Valley Breeze

2 Pawtucket JUNE 18-24, 2014 | vallEy brEEzE | PaWTUCKET EdiTioN By ETHAN SHOREY breeze online News Editor ethan@valleybreeze.com PAWTUCKET – An employee at M. Virginia Cunningham Elementary School, 40 Baldwin St., says fleas have penetrated her office at the school, biting her repeatedly and causing a difficult environment to work in. The employee also pro- duced a picture of a cock- roach she claims to have found in her workbag, rais- ing concerns that the insects might have returned to the school. The kitchen at Cunningham was shut down in March of 2013 after roaches were found there, but school offi- cials took steps to address the issue. The Department of Health issued a citation after inspecting the school after the roaches were found originally, saying the door to the kitchen did not fit tightly enough. That door was then repaired. Supt. Patti DiCenso said school officials called a pest control firm to Cunningham last Tuesday after complaints that fleas had bitten an employee from the Child Opportunity Zone program, which operates in the school. DiCenso said there was "no sign of infestation" when workers visited the COZ, but they sprayed around in the COZ office as a precaution. City Councilor Albert Vitali Jr. drafted a memo to school officials last Wednesday ask- ing if the alleged pest prob- lems at the school had been straightened out. Vitali said he was concerned about the health and safety of students and teachers, especially after the incident at the school last year. Vitali said he heard from the same school employee that she had been attacked by fleas while working. The worker, who did not wish to be named publicly, showed him welts all over her body, said Vitali. Vitali said he knows how difficult it can be to get rid of bugs, as he runs his fam- ily's property management company, and he believes Cunningham needs a com- prehensive treatment. "It's a bad situation that's only going to get worse," he said. Claims from the school employee that she was bit- ten by fleas even after the extermination work was done last Tuesday are concerning, said Vitali. He's also unsettled about the idea that students and teachers might bring bugs home with them, he said. DiCenso said workers from the COZ have increasingly been using their Cunningham office for storage because the year-round program contin- ues to grow. The program has grown so much that school administrators are moving it to the more spacious Baldwin Elementary School, she said. Cunningham School worker complains of fleas, cockroaches Superintendent says school treated, but no bugs spotted A worker at Cunningham School said she found this cockroach in her school bag. Local news. Local owners. you might think every newspaper would be like that. but they aren't. We are. PAWTUCKET – Smithfield Avenue Congregational Church will host its annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., in Lindh Hall, 514 Smithfield Ave. The menu will include ham, beans, coleslaw, rolls, and strawberry shortcake, with coffee or tea. Tickets for the all-you-can-eat dinner are $10 for adults and $4 for children. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the church office at 401-725-5153. A penny social and raffle will follow the meal. All proceeds go to the church's Nehemiah Project for church renovations. Strawberry Festival Sunday at Smithfield Avenue Church IN BRIEf PAWTUCKET – A memorial service and concert will be held for Phil Charles Pascucci, organ- ist, pianist and musician on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m., at Epworth United Methodist Church, 915 Newport Ave. Collation will follow the service. Call 401-722-0816. Epworth Church to hold memorial service Saturday PAWTUCKET – City resi- dent Patricia Zacks was sworn in to a three-year term as a member of the city Purchasing Board by Mayor Donald Grebien on June 2. Zacks, long active in the community includ- ing with the Pawtucket Arts Festival, will fill the remainder of the unexpired three-year term of late member Kathleen Magill, which runs to February 2017. Zacks appointed to Pawtucket Purchasing Board CUMBERLAND – The Cumberland-based Panera Bread franchise Howley Bread Group LTD has recognized employees for excellence and leadership during the first quar- ter of 2014. The following local resi- dents received "Associate of the Quarter" awards for their work at some of the 28 Panera Bread bakery-cafes throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island: Katelyn Van Pelt of Chepachet, who works in Smithfield; Janet LaMountain of Manville, who works in Lincoln; and Monica Fernandes of Pawtucket, who works in North Attleboro, Mass. Panera Bread employees awarded for leadership PAWTUCKET – First Baptist Church of Pawtucket, 91 Cottage St., is seeking vendors for its yard sale and flea market to be held on Saturday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call Susannah at 508-399-1505 or email skmangels4u@aol.com. Vendors sought for yard sale Saturday

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