East Side Monthly September 2010 by Hey Rhody Media Co.

East Side Serving the East Side since 1975

September 2010

monthly

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in this issue

East Side monthly

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell

Other Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Managing Editor Barry Fain

Community News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

City Editor Steve Triedman

Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Fiction Editor Andrew Rock

Garlic Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Editor Julie Tremaine

Dining Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Assistant Editor John Taraborelli

Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Art Director Allison Cole

Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Assistant Art Director Alli Coate

Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Graphic Designer Karli Hendrickson Account Managers Danielle Currier, Louann DiMuccioDarwich, Ann Gallagher, Dan Schwartz, Liz Sliney, Jessica Webb Classified Advertising Sue Howarth, Janice Torilli Contributing Writers Linda Beaulieu, Bob Cipriano, Phelps Clark, Mary K Connor, Bob Mariani, Betsey Purinton, Elizabeth Rau, Dan Schwartz, Steve Triedman Calendar Christina Evon Interns Amanda D’Ambra, Emily Nissensohn, Christina Pazienza, Abby Ringiewicz, Julie Sickel Contributing Photographers Jonathan Beller, Dan Schwartz Contributing Illustrators Ashley MacLure

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 East Side Monthly 167 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02909 tel: 521-0023 fax: 521-0024 esm@providenceonline.com www.providenceonline.com 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.

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September 2010 East Side Monthly

Other Side

by Barry Fain

Happy Birthday, Dear Frederic One of the best kept secrets on the East Side is the Music Mansion, located on the corner of Congdon and Meeting Streets. When its owner Mary Kimball Hail died in 1948, the house was left in a charitable trust to host public music events. The bequest covers upkeep of the facilities, including underwriting part of the expenses of caretakers who live in the mansion and handle its operation. One group that uses the facility is the Chopin Club, one of the state’s oldest music organizations, dedicated to, of course, the music of Frederic Chopin. On September 26 at 2pm, the club will be holding a special bicentennial concert to raise money for their piano scholarship program. Noted pianist Barbara Speer will perform in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. It’s a unique opportunity to hear some great music, played by a great pianist in a great location. Visit www.chopinclub.org for information about what should be a great afternoon of music.

that’s easier. You’ll have a good time while supporting a good cause. Make that two good causes.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Running with the Woofs

A new local tradition will be born on Saturday, September 25 when Brown University holds their first ever night football game at their stadium on the corner of Sessions and Elmgrove. Since it’s against Harvard, which along with Penn are the traditional Ivy League teams to beat, it should make for a fun evening. The Brown bear is nocturnal (and so too are Brown students, we’re told), so there’s no excuse for the stadium not to be hopping that evening. In deference to less nocturnal fans, the game is starting early at 6pm, so as not to keep the neighborhood up too late.

The good folks of the Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation will hold their annual Flames of Hope event on October 9, culminating in what usually is the largest WaterFire of the year. Named in honor of Gloria Gemma, matriarch of the successful Gem Plumbing family, its purpose is to both advance awareness and raise money to support breast cancer. This year the day will also include a special 5K road race in the morning along with a dog walk competition in which awards will be given out in different categories, including largest, smallest and, our favorite, the most “pinked up pup.” The event will start and end at the State House and teams are now being recruited to participate. Visit www.gloriagemma.org for more details on what should be one wild day (and night) downtown.

Sole Searching

A Fall Fest, Wayland Square Style

With elections coming up this month, it seems everyone is running for office. Well, the Jewish Community Center (JCC) on Elmgrove is looking for folks who just enjoy running, period. On Sunday, September 12, the JCC will be partnering with Miriam Hospital to hold their ninth annual 5K Road Race. Some road races are grueling, and some are competitive – this one is just plain fun. It also includes a 1.5-mile walk and special youth races for kids of all ages. Register on line at www.strands.com/events or call 861-8800 if

The third Annual Taste of Wayland Square will be held Saturday, September 25 from 12-4pm. Wayland Avenue will be shut down from Waterman to Angell Streets as it adopts a Harvest Festival theme complete with live entertainment, games and, we assume, the occasional pumpkin. Wayland Square restaurants will also be offering samples of their favorite dishes under a big tent on the street. We can’t think of a nicer way to kick off the official start of fall. Go eat. Shop. Have a good time.

Picture Perfect! East Side Monthly and Whole Foods Market are proud to announce that together we raised $1,600 for the Mt. Hope Learning Center. Thanks to everyone who participated in the East Side Block Party! L-R: Our own Dan Schwartz, Whole Foods’ Gordon Auchtelunie, Director of the Mt. Hope Learning Center Elizabeth Winangun, and East Side Monthly’s Liz Sliney. Email esm@providenceonline.com to submit your favorite East Side picture. If we use it, we promise to send you something nice.

