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.

College Hill Neighborhood Association At our February meeting, we heard from Lieutenant Joseph Dufault, Commander of Police Districts 8 and 9 in Providence. Lieutenant Dufault reported that in District 9, which includes College Hill, most reported crimes are property-related and non-violent. He noted that thefts from homes and cars are less likely to occur if doors and windows are locked and valuables are removed from plain sight. He also cited some recent successes utilizing owner-installed surveillance systems and dealing with some overly aggressive panhandling on Thayer Street. He also noted that the department is hoping to begin another police recruitment class with the next year.

We also heard from Wendy Nilsson and Christy Clausen of the Providence Parks Department. Nilsson, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, updated us on funds available for park improvements; she reported that money is being allocated to over a half-dozen projects, including repairs to the retaining wall at Prospect Terrace, and an overhaul of Brassil Memorial Park. Clausen spoke about local events, such as a wide range of clean-up projects, being planned for Earth Day, April 25.

Next, the Board heard from Jewelry District Association President Sharon Steele, along with Ward 2 City Councilwoman Helen Anthony. Steele spoke among other things about the City Plan Commission, and the importance of City residents going to meetings to make their voices heard. She also unfortunately reported on some recent vandalism on the beautiful new bridge that connects Fox Point to downtown and expressed the frustration that at present, the City is underfunded for the maintenance of events like this. Currently the 195 Commission is assisting in the funding but hopes help is on the way in the new City Budget coming July 1.

Councilwoman Anthony echoed Steele’s comments, and added a critique of the Department of Inspections and Standards, which she says has not been proactive enough with respect to certain local developments, such as the goings-on at 150 Lloyd Avenue and to respond to Wayland Square

a project on Waterman Street that is proposing a “three-family house,” each of which is seeking seven bedrooms and bathrooms per unit.

This was the first meeting run by new president Rick Champagne who announced that the Board welcomes all residents of College Hill to join our e!orts to protect the neighborhood we all love. For more information about joining and supporting CHNA and meeting your neighbors or perhaps joining the Board itself, please contact: CHNA, PO Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906; visit CHNAProvidence.org; or email chna@chnaprovidence.org. –Jared Sugerman

Wayland Square Neighborhood Association Spring is just around the corner so it’s nearly time for outdoor tables in the square, walks down to the river and Paterson Park, and meeting our neighbors! If you live o! Elmgrove, Wayland, Tabor, or over to the river or the Lincoln School or Eastside Market, you’re part of the neighborhood! Just letting you know, you’re in the Wayland neighborhood!

Getting to Know You Our February WSNA gathering, “Meet Your Neighbors,” was a social event at Pasta Beach. Special thanks to Pasta Beach for the appetizers and use of the beautiful upstairs private room! What better way to get to know each other than over food and wine...or beer in our local spot. Loved seeing everyone connecting! More socials to be planned for later in the year.

Recent Meetings Guests at our monthly meetings included Providence Planning & Development staff requesting our input on how to allocate the incoming federal community funds, initiating

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the Ely Grant for park programs and the Merchants Association President. We are excited that WSNA will be requesting an Ely Grant to fund a Paterson Park Arts event (in the planning!). WSNA Board Members also met with the developers of 219 Waterman Street to review and provide input on this project. Special thanks to Ward 2 Councilor Helen Anthony for attending our meetings.

Next Meeting On March 11 at 6pm, the candidates running for Ward 1 City Council will be invited to meet the WSNA residents. Location TBA.

Benefits of being an active member in Wayland Square Neighborhood Association:

• Connect with others in the community and know your neighbors • Support the neighborhood growth and success for economic sustainability • Positively impact the community environment (i.e. planting trees, community clean-up, merchant relations) • Address common priorities as a community, and it’s free!

Connect...all are welcome We will continue to advocate for issues affecting our neighborhood, including the Henderson Bridge redevelopment, signage, recycling, promoting local shopping to support merchants to further a vibrant neighborhood, and addressing your issues, as well as share the great stories happening in WSNA! And have a little fun together in our neighborhood!

Connect with WSNA on Facebook: “Wayland Square Neighborhood Association.” Or send us your email address at WaylandSquareNeighbors@gmail.com to be included in our group emails. Looking forward to meeting you soon! –Katherine Touafek, WSNA President

Blackstone Parks Conservancy Waiting Despite the longer days and the return of some birds to Blackstone Park – a leading “hotspot” in Rhode Island for bird watching even in winter, according to Providence Parks Department expert April Alix – it isn’t yet spring here. The volunteers of the Blackstone Parks Conservancy (BPC) begin to feel restless, but the parks are icy or muddy and it is necessary to wait. March is the month of waiting.

What are we waiting for besides spring?

