R. Bruce MacLeod, age 88 of 476 Poppasquash Road, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

He was the husband of Alys (Farnsworth) MacLeod, his wife of 61 years.

Born and raised in Providence, and a resident of Bristol for 34 years, he was the son of the late Norman Douglas and Maud (Tucker) MacLeod.

He previously resided in Worcester, Mass., for a number of years.

Mr. MacLeod was a graduate of Vermont Academy, he had attended Brown University, Class of 1950.  He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a sergeant during WWII.

Bruce was a sales engineer for machine tools for 36 years, retiring from the Supfina Machine Co., Inc., of North Kingstown in 1986.  He had previously worked for machine tool companies in East Providence, Worcester, and Woonsocket.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Elizabeth MacLeod of Bristol, Rory MacLeod (Sandol) of Richmond, Tucker MacLeod (Ann) of Princeton, Mass., and Caroline M. Sawyer (David) of Foxborough, Mass.; four grandchildren, Alys Sawyer, Steven Sawyer, Linna MacLeod and Evans Ratliff.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, N. Douglas MacLeod, Jr. and Donald R. MacLeod.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI  02871 or to the Gosnold Community Fund, 63 Union Street, New Bedford, MA  02740.

For online condolences, shared memories information and directions go to www.sansonefuneralhome.com.

A Bristol man jumped to his death off the Mt. Hope Bridge Sunday afternoon.

Carl Goodman, 58, of Bristol, was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital at 4:42 p.m. Jan. 5.

Police and firefighters were called to the base of the bridge on Lower Ferry Road at 3:53 p.m. A caller had reported seeing a man on the bridge looking over the side. According to the Bristol police log, the “male jumped, is under the bridge on land.”

Mr. Goodman was recently interviewed by the Providence Journal for an article about Obamacare. The Providence Journal reported that Mr. Goodman was “a consultant who does business development and training for lawyers.”

The following are among the Bristol police log Dec. 30, 2013 – Jan. 6, 2014:

Monday, Dec. 30

A Hope Street resident reported that someone had posted two “no parking” signs directly across the street from his home. He questioned the legality of the signs, since one was fastened to a tree.

A caller reported seeing two suspicious cars in the area of the North Burial Ground. The occupants were said to have rifles with “orange tips” on the end. Police dispersed the parties, with their air-soft guns.

A Ridge Road resident called the Animal Control officer to report that a wild animal had been trapped in their house.

Tuesday, Dec. 31

A Sousa Street resident reported that a car was running outside and that it was a nuisance to her. The police responded and determined that the car had been started with a  remote starter to warm up, due to the sub-freezing temperatures. It had only been on two minutes before the police arrived. Officers noted that the sound was inaudible from 15 feet away.

Shaun Silva, 36, of North Providence, was arrested on charges of domestic disorderly conduct.

A Hope Street resident reported her concern over someone knocking on her door, asking for help changing a flat tire at 11:39 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 1

Police received a 9-1-1 hang-up call from an Anthony Avenue home. A child was playing with the phone.

A Wilson Street father called police to ask how old his son had to be to move out of his home. He told police that his son was becoming combative. The son wants to leave the home, but the father doesn’t want him to leave.

Thursday, Jan. 2

A Berry Plastics caller reported that a snowblower and tools from a shed had been stolen.

A Hope Street caller reported that the first-floor tenant was hitting the ceiling with an object.

Friday, Jan. 3

A Hope Street caller reported that her neighbor owned the passage way out of her house and that she wouldn’t plow it.

Margaret J. Diluglio, 50, of 58 St. Elizabeth St., Bristol, was arrested on charges of simple assault/battery.

Saturday, Jan. 4

Police responded to a Wood Street home for a report that noise was coming from the basement at 3:15 a.m.

A caller reported seeing suspicious activity taking place inside a Jeep parked along Gooding Avenue.

