone has their own unique style, so no two scrapbooks will ever be alike,” Maneca said. “It is the bonding experience of working together with people sharing their creativity that gives inspiration to others.”

Scrapbooking is one of the largest categories within the craft and hobby industry and now considered to be the third most popular craft in the nation.

It is thought to have started in the 15th century, when commonplace books became popular in England as a way to compile recipes, letters, poems and anything that sparked the creator’s interest. Today, over 4 million women in the United States consider themselves to be scrapbookers. One of the reasons for an increased interest in scrapbooking comes from a renewed passion for genealogy, or tracing one’s roots, while others use the craft to showcase an interest in photography and graphic design.

“Small scrapbook stores are few,” said Maneca. She explained that for a

while, the big box stores were selling scrapbook supplies but they had to pull back their inventory when online sales increased. But the personal touch and socialization got lost, she said.

“People seem to bond easily in a creative atmosphere,” Maneca said, which is why she thinks her classes and crops have become so popular.

Sharon George, office manager at Scrapbook Haven, said that many people also use scrapbooking as a way to preserve memories of a loved one who has passed.

“Scrapbooks are usually sentimental, a family record,” George said.

Maneca said that most scrapbooks are themed to specific life events. She remembered one woman who took two years to put together a wedding album.

Rosann Maneca “It started off simple but by the end, it was quite elaborate,” she said.

“There are no errors in scrapbooking, just embellishments, you have to try it,” Maneca said.

For Maneca and George, bringing people together to preserve their memories is why they are so dedicated to the art of scrapbooking.

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15

IMHO

The Single Pancake Theory

By Ron Scopelliti So I was in a diner trying to decide whether to order a single pancake or eggs, when my thoughts turned to scaffolding. I realize this seems like an unusual move on the part of my brain, but having lived with it for all these years I’ve gotten used to my thoughts taking unusual turns.

In this case, scaffolding came to mind because a few weeks ago in Providence I was walking on a sidewalk and approached a scaffold that had several levels and a bunch of guys working on it. The sidewalk was wide enough that I had the option of either walking under the scaffold or walking alongside it, and it took me a moment to decide. I figured if I walked under it I was less likely to be hit by a dropped hammer, but there was the potential for paint to drip between the planks and land on me. I reasoned that the paint would hurt less, so I went under.

Then, I wondered whether walking under scaffolding was a violation of the “walking under a ladder” superstition.

I felt that the choice I made was obviously the logical one, but superstition is by its nature at odds with logic. Being a creature of logic, superstition shouldn’t have even entered my mind, but it did.

I have a strange relationship with superstitions because I don’t actually believe in them, but I like them. They make us question our relationship with the universe, and look for order where there probably is none. They challenge our typical notions of cause and effect.

I have this longstanding hobby of over examining superstitions, and analyzing their rules. For instance, many years ago I wrote a column about seeing a penny in the parking lot, and not

16

wanting to pick it up because it was tails up. I’d always heard it was good luck if you found a penny heads up. But I wasn’t sure if it was necessarily bad luck to pick it up if it were tails up, or if there was no change in your luck, and you just ended up one penny ahead.

I made my own modification to the penny superstition a few days after the scaffold incident when I dropped a penny on a stairway and it landed tails up.

I decided the proper thing to do when you see a tails-up penny is to pick it up, turn it to heads, and leave it there to give someone else good luck. So that’s what I did, taking the extra step of putting it up on the bannister because I didn’t want anyone to slip on it.

Having spent many happy years living with a black cat, I shouldn’t give a second thought to superstitions. But I think about them all the time. How did they develop? Has there ever been any empirical evidence for any of them?

Did, for instance, anyone ever look for a correlation between women with broken backs, and their offspring stepping on cracks in the sidewalk?

How exact are they? If you break a mirror do you get exactly seven years of bad luck, or is there some wiggle room?

And, does the bad luck start after the breaking of the mirror, or is the act of

breaking it part of the bad luck.

Are superstitions cumulative? If you walk under a ladder, could that cause you to break a mirror, resulting in seven years of bad luck which might include inadvertently stepping on a crack and breaking your mother’s back?

Anyway, the reason my choice between a pancake and eggs set off this line of thought was because a friend that I worked with many years ago thought it was bad luck to order a single pancake.

I’d forgotten about this superstition until another friend recently reminded me.

I’ve been violating it for years because there are certain places where the pancakes are so big that I’m perfectly satisfied to eat one, and two will leave me stuffed. But I wondered if I’d only gotten away with ordering single pancakes for all those years because I didn’t remember that I was violating a superstition. Now that I was willingly considering defying it, would ordering a single pancake bring me bad luck?

I reasoned that there must be somebody else out there in a similar situation, also ready to defy the single-pancake taboo. So I’d order one pancake with the hope that it would be cosmically connected, through some quirk of quantum entanglement or metaphysics, with another single-pancake order somewhere in the world. Surely the ethereal arbiters of karma and luck would see the spiritual unity of the two orders and spare myself and the other single-pancake diner any bad luck – there must be some sort of overriding, universal justice to make it so.

“On second thought,” I decided, “I’ll have the eggs.”

March 2017

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17

At Trinity Rep ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Rocks the House Review by Laurence J. Sasso, Jr. According to reports on the internet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has become the most frequently performed

Shakespeare play in North America, England, and Australia. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is one of the bard’s most accessible plays.

Trinity Repertory Company opened their latest version of the comic romp on February 9. It’s their third production of the play over the years dating back to 1967. This edition will run through March 24 - if the actors don’t wear themselves to a frazzle before then. This is one wild and crazy show that demands a pull out all the stops performance by everyone involved.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has proven, as critics have noted, to be a kind of Rorschach test for viewers, a make-of-itwhat-you-will endeavor. It is more easily grasped than many of Shakespeare’s plays, the humor often physical and easier to understand than the cerebral, embellished word play of some of the other comedies. In the quest for laughs this Trinity production leaves no stone unturned and no performer unchallenged by its demands on their energy and conditioning.

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stairs at the Lederer Theater Center, 201 Washington Street, Providence, the show is directed

by Tyler Dobrowsky. He has chosen to set the action at a high school dance in 1986. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is often done in different time and

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE frame settings, so this is not a shock. It trinity repertory company is, however, at times a bit of a reach as the players work to merge the 16th century script with a 20th century conception that is often over the top.

The story is about youthful rebellion, misdirected love, altered states of consciousness, and a woodland sprite, named Puck, who at the behest of his master, uses magic juice to disrupt the relationships of the principal characters. Much of the action takes place in a forest fairyland.

As the story begins, Hermia and Lysander are madly in love.

However, her father, Egeus, detests Lysander and has promised her to Demetrius. Meanwhile, Helena is smitten with Demetrius and isn’t ready to surrender her desire for him. Egeus takes his case to Theseus, the Duke of Athens, who is, himself, preparing to marry Hippolyta. Theseus sides with Egeus and rules that unless Hermia agrees to marry Demetrius she will have to enter a nunnery or die.

So the young lovers decide to flee to the woodland. Demetrius follows them and Helena follows him. There, they are observed by Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, who are arguing. Piqued at his queen, Oberon schemes to have Puck, who is his servant, put magical drops in Titania’s eyes while she sleeps. The drops will cause her to fall in love with the first person she sees on awakening. Oberon also witnesses Demetrius reject Helena and tells Puck to use the elixir on him as well, but Puck errs and Lysander winds up with the potion in his eyes instead.

