All Bristol All The Time

 Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today asked each of Rhode Island’s 17 quasi-public agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of all contracts for outside services managed by these agencies, with a particular focus on those contracts for public relations, advertising and lobbying services.

            In making this request, Governor Chafee urged that any such contract that is not demonstrably critical to the fulfillment of the agency’s mission be cancelled as soon as possible under the terms of the relevant contract.

            In a letter to the executive directors of each agency, Governor Chafee stated: “As you are aware, the current financial situation in this state is perilous. Under my appointment authority I take very seriously the responsibility of placing highly qualified individuals who strive to ensure value in the services provided by our quasi-public agencies. Through this authority, I will continue to seek and appoint individuals who will protect our taxpayers from waste and mismanagement.”

            In addition to reviewing service contracts, Governor Chafee also asked each agency to evaluate its responsibilities under State purchasing law. Specifically, he asked that agencies carefully review requirements for posting of contract solicitations on a public website, posting of all awarded contracts and posting of all procurement rules and regulations applicable to each agency’s contract practices.

            As he mentioned in his budget address in March, Governor Chafee and his administration will continually review the operations of all state agencies to identify opportunities for cost reductions that are available through increased efficiency and productivity.

Currently, Rhode Island has 17 quasi-public agencies: the Capital Center Commission; Rhode Island Convention Center Authority; Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation; Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation; Rhode Island Industrial-Recreational Building Authority; Quonset Development Corporation; Rhode Island Airport Corporation; Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation; Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation; Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority; Rhode Island Student Loan Authority; Narragansett Bay Commission; Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency; Rhode Island Water Resources Board Corporate; Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation; Rhode Island Public Transit Authority; and the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

7:30 PM

Linden Place Museum will begin the tour season with a Friday evening fundraiser concert with the museum’s own “Josh Groban,” singer Michael DiMucci on May 6th at 7:30 PM in the Ballroom of Linden Place at 500 Hope Street, Bristol.

Michael DiMucci’s eclectic repertoire and experience in opera, musical theatre and jazz has enabled him to perform with groups from the Rhode Island Philharmonic to swing bands like Avenue A.  This sure-to-sell-out concert will feature songs from Broadway, classical cross-over and The American Songbook.  Joining Michael is local violinist and vocalist, Ashley Hewitt.

Ashley Hewitt, a singer and musician from Boston, Massachusetts, has recently joined New England country band, Stones River. With past duet experience, Ashley Hewitt and Michael DiMucci collectively provide a musical symphony that has the power to captivate any audience.

 Tickets are $20, $16 for Linden Place members and $12 for Colt Circle Members and includes a glass of wine upon arrival.  Tickets should be reserved in advance by calling the museum. 

Supplemental to a ticket purchase, the DeWolf Tavern on Bristol’s waterfront will offer a special pre-fixed menu for concert goers. Dine at this fantastic restaurant, recognized by Esquire as one of America’s best restaurants before enjoying Michael DiMucci in concert. They will offer a special three course Prix Fixe dinner for $19.95 per person (for Linden Place concert-goers only!) including a glass of beer or wine. Please make reservations in advance and ask for a seating no later than 5:45pm to ensure arrival at Linden Place for the 7:30 pm performance. Diners should specify when they arrive that they are attending the DiMucci concert and will be given the special menu. For reservations, contact the DeWolf Tavern at 401-254-2005.

This concert is part of Linden Place Mansion’s opening for the season celebration.  Linden Place Mansion and museum store will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from May through Columbus Day.  Tour admission is $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for students & seniors, $5 for children under 12. (Children under 6 are admitted free).

Watercolor By Joan Thompson Boghossian  

Joan Thompson Boghossian was Second Place in the water media catagory by the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club in New York City for this watercolor. The CLWAC Members Show is taking place at The Salmagundi Club. 47 Fifth Avenue, 

New York, NY       March 20 – April 1, 2011  Reception is Friday, March 25   6-8pm

JOAN THOMPSON BOGHOSSIAN

Joan Thompson Boghossian, a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, began her arts studies when her fourth child left for college. She continued to study with prominent artists locally and nationally, and now is recognized as a major talent in New England. She has won more than sixty significant prizes, including awards in national and regional  juried shows.  She is a four-time winner of the Grumbacher Gold Medallion Award in watercolor.  Her awards cover watercolors, oils, etchings and monotypes.

Boghossian is an elected artist member of numerous art associations, including the New England Watercolor Society, the Providence Art Club, the Copley Society of Boston, the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, and the Mystic Art Association.  Her paintings have been shown in museums, art associations, and galleries, primarily in New England, but also throughout the US. and overseas. They are also included in private and business collections. A native of Newport, Rhode Island, Boghossian lives in Pawtucket and maintains a studio in Narragansett and Providence.

John Martin

John Martin has been appointed Associate State Director – Communications at AARP-Rhode Island. He will oversee the state office’s advocacy communications, media relations, advertising and marketing, as well as promote and support AARP-RI’s community outreach and volunteer engagement efforts.

