East Side Monthly April 2015 by Hey Rhody Media Co.

Celebrating our 86th Year!

New Listing! $232,500

Lovely 1st floor unit with fabulous kitchen, new bath, new windows, hardwoods, private driveway and garage, good storage. Laundry hookup on 1st floor. Nice patio.

Sue Erkkinen

Pending! $489,000

Beautifully restored and maintained Luther Bushee house, circa 1821. 2-3 bedrooms, 1Â˝ baths. Wide pine floors, fireplaces. Gas heat, central air. Lovely gardens and patio.

Sue Erkkinen

New Listing! $399,000

Stunning 3 story Townhouse in desirable location. Gracious living, totally renovated, new baths and kitchen. Loft like 3rd floor with full bath. Close to Wayland Square, Brown.

New Listing! $237,000

Charming, spacious 2 bed condo with updated kitchen and bath, new windows, hardwoods, recent exterior paint, huge south-facing porch, garage.

Myra Braverman

New Listing! $1,049,000

Stately Queen Anne near Brown. Original architectural details preserved - moldings, grand staircase, beautiful floors, 5 fireplaces. New kitchen, furnace, A/C. Original bathrooms. Triple size lot with possibilities.

Chris Healy

Sue Erkkinen

New Listing! $275,000

Spacious townhouse near Lippett Park! New kitchen/ baths in 2007. Top floor has master bedroom/bath, laundry, 2 additional rooms. Nice side, back yards. Private deck on 2nd floor.

Sue Erkkinen

On the web and on your smart phoneâ&#x20AC;Ś. all the listings and our Open Houses Friendly. Knowledgeable. dependable. Coleman. 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 APRIL 2015

Spring iS right Around the Corner ChooSe A Boutique reAl eStAte AgenCy with Big reSultS With our personal approach, spitz-Weiss has been successful for over 55 years. it’s our mission to ease the real estate process for you. Family-owned and operated, spitz-Weiss serves ri and MA. Call us today to rent, sell or buy a home.

newly appointed risd president, rosanne somerson

This Month 19 | Hello, MadaMe President In conversation with RISD’s Rosanne Somerson 24 | Fool Us once… A retrospective of ESM’s greatest April Fool’s pranks

the greater Providence Board of realtors recently recognized Aleen Weiss of spitz-Weiss. With an $8M – $12.9M achievement in sales last year, she was honored with a Circle of sales excellence gold Award.

Every Month 4 | Editorial/Letters

Community East Side Little League is gearing up for a home run season 7 | News 9 | In the Know 15 | Neighborhood News

Close to Home

2014

The Nathan Bishop Drama Club succeeds through collaboration 29 | On the Market 30 | Education 33 | East of Elmgrove

Assisting Buyers, sellers And renters

On the Town Community coffee in Fox Point 35 | Flavor of the Month 36 | Food News 38

| Rhody Bites

| Calendar

Photography: James Jones

The East Sider 54 | The eyes and ears behind Transport PVD

On the Cover:

RISD’s newly appointed president, Rosanne Somerson, photographed by James Jones www.facebook.com/EastSideMonthly

Aleen WeissH Karen MillerH 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

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April 2015 East Side Monthly

Editorial

EST 1975

East Side MONTHLY

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

Let the Games Begin As the debate continues on the possible relocation of the PawSox, let us add our two cents to the discussion. While we love our home town heroes as much as anyone, the reality is that in today’s money-driven environment, there is no way a 70 year old stadium with under 10,000 seats is going to make it as an AAA franchise. The choice isn’t Pawtucket versus Providence. It’s Providence versus the highway. Secondly, while it has been a quaint concept, you can kiss the notion of free parking goodbye. Any negotiation between the public and private participants in the new Sox stadium project will also decide who gets the parking revenues, the city or the team. When ex-Mayor Tom Murphy of Pittsburgh spoke at PPS’s annual meeting earlier this year, he was emphatic about the importance of the City maintaining control of the revenue stream. We’ll see. And thirdly, the reality is that the path to build on the new I-195 land is, shall we

say, relatively untrodden right now. Not because of the location, which is grand. But because the building costs here are about the same as Boston’s – as in expensive – but without a commercial rent structure to support it. So put us in the camp of those who remain excited about the possibility of a downtown stadium here. It’s an exciting amenity that will help tourism, supply some long sought employment to the construction trades and give our City a muchneeded shot in the arm. It should also be remembered that baseball provides one of the few entertainment opportunities that appeals to virtually all segments of the city… businesses, families, students, all ages and races. And lest you think this was a spontaneous new initiative from Larry Luchino, Jim Skeffington, Terry Murray, Tom Ryan and the boys, au contraire. A trial balloon was floated by GoLocal.com several months ago, so clearly the

wheels had been turning for a while. Here’s hoping the numbers work for the new owners, that negotiators for the city and state are sharp enough to not give away the ship and that the local component of the new ownership team is as committed to our community as we hope they are. Rhode Island has been one of the most fervent components of Red Sox Nation. Our guess is the current Sox ownership is savvy enough to appreciate that. But let’s not be naïve. The new owners may love their Sox but they love to turn a profit even more. And lest you’ve forgotten, the last time the state tried to do business with someone wearing a Red Sox shirt, it was number 38 and the results were disastrous. We assume our political establishment is now wiser, more cautious and more willing to be transparent. If the answer to those questions is yes, yes, yes, then we say let’s consider giving it a go, go, go.

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell

Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre @JeanetteSTP

Managing Editor Barry Fain

City Editor Steve Triedman

Creative Director Julie Tremaine @JulieTremaine

Digital Editor Tony Pacitti

Managing Editor Grace Lentini @Gracie_NomNom

Editor Elyena de Goguel

Art Director Meghan H. Follett

Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

Assistant Art Director Veatsna Sok

Graphic Designer Caitlin Musso

Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich: Louann@ProvidenceOnline.com 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 Stephanie Oster Wilmarth: Stephanie@ProvidenceOnline.com

Contributing Photographers Mike Cevoli James Jones

Contributing Illustrators Ashley MacLure Kendrah Smith

Contributing Writers

Letters The Tail is Wagging the Dog To the Editor: First, full disclosure: I have a dog, a rescue; I love animals; I am all for additional green spaces for animals and humans. However, I must respond to the feverish activity to create a dog park between Waterman Street and Angell Street. Leaving aside the initial reported cost to the taxpayers of $50,000 – unanswered by the proponents is where the cash-starved city will find this money – and the annual maintenance expense when our streets are in such dire shape, I question the wisdom of situating the park in such a dangerous location. To the south, Waterman Street

East Side Monthly April 2015

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

is a veritable speedway as drivers jockey for position to enter the Henderson Bridge on ramp, just past the proposed park. Speeds of 35 mph, and higher, are not uncommon! How will anyone cross Waterman from the proposed parking area, or worse, how will anyone exit their auto if they are foolish enough and try to park on Waterman. Add dogs on leashes and perhaps a child or two; well, hopefully EMTs will be standing at the ready for the inevitable catastrophe. To the north, drivers will be exiting the Henderson Street Bridge, a rush hour alternative to I-195, where the posted speed limit is 35 mph and many drivers certainly exceed that.

Again, same problem for folks trying to cross Angell Street: a disaster waiting to happen. As I stated, I’m not against dog parks. In fact, there already is an off-leash dog park a stone’s throw away off Gano Street It is safe, has easy access and is already fenced in. Why not use the city’s precious resources to maintain the existing park rather than create a public danger on Waterman Street? Arthur C. Norman Correction: Cesare De Credico holds a BFA from RISD, not an MFA, as reported in the March 2015 story about his Art Board. We regret the error.

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

Classified Advertising Sue Howarth Interns Charlotte Abotsi Courtney Danforth Emily Davey Eyram Fiakpui Claire Flanagan

Jordan LaRose Ashlyn Mooney Morgan Pekera Nicolas Staab

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 ©2015 by East Side Monthly. All rights reserved. Printed by Gannett Offset.

There are dozens of causes for orthopedic injury. And one place to go to get better.

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To learn more or to schedule an appointment at any of our locations in Southern RI, visit www.scortho.com or call us at 401.789.1422. 1 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879 • 10 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879 • 1567 South County Trail, East Greenwich, RI 02818 • 20 Powell Avenue, Newport, RI 02840

William Raveis The Largest Family-Owned Real Estate Company in the Northeast

29 Widgeon Lane, Little Compton

Stunning views and sunsets over Quicksand Pond. Light filled house renovated top to bottom in 2010, w/ open floor plan , 3 bedroom suites, expansive deck and screened porch built of eco-friendly materials. Relaxed easy living for all seasons.

$1,699,000 • MLS # 1059997 Ellie Wickes • 508-493-4545

102 Laurel Avenue, East Side

183 Old Beach Road, Newport

$2,050,000 • MLS #1079497 Barbara O’Reilly • 401-662-1962

426 Tuckerman Avenue, Middletown

Perfect summer home on Easton’s Point, Middletown, RI. Open floor plan and top of the line construction throughout. 5 bedrooms, 3 full and 1 half bath. Panoramic ocean views. Multiple decks & living areas. Turn key, could be sold furnished.

$882,000 Palladian Group • 401.480.0852

$1,999,500 • MLS # 1034394 Phyllis Ibboston • 401-297-8450

3 Freeborn Road, Bristol

$699,000 • MLS # 1075247 Sandra Andrade • 401-486-2629

18 Julius Way, Westport

DEEP WATER ACCESS! This is the home you have been waiting for. A retreat from all the hustle and bustle, a MUST SEE! The long winding driveway brings you to this fantastic custom built contemporary waterfront home with private beach and dock.

$1,695,000 • MLS # 1072150 Noemi Cardoso • 508-558-1945

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 Bristol | Portsmouth WestPort | NeWPort | ProvideNce

203 South Main Street | Providence, RI 401-751-8100 • providence.office@raveis.com 6

East Side Monthly April 2015

on Thayer!

Unique opportunity to own a home with unobstructed waterviews across from Easton’s Beach with the privacy of a large lot and its possibilities. This listing is a combination of Lots 072 and 016 on Assessor Plat 30. see also MLS# 1079495 and 1079492

Located in historic Freeman Plat, this spacious Brick Colonial features a Thompson Designed Kitchen, Master Suite, period details, 4 Beds, 3.2 Baths, hardwoods, new windows, Central A/C, Formal Dining Room, Study/Library & 2 car garage. A MUST SEE!

Unique opportunity to enjoy country living on Poppasquash with marina & yacht club close by. Stately home with granite and hardwoods, open floor plan, third floor add’l unfin. space. L/L walkout. Almost an acre on a cul-de-sac bordering a tree farm.

Delicious Dining

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284 Thayer STreeT, Providence 401.331.8111 | karTabar.com comPLimenTary vaLeT ParkinG Friday & SaTUrday aT 5

Community East Side Stories | neighborhood news & notes

East Side News

Spring into a New Wardrobe the Wheeler School Clothing Sale returns for its 67th year By Claire Flanagan

With the spring months upon us, it’s time for some post-spring cleaning shopping to freshen up your life with some fun finds. And what better place to do so than the annual Wheeler School Clothing & More Sale? Offering gently-used, nearly-new and brand new clothing and accessories, books, toys, sporting goods and more at awesome prices, the school’s annual sale has been supporting education and giving back to the New England community for over 65 years. Net proceeds from the sale go to support financial aid for students and Breakthrough Providence, a program for

low-income, academically motivated middle school students in Providence public schools. Items remaining at the sale’s close are donated to local charities. The sale will take place in the Wheeler Madden Gym, and runs from April 16 through 18. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to not only get some great shopping in, but to give back to your local community. To learn more about the sale, visit the Wheeler School’s website. Thursday April 16, 10am-8pm; Friday April 17, 12pm-8pm; Saturday April 18, 10am-4pm. The Wheeler School, 407 Brook Street, Providence. www. wheelerschool.org/clothingsale.

The Wheeler School Clothing Sale

Learning to Age Well Lifelong Learning Collaborative offers Free Five-Week Series on Aging Well By Sam Shamoon Created and sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Collaborative (LLC), in conjunction with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI and with grants from Washington Trust and the R.I. Foundation, a series of five free panel programs focusing on the newest trends, tools and technologies on aging well will begin on April 7, 3:30-5pm at Temple BethEl, 70 Orchard Avenue, on the East Side. Joseph F. Coughlin, the Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab, will be the keynote speaker. Called What’s Next, the series will feature expert-led panel discussions focusing on aging in the community, the role of the arts, the newest medical research, technologies to improve longevity and

more. The sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesdays at Temple Beth-El, April 7-May 5 from 3:30-5pm and are free and open to public. However, registration is required. Dr. Coughlin’s keynote talk will highlight the AgeLab’s pioneering research on global aging, technology and innovation. “MIT’s AgeLab was created in 1999 to invent new ideas and creatively translate technologies into practical solutions that improve people’s health and enable them to ‘do things,’” Dr. Coughlin explains. “Equal to the need for ideas and new technologies, is the belief that innovations in how products are designed, services are delivered or

policies are implemented are of critical importance to our quality of life tomorrow.” The series schedule is as follows: April 7: Global Aging, Technology and Innovation. Keynote Speaker: Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph. D., Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab April 14: Aging in Community: The most promising models with benefits for all. Moderator: Angelina Gennis, the MIT AgeLab April 21: Health and Well-Being: Latest medical research, programs that work. Moderator: Dr. Gus Manocchia, Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of R.I.

April 28: The Art of Aging: Innovative trends, new options. Moderator: Catherine Taylor, former Director, R.I. Dept. of Elderly Affairs May 5: What’s Next in Technology: Robotics, inventions to improve the quality of life. Moderator: Chad Jenkins, Assoc. Professor, Brown University, Computer Science The Lifelong Learning Collaborative (formerly BCLIR), a not-for-profit organization based in Providence, offers its 450 members a variety of opportunities for lifelong learning – courses, lectures, cultural events and social activities – in a pleasant, accessible environment at a reasonable cost. www. lifelonglearningcollaborative.com.

April 2015 East Side Monthly

Community East Side News continued...

Batter Up East Side Little League Season Set to open By Bruce Ciummo Ignore the ice and snow.