A North Lane resident reported that a black car was parked with its lights on for 15 minutes  outside his home. Police determined there was no problem. The man was picking up his mail.

Sunday, Jan. 5

Police responded to a home on Hope Street for a child custody dispute.

Mt. Hope High School students are hopeful that school committee members will consider allowing them to leave school early on prom day.

Morgan Chaves, 16, junior class president, spoke to the policy subcommittee of the Bristol Warren Regional School District School Committee Monday night. Currently, students who want to go to the prom must attend a full day of school that day. If students are dismissed early, it must be for a valid reason, such as a medical or legal appointment.

School administrators can deny a student admittance to the prom should they be dismissed early for any other reason.

“We were trying to see if we can change it, to get out of school an hour early,” Morgan told committee members Diana Campbell, Lynn Wainwright and Bill O’Dell. “There’s only so many hair salons in Bristol, and coming from a girl’s point of view, by the time you get out of the senior parking lot, and people who live in Warren get home by 3, or 3:30, (prom preparations) are more rushed than it should be.”

Students get out of school at 2:30 p.m., which leaves them little time to get ready for the prom, with pictures being taken by 4-4:30, Morgan said.

This year, the junior prom takes place on Friday, May 16 at the Atlantic Beach Club in Newport. Historically, proms for both the junior and senior classes have always been on a Friday, explained Ross Hogan, senior class president, who showed up to Monday night’s meeting in support of Morgan’s request.

“A Saturday night is hard to snag because they’re not making money off of us,” he said. “(The venues) would rather book a $40,000-wedding, and serve alcohol.”

Ms. Wainwright suggested that school administrators perhaps plan into their agenda a professional development day to coincide with the students’ prom. However, since prom is in May, that’s a bit late for a professional day, said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mario Andrade.

“For me, it seems like a slippery slope on what constitutes a full day,” said Ms. Campbell. “What we’re trying to do is make sure that kids stay in school, because that’s our priority.”

In 2007, the regulations were changed to further define a full day of school, Mr. Andrade said. Students can no longer leave before the end of their fifth period (1:37 p.m.) and not be considered “absent-dismissed.”

Russ Noble, Dean of Students at Mt. Hope High School, told the sub-committee that the high school administration wasn’t necessarily in favor of, or against, changing the policy to allow for early dismissals for prom.

“My conversations with the administration is that this is not a policy we make,” he said. “So we’ll go to the school committee, and see what they say.”

Before the sub-committee could make any decision, Mr. O’Dell said, the students needed to get all the players on board — the high school administrators, teachers, members of the school improvement team and parents.

“I don’t want to make a decision without there being total agreement at the high school,” he told Morgan.

The students were asked to further research the implementation and criteria for such a policy change and present their findings to the sub-committee in February.

Glenn Paul Medeiros, 63, of Hope Street, passed away on Dec. 30, 2013, at his home.

Born in Fall River, Mass., he was the son of the late John and Arnell Helen (Falco) Medeiros.

He was the father of Wendy Medeiros of Warren, Scott Medeiros of Bristol and Justin Medeiros of Newport; grandfather of Cory Medeiros and Samantha Medeiros; and brother of Thomas Medeiros of Revere, Mass., and Kathleen DeMateo of Lewiston, Maine, and the late Gail Snyder and Ronald Medeiros.

Glenn attended Bristol schools and had a lifelong career in automobile and recreational vehicle finance management.

His funeral services were held Jan. 7, 2014 at the George Lima Funeral Home.

Burial followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Mary Josephine (Buckley) Sousa, 76, of 30 Kingswood Road, Bristol, passed away peacefully on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014.

Mary was born in Newport.

She was the daughter of the late Francis and Margaret (Furey) Buckley.

Mary worked for many years in the Rhode Island boating industry in the employment of Bristol Yachts and then for Tillotson, Pearson, Inc. for many years. There she made her mark as one of affability, keen intelligence, and attention to detail, hard work and discipline.

She was a wonderful cook and homemaker.

