AmeriCorp Audubon position available

AmeriCorps Environmental Educator Position Available
Audubon Society of Rhode Island

The Ocean State Environmental Education Collaborative's AmeriCorps Program (OSEEC) is a strategic effort by Rhode Island's top environmental education organizations to address the lack of science proficiency and environmental literacy among students in the state's urban core cities.

OSEEC AmeriCorps members will be assigned to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island for one year of service as an environmental educator. The AmeriCorps members assist in reaching out to the urban communities to provide supplemental science enrichment classes to schools and community organizations. Details:
http://www.asri.org/images/PDFfiles/americorpsposition.pdf

Bristol Snowflake Raffle and Holiday Preview

Click on image once to enlarge.

Blithewold Volunteers needed!

Whether you are exploring exotic destinations with “Joy to the World”, woodland whimsy with “This Bright and Merry Woods”, or the magical world of “Fantasies and Fairies”, one thing is constant and guaranteed, it is the captivating time of the year that is CHRISTMAS AT BLITHEWOLD!

Join the fun and see Blithewold in a way that you may never have experienced before. Each Christmas season comes with a varied and intriguing array of volunteer opportunities certain to peak your interest and suit your schedule. This year we will be open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from November 26 through January 2 with musical performances being offered every Thursday and Saturday evenings at 6:30 p.m. To meet the ever increasing demand, afternoon tea’s have been expanded to four days a week and let’s not forget the perennial favorites like story time for the little ones and the gingerbread exhibit in the carriage house. Join old friends or make new ones greeting visitors, assisting with admissions, or selling raffle tickets. The Holiday Gift Shop will once again fill the breakfast porch and entice our visitors with a fabulous selection of seasonal treasures and tempting gift items.

Do yourself a favor and take time to savor this very special time of year as a member of the Blithewold volunteer family. Contact Donna Grabert, Volunteer Coordinator at Ext. 18 or email Donna at dgrabert@bithewold.org.
Blogger note: This was originally written by Donna for the Blithewold winter newsletter.

Snowflake Raffle Drawing

Save the date and mark your calendars:
Bristol's second Snowflake Raffle Drawing and Celebration will be held on Sunday, December 19 at 5pm on lower State Street. Not to missed!! Details to follow.

Debates tonight at Franklin Court

Candidates running for RI Senate and RI House of Representative seats will be debating tonight at Franklin Court on Wood Street from 6 - 9 pm. School committee candidates will also be debating.
House representative candidates are:
Thomas Carroll (R)
Richard Morrison (D)
Ray Gallison * (D)
Doug Gablinske* (D write in)
Senate candidates are:
Levesque* (D)
Ottiano (R)
Non - partisan School Committee candidates are:
Diana Cambell*
Paul Silva*
Bill O'Dell*
Harold Tucker
* = encumbent

Reception at Aidan's for Stephan Brigidi today

STEPHAN BRIGIDI, Town Council candidate: A reception for Stephan Brigidi, Moderate Party Candidate for Town Council, will be held at Aidan's Pub on Wednesday, October 27 from 5-7pm. This is an opportunity to meet and greet the candidate and talk about Town issues. There will be a brief speaking program. There is NO ticket charge and free appetizers will be served with a cash bar. The Bristol public is welcome to attend.

Ballot Question 4: PVD Shooters property

This is part three of a three part video series from Save the Bay on saving public waterfront open space in RI. This video focuses on Providence and the $3.2 million needed to acquire land adjacent to India Point Park for use as a public recreation gateway to the Bay. A marina and a restaurant are possible plans. People in Providence right now have little access to the open waters of Narragansett Bay. (This is currently the site of the Shooters building next to Providence Community Sailing.)This is part of the Question 4 bond referendum to save and preserve shoreline public access on the November ballot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHLL-VSS6VU

Ballot Question 4: Fort Adams Restoration

This is part two of a three part video series from Save the Bay on saving public waterfront open space in RI. This video focuses on Newport and the $1.5 million needed to open the interior of Historic Fort Adams to broader public use; This is part of the Question 4 bond referendum to save and preserve shoreline public access on the November ballot.
As many of you know, Eric Hertfelder, Executive Director of Fort Adams Trust, is a Bristol resident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V2B3g3pVV0
Learn more at www.SaveOurShoreRI.org

Save our Shore - Rocky Point

This is part one of a three part video series from Save the Bay on saving
waterfront open space in RI.This video focuses on Warwick and the $10M to be used to acquire 81 acres at the former Rocky PoInt Amusement Park to be joined with lands previously acquired by the CIty of Warwick for park use. This is part of the Question 4 bond referendum to save and preserve shoreline public access on the November ballot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62M9ca4fBnw Learn more at www.SaveOurShoreRI.org

Blount Seafoods expands staff and sales

Blount wins excellence in business award from Providence Business News.
"Blount Fine Foods chosen for Overall Business Excellence for companies with more than 100 employees. Blount Fine Food has expanded its staff by 25 percent and sales from $59 million in 2007 to $95 million in 2010."
http://www.pbn.com/Providence-Business-News-names-winner-of-the-2010-Business-Excellence-Awards,53332

Apple Computer's John Sculley on Steve Jobs

This is a long essay by John Sculley about his colleague Steve Jobs.
Sculley became the CEO of Apple when Jobs was voted out by the Board
of Directors. Sculley didn't know a thing about computers. What
attracted Steve Jobs to Sculley was his interest in Industrial Design
- not computers.

