Lottie (Migliozzi) Leonard, 93, of Johnston, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2013 at Cedar Crest Nursing Centre in Cranston.

She was the beloved wife of the late David Leonard and John Paone. She was born in Providence, a daughter of the late Nicola and Michelina (DiPippo) Migliozzi. Mrs. Leonard was employed at the former Hudson Jewelers for many years until her retirement.

She is survived by her loving children, Sandra Pascale and her husband Robert of Cranston, Michael Leonard and David Leonard both of Johnston, her dear brother, Joseph Migliozzi of FL and cherished grandchildren, Michael Scalzo, Denise Contillo, Gina Patalano and 8 great grandchildren. Lottie is also survived by her son in-law Frank Scalzo and was the mother of late Beverly Scalzo and sister of the late Michael Migliozzi, Palma Maccarone and Tina Izzo.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial on Monday at 10 am in Our Lady of Grace Church, George Waterman Rd., Johnston. Burial will take place in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, 249 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 201, Pawtucket, RI 02860.

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." -unknown

No one knows who said that, but it rings more true than not. Around the world, there's one thing that unites women more than any other: raising children.

Whether away at work, staying at home or straddling the gray area in between, we all experience similar struggles, joys and ... the gray area in between. So it is with eagerness and anticipation that moms look forward to one day a year where cooking is optional and gifts abound.

There was a point when Mother's Day was less about brunches and hanging baskets, as it has drastically morphed from the intention of its founder.

The founder of Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day" in 1912. She placed the singular, possessive apostrophe in "Mother's" to emphasize that the day should be specific to each mother and not in a plural form, commemorating all mothers worldwide. (Wikipedia)

The modern holiday was first celebrated in 1907 and as it gained momentum in popularity, became a commercial holiday. Hardly a fan of greeting cards, which she chastised as a lazy effort, Jarvis spent her inheritance and the rest of her life fighting what she created, even so much so as to be arrested for disturbing the peace in a Mother's Day protest in 1948. (Wikipedia)

You can read more on the history of Mother's Day here.

Regardless of the commercial component to Mother's Day, it's a great time to reflect on all the women who put in the time to be mothers.  It's not an easy job.

Enjoy some perspective about our moms, and impress the ladies in your life with your appreciation. (Happyworker.com)

• It's possible that motherhood makes women smarter.
• 4.3 babies are born each second worldwide.
• A baby has an estimated 7,300 diapers changed by age 2.
• Eighty-eight percent of laundry is done by moms.
• Moms take approximately 2 min. 45 sec to change a diaper vs. dads 1 min. 36 sec.
• Preschoolers require moms attention once every 4 min. Which pans out to 210 times a day.
• The cost of raising a child to age 18 for middle-income families is over $240,000 -- not including college.

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Rose C. Politelli (Apici), 86, of Cranston, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 10, 2013, at Steere House, Providence.

She was the beloved wife of the late Anthony C. “Buddy” Politelli. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Angelo and Rosina (Rosetti) Apici. Rose was a communicant of St. Bartholomew Church and was a member and Past Marshall of the Ladies Guild. She was also a member of the Young Pannese Club Ladies Auxiliary.

Rose was the mother of the late Anthony Politelli. She is survived by her grandson Patrick Politelli and his wife Christine of Warwick. Rose was the cherished great-grandmother of Gabrael Anthony and Sophia Lynn Politelli. She was the sister of Emma Urbani of Providence, and the late Frank and Alfred “Pat” Apici, Mildred Perrotti, Edward Apice, Guido Apici, Angelina Cerullo, and John Apici. Rose is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral from the NARDOLILLO FUNERL HOME & Crematory, 1278 Park Avenue, Cranston on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Bartholomew Church, Laurel Hill Avenue, Providence. Interment will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. VISITING HOURS Tuesday 4-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Bartholomew Church, 297 Laurel Hill Avenue, Providence, RI 02909.

A 34-year-old Cranston woman is charged with false representation to obtain a controlled substance after allegedly passing a fake prescription at the Walgreens on Broad Street recently.