Thereupon chaos ensues as Lysander wakes, sees Helena, and falls in love with her. Also, Titania sees and is besotted with a local tradesman called Nick Bottom, who has been fitted with a jackass head by Puck. Soon there is rampant confusion. No one is with the right lover, and the mistaken and/or abandoned objects of affection are terribly upset. The mix-ups Trinity-Midsummer.17.indd 1

1/20/17 9:30 AM

March 2017

provide the opportunity for extreme mirth and funny business before everything is eventually made right and the proper couplings are restored by Oberon and Puck. Once that happens, Theseus relents and endorses the union of Hermia and Lysander. Demetrius sees the possibilities with Helena, and Titania is reunited with Oberon.

Is this temporary descent into lovesick madness a metaphor for the fickle nature of human affection, the irrationality of love? Or is it a meditation on the mythic nature of fantasy abetted by enchantment, a foray into the world of spirits and fairies where logic and convention are upended by lust and unreasoned desire? In truth, it is all that and more. Love, it seems, is a special kind of madness.

As a bonus, the story concludes with a mock play within the play. Nick Bottom, his head restored to its original state, and a band of untutored rustics called “mechanicals,” are chosen to entertain at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. They are directed by a bumbling well-meaning innocent named Peter Quince. Their ludicrous, inept efforts at creating a drama called the “most lamentable tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe,” a tale drawn from Ovid, are hilarious and poignant at the same time.

Trinity does a certain kind of justice to this chameleon-like take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, playing it for all the zany, raucous stage business and burlesque they can pack into it. There is also a nifty rock band, a rapping Peter Quince, and a hyper manic, out of control conclusion to the mechanicals’ play. There are also plenty of madcap special effects.

Oh! And Puck spends most of the show on roller skates wearing a tutu-like costume. Maybe that’s all you need to know to form an image of what happens in this production, which takes place on a bare floor without scenery (but lots of props). The action rampages throughout the audience, as well, with actors squeezing between rows of patrons at times.

Rachel Warren is rather awesome as Puck and as a singer with the band. Mauro Hantman does exceedingly well in dual roles as Theseus and Oberon. Ditto for Phyllis Kay as Hippolyta/ Titania.

Trinity veteran and treasure Timothy Crowe excels as Egeus and Snug, who is the lion in the mechanicals’ play. Rebecca Gibel is versatile and spot on as Hermia. Jude Sandy makes a satisfying Demetrius, and Daniel Duque-Estrada gives us a spirited but slightly narrow-ranged Lysander. Gwen Kingston rolls with the extremes in the part of Helena, using her expressions and body language deftly to convey her emotions.

Long-time Trinity mainstays Brian McEleney as Peter Quince and Falstaffian Fred Sullivan as Bottom and Pyramus blow the doors off with their outlandish and crowd pleasing turns. Jeff Church, Angela Brazil, and Kym Gomes do yeoman work as members of the Peter Quince troupe, as does Teddy Lytle in two roles.

This is the 50th anniversary of Project Discovery, in conjunction with which Trinity is giving a free ticket to every 11th grader in the state.

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New Bricco Restaurant Offers Mediterranean Comfort Food with a Family Flair

By Paul Lonardo When Maria and Dimitri Markonidis began looking for a location for their family restaurant, an opportunity presented

itself that they simply could not let pass by.

Although they were living in Hudson, Massachusetts, the couple became aware that Spicoli’s Bar & Grill on School Street in Albion village would be closing its doors. Maria was familiar with the restaurant, having eaten there with her teenage son and teammates after nearby hockey practice. When the space became available, Maria and Dimitri jumped at the chance.

“We saw a lot of potential,” Maria says. “We just loved the location. It had the small town charm we were looking for. Being part of a community was something very important to us.”

The place was gutted, the interior redesigned, from the floors, to walls and ceiling. They installed an all new kitchen with a state-of-the-art brick pizza oven. They also paved and graded their already existing parking lot for ample parking.

By September the couple celebrated the opening of their Mediterranean-themed Bricco Comfort Food, just a few months later than they had anticipated. “It was more work than we thought,” Maria says. “When you start a renovation process as big as the one we started, you naturally run into obstacles…

But it all worked out great. We have a beautiful dining room and a brand-new kitchen that we’re very proud of.”

Bricco features a host of authentic Greek and Italian recipes, many of which have been passed down by Maria’s family from generation to generation. While she is very active in the kitchen, Maria can also be found running the business side of things as well.

The basic secret to Bricco’s comfort food, Maria says, is to keep things simple. “Comfort food by nature is simple ingredients and freshness and getting away from the processed foods that you see in many of the chain restaurants. We keep the menu

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small to help ensure that freshness.”

Simplicity and quality food seem to be just what Bricco’s patrons want in a neighborhood restaurant. It took a little while, but word is getting out, and their clientele has been steadily increasing since opening their doors last fall. Their brick oven flatbread pizza, which has been wildly popular, is just one of the reasons why.

“It’s a thinner crust-style pizza,” Maria explains, “as opposed to your traditional Sicilian, which has a thicker crust - we offer both…but it’s more about the toppings and the taste than it is about the bread. Our sauce is made fresh, by hand, every morning… it makes a big difference that you can taste.”

Maria says, “One thing Dimitri and I didn’t want was to walk into a ready-made restaurant, one where you just change the sign outside and open the doors. To me, that’s boring. I wanted the challenge of finding our niche, trying new things and seeing what works and what doesn’t work. We wanted to incorporate our own flair, combining a Mediterranean influence with the original New England dishes.”

The Markonidis family have built close ties within the Lincoln community, opening Bricco’s doors to community events, getting involved with their neighbors and playing a role that has a real impact on the lives of the village. Just this past February, Bricco hosted a charity event for Smiles for Brookie, a group formed to aid a local 5-year-old girl with cerebral palsy.

The family-friendly fundraising party had dancing, a magician, a face-painting station and other fun activities for the children.

More recently, the restaurant hosted a pasta dinner fundraiser for the nearby Northern Lincoln Elementary School.

“I enjoy bringing people together,” Maria says, “and being part of the fabric of the community.”

For Greek, Italian or classic American cuisine prepared in a Mediterranean style with only the freshest ingredients, Bricco Comfort Food is open Tuesday-Thursday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, Noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday, Noon to 10 p.m.

For the menu or more information, visit them online at briccocomfortfood1.com or stop by Bricco Comfort Food, 48 School Street, Lincoln.

March 2017

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21

Understanding Rhode Island’s Unending Epidemic Opioid Overdose is Now a Public Health Crisis

By Patti Shaffer

This is my family’s story. King Shaf-

fer Jr. died last October at the age of 49 from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl just three days before he was going to enter rehab for the second time. He was a devoted family man with two loving children. He received strong support from his family, but he couldn’t fight the temptation to stop using drugs. He was my nephew.

As a young boy, he suffered abuse by his stepfather and began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana at the age of 14.

In his 20s, while enlisted as a Navy SEAL living in California, a Jet Ski accident left him with severe back pain, which sparked the beginning of his drug dependence.

His doctor prescribed the opiate Percocet. When that stopped working, he began using and then abusing prescription painkillers by buying Oxytocin, also an opiate, on the black market to help his pain. When that stopped working, he entered rehab and started on methadone, another opioid medication. Over time that did not get him high enough, and 10 years ago he began using illicit heroin. Heroin was cheaper and easier to buy.

He was up to using 30 bags of heroin a day—a $500 a day habit. He did everything and anything to get it, and it killed him. Toxicology reports showed heroin and fentanyl in his blood.

Sadly, this experience happens to too many, and too often.

Did you know that nearly 80 percent of people addicted to heroin first started using prescription pain medications?

And that drug overdose from opioids is the leading cause of accidental death, not only in the U.S. but right here in Rhode Island?

