Old Buildings + MMJ + Firefighters Promoted

Welcome to the Pawtucket Patch Daily — your quickest way to get caught up on the city's top news stories. I'm your host, Mary Serreze. I can be reached at mary.serreze@patch.com. Feel free to send me your news tips, thoughts, and ideas. Click here to subscribe.

First, the weather:

• Friday: Clear. High of 82, low of 65.
• Saturday: Rain in the evening. High of 83, low of 64.
• Sunday: Partly cloudy. High of 86, low of 64.

Patch Pick: Pawtucket school children are learning life skills on the playground. The "recess rocks" program teaches teachers how to help students resolve conflicts while engaging in creative play. (WJAR)

Here are the top five stories out of Pawtucket:

1. Downtown Pawtucket is blessed with beautiful 19th-century architecture — but redeveloping old buildings can be complicated. Developers of the former Feldman Furniture building at 49 North Union St. just landed a $400,000 loan from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to finance environmental remediation for a project called Nexus Lofts. (Patch)

2. New Leaf Compassion Center isn’t giving up in its bid to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 30 India Street — even though the city’s Planning Board opposes the idea. New Leaf will appear before the Zoning Board on June 28. New Leaf, headed by CEO Thomas Mirza, seeks a dimensional variance and special use permit. They'll also need to win a state lottery, but that's a different story. (Patch)

3. Ten Pawtucket firefighters have been promoted to the rank of rescue lieutenant, the Office of Mayor Donald Grebien announced. The firefighters were sworn in on Wednesday. (Patch)

4. Nearby Cumberland is adding more street trees to its Broad Street reconstruction project. Town officials just secured permission from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to run their own effort. But it wasn't easy. (The Valley Breeze)

5. Nearby North Providence wants to crack down on problematic nightclubs, but bar owners claim they can’t find enough police officers willing to cover paid security details. Mayor Charles Lombardi says the police union “can’t pick and choose,” and adds that if the situation continues, he’ll end the police detail program entirely. (The Valley Breeze)

EVENTS, Friday June 18:

• The Narragansett Bay Commission will break ground on the Pawtucket Tunnel. The 2.2-mile deep rock tunnel is the centerpiece of Phase III of the NBC’s ambitious Combined Sewer Overflow Project. When completed, the infrastructure project will slash pollution and help restore the Seekonk and Blackstone rivers to health. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. at 804 School Street.

• A Mothers March to End Gun Violence is planned in nearby Providence. Those who wish to march should head over to 340 Lockwood Street at 3 p.m.

About me: Maine native, UMass Amherst Regional Planning alum. Stick-shift driver, explorer. I believe in good government and the public's right to know. Interested in just about everything. I still like paper maps. I can be reached at mary.serreze@patch.com.