Giant trolls; RI primary; Avedisian charge; Lucchino's legacy: Top stories this week

Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of March 31, supported by your subscriptions.

• Some abandoned dogs are lucky enough to be adopted into loving homes. And a special few make yet another transition: from rescued dogs to specially trained K9s that can rescue others and aid in police work. The Journal's Mark Reynolds talks with the people who help turn underdogs into hero dogs, and heads into the woods to watch the canine trainees in action.

• Two weeks ago, The Hummel Report talked with angry residents of two Providence condos who say shoddy work by builder Sathuan K. Sa has cost them dearly – in dollars, inconvenience and stress. Jim Hummel's investigation brought to light additional complaints against Sa, and the local inspectors who've signed off on his work.

• Join the festivities this weekend as the venerable Federal Hill restaurant Angelo's Civita Farnese celebrates its centennial.

• For the latest high school and college sports news, go to providencejournal.com/sports.

Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:

Giant trolls from Denmark will soon tower over Ninigret Park. Can they attract tourists?

Trolling for more tourism dollars to support Rhode Island, the South County Tourism Council is turning to ... trolls.

Two giant trolls by Danish artist Thomas Dambo will be unveiled in Charlestown's Ninigret Park this spring in what South County Tourism Council CEO Louise Bishop hopes will be the start of a statewide troll trail that will draw visitors from all over.

Delivering a message of conservation as he works with recycled and reclaimed wood, Dambo has public art in more than 20 countries on five continents. Find out where you can see examples of his work in the region, and how the Charlestown trolls might be the start of a troll trail that stretches north to the Massachusetts line.

Tourism: Giant trolls from Denmark will soon tower over Ninigret Park. Can they attract tourists?

Governor pushes RIPTA board to hold meeting over Avedisian. What to know.

Gov. Dan McKee has called for a special meeting of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority's board of directors to review embattled CEO Scott Avedisian's status in the wake of a fender-bender that mushroomed into a misdemeanor criminal charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

Avedisian pleaded not guilty in Kent County Court on Wednesday to leaving the scene of an accident with damage. The incident happened March 27 in a McDonald’s drive-thru on Post Road in Warwick. Avedisian's RIPTA-issued SUV hit a vehicle, pushing it into the car in front of it, according to police.

The police report said Dominic Kaba, the driver of the rear-ended vehicle, described the man who climbed out of the SUV as looking old, with eyes that were "bloodshot red." After telling both Kaba and the other driver, Ariana Andrade, to pull aside, the man "immediately drove off and ran away," the police report said.

Courts: Governor pushes RIPTA board to hold meeting over Avedisian

RI presidential primaries: Beyond easy victories for Biden and Trump, what happened?

Rhode Island voters endorsed the presumptive nominees for president Tuesday in low-key primaries held long after any doubt had ended about who would top the major party tickets in November.

Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, the only candidates campaigning for the office, took 81% and 84% of the vote, respectively, over candidates who had already waved the white flag.

The only questions were over the margins, the protest vote and which local pols will get to be delegates at their parties' national conventions. Read on for some key takeaways, including the "uncommitted" vote in the Democratic primary protesting Biden's support for the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Politics: RI presidential primaries: Beyond easy victories for Biden and Trump, what happened?

Inside Charlesgate shelter, Mark Patinkin meets families who have found a new life

There’s a perception of the unhoused as single souls on the street, but columnist Mark Patinkin wondered: What about families?

He met with members of four such families whose lives took a turn for the better when they were placed in the state’s newest shelter – in the former Charlesgate nursing home in Providence.

While shelters are usually drab, the Charlesgate family floors have a good vibe, says Mark. They’re child-focused, with staffed play areas, tutoring and occasional pizza parties. Amos House also has on-site counseling.

Most important, residents say, is the sense of safety and community they've found at Charlesgate. Hear how they landed there, and how they hope to use this opportunity as a springboard to something better.

Mark Patinkin: Inside Charlesgate shelter, families find a new life

Larry Lucchino, ex-Red Sox exec who helped move PawSox to Worcester, dies at 78

Larry Lucchino, the chairman and principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox who helped to move the minor league team out of Rhode Island, died Tuesday morning at age 78.

Lucchino joined the Boston Red Sox in 2002 as part of John Henry's ownership group and in 2004 helped guide Boston to its first World Series championship since 1918. The Red Sox would go on to win two more World Series titles during his tenure.

In 2015, Lucchino joined a group that bought the then-Pawtucket Red Sox and became chairman of the team. Despite an initial deal for a new ballpark in Pawtucket to replace McCoy Stadium, the club ultimately left the state for a better deal in Worcester in 2019.

Lucchino took much of the heat for the PawSox's departure, but Journal columnist Mark Patinkin places the blame on shortsighted politicians fearful of backlash from voters still angry about the 38 Studios debacle.

And sportswriter Bill Koch assesses Lucchino's complicated legacy this way: His willingness to stir the pot and keep peers uncomfortable for the sake of growth was a net positive during his 14-year tenure in Boston.

Sports: Larry Lucchino, ex-Red Sox exec who helped move PawSox to Worcester, has died at 78

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Journal top stories: Giant trolls; Avedisian charge; Lucchino legacy