Good Food makes the holidays special for tenants of Forand and Pell Manor

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Santa checked his list and found that residents at the Aime J. Forand and Claiborne Pell Manor Tenants Associations had been nice – and not the least bit naughty – so he showed up at both Johnston’s Housing Authority Complexes to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

“We actually had two great parties,” Jessica Layden, the JHA’s resident service coordinator, told the Sun Rise. “Santa made both events special and everyone enjoyed everything from music to merriment to some fantastic food and, of course, good, old-fashioned holiday fun.”

At the Aime J. Forand Complex located off Greenville Avenue, residents enjoyed antipasto, soup, pasta and roasted chicken, rice and mashed potato.

“For dessert, we had spumoni ice cream and wandies,” said Layden, who also praised entertainers Steve Cass and Donna for making the Forand holiday extravaganza special.

Mayor Joseph Polisena and State Rep. Deborah A. Fellela, who won another two-year term in the House of Representatives and who has been a staunch supporter of the association during her legislative tenure, also helped make the event extra special.

At the Claiborne Pell Manor Tenants Christmas Party, Polisena welcomed Santa Claus and State Rep. Stephen Ucci during an event that featured delicious dinner prepared by Ralph’s Catering, located inside the Kelley Gazzerro VFW Post 2812 on the Johnston-Cranston line.

In the middle of it all was William “Bill” Santilli, brother of current Johnston Town Councilman David Santilli and who also served the town in the same capacity many years go.

“I heard you’ve been nice and not naughty,” Santa Claus said while wishing Santilli a very Merry Christmas and even better year in 2017. “And it’s nice to see your association is doing well and receiving support from these fine elected officials.”

Santa Claus was speaking about Polisena and Ucci, as well as Sen. Frank S. Lombardi III, Councilman Richard J. DelFino III and the ageless Mary Cerra, a Johnston icon who served with the town council and as a state representative.

“We’ve got a great party planned today,” David aRusso, the JHA’s Executive Director and recent JHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, said. “Everyone loves Ralph’s food and we had a choice of veal parmigiana, scrod and baked chicken.”

The recent Pell Manor Tenants Association Christmas Party featured entertainment by Buddy Pistacchio and raffles with prizes that aRusso noted “were definitely a highlight of the evening.”

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