Rhode Island

HELEN L. SWIFT, (CRIST) 63 of Dean Avenue, Johnston, died Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence. She was the wife of Joseph R. Swift. They were married for eighteen years. Born in Pocahontas, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late James and Julia (Hedricks) Crist. Mrs. Swift was a member of the Johnston Senior Center. Besides her husband she is survived by her five children, Robynne M. Quinn and her husband Kevin of Wilton, CT, Kimberly A. Carroll and her husband Steve of Baltimore, MD, Heather D. Jefferies and her husband Joseph of New Freedom, PA, Sean R. Swift and his wife Nicole of Glen Arm, MD and Kristen A. Swift of Annapolis, MD. Mrs. Swift was the grandmother of Kayleigh, Hunter and Nolan Quinn, Julia and Jeremy Jefferies, Brittany, Bobby and Stevie Carroll, Christopher Biederman, Ryan Cook, Meg and Jamie Swift.

UNDER NORMAL circumstances, it's not too difficult to differentiate Venice, Italy, from Providence, R.I. But on certain summer nights, the magic of Venice is clearly reflected in Providence's three canal-like rivers, especially when two authentic black-lacquered Venetian gondolas manned by equally authentic blue-and-white-stripe-shirted Venetian gondoliers pole their way past dozens of burning braziers, their flames dancing across the gently rippling waters...

MEMBERS OF THE graduating Class of 1999: When I gaze out upon you, so young and proud in your caps and gowns, the thought that goes through my mind, as your commencement speaker today, is: Where did you get those caps? The House of Dorks? What's the point of getting all this education if you don't have enough sense to say "no" when the authorities tell you to attend your commencement ceremony wearing what appears to be a pizza box? What if the authorities told you to attend your commencement with a live duck strapped on your head?

Whoever came up with the terminology for at-large teams teetering between an invitation to the NCAA tournament and an early spring break -- or for those lucky souls who get neither and play in the No Interest Tournament -- might have to figure out a new word.Or at least make the so-called bubble out of plexi- glass.In some cases, such as the Big 12, entire leagues might be in jeopardy of sliding into oblivion at any given moment. Others, such as the Big Ten, have a lot of good teams but no great ones and could, as a result, get more bids than any league in history.

KINGSTON, R.I. -- Shining moments have not been plentiful for the Morgan State football team, as evidenced by its one win in 15 previous starts. Yesterday, however, provided the Bears with a welcome respite from their futility, as they met Rhode Island, which is equally acquainted with suffering.Morgan broke its six-game losing streak dating to last year, while extending the Rams' own skid to six, with a 24-21 win before 2,067 at Meade Stadium.The Bears (1-2) came in a little undermanned and perhaps a little rusty, given their long layoff because of the hurricane-induced postponement of last week's game against South Carolina State.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Even with the sculpted footbridges and soaring glass towers, the polished turrets and old-world canals cut into the heart of downtown, the rebirth of Providence was never just about a face-lift.It was about a soul-lift.Underlying the cosmetics of this city's $2 billion, go-for-broke push toward urban revival, there has always been a deeper yearning to shake the reputation long stamped on this New England pocket -- for mob hits, back-room deals, and rampant corruption from the governor on down.

College basketballHarrick succeeds Jirsa as coach at Georgia after 2 seasons at R.I.Jim Harrick was hired yesterday as basketball coach at Georgia after guiding UCLA to a national championship in 1995 and spending the past two seasons at Rhode Island.Harrick succeeds Ron Jirsa, who was fired March 11 after failing to lead Georgia to the NCAA tournament during his two years."From the beginning, we said our commitment would be to hire a proven head coach," Georgia athletic Vince Dooley said.

Talk about an exclusive club. This one has counted among its members Gen. Douglas MacArthur, President William Howard Taft, Harry Houdini, John Philip Sousa, Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride and Robert Ballard, discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic. Also, one Marshall Damerell of St. Mary's County.All have met just one basic requirement: Each has circumnavigated the globe, that is, circled the Earth in a single direction, crossing all meridians. For that feat, they have been enrolled as members of the venerable Circumnavigators Club, a quietly active institution established in 1902 to "encourage global fellowship and understanding."

JOHN H. CHAFEE'S legacy to Rhode Island and the nation includes cleaner air and better health care.His greatest gift, though, may be an image of what it should mean to be a U.S. senator.Mr. Chafee, who died Monday at age 77, was a Republican. But partisanship ranked low in his senatorial priorities. He is hailed as a beacon of service in a time shrouded by corrosive strategies of political advantage.A flinty, patrician New Englander, he had a sense of humor as well as the prickly resilience to endure defeat and come back.

