December 18, 2006 - Mayor Scott Avedisian today offered his thanks and best wishes to the city’s three outgoing City Council members – Sue Stenhouse, Tim Lee and Council President Donald Torres – saying that their service “will have a lasting and positive effect on the City of Warwick and its residents.” Their last meeting is tonight.

December 14, 2006 - Avedisian announces new economic development website - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that the city’s new economic development website is now live and accessible to the public at www.movetowarwickri.com.

December 12, 2006 - Cooperative effort between City, RIAC to ensure less pollution in stream - A cooperative effort between the city’s Department of Public Works and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation to combat a chronic problem will lead to less water pollution and a cleaner overall neighborhood, Mayor Scott Avedisian and RIAC President and CEO Mark Brewer announced.

December 08, 2006 - City’s 2007 calendars to arrive
in residents’ mailboxes next week – The always-anticipated annual City of Warwick calendars will be arriving in residents’ mailboxes by the end of next week, Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today.

November 20, 2006 - City, Warwick hotels offering Stay, Park & Fly program Program offers convenient, stress-free travel option in time for holidays – The city’s annual Stay, Park & Fly travel package program, meant to help make flying out of T.F. Green more convenient for area travelers, is now underway, Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today. The 11-year-old program is a collaborative effort between the city’s Department of Tourism, Culture and Development and Warwick hotels.

November 20, 2006 - Avedisian to Make Donation in Lieu of Holiday Cards – For the third consecutive year, Mayor Avedisian will make a monetary donation to a local non-profit agency in lieu of sending out holiday cards, he announced today.

November 17, 2006 - City to participate in BCBSRI MuniBlue Health Service - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that, as part of ongoing efforts to help city employees take proactive steps to ensure better health, the city will participate in Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s MuniBlue health management service.

November 15, 2006 - Department of Tourism, Culture and Development picks up three awards at regional convention – Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that the city’s department of Tourism, Culture and Development received three awards at the recent Northeastern Economic Development Association’s (NEDA) 50th annual conference. Department Director Karen Jedson represented the city at this year’s event, held in New Hampshire October 15 through 17.

November 1, 2006 - Memorial to Warwick Station Fire victims to be erected in Apponaug, Avedisian said – Mayor Scott Avedisian said today that a memorial to Warwick residents who were victims of the Station Nightclub Fire will be erected on the property that is currently home to Fire Department headquarters, once the department moves into the new headquarters currently under construction across the street.

November 1, 2006 - Kent HeartSafe Foundation receives its first AED Donation - Dr. Joe Spinale, president of the Kent HeartSafe Foundation and vice chairman of Warwick’s Board of Public Safety, announced the first donation of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to the foundation. Joseph Ricci of the Cardiac Science Corporation donated the equipment, along with accessories and a training program. 

October 31, 2006 - Avedisian to join Comprehensive Community Action to break ground for new Warwick Dental Clinic – Mayor Scott Avedisian will join officials from Comprehensive Community action (CCAP), Westbay Community action, and Blue Cross & Blue Shields Blue Angels in a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new CCAP Warwick Dental Clinic. The event will be held Wednesday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m. at 226 Buttonwoods Avenue.

October 31, 2006 - SBA Agrees to Raze Structures at Rocky Point;Will Go to Court for Permission to Hire Crews, Remove Debris - The Small Business Administration has agreed to raze buildings at the former Rocky Point amusement park, Mayor Scott Avedisian said today. 

October 23, 2006 - Avedisian creates committee on School FinancesCouncil Has Held Off Action since May – Mayor Scott Avedisian today announced that he will issue an Executive Order to create a committee comprised of school department officials and municipal officials that will study ways to consolidate and integrate city and school functions and to implement recommendations that were made as part of the recent study conducted by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC).

October 20, 2006 - Offer of free web space would save schools money, Avedisian says The proposal that the School Department take part in the program is the latest in the Mayor’s ongoing recommendations for cost savings in the district – Mayor Scott Avedisian suggested today that the School Department take advantage of a promotion through which schools can receive free webspace, a move that could save thousands of dollars annually.

October 20, 2006 - Ocean State Charities Trust re-elects officers- Ocean State Charities Trust, the state’s only public foundation, has re-elected its slate of officers.  The election came at the annual meeting of the five-member foundation earlier this week.

