From left are David Kane, Linda Church, Catherine DeCataldo and Charlie Hall

By JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET – Yes the Milk Fund Roast was a Dave Kane show Wednesday night at the Embassy Restaurant and yes the jokes were acerbic, irreverent and possibly a bit uncouth.

 The support crew of Kane’s WNRI Radio cohorts, family and friends, Noel Pincince bearing gifts, and yes, a silver-tongued City Council President Leo T. Fontaine as master of ceremonies also did their jobs in creating the proper stage for the stars to shine.

 Diane Rivers event chairwoman  said the event would be a win for the Milk Fund from the 140 tickets sold by the start of the show and plenty tickets being purchased for the events raffles and giveaways.

 That, she said, was a credit to Kane. “When I asked him to do this, he thought I was joking. I said I wasn’t and he agreed to do it,” she said. And that opened the door to Hall and Roark’s participation and all the rest.

  Even Mayor Susan D. Menard, appearing only in name in the slurry of jokes, did her job to help the city’s longtime charity make strides toward assisting local children, the working poor and seniors.

  The mayor’s recent election opponent and retired city police Detective Todd Brien, made a guest appearance at the podium while bringing Kane a package from Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle, a bullet-proof vest for when he visits the department’s firing range and to “put safety first.” The vest of course had a bulls-eye drawn on it.

 Brien had jokes for himself as well, noting he has gone out seeking election to local posts in three past elections and came up short in all three.

 There was a positive to his two runs against Menard, he added. “Thank god I ran against her, because if I hadn’t Dave Kane wouldn’t have had anyone listening to his show,” Brien said.

  Brien also noted that Chief Houle was not among attendees because he was “out in the parking lot taking down license plates,” a reference to one of his past campaign run-ins with the chief.

 Fontaine, stopping to praise each speaker as they made their exits, gave credit to Todd Brien for “being the only Brien in the city not working at City Hall right now.”

 As for Kane, Fontaine said the honoree “has got to be one of the nicest guys I know.

“He’s got a big heart, he’s talented, he’s entertaining,” Fontaine said before pausing.

 “I’m sorry Dave,” Fontaine continued. “I know you wrote this and I just can’t do it.”

 Noel Pincince also went to the podium with some prepared material but after several tries, and blaming his vision, had to defer to his ghostwriter, Hall, to get it right.

 It turned out funny, but yes, you had to be there. You also had to be there for Dick Bouchard’s double-entendre routine or Pat Schwegler’s poem dedicated to her muse, Kane.

  Radio friend Roger Laliberte said something French about Kane that drew laughs from those in the know, and Kane’s longtime friend Lloyd Robinson, told stories about their early days together while working in Providence and Kane’s tendency to use vast quantities of small change to pay his bills.

 While the roasters hammered Kane for his local talk on WNRI, he also took hits for his popular stand up routine, Father Misgivings, and his tendency to be the only one talking on his talk show. It is a call in program, they reminded him.

 But while bumping Kane around a bit, even with a guest appearance by George Bush put on by Roarke, as well as visits by Clint Eastwood, Kramer and Al Gore, those speaking were also clearly friends and loved ones of the honoree.

 His son Dave Kane told the crowd a few funny things about his father and how at times being the son of a talk show host can be “pretty embarrassing.”

 But on a serious note, the younger Kane said his father had taught him the most important thing of all “how to stand up for myself,” and that was something he relied on heavily while growing up.

 Hall said Kane has another side, one that can show people out to face the most difficult times in life.

“He had a son that was taken away, we think, way too early and he talks to him all the time,” Hall said while remembering Kane’s son Nick, a victim of The Station fire.

“The next day he was scheduled to go on stage as Father Misgivings and he did go on because he had to teach us what survival is all about,” Hall said.

 Kane also remembered his family when he took the podium in response, speaking directly to Dave and telling him, how much he loves him and to his wife Joanne, who he said had helped him in so many ways through the aftermath of Nick’s loss.

 And he remembered Nick, a talented and wonderful son who “I have in my heart everyday.”