Archive - 2013
March 18th
PROVIDENCE â While the immediate future of Rhode Island high school co-op teams does not appear threatened, concern appears to be mounting about the direction the practice is heading.
A portion of Mondayâs gathering of the Principalsâ Committee on Athletics focused on a myriad of topics that have to do with the validity of cooperative programs. The fact-finding mission is already underway -- a committee tasked by the Interscholastic League to weigh the pros and cons of co-ops recently sent out a three-page survey to principals and athletic directors.
PROVIDENCE â Validation that the Providence College menâs basketball program is heading in the right direction came Sunday night in the form of receiving a first-round home game in the National Invitational Tournament.
PC will welcome Charlotte to The Dunk Wednesday night for a 7:15 tip. The Friars are seeded fourth in a region while the 49ers of the Atlantic 10 are the fifth seed. Wednesdayâs winner advances to face the victor of Kentucky-Robert Morris, a contest set for Tuesday night. Second-round NIT matchups are scheduled for March 21-25.
Marie Rose
Bertha LeBlanc
NORTH SMITHFIELD- Marie Rose Bertha LeBlanc 88, died Sunday March 10, in the St. Antoine Residence. She had lived with her daughter Susan Hoyle just prior to entering St. Antoine. She was the loving wife of the late Herve LeBlanc.
She was born in Woonsocket the daughter of the late Andre Racine and Juliana (Brunelle) Racine.
She worked for many years in the health care profession.
Roland E. Paris
LINCOLN- Roland E. Paris, 86, of Sayles Hill Road, Manville died Sunday, March 17, 2013 at the Holiday Retirement Home, Manville.
Born in Woonsocket, a son of the late Oscar and the late Marie Ange (Trottier) Paris, he had lived in North Smithfield, Cumberland and Lincoln before moving to Manville 3 years ago.
Roland was a 1944 graduate of Woonsocket High School and a 1948 graduate of Bryant College.
He was employed by Electric Maintenance and Electric Works from 1948 until he became the owner of the business in 1972. He retired in 1992.
WOONSOCKET â In a victory for Mayor Leo T. Fontaine, a Superior Court judge has ruled that former Highway Supt. Robert Harnois was not wrongfully terminated nearly three years ago and has no right to pursue a grievance to get his job back.
At issue was a settlement agreement that Harnois reached with the city days after he had been fired on May 19, 2010. The agreement was a swap, essentially â the city would refrain from pressing any criminal charges against Harnois and allow him to resign voluntarily if he agreed to drop grievance proceedings challenging the termination.
William D. Gratton
INVERNESS, FL- William D. "Bill" Gratton, age 74, Inverness, died March 15, 2013 surrounded by his family.
Bill was born on August 22, 1938 in Burlington, VT.
Henryka Kukowski
BURRILLVILLE- Henryka (Gawron) Kukowski, 59, of Harrisville, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 12th at the Home & Hospice Care Ctr. Of Rhode Island in Providence.
Born Jan. 14, 1954 in Jaksice, Poland she was the daughter of Zofia (Wieczorek) Gawron of Poland and the late Czeslaw Gawron.
Henryka was a Registered Nurse at St. Vincents Hospital in Worcester for 10 years. She was a graduate from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor Science Degree in Nursing and also a graduate from Worcester State College earning her Masters Degree.
Joseph R. Ricard Sr.
AUGUSTA, MAINE- Joseph R. Ricard Sr.,79 of Augusta and formerly of Woonsocket, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 15, 2013, surrounded by his family.
Visiting will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 6-8pm at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church St., Augusta. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am on Friday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Western Ave, Augusta.
For complete obituary information and to leave condolences for the family, please visit the website at
www.khrfuneralhomes.com
March 17th
BLACKSTONE â The Blackstone-Millville Chapter of the National Honor Society held its seventh annual âEmpty Bowls Projectâ dinner recently in the high school cafeteria.
The room was set-up to look like a soup kitchen where soup, bread and desserts were served. Each of the 33 NHS members was required to sell tickets to the community, while faculty and staff members from the five schools in Blackstone and Millville bought tickets from designated faculty.
NORTH SMITHFIELD â Work on the new Aldi supermarket at Dowling Village is wrapping up and Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton said on Friday plans are in the works for the storeâs grand opening the morning of April 4.
Hamilton has been invited to the storeâs ribbon-cutting ceremony that morning and noted there will be grand opening giveaways and other activities at the store.
âWe are very excited about that; the only other Aldi's I am aware of in Rhode Island is in Providence,â she said of the Germany-based supermarket chainâs arrival in the Blackstone Valley.
