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NEW LIST 1730 OLD LOUISQUISSET PIKE, LINCOLN Step back in time and be the next owners of the Jenckes Estate! Originally built in 1736 with additional building in 1830. Tastefully updated for todays needs. This home has it all! $540,000 Aleen Weiss

Adam Olenn shares his thoughts on being Moses Brown’s viral celebrity

NEW PRICE 96 UNIVERSITY AVENUE #2 Spacious townhouse w/ 3 beds/study on top floor w/ full bath. Needing some TLC. South facing, recently redone, open second floor, fireplaced dining room, beautiful hardwoods, kitchen w/ butlers pantry, detailed molding, great location. $315,000 Aleen Weiss

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NEW PRICE 388 ANGELL ROAD, LINCOLN Amazing salt box c1760 reproduction. Warm and totally updated w/ modern conveniences. Wide plank floors, wood beams, beautiful in ground pool, 3 car garage. Set back from road. $799,500 Aleen Weiss

NEW PRICE 94 UNIVERSITY AVENUE #1 Timeless condo located in the heart of Wayland Square. Needing some TLC but worth it. Walk to restaurants and shops. Spacious rooms, south facing, beautiful moldings, amazing wood floors, fireplaced living room. Easy move in. $295,000 Aleen Weiss

21 | ROGER SPEAKS The ideas and beliefs of Rhode Island’s founder, Roger Williams, are more important now than ever 26 | PENNY THREADFUL Get ready for the sartorial genius of this year’s RISD crop of apparel designers

PENDING 200 EXCHANGE STREET #1117 View the city like never before from the 11th floor: waterfire, city skyline. Beautifully maintained 2 Bed, 2 Bath unit, entrance hallway, granite dark wood kitchen, huge bathrooms, closets galore. Indoor parking for one car, 24/7 conciege, fitness center, roof top terrace. $575,000 Aleen Weiss

Every Month 4 | Letters

SOLD 6 SUNRISE DRIVE, ELMHURST Warm and inviting, lovely 3 bed 1 bath ranch home. Totally redone, new carpet, new flooring, new paint, new fixtures, new bath. Gas heat, updated electrical, newer hot water tank, large fenced in yard, dead end street, large unfinished basement. $228,500 Aleen Weiss

Community A new exhibit at Brown reveals the roots of American popular music 7 | News 10 | In The Know 13 | Neighborhood News

Close to Home Penmanship lessons make a comeback 33 | Home of the Month 34 | Education 37 | East of Elmgrove

On the Town Sweets for the insomniac in your life 41 | Flavor of the Month 42 | On the Menu 45 | Dining Guide 51 | Calendar

Photography by Stacey Doyle

58 | Adam Olenn brings Southern charm and a few choice bowties to Moses Brown

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2 ADAMS CIRCLE, NORTH SMITHFIELD Oasis in N. Smithfield. Lovely 4 BR home w/ open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, newly updated large cooks kitchen, laundry on 1st fl, balconies view to wooded lot from every back window. 2.5 lg bathrooms. Full basement. All electrical updated.$432,000 Aleen Weiss

SOLD 64 SARGENT AVENUE Location! Generous 3 bed updated 1.5 bath colonial home, beautifully maintained, hardwoods, eat in kitchen, fireplace den, office/play room, central air, 200 amps, finished basement, fenced backyard, two car garage. Walk everywhere, south facing! $460,000 Aleen Weiss

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Editorial Recalling Jackson On May 2, the residents of Ward 3 will have the opportunity to do something that has not been done in recent memory here on the East Side: actually vote to recall a sitting legislator. In this case, the legislator is Kevin Jackson, who has held the office since 1996. But the last two years have not been kind to the councilman, or to his reputation. For years Mr. Jackson has been unwilling to file his campaign reports as mandated by law. Fined annually by the State’s Ethics Commission, the amount due has now reached over $36,000. This, coupled with his leadership role in Buddy Cianci’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign, produced a last minute write-in campaign that came within 50 votes of unseating the councilman in 2014. Things got even worse last May when he was charged with embezzling $127,000 in funds from the Providence Cobras, a youth organization that, ironically,

he started himself years ago with the legendary track coach Tom Spann. This proved to be the final straw for a group of residents led by Tricia Kammerer and others, who felt that Ward 3, which covers Mt. Hope as well as a large contiguous section of homes east of Hope, needed someone better to represent the interests of their neighborhood. The path to a recall vote was not an easy one, the organizers have pointed out. They had to gather 300 names of voters in the ward just to get the process started. Then they had only 120 days to collect signatures from at least 20 percent of the Ward’s registered voters (at least 2,300 residents) to create a straight up or down special election on whether Councilman Jackson should be removed from office. Over the past few months, the process has gotten downright nasty. Jackon’s lawyers have tried a variety of tactics to postpone the upcoming

election, including suing two residents. And in a particularly bizarre twist, Council President Luis Aponte tried to convene a special meeting of the Council in early April to question the legality of the election, which failed when the majority of members and the Board of Canvassers boycotted the meeting. Although Jackson deserves his day in court, his current legal problems certainly will impair his ability to devote himself to solving the complex issues facing our city. Even more disappointing to us is that the councilman has not made any effort to explain his behavior to his constituents. One of the organizers described the recall vote as a grassroots example of how our political system of checks and balances is supposed to work. On May 2, the voters of Ward 3 will have the opportunity to agree or disagree. We urge them to do so.

East Side Monthly May 2017

Media Director Jeanette St. Pierre @JeanetteSTP

Executive Editor Barry Fain

City Editor Steve Triedman

Creative Director Julie Tremaine @JulieTremaine

Managing Editor Tony Pacitti @TonyPacitti

Content Coordinator Caitlin Howle @CaitlinMoments

Editor Sophie Hagen

Art Director Meghan H. Follett

Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

Assistant Art Director Katie Leclerc

Graphic Designer Nicholas DelGiudice

Marketing Coordinator Kim Tingle Account Managers Shelley Cavoli: Shelley@ProvidenceOnline.com 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 Stephanie Oster Wilmarth: Stephanie@ProvidenceOnline.com

Letters A Wish upon the Moon As they say in New Orleans, “Let the good times roll!” Last month’s East Side Monthly editorial rightly celebrated Mayor Elorza and the PVDFest for its third anniversary this June. We join you in looking forward to the continued fun and joy of the PVDFest, which we were honored to be a part of for its debut. Mr. Fain went on to comment that he missed WaterFire being in the PVDFest lineup. While we are pleased to be missed and welcome Mr. Fain’s enthusiasm, we want to assure him and his readers that this was not a glaring omission, but rather a matter of scheduling. The tides make the river too shallow on the weekend in question. I am sure there will be much to enjoy and much to praise the whole weekend long. The downtown rivers have been silting up and now the river is often

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell

Contributing Photographers Mike Braca Stacey Doyle

too shallow to allow any boat traffic. The city and state recognize the critical importance of solving the problem and they are working on the needed dredging, which is a good thing. As you can well imagine, if you had relocated your business or your apartment to alongside the newly heralded riverfront parks, or even if you are a citizen planning a family picnic on the riverbank, you do expect a river, not a smelly mudflat. Dredging is also helpful to prevent upstream flooding. Capital Center and the Providence River Park system are among our state’s major success stories of reinvestment. Now is the time for both dredging and for restoration of the twenty-year-old park. Aside from the river being too shallow for us to join this year’s event, I also know that this city is so chock-full of artistic talent and creative energy that we can make

every weekend a great success all year long. So let’s celebrate the great wealth of our arts community. Yes, 100,000 visitors might come to see WaterFire on a single night, but it is great to have lots of people enjoying our city and its arts community every single night. Visitors coming to Rhode Island are an important part of our state’s economy and create many thousands of jobs. We are looking forward to progress on launching critically needed dredging. In the interim, we must coordinate our events with the moon! Now, if the publisher of East Side Monthly could use some of his considerable influence to actually move the moon, we would be delighted to light WaterFire! I look forward to joining all of you at the PVDFest. Barnaby Evans, Executive Artistic Director of WaterFire

Contributing Illustrators Ashley Maclure Lia Marcoux Contributing Writers Erin Balsa Jessica Bryant Alastair Cairns Emily Dietsch Amanda Grosvenor Jayne Guertin

Lauri Lee Grace Lentini Stephanie Obodda Elizabeth Rau Holly Vine

Classified Advertising Sue Howarth Interns Marla Gagne Olivia Perreault Jacob Turpin 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 ©2017 by East Side Monthly. All rights reserved.

May 2017 East Side Monthly

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East Side Monthly May 2017

COMMUNITY East Side Stories | Neighborhood News & Notes

East Side News It’s Time for the Bamboula! A new Brown exhibit explores American black music before the blues By Sophie Hagen Before the blues, before jazz

Photo courtesy of (top) Brown University Library. Collection of John Davis.

and ragtime, before the popular music streaming through our earbuds today took shape, enslaved and newly freed black people were pioneering new musical forms and performance styles. An exhibit at Brown’s John Hay Library – Bamboula! Black Music Before the Blues – runs through May 5 and charts how African and European musical traditions intertwined in colonial America in ways that continue to influence modern-day music (the “bamboula” is an African dance). Brown alumnus, concert pianist and Bamboula’s curator John Davis pulled from his extensive collection of 19th-century African Americana for the exhibit. He dedicated the show to his father, Robert Davis, a professor emeritus of medical science at Brown who first introduced his son to a love of rare books. Brown, a university that has begun to investigate its history of profit from the slave trade, struck

Davis as an appropriate place for an exhibit like this one. The school’s investigation began in 2003 with the creation of a Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice by then president Ruth Simmons. In addition to researching Brown’s ties to slavery, the committee was charged with organizing public programs that examined the marks of history and its injustices on the present. Davis sees this exhibit as part of that initiative. Sheet music, books and other historical objects chart the development of black musical performance and composition from the 19th to the early 20th centuries, including playbills of allblack Broadway plays and posters of prominent performers such as Sissieretta Jones and Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. Davis hopes visitors to the library will come away struck by the “whole world of music before ragtime and the blues” that existed before recording equipment

did. Theatrical tropes of the period were equally significant: characters from early minstrel performances, Davis points out, can be traced to contemporary show business. The common pairing at the time of the country bumpkin with the welldressed urban dandy, for example, paved the way for Abbot and Costello, and for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. These little-known black pioneers of theatre and music rarely receive their due for their significant influence on American popular culture, due to the dearth of recordings and, of course, racism. Bamboula! helps us fill this gap in common knowledge: African American composers and musicians, and the Europeans influenced by them, created colonial America’s flourishing musical culture, starting the minute that enslaved people entered the colonies against their will. 20 Prospect Street. 863-2146, Library.Brown.edu/Hay

Artifacts on display at Bamboula! tell the story of African American performers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Pedaling Around Providence Bike Month celebrates cycling culture through events and outreach By Tony Pacitti Pump up your tires and grease your spokes: it’s time for Bike Month

May is Bike Month, and with that comes a lineup of events that are geared towards encouraging citizens of all ages and genders to embrace a more bike-friendly lifestyle. As part of this nationwide effort to expand and encourage a sense of inclusivity among cyclists and to share the knowledge that keeps everyone riding smoothly, the Providencebased Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition will be partnering with groups throughout the month. Workshops, classes and lectures are being held on bike maintenance and responsible cycling habits, and cyclists can join group rides like Bike to Breakfast and the Ride of Silence, which raises awareness of cyclists’ rights to the road. But the flagship event is Bike to

Work Day on May 19, which encourages citizens to take a greener approach to their morning commute. Mayor Jorge Elorza, an advocate for cycling, often makes the commute to City Hall on two wheels. Adding to this year’s cause for celebration are planned improvements to bike paths and infrastructure all over the state. In March, state officials announced a number of bike-related projects that will be funded with $10 million from the $35 million Green Economy Bond, which Rhode Island voters agreed to on last November’s ballot. Among the projects announced are three extensions to the Blackstone Bikeway totalling $4.1 million that will add more than 2.5 miles to the bikeway. RIBike.org

May 2017 East Side Monthly

Congratulations to the Class of 2017! Thank you to our neighbors and local businesses for making the East Side feel like home. Brown Commencement is May 28, 2017.