Her grandchildren pined for her delicious Italian sauce at every opportunity.  She had a good sense of humor and bred laughter from her many mishaps.  She loved to play cards with her friends and selflessly offered help to them when needed.  Mary was served well late in life by her loyal friends. She was the wife of the late Louis Sousa.

Mary leaves her children Louis A. Sousa of Bristol, David J. Sousa of Tacoma, Wash., and Joseph E. Sousa of Parkland, Fla.

She was the sister of William F. Buckley of Wakefield, and David Buckley of Fla.

Her passing was preceded by that of her brother Paul Buckley of Providence, Patricia Castigliego and her twin Nancy Gomes each of whom lived in Connecticut.

She was the beloved grandmother of Emily, Marguerite, Matthew, Jared, Quinn and Christopher Sousa and the late Victoria Sousa.

Family will receive friends on Friday, Jan. 10 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Smith Funeral and Memorial Services, 8 Schoolhouse Road in Warren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church in Bristol.

Burial will follow in the North Burial Ground in Bristol.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Victoria Fund, c/o 5 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02904.

Remembrances may be viewed and posted at Wjsmithfh.com.

Richard A. Bilotti, 60, of Catherine Street in Bristol, died peacefully Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014 at Newport Hospital, surrounded by his son, longtime companion and family.

Born in Providence, and a lifelong resident of Bristol, he was a son of Philomena S. (Castro) Bilotti of Bristol and the late Armand Bilotti.

Richard was a graduate of Bristol High School, Class of 1972.

He was a retired self-employed finish carpenter in the Bristol area.

He was a member of the Cup Defenders Association in Bristol and the Portuguese Club in Warren.  Richard was an accomplished carpenter and wood craftsman and was an avid outdoorsman.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by a son, Kevin R. Bilotti of Dallas, Texas; his longtime companion, Sherri Allen of Bristol; two brothers, Armand G. Bilotti of Bristol and Gary Bilotti of Barrington; two sisters, Sara Jean McShane of Bristol and Jacquelyn Bilotti of Riverside; and several nieces and nephews and many beloved friends.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by a brother, Kevin Bilotti.

His funeral will be held on Friday, Jan. 10 at 9 a.m. at the Sansone Funeral Home, 192 Wood St., in Bristol. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10 in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 141 State St., in Bristol,

Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday, Jan. 9 from 4 -7 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cup Defenders Association Scholarship Fund, 230 Wood St., Bristol, RI  02809.

For online condolences, shared memories, information and directions go to www.sansonefuneralhome.com.

Calvin C. “Lucky” Milton, 87, of Portsmouth, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 at Grace Barker Nursing Center in Warren, after a courageous fight with cancer.

He was the husband of Dorothy M. (Borden) Milton.

Born in Augusta, Ga., on Dec. 17, 1926, he was the son of the late Samuel and Charlotte (Peak) Milton, and was the son-in-law of the late Ernest and Anna (Gomes) Borden of Portsmouth.

Mr. Milton came to Rhode Island as a member of the U.S. Navy stationed in Newport and made it his home.

He was an arborist for Samuel Kinder Brother Tree Experts.

Besides his beloved wife of 63 years, he is survived by his daughter, Wanda Smith and her husband Walter of Portsmouth; his grandsons, Keith Molden and his wife Kaitlyn Downing of Hudson, Fla., and Kenneth Molden and his children Kamrin and Myah Pratt of Portsmouth.

He is also survived by his brother-in-law Edward Borden and wife Barbara of Portsmouth; brother-in-law Ernest Borden and wife Gail of Clearwater, Fla.; and sister-in-law Beulah Pettey of Portsmouth; his nieces, Kristine Mancini and her daughters, Mia and Lidia of Bristol, Patty Alsheimer and husband Billy, Lisa Brown and husband Glen and children, Sue Rodrigues and husband TJ and children, all of Portsmouth, Ann Oliver and husband Ted and children of Attleboro, Mass.; his nephews Craig Borden and wife Dawn and children of Portsmouth, Scott Borden and wife Laura and children of Braselton, Ga., Ernest Borden and wife Ellen and children of Goleta, Calif., and John Souza and wife Lisa and children of Portsmouth.

