East Side Monthly March 2016 by Hey Rhody Media Co.

Celebrating our 87th Year!

New Listing! $450,000

Desirable large â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bentleyâ&#x20AC;? Unit. 3 Bed/2 Bath w balcony and 2 car garage parking. Elevated southern exposure gets great sunlight. Elevator, fitness room. Blocks to shops, great restaurants, Whole Foods, Brown. Professionally managed. Pet friendly too.

Chris Healy

New Listing! $425,000

One floor unit, new granite kitchen, master w/ exceptional bath & walk-in closet. Cathedral ceilings, gas fireplaced living room w/sliders. Attic storage. Clubhouse w/pool.

Linda Mittleman

New Price! $850,000

Stately Georgian Brick built in 1929 bordering Moses Brown campus. Elegant formal rooms, spacious master suite, five beds, 3.5 baths. Mechanicals, A/C, electricity upgraded and recently inspected. 2 car garage. Located in fine East Side neighborhood.

Michael Young

$197,500

Completely remodeled (Freshly pained, new carpets, washer/dryer). Many amenities in complex included in monthly fee. A very special place to call home. Priced to sell!

Linda Mittleman

Pending! $ 249,900

Welcome home to this classic Edgewood Colonial in Mayflower Estates. Offers 3 bedrooms, hardwoods throughout, fireplace, stainless/granite kitchen, updated windows & roof; plus, garage, deck, sunroom, finished 3rd floor living space & much more!

Thomas Hammond

New Listing! $627,000

Gracious 10 room brick Colonial with both formal & informal areas. Amenities include central air, 3 car garage, beautiful landscaping, high -efficiency gas heating system. Quiet neighborhood. Easy highway access.

Betsy Walsh

Coleman Realtors is affiliated with Leverage Global, the fastest growing network of independent luxury real estate firms in the world. Leverage Global is a valuable tool for marketing with the most robust digital strategy in the industry to promote our properties on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are proud to be the only Rhode Island based affiliate of this group.

COLEMANREALTORS.COM providence 401.274.3636

barrington 401.245.3050

east greenwich 401.884.5522

corporate relocation 401.277.0570

watch hill 401.596.2390

contents MARcH 2016

CHOOSE A BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE AGENCY WITH BIG RESULTS

NEW LIST 64 SARGENT AVENUE Located in a sought after neighborhood, this warm and inviting home offers move in condition, living rm w/ fireplace, dining rm, eik, sunroom, 3bds 1.5 baths, finished basement, central air, adorable yard /2 car garage $449,000 Aleen weiss

NEW LIST

Reflecting on the loss of Providence’s longest-serving mayor

49 12Th STREET Like new 2br ranch on quiet street in Summit neighborhood, steps from Blackstone Blvd and Lippitt park. new kitchen with stainless appliances, hardwoods, new roof, heating system and central air plus a one car garage. move on in! $319,000 Karen miller

This Month

NEW LIST 158 8Th STREET Spacious 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath colonial Gambrel in great Summit neighborhood. central fireplace, hardwoods throughout, new gas boiler & kitchen, 1 car garage, 3rd floor expansion possibilities. over sized lot. $399,000 Karen miller

NEW LIST 33 ARLINGTON STREET, PAWTUCKET Amazing quality hill gem with quick access to i-95! 3,300sf historic home full of period architectural details details. 4 Brs, 2 full & 3 half baths. Spacious living area, fireplace, custom walk-in closet, brick patio. $282,000 Karen miller

17 | Vincent “Buddy” cianci 1941-2016 Remembering his life and legacy 22 | the State of education A look inside Providence’s School Board shuffle NEW LIST

Every Month

116 COTTAGE AVENUE, NORTh PROV. Unique colonial. Lrg kitchen opens to dining/den, living room w/ fireplace. 2 bd currently, but could be 3. 2 full baths. Full in-law suite/finished basement. Beautiful yard. insulated attic. easy access to colleges, hwy and hospitals. $252,000 Aleen weiss

4 | Editorial/Letters

Community

NEW LIST 80 DOYLE AVENUE Great investment opportunity... cash cow! Legal 6 unit multi, fully rented, with great rental history, newer replacement windows, fully fire-coded, needs some tLc, being sold “AS iS” $350,000 Aleen weiss

Residents and merchants are at odds over Thayer’s interim parking lot 7 | News 11 | In the Know 13 | Neighborhood News

Close to Home Learning to let go when your kids get behind the wheel 26 | Education 29 | East of Elmgrove

On the Town Milk Money serves up a delicious, shareable menu 33 | Flavor of the Month 35 | On The Menu 37 | Rhody Bites 41

| Calendar

49 COWESETT ROAD, WARWICK colonial: 5 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Hardwood Floors - Updated Kitchen - dining room - Sun room, Gas Heat/Hot water , on tranquil private Grounds off main road, Home needs Updating, includes extra Lot, Buyer responsible For Septic. Sold “As is” $235,000 Gail Jenard

50 | The Providence Village and the importance of community

On the Cover:

Remembering Buddy Cianci. Photography by Jonathan Beller

@EastSideMonthly

PENDING 240 CAMP STREET wonderful legal two family, located near rochambeau. Large rooms, fully rented, great for investor or owner occupied. Being sold “as is” short sale, negotiator in place and ready to go! Great buy at $240,000. Gail Jenard.

Assisting Buyers, sellers & renters Aleen WeissH Karen MillerH

The East Sider

www.facebook.com/EastSideMonthly

PENDING

HAlso licensed in MA

Jon WeissHF Howard Weiss Claire sennott gail Jenard

Flicensed ri environmental lead inspector 0065

785 Hope Street providence, ri 401-272-6161 SpitzweiSS.com

Editorial

EST 1975

East Side MONTHLY

Separating the Best From the Worst The last few weeks have provided an ominous up close glimpse into the growing polarity developing in our country on all sorts of issues which, if unchecked, has the potential to undermine the basic fabric of our society. It’s obvious in the spectacle that is the presidential primary process, especially this year on the Republican side. There has always been a certain “us versus them” mentality in politics, something that has always been ingrained in the system to be sure. The problem is that it seems to be accelerating, getting nastier and, because of our ludicrous campaign funding policies and increasing technological interconnectedness, becoming more broad-based and pervasive. The

passing of Buddy Cianci is still another example of just how intensely personal and divisive even local politics can become. In terms of the political process, one answer might be to wean ourselves off of a system that allows the rabid partisans on both sides to control the primary elections by either making it easier for all registered voters to participate in the primaries or reduce the influence the party activists on both sides have in determining the outcome. On a local level this is a little more difficult since, as Tip O’Neil so profoundly pointed out years ago, all politics are local. The answer may be to use a little common sense as we try to nudge our political system back into the center.

Ironically a popular TV show might have one possible solution on how to address the issue. In the show Madam Secretary, the protagonist is a female secretary of state who must deal with international crises while still dealing with her husband and an increasingly independent college age daughter. After one of their frequent internal struggles, the daughter suddenly stops her tirade and turns to her mother: “I think the answer might be I need to stop defining you by your worst moments.” As we reflect on the passing of Buddy and on a political system that threatens to break down before our very eyes, perhaps this can be our mantra going forward.

1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 tel: 305-3391 | fax: 305-3392 mail@providenceonline.com www.eastsidemonthly.com • @EastSideMonthly

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell

Media Director Jeanette St. Pierre @JeanetteSTP

Executive Editor Barry Fain

City Editor Steve Triedman

Creative Director Julie Tremaine @JulieTremaine

Managing Editor Grace Lentini @Gracie_NomNom

Digital Editor Tony Pacitti @TonyPacitti

Editor Courtney Denelle @CourtneyDenelle

Art Director Meghan H. Follett

Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

Assistant Art Director Veatsna Sok

Graphic Designer Katie Leclerc

Account Managers Shelley Cavoli: Shelley@ProvidenceOnline.com Louann DiMuccio-Darwich: Louann@ProvidenceOnline.com

Letters

Ann Gallagher: Ann@ProvidenceOnline.com Kristine Mangan: Kristine@ProvidenceOnline.com Dan Schwartz: DanS@ProvidenceOnline.com Elizabeth Riel: Liz@ProvidenceOnline.com Kimberly Tingle: Kim@ProvidenceOnline.com

To the Editor: Academic Partnerships I was particularly interested in Jill Davidson’s musings about the evolution of East Side public education [“Shaping Young Minds,” January 2016]. As part of this look back, Jill wrote that community involvement is not as robust at Hope High School as at some elementary schools. I would like to make your readers aware that through Brown University’s Howard Swearer Center for Public Service, 70 Brown undergraduate students are engaged each week at Hope, providing daily after-school tutoring as well as support in math and science classrooms. Brown students teach SAT Preparation twice weekly at the school, support the Future Forward college access program, and provide tutoring in the afterschool credit recovery room. The Swearer Center also manages a full-time College Advising Corps Advisor at Hope who works with the guidance office to provide

East Side Monthly March 2016

college access and guidance. Betsy Shimberg Director of Community Partnerships Swearer Center at Brown University Read Too Late How timely an article [“Parking Woes on Wayland,” February 2016]. My office is one block from the heart of Wayland Square and to say the meters were put in discreetly is an understatement. When did the meters get installed? I was unaware of the change and much to my surprise, after parking and spending two minutes in Bank of America, I came out to find a $25 ticket on my windshield. Not only was I unaware of the new policy but where was the meter man (maid?) lurking? Possibly in Starbucks across the street? I walked around the area to find the person who gave me the ticket but was unsuccessful. Perhaps a fiveminute grace period for those of us doing quick errands would be helpful. Unfortunately, I read your

article today one day too late. Dr. Denise Shapiro Missing A-Z It’s wonderful to be reading your 40th anniversary issue. The “Used to Be” column is great but… you left out some of my old favorites. Here are 14 more for your enjoyment: Acme Video on Brook Street, Anyart Gallery on Steeple Street, Bluepoint Restaurant on North Main, Carrs on Angell Street, City Wings Books on Wickenden Street, The Front Porch on Waterman Street, Gallery One on John Street, Neath’s on South Main Street, No Exit on Thayer Street, Oaks on the Hill Art Store on Thomas Street, Papillion on the corner of Thayer and Angell Streets, Petite Four – the French Bakery on Hope Street with its amazing croissants, Seward’s Folly Book Store on the corner of Transit and Brook Street, Van Gogh’s Ear Café on Thayer Street. Barnaby Evans Executive Artistic Director WaterFire Providence

Stephanie Oster Wilmarth: Stephanie@ProvidenceOnline.com

Contributing Photographers Brian DeMello Stacey Doyle

Contributing Illustrators Ashley MacLure Lia Marcoux

Contributing Writers Erin Balsa Alastair Cairns Michael Clark Mary K. Connor Jill Davidson Mike Fink

Don Fowler Wendy Grossman Nancy Kirsch Stephanie Obodda Elizabeth Rau Dan Schwartz

Classified Advertising Sue Howarth Interns Cameron Bryce Kendra Genereux Katlynn Greneir

Mollie Stackhouse Samantha Santos Samantha Westmoreland

Calendar announcements and news releases should be submitted by the 1st of the preceding month. We reserve the right to omit and edit items. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters without exceptional circumstances. East Side Monthly is not responsible for typographical errors. Corrections will be run at discretion of editor. Copyright ©2016 by East Side Monthly. All rights reserved.

TRULY EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTIES ARE DIFFERENT AT EVERY LEVEL AND REQUIRE REAL ESTATE SERVICES THAT ARE AS WELL

NOW SERVICING PROVIDENCE AND THE EAST BAY

Judy Chace

Ted Marvell

Liz Andrews

Leza Williamson

Cherry Arnold

Heidi Piccerelli

Stephen Antoni

Paul Kappel

Mary Reineman

Ben Scungio

C H A R L E STOW N | N A R R AG A N S E T T | P R OV I D E N C E | WATC H H I L L

Waterplace, 100 Exchange St | 401.314.3000

mottandchace.com

Each office is independently owned and operated

historic What’s happening p

Thayer Street saVe the Dates

Thayer Merchants will be providing discounts & special deals for attendees of the Wheeler clothing sale. Check our website for details:

ARTISTIC ICONS SERIES

ThayerStreetDistrict.com

ROSANNE CASH

The River & The Thread

“The blueprint for modern country!”

district at ThayerStreetDMA

The Famous Wheeler Clothing & More Sale @ Wheeler School

April 14-16th

For what’s happening on Thayer visit: ThayerStreetDistrict.com

—Rolling Stone Magazine

Photo | Patrick Clay McBride

Berks shoes & CLothing

Better Burger Company

272 Thayer Street | 831-0174 Find us on Facebook

215-217 Thayer Street | 228-7373 betterburgercompany.com

Spring is right around the corner, so come get ready with a new pair of Birkenstocks. All brands of stylish footwear for men and women, plus clothing and accessories. On Thayer for over 40 years!

We’ve got your late-night burger! Open until 2am Fridays and Saturdays. Organic Grass-fed burgers, gluten-free options, homemade sauces and fries cooked in olive oil. Breakfast served until 3pm daily.

FLatBreaD Company

kaBoB anD Curry

161 Cushing Street | 273-2737 flatbreadcompany.com

261 Thayer Street | 273-8844 indianrestaurantsri.com

Rock. Wood. Fire. Clay. Ash. Crisp. Stoke. Care. Friends. Thirst. Flavor. Smoke. Organic. Passion. Sweet. Sourcing. Maple. Friendly. To Bake and Serve. Real. Providence. Wood-fired Love.

“Arguably the best Indian food in Rhode Island.” - Providence Journal, Live. Experience an award-winning restaurant on Thayer for over 27 years. Craft beer too!

Full band concert tour with multimedia by D.J. Mendel

April 10, 6:30PM at FIRST-WORKS.ORG OR 401.421.ARTS FOR TICKETS

East Side Monthly March 2016

pLeasant surprise

speCtrum-inDia

297 Thayer Street | 273-1202

252 Thayer Street | 421-1010 Find us on Facebook

Hop on over for everything the Easter bunny needs to make the best Easter baskets this year! From retro games to foil tattoos, Pleasant Surprise helps make kids of all ages happy!

Come... see, touch, feel the styling and quality of their exotic fashions, makeyou-feel-good gifts, healing crystals, lucky charms, Himalayan salt lamps and great service. Compare prices and BUY!

Community East Side Stories | neighborhood news & notes

East Side News

A Lot to Consider Businesses and residents are divided on new surface parking near thayer By Tony Pacitti

Photo courtesy of Brown Universtiy

In January the City Plan

Commission (CPC) unanimously approved the most recent amendment to Brown University’s Institutional Master Plan, which consisted of improvements to Brown’s baseball and softball fields, as well as the demolition of seven multifamily homes for an interim public use parking lot. Brown purchased these seven buildings from a single owner in 2014 and within approximately nine months was hit with citations from the City. These citations ran the gamut from repairing downspouts and repainting to more intensive repairs like foundations and roof work. In all, Brown says that it would cost around $200,000 to address these repairs, but to renovate the buildings “based on benchmarks used to renovate similar properties,” would be significantly more of an investment and ultimately prove to be a financial loss. Based on meetings with community groups and the Thayer Street Planning Study’s recommendation for more parking in the area, Brown determined that an interim 70-plus space parking lot would be in everyone’s best interest while they develop a permanent use for the land. Generally speaking, the CPC seemed concerned about the prospect of trading housing for a parking lot. Steve Maiorisi, Vice President for Facilities Management at Brown, agreed and pointed to several instances where Brown had removed surface parking in recent years. Student housing or an academic facility would, according to Maiorisi, be “consistent with our strategic plan,” though he says that what exactly would replace the lot will still take time to develop. Thayer Street District Management Authority (TSDMA), Thayer Street Merchants Association, College Hill Neighborhood Association (CHNA) and Wheeler School all offered letters of support for the plan. Several Thayer Street business and property owners and TSDMA board members were on hand to vocalize their support as they feel that more parking is essential for businesses on Thayer.