Ignore the debates over Providence versus Pawtucket for the PawSox. Starting this month, some 240 dedicated boys and girls will be donning batting helmets and sneakers to experience and learn the game of baseball right here on the East Side. With the support of its sponsors and myriad volunteer coaches, the Fox Point East Side Little League (FPESLL) is proud to continue its decades-long commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable baseball experience for all children between the ages of 5 and 12 who live on the East Side or, new this year, attend school on the East Side,

regardless of where they live. By the way, among alumni of the league is Baseball Hall-of-Famer Davey Lopes. The league will operate within its traditional four divisions; t-ball (ages 5 and 6), Double A (AA) (ages 7 and 8), Triple A (AAA) (ages 9, 10 and 11) and the Majors (12-year-olds, and 10s and 11s by invitation only). T-Ball is a great introduction to the game while Double A finds coaches pitching to players and introducing baseball’s rudimentary strategies of the game. Triple A brings actual wins and losses into the mix, as well as a deeper understanding of rules and standings. It all leads up to the Majors,

where players are required to tryout in the hopes of earning a spot on one of the four sponsored teams: Arden, MTI, Hot Club and East Side Monthly. The season starts on Monday, April 27. If you want to catch a t-ball or Double A game, wander behind the Alliance Jewish Community Center (the “Alliance JCC”) at the corner of Elmgrove and Sessions Avenues any weekday between April 27 and June 12, starting at 5:30pm. For Triple A or the Majors’ bring your peanuts and Cracker Jacks to the baseball complex on Power Street, east of Gano Street (but note that Major League games are not usually scheduled on

Wednesdays). On June 13 the league will wrap up the season with its annual outing to McCoy Stadium to see the Pawtucket Red Sox take on the Toledo Mud Hens. For more information about the Fox Point/East Side Little League, including the game schedule visit the league’s website, www.fpesll. com. For more individual inquiries, address them to the league’s president, 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.

Recognizing Classical Grads Classical High School Alumni Association Honors Former Students By Nicolas Staab

The Classical High School Alumni Association will be hosting its 9th annual Distinguished Alumni Awards at the Providence Marriott on Thursday, April 27. The honorees are some of Classical’s most outstanding graduates, and includes the owner of a beloved local business chain. The recipients will be: Arnold Bromberg (Class of ’69) Bromberg is the owner of Benny’s Inc., a chain of department stores located throughout Southern New England, and is a Rhode Island community business leader. Paul Argenti, Ph.D. (Class of ’71) Argenti has been a faculty member at the Tuck School of Business since 1981, published numerous books including Corporate Communication, and is a leading business advisor. Stanley Fish, Ph.D. (Class of ’55) Fish is a renowned public intellectual and literary theorist. He is currently the Floerscheimer Distinguished Professor of

East Side Monthly April 2015

Law at Cardozo University and contributor for the New York Times’ blog, The Opinionator. Susan Mondshein Tejada (Class of 63’) Having served as Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic World Magazine and Associate Editor of EPA Journal, Tejada is also an award-winning author of In Search of Sacco and Vanzetti. Curtis Odom, Ed.D. (Class of ’90) As Principal and Managing Partner of Prescient Strategists, LLC., Odom is a leading business consultant, speaker, and career coach. He has also published several books, including Mind the Gap: Getting Business Results in Multigenerational Organizations. This event is a great opportunity to meet the honorees and local community leaders. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by contacting Alumni Director, Mary Figueroa. All proceeds will go towards funding educational enhancements for Classical High School. www.classicalalumni.org

Paul Argenti, Ph.D.

Susan Mondshein Tejada

Arnold Bromberg

Stanley Fish, Ph. D.

Community In the Know by Barry Fain

Easter & Passover Gifts for All Ages!

Remembering Mr. Spock As we mourn the passing of Leonard Nimoy, many members of the Jewish community may remember his last visit to our city. In November of 2008, Mr. Nimoy was in town to be the narrator for a dramatic choral concert at Veterans Auditorium to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the event that marked the beginning of the Nazi atrocities leading up to the Holocaust. The program included a choir of over 200 singers backed by a professional orchestra of 40 under the direction of Cantor Brian Mayer of Temple Emanuel and celebrated a thousand years of Jewish music that has survived despite the horrors of the genocide. Mr. Nimoy, himself a talented artist, singer, author and photographer as well a celebrated actor, took his role as narrator seriously… coming in a day early to rehearse because as he said, “we’ve got to get this right.” His generosity of spirit and commitment to the project will long be remembered among all involved in this amazing event. And as we say goodbye to Mr. Spock, may we all remember his mantra: Live long and prosper.

Photography: Gage Skidmore

For a Good Time, Call Reno It’s always amusing to sift through the almost endless parade of top ten city lists that pour into our office. Some of them, like the recent Travel + Leisure poll that names Providence as their favorite city for 2014, we like. Others, like Forbes magazine, were pretty brutal. The challenge for tourist bureaus across the country is to find something… anything… that speaks positively about their respective cities. Leave it to the good folks representing Reno, Nevada to come up with its own unique niche. Apparently the website whatsyourprice.com did a survey comparing how much single men across the country shell out on that critical first date. Turns out the guys in Reno, Nevada win the “big spender” award ($230 if you’re keeping track of these things). I don’t know where Providence came in, but we’ve got to believe Haven Brothers and Olneyville New York System probably brought our average down a tad.

Time to Make Nice With Mother Nature In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, assorted clean ups are being organized around the state. While it may

Always Free Giftwrapping!

Live long and prosper

be a little too late to score some state funds (applications were due in midMarch we’re told) you might still call Andy Manca at DEM (222-4700, ext 2022) or email him at andrew.manca@ dem.ri.gov. He can alert you as to what clean-up projects are nearby and might be looking for volunteers. If nothing else, check with your neighborhood association or just organize something impromptu on your own. It’s always nice to let Mother Nature know you care. Based on the recent winter from hell, she’s clearly ticked off at us; so a little April love might go a long way.

More Booze News from Brown Last month, we ran a story about the fallout from allegations of date rape drug spikings at a Brown campus party. One fraternity was kicked off campus for four years while another was sanctioned for a year. Now it turns out Brown has determined that the information from the drug-testing agency was flawed. While no charges have been levied against any individual students, the school still stands behind its disciplinary decision towards the primary fraternity in question based “on its history of inappropriate behavior.” Brown also will not be changing its decision to ban liquor at oncampus events during the spring while they try to establish a more definitive policy for campus drinking. Meanwhile an ongoing dialogue continues in the Brown Daily Herald about whether a ban of this type will in fact produce more offcampus liquor issues. The administration maintains the data says no. The editorial board of the paper says yes it does. We

say we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Snow Must Go On… As we, like everyone else around these parts, eagerly await the arrival of spring, we decided to do our modest part to expedite the process. Hence a contest. Send us your guess on the exact day the last icy vestige of winter will finally disappear from the East Side. We’ll select the winning entrant in case of a tie and based on our somewhat variable definition of “all gone.” The winner will get dinner for two at one of our fine local eateries. Send your guess, along with your name and contact info, to our website at esm@ providenceonline.com or mail it to us at East Side Monthly, 1070 Main Street, Suite 302, Pawtucket, R.I. 02860. You score extra points if you also share any particularly interesting winter horror stories with us. Photos are even better.

736 Hope St Providence, RI creatoyvity.com 10a-6:30p Mon-Sat 11a-5p Sun

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Should the Shark Tank? The news of Gordon Fox accepting a major league bribe from the owners of Shark’s unfortunately confirms how many College Hill residents assume business was being done in terms of getting variances and liquor licenses on Thayer Street. Mr. Fox is about to pay a heavy price for his transgressions. But we remain curious about the other side of the transaction. Last we heard trying to bribe an elected official was a serious no no. Are we missing something here? And at the very least, why should someone who circumvented the rules be allowed to benefit as opposed to other business owners who played the game the right way? Just asking.

Make your reservation for our Gourmet Easter Sunday Brunch!

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April 2015 East Side Monthly

Spring into the JCC! A welcoming place for all!

ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor

Sign up for a new membership by April 17 and get your choice of one free week of Summer J-Camp or 18% off your first year’s membership rate! ®

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Indoor Heated Pool Certified Personal Trainers Cardio Machines Free-weight Area Fit Forever Classes for Seniors TigerSharks Swim Club for ages 5 - 18 American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program Indoor Cycling Cardio Kickboxing Muscle Conditioning Zumba™ Yoga Pilates Mat Classes, and more!

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!

To learn more about a JCC membership and all it has to offer, contact our Member Services Office at 401.421.4111.

ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor Dwares

This offer is valid through April 17, 2015 only and may not be combined with any other offers. Summer J-Camp is for children ages 2 - 15; subject to availability. Rhode Island

401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI | jewishallianceri.org

Butterman & Kryston, Inc. 749 East Ave. Pawtucket, RI @ Blackstone Blvd

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East Side Monthly April 2015

401.383.4102

SUMMER CAMPS Go to EastSideMonthly.com for our online camp directory

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A welcoming place for all!

What makes J-Camp different? • Lunch and snacks provided daily • Swim lessons for all campers • Weekly field trips & special visitors • Lots of outdoor play • Activities including art, cooking, sports, science & nature, acting, travel and more!

Dwares Rhode Island

401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 | 401.421.4111

young artist summer camps for kids and teens ages 7–17

An exceptional camp experience for boys and girls of all ages and skill levels, led by Brown University’s varsity coaches, their staff and current Brown athletes.

Baseball • Basketball • Diving Fencing • Field Hockey • Football Lacrosse • Rowing • Rugby • Soccer Squash • Swimming • Tennis Volleyball • Water Polo • Wrestling

continuing education

401-454-6200

ce.risd.edu

Summer Camp + Mαth = Smart Fun Experience math like never before! Let us open your child’s mind and doors to future opportunities! Full week 9am-12pm Ages 5-8 | July 20-24 (M-F) Ages 8-11 | July 27-31 (M-F)

Sponsored by the Brown University Department of Athletics and Brown University School of Professional Studies.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS CAMPS ARE OPEN TO ANY AND ALL ENTRANTS.

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SUMMER CAMPS Go to EastSideMonthly.com for our online camp directory

SUMMER FUN,

In French!

Hands on Summer Fun for children ages 4-16

Dual-language Day camp AgES 4-12 • JUNE 22-JUly 18 Learn French language skills through engaging, creative activities. Explore a whole new world without ever leaving Providence!

art • basketball • cooking • drama natural science • forensic science

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Alton Jones 2015

Summer Camp Pack a summer of adventure into each week!

PLUS OFFICIAL RED SOX BASEBALL CAMP

www.providencecountryday.org Contact Kate Gorton for more information:

kgorton@fasri.org • www.fasri.org

660 Waterman Ave. • E. Providence, RI 401.438.5170

2015 International Summer Engineering Academy

The 2015 International Summer Engineering Academy at URI’s Kingston campus gives high school students the opportunity to explore engineering in a hands-on, engaging fashion while working with students from other countries. An option to earn college credit is also available. Engineering

Robotics and Programming

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Community Neighborhood News

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of all board meetings are posted on the SNA website under “Meetings and Agendas.” Summit Neighborhood Association, PO Box 41092, Providence RI 02940. 489-7078, www.sna.providence.ri.us, sna@sna.providence.ri.us. –Kerry Kohring

Photo courtesy of The Summit Neighborhood Association

Summit neighborhood Association Snow Is Major Downer for Businesses Snow-hampered travel and parking were a nagging discomfort for everybody in Summit in the aftermath of the series of storms, but for the neighborhood’s merchants, it was an acute pain in the bottom line. “It’s safe to say Hope Street merchants lost at least 25% of business” because of closures and with the combined snow, cold and parking “some businesses lost 40%,” said Line Daems and Pernilla Frazier, co-presidents of the Hope Street Merchants Association and proprietors of Kreatelier home designs. Peter Kammerer, owner of The Sandwich Hut and president of the North Main Street Merchants Association, said, “The weather has been brutal, a constant irritation.” He cited “shoveling, paying for plowing services, constant maintenance and salting, but your sales are way down,” adding that “parking bans kill business, and so do hyperbolic weather forecasts.” The city was able to plow the commercial streets to the curbs overnight at least once in cooperation with the merchants, Frazier said, but the repeated storms just piled the frozen obstacle back up. She pointed out that the business associations were in conversations with government officials about the situation, but budget constraints are well known to all residents. Summit merchants, as well as residents are, as Kammerer said, “looking forward to the spring thaw!” SNA Seeking Candidates for Board The Summit Neighborhood Association’s board of directors is looking for a few good people to run for election at the annual meeting May 20. Several current members are having to step down because of illness or other commitments, so the board is seeking replacements as well as anyone interested in participating. The number of board

Brown Street Park Events this Month

The commercial section of Hope Street in Summit was plowed to the curbs overnight at least once by city workers, but the repeated onslaught of snow has seriously impeded parking and hurt businesses.

members is flexible enough to accommodate everyone. The term of office is one year and entails attending one meeting per month as well as actively supporting at least one of the organization’s many endeavors. All board members are also strongly encouraged to bring particular interests or specific projects to the board’s attention. If you are interested, or know someone who would be a great board member, please email or write us. The election will be the primary order of business at the annual meeting, which will be at the Highlands on the East Side, an assisted-living and memory-care center at 101 Highland Ave. It will be an opportunity to get up close and personal with elected officials as well as other people of influence in the neighborhood and city – a “who you need to know” party. Participants can expect to sample wines, foods and other offerings from local merchants as well as voice opinions as to the proper direction of the association. It is also a good time to join or renew a membership. In the past, the event had been in January or February, but the board decided to move the date out of the cold and snowy New England winter to make the meeting more easily accessible. Music Festival Set for August The Summit Music Festival, an annual

extravaganza that last year drew six bands and more than 800 people, has been tentatively set for Aug. 15 this year. It will be held, as always, in Lippitt Park at the intersection of Hope Street and Blackstone Boulevard. The music usually begins at 1pm and goes until about 5pm. The lineup of groups is still under negotiation as SNA is seeking the financial backing needed to attract the top-rated bands that have played in the past. Last year’s headliner was Red Baarat, a rocking blend of Indian percussion, brass and funk that came to Providence from Brooklyn. That concert also included the Selwyn Birchwood band from Tampa plus Providence-based groups Dr. Jones and the Shiners plus Smith&Weeden. Rounding out the events were East Side piano teacher Johnny Lingo and local teenage singer/songwriter Emeline Easton. Included in the park that day were an art wall, activities for children, a beer and wine garden, craft vendors, food trucks and the Hope Street Farmers Market. Keep the date open and plan for a fun afternoon. 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 Ave. The February meeting was called off because of the weather, but all others are open and neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend. Minutes

Save the Date for Third Annual Earth Day Spring Cleaning Providence 2015, April 25 9am-12pm at Brown Street Park and parks and other sites all over Providence. Details available at www. providenceparks.org We are starting to gear up for summer concerts and fitness classes at Brown Street Park. If there is something you would like to see, hear or do in the park this summer, let us know. Please contact wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org to find out how you can donate or get involved in Brown Street Park or visit www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org. Check the website for cancellations and updates for classes and events. To find out what other parks in Providence are doing, check out www.providenceparks.org. Friends of Brown Street Park, 30 Pratt Street Providence, RI 02906. 454-8712, www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org, wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org. –Wendy Nilsson