Police said Anna Taveras, of 40 Henry St., Cranston, walked into the Walgreens on April 15 shortly after 9 a.m. with a prescription for Fioricet and Codeine.

The pharmacist noticed the script didn't have the doctor's name or DEA number on it — both required by federal law, so she told Taveras that the script could not be filled.

About an hour later, Taveras allegedly came back with the required information on it, but was told that she'd have to wait until Monday so it could be verified with the doctor's office, identified as Smithfield Podiatry in North Smithfield.

The pharmacist then noticed the Walgreens computer system showed Taveras had received to scripts for Vicodin in March and April totaling 120 pills. Those prescriptions were "also written from a false prescription," according to a police report.

Police said the doctor, when reached by telephone, said he never gave permission for Taveras to have any scripts filled. The signatures on the scripts Taveras had were faked, the doctor said.

Taveras was arrainged and released on personal recognizance. She will return to court on June 24.

Contrary to the assertions of Cranston state Rep. Peter Palumbo, it does not cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to notify residents when a level 3 sex offender moves into Cranston, Politifact has ruled.

The nonpartisan organization said it received a detailed accounting from Cranston Police Chief Col. Marco Palombo Jr. that shows it actually costs about $655 per offender.

Palumbo, the chief sponsor of a bill that would shift the cost of notifying residents when a level 3 sex offender moves into a city or town from local municipalities to the state, said at an April 11 hearing on the bill that the cost is "somewhere between $5,000 and $6,000." per offender.

Cranston spent $9,137 in 2011 for seven notifications in all. Of that total, $7,203 was spent on notifications. The rest was for registration costs.

Read more at Politifact.

Yesterday was Rhode Island Day at Fenway Park and a special Rhode Islander threw out the first pitch. On her way from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to her Newport home, Heather Abbott, survivor, stopped by Fenway Park and walked out to the pitcher's mound. 

The last time she was at Fenway Park had been Monday, April 15, Patriot's Day. After she left the stadium, Abbott and friends went to the see the finish of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street. She was caught in the second bombing and lost part of her left leg as a result of her injuries.

According to the Providence Journal, Abbott got out of her wheelchair and walked out to the mound at Fenway Park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday. "She braced herself on her right foot and threw a strike to Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia," the story said. 

It was a strike.

In another aspect of Rhode Island Day festivities, the Journal reported, the Red Sox awarded $1,000 college scholarships to 20 Rhode Island high school students.

The students: Titilope Bankole, Hope High School; Harriette Beah, Mount Pleasant High School; Derek Bell, Woonsocket High School; Gabrielle English, Portsmouth High School; Victoria Ferraro, Chariho Regional High School; Brianna Florio, Pilgrim High School; Jessica Fournier, North Kingstown High School; Lindsay Gagne, Coventry High School; John Hindley, Smithfield High School; Katherine Mitchell, Rogers High School; Isabel Newton, East Providence High School; Adriana Pagano, Cranston High School East; Rachel Pimentel, Tiverton High School; Bryan Quinlan, Shea High School; Lindsay Ratcliffe, Cranston High School West; Bethanie Royality-Lindman, South Kingstown High School; Lesdin Salazar, Central Falls High School; Jameel Sylvia, Mt. Hope High School; Nisa Villareal, Johnston Senior High School; Monique Walmsley, Westerly High School.

The Blue Jays went on to beat the Red Sox, 3-2.

With the 2011 seatbelt law set to expire on June 30, the House of Representatives today voted to repeal the sunset provision so that failure to wear seatbelts by adults will remain a primary offense in Rhode Island.

The House passed the bill (2013-H 5140), sponsored by Rep. Anastasia P. Williams (D-Dist. 9, Providence), in a 53 to 17 vote. Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) sponsors the Senate companion bill (2013-S 0352).

Prior to enactment of the legislation, state law classified failure to wear seatbelts a secondary offense, and officers could cite seatbelt violations only if a primary offense had occurred – such as running a red light or driving above the speed limit. Police could also ticket drivers who were transporting children who were not properly restrained.

