5 Things You Need To Know Today: June 3

Today is Friday, June 3, 2011. Here are five things you need to know.

Free Donuts!

Dunkin' Donuts has declared today National Donut Day and will be treating guests to a free donut with the purchase of any beverage. The offer excludes bottled beverage purchases and is good only at participating locations while supplies last.

At least three city locations: , and will be participating in the promotion.

Torch Run starts in Woonsocket

If you see members of the charging on foot through city streets this morning, be sure to give them a thumbs up. The officers are running from the department's Clinton Street headquarters to the Cumberland border as part of the annual to raise awareness and needed funds for the Special Olympic Summer Games, beginning tonight at URI's Meade Stadium. Show your support by seeing the officers off from 242 Clinton St. at 10 a.m. and buy your Torch Run t-shirt for $15. 

Picard gets two bills passed

Bill (2011-S 0871 A), sponsored by Sen. Roger A. Picard (D-Dist. 20, Woonsocket, Cumberland), was approved this week by the state Senate. The bill would promote the use of community-based evaluations for a child’s mental health by requiring the “Kids Link” hotline operated by the Department of Children, Youth and Families to direct families with children in need of behavioral health evaluations to community-based settings unless a hospital emergency admission is voluntarily sought or deemed medically necessary.

The goal of the bill is to preserve limited emergency resources while promoting community-based settings as the first option for behavioral care interventions to lower costs and improve outcomes.

Also sponsored by Senator Picard and approved by the Senate, another bill (2011-S 0867 A) would require hospitals to participate in a high-quality comprehensive patient discharge planning and transitions improvement projects to reduce avoidable readmission.

The Visiting Nurse Service of Greater Rhode Island promotes Corcoran

Congratulations to Kerrie-Lynn Corcoran of Woonsocket who has been promoted to marketing specialist for The Visiting Nurse Service of Greater Rhode Island.

Corcoran started at the VNSGRI in 2010 as the volunteer coordinator, and will continue to maintain the volunteer program. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications and has an educational background in political communications.

And for your final "thing to know" Reflections with Connie Lemonde:

REFLECTIONS

A smile not only makes us more pleasant, but it may even comfort someone who needs support and encouragement. So, here's A BIT OF FUNNYBONE from my book Uphill and Downhill.

Bring a little bit of joy with you, wherever you may roam,
For you never know when you will need a bit of funnybone.
A bit of cheer can often be a blessing in disguise.
It helps to keep your pressure down, when it decides to rise.
Always make sure to bring your smile; it need not be a strain.
Your smile may be the very thing that eases someone's pain.

Think about it. Have a great day, and don't forget to put on your smile. You never know who may be needing it.

Connie Lemonde's short audio stories about the life and challenges of local people can be heard on radio station , every Friday at 9:05 a.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m.