All Entries in the "Featured Articles" Category
DEM Encourages Anglers To Plan Ahead And Get Their Fishing Licenses Before Opening Day Of Freshwater Trout Season
Since DEM’s Online Licensing System Launched Last Month, nearly 8,000 People Have Bought 15,000 Licenses and Permits. With Opening Day on April 14, DEM Reminds Anglers to Carry a Printed Copy of Their License and Permit Documents with Them.
PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is encouraging anglers who have not yet obtained their freshwater license through the new online licensing system to do so before Saturday to ensure they’re able to get on the water for the first day of trout fishing season. Opening Day of the season, set for April 14, is celebrated annually by more than 40,000 anglers across the state.
The online system, found at www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish, was developed to provide customers streamlined, on-demand access to the licensing process. The system replaces paper-based license issuances and builds upon the current offering of online fishing licenses to include hunting licenses, permits, tags, and stamps. A customer’s first transaction through the new system establishes a Rhode Island Hunting and Fishing ID, or RIHFID (pronounced Rye-fid). This identifier is unique to each customer and can be used to quickly purchase additional licenses and permits, reprint lost or damaged license documents, and renew licenses in subsequent years. The system can be accessed 24/7, allowing customers to manage their accounts and add new permits and licenses from the comfort of home or on the go.
Since the system launched March 1, nearly 8,000 people have used it to obtain a license or permit with close to 11,000 licenses and nearly 3,500 permits issued. Currently, resident and non-resident customers can purchase freshwater fishing, recreational saltwater fishing, hunting, and combination freshwater fishing and hunting licenses, as well as trout stamps and spring turkey permits. Additional licenses and permits, including deer, migratory bird, and game bird permits, are scheduled to go on sale in the coming months.
Customers have told DEM that one of the biggest benefits of the new system is the convenience of being able to consolidate multiple licenses, permits, tags, and stamps into one document that’s accessible through their online RIHFID account. At the same time, however, DEM reminds hunters and anglers that the law requires members of the public to have a printed copy of their license and permit documents on their person when fishing or hunting. Although license holders may use their smart phones to show DEM Environmental Police Officers their documentation, carrying printed copies is safer because cell phone batteries die and cellular service can be unreliable in remote areas. The penalty for freshwater fishing without a license is a civil violation that is subject to a fine of $100 for each offense.
“Our new online licensing system is making Rhode Island’s diverse outdoor recreational activities more accessible and it’s been exciting to see all the sign-ups,” said Dean Hoxsie, Chief of DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement. “We also want to remind anglers to carry a copy of their license document and Rhode Island Hunting and Fishing ID with them, especially on Opening Day. Our Environmental Police Officers will be patrolling to keep the public safe, enforce state freshwater fishing regulations to conserve our natural resources for future generations, and locate unlicensed individuals who are violating the regulations. Let’s keep Opening Day fun for everyone by allowing our officers to check licenses and creel quickly.”
Whether purchased online or at a vendor, the customer’s system profile will update every time a new license, permit, tag and/or stamp is purchased. Every completed transaction in the system will produce a printable document that lists all active licenses and permits, including a trout stamp certification. Customers eligible for no-cost licenses – such as Rhode Island residents over 65, veterans with 100% disability status, and persons with 100% disability status – can select a no-cost license in the list of available licenses in the system. If a license is damaged or lost, anglers can reprint their license at no cost by logging into the system using their email or RIHFID number.
DEM is stocking about 80,000 brook, brown, and rainbow trout into Rhode Island ponds and streams in preparation for the freshwater fishing season. New this year, hatchery-raised tiger trout are being stocked at four of Rhode Island’s most popular fishing locations. These beautiful and aggressive tiger trout are a hybrid of a brown and brook trout and provide an exciting angling experience. A current fishing license and a Trout Conservation Stamp certification are required to keep or possess trout or to fish in a catch-and-release or “fly-fishing only” area. The daily creel and possession limit for trout is five from April 14, 2018, through November 30, 2018, and two from December 1, 2018, through February 28, 2019. The use of external felt soled or any natural or synthetic porous material capable of absorbing water in any freshwaters in Rhode Island is strictly prohibited due to the elevated risks of spreading aquatic invasive organisms that these kinds of waders carry. This includes any waters shared with adjacent states in which Rhode Island fishing regulations apply.
License fees are $18 for Rhode Island residents and current members of the Armed Forces, $33 for a combination hunting and fishing license, $35 for non-residents, $16 for a tourist three-consecutive-day license, and a Trout Conservation Stamp certification costs $5.50. Licenses are free for anglers over 65 (trout stamp not required) – as well as for those with a 100-percent disability.
