City rises to paint Rocky Point arch

By John Howell
Posted 8/2/16

A new ride opened at Rocky Point yesterday, and Mayor Scott Avedisian was one of the first to take it.

With Blane Toedt at the controls, Avedisian was lifted to the top of the Rocky Point arch for …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

City rises to paint Rocky Point arch

Posted

A new ride opened at Rocky Point yesterday, and Mayor Scott Avedisian was one of the first to take it.

With Blane Toedt at the controls, Avedisian was lifted to the top of the Rocky Point arch for a spectacular view of the bay and some 50-cent sized chunks of rust. It was the rust that had Toedt’s attention, and there are few better city employees with the expertise to rid the arch of rust and paint it.

Toedt worked on restoring City Hall for Robert O’Donnell, the contractor hired to do the job that included restoration of the dome. Toedt also worked on painting the Newport Bridge, a job that had him harnessed as he scraped flaking rust and spray-painted while hundreds of feet about the water.

Toedt was Department of Public Works Director Dave Picozzi’s instant pick when Picozzi offered to have the city paint the arch. Toedt not only had experience with the work but also knew exactly what needed to be done to prepare and paint the arch, one of 11 from the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. The best guess, since no one has a precise date, is that the amusement park acquired and relocated the arch in the early 1970s.

With the city’s offer to paint the arch, the non-profit Rocky Point Foundation – which was instrumental in getting park acquisition on the 2010 ballot as part of a bond referendum – sought funding for the equipment rental and paint to do the job. Earlier this year, the Rhode Island Foundation awarded a $5,620 Centennial Community Grant for the project.

Toedt and Joseph Blake, city director of buildings, said the project involving the grinding of the rust, followed by a macropoxy primer and a urethane finish, is expected to take several weeks. Much of the work is weather dependent. Humidity is a major factor, Toedt said.

The plan also includes using a coating on the lower half of the arch that makes it easier to clean if it becomes a target for graffiti, as already the case.

Among those who turned out to witness the start of the project was Frank Kuras, who remembers painting the arch 40 years ago. That could have well been the last time it was painted.

To Kuras’s recollection, painting the arch took at least two weeks and maybe longer. He will have a connection to the latest project. His younger brother, Mitch, works for the city and is assigned to the job.

Picozzi watched from the ground as Toedt gave a couple of lift tours of the arch. He was focused on the stanchions for the Skyliner ride that were saved when the park was cleaned up after state acquisition.

“Maybe we’ll have enough money left over to do them,” Picozzi suggested.

Time will tell, but for the meantime, a gleaming white arch is in Rocky Point’s immediate future.

Comments

13 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • Thecaptain

    Dear Mayor,

    You should be advised that the photos in this article are being sent to OSHA so that the fines can be administered. This is a perfect example of the ignorance of not only yourself, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Picozzi, and the operator of the lift. OSHA regulations require all persons operating or being a passenger in a lift to be wearing a harness that is attached to the lift. These photos indicate willful neglect, unsafe operation, and ignorance of basic construction regulations. It speaks volumes of the mentality of your Public Works Director who was overseeing the entire dog and pony show. Now we have retained an individual to operate machinery that clearly has no knowledge of how to do so, nor does he have the basic PPE (that's personal protective equipment) that is required for lift operations. Just another example of amateur hour in Warwick. By the way, the fine is $10,000 for lift operation without a harness. DUMMIES !

    Tuesday, August 2, 2016 Report this

  • TheSkipper

    The OSHA standard 1926.453(b) indicates the operator must have fall protection when WORK IS BEING PERFORMED From an aerial lift. Since no work is being done they are not in violation of this regulation. Same with your allegation of PPE. No work is being performed, therefore no violation.

    I doubt anything will come from this.

    Tuesday, August 2, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Skipper,

    I disagree. Read a bit more deeply. Having been on numerous construction sites and witnessing violations, the standard used is if the piece of equipment is in operation. I have seen violations for simply moving the lift without a harness. Bottom line is the photos indicate complete ignorance of safety. Not a good thing, and further, it shows complete lack of common sense.

    Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Report this

  • The Berg

    Captain, I thought the city didn't fall under OSHA. Section (3)(5) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 excludes Federal OSHA's authority over employees of state and local government. The Act provides for states to assume responsibility for occupational safety and health programs under the state's own plan.

    Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Berg,

    You are correct , however, that stipulation does not cover contractors working for a municipality. Spoke to OSHA this morning.

    Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Report this

  • The Berg

    Thanks for the reply, Captain, I was just looking for some clarification. But, it doesn't appear in the story that there are contractors working on the project, just city workers.

    Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Toedt is the contractor.

    Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Report this

  • JohnStark

    The mayor, whom I have never met, conducts a harmless photo op in a lift and it prompts an exhaustive analysis of whether any OSHA rules were violated and fines should be levied. And people wonder why businesses avoid RI like the plague.

    Thursday, August 4, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    John,

    You fail to see the relevance here. The mayors DPW director and his contractor exposed the city to liability due to ignorance. Imagine if the pilot of an aircraft that you were a passenger on decided to act in a negligent unsafe manor that was not only a violation of known standards and procedures, but also put you and your family at risk. It is not a harmless photo and it exemplifies the total disregard for procedures that is now plaguing this city. Whether it be code violations in Apponaug, council members approving contracts without reading them, violations of the open meetings act, unfunded liabilities, hiring family members without posting the positions required by ordinance, or a host of many many other issues. It simply shows the complete disregard for following the simplest of protocol. Imagine for a moment IF, there was an accident. Who would be on the hook? The taxpayer. Think about it. It is analogous to driving under the influence with a loaded gun, like Councilman Donovan did not long ago.

    Thursday, August 4, 2016 Report this

  • Narragansett1963

    Does anyone really care that they weren't wearing a harness? How is this relevant to the story? How narrow minded and cynical can you get? The real story here is what an amazing place Rocky Point is and painting the arch will make it even nicer.

    Friday, August 5, 2016 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I agree this seems a little petty. This is what can be frustrating about Captains posts. For every valid point I agree with there's a video following dpw, or following firefighters to the market, or petty OSHA violations. There are way bigger problems, and Everytime things like this come up the majority of voters roll their eyes. This is not where our attention should be going.

    Sunday, August 7, 2016 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    You all have to excuse Thecaptain; he can't seem to back a winning candidate, and can't seem to admit to himself that he's part of the problem.

    Filing an OSHA complaint [assuming he actually goes through with it instead of just making an idle threat] is his way of "proving" that he can "bring justice" against Scott Avedisian for something, anything. He's so desperate to knock the mayor that he'll take the time and energy he could be spending to -- I don't know, move out of the city, perhaps -- and waste it alleging some kind of misconduct by the mayor on the Beacon comment boards.

    Here's some news, Thecaptain: You're one of a very tiny [though noisy] minority in the city. You don't have the votes to elect anyone that you support. You're not going to unseat Avedisian, and you're not going to get your way with anything in this city. Your high water mark was Cushman speaking to the City Council about his highly dubious and clearly political assessment of city finances, and that changed exactly nothing.

    But hey, you're "Thecaptain," which I guess means you get to be the last person aboard the sinking ship.

    Sunday, August 7, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    You guys just don't seem to get it that safety procedures are put in place for a reason. Maybe you also don't understand how its always ok for the city to violate protocol but if anyone else does, there are ramifications. Take a moment and watch the following.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aVWkk4K_HQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcJQOWLxjFc

    Just an example of what can happen.

    Tuesday, August 9, 2016 Report this