Wayland Square Monthly Meetings Wednesdays from 7 to 8:45pm, March 25 and April 22, Books on the Square, 471 Angell Street at Elmgrove, next to CVS. Free and open to all. Still Snowed In Wayland Square’s streets and sidewalks (like those of most other Providence neighborhoods) became even more congested after the succession of January and February storms. Repairs to gas lines and other utilities added to the congestion on what became, in effect, one-lane roads where two large vehicles (or even small vehicles) couldn’t pass because parking had been pushed so far towards the middle of the street. The sidewalk paths, often on several inches of ice, were similarly so narrow

April 2015 East Side Monthly

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that it became hard for two pedestrians to pass without one of them going out into the already crowded and unsafe streets. All four corners at Wayland and University Avenues were unreachable for weeks. I slipped and fell on that icy corner more than once. The sidewalk outside the Gladys Potter children’s park on Humboldt Avenue was commendably cleared almost as soon as the last Wayland Square column reached our Yahoo! Group. However, further pedestrian passage up Humboldt to Wayland was blocked for a month by a huge mountain of snow cleared to open a driveway. Humboldt was already too crowded for traffic, let alone walkers forced into the roadway. Snow may be the topic of our March 25 meeting (as it was at a rather brief meeting in February), but this column went to press before we had to time to arrange topics or speakers. On a Sunnier Note On Friday, Feb. 27, the Wayland Square Diner’s chef Michèle Brunelle (accompanied by Dorothy “Dot” Gilmore) cooked her South-of-the-Border omelette and home fries before the live cameras of “The Rhode Show” on WPRI-TV channel 12. Video and recipe, which include black beans, avocado, onions and cheese, can be found at http://wpri. co m /2 01 5/02 /27/ i n - t h e - k i tchensouth-of-the-border-omelet/ 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.. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waylandsquare –David Kolsky

Blackstone Parks Conservancy If Only We Knew In early March, this column goes into production for the April edition, while we are still in the depths of an exceptionally cold winter, and Blackstone Parks Conservancy (BPC) volunteers wish they could know what the future – at least spring – will bring to

the parks. But by the time you read this edition, you may already have the answers to questions that have us on tenterhooks: 1. When will it stop snowing? And when will the thaw come? Just asking…. 2. How did the plants in the Boulevard gardens and in the habitat restoration projects in the Blackstone Park Conservation District (BPCD) fare under 62 (so far) inches of snow? How will the freezing affect the plants? 3. How will the Boulevard and the BPCD handle the rush of stormwater that will come with the thaw? As thousands of walkers and runners know, parts of the central path in the Boulevard are impassable in muddy weather, forcing people onto the grassy verge. With the Parks Department, the Conservancy is working toward installation of relatively new materials in a particularly damaged section near Loring Avenue to test whether they can withstand heavy use. As for the woodland overlooking the Seekonk River, the enormous effort by state environmental agencies and Conservancy volunteers that went into the restoration of trails and habitat completed in 2014 was designed to slow runoff and erosion and promote absorption of water close to thirsty roots. If these projects continue to hold up as well as they did last year – if the gravel and woodchips filling trail ruts and the water bars and steps retaining them stay in place on the slopes – we can be certain that we are on the right track. And if we are fortunate enough to be awarded money for the next project, namely, the restoration of the steep trail down toward the boathouse, we will finish most of the most difficult trail work in the center section this year. Whether that award comes through will be known by mid-March. 4. Will the ducks that spend their winter vacation on the Seekonk River stay around long enough for the people who want to see them? The BPC guided walk scheduled for February 27 was effectively frozen out and rescheduled for March 21 at 11am. We hope that a few holes will appear in the river ice by then so that the ducks can perform for their fans. The Duck Walk was planned as the Education Committee’s first winter program. Other weekend programs like the ones that many children and

Community Neighborhood News continued...

parents have attended in years past will be scheduled for spring, fall and winter. Most July and August programs will take place during the week. Please check our website. In addition to repeating popular programs – music, building fairy houses, bird banding, the boat ride up the river, etc. – the Committee is planning other offerings for 2015. In order to achieve the quality that families have become accustomed to, they need a few volunteers to give a few hours to preparation and/or staffing of these events. Please contact eriverstone@ gmail.com if you can help. By the time you hold the April edition in your hands, we hope you are reveling in the first signs of spring in the Blackstone parks and all over Providence. As Thomas Carew wrote in The Spring nearly 400 years ago, this is a time when “the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth and makes it tender…” Events Earth Day, April 25. Kindly send your East Side Marketplace receipts to Blackstone Parks Conservancy, P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906. 270-3014, www. blackstoneparksconservancy.org, janeannpeterson@gmail.com. –Jane Peterson

Waterman Street Dog Park Community Work Days Planned for Waterman St. Dog Park Once the snow has (hopefully) finally melted, there will be four Saturday community work days to help make the Waterman St. Dog Park a reality. There will be three in April and one in May. Volunteers from our neighborhood will clear brush, lay down trails and enjoy the crisp spring weather. With continued strong support from the Mayor, the City Council, the Parks Department and (most importantly) our neighbors, this park should open this summer. Dogs (and their owners) will have a safe space to frolic without damaging any delicate natural habitats or causing too much noise in residential areas. To get involved, email us at watermanstdogpark@gmail.com, or sign up on our website (watermanstdogpark.org).Waterman Street Dog Park Association, 19

Luzon Ave., Providence, RI 02906. watermanstdogpark@gmail.com, watermanstdogpark.org. –Sam Bell

College Hill neighborhood Association Snow Removal College Hill, along with all of the East Side (and the rest of Providence), is fed up with the minimal success of and lack of oversight of the City snow removal efforts. The excuse of this being an unusually heavy snow season falls on deaf ears when other cities and towns have managed to plow curb to curb while enforcing home and business owner’s sidewalk shoveling ordinances while Providence has not. The CHNA membership wonders whether there will be a case of “amnesia” on this subject when the next mayoral election comes around. In addition to plowing issues, we are now experiencing a relentless pothole infestation. The City has let it be known that they are out effecting temporary patches (in advance of more permanent remedies to be done later in the season) and it is suggested that residents contact the City through ProvConnex online to report potholes. You didn’t hear it from us but we also might suggest calling the neighborhood hot line (421-2489) as well to report the location of potholes. As the ever narrowing streets, due to the build up of snow and ice, are diminishing what little on-street parking we have, the CHNA as well as the City are looking for ideas for solutions to be implemented next season. One idea put forth by Councilman Zurier is to allow alternate side parking only on those streets that currently allow parking on both sides of the street during a snow event aftermath. The City would welcome other ideas so feel free to communicate any thoughts to Councilman Zurier. Parking on Thayer Street Meters will be going into effect some time this spring to allow a better use of parking spots on the street. The maximum limit will be for two hours so stores, restaurants and offices may be accessed more easily. Currently there are signs up but no meters, which has created some confusion.

There is also a parking program being considered to allow the employees who work in the Thayer street businesses to park outside of a 1/4-mile perimeter on designated streets. This will further alleviate parking issues and allow for more patronage of the restaurants and shops on Thayer.

Experience. Integrity. Results.

New Officers for CHNA A new slate of officers on the CHNA board was unanimously elected and confirmed to serve for the next year: Josh Eisen – President, Heidi Heifetz – Vice President, Sara Bradford – Treasurer and Anthony Petrocchi – Secretary. There is also a search for new board members in effect, so any interested College Hill residents should contact the Nominating Committee through the CHNA website to learn how to submit their qualifications for consideration for a board post. Some Upcoming Activities On May 16 there is a street festival planned for Thayer Street, which will be sponsored by Narragansett Beer. There will be food and beverages for sale as well as family activities, music and art. Valid ID’s will be required to purchase alcohol. In June (date TBD) CHNA will hold a family friendly event: Cocktails on College Hill in Prospect Park. This will be open to all College Hill residents (alcohol served only to adults with ID). At this event, CHNA will also discuss the improvements we are suggesting for Prospect Terrace, one of the most beautiful spots on the East Side. 2015 Dues are Due In order to continue our work to preserve and improve the quality of life on College Hill, donations to the CHNA are most welcome and please also become a member. Visit our website at www.chnaprovidence.org and click “Join CHNA.” Checks may be made out ($20/person) to CHNA, Attn: Treasurer. Please include your email and mailing addresses so we can keep you informed on what’s happening in our hood. Dues are $20 (or more if you wish) and should be sent to College Hill Neighborhood Association. PO Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. www.collegehill. com, chna@collegehillna.com –Heidi Heifetz, vice president

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East Side Monthly April 2015

At risd, experience counts At riSd, experience countS The school’s new president is a nationally known furniture designer and proven administrator By Barry Fain • photography by James Jones

Sitting behind the large

drawing table that functions as her desk, Rosanne Somerson is understandably enthusiastic as she describes her first two weeks in office since being declared the new president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She has just returned from a board meeting in San Francisco and couldn’t have been more encouraged by the response she received about her school. “They love what our graduates bring to the table out there in terms of design and practical problem solving,” she says. “They just want more of them.” Having served as the interim president for the past year, it’s clear that RISD’s 17th president is now fully charged and ready to roll. The board meeting was hosted by two recent graduates of the school, Joe Gebbia ’05 and Brian Chesky ’04. The two had met at RISD, become roommates and moved out to the West Coast after graduation. They represent two thirds of the founding team of Airbnb which, while still a private company, seems poised to go public with initial valuations pegging the company worth at over 10 billion dollars. Their growth has been phenomenal, with over a million listings in 34,000 cities in 192 countries. Not bad for two guys in their mid30s. “What’s interesting is that when they were here, one was captain of our basketball team, the other of the hockey team. Maybe it’s time for us to expand our sports programs,” laughs Somerson. The abrupt departure of John Maeda, her predecessor, caught most everyone by surprise. Maeda was seen as the right fit for the school as it tried to establish better communications and more appropriate curricula for the more tech-savvy art students of today. Despite his international reputation as a technology and design guru – he had been the head of

the vaunted MIT Media Lab – he seemed to have some difficulties relating to the more traditional aspects of the art school and in some cases its older alumni base. He never seemed able to get the faculty to totally buy into his vision. In addition, he also never seemed to commit himself to Providence, spending much of his time commuting back to Boston and his family, which remained up there before his unexpected departure to the West Coast and a position as design partner for the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. That said, Somerson quickly acknowledges that Maeda had made some important contributions during his six years at the school. “He certainly stressed the importance of art and design as RISD educates its students for the world as it exists today,” she explains. “He also was successful in making some new friends for our school as well as raising significant scholarship dollars for us as well.” By contrast, it’s difficult to imagine another candidate more fully committed to the school than its new president. After arriving from Philadelphia as a freshman and graduating in 1976 with a BFA in Industrial Design, Somerson remained in New England after graduation, working first as a writer/editor for a national woodworking magazine before starting her own furniture design company three years later. After joining the RISD faculty in 1985, she later helped establish an independent furniture design department within the school which she headed for 16 years, all the while maintaining her own successful design studio. In 2012 she was named provost and even found the time to co-edit a book titled: The Art of Critical Making: Rhode Island School of Design on Creative Practice that elaborated on RISD’s particular teaching practices. In January of 2014 she became interim president before the

Rosanne Somerson

position became permanent last month. Like Maeda, she also brings an international reputation to her new position as one of the country’s most respected furniture designers whose work is in high end collections and galleries around the world, including the Louvre. One of the best perks of her new job is that she will now officially occupy the handsome 1894 Colonial Revival president’s house on the corner of Prospect and Bowen Streets. While only using the house sporadically during her interim status, Somerson plans to move in shortly. She expects to use part of the expansive three-story house for her own family which includes her two daughters. The oldest, Isabel Mattia, is a Brown graduate and works as the lead curator for the DeDee Shattuck gallery in Westport as well as being a sculptor herself. Her youngest daughter Annie is still in high school, currently attending school in Westport where the family maintains a home. Somerson has already received a

house-warming gift of sorts. Turns out the New York Times ran a wonderfully detailed story on how she plans to furnish the house in their home section in mid-February. Gone will be Maeda’s minimalism, replaced by an eclectic array of original artwork and furniture pieces by RISD artists. Her hope is to use the house much as it had been by Roger Mandle, the popular and beloved president who served from 1993-2008, when it became a gathering spot for students, functioning at times as a sort of creativity exchange. The irony is just five days after the interview and resulting story, Somerson was officially notified, much to her own surprise, she had been named president. “Fortunately the Times was able to update the article for a second story so the school couldn’t have asked for better coverage. We’re still getting comments from alumni all over the world who have seen it.” There is something disarmingly downto-earth about the new president. As a longtime academician, she clearly has

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mastered the nuances of edu-speak. But as an artist, writer and designer herself, you sense she really does care about a school like RISD and what makes it so unique. Perhaps RISD Board of Trustees chair Michael Spalter said it best when he noted that “her experiences as a RISD student, faculty member, department head, provost and interim president provided a depth of knowledge and almost instinctive understanding of the institution that (none of the over 100 other candidates) could match.” So what is her vision of RISD’s future? After a thoughtful pause, she quickly lists her three major objectives. The first is to emphasize what in her mind makes a RISD education so important. “We help our students, and the companies they work for, deal with a world of increasing uncertainty and change. RISD’s model of immersive studio-based learning is more vital than ever for turning the conceptual into the practical.” Her second goal is to spread the RISD gospel through partnerships with alumni and faculty. Increasingly, RISD grads are showing up in interesting places. Faculty too. As an example, she cites professor Peter Tagiuri, an East Side resident, who is currently teaching in Korea while also setting up an intern program between Korea and RISD. She’s sees the increasing interconnectedness of RISD’s international contacts as a critically important component for the school’s future. And finally there’s fundraising, which will actually begin to take shape when RISD presents its master plan to the public this spring. “We have some 60 buildings on campus and we need to make sure they all support the unique teaching philosophy of our school.” What might this mean in terms of

specifics? First off, she emphasizes there are no immediate plans to expand beyond the school’s existing footprint. That said, she acknowledged there is a need to expand and improve existing dorm space. The school also remains committed to its recent moves downtown. “Visitors to our campus continue to be impressed with our wonderful waterfront environment, the beauty of our campus and the charm of Providence.” But her fundraising needs to address more than bricks and mortar, she concedes. “Arts education is expensive and we need to gather the necessary funds to insure the best and the most talented can afford a RISD education. And, of course, there also must be funding for faculty enrichment so that they can remain abreast of changing technologies.” Somerson spoke to the importance of RISD’s obligations to Providence. She acknowledged the ongoing role the school’s museum has with the city as a whole. And she was particularly excited about building closer working relationships with the area’s other universities and colleges. Somerson herself was a member of the committee that worked on creating a dual degree between Brown and RISD and fully supports the pedagogy of both schools working together. “If Brown neuroscientists work with RISD designers, for example, the outcome would probably produce a wider range of options and more useful real world outcomes in my view. Brown

riSd’S RISD’S model moDel oF of immerSive ImmeRSIve StudioStuDIoBASed baSeD leArning leaRnIng iS IS more moRe vitAl vItal thAn than ever eveR For foR turning tuRnIng

the the conceptuAl conceptual into Into the the prActicAl. pRactIcal. -- roSAnne RoSanne SomerSon SomeRSon is getting more into the arts while RISD is getting more into traditional academics which I feel is beneficial to both schools.” An excellent example of this occurred recently when RISD’s school of architecture combined with Brown’s urban studies department to bring in speakers from around the country to discuss affordable best practices in urban planning. The lecture was packed with both students from the two schools and members of the general community. In recent years RISD has been working more closely with some of the world’s largest corporations – ESPN, Levi’s, NASA, Samsung, Toshiba, Target – sometimes on specific problems through the career office, sometimes on more full-blown abstract projects. “Because of our hands-on approach to learning, I think companies see us not just as a think tank for new ideas, but rather as a do tank,” suggests Somerson. She references RISD’s upcoming portfolio design day as proof. “We have over 162 firms coming to the campus, and not just design firms either. We have companies in health care, venture capital, you name it. Our model of education encourages our students to try and find new ways to reframe problem solving. I think it’s why our grads do so well in the job market.” So what can we expect to see in the upcoming Somerson years? Well there are certainly reasons for optimism. We have a president with over 30 years of firsthand appreciation of a teaching philosophy that has made RISD arguably the best art and design school in the country. We have someone who understands its faculty, its museum and its interconnectedness to our city. And finally, as a bonus, we have someone who seems to be refreshingly approachable, personable and possessing what Trustee Chair Spalter called “a collaborative leadership style” that should serve her well as she tries to assemble the pieces. So on that note, let the Somerson years begin.