Mr. Milton loved his family, the ocean, playing cards and yard-saling with his wife where they could be seen out on the weekends.

Mr. Milton proudly was a 32 degree Freemason and past Master of St. John’s Masonic Temple in Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite and Shriners.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

My family wishes to extend their gratitude to the Grace Barker Nursing Center and Beacon Hospice for the wonderful care and kind support given to my father and to us all through this difficult time.

Services will be announced at a later date.

Condolences and information available at www.memorialfuneralhome.com.

Arthur Tavares Menezes, 89, of Bourne Street, passed away on Jan. 2, 2014, at Saint Antoine Residence in North Smithfield.

He was the husband of the late Maria Lucille (Machado) Menezes.

Born in Rabo de Peixe, St. Michael, Azores, he was the son of the late Manuel Tavares Ferreira and Maria do Rosario Menezes.

He was the father of Lucy Menezes, Rita Menezes, Adelino Menezes, Joseph Menezes and the late David Menzes; grandfather of Elliot Lepre, Tanya Lepre, Jessica George, Allison Menezes, Conner Menezes, and Wilson Menezes; and brother of Hortensa Pereira and the late Virginio Menezes, Joseph Menezes, Manuel Menezes, Armando Menezes and Urania Ledo.

Arthur was employed by Bristol Public Works before retiring.

He was a member of the Bristol Sports Club, the Santo Cristo Club as well as member of the Santo Cristo committee of St. Elizabeth Church.

His funeral services were held Jan. 6, 2014 from the George Lima Funeral Home with a graveside service held at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Eric Camara, Joe Leo, Manny Menezes, Chris Lepre, Joseph Menezes and John Germano.

The Bristol Industrial Park may soon undergo a zone change — the first in its 150-year history.

Mosaico Business and Development Corp., has filed an application with the Town of Bristol to change the zoning of the industrial park from manufacturing to land development project. The Bristol Planning Board Technical Review Committee is scheduled to review the application on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. at 9 Court St.

“We’ve always known we were going to have to (ask for a zoning change),” said Diana Campbell, executive director of Mosaico. “(The change) will help us attract a variety of tenants.”

Mosaico, a non-profit redevelopment agency, bought the mill complex, located at 500 Wood St., over three years ago. The site is divided into three condominium building groups, one of which has been outfitted for fire alarms, making the space legally rentable. The second building group is currently undergoing fire alarm installation.

The change in zoning would allow for a mixed-use tenancy. In its application, Mosaico listed several business-type inquiries that include small companies looking for office space, retail stores, education facilities, service businesses such as restaurants, sports facilities, small aqauculture/hydroponics and distribution centers, that would potentially occupy the space.

“The front of that building on Wood Street would be a perfect space for a restaurant,” Ms. Campbell said. “But we can’t talk to anyone because it’s zoned manufacturing.”

However, there are stipulations to Mosaico’s request, Ms. Campbell said. The site will remain at least 50-percent manufacturing, and there will not be any new residential units formed from the zone change.

The site is listed on the State Register and National Register of Historic Places, and includes buildings dating back to the 1860s when Augustus Bourn founded the National Rubber Company on the site. All changes and modifactions are subject to approval by the Bristol Historical Commission.

“In spite of offering below market manufacturing space for several decades, the (Bristol Industrial Park) has not been fully occupied since Kaiser Aluminum abandoned the facility in the early 70s,” Mosaico states in its application. “Currently, 60-percent of it is occupied. In order to best utilize the remaining 40-percent, a zone change is required.”

Mosaico has been granted $600,000 in federal funds to renovate the site thus far.