East Side Monthly September 2010

Thinking Music, Pawtucket Thinks Big The Pawtucket Arts Festival keeps getting larger and larger, but this year our next-door neighbors have outdone themselves with two back-to-back outdoor symphony concerts. The first will be held in McCoy Stadium on September 4 and will feature Kenny Loggins performing with the Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops no less. Then the very next week over at nearby Slater Park, the RI Philharmonic will perform on September 11. For more specifics on these two events (or any of the other events Pawtucket has up its collective sleeve), check out their website at www.pawtucketartsfestival.org.

Bike Building Blues While all of us eagerly await the opening of the wellrespected Caster’s Bike shop in the space behind Festival ballet on Hope Street, neighbors are engaged in a zoning battle with the landlord that may slow down its opening. Fifteen neighbors have come together, not because they have anything against Caster’s, whose opening they too are excited about, but because the building owner will not go through the zoning process to ensure the building does not revert to its former use, an automobile repair shop. This use, the neighbors feel, was noisy, dangerous and not appropriate for a residential neighborhood. Stay tuned on this one. And let’s hope our bikes will stay tuned in the meantime.

And, By the Way, Don’t Forget to Vote Our local primaries will be held on Tuesday, September 14 and traditionally don’t attract huge numbers at the poll, especially in non-presidential election years like this one. This is unfortunate. Along with hotly contested mayoral and congressional races, several newcomers have spent the better part of the summer going door-todoor to solicit our votes for their races. The least we can do spend a few minutes to cast a ballot. So go do the right thing on the 14th – and again in November. ‘Nuff said. Lecture over.

September 2010 East Side Monthly

letters Degreening the East Side To the editor: I was confronted with a terrible sight this morning when I witnessed large trees being cut down in the heart of Riverview Place, home to retailers such as Eastside Market and Rite Aid. Six of them – all healthy, all mature, all beautiful – were removed without notice or provocation by order of management company KGI Properties. At least 20 feet high and 15 years old, they were by far the largest trees in the parking area and served to provide a shady, welcoming entrance lane when driving up to Boston Sports Club, BankRI, etc. These ornamental pears gave us beautiful white blossoms in the spring and were healthy and thriving. So why were they eliminated? I called KGI immediately demanding an explanation. The reasons I was given for the carnage were unbelievably lame. “The trees were interfering with lighting,” they said. Okay, well, you could just prune them… “The trees were obstructing traffic,” they said. Huh? And, my favorite, “The trees were getting too large.” Wow. These reasons were so lame, in fact that they lend credence to an alternative explanation provided by a chainsaw-equipped workman on the site. He opined that one of Riverview’s tenants had complained that the trees made it difficult for customers to see their store. (KGI denied this.) Living on the East Side, one takes for granted that certain beliefs are commonly held, including the vital role that trees play in providing unparalleled natural beauty, shade, windbreak, oxygen, cooler temperatures in summer, and (last but not least) higher property values. So it comes as quite a shock to be reminded that not everyone holds these same values. Indeed, I find it rather ironic that while our city is promoting various green objectives including the planting of young trees in many areas, property managers such as KGI are just as busy tearing down mature trees. It’s extraordinary that construction in our city requires a lengthy approval process, whereas knocking down cherished natural wonders needs no more than the flick of a short-sighted employee’s pen. Today’s removal was done early in the morning, before anyone had time to object, and took no more than half an hour. This certainly strikes me as a bit underhanded. But in fact KGI’s actions may not even be legal. At hearings (which I attended) for the site development plan for the area now occupied by BSC, the developers highlighted the presence of the six trees as a cornerstone of the green space they were preserving. This plan was submitted to and approved by the City. Can it later be brushed aside so easily? Because of the blatant violation, meetings between KGI and the City are already planned to discuss mitigation. I trust that any agreements thereby reached will include the replanting of trees comparable in size and age to the ones we lost. Six mature and majestic trees were cut down without good reason. Their removal was, in the end, absolutely pointless, and in my view even counter-productive, since de-greening Riverview will actually make it harder to attract new tenants and shoppers. I hope in the future other caretakers of property will now think twice before going down the same road. Michael Tinnemeier Providence 6

East Side Monthly September 2010

editorial

Trouble’s Brewing on Hope Street As good card carrying Rhode Islanders, we like our donuts as well as anyone. But when we got word of a proposal to tear down the delightful 1890 greenhouse on Hope Street which now houses Clarke Florist to build a drive-through donut shop, well it was enough to make us sick to our stomach. Schartner Farms, which owns the greenhouse, is scheduled to present this half-baked idea to the Zoning Board on August 16, so as we go to press we’re not sure how it’a going to play out. What we do know, is that the heart of the East Side, on

busy Hope Street of all places, is certainly not a place for any kind of drive-through. In fact, we suggest no place on the East Side is appropriate for a drive-through. Several years back there was an attempt to put a drive-through Dunkin Donuts on Gano Street, which fortunately was beaten back by neighbors. To lose the charming greenhouse by itself would leave an unfortunate tear in the fabric of our community. Neighbors are preparing to do battle to stop the project. Time to tear down a charming old greenhouse to make donuts? Not here. Not now. And in our