For a full schedule of events, please visit brown.edu/commencement.

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East Side Monthly May 2017

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Community

continued...

Clinic Conflict Intensifies As tensions rise over the planned suboxone clinic, the community readies for a fight By Barry Fain As we go to

press, it is unclear when the new drug clinic planned for the old Tillinghast Mansion on the corner of Thayer and Lloyd will actually open for business, or even how they will be allowed to do business. Events began a few months ago when, without warning or notifying the neighbors, a large sign appeared in front of the building announcing that suboxone, a drug used to fight opioid addiction, would soon be available there. While the building received a variance over 60 years ago that allowed for a dentist’s office in the R-1 zone, no physician has practiced there for years. Given the “abandonment” of the old “nonconforming use,” many in the

neighborhood feel that the new owner should be required to apply to reinstate the outdated variance. Moreover, it is unclear whether the new clinic will simply provide prescriptions for suboxone or dispense the tablets itself. Unfortunately, the building’s new owners, their lawyers and the Providence City Solicitor have taken the position that the old variance still applies and that, “based on current case law,” nothing can be done to prevent the clinic from opening. Still, many neighbors are continuing to fight. One group calling themselves Residents of College Hill (RCH) meets weekly at Blue State Coffee on Thayer Street and has collected close to 200 letters

from residents opposing the City’s position, which they will deliver to the mayor’s office. Councilman Sam Zurier, who represents the area, has introduced an ordinance to close the variance loophole, though he agrees with the City that existing case law does not support the barring of the clinic. Residents of the area are also concerned that the clinic is located within walking distance of four nearby schools – Hope High, Moses Brown, Wheeler and Brown – and that, according to recent reports by GoLocal, the owner of the building has a criminal record involving drug trafficking and extortion. A public meeting was held by

Councilman Zurier on April 24 – too late for us to cover in time for this issue – to provide updates and allow residents to ask questions of city officials involved in the decision-making process. One goal of the meeting was to offer clarification on the difference between “nonconforming use” and “permitted use” as it applies to the building in question, as well as the legal difference between a “clinic” and a “medical office.” In short, this issue may not be over quite yet. As a participant in one of the many online discussions on the issue succinctly noted, “It seems quite a stretch to call this a doctor’s office as was intended by the neighbors in 1955.”

When Elephants Roamed the East Side Remembering the old days of the circus as Ringling Bros. takes a final bow By Mike Fink

Photo courtesy of Mike Fink

Editor’s Note: After over

a hundred years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is giving its last performance. The circus’s decline was set in motion over a year ago by the company’s decision, after charges of mistreatment of the elephants, to remove the beloved beasts from the lineup. The circus will conclude its final tour on May 7 in Providence, with one more stand-alone event two weeks later in Nassau County. Mike Fink, a frequent contributor to our paper and longtime East Side resident, remembers when the circus made eagerly anticipated, weeklong visits to our city, and when the elephants were left to roam through his Mt. Hope neighborhood: In my boyhood here on the East Side, the Ringling Bros. elephants would graze – and poop – in “the lots” on North Main Street between Second and Third, behind the circus arena. They’d do it in my backyard too. There were no fences separating our small lawns from the taller grasses of the abandoned farmland taken over by the circus tents and carousels. So the benign beasts – not only elephants, but zebras and llamas, too – would trot down our cobblestone driveway. Our next-door neighbor, a retired

teacher and descendant of the heroic Benjamin Church of King Philip’s War fame, did not want the roses in front of her WPA model bungalow trampled by the mammoths. “No, no, no!” she would shout, as she pushed a mild-mannered but unwelcome visitor out of her proud domain. One year there was Dumbo, a young and charming creature who hid shyly behind our garage. I patted its hide, which felt like stroking the side of a Rhode Island mountain – like those Lincoln Woods rocks with baby trees growing from the cracks or grasses sprouting from their mesas. When I began my career as an instructor in the English Department of the Rhode Island School of Design in 1957, the circus and its elephants were still in residence near my old home. I brought my students to sketch and photograph the circus, including performers taking a break and having a snack at the back door. I still cherish some of these sketches. Alas, the circus soon moved its headquarters to the downtown Convention Center. The intimate bond between the humble households on Second and Third Streets and the Big Show was

A camel and zebras from the Ringling Bros. circus graze in a meadow on the 1950s-era East Side

broken. The arena on the East Side survived for several more seasons, but the pastureland for pachyderms was no more. I had to make do with the elephants at Roger Williams Park Zoo or Fanny the Elephant at Slater Park. The greatest threat to elephants now is not the circus but greedy ivory hunters and those who would deny humans’

impact on the environment. In light of current policy coming out of Washington, I offer my hope that we may protect the marvels of nature from the demands we make on them, and that the survival of the elephant, which has meant so much to so many all over the world, may finally inspire us to save its habitat from extinction.

May 2017 East Side Monthly

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East Side Monthly May 2017

WaterFire’s new 37,000-foot arts center opens this month

Forgive our exuberance, but we’re quite excited about how well we did in this year’s RI Press Awards. Our company, Providence Media, which includes Providence Monthly, So Rhode Island, The Bay and Hey Rhody, in addition to East Side Monthly, nailed it this year in terms of nominations. Last year we won 17 awards. This year we’ve got 19 awards and four honorable mentions, second only to the Journal and hell, they’re a daily! Kudos to our great staff for this well-deserved acknowledgement of their creativity and hard work. Hope you love their work as much as we do.

Tell Us a Story Rebecca Bromberg, a consultant with the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, is working on a new online guide that will showcase each of the city’s neighborhoods. She’s currently seeking memories and tidbits about College Hill and is hoping residents, new or old, will call her with some lively ones. Remember Allary’s? David’s Pot Belly? Something funny that happened in the old train station? Ever bump into a celeb on the Brown campus and do something foolish? Send your stories to Info@GoProvidence.com with “East Side Project” in the subject line, so Rebecca can weave them into her neighborhood portraits. We assume they need to be PG-rated. Maybe not.

Rhode Islanders Speak Their Minds The Providence Chamber of Commerce and Santander Bank combined again this year for their annual presentation of the State of the State. One of the annual highlights is that each of the over 400 attendees was given a pocket computer that allowed for the instantaneous tabulations of their responses to a series of questions. Based on their responses, it was determined this year that there is a surprising sense of optimism about our economy and, except for some deep worry about Washington, a much more upbeat assessment of things than usual. Here’s hoping this thumbnail Rhode Island moment is an accurate one, especially since the final question asked was if this will indeed be the year that the Sox go all the way. According to over 70 percent of us, prepare to fire up those duckboats.

Brown Graduation Remains On Course Living on the East Side in such close proximity to Brown has its pluses and minuses. Sure, there’s the occasional rowdy party. Sure, the students treat Angell and Waterman Street crosswalks like they own them, especially when we’re driving and in a rush. And sure, grabbing a table at our usual favorite restaurant during Parents Weekend… well, not going to happen. But then there is the glory of Graduation Weekend. Providence is always at its full-bloom best. The sight of the students marching up and down the hill still brings tears to our eyes. And many

of us still miss the pops concerts that used to be on campus. But one of the underutilized pluses is the chance we all get to crash some of the free Saturday morning classes that are available to the general public if you get there early enough to claim a seat. Do yourself a favor and enjoy. Thanks, Bruno.

WaterFire Moves to Higher Ground Starting this month, WaterFire is beginning an exciting new initiative and will become a little more landlocked. Barnaby Evans and his merry cast of thousands are moving their headquarters to new multimillion-dollar digs in the long vacant US Rubber complex on Valley Street in Olneyville. The project is complicated, financed as it was with major community support and grants. WaterFire plans to combine all their activities under one roof in a just-rehabbed 37,000-foot building that is being gutted and rebuilt. To offset some operating costs, the building will also be rented out for funky party events, some for outsiders, some for WaterFire itself. Already this month, they have four big community events planned, including fundraisers for Sophia Academy and the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence and two huge galas for Miriam Hospital on May 13 and the Pell Awards on May 22. Barnaby’s hope is that the new building will be a catalyst for that whole section of the city. And given what he’s been able to do on our modest riverscape, who knows what he’s capable of when it comes to dry land. Here’s wishing WaterFire good luck in their exciting new space.

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Summit Neighborhood Association City Weeds Out Unsafe Toys at Parks The plastic toys in the Summit Avenue “tot lot” – as well as the Gladys Potter and Morris Street parks – were culled in March by the city’s Parks Department for safety reasons, according to Superintendent Wendy Nilsson. In a statement about the toys to SNA, she said, “We look at them in the context of national Playground and Safety Standards for public parks. Many of the toys have sharp edges, small parts that are choking hazards, or are damaged in such a way that they could trap little fingers.” In addition, Nilsson said, “We don’t have the staff to repeatedly visit each park to check toys for hazards, and the reality is that, even if we did, very few of them would meet safety standards. As a compromise, our staff are instructed to periodically remove toys if there are safety issues or their numbers overtake the park. We have been thinning the toys this way for years.” However, she pointed out, “my own children grew up playing with the tot lot plastic toys, so their removal is not something I take lightly. No one wants to disappoint a three-year-old!” In that context, Nilsson said the Parks Department “would welcome more neighbor involvement in our local parks more generally.” “We would be happy to meet with representatives of local parks to discuss

Despite a mass toy removal by the Parks Department, some toys that can be used safely remain in the Summit Avenue park playground.

the future of plastic toys at the tot lots. This might start a valuable relationship between park neighbors and the Parks Department. There is an entire organization, the Partnership for Providence Parks (ProvidenceParks.org), that works with us to establish and support Friends Groups so that we can have partners for all of our parks,” her statement said. Nilsson added that “at Summit, we work with the Summit Neighborhood Association, but would love for many of you to get involved as we will soon be adding some additional play features and making some much-needed repairs to the existing structures. “We are also trying to create more fun things for the children to do in the parks so they might not miss all the plastic toys. Instead of adding plastic play equipment, we are working to create parks that connect children to nature and open and free play. At many of our parks we are building berms, log retaining walls, rain gardens, and adding rocks for children to play on and explore.” Hope Street Plans Annual Block Party The Hope Street Merchants Association is going to hold its annual spring block party on Saturday, May 20, with about 5,000 guests expected. The street will be closed from Rochambeau to Fourth and attractions will include a live music stage, fashion show, beer garden, children’s activities, food trucks and approximately 50 art/craft/nonprofit street vendors. Residents Invited to Directors’ Meetings The SNA board of directors meets at 7pm on the third Monday of every month in the cafeteria of Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Avenue. The sessions are open and neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend. Summit Neighborhood Association, PO Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940. 489-7078,