Ms. Campbell said that by the end of 2014, she’s hopeful that the parking lot will have been paved, and the site will be beautified with shrubbery.

In Response to the widespread flu outbreaks in neighboring states the Rhode Island Department of Health has reached out to local officials to run free flu clinics in the next two weeks.  Bristol’s will be held Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 5-8 p.m. at Mt. Hope High School. 

So far this season, 25 Rhode Islanders have been hospitalized with the flu, nine of those happening since Dec. 16.

In the next 2 weeks, flu activity in the state is expected to rise.

“The wave of influenza is in states all around Rhode Island and it’s coming our way next,” said Michael Fine, M.D., Director of Health. “This is not a typical year.  This year younger people are more affected than the elderly. But the good news for children and young adults is that the flu vaccine is a very good match for the strain that is circulating. It’s not too late to be vaccinated.”

If you have any questions, call the Bristol Fire Department, 401-253-6912.

Matt Calderiso, facilities manager for the Town of Bristol, and Jim Sylvester, of the Department of Public Works, wade through the water that accumulated from a burst pipe in the basement of the old Reynolds school building Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday, Matt Calderiso, facilities manager for the Town of Bristol, received a call that water was gushing from a pipe in the boiler room in the basement of the old Reynolds school building. When he arrived, he waded through about a foot of water to reach the leak’s source and turn it off.

“I figured with the heat running, we’d be fine,” he said.

The heating system works by circulating air from the outside into the unit. Mr. Calderiso believed that the flap allowing the cold air exchange may have been stuck, causing the pipe to burst.

The basement is where the Bristol Theater Company stores its props. Mr. Calderiso was unsure at the time whether or not those items suffered any damage.

The water was eventually drained through a sump-pump system, and the town’s insurance company was called to assess the damage.

The Bristol County Water Authority issued a release of tips to prevent pipes from freezing and breaking during the cold.

The Town of Bristol does in fact need an economic development “go-to” person.

After exhausting all options, Councilor Ed Stuart told fellow council members during their meeting Wednesday night that indeed, “there is a need for one person.”

“I have to agree at the conclusion of last year, I feel that communication in this town, with so many projects going on, so many ideas and collaboration with everyone, we need to come up with an economic development director,” Councilor Stuart said.

Last August, Community Development Director Diane Williamson, along with Town Administrator Tony Teixeira, presented the council with an economic development plan that called for the hiring of a consultant. At the time, the town had a $21,000 budget surplus, and Ms. Williamson advocated that the money be spent on hiring a consultant to round-up all of Bristol’s economic development resources — the Bristol Merchants Association, Explore Bristol, Economic Development Commission, Mosaico – to determine the town’s future economic development needs. By working together, with all the players in one room, the town can put in place a strategic plan for economic development, Ms. Williamson had said.

The consultant would then recommend to the town a framework for an economic development director’s position, if one was needed.

However, Mr. Stuart’s stance was to refer economic development tasks to the towns’ Economic Development Commission, a volunteer committee comprised of residents and business owners, and overseen by Ms. Williamson.

“We need a go-to person for all the entities,” Mr. Stuart said. “This would be a perfect fit, on many levels, for the future of the town and its economic vitality.”

The other councilors agreed. As the town enters into its budget cycle, the council asked Mr. Teixeira to look into the possibility of creating an economic development director position, and at what capacity that position would be. The town previously had an economic development liaison, which was a part-time position.

The Bristol County Water Authority is adamant about its cost-share figure for the Phase 2 of the Poppasquash water line project.

“The board did decide (to only pay) the portion we’re responsible for, the cleaning and lining of the existing main,” Pamela Marchand, executive director of the BCWA, told members of the Bristol Town Council during a special meeting Thursday night. “We would not be able to consider additional funds than what was offered.”

Councilors called the special meeting with Ms. Marchand to further discuss whether or not the utility could pay more than $469,000 toward the project. That amount is what would cost the utility to clean and line the existing 100-year-old 6-inch cast iron pipe that runs along a portion of Poppasquash Road.