There are no additional fees for purchases made online or at DEM. If customers make purchases at a sales agent, there is an enhanced access fee of $2 per license and $0.50 per permit for residents; for non-residents, the additional fee will be $3 per license and $1.00 per permit. Enhanced access fees are used to offset the administrative costs to bill, track, and account transactions at sales agent locations such as bait shops and sporting goods stores, and to support system development, operation, support, and maintenance. Implementation of the new system is part of efforts to encourage people to head outdoors and enjoy the numerous recreational opportunities made possible by the sound management of Rhode Island’s natural resources and statewide efforts to improve customer service and streamline processes. DEM has used the Lean process, a business process improvement method championed by Governor Gina M. Raimondo that eliminates waste, adds value, and leads to a culture of continuous improvement. The enhanced licensing system is the outcome of a Lean process held in 2015 on ways to improve administrative efficiency by streamlining recreational fishing and hunting license issuances. It was developed by Rhode Island Interactive, LLC (RII). RII previously partnered with DEM to issue online freshwater fishing license, which has been active for over 10 years, and the online and vendor based system to issue saltwater fishing licenses since 2010.
Answers to frequently asked questions on the new licensing system are available at www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish. The site also acts as a portal to help plan adventures that make the most of Rhode Island’s great outdoors. The site links to information on hunting and fishing opportunities, trails and natural areas through a variety of maps, as well as certification information for hunter safety and boating safety.
For more information about the online Hunting and Fishing system, contact Margaret McGrath at DEM’s Office of Boating Registration and Licensing Office at 401-222-6647 Ext. 2102 or margaret.mcgrath@dem.ri.gov.
For information about hunting and fishing in Rhode Island, please contact DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife at (401) 789-0281 or DEM.DFW@dem.ri.gov.
For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara and Starkweather & Shepley Team Up to Help Organizations Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Rhode Island – April 9, 2018 – Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC (PLDO) and Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. (S&S) are teaming up to help organizations better address, prevent and manage workplace sexual harassment. In collaboration, PLDO’s Employment Law Team and S&S, have scheduled a free seminar, entitled “Sexual Harassment: Learn What You Should Know for Your Business in the #MeToo Era,” for Wednesday, May 23, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Grand Ballroom in Warwick, RI. Business owners, nonprofit executives and HR managers are encouraged to attend. Registration is required and sign-in begins at 8 a.m. Complimentary breakfast will be served. To register, visit seminar registration.
“Employers are dealing with complicated employee issues today,” said PLDO Principal William E. O’Gara, who leads the firm’s Employment Law and Litigation teams. “The explosion of headline news alleging sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement has caused employers to seek out more information to understand the legal standards of sexual harassment claims, how to develop organizational policies that are meaningful to employees and in compliance with the law, and most importantly, how to build a culture of respect in the workplace that encourages zero tolerance of sexual harassment. This seminar intends to help business owners, nonprofit executives and HR managers to do just that.”
Joining Attorney O’Gara on the seminar panel are Sean Cottrell, SVP, Human Services Leader at Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage, Inc., and Aimée DuVall Phelps, Ph.D., Director of the University of Rhode Island Schmidt Labor Research Center and Teaching Professor in the College of Business Administration. Topics to be covered include current trends and the law, filing and managing claims, policies and best practices, and investigating and reporting.
According to the recent study How Organizational Policies Influence Bystander Likelihood of Reporting Moderate and Severe Sexual Harassment at Work, zero-tolerance polices within an organization increase a bystander’s willingness to report sexual harassment. This is the first study to show the influence that a zero-tolerance policy versus a standard policy statement can have on a person’s willingness to report sexual harassment incidents that they witness. It further found that when a zero-tolerance policy is an organization’s top priority, employees are more effective in reporting the most common forms of sexual harassment, both moderate and severe.
These research findings, and others such as those reported by the American Psychological Association (APA), found that organizational culture and zero-tolerance policies can be predictors of employee productivity and, therefore, an organization’s bottom line. In Sexual Harassment: Have We Made Any Progress?, published in the APA Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, researchers found that employees who report being victims of sexual harassment can manifest into anxiety and eating disorders, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress and lower levels of overall happiness. “Sexual harassment in the workplace is a pervasive, chronic problem that can cause enduring psychological harm,” according to the APA president.
For further information about the May 23 seminar, please contact Attorney O’Gara at 401-824- 5100 or email wogara@pldolaw.com. To register for the event, please visit seminar registration at http://www.risbj.com/events/sexual-harassment-learn-what-you-should-know-for-your-business-in-the-metoo-era/
About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara (“PLDO”) attorneys are highly skilled with a proven track record of achievement representing clients with respect to complex matters in a wide range of disciplines and industries. The founders of PLDO were formerly partners in an international law firm and are trained in multiple disciplines. The primary areas of practice for the firm include business law, special masterships, government relations and legislative strategies, civil litigation, real estate development, commercial lending, municipal law, nonprofit law, health care, white collar defense, estate planning, probate administration and trust litigation. The core values of respect, integrity, quality service and responsiveness are stressed each day at PLDO and the firm is committed to supporting the community in a meaningful way. The firm is headquartered at 1301 Atwood Avenue in Johnston, RI with offices in Massachusetts and Florida. For more information, visit www.pldolaw.com.
About Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Established in 1879, Starkweather & Shepley is presently the largest independent agency in Rhode Island and the 68th largest Insurance brokerage firm in the U.S. Starkweather & Shepley, held in Trust since 1935, insures the firm will remain privately- held in perpetuity, providing certainty to clients and associates alike. The firm provides commercial and personal insurance, health and employee benefits, surety bonding and risk management services. These services are provided nationally and internationally, through its partnership with Assurex Global. Headquartered in East Providence, RI, Starkweather has additional branch offices in Westerly, RI; Bristol and Shelton, CT; Westwood, Sturbridge, and Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Brattleboro, VT and Tampa and Ft. Myers, FL and Brattleboro, VT.
Interior Design Student from New England Institute of Technology Wins Prestigious Award at Regional Competition
East Greenwich, RI – Dr. Douglas H. Sherman, Senior Vice President and Provost at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) announced that Bachelor of Science Interior Design student Amira Mohamed of Barrington, RI, earned 1st Place at the New England Chapter of the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) 2018 Design Awards. The Association held its 11th annual competition on March 14th at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel where top design firms and students were recognized for their creativity.
As part of this competition, college and university students from throughout New England showcased their interior design projects. All aspects of the real estate, design, construction and engineering industries were evaluated. The jury selected five student winners that were announced at the event. Fellow classmate, Stephanie McShane of Pawtucket, RI, was named one of the top five finalists in this year’s competition. In 2017, Ms. Mohamed took second place honors. For two consecutive years, NEIT students were selected as two of the top five finalists.
Students had ten weeks to design and space plan a minimum of four levels of a multi-story building located in Detroit, Michigan. The challenge was based on an IIDA student competition from 2015 where the students were invited to conceptualize the future of an urban university mixed-use building that integrated the multiple functions associated with a higher education campus. Adaptive learning, integration of corporate and business resources, community involvement and alternative education resources had to be considered while collaboration, health and well-being and sustainability was to be evident in the final design.
Dr. Sherman stated, “The New England Tech community congratulates Amira and Stephanie for representing NEIT’s Interior Design program so well at IIDA competition. The creativity and knowledge these students demonstrated to the design community is a true testament to the quality of our Interior Design program and the expertise of our faculty. We could not be prouder of their outstanding accomplishments.”
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Under the leadership of President Richard I. Gouse, New England Institute of Technology is a private, non-profit, technical university with an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. Founded in 1940, New England Tech offers more than 55 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and online technical and professional degree programs. Please visit www.neit.edu and follow NEIT on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the New England Tech blog.
Largest Single Donor Advised Fund – $500,000 – Established at United Way of RI
United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) CEO and President Anthony Maione announced that the organization’s largest single donor advised fund of $500,000 was received this week from an anonymous donor. Facilitated by community leader and financial advisor Lorne Adrain, the donation creates The Zennovation Fund at UWRI. The fund is advised by the donor through UWRI’s recently developed online giving tool, MyFund.
MyFund was released in 2017 to serve a growing number of donors seeking the ease and flexibility of giving online. The product has brought in more than $800,000 in new funds at United Way this year, against a goal of $250,000. “MyFund could bring in $1 million in new accounts by the close of our fiscal year on June 30, 2018,” says Maione, “which ultimately supports our organization-wide goal of $12.8 million.”
“One of the things we know is that giving is deeply personal—every donor has a unique story, whether the donor is an individual or a family, or corporate foundation,” said Maione. “MyFund was created with the donor in mind, to consolidate a donor’s charitable giving into one account while offering convenience and security. We are very pleased with the response from the community, and with the trust we have among financial advisors who recommend us. I am particularly grateful to Lorne Adrain for connecting us with his client, an anonymous donor with a passion for the community.”
“The strength of the local United Way brand, aligned with a unique, online tool that makes giving to multiple charities quick and easy, was something that solved several issues for my client,” said Lorne Adrain. “At the time of donation, my client can electronically transfer funds to United Way and receive a tax receipt for that donation. The thoughtful decisions about which charities to support can happen over time, which was important for my client. The fact that MyFund is offered without any fees at all was also a very attractive benefit.”
“Unlike traditional donor advised funds that charge fees based on fund value, we are able to offer MyFund without passing along any fees to the donor or to the nonprofits,” said Maione. “We’re fortunate to have our administrative fees covered by a trust fund that was established by Royal Little, the founder of Textron. The trust enabled us to develop the MyFund platform, which provides donors with the ability to quickly and easily make gifts to any 501c3 in the country, using a cell phone, laptop, tablet or desktop. MyFund is a flexible tool that puts the donor in control.”
About MyFund
Offered exclusively through United Way of Rhode Island, MyFund is a free, online banking experience that makes charitable giving quick, easy, and secure. An account can be established with a minimum pledge of $1,000. MyFund donors distribute their funds to any 501c3 in the country, including schools, universities, and faith organizations. MyFund is available for the individual donor, as well as for family and corporate foundations.
About Lorne Adrain
Lorne Adrain has a national life insurance practice focused on corporate and estate planning applications. He is an active philanthropic and community leader who has worked with business, nonprofit and government leaders throughout Rhode Island and across the country. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a B.S. from the University of Rhode Island.