The Public Transportation Depression To the editor: My mother moved from New York to Providence to be closer to my family. She’s made nice friends, and carved a new life for herself, albeit a very different one from the one she knew in New York. She lives in an assisted living residence on the East Side and enjoys daily walks with a walker. The thing that has stymied her, however, and the reason for this letter, is my mother’s experience with RI Public Transportation. This experience has been less than stellar, I’m sorry to say. She has had bus drivers be rude and impatient with her because she needs them to lower the disabled person lift on the trolley. She has had several trolley lifts fail to work. She has been on buses where a passenger had to get the lift working again, when the driver couldn’t figure out how it worked. She has had drivers who did not know where the Vartan Gregorian School was, even though the school is the site of a stop on their route. About two weeks ago, on a hot Saturday morning, my mother finished shopping at Rite Aid, and was waiting at the prescribed trolley stop location for the trolley to bring her home. To her dismay, she saw the trolley pull up at its previously located spot next to the supermarket. She knew she couldn’t get there in time, so she went back into Rite Aid, where they confirmed the new stop was in fact outside their store. A shopper told her the signs indicated the trolley stop was at the supermarket. He walked with her across the parking lot. Other passengers were waiting there. And then, to everyone’s amazement, she reported to me, the next trolley arrived, stopping at the exact Rite Aid spot where she had

mind, not ever. One final note: the Hope Street proposal is still another example of the all too familiar pattern of businesses and institutions submitting their blockbuster ideas during the summer in hopes of limiting neighborhood response. Given that the Mayor’s Office, the Planning Department and the local Councilman probably had some advance awareness of this issue, they also have some responsibility to try and adjust the zoning calendar in terms of ensuring a level playing field. The residents of Providence deserve at least that much.

previously been standing. By this time, she was exhausted, frustrated, hot and slightly dizzy; then it started to rain. Since she was unable to determine the correct stop location and could not keep walking across that large lot, in desperation, she called a taxi. To be fair, my mother has also met many thoughtful Rhode Islanders, and has had wonderful interactions with kind people, like the student who waited with her to make sure the trolley arrived, or the young woman who lent her a phone, or the RIPTA supervisor who gave her a lift when the bus broke down and even the repairman couldn’t get things going again. Not all drivers have been rude. My husband and I work here; my daughter goes to school here. There are many things about Rhode Island that we love. Public transportation, sad to say, is not one of them. New arrivals from New York

Another One Bites the Dust To the editor: Sadly, Brown has lost one of its elms on the college green to Dutch Elm Disease. We have been treating the tree for some time now to no avail. It must be taken down. The removal will occur next week. The salvageable wood from the tree will be given to Professor Richard Fishman so that he and his students can repurpose the tree material in art projects. I just wanted to let you know in case any of your readers raise concerns about seeing a tree come down on the green. Jennifer LS Braga Liaison, Government Relations & Community Affairs Brown University

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Brown Street Park News By Wendy Nilsson Even as summer winds down, some of the summer activities continue. Check our website for updates. September 20 is National Neighborhood Day and at the park we’ll be celebrating with the 2nd annual Raku Rhody-O. Come participate in this outdoor pottery extravaganza. Event times will be posted on the website. On October 31 will be the 4th Annual Fiends of Brown Street Park Halloween Parade and Celebration from 4-5:30pm. This is the month to thank everyone for the tremendous contributions that made the 2010 Summer Season at Brown Street Park a success. We are amazed at the generosity, creativity and commitment showered on Brown Street Park. We hope you enjoyed the wonderful music that made the “Celebrate Providence!” Neighborhood Performing Art Series a tremendous success. Many people volunteered to make the music series coordinated by David and Carolyn Beale a hit. Please check the website for pictures and a full list of sponsors, including Whole Foods University Heights, Brown University, Graphic Innovations and Logica Design. Whole Foods University Heights sponsored a rocking Neighborhood Block Party in our honor at their store and gave us a generous donation for fall programming. Beth Charlebois and Randy Ashe and their team at the Providence Department of Recreation provided us with an end of the summer neighborhood picnic. Mimi DiMontigny and Kristi Lato hosted our