Concept for the new parking lot proposed in the amendment to Brown’s Institutional Master Plan

“We can look at it as a short term experiment,” says Donna Personeus of TSDMA. “After the interim period we can evaluate the outcomes and say ‘Does this work? Does Thayer need a parking lot?’” CHNA President Josh Eisen agrees. “Thayer Street merchants hope this will give them a lifeline to help them survive and thrive over the next three to five years,” he says. The CHNA, like several of the other groups involved, aren’t typically in favor of replacing homes with parking lots, but feel that it “represents an attempt by Brown to enable the land to give some value to the community during the interim period.” Opposing the plan were East Side residents and the Providence Preservation Society (PPS). Counterpoints were made – several suggested using the land for green space – and legitimate concerns were brought up – pushing students out into the surrounding neighborhoods and increasing rents, the fact that downtown has several temporary parking lots that have proven to be anything but and the unraveling of lines between the neighborhood and the College Hill National Landmark Historic

District. Like the CPC, they don’t understand the trade off of housing for parking, especially when there’s no concrete plan on the table from Brown. “We hold Brown to a higher standard,” said PPS Executive Director Brent Runyon. “While we do not approve of the demolition of these buildings for a parking lot, if we saw something that would be better we would be in favor of it,” he said, citing Brown’s removal of four houses on Brook Street for what PPS considers to be an “attractive” new engineering building. Though Brown did receive the bulk of the criticism, Runyon points out that residents, PPS and the City share some of the blame in allowing the seven buildings to fall to their current state. Prior to their sale to Brown, the previous owner had been planning to level the buildings and put up a hotel, a plan that obviously never came to fruition. According to testimony at the CPC meeting, no citations were issued until after Brown had purchased the homes. “There was no argument by residents or by PPS when that block was rezoned to commercial with an institutional overlay. In fact, the Thayer Street Planning

Study calls for that to happen,” explains Runyon. “What it did not call for is the ability for any institution to build a parking lot, which is what caused such concern by the CPC and Department of Public Development.” In the end the CPC approved the amendment with the caveat that Brown only receive a temporary two-year special use permit from the Zoning Board, which would coincide with the next scheduled review of the Institutional Master Plan. After that time they will need to reappear before the CPC with a definitive plan for the space. “We will work to request that parking be incorporated into the design of the new development on that lot after the interim period, or else to arrive at another solution at that time,” says Eisen. “The only concern would not be with Brown’s intent, but unforeseen factors, such as lack of funding for a new building on the site,” says Runyon. “Also, it is clear that Thayer Street merchants want more parking. I cannot say whether their concern is legitimate, but some people may be concerned that pressure from them would outweigh the City’s own land use planning.”

March 2016 East Side Monthly

Dream project? Make it a reality. Intro Rate for 12 Months: 1.99% APR Rate After Initial 12 Months: 4.312% APR*

Turn your home’s equity into home improvements. With great low rates right now, a home equity line from Washington Trust is the perfect financial tool to help you get your home improvement project started.

*Or better depending on line amount. Properties must be located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, or Connecticut. Five-day closings are available. Property insurance required. All loans subject to credit approval. 1.99% Annual Percentage Rate home equity line is for the initial 12 months. After the initial 12 months, the rate becomes Prime + .0% on lines of $150,000 or more; Prime + .25% on lines of $75,000 - $149,999; Prime + .75% on lines of $25,000 - $74,999. Rates shown in effect as of 01/25/16. Your APR will vary monthly if the Prime Rate changes, but will not exceed 18.00% or be less than 3.00%. Check The Wall Street Journal for current rates. Wall Street Journal Prime Rate as of 12/17/15 is 3.50%. Account closure fee of $350 for lines up to $500,000 or $500 for lines over $500,000 will apply if line is paid off and the account closed within first three years; Freedom Plus Checking account required. $25,000 minimum initial draw to third party required. Annual fee of $50 waived for the first year. Some home improvement projects may be subject to inspection fees and a satisfactory completion certificate. Subject to recording fees of approximately $74 in RI, and $93-177 in MA and CT. Trust review fees of $250 may apply if property is held in a trust. Not intended for homes currently for sale or intended to be sold within 12 months of closing. Offer available for new lines only. Other restrictions may apply. Property insurance is required. Flood insurance where required by law. Single- family, owner-occupied primary residences or second homes only. Maximum loan-to-value of 80%. Subject to credit approval. Offer available for a limited time only and may be withdrawn at any time. MEMBER FDIC

Why Compromise?

Brookhaven by Wood-mode is affordable and great quality and includes a Limited Lifetime Warranty

Kitchen Design

Center

your west bay wood-mode dealer 7736 post road, North Kingstown | (401) 294-6500 | heritagekitchendesignri.com

East Side Monthly March 2016

Community East Side News

continued...

Eastside Marketplace to No Longer Offer Mail Service Residents are disappointed to lose postal services at the venerable supermarket By Samantha Westmoreland

The East Side community

was disappointed to learn that mail services would be ending at Eastside Marketplace. Scott Laurans, former owner of Eastside Marketplace, sold ESM Inc. to Ahold USA, the Dutch Parent Company of Stop & Shop, in July of 2014. When the community received word of the new ownership, they were told that nothing would change about their much-loved market, known for its fresh produce, Good News Café and full postal services. In an article

published by WPRI in July of 2014, Laurans said, “It’s going to remain Eastside Marketplace as it is currently in all respects, including personnel, including myself – I’m going to remain an adviser to the company.” Nevertheless, as of January 22, Councilman Seth Yurdin informed us, “There’s been a notice that mail services will no longer be offered at Eastside Marketplace,” effective following the first week of February. Unfortunately, “the Providence Post Master has been

unable to come to an agreement with Eastside Marketplace.” This news has incited an adverse reaction from residents, as Councilman Yurdin disclosed receiving negative feedback from the community. The primary complaint is the inconvenience this closing of the post office will cause, especially for the elderly, those who have mobility issues and people who utilize public transportation, as Eastside Marketplace is on the bus route. At the time of press, Eastside Marketplace has yet to

comment on the decision to cease offering postal services. The Providence Journal quoted Scott Laurans in July of 2014, referring to the deal made when Eastside Marketplace was sold, “We’ve been proud of it. It’s a testament to the employees that Ahold will not take away the name or change management.” This may remain true, but other changes are being made at Eastside Marketplace, and some customers aren’t satisfied.

Jacket design by Ron Grom, Jacket photographs of baseketball players at dusk ©Doug Menuez/Getty Images

Hope and Hoops A new book documents one season in the life of a local basketball team By John Taraborelli

Bill Reynolds has always found incredible stories and poignant poetry on local basketball courts. Throughout his career, the Providence Journal sportswriter has chronicled hoop dreams and courtside action from the iconic parquet floor of the Boston Garden (Rise of a Dynasty: The ’57 Celtics, the First Banner, and the Dawning of a New America) to the high school gymnasiums of Fall River (Fall River Dreams) to the old school stomping grounds of the Big East Conference (Big Hoops). To say he wrote the book on local b-ball sounds clichéd, but it’s literally true: in 2007 he published Our Game: The Story of New England Basketball, tracing the sport’s history from its creation in Springfield, MA in 1891 all the way through UConn’s twin men’s and women’s NCAA championships in 2004. His latest book hits a little closer to home. Hope: A School, a Team, a Dream follows Hope High School’s Blue Wave through both the on- and off-court action of its 2012 season. Reynolds delves into the daily lives of Coach Dave Nyblom and his team, many of whom are either Liberian immigrants or the children of them, and are still grappling with the scars of the country’s civil war. It’s a story that takes place at our city’s frayed edges – as Reynolds notes, “The Providence of sirens and gunshots in the night, of kids who live in fear, of gritty streets where there are too many drugs, too many gangs, too many guns and too little hope that it’s going to change anytime soon.” The aging school itself becomes as much a character as the players and coaches, a shadow of its former glory languishing mere blocks from some of our city’s most elite educational institutions. In one basketball season, Reynolds finds a glimpse into a side of our city few of us see or choose to acknowledge on a daily basis, and into the lives of those who struggle and persevere there. www.BillReynoldsBooks.com

March 2016 East Side Monthly

Community East Side News

continued...

Put Me In, Coach the Fox Point East Side Little League winds up for another season By Bruce Ciummo For the umpteenth year in a row the 240 young men and women of the Fox Point East Side Little League (FPESLL) will meet up twice a week and once a weekend to sharpen their skills, demonstrating the sportsmanship and civility that often lacks in our professional athletes. With the support of sponsors and the myriad volunteer coaches, the FPESLL provides a great environment to experience the game of baseball. With players aged from 5 to 12, FPESLL will operate within its traditional four divisions; T-ball (ages 5 and 6), Double A (ages 7 and 8), Triple A (ages 9, 10 and 11) and the Majors (12-year-olds, and 10- and 11-year-olds by invitation only). T-ball is a great introduction to baseball. Starting with running the bases in order, t-ball introduces the young novice to critical elements of the game. Double A turns it up a notch. The rubber tee at home plate is replaced by coaches pitching from the mound. Players also begin learning the strategy

of baseball and start turning double plays and hitting home runs. Played at McKenna-Frutchey Field, Triple A gives the players their first exposure to observing many established rules of the game. At the Triple A level, the teams are allowed to win and lose, and there is a playoff and AllStar Game. But for the kids, the pinnacle of it – all the object of their springs of hard work, the last step in their FPESLL development – is the call they get one night in mid-March after having attended one of the two mandatory tryouts: the call that they have been drafted and are going to the show, one of the four teams in the Majors. For years, the kids have heard about Arden, MTI, Hot Club and East Side Monthly, wondering which one would claim “their rights” for the season. The season starts on Monday, April 25. If you want to catch a T-ball or Double A game, wander behind the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island Community Center at the corner of

Fox Point East Side Little Leaguers are ready for another season of America’s pastime

Elmgrove and Sessions Avenues. For Triple A or the Majors, bring your peanuts and Cracker Jacks to the baseball complex on Power Street, east of Gano Street. www.fpesll.com. For individual inquiries, contact Jeff Levy, at info@fpesll.com. Although space in the

league is limited by logistical caps on rosters, there still may be openings at the Triple A and Double A levels, and certainly at the T-ball level. The league is open to all kids age 5-12 who resides on the East Side, or – new this year – attend school on the East Side.

This is Your Brain... Brain Week raises awareness for the importance of brain research

The late neurologist, author and moonlighting mystic, Oliver Sacks, once perfectly captured the relevance of understanding the paradoxes of the human brain: “In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life.” The intersection of modern brain research, Western psychiatry and even sociology inherently marries the clinical with the idiosyncratic human experience, boldly delving into the brain as “the final frontier” so that we can live our best lives possible. In kind, a Providencebased national advocacy organization for mental illness, Cure Alliance for Mental Illness, in tandem with the 10

East Side Monthly March 2016

Brown Institute for Brain Sciences and the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute, will host Rhode Island’s firstever Brain Week from March 12-20 in order to raise Rhody awareness on the importance of brain research and its critical role in helping people lead healthier and more productive lives. “We understand a great deal about our bodies and the world around us, but the workings of the brain are still an unsolved riddle,” says Karina Holyoak Wood of Rhode Island Brain Week. “Treatments for brain disorders – both neurological and psychiatric – lag far behind many other types of disease, [which] is astonishing, considering the brain disorder burden, in terms of mortality and years lived with disability, is

the highest of all health disorders, not to mention the unfortunate relationship between mental illness and incarceration, homelessness and, more recently, gun control,” she explains. The Ocean State has proven to be a nexus of progressive brain and mental illness research, part and parcel to the development of the Brown Institute for Brain Science, the Norman Prince Institute at RI Hospital and top-tier treatment facilities like Bradley and Butler Hospitals. “Exploring the ‘final frontier’ of human biology has the potential to fuel the economic engines that will help drive Rhode Island forward in the next decades,” adds Wood. But the desired outcome of Brain Week is trained on engaging and impacting the

community at large, not just the world of academia, and it’s offering fun, accessible family-friendly programming, accordingly. “The Brain Fair [on March 19] will feature exhibits and hands-on activities that showcase everything from neurons and brains, to explorations into the human psyche,” says Wood. “Children and young people will have the opportunity to interact with junior and senior researchers and ask them about their career paths and choices. We want them to leave with a sense of curiosity about the brain so that they might become inspired to become part of Rhode Island’s next generation of neuroscientists.” Rhode Island Brain Week. March 12-20. www.BrainWeekRI.org

Photo by Bruce Ciummo

By Courtney Denelle

Community In the Know by Barry Fain

Let the Name Game Begin Now that Brown has voted to officially change the name of October Fall Weekend (formerly known as Columbus Day Weekend) to Indigenous People Weekend, perhaps it’s time for the school to address other name changes as well. Given that Brown is named after one of the country’s major slave trading families, it’s a subject that might be of interest to its students and faculty. Interestingly, there is a history of Brown considering naming issues in the past. Legend has it that at one point the Duke family (which included Doris Duke of Newport fame) came to Brown with a major funding offer if they were willing to change their name, but was rebuffed and went elsewhere, specifically to Durham, North Carolina and in 1924 began their branding effort there. Admittedly a trifle long, “The University Formerly Known as Brown” does have a nice ring to it and still fits on a sweatshirt should they vote to go that way.

Washington Trust Arrives on the East Side On February 3 it became official. Washington Trust Bank is now a card-carrying (both debit and credit we assume) member of the East Side. Founded in 1800, it is both the largest independent bank in Rhode Island and the oldest. The new branch will occupy the ground floor of 229 Waterman Street on the corner of Waterman and Wayland Streets, which had formerly housed United Way before its sale several years ago. This marks the 21st retail location for the bank which is currently on a strategy to expand its footprint around the state. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Hooping it up Big Time Providence’s Dunkin Donuts Center will be part of the national sports scene on March 17 and 19 when it hosts the first and second rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament. March Madness, as it is affectionately called, promises to bring a lively and enthusiastic crowd into town with games that will determine which teams move on towards the Final Four, this year to be played in Houston. While obviously

it’s too early to know which teams will make the tournament this year, not to mention which ones will be in the East flight, the atmosphere promises to be rocking. There’s also an outside chance that Providence College, currently ranked number 11 in the country, could be seeded to play here insuring a real home court advantage for our local heroes. Providence has not hosted a basketball playoff game since 2010. For those of you who like their sports on the edge, the NCAA hockey playoffs are scheduled for the Dunk in 2017. Should be a fun weekend for the city.

Fine Thai & SuShi ReSTauRanT

Dine In Take Out or Have us Cater

Life is Picture Perfect on Hope Street Leave it to the merchants on Hope Street to hit it out of the park again. Always trying something new, the Hope Street Merchants Association has created a brand new video marketing the street and touting the joys of living in the Hope Street area. The film itself is smashing, professionally shot, with cameos from Governor Gina Raimondo and Mayor Jorge Elorza, and a cast of hundreds from the neighborhood. The film, available to watch on YouTube, is as much an ad for the joys of living in the neighborhood as it is for the businesses. Perhaps films like this should be mandatory for each of our neighborhoods. Kudos on still another job well done by the Hope Street merchants.

The Total Mockingbird Experience Trinity Rep will be performing Harper Lee’s iconic To Kill a Mockingbird March 3 – April 3, but is also offering two interesting companion events to go with it. The first is part of their Great Writers Monday Night Lecture Series which will be held on March 14 at 7pm and will focus, at least in part, on both Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning classic as well as last year’s surprise sequel Go Set a Watchman. In addition, for three nights only, (March 18, 27 and April 1) Trinity will be presenting the rarely produced James Baldwin play Blues for Mister Charlie which was written during the same time period as Mockingbird only told through the perspective of the black community. Should be a timely and interesting run for the theatre.

Way l a n d S q u a r e

18 South Angell Street, Providence • 383-8830 • www.limsri.com Tues-Thurs 11:30-10pm• Friday & Sat 11:30-10:30pm • Sunday 12-9:30pm

based on the book by Harper Lee • adapted by Christopher sergel

March 3 – april 3

tiCkets from $25 (401) 351-4242 trinityrep.com 201 Washington st. providence • sponsored by taCo/ the White family foundation supported by the nea season sponsors

trinity repertory

company

Check out our Spin and Barre Classes!

Private & Group Sessions • Offering Mat Classes Power Pilates Teacher Training Center Register Online

189 Cole Avenue, Providence • 480-0193 providencepilatescenter.com March 2016 East Side Monthly

Now opeN R E A LT O R

ExcEpTiOnAL R E s u LT s

Kevin Fox

kfox@residentialproperties.com Cell: (401) 688-5556

ResidentialProperties.com

FREE FAST EASY

Saturday, March 26

MARCH EVENT 2016

8:00AM - 1:00PM Providence Dept. of Public Works

700 Allens Avenue Make an appointment and drop off your household toxic chemicals, pesticides, sharps (medical needles) and leftover paints at an upcoming Eco-Depot Event.