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April Fool’s Days Remembered A look back over 40 years of trying to fool our readers By Barry Fain As we continue to look back over the first 40 years of East Side Monthly, given that this is our April issue, it seems the ideal time to recall the days when we celebrated the month with our annual April Fool’s spoofs. Some of our cover stories were meant to be “gotchas,” articles with just enough plausibility to them to entice the readers to buy in. Sometimes we simply tried to be funny. And admittedly, sometimes our attempts were just lame. Steve Triedman was generally the jokester in charge, with myself as the sous chef. So here are a few of our favorites from the old days. Hope they bring back some memories. 1994: This was one of our first “gotcha’s” where we photoshopped Vartan Gregorian wearing a chef’s hat against a headline that revealed the “news” that Brown and Johnson & Wales were in negotiation about a possible merger. We noted the culture clash between students at the two schools. Politically correct Brown students were upset about JWU students always discussing the “nice buns” of their female colleagues until they realized the subject was baked goods. For different reasons though, students at both universities had major interest in “bread” and “dough.” The article ended with Brown president Gregorian confused over why people should be so surprised about a possible merger. “After all,” he noted, “they like to cook; I like to eat.” 1997: This was certainly our biggest “gotcha.” At a time when Brown was in the midst of a national search to find a successor to President Gregorian, we broke the “news” that John F. Kennedy, Jr. (Brown ’83) was the frontrunner to be the 19th president of the university. At the time, he was the publisher of George magazine in New York but given his mother’s ties to Newport, the significant time he spent in New England and a name and reputation that would allow the school to tap into younger alums, to us he was a credible candidate. As it turned out our story went international (including calls from The Times of London) forcing the Brown development office to issue a disclaimer. They even received irate emails from some of the school’s older, more conservative alumni. We, of course, loved the notoriety. 2000: One of our funnier April Fool’s issues ran in 2000 against a beauty shot of Rhode Island Hospital and a headline that read “Lifespan declares R.I. healthy – will stop seeing patients.” The notion was that Lifespan had just figured out

East Side Monthly April 2015

they could make more money developing their real estate around the state than slugging it out in the increasing difficult health care industry. We discovered a secret corporate document entitled “Rhode Island: The Healthy Years” that detailed the benefits to Lifespan stockholders of redeploying their assets into property management. A team of doctors, some spin, some medical, were called in to justify the decision. 2002: This is the one that almost got us into real trouble. Our April Fool’s spoof that year was that then Mayor Buddy Cianci was trying to sell off the North Burial Ground on North Main Street to a group that would be converting the space into a vineyard. More revenue for a cash-starved city plus restoring a nonprofit property back onto the tax rolls. Promised new labels from the vineyard would include M.O.B (The Mayor’s own Bordeaux), M.O.M. (the Mayor’s own

Muscatel) and, in honor of his friend Anthony Quinn, M.O.O. (The Mayor’s own Ouzo). But it was the last paragraph that brought in the phone calls: “While it is expected that some City politicians may oppose the sale because of the impact the relocation of the gravesites may have on their constituents, at least one Councilman feels it shouldn’t be an issue. ‘Providence has a well-deserved reputation for finding places to get rid of bodies, so I don’t see a problem.’ ” 2005-8: One recurring theme has always been the precarious financial state of the City. So in 2005, we announced that the Mayor, Cicilline at the time, was initiating a tax on dogs. The only thing holding it up was disagreement on whether the tax would be based on the size of the dog, the number of times it needed to be walked or the size of its excrement. In 2006, casino riverboats were the answer, aided by a new

establishment near the Johnson landfill called the Trump Dump. And finally in 2008 we offered the news that the state was considering building luxury suites for the state house to raise revenue and make life easier for our lobbyists. Politics in Rhode Island: the gift that keeps on giving. Our April issue now comes out too early, in mid-March. But hopefully as you think back over the last 40 years, you may recall the days when a group headed by Buddy Cianci almost bought the Journal, or when the Providence Preservation Society almost implemented their plan to recapture “the Golden Age of Blight,” or when the City almost hatched a plan to ring the city with toll booths to raise some money from commuters. Or… well you get the idea. So on that note, Happy almost April Fool’s Day.

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East Side Monthly April 2015

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CLOSE TO HOME Home and Family | Education | Style | Real Estate

On the Market

Upscale Comfort A Dutch colonial combines history with modern amenities

Stretching from Wayland to Morris Avenue, East Side’s Freeman Plat Historic District features winding roads, generous lots and elegant examples of the revival architecture styles popular in preWorld War II America. Peeking through a screen of cherry trees on Freeman Avenue, a Dutch colonial combines the neighborhood’s characteristic classic elegance with modern updates and conveniences. For the first time in 30 years, the 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom home is ready for new residents. Built in 1925, the two-story home is situated on one of Freeman Plat’s largest lots. Both the open concept, light-filled cook’s kitchen and the

sky lighted family room look out over the grassy expanses of the back and side yards. Attached to the formal dining room transitions is a historic butler’s pantry, which features a tin-sink bar area and cabinetry. Renovations have added a twocar garage and mudroom, as well as an updated basement recreation area. Spacious and welcoming, the house offers ideal spaces for cooking, entertaining and relaxing with family. Custom-crafted details include hand-wrought copper roofing, a marble en-suite bathroom off the master bedroom and teak countertops crafted by a Bristol sailboat builder. –Ashlyn Mooney

15 Freeman Parkway at a Glance • • • • • •

Listing Price: $1,495,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 full, 2 half Square Footage: 5,215 sq. ft. Listed by: Lila Delman Real Estate For more information: Benjamin Scungio at 274-1644 or ben.scungio@liladelman.com April 2015 East Side Monthly

Close to Home Education

Finding Our Team

Collaborative afterschool and out-of-school programming

In the recently aired finale of the television series Parks and Recreation, protagonist Leslie Knope told an audience, “Go find your team and get to work.” Truly excellent advice. Nearly all of us need the experience of finding our team – those people who get us, energize us and help us see what’s special in ourselves. We need our team to bring out our best in order to accomplish big things. Young adolescents, in the first phases of finding connection in the world outside of their families and immediate communities, thrive when they find their teams. School can be the ideal place for this to happen, though with tightly regulated schedules and emphasis on individual achievement, teambuilding at school can be challenging (even though most teachers and students would prefer otherwise). Afterschool and other out-ofschool programming is essential, because such experiences allow young people opportunities not only to find their team but also, often for the first time, to get to work and experience the resulting achievement and satisfaction. Since 2005, Providence has benefited from the Providence After School Alliance (PASA), which, among other programs, offers After Zone after school activity options citywide to Providence Public School middle school students. One such PASA program is the Nathan Bishop Drama Club, the result of a partnership among Nathan Bishop Middle School, PASA, Trinity Rep and Brown University. The Nathan Bishop Drama Club is the brainchild of Bishop drama teacher Glenn Zienowicz, or “Mr. Zen,” as his students call him, who is in his second year at Bishop as a full-time staff member. Zienowicz wields powerful enthusiasm for his work, and has found fertile ground for student engagement and artistic creation in the afterschool space. During a professional development gathering, Zienowicz met Erik 30

East Side Monthly April 2015

Ehn, the chair, professor and head of playwriting of the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies department at Brown. This connection eventually led to Ian McNeely, a Brown/Trinity Repertory consortium third-year MFA candidate, actor and musician who became a collaborator. With a lead on costumes from a previous production within the Providence Public Schools, Zienowicz and McNeely identified Alice in Wonderland as a likely production for Bishop, but their dissatisfaction with existing scripts and creative energy led to an entirely original musical production of Alice. Titled Alice – A New Musical, the drama club workshopped the production during the fall, started rehearsing in the winter and will perform the musical at Bishop on May 15-17. During the process, the creative team expanded to include a music performance group from Brown University that will play the score live during performances; performers

from Bishop’s music classes, led by teacher Deborah Viau; and theater and set decorations from Bishop’s visual arts classes, led by teacher Arthi Sundaresh. The school’s administration, led by principal Kimberly Luca, has provided strong support throughout as Mr. Zen and his team produce an entirely new, fully scored version of a classic, with original staging, lyrics, lines and all other aspects of production. Parents joined the team, taking on the challenge of fundraising for the production. In February, the group held the Queen of Hearts Ball, a fundraiser at the Providence Marriott featuring musical numbers from Alice. Parent Beth Adamo, mother to sixth grade performer Roslyn, noted that it is gratifying to feel strongly connected to her daughter’s excitement and to be able to contribute in such a meaningful way. This year, the Nathan Bishop Drama Club attracted a core group of

24 students, and Zienowicz and McNeely are using the large cast as an asset. Alice, for example, is played by three seventh graders, each representing Alice’s changing dimensions through the story – which is, as Zienowicz noted, an apt metaphor for the dramatic changes that middle schoolers experience. Annette Milburn, who plays Big Alice, shared that she feels the most like her true self on stage, saying, “I like being able to express myself here – knowing that I can do this makes me feel good all day long.” Noa Alon plays regular-sized Alice, and she talked about the challenge that she felt expressing herself and the ways that Mr. Zen helped push her out of her shell and into character. Audrey O’Donnell plays Little Alice, and she says that when people see the play, “They’re going to be very surprised by what middle schoolers can do.” Audrey may be right. We tend to underestimate young people. The Nathan Bishop Drama Club’s efforts show us what’s possible when a multigenerational and otherwise diverse team gets to work. Alice – A New Musical shows us that young people are worth all of the time, energy and focus that talented, inspiring adults can give them. What’s possible in theater is also possible in arts, science, athletics, civic participation and much more. Join the team! Please support the Nathan Bishop Drama Club’s production of Alice – A New Musical. The team is gratefully accepting contributions to support production costs at www.gofundme.com/ NathanBishopDrama to contribute. Tickets for shows on the evenings of May 16 and 17, and the afternoon of May 18, will be on sale at the door at Nathan Bishop Middle School, 101 Sessions Street in Providence; call the school at 456-9344 for more information.

Illustration: Ashley MacLure

By Jill Davidson

Education

continued

SOME OF MY RECENT SALES... 19 GEORGE ST. #4 73 MANNING ST. 270 DOYLE AVE 43 ORIOLE AVE 44 MAGELLAN ST 535 WAYLAND AVE 38 TAFT AVE 235 DOYLE AVE #2 8 BLACKSTONE BLVD 167 EIGHTH ST 63 MT. HOPE AVE 77 SOUTH ANGELL ST. #203 77 SOUTH ANGELL ST. #301 88-90 SUMMIT AVE 53 ARNOLD ST

Smart News Nathan Bishop Girls and Boys Basketball Teams City Champions! Congratulations to the Nathan Bishop Middle School girls and boys basketball teams, which both won the Providence Middle School Basketball Championship. The championship games were played in February at the Providence Career and Technical Academy Field House. Bishop teacher Galo “Ruben” Reyes coaches the boys’ team, and teachers Richard Belisle and Rebecca Janeshefskie coach the girls’ team. Congratulations, also, to boys’ team runner-up Esek Hopkins Middle School and girls’ team runnerup Nathanael Greene Middle School. Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island Reaches out to Vandalized Islamic School In February, the Islamic School of Rhode Island (ISRI), in West Warwick, was vandalized with expressions of hate and intolerance. In response, Adam Tilove, head of the East Side’s Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI) delivered cards written by JCDSRI students to ISRI and met with principal Abdelnasser Hussein. As Tilove shared on Facebook, “We give them our support and pledge of solidarity. There is no

room for hate. Every child deserves to go to school feeling safe and respected. We at JCDSRI support ISRI and stand up against hatred and fear.” The two schools are now in the process of planning basketball games, gatherings, joint field trips and other collaborations. Future Chefs Competition for Providence Elementary School Students On March 21, Sodexo is sponsoring the Future Chefs competition at Providence Career and Technical Academy. The Future Chefs competition features 18 third through fifth graders from various Providence Public Schools. The Future Chefs’ recipes for healthy snacks were chosen from 96 submitted recipes. The chefs will make their recipe for a panel of judges, who will pick a winner to move on in the competition to state and possibly national levels. This writer must disclose that her son Henry Eberman, third grader at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, is a finalist in the competition with his Crazy Watermelon Quesadillas. Please join me in wishing Henry and all of the Future Chef competitors the best of luck! at 272-3780.