In fact, Rhode Island topped all other New England states in overdose deaths over the last five years. During that period, we have lost more than 1,000 Rhode Islanders to drug overdoses. They came

22

from every community in the state, from every age group. Just last year alone, 296 people lost their lives in accidental drug overdoses. However, even that number isn’t final yet and is expected to rise to more than 300. During that time, EMT’s administered more than 1,000 doses of Naloxone (also known as Narcan), a medication that will reverse an opioid overdose.

What are opioids?

Opioids are a class of powerful prescription pain relievers marketed under brand names such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Codeine, Percocet and Fentanyl, and many others.

Heroin, of course, is an illicit opioid that has been around for decades. More recently the heroin supply has been invaded by illicitly manufactured synthetic fentanyl. This drug is often added to heroin to make supplies more profitable and is now showing up in other street drugs as well. Fentanyl is about 30 to 50 times more lethal than heroin.

Nationally, opioid overdoses killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, more than any year on record—and nearly half involved prescription opioids.

In Rhode Island, this overdose epidemic has created a public health crisis.

Believe it or not, we have one of the highest overdose rates in the nation and are in the top four according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data.

In Rhode Island there has been a 135 percent increase in deaths due to illicit drug overdoses since 2012, overshadowing the 34 percent decrease in prescription drug overdose fatalities. And the total number of drug overdose deaths continues to rise steadily.

What has caused this epidemic?

Michelle McKenzie, MPH, Sr. Project Director at The Miriam Hospital explains, “The dramatic increase in opioid

overdose is directly related to increased prescribing of opioids for pain. In the U.S., between 1999 and 2010, the rate of prescription sales increased threefold, and the number of overdose fatalities increased comparably. The rate of prescription sales began to drop in 2011; however, overdose deaths did not. By 2012, as prescribing practices became more conservative and people with opioid use disorder progressed in their disease, fatalities from illicit use began to rise, and by 2014 the majority of fatalities in Rhode Island were related to illegal use.”

The variability of illegal drugs makes the problem worse. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a national report last year revealing that since 2014 hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills have been entering the U.S. drug market, some containing deadly amounts of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.

More potent than morphine, fentanyl is a legal opioid used for anesthesia, and many different versions have made their way onto the illegal drug market.

Combined with heroin, Oxycodone or counterfeit Xanax pills, fentanyl can lead to an almost immediate overdose death.

This past year alone more than half of overdose deaths in Rhode Island were fentanyl-related.

According to Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), “People are injecting, swallowing and snorting fentanyl without realizing they are often breathing their last breaths. Fentanyl kills - and it kills quickly. In many instances, people don’t know they are taking fentanyl. If someone around you uses heroin or fentanyl, make sure you have naloxone, and if you think someone around you overdoses, call 911 as soon as possible.”

How can we prevent drug abuse, ad-

March 2017

diction and death before they start?

“Education regarding the addictive nature of opioids is very important,” states McKensie. “One of the things that have contributed to the prevalent use of opioid pain relievers is the belief that since it is prescribed by a doctor, then it must be OK. Educating parents and youth about the importance of taking medication as prescribed is important.”

Equally important to McKensie is to focus on teaching young people to make healthy decisions in regards to their bodies. “The messages that youth receive from the media imply that they are better living through chemicals,” she explains, “ It is important to recognize that youth will be negotiating how to, and whether to incorporate the use of all kinds of substances, not just illegal substances into their life.”

“My belief is that we need to focus on health and wellness,” McKensie says. “and making sure that youth and their families have the resources they need to make healthy decisions.”

Joseph Wendelken, Public Information Officer at RIDOH, offers up an immediate step that people can take right now in their homes to protect themselves and their loved ones. “Get rid of medication after it is no longer needed. Empty out the bottle, use a pen to cross your name and personal information off the bottle, mix the pills with coffee grounds, and then throw it all away.”

What are we doing in our State to help?

In 2015, Governor Raimondo created an Overdose and Intervention Task Force to actively address the crisis. Through four areas of focus—treatment, rescue, recovery and prevention - the Task Force aims “to reduce opioid overdose deaths by one-third within three years.”

Researchers at Brown University are also working in close partnership with colleagues at the RIDOH to pinpoint where overdoses are occurring, who is most affected, and how we can best intervene to reduce drug-related deaths. With its online overdose “dashboard” (www.PreventOverdoseRI.org), Rhode Island is very quickly becoming a national leader in using real-time data to address this crisis.

To offset the dwindling social work support available in public schools, nonprofit organizations such as Rhode Island Student Assistance Services (RISAS), the Providence Prevention Council, and other regional prevention councils have stepped in to fill the void.

Most importantly, free, confidential help is available for anyone using illegal drugs, or anyone who thinks they may have a problem with their prescription medication. To get help, call (401) 942-STOP. Even if you don’t have insurance, there are still resources available.

In the eyes of my niece, Anne Gutos, sister of King Jr., the situation is dire. “Nothing will stop the epidemic anytime soon because the influx of heroin into America is beyond the rate at which it can be stopped. My hope is for stricter control of doctors and pharmaceutical companies; vaccines for those who are genetically at risk; and early education and intervention before one even turns to opiates.”

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TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

The Hubsan H111 Nano Q4 Quadcopter

By Ron Scopelliti Drones are everywhere. And I don’t

mean that in a paranoid, “Big Brother is

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watching” sort of way. I mean that small, remotely-piloted aircraft are rapidly becoming a part of daily life. Once primarily high-tech military tools, they’re coming into their own as camera platforms, for recreational flying, and even for search and rescue operations. ESPN recently televised the inaugural 10-event Drone Racing League championship. And though Falcons fans might want to forget Super Bowl 51, they probably won’t forget the 300-drone halftime display.

What you do get is a four-rotor drone operated through a two-stick controller, similar to what you’d find on a gaming console. LEDs at each corner of the drone not only make it easier to see at a distance or in the dark, they’re color-coded so you can easily tell which way the Q4 is pointed. Since it weighs less than 0.55 pounds, FAA registration isn’t needed.

So far the Q4 has proved a sturdy indoor training tool. Having bounced it off nearly every conceivable household obstacle, I haven’t yet broken anything. The propellers are designed to come off on im-

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Like many technophiles, I’ve been wanting to try out a drone, but haven’t wanted to shell out $500 for a serious photography unit – at least not until I’ve had a chance to test my flying skills. That’s where the Hubsan H111 Nano Q4 comes in. Billed by its makers as the world’s smallest quadcopter, the palm-sized drone is also among the least expensive. Online prices range from $19.99 to $27.99. Reviews show it to be a popular “trainer” for fledgling drone pilots taking their first step into the hobby. It features controls similar to more expensive drones, without any of the extra features, like GPS guidance, auto-takeoff and landing, auto hover or a camera.

pact, rather than break and when they do so, they can be a challenge to find. Though it comes with a spare propeller for each corner, I’d suggest buying extras, readily available from a number of online sources.

I discovered the main requirement for a novice pilot to be patience. At first, just getting the drone off the ground without losing control was a challenge, but after getting the hang of it I found the Q4 to be stable, responsive, and fun to fly. The built-in battery can also try your patience, since flying time is about 5 ½ minutes and recharge time is around 25 minutes. On the whole, however, I’d recommend it to anyone looking to fly on a budget.

March 2017

Top 5 Neighborhood Crime Watch Tips from the Smithfield Police Department

2. Lock Up: Secure your home by locking doors and windows.

Keep vehicles locked, even if they are parked where you think it’s safe. Do not leave valuables in vehicles.

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3. Lighting: Leave exterior lights on to illuminate your yard and driveway. Most criminals try to stay undetected. By lighting the areas surrounding your home, you make your home and vehicles visible to attentive neighbors.

Turn your precious moments into a handmade keepsake!

1. Call the Police: If you see suspicious activity, report it to the police as it is happening. Too often, residents wait and call hours later. It is much better to report suspicious activity as it happens; that way police officers can respond while the activity is ongoing.

4. Check on Neighbors: If you have neighbors who may be elderly, check on them to see if they need anything.

Other neighbors may work long hours. Get to know your neighbors. Talk to them about current events and share emergency contact information with them.

5. House Checks: The Smithfield Police Department does provide house check service. Simply call the police station at 231-2500 and request that your residence be placed on the house checklist. The dispatcher will request your name, address, telephone number, dates that you will be away, and the name and number of an emergency contact person.

The house is then checked frequently by the patrol division until you return. Upon your return, you are asked to contact the police station and we will verify that you have returned and remove your residence from the house checklist.

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Al Bruno’s Smithfield Remembered – The Original St. Michael’s Church

By Laurence J. Sasso, Jr. This is the second article in an occa-

sional series about Smithfield locations that have either been forgotten by time or are no longer remembered for what they once represented. The locations are selected from a list compiled by former Smithfield Building Official Al Bruno. Bruno was originally featured in the January edition of The Smithfield Times, and the first installment of this series ran in February.

Built in 1875, the original St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church occupied a parcel of land on Homestead Avenue in Georgiaville. The house of worship was created in the then popular carpenter gothic style which sought to make wood frame buildings resemble the early stone churches of Europe. According to the 1979 Georgiaville historic district nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places, the structure was the largest building in the

village other than the mills.

Distinguished by impressive stained glass windows, it was topped with an eight by four copper clad cross, recalls Al Bruno. Reportedly, St. Michael’s was sometimes referred to as “the Portuguese church” owing to the substantial number of residents with Portuguese heritage, many of whom came to Smithfield to work in the textile mills. In actuality it served all

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Roman Catholics on the eastern side of Smithfield. Al Bruno was baptized, had his first communion, and was confirmed at the old church.

Some of his earliest memories are associated with it. As a youth he played guitar for shows in the basement auditorium, and he remembers carnivals that St. Michael’s hosted in the backyard, which is now the site of Georgiaville Manor at 20 Higgins Street, a senior housing facility, the rear of which faces the empty lawn area where the church once stood (photo with Mr. Bruno).

He also tells of walking to mass on Sundays on the railroad tracks that ran from Esmond, where he lived, on northward through Georgiaville. He recounts how on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, when he was 10, as he walked along the ties, a girl from the neighborhood told him that the Japanese had just

bombed Pearl Harbor. “Where’s Pearl Harbor,” he recalls asking her. As with many, many Americans before that ill-fated day, the Navy base in Hawaii was not a well-known place for the young Al Bruno.

The church was later deemed unsafe and replaced with the current one on Farnum Pike in the 1960s. Several years later the original edifice was demolished.

By then, Mr. Bruno was the Smithfield Building official and he oversaw the demolition. He salvaged a couple of the stained glass windows, but the object he prized most was a kneeler from near the confessional. “After all, I must have spent more time on it [saying my penance] than any other kid in the parish,” he jokes.

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The Inside Scoop

They Don’t Make Them Like Ralph Catuogno Anymore

By John J. Tassoni, Jr. For more than 60 years, the name Ralph Catuogno has been synonymous with local high school and college basketball. He strongly believed that young people could improve their lives through sports and was always right there to help student-athletes have an opportunity to do so.

Ralph was a chemist by trade but helping young people excel at sports was his passion, and he devoted countless hours and enormous energy to developing programs for student-athletes.

There are also numerous scholarships in his name that have benefited young scholar-athletes throughout Rhode Island.

Just like the old E.F Hutton television commercials, when

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In his hometown of Smithfield, he volunteered as a director for the boys’ and girls’ basketball leagues, and was one of the founders of the summer basketball program. The courts at the Anna M. McCabe School were dedicated to him.

Ralph Catuogno died peacefully Feb. 4. He was 86. Usually, when we hear of someone’s passing, we say that Heaven just got another angel. In Ralph’s case, Heaven just got a great basketball coach, who is probably lining up the angels for practice on the court right now.

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Mrs. Rhode Island Is Much More Than a Pretty Face

By Jane Fusco As a young girl, Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian would watch beauty pageants on television with her grandmother, sharing the excitement as the two finalists would hold hands waiting to hear who would be crowned the winner.

In May 2016, Sabitoni-Arakelian experienced that thrill firsthand as she stood onstage and waited to hear if her name would be announced as the winner of the 2016 Mrs. Rhode Island competition.

It was. Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian, 49, of Johnston, had become the oldest and longest-married winner in the competition’s history.

“I couldn’t believe that I’d won,” she said.

At first, Sabitoni-Arakelian said that she thought she was too old to enter the contest, knowing she would be competing with women whose average age was 34. But at the urging of her 102-year-old grandmother, she entered. “My grandmother said, “Do it, you’ve got the look.’”

Nana Di, as she is called, (short for Margaret DiMuccio) has always been a motivating force in her life, Sabitoni-Arakelian said. She said she also received “plenty of support from family and friends” while preparing for the pageant.

Sabitoni-Arakelian has been married to George Arakelian Jr. for 23 years and has two children, George III, 20 and Giavanna, 15. She works full time as an administrative assistant for the Rhode Island Laborers District Council and the Rhode

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Island Judicial Professional and Technical Employees, Local Union 808, an affiliate of Laborers International of North America.

A longtime community activist and fundraiser, Sabitoni-Arakelian has worked on behalf of Meeting Street School, Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, MAE Foundation for the Homeless, Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation, Melissa Delmonico Foundation, American Thyroid Association, Feed 1000, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Little Heroes Fund, Sandra Fedeli Memorial Scholarship Fund, Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Along with her husband, she hosts The Johnston Street Machines “Cruzin for a Cause” which brings classic car enthusiasts together for charity events.

Mrs. Rhode Island wasn’t the first pageant win for Sabitoni-Arakelian. In 2014, she won the Mrs. Rhode Island Italia pageant, a smaller contest that honors the state’s strong Italian heritage. She also competed in the national Mrs. America competition in Las Vegas last August. She did not win that title, but said she was grateful for the “once in a lifetime experience” and was proud to represent Rhode Island After returning from the national competition, Sabitoni-Arakelian began powerlifting four times a week to help her keep fit.

“I ended up really liking it,” she said.

Last November, she entered a state

powerlifting competition charity event, and won first place. In April, she will compete regionally.

By the end of her reign in May, she will have attended nearly 40 public appearances as Mrs. Rhode Island After that, she intends to continue with her charity work and encourage women and girls interested in competing in pageants. Most likely that has already started with her daughter. Giavanna, holds the title of Miss Rhode Island American Teenager, which she won last October.

Sabitoni-Arakelian said that she has learned a great deal from this experience.

“You’re never too old to set a goal for yourself. Along the way, I have made some wonderful friendships and met some amazing women.”

She said she’d tell anyone interested in a pageant competition “to be the best version of yourself.”

And just as her centenarian grandmother said to her, “You can do it.”

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29

Stargazing

Observing the Last Quarter Moon

By David Huestis, Historian, Skyscrapers, Inc. There is a lunar phase that is not as regularly observed as other phases. It is the last (or third) quarter Moon. And the reason for its lack of scrutiny by casual stargazers is because it generally rises around midnight. Although space does not permit me to review the reason for the cycle of lunar phases, you can refresh your understanding by visiting http://www.theskyscrapers. org/the-moon-its-just-a-phase-its-goingthrough.