CVS play dates. We will miss you, Mimi. Newton is lucky to have you! Lindsey Shaw and the Providence Athenaeum presented fantastic story hours. They were a huge hit with all ages. Thank you Councilman Cliff Wood for the support of all our summer events as well as the Department of Parks and Recreation as well as Janine Schwartz and the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism Wow, is it art, a play structure, or both? You may have seen the construction of the new play structure near the entrance to the park, an innovative design by Markus Berger (In and Out Design). We are super grateful to Peter Crump and Site Specific, LLC; Loren Yoder of Yoder & Tidwell; and Pat Vetera, Richie and Mike and their crew from Brown University for their expertise in the construction. Thanks to BB&S Lumber for their generous donation of lumber for the structure and Lou Gitlin and MidCity Steel for the metal and fabrication. We were thrilled to work with Olivia Hirsh and Eli Tegu, Wheeler students who created a 3-D model of the proposed design. The repurposed materials were donated by the Wheeler School, the Goric Company, Wildlife Creations, and the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. Once again, PRM Concrete came through with a generous donation to hold it all together. The entrances to the park have also received mini extreme makeovers featuring stonework and a shade garden. Thank you to CVS for our Team Challenge Grant that funded the project. Kate Lacouture of Green Circle Design and Meg Wirth designed and installed the shade garden at our center gate. The amazing new stonework at the entryway was articulated by Zachary Paquette from Seeds to Trees and a crew of volunteers from Crossfit Providence and Kristi Lato’s CVS team. Zachary Paquette designed and built our new north gate entry, hosta garden and willow arch. P&G Irrigation installed additional water lines and our

What’s happening in your neighborhood? friends at A-Stone donated of some of our stones. It has been an incredible year for getting fit at Brown Street Park. Our fitness partners – the Mt. Hope YMCA, Crossfit Providence, OM Kids and Kyle Willet – challenged us, inspired us and made the most of our beautiful equipment and setting. Thank you Christy, Cat, Holly, Mike, Elyse and Kyle. Check out our website for a schedule of fall classes. Thanks to everyone who came out in July to celebrate the Community Garden and celebrate the bountiful harvest with music and home grown food. Thank you to P&G Irrigation for the water lines and the Parks Department for the mulch. Thanks to Parks and a core of volunteers for getting this garden in in record time under the leadership of Eamon Brown and Kate Bothe! Brown Street Park is a success because of the wonderful volunteers who donate their time. If you are interested in helping out, please let us know. Volunteers are needed to help with gardening and lead arts and fitness activities for children. We also need master gardeners or landscapers to volunteer to do extra upkeep on our grounds. Check out our website for other opportunities too (www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org). Email wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org if you would like to be added to our email list. You can support the FBSP when you collect your Eastside Marketplace receipts for “The Friendship Fund.” Please give or mail your receipts to Marcy Wemple at 87 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02904. Eastside Marketplace will then make a donation equivalent to 1% of the total to Friends of Brown Street Park to support our revitalization efforts. Thanks to all of you who have saved receipts on our behalf! If you’ve enjoyed events at the Park, please consider becoming a volunteer or donor. Visit our website at www.FriendsofBrownStreetPark.org to learn more. Friends of Brown Street Park is a 501C(3)

non-profit organization. All donations to the group are tax-deductible.

Fox Point News By John Rousseau HOBG Passes Out Pamphlets for Bond Volunteers with Head of the Bay Gateway (HOBG) passed out pamphlets urging passage of the $14.7 million open space recreation bond question in November at the July 4 Fireworks Display in India Point Park, according to HOBG Co-Chair Arria Bilodeau. Should the voters approve the bond, $3.2 million of it would be used to keep the Shooters property at 25 India Street in public ownership. “We passed out over 800 handouts and bumper stickers and it was striking how many persons already were committed and aware of the Shooters/Gateway vision – and the need to protect it,” Bilodeau explains. “The reception was 99.44 percent in favor of the bond.” “There wasn’t much time to engage in lengthy explanations of the Gateway and bond – but lots of people supported open space bonds in principle,” Bilodeau adds. “One thing we all remarked on was how many out-of-state visitors were at the park that night,” she points out. “Providence is a destination. Now, the waterfront is too!” The HOBG volunteers, including State Senator Rhoda Perry, circulated in different areas of the park, Bilodeau continues. “Rhoda was terrific, greeting so many people she knew, and putting the handout in the hands of all the rest,” she says. Besides Shooters, the bond also would allow $10 million to retain public ownership of Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick and another $1.5 million for improvements and renovations at Fort Adams State Park in Newport. An estimated 25,000 people in and around the park enjoyed the fireworks and

September 2010 East Side Monthly

community news the Rhode Island Philharmonic POPS Concert at India Point Park on July 4. Resident Conductor Francisco Noya conducted the symphony from a stage set up next to the water in the middle of the park. It was a world-class affair that stands the promise of becoming an important regional attraction, Bilodeau says. “The presence and quality of our beautiful new waterfront park venue demonstrates the potential of our waterfront revitalization.”