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April 2015 East Side Monthly

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LESLiE KELLogg

Pedaling to Success

A worthwhile charity strikes a chord with one East Sider By Liz Rau

Illustration: Kendrah Smith

Imagine walking ten miles

in one day to get to school and back. In Vietnam, that’s the reality many kids face every day. The trek is so long and tiring that many children, especially girls, stay home, eventually dropping out. Their chance for an education, and a better life, ends. Sara Stevens Nerone has a solution: buy them bikes. She’s the founder of the Rhode Island-based Rock-PaperScissors Children’s Fund, which provides bikes, as well as arts and music programs, to kids in some of the poorest regions of Vietnam. It’s a great idea born from her personal experience with the Southeast Asian country – and her desire to help people who live in extreme poverty, some earning less than a dollar a day. So far, 600 Vietnamese children have benefited from her good deeds. Behind every great altruistic gesture there is usually a story of courage and hope, and such is the case with Nerone. Years ago, Nerone, an ecologist, and her husband, Christopher, a botanist, adopted two girls from Vietnam: Sophie, now 16 years old, and Phoebe, now 13 years old. Christopher passed away in 2010. Nerone wanted Sophie and Phoebe to know and experience the country and culture they came from, so two years ago the three of them, as well as Nerone’s partner, Patrick O’Brien, returned to Vietnam to volunteer. It was a life-changing experience. The poverty was numbing – and heartbreaking. Back home in Wakefield, she knew she had to help. She chose bikes for obvious reasons, but why the arts? Nerone had another brilliant idea: The arts would bring children and their families together in community centers humming with creativity and promise. Vietnam is not as bad off economically as it was a decade ago, but, sadly, much of the wealth is in the cities. Seventy-five percent of the people live in rural areas; it’s still very poor. Nerone would focus on those regions. She thought that music and the arts would be a wonderful way for students to escape the grinding poverty. Those programs would also give students a

Your East Side Expert

401-339-0584 lkellogg@residentialproperties.com

Elevating Iconic chance to express themselves outside the home and schools, which are strict with a rigid teaching style. Fast forward to the present: Vietnamese boys and girls play on violins provided by the nonprofit and draw and paint in classes that are lively and fun. Music and art camps are offered in ethnic minority villages for 300 children. The bike program is only for girls, who are more likely than boys to drop out if they don’t have transportation. Girls are expected to maintain the home and care for younger siblings. Biking to school gives them more time to help their families. Nerone says bikes also give girls more safety. Girls are often targeted for human trafficking to the sex trade and sweatshops. A bike provides these girls with a safer way to travel. To date, nearly 300 girls have received new bikes, purchased at local shops in the country. They also received bike pumps and extra tires. The nonprofit’s mission is so powerful it has attracted hundreds of donors, including East Sider Melanie Coon, who “bought’’ three bikes with a $165 donation. Bikes are $55 a piece. A $10 donation buys two bike

helmets, and a $25 donation pays for a bike pump, extra tires, tools and safety training. “I try to find meaningful holiday gifts for my family,’’ says Coon. “These bikes – and the mission of RockPaper-Scissors – spoke to me and seemed perfect for my daughter and my brother, as they both care deeply about providing opportunities for children in need. And I could not resist donating a third as a gift to myself.’’ Rock-Paper-Scissors is a passion for the entire Nerone family. The sisters are both musicians in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras – Sophie plays the violin, and Phoebe plays the cello. They accompany their mother every year to Vietnam to give music lessons to boys and girls and immerse themselves in the culture. They also raise money to buy new violins for the Vietnamese kids. Sophie was recently recognized for her philanthropic work by the Metta Students Foundation, which honors Rhode Island students who do inspiring and compassionate work. Quietly, without fanfare, Nerone and her daughters are practicing something rare today: goodness. www. rockpaperscissorschildrensfund.org.

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Rue De L’Espoir American Bistro Cooking 99 Hope Street, Providence, RI info/reservations 751-8890 • therue.com open daily breakfast, lunch, dinner

April 2015 East Side Monthly

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East Side Monthly April 2015

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On the tOwn

Restaurant and Food | Dining Guide | Calendar of events

Flavor of the Month

John Paul and Diana Murton

Something’s Brewing in Fox Point nYC transplants add to third wave coffee shops in PVD By Grace Lentini

Photography: Mike Braca

Diana and John Paul Murton met in NYC while working together in the West Village. It was during this time that they became passionate about where food came from and the dirt in which it grew. Diane, originally from Warwick, and John Paul, from Pittsburgh, PA, decided to make the haul to Li’l Rhody, where they recently opened The Shop in Fox Point. We talked about close attention to ingredient origins, third wave coffee and what we can look forward to from them in the future. I have to ask, why open a coffee shop on a street already known for great coffee shops? Diana: We recognized that we had been spoiled with some great shops in NYC that had the whole package: coffee, food, community. And we knew we had the skills to bring that to PVD. And PVD really doesn’t have that many coffee shops, especially third wave coffee shops.

Say what now? What is a third wave coffee shop? John Paul: So, a first wave coffee shop is like a gas station or diner. It’s uniform and consistently the same, but not necessarily good. A second wave coffee shop would be something like Starbucks – that is the pinnacle. There’s a focus on the recognition of where coffee is grown and where it comes from – but not all it’s nuances. A third wave coffee shop knows the entire supply chain in the entire process from the growers, importers, supply chain, coffee roasters to baristas. The idea is that everyone is paying attention to the variables and there is a recognition of the impact back down the supply chain. Other third wave coffee shops in PVD include Bolt in the Dean Hotel, New Harvest coffee in the arcade and Dave’s Coffee on South Water Street. You seem very committed to having

the best small batch purveyors in your shop. How did you go about choosing Stumptown Coffee Roasters for your coffee? John Paul: Consistency of quality throughout the course of the year and flavor profile. They are also great people to work for. And why use Munroe Dairy? John Paul: They source raw milk from CT and process it themselves, so they have control over the whole process. And the pastries and bread? Diana: We use Humble Pie Company (HPC), Foremost Baking Company (FBC) and Illuminated Oven (IO). With HPC and IO, it’s really the people. We are very similar in our approaches to the ingredients we use. John Paul: They are philosophically like-minded. IO is known for executing difficult items that are vegan and gluten-free. And the results are

delicious, you wouldn’t think they were vegan or gluten-free. And FBC was a no-brainer. They are so committed to bread. Is there anything exciting that we can look forward to this spring? John Paul: We’re going to be putting an iced tea and honey drink on the menu. It’s a blend of our loose leaf fermented Chinese black tea, loose leaf lavender mint tea and organic honey that is turned into a syrup. What’s your philosophy when it comes to where you source from? John Paul: If we don’t do local, we’ll do something organic or sustainable. We truly do the best we can with each ingredient.

The Shop 460 Wickenden Street 684-1140 www.theshopfoxpoint.com April 2015 East Side Monthly

JP Pagano

On the town On the Menu

Broker AssociAte

Good Eats eat Drink RI Festival returns to showcase the best of RI’s culinary scene By Alastair Cairns

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East Side Monthly April 2015

The Eat Drink RI Festival is being held April 30-May 3

Biltmore for a Grand Tasting. The list of participants reads like a who’s who of Rhode Island food, and will include stand after stand of food businesses both little and large showing off. In addition, there are cooking demonstrations of the not so secret formula to culinary excellence: top local chefs paired with top local farms. Eat Drink RI isn’t neglecting your perishing thirst either, bringing in samplings of locally produced beer, wine and spirits, from Bully Boy Distillers. On Sunday, things are wrapped up with a Grand Brunch to benefit The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra Music School; Katie indicated that this is a personal cause for Eat Drink RI president David Dadekian, who along with his kids is frequently at the Vets, as well as rehearsals. The Grand Brunch means some pastry chefs get in on the action a little more, as well as a cocktail bar by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails and a coffee bar by New Harvest Coffee Roasters. If you’ve made it through the whole long weekend, you’re going to need one or both. www.eatdrinkri.com Chapel Grille’s Townie Deals With only the 401 to claim our own, we can’t have hors d’oeuvres in different area codes in little Rhody. When our restaurants rep the hood, it must be done

by town. Accordingly, Chapel Grille is launching their Hometown Advantage Campaign. Stretching through the year, for 33 weeks, if you go to the Chapel Grille the week your town is featured, your valid driver’s license gets you 25% off your food bill. Every town gets a week, so check their website to plan your visit. 3000 Chapel View Boulevard, Cranston. 944-4900, www.chapelgrilleri.com North Bakery is Slinging Sandwiches North Bakery makes me one of those annoying customers hated by both the service industry and other customers alike. Paralyzed by the inability to choose between even the basics, like sweet or savory, a dan dan hand pie or a lemon tart, I become temporarily ignorant of the cultural practice of exchanging money for goods. The situation hasn’t improved for me, or the patient folks on the other side of the glass. North is now making sandwiches, and as you’d expect, they are making them well. The sandwich menu changes frequently, but highlights include in-house smoked meats and bread baked fresh daily. Pointing vaguely and grunting I get there in the end, but I’ll let you ahead of me in line. 70 Battey St, Providence. 421-4062, www.northbakery.com Send all food, beverage, restaurant and chef news to alastairjcairns@gmail.com

Photo: Stacey Doyle

Working for Sellers and Buyers

Eat Drink RI – David Dadekian’s passion project and information hub for RI food – has been charging forward over the last few years, bringing awareness of RI’s vibrant food scene right along with it. With last year’s $300,000 innovation grant award, he was able to forge ahead with plans on the Eat Drink RI Central Market, a much-needed culinary hub in Providence proper. Commensurate with their increasing ambitions, they recently hired on Katie Kleyla full time, as Director of Development For the last four years though, Eat Drink RI has hung their hat on throwing the definitive celebration of RI food with their Eat Drink RI Festival. Luckily for us, from April 30 to May 3, it’s that time again. Eat Drink RI has a full schedule of events over the course of four days, each one mixing together Rhode Island’s great food, great chefs and great causes. We begin on Thursday with Dinner by Dames. Dinner by Dames is an ongoing series of collaborative chef-driven feasts, showcasing the considerable talents of some of Rhode Island’s best female chefs. When organizing the kickoff meal, Eat Drink RI found by happy accident that it fell on the annual nationwide fundraiser Dining Out For Life, and got on board, with dinner proceeds benefitting AIDS Project RI. Friday evening brings us the truck stop. No, this isn’t a down and dirty themed pop-up swinger party, but I like where your head’s at. Instead, it’s a bunch of food trucks rolling onto the Alex and Ani City Center in Kennedy Plaza. Last year the Festival’s Truck stop raised over $106,000 for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, and they are hoping to build on that success this year. Katie Kleyla said that trucks end up serving up 500-600 portions each, on largely volunteered time, with Eat Drink RI reimbursing their costs and giving a minimal stipend. The generous folks circling the wagons this year on the rink include Tallulah’s Taqueria, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Rocket Fine Street Food and others. Have you never said the words “that’s a little much?” Perhaps Saturday is more your style. It’s twice the grandeur, with a Grand Ballroom at the

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April 2015 East Side Monthly

RHODY BITES A Sponsored Statewide Dining Guide

View our full Restaurant Profiles on RhodyBites.com

Café Paragon/VIVA For two decades, Café Paragon/ VIVA has combined eclectic food in a stylish yet comfortable atmosphere with a sizzling bar and lounge scene on famed Thayer Street. A staple of the College Hill dining scene since 1994, Paragon offers European bistro/ cafe style dining, while the sophisticated lounge next door at VIVA features Mediterranean mezes and creative cocktails. On weekend nights it comes alive with music and a nightclub vibe. The menu at Café Paragon/VIVA is extensive, featuring a wide range of

appetizers, salads, burgers, grilled pizzas, pastas and meat and seafood entrees. An eclectic range of influences – including Italian, Mediterranean, Asian and Californian – informs the cuisine. Don’t miss the Gourmet Brunch Buffet every Sunday, featuring carving, omelet and pasta stations, along with entrees like eggs Benedict, cinnamon French toast and sole Francaise. Paragon also offers free delivery seven days a week until 11:30pm, providing a more refined and delicious alternative to your typical delivery options.

Can’t-Miss Dish: Peppercorn Ahi Tuna: Pan-seared rare, peppercorn encrusted yellowfin tuna, finished with a wasabi aioli and julienne vegetables.

10 Prime Steak & Sushi Gourmet steaks and sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 453-2333. LD $$$ 2 Pauls’ City Grille Comfort food with a family feel. 315 Waterman Ave, East Providence, 228-7285. BrLD $-$$ Andreas Authentic Greek food since 1966. 268 Thayer St, Providence, 3317879. BrLD $-$$ Aspire Seasonal Kitchen Contemporary New England fare. 311 Westminster St, Providence, 521-3333. BBrLD $$-$$$ Besos Kitchen & Cocktails Tapas and eclectic cuisine and cocktails. 378 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-8855. BrLD $$$ Black Bass Grille Classic seafood, historic waterfront setting. 3 Water St, South Dartmouth, 508-999-6975. LD $$ Breachway Grill Classic New England fare, plus NY-style pizza. 1 Charlestown Beach Rd, Charlestown,

213-6615. LD $$ CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in a historic setting. 14 Imperial Place, Providence, 751-9164. BrLD $$-$$$ Centro Restaurant & Lounge Contemporary cuisine and cocktails. 1 W Exchange St, Providence, 228-6802. BLD $$$ Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline. 100 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 9444900. BrLD $$$ Clean Plate Delicious comfort food in a casual setting. 345 S. Water Street, Providence, 621-8888. BBrLD $$ DeWolf Tavern Gourmet American/ Indian fusion. 259 Thames St, Bristol, 254-2005. BLD $$-$$$

Café Paragon

cuisine. 733 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield, 789-2308. LD $-$$

chic setting. 284 Thayer St, Providence, 331-8111. LD $-$$

Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$

KitchenBar Contemporary comfort cuisine. 771 Hope Street, Providence. 331-4100. BrLD $$

Enn Japanese Creative sushi and Japanese food. 600 George Washington Hgwy, Lincoln, 333-0366. LD $$

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

Fieldstones Relaxed family setting, something for everyone. 980 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, 293-5200. LD $$

Lobster Pot Serving traditional New England classics and seafood. 119 Hope St, Bristol, 253-9100 BrLD $$$$$

Flatbread Company Artisanal pizza, local ingredients. 161 Cushing St, Providence, 273-2737. 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 $

Luxe Burger Bar Build your own creative burger. 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $ Mariner Grille Creative seafood, pub atmosphere. 140 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 284, 3282. LD $$

DiMare Seafood Fresh seafood restaurant and market. 2706 South County Trail, East Greenwich, 8858100. LD $$-$$$

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

McBlarney’s County Tap Modern, upscale pub with daily specials. 632 Metacom Ave, Warren 401-2890887. LD $$