SNA.Providence.RI.us, SNA@SNA.Providence.RI.us –Kerry Kohring

Fox Point Neighborhood Association Events This Month May 8, Board Meeting: Please join us at our monthly FPNA Board Meeting, 7pm, in the Community Room of the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, 455 Wickenden Street. The public is welcome. FPNA Welcomes the East End As many neighbors know, the owner of the property at 244 Wickenden Street, the site of the former Z Bar and Grille, has been restoring and renovating the building to open a new eatery called The East End. Early this year, he requested a liquor license to stay open until 2am on weekends. Several neighbors objected to this license request due to fears of late-night disruption and a possible cascade effect if other businesses followed suit. They spoke out at the February FPNA Board Meeting and wrote letters to the Providence Board of Licensees. Since then, the owner of The East End, Gil MacLean, has rescinded the request for the later license and replaced it with an earlier license request that aligns with other eateries on the street. The FPNA voted to endorse the new request enthusiastically, not only because of MacLean’s record of responsible, community-oriented business practices at his other East Side business, Bottles Fine Wine, but also for his remarkable willingness to revise his request based on neighbor input. Several neighbors have since voiced their support for the earlier license. One neighbor told FPNA that The East End would be “just the right venue for our neighborhood” and “a good replacement for the Rue.” Please join us in welcoming The East End to the neighborhood! Compromise Reached for the Gano Gateway In early March, the FPNA Board voted to accept a compromise measure with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to fund limited construction of the Gano Gateway and complete the work during 2017. This vote marked the culmination of several meetings this past winter between the FPNA Gano Gateway Committee and officials at RIDOT. The Committee, along with other area stakeholders, asked RIDOT to

restore funding for construction at the intersection of Gano Street and the I-195, the east entrance to India Point Park and one of the final chapters of the massive I-195 relocation project. The meetings began shortly after the RIDOT diverted funds from the Gateway to build a pedestrian bridge to the nearby Jewelry District. In the meantime, the area has deteriorated, with large piles of debris and a dangerous 90-degree turn under the bridge. The compromise measure includes repaving the south end of Gano Street, softening the 90-degree turn in the road, installing rudimentary gravel parking under the bridge, and removing the piles of dirt. It falls short of the original plan. But as FPNA decided in March, the compromise will go a long way in improving the appearance and function of this crucial intersection. Updates to follow on the construction schedule for the Gateway and neighborhood efforts to fund incremental measures like lighting and basic landscaping. We Met Up! The FPNA held its first monthly MeetUp at The Point Tavern this past March. The goal of this series, says FPNA board member Bruce Millard, is to bring East Side neighbors together in a casual setting to brainstorm ideas for the neighborhood. “We hope for a time of productivity, creativity, fun, and above all, community,” says Bruce. The first Meet-Up succeeded on all counts. Fifteen or so neighbors joined the FPNA, including representatives from the Wickenden Area Merchants Association, Friends of India Point Park and the Friends of Fox Point Community Library. Collaboration was the theme of the evening. “People were excited about the prospect of a future farmers market and combining other projects, like a used bike sale and a pie bake-off,” Bruce says. “Our first monthly MeetUp was a great success.” Please join us for the next Monday evening MeetUp at The Point Tavern, date and time TBD (check Facebook for updates.) Fox Point Neighborhood Association, PO Box 2315, Providence, RI 02906. FPNA.net, FoxPointNeighborhood@ gmail.com –Amy Mendillo

Blackstone Parks Conservancy Blackstone Boulevard – More Than an Ordinary Roadway A new vision for Blackstone Boulevard

May 2017 East Side Monthly

Community Neighborhood News depicts a destination for thousands of drivers, walkers, runners and bikers even more welcoming than it is now – and more sustainable. It could more nearly resemble the original dream of 19thcentury city leaders, who, in the days of horse-drawn carriages, envisaged more than an ordinary roadway. The boulevard was conceived to extend Butler Avenue and replace the original road inside the cemetery with one on farmland just outside the western boundary. But the Swan Point directors in 1887 wanted more than a mere means of conveying visitors to the cemetery. They specified a “fine boulevard” with a shaded drive; a streetcar road (to serve growing numbers of visitors who would “no longer have to ‘submit to the tortures of an antiquated “bus”’”); and “winding paths.” To realize their vision they hired a leading landscape architect, Horace Cleveland, designer of Roger Williams Park. Changing Times With additional planting in the 1900s, the 1.6-mile-long park in the center of the Boulevard flourished. And over time the balance between park and roadway became more park-like. When the trolley ceased operation in 1948, the site of its rails became a path for walking and, later, running. More recently, the popularity of biking inspired planners to set aside part of the roadway for a bike path. The path and Trolley Shelter after World War II deteriorated until late in the 20th century, when Blackstone Parks Conservancy (BPC) volunteers began working with the Parks Department to install new trees and benches. Now the Boulevard Committee and Chairman Colgate Searle, a landscape architect on sabbatical from RISD, are working to strengthen the historic park’s future. In addition to creating an online master list of trees, Searle is studying the soil in the badly worn path in order to recommend workable improvements to the Parks Department. He and other BPC board members also envisage ways to prevent erosion and capture more storm water for reuse by trees and plants. Searle’s slides illustrating the park’s venerable history fascinated attendants of the BPC annual meeting in March. He suggested managing the Boulevard from one sidewalk to the next as part of the urban forest to enhance the experience of driving – or walking or running or biking – under an arch of trees. It would hopefully be safer than it now is.

East Side Monthly May 2017

RIDOT has agreed to fund limited construction of the Gano Gateway to address the 90-degree turn and piles of debris

The Boulevard Traffic Proposal Far from the days when carriages were forbidden to drive faster than four miles an hour in Swan Point, the Boulevard Park in recent years sometimes floats in a sea of traffic. With speed have come accidents, like the one that knocked the boulder at the intersection with Lloyd 25 feet southward, where it remains. Although auto accidents dwindled after the bike paths were drawn, residents still endured late-night motorcycle races, and cyclists have been cut off and even knocked over by impatient drivers. In response to neighbor concern over traffic, the BPC board, guided by civil engineer Jon Ford, drafted the following Boulevard Traffic Principles for possible use in future discussions: “The Conservancy proposes that traffic-calming solutions be consistent with the Boulevard’s historic character and ecological needs wherever possible, thus making the park more viable. In general, this means: Increasing green space; Reducing extraneous pavement; Improving storm water management; Providing a minimum of conveniently located on-street parking; and enhancing bicycle safety and use. “Perhaps most important, the Conservancy encourages a communitybased dialogue to ensure that the neighbors affected are part of the design and selection of alternatives.” Please check the Blackstone Parks Conservancy website for upcoming events. Please send East Side Market receipts to the address below.

Blackstone Parks Conservancy, PO Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906. 270-3014, BlackstoneParksConservancy.org, JaneAnnPeterson@gmail.com –Jane Peterson

Mount Hope Neighborhood Association Forecast for the near future: bright and sunny. Spring is here! Old Man Winter RIP (rest in peace). The Empowerment Dialogue for Community Action (EDCA) meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the Mount Hope Neighborhood Association (MHNA) offices. Contact Toni-Marie Walmsley at 521-8830 for more information. Come on out and add your best resource: yourself. Garden Clubs The EDCA is currently engaged with the Food Relief to Food Sovereignty Project in running the Mt. Hope Sharing Garden Club at Billy Taylor Park at the corner of Cypress and Camp streets. A second garden is located at the Vincent Brown Center on Doyle Street, next door to the YMCA, which has been up and running as of Earth Day (April 22). Your participation is welcome and greatly encouraged. Everyone is invited to be part of our Garden Squad. Come on out to grow and share. Thanks and kudos to Groundwork Rhode Island for all of their cooperation.

Thanks to a Community Investment grant to the EDCA from The Miriam Hospital, we will be planting a fruit garden – another expansion to increase the amount of produce accessible to the community. Come and find out about our workshops, which offer tips for growing whatever you desire, and be part of the next Bin Garden project, which was a huge success last year. Arts and Learning The EDCA will be bringing back the very engaging Storytelling in the Park at Billy Taylor Park this summer with book giveaways courtesy of Books Are Wings and community member donations. More info to come. The Mount Hope Learning Center is working on a mural that tells the Mount Hope Neighborhood story. For more info, contact Hannah at Mount Hope Learning Center. Helen Dukes and the Mount Hope Community Center (which meets every first Monday of the month at the MHNA offices) are planning a Mount Hope camping trip to Burlington Campground. They are looking for youths ages 6–12 to participate. There are 12 spots available. A Sumner Street Festival and Family Movie Nights are also in the works. Location to be determined – stay tuned for future updates. The WIC program is in full swing at the MHNA office. Swing by for information and applications. The East Side Community Alliance (ESCA) has been meeting for several months to formulate plans to address

Community Neighborhood News community issues. Look out for info on upcoming meetings. Feel free to come on out and voice your views. Hope to see each and everyone. To all those involved, keep up the good work. Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, 199 Camp Street, Providence, RI 02906, 521-8830, Facebook: Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, MHNAinc@gmail.com. –Roger Lanctot

College Hill Neighborhood Association At our recent April meeting, the following issues were discussed and shared with attendees: Jane’s Walks An interesting new national program called “Jane’s Walks” is being launched in Providence and we’re all invited to be part of it. Inspired by urbanist Jane Jacobs, the walks are meant to celebrate urban space as seen and experienced by both recent and longtime residents so as to encourage “walking conversations” about the specific area being toured. The group is now looking for volunteers in the College Hill area to lead walks for this annual event, which will be held the first week of May. Most tours will occur on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. The Providence coordinator is Joelle Kantor (621-6122), who will explain all. Contact can also be made on the organization’s website (JanesWalk.org/ United-States/Providence). Concerns about Benefit Street Landlord A group of Benefit Street residents are concerned about the increasing concentration of many old historic properties in the hands of a single prominent landlord. Walter Bronhard now has over 50 properties on the East Side, many on Benefit Street, and concern is growing about his commitment to their care. Already a confrontation has developed about his desire to tear down the Welcome Arnold House on Planet Street just off Benefit Street, which he deems too damaged to save – which preservationists feel is not the case. A group called Friends on Benefit, joined by PPS Executive Director Brent Runyan, will make a PowerPoint presentation to encourage community discussion at the next CHNA meeting: 7pm on May 1 at the Lippitt Mansion on the corner of Angell and Hope Streets. Mr. Bronhard and/or his attorneys have

been invited as well. Any past or present tenants who have lived in substandard rentals on the East Side, regardless of ownership, are invited to share their stories. Thayer Street Updates Donna Personeus of the Thayer Street Management District Authority (TSMDA) reports that DENDEN Korean Fried Chicken and Insomnia Cookies opened this past month to huge support from the community. Reviews of both businesses have been outstanding. More changes to Thayer are coming as well: the Tropical Smoothie Cafe (272 Thayer) and WOW BBQ (across from DENDEN on Angell) will both open in May and byChloe will open in the former Au Bon Pain space in July. Donna adds “that as we wave goodbye to Johnny Rockets, Nice Slice, English Cellar Alehouse [165 Angell] and Rockstar and wish them luck, we will be welcoming and announcing soon, four new businesses taking their place this spring. And coming June 11, our 4th Annual Thayer Street Art Festival.” It’s Time to Join Our Merry Group CHNA has been representing the residents of College Hill since 1984 and urges all of our neighbors to help us in our efforts to protect our community. Contact us at any of the following addresses to join or to volunteer. College Hill Neighborhood Association. PO Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. 6335230. CollegeHillNA.com, CHNA@CollegeHillNA.com –Heidi Heifetz

Waterman Street Dog Park As the Waterman Street Dog Park continues to be a hit, the Dog Park Association is very excited about all the dogs and less furry friends packing the park on a daily basis. The Dog Park Association would like to thank all of the volunteers who came out for the Earth Day cleanup, as well as the Narragansett Bay Commission for a generous grant supporting the continued improvement of the park. The Parks Department will be spreading wood chips in the park periodically, and when the work is being done, the gates will have to be left open. To keep the dogs from running out into the street, all the dogs should use the small dog area when the gates are open for work on the park. Now that the Dog Park has been completed, the Dog Park Association’s

Experience. role is shifting, and the Association is looking for future leaders to maintain the park for years to come. Enthusiastic park users are encouraged to come to a meeting on June 13 at 7pm at Books on the Square about planning for the park’s future. Waterman Street Dog Park Association. WatermanStDogPark@gmail. org, WatermanStDogPark.org –Sam Bell

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Wayland Square Next Meeting The next meeting of the Wayland Square Neighborhood Association will be from 6-7:30pm on Tuesday, May 9, in the back room of Red Stripe Restaurant, 465 Angell Street, straddling Elmgrove Avenue and facing Starbucks. When fairer, more predictable weather returns, the association hopes to meet again outside on the patio of McBride’s Irish Pub on Wayland and Waterman. Last Meeting At its March meeting, the association discussed ways of working with local merchants to address neighborhood appearance and parking meters. On Earth Day (Saturday, April 22), there was a community cleanup funded and sponsored by the local branches of West Elm and Whole Foods. This mirrored similar events that day across Providence. Among other projects for which the neighborhood and business associations are seeking funds are installing or repairing benches, planters, trash bins and receptacles for dog waste. Commercial Notes The biggest business news as we go to press is unfortunately negative. The largest loss is the non-renewal of Paper Nautilus’s annual lease of 5 South Angell Street, just below Wayland Avenue. The popular used-book store closed its doors, after 20 years, on Sunday, April 9. The owner is seeking a new location elsewhere in Providence, but as this issue goes to press, nothing is certain. Alex and Ani, the once-hugely-successful jewelry store, has left its prominent and highly attractive location on Wayland and Angell (right next door to Paper Nautilus) vacant for months. I have no further news, but would appreciate any tips that readers might have. Moe’s Southwest Grill has vacated its location two blocks down Wayland, at Waterman Street, with a notice that the nearest Moe’s is in East Providence. Wayland Square Neighborhood Association, tinyurl.com/WaylandSquare, Groups.Yahoo.com/Group/WaylandSquare –David Kolsky (with the help of Marti Del Negro)