Under the primary seatbelt law, violators can face an $85 fine. The legislation also makes it clear that police cannot search a vehicle, driver or occupant of the vehicle that has been stopped for failure to wear a seatbelt unless they have committed another violation.

The sponsors say they believe their legislation has been a good incentive for drivers to follow traffic safety rules.

“I think there’s still this notion floating around that refusing to wear a seatbelt is not a big deal,” Representative Williams said. “But it is a big deal. It is imperative for each one of us to educate others about the importance of wearing a seatbelt and traffic safety laws. It’s bad enough to lose the life a loved one in a car accident, but when that death could have been prevented, it’s even more difficult to bear.”

From 2008 to 2012, approximately 130 unbuckled fatalities occurred in Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, about half of those deaths may have been preventable had the passenger worn a seatbelt. More than 30 states have primary seatbelt laws, including Maine and Connecticut. Since Connecticut changed its law from a secondary to a primary offense, the state reports it has experienced its highest level of safety belt compliance.

Cosponsors of the House bill include Representatives Agostinho F. Silva (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls), John M. Carnevale (D-Dist. 13, Providence, Johnston), Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence) and Thomas Winfield (D-Dist. 53, Smithfield, Glocester). The bill will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Senators V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, Narragansett), Donna M. Nesselbush (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, North Providence), Christopher S. Ottiano (R-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol) and David E. Bates (R-Dist. Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) cosponsored the identical legislation in the Senate.

After weeks of negotiations, National Grid and members of UWUA Local 369 have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, the union announced yesterday.

The new contract will go up for a vote on May 20.

"National Grid entered into negotiations demanding drastic increases in healthcare costs and failing to address critical staffing needs, which are so crucial to public safety and adequate storm response," the union said in a release. "Through these ongoing negotiations and with the assistance of a federal mediator, we believe we have reached an agreement that provides important protections for our hardworking men and women and the communities that we serve."

The union authorized a vote to strike at the end of April and the contract was set to expire on May 11.

At the recent Scholars Celebration at Stonehill College, Cranston native Lauren Dulieu, a member of the senior class, received the Biology Award which is given to the student with the highest GPA in the Biology program.

Stonehill College, according to a release, is a "welcoming, academically challenging community of 2,500 students on a beautiful, active campus located 22 miles south of Boston, offering easy access to internships, job opportunities, museums, sporting events, and more. Stonehill's dedicated and supportive faculty mentor students in more than 80 diverse majors and minors in the liberal arts, sciences, and business. Stonehill is a vibrant place where students learn to think, act, and lead with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world."

Call it beginner's luck.

Chanthan Eang, a hairdresser from Cranston, is $20,000 richer — and not because she recently booked Rapunzel for a wash and blowout.

It's because she bought a "Lucky Times 20" instant ticket from Food Mart and Smoke Shop in West Warwick.

A few scratches later and Eang soon realized she had won $20,000.

It was her first time ever playing the ticket, the Rhode Island Lottery Commission said in a release, and she said it must have been "beginner's luck."

"She doesn't know what she'll do with the money yet and said it was too soon to decide," the lottery commission said.

Thirty-three more top prizes of $20,000 remain in the Lucky Times 20 game.

Over the past couple of weeks, several sources — both local and national — have issued their rankings of high schools in Rhode Island.

And while it may be an accomplishment to be named the state's top high school by one group, parents and students may be left scratching their heads when they read other results.

Take the city's two public high schools — Cranston East and Cranston West, for example.

GoLocalProv.com named the home of the Thunderbolts number 33 out of 49 in Rhode Island, while the Falcons ranked 30th — and The Daily Beast didn't include them at all in its national rankings.

And the advocacy group RI-CAN listed Cranston 31st out of 39 school districts in school performance.

In the end, the question remains for parents of current — and future — high school students: Do these rankings mean anything?

What do you think?