Dragon Palace Fresh sushi and Asian

Kartabar Mediterranean-style cuisine,

McBride’s Pub Traditional Irish pub

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

East Side Monthly April 2015

Photo: Dan Schwartz

234 Thayer Street, Providence • 401-331-6200

fare in Wayland Square. 161 Wayland Ave, Providence, 751-3000. LD $$ Meeting Street Cafe Huge sandwiches and cookies. 220 Meeting St, Providence, 273-0166. BLD $ Mews Tavern Family dining, with a whiskey bar. 456 Main St, Wakefield, 783-9370. LD $-$$ Mia’s Prime Time Café Upscale café cuisine by the Pawcatuck River. 1 West Broad Street, Pawcatuck, CT, 860-599-3840. BLD $$ Mile & a Quarter Eclectic cuisine and wine bar. 334 South Water St, Providence, 331-1500. LD $-$$ Mill’s Tavern Historic setting for New American gourmet. 101 N Main St, Providence, 272-3331. D $$$ Nonni’s Italian Restaurant Traditional Italian eatery and pasta shop. 1154 Stafford Rd, Tiverton, 624-3087. LD $$ Oceanside at the Pier New England fare overlooking the Atlantic. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 792-3999. BrLD $$ Paragon & Viva Contemporary dining and nightlife. 234 Thayer St, Providence, 331-6200. BrLD $-$$ Parkside Rotisserie & Bar American bistro specializing in rotisserie meats. 76 South Main St, Providence, 331-0003. LD $-$$ Pavilion Steakhouse & Banquets Grand, banquet-hall style dining. 15A Frontier Rd, Hopkinton, 377-9900. BrLD $$$

PHIL’s Main Street Grille Classic comfort food; great rooftop patio. 323 Main St, Wakefield. 783-4073 BBrLD $ PJ’s Pub Mediterranean-influenced pub food. 135 Boone St, Narragansett. 401-789-3200. LD $-$$ Portsmouth Publick House Gourmet pub food with a variety of spirit flights. 1 King Charles Dr, Portsmouth. 682-2600. BrLD $-$$ Public Kitchen & Bar American food with changing daily inspirations. 120 Francis St, Providence, 919-5050. BrLD $-$$ Rasa Authentic and contemporary Indian. 149 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2822. LD $$ Rasoi Vegetarian-friendly Indian cuisine. 727 East Ave, Pawtucket, 7285500. LD $$ Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 437-6950. BrLD $$ Rick’s Roadhouse House-smoked barbecue. 370 Richmond St, Providence, 272-7675. LD $-$$ Rue De L’Espoir American cooking with French soul. 99 Hope St, Providence, 751-8890. BBrLD $$

Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich, Smithfield. sienari.com D $$$$$ Simone’s Gourmet brunch followed by upscale Mediterranean cuisine. 275 Child St. Warren, 247-1200. BBrLD $$-$$$ T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich, Narragansett, 9465900. BL $ Tara’s Tipperary Tavern Oceanside Irish-American pub fare. 907 Matunuck Beach Rd, Matunuck, 284-1901. BLD $ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/American bistro. 16 W Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$ The Coast Guard House Modern New England Fare with Bay views. 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett. 401-7890700. LD $$-$$$ The Dorrance Fine dining with exquisite cocktails. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 521-6000. D $$$ The Malted Barley Gourmet pretzels and craft brews. 42 High St, Westerly, 315-2184. $

The Twisted Vine Romantic wine bar with tapas and full meals. 3 Canal St, Westerly, 596-4600. D $$ The Village Casual dining and live entertainment. 373 Richmond Street, Providence, 228-7222. BrLD $$ Trinity Brewhouse Rhode Island’s original brewpub. 186 Fountain St, Providence, 453-2337 LD $-$$ UMelt Fun twists on grilled cheese. Providence and Kingston, 383-6732. LD $ Vetrano’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Italian cooking like grandma made. 130 Granite St, Westerly, 348-5050. LD $$ Vittoria’s NY Pizza Best pizza north of Manhattan. 224 Post Rd, Westerly, 322-1901. LD $-$$ Waterman Grille Riverfront New American dining. 4 Richmond Sq, Providence, 521-9229. BLD $$$ Wes’ Rib House Missouri-style BBQ, open late. 38 Dike St, Providence, 421-9090. LD $$ Whiskey Republic Delicious dockside pub fare. 515 South Water St, Providence, 588-5158. LD $-$$

Scampi Seafood and Italian cuisine with expansive water views. 657 Park Ave, Portsmouth, 293-5844. LD $$

The Restaurant at Weekapaug Inn Quintessential New England fare. 25 Spray Rock Rd, Westerly, 322-0301. BLD $$$

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

Seasons Fine dining at the Ocean House. 1 Bluff Ave, Westerly, 5847000. BLD $$$

The Sea Goose Seafood with New England and Southern flair. 265 Post Rd, Westerly, 315-0788. LD $$-$$$

Zooma Trattoria Fresh Italian cuisine using house-made pasta. 245 Atwells Ave, Providence, 383-2002. LD $$

Worth The Drive:

PHIL’s Main Street Grille PHIL’s is a local favorite in the heart of historic Wakefield and features a downstairs diner-style space, a loft dining room and a rooftop lounge perfect for fairer weather. Of course, real estate aside, you’re here

for the food. PHIL’s offers hearty portions of all your favorite comfort foods at fair prices. Whether you’re looking for a big plate of prime rib (served with a huge popover) or healthy vegan options, PHIL’s will make it fresh and to your liking.

Insider Tip: Wednesday is Wing Night – get .50¢ wings.

PHIL’s Main Street Grille

For full restaurant profiles, go to RhodyBites.com

323 Main Street, Wakefield 401-783-4073 @RhodyBites

facebook.com/RhodyBites

April 2015 East Side Monthly

BEST-IN-CLASS INGREDIENTS A DIFFERENT DEAL EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK 25% OFF FOOD WHEN YOUR HOMETOWN IS FEATURED 50% OFF APPETIZERS SUNDAY-FRIDAY* 4-6PM & 8PM-CLOSE *FRIDAYS 4PM-CLOSE

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130 Cypress st., Unit 6 • east side Great Condo for investment or to live-in. High Ceilings, period details, hardwood floors, central air, fully applianced kitchen and laundry in unit. Deeded parking. Motivated seller! $79,900

134 GeorGe M Cohan Blvd., • east side Great opportunity for owner occupied or investment! Excellent rental history close to Brown University & Wickenden St. Newer roof, windows, heating systems, appliances & more. Waterviews across from park. Property is in fantastic condition. $ 399,000

118 Governor St., • eaSt Side Fantastic 4 family home plus 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath fabulous luxury Carriage House. Plenty of parking. Properties are in fantastic shape! Steps to Brown University. Parking for 6 cars. Laundry in units. A very special property. Over $100,000 in annual income. $1,695,000

172 ProsPect st., • east side Elegant 3 bedroom College Hill townhouse. Bright & sunny end unit with open layout, hardwoods, high ceilings and large master bedroom. Home has central A/C, updated mechanicals, laundry in unit and integral garage. Must see! $ 349,900

281 Benefit St., Unit# 281 • eaSt Side Enjoy living on historic Benefit Street in the heart of Providence’s College Hill area. This condo boasts two bedroom suites each with their own baths and gorgeous city views. Walk to Downtown, Brown, RISD, The Alpert Medical School and Amtrak. $ 308,888

11 Slocum St., unit# 4 • federal Hill Beautifully remodeled large 2 bedroom Lancaster House condo with hardwoods throughout, granite counter-tops, cherry cabinetry, bright and open with large rooms. $159,900

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East Side Monthly April 2015

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On the town Calendar

by Erin Balsa

April music | performance | social happenings | galleries | sports

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A Flea in Her Ear. April 1-26 at Trinity Rep in Providence. www.trinityrep.com

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at PPAC on April 19. www.ppacri.org.

A Flea in Her Ear plays at Trinity Rep this month

Providence Bruins take on the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 12 at the Dunk. www.providencebruins.com Wayne Brady. April 25 at the Park Theatre in Cranston. www.parktheatreri.com Design the Night. April 23 at the RISD Museum in Providence. www.risdmuseum.org Annual Southern New England Women’s Expo at Twin River on April 18-19. www.twinriver.com Guided Walking Tour: 1670s Pawtucket – The Jenks Settlement. April 18 & 25 at Slater Mill in Pawtucket. www.slatermill.org Rap Round Robin Tour with BRZOWSKI. April 23 at AS220 in Providence. www.as220.org Providence Ballet Theatre’s Spring Concert. April 10 at the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts in Providence. www.providenceballet.org

Marie Antoinette. April 30 at The Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket. www.gammtheatre.org

THOUGHTFUL ART

Art Behind Bars From April 1-31 the public is invited to stop into the Atrium Gallery at One Capital Hill to view works of art, poetry and prose composed by locals who are incarcerated at the Adult Correctional Institution (ACI) in Cranston. The exhibit is called The ACI Show and it’s an annual event presented by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. The exhibit has proven to be quite popular with viewers who report that they’re moved by the rawness and honesty in the prisoners’ work, all of which is created as part of the ACI’s volunteer-run art program, which is rehabilitative in nature. Out of a great number of submissions, Marietta Cleasby, who has been teaching art at the facility for over 20 years, selects 135 works to be displayed. For more information on this show email bootscleasby@aol.com. One Capital Hill, Providence. 222-3880, www.arts.ri.gov/projects/atrium.php.

April 2015 East Side Monthly

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Community Appreciation Night at the Brown University Stuart Theater! • F estival of Dance, Thursday, April 30, 8:00 pm. See brown.edu/taps • Complementary Community Reception before the show at 7:00 pm. Stuart Theater, 75 Waterman St. • Tickets are free but advance registration is required: contact community@brown.edu or 863-3717.

For more news about Brown: https://news.brown.edu/

East Side Monthly April 2015

On the town Calendar continued...

design • site plans • consulting

MUSIC

arena & club | classical ARENA & CLUB AS220 April 5: Darklands, Broads, Sex Snobs (OKC) and Spirits. April 9: Songwriters in the Round. April 11: Protomartyr, Gotobeds, Cottaging and Way Out. April 12: Bill Evans 75th Birthday Concert: a benefit for the AS220 dance studio. April 14: Project Alice, All the Way Through, Zach Mayer, Foster Children. April 17: Weak Teeth, Violent Sons, New Strange (OH) and Public Policy. April 18: Denver Boot, The Woods Colt, Steve Ryu. April 23: Rap Round Robin Tour with BRZOWSKI, Lunchbagg, MJC, Height Keech, PT Burnem and Passalacqua. April 24: Getting Famous, The Whole Façade, Weld Square and Naked Nick. 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.as220.org. AURORA Mondays: Motown Mondays. Tuesdays: Tuesday Lounge Night. 276 Westminster Street, Providence. www. auroraprovidence.com. CHAN’S FINE ORIENTAL DINING April 4: Johnny A. April 10: Through the Doors. April 11: Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson and the Magic Rockers. April 18: Dan Moretti and the Hammond Boys. April 24-25: Anthony Gomes. 267 Main Street, Woonsocket. 7651900, www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com. COLUMBUS THEATRE April 3: Lady Lamb. April 5: Screaming Females, Mitski, Downtown Boys. April 9: Spirit Family Reunion. April 11: The Sonics, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages. April 15: Gregory Alan Isakov with special guest Jolie Holland. April 16: Michael Hurley, Last Good Tooth. 270 Broadway, Providence. 621-9660, www.columbustheatre.com. LUPO’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL April 1: Curren$y. April 3: Big Sean. April 9: 95.5 WBRU Presents Walk the Moon. April 10: Badfish. April 24: The Fab Faux: The Beatles Tribute. 79 Washington Street, Providence. 3315876, www.lupos.com.

THE MET April 1: Secondhand Serenade, Ryan Cabrera. April 11: Nene Malo. April 12: Rizzz. April 17: Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique. April 23: Twiddle. April 24: Max Creek. April 25: The Wombats. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 729-1005, www. themetri.com. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER April 16: John Mellencamp. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org. TWIN RIVER April 17: The Beach Boys. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 723-3200, www.twinriver.com. VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM April 19: Brit Floyd: The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 222-1467, www.vmari.com. CLASSICAL BROWN UNIVERSITY April 2: MUSC2270A Concert. April 11: Master Class Led by Alban Gerhardt. April 11: Thesis Performance: Cody Fitzgerald. April 12: Senior Recital: Sydney Island. April 12: MUSC1011 Recital. April 20: Geoffrey Kocks Piano Recital. April 24: Piano Workshop. April 25: Kathryne Jennings’ Studio Recital. April 25: Chorus Concert. April 28: Taylor Stilson’s Studio Recital. Grant Recital Hall, 105 Benevolent Street, Providence. 863-3234, www. brown.edu/Departments/Music. PARK THEATRE April 4: Lisa Fischer. April 19: Smooth Jazz Supergroups Double Bill: Fourplay and Spyro Gyra. 848 Park Avenue, Cranston. 467-7275, www.parktheatreri.com. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER April 19: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org. FOLK STONE SOUP COFFEEHOUSE April 11: Gordon Bok with Terry Kitchen. April 25: Mustard’s Retreat. 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket.

921-5115, www.soup.org

PeRFORMAnCe

comedy | dance | theatre COMEDY AS220 First Wednesday: LuLz! Comedy Night hosted by Randy Bush. First Sunday: The Empire Revue with sketch comedy, improv, music, burlesque and magic. 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.as220.org. COMEDY CONNECTION April 2: Lavell Crawford. April 8: Bob Marley. April 9: Justin Willman. April 16: Bobby Collins. Fridays: Hardcore Comedy. Sundays: Comedy Showcase. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 4388383, www.ricomedyconnection.com. PARK THEATRE April 24: Miranda Sings. April 25: Wayne Brady. 848 Park Avenue, Cranston. 467-7275, www.parktheatreri.com.

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PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER April 12: Lewis Black. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org. THE MET April 18: Todd Barry. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 729-1005, www.themetri.com. DANCE ANGELL BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SMITH CENTER FOR THE ARTS April 24-25: Spring Dance Concert. One Cunningham Square, Providence. 8651000. www.providence.edu/theatre. FESTIVAL BALLET April 10-25: Up Close on Hope. 825 Hope Street, Providence. 353-1129, www.festivalballet.com.

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PAWTUCKET ARMORY Mondays: Argentine Tango Class. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 288-1170, www.providencetango.com. PROVIDENCE BALLET April 10-11: Providence Ballet Theatre’s Spring Concert. The Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence. 8614842, www.providenceballet.org.

Catering • Delivery • eat In • WiFi

Open 7 Days a Week 157 Elmgrove Avenue Providence • 861-4627 April 2015 East Side Monthly

ClassiCal Pilates at its best!