Wednesday, March 23 Lauren Fox Presents “Love, Lust, Fear & Freedom: The Songs of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen” 7:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.ric.edu/pfa or call (401) 456-8144. Accommodations for persons with disabilities available upon request. Call (401) 456-8144 for assistance. TTY/TDD: 711.

For a complete list of locations, dates and the types of waste Eco-Depot accepts, please visit EcoDepotRI.org or call 401.942.1430 x241.

EcoDepot_4.375x5.875.indd 1

East Side Monthly March 2016

1/29/2016 9:38:11 AM

Rhode Island College ∙ 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. ∙ Providence, RI ∙ 02908

Community Neighborhood News

Neighborhood News is a space that East Side Monthly makes available to community organizations free of charge. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of this publication.

Summit neighborhood Association Board Sets Date for Annual Meeting The SNA board of directors met January 18 for the first time in the new year and set April 27 as the date for the annual meeting. The location and program for the gathering are still undecided, but it will feature the election of a new board.

Photo Courtesy of the Summit Neighborhood Association

Updates on Community Gardens Plan The City’s Parks Department says it has grouped the bid for the water supply to the tot lot on Summit Avenue, the proposed site of the community gardens, with several other city project bids to get the best pricing, but “that has proved to be more challenging than we thought,” according to Brian Byrnes, deputy superintendent. They are still working on it. In other action, Nancy Buron, a recent arrival in Summit from a farm in central Massachusetts, has joined the SNA committee and is eager to move the project along. She describes herself as a Reiki practitioner, as well as an avid gardener of medicinal herbs and plants that support pollinators.

A front-end loader cleans up the Hope Street mercantile section of the Summit neighborhood after what was forecasted to be an epic blizzard on January 23. Praise was widespread among residents about the City’s clearing of the snow.

residents are encouraged to attend. Minutes of all board meetings are posted on the SNA website at www. SNA.Providence.RI.US under “Meetings and Agendas.” Summit Neighborhood Association, P.O. Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940. 489-7078, www.SNA.Providence.RI.uS, sna@sna. providence.ri.us. –Kerry Kohring

Blackstone Parks Conservancy

Education Forum Eyes Kindergartens The Education Committee of SNA sponsored a community discussion on November 19 at the Rochambeau Library branch that drew about 15 people to share their concepts of the needs of the neighborhood. Most of the interest centered on sharing ways to evaluate kindergartens in the public and private schools.

And What Will March Bring? Days after cherry trees bloomed for the second time in seven months at the entrance of Swan Point Cemetery, winter finally arrived in mid-January. Cross-country skiers took advantage of a perfect January 22 six-inch snowfall to cut trails up and down the Boulevard Park. False spring is not kind to trees and plants, which need winter to rest and recuperate in the best of times. Blackstone Parks Conservancy (BPC) volunteers also need a winter break to review the past year’s educational programs and stewardship projects and plan for the coming year. Then they can sail into real spring, which will arrive when? March? April? May?

Residents Invited to Directors Meetings The SNA Board of Directors meets at 7pm on the third Monday of every month in the cafeteria of Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Avenue. The sessions are open and neighborhood

What To Expect on the Boulevard Whatever happens to the weather, you can expect both continuity and innovation in the Blackstone Parks. The trolley shelter concerts will continue in July and August under Gale Aronson’s

leadership, and it is hoped that more gardeners will volunteer to help tend the gardens on the Boulevard. For something new, the Providence Parks Department is planning to test a permeable pavement in a badly worn section of the Boulevard path at Loring Avenue to see if it is practical for other parts of the path. It has been many years since the path was laid down, and recent upgrades using stone dust have not stood up well to the many thousand pairs of feet that pound up and down its 1.6 miles every year. Anticipating Winter Moths In the depths of winter, volunteers at the BPC, Parks Department leaders and local experts are wrestling with how best to respond to the double whammy of insect infestation and climate change. Last June BPC volunteers helped City Forester Doug Still assess the damage wreaked by winter moths on the Boulevard. He bemoans the damage done last year by this voracious predator, especially along the East Side of Providence, but lacks funds to tackle it. (AG. UMass.edu/Fact-Sheets/Winter-MothIdentification-Management) Eventually the parasitic fly Cyzenis albicans from UMass Amherst that was released in Lincoln Woods and Little Compton last year should work its way to the Blackstone Parks, but when? Trees cannot withstand moth attacks indefinitely and stressors like drought accelerate their decline.

The Conservancy uses donor contributions to water young trees in dry periods and is prepared to pay for spraying of certain vulnerable ones if the Forester decides it’s safe. Unfortunately, most sprays harm bees. Check the BPC website in March and April to see what action, if any, the City and the Conservancy decide to take against winter moths on the Boulevard. Cost will be a factor. Any spraying would occur in late April or early May as leaves unfold. How to Prepare for Climate Change Climate change encourages certain plant and insect pests and intense storms. We may not be able to do much about the insects at the moment, but in collaboration with Rhode Island’s environmental agencies and other non-profits the Conservancy is working to build resilience to erosion caused by stormwater through extensive trail and habitat restoration in the Blackstone Parks Conservation District and through public education. Recently back from the Paris conference and Bangladesh, Brown climate change expert Timmons Roberts will offer some ideas about how to build resilience on March 23 at Lippitt House. Check website for details. Kindly send your Eastside Marketplace receipts to Blackstone Parks Conservancy, P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906. 270-3014, www.BlackstoneParksConservancy.org, janeannpeterson@gmail.com –Jane Peterson

March 2016 East Side Monthly

Community Neighborhood News

Parking Solution Found for Waterman Street Dog Park One of the most exciting new developments with the Waterman Street Dog Park is a solution to the parking problems. With the support of neighbors at Richmond Square, the Dog Park Association has succeeded in moving the parking to the left hand side of Waterman Street. With the new parking arrangement, families who choose to drive will no longer have to walk their dogs across a street where traffic often moves quite quickly. It will make the park easier to access, prevent disruption of traffic flow and reduce the risk of traffic accidents. The Dog Park Association would like to thank the City of Providence, especially the Department of Public Works and the Parks Department, for agreeing to move the parking before the park opens at the start of spring. When the park opens, visitors who choose to drive will have a safe and convenient place to park and walk their dogs. Waterman Street Dog Park Association, 19 Luzon Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. wa t e r m a n S t D o g P a r k @ g m a i l .o r g , www.WatermanStDogPark.org -Samuel Bell

Wayland Square Neighborhood Discussion Group at Books on the Square Monthly Meetings Wednesdays, February 24 and March 23, from 7-8:45pm, Books on the Square, 471 Angell Street at Elmgrove Avenue, next to CVS. Free and open to all. Due to a conflict with the Summit Neighborhood Association’s annual membership meeting on Wednesday, April 27, our April meeting is tentatively set for Monday the 25, the evening before Rhode Island’s presidential primary elections. (The bookstore will be closed, and our meeting cancelled or postponed, if the City should declare a parking ban that day. Check our Yahoo! Group’s website listed below for any updates.)

East Side Monthly March 2016

Commercial Notes At the former United Way/FM Insurance building on Waterman Street at Wayland, another new business, Tropical Smoothie Café, was being prepared (as I write this in late January) between Massage Envy and Washington Trust’s East Side branch, which was to have a formal Grand Opening on February 3. The Trust itself has installed a driver-oriented ATM in the adjacent lower-level parking lot between Waterman and Seekonk Streets. (This is an unmanned ATM, rather than what I and some other neighbors had expected, a full-service drive-through window like the ones at Santander Bank on Lloyd and Elmgrove and Citizens Bank on Waterman and Brook.) More Information Check our Yahoo! Group’s public message board (below) to stay abreast of current local events and issues. Or join the group to receive regular announcements by e-mail, including select notices of neighborhood meetings, civic affairs and cultural events. Groups.Yahoo.com/Group/WaylandSquare -David Kolsky

Fox Point neighborhood Association Events this Month FPNA Board Meeting, 7pm Monday, March 14 at the Vartan Gregorian Bath House Community Room, 455 Wickenden Street. To Meter, or Not to Meter? At FPNA’s December board meeting, our guest, Councilman Seth Yurdin, casually mentioned that the City would be installing parking meters on Wickenden Street sometime in 2016. The board sat rather stunned for a few minutes before asking what could be done to avoid this unexpected parking scheme. Apparently, not much, the board was informed. “I sent an email to the mayor’s office requesting information about their plans,” Vincent Scorziello, president of the Wickenden Area Merchants Association, WAMA, said. “I

Multi-space meters like these are popping up all across the city

was told that the City Parking Administrator (Leo Perrotta) felt ‘it was too early to be presenting plans since the meters wouldn’t be installed until the spring.’” FPNA plans to invite the parking administrator to its March board meeting. Scorziello, who also serves on FPNA’s board, said he received the impression that the plan was already in place, and that meeting with our organization would be a formality. “This morning I sent an email to the WAMA list to gauge opinion on meters, and not surprisingly I’ve gotten lots of ‘No!’ “Besides WAMA’s (admittedly, self-interested) view that meters would keep people away and hurt business, we believe they would push cars onto side streets, as people try to avoid paying for parking,” he continued. WAMA and FPNA Says No! When asked by email, FPNA’s membership also reacted with an overwhelmingly negative response, Vice President Daisy Schnepel said. “Small neighborhood commercial areas are opposed to parking meters that adversely impact their businesses and residential neighborhoods,” she agreed. “Meters in larger commercial

areas such as downtown are certainly a no brainer, but where does it stop? Will Benefit Street be metered, too?” “I don’t support the expansion of meters, nor do I support the increase in the hours for required payment,” Councilman Seth Yurdin said. “If merchants of a particular area are consulted and are in agreement that it would be helpful for their business, I would certainly consider such a proposal,” he added. “But to date I have primarily heard opposition and have conveyed those concerns to the mayor’s office.” Yurdin also offered to facilitate and set up a meeting with the parking administrator. Once again, the City of Providence’s credit rating has been downgraded and there is talk in the news of possible bankruptcy, Schnepel noted. “If the City is on the brink, it would be a good idea to let the residents know and solicit ideas from them on how to avoid it,” she added. “In this case, you have to wonder if the potential revenue would be outweighed by declining sales tax revenues, the cost of new meters and additional personnel to monitor and ticket violations.” “They’re just plain ugly and would completely alter the look and feel of our street,” Dennis Wood, another

Photography by Tony Pacitti

Waterman Street Dog Park

Community Neighborhood News

longtime board member said. “This isn’t a downtown business district!” A resident on Armstrong Street noted that nearby residential areas are already short on parking. “We already suffer from the Wickenden Street shopping traffic overflow.” Another resident asked, “How can we encourage people to come and shop our area and spend their hard earned money, and then pay to park and probably get ticketed? Please continue to fight the mayor’s plan!” An Alternative View Jonathan Harris, an Assistant Professor of Design at Johnson & Wales University, and a consultant with the design firm, Transit Matters, said meters could help build more walkable, identifiable communities. “Perhaps, an agreement can be made with the City that a certain percentage of revenue comes back to the neighborhood or merchants association for reinvestment directly in the neighborhood,” he added. “It has been done elsewhere, though I do not know if there is precedence in Rhode Island.” Scorziello, who owns Campus Fine Wines, disagrees. “Every store on the street has built their business model with the current parking situation in mind,” he pointed out. “It’s unfair to try to correct decades of unsustainable car use by taking it out on the current crop of business owners on Wickenden Street.” “Convenience wins every time,” he added, noting that the overwhelming response from both memberships is that residents will stop shopping at Wickenden area stores. “In my particular instance, no one will ever walk more than a block carrying a case of wine.” In 2016, FPNA and WAMA have begun exploring ways to visually improve the shopping area, in particular the lighting. Wickenden Street offers a marketing benefit to future I-195 developments in Fox Point. Solving the growing parking shortage will become more important as construction begins this year on the first six-story, mixed use residential building in Fox Point. If you are interested in working on improving Wickenden Street,

contact fpna@cox.net. Fox Point Neighborhood Association, P.O. Box 603177, Providence, RI 02906. 2707121, www.FPNA.net, fpna@cox.net. -John Rousseau

College Hill neighborhood Association CHNA Supports New Brown Parking Area for Thayer The College Hill Neighborhood Association recently joined the Thayer Street District Management Authority (TSDMA), the Thayer Street Merchants Association and Wheeler School in support of Brown University’s amendment to their Master Plan that calls for the demolishing of seven houses and creation of a temporary parking lot that will be used to improve public parking for the street. The expectation is that it will provide some benefit for the community while Brown prepares for a specific project that it will address its residential or administrative needs within a five year timeframe. Updates on Prospect Terrace, Shark and Parking Meters Work continues on plans to improve Prospect Terrace which is such an integral part of College Hill. We are currently preparing to solicit grants so we can begin some initial stage one work with the City Parks Department in prepping the area. A public meeting is planned for later in the spring. Please call 751-7078 if you’d like to be involved in this project. We also continue to monitor the attempt to sell Shark, which is currently in bankruptcy court after its liquor license was not renewed related to the resignation and current prison term for former Speaker of the House Gordon Fox. CHNA will only support the liquor license of new owners who agree to abide by a probationary period before earning the right to sell liquor past midnight. In addition, the current parking meter situation on Thayer Street continues to be of concern to the neighborhood. There have been suggestions that the City is planning on extending the hours requiring

metering until 9pm, which certainly would be problematic for places like the Avon Theatre. As we go to press, the issue is still under discussion.

Experience. Integrity. Results.

Consider Joining our Board CHNA would love to talk to any resident interested in joining our Board of Directors. It’s a great way to learn more about the neighborhood, meet interesting fellow residents and help insure the quality of life we all enjoy in our community. In particular, we are looking for residents with legal expertise or with specific interests in the ongoing project to improve Prospect Terrace, planning social events or representing views of younger families moving into the area. We promise it will be enjoyable and we’d love to have you join us. Please call Barry Fain at 751-7078 or contact us through our website. News From Thayer Street The Thayer Street Merchants and restaurant owners are looking forward to welcoming everyone to the following events coming to Thayer Street with special discounts and deals for event attendees. The Avon Cinema will be one of three College Hill venues for the Providence Children’s Film Festival (be sure to catch the final days of the festival, which wraps up on February 21). The Film Festival is expected to bring 4,000 to 4,500 parents to the street over three weekends. Also continuing into March, the Street will be host to the second installment of Window Art Exhibitions at two locations. Check www.ThayerStreetDistrict. com for specific details. And coming in April, Wheeler will be holding their famous Wheeler Clothing and More Sale, with Thayer Street merchants providing special offers to all attendees. For more information about getting involved with the College Hill Neighborhood Association or becoming a member, please write us or go to our website and all will be revealed. College Hill Neighborhood Association, P.O. Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. 633-5230, www.CHNAProvidence. com, CHNA@CHNAProvidence.com. –Anthony Petrocchi, corresponding secretary

Call Gerri Schiffman (401) 474-3733 #1 Agent at Residential Properties Ltd. Since 1996

(401) 474-3733 gerri@residentialproperties.com

gerrischiffman.com residentialproperties.com

March 2016 East Side Monthly

EAST SIDE - COLLEGE HILL

EAST PROVIDENCE - RUMFORD

6 BEDROOMS | WEB ID: 1114509 $655,000 | 401.274.1644

4 BEDROOMS | WEB ID: 1116967 $399,900 | 401.274.1644

EAST SIDE - SOUTH MAIN

EAST SIDE - BLACKSTONE BLVD.