"Steve from the moment I met him always loved beautiful products,
especially hardware. He came to my house and he was fascinated
because I had special hinges and locks designed for doors.
I had studied as an industrial designer and the thing that conmected
Steve and me was industrial design. It wasn't computing.
I didn't know really anything about computers nor did any
other people in the world at that time." John Sculley

After reading this you get a good idea of how Apple products
came to be and how attention to detail and beauty was
all important no matter the cost!

Full article here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ujl368

Olde China Trader to close

Sadly another Bristol store front is closing: This just in from owner, Mike Byrnes:
After eight years of operation we will be closing our shop in Bristol on 31 December 2010. We will continue to operate our business from our warehouse and from the web. Our warehouse is located at Weetamoe Farm on 244 Metacom (Rt 136) Ave in Bristol and will be accessible by appointment.
We very much appreciate your support, interest and patronage over the years and we are proud to have spread the beauty and timeliness of Chinese art and culture to so many people and homes.
In preparation for the closing of our Bristol shop we will be holding a:
RELOCATION SALE from
1 NOVEMBER through 31 DECEMBER 2010.
All items will be marked down by 30% and many items will be marked down 50%
Beginning on 1 January 2011 we will be open for business in our Weetamoe Farm warehouse at 244 Metacom Ave in Bristol.
While we are usually at the Farm it is best to call for an appointment using the numbers below.
Mike 401 243 4511 Mary 401 378 8483 Marie 401 499 7021

Thank you again,
Mike, Marie, Mary and Lynne

Nine East Bay Towns Moving Forward with wind-farm plan

Providence Journal
Sunday, October 17, 2010
by Alex Kuffner
The concept for the wind farm was hatched early last year during a leadership conference at Roger Williams University in which East Bay officials discussed ways they could collaborate to save taxpayer money. One idea presented at the event was to jointly explore green energy options.
It is exciting to read that The Renewable Energy Fund, which is managed by the state Economic Development Corporation, awarded another $335,000 grant last month that will pay for a meteorological tower to collect wind data and will also go toward more detailed studies of permitting issues, governing structures for the consortium and financing options, including the availability of state and federal funds.
http://tinyurl.com/2w8dbad

RI Governor Debate to be held in Bristol

RI Gubernatorial candidates will be speaking at the Audubon Environmental Education Center on Hope Street this Sunday, October 24 at 3pm. Call Audubon to reserve at 949. 5454 x 3018

Save Cell Phone Minutes

Save Cell Phone minutes by skipping long-winded voice mail greetings and instructions.
Press * when calling Verizon customers, the number 1 for Sprint users, or the # sign for AT&T and T-mobile subscribers. If you are not sure of the provider, try this order:
1, then * the #. When you hear a beep, you've got the right one!

Herreshoff Boat Repair and Maintenance Program for Teens

Teens can work alongside boatbuilders and teachers to learn how to maintain and repair Classic wooden Herreshoff 12.5s used in the summer sailing program. The program which is free will teach shop safety and cleanliness, how to plan a project, sequencing of work and efficiency, wood varieties, how to sand, prime, varnish and paint. The program is open to teens; younger students with sincere interest may apply. The class meets Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school from 3:15p to 5:15pm. This is a natural for kids who have learned to sail but do not have skills in basic boat repair. Call 253 - 5000 or email herreshoffsailingschool@gmail.com

DBMA Holiday Preview is Friday, November 19

Mark your calendars NOW. (Click image once to enlarge.)

Downtown Bristol Family Fun

Don't forget the downtown Bristol DBMA Halloween Walkabout is this Sunday from 1 - 3pm. And while you are there stop in at Linden Place to visit the History Kids from 2 - 4pm.
Also remember that this is RWU PARENTS WEEKEND!

Twelve candidates running for Town Council

Twelve candidates are running for Town Council this year. They had there first
two and half hour SRO debate last Monday night at the Library organized by the RI Voter
Coalition.
If you missed the debate you can watch it on COX TV on Sunday, October 24 at 6 pm on
CH 17 or 18.
The twelve candidates are:
Judy Anderson, Stephan Brigidi, Mike Cabral, Matt Fagan, Nathan Calouro, Edward Stuart,
and Tony Teixeira. The encumbent TC candidates are:
Mary Parella, David Barboza, Ken Marshall, (TC Chair) Ray Cordeiro (TC vice chair) and Halsey Herrshoff.

Reminder: The Town Couincil will be debating again at Franklin Court on Wood Street from 6 - 9 pm on October 28

Candidates for School Committee and Town Administrator will be debating in the Library
at 6 pm on Monday Oct 25. Arrive early to get a seat!

You must prepare to vote this year!

Being prepared to vote this year is an absolute necessity.
The Nov 2 ballot will have 4 State Referendum Questions and 19 local Bristol Home Rule Charter
questions. (The local questions alone are 20 pages long!)
To get a copy of the ballot go to the town website at:
bristolri.us and look for 'voter information'.

The State Questions come with a workbook explaining them in great detail and is very useful.
A copy of the booklet and the local questions is available at Bristol Town Hall.