Private & Group Sessions • Offering Mat Classes Power Pilates Teacher Training Center • Register Online 189 Cole Avenue, Providence • 401-480-0193 providencepilatescenter.com

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Trinity

Brewhouse rewery Providence’s largest b

Serving award-winning beer and tasty pub-inspired entrees

Celebrating

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rotating selection of fresh brews

186 Fountain Street, Providence 401.453.2337 • www.trinitybrewhouse.com

Thompson ORGANIC LANDSCAPING Since 1988

Serving Barrington, Bristol, & Warren Organic Lawn Care • Organic Landscape Maintenance • Mowing Planting: Trees, Shrubs, & Flowers Tree & Shrub Pruning

Paul Thompson 401-368-0832 44

East Side Monthly April 2015

On the town Calendar continued...

4/30/15

PROVIDENCE TANGO Fridays: Free Tango Lessons. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 288-1170, www.providencetango.com. STATE BALLET April 18: Coffee Hour. 52 Sherman Avenue, Lincoln. 334-2560, www.stateballet.com. TWIN RIVER April 5: Dancing with the Doctors. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 723-3200, www.twinriver.com. THEATRE ANGELL BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SMITH CENTER FOR THE ARTS April 10-12: Blithe Spirit. One Cunningham Square, Providence. 865-2218. www.providence.edu/theatre. ARTISTS EXCHANGE April 10-25: Three Sisters. Theatre 82 & Cafe, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 4909475, www.artists-exchange.org. THE COMMUNITY PLAYERS April 10-26: Guys and Dolls. Jenks Auditorium, Division Street, Pawtucket. 7266860, www.thecommunityplayers.org. GAMM THEATRE April 1-5: The House of Blue Leaves. April 30: Marie Antoinette. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 723-4266, www.gammtheatre.org. OCEAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY April 1-19: Lend Me a Tenor. April 29-30: Into the Woods. 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. 921-1777, www.oceanstatetheatre.org. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER April 17-18: Shen Yun. April 21-26: Dirty Dancing. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org. TRINITY REP April 1-26: A Flea in her Ear. April 1530: Old Jews Telling Jokes. 201 Washington Street, Providence. 351-4242, www.trinityrep.com. WILBURY GROUP April 2-4: Rapture, Blister, Burn. 393 Broad Street 400-7100, Providence. www.thewilburygroup.org.

4/30/15

SOCIAL hAPPenInGS

expos | fundraisers | seasonal FESTIVALS TWIN RIVER April 12: The Original Wedding Expo. April 18-19: Annual Southern New England Women’s Expo. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 723-3200, www. twinriver.com. FOR FOODIES BIN 312 Thursdays: Wine Tasting. 312 South Main Street, Providence. 714-0040, www.bin312.com. BOTTLES Fridays: Beer Tasting. Saturdays: Wine Tasting. 141 Pitman Street, Providence. 372-2030, www.bottlesfinewine.com.

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ENO Fridays and Saturdays: Wine Tasting. 225 Westminster Street, Providence. 521-2000, www.enofinewines.com. FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND Saturdays: Wintertime Farmers’ Market. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.farmfreshri.org. NEW HARVEST COFFEE ROASTERS Fridays: Free coffee tasting. 3-4:30pm. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.newharvestcoffee.com. OTHER AS220 April 5 & 19: Providence Poetry Slam. 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.as220.org, www.provslam.org. THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY & PRACTICE OF NONVIOLENCE April 3: Open Mic Spoken Word Poetry. 265 Oxford Street, Providence. 7852320, www.nonviolenceinstitute.org. RIVIERA BINGO PALACE April 16: Drag Bingo. 1612 Elmwood Avenue, Cranston. 521-3603, www.aidscareos.org.

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Order Online: mistersistertoys.com 268 Wickenden Street, Providence • 421- 6969

April 2015 East Side Monthly

On the town Calendar continued...

Thanks for the Accolades! Your ratings and reviews placed us in the “Top 1%” of assisted living communities nationwide. We’re privileged to serve you and proud to meet your highest expectations. Assisted Living - Memory Care

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GALLeRIeS ATRIUM GALLERY April 1-31: The ACI Show. One Capital Hill, Providence. 222-6996, www.arts. ri.gov/projects/atrium.php. CHAZAN GALLERY April 1-3: HIfire RESolutions. 228 Angell Street, Providence. 421-9230. www. chazangallery.org. DAVID WINTON BELL GALLERY April 11-26: Student Exhibition. 64 College Street, Providence. 863-2932, www.brown.edu/campus-life/arts/ bell-gallery. GALLERY NIGHT PROVIDENCE April 16: Ride the art bus to 28 galleries. Guided tours begin at 5:20pm and leave every 20 minutes ending at

7pm. One Regency Plaza, Providence. www.gallerynight.info. PROVIDENCE ART CLUB April 1-3: Nationwide All Media Open Juried Exhibition: Earth Elements. April 1-3: Val Cushing Retrospective. April 6-24: Anne Tanzi Carty, Suzanne Dickson Albert and Marilyn Saabye: Three Paths. April 6-24: Joan Arnaud and Angel Dean: Colorful Characters. 11 Thomas Street, Providence. 331-1114, www. providenceartclub.org. RISD MUSEUM OF ART April 2: Making Art History: Paintings. April 9: Ways of Looking: Contemporary Art. April 12: Art Shots. April 16: Gallery Night. April 19: Double Take: Pigment. April 23: Design the Night: Blueprint. 224 Benefit Street, Providence. 4546500, www.risdmuseum.org.

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165 Pitman Street, Providence | 831-7771 | eastsidemarket.com 46

East Side Monthly April 2015

To Be or Not to Be Assassinated Avon Cinema presents Stratford Festival’s King John, a classic Shakespearean tale that spans the ages on April 12. Directed by Tim Carroll, who’s become a force to be reckoned with on Broadway as of late, the film centers on a hedonistic British king. When the King of France questions his rule, demanding that John relinquish his crown in favor of his nephew Prince Arthur, all hell breaks lose. What follows is excommunication, rebellion and assassination, leading to both political and personal turmoil that can best be understood through a careful examination of an anguished mother’s grief for her son. It’s drama at its best. With gripping performances by Tom McCamus, Seana McKenna, Graham Abbey and Patricia Collins, King John is a must-see production. The film’s run time is two hours and 50 minutes with one intermission. $19. 12:30pm. 260 Thayer Street, Providence. 4210020, www.avoncinema.com.

On the town Calendar continued...

AUDUBON SOCIETY April 21: Pond Exploration. April 21: Raptors Rock! April 22: Totally Turtles! April 23: The Caterpillar and the Polliwog. April 23: Amazing Amphibians. April 24: Feed the Birds! April 24: Plant a Mini Buzzy Birdie Garden. Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 949-5454, www.asri.org. BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Every Saturday: Children’s Story Time. 244 Thayer Street, Providence. 863-3168, bookstore.brown.edu. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND PLANETARIUM April 6: Discovery Tykes: Earth Day. April 11: Girls Scouts – Everyday Science. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 785-9457. www.providenceri. com/museum. PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM April 1: April Fools! Re-constructors. April 3: Baby Animals. April 6: Puzzle Works. April 10: Eco Explorers. April 11: Imagination Playground. April 13: Mythical Creatures. April 17: Toddler Try-It. April 20: Mad Science. April 24: Farm Friends. April 25-26: No Time to Waste. 100 South Street, Providence. 273-5437, www. childrenmuseum.org. RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER April 25-26: Crib to Crayons. 1 Sabin Street, Providence. 458-6000, www. riconvention.com. RISD MUSEUM OF ART April 12: Family See and Sketch. April 14: Tours for Tots: Watch It! April 18: Tours for Tots: Ready to Wear. April 21: Tours for Tots: Sparkle and Shine. April 25: Tours for Tots: All Tied Up. April 28: Tours for Tots: Building Up. 224 Benefit Street, Providence. 4546500, www.risdmuseum.org. ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO April 4-18: Preschool Adventures: Amazing Anteaters. April 12: Paint Afternoon at the Zoo (ages 13+). April 11: Poster Monkeys. April 19: Rock & Roar: Bird Ball. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 785-3510, www.rwpzoo.org.

sea the view

LeARn

discussion | instruction | tour LADD OBSERVATORY Tuesdays: Telescope Observing Night. 210 Doyle Avenue, Providence. 863-2323, www. brown.edu/Departments/Physics/Ladd/.

Sea our Specials

SLATER MILL April 18 & 25: Guided Walking Tour: 1670s Pawtucket – The Jenks Settlement. 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket. 725-8638, www.slatermill.org. WATSON INSTITUTE April 8: Hisham Bizri – Cinematic Matters and Other Extraordinary Cases. April 14: Keisha-Khan Perry – Black Land Loss and the Paradox of Citizenship in the Americas. McKinney Conference Room, 111 Thayer Street, Providence. 863-2809, www.watsoninstitute.org.

SPORtS BROWN MEN’S BASEBALL April 4: Brown vs. Columbia. April 5: Brown vs. Penn. April 8: Brown vs. UMass Lowell. April 11-12: Brown vs. Harvard. April 25: Brown vs. Yale. 235 Hope Street, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com. BROWN MEN’S TENNIS April 4: Brown vs. Princeton. April 17: Brown vs. Dartmouth. 235 Hope Street, Providence. 863-2773, www. brownbears.com. BROWN WOMEN’S TENNIS April 11: Brown vs. Cornell. April 12: Brown vs. Columbia. April 19: Brown vs. Harvard. April 25: Brown vs. Yale. 235 Hope Street, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com.

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3rd Plate Tuesday

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THE MAGIC BOX

An Original Ballet created in Collaboration with Roger Seitz, Eva Marie Pacheco and Rhode Island School of Design with Additional Works by Diego Schoch, Eva Marie Pacheco & Michael Bolger

Friday, April 10 at 7:30pm Saturday, April 11 at 2:00pm

DUNKIN’ DONUTS CENTER April 21: WWE Smackdown. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 272-7337, www.dunkindonutscenter.com.

The Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts ~ Sapinsley Hall

PROVIDENCE BRUINS HOCKEY April 10: Bruins vs. Worcester Sharks. April 12: Bruins vs. Hartford Wolf Pack. April 17: Bruins vs. Worcester Sharks. April 19: Bruins vs. Manchester Monarchs. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 273-5000, www.providencebruins.com.

$30 adults | $20 seniors $15 students & children

TWIN RIVER April 3: CES Presents: Live Boxing. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 475-8294, www.twinriver.com..

Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Ave. Providence, RI

For information | tickets: 401.456.8144

www.ric.edu/pfa/orderinfo.php

PROVIDENCE BALLET THEATRE Eva Marie Pacheco – Artistic Director

April 2015 East Side Monthly

Photography by Kelly Colucci

KIDS & FAMILY

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A seventy year tradition of innovative education!

Now Enrolling K-6 Expanding to 8th Grade by 2017 48

East Side Monthly April 2015

SALE!

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Spotlight

T.F. Morra Tree Care

special advertising section

T.F. Morra Tree Care, Inc.

Ornamental and Shade Tree Specialists

• fine hand pruning • tree preservation • hazard tree removal • tree evaluation & diagnosis • shade and specimen tree planting 401-331-8527 • www.TFMorra.com We Understand His Desires How do I protect my trees from invasive species like winter moths? What about once I’ve spotted them? A: Unfortunately, once you have seen winter moth damage, it’s generally too late to get acceptable results. Preventive measures for winter moths do exist, but they typically involve toxic pesticides; the preferable treatment is an organic chemical spray called Spinosad, derived from bacteria. The best course of action is to get on our list for treatment. Our Plant Health Care program (PHC) also includes treatment for hemlock woolly adelgid, Dutch Elm disease, mites, scale insects and many other invasive pests.

fine clothiers 200 South Main St. Providence 401.453.0025 • www.marcalleninc.com • theclubchair.com Tuesday–Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-4 • Mondays by appt.

What’s the best way to maintain proper tree health? Don’t older trees take care of themselves? A: As trees mature, they do become more self reliant, but landscape trees often do not have the correct soil conditions, and have limited access to water and organic material. Additionally, many of the products used by homeowners and landscapers for lawn care conflict directly with tree health. Creating large mulch beds, even for mature trees, is a great start. We offer organic fertilization options as well, which the trees really appreciate. Organic fertilizers and compost are more easily taken up by the tree’s roots system, providing rapid and substantial results. An assessment of your trees may lead to targeted services such as corrective or weight reduction pruning, structural cabling of poorly attached limbs or removal of hazard trees.

What about taking care of younger trees? Should I prune them myself? A: Pruning young trees can really help with the development of good structure, so I would recommend that homeowners limit pruning to low limbs. Structural pruning, as well as anything requiring working aloft, should be left to the experts. Mulch beds and organic fertilization are also beneficial for young tree development.

How often should I have a tree expert treat my yard? A: Generally, structural tree pruning, canopy raising, and clearance pruning should give about three to five years of benefit. PHC, fertilization, and soil treatment options differ, in some cases annual or even multiple treatments are required, in other cases we can treat and monitor as needed. Optimal tree health is the key goal, as healthy trees with healthy soil are able to thrive even under some of the worst conditions. Our PHC program, which includes soil aeration, soil amendment with organic compost, organic fertilization, and preventive and targeted treatments, is a holistic approach to tree health. Combined with proper pruning and maintenance, we work literally from the ground up in caring for trees.

T.F. Morra Tree Care 401-331-8527 / www.tfmorra.com

Providence AreA Swim School Swim lessons for infants through age 9 Member of US Swim School Association

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April 2015 East Side Monthly

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

special advertising section

Milan Fine Clothiers

Introducing Clothing For Ladies

Custom clothing for men and women 178 Wayland avenue • Providence • 621-6452

Now Accepting Residents

The Cottage at Briarcliffe Gardens Memory Care Assisted Living Residence 49 Old Pocasset Road, Johnston | 401.944.2450 | briarcliffegardens.com

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 • www.kitchenguys.com

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We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models • ASE Certified • RI inspection and repair station #27b

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(Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid)

East Side Monthly April 2015

There are few things in this world that can be purchased and considered uniquely yours; having made-to-measure clothing is one of those rare examples. Milan Fine Clothiers is owned and operated by master tailor Jiro Darakian who has over 38 years of tailoring experience under his belt. He has taken his eagle eye for fabric quality and applied it toward his recently released made-to-measure lines for women. Consider that when you stop into any major department store, you will be paying a premium for the brand’s label and hoping that the off-the-rack clothes will fit properly. At Milan Fine Clothiers, you’ll pay prices comparable to the best department stores, but the difference is you’ll have made-to-measure perfect fitting and the finest fabrics from Italian makers, like Loro Piana and Vitale Barberis. The custom process is easy: come in and Jiro will help you try on some of the clothing models to get a basic fitting started. After the fine measurements are taken, you’ll have the luxury of custom making your garment, from selecting different colors and fabrics to having distinguishing details, like unique fabrics for underneath the collar and the inside liner. In about four to five weeks your clothing arrives, and you’ll have that satisfaction of owning an outfit that is perfectly made for your body with top European textile quality. The best part of these made-to-measure lines is the jackets, pants, skirts and shirts are all interchangeable, so you’ll have numerous outfits with each piece. “They should last you 10 to 15 years, and they are more comfortable,” says Jiro. “They are Super 150s, which makes them breath better and are three season fabrics.” Stop in now to see the spring lines of fabrics that have arrived for both men and women. While everybody claims to have the best clothing around, Jiro says the best thing to do is stop in and judge for yourself. With his extensive experience as a tailor, he has the highest standards for fabric quality, craftsmanship and value. Come make your acquaintance with Jiro and start your new look today.

