April 2011 PrimeTime

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Pr i m eTi m eApril 2011

1944 Warwick Ave.Warwick, RI 02889

401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110

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PUBLISHERSBarry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer,

John Howell

EDITORMeg Fraser

[email protected]

MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella

[email protected]

CREATIvE DIRECTORLinda Nadeau

[email protected]

PHOTO EDITORDarcie DiSaia

[email protected]

WRITERSSusan Contreras, Don Fowler, Don D’Amato,

Joan Retsinas, Colby Cremins, Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Cynthia Glinick, Joe Kernan, Kerry Park

ADvERTISING REPRESENTATIvES

Donna Zarrella – [email protected] Mansolillo – [email protected]

Carolann Soder, Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli,Suzanne Wendoloski, Gina Fugere

CLASSIfIED ADvERTISING REPRESENTATIvES

Sue Howarth – [email protected] Mansolillo – [email protected]

PRODUCTION STAffMatt Bower, Joseph Daniels,

Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner

A Joint Publication of East Side Monthlyand Beacon Communications.

PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

I inThisissue

food & drinKEaster inspiration ...........................................................................10In the kitchen ..................................................................................11

PeoPle & PlacesDoer’s profile ...................................................................................14Decades of harmony ...................................................................20Glimpse of RI’s past ......................................................................26

lifesTYlesThat’s Entertainment ...................................................................17Gay & Gray .......................................................................................21What do you Fink? ........................................................................22

Professional PersPecTiVeYour Taxes ..........................................................................................23

senior issuesDirector’s Column .........................................................................23Long-term care helps drive RI economy .........................28

Meg Fraser editor

nexTmonTh Spring is here, so get ready to hit the great outdoors with us in the May issue of PrimeTime.

cover PhoTo by William Geoghegan

’m not sure what I love more: cooking, or going out to a restaurant.OK, well that’s not entirely true. I definitely like going out to a restaurant more. Who

doesn’t? You get to eat things you might not feel comfortable making at home, and you don’t do any of the work. You don’t have to buy the ingredients either, which is good for me, because I put off grocery shopping like most people put off cleaning the bathroom. It never ceases to amaze me how hard it is for some people to say, “excuse me.”The best part of going out, though, is that the dishes are left for someone else.Being of limited resources, however, I do enjoy cooking as well. And being a true Rhode Is-

lander, I’m not much for driving, so if I’ve had a long day, or the weather is unsavory, the chances of me getting in my car to go out to eat are greatly diminished. Even when it’s nice out, I generally stay close to home during the week. Two of my favorite restaurants (L’Attitude and Edgewood Café) are just down the road in Pawtuxet Village in Cranston.

On the weekend, the options are limitless. Especially now that the weather is warming up and I’m coming out of hibernation, I feel so lucky to live in Rhode Island. I believe an ocean view really does improve my dining out experience, and from Federal Hill to the beaches of South County, there are so many restaurants to love. I honestly think, and this is based in large part on the com-ments of out-of-state visitors, that we have one of the best, most dynamic culinary environments in the country.

In this issue of PrimeTime, you’ll read about some of them, and the people who make them great.

Chef Sanjiv Dhar is a great example. He took over Kabob and Curry in Providence in the 80s, and went on to create Rasoi in Pawtucket from the ground up. He’s bringing authentic Indian cuisine to a new audience, and educating the palates of Rhode Islanders.

Amy and Joe Hitzemann are doing the same in Cranston. A decade ago, celiac disease had no ref-uge in most menus. Those allergic to gluten were destined to cook at home, often times avoiding the breads and cakes that once made them ill. At A&J Bakery, the Hitzemann are bringing those people around to show them just how fantastic gluten free food can be.

As far as Rhode Island eateries go, no one at PrimeTime knows more than longtime food critic Don Fowler. He talks a little bit about his years in the business, and what whets his appetite when cruising the Ocean State’s dining out circuit.

Don’t forget to catch up with your other fa-vorites too, like Mike Fink, Cynthia Glinick and Don D’Amato.

If you’re more into cooking than going out, we’ve got tips for shopping smart, the aisles to hit or avoid in the grocery store, and we caught up with Chef David Ricci to find out how he turned a family bakery into his lifelong passion. We also turn up the heat in the kitchen and find out what it is that makes firefighters such great chefs.

To wash all that down, our doer’s profile in-troduces Robin Harris Squibb, who turned her grandmother’s iced tea recipes into a bustling busi-ness.

Whatever you do, just don’t read this issue if you’re hungry.

Bon appetit!

4 having his cakeChef David Ricci brings bakery background into Johnson & Wales classrooms

6 if you can’t take the heat Rhode Island firefighters fight fires on the street and in the kitchen

8 food for thoughtA best of/worst of look at items in your grocery cart

9 fact on foodQ&A with nutritionist Dr. Mary Flynn 13 as seen on tv

Local pig-out spots make small screen debuts

15 educating the palate

Chef Sanjiv Dhar brings authentic Indian cuisine to Rhode Island

16 shopping smart Tips to keep your wallet fat and happy

18 missing ingredientsA&J Bakery finds the right recipe

4 | PrimeTime April 2011

b y MEG FRASER

photos by Darcie Disaia

Is Hip or Knee Surgeryin Your Near Future?

Do You Know What YourMedicare Insurance Covers?

You’d be Surprised!!

The doctor says you need to have a hip replacement, he says you will have the surgery and be in the hospital for a few days and then maybe a rehab center to get you back on your feet followed by therapy at home. What does all this mean, and who is paying for it? Hips and knees sometimes don’t work as effectively as they once did and may need to be replaced. This can be a little scary given the fear of the unknown.

If you are receiving your Medicare benefit, the following should be covered: the hospital and surgery; the rehab stay – up to 100 days and home nursing, home therapy and aide service, as ordered by your doctor. Other Medicare products such as Blue Chip or Senior Transitions have similar if not the same benefits.

At each level of service Medicare will pay until you have reached your “plateau”. This means you have realized your maximum benefit at that level. Medicare has two levels of service Part A and Part B, Part B covers your facility services and stays and may include certain deductibles and co-pays depending on your plan. Part B also will cover home equipment and out-patient therapy (when you go to a Physical Therapy clinic); these also will have co-pays and deductibles. Part A will cover 100% of your home care services while they are medically necessary and you are considered homebound (unable to leave home without assistance). The home care nurse or therapist tracks your progress and keeps both you and your doctor up to date.

As the client you have the right to choose who you would like to perform your services. Your doctor will direct you to the hospital based on the surgeon. If you know ahead and can plan, you should research your options in choosing your rehab facility and your homecare provider. There are many options in Rhode Island for both services and you should make an educated decision.

How do you research? Call the RI Department of Health at 401-222-2231 and ask for the facilities regulation department. They should be able to direct you to the agencies that can provide Medicare services. They also provide infor-mation about the rehab facilities. Your choices need to be communicated to the hospital case management department so they can plan accordingly.

The biggest fear in the senior population is the fear of the unknown; hopefully the above will give you the knowledge to make informed decisions about the services you receive.

submitted by:

Caroline NaughtonRumowicz

President of Cathleen Naughton Associates, a localMedicare certified home care agency servicing RI for

over 31 years. Please call with any questions

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My life changed drastically. It was like going to heaven and still being alive.“

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April 2011 PrimeTime | 5 4 | PrimeTime April 2011

b y MEG FRASER let’s eat!

David Ricci didn’t stumble upon a career in the culinary arts - it was predestined.

His father owned the Better Bake Shop in Provi-dence for 54 years, and that’s where Ricci began his training as a young boy.

“I started off with a knock on the bedroom door saying someone didn’t show - you’ve got to come in and help. When you’ve got an old school, Italian dad, saying no isn’t an option,” Ricci said, laughing.

Throughout his childhood, Ricci spent much of his spare time in the bakery, helping out his dad. Even-tually, his cakes rivaled his father’s, and the pair began entering competitions.

“We won, between me and him, probably 70 awards for decorating cakes,” Ricci said.

Two years after Ricci graduated from high school, he took the reigns of the bakery. Who was running the show, though, wasn’t so clear.

“When you’re an owner, you have more than just the production to worry about,” he said. “It’s very hard to juggle a personal life with a job that owns you, and the business really owns you.”

There were days when Ricci would go into work at 12:01 a.m., and stay through 9 p.m. - without a break.

“It was very busy. I don’t know how I did it,” he said.

Ricci was working essentially around the clock at the bakery. When the opportunity came for him to switch gears and become a professor at Johnson & Wales, he didn’t hesitate to grab the chance.

“I was kind of burnt out at that point in my life,” he said.

Having his cake –

and eating it too

Ricci came highly recommended from chefs who knew his work, and his father’s. Chef Victor Calise of Calise & Sons Bakery was one of the faculty members who urged the administration to bring Ricci in.

“He told them if I was half as good as my dad, they should hire me,” Ricci recalled.

That same day, the president hired Ricci on the spot.

“My life changed drastically. It was like going to heaven and still being alive,” he said.

Chef Ricci teaches introduction to cake decorat-ing, senior labs for cake decorating, plated desserts and whatever other baking classes are open. One Thursday afternoon last month, he molds flowers out of fondant while his class hurries around the kitchen, putting to-gether Disney-themed cakes for a practical exam in the Chef ’s Choice Basic Pastry Skills class.

Chef ’s Choice is a program within J&W’s school of Adult and Continuing Education. Johnson & Wales of-fers 120 to 140 classes each term for majors within the Continuing Education program. They enroll approxi-mately 400 students each year, and presently have more than 800 students pursuing continuing education.

It’s a nice change of pace for Ricci. He gets holidays off, works regular hours, and has more time to spend with his family. He also gets to work with some of the best chefs - and students - in the state.

