John Lacouture Arden N.C. LSliders@aol.com

___________________________________

"Hi my name is Claudia. I was Born and raised in R.I. and I Live in California. I miss R.I. so much. I miss the food, the people. the sites and I even miss the weather! I have lived here for 18 years and I still talk like a Rhode Islander. Everyone here loves the way I talk. I will never lose it. I am a true Rhode Islander. I miss it so much that I ordered 2 cases of coffee syrup. I had to figure out how to get the food till now Thank you for this web page!
 I was just looking at your site again, and I am amazed how all those memories come back to me . I remember all these places Rocky Point, Crescent park. I saw the three stooges there. Valle Steak House was my Fathers favorite Steak house . People don't have a clue. For in the smallest state R.I. You can do so much, and my sisters will LOVE this site to Thank YOU, THANK YOU
You don't know How happy I am!!!!!"

Sincerely
Claudia Merkey clmerkey@yahoo.com

___________________________________

"Two years ago, on March 17,1998, I was at the New York City Saint Patrick Day Parade. That day it felt like summer. I was standing by a large group of people, when suddenly I heard loud cheering. That was when I saw Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. I too began screaming his name and when he saw me, he ran over to me. It was wild; he shoved his security man out of the way to reach me! At that moment, that single solitary moment, he shook my hand. All the TV reporters took photos of the Mayor and me. I was dressed as an Irish clown, and you could see the smile on Mayor Giuliani's face. There were many other people in this photo, and their eyes showed wonder as the most famous Mayor in the whole world shook Danoe the Clown's hand. I made a lot of friends that day, and I hope to see them next Saint Patrick's Day. I wondered if my picture would be in the newspapers the next day, so that night, when I came back to R.I, I called the New York Mayor's office, and they sent a copy of the parade photo."

Daniel Mann aka Danoe The Clown DANOETHECLOWN@aol.com 

___________________________________

"Well Christmas is just around the corner and mother nature is doing her part with cold temperatures and even snow, the amount depends on what part of the country you live in. Last Saturday night my wife and I went to Slater Park in Pawtucket where I spent many hours growing up in the good old days. I can remember ice skating on cold winter nights, when the ice was safe on the duck pond. The city would open up the boat house and light a nice warm fire in the fire place and they would shine big spot lights out on the ice and play music. It was a magic time for kid playing hockey, couples skating around holding hand and whole families spending special time together and you know they must have put something special in the hot chocolate purchased at the boat house because it tasted extra special.
Other memories stand out too, like when it snowed my father would load my friends and I in his truck, sleds and all and take us to Country Side Golf Course, where they had a perfect hill for sledding. There would be hundreds of people, at least it felt like the was and everyone had a great time.
Yea the good old days, when kids could actually play outside. We didn't need special equipment to play hockey, just a stick and a puck, if no one had a puck we'd use a rock or anything we could whack around. Any piece of ice would do. Up the street from where I lived there was some open land across from Narragansett Race Track were water would accumulate just right for playing hockey when it froze over. All the kids in the neighborhood would be there and no parents looking over us. You know what, everyone got along and had a great time. Today kids wouldn't believe you if you told them that when you were a kid you actually skated outside, yea, and there was bumps and cracks on the ice too.
I guess things were simpler back then but my parents and grand parents probably said the same thing when I was growing up. They probably remembered horse drawn sleighs and central heat was space age technology. Technology makes things a lot easier for us today but what have we lost? Quality time with family and friends, kid playing outside with out parents standing guard over them and a chance to score that goal, skating down the ice with all eyes upon you, yea this is your chance to score the winning goal, only to have your skate hit that stick frozen in the ice and you fall on your face and you have no idea where the damn puck went. Oh well, maybe you didn't get to be the hero that day but you made a memory and a great story that you can tell to your grand kids and say, back in the good old day when I was a kid I came that close to scoring the winning goal. Damn, stick."

Bob Davis  papa_d54@yahoo.com

___________________________________

"Another old time RI institution was the Warwick Musical Theater (The Tent). My Mom and Dad had their first date there in 1955. They went to see Oklahoma if I am not mistaken. That might be another page you can add to the main menu. I’m sure there are a lot of people with fond memories of going to the Tent during the summer. I saw a number of “Stars” over the years – Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby, Pat and Debbie Boone, Reba McIntire, Marshall Tucker Band, the Smothers Brothers and many more. What a great place to see a show and a big loss when it was closed for the last time.

Keep up the good work."

Jamie Jamie@bsmg.net 

___________________________________

"This was absolutely wonderful. I am a native Rhode Islander who now lives way out there in CT, but Rhode Island will always be home. Every now and again I go home for my fix of good Italian stuff and the car can not go back to CT without weiners. The car holds the aroma (smell) for an eternity.--Thanks again--Lol" jfducat@snet.net 

___________________________________

"Just wanted you to know how much I'm enjoying your website. I'm in AZ, left RI in '61 after graduating from Warwick Vets and URI. I was born in Providence and raised in Pawtuxet. I remember another thing to add to your "Lived Here Before the 60's" thing - the smell of fresh bread when you came over the viaduct from East Providence (by the old Davol plant). Mmmm. Also, watching the coal cars dump their cargo onto the huge coal piles off Allens Avenue. My dad worked at a lumber co. (EE Smith) off Allens Ave. and watching the cars would keep my sister and me busy while we were waiting to pick up Dad from work (people only had one car in those days!) I've lost most of my RI accent, having spent 15 years in Virginia before coming to AZ 27 years ago, but my sister, who's only been out here for ten years, still has most of hers. They DO talk funny, don't they?

Thanks for a great site."

Marge (Brown) Mathewson memcats@qwest.net