By Donita Naylor
Journal Staff Writer

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — A ceremony Sunday will rename the U.S. Post Office on Post Road for the late Melvoid J. Benson, a teacher, public servant, activist for social justice and trailblazer for women of color in elected office.

Among the speakers will be Benson’s niece, Elizabeth Estes, as well as the entire R.I. delegation to the U.S. Congress, Governor Raimondo and a U.S. Postal Service district manager.

Benson had known of the effort to name the facility after her. U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, who sponsored the bill in the House, had kept her posted on its progress. He last spoke with her a few days before she died, on June 11 at age 86.

“I hoped to have her by my side when we cut the ribbon on the Melvoid J. Benson Post Office, but I’m at least grateful that I had the chance to tell Mel that it was happening,” he wrote the day after her death.

Remembered as a mentor by many leaders who served with her during her seven terms in the R.I. House, Benson counted the planning of the Quonset Business Park as one of her favorite achievements. She was often quoted as saying her parents taught her that “every generation must do better than the last.”

Born in 1930 in Jackson, Tennessee, and named after her father, who shoveled coal on trains, she was the youngest of four children. Her mother taught in a one-room schoolhouse.

Benson followed her husband, Arnathia N. Benson, to Rhode Island when he was stationed at Quonset Point with the Navy. They had two sons, Gilbert, who died in a car accident at age 16, and Estes, who played football for the University of Rhode Island. Estes died of leukemia at age 40.

“Be the Match” representatives will be at the event to help register potential bone marrow donors. Benson supported efforts to find donors for leukemia patients.

In 1997, the year Estes died, Benson offered to house then-17-year-old Lamar Odom, who had lost his mother when he was 12. The future basketball star was enrolled at URI, but NCAA rules prevented her from providing him with anything more than a home-cooked meal. He accepted.

Benson taught in public schools for more than 25 years and served eight years on the North Kingstown School Committee.

Sunday’s ceremony, with a Rhode Island State Police honor guard and singers from North Kingstown’s First Baptist and United Methodist churches, begins at 1 p.m. at the North Kingstown Post Office, 7715 Post Rd.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

By Reynaldo Almonte

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), who serves as Energy Task Force Chair on the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) in Congress, today introduced the Offshore Wind Incentives for New Development Act. The bill, also known as the Offshore WIND Act, is a House companion to legislation introduced by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

“Clean energy is the future, without question, and we need to clear as many hurdles as possible to ensure that we are investing and innovating in cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable energy solutions. Wind power is an important piece of that puzzle, and the Offshore WIND Act would help incentivize additional offshore wind projects,” said Langevin.

Tax extenders approved in 2015 included wind and solar tax credits, but the timeline provided for offshore wind was not sufficient. Under current law, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind will expire in just three years. Due to the extensive siting and construction process of building offshore wind farms, however, the Department of Energy has found it unlikely that any additional projects would qualify before the current credit expires in 2019.

“I am so proud and excited that Rhode Island has positioned itself as a leader in offshore wind, but the Block Island Wind Farm is only the beginning. The possibilities and the capacity for offshore wind power are limitless, and we need the Offshore WIND Act to ensure that America is keeping pace in clean energy,” Langevin said. “Supporting additional offshore wind development will create jobs, strengthen the industry, serve our short-term energy needs, and make a long-term difference for our environment.”

By Edward Fitzpatrick
Journal Columnist

U.S. Reps. David N. Cicilline and James R. Langevin coasted to victory in Democratic primaries on Tuesday night.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, Cicilline had 68 percent of the vote, far ahead of Christopher F. Young at 32 percent, according to unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.

And in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, Langevin had 64 percent of the vote, far ahead of Steven Archer at 19 percent and former state Rep. John D. Hamilton Sr. at 17 percent.

“I’m incredibly proud to be the Democratic nominee,” Cicilline said. “I’m working hard everyday to deliver results for Rhode Island by revitalizing our manufacturing base, making college more affordable, bringing back funding for infrastructure and job training, working to end the pay gap for women, and standing up to the powerful gun lobby to reduce gun violence.”

In the Nov. 8 general election, Cicilline will face Republican Harold Russell Taub.

Cicilline, 55, is a former Providence mayor and state representative who has been in Congress since 2011 and now sits on the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees. Young, 47, who lives in Coventry, is working for Local 23 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

In the Nov. 8 general election, Langevin will face Republican Rhue R. Reis and independent candidates Salvatore G. Caiozzo and Jeffrey C. Johnson.