March’s last quarter Moon will occur on the 20th, so this month’s column will highlight a few of the features that can be observed during this often overlooked phase. A small inexpensive telescope will be required to observe these formations adequately, though binoculars or even a

birder’s spotting scope will provide glimpses of a few of them.

Even around the midnight hour you’ll need to wait for the moon to ascend higher into the sky and above the tree line.

But if you don’t wish to forgo your beauty sleep, the next best time to observe this phase is a couple of hours before morning twilight. At sunrise the last quarter Moon will be due south of your location and at its highest point off the horizon. You can easily observe the moon in broad daylight, but the contrast is low, causing fewer details to be seen.

The accompanying Moon map will help you locate the lunar features I will explore.

The Moon’s north pole is at the top of the map, while its western limb is to the left.

Keep in mind that binoculars will provide you the same view that the map shows.

Various telescope designs reverse the image right to left and up and down. You’ll need to orient your telescopic view to the map using a prominent surface feature as a guide.

There are many formations that can be observed during this lunar phase. And even if you have observed some of them during a different phase of illumination, the ever changing sunlight angle can reveal subtle details not seen in those other phases.

Also, most native Rhode Islanders know that our state is often used as a unit of measure. Refer to the inset of the Rhode Island state map to scale in the un-illu-

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March 2017

minated half of the moon map. East to west “Little Rhody” is approximately 37 miles across, and the north to south dimension measures 48 miles. Keep these figures in mind when comparing to crater sizes.

On the edge of Mare Imbrium (translation means Sea of Rains – yes, early astronomers once thought the Moon possessed seas and oceans) is the crater Archimedes, an almost perfect circle about 52 miles across. Under low magnification its floor is almost featureless. A short distance to the southeast and seeming to extend from the terminator (during Last Quarter the terminator defines the sunset point) is the Apennine Mountains. This range contains some of the tallest mountains on the lunar surface. Carefully scan up and down this region. Some of the mountains’ bases may already be in shadow while their peaks can still be catching glimpses of sunlight.

As we continue our journey south and to the west we encounter the absolutely beautiful crater Copernicus. While this crater is not the largest (only 53 miles across), the detail one can observe is remarkable. Its walls show very fine detail and the crater floor has an incredible central peak. In fact, during one perfect evening many moons ago while using the 8 ¼-inch Clark refractor at Seagrave Observatory, I was able to look deep into this crater and see where a huge boulder had tumbled down one of its steep walls.

Outstanding!

Next please locate and examine the crater chain that comprises Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel. The detail that can be seen here is exquisite. Ptolemaeus is an old crater about 95 miles in diameter. Another impact, Herschel, blasted a 25-mile-in-diameter hole into its northern rim, and Ptolemaeus also shows smaller impacts on its floor. Alphonsus, 74 miles across, has a well- preserved central peak, where Ptolemaeus does not. Arzachel is roughly 60 miles in diameter and is very well preserved, showing great detail in its walls and central peak.

One of the most fascinating features on the lunar surface is the Straight Wall. This feature lies to the southwest of Arzachel and sits in Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds). This formation is very impressive. It is a fault or escarpment approximately 68 miles long, 1.5 miles wide, and no more than 1,000 feet above the floor of the Mare. While it may look very steep, its slope is no more than

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7 degrees. The Straight Wall’s appearance changes dramatically with the sun angle, so try to observe it during other lunar phases as well.

And finally I can’t end this lunar tour without noting crater Clavius. Sci-fi fans will recall that the monolith in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was uncovered in this crater. Clavius is huge, measuring 140 miles across. Though several smaller impacts have marred its floor, the inner crater walls are high and well defined. Several impacts have also occurred along the rim.

I hope this brief tour of our closest neighbor in space will encourage you to spend a few hours examining the lunar surface with whatever optical instrument you can use. The more magnification one is able to apply, the more detail one will be able to discern. Binoculars and telescopes should be outside collecting moonlight, not inside collecting dust in a closet or basement.

In conclusion, don’t forget we set our clocks ahead one hour (spring ahead) to EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) Sunday morning, March 12, at 2 a.m. On this date most of the United States shifts to Daylight Saving Time. And finally, on the same day as the last quarter moon (March 20), the Vernal Equinox (spring) begins at 6:29 a.m. EDT. The Sun appears to be moving northward in our sky as a result of the Earth’s axial tilt as we revolve around the Sun on our axis.

Great American Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017. Countdown: 172 days as of March 1, 2017.

Keep your eyes to the skies.

31

POETRY

- LXIX -

NOAH

FRAIOLI

CORNER

sudoku

The night is darkest ‘fore the dawn.

This is the final night.

The moon glows blue over the sea Of unflappable white.

The entire color spectrum Has appeared at least once From red, yellow, to purple rest Across several months.

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March 2017

CROSSWORD PUZZLE CLUES ACROSS 1. Fall down 5. Walmart founder Walton 8. Los Angeles time zone 11. Gallantry 13. Early Supreme Court justice Bartlett 14. One-time governor of Maryland 15. Act of imitating 16. Popular basketballer Jeremy 17. Round Dutch cheese 18. S. American rodents 20. Comic opera “Princess __”

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21. Commodities buyers and sellers (slang) 22. Hovers 25. Having had one’s head cut off 30. One-time monetary unit of Greece 31. Not no 32. Beloved Cubs third baseman Ron 33. Shapes 38. Giants signal caller Manning 41. Moves all the way around 43. Babe Ruth retired as one 45. Relinquishing

48. Native religion in China 49. Not well 50. Fill with high spirits 55. In bed 56. Type of pet 57. Somewhere to go 59. Smaller quantity 60. Ingested 61. Singer and Jacobs are two 62. Anger 63. British rockers __ Zeppelin 64. Like

CLUES DOWN 1. Polyvinyl acetate 2. Canadian folk musician 3. Evergreen trees and shrubs 4. Meat from a pig (French) 5. Secretion 6. Quality of yielding nothing of value 7. Aquatic mammal 8. Father 9. Protective crusts 10. Caps 12. Handwoven rug 14. Soil-like material 19. Not wide 23. When you aim to get there 24. Hold molecules 25. Tooth caregiver 26. Amount of time 27. Beverage container 28. Perform 29. Appollo’s grandmother 34. Obsolete home entertainment device 35. Serbian mythological demon 36. Bulgarian currency 37. Midway between south and southeast 39. Makes sense 40. A way to single out 41. Criminal (slang) 42. Former Tigers third baseman Brandon 44. Wobbled 45. Singapore’s second highest peak 46. Grossly overweight 47. Radioactivity units 48. Famed Spanish painter 51. Internet router algorithm 52. Expression of sorrow or pity 53. Druidic mother goddess 54. Electronic counter-countermeasures 58. Midway between east and southeast

33

The Chief’s Corner

By Robert W. Seltzer, BSEE, EFO, MPA Chief Smithfield Fire Dept.

This month’s column will focus on child safety. Many situations that children can get into may result in an injury. Prevention and close monitoring of your child is the key to reducing injuries.

• Create and practice a family fire escape plan, and involve kids in the planning. Make sure everyone knows at least two ways out of every room and identify a central meeting place outside.

Playground Safety

• Use safe cooking practices, such as never leaving food unattended on the stove. Also, supervise or restrict children’s use of stoves, ovens, and especially microwaves.

• Checking that playgrounds have soft material under them such as wood chips, sand, or mulch.

• Reading playground signs and using playground equipment that is right for your child’s age.

• Making sure there are guardrails in good condition to help prevent falls.

