ATTLEBORO CITYWIDE NEWS

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

ATTLEBORO- Attleboro Police Chief Richard Pierce announced today that the Bristol County Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Massachusetts Special Olympics will take place on Sunday June 8th and pass through Mansfield, Norton and Attleboro.

The torch run is open to all law enforcement officers and community friends. It will start from the Tweeter Center in Mansfield at 10:30 am and end at the Fraternal Order of Police building on Pleasant Street in Attleboro. All money raised will be used to help local Special Olympic athletes.

Please click on links below for more information.

Law Enforcement Officers Torch Run/Bristol County Leg Flyer

Intent to Participate Form

Attleboro Firefighters Hold Annual Breakfast

ATTLEBORO- For the 16th straight year Attleboro firefighters held their Annual Free Breakfast for the public yesterday. As usual its was a full house at the Headquarters Station on Union Street. The breakfast, sponsored by Attleboro Firefighters Union 848, featured pancakes,eggs, sausage, Ken Blais' famous home fries,toast,coffee and juice. This years chairman, Steve Marcotte, stated that over 1,000 meals were served with the help of off and on duty firefighters.

Seekonk Firefighters Edge Out Attleboro in Wing Eating Contest

SEEKONK- The first annual Firefighter Chicken Wing Eating Contest, to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, was held on Wednesday at the Boneyard Barbecue Restaurant on the Seekonk/Attleboro line. The contest featured a group of firefighters, from Seekonk and Attleboro each, battling it out to see who could consume the most wings. The Boneyard had over 90 pounds of wings on hand, just in case!

The narrow contest featured an overtime head to head "eat off" between Attleboro Fire's, Jay "Baby Hawg" Mayer, and Seekonk's best wing eater. In the end it was deemed Seekonk had edged out Attleboro by 1/3 of a pound.

In all, $3,000 was raised for the charity and the restaurant was full with supporters and contestants. Attleboro Firefighter Union President, Tom Joubert, thanked the Boneyard Restaurant for providing the venue and the wings saying "It was a great night all around for the firefighters and the MDA". It was also learned that the most uttered phase by Attleboro firefighters that night was "wait 'ill next year!!!". Photos provided by Steve Marcotte.

Wrentham Fire Chief's Post Offered to Providence Assistant Chief

WRENTHAM-  Wrentham selectmen voted, in a special meeting on Friday, to offer the fire chief's job to Mark Pare, Deputy Assistant Chief with the Providence Fire Department. The selectman's vote was 3-2, with 2 votes being cast for longtime Wrentham Deputy and current Acting Chief, Jay McMorrow.The third finalist, Bellingham Deputy Chief Steve Garon, did not receive any votes from selectmen.

Pare brings many years of experience as a Providence firefighter. lieutenant, captain and battalion chief in addition to his many years of training firefighters. He is currently serving as assistant chief of administration. Pare was a finalist during the search for a fire chief in Plainville, which eventually went to North Attleboro Fire Captain Ted Joubert.

Pare would be replacing retired chief Bob Morrill who stepped down last May after leading the Wrentham Fire Department for 8 years. Pare, of Cranston RI., was said to be on vacation and contract discussions with the town manager would take place when he returns.

10th Anniversary of George Street Explosion

ATTLEBORO- When the natural gas explosion on George Street took place 10 years ago today it shook more than the neighborhood around it. Attleboro firefighters, police officers, public works and city hall employees all felt the blast both literally and figuratively. Two of their own, public works employees Larry Poncin and Bernie Hewitt, were killed in addition to the several other serious injuries sustained to public works employees, including Foreman Ernie Cote.

It was, hopefully, a once in a lifetime catastrophe which left first responders dazed and confused for weeks afterward. While DPW crews were working on a water line, a natural gas line, which had been marked as disconnected, was actually still active and after it was struck it filled the apartment house with the gas until it exploded in a massive blast felt miles away.

Here at Attleboro Citywide News we ask all the readers to take time today to stop and remember Larry and Bernie and all the Attleboro firefighters who helped contained the resulting fire and rescue the injured. Many of those men are still serving the department today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Poncin and Hewitt families today and we hope their pain is comforted by the knowledge that their husbands and fathers have not been forgotten over time.

The Sun Chronicle and Mark Stockwell have put together a webcast containing interviews with Fire Captain Keith Jackson, a member of Ladder Company 1 that fateful day, and former Mayor Judy Robbins. Also deserving mention is the 1998 Attleboro High School Division 1 State Championship team and their statewide victory, just 2 weeks later, which made the City feel good about itself again while in the midst of tragedy.

Click Here for Webcast Featuring Capt. Jackson and Mayor Robbins

What Would We Do Without The Buffs/Sparkies

This article caught my attention, and while from the perspective of the Boston metro area, it reminds everyone in public safety of the importance that the buffs/sparkies play. Whether it's helping with firefighter rehab or documenting what firefighters do, in all cities and towns, you can count on the sparkies to be there anytime of day or night. In this area, the Providence Citywide group has done a great job documenting what firefighters encounter on a daily basis. Full disclosure: I am a member of Providence Citywide and when I'm not being a firefighter, I'm a sparkie!

Click here for the Boston Globe story

Providence Citywide Fire Network Website

North Firefighter in Eye of the Storm

NORTH ATTLEBORO- When North Attleboro firefighter, and USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Massachusetts Task Force 1 member, Chris Coleman left for training in Tennessee this week he probably never imagined that he might use that training while away. But that's exactly what Coleman faced as he was right in the middle of the storm system that wrecked havoc in the South and caused over 50 deaths.

Coleman's team, based out of Beverly, was in Tennessee this week undergoing annual USAR training. The team was undergoing actual training when the storms hit and did have time to prepare themselves for the treacherous weather. Since the storms the group, led by Anita Arnum, has been on standby status while Tennessee groups have been mobilized.

The team remains upbeat and will continue to train in Memphis until the end of the week. Locally, North Attleboro Fire Chief Peter Lamb expressed how proud the department was that Chris was ready and available to help Tennessee residents and also the fact that Chris is great representation of the department as a whole.

Click Here for WBZ-TV 4 Story with Picture of Chris

(Photo: Chris Coleman by Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle)