Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, June 14, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre & Jen Brien, commentary

OPERATION STAND DOWN NEEDS OUR HELP

Operation STAND DOWN RI helped save my life, and they desperately need our help now. If you have food, clothes, canned goods, non-perishables, money, whatever you can do, Veterans all across this state need you. As a soldier who had to fight like hell to get her life back with the help and support of OSDRI, I am alive today because this organization never gave up on me, and fought for me when I had nothing left. They fed me, housed me, helped me, believed in me… they never GAVE UP ON ME. 

Let’s do what we can, together, now, as they ask for our help –

“OSDRI’s Veteran’s food pantry is at a critical low,” said Erik Wallin, Esq., Executive Director of OSDRI. “Following our Annual September Veteran Service Event where hundreds of in-need veterans receive bags of food from our pantry, we typically are able to quickly refill it with donations from the community at-large. This year, it has been slow going. Veterans from around the state rely upon OSDRI’s veteran food pantry to feed themselves and their families. Social workers from the VA Medical Center often bring food from our pantry to Veterans who are shut-in as well. We are looking for a wide assortment of non-perishable food to get us through the next few months”.

I owe them, and my Lord and savior, everything. 

Please do what you can for them and other soldiers, now, and help them get their lives back, too.

Till next week my friends – Jennifer

___

MCCOY’S LAST HURRAH?

The city of Pawtucket will give McCoy Stadium a colorful send off with an all out fireworks celebration on Monday, July 3^rd. The stadium has sat dormant since the PawSox moved to Worcester (don’t get us started on that!) in 2021. Dubbed “McCoy’s final inning”, the event will feature food trucks and live entertainment. The city says more details are coming this week. Back in November, Pawtucket voters OK’d plans to build a new high school on the property combining Tolman and Shea High Schools. Pawtucket’s School Department says the new facility plans to honor McCoy is some fashion.

REVISITING ROCKY POINT

If you haven’t visited the sight of the old Rocky Point Amusement Park, you’re really missing out on something. It’s a beautiful place to stroll or walk your dog (leashes, please), smell the salt water, and check out the area where the amusements stood. Recently, a beautiful new pier was constructed. The ProJo did a WHAT AND WHY article on the history of the Rocky Point saltwater pool and it’s a pretty cool history. Right now, it’s full of grass, filled in years ago after it closed in 1985. The area is outlined by the cement perimeter with a sign and photo from when it was in service. The article pointed out the 1936 summer Olympic swim trials were actually held there. Of course, those games were played in Berlin in the shadow of the rise of Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler visited the Olympic village and met with the US swim team. Those games were dominated by track star Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. Hitler refused to congratulate him and shake his hand.

CALL HOME

How ready is Little Rhody when it comes to surviving an alien invasion (WE’RE TALKING VISITORS FROM ANOTHER PLANET, BTW)? NJCasino.com looked at factors including population density, number of UFO sightings, landscape, and defense. Here are the top 10 states most likely to handle ET.

1. Virginia
2. Georgia
3. Massachusetts
4. New York
5. Louisiana
6. Illinois
7. Maryland
8. Missouri
9. Alabama
10. Wisconsin

Rhode Island came in as 14^th… so, you’re saying’ there’s a chance!

___

Read all of Ron & Jen’s columns, here: https://rinewstoday.com/ron-jens-great-escape-may-10-2023-ron-st-pierre-and-jen-brien/

Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.

Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.

Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.

“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape on NewsRadio 920 and 104-7 FM, Saturday morning, 7am!