Archive - 2012 - News Article
December 23rd
WOONSOCKET â Santa Claus was seated in his cabin at the mini-park near City Hall Thursday evening, chatting with all the children who stopped by with their friends and relatives.
Emily DiTomasso, 9, and her cousin, Allison Vuona, 5, both of Woonsocket, shared a moment with Santa as Allison's mom, Becky, looked on.
Emily later said she asked the Jolly Olâ Fella for a Tangled doll, which has hair like that of Rapunsel, and slippers. Allison, meanwhile, asked for a Snow White doll and also for some footwear for the home, Stompies, while telling Santa the rest of her wish list.
The chorale at St. Anthonyâs Church in Woonsocket, under the direction of Mary Bienkiewicz-Picard, will sing at the Christmas Day 9 a.m. Mass. The 22-member choir will perform a variety of traditional and ethnic musical selections. Guest soloist Ryan Latour will render the holiday selection of âO Holy Night.â Latour recently performed at the Stadium Theatreâs version of âIn the Moodâ and he is a lifelong parishioner of St. Anthonyâs Church.
The church will offer Christmas Eve Vigil at 5 p.m. Monday, but again there will be no Midnight Mass.
December 21st
CUMBERLAND â The Town Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday night authorizing Mayor Daniel J. McKee and the police department to purchase new desktops and related equipment as part of a department-wide overhaul of its computer systems.
The $23,635 to purchase the new computers will not come from town funds, but rather a 2009 COPS law enforcement technology grant.
WOONSOCKET â This past July, 12 dedicated students enrolled in the RIRAL Transition to College Adult Education program to prepare for their return to college. After five months of academic preparation, they graduated at Woonsocket Harris Library this week in front of dignitaries from CCRI, the state Department of Education and Mayor Leo Fontaine.
The graduates are: Christie Ayala, Alex Ballina, Melissa Cabral, Monica Dias, Janisse Dossantos, Yvette Garza, Diana Gomez, Andrew Ming, Priscila Nassif, Carolina Osorio, Deanna Pickering and Wendy Wilmarth.
NORTH SMITHFIELD â Police Lt. Jared Salinaro still loves his job, but itâs just not as easy coming to work as it used to be.
Thatâs because he has to leave the house without his longtime partner, Vasko the police dog.
Vasko was a staple of the patrol division for more than six years, with a sable snout as familiar to police officers in Woonsocket and other Valley towns as it was here. Though heâs still eager to work, Vaskoâs been forced into retirement because Salinaro, his exclusive handler, was recently promoted into a position that no longer keeps him tethered to a police cruiser.
December 20th
WOONSOCKET â A 21-year-old woman was beaten, bitten and threatened with a knife during a feud with her boyfriend Wednesday, police said.
Brad Johnson, 19, of 78 Spring St., was arrested after fleeing the residence and charged with domestic assault with a deadly weapon, domestic disorderly conduct and domestic refusal to relinquish a telephone.
Police said the victim tried to call 911 several times while they were en route to the residence, but the only thing the caller managed to say was that someone was holding a knife to her neck.
WOONSOCKET â Another unconfirmed report that Walmart is bidding on a âsupercenterâ project on Diamond Hill Road has prompted the city to ask the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant for clarification.
âIt is my sincere hope that if and when you find yourself in a position to be able to comment to me about Walmartâs plans, you will take the opportunity to do so and have an internally consistent message conveyed by the city to support your own,â wrote Economic Development Director Matthew Wojcik on Thursday.
LAS VEGAS (AP) â Twenty-year-old Cranston native who's a self-described "cellist-nerd" brought the Miss Universe crown back to the United States for the first time in more than a decade when she won the televised contest Wednesday.
Olivia Culpo beat out 88 other beauty queens from six continents at the Planet Hollywood casino on the Las Vegas Strip to take the title from outgoing champion Leila Lopes of Angola.
December 19th
PROVIDENCE â Neftali Melendez, 26, of Woonsocket, was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in federal prison, the high end of advisory federal sentencing guidelines, for illegally selling firearms during an undercover investigation by ATF and the Woonsocket Police Department into the trafficking of firearms in Woonsocket.
LINCOLN â Local deer could soon be the targets of hunters following a 3-2 Town Council vote allowing archery hunting as a way to reduce the townâs growing deer population.
The hunting season measure worked out by the Councilâs ordinance committee came up before the five-member full panel for action without a recommendation but was approved with Council President Keith Macksoud, and council members Kenneth Pichette and Arthur Russo in favor and members James Jahnz and John Flynn opposed.