The route for the Phase 2 is sited along a proposed upgrade to the bike path through Colt State Park. Approximately two-thirds of the main will be installed along the bike path, while the southern third will be installed through the woods to the existing Poppasquash connection, ending just beyond the Bristol Yacht Club. The total length is 4,100 feet.

The project calls for a new, 8-inch plastic pipe with fused joints. This would deliver about 1,148 gallons per minute, enough to provide fire suppression to the area’s two fire hydrants. Currently, residents tapping into the system are only drawing about 364 gallons per minute.

“Not enough to properly operate a lawn sprinkler,” said Poppasquash Road resident George Holsten.

“At this point, funds are allocated in our budget to do that,” Ms. Marchand said. “Everyone’s budgets are very tight. If we gave more money, we’d have to drop another project and there are higher priorities that need to get done this year.”

Mr. Marchand cited fixing a water quality issue along Market Street in Warren, and maintaining the BCWA’s infrastructure as the utility’s capital projects this year.

The design plans and specs for Phase 2 are about 95-percent complete, said Tim Theis, of PAR Engineering. The BCWA could potentially put the project out for public bid as soon as the end of February.

“We want to start in March, as soon as the ground thaws,” Mr. Theis said. “We’re hoping to get it done before the peak season in summer. So, either June or July.”

However, councilors are still unsure as to how the town would fund its own cost-share of the project, about $250,000. That figure is less than previously reported because there were additional carryover funds from Phase 1 of the project.

“We don’t’ have a final determination as to where we’d access these funds,” said Council Chair Mary Parella. “We need to continue working on that. If we can find funding, then we certainly don’t want to miss the spring season.”

While Ms. Marchand told councilors that she couldn’t guarantee that the board would approve the utility’s budget — with a $500,000 line item for the Poppasquash project — she did say that the board didn’t voice any objects when it viewed the preliminary version. The BCWA board is expected to vote on its budget Jan. 22.

Councilors voted to turn the matter of funding the project over to the Town Administrator and the Town Treasurer offices, and report back with a possible funding solution Jan. 29.

The Bristol Economic Development Commission is one of eight Bristol entities awarded a grant by Roger Williams University in December.

That grant — $2,500 — will be used to buy a mobile film entertainment system that the EDC will use for its Film Night in the Park series, which started in summer 2013. This summer, however, that program will fall under the direction of Bristol’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The grant is part of the Fund for Civic Activities Awards, which was established in 2007 when the university and the Town of Bristol agreed to a 20-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). The awards were created to enhance the civic experience of Bristol residents, extend RWU’s commitment to active community engagement and provide support to local organizations. The university pledged $25,000 annually in FCA grants and to date has distributed $145,436 to support nearly 100 projects and initiatives.

As part of that PILOT, the university makes an annual voluntary payment of $150,000 to help offset the cost of emergency services provided by the town.

Grants from the Fund for Civic Activities are awarded by a 12-person cooperative committee, which is comprised of representatives from Bristol and the university.

A total of $12,460 in funds were awarded in this past grant cycle.

The complete list of awards for this grant cycle includes:

• $1,000 to Friends of St. Elizabeth’s Church to support efforts to coordinate assistance to the needy in the areas of food, heating, medical, utilities, housing assistance, referrals and friendship to families, seniors and individuals in the Bristol community.
• $760 to the Community String Project to meet the organization’s mission of making music lessons accessible and affordable for all youths.
• $1,000 to the Bristol Elks Lodge to support the East Bay Cares program, which provides supplementary assistance to local food pantries and soup kitchens.
• $1,500 to the Bristol Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force to fund this spring’s Pre-Prom Dinner, which educates prom attendees and their parents about the risks of underage drinking and other forms of substance abuse.
• $2,000 to the Mosaico Community Development Corporation to be applied to the 2013/2014 Sense of Pride – Connecting Kids to Community program for fourth-grade students, which promote community awareness and involvement using history, geography, architecture, environmental awareness, community service and personal stories to help students develop a relationship with their community.
• $1,900 to the Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter to be applied towards the total cost of epoxy flooring in all animal-related rooms, an eco-friendly solution that provides many benefits over sealed cement flooring.
• $1,800 to Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum in order to increase seed selection and improve the productivity of its vegetable garden, allowing for an increase in planting opportunities, growing methods, community resources and educational offerings.

