BURRILLVILLE – Two individuals whose hard work and contributions over decades have improved quality of life for those in Burrillville and beyond were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards last week at a ceremony with the Burrillville Police Department.
John Abbate and Robert Tetreault received the recognition at the department’s annual Awards Night and Heroes in Our Community Celebration, held in the Burrillville High School auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The pair was among dozens of both citizens and members of law enforcement honored at the event, with awards for everything from life saving efforts to simple generosity. With a crowd of residents, town officials, dispatchers, retired law enforcement and current police ranks in attendance, Col. Stephen Lynch acknowledged and thanked those who keep the community safe.
“They are thrust into life’s worse situations,” Lynch said of the officers, pointing to difficult calls for mental health emergencies, suicides, drug overdoses, motor vehicle accidents and abuse of children. “This profession is not easy.”
“What we ask of police officers and those in public safety is very demanding,” he said. “These men and women are truly heroes within their communities. They are incredibly noble, courageous people.”
The kind words also extended to extraordinary citizens such as Abbate, who was recognized for what Lynch described as a “trifecta of careers.”
Perhaps known best locally for his work as truancy officer and athletic director for the Burrillville School District, Abbate attended Western Connecticut State College and the University of Rhode Island before taking a job with the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families at the training school in Cranston in 1978. There, he created and facilitated a nationally recognized youth awareness program for incarcerated youth called “Project Peer.”
“John believed that personal stories from young people who actually lived the life of neglect, abuse and addiction, might deter others from adopting destructive behavior patterns,” Lynch said, noting the work won Abbate DCYF’s Outstanding Peer Award.
Abbate assumed the role of truancy officer in 1992, adding the title of athletic director to the mix after his retirement from the state in 2007.
“Numerous state championships were won in almost every sport during his tenure,” said Lynch.
A longtime high school football referee, Abbate has been inducted into the Providence Gridiron Club Hall of Fame and the Rhode Island Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He has received the Special Football Official Award, and the Providence Gridiron Club’s Lou Cimini Award for Outstanding Football Official two years in a row.
Tetreault, now 80, has a similarly long list of achievements that included time developing mechanical switches for NASA’s Apollo missions at Texas Instruments, service in the National Guard, and decades as a human resources director for Textron, then for the state of Rhode Island, and finally for Rhode Island College, where he spent almost 30 years. He served 10 years as president and a member of the board of directors for the Southern New England College & University Professional Association for Human Resources, and nearly 40 as a member of the board of directors for Attleboro Enterprises, an organization that supports adults with diverse developmental challenges.
Lynch noted that Tetreault has long owned a summer house on Echo Lake and move to Burrillville full time following his retirement.
“He currently serves as a member of the Burrillville Budget Board, using his decades of experience at the state level to help navigate the intricacies of balancing the budget, and meeting legal and ethical requirements,” said Lynch. “Although most people his age would find this a time to relax and enjoy the lake-life, Bob continues to find ways to help and care for others – because that’s the kind of person he is.”
Burrillville Animal Control Officer Kerry Courtemanche and Deputy ACO Dan DiBattista were recognized for achievements including the facility’s designation as a no kill shelter, thanks to a 90 percent or better save rate for all cats and dogs. The shelter was also named “Best in Rhode Island” for the ninth consecutive time this year by Rhode Island Monthly.
Officer Wayne Richardson was recognized for his local traffic safety efforts, which have won him numerous honors from the state Department of Transportation as well as the AAA Northeast Traffic Safety Award.
An award for outstanding community service went to Lt. Jason Cahill thanks to his efforts with the Special Olympics, including the annual Torch Run, Polar Plunge, Tim Tebow Prom Night and Motorcycle Run.
“His passion for the cause is infectious,” said Major Albert Carlow. “His leadership, passion and commitment have made a profound difference.”
Others in the department were honored for their work on specific cases, from catching the culprits behind a series of break ins at town donation bins, to taking down a scammer who tried to take nearly $50,000 from an elderly resident. Some described harrowing incidents where officers were confronted chaotic and potentially dangerous scenes.
One such incident involved a stop on Chapel Street where a suspect, caught with a knife and drug paraphernalia by Lt. Robert Veader and Officer Alexander Rosa, threw a bag containing cocaine and fentanyl over a fence and attempted to flee the scene. When the officers tried to stop the man, later identified as Tyler Perry of Woonsocket, he drove away, dragging them a short distance before escaping. Perry’s efforts to avoid apprehension fleeing the state, deleting his Facebook account and stopping use of his phone. He was eventually arrested in Maine by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Another took place in September, when Cahill and Det. Rebecca Carvalho reported to a home on Granite Street to find one victim who’d had his face slashed and had been stabbed in the back, causing a lung to collapse. A female suspect in that incident jumped from second story window in hopes to avoid police and was found with a compound leg fracture.
Still others were recognized for off duty heroics, including Darlene Doughty, Lauren Jenks, Harrisville Fire Department Lt. Nicholas Brooks and East Burrillville Fire district Lt. Aaron Doughty, who were the first on the scene at a motor vehicle crash and administered CPR, leading to a full recovery for the victim.
Another life saving award went to Lt. Jason Eddy, who was off duty at home in Connecticut when a woman advised him that her grandmother had never showed up for a scheduled lunch. Eddy entered the woman’s apartment and found her unresponsive, showing signs of an overdose. He called Connecticut troopers and assisted, helping to administer Narcan and ultimately saving the woman’s life.
Levy Ice Rink Director Christopher Lacey and Serio’s Pizzarama owner James Ponte were among recipients of Community Hero Awards, with the director acknowledged for his many contributions to local hockey. Ponte, meanwhile, was recognized for his community involvement and years of generosity to local organizations and sports teams.
“Jim Ponte has dedicated his entire life to the town of Burrillville,” said Lynch. “Jim is much more than just a business owner in this community.”
The individual recognized with the department’s highest community honor, the Wallace F. Lees Award, could not be there to receive it, as he died this year after decades of service to the town. The family of the late Glen Biddiscombe accepted that award on behalf of Burrillville’s longtime dispatcher, fire lieutenant and Emergency Management Agency director.