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East Side Monthly September 2010

Clean Up at Gano Park Sparks Bike Path Discussion The possibility of having a bicycle path along the Seekonk Shoreline at Gano Park is being explored as a way to eventually connect the Blackstone River Bikeway to the Washington Bridge, according to the Fox Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA). Informal discussions of the concept, which follow recent efforts at restoring the river view at the park, are just beginning between FPNA, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, (RIDOT) and the East Coast Greenway Alliance, according to FPNA board member John Rousseau. “It’s mostly just email conversations at this point, but the off-road segment of the Blackstone Bikeway will end at nearby Pitman Street, behind the East Side Marketplace,” Rousseau says. “From there, it could continue up Pitman Street, then briefly on Gano Street before entering the park near the train tunnel and then running along the train tracks to the shoreline at the Crooks Point Bridge.” Eric Weis, an advocate with the East Coast Greenway Alliance, worked with RIDOT, the Department of Environmental Management and the City of Providence’s Department of Planning and Development on the segment of the bikeway that ends at the Eastside Marketplace. “There has to be a way to reclaim that old railroad bed for public use,” Weis says. RIDOT should begin advertising for the on-road segments of the bikeway – from Pawtucket, using the Blackstone Boulevard to River Street to Pitman Street by the end of this summer, according to Steve Church, senior planner at RIDOT. The two FPNA cleanups of the Seekonk Shoreline at Gano Park April 17 and June 26 have succeeded in restoring much of the park’s view of the river. Volunteers and personnel with the Providence Department of Parks (PDP) have trimmed trees, weeds and removed litter along the shoreline and decades of illegal garbage dumping, adjacent to the bridge. The newly exposed areas of the park will be re-seeded with grass in the fall and

will receive continuing maintenance from PDP, according to Robert A. McMahon, PDP director. Fall Cleanup Being Planned FPNA is looking at a possible fall cleanup to precede the re-seeding, particularly if the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRCC) participates in the International Coastal Clean-Up. RIRRC will consider another tip waiver program, as it did in the spring, according to Krystal Noiseaux, recycling program coordinator. “If we do decide to participate, we’ll send out a notice in September,” Noiseaux says. FPNA has set up an advisory committee to assist with its long-term goal of giving the park a single identity and a more functional eastern riverfront. The committee includes representatives from the Department of Environmental Management, Department of Transportation, the Narragansett Bay Commission, Save the Bay, Department of Parks, Brown University, Fox Point’s three elected officials and leaders of the various groups using the park. The initiative coincides with news that the proposed East Transit Street Boat Ramp, to be located at the southern end of the park, is back on track. Stymied for three years by the discovery of a former landfill on the boat ramp site, DPD and DEM have now lined up necessary funding for the project to be initiated, according to McMahon. “A number of permits are still required from DEM and the Coastal Resources Management Council over the summer before site work on the project could begin in September,” McMahon adds. The boat ramp’s targeted completion date is scheduled for May 2011, according to Councilman Seth Yurdin, whose office assisted with the cleanups. “The two cleanups have exposed underutilized areas of the park and provide greater access for residents to the Seekonk and the bay once the boat ramp project is completed,” Yurdin said.

Summit News By Samantha DiGiovanni The Summit Neighborhood Association (SNA) had its monthly board meeting on Thursday, July 15 at Summit Commons. It was attended by both board members and concerned citizens in the neighborhood. The meeting began with an update on the fountain project in Lippitt Park. On Wednesday, June 30, Bob McMahon and the parks department held a meeting to address the plans for the

fountain and to listen to the opinions of neighbors and concerned citizens. Most of the discussion was about the removal of the trees surrounding the fountain. People spoke out and the Parks Department agreed to remove only two more trees to make room for the new pump house and run the new water lines to the fountain. The Parks Department will present a tree planting plan for the park in September. After a lengthy discussion, the board voted to extend the contract of consultant Mike Lozano. Mike has been working with the board and major stakeholders to continue to find ways to revitalize and improve North Main Street. The contract was extended for another six months. Installation began on the new playscape in Lippitt Park on Saturday, July 17. Volunteers from around the neighborhood worked alongside city workers on the project. The build included a new climbing/sliding structure, a new rock wall, new mulch and a new community bulletin board. There will be rules posted on the new community billboard for neighbors’ use. Members of SNA, along with Miriam Hospital and the Providence Police department have been working hard on expanding Crime Watch of Summit Neighborhood. CWSN held a training meeting on July 21. If you would like to be part of Crime Watch of Summit Neighborhood or just want additional information about it, you can visit their website at www.summitcrimewatch.org. SNA continues to work to prepare for the Annual Yard Sale. On Saturday, September 25 from 9am-2pm (rain date: October 2), the “Summit for Sale” yard sale will consist of scores of individual yard sales across the neighborhood. To participate, email yardsale@sna.providence.ri.us . There are many opportunities to get involved in your local neighborhood. Anyone interested in getting involved in SNA is invited to attend any board meeting. Board meetings take place on the third Monday of every month at Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Avenue. We are trying to put our announcements out on the listserv in such way so that it is clear they are from SNA. Also, the website is soon to go live, and we hope this will become a useful way of spreading information. For more information about SNA or to join the email list please go to our website: www.summitneighbors.org. Questions or comments? You may also send them to George Schietinger, Summit Neighborhood Association President at george@ residentialbuilders.info.