“The faculty is unbelievable and the students are fantastic. They’re here to learn, which is nice,” he said.

The only thing the Ricci family is missing out on now, are the cakes dad used to bring home from the bakery.

“The whole family was spoiled,” he said. “Here, be-

cause we have so many faculty members, we can’t just help ourselves.”

Still, Ricci isn’t complaining. His goal is to retire at Johnson & Wales.

“I didn’t realize how much I loved teaching until I came here,” he said.

And he has plenty of side work to keep him busy.Ricci runs a private company, Planet Cakes, which

offers cake-decorating classes as well as sells custom cakes. While shows like “Cake Boss” and “Ace of Cakes” have brought attention to the handcrafted confections Ricci has mastered, he says people should be prepared to pay.

“The shows never talk about pricing. You’re going to pay premium money because you’re getting a premium product,” he said. “Everything we do is cake and sugar and it’s being done by hand.”

The prices range depending on the detail of the cake, with simpler designs starting at around $200. Wedding cakes start at $4 per person.

Ricci has seen some odd requests before, from a horse head to a washing machine and a bust of Red Sox player David Ortiz.

“There’s no end - they’ve got some pretty bizarre things,” he said, adding that he’s just happy to continue doing what he loves. “I take pride in everything I put out there.”

For more information on Planet Cakes, visit www.PlanetCakes.com. For more information on Continu-ing Education at Johnson & Wales, visit jwu.edu. ■


b y M E G F R A S E R

If you can’t takethe heat...

It’s a Sunday around 7 p.m. and the Providence Fire Department has a long night ahead of them. By the time their shift ends, they’ll have responded to a four-alarm fire, an elevator failure and several other calls that have them suiting up and flying out of the Public Safety Complex with sirens blaring.

Before the alarm sounds, though, they’ve got another crisis to handle: dinner.The trucks in the department rotate responsibilities in the kitchen, taking turns

making dinner for the crew of 16 hungry men.“One person doesn’t do all the work. It’s really a team effort in this house,” said

long-time firefighter Dan Rinaldi.Everyone pulls their weight, but when it’s Rinaldi’s turn to set the menu, the fire-

fighters are sure to really bring their appetites. He has been entering amateur cooking competitions - and winning many - since 2002. Some of the firehouse favorites in Providence are comfort foods like chicken Parmesan and ribs. In the summertime, Rinaldi brags of his “real deal barbeque.” He comes from a traditional Italian family and has the culinary repertoire to prove it, but that doesn’t stop him from taking some risks. His sense of adventure is catching on with the rank and file.

“The guys are good; they’ve gotten a lot more adventurous,” Rinaldi said. “When I first got on the job, it was meat and potatoes, and on Saturday it was hot dogs and beans and snowflake rolls.”

One of the riskier menus Rinaldi rolled out was potato encrusted Chilean sea bass, but meals with those kind of price tags don’t happen often.

“If I started banging out $17 a night entrees, I’d have a fight on my hands,” he said, laughing.

The firefighters pay their own way, and try to keep meals to $5 or $6 per person by shopping sales and checking out the circulars.

In talking to fire departments across the state, Rinaldi says a lot of the favorite fare is dictated by region. Woonsocket, for example, has some French flavors, while Providence taps into the fresh Italian ingredients found on Federal Hill. Rinaldi is pleased to see the backgrounds of mem-bers having an impact as well.

“The job’s a melting pot, really. We’re getting a big mix of ethnicities on the job and I get to expand my horizons,” he said. “I consider myself fortunate to be in this firehouse, for sure. Cooking wise, it gives me the opportunity to try a lot of things.”

Those trial by fire menus help Rinaldi in his competitions, as does the harsh critique of a crew of fellow firefighters.

“If you have a thin skin, forget it,” he said.It’s all in good fun for Rinaldi, though. He enjoys cooking for his

team, and said the fire service wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the family-style dinners they share.

“It’s really a family sort of thing when it comes to the fire service. Even years and years ago when the cooking wasn’t as good as it is now, it was still the same camaraderie,” he said, just as a line forms behind him of firefighters holding empty plates, awaiting their fuel for the night. “I learn a lot in the kitchen as well as out on the street from them.” ■

b y MEG FRASER

6 | PrimeTime April 2011 April 2011 PrimeTime | 7

...Get out ofthe kitchen

Paul Leighton has been with the Barrington Fire Department for five years. Just long enough to get a reputation for being the town’s top firehouse chef.

“I like being in control of what I eat. My mother was a really good cook too so I’m used to good food,” he says, tossing a pizza crust into the air.

The Barrington trucks take turns cooking, but if Leighton’s on duty, chances are he’s taking the reigns in the kitchen. Unlike Providence where there are 15 mouths to feed on any given night, Barrington’s dining room table is more manageable with just six firefighters. Leighton too tries to keep the budget down to $5 per dinner, but not on everyone’s favorite theme night.

“Pizza night is a big exception. We try to eat healthy...but not on pizza night,” Leighton said.

The tab is going to be closer to $10 on pizza night, when traditional cheese and pepperoni is joined by unconventional toppings like shrimp. For the crew of six, Leighton says it usually takes three or four pizzas to keep everyone satisfied, but it’s not unheard of for each person to clean up an entire pie.

Leighton isn’t a natural in the kitchen. It wasn’t until he joined the fire service that he really began to practice, and now competes with his mother and sisters.

For the most part, he’s starting recipes from scratch, though, because his mom was never much for cookbooks.

“She never wrote any of the recipes down and they’d come out unbelievable,” he said.

At home today, Leighton’s skills come in handy when cooking for he and his wife.

“She’s grateful because she doesn’t know how to make anything other than cereal and ice cream. She’s a clean freak, so it works out perfectly,” he said.

The Barrington department has to be careful of how detailed their recipes get. There’s only one crew on duty at a time, so where bigger departments can send out one truck while the other takes over meal preparation, an emergency call has the oven turned off and the entire firehouse running out. Some meals aren’t salvageable, so dinner should be something that will taste okay if it’s being heated up.

“You’ve got to take into account you can get a call at any time and this all shuts down. We all have to go if we have a fire run. That’s all the more reason we have to make sure we’re in and out,” he said.

During the busy daytimes, that means simple sandwiches for lunch.“At lunch time it’s really common to just sit down and grab your first bite of food

- and then all of a sudden you’re out the door,” Leighton said.The same goes for shopping. The Barrington team can do their entire shopping

in 15 minutes, easily. Whether or not they stick to the menu on the trip is a different story.

“We’ll all decide we want something for lunch and then we’ll go to the super-market and find something on sale and completely change the menu last minute,” Leighton added.

They shop the sales, unless there’s a special occasion. The Super Bowl is a fire-house favorite, but Leighton gets to take it easy because most of the firefighters come in with a dish or two to share.

Since the fire department shares a building with the Barrington Police, it’s not uncommon for the phone to ring with questions from cops on what’s being served.

“They’ll call over and hint that they want something,” Leighton said.When he was first leaving the Marine Corps, Leighton’s family and friends sug-

gested he become a police officer. Once he saw the strong bonds of the fire service, he decided that was the right place for him.

“Any group that doesn’t have the family dinners and doesn’t sit down and eat together, is missing out on a certain amount of chemistry,” he said. “Here, it’s like having a team effort all the time.” ■

let’s eat!


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Every week, you slip items into your grocery cart that have health ben-efits you may be completely unaware of; foods that pack a serious punch with vitamins and nutrients that can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of disease and stimulate weight loss.

In that same aisle, there are foods doing the opposite - weakening the immune system and packing on the pounds. As with all things, moderation is key, but when you?re hitting the supermarket, keep these best of/worst of foods in mind.

10 of THe BesTBlueberries

BroccoliOlive oilYogurt

TomatoesSweet potatoes

SalmonSpinachAlmonds

Apples

10 of THe WorsTSoda

BaconDoughnutsWhole milk

Canned soupFried chickenPotato chips

Processed meatsWhite flour products

Mayonnaise and margarine


b y M E G F R A S E R let’s eat

The facts on foodQ&A with DR. MARy fLyNN

Dr. Mary Flynn has been a dietician at The Miriam Hospital since 1984. She deals with patients every day who need help changing their diets, but don’t know where to start. Author of “Low Fat Lies” and “The Pink Ribbon Diet,” she specializes in the care of patients with chronic conditions, and believes that good health starts with three meals a day.We caught up with Mary to find out what the basic dos and don’ts are for every diner.

Q Where do you start when trying to change someone’s diet?

I first try to find out their eating patterns. For the most part, I find out people snack all day and that is not good for weight control. Every time we eat, insulin is created. Insulin is shown to drive cancers in part; it also drives heart disease.

Q What foods do you think are especially important for staying healthy?

We, by we I mean health professionals, lump fruits and vegetables together, but it’s really vegetables that support health. A serving of fruit is only a half a cup. It’s easy to over-consume. I emphasize more frozen produce, or canned if they like them. It’s kept on the plant longer, so it’s high in nutrient content. Olive oil has health benefits, but also fat is needed to absorb what makes vegetables healthy. If people don’t eat vegetables, I tell them olive oil makes them taste so much better. I try to emphasize what they can eat as opposed to what they should take away.

Q What foods do you avoid?

Seafood and poultry do not improve your health. Beef, health wise, is the worst of the three. You don’t have to give it up entirely, but people don’t need to eat them, especially not people who are not feeling so well, or older people. Many people just assume that meat is part of the budget, but all my recipes are without meat.

Q What’s the biggest problem with the eating habits of Americans?

Portions, absolutely. A lot of people still prepare food as if they have a family com-ing home. If you’re only cooking what you’re going to eat, it makes it easier. I think more cookbooks should come out for one. The great things about seniors is they can remember when the portions weren’t so large.