Applications for the next funding cycle are due by April 15, after which the cooperative committee will review proposals and award approximately $12,500 in grants.

Photos by Rich Dionne
With coaches looking on, Barrinton’s Overflow team members Theenash Kumar (middle) and Andrew Cooke (right) celebrate when their robot performs a task during the competition at Roger Williams College.

That year, the KMS team had built a chain reaction robot, and instantly, “I was hooked,” said the KMS sixth-grader.

“I think it’s really, really cool,” he said, “and very fun.”

Brian joined the school’s Robotics team this year, and competed with his group Jan. 11 at the FIRST Lego League Championship Tournament at Roger Williams University. Brian’s team, SAFE INK, was one of 40 teams from around Rhode Island that competed in Saturday’s day-long event.

Other East Bay teams included OVERFLOW and TECH-NO-LOGIC, from Barrington Middle School; The Woofers and the Flaming Ninja Cheezits, Barrington neighborhood teams; Storm Stoppers, a sixth-grade group from Bristol’s Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School; Valkyrie, Spartans and Nerd Herd, all from Portsmouth’s St. Philomena School; Brick Busters, from Portsmouth Middle School; and Robo-Storm, a Portsmouth neighborhood team.

“The team felt their presentations went well in the morning,” said Wendy Bennet, coach of The Woofers. “On the robot challenge, they improved their score in each of the three rounds, fine-tuning the robot to overcome some initial problems, and ended up with a high of 218. This was an improvement vs what they achieved last year, the first year for the team.”

FIRST Lego League challenges kids to understand the problems and to create their own solutions. This year’s annual theme is Nature’s Fury. The teams learned about natural disasters and creating innovative ways to help communities predict, prepare for and recover from these terrible events.

The kids were judged on three criteria: effectiveness of the robot to execute its mission, teamwork (core values), and their project associated with the program’s theme.

“We thought it would be helpful to have a box that tells you when all the natural disasters are coming,” said Brandon Gaskell, from team Storm Stoppers, of the group’s project. The Storm Stoppers named their robot SIK, which stands for Sandy, Irene and Katrina — several storms that have devastated the U.S. over the past decade.

The teams’ robots had to be capable of driving over a flooded road, broken tree limbs (debris), push an ambulance to safety, bring a pet back home, and dissipate a typhoon — all simulated with Legos.

“I really liked robots and engineering,” said Dylan Solly, from team Brick Busters, which named their robot BOT. “We thought of something simple, a simple design, and just added two forks to the front.”

Through the Robotic’s challenge, Dylan and his team learned about wildfires. For their project, they created a underground shelter built of gypsum board, and stocked with non-perishable food items.

“It’s similar to a tornado shelter, but for those who live in areas prone to wildfires,” said Becky Silveira, coach of the Brick Busters.

Addison Cox and his team, Valkyrie, studied avalanches for their project. They created a tool using the same hydraulics of gold pounding equipment.

“The seismic vibrations calmed the mountain,” he said.

Barrington’s team OVERFLOW won the overall competition, winning the Champions Award and placing first in the Robot Competition. This was the second time the school won the competition. The school’s team, Lego Waffles, won the initial Championship when FIRST Lego started in Rhode Island in 2001. The scenario then was Arctic Challenge.

“We’re all on cloud 9,” said Lisa McGartoll, coach of team OVERFLOW.