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For Your Consideration, Election Day

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Blackstone Parks News By Anna Browder Invasive species are spreading throughout parks and neighborhoods in the city. The Blackstone Park Conservancy is trying one approach to the problem that, as far as we know, is untried as yet in Providence. An invasive vine, black swallow wort, in Blackstone Park bordering Paterson Street, had spread into neighborhood residential gardens. We hand delivered envelopes to each resident with affected property, telling where in the front of their property the plants were located and how to remove them. We included a color drawing and description of the plant. Some infestations were gone within days. The Parks Department will remove what remains of the vines in the park after the Zoo Camp on the Move weeded a stretch on one of our hotter days last month. On Tuesday, July 15, Zoo Camp on the Move met at the park on Irving Avenue and pulled bittersweet and winged euonymus, also invasive species. Tom Moura, from the Parks Department, and Mary Dennis, Conservancy, also took the group into the woods to show what a natural woodland looks like, had a short discussion about diversity, and identified the dominant woodland trees. Education is always a component of all our work with volunteers. Blackstone Park is a wonderful educational resource. My grandchildren prefer a visit there to a visit to the Zoo. One day, I sat on the bank on the Seekonk River with my three-and-a-half-year-old grandson for half an hour, watching 18 swans grooming themselves, discarding their white feathers on the water, one within six feet of us. We went on to turn over rocks in the river at low tide to uncover tiny crabs and crustaceans, then carefully their shelters back in place. Another day, I took a third grade class of Lincoln students on a walk following the path of storm water from Butler Avenue down the channel into York Pond and out into the river. Standing on the river’s edge, one girl spotted a “turtle.” Only instead of a turtle, it turned out that there were two pairs of horseshoe crabs mating on the sand. We were witnessing a rare event that occurs only twice a year, at full moon or new moon in May and June. One of the girls was quite fearful of nature, but gained self-confidence as she found that she could safely balance on the huge rocks on the sloping bank. Children who are only acquainted with trees in gardens and formal parks, and animals

in zoos and films, make amazing discoveries in a natural setting like the park. To volunteer to work on the Boulevard or in the park, or to become a member, contact us through our web site, www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org. Or, send membership donations to The Blackstone Parks Conservancy, P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906, —$25/ individual; $50/family; $100/Protector; $250/Conservationist; $1000/ Lifetime. Please send your Eastside Marketplace cash register receipts to help us cover administrative costs to the P.O. Box above.

Wayland Square News By David Kolsky The next meeting of the Neighborhood Discussion Group at Books on the Square (471 Angell Street at Elmgrove, opposite Starbucks) will be at 7pm on Wednesday, September 22. We hope to hear from some of the new businesses that have opened on the Square this year, such as Engel and Volkers real-estate agency and the new cafés. Politics Last month’s meeting (on August 25 at the same time and place), invited candidates from the Democratic primary elections for the seats vacated by Cliff Wood on the Providence City Council (Sam Zurier and Ted Trafton) and by Rep. David Segal in the General Assembly (Chris Blazejewski and Therese Caron). The College Hill Neighborhood Association heard from the Mayoral candidates on the following night (August 26). Details (because of publication deadlines) in the next issue. We hope to hear from the general election candidates (of all parties and none) for local seats at our October 27 meeting. Business The Wayland Square Sidewalk Sale and Block Party took over two blocks of Wayland Avenue on July 16-17, and a block of Waterman Street facing the Whole Foods market on Sunday the 18. Because of the intense midday heat, I only caught the last half-hour or so of each event and thus can’t report fairly, but there was participation by a wide variety of businesses on the Square, as well as musical entertainment and family diversions. The Taste of Wayland (to sample the food from local grills), which previously coincided with the Sidewalk Sale, will be held on Saturday, September 25 this year. Check with your favorite Wayland Square restaurant for details.

Group Information To keep abreast of local news and our meeting schedule (usually the fourth Wednesday of every month except November and December), please visit the public message board of our Yahoo! Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ WaylandSquare [no spaces, underlines or hyphens]. Or join the Yahoo! Group in order to receive automatic meeting notices and special bulletins by e-mail.

