Full payment to Harvard Pilgrim providers
PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln Almond announced an “agreement in principle” with Massachusetts on payment in full for service providers to members of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England. An agreement to that effect has been signed by Tom Schumpert, director of the RI Department of Business Regulation and liquidator of HPHC of New England and Linda Ruthardt, commissioner of insurance for Massachusetts and temporary receiver of HPHC.
State asked to float bond issue for Heritage museum
PROVIDENCE – Reversing its earlier position that the planned Heritage Harbor Museum would be financed almost exclusively by private contributions, the Heritage Harbor Corporation has asked Governor Almond and the General Assembly to include a $28 million general obligation bond on the November ballot to help finance the project. In its announcement the Heritage Corporation said it was asking for the bond issue to insure that the museum, which is planned for the former Narragansett Electric South Street station, can open sooner than planned and accommodate the construction requirements of the Smithsonian Institution, which is participating in the project. David A. Duffy, chairman of the campaign cabinet, said the organization remains committed to its community fund-raising goal of $34 million, with $26 million of that already raised. The bond issue would “augment” the fund drive, Duffy said.
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RIEDC appointments announced
PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln Almond has reappointed Keith Stokes and George Shuster to the board of directors of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. Almond also announced the addition of Douglas A. Sgarro to the board. Sgarro, a Barrington resident, has been senior vice president and chief legal officer of the CVS Corporation and president of CVS Realty for the last three years. Previously he was a partner in the New York City law firm of Brown & Wood LLP. Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, has served on the RIEDC board since 1994. Shuster, chief executive officer of the Cranston Print Works in Cranston, was appointed to the board in 1995.
Providence garage expansion planned
PROVIDENCE — Plans to expand the Majestic Center Parking Garage between Washington and Fountain Streets have been announced jointly by Civic Center Parking Associates, the owners of the existing garage and Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. The plans call for the addition of one more floor to the garage and expansion across Beverly Street, which runs along its eastern side. The result will be an expanded capacity from 456 cars to 810 housed in a refurbished building with a glass and red brick façade. Some details must be worked, such as the acquisition of the finger of property along Beverly and Washington Streets, where several businesses are located, and the relocation of a McDonald’s restaurant on Fountain Street to within the new garage building.
CytoTherapeutics settles dispute with state
PROVIDENCE – CytoTherapeutics has agreed to repay the state $1.16 million to settle a dispute over a settlement grant the company received from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation in 1989 through the Rhode Island Partnership for Science and Technology. The dispute arose when CytoTherapeutics decided to move its principal operations from Lincoln to Sunnyvale, California. The company asserted that it would be making an entirely different product than it was working on in Lincoln. CytoTherapeutics is continuing to try to sell its facility in Lincoln, the Providence Journal reported.
Unemployment holds steady
PROVIDENCE – Unemployment in the state remained at 3.8 percent in February, the third straight month at that figure, the Department of Labor and Training reported. That rate is a 0.5 percent improvement from the unemployment level of a year ago. The DL&T reported that the number of unemployed fell by 2,700 over the last year, while jobs in the state rose 2.1 percent to 9,600 from February 1999 to February 2000. The increase in employment in February was most marked in services where 3,200 jobs were added, including 2,000 in private education as schools reopened after winter breaks. Business services also added 800 jobs, linked primarily to increases in personnel supply agencies. For a change manufacturing showed a net gain in jobs, with 300 new jobs reported, representing both durable and non-durable goods. These increases offset seasonal losses in trade and contract construction.
AFL-CIO endorses Weygand
PROVIDENCE – The executive board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO has endorced Congressman Robert Weygand for U.S. Senate. Weygand faces former Lt. Gov. Richard Licht in a Democratic primary election. The winner of the primary election faces Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee in November. The AFL-CIO also endorsed Congressman Patrick Kennedy for reelection and took no position in the contest for second congressional district. Kate Cayne McCoy is facing Lt. Gov. James Langevin in the Democratic primary for the seat now held by Weygand.
(Compiled from news reports and releases, print and electronic.)