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Courage in His Convictions Roger Williams’ spirit remains relevant throughout Rhode Island today Written by Jessica Bryant • Photographed by Tony Pacitti

Prospect Terrace Park is the city’s most prominent – and iconic – tribute to Roger Williams

ave you ever stopped to think about what makes Rhode Island great? I’m not talking about our bustling restaurant scene, thriving arts culture, or any other aspect of the state that has made us a creative and collaborative capital, though these are all important. To understand how far we’ve come, we must consider our past. We’re all familiar with Roger Williams, the Ocean State’s founding father. But did you know that he put his life on the line to create a democratic shift in our political system? That he was in the vanguard of the movement to separate church and state? And that he was one of the inspirations for the Bill of Rights? Williams’ message of tolerance has never been more relevant than it is right now. And luckily his spirit and ideas are still evident throughout Providence today, including at the Roger Williams National Memorial

Park Visitors Center (NPS.gov/ ROWI). The center’s first new exhibit in more than 20 years, titled New and Dangerous Opinions, showcases how Williams’ ideas and beliefs are still important nearly 400 years later. “Williams created a civil government here in Providence, and the people got together and decided what that government was going to do and what it was going to look like,” says John McNiff, a park ranger at Roger Williams National Memorial Park. “Up until then, everybody looked at the King as the king because God wanted him to be king.” Part of the exhibit focuses on how Williams’ viewpoints are still embedded within the current US political landscape. “What we wanted to do was something very different,” McNiff says. “You go to a lot of historic sites and as soon as you walk through the door, you’re confronted with the

past: old furniture, old paintings, maybe an artifact or two. We want people to walk through the door and see in front of them things that some people consider extremely dangerous opinions today.” While contemporary opinions considered “dangerous” weren't on Williams' mind, the exhibit makes the argument that debates for marriage equality, abortion access and fights for other civil liberties are in the spirit of his progressive philosophy. The biggest takeaway that McNiff hopes for visitors to gain from the exhibit is the understanding that change is never easy. “Roger Williams was a city boy from London who got kicked out of the few settlements of this New World, into what could be considered a howling wilderness,” he says. “But he took that as a blank slate to create something absolutely wonderful. This isn’t a guy who was

just a marble or bronze statue or a portrait, he was a real human being. And it’s the decisions that a human being makes on a daily basis that can either keep everything the same as it is or actually move through change.” The Charter Museum (SOS.RI.gov), located in the State House, also testifies to the work of Roger Williams. “The museum is small and yet provides an incredibly rich experience,” says Nellie Gorbea, Rhode Island’s Secretary of State. “In it, you can see things like the first deed of Providence and the Royal Charter, which was the first foundational document for freedom of religion in this country.” The original artifacts on display at the Charter Museum are on loan from different local organizations, like Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum and the Providence City Archives. Secretary Gorbea’s favorite piece, a painting of Mary Dyer making

May 2017 East Side Monthly

The Roger Williams National Memorial’s New and Dangerous Opinions exhibit puts Williams’ progressive philosophy into a contemporary context

her way to the scaffold, is from the Newport Historical Society. “It’s my favorite piece because it shows that women were involved in these issues of religious tolerance and were leaders in our community. They were willing to die for those beliefs.” A description in the Charter Museum, titled “New Beginnings,” perfectly sums up Williams’ impact: “Rhode Island’s earliest settlers were moving away from places where they were unwelcome or uncomfortable because of their beliefs. Here, they sought to create communities open to a diversity of thought on how to live and govern” – an especially powerful statement

given current political conflict over immigration (in)equality. Secretary Gorbea says she sees this instinct to promote freedom in local-level civic engagement everywhere. “As daunting as the times seem to many of us, there is a silver lining in activism, which is what this country was founded on. And I’m hopeful because of that,” she says. “Thinking back to Roger Williams and the kind of community they were trying to build here in Rhode Island is the reason I feel at home here. We really do have a history in this place of bringing people together in a way that was not necessarily always free of controversy, but at its very core

was meant to be an ideal way of working together.” The New and Dangerous Opinions exhibit and the Charter Museum both curate and showcase Williams’ beliefs. But his heroic spirit can also be felt at two instrumental city sites: the Roger Williams Landing Monument and Prospect Terrace Park. “The Roger Williams landing site is a core of who we are as a city and people,” says Wendy Nilsson, superintendent of the Providence Parks and Recreation Department. “It represents our uniqueness, openness and inclusiveness — all of the things that make us a creative, connected and collaborative city. It

all harkens back to our heritage.” The Landing Monument, which can be seen at Slate Rock Park on Gano Street, marks the spot where Williams was greeted by members of the Narragansett tribe in 1636. The monument was rededicated in September 2016 after its plaques were vandalized and removed. The Fox Point Neighborhood Association raised $8,000 for new plaques and the Providence Parks Department covered the remaining costs. The timing of the rededication was especially important, says Nilsson, because of Providence’s developing identity. “We’ve got really strong leadership with our mayor, who

The recently restored Roger Williams Landing Monument in Fox Point memorializes Williams’ first encounter with the Narragansett tribe

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The State House’s Charter Museum is home to the Royal Charter, a key document in establishing freedom of religion in the New World really sees the value of the community coming together and sharing our outdoor spaces. They’re our common ground. To have the landing plaque that represents who we are as a city and the foundations of which we were built is pretty significant. We want to revive and pay homage to the history that has made us who we are.” The Parks Department is also in the middle of a campaign to revitalize Roger Williams Park, which was dedicated to the city of Providence by Williams’ greatgreat-great granddaughter, Betsy Williams. And the Prospect Terrace Park Committee, a sub-committee of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, is in the midst of fundraising to restore Prospect Park, a historical site that also pays homage to our founding father. Committee member and landscape architect Sara Bradford says the project is difficult to phase. “There are smaller things that we can get started on, but the things that are the biggest issues have to do with the walks and the steps,” she says. “We want to make sure we can have this space available for the most people who want to enjoy it.”

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Prospect Terrace was envisioned in the 1860s by Isaac Hale – not to honor Roger Williams, but to take advantage of the wonderful view of downtown Providence. The movers and shakers of the time collaborated to buy the property. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that the commemoration for Roger Williams came to fruition: a 15-foot Roger Williams statue standing on the edge of a canoe, with his arm outstretched to the downtown cityscape. “We’re left with a statue that’s hard to see, which is unfortunate,” says Bradford. “I think people go to Prospect Terrace without ever noticing the statue is there, and certainly not knowing that you need to kind of lean over the railing to really see it. I don’t know if there’s a solution to that, but we can certainly make it a place worthy of commemorating our founding father.” She adds, “Roger Williams had the right ideas. He certainly had courage for his convictions, and he went through a lot of hardship in order to make things come about as he wanted — from a young man all the way through. He was a strong moral and political leader, and maybe as a country, that’s what we’re missing – getting the two together.”

May 2017 East Side Monthly

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THOUGHT COUTURE RISD students’ mindful designs hit the runway for Collection 2017 By Kim Tingle

The 18 seniors about

Design by: Daniel Cloke

Design by: Kylie Mara

to graduate from RISD’s Apparel Design Department have been working tirelessly as they prepare to debut their creations at Collection 2017. For the past four years, these students have been in a program designed to meet the highest requirements of the industry. On May 13 they will have the chance to showcase their skills, innovation and originality to a jury of respected fashion professionals. The long-standing fashion show and community event will have a new location this year, moving to Brown University’s George V. Meehan Auditorium. Department Head Neil Gilks explains that, “the move to the Meehan Auditorium offers a larger runway and more immersive experience for attendees.” Neil describes Collection 2017 as a, “diverse approach with visually rich and thought-provoking offerings fueled by the students’ creative freedom, allowing them to explore what is important to them.” Giving us a glimpse into the show, he reveals that “senior students are utilizing their collections to raise important timely issues and underline the need for change. This is their platform to address their ethics and design language.” Each year the panel that critiques the seniors’ collections consists of highly accomplished designers and fashion industry professionals with varying concentrations. Panelists are selected based on their vast experience in the industry and their ability to offer guidance to the students, as well as to open doors post graduation. Involved throughout the collection-building process, they offer their insights and professional opinions to the Apparel Design seniors in conversations leading up to the show – bringing, as Neil puts it, “encyclopedic knowledge of the entire industry past, present and future.” This critical feedback ultimately helps the students determine which of their garments make it to the runway. Critics have included design directors from Diane Von Furstenburg and J. Crew, fashion news directors from runway magazines such as Elle, and leading designers including Tommy Hilfiger and RISD alumni Nicole Miller and Robert Geller. The panel of guest critics for the 2017 show will include Sara Kozlowski, a fashion design strategist for the Council of Fashion Designers of America; Lisa Z. Morgan, a British artist, designer and writer; Dean Sidaway, an artist and educator at the Pratt Institute; and Kate Wallace, the design director of Women’s Knits, Sweaters and Cold Weather Accessories for Club Monaco. Collection, says Neil, “offers the exposure of ideas and frames the time-honed craftsmanship” of the Apparel Design senior students. But most importantly, the show is an “arena to provoke questioning and the exchange of perspectives.” This is the students’ chance to display their technical and conceptual skills, as well as their unique, personal creations. Many of the collections are inspired by their life experiences, with their hearts and souls sewn into every stitch. One senior’s collection will be a tribute to the liberation her mother experienced years after leaving Communist China. Another senior will feature corset boning in each look of her collection, a restrictive force symbolizing her concern about the current administration. Another will investigate the intersection between queer identity and fatherhood. One collection will challenge stereotypes of modern black men. Another will focus on gender-equal garments. As clothes, style, trends and design thinking have adapted over time, Neil explains, “the core of the show is the celebration of a

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dedicated practice.” Another constant of the show has been the years of support from David Shwaery and Gerry Hammel of Squires Salon. Over the past two decades they’ve created the model’s runway looks; Neil expresses his true appreciation for, “their commitment in supporting us and the next generation of design thinkers.” Although nothing can compare to the amount of work and preparation that goes into building a collection for a runway show in the real world, Neil is well aware that the Apparel Design students understand “the need for commitment and execution of the highest standards.” He would like to think that, “collectively, the Apparel department is arming the students with the technical, creative, problem solving and communication skills that will aid their progression into their chosen fields post RISD, forming the basis of a fulfilling career.” Many AP Graduates, even those from the class of 2016, are already pursuing their passions, from research to entrepreneurship. Collection 2017 may be your only chance to see these designers without having to “periscope,” an industry term for having to watch the runway through your smartphone at a show. That is, if you’re even able to get a seat at their show in the first place.

May 13 with shows at 4pm and 7pm at the George V. Meehan Auditorium at Brown University. 225 Hope Street. RISD.edu/Collection 28

East Side Monthly May 2017

STYLISH ALUMNI RISD’s Apparel Design alumni have gone on to become some of the most well-known names in the fashion industry, including: • American fashion icon Nicole Miller (AP ‘73), who built a clothing line and then branched into furniture and home products, eventually becoming an entire lifestyle brand. • Tae Ashida (AP ‘87), daughter of legendary designer Jun Ashida, whose work has been used in uniforms for major corporations, including at Tokyo Disneyland. • Marcia Patmos (AP ‘91), who was honored with the 2015 International Woolmark Prize for women’s wear, which included international distribution at Harvey Nichols and Saks Fifth Avenue. • Tess Giberson (AP ‘96), who began her career at Calvin Klein and later launched her own collection, earning her one of the first Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation awards. • Nicole Romano (AP ‘00), a former intern for Nicole Miller, whose jewelry has been worn by many trendy celebrities, including the cast of Sex and the City. • Robert Geller (AP ‘01), who began as an intern at Marc Jacobs, eventually launching his own line that earned him GQ’s 2009 award for “Best New Designer in America.” • Sally Lapointe (AP ‘06), who has dressed celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. • Alumni with top positions at leading design houses, including Vanessa Pang (AP ’95), senior design director for Michael Kors Men’s Collections, and Julia Han (AP ’15), assistant designer at Calvin Klein.