October 17, 2006 - Avedisian urges voters to vote Yes on 9 – affordable housing bond issue – Mayor Scott Avedisian has joined the other mayors and town managers in the Rhode Island League of Cities and Town in calling on voters today to Vote Yes on Question 9 – the $50 million bond issue for creating affordable houses and apartments — which will help young people, working families and seniors find decent, affordable housing in Rhode Island’s second-largest city.

October 16, 2006 - Mayor Avedisian’s statement regarding fire at Rocky Point - “The City has continually told the Small Business Administration that we do not expect that the safety precautions at the property will be relaxed. We expect that they will continue to monitor the property in order to ensure the continued safety of the residents of Highland Beach and Warwick Neck, as well as our employees who might respond to a crisis on-site.

October 03, 2006 - RIRRC, City to host household hazardous waste collection - The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, in cooperation with the city, will bring its Eco-Depot to the Department of Public Works, 925 Sandy Lane, on Saturday, October 21, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mayor Scott Avedisian said today.

October 02, 2006 - Avedisian announces start of holiday food program – Mayor Scott Avedisian today announced the start of the 2006 annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors “Holiday Food Program.”  The city’s Department of Human Services is seeking the assistance of the Warwick community to help our needy families this holiday season by making donations to Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

October 02, 2006 - Avedisian endorses Question 9 on statewide ballot - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today his support for Question 9 on the statewide ballot, a referendum that would authorize the state to issue bonds up to $50 million to increase Rhode Island’s amount of affordable housing.

September 28, 2006 – Air Operations to Temporarily change at T.F. Green - On October 10, 2006, air traffic operations at T.F. Green Airport will change for a 12-day period to address safety and operational measures during a temporary phase of the current taxiway rehabilitation project.

September 21, 2006 - HUD awards city its second lead hazard grant. The $2.1 million, three-year funding is the largest single grant awarded in city history – The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, under the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has awarded the City of Warwick its second three-year Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant, Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today. The award of $2.1 million is the largest single grant in city history; HUD’s first grant, of $1.88 million three years ago, was at the time the largest award.

September 20, 2006 - Avedisian applauds Cox Communications’ support of FRIENDS WAY - Company is providing $25,000 in television exposure and print ads for the non-profit agency – Mayor Scott Avedisian today publicly lauded Cox Communications, which has selected FRIENDS WAY, the state’s only support group for bereaved children, to receive $25,000 worth of television exposure and newspaper ad recognition in local newspapers.

September 10, 2006 - World Water Monitoring Day, now a program of the Water Environment Federation, is quickly approaching! -  Registration is NOW open for the 2006 monitoring period. WEF and its primary international partner, the International Water Association (IWA), are inviting citizens and organizations from around the globe to share in this unique experience of water quality monitoring.  To register for this event, please visit www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.com.

September 08, 2006 - RIRRC presents check to city for recycling efforts - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced that the city is once again the state’s recycling leader, earning a check for $103,562.37 from the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) yesterday for its efforts.

September 07, 2006 - Rhode Island Watershed Stewardship Program about to begin. - We all live in a WATERSHED -- the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, or even the ocean. Within WATERSHEDs there is a physical connection between land and water, between tributaries and the river, between surface water and groundwater, and between wetlands and water – what happens on the land has a direct impact on the water.

September 05, 2006 - Avedisian: No New Taxes Necessary to Fund New School Contract – Mayor Scott Avedisian today announced that there will be no supplemental tax increase nor will the City utilize Tax Anticipation Notes “in order to fund the recently agreed upon contract between the Warwick School Committee and the Warwick Teachers’ Union.”

September 05, 2006 - Council President Donald Torres announces proposal to fund newly negotiated teachers contract. Calling the proposal,” In the best interest of the tax payers”, Torres looks forward to discussing the plan at the September 18th council meeting.

August 30, 2006 - Wanted: Photos for 2007 City of Warwick calendar – Attention photographers: Do you have a photo that you would like to donate that reflects Warwick’s history, beauty or character? If so, Mayor Scott Avedisian and the city’s Recycling and Sanitation Division need your help.