1 BED CONDO | WEB ID: 1116788 $219,000 | 401.274.1644

1ST FLOOR MASTER | WEB ID: 1100751 $875,000 | 401.274.1644

EAST SIDE COLLEGE HILL | WEB ID: 1111094 $2,450,000 | 401.274.1644

PROVIDENCE N E W P ORT

NARRAGANSETT

369 SOUTH MAIN STREET PROVIDENCE

J A M E S TO W N

401.274.1644 WATC H H I L L

B LO C K I S L A N D

Keel Club members • Are a statewide network of philanthropic leaders, representing over 1,400 households • Give annual gifts of $1,000 to $9,999 to the United Way of Rhode Island campaign • Invest $2.5 million annually in proven programs • Help change the lives of 250,000 Rhode Islanders

Best Real Estate and Social Media

Because we all need help sometimes. We help people. We help kids fall in love with learning. We help adults see new possibilities and reach career goals. We help families take care of the essentials. We provide one place for everyone to call when they need help—2-1-1. Join us.

United Way of Rhode Island Keel Club

Rebecca and Michael Marino, Keel Club members—making waves with leadership giving. PM_Mar2016_Keel_halfpg.indd 1

East Side Monthly March 2016

www.LIVEUNITEDri.org All of our fundraising costs, including this ad, are paid by a trust.

1/27/16 11:17 AM

The End

of an Era Remembering Buddy

Photo (Top) Courtesy of Trinity Repertory Company, (Bottom) Photography by Jonathan Beller

By Barry Fain and Steve Triedman

hether you love him or hate him, it’s difficult to imagine anyone who has ever had more impact on the City of Providence than the late Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci Jr. The longest serving mayor in Providence’s history, he left his imprint on the entire city. There wasn’t a neighborhood that he didn’t touch, and he led the revitalization of a dismal downtown into a cultural, retail and dining center. Every evening he attended multiple events throughout the city; every year he opened the Little League season, personally greeting every team and he never missed a graduation. He once mused that he thought he had personally met over 80% of the residents of Providence. Yet for all the obvious passion for his job and his city, Buddy’s actions, real or imagined, polarized the city as well. To those who liked him, he was seen as cooperative and compassionate. To those who didn’t, he was confrontational or worse, simply a convicted felon. His redeeming feature was that he was colorful. He’d often arrive late at a function, but he’d generally stay late and pretty soon “owned the room.” The division between devotees and detractors never disappeared even when the mayor was in prison. The Providence Preservation Society was taking nominations for 50 people to honor as part of their 50th anniversary in 2006. Though incarcerated in New Jersey, Buddy was nominated in recognition of his lifelong commitment to preservation. He had worked with B.A. Dario, the owner of what is now PPAC, and saved it from the wrecking ball, for example. When told of his

nomination, three members of the PPS Board threatened to resign if he was given the award. Almost simultaneously, three other members of the Board threatened to resign if he didn’t get it. In short, he did. That’s what makes summarizing the life of someone like the mayor so difficult. Everyone had their own unique “Buddy story” to tell, some amusing, some appreciative, some downright negative. Barbara Harris and Seth Kurn relocated to East Side over 30 years ago from Boston. During their first week, they were invited to Fox Point for brunch when their host hurriedly interrupted the meal to introduce them to the mayor. There, proudly astride a very large horse, was Buddy eager to stop and chat and welcome them personally to the city. “We’ll never know why or how he got there,” recalls Seth, “but he did.”

A Polarizing Persona To his supporters, Buddy was the lead champion for the city, a voice for minorities and a brilliant leader with great vision who was able to secure hundreds of millions of dollars of federal and private support for projects ranging from rebuilding the zoo and building a skating rink to getting lead paint removed from low income homes. Despite his naysayers, and there are many, just about every major initiative over the last 40 years had his imprint. True, his role may be somewhat inflated, but is that atypical for any politician? Al Gore still takes credit for inventing the Internet. The list of his achievements over his 21 years in office certainly

included being the front man or at least a major player in negotiating the Providence Place Mall, attracting the Providence Bruins, saving PPAC from demolition, developing our midnight basketball leagues and improving playgrounds, parks and new open spaces throughout the city. Never short of pitching big ideas, he offered bold plans for the city and often admitted one of his biggest regrets was not being able to transform the waterfront into a thriving seaport with residences, businesses, hotels and restaurants. To his detractors, however, a rather different story is told. To them, he was Darth Vader on steroids helping to create a national perception that Providence was a city for hire; a corrupt demagogue who used bribery and strong-armed tactics to create a criminal enterprise. And while there will be debate

about his true legacy for the foreseeable future, it cannot be denied that his track record certainly includes myriad well-documented missteps, both personal and political. A bedtime primer on much of this view remains former Providence Journal reporter Mike Stanton’s well-researched book The Prince of Providence. Yet ironically on the day that he died, the Journal’s lead story was “Believing in Providence,” a story about the Providence Foundation and everything that they had done in changing the city. The story actually reads like a eulogy to Buddy but never mentions him, yet it was his vision, leadership and ability to find the resources that got just about everything in the story accomplished. One story that illustrates Buddy’s character as well as his rapier-like wit, took place at a dinner at Vartan and Claire Gregorian’s house when he was president of Brown with the publisher of the Journal, his wife, Buddy and another guest. The conversation was WaterFirecentric, with one of the guests going on and on about Barnaby Evans and what his WaterFire had done for the city. Buddy was visibly seething but managed to keep his composure until he finally cracked and blurted out, “Now let’s be clear, if the city and state hadn’t moved the rivers and the railroad tracks and created this amazing venue, Barnaby Evans would just have been another arsonist on Track 3.” To say Buddy’s relationship with the Journal has always been contentious is an understatement, and it actually seems to have continued even after his passing. The old joke he used to tell was that if he was seen walking across the Seekonk River by a Journal reporter, the headline in the paper the next day would be “Cianci can’t swim.” In private conversations Buddy would rail against the editorial bias of the paper which he said stemmed from their not accepting the ascension of the city’s first ItalianAmerican mayor, a fact that certainly has traction in some areas of the city, if not the East Side. The vitriol has continued, even up to the final days before Buddy’s funeral. Bob Whitcomb, former editorial page editor of the Journal, was never a fan of Buddy and shared his negative thoughts of the departed mayor publicly with GoLocalProv.com, “The public is immature – a lot of it is that they like the entertainment quality. I think Providence came back in spite of, not because of, Buddy. There were companies that were scared away. He was a carnival barker. The better stuff would have happened anyway – the city would have come back.” And then there were the almost daily editorials against Buddy during last year’s mayoral campaign. The tone of much of it was perceived by many as over the top. Said one local observer: “Buddy will be on the defensive until the Journal runs out of commas, since he’s never referred to as anything but ‘Buddy Cianci, Convicted Two-Time Felon.’” Interestingly, since his passing, some of the outof-town press seems to be a bit more balanced, or at least nuanced, in its reflection on this larger-thanlife, and in some ways tragic, persona. In the NY Post he was labeled “the beloved rogue mayor” of

East Side Monthly March 2016

happy to be welcoming if they or a charity they were involved in needed something. On the other side, it was the overwhelming East Side support for Jorge Elorza that sealed his defeat in last year’s mayoral election, his first and only defeat in Providence.

Reminiscing About Our Mayor

Providence. One of the more interesting pieces was published in The New Yorker the week after Buddy passed away. Written by Philip Gourevitch, a writer for the magazine since 1997, he recalled his time covering the RICO trial in Providence that ended in Buddy’s conviction and sent him off to prison for five years. The government’s case against the mayor was, in his words, “as corrupt as anything he or his crooked cronies were charged with” as Gourevitch discredited each of the prosecution’s “star” witnesses and the unjustness of the RICO statute.

Journeying Through Politics Buddy took his first steps on a lifelong political odyssey in 1972 when he moved to the East Side to begin planning a run for mayor of Providence. A number of journalists in the last week have opined that Buddy entered the race expecting to lose but developed enough name recognition to then run for Attorney General. Not true. Buddy never entered a race he didn’t think he could win. He was a strong believer in polls and used them with precision. He knew all the crosstabs and what they meant and, like any savvy politician, they would occasionally influence his position on how strong or soft his support would be. Two years later, Buddy Cianci, now running as an anti-corruption Republican, made a deal with the long-time number two Democrat, delivered a strong turnout in three of the predominantly Italian wards as well and, aided by solid support from the East Side, was elected mayor. His election as a reformer was generally welcomed, but Buddy was acutely aware of a noticeable amount of ethnocentric chauvinism from the city’s business elite that he felt followed him throughout his career. When “they need something, they will call,” he would often say when referring to business leaders who were

Buddy had a great sense of humor and could be self-deprecating. He was the subject of many East Side Monthly April Fool’s issues and not only took them in great stride, he wouldn’t hesitate to inquire when he wasn’t a target. When we purchased Providence Monthly from its founder Greg Ferland, Buddy was there to help us launch a product he thought would be a useful addition to his city, even going so far as to pose as Santa Claus with three attractive elves on one of our first covers. And when RISD undergraduates asked him to coach their hockey team, Buddy jumped at the opportunity. When asked what he knew about coaching hockey, he shot back, “it’s RISD, what the hell do they know about hockey?” The team, known as the Nads, had a great following with their distinctive cheer “Go Nads!” Providence was on its way to becoming Worcester when Buddy was first elected, a town that was famously maligned by The Wall Street Journal as a “smudge on the way to the Cape.” There was little civic pride, little growth and no excitement. To ignore his unique role in creating the city’s renaissance, is a mistaken attempt to rewrite history in our view. The greatest irony is that many of his harshest critics have benefited financially because of the work that Buddy accomplished. What is perhaps the greatest loss will be the institutional knowledge of the city. Buddy knew better than anyone where the bodies were buried – hell, he put some there. But he understood the subtleties and nuances in making a city run. One famous example: He knew how to clear snow the right way, a lesson that he learned the hard way. Dan Healy, Buddy’s first director of Public Works, was constantly getting calls from the mayor as he crisscrossed the city from event to event criticizing and berating him and his department for the conditions of the roads, trash, signs and anything else he saw in his travels. When the first major snowstorm hit, Healy was summoned to the mayor’s office at the end of the day. When he got there he was not chastised because Buddy had been periodically looking at Kennedy Plaza and the streets were down to pavement. Healy was now “his man”! That night when Buddy was chauffeured home, even his route was clear. Healy was a hero… for about an hour until Buddy started to get complaint calls. He then discovered that Healy had had a snowplow circling Kennedy Plaza so all would look great to the mayor and that he had gotten Buddy’s driver to give him his route home to the East Side and had plows lead the way. So, what made Buddy so much the lightening rod that caused people to love him or hate him? Clearly the man was capable of incredible kindness and of outrageously poor behavior. Talking to many of his former staffers, a recurring theme is one of

Photography by Jonathan Beller

1117 Douglas Ave, #210, N. Providence

bemused frustration. “You just wish he had someone with him who would just quiet him down. ‘Buddy, you don’t need to pick up that fireplace log.’ ‘Buddy, you’ve made your point with the U-Club, just let it go.’” He was a complex man. He could light up a room when he wanted to, but could often be seen eating alone at a favorite restaurant. He could find the funds to keep a non-profit alive or he could respond to a slight by a restauranteur and try to shut the place down. The good news was that after his incarceration (a “bump in the road” he called it), he seemed to be mellowing out in his later years. The shame of his unexpected passing is that he appeared to be on the road to relaxing senior status. He had great ratings on his radio show. He was engaged to be married… finally. And he had plenty of stories to tell and advice to give. While Buddy often had a long memory of recalling slights real or imagined, he also had the capacity to forge strong relationships with people who accepted his style of leadership. Joe Paolino went from being a rival and adversary to a very close personal friend. “For the last ten years we spoke almost every day,” Paolino reminisced. “I’m happy that he will be lying in state in City Hall, which is more than appropriate given his service to the City. He would have been very pleased by the tremendous outpouring of support from the church with the Bishop leading his service.” Paolino said Providence “lost its greatest champion” when Cianci died, adding, “he gave his heart to Providence.”

Another person who has seen all sides of Buddy is Carolyn BenedictDrew. Before she became Director of Policy for David Cicilline, one of Buddy’s harshest critics, she had been the longtime executive director of the Family Service of Rhode Island, one of the oldest and largest social agencies servicing the children and families of the city. “It was the late ‘80s and we were trying to buy our building on the corner of Wickenden and Hope. It wasn’t easy, but he helped negotiate down the price and came up with the hundreds of thousands we needed.” She continues, “At my retirement party several years later, he referred to me as being like a nun. ‘Me a nun, what are you talking about?’ I asked. His response: ‘You come to me with a basket and ask me to fill it up. Then a little bit later, you come back again and ask me to fill it again.’ We laughed, but I will say whenever we needed his assistance or advice, he was the first one there to help us while encouraging others to join. He never forgot those from broken families or those in need.” In the end, it’s not so much what Buddy actually did but how he was able to get a city and many of its residents to believe in what Providence could be. He was always our biggest cheerleader and somehow got us to begin believing in ourselves. Though in many ways flawed, his commitment to the city he loved is undeniable. And with his passing, the burning question going forward will be who will be the next champion with the skill set and passion to reignite the enthusiasm that Providence once had and cannot afford to lose.

293 Woodward, Seekonk

Amazing two bedroom loft with all the bells and whistles. Featuring high ceilings, exposed brick, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, washer & dryer in unit, gated parking, gym in building. Low condo fee and walking distance to shopping.

This Bright & Immaculate 4BR Contemporary sits on a private 2 acre lot. Features include Open Floor Plan,3 Baths,New Kitchen,Central A/C, Generator,Nest,Fireplace,2-Car Garage,Sunrooms & InLaw Apt. Part of Aitken School District. A MUST SEE!!

MLS # 1106599 • $169,000 John Risica • 401-439-3634

MLS # 1107126 • $449,900 Sam Glicksman • 401-480-0852

278 Elgmrove, East Side

34 Barnes St #3, East Side

Immaculate Colonial in Freeman Plat features Period Detail, Master Suite, 5 Bds, 3.2 Bths, Hardwoods, Gourmet Kitchen opens to Formal Dining Room, Central A/C, Large Fenced Yard, 2 Patios, Garage, New Windows & custom gas fireplace. Move In Tomorrow!

Carefree city living at its best! Impeccable, stylish twnhse near park. Walk to Brown, Whole Foods & dwntwn+ Stunning soaring ceil, big wndws, nice hw, 2 firepl (living+mstrbd), in-unit w/d, handsome built-in bkcases, ample of storage/closets, 2cars+

MLS # 1113781 • $865,000 Sam Glicksman • 401-480-0852

MLS # 1115943 • $319,000 Ted Ngo • 401-286-4496

82-84 Savoy Street, Providence

86 Wannisett Avenue, East Providence

Sharp 2-fam in Elmgrove. Classic stucco ext. Fab 3 bed 2 bath owner townhouse. Granite/stainless kitchen with spa-like suite. Sparkling hardwoods. Dining room builtins. Fireplaces in each. 2-car garage and large fenced backyard. Very nicely updated and maintained.

Charm abounds in this wonderful Riverside home. Beautiful hardwoods throughout living, dining, office & 3 bedrooms upstairs. Sunroom is perfect for views of East Bay bike path & Bullock Cove. Private fenced yard, 1 car garage. Waddington schools!

$499,000 Taylor & Company • 401-270-7909

MLS # 1107804 • $239,000 Taylor & Company • 401-270-7909

William Raveis is the fastest growing real estate company in New England. The reason is simple: Raveis provides their agents with unprecedented levels of support and technologies, helping them to be some of the most savvy and successful consultants in the marketplace. To learn more: www.raveis.com/careers_awardwinningteam.asp

www.WRRealty.com PROVIDENCE | BRISTOL | WESTPORT | NEWPORT

203 South Main Street | Providence, RI 401-751-8100 • providence.ofﬁce@raveis.com March 2016 East Side Monthly

S a m s o n R e a l t y . c o m 3 4 6 W i c k e n d e n S t . P r o v i d e n c e , R I 0 2 9 0 3

( 4 0 1 ) 4 5 4 - 5 4 5 4

Walk-Ins Welcome List To Do

Call n o s m a S To d ay !

“Oh Doc- I tried to do my own rentals again.”