Dr. Daniel S. Harrop House, District 3

College Hill News By Diane Greco SAVE THE DATE: Providence Mayoral Debate CHNA Annual Meeting Thursday, August 26, 6:30-8:30pm Wheeler School Everyone’s invited! CHNA’s annual meeting will be held on Thursday, August 26, from 6:308:30pm at Wheeler School, 216 Hope Street. At this meeting, CHNA will host this year’s mayoral candidates in a moderated forum where attendees will have the opportunity to hear from each candidate personally about their vision for Providence. Audience questions will be pre-selected; CHNA members should submit questions by email to CHNA@ collegehillneighborhoodassociation.org. The meeting will also include the presentation of CHNA’s annual awards for exceptional service to the neighborhood. This year’s recipients are Officer Nicole Darling, of the Providence Police, District 9 Substation, whose tireless efforts to apprehend graffiti taggers have made the neighborhood safer as well as more beautiful, and to Lippitt House, in recognition of their stalwart commitment to historic preservation in the public interest. The meeting is open to all, with parking across the street from the main school building. Light refreshments will be served. It is now even easier to join CHNA (or renew your membership). Simply visit our website, www.collegehillneighborhoodassociation.com, and click “Join CHNA.” You’ll land on our new membership page. Fill out the form and click “subscribe” to pay online via Paypal. You can also join or renew by mailing a check for $20, made out to College Hill Neighborhood Association, to the Treasurer, Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906, or call 453-3937. If you do join by postal mail, do include your email address in order to be sure that you receive CHNA’s monthly enewsletter.

• B.A. & M.D., Brown University • M.B.A, U. of Edinburgh Business School • (Former) Faculty, Brown and Harvard Medical Schools • Medical Advisory Board, Workers Comp. Court • (Past) President, RI Psychiatric Society • Chair, Ocean State Policy Research Institute • Advisor, Foundation for Intellectual Diversity

www.harrop.org Paid for by Harrop Victory Fund PO Box 603364, Providence 02906

September 2010 East Side Monthly

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Edith H. Ajello

Representative, House District 13 September, 2010 Dear Neighbors, “So, how does Rhode Island’s school funding formula work?” Mathematical formulas answer questions. Plug in the variables and the formula gives the answer. A state school funding formula should answer the question of how to distribute state aid to local school districts in a fair and reasonable way. The variables here are the amount of money needed and the local school district’s ability to pay. The answer is what the state share should be for each district. Enrollment is the number of students in the school district. Foundation cost is the current per annum expenditure required to educate a typical student who comes to school ready to learn at grade level. The RI Department of Education has set the foundation cost as $8295. Weights in a formula recognize the costs of additional resources for children who arrive unready to learn. The weight for additional resources for children living in poverty in RI’s new formula is .4. Weighted enrollment is the numerical adjustment to the actual enrollment number to provide additional resources for students who are not learning ready. Here’s how it works. District A has 1000 students. 500 hundred students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. 500 x .4 = 200. District A’s weighted enrollment is 1000 + 200 or 1200 Foundation need is calculated by multiplying the foundation cost by the weighted enrollment. For District A: $8295 x 1200 = $9,954,000. According to the formula, District A needs $9,954,000 to educate its 1000 students. The formula gets much more complicated now to determine the state share of the calculated foundation need. Share ratio in RI is a measure of relative tax capacity. A district’s share ratio will be somewhere between zero (0) and one (1). The ratio compares the school district’s median household income and property tax base to the same numbers for the state as a whole. Block Island, Jamestown, Little Compton, Narragansett and Newport have an effective share ratio of zero (0). Barrington’s share ratio is 26.8%; Providence’s share ratio is 83.1%; Central Falls, at 94.8%, is highest. We now have all of the variables and here comes the quadratic mean to measure local tax capacity and the state share. The district’s share ratio is squared and added to the square of the percentage of the district’s children living in poverty. The sum of the two squares is divided by 2, averaged. The square root of that number is the state share. Got that? District A has 50% of its’ students living in poverty and a share ratio of 66.6%. Using the calculation outlined above, the state’s share to District A would be .587 or 58.7% of $9,954,000 or $5,842,998. Watch how it works for District A with two other share ratios: Share ratio of 0 yields state aid of 35.4% of $9,954,000 or $3,523,716 Share ratio of 26.8% yields state aid of 40% of $9,954,000 or $3,981,600 So that’s the RI school funding formula. I’d have preferred a formula that included weights for English Language Learners and for children who require special education services. I’d have preferred a formula that measured tax capacity more directly and transparently than this quadratic mean. The use of the percentage of students living in poverty in this quadratic mean guarantees a minimum state share for any district that has any students living in poverty, regardless of the comparative wealth of the local district tax base. Any minimum state share should have been held for a discussion that considered affordability for state and local tax payers as well as the desirability of a minimum share. No other state includes the number or percentage of students living in poverty in the measure of local tax capacity, or two places in a formula. On balance, I think the glass is well more than half full. Last to enact a school funding formula in the 21st century, RI was the first state to legislatively enact a formula without adding enough money so that every district got at least a small increase in state aid. We couldn’t afford such a formula on top of level funding, nor would that have been responsible. Our formula will shift funds from overfunded districts to underfunded districts. Getting that shift was the hard part. The next hard part will be maintaining the discipline necessary to stick to the formula. Importantly, Providence is projected to receive an increase of $30 million by per year by the end of the phase in period. Next month I’ll write about other issues on which I’ve been working. On September 14th, in the Democratic Primary I will be enthusiastically voting for David Cicilline, Angel Tavares and Sam Zurier. I have worked with these men for RI and for Providence and have great confidence in recommending them As always I am eager to hear your ideas and concerns. Please don’t hesitate to call me at home, 274-7078. Yours truly,