OVERFLOW designed an app that locates fire hydrants in the event a snow storm buries them. They interviewed Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette, as well as other firefighters from area departments, to assist them in developing the app.

“It’s not marketable yet, but they’ve tested it out and it works,” she said.

Team Robo-Storm also won a Project Presentation Award and Youth Mentor Award (Nick Grande).

Grace Carmen (Figueras) Miller, 91, of Grace Barker Nursing Home, passed away on Dec. 19, 2013.  She was the wife of the late George Leonard Miller.

Born in Bronx, New York, she was the daughter of the late Carlos and Mercedes (Bordas) Figueras.   She was the mother of Wesley J. Miller of Warren, Delores M. Dallaire of Arizona, Carol A. Miller of Massachusetts, and Melonie M. Luiz of Bristol; grandmother of Elizabeth Rozzell, Vincent Dallaire, Lynn Miller, Traci Milchunes, Amy Downing, Sara Downing, Emily Downing, Leo F. Downing III and Heather Luiz; great-grandmother of five; and the sister of the late Rose Figueras and Mercedes Hobbs.

Grace was employed as a bookkeeper for I Shalom and the former American Tourister.

She also enjoyed creating ceramics and teaching others her craft.

All are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 330 Wood St., in Bristol.

Burial will be private.

Calling hours are respectfully omitted.

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association – RI Chapter  245 Waterman Ave.,  Suite 306,  Providence, RI  02906. Arrangements are by the George Lima Funeral Home.

Ronald John Medeiros, 65, of Mulberry Road, passed away on Dec. 14, 2013, at Rhode Island Hospital.

Born in Fall River, he was the son of the late John and Arnell (Falco) Medeiros; the father of John Evans, Christopher Galinauskas, Keith Galinauskas and Aaron Galinauskas; grandfather of Christopher “CJ” Galinauskas and Breanna Galinauskas; brother of Thomas Medeiros, Kathleen De Mateo and the late Glenn Medeiros and Gail Snyder; and the companion of Jean Morse.

Ron was a graduate of Bristol High School and a member of the band Tangerine Zoo.

A Memorial Service was held Jan. 11, 2014 at the George Lima Funeral Home.

Bristol County Water Authority customers will see an increase in their water bills starting March 1.

BCWA board members approved a 4-percent rate increase during its December meeting, for fiscal year 2015.

In a letter to Barrington, Bristol and Warren Town Councils, BCWA Executive Director Pam Marchand said that the rate increase is necessary to support the costs of upcoming capital improvements for the utility’s infrastructure; to build prudent reserves to cover future Other Post-Employment Benefits as required by law; and to offset predicted reductions in consumption.

“Our revenue went up this year because we had an 11-percent rate increase,” Ms. Marchand told members of Bristol’s Town Council during a special meeting Jan. 9. “But our volume of service went down by three percent. We didn’t realize that entire 11-percent increase. We’re consistently down three-percent in demand, year over year.”

The proposed new rate would increase the average residential user’s bill by $1.68 per month, or .39 cents per week. According to the BCWA, the average residential user now pays $504.15 per year.

“Hopefully we’re going to start leveling out,” Ms. Marchand said. “We’re looking at a four-percent increase every year for the next 20 years.”

Dominick J. Quatruopolo Jr., 80, formerly of Bristol, passed away Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, in Melbourne, Fla.

Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Dominick and Rose (Orefice) Quatruopolo Sr.

Dom worked at NASA in Texas before moving back to Bristol. He was employed with Texas Instruments as an electronics engineer before retiring.

Dom served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-1961.

He is survived by five children, Mark Quatruopolo, of Florida, Debbie A. Loignon, of Warwick, Becky Peterson, of Florida, Dominick Quatruopolo III, and Chad Quatruopolo of Florida; his brother, James Quatruopolo of Bristol; five grandchildren, Justin Carvalho, Joshua Loignon, Chelsea Quatruopolo, Jamie and Nicholas Peterson.

He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice in his honor.