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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Readers' Choice: Best Liquor Stores in RI

Patch readers picked their favorite store to stock up for those summer BBQs. Check out the winners throughout RI and southeastern Mass.

The unofficial start of summer — Memorial Day — is only a week away. Time to break out the BBQ pit and kick back in the yard with your favorite frosty beverage by your side. Feel an ice-cold beer? How about a nice glass of whiskey to enjoy with a cigar? Maybe a refreshing vodka-tonic or pino grigio? Whatever's your liquid vice of choice, you probably have a go-to package store to stock up. Patch wanted to help readers decide where to head to find the best selection, best prices or best service of all the liquor stores around. We asked readers throughout the state which store in their town is best. After five days of voting, the winners are in. Check out which liquor stores Patch readers think are the best of the best and support your …

In this Article:

Briggs Corner Store (in Attleboro-Seekonk Patch), 1776 Liquors (in Bristol-Warren Patch), Anthony's Wine and Spirits (in Coventry Patch), and 11 more ›

Friday, May 18, 2012

House Hunt: Open Houses This Weekend

Check out this selection of homes open for inspection around Cranston this weekend.

  • NEWS
  • Yesterday

Springtime is house hunting time, and there's plenty to see this weekend in Cranston. Check out this selection of homes and then click here for a full list of 39 open houses in the city.

Readers' Choice: A&T Casali Voted Favorite Liquor Store

Readers chose their favorite after 5 days of voting.

  • NEWS
  • Yesterday

The results are in and the winner for the Cranston Patch Reader's Choice: Favorite Liquor Store is A&T Casali Liquors! While there are plenty of quality package stores in the area, Casali finished just ahead of the pack this week, taking in 29 percent of the split vote. Wines & More came in second with 16 percent, and Atwood Wine and Spirits garners 14 percent to round out the top 3. Readers in the comments section threw their support behind Wines & More: Thank you to everyone who voted. Readers' Choice will be returning with a host of new items to vote on in a few weeks.

In this Article:

Wines & More and Atwood Wine & Spirits

Park View is NEED's National School of the Year — Again

The National energy education program picked Park View for its work educating the community and other students about energy use. It's the second year in a row that the school has won the award.

For the second year in a row, Park View Middle School has been named 2012 National Junior Level Energy School of the Year by the National Energy Education Development Project Board of Directors. "This is a great achievement, however, what establishes this as 'above and beyond' is the fact that this is the second year in a row that Park View NEED Cougars were bestowed this honor," said Park View Middle School Principal Joseph S. Rotz. The NEED students are invited to attend a national ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June. Throughout the year, the students work to promote energy education within the school and the community as a whole, including a large energy fair that attracts hundreds of people who come to see them showcase a variety of …

In this Article:

Park View Achieves Excellence, Park View Named NEED's Junior Level School of The Year, and Park View Middle School

Thursday, May 17, 2012

EDC Head Resigns, Ehrhardt Calls For Loan Caps Following 38 Studios Controversy

The head of the state's Economic Development Corporation has stepped down following the controversy of Curt Schilling's 38 Studios.

Keith Stokes has stepped down as the head of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation amid the controversy surrounding Curt Schilling’s videogame company 38 Studios, according to the Providence Journal. The company, headed by the former Red Sox pitcher, defaulted on a $1.125-million payment to the state on May 1. On Wednesday, Schilling and members of 38 Studios met with state and EDC officials in an emergency meeting that was closed to the public. In 2010, EDC approved a $75-million guaranteed loan to the videogame company following 38 Studios’ promise to bring 450 jobs to the state by the end of 2012 and moved its business from Massachusetts to Providence. Stokes, a longtime board member of the EDC, was appointed by former Gov…

Council De-Funds Personnel Department, Merges it With School District

The change came in the form of a budget amendment last week and is expected to save $100,000.

In the hopes of saving about $100,000, the City Council last week amended the budget to de-fund the city's personnel department and merge its operations with the school district. The change effectively eliminates the city's personnel director — a mayoral appointment — and marks the first of several consolidation measures that have been kicked around for years to actually get implemented. Council Member James Donahue said the consolidation is an "experiment for the city and the school district" and an "opportunity to reduce the amount of money the city is spending to manage a function and provide some additoinal relief to schools." The idea is that the school district would get paid by the city to compensate for the extra work. If things go…

Comment_arrow

Joe Richer

12:50 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012

Excellent point, that I somehow missed Steve. I agree that you should not be able to escape the charter through defunding. Both parties should know that that's a "trick" that cuts both ways. On the other hand, if we can save money through changes to the charter...I hope we will do what we can to speed that up.   more ›

Five Things: May 17

It's May 16 and here are five things you need to know today.

Shrew: The Central Library's Book Discussion Group meets today at 2 p.m. to discuss The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It's one of the worlds most famous ghost stories. Come and join the discussion of this novella, which is open to interpretation. Panera: Stop by for lunch at Panera Bread in Cranston, buy a raffle ticket, and help wipe out melanoma at their annual Melanoma Awareness Event. 10% of their lunchtime profits and 100% of the raffle tickets will go to the Melanoma Foundation of New England. You might also win a great prize from an area business. Meets: The city's Ordinance and Finance Committees meet tonight at City Hall. The fun starts at 6 p.m. Sun: Awesome weather today. Sunny with a high near 74, according …

In this Article:

Central Library, Cranston Book Discussion Group, Panera Bread, and 4 more ›

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

City Begins Steps to Replace Aging Bus Fleet

The city Finance Committee will consider a motion to ask the General Assembly to approve $2 million in bonds and notes to finance bus fleet replacement.

The school district's aging bus fleet has been an increasing cause for concern for city and school officials and there's an indication action could be taken soon. The City Council's Finance Subcommittee meets tomorrow night and on the agenda is a resolution asking the General Assembly to authorize the city to issue no more than $2 million in bonds and notes to finance the purchase of a new fleet of buses. According to the ordinance, the buses are "old, in disrepair and in some cases, unsafe." A new fleet of buses would "be safer for children, get better gas mileage saving the [city] money in fuel costs and be more environmentally friendly than the current school buses." The subject of the bus fleet came up during the school district's …

In this Article:

Finance Committee OKs Bus Contract Extension

Cranston Police Department Honors Police Week

Flags are lowered to half staff.

President Barack Obama declared on Monday that May 13 through May 19 is National Police Week and May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. "We owe a profound debt to all those who have worn the badge, and to the families whose care enables them to serve with courage and pride," he said in a press release. "When the unthinkable happens and officers give their lives or are seriously injured in the line of duty, we have an obligation to give their loved ones the support they deserve." Flags at the Cranston Police Department headquarters on Garfield Avenue have been lowered to half staff in recognition of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Read the president's full press release and visit the National Police Week …

In this Article:

Cranston Police Department

Inmates Focus on Women's Health Week

Staff and female inmates are taking the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities and lectures in observance of National Women's Health Week.

In observance of National Women’s Health Week, a week-long health observance supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections has arranged for a variety of activities and lectures in the Women’s Facilities throughout the week ending on Friday, May 18th. On Monday morning, female inmates were informed of an opportunity to write about “What does health mean to you, and how has it impacted your life?” They were told they could write poems, essays and drawings to be shared with fellow inmates and staff in a collaborative book with the theme Women, Power, and Health. Contributors will have the opportunity to present their submission on Friday at the conclusion of…

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