• Looking out for things in the play area that can trip your child, like tree stumps or rocks.

Burn Prevention • Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home—on every floor and near all rooms family members sleep in. Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they are working properly.

• Supervise young children at all times around fall hazards, such as stairs and playground equipment, whether you’re at home or out to play.

Sports Safety • When children are active in sports and recreation, make sure they use the right protective gear for their activity, such as helmets, wrist guards, knee or elbow pads.

• Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Infants and small children may not be able to get away from water that may be too hot, and maintaining a constant thermostat setting can help control the water temperature throughout your home—preventing it from getting too high. Test the water at the tap if possible.

• Be sure that sports protective equipment is in good condition, fits appropriately and is worn correctly all the time—for example, avoid missing or broken buckles or compressed or worn padding.

Poorly fitting equipment may be uncomfortable and may not offer the best protection.

Fall Prevention

• Have children learn and practice skills they need in their activity. For example, knowing how to tackle safely is important in preventing injuries in football and soccer. Have

• Use home safety devices, such as guards on windows that are above ground level, stair gates, and guard rails. These devices can help keep

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children practice proper form – this can prevent injuries during baseball, softball, and many other activities. Also, be sure to safely and slowly increase activities to improve physical fitness; being in good condition can protect kids from injury.

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• Allow time for child athletes to gradually adjust to hot or humid environments to prevent heat-related injuries or illness. Parents and coaches should pay close attention to make sure that players are hydrated and appropriately dressed.

• Communicate positive safety messages and serve as a model of safe behavior, including wearing a helmet and following the rules.

Poisoning Prevention • Keep medicines and toxic products, such as cleaning solutions and detergent pods, in their original packaging where children can’t see or get them.

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• Put the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home and program it into your cell phone. Call the poison control center if you think a child has been poisoned but they are awake and alert; they can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and your child has collapsed or is not breathing.

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• Safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs and over the counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements. To dispose of medicines, mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter and throw them away.

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• Buckle all children aged 12 and under in the back seat.

• Airbags can kill young children riding in the front seat.

Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an air bag.

• Buckle children in the middle of the back seat when possible, because it is the safest spot in the vehicle.

• Buckle children in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts on every trip, no matter how short.

• Set a good example by always using a seat belt themselves.

The Smithfield Times, Inc.

35

Keeping Bryant Safe Through the Decades Progressing From Part-Time Student Patrols to Professional Public Safety Officers

By Jim Ignasher

Editor’s Note: The author worked campus security for Bryant College while a student there in the late 1970s.

It was a peaceful evening in September 1979, and Sergeant Jack Currier of the Bryant College Security Department was on foot patrol in the Townhouse Village when the upper windows of a unit in G-Block suddenly exploded outwards followed by large sheets of flame. Currier radioed for the fire department before entering the building to search for victims, but intense heat and smoke drove him back into the street.

The fire began to spread to an adjacent unit, but fortunately there were no injuries, for the residents of the burning townhouse were not at home, and all others evacuated safely. The cause of the fire was blamed on a smoldering cigarette ash on the couch.

It could be said that the Bryant campus is a community, and the incident mentioned illustrates the need for those to

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keep it safe. Today the campus is patrolled by the Bryant University Department of Public Safety, a professional organization that provides 24/7 protection by being the first responders to all on-campus emergencies and calls for assistance. As such, the job entails certain risks, for they never know what they might encounter. The same was true in the early days of the department’s history, when the world and the campus, were much different from today.

When Bryant’s Smithfield campus opened in 1972, the town was more rural, and the campus more isolated. Route 7 was a two-lane road, and the intersection of Route 116 was regulated by stop signs. There were no hotels, industrial park, or business plazas between the college and Route 295.

Initially, the college contracted with a private security company, but for various reasons the arrangement didn’t work out, so a permanent campus security department was established.

At the time, Bryant had a criminal justice program as part of its curriculum which included students who lived on campus. Some of these students became the first members of the Bryant College Student Patrol, the first public safety agency for the college. The new Student Patrol adopted uniforms similar to those worn by the Smithfield police at the time; light blue shirts, dark blue pants and “Smokey Bear” Stetson hats.

The department’s first chief was Robert Gardner, a retired San Diego police detective, who along with three sergeants supervised the part-time student patrol. Gradually more fulltime positions were created and within a relatively short time the name of the organization changed from “Student Patrol” to “Security.” By 1978, the department had about an equal number of full-time officers and part-time student patrolmen.

Student positions weren’t limited to criminal justice majors, but few outside that major applied. The pay was $2.69 an hour, and it was the highest paying job a student could get on campus. Full-time officers received much better pay with benefits.

Training to be a campus security officer in the 1970s was minimal. A new officer would be assigned to a senior officer for a few days to be given instruction, and then be put on his own. The campus population was relatively small compared

March 2017

with today, and the job for the student officer was particularly difficult for they were often dealing with peers or classmates.

In the late 1970s, Smithfield’s fire department relied on volunteers between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., which meant response time to Bryant during those hours could take 15 minutes or longer depending on weather and availability.

This situation led two student patrolmen, Jeff Hutchinson and Mike Cei, to establish the Bryant College Emergency Medical Technician Association, which enabled on-campus volunteer EMTs to be available as first responders. This organization was run entirely by students who became certified EMTs by attending night classes at Community College of Rhode Island in Lincoln, at their own expense.

Two EMTs were scheduled for duty at all times, day and night. Each carried a pager that could receive radio transmissions from the security department – very high-tech for the time. When needed, the dispatcher would “activate” the pagers and advise the EMTs where they were needed. The security patrol car would carry first-aid equipment to the scene.

The EMTs were kept busy answering all types of calls, from the mundane to the very serious, and provided care until the fire department arrived. On occasions where an ambulance was unavailable, the trip to the now closed Fogarty Hospital in North Smithfield would be made by patrol car. The EMT Association was disbanded in the 1980s.

One duty of the security officers in the 1970s was to investigate all fire alarms on campus. In most cases the causes were accidental, or simply a prank, and once the problem solved, the officers would re-set the system. Today the fire department responds to all fire alarms.

During the mid-1980s, the security department stopped wearing uniforms and adopted a dress code that included a blue blazer, tie, dress shirt and slacks. A small patch worn over the left breast pocket of the shirts and blazer was the only identifying insignia. A few months later the department name was changed to “Public Safety.”

It was also in the 1980s that the college discontinued its criminal justice program, and thus, as student patrolmen graduated, they were replaced by non-students.

In August 1992 the Department of Public Safety once again began wearing uniforms.

The Bryant campus has more than doubled in size since 1972, and it continues to grow. Campus life has changed too, for today’s students and public safety officers have to consider issues that didn’t exist in the 1970s. As such, today’s DPS officers are far better trained than their predecessors, and their training is always on-going. Modern technology affords campus residents and employees a safer environment through surveillance cameras, and emergency call stations.

At present, the department is administered by Director Stephen M. Bannon, a retired Rhode Island state trooper, and his second in command, Captain John Rainone both of Smithfield.

The Smithfield Times, Inc.

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H H H

Superbowl Sunday IN SMITHFIELD H H H 2017 H H H Photos by Albert Tavakalov/The Smithfield Times

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March 2017

An Unsung Hero No More

By John J. Tassoni, Jr.

The dictionary defines the phrase “unsung hero” as a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery or value is unknown or unacknowledged.

In the town of Smithfield, Al Costantino is such a person.

Until now.

Al Costantino is a local businessman who keeps a watchful eye on our elected officials and town projects. Additionally, he is always willing to lend a helping hand when needed.

