Seen: Ted Turner, Michelle Obama + More Celebs

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Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Leah Michaels, GoLocalProv Contributor

He may be 72 years old, but Ted Turner can still sail with the best of them. He proved that at the 12 Metre North America Championships in Newport, where he earned first place in the Traditional division as well as the Pine Brothers Sponsor Trophy for Best Overall Performance. As a younger man the media mogul was a master sailor, captaining the Brown University sailing time during his time there, and it was clear to everyone that he hadn't lost his skills when he skillfully helmed the American Eagle, the same boat he once owned and sailed around the world. The awards ceremony was held at the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, and this year the inaugural Ted Turner Trophy for an individual's contribution to the 12 Metre Class on and off the water was awarded by Ted Turner (obviously) to Guy Heckman, who campaigns the boat USA. The trophy was designed by Dan MacDonald of Three Golden Apples in Newport, and I wonder if Turner will return here to present it next year...

 

Only a few weeks ago he was here throwing a block party, but this time he came to Providence for a much more low-key event. Jersey Shore star Pauly D did a meet and greet with fans at Old World Cigar on Atwells Ave. on

Monday. Tickets were $20, and over 200 people showed up to see him and grab a picture with the reality show stud. The Johnston native sold his new Dirty Couture tee shirts and trucker hats and was very down-to-earth and cool about talking to and posing with fans. Even though his show may not be good for young kids, the event was very fun and family friendly. He might regularly charge $40,000 as a DJ, but Pauly's Rhode Island roots make him humble and gracious as well... 

The second most famous Obama in America visited Rhode Island on Friday. First Lady Michelle Obama joined 13 military wives at the Rhode Island National Guard headquarters in Cranston. She wanted to bring attention to the plight of military families and let everyone involved in the US Armed Forces that the Obama administration respects and appreciates everything they go through for our country. Afterwards, Mrs. O headed to a private Democratic Party fundraiser at the home of former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino on the East Side. Over 200 guests attended (at $1,000 a ticket), including Brown President Ruth Simmons, Patrick Kennedy, Governor Lincoln Chafee, URI president David Dooley, and Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. David Cicilline. For a $5,000 donation you could take a photo with Mrs. Obama, and apparently many people wanted pictures, as total donations were over $38,000...

Rhode Island has become quite the Iron Chef destination! Last Tuesday Bobby Flay had lines out the door of Dave's Marketplace in East Greenwich, and on Thursday his fellow Food Network chef Jose Garces came to Forty 1° North in Newport. He created a custom four course dinner with paired wines, cocktails, and canapés for hotel guests as part of the hotel's Forty 1° North Speaker Series. The event was open to the public, and some the gourmet dishes served included Pozole Verde with Newport Littleneck clams and Goat's Cheese Panna Cotta with Bacon Maple Syrup and Pine Nut Streusel. With all the accolades Rhode Island cities have been getting from food publications lately, it's no surprise that all these culinary icons have been making their way through the area...

Recently, millions of viewers got to see a North Kingstown teen perform a very unusual piano piece. Evan Petrone, currently a sophomore at American University, went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to showcase his special skill—he plays the piano with his arms twisted backwards. Because of an extreme case of double-jointedness resulting from a rare genetic disorder, Petrone can face forwards and basically twist his shoulders out of joint in order to play the piano backwards. He was on a segment called "Will this Thrill Bill?" in which Leno and guest William Shatner watched three performances and cracked jokes, hoping to shock Shatner. Petrone was glad that his TV exposure would give his YouTube videos more hits, and therefore give him more revenue (his videos currently have over 600,000 hits). With everything Shatner saw as Captain Kirk, I wonder if Petrone's unique talent was able to thrill him...

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