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At Home on the East Side

A Grand Old Home

A College Hill house with centuries of history By Sophie Hagen

Photography by Mike Braca

Ruby and Bob Davis’s

1859 College Hill home was designed by the 19th-century architect (and Brown grad) Thomas Alexander Tefft from Providence (who died an old-timey death, at 33, of a fever). The house passed through just a few owners before landing with the Davises. This living room, Ruby says, is “a lovely setting for our lifestyle.” It’s big enough to entertain and “the woodwork is all painted mahogany,” – wood, she says, wasn’t left exposed until the Victorian era. The room houses Ruby’s collection of antique light sconces, furniture and “China Trade porcelain” – porcelain goods that arrived in North America from China

between 1760 and 1890, Ruby’s favorite design period. The furniture is all Ruby’s, scavenged from years of careful antique hunts – beside the antique sconces and a few old chandeliers, the house was empty when she and Bob moved in. Ruby’s first purchase for the house was the statue of an eagle to the right of the fireplace, once the lectern of an Episcopal church. After rewiring the house from gas to electricity, Ruby set out to find more antique sconces and discovered two working as props in a Boston furniture store; she convinced the owners to sell them to her. The small piece near the fireplace, with slender

curving wooden legs and two candlesticks on top, was once a sewing stand, where all the threads, needles, scissors and other sewing tools were kept (the top opens on a hinge). The round painting on the left, with a subject who looks like George Washington, comes from an antique shop on Cape Cod and was painted by James Sharples, an English portraitist who preferred his subjects at three-quarter-face. The brown velvet cat doll on the arm of the couch was sewn by Ruby’s sister; though more recent than its surroundings, it is Ruby’s “favorite thing.” But “I have to sew it,” she says. “The head is falling off.”

May 2017 East Side Monthly

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East Side Monthly May 2017

decades, there has been a steadily declining focus on teaching handwriting, especially cursive. The increasing emphasis on both technology and Common Core standards has pushed handwriting instruction down in importance, to the point where some schools do not teach it at all. In an effort to change this, 14 states have passed laws requiring that cursive be taught as part of the curriculum. Here in Rhode Island, there is no state mandate on cursive handwriting; that decision is left to the districts. While the Providence Public School Department does not require that schools teach cursive because it is not in the Common Core State Standards, some elementary schools choose to use literacy resources that include it. Why does it matter? Education experts say there are several reasons why teaching cursive handwriting may be beneficial to children. Dr. William Klemm, a professor of neuroscience at Texas A&M University, writes, “Cursive writing helps train the brain to integrate visual and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity.” Because multiple areas of the brain are involved when a person writes in cursive, the person is more likely to learn and remember the material. In fact, multiple studies have shown that, when we write down information by hand versus typing it on the computer, there is a greater chance that we’ll retain that information. This is true for people of all ages, not just young children. Researchers found that, even if college students had a week to study the material, laptop note-takers did worse on the test than their longhand note-taking peers. While typing may be a fast and efficient method of writing, that very automaticity may detract from the learning experience. There is also is a strong positive correlation between the quality of one’s handwriting and the quality of the writing itself. “Writing is the way we learn what we’re thinking,” says Virginia Berninger, a professor of Educational Psychology who studies the effect of handwriting on the human brain. Her research has shown that

children who write by hand not only produce words more quickly than those using computers, but also express more numerous ideas. She believes that cursive is superior to print because it allows students’ ideas to flow more quickly onto the page. For students who learn differently than the general population, cursive handwriting may be even more important. Writing in cursive may help students learn to identify letters more easily, since the variations can help students understand that a letter can be represented in many ways. Students diagnosed with developmental dysgraphia (motor control difficulties in forming letters) can show improvement when writing in cursive, which may help with the prevention of reversal and inversion of letters. Other arguments for teaching cursive are more practical. Students who have not learned cursive have no personal signatures – just their printed names, which are less likely to be unique. If our children are ever going to use primary sources – old letters, family recipes, even the Declaration of Independence – they will need to be able to read cursive. This ability to read cursive is one of the reasons that

Wheeler School cites for teaching the skill in the third grade. Moses Brown School begins teaching cursive in the middle of second grade and continues that instruction through fourth grade, while simultaneously teaching keyboarding through their technology curriculum. Karen van Tienhoven, Lower School Language Arts Coordinator, explains: “For some students, writing in cursive is easier and faster. Often students who have reversals in print have no issues when writing in cursive. Research shows that most people use a hybrid of cursive and print when writing. So, we believe in introducing the students to print and cursive.” Most of us remember having penmanship classes when we were in elementary school. You may also remember how proud you were when you could finally sign your own name in cursive. And this motivation may be the most compelling reason to teach cursive: if children want to write, we’ve already succeeded. We should teach children multiple ways to write – Dr. Berninger calls it teaching kids to be “multilingual by hand” – so that they will be proficient in whatever modality they choose.

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McDonald’s gets a bad rap. There was that movie about the guy who ate Big Macs and fries for a month and gained a ton of weight and, more recently, my sister in Maryland told me about a woman who found an unattractive creature in her McDonald’s salad. I am here to report some good news about the fast-food restaurant chain, more specifically the one in our own backyard — the McDonald’s in University Heights next to the wholesome Whole Foods. My husband Peder had an enriching experience there, and I’d like to tell you about it. Loyal readers are aware that Peder is the chef of our house. He cooks all our meals, and for that I am eternally grateful. Moods are directly linked to food, he believes. In short, you are what you eat. It should follow, then, that a chip or Twinkie dare not pass his lips, but this is not the case. Soon after we were married, I discovered by opening the kitchen cabinet that he had a fondness for Little Debbies, Cheetos and Pop-Tarts. How to reconcile eating, say, chicken cutlets meunière — his specialty — with such junk food was a puzzle, and still is. But we are all mysteries. I also discovered shortly into the union that Peder had a hankering now and then for fast food, with McDonald’s as his top choice. I remember our first encounter with a Happy Meal. It was a dark and stormy night on the New Jersey Turnpike, and we were starving. “A McDonald’s is up ahead,” he said. “Let’s stop.” His affection for fast food continues to this day, which brings me to his latest encounter with the Golden Arches. He was sitting in his office across from the State House when the clock struck noon and his belly called out for nourishment. The meal would have to be quick, for work responsibilities awaited. He raced to the University Heights McDonald’s a few blocks away and entered with the intention of getting his usual: a quarter pounder with cheese, mustard and onions, medium fries and unsweetened iced tea, at a cost of $7.69. But on this day he was forced to improvise when he looked

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in his wallet and discovered he had a mere $7. Instead, he ordered the twocheeseburger meal with medium fries and unsweetened iced tea for less than seven bucks. He sat in a twoseater booth next to a window. He thought about our evening meal — veal marsala — while he gobbled down his burgers. Being the good McDonald’s citizen that he is, he tossed his empty fries box, etc. into the trash can and put the tray on top. Then he stopped at a nearby ATM to replenish his wallet and returned to work. Back at his desk, he reached into his pocket for his phone and panicked. It wasn’t there. He rushed back to the ATM. No luck. McDonald’s was his next stop. So sorry, the workers said, no one had turned in a phone. He returned to work, so disturbed about his loss he was unable to focus. On his way home that evening, he gave McDonald’s one more try. He was wearing his $35 Martian smartwatch. He walked past the dumpster and felt a tickle on his wrist. Could it be? He was close enough to his phone to get a Bluetooth connection that made his smartwatch vibrate. Two McDonald’s

employees were standing nearby. “I think my phone is in there,’’ said Peder, pointing to the dumpster. He pushed a button on his smartwatch, and Brahms’ German Requiem wafted through the parking lot. His “find phone alert” was alerting. One by one, the kind workers removed each crumpled bag, finally coming upon Peder’s remains. His phone was covered with mustard, but it was intact. He had inadvertently tossed out his Samsung S6, hiding under the cheeseburgers’ wrappers. That night, Peder sent an email to the national McDonald’s website, praising the employees who made the daring rescue. A few days later, he received a letter from the owner of the University Heights establishment. “Our goal is 100-percent customer satisfaction,” she wrote. “We are glad our employees helped you recover your phone. We have shared your comments with our restaurant team.” As a token of appreciation, she included two coupons, one for a breakfast sandwich, the other for a burger. Peder used his breakfast coupon the next day. The Egg McMuffin was exceptionally tasty.

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May 2017 East Side Monthly

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Can you describe the dog excursions you offer? Dog excursions give dogs the opportunity to run and play freely on our enclosed seven acre ranch in Rehoboth. The wide open space allows the dogs to exercise and have fun with other dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages. Dogs have been enjoying our excursions for over 10 years. Can you share some unique services that you provide to our canine companions? We provide transportation for each dog, both to and from the ranch in our “Sniff Mobiles” and service Providence’s East Side, West Side and Downtown areas, Pawtucket’s Oak Hill, Barrington, Rumford and Southern Seekonk. Each excursion group is supervised by our professional dog handlers, or “The Wranglers.” We post videos and pictures to Facebook throughout the day and also send clients videos of their dogs in doggie nirvana! Do the owners need to be home when you pick up their dogs? No, the owners do not need to be home.

Our wranglers have access to each home as we require a formal introduction process with each new client. We set up a meet and greet where one of the Ruffin’ Wranglers managers goes to the client’s home to meet with them and become acquainted with their dog. What is a Sniff Mobile? Our seven Sniff Mobiles are essentially taxis made for dogs. Designed to be safe and comfortable for canines, each is equipped with gym flooring as well as a see-through divider separating the dogs from the front driver. What is the dog excursion schedule? Dog Excursions are offered Monday through Friday. We require a two-day per week minimum for each dog. The continuity is necessary for them to understand the drill, as dogs thrive on consistency. It’s equally important for our wranglers to get to know the dogs’ personalities, likes and dislikes. We offer half day and full day sessions. Full day excursions are roughly 10am-3pm depending on where the client lives. Half day excursions are either in the morning or afternoon for about 2.5 hours.

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WELCOME NEW REALTORS! I moved to Rhode Island in 2002, settling first in Newport and later in Providence. After working with college students on three campuses and leading non-profit organizations in Washington, DC & Rhode Island, I’ve combined my passion for restoring historic homes and my love of Rhode Island to work in real estate. Let me put my expertise and experience to work for you as you search for your next home.

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ON THE TOWN

Restaurant and Food | Dining Guide | Calendar of Events

Flavor of the Month

It’s Taco Time Celebrate Cinco De Mayo with a Mexican dish from Tallulah’s Taqueria By Meghan H. Follett

Well, it’s May. And you know what that means… tacos. Open since Cinco de Mayo 2014 on Ives Street, Tallulah’s Taqueria has become the East Side’s go-to for delicious and expertly prepared Mexican. Offering a mixand-match type of menu, Tallulah’s lets patrons choose their protein or veggie and the vehicle in which they’d like it delivered (taco, bowl, burrito, torta or quesadilla) to create their favorite combo. We caught up with Chef Jake Rojas and wife and co-owner Kelly Ann to visit some tacos and see what’s happening in the unofficial month of tacos.

Photography (R) by Meghan H. Follett, (L) by Mike Braca

Your first Rhode Island restaurant venture was the fine dining Tallulah on Thames in Newport. What was it that inspired you to make the jump from one extreme to the other with tacos here on the East Side? Well, we wanted to build a kind of quick service restaurant with the same ideology of Tallulah on Thames and Providence was the perfect fit.