Are the rankings for your high school fair? What do you think they say about the community? Should high schools be ranked the same way as colleges have been?

Does a student from a 15th-ranked school actually get a poorer-quality education than someone attending a high school ranked in the top 5? 

Have your say in the comments section below.

Frances (DePrete) Della Posta, 85, of Cranston, passed away at home on Sunday, May 12, 2013, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Cranston, she was the wife of the late Armando Della Posta.  She was the daughter of the late Antonio and Jennie (Tuccinardi) De Prete.  Mrs. Della Posta was a housekeeper and cook at Holy Cross Church.  She was also the Treasurer of Lamplighter Homeowner Association, Florida and Past President and Secretary of Holy Cross Women’s Guild. 

She is survived by her children Diane D’Ambra and her husband Peter of Johnston, Tony Della Posta and his wife Karen of Coventry, Frances Webster of FL, Olivia Vendettoli of Cranston, Annemarie Calabro of Cranston, Jennie Della Posta of Coventry, Lori Kenyon and her husband Keith of Coventry and the late Lois Della Posta.  She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 2 great granddaughters and sister of Connie Howe of FL, Andrew De Prete of VA and Mary Hyatt of FL.

Her funeral will be held on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory, 1278 Park Avenue, Cranston, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Cross Church at 10 a.m.  Interment will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.  VISITING HOURS: Wednesday 4-8 p.m.  In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Holy Cross Memorial Fund, 18 King Philip Street, Providence, RI 02909-5717.

A Cranston World War II veteran will be honored at a State House ceremony on May 17.

Robert Thorpe, who was shot down by the Japanese and executed, will be given the honor about 70 years since his death. His body was never recovered.

State Rep. Peter Martin sponsored the resoloution that sets the stage for Thorpe's ceremony.

One of the people who urged Martin to submit the resolution was none other then Ken Dooley, author of the the play "The Murder Trial of John Gordon," and the man who helped lead an effort for Governor Lincoln Chafee to pardon Gordon — the last man executed by the state of Rhode Island.

Read Dooley's letter to Martin below:

My play, "The Murder Trial of John Gordon," and your political efforts led to the pardon of John Gordon byGov. Lincoln Chafee more than 167 years after his trial and execution. Now I must call to your attention another miscarriage of justice, involving a Cranston pilot who was captured and executed by the Japanese in 1944.

When his P-47D Thunderbolt was hit by small arms fire during a strafing run on the Japanese garrison at Wewak on May 27, 1944, 2nd Lt. Robert E. Thorpe ditched in the waters off Kairiru Island, New Guinea. The plane sank immediately, but he was lucky enough to find a log drifting nearby. Using it for flotation, he managed to reach shore.

There his luck ran out. Thorpe was captured by a Formosan civilian unit and marched across the island to the 27th Japanese Special Naval Base Force. Rear Admiral Shiro Sato, the unit commander, ordered his senior staff officer, Captain Kiyohisa Noto, to take charge of the prisoner. Noto, in turn, instructed Lt. Commander Kaoru Okuma to interrogate him.

Okuma's interrogation got nowhere. Obeying the Military Code to the letter, Thorpe refused to provide any information beyond name, rank and service number. Okuma became enraged and beat the prisoner unmercifully. He then invited Japanese enlisted personnel to join in the beating, and Thorpe was struck repeatedly with fists and sticks.

But the beatings were only the beginning. Thorpe learned that he was to die, and, bleeding from his back, shoulders and face, he walked, unassisted, to his execution site where his death was to be slow and painful.

According to court marshal testimony, Okuma took out his sidearm and announced his intentions to use the prisoner for target practice. Yutaka Odazawa, who had been selected to execute the prisoner, warned that anyone who attempted to shoot the prisoner should aim low because any wound above the waist would 'make it difficult to behead him.'

Okuma shot Thorpe in the leg, then invited two other officers, Tsunohiko Yamamoto and Naotada Fujihira, to shoot at the prisoner but 'avoid any hits above the knees.' Before firing, Yamamoto told Thorpe that he was going to kill him with his pistol.