August 16, 2006 - Avedisian announces settlement with Hornoff - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that the city has reached a resolution with former Warwick Police Detective Jeffrey Scott Hornoff.

August 07, 2006 - National organization lauds Finance, Treasury departments – Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that – for the third consecutive year – the Government Finance Office rs Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the city’s Finance and Treasury departments its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The award was given for the city’s comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).

July 31, 2006 - RI Monthly readers rate city’s park a doggone good facility – Readers of Rhode Island Monthly magazine have given high marks to the city’s dog park, earning it the 2006 Editors’ Poll pick for best dog park in the state.

July 13, 2006 - Avedisian announces contributive support allocations - Mayor Scott Avedisian today announced the distribution of a total of $373,925 in contributive support funding to local non-profit agencies. Thirty-three organizations are receiving grant money in various amounts to fund programs, salaries and building improvement projects.

July 13, 2006 - City’s mosquito abatement program underway - Mayor Scott Avedisian, Public Works Director David Picozzi and Highway Chief Michael Weber announced that the city’s annual mosquito abatement program is well underway.

July 10, 2006 - Providence , RI - “Want to save a farm? Then visit a farm,” says Stu Nunnery , Director of the Rhode Island Center for Agriculture Promotion and Education (RICAPE). As the summer season gets underway, Nunnery is announcing the launching of Rhode Island Farm Ways – a farm destination marketing campaign designed to showcase Rhode Island ’s farms and expand agritourism in Rhode Island .

June 26, 2006 - Wildlife Commission offers tips to mitigate coyote problems - The city’s Wildlife and Conservation Commission today offered suggestions to help residents deal with the coyote population.

June 07, 2006 - Avedisian lauds Senators’ efforts to secure federal funds to address airport issues - Mayor Scott Avedisian today publicly expressed his thanks to U.S. Senators Lincoln Chafee and Jack Reed, who announced that they have secured over $15 million in federal grants for aviation-related issues.

June 05, 2006 - City receives $150K grant for handicapped accessible fishing pier at Gorton Pond  – Mayor Scott Avedisian said that the city has received a $150,000 grant from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to construct a handicapped accessible fishing pier and beach boardwalk at Gorton Pond. The funds will come through DEM’s Open Space and Recreation Capital Development program, funded from a 2004 statewide bond.

May 30, 2006 - Residents advised to be aware of fraudulent minimum housing letters – Mayor Scott Avedisian today advised residents that Tyler Technologies/CLT Division, the company currently conducting a citywide property revaluation, is not sending letters to residents informing them of minimum housing violations.

May 17, 2006 - Municipalities’ savings through RILCT energy program surpasses $10M mark – Mayor Scott Avedisian, president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns (the League) and its executive director, Dan Beardsley, today announced that 35 of Rhode Island ’s cities and towns have passed the $10million mark in their collective savings in electricity costs as members of the Rhode Island Energy Aggregation Program.

May 17, 2006 - Avedisian announces city’s switch to combined utility bills - Effective in June, residents will receive one bill for their water and sewer usage, instead of two separate documents – Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that effective June 2, residents will begin receiving one combined bill for their quarterly water and sewer usage, instead of two separate documents. The move is expected to be more convenient for ratepayers, reduce mailing, printing and paper costs and help the Tax Collector’s Office operate more efficiently.

May 10, 2006 - Avedisian proposes city take over trash collection at city buildings - Mayor Scott Avedisian is proposing that, beginning in FY07, crews from the city’s Recycling and Sanitation Division take over collection of trash and recyclables in municipal buildings.

May 10, 2006 - Avedisian’s budget to include funding for second dog park - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced that his proposed FY07 budget will include funding for the creation of a second dog park adjacent to the existing facility in City Park. The mayor’s decision came after residents requested that the city consider an additional area for small dogs, which can be overwhelmed by the rough-and-tumble playfulness of their larger canine pals.

May 08, 2006 - Kent Heart Safe Foundation, Kent Hospital to hold AED fair May 16 - The fair, open to vendors and the general public, is the first of its kind in the area - Dr. Joe Spinale, chairman of the Kent Heart Safe Foundation, Mayor Scott Avedisian and Kent Hospital officials announced today that the foundation and the hospital will cosponsor an automatic external defibrillator (AED) vendor fair on Tuesday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Doctors’ Auditorium of Kent Hospital. The event is free and open to the general public. The event is being held with the support of the American Heart Association.