Martin was Director of Marketing & Communications and Director of Public Relations at Save The Bay, Rhode Island’s premier environmental organization, from 2003 to 2011. Previously, he was Director of Corporate Communications at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. He was media critic at the Providence Journal for 12 years and a news anchor and talk show host on Providence’s WEAN radio from 1980 to 1986. For the past eight years Martin has served as an adjunct professor of Communications at Roger Williams University.

“John brings a wealth of experience to AARP, with a particular knack for showcasing both the opportunities and the benefits of being part of a strong member-volunteer organization,” said AARP-RI Senior State Director, Kathleen S. Connell. “We know he will add strength to our staff of dedicated professionals working for a more fulfilling and secure future for people in this state.”

Martin, who holds degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and Brown University, resides in Barrington with his wife, Faye Zuckerman.

Get Moving at Walk MS on April 10^th! Bike, Walk, or Run to Help Rhode Islanders with MS

 Downtown Providence, Narragansett, and Bristol

MSwalkgirl at towers 

On Sunday, April 10, more than a thousand people will gather in Narragansett, Bristol, and Providence to walk, run, and cycle to help Rhode Islanders living with multiple sclerosis at Walk MS.

Walk MS, which starts at 9 a.m., is so much more than just walking. For people who prefer to be on their bikes, the MS 25 Quick Ride, which many cyclists enjoy as a training event for the 150-mile Bike MS, be held at the Walk MS site in Narragansett. MS 25 starts at 8 a.m.

Run MS: 5K Rhode Race will return to the Bristol Walk MS site for its third year after experiencing an overwhelmingly positive reaction the last two years. It takes place along a certified course in Colt State Park. Run MS starts at 8 a.m.

If you’ve walked before, you know that Walk MS is the signature fundraising event of the National MS Society. By participating, you’ve shared a remarkable achievement with more than 250,000 other walkers in 700 sites across the country. But most importantly, you are making a difference by raising essential funds for research and services for people with MS.

We want to thank our Walk MS 2011 sponsors – ABC6, TEVA Neuroscience, EMD Serono, Inc., Providence Convention Center, Quality Sound Productions, Biogen, Yawgoo Valley Search & Rescue, and Bo-Dee’s Circle of Music.

To participate in Walk MS, choose from three different locations throughout Rhode Island. While the bike and run events start at 8 a.m., all three walks start at 9 a.m.

In Bristol, the start is at Mount Hope High School and participants walk 3 or 6.2 miles through historic Bristol and Colt State Park.

In Narragansett, choose from 3- and 6.2-mile options that kick off from Narragansett Pier School and travel along the scenic sea wall.

In Providence, start at the R.I. Convention Center and walk 3 miles through downtown Providence.

Our 22st annual Walk is shaping up to be our best yet so register, recruit your team, and start fundraising. We’ll be walking to create a world free of MS. Check out www.mswalkri.com for information.

Audubon Offers a Week of Free Guided Walks At Wildlife Refuges Across Rhode Island And New “Passport to the Trails” Program

April 17 – 22, 2011

Celebrate planet Earth and explore those special places around the state that are only accessible by foot. Take a nighttime stroll, search for salamanders, explore a salt marsh, discover the rocky shore of Narragansett Bay, or bring the kids on a family nature hike.

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is offering a weeklong schedule of FREE guided walks at wildlife refuges across the state and nearby Massachusetts. There are programs to suit all ages, interests, and capabilities – from mild birding walks on easy trails to vernal pool explorations that might get a bit wet and muddy! It’s a fun, free celebration of planet Earth.

New this year, travel across the state and explore 10 different Audubon wildlife refuges with the Audubon Passport to the Trails.  Just visit the Audubon Environmental Education Center or Powder Mill Ledges Nature Shops to receive your free passport. The Passport to the Trails will also be available at all Earth Day and school vacation week hikes and programs. Then just head out and discover the varied habitats and creatures that call Rhode Island home.  Along the way, you will be directed to a “hidden” stencil template at each refuge.  Make a crayon or pencil rubbing at each destination and return the completed passport to Audubon in September 2011 for a reward and the opportunity to be entered into grand prize raffle for Pentax binoculars.  For more details, visit www.asri.org.

Please see below for a complete schedule and descriptions of free guided walks…and remember to bring along your passport!

All programs are free of charge, but pre-registration is strongly recommended. Call (401) 949-5454 ext. 3041 or email programs@asri.org.  For additional details and visit www.asri.org.

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Earth Day 2011 is sponsored by: Pentax Sport Optics, REI, and RI PBS

Editors note:

In addition to these free walks, during this week Audubon is also offering a complete schedule of school vacation programs.  Please see the attached release specifically for school vacation events.  

Join us for a Night of Irish Music with renowned singer, Robbie O’Connell!