Thorpe remained standing, even though he had been hit twice in the leg. His hands were tied but he was not blindfolded. It wasn't until he was shot in the stomach that he finally fell to his knees and was dragged to a grave that had already been prepared for him. He said nothing, but witnesses reported that his lips moved as if in prayer. One Japanese officer described Thorpe's behavior as 'magnificent.'

Odazawa then gave the prisoner a drink of water from the nearby stream, pushed his head down, washed his neck with the water, and then washed his sword - all in accordance with the Bushido spirit of cleansing the soul.

He then swung his sword and chopped through the neck with one stroke so that the prisoner's head dangled from the body, attached by only a small shred of skin at the throat. The body then fell head first into the pit.

The grave was located in the large gardens about 20 meters west of a stream and about 50 meters north of the main road in the fields. After the war ended, the five officers involved in the execution went on trial on June 22, 1948, in Yokahama, Japan. Four of the officers were sentenced to life in prison while, Okuma was sentenced to hang.

it would seem that justice finally had been done. In fact, only one of the original sentences received by the five convicted war criminals – Okuma's execution - was ever carried out. The truth about the aftermath of Bob Thorpe's brutal death only began to emerge when his father, Walter Thorpe, Bob's father, started a campaign to have his son's remains returned to Rhode Island.

Walter Thorpe had no knowledge that the Japanese officers involved had provided a detailed sketch of the burial site, because the court martial records were classified. Nor did he have much help from the U.S. officials and politicians he appealed to. During his lifetime, he compiled a thick file of correspondence with the American Graves Registration Service indicating that his son's remains were unrecoverable.

All records pertaining to the search and recovery of Bob Thorpe were closed. Walter Thorpe and his wife, Nora, Bob's mother, both died believing that their son's remains were not recoverable.

For 69 years, Gill Thorpe, Bob's younger brother, and Nancy, his sister, locked away thoughts about their brother's brutal death and the fact that he remains unclaimed in an unmarked gravesite on Kairiru Island. The American Graves Registration continues to stonewall the Thorpes about when or if their brother's remains will ever be recovered.

Many questions remain: Why was Walter Thorpe continuously lied to when he tried to get help in recovering his son's remains? Why didn't the Graves Record Administration try to find the remains with the detailed maps provided to them during the court-martial?

Perhaps these questions will never be answered. But can something be done to honor this man who gave so much to his country and has received so little in return. Much as you fought for John Gordon, I'm asking you to give this man the honor that his country has refused to provide for so many years.

 

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) released the following statement on the reported targeting by the Internal Revenue Service of conservative groups for additional scrutiny:

“I am deeply disturbed by the recent reports of inappropriate targeting by Internal Revenue Service employees,” said Langevin.  “All citizens must be able to trust that they will receive fair treatment and equal protection from our government, regardless of their political beliefs.  These actions require careful and immediate scrutiny, and I am confident that President Obama will move quickly to ensure a thorough investigation occurs and all responsible parties are held accountable.”

A 20-year-old Cranston man who police said was drunk when he crashed his Mercury Sable on New London Avenue will not be charged with driving under the influence after his father allegedly drove him home before police got to the scene.

The lack of a DUI charge for George St. Laurent III, of 37 Brookfield Drive, Cranston, is because too much time passed between the accident and when police arrived at St. Laurent's house despite the fact he smelled like alcohol and was visibly drunk, police said.

According to police, officers were dispatched to New London Avenue near Chapel View Boulevard around 2:30 a.m. on April 27 and found a 1994 Mercury Sable obstructing a lane with smoke pouring out of the front end.

Police said the car had been in a crash and there was heavy front end damage "consistent with having rear ended another vehicle."

A witness at the scene said he saw the Sable crash into another car and then attempt to flee the scene with its headlights off.

By the time police got there, St. Laurent, who police said was driving the Sable, was gone. But a check of his license soon led them to his house on Brookside Drive.