May 05, 2006 - Mayor Avedisian in U.S. Delegation to International Mayors Conference in Jerusalem - Conference to Examine Role of History and Culture in Economic Development - Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian is one of eight U.S. mayors traveling to Israel in early May for the 24th Annual Jerusalem Conference of Mayors, which is hosted by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski.  The week-long event is sponsored by the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry, which covers the costs of the mayors’ participation, and The U.S. Conference of Mayors, and is conducted in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

May 02, 2006 - Warwick holds steady in RIPEC ranking of municipal tax rates – Mayor Scott Avedisian said today that the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council report on municipal tax rates, released yesterday, shows that the city is doing well when it comes to the property tax burden placed on residents.

May 01, 2006 - City’s Department of Public Works to serve as collection site for nonprofit literacy agency - Mayor Scott Avedisian, Department of Public Works Director David Picozzi, and Jane Miller Webber, director of Hands Across the Water, will hold a brief press conference/photo opportunity tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. near the compost facility behind the Department of Public Works, 925 Sandy Lane, to announce the city as a collection site for used books for charity.

April 24, 2006 - Wildlife and Conservation Commission to celebrate Arbor Day in 2nd annual event - The Warwick Wildlife and Conservation Commission will host an Arbor Day Tree Planting ceremony on Sunday, April 30, at 3 p.m. A tree, provided through a grant the commission received from the Rhode Island Tree Council, will be planted at the Oakland Beach Elementary School, 383 Oakland Beach Avenue.

April 18, 2006 - Avedisian, Spinale announce creation of Kent Heart Safe Foundation  – Mayor Scott Avedisian and Dr. Joseph Spinale, a cardiologist and chairman of the Warwick Heart Safe Task Force, today announced the creation of the Kent Heart Safe Foundation and the members of its board of trustees.

April 17, 2006 - Avedisian Announces CDBG Awards - Non-profits, neighborhood associations to reap benefits of federal grants - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today the annual awarding of Community Development Block Grant funds to a neighborhood association and non-profit agencies throughout the city during a press conference at the Fran Conway House of Hope on Jefferson Boulevard . U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee attended the event and toured the 11-studio apartment facility.

April 05, 2006 - FAA to extend deadline for comment on expansion plans, agrees to look at shorter runway proposals, Avedisian said - Mayor Scott Avedisian said today that the Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to the city’s request to extend the public comment period regarding its expansion plans, and that it is also looking at ways to accommodate the city’s comments regarding a shorter runway length. The deadline has been extended until the end of the month.

March 30, 2006 - City to realize savings with new, energy efficient lights - Mayor Scott Avedisian said today that the city’s decision to install new, energy efficient lights in various municipal buildings will save the city nearly $34,000 a year in electrical and maintenance costs.

March 22, 2006 Avedisian says RIPEC report on Warwick schools sets blueprint for the future – Calling the recently completed management study and benchmarking analysis (the report) of the Warwick School District that was completed by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) “a good foundation for the future of school and governance,” Mayor Scott Avedisian tonight said that the recommendations “will go a long way to bring fiscal responsibility and financial stability” to the city.

Read the full report here

March 15, 2006 - FAA to hold public meetings on alternatives analysis for T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program Environmental Impact Statement - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hold public meetings on March 22 and 23 on the alternatives analysis for the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

March 08, 2006 - Celebration of St. Patrick and St. Joseph set for March 17 - Warwick Police Captain Sean Collins and Lieutenant Raymond Gallucci, Jr., who have fought with the military overseas, will raise the flags - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that two Warwick police officers whose military tours of duty have included time in Iraq have been selected to raise the Irish and Italian flags during the city’s annual festivities to celebrate the feast days of St. Joseph and St. Patrick. The event will begin at 10 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17, on the steps of City Hall.

January 25, 2006 - Avedisian to serve again as chairman of annual Episcopal Charities campaign - Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today that he has agreed to serve as the honorary chairman for the 2006 Episcopal Charities campaign. This is the third year in a row that Avedisian has served in this capacity.