News about grant applications, for one thing. The Education Committee led by Rick Richards hopes for a small grant to help organize the Earth Day Celebration in late April. Meanwhile, the Park Committee guided by Carrie Drake is waiting to hear the results of an application for substantial assistance with another steep slope in the center section that is subject to heavy foot traffic.

If the grant for work in the Blackstone Park Conservation District comes through, the BPC will be able to continue its progress in stabilizing highly erodible slopes, improving trails, and restoring habitat. If not, we will try again next year. We wait, too, for decisions about next moves on the Boulevard path. Here, landscape architect Colgate Searle and the Parks Department are selecting the best section for restoration, drawing on lessons learned from the small, di!cult area restored in 2019. Proper drainage is key here, too, as the Boulevard tilts, however subtly, downhill toward the Seekonk River.

Happily for the thousands of people who walk and run on the Boulevard path, the City Council has appropriated a sizable sum to help with restoration of another section, and the Parks Department has o"ered to contribute important preparatory work. Still, a matching grant is needed to enable tackling a longer section for the sake of e!ciency, and the BPC will be submitting an application soon.

Finally, we wait for completion of the first overall pruning on the Boulevard in many years, which is expected to finish in April. Annual Meeting: On March 31, the Blackstone Parks Conservancy Annual Meeting will take place again at Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum, at the corner of Hope and Angell streets, from 6-7:30pm. Parking available on the street or at the Wheeler School. Refreshments and brief business meeting. Brown anthropologist and archeologist Kevin Smith will speak about early Native American hunter gatherers. –Jane Peterson

Blackstone Parks Conservancy 401-270-3014 BlackstoneParksConservancy.org BlackstoneParks@gmail.com P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906

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School principal Matthew Russo (pictured at center-right with blue shirt) speaks with Fox Point neighbors at Vartan Gregorian Elementary this past January.

Fox Point Neighborhood Association Amidst School Crisis, Local School Grows A few months after Providence Public Schools received a scathing review from Johns Hopkins University and amidst a tense hiring search for a suitable “turnaround” superintendent (a process that has since been completed), school principal Matthew Russo visited the FPNA January meeting to introduce himself to neighbors. Russo, an educator in Providence for 17 years, took the helm at Vartan Gregorian Elementary, located on Wickenden at East and Governor streets, this past summer, replacing former principal Susan Stambler.

As neighbors peppered Russo with questions about the State takeover, inquiries about social/emotional learning, and ideas for community collaboration, it was clear that while the city’s schools may be struggling – and while Vartan Gregorian indeed faces challenges – Russo has already pushed the elementary school forward. Not only has the school begun to make structural improvements (including roof replacement, which is still underway), it has made partnerships with outside organiztions to improve teacher training on issues of bias and matters of social/emotional engagement. Russo has also started a monthly newsletter and instituted regular school tours in order to improve school communications and visibility. And all things considered, Russo is optimistic about state-level intervention. “I am happy with the takeover,” he commented, “because there has been a momentum for change.”

FPNA is pleased to welcome Russo to the neighborhood and to continue a decades-long school-community partnership. We appreciate the school’s generosity in lending us its community room for our monthly meetings (located in the former bathhouse, now the school library), and look forward to supporting the school through advocacy efforts and local events. “This school has potential to be a top school in the City and State,” Russo later commented. We at FPNA are poised to do all we can to help.

FPNA March Meeting: Please join us on Monday, March 9 at 7pm at the Community Room-Library at Vartan Gregorian Elementary. See our website, FPNA.net, for agenda and directions. All are welcome.

a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Fox Point and protecting its historic integrity and resources. FPNA speaks out on neighborhood issues and builds community through local events. Please sign up for our mailing list and join us at a monthly meeting! –Amy Mendillo

Summit Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting Save the date! We welcome all neighbors (SNA members and non-members alike) to our Annual Meeting on Monday, April 27 at 7pm at The Highlands at 101 Highland Avenue. Enjoy refreshments, catch up with neighbors, learn about SNA’s activities, elect a new slate of board members and officers, and participate in Q&A with local elected officials. If you’re interested in becoming a board member, e-mail SNAProv@gmail.com!

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Residents Invited to Connect with Us Got a neighborhood issue, problem, or great idea you’d like some help with? That’s why we’re here! We meet at 7pm on the third Monday of every month in the dining room at Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Avenue. The sessions are open and neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend!

You can also stay in touch with us on Facebook via the “Summit Neighborhood Association” page, our website at SummitNeighbors.org, on Instagram and Twitter @SNAProv, via our e-newsletter or listserv at SummitNeighbors.org/get-involved/jointhe-email-list, or by phone at 401-400-0986.

Memberships As always, we welcome new members who are interested in supporting our neighborhood events, community projects, candidate forums, and advocacy. Memberships are affordable – starting at just $15 per year – and easy to sign up for digitally or by mail.

Summit Neighborhood Association 401-400-0986, SNAProv@gmail.com SummitNeighbors.org PO Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940

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