At the house, St. Laurent' father "admitted to picking his son up from the accident scene, and that his son had been operating the vehicle."

Police said they "immediately detected the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating" from St. Laurent and he had a small scrape on his chin which was "consistent with being struck with a vehicle's airbag."

Police said St. Laurent was visibly intoxicated and was combative once he was arrested. He also reportedly vomited in the holding cell at police headquarters.

Later, police learned that St. Laurent had apparently crashed into a pole Garden City Center, leaving a trail of debris in front of Newport Creamery, including one of his license plates.

St. Laurent was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and summonsed for stopping in a travel lane and failing to report an accident.

But police said they did not charge St. Laurent with DUI "due to the time lapse between the [accident] and St. Laurent being at his residence."

"It is my belief that St. Laurent was in fact operating his vehicle while intoxicated which directly caused him to strike the pole in Garden city as well as the vehicle in New London Avenue," wrote Officer Justin Rutkiewicz in his report.

Police said they also found a New York state driver's license belonging to a 21-year-old man who looked "very similar" to St. Laurent as well as key fob for the vehicle with a broken off key. 

"This is significant as the ignition key in the running Mercury was bent and stuck into the ignition as if it had been pulled downward with force," Rutkiewicz wrote.

Susan Bello, the former Personnel Director in Cranston who sued the city last year after her budget was zeroed out in an effort by city officials to consolidate her job, has resigned.

Bello submitted her resignation last week and her job officially ended on Friday.

In an e-mail message, Bello, who is still fighting the city in court, said she could no longer "stomach" the work environment at City Hall and said administration officials made it difficult for her to get her job done.

"It has become a hostile work environment and I am tired of it," Bello said. "While I did get the court ordered salary they never made my budget available to me. If I needed to order something, like a test, I would have to go to Gerry Cordy, ask permission and then he would go and get the money from the council. No other department head has been treated this way."

The legal battle has cost the city about $46,000, city officials said this week, and the case will likely drag on. Bello said the battle has cost her about $22,000. And it all could have been avoided, she said, if the city didn't try to oust her by zeroing out her budget last year.

A Superior Court judge did rule that the city must continue to pay Bello, whose job is listed in the City Charter. That was the crux of Bello's argument: the city cannot get rid of the Personnel Department without a charter change.

Instead, Bello argued, she was told by the city's Director of Administration Gerald Cordy and City Solicitor Christopher Rawson at the end of April last year that she and her department "would cease to exist" once the new budget went into effect on July 1. That would constitute a violation of the City Charter and would violate her rights as a civil service employee, she said.

Gale Topakian, a part-time employee of the department who has worked for the city for about 35 years, saw her job zero-funded in 2007. She responded by filing a civil complaint against the city and was reinstated after the city signed an Oct. 2007 agreement in which they agreed that her position was classified and could not be eliminated without a proper hearing.

Stay tuned for more on this evolving story.

Read our past stories on this subject:

Ousted Personnel Director Sues City, Claims Wrongful Termination

Committee Votes to Strike References to Personnel Director from Charter, adding Twist to Lawsuit

Facing Legal Fight, Council Backs off Plan to Force Out Personnel Director

Personnel Director Seeks Injunctive Relief to Protect her Job

A man wanted for a string of DVD thefts from CVS stores across Rhode Island is in custody after a recent arrest by East Providence Police for a similar crime.

Cranston Police released images taken from security cameras at the Oaklawn Avenue CVS on May 3 in an effort to identify him. Police now say he is 28-year-old Stephen Mignacco of Cranston.

Mignacco was arrested in East Providence on May 6.

Police said Mignacco walked into CVS on April 22 and 23 and went to the photo area. He then took several DVDs from the rack and put them under his shirt or coat and left without paying.

There are a few things you learn about Terry Rajsombath within a few minutes of meeting him: He's a dedicated soldier; he sets ambitious goals for himself; and he doesn't let anything stop him.

Rajsombath is also mature — and humble — beyond his years.