W h e n Y o u r P r o p e r t y N e e d s A n E x p e r t !

sponsored Content

Where the Wild Things Are Ruffin’ Wranglers™ takes dogs back to nature

most interesting of ways. For Blythe Penna, her career journey took a major turn when Roma Bella Principessa came into her life nine and a half years ago. Roma is a Vizsla with an incredible personality and reminds Blythe of what is truly important in life every day. When Roma was a puppy, she had boundless energy and only off leash running and playing would suffice. “Roma coming into my life was a deal changer. I don’t know that I have ever loved so deeply… I certainly was going to figure out how I could be with her every day,” Blythe says. A New AdveNture Originally from the Southeast, Blythe graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1991. She built a successful 14-year career in the medical devices industry, working her way to a Director of Women’s Health position for a company that focused on cutting edge treatments. Everything changed when Roma came along. Traveling weekly for her job, Blythe found it challenging to give Roma the attention and exercise she deserved. And that’s when she decided to go into business with her dog walker and came up with the concept for Ruffin' Wranglers™. “I wanted to deliver an incredible service for people like me that adored their animals and wanted the best for them,” she says. She envisioned a wide-open space where dogs could run free and off leash, not only to get exercise but also to socialize. “I wanted it to be a real adventure for dogs,” she explains. She took the leap in the last quarter of 2007 leaving her established career to create a unique – and fun! – business. As a dog owner, Blythe knew that her doggie excursion company had to be a premium service offering dogs and their people something far more exhilarating than a leash walk. “We aimed to take care of everything, from pick-up to drop-off and the blast they have inbetween…packaged in the most dependable, professional service company our clients had ever experienced.” she says. The adventure starts when a Ruffin’ Wranglers™ Honda Element truck pulls up to your house. A Wrangler picks up your dog and whisks them away to the beautiful Ruffin’ Wranglers™ Doggie Ranch in Rehoboth. The 15-acre private and wooded space is an ideal spot where dogs are in their element and can just be dogs. The pack gets the opportunity to run and play freely for over an hour in the country, gaining much needed physical activity and mental stimulation. “The quality of their lives is incredible,” Blythe says. “They have a better social life and exercise routine than most humans,” says with a laugh.

A wild BusiNess What started as a dream nine years ago has become one of the most successful dog companies in Rhode Island. In 2014, The Rhode Island Small Business Journal recognized Blythe and her incredible business journey by naming her one of the seven Entrepreneurial Women to Watch in Rhode Island. “I am extremely proud of the company that my Wranglers™ and I have built,” Blythe says. “We deliver canine nirvana on a daily basis, which in turn gives us immense satisfaction.” Blythe is also grateful for her ever-growing and loyal customer base. Referring to her clients as the Ruffin' Wrangler™ Family, she points out that she would have never accomplished what she has in nine years without the support of her human and canine clients. With 90% of new business coming from referrals, it’s clear that Ruffin’ Wranglers™ is a wild success. She’s looking forward to adding another truck to her growing fleet this year, as well as expanding the service areas. Ruffin’ Wranglers™ currently covers the East Side, West Side and downtown areas of Providence, along with Rumford, Seekonk, Barrington and Pawtucket’s Oak Hill. To have a career in which you provide and receive joy may very well be the definition of dream job. “Seeing just how excited the dogs are when the Ruffin' Wrangler™ Element pulls up to their homes is pretty amazing. There is nothing like connecting with an animal's spirit. They are pure love and they teach us lessons in love every day.”

Ruffin’ Wranglers™ • 401-419-4318 • www.ruffinwranglers.com • blythe@ruffinwranglers.com

Photography By: Cat Laine

Inspiration comes in the

ELISE PENN PANSEY

SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND'S LARGEST SKI AND SNOWBOARD SHOP

The Pet Friendly Realtor

We Fit Every Need Every Detail

END OF SEASON DEDICATION... ...is a word that is both used and abused these days. But I want you to know that I really am dedicated to my customers and to my profession. If a real estate transaction is in your future, let’s talk. Then you can decide for yourself if you really believe that I am... ...DEDICATED... to serving YOU! Call me today!

ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor Butterman & Kryston, Inc. 749 East Ave. Pawtucket, RI @ Blackstone Blvd

401.455.1625 www.elisepennpansey.com 401.521.9490 x22

SALE

20 40 %-

OFF

» Custom Boot Fitting » Performance Tuning » Apparel • Skis • Snowboards • Rentals » Kids Packages and Leasing starting at $99.95 95 to Exit 15 in Warwick • 105 Chestnut Street, Warwick Shop: (401) 781-4444 • www.RISkiShop.com

Create Your

Life & Business CoaCh

LegaCY sea view | sea friends | sea food BUCK - A - SHUCK Monday- Friday: 3-6pm PRiMe TiMe Sunday & Monday $24.95 Prime Rib Dinner THROwBACK THURSDAy Steamed Lobster Dinner with Two Sides For $20.15

"Your philosophy and encouragement pushed me to change my life. Big time." – TC

Want this to be your story? Call me

(401) 441-1626

brittanydrozd.com • brittany@brittanydrozd.com 32

East Side Monthly March 2016

Oceanside Dining on Narragansett Bay Facebook “f ” Logo

40 Ocean Road, Narragansett 401. 789.0700 • thecoastguardhouse.com

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

On the tOwn

Restaurant and Food | Dining Guide | Calendar of events

Flavor of the Month

Artisanal Sharing Milk Money’s shareable menu is bursting with hipster chic By Stephanie Obodda

Photography by Stacey Doyle

After our meal

in Providence’s relatively new Milk Money, in the lower level of an attractive brick building near India Point Park, the restaurant revealed its persona to me: Milk Money is your 20-something friend who is, as they say, on fleek. She photographs like a Madewell catalog, can poach (and Instagram) the perfect egg and she has zero pantry staples but at least a dozen artisanal bitters. In a restaurant, that kind of casual poise is anything but effortless. It was obvious that every detail was carefully chosen, from the green-tinted mason jars, the waitress “uniform” of chambray and denim, sly cocktail names and the pluck of including a 64-oz bone-in rib eye on the same page as a section casually titled “Veg n’ Such.” We started with two selections off the Seasonal Cocktails list. I had the A Rosé by Any Other Name ($12), an elegant and bright vodka-based cocktail with lemon, rosé and cherry marmalade. My husband, recovering from a cough, found solace in the Modern Man’s Elixir ($12), a hot toddy made with rye, ginger and honey, with the unexpected addition of pear. Milk Money’s menu is, like that of many newly-opened restaurants, designed for sharing, with sections like First Bites, Small Plates and Platters. I’m sure this trend will eventually swing out of style, but it’s practical for those of us who like to sample more of the menu. We selected one or two dishes at a time, deliberating our next as we ate. First, we had the Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs ($7), an order of four egg halves. I liked the addition of a small garnish of crispy fried trout skin on each half. The House-Pickled Vegetables ($15) was like a flipped charcuterie platter with an emphasis on vegetables. The pickled pink radishes, onion, carrots, cucumbers and the less

House-Pickled Vegetables at Milk Money

traditional asparagus made vegetables the colorful stars, while the meat and cheese – cured ham, sopressata and paté – took the backseat. The scattering of pistachios was also a nice touch. We continued with the Charred Octopus ($13). Attractively served in a round ceramic dish, the flavor and texture of the grilled octopus contrasted nicely with bitter frisée and smooth, creamy sunchoke purée. The Arugula Salad ($11) seems to be a mainstay on the menu with slight seasonal variations. This time, it featured ricotta, pistachios and dried blueberries. I enjoyed these dishes with a glass of the Valpolicella Ripasso Solane ($13). Ripasso indicates a second fermentation of Amarone grapes and skins, making for a rich, fullbodied wine with dark fruit flavors. Though the restaurant is partially below ground level, it is not at all basement-like, benefitting from large windows and warm lighting. A wall of

stacked milk crates and a barely-there milk advertisement painted on the exposed brick are attractive and thematically appropriate. It’s deceptively spacious, with a central bar and many smaller tables that can be easily combined to accommodate larger parties. We had made up our mind to try one of the large platters, and the Buttermilk-Fried Chicken & Biscuits ($32) seemed like a good choice at the end of a long day. With this, my husband ordered the PranQster beer from North Coast ($8), a Belgian-style Golden Ale. The chicken, one of several large platters, was surely enough for four. Even though our earlier plates were not very large, we barely made it through half. The round biscuits, which tasted like they were made with cornmeal, hid below large pieces of boneless fried chicken. Both were covered with a mushroom gravy with postage stamp-sized pieces of bacon. This is

comfort food on a large scale, and the biscuits will satisfy any salt-fiend. We tried two desserts, a Goat Cheese Frosted Carrot Cake ($10) and Beignets ($10). The beignets were freshly fried and had a bit of spice. The carrot cake was served as two rectangular slices with plenty of frosting. Goat cheese frosting on carrot cake is a great idea; the extra tanginess is a good foil for the sweet cake. In larger metropolitan areas, I’ve seen plenty of restaurants with similar menus, aesthetics and appeal. Milk Money has nailed these details, and left a mark on the ever changing local dining scene.

Milk Money 566 South Water Street Providence 649-4667 www.MilkMoneyRI.com March 2016 East Side Monthly

the East side realtor for You

Kira Greene

d oL

BuyeR's AGent

LIstInG AGent

BuyeR's AGent

LIstInG AGent

Find out why at www.KiraGreeneRI.com/happyclients

WE’VE

BEEN HERE SINCE 1919

That’s almost a century.

401-339-5621

kgreene@residentialproperties.com

East sidE ExpErt

Design Center & Hardware f 173 WICKENDEN PVD 401 421-5157 www.adlersri.com

Gotta get out? Have no time to spend? Pet CPR/First Aid Certified

East sidE UrgEnt CarE The Right Care, Right Now

PSI

Colds & Flu Minor Trauma Sprains & Strains

Bonded & Insured

X-Ray/Labs avaiLabLe

Pet Sitters International Member

Let Dakota's Pet Services care for your friend!

Workman’s Comp Exams Immunization DOT, School & Sports Physicals

Dog Walking • In-Home Boarding • Hotel Sitting Wedding Escort • Pick Up & Drop Off Taxi • Overnites Administration Of Medications • Pet Sitting & More!

appointments avaiLabLe foR tRaveL medicine

1195 North Main Street Providence (401) 861.3782 401-862-6097 • www.mydps.me • debbie@mydps.me 34

East Side Monthly March 2016

Mon-Fri: 9am to 8pm Sat & Sun: 9am to 4pm

On the town On the Menu

The Million Dollar Burger

A Delicious Partnership

Luxe Burger Bar celebrates a tasty milestone By Grace Lentini

Photography (L) Courtesy of Luxe Burger (Top R) by Mike Braca, (Bottom R) couresty of Nosh RI

Dr. Evil isn’t the

only one who thinks one million dollars is a lot of money. I’m pretty sure most folks would happily put that coin in their pocket. Now through May 21, winning one million dollars is as easy as rolling the dice, and you can do it at Luxe Burger Bar. Luxe is on its way to selling its one millionth burger, and to celebrate they’re giving guests the opportunity to win one million dollars. All you have to do is walk through the door and fill out an entry form – with no purchase necessary, mind you. “During a meeting we were discussing sales and I curiously asked, ‘how many to a million?’” explains owner and maestro John Elkhay. “My team and I thought it was very exciting to be on the road to a million burgers and we really wanted to share our excitement with our loyal guests. What could be better than to give someone a chance to win one million dollars?” Better yet, you can enter once a day from now until May 21 when Luxe will be hosting a special party. During the party, Luxe will draw one name, and the lucky guest whose name is drawn will roll four custom dice. The dice are six-sided, with two sides having a burger on it, two sides having draft beer, one side having a shake and one side having the Luxe logo. The lucky guest will have two chances to roll all four dice, with the goal of all four dice landing on the Luxe logo. If they do, Providence has a new millionaire. On Luxe’s road to their millionth burger, they’ve had a lot of memorable moments along the way. Celebrities that have graced their booths include Snoop Dogg, The Black Crowes, Tedy Bruschi, Brandon Spikes and Peter King, to name a few. To keep locals and celebrities well fed, they’ve sold roughly 1,800 burgers a week, which breaks down to about one burger sold every five minutes. If you need a burger recommendation, you might want to try Elkhay’s favorite, the M.O.A.B (Mother of all Burgers). It’s pure Hereford Beef, black pastrami, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, jalapeños, American and cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and chipotle peppers. 5 Memorial Boulevard, Providence. 621-5893, www.LuxeBurgerBar.com

Luxe Burger Bar is serving up burgers and a boatload of bucks

On March 5 and April 2, prepare for a five-course beer-paired dinner at Foolproof Brewing Company in collaboration with Delsie Catering and Events. Prior to dinner, guests will savor beer-inspired hors d’oeuvres and handcrafted beer selections from Foolproof, all while enjoying a tour of the brewery and an explanation of the brewing process. After cocktail hour, get ready for some serious food porn: a soft beer pretzel with local honey, Foolproof Golden Ale Sabayon, pickled green apple and red pepper relish and smoked sea salt. And that’s just the amuse bouche. There are still three more courses and an Intermezzo. Want a sneak peek of dessert? Think Foolproof Revery Russian Imperial Stout ice cream with fig and peanut relish, rosemary caramel, Foolproof Peanut Butter Porter chocolate ganache and Pop Rocks. After dinner, attendees will receive complimentary “lustrous parting gifts,” yet to be disclosed. “This is a great opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to witness first-hand how well craft beer pairs with food,” says Foolproof Brewing Company President and Founder Nick Garrison. “In a state with such a great food culture, we want to showcase that beer is an integral part of that culture.” $165. 7pm. 241 Grotto Avenue, Pawtucket. www.DelsieFoolproofBeerDinner.Eventbrite.com

A Healthy Choice The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers’ Market is a wintry Saturday morning tradition at this point. Families stroll the hallways of the converted mill, grab staples and treats for the week, then perhaps stop by a food truck for an afternoon meal. Well, now there’s another culinary offering under the same industrial roof. FabiBites doubles down on healthy meal options, and makes sure they’re tasty, too. Think fresh and crunchy veggie wraps, from-scratch chicken salad, grilled cheese, new iced tea flavors every day and even bakery items like scones and croissants. But more than anything else, they’re known for their soups. “I’m really good at soup,” explains owner and chef Fab Goldberg. “We try to get as many veggies from local farms as possible. Most items, including the soups, are made from scratch, like the vegetable and chicken broth, and we have about 122 soups in our repertoire. You can expect at least one vegan or vegetable soup… we try to accommodate food sensitivities.” Plus, Fab incorporates seasonal fare into her soups. Think Cream of Asparagus, Vegan Morroccan Chili or Persian Wedding soup. You can even take quarts of her soups to-go along with oven-ready dinners on Fridays after a long work week. 1005 Main Street, Suite 8226, Pawtucket. 481-4008, www.Facebook.com/FabiBites

March 2016 East Side Monthly

Meet the new guy on the block

Est. 1898

Jerem i e B l u m

W here pedi g re e, pre st i g e an d pro bl e m s o l v i n g m e e t .

607.339.7177

jeremie.blum@c21.com

FINE HOMES & ESTATES®

BUTTERMAN & KRYSTON, INC.

Shop online pick up Same day! We'll bring your order right to your car

let our associates shop for you, picking out the very best

eastsidemarket.com 165 Pitman Street Providence • 831-7771 36

East Side Monthly March 2016

RHODY BITES A Sponsored Statewide Dining Guide

View our full Restaurant Profiles on RhodyBites.com

KitchenBar KitchenBar is a delicious addition to Providence’s thriving Hope Street community, serving great food at great prices. The sleek restaurant offers an impressive, varied selection of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine for lunch and dinner daily. Menu favorites include the house made meatloaf, lamb burger, steak frites and build your own calzones and pizzas. The Dakos Greek salad, a hearty mix of lettuces, cucumber, red

onion, Kalamata olives, feta and their own tzatziki sauce, is a one of the authentic specialty dishes here. The lounge area, an intimate bar where guests can enjoy shared plates over conversation, also offers creative cocktails and a full bar. With a focus on fresh ingredients delivered daily, fairly priced food, friendly service and a casual yet upscale setting, KitchenBar continues to be a dining destination in the capital city.

Can’t Miss Dish: New Zealand Lamb Rack – a grilled marinated rack of lamb, served over red bliss mashed potatoes.