“I am honored and incredibly grateful to the Democratic voters of the Second District for their support,” Langevin said. “I have long said that I do not see my position as a birthright – I am merely a steward of a seat that belongs to the people of Rhode Island, and I will keep working hard every single day to represent Rhode Islanders to the very best of my ability.”

Langevin, 52, of Warwick, is a former state legislator and secretary of state who in 2001 became the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress. He is on the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees and is co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus.

Hamilton, 66, of Charleston, was a delegate for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and vice chairman of the state delegation to the Democratic National Convention. He ran to Langevin’s left, saying that the incumbent has failed to place sufficient emphasis on issues such as income inequality, free public college tuition and climate change.

Archer, 58, of Warwick, is a former paratrooper, quahogger and Warwick harbormaster who now owns Archer Anesthesia Providers. A former Republican, he ran to Langevin’s right, calling Obamacare a “disaster, calling for tort reform and talking about the public costs of illegal immigration.

The incumbents held enormous fund-raising advantages. As of Aug. 24, Langevin had $907,337 in campaign cash after raising $924,536, according to the Federal Election Commission. By contrast, Hamilton had $388 in campaign cash after raising $550, and Archer had $437 in campaign cash after raising $6,346. Meanwhile, Cicilline had $760,937 in campaign cash as of Aug. 24 after raising $1,196,440, while Young had not reached the $5,000 threshold for federal election reports.

By GABRIELLE FALLETTA

EAST GREENWICH- The local fire department is the recipient of $88,191 in grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, money that will allow the department to purchase new safety equipment.

The grant is a portion of $160,000 in federal funding that is being dispersed to both the East Greenwich Fire Department and Portsmouth Fire Department as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. In East Greenwich, the fire department will use the funds to purchase a rapid escape system for each member of the department.

“In today’s tight fiscal environment this grant comes at a great time,” said East Greenwich Fire Chief Russell McGillvary in a statement. “This award will provide the firefighters of the East Greenwich Fire Department with a much needed piece of life safety equipment.”
The rapid escape systems will allow firefighters to safely descend from burning buildings and help rescue residents inside, by giving firefighters a tool that can anchor to another structure and allow them to escape from a high point on a building. In addition, the EG Fire Department will purchase several pairs of turnout pants that will be fitted with the appropriate gear to support the escape systems.

“Our firefighters work hard to keep Rhode Island communities safe,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in a statement. “Given tight local budgets, it’s important for the federal government to pitch in and help Rhode Island cities and towns afford the training and equipment firefighters need to do their job. I’m glad to see these grants headed to Portsmouth and East Greenwich.”

In Portsmouth the fire department will use their $71,896 grant to create a Rapid Intervention Team training program, a team that is dedicated solely to search and rescue of seriously injured firefighters.
“I am thankful for the outstanding work our firefighters do each day. These funds will enhance public safety and ensure our firefighters have the most up-to-date equipment and rescue training available,” said Senator Jack Reed in a statement. “It has been a pleasure to work with these fire departments and communities to help secure these competitive grants.”

The two grants add to the total of over $2.5 million in AFG funding in 2016 to help 13 fire departments throughout Rhode Island. Since 2001, Rhode Island fire departments and other first responders across the state successfully secure over $27.3 million in AFG grants to pay for equipment upgrades, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources.

“I am always thrilled to see federal funds used to enhance public safety and protect the well-being of Rhode Islanders,”said Congressman Jim Langevin in a statement. “It is especially exciting in this case to see the implementation of equipment and training that can make the difference between life and death for the firefighters who put their lives on the line for us every day.”

HOPKINTON — The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee has endorsed U.S. Rep. James Langevin, D-2nd District, in his bid for re-election. “Jim shares our priorities, as well as our hopes for a stronger Rhode Island, a more equal nation, and a more peaceful world,” said committee Chairwoman Gloria Rhodes. “We’re proud to have him by our side as we all work together for the good of our state.” Langevin was elected to his first term in 2000, and currently serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees. “I am as focused and enthusiastic as ever about serving the people of Rhode Island, and it means so much to have people like Chairwoman Rhodes and the Hopkinton committee members supporting me in my efforts,” Langevin said.