Q What advice do you have for people with sweet cravings?

Don’t have them in your house. You can eat them, but don’t have them in your house. Twice a month, go out to dessert for lunch. You get to have it, but you don’t have it with a lunch. It gets it out of their system.

Q What can you replace dessert with?

I find that if there’s a low fat meal, you do want something afterward. Instead, I recommend using sea salt on the vegetables. It adds more flavor, plus you can see it so you can control how much you’re putting on it, and people tend to be more satisfied after the meal.

Q Should beverages be factored in to the caloric intake?

With seniors I find a lot of juice. You don’t need the juice, and if you want to take your medications with juice, you only need four ounces. Studies seem to suggest that liquid calories don’t register, so they add weight.

Q It seems more and more people are being diagnosed with a gluten allergy. What are the warning signs?

It does manifest differently but one of the bigger ones is bloating after a meal. It isn’t all intestinal. If you’re suspecting it, go for three, four, five days without wheat products and see if you feel any different.

Q What are the biggest nutritional challenges for seniors, in particular?

Lack of variety, and lack of access in the sense that they’re isolated and a lot of them don’t want to go to the senior center or they can’t go to the store, and they don’t want to ask people to help them.

Q Any other problem areas you see for seniors?I find a lot of seniors go out for lunch and I think they forget lunch adds up. It used to be you’d just have a sandwich, but now that sandwich is filled with lots of meat and comes with chips or French fries. Skip the sides.

Q What advice do you have for a night out at a restaurant?

Portions, of course, are always a problem. If you’re able to control the destination, do. Ask questions: what am I getting? How much am I getting? Ask for the take out box to come with the meal. Box up half of the meal when it comes so you’re less tempted to eat too much. ■


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mail entries to: Beacon communications1944 Warwick ave., Warwick, ri 02889attn: I Found It!or_send_an_e-mail_to:[email protected]

Entry_Deadline:_April_30,_2011.

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Easter InspirationEnjoy an inspired Eas-ter feast with ham plus seasonal favorites that will impress your guests. The savory flavors of Roasted Ham Saltimbocca showcase ham’s versatility in this suc-culent centerpiece dish.

Pork’s Perfect Partner

Here are three tasty ways to enjoy Asparagus:—Sautéed — Add a little zest and crunch to your plate with asparagus sautéed in soy sauce until stalks are easily pierced with fork (3 to 5 minutes). Serve as a side dish over rice.—Grilled — Climate permitting, fire up the grill and cook olive oil-tossed spears for 2 minutes for slightly charred asparagus. Kick it up a notch by drizzling with balsamic vinaigrette. —Roasted — Try drizzling on olive oil and adding a few pinches of salt and pepper before roasting your favorite veggies. Toss into a 400°F oven, and roast for roughly 12 to 17 minutes.

RoastED Ham saltImbocca Yield: 15 to 20 4-ounce servings • Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: About 2 3/4 hours

1 6- to 8-pound fully-cooked bone-in shank end ham, trimmed ¼ cup chopped fresh sage leaves, divided Pepper 4 thin slices prosciutto 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup dry white wine (for non-alcoholic, substitute an additional cup of chicken broth) 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 to 6 pieces 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour dissolved in 1/3 cup cold water Salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Position rack in lower third of oven.

Place ham flat side down in a large shallow roasting pan and score a diamond pat-tern about 1/8 inch deep into any fat. Sprinkle all over with 2 tablespoons sage and season with pepper. Bake until internal temperature reaches 140°F, 15 to 18 minutes per pound total cooking time. After the first hour, baste with pan juices about every 15 minutes. Remove ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and let rest 15 to 30 minutes.

While ham is resting, increase oven to 400°F. Arrange prosciutto on a baking sheet and bake until crisped, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Also while ham is resting, drain roasting pan, discarding liquid. Place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add broth and wine; bring to a boil, and cook, scraping up any browned bits in the pan, until liquid is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 4 minutes depending on the size of the pan. Reduce to a simmer and add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons sage, stirring until butter melts. Whisk in flour mixture and cook, whisking, until sauce thickens, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Carve ham and arrange on plates or a platter. Crumble prosciutto on top. Serve sauce on the side.

Substitutions: You can use bone-in or boneless ham and substitute dried sage (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) instead of fresh.

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food & drink


Assisted living today is a far cry from the institutional-style home many people might expect. Walk into Rhode Island’s top facilities, and you’ll feel like you’re in a five-star hotel, from the chic décor to the professional staff.It doesn’t hurt that the gourmet dining rooms are led by the kind of executive chefs who have experience in the state’s finest restaurants. Starting this month, PrimeTime will catch up with some of these culinary experts to find out what brought them into the kitchen, and why they love cooking for the senior palate.

This month, we spoke with Jan maGuIREfrom brightview commons.

1. What are the must haves in your fridge?I am a true Rhode Islander - milk, eggs and cheese! In the other cupboards would be the red and the white wines to enhance many of my recipes.

2. Where did you train to become a chef? Have you had any other jobs in the culinary industry?I have been very fortunate to be raised in a home where family mealtime was the time for our large, Irish family to visit and share our days. Food and laughter were the common threads. Years later, as my siblings and I have married and moved, our family reunions continue to revolve around our loving memories and our growing culinary passions.

In my 30-plus years in the culinary and hospitality industries, I have enjoyed many roles, and I have worked for some terrific men-tors. However, it always comes down to the enjoyment with the people you serve. I am best known for my 14 years as the manager of the very popular Larchwood Inn in South Kingstown. In my time at the Larchwood, my enjoyment came from serving our customers. When the opportunity to take the helm as the Director of Dining Services for Brightview Commons presented itself, it was a natural place for me to be, and it has been enormously rewarding. Brightview Senior Living allows and encourages each of its com-munities to utilize local culinary and cultural menus that reflect the population we serve. Here at Brightview, our four chefs create recipes with local ingredients, and our residents select from 12 to 15 menu selections each day - all fresh, home-made recipes.

in the KiTcHen

chefseriesPr i m eTi m e

Jan maguire from bRIGHtvIEWcommons

3. What’s the most popular item on Brightview’s menu? We have several. Our seafood is purchased locally from New England waters and fisheries, so residents really enjoy the various seafood and seafood chowder items. Additionally, we have created specialized menus for theme nights. It’s a tough choice for residents to choose their favorite. Thus far, we have created menus for French, German, Hawaiian and Italian dinners. Our dining room manager does an outstanding job of creating an atmosphere that reflects the theme, and the chefs enjoy working as a team to create the themed menu items for each event. However, let’s not forget hot dogs and beans on Saturday night - after all, this is New England!

4. What’s the strangest menu request you’ve ever gotten? I enjoy my ‘Food for Thought’ resident meetings where residents meet with me along with our executive chef and dining room manager to discuss new menu items. Residents bring all of their suggestions, and we welcome their enthusiasm and involvement. I love food and food combinations; therefore, nothing seems unusual to me. However, I’m not a fan of rel-ish with meatloaf or tuna on raisin toast, but if my residents requests one of these oddities, it’s theirs with a smile!

5. What’s the best part of your job? It’s always about the people we serve and the joy that is shared around one of our meals. I must add that it has been extremely rewarding to obtain such positive feedback from our residents and hear them express delight with our dining services. The team and I work very hard to keep that experience personal.

6. Describe your perfect meal. My personal favorite is grilled lamb chops served with asparagus and herb-roasted, red bliss potatoes complemented by fresh lemon juice and perhaps a nice Shiraz or Beaujolais. So from my kitchen to yours, we send your our Irish wish...May you get all of your wishes but one, so that you always have something to strive for. ■

food & drink


What’s vibrant independent living at Brightview? It’s a wonderful home without all the work. More fun and freedom in every day. Good food, good friends, good times. More of everything you’re looking for. Come live well.

Senior living.Vibrant living.

Come see our 8 apartments with new special pricing!

Come see how Brightview brings it all together for you.

Rental with no large entrance fee.

All-inclusive monthly fee.

Restaurant-style dining, fitness, movies, beauty salon.

Daily social events, happy hour, trips and more.

Assisted Living & Alzheimer’s Care Neighborhoods on-site.

See what makes Brightview the area’s best value.

Call 401-789-8777 today!57 GrandeVille CourtWakefield, RI 02879BrightviewCommons.com

6

Saint Elizabeth Home

Saint Elizabeth HomeOne Saint Elizabeth Way, East Greenwich, RI 02818

401. 471.6060

Short term care Long term care

Provided in a beautiful nursing residence by dedicated staff,committed to quality of life and individualized care.

Come and see why we are a first choice for so many!

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EStAbLIShEd In 1882

...just like family

Saint Elizabeth Manor Prime Time3 3 12/12/07 9:12:08 AM


as seenlet’s eat

TV Maitre d’Rhode Island’s own food expert, Joe Zito

gives diners a weekly run down of whatOcean State destinations can’t be missed.

Cooking with ClassJohnson & Wales University has brought

some of the nation’s top chefs to Rhode Island,and the school gives back some more by

loaning out Chef frank Terranova for this Channel 10 do-it-yourself cooking class.

These are some of the rhode island

eateries that have made a splash

on the small screen.

Diners, Drive-Ins and DivesThe Guy Fieri Food Network favorite features some of the country’s best hole in the wall spots to grab a burger and

a beer. Rhode Island has made the list on morethan one occasion, including:

Louie’s Restaurant

Crazy Burger Cafe and Juice Bar

Evelyn’s Drive-In

Morin’s Diner

The Liberty Elm

Ramsay’s Kitchen NightmareRhode Island most recently graced the television in an episode of this boot camp for restaurants, which fea-

tured DownCity in Providence.