771 Hope St, Providence • 331-4100 10 Prime Steak & Sushi Gourmet steaks and sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 4532333. LD $$$

Blend Café Modern Latin-American infused fare. 745 Reservoir Ave, Cranston, 270-5533. BBrLD $-$$

Angelo’s Civita Farnese Restaurant Italian American comfort food classics. 141 Atwells Ave, Providence, 621-8171. LD $-$$

Bluefin Grille at the Providence Marriott Downtown Seasonal and sustainable seafood in an elegant atmosphere. 1 Orms St, Providence, 272-5852. LD $-$$

AQUA Poolside cocktails with seasonal American cuisine. 1 Orms St, Providence, 272-2400. LD $-$$ Aruba Steve’s Island cuisine, handcrafted cocktails and Caribbean flair. 520 Main St, Warren, 289-2677. LD $-$$ Aspire Seasonal Kitchen Contemporary New England fare. 311 Westminster St, Providence, 521-3333. BBrLD $$-$$$ Besos Kitchen & Cocktails Tapas and eclectic cuisine and cocktails. 378 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-8855. BrLD $$$

Photo by Dan Schwartz

Bistro 22 New American rustic cuisine in Garden City. 22 Midway Rd, Cranston, 383-6400. LD $-$$ Black Bass Grille Classic seafood, historic waterfront setting. 3 Water St, South Dartmouth, MA, 508-999-6975. LD $$

Breachway Grill Classic New England fare, plus NY-style pizza. 1 Charlestown Beach Rd, Charlestown, 213-6615. LD $$

KitchenBar

dining. Oak Harbor Village, 567 S County Tr, Exeter, 295-5559. BrLD $-$$$ Centro Restaurant & Lounge Contemporary cuisine and cocktails. 1 W Exchange St, Providence, 228-6802. BLD $$$ Champlins Seafood Dockside fresh seafood serving easy breezy cocktails. 256 Great Island Rd, Narragansett, 783-3152. LD $-$$

Café Nuovo Contemporary New World cuisine. 1 Citizens Plz, Providence, 4212525. LD $-$$$

Chez Pascal/The Wurst Kitchen Seasonal farm-to-table cuisine with a French accent. House made sausages, hot dogs and accoutrements. 960 Hope St, Providence, 421-4422. LD $-$$$

Capriccio Upscale international food with a northern Italian/Mediterranean accent. 2 Pine St, Providence, 421-1320. LD $-$$$

Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline. 3000 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 944-4900. BrLD $$$

Carriage Inn & Saloon Regional comfort food accompanied by a whiskey bar. 1065 Tower Hill Rd, North Kingstown, 294-8466. D $-$$

Circe Restaurant & Bar South Beach meets New England seafood favorites. 50 Weybosset St, Providence, 437-8991. BRLD $-$$$

CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in an historic setting. 14 Imperial Place, Providence, 751-9164. BrLD $$-$$$

Clean Plate Delicious comfort food in a casual setting. 345 S. Water St, Providence, 621-8888. BBrLD $$

Celestial Café Organic farm-to-table fine

Condessa

Restaurant

Contemporary

Mexican cuisine with from-scratch margaritas. 970 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 349-3935. LD $-$$ Cook & Dagger Kicked up American fare with artisanal cocktails. 566 Putnam Pike, Smithfield, 349-3927. BrD $-$$ Decadent Designs and Cafe Custom cakes and pastries alongside a fresh cafe with soups and sandwiches. 1285 Park Ave, Cranston, 942-9300 BL $ DeWolf Tavern Gourmet American/Indian fusion. 259 Thames St, Bristol, 2542005. BLD $$-$$$ The Dorrance Fine dining with exquisite cocktails. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 521-6000. D $$$ Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$ Ella’s Fine Food & Drink Elegant dining meets international cuisine. 2 Tower St, Westerly, 315-0606. D $-$$$ Flatbread Company Artisanal pizza, local ingredients. 161 Cushing St, Providence, 273-2737. LD $-$$

Key: B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+

March 2016 East Side Monthly

RHODY BITES Continued

Fresco Italian American comfort food with international inspirations. 301 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0027; 140 Comstock Pkwy, Cranston, 228-3901. D $-$$

Laurel Lane Country Club Upscale pub cuisine overlooking a picturesque golf course. 309 Laurel Ln, West Kingston, 783-3844. LD $-$$

George’s of Galilee Fresh caught seafood in an upscale pub atmosphere. 250 Sand Hill Cove Rd, Narragansett, 7832306. LD $-$$

Legends Pub and Grub Hometown pub food and brews with ample sports viewing. 1458 Park Ave, Cranston, 2704170. LD $

Harry’s Bar & Burger Handcrafted sliders, brews and pub games. 121 N Main St, Providence, 228-7437; 301 Atwells Ave, 228-3336. LD $-$$

Lim’s Restaurant Upscale Thai and fresh sushi. 18 South Angell St, Providence, 383-8830. LD $$

Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House Classic clam shack fare, plus famous doughboys. 889 Oakland Beach Ave, Warwick, 737-9459; 1157 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 783-5608. LD $ Iron Works Tavern A wide variety of signature American dishes in the historic Thomas Jefferson Hill Mill. 697 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick, 739-5111. LD $-$$$

Maharaja Indian Restaurant Indian cuisine and traditional curries in a warm setting. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 3639988. LD $-$$

Jacky’s Galaxie Local Pan-Asian chain offering sushi and classic entrees in a modern atmosphere. Locations in Providence, North Providence, Bristol and Cumberland, jackysgalaxie.com. LD $-$$$

Mia’s Prime Time Café Upscale café cuisine by the Pawcatuck River. 1 West Broad St, Pawcatuck, CT, 860-599-3840. BLD $$

Kabob and Curry Award-winning Indian food serving Providence since 1987. 261 Thayer St, Providence, 273-8844. LD $-$$ Kartabar Mediterranean-style cuisine, chic setting. 284 Thayer St, Providence, 331-8111. LD $-$$ KitchenBar Contemporary comfort cuisine. 771 Hope St, Providence, 331-4100. BrLD $$

Phil’s Main Street Grille Classic comfort food; great rooftop patio. 323 Main St, Wakefield, 783-4073. BBrLD $

Paragon & Viva Contemporary dining and nightlife. 234 Thayer St, Providence, 331-6200. BrLD $-$$

Pho Horn’s Fresh authentic Vietnamese dishes in a colorful setting. 50 Ann Mary St #403, Pawtucket, 365-6278. LD $-$$

Parkside Rotisserie & Bar American bistro specializing in rotisserie meats. 76 South Main St, Providence, 331-0003. LD $-$$

Pizzico Diverse Italian and fusion cuisine in a rustic yet eclectic atmosphere. 762 Hope St, Providence,

Worth The Drive:

McBride’s Pub Traditional Irish pub fare in Wayland Square. 161 Wayland Ave, Providence, 751-3000. LD $$

Ivy Tavern Top quality bar fare plus Korean specialties like Bibimbap. 758 Hope St, Providence L-D $-$$

Julian’s A must-taste Providence staple celebrating 20 years. 318 Broadway, Providence, 861-1770. BBrLD $$

The Olive Tap Extra virgin olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars and gourmet food and gift selections. 485 Angell St, Providence, 272-8200. $$-$$$

Malted Barley American craft beer, gourmet pretzels and creative sandwiches in downtown Westerly. 42 High St, Westerly, 315-2184. LD $$

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steak Mixed grill selections and signature fish dishes sourced locally and seasonally. 11 Dorrance St, Providence, 351-4500. BLD $$-$$$

Jigger’s Diner Classic ‘50s diner serving breakfast all day. 145 Main St, East Greenwich, 884-6060. BL $-$$

Mill’s Tavern Historic setting for New American gourmet. 101 N Main St, Providence, 272-3331. D $$$ Napolitano’s Brooklyn Pizza Classic Italian fare and traditional New York-style pizzas. 100 East St, Cranston, 383-7722; 380 Atwells Ave, Providence, 273-2400. LD $-$$ Nordic Lodge Surf and turf buffet selections perfect for family gatherings. 178 E Pasquisett Trl, Charlestown, 7834515. LD $$$ Oceanside at the Pier New England fare overlooking the Atlantic. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 792-3999. BrLD $$ Ocean State Sandwich Company Craft

Simone’s

Simone’s Simone’s Restaurant is that rare blend: a relaxed, friendly, comfortable restaurant that serves impeccably fresh, local, refined fare. Chef Joe Simone honed his culinary chops all over the country, spending years as a private chef in Europe, San Francisco and Nantucket before coming home to Rhode Island to open The Sunnyside, the much-beloved (and much-missed) breakfast and lunch spot in Warren. He closed The Sunnyside to open Simone’s, which serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner (depending on the day of the week). All of Chef Joe’s refined tastes converge at Simone’s, which has a locavore sensibility and a global palate. The Cioppino with sea scallops, cod, mussels and

East Side Monthly March 2016

clams is traditionally a San Franciscan recipe, but as Simone explains, his owes a lot to the preparation at his favorite restaurant in Marseilles, France. Much of the menu is prepared using the restaurant’s forno, a high-heat Italian oven that creates everything from Oven Baked Eggs with leeks, mushrooms and pancetta for breakfast to Chive Gnocchi with lobster and mushrooms for dinner. “We really want to bridge the gap between the producer and the guest,” Chef Joe says. “We want you to know who grows everything we’re serving. If you come in for dinner, there’s a very real chance that the clams were in Narragansett Bay this morning.”

Can't Miss Dish: Wood Grilled Lobster with spiked olive oil, roasted peppers and wilted escarole

275 Child St, Warren • 247-1200

For full restaurant profiles, go to RhodyBites.com

Pat’s Italian Fine Italian favorites, natural steaks and handcrafted cocktails. 1200 Hartford Ave, Johnston, 2731444. LD $-$$$

Photography by Rupert Whiteley

Haruki Japanese cuisine and a la carte selections with casual ambiance. 1210 Oaklawn Ave, Cranston, 463-8338; 172 Wayland Ave, Providence, 223-0332; 112 Waterman St, Providence, 4210754. LD $-$$

Luxe Burger Bar Build your own creative burger. 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $

sandwiches and hearty sides. 1345 Hartford Ave, Johnston. 155 Westminster St, Providence, 282-6772. BL $-$$

421-4114; 308 County Rd, Barrington, 247-0303. LD $-$$$ Providence Coal Fired Pizza Old world coal-fired pizzas, appetizers and entrees made from scratch. 385 Westminster St, Providence, 454-7499; 6105 Post Rd, North Kingstown, 885-7499. LD $-$$

Taullulah on Thames Farm-driven, a la carte and prix fixe menus in a simply decorated setting. 464 Thames St, Newport, 849-2433. BrD $$$ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/ American bistro. 16 W Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$

Public Kitchen & Bar American food with changing daily inspirations. 120 Francis St, Providence, 919-5050. BrLD $-$$

Ten Rocks Tapas Bar Cape-Verdean inspired small plates, handcrafted cocktails and frequent live music. 1091 Main St, Pawtucket, 728-0800. BrLD $-$$

Rasa Authentic and contemporary Indian. 149 Main St, East Greenwich, 3982822. LD $$

The Coast Guard House Modern New England fare with Bay views. 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett. 789-0700. LD $$-$$$

Rasoi Vegetarian-friendly Indian cuisine. 727 East Ave, Pawtucket, 7285500. LD $$

Tortilla Flats Fresh Mexican, Cajun and Southwestern fare, cocktails and over 70 tequilas. 355 Hope St, Providence, 7516777. LD $-$$

Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 3982900. BrLD $$ Rick’s Roadhouse House-smoked barbecue. 370 Richmond St, Providence, 272-7675. LD $-$$ Roberto’s Italian fine dining and large wine selection in the scenic East Bay. 450 Hope St, Bristol, 2549732. D $$-$$$ Sa-Tang Fine Thai and Asian fusion cuisine with gluten-free selections. 402 Main St, Wakefield, 284-4220. LD $-$$ Scampi Seafood and Italian cuisine with expansive water views. 657 Park Ave, Portsmouth, 293-5844. LD $$ The Sea Goose Seafood with New England and southern flair. 265 Post Rd, Westerly, 315-0788. LD $$-$$$

Trinity Brewhouse Rhode Island’s original brewpub. 186 Fountain St, Providence, 453-2337. LD $-$$

Dr. David A. Vito Dr. John D. Corrow Dr. Carl D. Corrow

Dr. J. Lawrence Norton Dr. Matthew D. Doyle Dr. Michael R. Martinez

Accepting new pAtients • Emergencies Seen Immediately • Same Day Appointments Often Available • Evening and Weekend Hours Available • Glaucoma

• • • • •

Macular Degeneration Cataract Diabetic Eye Disease Designer Glasses Specialty Contact Lenses

331-2020 • AdvancedEyeCareRI.com • 780 North Main Street, Providence

3 weeks unlimited yoga for $30

Twin Willows Fresh seafood and water views in a family-friendly atmosphere. 865 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, 7898153. LD $-$$ Vanuatu Coffee Roasters Artisan-crafted, single origin coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches. 294 Atwells Ave, Providence, 273-1586. BL $-$$ Vetrano’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Italian cooking like grandma would make. 130 Granite St, Westerly, 348-5050. LD $$ The Village Casual dining and live entertainment. 373 Richmond St, Providence, 228-7222. BrLD $$ Vittoria’s NY Pizza Best pizza north of Manhattan. 224 Post Rd, Westerly, 3221901. LD $-$$

Theatre 82 & Cafe Hybrid art space with all day breakfast, coffee and theatreinspired entrees. 82 Rolfe Sq, Cranston. 490-9475 BL $

Waterman Grille Riverfront New American dining. 4 Richmond Sq, Providence, 521-9229. BLD $$$

Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich, Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$-$$$

Wes’ Rib House Missouri-style barbecue, open late. 38 Dike St, Providence, 4219090. LD $$

Simone’s Gourmet brunch followed by upscale Mediterranean cuisine. 275 Child St, Warren, 247-1200. BBrLD $$-$$$

What Cheer Tavern & Taqueria Neighborhood gastropub, taqueria and beer garden. 228 New York Ave, Providence, 680-7639. D $-$$

PROVIDENCE

EAST GREENWICH

Now offering the Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method “After a week of treatment, all the pain was gone... I recommend Dr. Tom to everyone I know.” – J.T.

Northeast Chiropractic Dr. Thomas morison, ChiropraCTiC physiCian

861-1300 • 187 Waterman Street • wickedgoodposture.com

Sophia’s Tuscan Grille BYOB eatery with classic Tuscan dishes and homemade desserts. 1729 Warwick Ave, Warwick, 732-6656. BLD $-$$$

Whiskey Republic Delicious dockside pub fare. 515 South Water St, Providence, 588-5158. LD $-$$

SALES - RENTALS

T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich, Narragansett, 946-5900. BL $

XO Cafe Creative cocktails and New American fare. 125 N Main St, Providence, 273-9090. BrD $$

Broker/Owner • 401-837-1976 joe@joedechristofaro.com www.JoeDeChristofaro.com

@RhodyBites

facebook.com/RhodyBites

SOUTH KINGSTOWN

allthatmatters.com | 401.782.2126

JOE DECHRISTOFARO

“Serving the East Side” March 2016 East Side Monthly

Fully licensed by Rhode Island’s Department of Children,Youth, and Families, the ECC adheres to all DCYF regulations, policies, and procedures. Committed to meeting national standards of quality, our ECC is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as Bright Stars. Our care providers and teachers are carefully screened, chosen for their love of children, and trained in CPR and first aid. We also have a registered nurse on staff. For more information or to schedule a tour, contact us at 401.421.4111or ECC@jewishallianceri.org. 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906

East Side Monthly March 2016

Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

Monday, March 28 2:00 p.m.

Please call for more information.

401-275-0682 (RI Relay 711)

One Butler Avenue Providence, RI 02906 Next to Eastside Marketplace

www.EPOCHEastSide.com

Some of the intriguing titles our members have selected include: The Prince hiavelli Niccolò Mac

We welcome children of all faiths and backgrounds.

The Big Short:

Sándor Márai

The David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center (ECC) provides high quality half and full-day early childhood education programs within an enriched Jewish environment. We are dedicated to providing a secure and loving atmosphere so that young children can develop a positive self-image and grow intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially.

What led to the 2008 market crash?

Embers

at the Dwares JCC

The Stranger • Albert Camus

Early Childhood Center

A thought-provoking, monthly journey for avid readers.

Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee

David C. Isenberg Family

Join EPOCH’s Book Club!

Crabwalk • Günter Grass

Now accepting registration for the 2016 - 2017 school year!

