Vibe Lounge Liquor License Revoked + What's Up, McCoy Stadium?

Rise and shine, Pawtucket!

Welcome to the Pawtucket Patch Daily — the quickest way to get caught up on the biggest news and events happening in town. I'm Mary Serreze; I’ve lived and worked in Boston and Western Massachusetts, and now have the great honor of covering local stories in Rhode Island, with Pawtucket at the top of the list. I hope you'll become a regular reader. If you like what we're doing each day, ask your friends to subscribe.

I can always be reached at mary.serreze@patch.com. Send me your news tips, suggestions, and ideas. Is your community group planning an event? Have something to say? Let me know.

In today's Daily, we share the latest news about the Vibe Lounge, look at the future of McCoy stadium, review Gov. Dan McKee's infrastructure-related visit to the city, and share an update from across the border in Central Falls.

First, today's weather:

Partly cloudy throughout the day. Temps: High of 64° & low of 45°.

Here are the top five stories in Pawtucket today:

1. The Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners has voted 7-0 to permanently revoke the liquor and entertainment licenses held by the Vibe Lounge & Hookah Bar. Tuesday night's formal hearing followed several incidents at the club, including an April 23 shooting right outside the bar that left a patron seriously injured. Lawyer Peter Petrarca appeared on behalf of owners Victor and Leslie Silva, who did not testify. The Silvas may appeal the decision to the state's Department of Business Regulation. The venue has shown "total disrespect" for the city and its people, said Council President David Moran. More to come.

2. Construction continues on the Pawtucket-Central Falls commuter rail line, and Governor Dan McKee — who appeared at the site on Tuesday to mark United Infrastructure Week — said the bus and train transportation hub is expected to open in 2022. WPRI's Sarah Doiron and Brittany Schaefer were on the scene .

3. McCoy Stadium sits empty, and the city is paying $6,500 a month to maintain the property and keep up its curb appeal. And there are lawsuits. Will baseball ever return to Pawtucket? Patrick Little and Melanie DaSilva at WPRI have the story. And are PawSox fans "bummed out and bitter?" Opening day for the WooSox was tough for the PawSox faithful — but The Bucket is chin-up and looking to the future, reports Edward Fitzpatrick for the Boston Globe.

4. Vicente's Supermarket is coming to Pawtucket. The Brockton-based, family-owned international grocer plans to open this summer at the old Ocean State Job Lot site on Pawtucket Ave. Patch (yours truly) has the story.

5. Over the border in Central Falls, Mayor Maria Rivera delivered her very-first municipal budget, and described her priorities for the city on Facebook Live. Edward Fitzpatrick at the Boston Globe has six takeaways from her speech.

Patch Picks:

• The valedictorian and salutatorian of Tolman High School are expressing gratitude, telling their stories, and sharing their plans. The two top students of this year’s graduating class — Melany Veliz and Hanatha Konte — spoke with reporter Melanie Thibeault at The Valley Breeze.

• State Treasurer Seth Magaziner stood beside Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien last month to mark the Winters Elementary School groundbreaking. Turns out he’s been popping up all over the place. Magaziner, with $1.3 million in his campaign chest, is probably running for governor, and is definitely looking for as much free publicity as he can get. Katherine Gregg at The Providence Journal has the story.

Happenings and Events in Pawtucket:

• The Empowerment Factory is hosting an online creativity contest with the theme “What is Kindness?” The contest lasts throughout the month of May, and kids in grades K-12 are invited to upload their artwork to win games and prizes. Learn more on Facebook. The Empowerment Factory is a Pawtucket-based non-profit.

• The Pawtucket City Council meets today at 4:45 p.m. in the first of two public budget workshops. Department heads are expected to attend and to be prepared. The agenda (pdf, contains Zoom sign-in link) can be found be clicking here. A second budget workshop is set for Thursday. The actual public hearing on Mayor Donald Grebien's budget is set for May 19, so mark your calendars!

• Get Vaccinated! Students ages 16 and over can get their COVID-19 shots right here in Pawtucket. Clinics are scheduled at Shea High School on May 13 and Tolman High School on May 18. Vaccinated students will begiven a voucher for food trucks parked outside set up as a “block
party.” The City of Pawtucket has the news.

You're all caught up on what's happening today in Pawtucket. We'll see you in your inbox tomorrow. Have a great day.

-Mary

About me: Southern Maine native, UMass Amherst Regional Planning alum. Stick-shift driver, explorer. Interested in just about everything. Outdoorsy. I still like paper maps. Talk to me! mary.serreze@patch.com.