Restaurant: ImpossibleSimilar to Ramsay’s, this show follows Chef Robert Irvine as he gives dull or

failing restaurants a makeover. Mainelli’s in Providence got their makeoverjust this year, though the owner warned that you shouldn’t believe everything

you see on TV - the show is, in large part, dramatized.

The Best Thing I Ever AteThe name says it all. This Food Network show features chefs and hosts

eating at the restaurants they can’t eat at just once. flo’s Clam Shackmade the show, as did the famous Olneyville N.y. System,

and Al forno in Providence.

TVon


PEOPLE AND PLACESdoer’s Profile b y J O A N R E T S I N A S

Sarah Harris Squibb, a turn of the last century wife and mother, was the star of this movie.

The opening scene: On a hot summer day in the 1930s, a family gathered on the porch of a new beach house in Saunderstown. Sarah, her husband George, and their two children were lazily chat-ting. Everybody was thirsty. Sarah remembered a recipe her mother-in-law had given her for iced tea - a bizarre new-fashioned drink that nobody had tasted. Sarah mixed up a batch, combining black tea, mint from the garden and lots of sugar. The family praised the tea.

Scene two: A few years later, at the Saunder-stown Yacht Club, people were sipping the tea. Word-of-mouth had broadcast the Squibb recipe.

Scene three: Another hot summer afternoon on the family front porch, this time in the 1950s. Sarah served up iced tea, along with chocolate chip cookies (not her original recipe), to her seven grandchildren. One child, Robin, treasured the time with her grandmother, linking it with the iced tea afternoons.

Scene four: A teenaged Robin, who grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut, was slated to go to board-ing school. She chose the Mary C. Wheeler School in Providence, largely to be close to Granny, who was raised on Bowen Street and lived most of her married life on Cushing Street on Providence’s East Side.

The remaining scenes focused on Robin, as the iced tea and Granny receded into the background. Robin graduated from Wheeler in 1963, stud-ied painting in Florence for a year, studied art at Boston University for a year, and then set off for Manhattan, enthusiastically seeking a career and adventure, which don’t often dovetail.

For the first few years, Robin worked in J. Wal-ter Thompson and Ted Bates advertising agencies, as a casting person for television commercials. That work shackled Robin to a desk, and soon Robin sought a next-step job, one that would get her out of the office.

She found that next step in the movie industry, where she filled a variety of roles, ending as a film script supervisor - the nuts-and-bolts person who worries about wardrobe, timing, props, camera angles, makeup and all the minute details that link the editing room to the director. The job put her in sometimes exotic locations (frigid upper New York state in winter, for the filming of “Nobody’s Fool,” to Mississippi for “Mississippi Burning”), let her mingle with famous actors (Robert DeNiro in “Analyze This” and Will Smith in “Hitch”), and gave her the exhilarating experience of working 12-hour, non-stop days far from an office. Robin loved the job and loved living in Manhattan. All was well, until the bombing of the World Trade Center towers shifted Robin’s trajectory, and this movie’s story line.

a fairY Tale endingRobin Squibb

After Sept. 11, many New Yorkers moved, par-ticularly those with strong family ties outside the city. Robin eventually returned to Providence, still working on films.

But she kept thinking about Granny and iced tea, which she had been drinking all her life. She asked herself: Why not start a business? She had never managed, let alone developed, a business. She had no clue what a business plan was, or what marketing, licensing and production would entail.

But the rest of this story - one Robin directed - took shape as she plunged into the world of en-trepreneurship. She sought help from the slew of Rhode Island organizations dedicated to helping small businesses, including the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, the Center for Women and Enterprise, the RI Center for Innova-tion and Entrepreneurship, the business school at Johnson & Wales and the RI Economic Develop-ment Corporation. She wrote a business plan and became a finalist in the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition.

The result: Granny’s Mint iced tea and Mojito/Lime iced tea are sold throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Raspberry/Lime and Black Currant iced teas are in the works. Rob-in continues to put in 12-hour, non-stop days.

“It’s so much work,” she said.The recipes hail back to Granny. In fact, Gran-

ny’s picture is on the label. A lot of grandmothers spend lazy summer afternoons drinking tea and munching on cookies with grandchildren. And a lot of granddaughters grow up with fond memo-ries. But Sarah Squibb inspired more than lovely memories; she launched a business. In the movie of Robin Squibb’s life, Granny has a starring role. ■

April 2011 PrimeTime | 15

let’s eat b y M E G F R A S E R

W hen Sanjiv Dhar told his family he wanted to go into the restaurant business, they thought he was crazy. But with a background in the hospitality industry and formally educated in the culinary arts, he saw his chance and grabbed it.

Kabob and Curry on Thayer Street was rumored to be closing. Chef Dhar believed he could be the restaurant’s saving grace.

“I saw an opportunity there, and against the wishes of my family, I decided to jump into it. When you run a small business, you don’t own it; the business owns you. In our family, no one had done business before,” he explained.

That was more than two decades ago, and Kabob and Curry has turned around into a popular Providence destination. Less than 10 minutes away, the same is true for Dhar’s second restaurant, Rasoi.

With both hot spots, Dhar’s mission is to make authentic Indian cuisine accessible and enjoyable.

“People aren’t exposed to Indian cuisine. My wish was to garner respect for Indian cuisine. We educate the palate,” he said.

At Kabob and Curry, that was a challenge. The restaurant already had an identity in the community, and needed a lot of work. When Dhar took over, he kept the restaurant open during the transition and didn’t change the name. It took a few years to put his stamp on it. With Rasoi, on the other hand, it was a clean canvas.

“Your businesses are like your children; if you don’t pay attention to them, chances are, you will lose track,” he said. “This is completely my design. This is what I learned over 14 or 15 years.”

The East Avenue location was originally a bagel shop, so Dhar had total control over the end result. With the design expertise of friend and architect Joe Del Vecchio, he gut-ted the store and built a true Indian experience from the studs up.

“Whenever people come to an ethnic restaurant, it’s not just the food, it’s the total experience,” Dhar said. “They want a true ethnic experience, not a modified one. It’s what you order off the menu, the images on the wall, the colors, the smells in the dining room because we have an open kitchen, the drinks menu - everything has a little flavor to it.”

The colors of India are splashed all over the yellow walls, red partitions and blue tile bar. The menu has classic staples, infused with Dhar’s favorites from his native Kashmir region.

Educating the Palate

Just don’t expect Dhar to stray from the food’s origins to pander to the healthy food craze some restaurants follow.

“If a samosa in India is fried, you can’t bake it and say it’s a samosa. That’s not true. It’s not going to taste the same,” he said. “I think at the end of the day, when you go to a restaurant, you go to celebrate, you don’t go to watch your weight. You want to go and have a good time.”

Still, he maintains that Indian food isn’t what people think it is. The perception is that it’s all spicy or had a weird smell, but Dhar says that’s unfair. He kept the kitchen in his restaurant open so that guests could get to know Indian food from a knowledgeable staff in a fun environment. From time to time, he does guest teaching events at Johnson & Wales University, one of his alma maters. He also offers cooking classes at Rasoi to educate diners, and wrote a cookbook, “Indian Cooking, Light and Easy,” which he hopes to follow up with a second edition.

“Indian food is light and easy, simply because we don’t use artificial products. Ev-erything is very natural. We use a lot of vegetables, we use a lot of good spices that have therapeutic value to them,” he said.

The 46-year-old father of two hasn’t slowed down since taking the reigns at Kabob and Curry, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. The hours are tough, but he feels “blessed” to be doing something he loves. And if another opportunity comes around to increase the popularity of Indian cuisine, he just may take it.

“Apart from the hours, I enjoy every bit of it,” he said. “I enjoy to work hard.” ■

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Whenever people come to an ethnic restaurant, it ’s not just the food, it ’s the total experience...

“”


sHoP WareHouse sToresNot all prices are better at membership stores, particularly if you tend to go overboard, but there are some really good deals to be had. Look for great buys on perishable items and

shop towards the end of the day, when department managers want to unload extra inventory.

let’s eat

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2

Watching cashiers ring up purchases at the grocery store is becoming more painful every day. Unfortunate-ly, things are about to get much worse, particularly for low-income consumers who don’t have ready access to discount supermarkets.

According to the United Nations, global food prices hit a record high in February due to upward-spiraling gas prices and stockpiling by importers.

use couPons Now’s the time to get in on the clipping coupon trend, particularly since there are so many ways to access them these days. You’ll find coupons online in either Internet-code, or

downloadable form. Mobile coupons are as close as your cell phone. CellFire.com is a great source for grocery sav-ings, as is CouponSherpa.com. Don’t overlook the coupons that print out with your receipt at the register. Known as Catalinas, these coupons are targeted towards the purchases you’ve made that day.

HiT dollar sTores – Whether you cruise the narrow aisles of DollarGeneral.com or hit one of the smaller chains, dollar stores offer savings on boxed, bagged and canned goods. Make sure you check the expiration dates, however.

$hopping smaRt

34 use grocerY sTore reWards cards – These loyalty cards

have become a necessity to access store sales, but they also have another benefit: You can download online coupons directly to your rewards card and the savings will be taken off at the register. Visit the rewards-card

pages of supermarket websites to find manufacturer coupons. Some rewards cards also provide gas savings when you buy groceries.

5 BuY generic – By and large, store-brand generics can be much

cheaper than manufacturer products with the exact same quality. In fact, generics come off the same assembly line before being slapped with separate labels, so skip the brand name items.

use discounT gifT cards Shop websites like GiftCardGranny for discount gift cards from Kmart,

Walmart and other major chains that sell food and produce. Paying just a portion of the card’s face value gives you an instant savings on your grocery needs.

maKe a lisT – Avoid impulse pur-chases by making a list before you leave home and sticking to it when you hit the store. Knowing specifically what you

need also helps avoid duplication of products you already have at home.