After graduating from Johnston High School in 2004 with plans to go into the Marine Corps — only to set that goal aside after speaking to someone who'd been drummed out over health conditions — Rajsombath secured an Automotive degree from New England Tech and took at job at Pep Boys.

But he never gave up his main objective of getting into the military — and, upon hearing about the Army National Guard, he saw his chance.

"I thought that, being that I had just graduated from automotive, I would enlist as a mechanic, and then I could transfer right away, because that's my whole reason for going into the military, to be an infantryman," Rajsombath said.

Like many recent enrollees to the armed forces, Rajsombath explained he wanted to serve America following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

He had to wait a bit longer after enlisting with the Rhode Island Army National Guard before his opportunity arose.

"It just so happened that Rhode Island didn't have a slot for infantry for at least three years — I waited forever for a slot to open," he recalled. "I waited for three years, I finally got a slot and I'm infantry qualified, and I figured 'Why sit around and wait for a deplyoment?' because it can take years to get a deployment, or it could never happen. So I found a unit deploying right away in Connecticut — it could have been any unit, but I hopped on with them and I'm glad I did, because they were a great company straightaway."

After going through training in late 2009 and returning home for Christmas, Rajsombath and his unit from B Company, 1st Batallion, 102d Infantry [based in Manchester, CT] shipped out for a few more weeks' preparation stateside before their deployment to Afghanistan in early 2010.

It was there, just a few months later, that Rajsombath would confront his biggest obstacle to date.

"I remember that exactly. It was July 3, 2010 — it was right after my birthday, you know? By then, we'd already been shot at, ambushed, IEDs, suicide bombers, so, you know, we're not, like, overanxious about missions — it is what it is by that point," he explained. "But this one mission, I swear I had this gut feeling. It was maybe 5 in the morning, we were getting ready to step out, and I just kept telling everyone, like, 'I just don't have a good feeling about this.' It was my last mission before I was supposed to go on leave — you're given two weeks of leave, and I had chosen to go to Peru to spend my two weeks teaching kids to speak English at an orphanage," Rajsombath recalled.

[Rajsombath also wrote a journal entry about his experiences that day. Excerpts from that entry appear in blockquotes below.]

Everything seems too good to be true, so naturally what immediately strikes my attention is Murphy’s Law. Optimistic as I am and cynical as the theory is, I have this gut feeling that I can’t shake. One of those unexplainable intuitions that alert your senses, that today you’re "that guy." Perhaps it’s mere coincidence, but this very morning, I said to myself out loud, “Yup, I’m gonna die.”

As his squad entered an Afghan village that day, Rajsombath wrote that he noticed the emptiness of the place — a sign of potential trouble — before Taliban insurgents started firing at them. After taking to a nearby road, Rajsombath found himself separated from his unit.

"I was on my right knee shooting, so my leg is pretty low to the ground," Rajsombath said during the recent interview. "The round enters my left [buttock] cheek, to my thigh, it hits the bone and explodes this way [motioning to his knee], then it explodes this way [motioning toward his waist] and it takes out my hip. At the time, all I knew is that I was hit."

Lying there on the ground, I don’t scream for help or make much noise from the pain. I don’t think of where the round came from and I don’t think of returning fire. Sprawling on the earth, all that consumes my mind and body is an intense pain that I physically and mentally know not how to bear.

Even after dragging himself down a hill, losing blood from internal injuries, Rajsombath screamed at his fellow soldiers to give him a weapon to fire back at the insurgents.

Several tense hours passed, but Rajsombath got the help he needed and soon found himself in the hospital, hooked up to IVs and a feeding tube. He would spend 10 months recovering at Walter Reed Hospital.

It’s funny, I consider myself a mentally and physically tough person. Not once during my deployment did I feel like I was going to break.  Nor, for any other time in my life, for that matter. I’ve always looked at hardship as a challenge that I’d gladly accept. Except time and time again, this place has me tapping. F— it, call it baptism under fire, then.

Despite all of the past, present and future heartache, all I can do is say “f— It” and just keep my head up.  I’m alive and made it back, I’m one of the lucky ones.