As we get ready to turn on the lights at Whipple Field, let’s not forget all of the countless hours and extensive effort that Al contributed to this project, voluntarily. Without his assistance, the lighting project most likely would not have been completed in time for spring sports events to take place. His guidance helped to ensure that our young people and leagues will have RESIDENTIAL

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MOVIES OUT THIS MONTH Table 19 – March 3rd - Now that I’m finally at the age when all of my friends are getting married, I’m in three weddings this year. Even just a couple of years ago, I would get excited about a wedding invite. Now I just think about how much money the dresses and parties are going to cost me and how every weekend from now until September seems to be filling up with wedding plans. So I can relate to Anna Kendrick’s character in Table 19, where she is stuck at the table of random strangers at her friend’s wedding after getting dumped by the best man (played by Wyatt Russell, who was hilarious in 22 Jump Street). The film is directed by Jeffrey Blitz, who directed 11 episodes of The Office from 2006 to 2013. That could be why Craig Robinson from The Office also stars in Table 19, as one of the other random wedding guests. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad Anna Kendrick movie, so this could be fun one to see with your best girlfriend.

Beauty and the Beast – March 17th - Not only is everyone my age getting married, but we’re all oddly nostalgic for the 1990s – this includes all of the Disney princess movies (which I find hilarious as we approach the age of 30). So you can imagine there’s been a lot of hype for this live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, since the first trailer was released last fall. Of all the actresses that could have played Belle, I’m glad they chose a strong feminist like Emma Watson. After all, Belle is one of the few Disney original princesses that focuses on learning and reading instead of waiting for a prince to come save her. I love that this message will reach a new generation of young girls. And did you know that Watson actually turned down the role of Cinderella? She told Total Film that Belle’s character resonated with her more: “In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring. She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view. She’s not easily swayed by other people’s perspective.”

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March 2017

Obituaries After a long illness at home, Michael R. Merola, 89, of Sprague Street, Greenville, Spent his final days at the Hebert Nursing Home in Smithfield where he passed away Saturday, February 4th. He was the husband of Ruth (Hennessey) Merola. They had been married for 50 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Angelo and Carmela (DeVito) Merola. He was a US Army veteran and Rhode Island Air National Guard. He had been a Truck Driver with the former B & E Transportation before retiring. He was a member of the Smithfield Elks, BPOE 2359, a member of the North Providence VFW and Teamsters Local 251. He was an avid golfer and loved following the Boston Red Sox. Besides his wife he leaves his children, Christina Merola of Littleton, CO, Donna Pavao of Ft. Myers, FL and Jack Hawkins of Cranston. He also leaves 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He was the father of the late Michael R. Merola, II. Donations in his memory may be made to The American Cancer Society.

Marilyn Ann Czernik, 75, died Tuesday, February 7th, 2017.

She was the wife of the late Thaddeus Czernik. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of Jessie (Robbio) Bowers, and step-daughter of Albert Bowers, Sr. Marilyn had worked as a programs coordinator for the Audubon Society for ten years. She was a charter member of the Smithfield YMCA and diligent Little League Mother. Marilyn was a faithful attendee of the Greater RI Baptist Church and an active participant in their Bible study group. She was a former pilot at North Central State Airport. Marilyn enjoyed bowling, so much so, that she became an instructor.

Marilyn also loved to read and spend time doing word games and puzzles. She is survived by her children, Richard MacKay of Christmas, Florida, John MacKay of Providence, Paul MacKay of Orlando, Florida, Lori-Ann Vizcaino of Greenville, Mary-Jo Williams of Springfield, Missouri , as well as her siblings, Albert Bowers, Jr. of North Smithfield, Deborah Bowers of Greenville, and Gary Bowers of Estero, Florida. Donations may be made to the Greater RI Baptist Temple.

Allen B. Schwartz, P.E., F.ASCE, 87, of Grandview Drive, Smithfield, died Friday at Cortland Place in Greenville. He was the husband of the late Lena “Lee” (Pinga) Schwartz. They had been married for 54 years before her death in 2007. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late David and Rose (Schwade) Schwartz. He served in the US Navy aboard the Aircraft carrier USS Leyte. He is survived by his children: Stephen A. Schwartz, James A. Schwartz, Catherine M. Schwartz, Carol A. Schwartz, Christopher A. Schwartz, his 6 grandchildren: Ariana, Marisa, Kristin, Alexander, Lauren and Ella and his six great grandchildren: Owen, Mason, Logan, Reese, Vivian and Olivia. He was the father of the late Thomas “TJ” Schwartz. He was a Professional Engineer licensed in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He worked as a Civil engineer for 44 years for Maguire Group in Providence and Foxboro. Mr. Schwartz was a Past President of the Smithfield Town Council, a member of the RI Water Works Association, RI Public Works Association and the New England Water Works Association, past President of the Providence Engineering Society, had

The Smithfield Times, Inc.

served as Executive Director of the Utility Contractors’ Association of Rhode Island, had served the RI Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers as secretary, vice president, president and on its Board of Directors and was elected a Fellow Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In recognition for his Service to his community as Chairman of the Smithfield Sewer Authority, the Town of Smithfield selected him to be a member of the Smithfield Heritage hall of Fame in 2012. He loved music, which he passed on to all of his six children, traveling with his wife and friends, playing golf and reading. He was a Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots Fan. Donations in his memory may be made to St. Michael’s Church, 80 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, 02917 Ralph Catuogno, 86, of Smithfield died peacefully on Saturday, February 4, 2017 surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of the late Olive (Wilson) Catuogno. They had been married for 59 years. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Elia and Restituta (DeSiano) Catuogno. Ralph had lived in Smithfield for the past 50 years. Ralph graduated from Central High School, where he was an outstanding student-athlete. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross. Ralph was a pharmaceutical chemist and a pioneer in the research & development of cardiac medications. He is a Veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in the Korean War. Ralph was a major catalyst in the development of youth programs in the State of Rhode Island, especially in the advancement of women’s sports. He was a basketball official for high school and college for 60+ years. At the collegiate level, Ralph served as the Official Timer for Brown University, Bryant University and Providence College. For his strong devotion and accomplishments, he was bestowed with numerous accolades, such as being inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic Hall of Fame, the Order of Sons of Italy Hall of Fame, the Smithfield Heritage Hall of Fame, the Rhode Island Coaches High School Football Hall of Fame, and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Ralph was also the Past President and Commissioner of the Rhode Island Basketball Officials Association. Numerous scholarships in his name have benefitted many young scholar-athletes throughout the state. He served for 40 years as the Volunteer Director of Girls and Boys Basketball Leagues for the Smithfield Recreation Department, and was one of the founders of their summer basketball program. The Town of Smithfield honored Ralph by proclaiming April 6, 1979 as “Ralph Catuogno Day,” and the basketball courts at Anna M. McCabe School were dedicated in his name. Ralph is survived by his daughters, Marilyn Harrington, of Smithfield, Carolyn Cancelliere, of Smithfield, Sandra Rego and her husband Michael of Coventry, Dr. Linda Nield and her husband Timothy of Morgantown, WV, Lori and Leslie Catuogno of Smithfield, as well as his grandchildren, Adam, Michael, Joshua, Olivia and Timothy. He was the father of the late Ralph M. Catuogno and the father-in-law of the late Steven Cancelliere. He was also the brother of Dr. Anthony Catuogno of Newport, and the late Teresa Catuogno and Marie Catuogno. Donations in his memory may be made to the Ralph Catuogno Scholarships, made payable to RIBGBO and mailed to John Coletti, 311 Doric Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Audubon Society of Rhode Island Register online at www.asri.org.