6

7

Plan Your meals – It’s a lot easier to make a list when you have a plan. Creating a weekly menu also helps you avoid quick trips to the supermarket that end up costing you more in many ways. For last minute

meals, create a gourmet dish at a deep discount by buying meats, produce and other food items that are on sale at your local grocery store.

8

one-sToP sHoP – Save gas, time and money by shopping stores like Target that allows you to buy everything on your list in one visit.

9aVoid ouT-of-season Produce – To every vegetable and fruit there is a season - and a better price. Squash is cheaper in the fall, while asparagus can be a bargain in the spring. Wait until prices are at their best and plan your menu around seasonal produce to save big. ■

10

Andrea Woroch is a consumer savings expert who has appeared on ABC News, the Today Show, Fox & Friends and other media outlets. She advises shoppers on how to combat escalating food prices, including 10 tips to best protect your wallet.

For more information, visit AndreaWoroch.com.

photos by Darcie Disaia


Can you imagine going to a burger joint that offers valet parking, takes reservations, has a bar and waiting lounge, carafes of fresh water, cloth napkins, real silver and dinner ware, the atmosphere of a four-star restaurant, helpful waiters, and looks out on The Capitol Grille?

We have finally discovered LUXE Burger Bar, where for only $7.99, you can build yourself one fine burger by following a simple nine-step process.

Step #1 is to choose your burger, which for $7.99 is 100 percent purebred USDA Hereford Gold Label beef from corn fed cows raised on small farms. If you want to splurge, you can get Kobe beef for $10.99, but believe me, the Gold Label is as near to perfection as you’ll need.

Step #2 is temperature, and as Joyce will attest, rare is a cool red. My medium was perfectly pink.

Next come eight cheese choices, in-cluding goat (Joyce) and bleu (Don).

You have a choice of three toppings from nine selections. I chose coleslaw, caramelized onions and roasted peppers. Joyce substituted baby lettuce for the slaw.

You can also add premium toppings,

THaT’s enTerTainmenT b y D O N F O W L E R lifestyles

like pastrami, guacamole, and even a fried egg, for a buck each.

Then there’s the challenge of choosing a sauce. I picked the horseradish mustard, while Joyce chose the Tzatziki, a Greek combination of yogurt and cucumber.

There are four buns to choose from. I always go for the whole wheat. There are six sides, including the traditional fries. I had the potato salad, made with large chunks of red potatoes, while Joyce chose Gorgonzola Tater Tots, her only disap-pointment, as she thought they were too mild for her taste buds (The waiter thought they were too strong). You can also “pimp those fries” by adding sour cream, chili and other delights.

There are daily specials, including trivia night, ladies night and a live DJ on Friday and Saturday nights.

The appetizer list is huge, along with soups and salads, and specialty sandwiches range from grilled cheese to pulled pork.

The ultimate in sandwiches, the Frankenstein, is a monster indeed, featur-ing four Gold Label burgers, 2 Nathan’s hot dogs, four slices of bacon and cheese, topped with chili, slaw and relish on two

rolls with a double order of fries. Finish it ($19.99) and you get a tee shirt.

LUXE has a full bar with a huge beer list, ranging from a 16 ounce Narragansett ($2.50) to England’s Sam Smith Pale Ale ($8).

We had such a good time; we returned the following week so that Joyce could build her own macaroni and cheese, which included up to three ingredients from six choices for $7.99.

She chose sautéed mushrooms and pastrami, loving it, but finding the pas-trami taste overwhelming the dish. I was the beneficiary of the delicious pastrami.

We like to try a restaurant a couple of times before writing a review. We returned to LUXE two weeks later to find a $1 in-crease in our hamburgers (they were $6.99 previously). Plus the “premium sides” of Gorgonzola Tater Tots and Sweet Potato

Fries were now .69

cents extra.With

the cost of food rising daily, it’s

still a pretty good deal.

Our second time around, we tried different sauces

(Chipotle Mayo and Horseradish Mayo), and I splurged for the sweet potato fries, which were plentiful, hot and tasty.

LUXE is located at 5 Memorial Boule-vard in downtown Providence. For reserva-tions call 621-LUXE. Check out their website at www.luxeburgerbar.com. ■

luXE: burger Heaven

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$hopping smaRt


b y WILLIAM GEOGHEGAN

t he signs went up, the e-mails went out, and still the phone calls came in. People don’t like it when Amy and Joe Hitzemann take a vacation. “We told everybody, ‘We’re go-ing away for the holidays and these are the dates,’” Amy said. “I put it in e-mails; we

posted it everywhere in the store and we still got like 70 phone calls. People were like, ‘Where are you? What’s going on?’”

You can’t blame them. They’re hungry.Amy and Joe own A&J Bakery at 1458 Park Ave., in Cranston. Most days, it’s bustling;

some days, it’s a madhouse. Business is almost never slow. For the husband and wife baking team, there’s a simple recipe for the success.

It’s all about the missing ingredients.The Hitzemanns started A&J as a nut-

free bakery in 2006. In 2009, they intro-duced a gluten-free line. They also have egg and dairy-free products. Most of it, they can barely keep on the shelves. Where most bak-eries offer treats, things you might grab for a special occasion or a quick sugar fix, A&J provides necessities. Hence the phone calls. “The demand is just huge,” Amy says. “We get some customers who are really excited and some who say, ‘Oh my god, you’re my savior.’”

That’s not an overstatement. If you have a gluten allergy, you’re happy to find something edible. To find something good? Heaven. A&J delivers, and sometimes it goes deeper than a bite and a smile. “We had a family that came in and the daughter just refused to eat because she was so sensi-tive to gluten,” Amy says. “They took home boxes of stuff and the daughter ate all of it. The father, that night, came back to get more.”

It’s that important - food freedom for those who’ve never had it.

Amy and Joe understand.

missing Ingredients = Key to success


calendar of eVenTs

Healthy computer useWhen you search the Internet, do you have trouble figuring out what websites have le-gitimate health and medical information? Does it seem like a lot of websites are trying to sell you something? The Rhode Island Hos-pital Library is hosting free computer work-shops where you can learn about high quality health and medical websites that provide ac-curate information for seniors and their care-givers. The schedule is as follows: April 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the East Smithfield Public Library at 50 Esmond Street in Smith-field (Register at 231-5150); April 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Warren Senior Center at 20 Libby Lane in Warren (Register at 247-1930); April 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Rochambeau Pub-lic Library at 708 Hope Street in Providence (Register at 272-3780 ext. 3); April 8 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Smithfield Senior Center at 1 Wm. J. Hawkins Jr. Trail in Smithfield); April 11 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Warwick Public Library at 600 Sandy Lane in Warwick (Register at 739-5440 ext. 5); April 12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Swift Community Center at 121 Peirce St. in East Greenwich (Register at 886-8669 ext. 1); April 29 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Sal-vatore Mancini Resource and Activity Center at 2 Atlantic Boulevard in North Providence (Register at 231-0742).

Hip HarpistBCLIR: A Community for Lifelong Learning presents the “Hip Harpist” Deborah Hen-son-Conant in a concert/theatrical event on Sunday, April 17. The event, at the Johnson and Wales Inn, located at 213 Taunton Ave in Seekonk, features a brunch at 11:30 a.m. and a concert at 1 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person in advance, or $50 at the door. Friends of BCLIR tickets for $100 include preferred seating. This concert/brunch is a fundraiser to support the organization’s programs. For more informa-tion on Deborah Henson-Conant and to pur-chase tickets, go to www.bclir.org.

going greenEarth Day is on April 16, and Save the Bay has several events that volunteers can sign up for to get involved in the green movement. There will be cleanups at Easton’s Beach in Newport, Bristol Harbor shoreline in Bristol, Misquamicut Beach in Westerly and the Save the Bay Center in Providence from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to participate in the cleanups but advanced registration is re-quired. Volunteers can contact Stephany Hes-sler at 272-3540 ext. 130 to register.

clean your cupboardsOcean Health Mart Pharmacy will be accept-ing expired and unused prescriptions at the Save the Bay Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 16. The medicines will be collected and incinerated to keep them out of the public water supply, as a safer alternative to combin-ing them with trash or flushing them down the toilet.

let’s eat!

They’re both bakers, and they both graduated from Johnson & Wales. They’d talked for a while about opening a bakery. When Amy got pregnant with their son, Kamden, she started learning about nut allergies. Family history suggested that Kamden might be pre-disposed. The bakery plan got a slight adjustment.

“We just said to ourselves, ‘If we open a bakery and it’s not nut-free and our kid has a nut allergy, we’re kind of stuck,’” Amy says. Kamden ended up with a mild nut allergy. It’s nothing too serious, but he’d already been the spark, and by then, the idea was catching fire. Amy and Joe opened the bakery and saw their nut-free creations gain popularity quickly. They’d found a niche. These days, it’s a lot bigger.

Joe started running the bakery full-time two years ago. Amy teaches baking at Davies Career & Technical High School in Lincoln and joins in after school. They now have two separate kitchens inside the bakery, one that’s nut-free and another that’s nut and gluten-free. They take the separation seriously; there’s no danger of cross-contamination. While the nut-free business has slowed, the gluten-free line is soaring.

“Nut-free, you can make cookies at home as a mom,” Amy says. “Gluten-free, you don’t have as much of a choice. So if you find something you like, you’re going to keep coming back.”