Milan Fine Clothiers 178 Wayland Ave., Providence 401-621-6452

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

special advertising section

Stock Culinary Goods

WEDDING REGISTRY

Curated Kitchenware

OPEN EVERY DAY 10 – 6 • 756 HOPE ST • 401.521.0101 • STOCKPVD.COM

MARKETING DESIGN • PRINT

P R O V I D E N C E

So much of life happens in the kitchen. When we have the right cookware, prepping equipment and accents, it heightens the whole experience of making food with loved ones. Jan Faust Dane has taken her years of foodie passion – from endeavors in the kitchen to writing about independent restaurants and boutiques with her eat.shop city guides – and opened her own store, Stock Culinary Goods, on Hope Street. Going into her third year, Jan continues to offer the best in kitchen supplies, with top-notch customer service and carefully selected goods. This business also specializes in setting up a thoughtful wedding gift registry, where you can come in and check off items for your dream kitchen. For those planning a wedding this year, you know there are a lot of stresses involved in orchestrating that perfect day. Registering your kitchen items at Stock Culinary Goods is one way to relieve some of the burden of choice, as Jan and her staff have thoroughly tested everything in the store, whether it’s the treasured French casserole or the high-utility garlic press. We love carrying small batch and local products,” Jan says. “But sometimes you just need a whisk, and not necessarily a bespoke one. So we also carry lots of well-known major brands, too. Because we’ve had a lot of lines through here, we’re pretty confident now that these kind of important essentials we carry are well designed and built to last.” A walk around her store offers an array of accents and tabletop pieces to complement the cooking and prep products. “We have a great assortment of tea towels and aprons; anything that relates to food,” Jan explains. “Lots of stuff surrounding coffee and tea, plus barware.” Stock is oriented to the chef of any skill level. Jan says, “We speak to the amateur cook, the mid-range cook, the professional and, of course, the beginner.” Jan mentions some of the fun essentials that enhance the cooking experience: a great electric kettle, microplanes, salt pigs, a quality wooden salad bowl and carbon steel skillets. Come to Stock Culinary Goods today and outfit your kitchen so you’ll truly experience the joy of cooking.

102 Waterman Street • Providence, RI p:401.421.5160 f:401.272.0686 allegraprovidence.com

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All are welcome at the Dwares JCC! 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 401.421.4111 | jewishallianceri.org

Dwares Rhode Island

Beautiful Pre-Owned Jewelry

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

Stock Culinary Goods 756 Hope Street, Providence 401-521-0101 / www.stockpvd.com April 2015 East Side Monthly

marketplace BUSINESS SErVICES ArCHItECt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the East Side! Residential & commercial. Additions, renovations & new construction. Call Dave: 401-595-7070. dave@ds-arch.com

AUdIO/VIdEO HELp 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. 25 years of experience.

CUStOM SLIpCOVErS Work directly with seamstress and save! Purchase fabric elsewhere. Linda Toti, 508-695-2474.

INCOME tAXES 40 Years of Experience. Located at 125 Wayland Avenue. Call 1-401-351-7000.

pEt CArE LEAtHErwOrKS, LLC A leather and vinyl restoration company. We specialize in funiture, automobiles, boats and aircraft.Visit us at LeatherWorksRI.com,or call Robert at 401 837-0548.

MANAGEMENt COACHING Available. Learn: How disrespectful behaviors limit your effectiveness. What actions make you a better manager. How to evaluate your staff. Call Johanna Harris at 338-7385.

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

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

CHRISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LAMP REPAIR We Make House Calls!!! â&#x153;Ż Repairing all types of Lamps â&#x153;Ż Vintage Lighting Specialist â&#x153;Ż Chandelier Repairs â&#x153;Ż Serving the East Side for over 15 years â&#x153;Ż Fully Insured

(401) 831-8693 www.chrislamprepair.com

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

Cell 401-742-7258 Reg. #4614

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

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

pAwS-N-CLAwS, LLC Dog walking/pet sitting. Professional, reliable pet care. Insured & bonded. Call 401-369-9000 or www.pawsnclawsri.com

MISCELLANEOUS pArKING/StOrAGE Congdon St., $125 covered carport. Benefit St. (north end), $115/mo. Call Roger, 339-4068. rogernc@mac.com

HOUSE CLEANING ANAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLEANING SErVICES East Side references. Call 580-1482 or email cleanqueenri@gmail.com 10% off your first cleaning service.

C.M. HOUSE CLEANING Professional, reliable, experienced. Excellent local references. Free estimates. 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.

HOUSECLEANEr Available Crystal Clean, a quality housecleaning service. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cut corners. Weekly or bi-weekly. We use environmentally friendly products. Bethany 265-0960.

HOUSE CLEANING Experienced. Local references. Free estimates. Call Lilly, 401-419-2933.

LEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BASIC CLEANING

LAwN & GArdEN

House cleaning. Reasonable rates. References. 24 years in business. Call Lee, 785-1230. Basic cleaning done right.

Vinnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Landscaping

ORGANIC LANDSCAPING

& BOBCAT SERVICES

Spring Cleanups

New Lawns Installed Aerating â&#x2014;? Dethatching

Power Raking

Seed & Sod â&#x2014;? Fertilizing â&#x2014;? Planting Rototilling â&#x2014;? Small Loads Delivered â&#x2014;?Loam â&#x2014;?Sand â&#x2014;?Stone â&#x2014;?Etc. â&#x2014;?Free Estimates

497-1461 â&#x2014;? 231-1851 52

East Side Monthly April 2015

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

â&#x153;ś

Paul Thompson 368-0832

HOME IMprOVEMENt A-pErFECt pAINtING

ELECtrICAL SErVICES

Residential/Commercial. Apartment turnovers. Carpentry services. High quality work. References available. 35 years experience. Reg. #17730. Call Ken at 516-1438. Perfection is everything!

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

CEILING rEpAIrS

Most ceiling & wall repairs, wallpaper removal, oil-based and latex finishes, staining, varnishing. Fully insured, many local references. Safe, secure, fast service. Call 226-8332. Reg. #19226.

Repairing water damaged, cracked, peeling ceilings & walls. Located on the East Side. Over 100 satisfied local customers. Malin Painting, RI Reg. #19226. Call 226-8332.

CEILING wOrK, drYwALL Plaster (hang, tape & paint). Water damage repair. All phases of carpentry. Reg. #24022. Fully insured. Steven, E. Prov., 401-641-2452.

EASt SIdE HANdYMAN 34 years experience. Repairs, upgrades & renovations. Small jobs welcome. References. Insured. Reg. #3052. 524-6421.

prompt, reliable Quality work

Levine Painting Co., Inc.

MALIN pAINtING

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

MAStEr ELECtrICIAN Install, service, repair. Expert troubleshooting. Free detailed computerized estimate. Deal direct with owner. Lic. #AC 004110 & insured. Small jobs done promptly. All work guaranteed. Save $$$. Family owned & operated. Local resident. Calls returned immediately. 401-258-4793, John.

SUpErB HOUSEpAINtING High end workmanship. Small jobs a specialty. Call Ron 751-3242. Reg. #18128.

the Finest in New England Craftmanship

Plaster Perfection â&#x2DC;&#x2026; â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Commercial & Residential Work

Historic Restorations

Harold Greco, Jr. 738-0369 â&#x2DC;&#x2026; â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

Boreal remodeling

David Onken Painting

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

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

Michael Packard â&#x20AC;˘ (401) 441-7303

Reg. #19031

Insured

248-5248

pErSONAL ASSIStANCE dIVOrCE MEdIAtION A private, confidential, out of court alternative to expensive litigation. Call Suzette Pintard, JD, M.Ed. 401286-9587.

davidokenpainting.com

pArt-tIME pErSONAL ASSIStANt

HOUSING/rENtALS

Hourly, daily or more! Too busy to wait for a delivery, sit at the DMV, shop or run your errands? Many references. Call 270-1120.

SpACE FOr rENt In East Side Salon, Wayland Square. $400/mo. Call 272-4130.

tEACHEr SEEKS pArt-tIME evenings, weekends, and summer position. Providence Public School Teacher, Oakhill resident, and Lesley graduate. Services provided: Child care, transportation, outings, pet care, elementary tutor/summer skills maintenance light administrative and domestic help, housesitting. JMansfield 508-406-1287.

SENIOr CArE

We Specialize in painting & carpentry

wANtEd

Experts in water problems

I BUY BOOKS

Over 20 years of experience on historical homes

Old, used and almost new. Also buying photography, art, etc. Call 401421-2628. jcvp@cox.net

From Roofs, Gutters & Basements 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

USEd MUSIC wANtEd! Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid. Call 351-6292.

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.

April 2015 East Side Monthly

The easT sider

James Kennedy of Transport RI

Blogger James Kennedy Writes About Policies Affecting Biking, Public Transit and More By Nancy Kirsch

What motivated you to start the blog? Moving here (nearly four years ago from Philadelphia, PA) was a little bit of a culture shock. Writing a blog at first was like therapy; then we wrote it because the vision for improving biking and transit was just too limited. How can biking in Providence be improved? Blackstone Boulevard is good, but they could do more. The Blackstone bike lane is just a painted line; we should do more with protected bike lanes [with] physical separations, such as plastic poles called bollards or planters with flowers.

East Side Monthly April 2015

We should reverse the [Boulevard’s] parking and bike lanes so parked cars protect bicycles rather than having bicycles protect parked cars. We have great bike paths… all over the state; we need protected bike lanes to connect to them. Make [the recreational facility] be useful for transportation, too. If you had a magic bullet to fix Providence’s biggest transportation problem… Parking policy is the ignored transportation [issue], and it affects everything – transit, walking and biking. Providence has too many surface parking lots that encourage single drivers and don’t pay enough taxes. I’d like a high surcharge on surface lots and return that money in lower property taxes to… businesses. Mayor [Jorge Elorza] is somewhat supportive, but it’s not his highest priority.

What’s RIPTA doing well? What can it improve? RIPTA is very responsive to customer complaints and feedback, even… being interactive on Twitter. RIPTA is working very hard; they need more funding, but they do a good job with what they have. I’d like to see more direct and frequent routes to high density areas, such as buses between Providence and Central Falls. It’s not about having fancy transit but allocating our transit resources in a sensible way. What does Providence do well? Providence and some nearby towns and cities have mixed-use development with commercial spaces right next to housing. My [wife’s] grandparents used to walk to the mills. We don’t have the problem of places developed post-1950;

we can take advantage of what we have historically to be more sustainable. Can you talk about your desire to see less reliance on cars? My parents always struggled to have a two-car household and our cars were always falling apart; I never found that arrangement to be that liberating. I had lots of relatives who relied on public transportation and those arrangements seemed better. My vision for society would be for us to have cars as an option, but not something… that we have to use. I’d like people to have options. Follow James Kennedy on Twitter @transportpvd. Nancy Kirsch is a freelance writer on the East Side. Find her at nancykirsch.com or writernancy@gmail.com.

Photography: Michael Cevoli

James Kennedy and his wife Rachel Price started the transportation blog, Transport Providence, which has nearly 900 followers. The couple lives in Providence’s Mt. Hope neighborhood.

Celebrating PhotograPhy by Peter Vanderwarker

The Gilder Center for the Arts Opened Fall 2014

Anticipating

– digital design – 3D printing

Our new

– robotics

Design-innovAte-BuilD lAB

– applied physics

Opening Fall 2015

– engineering

In the heart of College Hill since 1889 • www.wheelerschool.org • 401-421-8100

Residential PRoPeRties ltd.

MORRIS Extraordinary 1910 Colonial with wonderful period details. Spacious rooms, fabulous original built-ins, gorgeous floors, 3 porches, 3 fireplaces. Double living room with fireplace, formal dining room with fireplace. Updated utilities. Huge double lot. Two car garage. Very special! $925,000

WATERPLACE Spectacular and sunny 3 bed, 2.5 bath on 16th floor. Lovely views of the East Side, Waterfire Basin, Skating Rink and Downtown through wall of windows. Stainless kitchen, laundry area, 2 car garage parking. 24 Hour concierge. $789,000

PRATT HILL Beautifully designed and constructed townhouse with decks boasting Western city views. Lux finishes, radiant floor heat, heated 2-car garage, lots of storage. Super convenient College Hill location just a short walk to train, downtown, and Whole Foods. $649,000

UNIVERSITY Original details seamlessly blend with modern updated in this exceptional 4 bedroom home. Open floor plan perfect for entertaining, new cook’s kitchen, family room, inviting front porch. Central air, fenced yard. 2-car garage. Walk to Wayland Sq. and Blvd. $459,000

SHELDON City living in desirable Fox Point Location off Wickenden. Be close to all the buzz of Wickenden, downcity, East Side, and Jewelry District in this unique 4 bedroom circa 2011 home in historic district. 3rd floor master suite potential. $425,000

WATERPLACE Stunning 1 bedroom unit with spectacular 15th floor views of College Hill and Waterfire. Open granite/stainless kitchen. Finest of city living: concierge, gym, rooftop terrace, indoor parking. Walk to train, shops, restaurants. $279,000

CORLISS LANDING Exceptional 2 bed 2 bath condo! Sunny, bright, & open, with wonderful water views. High ceilings, tall windows, wood details, exposed brick walls, hardwood floors. Updated kitchen & baths. Laundry in unit. Patio. Condo fee includes heat.$259,000

ANGELL Terrific full floor condo within walking distance to Brown, Thayer & Wayland. 3 beds, 2 baths, eat-in-kitchen, living room and sun room. Hardwoods, fresh paint and in unit laundry. Brand new gas furnace, 2 car parking. Urban living at its best! $259,000

SLATER Charming 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath Condominium located on the 3rd floor. Includes a renovated full bath, a half bath with washer and dryer, central air, and a great layout within a beautiful brick building. $219,000

140 Wickenden Street Providence 401.274.6740

Rhode Island’s Real Estate Company®

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