Chef Jake Rojas

At Tallulah’s Taqueria, choose your own taco adventure from a full menu of fresh ingredients

We’d been doing taco nights and taking our cart to farmers markets,

and with the popularity of these we figured that bringing our tacos to the city was a great idea. Where do you find the inspiration for the flavors you use in your oﬀerings? Jake grew up in El Paso, Texas eating and experiencing Mexican culture. He learned the basics of Mexican cuisine from family at an early age. Jake combined both his childhood memories of flavor and his experience being a classically trained chef and created what you see at the Taqueria. What’s your favorite thing to eat when you’re here? Depends on the weather and the mood, but you’ve always got to start off with one taco prior to whatever the meal may be.

A crazy question: corn or flour tortillas for tacos? Corn only for tacos. But we do go for the large flour tortilla for our burritos. What’s next for Tallulah’s Taqueria? Well we’ve got our Shack in Jamestown opening for the summer on Memorial Day, and our carts can be found at a couple farmers markets this season (including the Hope Street Market in Lippitt Park) as well. Aside from that we’re just concentrating on one taco at at time.

Tallulah’s Taqueria 146 Ives Street 272-8226 TallulahsTaqueria.com May 2017 East Side Monthly

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Seasonal Brunching Springtime and brunch just seem to go together. Mother’s Day is around the corner and everyone’s itching to leave the house. Not sure where to go? Here are a handful of restaurants in or around the East Side that have a brunch worth trying. If brunch for you is more about the drinks than the food, the $15 bottomless mimosas at The Village in the Jewelry District will satisfy. However, if you do need a snack to

HARUKI EAST

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

East Side Monthly May 2017

Creme Brule French Toast Casserole at The Village

accompany the bubbles, some Lavender Dusted Lemon Vanilla Pancakes might do the trick. 373 Richmond Street. 2287222, TheVillageRI.com One Mimosa or Bloody Mary just isn’t going to cut it, right? How about a pitcher instead? That’s exactly what you can get at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub. Don’t forget about the Corned Beef and Hash to go with it. 342 East Avenue, Pawtucket. 725-9520, Facebook: Doherty’s Irish Pub For a side of history with your meal, head to the Modern Diner. You’ll sit inside a historic rail car and dine on favorites like the Custard French Toast that the Food Network dubbed the number one diner dish in America. 364 East Avenue, Pawtucket. 726-8390, ModernDinerRI.com If you thought that you couldn’t just roll out of bed and head to breakfast, think again. XO Cafe’s Pajama Brunch encourages diners to sport their comfiest PJs, and in return they are rewarded with a free Mimosa or Bloody Mary. 125 North Main Street. 273-9090, XOCafe.com With a recently revamped menu, Kitchen Bar’s brunch game is strong. They’ve got all the traditional eats you expect with elevated options like Shrimp and Grits Benedict, Breakfast Tacos and lunch options like a Lamb Burger and Grilled Cheese. 771 Hope Street. 331-4100, KGKitchenBar.com

Photo (Top) courtesy of Insomnia Cookies, (Bottom) Photography by Stacey Doyle

117 Brook Street Providence • 274-1200 togsonbrook.com • Wed-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-4

is ever evolving, but one thing it’s been sorely lacking is a late-night bakery. Sure you can get pizza, calzones and burritos until 2am, but something chocolatey or sweet? Not until now. Insomnia Cookies opened its doors in March, much to the delight of anyone with a sweet tooth. The company has over 90 locations across the country, and started in a college dorm room at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. What makes it different from a traditional bakery is that it delivers fresh-baked, warm cookies until 3am. Got a hankering for double chocolate chunk? White chocolate macadamia nut? No problem. There are nine flavors available year round and seasonal flavors that pop up from time to time. All of these can be mixed and matched into a cookie sandwich, or Cookiewich, filled with chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Power up to the next size of cookie, the Jumbo Deluxe, which comes in three flavors: chocolate peanut butter, triple chocolate and s’mores). These can also be turned into a larger sandwich, the

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East Side Monthly May 2017

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DINING GUIDE N E A R YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D

The Grange The Grange is much more than a place to eat. With a farm fresh focus and a community-minded approach, The Grange is a place to make genuine connections. “Customers come for an experience and for the opportunity to make connections to food and people,” says owner Rob Yaffe, who along with his wife Uschi owns and operates three plant-centric eateries. With a seasonal, vegetarian menu that is completely dependent on what’s growing regionally, The Grange works closely with the Farm Fresh network and directly with a handful of farmers. Using only in-season produce can be challenging, but it also fosters creativity. That innovative spirit is evident everywhere at The Grange, where everything is handcrafted. “We make our own ketchup, mustard, dressings. We pickle our own vegetables,” says Rob. Even the bar, which has been lauded for its progressive cocktail program, uses syrups and herb-infused spirits made from scratch. 166 Broadway, Providence 831-0600, ProvidenceGrange.com

PROVIDENCE COUNTY 10 Prime Steak & Sushi Fashionable prime steakhouse with award-winning sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 4532333. LD $$$ Cafe di Panni Italian American dining with an available banquet facility. 187 Pocasset Ave, Providence, 944-0840. LD $-$$ Capri Swedish-influenced Mediterranean cuisine. 58 De Pasquale Ave, Providence, 274-2107. LD $$-$$$ Catering Gourmet Premiere catering company providing food made from scratch. 333 Strawberry Field Rd, Warwick, 773-7925. $-$$$ CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in a historic setting. 14 Imperial Pl, Providence, 7519164. BrLD $$-$$$ Centro Restaurant & Lounge Contemporary cuisine and cocktails. 1 W Exchange St, Providence, 228-6802. BLD $$$ Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline.

3000 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 944-4900. BrLD $$$ Character’s Cafe & Theatre 82 Hybrid art space with all-day breakfast, coffee and theatre-inspired entrees. 82 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, 490-9475. BL $ Cucina Rustica Rustic, Italian-style dining combining comfort food and sophistication. 555 Atwood Ave, Cranston, 944-2500. LD $-$$ Flatbread Company Artisanal pizza, local ingredients. 161 Cushing St, Providence, 273-2737. LD $-$$ Fresco Italian American comfort food with international inspirations. 301 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0027; 140 Comstock Pkwy, Cranston, 2283901. D $-$$ Harry’s Bar & Burger Called the “Best Burger in America” by CNN. Over 50 craft beers. 121 N Main St. Providence, 228-7437; 301 Atwells Ave, 228-3336 LD $-$$ Haruki Japanese cuisine and a la carte selections with casual ambiance. Locations in Cranston and Providence.

The Grange, with its menu focused on locally produced foods, serves the freshest flavors of the season

HarukiSushi.com LD $-$$ Iron Works Tavern A wide variety of signature American dishes in the historic Thomas Jefferson Hill Mill. 697 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick, 739-5111. LD $-$$$ Jacky’s Galaxie Local Pan-Asian chain offering sushi and classic entrees in a modern atmosphere. Locations in Providence, North Providence, Bristol and Cumberland, JackysGalaxie.com. LD $-$$$ Julian’s A must-taste Providence staple celebrating more than 20 years. 318 Broadway, Providence, 861-1770. BBrLD $$ Luxe Burger Bar Build Your Own Burger: You dream it, we build it! 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $ McBride’s Pub Traditional Irish pub fare in Wayland Square. 161 Wayland Ave, Providence, 751-3000. LD $$ McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steak Mixed grill selections and signature fish dishes sourced locally

and seasonally. 11 Dorrance St, Providence, 351-4500. BLD $$-$$$ Meeting Street Cafe BYOB eatery with large menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner served all day. 220 Meeting St, Providence, 273-1066. BLD $-$$ Mill’s Tavern Historic setting for New American gourmet. 101 N Main St, Providence, 272-3331. D $$$ Momo Dessert restaurant with crepes, home-made stir fry ice cream and bubble tea. 100 Washington St, Providence, 521-6666. BLD $ Mosaic Restaurant Syrian cuisine served in an intimate setting. 91 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, 808-6512. BLD $-$$$ Napolitano’s Brooklyn Pizza Classic Italian fare and traditional New Yorkstyle pizzas. 100 East St, Cranston, 383-7722; 380 Atwells Ave, Providence, 273-2400. LD $-$$ Ocean State Sandwich Company Craft sandwiches and hearty sides. 1345 Hartford Ave, Johnston. 155 Westminster St, Providence, 282-6772. BL $-$$

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

May 2017 East Side Monthly

DINING GUIDE

Dwarf • Rare • Unusual Plants Plus all the favorites

Opa the Phoenician Authentic Lebanese food served in a fun atmosphere with hookahs. 230 Atwells Ave, Providence, 351-8282. D $-$$$

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

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0003. LD $-$$ Pat’s Italian Fine Italian favorites, natural steaks and handcrafted cocktails. 1200 Hartford Ave, Johnston, 273-1444. LD $-$$$ Pizza J A fun, upbeat atmosphere

with thin-crust pizza, pub fare and gluten-free options. 967 Westminster St, Providence, 632-0555. LD $-$$ Public Kitchen & Bar American food with changing daily specials. 120 Francis St, Providence, 919-5050. BrLD $-$$ Red Ginger Traditional Chinese restaurant and bar with a relaxed environment. 560 Killingly St, Johnston, 861-7878; 1852 Smith St, North Providence, 353-6688. LD $-$$

60 Knight Street, Warwick • 739-3738 www.andyslandscapenursery.com

Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$

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Rick’s Roadhouse Honest, authentic BBQ with a large selection of whiskey. 370 Richmond St, Providence, 272-7675. LD $-$$

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Rocco’s Pub & Grub Five-star menu in an intimate, pub-like atmosphere. 55 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 349-2250. LD $-$$

3000 Chapel View Blvd. Cranston, RI

401.944.4900

Coast Guard House reopens its roof deck for Memorial Day, serving the same perfectly fresh fish as they do in the main dining room

Rosmarin at Hotel Providence Bar and restaurant serving Swiss-inspired small plates, craft cocktails and an eclectic wine list. 311 Westminster Street, Providence, 521-3333. BLD $$$ Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich and Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$-$$$

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Spirito’s Restaurant & Catering Classic Italian fare served in a stately Victorian home. 477 Broadway, Providence, 434-4435. LD $-$$$

knows about the Coast Guard House. Perched on rocks directly over the Atlantic at the end of Narragansett Town Beach, the restaurant has been a local favorite for decades. When you walk into the restaurant, there’s a board displaying the local food and drink items available that day, like Narragansett Creamery cheese, Walrus and Carpenter oysters, Sons of Liberty whiskey, RI Mushroom Company produce and more. The restaurant’s sommelier oversees an excellent wine selection, especially by the glass. For cocktail lovers, they have a Locally Crafted Cocktails section on their menu. Just in time for the warm weather, the roof deck at the Coast Guard House gives a whole new meaning to waterfront dining, offering a casual lunch menu from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, weather permitting.

Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$

40 Ocean Road, Narragansett 789-0700, TheCoastGuardHouse.com

The Crossings New American favorites in a chic, urban setting. 801 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, 732-6000. BLD $-$$$

T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich and Narragansett, TsRestaurantRI.com. BL $ Tavolo Wine Bar and Tuscan Grille Classic Italian cuisine with an extensive wine and beer list. 970 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 349-4979. LD $-$$

Your Downcity General and Cosmetic Specialist 66 Kennedy Plaza Providence www.dentplus.net | 401-454-3000

East Side Monthly May 2017

For full restaurant profiles, go to EastSideMonthly.com

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Call Jon Bell, a lifelong East Side resident with 30 years of experience, for a free in-home consultation simple - I design and install quality home entertainment systems for one room or many, all with one-touch operation. all your media - easily stream movies, watch TV, play your favorite music, and show your photos on the big screen. stylish - every system blends in with your unique décor.