And people are coming back.Amy recalled a day when Joe made bread four times

- about 35 loaves. At the end of the day, every loaf

was gone. A&J also offers hot dog and hamburger buns, pizza shells and sandwich rolls. There’s plenty for a sweet tooth too, from pies and cheesecake to cookies and cup-cakes. Biscotti is popular - it was featured as the snack of the day on the Rachael Ray Show. The allergen-free gingerbread houses have been shipped nationwide, and for St. Joseph’s Day in March, they trotted out zeppoles.

The recipes are honed by trial and error, and Joe is constantly evaluating. When they decided the gluten-free flour they used wasn’t the best, Joe developed his own blend. They use it in everything and it’s now sold in the store. “We don’t go with it unless we like it,” Amy said. “My mom was in here the other day and she took home a whole tray of gluten-free coffee cake. She doesn’t eat gluten-free but she loves it.”

Amy and Joe never envisioned this kind of success, particularly for the gluten-free line. But they’re embrac-ing it and already thinking about their next steps. Their products are available in several stores, and they get a steady stream of online orders. Franchising has been sug-gested, but Amy and Joe would like to keep their hands on everything. They’re looking into warehousing.

It won’t be easy as the business continues to grow. During zeppole season, Joe started cooking at midnight one Friday and was still going the next afternoon. It’s a busy life.

But Amy and Joe will keep baking.And vacations? They might want to leave their

phones at home. ■

missing Ingredients = Key to success


We’re all food critics

One of my great joys in life is discovering new restaurants.In most cases, friends and people who read my restaurant reviews recommend

them to me.Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t begin a conversation with, “Have

you tried...?”We are all food critics, from recommending the baked stuffed shrimp at Twin

Oaks to the new grilled chicken at KFC.I’ll take my neighbor’s advice on his favorite restaurant before I follow some

fancy review about a restaurant that is going to cost me an arm and a leg and has a wine list longer than most food menus.

There are two exceptions:If I’m visiting another country or city, I will go out of my way to eat at any

“joint” that Anthony Bourdain recommends. In Rhode Island, I watch Joe Zito because he is always unpretentious, and manages to find his way into the kitchen and see the food prepared.

Everyone has their favorite restaurant, and many conversations - even over dinner at a restaurant - turns to sharing that information.

This is how we discovered such restaurants as Carousel and Lemongrass in Warwick, Anthony’s in Middletown, OV’s in Providence, Meatball Mike’s in Cranston, and Salas’ in Newport.

I’ve also discovered that a number of people (myself included) will go to a restaurant for one particular dish.

A neighbor loves the quiche at Water’s Edge in Pawtuxet Village; another, the cinnamon buns at Little Falls.

I always ask where the best meatloaf is served. The most common answers are the Cheesecake Factory and L’Attitude.

Ask about burgers and you’ll get a different answer from just about every-one.

Same holds true for pizza.People today are watching their pennies and look for specials like half-price

fajita night at Chili’s, coupon specials at Iggy’s or the new DiPalma restaurant in Seekonk, or the half-orders at Angelo’s.

Once we get by the weather and our aches and pains, the conversation usually turns to food.

Potluck suppers turn out to be great opportunities to sample the best recipes of our friends and neighbors.

Barbara makes the best crab dip. Fran’s potato salad is to die for. What does Jenny put in her baked beans that make them so special?

When I worked for the Chamber of Commerce, we used to entertain people from all over the country. The standard for every convention was a lobster bake. Many guests were staring at that horrible looking creature for the first time.

“Let me help you,” I would say. “First, don’t eat the tail. But you can give it to me.”

Unfortunately, they quickly caught on to the ruse. It never worked with Bar-bara’s crab dish, when I told people to avoid it.

Continue being a food critic. There is nothing more enjoyable to talk about. Share your favorite restaurants and recipes to all who will listen.

And let me take those lobster tails off your hands. ■WSBE digital 36.1 LEARN 36.2Cox, FullChannel, Verizon 8 / Dish 7776 / DirecTV 36

www.ripbs.orgrhodeislandpbs.blogspot.com

AprilYour Watch List

for

If it’s Spring, you know it’s time for the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction! Watch the Preview Show scheduled at all different hours, starting Sunday, April 3 and all month long - check local TV listings for dates

and times on both the RI PBS and Learn. Live auction begins Wednesday, May 4 through Saturday, May 7, at 7 PM each night.

Rhode Island PBS proudly presents Rhode Island Stories, a series of independent films about or by Rhode Islanders, on Saturdays at 7 PM.

let’s eat b y D O N F O W L E R


lifestylesgaY & graY b y C Y N T H I A G L I N I C K

Trusting in one’s own songfirst saw Kim Trusty performing in “When Mahalia Sings,” the original musical story of the late, great Gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, at Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket. It was clear from her performance that Kim, like many women of

color who are composers and musicians, bring to their art form the legacy of those who came before like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, to name only a very few.

“The only thing better than singing is more singing”

- Ella Fitzgerald

After graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where she majored in composition, Kim found her way to Rhode Island through Mission and Training In-ternational. The organization’s vision is “to see cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ experience effectiveness, endurance and personal vitality.”

There was only one problem with her involvement.When she came out as a lesbian, their vision suddenly got quite cloudy, and she

had to leave the group.But she persevered and started singing and playing guitar publicly at Gay Pride

and the Walk for Life. She joined the Big Nazo Band and toured with other musical groups and was making auspicious contacts in the world of music. Then her spiritual-ity was put to the ultimate test.

“In 1996 I was diagnosed with cancer and my whole life came to a halt. Everything stopped,” Kim recalled. “I grew up with eight brothers and sisters, six of whom were adopted, like me. It was a family of light-skinned and dark-skinned, all kinds. It was awesome and holidays around the table were amazing. We were, and still are close, but I decided not to go back home to Pennsylvania and went through the process of heal-ing with my friends here instead. It was a very difficult and trying time and everyone, I mean everyone, who cared for me was a gift.”

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”

- Confucius

Fifteen years cancer free now, Kim let no grass grow under her feet. She admits to working all the time and her efforts have yielded two self-produced CDs entitled “I will be waiting,” and “Sweet Novena.” Her grandmother, who never wrote a note of music but was a strong figure in her life, influenced the latter recording. Kim’s musical style runs the gamut from jazz, pop and R&B to funk, and when you listen to her CDs no two songs sound alike.

“I’m not a cookie-cutter composer. I write for the integrity of the song, the integ-rity of the genre and the moment. So, that’s just who I am,” Kim said, laughing. “I’m all about integrity and I’ve been very privileged to work with some great musicians like Ritchie Havens and Paula Cole who had just come off her tour with Peter Gabriel, and locally, I’ve done some work with Bill Harley on his new CD. As a matter of fact, his wife, Debbie Block, is going to join Voices of Hope, the chorus I direct.”

The full name of the group, I’ve just learned, is Voices of Hope: Women Singing for Inspiration. Established by Jodi Glass and co-directed by Beth Armstrong, non-au-ditioned women of all ages come together to celebrate the power inherent in women’s voices and to connect and rejoice through the magic of music.

“I love doing that but it’s teaching that keeps me balanced, my elementary school, high school and after school programs,” Kim said. “I love my kids!”

“Jazz came to America 300 years ago in chains”

- Paul Whiteman

Kim is also very committed to public service. She teaches about jazz and keeping jazz alive to the children at Ocean State Learning. It’s their legacy.

“These kids are all in foster care or adopted, and if you believe people have value and also believe it is good to give back, you can’t be all selfish and money motivated. I’m loving it. I have the best job in the world,” she said.

Through her tutelage, the students were able to procure some keyboards and that led them to performing and singing the story of Louis Armstrong on the Verizon Jazz Stage at WaterFire in Providence.

With Congress poised to make deep cuts in federal funding, it could decimate the National Endowment for the Arts and leave our schools in silence. April is Jazz History Month and Music Educators Month. Contact your Congressperson and let them know how important music is to you, to your children and grandchildren. You can just bet Kim’s classrooms will resound with the joyous sounds of our musical heritage, whether it is gospel, jazz, blues, funk or soul. ■

I

calendar of eVenTs

close the ‘curtains’The Community Players continue their 90th season with the Rhode Island pre-mier of “Curtains!” a musical comedy about a backstage murder. The show runs through April 17 at the Jenks Audi-torium on Division Street in Pawtucket. Shows are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students. Reserve tickets at www.thecommuni-typlayers.org or call 726-6860.

for the love of filmThe third annual Southeast New Eng-land Film, Music and Arts Festival (SENE) will run through April 10 in Providence and Pawtucket. Admis-sion is $10 and includes complimen-tary wine and beer as well as food by Chelo’s. For more information, or for a complete program, visit www.senef-est.com.

Take me out to the ballgameThe Pawtucket Red Sox kick off their season on April 7, and games will run through the fall. Each year, the Paw-Sox feature the top prospects for the Red Sox organization in the historic McCoy Stadium. For a 2011 schedule, visit www.pawsox.com or call 724-7300. McCoy is located at 1 Ben Mon-dor Way in Pawtucket.

spring has sprungCelebrate the season at the Blithe-wold Mansion in Bristol, where Daffo-dil Days will run from April 10 to May

1. The grounds are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with afternoon teas available Wednesday through Friday. The Gardens and Arboretum are lo-cated at 101 Ferry Road, Route 114, in Bristol. For details, call 253-2707 or visit ww.blithewold.org.

The Holy grail of comedyThe outrageous musical comedy, Monty Python’s Spamalot, will take over the Providence Performing Arts Center from April 15 to 17. Call 421-ARTS to purchase tickets.


lifestylesWHaT do You finK? b y M I K E F I N K

The changing colors of timehorizon that covers us all.