• Maple Sugaring and Pancake Breakfast 9:00 am – 12:00 pm March 4, Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA. Tours begin every 15 minutes starting at 9:00 am.

Member Fee: $12 adult, $6 child ($18/ non-member adult, $9/child.) Ages: 5+.

Register online at www.asri.org • Morning Bird Walks 9– 11 a.m., Wednesdays, March 1-29 Locations Around the State. FREE. • “Greening Your Home” 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., March 2 Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. FREE. • “Owls of New England” Armchair Naturalist Lecture 6:30 – 8 p.m., March 8 Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, Adults. Member Fee: $10 (non-member $14) COMMERCIAL

• “Naked Tree I.D.” 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., March 18, 2017 Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, Teen to Adult.

Member Fee: $10 (non-member $14) East Smithfield Public Library 50 Esmond Street, Smithfield. Register online at www.eastsmithfieldpubliclibrary.org (401) 231-5150 Ongoing Children’s Events • Tiny Tots Storytime 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday • Toddler Storytime 10:30-11 a.m. every Monday & Wednesday • Preschool Storytime 1-1:45 p.m. every Thursday • Game Day at the Library!

2:30 - 4:30 p.m. every Friday March Events • Free Tax Aid from AARP 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 16 and 30 • Make It and Take It Crafts! , 3:30-5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 2 • Dr. Seuss Storytime 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 4,

Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church 54 Cedar Swamp Road (Route 5), Smithfield.

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To become the provider, partner and employer of choice by providing a culture of C.A.R.E and services that meets or exceeds customer expectation.

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March 2017

• Free Lenten Supper 5:45p.m., Wednesdays, March 8-March 29 • Wed. services 6:45 p.m., March 8 & 29 Greenville Public Library 573 Putnam Pike. Registration information online at www.yourlibrary.ws, 949-3630 Ongoing Children’s Events • Baker After School Center, 2-5:30 pm weekdays when school is in session Adult Events • Irish Song & Dance with Mary King 4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 11. Join us for a performance by musicians Phil Edmonds, Kevin Fallon, & Mary King • Dealing with Difficult People, Even if You are the Difficult One 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 18 with Psychotherapist and Radio Talk Show Host Kenneth Petrucci, MSW. The Rhode Island Council on Problem Gambling will be holding their 2017 Conference on March 3, 2017, at the Providence Marriott, 10 Orms Street, on Friday, March 3, 2017. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a national campaign to raise awareness about problem gambling. Keynote Speaker for the 2017 Conference is Michael Burke, nationally recognized speaker and author of the best seller, Never Enough: One Lawyer’s True Story of How He Gambled His Career Away. Featured workshops include topics such as responsible gaming, mental health treatment, emerging online trends, and strategies to address problem gambling. Fee for the oneday conference is $75 ($30 for students) Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register online at www.ricpc. com or by calling (401) 556-8447.

Meghan’s Mission Pasta Supper Tickets on Sale. Tickets for Saint Philip Parish Men’s Club pasta supper, Meghan’s Mission, to raise funds for 16-year-old Meghan Kiernan of Greenville, are on sale now. The dinner is Thursday., March 23, 2017 in the Parish Center of Saint Philip Church, 622 Putnam Pike, Greenville, from 3-8 PM. Kiernan, a sophomore at Smithfield High School, is the daughter of Colleen Kiernan and the granddaughter of Dorothy Connell and the late Peter Connell. She was di-

The Smithfield Times, Inc.

agnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last May and has undergone multiple surgeries, four rounds of chemotherapy and 11 radiation treatments. Dinner tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and children. Raffle tickets are $1 each or a book of six tickets for $5. You do not need to be present to win. Tickets can be purchased after Mass at Saint Philip Church on the weekend of March 18 & 19. One hundred percent of all funds raised will go towards the ongoing medical expenses of this child. Organizers are actively looking for raffle prize donations.

Contact Vinny Mattera at 949-3345 or Elizabeth Israni at 871-5410 to help. To make a tax-deductible donation to the fund, please make checks payable to St. Philip Church and in the memo line put Meghan’s Mission. Checks should be mailed to the church at 622 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI 02828.

Find Answers and Guidance About Alzheimer’s At Caring & Sharing Support Group. If someone in your family or a friend you know has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, are you looking for a place to find caring support and answers to your questions? You can turn to Caring and Sharing meetings for family and friends of those dealing with Alzheimer’s and memory disorders. The meetings are held once a month at The Village at Waterman Lake in Greenville, RI. Joseph DeAngelis, MA, NCC, LPC-CT, leads an informal discussion and support group in a safe and relaxed environment, The Courtyard Bistro. The Village at Waterman Lake is located at 715 Putnam Pike, Greenville RI 02828. Call 401-9498933 for more information and to reserve your place. Meetings are from 6:30 to 7:30 on the third Thursday of each month. This month that is March 16th.

The North Providence High School Class of 1967 will be celebrating their 50th reunion on Aug. 19, 2017, at the newly renovated Meehan Overlook at Notte Park, off Douglas Pike, North Providence. Cost of the event is $67 per person. For further information or to make reservations, please contact organizers at nphclassof67reunion@gmail.com.

Grease is the word, have you heard?

Smithfield High School’s Music Department is set to present the hit 50s themed musical Grease March 10, 11, 12 at 7 p.m., 90 Pleasant View Ave., Smithfield.

Tickets are $10 ($7 students) which is a sweet deal considering the possibility that you might discover for yourself the next big “Sarah Potenza” to graduate from the local area. Under the direction of Kelly Chartier and Katherine Young, Smithfield’s music department is well-known for their energetic and well-staged musical productions.

“Four Irishmen walk into an Italian restaurant…”

B. Pinelli’s, 736 N Broadway, East Providence puts a unique spin on their St. Patricks Day dinner with The Lads of Laughter March 17. Featuring four “all-star, all-Irish” comics Frank O’Donnell, John Morris, Charlie O’Hall and John Kelly, the show bills itself as an “intoxicating evening” of Irish-infused stand-up comedy. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and admission for the buffet dinner and show is $29.95. Reserve tickets at 270-7111.

Smithfield’s Sarah Potenza set to rock The Met this March Roots rock and roll musician Sarah Potenza will be back in the state March 24 with an all-ages show at The Met, 1005 Main St, Pawtucket.

The 1998 Smithfield HS graduate made a huge impact on season 8 of the NBC reality show “The Voice,” and is touring to support her well-received new album Monster. Tickets are $15, available online at www. themetri.com.

Smithfield performers featured in Roscommon Soles at Greenwich Odeum Award winning Irish step dancer Kevin Doyle brings his performance group Roscommon Soles to the Greenwich Odeum for their newest show Step into the Irish Parlor St. Patrick’s Day. The Roscommon Soles cast showcases two Smithfield natives; championship fiddler Sheila Falls-Keohane and Samuel Miller, a World Champion Irish step dancer. Part variety show, part cabaret and part storytelling, the show puts Irish music and step dancing firmly in the spotlight. Performances are March 11 at 8 p.m. and March 12 at 3 p.m., at the Greenwich Odeum, Main Street, East Greenwich, RI. For more information, visit www.greenwichodeum.com or call 885-4000.

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March 2017

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Voted as a “Top Orthodontist” in 2012-1016 Rhode Island Monthly poll of Rhode Island dentists Recognized as “Top 40 Dentists under 40” in the country by Incisal Edge Magazine 2014

“I am in the dental field & can definitely separate the good doctors from the mediocre doctors. Dr. Beagan & his staff are the model office. You get great patient care & a great smile!” - Kim, Smithfield, RI “University Orthodontics is the best! Everyone in this practice goes out of their way to make each visit special, even FUN!”

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