The Warden Anthony Trollope Empty Mansions Bill Dedman

The Johnstown Flood David McCullough

Assisted Living . Memory Care . Respite . Fitness

On the town Calendar

By Courtney Denelle

March music | performance | social happenings | galleries | sports

Wardill’s When you Fall into a Trance is one installment featured in RISD’s Projections series

DON’T MISS THIS MONTH: 10 events at the top of our list

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Emily Wardill: When You Fall into a Trance. March 10 at the RISD Museum. www.RISDMuseum.org. Lady Project Summit. March 12 at VETS. www.LadyProjectSummit.com. Brain Week. March 12-20 at Brown University. www.BrainWeekRI.org.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. March 3-6 at the Stuart Theatre. www.Brown.edu/Tickets. March Madness. NCAA Basketball Playoffs, Rounds 1 and 2. March 17 and March 19 at The Dunk. www.Friars.com. Etsy Mill Gypsies. March 6 at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. www.Facebook.com/EtsyMillGypsies.

2016 Heart Warming Winter Ball. March 12 at the Roger Williams Carousel Village in Cranston. www.TheHouseOfHopeCDC.org. Epistolary Acts with Frequency Writers. March 9-30 at School One. www.FrequencyWriters.org.

Photo (Top) courtesy of the RISD Museum, Photo (Bottom) by Cat Laine

Meditation Circle: Finding the Center. March 10-31 at Hamilton House. www.HistoricHamilton.com. Girls Who Code Club. Thursdays at Rochambeau Public Library. www.ProvComLib.org.

WORDSMITH

A Lady of Letters A vastly interwoven tapestry of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal and power in Second Iron Age Israel is the order of the day on March 25 as the Athenaeum hosts and toasts Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks on her new novel at Salon: Geraldine Books on The Secret Chord, featuring a reception and reading followed by a book sale and signing. 5-7pm. 251 Benefit Street, Providence. 421-6970, www.ProvidenceAthenaeum.org.

March 2016 East Side Monthly

On the town Calendar continued...

arena & club | classical ARENA & CLUB AURORA Mondays: Free Live Music. 276 Westminster Street, Providence. www.AuroraProvidence.com. CHAN’S FINE ORIENTAL DINING March 4: Peacheaters. March 5: Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. March 11: Groove Merchants. March 12: Love Dogs. March 13: Jo Anne Shaw Taylor and Jared James Nichols. March 17: Coco Montoyo. March 18: Delta Generators. March 25: Duke Robillard. 267 Main Street, Woonsocket. 7651900, www.ChansEggRollsandJazz.com. LUPO’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL March 19: May Day Parade – The Maine. 79 Washington Street, Providence. 331-5876, www.Lupos.com. THE MET March 4: Bruce and the USA. March 18: Max Creek. March 19: WBRU Rock Hunt Finals. March 25: Flatbush Zombies. March 26: Titus Andronicus. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 729-1005, www.TheMetRI.com. TWIN RIVER March 18: Grand Funk Railroad and the Guess Who. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 723-3200, www.TwinRiver.com. CLASSICAL BILTMORE Thursdays: Live jazz. 11 Dorrance Street, Providence. 421-0700, www.ProvidenceBiltmore.com. RHODE ISLAND PHILHARMONIC March 23: Sir James Galway. Fridays: Amica Rush Hour. Saturdays: TACO Saturday Classical. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. www.RI-Philharmonic.org.

PeRFORMAnCe

comedy | dance | theatre COMEDY ARTISTS EXCHANGE

East Side Monthly March 2016

March 12: Laugh out Loud! with Jessica Chase and Friends. 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, www. Artists-Exchange.org. COMEDY CONNECTION March 4-5: Big Jay Oakerson. March 11-12: Kurt Metzger. March 18-19: Nikki Carr. March 24: Loni Love. March 25: Brad Williams. March 26: Dan Crohn. March 31: John Valby “Dr. Dirty.” Fridays: Hardcore Comedy. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 438-8383, www.RIComedyConnection.com. EVERETT Fridays: Friday Night Live. 9 Duncan Avenue, Providence. 831-9479, www. EverettRI.org.

Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. 9211777, www.OceanStateTheatre.org.

of the Arts, Providence. 421-2787, www.TheVetsRI.com.

PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER March 9-13: The Sound of Music. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 4212787, www.PPACRI.org.

expos | fundraisers | seasonal

TRINITY REP March 3-31: To Kill a Mockingbird. 201 Washington Street, Providence. 3514242, www.TrinityRep.com.

FOR FOODIES BIN 312: Thursdays: Wine Tasting. 312 South Main Street, Providence. 7140040, www.Bin312.com.

VETS March 1: R5: Sometime Last Night Tour. March 31: Joe Satriani: Surfing to Shockwave Tour. 1 Avenue

BOTTLES Fridays: Beer Tasting. Saturdays: Wine Tasting. 141 Pitman Street, Providence. 372-2030, www.BottlesFineWine.com.

SOCIAL hAPPenInGS

DANCE AS220 Mondays: Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance. Tuesdays: Yobalates. Wednesday: Open Level Modern Dance. Sundays: Beginner and Intermediate Ballet. 95 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.AS220.org. FESTIVAL BALLET SCHOOL March 4-14: The House of Bernarda Alba and The Lady of the Camiellias. Mondays: Beginner Ballet. Thursdays: Intermediate/Advanced Modern. 825 Hope Street, Providence. 353-1129, www.FestivalBallet.com. PROVIDENCE TANGO Fridays: Free Tango Lessons. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 288-1170, www.ProvidenceTango.com. THEATRE AURORA March 1-18: The Burbage Theatre Company presents Titus Andronicus. 276 Westminster Street, Providence. www.AuroraProvidence.com. GAMM THEATRE March 1-27: A Skull in Connemara. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 7234266, www.GammTheatre.org. OCEAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY March 1-13: 1776: The Musical. 1245

THE ART OF DANCE

Graceful Grief The State Ballet of Rhode Island presents the timeless love story, Giselle, from the stage of Roberts Hall Auditorium, elegantly spinning the heartbreaking tale of a peasant girl and her love forlorn. March 18, 10am & 7:30pm; March 19, 1:30pm. Roberts Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College, Mount Pleasant Avenue. 334-2560, www.StateBallet.com.

Photo courtesy of the State Ballet of Rhode Island

MUSIC

i RR Nv New iv eN iN to g R Da y il y

The Best Noodle Soup in Town

50 Ann Mary Street, Pawtucket (Off N. Main in Job Lot plaza) 365-6278 • phohorns.com

Mon-Thur 11am-10pm Fri-Sat 11am-11pm Sun 11am-9pm

Reliable Furniture Gallery We Buy & Sell Quality Furniture

Full Service eState liquidationS 40 Years Experience In Antiques Wicker Restoration By “The Bentons” Wed-Fri: 11-6pm • Sat/Sun: 10-4pm Mon/Tues By Appointment

Mid Century Post Modern

Do you believe we can do better for Rhode Islanders and have ideas about affordable choices for housing?

Rattan

We need your help—join us.

Vintage Wicker

HOUSING FOR ALL

Antiques

United Way of Rhode Island 2016 Summit

Oriental Rugs

Monday, March 14, 2016, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston, R.I.

Glassware & more!

881 Westminster Street, Providence • 861-6872 reliablejewelryandloan.com

Free and open to the public—registration is required. Register online at uwriweb.org/housingforallsummit2016 For more information, contact Naomi Leipold at naomi.leipold@uwri.org or (401) 444-0625.

small space ad_v2.indd 1

1/27/16 11:23 AM

MARKETING DESIGN PRINT

Authentic Cape Verdean Tapas • We host Corporate Events and Special Occasions • Tuesday Open Mic Jazz Session with 50 Cent Wings • Wednesday Dinner for 2, for the Price of 1, Accompanied with a Bottle of Wine • Thursday Paella Special

1091 Main Street, Pawtucket (just over line) • 728-0800 Tues-Thurs 4pm-11pm • Fri-Sun 4pm-1am March 2016 East Side Monthly

On the town Calendar continued...

ENO Fridays and Saturdays: Wine Tasting. 225 Westminster Street, Providence. 521-2000, www.EnoFineWines.com. FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND Wednesdays and Saturdays: Wintertime Farmers’ Market. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.FarmFreshRI.org.

THE

place for sushi

HAMILTON HOUSE March 9: Whiskey and Wine Tasting. 276 Angell Street, Providence. 831-1800, www.HistoricHamilton.com. NEW HARVEST COFFEE ROASTERS Fridays: Free coffee tasting. 3-4:30pm. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.NewHarvestCoffee. com. OTHER AL-ANON Sundays: 7pm. First Unitarian Church, 1 Benevolent Street, Providence. Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12:10pm. St. Stephens Church, 114 George Street, 2nd floor, Providence. Wednesdays: 7:30pm. Church of the Redeemer, 655 Hope Street, Providence. Fridays: 7:30pm and Saturdays: Noon. Ray Hall, Butler Hospital Campus, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence. www.RIAFG.org. ARTISTS EXCHANGE March 5: Summer Camp Open House. 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, www.Artists-Exchange.org

HARUKI EAST

172 Wayland Avenue, Providence / 223-0332

HARUKI CRANSTON 1210 Oaklawn Avenue, Cranston / 463-8338

HARUKI EXPRESS 112 Waterman Street, Providence / 421-0754 WWW.HARUKISUSHI.COM 44

East Side Monthly March 2016

DUNKIN DONUTS CENTER March 20 & 26: Harlem Globetrotters 90th Anniversary Tour. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 272-7337, www.DunkinDonutsCenter.com. FREQUENCY WRITERS March 9-31: Epistolary Acts. School One, 220 University Avenue, Providence. 6-8:30pm. www.FrequencyWriters.org.

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER March 4-6: Rhode Island RV and Camping Show. March 13: RI Interscholastic League Cheer Championships. March 26: Advanced Spirit Nationals: Throwback to the ‘80s. March 31: 66th Annual Rhode Island Home Show. 1 Sabin Street, Providence. 458-6000, www.RIConvention.com. RIVIERA BINGO PALACE March 17: Drag Bingo. 1612 Elmwood Avenue, Cranston. 521-3603, www.AIDSCareOS.org. TRINITY BREWHOUSE Tuesdays: Stump Trivia. 186 Fountain Street, Providence. 453-2337, www.StumpTrivia.com.

GALLeRIeS CHAZAN GALLERY March 1-9: Dena Haden, Caroline Morgan, Lachlan Turczan and Max Van Pelt. 228 Angell Street, Providence. 421-9230. www.ChazanGallery.org. RISD MUSEUM March 1-31: Swagged and Poufed: The Upholstered Body in the Late 19th Century and Today. March 10: Projections: Emily Wardill. March 17: Gallery Night. 20 North Main Street, Providence. 4546500, www.RISDMuseum.org.

490-9475, www.Artists-Exchange.org BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Every Saturday: Children’s Story Time. 244 Thayer Street, Providence. 863-3168, www.Bookstore.Brown.edu. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND PLANETARIUM Saturdays and Sundays: Public Planetarium Shows. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 785-9457, www. ProvidenceRI.com/Museum. PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY Tuesdays: Zumba4Toddlers. Tuesdays: Baby Books Storytime. Wednesdays: Cradle to Crayons. Thursdays and Fridays: Lego Club. Saturdays: Magic the Gathering: Card Game Club. Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street, Providence. 272-3780, www.ProvComLib.org. ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO March 13: Rock and Roar: A Rocka-Baby Kids’ Concert Series. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 7853510, www.RWPZoo.org. WILBURY GROUP March 7-31: Acting Essentials for Teens. 395 Broad Street, Providence. 400-7100, www.TheWilburyGroup.org

LeARn

discussion | instruction | tour

KIDS & FAMILY

AS220 First Tuesday: Open Life Drawing. 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.AS220.org.

ARTISTS EXCHANGE March 19: Explore the Land of Imagination with Sparky’s Puppets. March 25-31: High School Revenge: An Interactive and Family-Friendly Murder Mystery. March 26: Big Day with John McKenna. 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston.

HAMILTON HOUSE March 22: Lecture Series: Myth and Meaning. March 28: Lecture Series: Foundations for a Usable Museum/ Collecting the Worcester Art Museum. 276 Angell Street, Providence. 8311800, www.HistoricHamilton.com.

On the town Calendar continued...

Fine Horticulture Maintenance, Design & Installation

www.CityEstateGardener.com

401.935.2312 Discover the Benefits of Music with PIANO LESSONS INTERNATIONAL HOUSE Wednesdays: Knitting Group. 8 Stimson Avenue, Providence. 421-7181, www.InternationalHouseOfRI.org. LADD OBSERVATORY Tuesdays: Telescope Observing Night. 210 Doyle Avenue, Providence. 863-2323, www.Brown.edu. PROVIDENCE ATHENAEUM March 5: Literary Agents and the

Biz. 251 Benefit Street, Providence. 421-6970, www.ProvidenceAthenaeum.org. PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY March 10: Community Restorative Yoga. Wednesdays: Poetry Group. Wednesdays: Writers Meetup. Thursdays: Girls Who Code Club. Thursdays: Learn to Speak Spanish for Beginners. Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street, Providence. 272-3780,

www.ProvComLib.org. RISD MUSEUM March 3: Art and Design Lab. March 4: Double Take: Media Compositions. March 6: Open Studio. March 10: Making Art History: Capturing Narrative. March 17: Ways of Looking: Geometries. March 17: Teachers Lounge: On Multicultural Practice II. 20 North Main Street, Providence. 454-6500, www.RISDMuseum.org. SARAH DOYLE WOMEN’S CENTER Mondays: Girls Night Out. Snacks and informal discussions for selfidentified queer women. 26 Benevolent Street, Providence. www.Events. Brown.edu.

SPORtS BROWN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL March 4: Brown vs. Columbia. March 5: Brown vs. Cornell. 235 Lloyd Avenue, Providence. 863-2773, www. BrownBears.com. PROVIDENCE BRUINS HOCKEY March 1: Bruins vs. Calgary Flames. March 3: Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks. March 5: Bruins vs. Washington Capitals. March 10: Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 273-5000, www. ProvidenceBruins.com.

Photography by Mike Braca

ON STAGE

Acting Out Spice up your life with live performances of the sweetest miscellany, as the Sweet Little March Show sweeps onto the Aurora stage like a lion and off like a lamb on March 10. Featuring ventriloquist Virginia Dare, poet Jennifer Driscoll, Great Gale and much more, you’re invited to be delighted at this wildly adaptive and freewheeling show that takes all comers. 8pm. 276 Westminster Street, Providence. www.AuroraProvidence.com.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS MEN’S BASKETBALL March 2: PC vs. Creighton. March 5: PC vs. St. John’s. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 865-4672, www.Friars.com. TWIN RIVER March 11: CES MMA XXXIII presents Championship Cagefighting. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 877-8274837, www.TwinRiver.com/Entertainment/Twin-River-Event-Center.

Piano for Beginners & Intermediate

One-on-one Piano & Group Instruction After School Programs • Piano Recitals

RI KIDS CREATE MUSIC SCHOOL

297-6681 • kiddiescreate@gmail.com

Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors

Celebrating 44 Years

We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models Toyota • Kia • Nissan • Chrysler Audi • Lexus • Infinity • Ford Volkswagen • Honda • BMW Chevy • Isuzu • Mercedes • Mini Prosche • Ford • General Motors Mazda • Saab • Volvo • Hyundai Saturn • Subaru • Mitsubishi

ASE Certified RI inspection and repair station #27b

401-723-1111 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

729 East Avenue

Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid

March 2016 East Side Monthly

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

special advertising section

Beautiful Pre-Owned A NEW CONCEPT ALZHEIMER’S/ MEMORY CARE ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENCE™ Call today to sChedule a personal tour

401.944.2450

49 Old Pocasset Road, Johnston briarcliffegardens.com

SeniorS

Personal & Home Assistance

Jewelry

Now serving Dinner on Sunday Sometimes life throws you a surprise

Gardening Assistance With New Residence

years of experience

Brunch Saturday & Sunday 8am-1:30pm Live Jazz Thursday Evenings

M ary e. Dewaele 401-728-3382

401.247.1200 275 Child Street, Warren SimonesRI.com

T.F. Morra Tree Care, Inc.