Now, I was married in the 70s, and it was the habit of every house-hold that cared, to get back to basics, to scrape off the paint and reveal the wood beneath. I took my new bride on a train journey across the wilderness of Canada, from Quebec all the way to Van-couver. In a sort of glass train: at least the upper level, with its cocktail lounge, was roofed in clear crystal, so that you could see the bears and the snow-capped mountains and the thick woods once you had passed by the great cities. The logo of Canada, of

course, was the orange maple leaf. I had half my family living up north, in both Montreal and Toronto. But as newlyweds, we wanted to stretch our horizons beyond the aunts and uncles and cousins who

might judge us, into the freedom of space as the orange maple leaves, actual and upon pins and pennants, marked our journey: personal, impersonal,

private, public, shared, solitary. So I’m coloring the 70s orange - so there!I’ll select purple, or lavender, and with a flash of yellow, for the regal 80s, the

reign of Reagan in D.C. I wore a pale purple jacket on my travels in those years, and I purchased a pair of still controversial golden shoes, which I put on for formal occa-sions. Yellow, isn’t that a form of gold? I sought the sunshine of the Caribbean, and I was thrilled to fill my summer garden with the August plumage of those Goldfinches or Wild Canaries, that come to your backyard in elegant flocks before beginning to turn green when autumn threatens. For me, that 10-year spell was a happy sunrise, with the birth of my son in 1985. Those Royals over the pond have nothing on me, with the purple and gold of my memories.

Didn’t “they” label the 90s the “Me Decade?” I guess scarlet, red and crimson stand for that time. I got my dog to keep me company among my coffeehouses, and she had a bright red leash and collar. She was so small and tan, she needed to think about “me,” I mean herself, and red helped. A traffic light uses the flaming torch at an intersection as a warning to slow down, as the century itself came to a halt.

And I’ll end with the major dye that influences the present century, and millen-nium. Green, of course. It’s full circle, for me, because I was born into a time when scarcity brought us back to frugality and to foliage, a return to the magic of nature, the grass and the prospect of renewal.

At this moment I am shopping about for yet another pair of shoes, or rather, sneakers. I have my eye on an Australian running model, with words scribbled all over, straps and soles of garish oranges, yellows, purples and splashes of everything else. If I wear these about town, it will say, we are now living in eclectic times when variety of mood from color to color is the only medicine that can cure us, preserve us, keep us going and on our toes. I bet these colors and what they imply could suit everybody’s progress. We all cover the spectrum as we move up and over the rainbow that Judy Garland sang about in her sepia dream of Technicolor Oz. ■

If I could tell the history of my time (and perhaps, in part, your time) by using only colors and few words or pictures, here’s how my personal rainbow would turn out.

I was born in the 1930s and I guess I’ll use a khaki crayon, or finger-paint, in dusty hues of rust or pale gray to show the mailboxes before they were enameled in blue. And the bricks of neglected mills, schools, factories, prisons and the cobbles and curbstones of the sidewalks where we boys, dressed in drab hand-me-downs, played through long, melancholy afternoons into the twilight. Maybe a touch of turquoise, with its hint of Native American crafts, as a recognition of the pastel deco look, and as a salute to my birthstone and to the WPA, with its dedication to the arts.

Ah, but then, during the 1940s, our patriotic flag made red, white and blue the tones (like the tunes) of the Duration, the war years. Later, once the GIs came home again, everybody whitewashed the walls, the floors and the furnishings, and the cups, saucers, plates and bowls of the post-war scene. To turn their backs against the clutter of the pre-war, still vaguely Victorian world, with its busy tenements, its elaborate cabinets and chairs. Do everything over in flat albino and start anew and keep it simple. Design for denial.

By the mid-50s jeweled and iridescent plumage dyes came into the picture. I have my own theory about the pink and gray buildings, neckties and even Technicolor innovations. Pink and gray entered the picture everywhere you might look. You can see that combination in fashions and films, in particular. Moulin Rouge, Next Stop Greenwich Village, and then, on the Yale campus, the J. Press men’s wear window displays. I believe that the pink can be related to the insulting Cold War phrase, “pinko,” which might mean either dimly communistic, or perhaps gender-confused, but subversive in both cases. We were taught in fancy college classes that all true art is “subversive” of middle class values, just as, by analogy, intellectuals and idealists are misinformed traitors to the true American creed, subversives in the bad sense. And the gray, also, meant that you couldn’t choose black or white, loyalty to one cause or another throughout the Cold War decade and era. In those Ivy League seminars, we were also told that poetry itself is “gray”: ambiguous, ambivalent, ambidextrous. So the fad of mixing pink and gray spelled out, in the parlance of pigment, that this was the period of contemplation, not commitment. And there you have the mid-century, in watercolors on paper.

I’m going to move right along to the rebellious 60s, and dab my brush in the little pad of earnest blue, indigo or sky, or even navy, the colors of the denims we wore as we left our tweeds and cashmeres to the moths in our closets. Never have dreamed of wearing Levis to the dining halls of the Ivy League. Not until those anti-administra-tion blues of the time to say “no” with a clenched fist. It was the declaration of honesty and openness; what Ralph Waldo Emerson called “the daily bread of the soul,” the


senior issues

b y C A T H E R I N E T A Y L O RDirec tor, r i Depar tment of elDer ly affairs

State pharmacy assistanceprogram will evolve toNext Generation RIPAE

For a generation, since 1985, the Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly (RIPAE) program has helped tens of thousands of Rhode Is-land seniors pay for prescription medications that are essential for maintaining good health. RIPAE has been an important part of a comprehensive network of community-based services that have helped seniors age with independence and dignity.

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage became part of our health care landscape in 2006. While more than 20 states discontinued their prescription drug assistance programs when Part D became effective, Rhode Island elected to continue the RIPAE program, with adjustments to coordinate state benefits more effectively with the benefits of Part D insurance plans.

Now we are faced, once again, with the prospect of change in the RIPAE program. This year, under provisions of the Affordable Care Act (also known as health care reform), Medicare Part D plans will pay for 50 percent of brand name medications and 7 percent of generic medications when a beneficiary enters the coverage gap, or “donut hole” of their Part D plan. The “donut hole” will be narrowed gradually over the next nine years.

In response to these changes, Governor Lincoln Chafee has proposed Next Generation RIPAE as part of his 2012 budget. Over the next few months, the administration will be working to design an updated, effective and cost-ef-ficient pharmacy assistance program to help RIPAE members manage the gap between Medicare Part D coverage and the level of assistance they had tradi-tionally received through RIPAE.

In the meantime (between now and June 30), the Department will join forces with our community partners in an effort to reach out to RIPAE mem-bers who depend on their pharmacy benefit, to ensure they are enrolled in the Medicare Part D plan that best meets their individual needs, and to counsel them about their options should they reach the “donut hole” before the new program is in place.

Our goal is, and will continue to be, ensuring that our most vulnerable seniors receive the help they need in paying for their medicines. I remain com-mitted to helping RIPAE members with their pharmaceutical expenses through Next Generation RIPAE. ■

Six tax tips to make filing a breezeTax preparation shouldn’t be so stressful. The IRS has put together six tips to help make your tax filing experience a breeze this year.

1. Don’t procrastinate – Resist the temptation to put off your taxes until the very last minute. Rushing to meet the filing deadline may cause you to overlook potential sources of tax savings and will likely increase your risk of mak-ing an error.

2. visit the IRs website – In 2010, more than 304 million visits were made to www.irs.gov. Make 1040 Central your first stop to learn the latest news and find answers to your questions about tax filing.

3. use Free File – Let Free File do the hard work for you with brand-name tax software or online fillable forms. Everyone can find an option to prepare their tax return and e-file it for free. If you made $58,000 or less, you qualify for free tax software that is offered through a private-public partnership with manufactur-ers. If you made more or are comfortable preparing your own tax return, there’s Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic versions of IRS paper forms. Visit www.irs.gov/freefile to review your options.

4. try IRs e-file – After 21 years, IRS e-file has become the safe, easy and most common way to file a tax return. Last year, 70 percent of taxpayers - 99 mil-lion people - used IRS e-file. Starting in 2011, many tax preparers will be required to use e-file and will explain the filing options to you. This is your chance to give it a try. IRS e-file is approaching 1 billion returns processed safely and securely. If you owe taxes, you have payment options to file immediately and pay later (by the tax deadline). Best of all, combine e-file with direct deposit and you can get your refund in as few as 10 days.

5. Don’t panic if you can’t pay – If you cannot pay the full amount of taxes you owe by the mid-April deadline, you should still file your return by the deadline and pay as much as you can to avoid penalties and interest. You should also contact the IRS to discuss your payment options at 800-829-1040. The agency may be able to provide some relief such as an installment agreement.More than 75 percent of taxpayers eligible for an Installment Agreement can apply using the Web-based Online Payment Agreement application. To find out more about this simple and convenient process type “Online Payment Agree-ment” in the search box on the IRS.gov homepage.

6. Request an extension of time to file, but pay on time – If the mid-April tax deadline clock runs out, you can get an automatic six-month extension of time to file through October 17. However, this extension of time to file does not give you more time to pay any taxes due. If you have not paid at least 90 percent of the total tax due by the April deadline you may also be subject to an Estimated Tax Penalty. To obtain an extension, just file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The easiest way to file a Form 4868 is through Free File. Form 4868 is also available for downloading at www.irs.gov or you can call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) and have a paper form mailed to you. ■

Your Taxesb y M E G C H E v A L I E R

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John Gordon loses all hopeThe most sensational crime and trial of the 1840s

centered on the murder of wealthy mill owner Amasa Sprague and the Gordon family. On April 17, 1844, John Gordon was found guilty of the murder of Amasa Sprague. John Gordon, Irish immigrant, had come to America in July 1843 and lived in Cranston with his brother and mother. In what many later his-torians felt was a travesty of justice, Gordon was con-victed on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution’s case revolved around the charge that John was moti-vated to murder Sprague because his brother, Nicho-las Gordon, had a personal hatred for the mill owner. After the courts denied the motion for a second trial in October, the 20-year-old Irishman was sentenced to be hanged on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 1845.