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May 2017 East Side Monthly

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DINING GUIDE The Dorrance Fine dining with exquisite cocktails. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 521-6000. D $$$

cuisine with a fantastic Sunday #PajamaBrunch. 125 N Main St, Providence, 273-9090. BrD $$

The Grange Vegetarian restaurant serving seasonal dishes with a juice bar, vegan bakery and cocktail bar. 166 Broadway, Providence, 831-0600. BrLD $-$$

EAST BAY / NEWPORT

The Pizza Gourmet/ The Catering Gourmet From scratch wood-grilled pizzas and Italian American favorites. 357 Hope St, Providence, 751-0355. LD $-$$$ The Rosendale Bar and grill with welcoming atmosphere and creative menu. 55 Union St, Providence, 4213253. LD $-$$

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

MARKETING DESIGN PRINT

The Salted Slate An agri-driven American restaurant with global influences. 186 Wayland Ave, Providence, 270-3737. BrLD $$-$$$ The Villa Restaurant & Banquet Facility Family Italian restaurant with live music and entertainment. 272 Cowesett Ave, West Warwick, 8210060. D $-$$ The Village Lively bar and grill with comfort fare, bar bites and beer. 373 Richmond St, Providence, 228-7222. BrLD $-$$ Tortilla Flats Fresh Mexican, Cajun and Southwestern fare, cocktails and over 70 tequilas. 355 Hope St, Providence, 751-6777. LD $-$$ Trinity Brewhouse Rhode Island’s original brewpub. 186 Fountain St, Providence, 453-2337. LD $-$$ Tony’s Colonial Specialty store offering the finest imported and domestic Italian foods. 311 Atwells Ave, Providence, 621-8675. $-$$$

Site Specific Design BuilD

RestoRation

East Side Monthly May 2017

DeWolf Tavern Gourmet American/ Indian fusion. 259 Thames St, Bristol, 254-2005. BLD $$-$$$ Ichigo Ichie Traditional Japanese cuisine, creative sushi and hibachi. 5 Catamore Blvd, East Providence, 4355511. LD $-$$$ Jacky’s Galaxie Local Pan-Asian chain offering sushi and classic entrees in a modern atmosphere. Locations in Providence, North Providence, Bristol and Cumberland, JackysGalaxie.com. LD $-$$$ Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$ The Old Grist Mill Tavern Fine dining located over the Runnins River. 390 Fall River Ave, Seekonk, 508-3368460. LD $-$$$ The Wharf Tavern Serves fresh seafood and steak with bay views from almost every table. 215 Water St, Warren, 289-2524. BrLD $-$$$

SOUTHERN RI Besos Kitchen & Cocktails Tapas and eclectic cuisine and cocktails. 378 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-8855. BrLD $$$

The Vig Contemporary sports bar with craft tavern fare. 21 Atwells Ave, Providence, 709-0347. LD $-$$

Blu On The Water Home to Rhode Island’s largest waterfront deck and three outdoor bars, with a wide menu and full raw bar. 20 Water St, East Greenwich, 885-3700. LD $-$$$

XO Cafe Acclaimed farm-to-table

Bluewater Bar and Grill Casual restaurant with modern seafood dishes, patio seating and live music. 32 Barton Ave, Barrington, 247-0017. LD $$-$$$

Twin Oaks Family restaurant serving an extensive selection of Italian and American staples. 100 Sabra St, Cranston, 781-9693. LD $-$$$

Vinya Test Kitchen Vegan cuisine accompanied by creative mocktails (BYOB). 225A Westminster St, Providence, 500-5189. D $-$$

401.632.4400 sitespecificllc.com

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 $$

For full restaurant profiles, go to EastSideMonthly.com

DINING GUIDE

Save Now! On 1-Bedroom Apartments!

Chair 5 Locally sourced and seasonally inspired menus with a main restaurant and rooftop lounge. 1208 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 363-9820. BrLD $-$$$ Champlin’s Seafood Dockside fresh seafood serving easy breezy cocktails. 256 Great Island Rd, Narragansett, 783-3152. LD $-$$ Coast Guard House A new American menu with a seafood emphasis and extensive wine list, open seven days a week. 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 789-0700. BrLD $$$ Dante’s Kitchen American food with Southern flair. 315 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-7798. BL $-$$ Dragon Palace Chinese cuisine, sushi and bar. 577 Tiogue Ave, Coventry, 828-0100; 733 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield, 789-2300; 1210 Main St, Wyoming, 539-1102. LD $-$$ Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$ Frankie’s Italian Bistro Fine dining with imported wines from around the world. 1051 Ten Rod Rd, North Kingstown, 295-2500. D $-$$$ Fresco Italian American comfort food with international inspirations. 301 Main St, East Greenwich, 3980027; 140 Comstock Pkwy, Cranston, 228-3901. D $-$$ George’s of Galilee Fresh caught seafood in an upscale pub atmosphere. 250 Sand Hill Cove Rd, Narragansett, 783-2306. LD $-$$ Jigger’s Diner Classic ‘50s diner serving breakfast all day. 145 Main St, East Greenwich, 884-6060. BL $-$$ La Masseria Upscale Italian cuisine served in a chic setting with a rustic, countryside vibe. 223 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0693. LD $$-$$$ Maharaja Indian Restaurant Indian cuisine and traditional curries in a warm setting. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 363-9988. LD $-$$ Matunuck Oyster Bar Destination dining enhanced by a raw bar sourced onsite and a water view. 629 Succotash Rd, South Kingstown, 7834202. LD $-$$$

Ocean House/Weekapaug Inn Multiple dining room options offer comfortably elegant dishes that highlight the best in seasonal, local produce. 1 Bluff Ave, Watch Hill, 5847000; 25 Spray Rock Rd, Westerly, 637-7600. BLD $-$$$ Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana Authentic Neapolitan wood-fired pizza with exclusive ingredients imported from Naples. 60 S County Commons Way, South Kingstown, 783-2900. LD $-$$ Phil’s Main Street Grille Classic comfort food with a great rooftop patio. 323 Main St, Wakefield, 7834073. BBrLD $

Thanks for the Accolades! Once again, 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

High Standards. Higher Hopes.

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Î Pup

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Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$ Sa-Tang Fine Thai and Asian fusion cuisine with gluten-free selections. 402 Main St, Wakefield, 284-4220. LD $-$$ Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich and Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$-$$$ Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$ T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich, Narragansett, TsRestaurantRI.com. BL $ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/American bistro. 16 W Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$

Dog Jogging, Walking & Off Leash Excursions

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This handsome beach bum is Sully. He is a super athletic dog, who runs tirelessly on our “Wagging Trails” group excursions and on leash as well. I’m also convinced that my dog, Lucy, is in love with him. 15% OFF First Excursion, Run Or Walk

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10,000 Square Feet of Indoor Play Space! Plus 5,000 Square Feet of Exterior Space Doggy Daycare and Overnight Boarding Trained Supervisors and Staff 24/7 Rubber Floors & Dog Separation by Size Enhanced HVAC / Air Flow Minutes from the East Side!

245 Esten Ave, Pawtucket 401-722-TOTO FriendsofToto.com

The Nordic Surf and turf buffet selections perfect for family gatherings. 178 E Pasquisett Trl, Charlestown, 7834515. LD $$$ Twin Willows Fresh seafood and water views in a family-friendly atmosphere. 865 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, 789-8153. LD $-$$ Tong-D Fine Thai cuisine in a casual setting. 156 County Rd, Barrington, 2892998; 50 South County Common Way, South Kingstown, 783-4445. LD $-$$ TwoTen Oyster Bar and Grill Local oysters and upmarket seafood dishes with a full bar menu. 210 Salt Pond Rd, South Kingstown, 782-0100. BrLD $-$$$

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May 2017 East Side Monthly

OV R P N W O NT W O D

Cheryl Adams Johnson

Join the festivities! Art, music and performance transform the streets of Providence for a canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t-miss celebration of the Creative Capital. Produced by the City of Providence Founding Partner, FirstWorks

WWW.PVDFEST.COM

Erin X. Smithers

4 CE 1 NE IDEN

On the Town Calendar

May music | performance | social happenings | galleries | sports

10 events at the top of our list

DON’T MISS THIS MONTH

The Roger Williams Park Conservancy invites you to Celebrate Roger Williams Park on May 6

Join the Roger Williams Park Conservancy for Celebrate Roger Williams Park. It’ll be a day full of events to get you excited about the season. May 6. RIFoundation.org

Find laughs in the premiere of Trinity Rep’s comedy Faithful Cheaters. Take a serious look at modern marriage and what it takes to be happy in today’s busy world. May 1-21. TrinityRep.com

Celebrate alongside the Wilbury Theatre Group at REVEL! The gala will take you 25 stories above Providence to the top of the Superman Building - with a cocktail, of course. May 6. TheWilburyGroup.org

The UK is home to tea, Harry Potter and great comedy. Russell Howard is visiting from across the Atlantic, and he’s brought hilarity with him. May 8. RIComedyConnection.com

Find delicacy in seasonal sprouts with Edible Wild Plants of Spring at Providence Public Library. You never know when your alfalfa cravings might kick in. May 10. ProvLib.org

Festival Ballet’s impeccable production of Cinderella glides onto the stage for an awe-inspiring performance of the timeless tale. May 12-14. FestivalBallet.com Try new and exciting flavors at A Tasting Fest – hosted by Hamilton House – without having to leave the East Side. May 17. HistoricHamilton.com

Matilda the Musical is delighting audiences at PPAC this month with proof that kids rule and parents just don’t understand. May 17-21. PPACRI.org

The Hope Street Spring Block Party is returning for another year full of vendors and everything else your favorite neighborhood has to offer. May 20. Facebook.com/ HopeStreetProv

After a recent live performance on The Tonight Show, Future Islands is set to jam this month at Lupo’s, for a night music lovers won’t want to miss. May 25. Lupos.com May 2017 East Side Monthly

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On the Town Calendar MUSIC

arena & club | classical ARENA & CLUB AS220 May 2: Preprepre, Session 9, and Rhode Island Bucket Drummers. May 5: Wichita and Lazy Susan. May 6: Traditional Irish Music Session, Milton (Milwaukee/Philly), Shawn Greenlee, Bridget Feral, Dave Public, and Suicide Magnets. May 7: The Empire Revue. May 8: Math The Band The Band, Emperor X, and Animal Flag. May 9: The Shakes, The Way Back, and Tinkerlee Taylor. May 10: Songwriters in the Round. May 11: Tall Teenagers, Eric and The Nothing, Psychotropics, and Harvey Garbage. May 13: Traditional Irish Music Session. May 20: Traditional Irish Music Session. May 23: Iron Lung, Woundman, V-Sect, and Hardware. May 27: Kal Marks, Funeral Cone, Darklands, and Notches. May 31: Mic P, Letter to Jenny, and 33 Camden. 95 and 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, AS220.org CHAN’S FINE ORIENTAL DINING May 5: Jimmy Thackery. May 6: Bucky Lewis. May 12: Magic Dick and Shun Ng. May 13: Jimmy ‘2 Suits’ Capone and The Chan Clan All Stars. May

continued...