Rajsombath returned home with a new military objective — serving in public affairs — and the prior personal goal of competing in the Amica Ironman 70.3 in Providence on July 8, for which he'd trained in Afghanistan.

He earned a certain level of local fame for competing in the triathlon — though Rajsombath said he saw it as "just another thing that I wanted to do. I just saw it on the front page yesterday. I didn't think it would be such a big deal. I mean, it never crossed my mind — the only reason [anyone] knew is that I had to list the reason I needed crutches — that's the only way anyone would ever have known."

After making it through the 1.2-mi. swim and 56-mile bike sections, Rajsombath faced the most daunting part of the competition: a half-marathon through progressively steeper hills in downtown Providence.

"Once I actually got out there and did the first mile, it took so much effort to get into a rhythm and it took so much energy to use the crutches, that after the first mile it just went out the window and I said, 'Well, I'm just going to walk it, and if it ends up I have a few miles left and I'm getting close to the wire, I'll just run it,'" Rajsombath recalled.

And once he finished, Rajsombath said he felt "no real excitement, really — I was just happy to get it done. There's not like extreme jubilation, it's kind of just like a pat on the back — 'Good job, you got it done.' It was a mission, I set out to do it, I got it done."

From here, Rajsombath said he's due for annual training with his unit on Monday, getting into his new job in public affairs — and enrolling in bull riding classes.

"I figure if I fall on my bad hip, I'll just land on my arm and hope I don't break it, but if I fall on my good hip, I'll land on my good hip and I'll be alright," he explained.

Asked where he thinks the drive comes from to do such potentially dangerous things, Rajsombath explained: "I think it's the fact that I've always liked adventure. People have always told me, 'You know, you're kind of weird, but in a good way.' My whole goal since I was 16 was I wanted to be special forces. I wanted to live the life of danger and excitement — and get paid and serve my country at the same time."

With that aspiration now out of reach, Rajsombath said he's seeking other outlets for his ambition.

"I always feel that there's a way to get around things and do the things I want to do, but now I realize that because I can't run, the infantry isn't a possibility anymore," he explained. "If I could run, I'd go back to infantry in a heartbeat — but that's just not in the cards for me anymore, so I'll find something else I like and keep moving forward."

In perhaps a nod to military training, and perhaps to innate humility, Rajsombath at first demurred when asked whether he considers himself an example to others.

"I don't feel like I'm the right example — I'm doing what makes me happy. I'd like to be a good example, but I have 'F— it' tattooed on my chest," said Rajsombath, who also has "Discipline" inked on his right forearm. "I guess I'd say that I don't really want the burden of being an example, but I like to motivate people wherever I can."

When he was first approached about having articles written about him and his experience competing in the Ironman 70.3, Rajsombath recalled, "my answer was 'no' initially — I don't want my life revolving around this ambush, you know? But I was talking to a friend, and I was like, 'Well, I guess if I can reach anyone out there and touch anyone and be a positive example to them, that would be great.'"

Barbara A. (Sweeney) Bellotti, 74, of Cranston, passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Cedar Crest Nursing Centre in Cranston.

She was the beloved wife of 56 years to Roland Bellotti, Sr. Barbara was born in Providence, a daughter of the late Arthur W. Sweeney , Sr. and Mabel (Stiles) Sweeney.

Besides her beloved husband she is survived by her loving children, Roland Bellotti, Jr. and his wife Nancy and Robin Copple all of Cranston. She was also the cherished grandmother of Cheyenne Copple of Cranston and the sister of the late Ethel Hartley, Arthur Jr., Carl Sr., Norman, Ronald Sr. Eugene Sr. and Bart Sweeney.

We as a family would especially like to thank Cedar Crest Nursing Centre and Beacon Hospice for their love and care for Barbara and the support they gave us during this difficult time.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday at 10 am in St. Mary’s Church, Cranston. Burial will be private. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Beacon Hospice, 1 Catamore Blvd. East Providence, RI 02914.