The execution of John Gordon was set to take place in the prison yard. Rhode Island had abolished public executions in 1833 and Gordon’s execution was to be “private.” Charles and Tess Hoffmann, in their book, “Brotherly Love,” point out that “pri-vate” was a relative term as 60 persons were official eyewitnesses and “since the execution took place in the prison yard, there were additional eyewitnesses among the prisoners on that side of the prison, pos-sibly including Thomas Dorr...” It is estimated that more than 1,000 persons, predominately Gordon supporters, gathered on a hill near the prison. Dur-ing much of the time of the trial and the waiting pe-riod, government officials were very much concerned that rioting might become a possibility at the time of the hanging and ordered that a high fence be erected around the yard to shield the area from the eyes of the public.

The trial and execution of John Gordon had con-

sequences far beyond the effect on the Sprague and Gordon families. Many, but not all, Rhode Island writers have put forth the view that John Gordon’s ex-ecution on Feb. 14, 1845 led directly to the abolition of the death penalty in the state in 1852. Professor Carroll, in his “Three Centuries of Democracy,” 1932, notes, “A revulsion of feeling followed the execution of John Gordon; popular belief that an innocent man had been put to death spread rapidly.” Nearly 35 years later, Dean Butnam, writing for the “Rhode Island Yearbook” in 1968, states that following the execution of Gordon, “During the next seven years the Sprague-Gordon murder case was a prime topic for heated debate.” Butnam infers that the murder of Amasa Sprague was “the crime that changed the Rhode Island capital punishment law...”

The late 20th century book, “Brotherly Love,” says “The overwhelming vote to abolish capital pun-ishment, 44 to 20, was something of an indication of the serious doubts still prevalent about John Gordon’s guilt.”

Other writers feel that the death penalty was abol-ished through the efforts of Thomas Hazard of New-port and John Brown Francis of Warwick. When Wil-liam Sprague resigned as U.S. Senator in 1844, it was John Brown Francis who was appointed to take his place in the Senate. Senator Francis, grandson of the famous John Brown of Revolutionary War fame, was far in advance of many of his time regarding reforms, and his support of the anti-gallows movement was sig-nificant.

The story of the Sprague family in the years that followed the murder of Amasa Sprague will be con-tinued. ■

I’m Jenny Miller. I’ve devoted my life and career to assisting seniors and people with disabilities. My goal is to help them maintain their well-being, independence and dignity. If you or your family aren’t sure where to turn, how to gather information or who can help—then get in touch with me today.

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The question of who was most responsible for the abolition of capital punishment in the state contin-ues to the present time. Without much controversy, however, it is usually noted that John Brown Fran-cis was one of Rhode Island’s most advanced think-ers of the 19th century. He favored many of the re-forms that resulted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (From the Henry A.L. Brown collection)

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KWva – Chapter 3

CLUES ACROSS 1. Wolf groups 6. Liquid propane gas (abbr.) 9. Liz’s 3rd husband Mike13. Quickly, rapidly14. Ventured into the unknown16. 2 floor rental18. Point midway between S and SE19. Jells20. Syringe21. Greek god of the woods22. Of I23. A way of cutting26. Italian cheese city29. Detailed design criteria for a piece

of work31. Expressed pleasure33. Swiss river35. Harmless cyst36. Angry37. Airtight metal food container 38. Cowboy star Autry40. Jupiter’s closest satellite42. Greek goddess of youth43. Grass spikelet bracts45. Gazes47. Used to chop48. Escape to avoid arrest49. Imitators51. Air pollution53. Engine additive56. One who comments on events of

the day60. In a way, pardoned61. Lizard of the family Agamidae62. ____ ‘n boots63. A lumberman’s tool64. Full of conversation

CLUES DOWN 1. Blouse shoulder shapers 2. European swift genus 3. Cod or Good Hope

4. Kilocalorie (abbr.) 5. Teetertotter 6. Kissing tools 7. Bluegrass genus 8. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (abbr.) 9. Poster paint10. Chocolate cookie with white

cream filling11. The shelter of wild animals12. Insecticide14. Mrs. Nixon15. Plural of etymon17. 45385 Ohio21. Political action committee23. Plants of the genus Cassia24. Personal identifier25. Indian stairways to water26. Palladium27. Staffs28. United ____ Emirates29. Sine wave generator (abbr.)30. Look furtively32. Copyread34. Midway between NE and E39. Passes, as of time40. One thousandth of an ampere41. Hairdresser’s shop42. A skirt’s finished edge44. Company officers46. Shaggy or unkempt49. Slender grass appendages50. Drunkards51. Smallest merganser52. ___ student, learns healing53. Pierce with a knife54. Burial vault55. Address a diety56. Take a siesta57. Australian flightless bird 58. Actress Farrow59. Honorable title (Turkish)

Long-term care helps drive RI economyThe Rhode Island Health Care Association, the state’s largest association of skilled nurs-

ing and rehabilitation facilities, is pointing to the results of two recent reports highlighting the impact of Rhode Island’s long-term care community on the state’s economy.

The reports, one of which was released by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), and the other by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT), highlight the dramatic influence on the state’s economy of employees working in 24-hour skilled nursing centers, assisted living facilities and residential and mental health centers.

According to the AHCA 2011 Economic Impact Study, long-term care is the sixth larg-est employer in Rhode Island with more than 21,000 employees working in long-term care settings or supporting services. Together, they generate more than $1.8 billion of the state’s economic activity and pay more than $290 million in federal and state taxes.

The RIDLT Nursing and Residential Care Facilities report noted that while private sector employment declined by 4 percent from 2002 to 2009, Rhode Island’s nursing and residen-tial care sub-sector rose 5.5 percent. As a percentage of the total population, Rhode Island’s population of individuals 65 years of age and older is one of the largest in the country, and the need for services to accommodate their needs is growing due to the aging baby boomer demographic. Like many states, however, Rhode Island is seeking ways to contain its Medic-aid budget, the bulk of which is used for long-term care services like skilled nursing care.

“To a large extent, our state’s demographics dictate where we fall in regard to Medicaid expenditures. We have an extremely large proportion of people over the age of 85, the most predominant users of nursing home care, the bulk of which is paid for Medicaid,” said Joan Woods, Chair of the Rhode Island Health Care Association. “It’s critically important that we don’t overlook the needs of these citizens as we determine the delivery of health care and long term care in the future.”

“Just as important, the studies also point out that when the General Assembly votes on health and social service issues, they not only impact those receiving services, but those who provide them,” she added.

The RIDLT report noted that workers employed by Nursing and Residential Care facili-ties earned an annual average wage of $27,527 in 2009, compared to $41,320 in the private sector. Currently, Medicaid pays less than minimum wage per hour per patient.

“In constructing new reimbursement and delivery systems, our policymakers should understand that our workers help drive the economy and their services are badly needed,” Woods said. “They deserve a living wage for the services they provide.” ■

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CLUES ACROSS 1. Wolf groups 6. Liquid propane gas (abbr.) 9. Liz’s 3rd husband Mike13. Quickly, rapidly14. Ventured into the unknown16. 2 floor rental18. Point midway between S and SE19. Jells20. Syringe21. Greek god of the woods22. Of I23. A way of cutting26. Italian cheese city29. Detailed design criteria for a piece

of work31. Expressed pleasure33. Swiss river35. Harmless cyst36. Angry37. Airtight metal food container 38. Cowboy star Autry40. Jupiter’s closest satellite42. Greek goddess of youth43. Grass spikelet bracts45. Gazes47. Used to chop48. Escape to avoid arrest49. Imitators51. Air pollution53. Engine additive56. One who comments on events of

the day60. In a way, pardoned61. Lizard of the family Agamidae62. ____ ‘n boots63. A lumberman’s tool64. Full of conversation

CLUES DOWN 1. Blouse shoulder shapers 2. European swift genus 3. Cod or Good Hope

4. Kilocalorie (abbr.) 5. Teetertotter 6. Kissing tools 7. Bluegrass genus 8. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (abbr.) 9. Poster paint10. Chocolate cookie with white

cream filling11. The shelter of wild animals12. Insecticide14. Mrs. Nixon15. Plural of etymon17. 45385 Ohio21. Political action committee23. Plants of the genus Cassia24. Personal identifier25. Indian stairways to water26. Palladium27. Staffs28. United ____ Emirates29. Sine wave generator (abbr.)30. Look furtively32. Copyread34. Midway between NE and E39. Passes, as of time40. One thousandth of an ampere41. Hairdresser’s shop42. A skirt’s finished edge44. Company officers46. Shaggy or unkempt49. Slender grass appendages50. Drunkards51. Smallest merganser52. ___ student, learns healing53. Pierce with a knife54. Burial vault55. Address a diety56. Take a siesta57. Australian flightless bird 58. Actress Farrow59. Honorable title (Turkish)


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duck, duck, gooseOn April 30, 20,000 rubber ducks will be dumped into the Pawcatuck River as part of a fundraiser for local schools and non-profit organizations from Rhode Island and Connecticut. The event will include face painting, duck games, food and more. The Paw-catuck River is in downtown Westerly, and guests should go to Main Street and Mechanic Street. Call 596-7761 or visit www.westerlychamber.com for additional information.

getting craftyThe fourth annual Spring Craft Fair will take place on April 30 and May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the New-port Elks Lodge at 141 Pelham Street in Newport. There is free parking and admission, and guests can peruse more than 35 vendors. For any ques-tions, call 396-9921 or go to www.cherishthemoments.net.

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April 2011 PrimeTime

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