19: Duke Robillard. May 20: Stefan Couture and Friends. May 26: Chris Duarte Group. May 27: Greg Abate Quartet. May 28: Carolyn Wonderland. May 31: Chris Thomas King. 267 Main Street, Woonsocket. 765-1900, ChansEggrollsAndJazz.com COLUMBUS THEATRE May 5: Preoccupations. May 7: Screaming Females. May 11: Mirah and Tara Jane O’Neil, and Rachel Blumberg. May 12: Dan Blakeslee. May 13: Eugene Mirman. May 15: Samantha Crain and Jarrod Dickenson. May 19: Christopher Paul Stelling. 270 Broadway, Providence. 6219660, ColumbusTheatre.com DUNKIN DONUTS CENTER May 18: Jason Aldean. 1 LaSalle Square, Providence. 331-0700, DunkinDonutsCenter.com FETE MUSIC HALL May 4: Black Sheep’s Cinco De Mayo Party featuring Mushroomhead. May 7: Rostam. May 12: Lany, Parsonfield, and Animal Years. May 13: T.I. May 20: Kung Fu and West End Blend. May 28: Beachstock 2017 featuring (Hed)p.e., Motograter, Nullset, Scare Don’t Fear, Dead by Wednesday,

Val Kilmer screens the film of his oneman play Citizen Twain on May 14

Death Rattle, Joint Damage, Barbarian, and more. 103 Dike Street, Providence. 383-1112, FeteMusic.com FIREHOUSE 13 May 13: Legendary Shack Shakers with Jesse Dayton, Sasquatch and the Sickabillys, Frankie Ranks and The Freeloaders. May 14: ARKONA with Sirenia, Mindmaze, and Sicosis. 41 Central Street, Providence. 270-1801, FH13.com LUPO’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL May 3: Alter Bridge, In Flames, and Devour the Day. May 5: The American Led Zeppelin. May 11: Ugly God. May 16: Clutch, Lucero, and The Sword. May 25: Future Islands and Zack Mexico. 79 Washington Street, Providence. 331-5876, Lupos.com THE MET May 1: The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra. May 2: Ab-Soul. May 3: B.Dolan, DJ Abilities, Cas One vs. Figure, and Dope Knife. May 4: The Jam. May 5: Bad Rabbits, Communion, and Jetty. May 7: Bishop Briggs, SHAED, and Manatee Commune. May 12: Beach Slang and Alcoa. May 14: Tom Constanten, Mark Karan, Slick Aguilar, Robyn Sylvester, and Jay Lane. May 17: Jon Snodgrass and Lenny Lashley. May 20: The Peacheaters, Backstrom & Brunyak Duo (Jiggle The Handle) and (Pink Talking Phish). 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 7291005, TheMetRI.com

PERFORMANCE

comedy | dance | theatre COMEDY AS220 May 5: Live Bait: Unfinished Business. May 6: Improv Jones. May 7: The Empire Revue. 95 and 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, AS220.org

By Peter Thompson

Former Moses Brown teacher. Holden Caulfield meets Lucky Jim! A novel of dire winter in a New England boarding school. The alienation and public freak-out of the young teacher, Rhodes. Funny, dark. LavenderInk.org/Content/387

East Side Monthly May 2017

GRAB YOUR STOGIE

Mark His Words

May 14: Get ready to see Val Kilmer in a whole new light. The movie star is hosting a Columbus Theatre screening of his one-man play, Citizen Twain, where he portrays the famed author in hilarious fashion. 270 Broadway. ColumbusTheatre.com

DANCE AS220 Sundays: Beginner and Intermediate ballet. Tuesdays: Intermediate ballet. Wednesdays: Open level modern dance. Fridays: Contemporary African dance. 95 and 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, AS220.org

Photo courtesy of Val Kilmner

Winter Light

COMEDY CONNECTION May 5-6: Julian Mccullough. May 8: Russell Howard. May 12-13: Michelle Wolf. May 14: Craig Shoemaker. May 19-20: Monroe Martin. May 26-27: Brian Beaudoin. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 438-8383, RIComedyConnection.com

On the Town Calendar FESTIVAL BALLET Mondays: Adult ballet (beginner). Thursdays: Adult ballet (Intermediate). Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings: Creative Movement (ages 3-4). 825 Hope Street, Providence. 353-1129, FestivalBalletProvidence.org THEATRE FESTIVAL BALLET May 12-14: Cinderella. One Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 421-ARTS, FestivalBalletProvidence.org THE GAMM May 1-28: King Elizabeth. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 723-4266, GammTheatre.org TRINITY REP: May 1-21: Faithful Cheaters. May 1131: Fuente Ovejuna. 201 Washington Street, Providence. TrinityRep.com THE WILBURY GROUP: May 18-31: Spring Awakening. 393 Broad Street, Providence. 400-7100, TheWilburyGroup.org

continued...

SOCIAL HAPPENINGS

expos | fundraisers | seasonal FOR FOODIES BOTTLES Thursdays: Spirit tasting. Fridays: Beer tasting. Saturdays: Wine tasting. 141 Pitman Street, Providence. 372-2030, BottlesFineWine.com FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND Thursdays 3:30-7PM: Outdoor market at Armory Park. 85 Parade Street, Providence. FarmFreshRI.org

GALLERIES RISD MUSEUM May: Inventing Impressionism. 20 North Main Street, Providence. 454-6530, RISDMuseum.org ARTPROV GALLERY May: The Horse Show. 150 Chestnut Street, Providence. 641-5182, ArtProvidence.com

GALLERY Z May: The Art of Fashion Runway Show .259 Atwells Avenue, Providence. 4548844, GalleryZProv.com YELLOW PERIL GALLERY May: Aﬃrmation/Afirmacion. 60 Valley Street #5, Providence. 861-1535, YellowPerilGallery.com

SPORTS BROWN UNIVERSITY May 5: Men’s Lacrosse. May 6: Men’s and Women’s Track and Field. May 7: Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, Men’s Lacrosse. May 13: Men’s and Women’s Track and Field. May 14: Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Crew. May 20: Women’s and Men’s Track and Field. May 24-27: Women’s and Men’s Track and Field. May 26-28: Women’s Crew. Various venues, BrownBears.com PAWSOX May 8-10 vs Scranton. May 11-14 vs Rochester. May 23-25 vs. Louisville. May 2629 vs. Durham. One Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. 724-7300, PawSox.com

Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors Celebrating 44 Years We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models Toyota • Kia • Nissan • Chrysler Audi • Lexus • Infinity • Ford Volkswagen • Honda • BMW Chevy • Isuzu • Mercedes • Mini Prosche • Ford • General Motors Mazda • Saab • Volvo • Hyundai Saturn • Subaru • Mitsubishi

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729 East Avenue

Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid

LEARN

discussion | instruction | tour LADD OBSERVATORY Tuesdays: Telescope observing night. 210 Doyle Avenue, Providence. 785-9457, Brown.edu/Departments/Physics/Ladd LIPPITT HOUSE MUSEUM May 5-31: The Art of Dining: A Taste of Providence’s Golden Age. 199 Hope Street, Providence. 453-0688, LippittHouse.org MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND PLANETARIUM May 1: Family Program featuring Discovery Tykes and Homeschool Adventures. Saturdays and Sundays: Public Planetarium Shows. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 7859457, ProvidenceRI.com/Museum

Have a royally good time with King Elizabeth May 1-28

Photo courtesy of Gamm Theatre

THE FIGHT FOR THE CROWN PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY LIBRARY Mondays: Phenomenal Girl Group, Girls Who Code. Tuesdays: Book Sale, Spanish Class, Babybooks. Wednesdays: Preschool Storytime, Poetry Group, Spanish for Beginners. Thursdays: Teen Writing Group, Spanish for Beginners. Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street, Providence. 272-3780, ProvComLib.org

Long Live King Elizabeth May 1-28: You’ve totally binge watched The Crown on Netflix, now see King Elizabeth at the Gamm Theatre. Follow the battle of wills between Queen Elizabeth and her imprisoned cousin, Queen Mary of Scotland, as they fight for the throne within the patriarchal society of 16th-century England. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. GammTheatre.org

May 2017 East Side Monthly

Spotlight

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401-331-8527 tfmorra.com 54

East Side Monthly May 2017

People generally associate chiropractic treatment with bad backs, with aching necks or with injuries sustained from car accidents. What most people don’t realize, though, is that better spinal alignment, and better posture, can improve everything from your energy level to your mental focus to your overall wellbeing. Here, Dr. Thomas Morison of Northeast Chiropractic on Waterman Street gives us some unexpected health benefits of chiropractic treatment.

Lessening headaches. “There are many different kinds of headache pain,” Dr. Tom says. “Chiropractic addresses the underlying cause of many of these headaches. Chronic or frequent headaches can often be relieved or lessened with appropriate chiropractic treatment.”

Alleviating body strain from sitting at a desk all day. “Sitting properly at a computer is not as simple as buying a fancy chair,” he explains. “We are able to do a comprehensive work station evaluation and look for underlying structural problems or weakness that may be contributing to poor work posture,” and Dr. Tom also performs adjustments and teaches patients techniques to help alleviate wrist strain from typing.

Relieving sinus pressure. “During allergy season, the sinuses may get irritated and sometimes fail to drain properly causing you to feel like you are under water,” Dr. Tom says. “There are specific chiropractic adjustments that may help the sinuses to drain and provide relief.”

Increasing overall energy. “Dr. Roger Sperry, PhD and Nobel Laureate, said, ‘The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism, and healing.’ A primary goal at Northeast Chiropractic is to reduce mechanical distortion, and to improve your overall wellness.”

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

187 Waterman Street 861-1300 / WickedGoodPosture.com

Spotlight

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May 2017 East Side Monthly

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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. 30 years of experience.

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LAWN CARE

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Jeffrey G. Brier CLU, ChFC, CASL 81 S. Angell Street, Providence, RI 02906 jbrier@brier-brier.com 401-751-2990

Vinnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Landscaping & BOBCAT SERVICE

New Lawns Installed Seed or Sod â&#x2014;? Mulch Power Raking Augering Hammering

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Free Estimates

497-1461 â&#x2014;? 231-1851 Serving the East Side for over 20 years!

JOBS BY JIM Cellars & Attics Cleaned Unwanteds Removed

Estate Cleaning Cell 401-742-7258 Reg. #4614

WANTED

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

Go to

www.EastSideMonthly.com/ Marketplace.html to reserve your space.

OR Please Email Sue at: sueh@rhodybeat.com

Deadline for

East Side Marketplace

is the first of the month prior

ORGANIC LANDSCAPING

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

PARKING/STORAGE

We clean your home as our own! References & free estimates. Call 401-524-7453 or 401-228-6273.

â&#x153;

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

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Serving the East Side since 1988

THE EAST SIDER

Moses Brown Director of Communications Adam Olenn (with some help from the Quaker himself) is making waves on the web

A Sense of Humor Brings Adam Olenn and Moses Brown Viral Fame Even if you don’t

know Adam Olenn’s name, you’re probably familiar with his work; the Moses Brown School Director of Communications and Community Engagement was the genius behind the school’s “Let It Go” parody snow day announcement video that went viral as a big blizzard hit in January 2015. Although technically not an official East Side resident – Olenn lives with his wife Jennifer and three children in Warren – “most of my waking hours are spent here,” he says. Olenn did grow up in Providence and attended Moses Brown from fifth grade through graduation in 1991; “I never thought I would come back to Rhode Island,” he says, laughing. His intervening years took him from UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia, to DC, where he helped consumer brands like Kellogg’s, Mercedes and Major Leaague Baseball get online and find their place in the digital world, and then to Boston,

East Side Monthly May 2017

where he worked in management consulting while pursuing his Masters of Music in Composition at the Boston Conservatory. His original plan was to become a music professor, but just as he was graduating, a spot opened up at Berklee College of Music that required the same type of branding work he had done in DC. “Music composition actually became one of the most useful things I could have studied, because it teaches you to work with structure and to use thematic materials to create an artwork that is satisfying,” Olenn says. “Once you can do that in the abstract, then when you’re writing a novel, play, screenplay, doing video editing or creating a photo essay, the same concepts apply, but now they have a content overlay.” While at Berklee, Olenn reached out to an old friend who was working in development at Moses Brown, and found out that there was a position

available that was an almost eerily perfect fit for his skill set and experience. After a successful interview process, the Olenns uprooted their young family and moved to Rhode Island – and they have no regrets. “Boston’s great, but I feel like Rhode Island has everything Boston has with a lot less hassle to get to it, plus the food scene is so much better here; it dwarfs the food in Boston,” Olenn says. The concept for “School Is Closed” was born during “Music Education with Dad” sessions that Olenn held for fun as he drove his two daughters to Moses Brown in the morning. “I didn’t want to be a tyrant about it,” he laughs, but the girls kept requesting “Let it Go” over and over. During one of those repeats, the idea popped into his mind. “We weren’t the first to do it, but we put more effort into the filming. It also helps that [Head of School] Matt Glendinning is really creative himself and

is willing to risk failure – because you can only be creative when that’s an option.” A videographer/editor and singer helped Olenn and Glendinning create the video, which now has upwards of 4.5 million views on YouTube and a global media reach “somewhere north of 2 billion,” Olenn estimates. Since then, the team has made parodies of Adele’s “Hello” and most recently Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” shot in various parts of the state and featuring a cameo by Mayor Elorza. Olenn created a 32-page report on the school in comic book format (Glendinning’s idea) that would speak to first graders as well as adults, again promoting inclusivity and equality: two values that the Quaker school strives to uphold. If you had one wish to enhance life on the East Side, what would it be? “It’s not just the East Side, but to put down our phones and walk outside and chat with each other in person more.”

Photography by Stacey Doyle

By Amanda M. Grosvenor

* N E W P ORT

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