As a longtime resident of Jamestown, R.I., I appreciated Edward Fitzpatrick’s article on reforming the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (“Advocates press to replace R.I. coastal council,” Metro, May 14). For too many years we have been subjected to the whims of a 10-member council whose political appointees have made terrible decisions about protection, preservation, and wise use of our coastal resources. This has been a classic case of poor governance, lacking transparency and accountability.
We face growing existential challenges to our coastal environment from the global climate crisis and need a strong, intelligent governing body. Richard Langseth, an opponent of legislative measures to reform the agency, said, “There is no path in the proposed legislation to replace the CRMC Council with a meaningful entity with a similar structure.” Perhaps he has not read the bill, which clearly states that there will be “a community advisory committee [whose members] shall be knowledgeable in coastal law and/or policy” and accountable to the agency director.
The measures for comprehensive reform of the CRMC are excellent examples of good governance and must be passed and signed this General Assembly term.
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Stuart Ross
Jamestown, R.I.
The writer is chair of Protect Conanicut Coastline.
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AP) — A malfunctioning steam room at a YMCA in Rhode Island pumped out so much steam that it triggered an a sprinkler system alarm on Saturday morning, prompting an evacuation.
In a statement, the Middletown Police Department said officials rushed to the Newport County YMCA in Middletown around 9 a.m. for a possible explosion but later learned an excessive amount of steam had set off the building’s emergency sprinkler system.
A 58-year-old woman was hurt but officials said it was a minor injury. The YMCA would remain closed Saturday, police said.
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI) — George Bozigian is 95 years young.
The beloved owner of H.K.B. Market in North Providence has been in business for more than seven decades.
And he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Bozigian and his father built and opened H.K.B. Market in 1951.
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Though it used to be a general store, Bozigian has changed his business model to adapt to the neighborhood over the years.
“I gave up groceries,” Bozigian said. “I’ve got a sign over there that says, ‘no food for sale.’”
Instead, HKB Market focuses solely on selling lottery tickets.
“We still get a few customers,” Bozigian said. “But I’ll tell you, they’re the best people you could meet.”
Bozigian’s answer was simple when asked why he continues to come to work every day.
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“It’s worth my while,” he explained. “I come because they’re the best customers I’ve got. I don’t care if I never get another [customer].”
To Bozigian, his longtime customers are his friends.
“They’re good to me,” Bozigian continued. “There isn’t a thing they wouldn’t do for me and there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for them.”
Bozigian told 12 News it’s also boring just sitting at home. He loves socializing with his regulars, most of whom swing by at least once a week to buy their tickets.
“My social life is in this building,” he said, referring to H.K.B. Market. “I don’t go to the Foxy Lady to socialize. At 95, you stay away from there.”
Bozigian’s son said his father taught him everything he knows.
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“My father instilled in me a love of life, a love of family and a solid work ethic,” Kirk Bozigian said.
H.K.B. Market is open seven days a week with Bozigian at the helm. When he’s not behind the counter, Bozigian usually sits outside and “watches the cars go by” on Smithfield Road.
“People wave to me and I wave to them,” he said. “If there was work to do here, I would do it. But at this age … I don’t work much anymore.”
Bozigian doesn’t plan on ever closing down H.K.B. Market.
“I’m going to do this until the man upstairs calls and says, ‘We need you. We’ve got problems up here,’” Bozigian said. “I’ve lived a good, clean life. I never went out messing around.”
“I was with one woman all my life and I’m proud to say it,” he continued. “We were married for 65 years. I raised two kids — they’re great kids — and they married good people.”
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Bozigian’s wife Ann passed away more than a decade ago, which is part of the reason why he had to scale back H.K.B. Market’s offerings.
He spends most of his free time with his family, which includes his two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bozigian also has a sixth great-grandchild on the way.
