RI farmers protection included in Senate bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate has approved an amendment to its $6 billion crop insurance bill to enable Rhode Island and other Northeast farmers to obtain more crop insurance coverage and avoid income losses resulting from natural disasters, such as last year’s drought. Last year’s farm disaster bill did not include enough coverage for Northeast farmers. Working with other Northeast representatives, Rep. Jack Reed, D-RI, produced an amendment to have $60 million included in the bill to provide expanded education and outreach for farmers in states with low levels of crop insurance participation. The amendment also includes $66 million for farmers in under-served states, such as Rhode Island, to participate in a pilot project that would permit farmers to choose between traditional crop insurance and a direct payment for adopting new risk management practices. These practices include farm diversification, futures contracts and options, creation of conservation buffers, soil erosion control, and irrigation management.
Almond sees opportunity for Masonic Temple
PROVIDENCE – Despite rejection by the National Park Service of a tax credit for a proposed rehabilitation of the former Masonic Temple, Gov. Lincoln Almond expressed optimism that a revision of the proposal could win approval of the credit. Developers, who propose to build a luxury hotel on the site, retaining the façade and much of the framework of the building, are working with the state on a revised design for their proposal. “In fact,” Governor Almond said, “we are very encouraged that the Park Service has accepted the necessity of some needed structural modifications of the existing building;.”
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Street painting to mark opening of festival
PROVIDENCE – Plans for this year’s Convergance Festival are beginning emanate from the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, with the announcement that “hundreds of artists” using chalk will paint the streets around WaterPlace Park to signal the start of festivities. The festival which will run from September 8 through 24, will also include for the first time an “Art Car Rally” involving “artistically altered vehicles” from several states on the first weekend of the festival. Other announcements regarding events at the festival will be forthcoming from the Office of Cultural Affairs.
RISD gets new jacquard loom for students
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island School of Design has acquired a new electronic jacquard loom for its textile department students through the contributions of several donors. For the hundreds of students who have taken the jacquard design course at the school since 1971, opportunity to use the school’s old industrial loom was a highlight. The 400 hook silk loom used in jacquard classes had been at the school since early in the last century after it was built by Crompton and Knowles of Rhode Island where it was used for weaving before it was moved to RISD. That loom has been donated to the Rhode Island Historical Society and will be one of the features of “Fruit of the Factory” exhibition at the Heritage Harbor Museum when it opens in 2002. According to Maria Tulokas, head of RISD’s textile department, “the electronic loom brings teaching closer to the reality of the field and will help streamline the design process.”
RI Head Start programs awarded $352,000
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Head Start grants totaling $352,000 have been announced for two Rhode Island programs. The first grant –$252,000 -was awarded to South County Community Action in Peace Dale. The second grant–for $100,000–was awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, which will be used by the agencies to for their Head Start efforts. The program is administered by the Head Start Bureau under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. The award announcement was made by the office of Sen. Jack Reed.
OSHA seeks fine for Narragansett Electric
PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration seeks to fine the Narragansett Electric Co. $80,000 for what it called deficiencies in the training and supervision of its employees in connection with a flash fire at its Olneyville substation that injured three workers. A Narragansett spokesman said the company planned to appeal OSHA’s proposal. A meeting was scheduled last Friday between the two parties to review the situation. The fire occurred last September 21.
Board approves URI arena revisions
PROVIDENCE – The Board of Governors for Higher Education, despite critical questions and complaints, has approved revised plans for a convocation center and ice rink at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, the estimated cost of which has increased $15 million since it was first proposed. The revised estimate places the cost of the convocation center at $54 million, 10.4 million more than the initial estimate. The cost of the rink is now estimated at $12 million, $4.6 million more than the original plan. URI hopes that the additional funds can be raised by increasing state revenue bonds by $10 million to a total of $28 million, which the board approved, and increasing the state’s contribution from $18 million to $23 million, subject to approval by the General Assembly.