Bristol, R.I.- Robbie O’Connell, a Clancy family Irish folk performer, will grace the mansion parlors with an intimate performance on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 7:30pm.  Robbie O’Connell began his career by performing with his uncles, the Clancy Brothers. Yet more recently, Robbie has been performing solo throughout the East Coast as well as in Ireland. With prior venues such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Linden Place Museum is honored to host a performance by the Irish folk singer in the historical mansion parlors.

 Robbie O’Connell has achieved recognition as a talented songwriter who can compose and structure a song out of everyday occurrences. After moving from Ireland to Massachusetts to where he now resides in Bristol, RI, Robbie O’Connell has carried on the family legacy, continuing to amaze Americans with his lyrical expression. With songs about war and emigration, a live performance with Robbie O’Connell is an intriguing and enjoyable experience, especially when he sings his comedic songs. 

Tickets are $20, $15 for Linden Place Members, free for Colt Circle members and includes a wine reception to meet the performer.  Reservations are required (space is limited) and can be made by contacting Linden Place at (401) 253-0390.

BRISTOL, RI The following local residents are among those to be named to the Roger Williams University Dean’s List for the Fall 2010 semester. Full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a GPA of 3.4 or higher are placed on the Dean’s List that semester, provided that they have not received any of the following grades: F, I, NP or NS.

Lauren Anderson, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Aubrey Ayotte, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Yuliya Baran, a resident of Attleboro, MA

Byron Barrientos, a resident of Pawtucket, RI

Andrew Clark, a resident of East Providence, RI

Alex Costa, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Samantha Curran, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Michael Ethier, a resident of Lincoln, RI

Minsi Feng, a resident of East Providence, RI

Craig Fitzpatrick, a resident of East Providence, RI

Michelle Fox, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Jessica Karalis, a resident of Pawtucket, RI

Brandon L’Europa, a resident of Riverside, RI

Jessica Lambi, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Nicole Manzo, a resident of Lincoln, RI

Carina Mauricio, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Richard Mendoza, a resident of Central Falls, RI

Sophy Paulino, a resident of Central Falls, RI

Ashley Renshaw, a resident of Cumberland, RI

Justin Reyes, a resident of Lincoln, RI

Elizabeth Ritchie, a resident of Attleboro, MA

Marissa Saracina, a resident of Manville, RI

Thomas Sojka, a resident of Pawtucket, RI

Henry Trimbach, a resident of Riverside, RI

Laura Vargas, a resident of Central Falls, RI

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

The original charter for Roger Williams Junior College received from the Secretary of State on Feb. 14, 1956

BRISTOL, RI Roger Williams University celebrated a new Valentine’s Day tradition Monday with its first Founders Day, held exactly 55 years after the University’s original leadership team received its charter from the Rhode Island Secretary of State on Feb. 14, 1956.

“Who were our founders?” asked President Ronald O. Champagne, Ph.D. “They were visionaries who could imagine growth and expansion and who were not afraid to tackle the challenge of growing a college. All of us who are fortunate to be part of today’s vibrant and productive RWU community owe a debt of gratitude to those whose vision created and nurtured this great university.”

The daylong celebration included a proclamation from the Town of Bristol offered by Town Administrator and RWU alumna Diane Mederos ’94; an RWU birthday cake at the Dining Commons; afternoon tea with President and Mrs. Champagne; and a presentation by Professor of American Studies Michael Swanson and students from the University Honors Program on the history of the University and its namesake.

“I sometimes wonder what Bristol would be like if it weren’t for Roger Williams University settling on this beautiful waterfront property,” Ms. Mederos said. “I believe that Roger Williams has very much enhanced the Town of Bristol, that we have grown to complement each other and that ours is a symbiotic relationship. The success of one makes the other stronger.”

Mrs. Ruth Champagne, Ph.D., championed the establishment of Founders Day as a way to celebrate a University history that now extends more than a half-century: “Everything we do at RWU is possible because of the vision and hard work of the founders and our predecessors,” she said. “Founders Day gives us an opportunity to recognize and appreciate our mission and our legacy.”

Some of the key facts detailed in the presentation on the University’s history include:

• Having witnessed the evolution of an academic institution from its beginnings as a Northeastern University branch campus for business and law from 1919 to 1941, to an independent Providence YMCA Institute of Engineering and Finance until 1956, the founders named their successor college Roger Williams Junior College.

• The construction of Interstate 95, which created a barrier between the Roger Williams building in Providence and many of the neighborhoods from which its students came, played a major role in the decision to move the main campus to Bristol in 1969.

• A generous gift of 63 acres of waterfront property in Bristol from Dr. Marshall Fulton, a Trustee of both the College and the YMCA, provided the foundation for the Bristol campus; the Bristol location was originally referred to as the Fulton Campus.

To read the full text of the proclamation from the Town of Bristol, please visit http://www.rwu.edu/depository/university/bristol_proclamation.pdf.

The University also created a Founders Day website detailing its early history, available at http://library.rwu.edu/FoundersDay/.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

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