Maryland men's basketball assistant Billy Hahn is expected again to be a top candidate for the head coaching job at the University of Rhode Island, said Rams assistant athletic director Mike Ballweg yesterday."

COPT earnings show 6% increase in net income Office developer Corporate Office Properties Trust said Wednesday its third-quarter net income rose 6 percent to $10.4 million, or 18 cents per diluted share, from $8.2 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2008. The Columbia-based real estate investment trust reported a 3 percent decrease in diluted funds from operations per share to 60 cents per share from 62 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30. Funds from operations rose 7 percent to $42.4 million, from $39.5 million in the same period last year.

Towson quarterback Peter Athens threw for one touchdown and ran for the game-winning score while directing the host Tigers to a 36-28 victory over Rhode Island on Saturday. The win ended a 13-game road losing streak for the Tigers. It also ended a six-game slide for the Tigers (2-3) against Colonial Athletic Association opponents as Towson improved to 1-1 in the league. Rhode Island (1-4 overall) dropped to 0-2 in the CAA. A wild first quarter resulted in a 20-0 Towson lead before the Rams could get started.

Towson (1-3, 0-1 CAA) at Rhode Island (1-3, 0-1 CAA) Time:: 1 p.m. Radio:: 1570 AM Series: : Rhode Island leads 5-4. Last meeting:: Towson won, 37-32, on Oct. 11, 2008. What's at stake: : The Tigers want to break their 13-game road losing streak. Towson hasn't won away from home since 2007. A victory would also end Towson's six-game losing streak against Colonial Athletic Association teams. Its last CAA win was over Rhode Island on Oct. 11, 2008. Towson is coming off a 57-7 loss to New Hampshire and has been outscored 133-51 this season.

Grabbing a copy of the new Outdoor Life and flipping to the story about the top 200 places in the United States for sportsmen and women to hang their hats, I couldn't wait to see which of Maryland's communities made the magazine's list. The possibilities seemed endless: Deale as jumping-off point for fishing on the Chesapeake Bay; McHenry and nearby Savage River State Forest for deer, turkey and bear hunting and Deep Creek Lake for monster bluegills; Easton as base camp for goose and turkey hunting or white perch fishing in the Miles River; Ocean City for coastal bay and deep sea fishing; Monkton and the Gunpowder River for trout fishing and bow hunting in the surrounding watersheds.

It wasn't easy. Nothing in the Colonial Athletic Association ever is for Towson's football team. But the sight of a team similarly struggling and the inspiration of homecoming were enough yesterday for the Tigers, who fended off a late rally by Rhode Island for a 37-32 victory before an announced 7,369 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Towson (3-4, 1-2 CAA) seized control late in the third quarter and early in the fourth behind the passing of Sean Schaefer, who became the 20th quarterback in Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA)

Rhode Island (2-4, 0-2 CAA) @Towson (2-4, 0-2 CAA) Time: 3:07 p.m. Site: Johnny Unitas Stadium TV/Radio: WNST (1570 AM) Outlook: The Tigers are hoping a raucous homecoming crowd will help propel them to their first Colonial Athletic Association win of the season. The Rams, fresh off a win over in-state rival Brown, are also winless in the conference. This could be a high-scoring game as both teams look to throw the ball early and often. Towson QB Sean Schaefer is averaging 246 passing yards; his counterpart, Rhode Island's Derek Cassidy, threw for 298 yards and five touchdowns last week.

WASHINGTON - One in five young teenagers knows a friend who has been physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and 40 percent of children ages 11 and 12 say a friend has suffered verbal abuse in a relationship, according to the results of a national survey released yesterday. Armed with those numbers, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said he would meet with state officials about educating students in middle school and high school about dating violence. "What we're trying to do here is awareness," said Gansler, a Democrat, who spoke of reaching both potential victims and would-be abusers.

Oakland -- A lot of lips are flapping about restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Checks are being written, partnerships are being forged and promises are being made. That's as it should be. No feature defines Maryland more than that big expanse of water that runs from Susquehanna Flats down to Pocomoke Sound. Without a robust bay, the Free State ain't worth squat. A tool in the restoration effort is the O'Malley administration's BayStat program, which helps decide which pieces of land and water need to be bought and protected.

On February 21, 2008, Robert A. Lambert, Funeral and interment will be held in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Arrangements made by the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc.

On February 21, 2008, MICHAEL P. CALVITTO, beloved husband of Eileen Calvitto (nee Mahon); devoted father of Celeste Calvitto; loving brother of Vincent Calvitto, Annette Kemery, Louis Calvitto, Carmino Calvitto and Theresa Ramier; dear step father of Viktor Zavadsky, and Tanya Winslow and her husband Lewis; step grandfather of Hannah and Tara Winslow. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his first wife Helen and his brother Bruno, Friends may call at the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Road (beltway exit 26)