T o m a s s o A u t o

Ornamental and Shade Tree Specialists • fine hand pruning • tree preservation • hazard tree removal • tree evaluation & diagnosis

S w e d i s h M o t o r s

W i t h f l u c t u a t i n g t e m p e r a t u r e s , c h e c k y o u r t i r e p r e s s u r e r e g u l a r l y . L o w p r e s s u r e r e d u c e s g a s m i l e a g e a n d a l s o c a n w e a r o u t y o u r t i r e s . We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models • ASE Certified • RI inspection and repair station #27b

Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

• tree planting consultation

401-331-8527 tfmorra.com 46

East Side Monthly March 2016

Fast cash when you need it

1271 North Main Street, Providence 437-8421 358 Broad Street, Providence 273-7050

Companionship

...with humor & diligence

Empire Loan & Empire Guitars

729 East Avenue • 401-723-1111 (Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid)

and you need money right away to settle something like a car repair or an unexpected bill. According to Jeff Keithline, Empire Loan co-owner, “Some people ask their friends, or go into a little account they have, but a lot of people just don’t have it. They can come in here and get that money. Boom. Done. That’s what pawnbrokers do.” With jewelry, consumer electronics or musical instruments, you can secure a three month loan at state regulated interest rates and get the cash you need in five minutes. Jeff explains, “As much as we hear about new types of lending, particularly through the internet, if you look into it you still have the same hurdles to go through, and for online lending they want you to have as good a credit as your local bank wants you to have.” At Empire Loan, terms are explained up front and you can take out loans ranging from $30 to $3,000 and beyond. In the unlikely chance that you can’t repay the loan, the item used as collateral is forfeited and the matter is done. “There are no repercussions if the loan isn’t repaid,” Jeff says. “We don’t report to any credit agencies, and I’d be happy to loan you money again in the future.” Loans are secured through jewelry, musical instruments, home electronics and other items like video games. Typical customers include college students and their parents, your neighbor down the street, contractors, business owners and head-of-households who just have to get it done today. With their new website you can use PayPal to satisfy a full repayment, or make installment payments on the interest. Jeff and his team are always there to answer questions and help you get the money you need. Visit their sister business, Empire Guitars, upstairs to see an amazing selection of new and vintage guitars, plus basses, drums, gear and amps. “The guitar shop is going great,” Jeff says. “We’re still growing, expanding and adding new lines.” When life throws you a curveball and you need money quick, Empire Loan is there.

Empire Loan and Empire Guitars 1271 North Main Street, Providence / 437-8421 358 Broad Street, Providence / 273-7050 www.EmpireLoan.com / www.EmpireGuitarsRI.com

Spotlight

special advertising section

AutoWerks

Golden Crest Nursing Centre

Is your car suddenly smarter, and more expensive, than your kids?

Exceptional Post-Surgery Rehab Services

www.GoldenCrestNursingCentre.com

100 Smithfield Road North Providence (401) 353-1710

IasImonE PlumbIng H e at i n g & D r a i n Cleaning, inC. InstallatIons • RepaIRs Replacements We are always providing a Free Estimate

Today’s automobile is a technological marvel. The software required to diagnose issues that crop up costs repair shops hundreds of thousands of dollars and constantly needs upgrading. Options for inexpensive repairs have all but disappeared. While daunting, there is a way to be certain you spend wisely. Meet Bob Moreau of AutoWerks, the best friend your car will ever have. Bob will navigate you through the scary maze of car buying and maintenance so that you don’t need to be your own expert. As former CEO of German Motors, Bob has decades of trust and experience buying and servicing cars... and he puts your interests first. When repairs are needed, Bob will personally pick up and deliver your car, efficiently address the issues and, most importantly, explain them to you in clear terms. His state-of-the-art facility and factory-trained technicians won’t waste your time or money. At every visit, your baby also gets a free thorough checkup for any potential issues or excess wear. Then, like magic, it reappears in your driveway, clean, refueled and as good as new for far less than most dealers charge. If it’s time to replace your car, Bob offers a free consultation. Learn all your options, including whether to choose new or “pre-loved.” Don’t underestimate the savings on a low mileage car that looks brand new. Choose the year, color, options… just like buying new, except you determine the budget upfront. Bob then scours the country for potential cars alongside other dealers. Because of low overhead, AutoWerks can literally sell you that same car for thousands less. Every car is meticulously checked before purchase (Bob even uses a paint meter to make sure no collisions have escaped Carfax!). You get an expert, a pre-arraigned price agreement, your dream car and a warranty – and it’s even registered for you. It’s no wonder the majority of our customers stay with them, year after year. The only surprise is how easy it is to buy and maintain your vehicle, thanks to AutoWerks. Now, that’s smart.

AutoWerks 474-1300 / www.WerksWell.com

We Can Do anything With Water Except Walk on It

Servicing all of RI & nearby Mass. for over 35 years Monday - Friday 7:00am to 6:00pm

Winner of the super service award from Angie’s List four years in a row!

27 Allen Avenue, North Providence (401) 300-9761 • iasimonephdc.com

Membership...

It’s more than fitness! It’s an open door to a variety of social, cultural, and educational activities that celebrate family, foster health and well-being, embrace tradition, and expand cultural horizons. Early Childhood Center, Summer Camp, After School Care, Indoor Pool, Fitness Center, Basketball Gym, Group Exercise, Community Events and so much more!

Everyone is welcome! 401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI 02906 jewishallianceri.org

Dwares Rhode Island

Saving Up To 70% off ReTail pRice New, RefuRbished aNd scRatch & deNt appliaNces

Stainless Refrigerators • Ranges Washers & Dryers • Built-In Refrigeration Cooktops & Wall Ovens • Dishwashers

416 Roosevelt Avenue, Central Falls 401.723.0500 • kitchenguys.com

200 South Main St, Providence 401-453-0025 marcalleninc.com

Tuesday - Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm

March 2016 East Side Monthly

marketplace HOME IMPROVEMENT EasT sIdE HaNdyMaN 34 years experience. Repairs, upgrades & renovations. Small jobs welcome. References. Insured. Reg. #3052. 524-6421.

ElEcTRIcal sERVIcEs All types. Energy efficient & security lighting & new circuits. Master licenses: RI #A3338, MA #16083A. Insured. Call Larry 529-2087.

Harold Greco, Jr. Plaster Perfection â&#x2DC;&#x2026; â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

Small Repair Specialist

Emergency Water & Vandalism Repairs

Insurance Quotes â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Mold Inspections

Historic Restorations Painting

738-0369 Senior â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Veteran â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Cash Discounts

Reg. #4114

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

Member BBB â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Est. 1946

David Onken Painting

MalIN PaINTING Most ceiling & wall repairs, wallpaper removal, oil-based and latex finishes, staining, varnishing. Fully insured, many local references. Safe, secure, fast service. Call 2268332. Reg. #19226.

We Specialize in painting & carpentry Experts in Water Problems

sTONE MasON 30 yrs. exp. Stone, brick, veneers, walls, fireplaces, patios, chimneys, pavers. Design work. Reg. #7445. Call 641-0362. lousstonework.com

Kitchen cabinet

From Roofs, Gutters & Basements Over 20 years of experience on historical homes Certified Lead Renovated LRM #0514 RI Reg #7320 â&#x20AC;˘ Fully insured GET IT dONE! call TOday!

Call Al Medina (401) 438-8771 or (401) 323-8252

Refinishing

Prompt, Reliable Quality Work

Staining â&#x20AC;˘ Painting Clearcoating

Levine Painting Co., Inc.

call anthony today Lic.

401-480-2366 25485

Interior, Exterior, Residential/Commercial Wallpaper Hanging, Power Washing, Staining 25 Years Experience

(401) 885-1580 â&#x20AC;˘ (401) 323-6100 cell R.I. Lic 7140 Liab/ Work Comp Insured

Interior/Exterior Lead Certified Carpentry Renovations Gutter Cleaning â&#x2013; Chimney Pointing

The Finest in New England craftmanship

Boreal Remodeling

Roof Leaks Repaired Reg. #19031

Insured

248-5248

General Home Repair, including Kitchens, Baths, Decks & Additions Reg. # 22013

davidokenpainting.com

WaNTEd I Buy BOOKs Old, used and almost new. Also buying photography, art, etc. Call 401-286-9329. jcminich1@gmail.com

usEd MusIc WaNTEd! Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid. Call 351-6292.

RENTal sHaREd OFFIcE sPacE Large, bright 4 window, modern office in lovely building in Wayland Square. Wait area, maintained restroom, handicapped accessible. Perfect for therapist. Available 2+day/wk. 246-1660.

Michael Packard â&#x20AC;˘ (401) 441-7303 MIscEllEaNEOus PaRKING/sTORaGE Congdon St., $125 covered carport. Benefit St. (north end), $115/mo. Call Roger, 339-4068. rogernc@mac.com

PET caRE PaWs-N-claWs, llc Dog walking/pet sitting. Professional, reliable pet care. Insured & bonded. Call 401-3699000 or www.pawsnclawsri.com

HOusE clEaNING

BusINEss sERVIcEs aPPROacHING aGE 65?

PROPERTy MaNaGER

Need help with Medicare Planning? Contact Jeffrey G. Brier, CLU ChFC CASL. For a no fee consultation, jbrier@brier-brier.com 401-751-2990

Available. On call 24/7. Rent collection. Rentals, evictions, maintenance. Call 421-0092.

audIO/VIdEO HElP

Is now offering free laundry & dry cleaning pick-up & delivery service to the East Side and downtown areas. Call 272-2520 for details.

If you need some help with your TV, home theater or stereo, call me at 401-383-4102. Jon Bell, Simply Sight & Sound. Reasonable rates. 30 years of experience.

THE lauNdRy cluB

JOBS BY JIM Garages, Attics & Basements Cleaned

INcOME TaXEs Fiore & Asmussion, Inc. C.P.A. 40 Years of Experience. Located at 125 Wayland Avenue. Call 1-401351-7000.

PROFEssIONal INcOME TaX Service. 25+ years experience, honest and reliable. IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel appointee. Sue, 228-6203 abs1040@outlook.com

Unwanteds Removed Small Demolitions - Garages, Sheds, etc. Appliances & Lawn Mowers Motors â?&#x2013;Machines â?&#x2013;Batteries â?&#x2013;Etc.

â?&#x2013;

Cell 401-742-7258

Reg. #4614

FEELING OVERWHELMED???!!!

CHRISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LAMP REPAIR

Need your cellar, attic or garage cleaned, but... canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite get to it?? You can call

We Make Housecalls!!!

TAKE-IT-AWAY-TOM at 401-434-8156 Mobile 316-2273 Counselor on the Debris of Life

â&#x153;

Repairing all types of Lamps Vintage Lighting Specialist â&#x153; Chandelier Repairs â&#x153; Serving the East Side for 20 years â&#x153; Fully Insured

â&#x153;

401-831-8693 www.chrislamprepair.com

c.M. HOusE clEaNING Professional, reliable, experienced. Affordable. Excellent local references. Call Marilyn at 497-8770.

dOROTHyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clEaNING We clean your home as our own! References & free estimates. Call 401-524-7453 or 401-228-6273.

HOusE clEaNING Experienced. Local references. Free estimates. Call Lilly, 401-419-2933.

sENIOR caRE EldER caRE aVaIlaBlE Very kind, patient, mature woman seeks position with elderly person. Intelligent, cheerful, reliable, with 20 years experience, including several long-term positions. Impeccable references. Please call 781-3392 or 497-3392.

KINd caRE ~ sENIORs Appointments, errands, shopping, cleaning & maint. Refs. Safety bars installed. Reg #3052. 559-0848.

sENIOR caRE sERVIcEs Home Assistance, with humor and diligence. Offering home, gardening, driving assistance & companionship. Mary 728-3382.

& BOBCAT SERVICES Power Raking â&#x2014;? Hammering New Lawns Installed Aerating â&#x2014;? Dethatching

Excavating Work

Seed & Sod â&#x2014;? Fertilizing â&#x2014;? Planting Rototilling â&#x2014;? Small Loads Delivered

ORGANIC LANDSCAPING

Free Estimates

â&#x2014;?Loam â&#x2014;?Sand â&#x2014;?Stone â&#x2014;?Etc. â&#x2014;?

497-1461 â&#x2014;? 231-1851

Over 20 years experience.

Call Lee 868-5127 785-1230 Advertise in the

Marketplace for as low as

Go to

Organic Landscape Maintenance â&#x153;ś Mowing â&#x153;ś Pruning â&#x153;ś Plantings

â&#x153;ś

Paul Thompson 368-0832

Basic house cleaning & more. Reasonable rates. References.

$12!

laWN caRE

Vinnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Landscaping

LEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLEANING SERVICE

www.eastsidemonthly.com/ marketplace.html to reserve your space.

Deadline for East Side Marketplace is the first of the month prior.

The easT sider

Pat Gifford of The Providence Village speaks to the benefits of cultivating a reciprocal service-oriented community

Pat Gifford on Creating Opportunity for Neighborly Engagement How many Baby Boomers

and senior citizens live lonely, isolated lives? The Providence Village (the Village) began accepting members in December 2015 and aims to create interdependence, bonds and connectivity among its members by receiving and giving help in a neighborly way. Although there is no minimum age for membership, members are generally in their 60s and older. Pat Gifford, a retired physician specializing in geriatric care and a Village board member, explained her interest in the new initiative. Growing up in her grandmother’s tenement house in Pawtucket, she witnessed her grandmother and two other women caring for the entire neighborhood. “I delivered trays of food, and everyone babysat for everyone else.” In contrast, her

East Side Monthly March 2016

geriatrics practice revealed very lonely people in their homes. “Isolation and loneliness are the biggest scourges I saw… across ages and socio-economic status.” Those experiences, coupled with her role as caregiver for her ill husband, ignited her passions. Currently, the Village, a volunteerdriven organization, provides transportation services to members, though it will soon offer lists of member-vetted vendors, as well as social and educational events. Gifford is enthusiastic about collaborative opportunities and building ongoing relationships with senior-focused organizations like Hamilton House and Lifelong Learning Collaborative, the East Side’s neighborhood associations – for social and educational programming – and with organizations like Brown University

fraternities and the Boy Scouts to shovel snow, for example, for Village members. “The East Side has wonderful things going for it,” says Gifford, “and we hope to provide some… neighbor-to-neighbor networking on a personal level.” “The Village is not here to be everything to everyone,” she expands. “We’re not a social service organization. People who want to give, as well as to receive,” and who want to participate in meaningful experiences, would be ideal Village members. A volunteer driver and a cognitively engaged, yet frail, senior may develop a mutually beneficial friendship over time, she explained. As we age, our social connections often dissipate, something the Village seeks to remedy. By volunteering, Village members

“pay it forward,” understanding they, too, will eventually need help. And, Gifford notes, observing how the Village’s older members live now offers us a wonderful opportunity to plan how we might age gracefully and safely. “The elderly are showing us the way,” she says. As our longevity extends into our 90s, she says, those in their 60s and 70s can get guidance from the older generation, and serve as role models for the younger generation. The Providence Village has no minimum age requirement for members; current dues are very modest. 4415240, ProvidenceVillageRI@gmail.com, www.ProvidenceVillageRI.org. Nancy Kirsch is a freelance writer based in Providence. Contact her at writernancy@gmail.com.

Photography by Brian DeMello

By Nancy Kirsch

Celebrate the opening of our new Garden City Center store. And celebrate the furniture youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll discover inside, too. Opening Thursday, March 3 Garden City Center, Cranston

61Cooke.com East Side of Providence $2,950,000 401.274.6740

102WilliamsStreet.com East Side of Providence $1,098,000 401.274.6740

295 Wayland Avenue East Side of Providence $769,000 401.274.6740

Barrington 401.245.9600 Cumberland 401.333.9333 East Greenwich 401.885.8400 Narragansett 401.783.2474 Providence 401.274.6740 Relocation 800.886.1775

residentialproperties.com Rhode Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Real Estate Company ÂŽ

103Prospect.com East Side of Providence $1,975,000 401.274.6740

372 Benefit Street East Side of Providence $675,000 401.274.6740

307 Elmgrove Avenue East Side of Providence $499,000 401.274.6740

44 Pratt Street East Side of Providence $575,000 401.274.6740