Paid for by The Committee to Elect Edith H. Ajello, Jennifer Kiddie, Treasurer, 29 Benefit St., 02904 14

East Side Monthly September 2010

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A Night with a Legend Dr. Maya Angelou comes to PPAC By Julie Sickel Maybe you know why the caged bird sings. Maybe you fell in love with poems like “Still I Rise” or “Woman Work.” Maybe you know her name, but not her work. She has gained critical acclaim for her autobiographies, poetry collections, screenplays and documentaries. If you still haven’t read the writings of Dr. Maya Angelou, here is a golden opportunity to gain an appreciation for her contribution to American literature and learn why she’s become a cultural icon in her 82 years of life. After inspiring millions of people all over the world, the Pulitzer Prize winner and civil rights activist is coming to town for a one-night event at the Providence Performing Arts Center. On September 30 at 7pm, you can attend An Evening With Dr. Maya Angelou sponsored by Day One. Founded in 1973, Day One is an organization

that provides services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and other violent crimes. This event is part of an annual speaker series that the organization holds to raise awareness and gain community support for its efforts. Exectutive Director Peg Langhammer says the goal behind each speaker is to get someone who is not only a leader, but also has personal experience with the sort of trauma and abuse that bring women to Day One. “Quite frankly, we don’t think there’s anyone better than Dr. Maya Angelou,” she explains. “She has lived through the issues that we are concerned about at Day One and her works speak to those issues.” Angelou is indeed no stranger to these problems. She recounted details of her own sexual abuse and racial discrimination in her first autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

While the presence of Dr. Angelou is part of an annual event, it will also be the kickoff to an important fiveyear campaign that Day One will begin this fall. “This [campaign] is a chance to really expand our programs, build awareness and secure our future in the community,” Langhammer adds. This special night will include an hour-long presentation by Angelou about her personal experiences and her published works as they pertain to the issues important to Day One. Following the presentation, there will be a special event for sponsors, school children in the community, and VIP ticket holders. Ticket prices range from $35-$65, with VIP packages including the special reception and priority seating on sale for $250. All sales will go to benefit Day One. To purchase tickets, call 421ARTS. For more information, call 4214100 or visit www.dayoneri.com.

Ellen O’Donnell-Forte

a.k.a. “Elle Forte”, Realtor® cell: 401.524.0563 ofﬁce: 401.521.9490 EODonnell5@cox.net

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Change in Tax Menu Flambés Landlords By Steve Triedman

Imagine

finding a 33%

off coupon for a restaurant, getting all dressed up, having an elaborate meal with nice wine, and when the bill is presented you are told that they no longer accept your coupon. That’s how landlords both large and small are feeling after the Mayor’s Office, backed by the City Solicitor, and an 8-7 majority of the City Council stripped the homestead exemption away from nonowner occupied residences. Across the city, 12,000 properties are affected. If you think that as a private homeowner this won’t affect you, well not so fast. Ripples of the change are sure to be felt in all neighborhoods in the city, especially the East Side, as rents rise and owners find themselves squeezed towards foreclosure or downsizing. The loss of the homestead exemption coupled with the tax increase could result in an 88% increase in taxes from year to year for some Providence property owners and the ramifications could cripple a housing market that has been struggling to recover. Renters, specifically students, seniors and people that can’t afford a home, will bear the brunt of the increases and landlords may be forced to forgo improvements.

So where did this homestead exemption come from anyway? The first homestead exemption came into play in Pawtucket, and Providence instituted it in 1987 under then Mayor Joseph Paolino following a revaluation that saw single-family homes jump 50 – 75% in value. The original homestead exemption was 35% and only applied to single-family homes. The initial homestead exemption requirements were quite clear: you only have to file once, and you must occupy the property as your principle residence. All cars owned by you must be registered in the county where you are filing, and you or your spouse cannot be claiming homestead in another city, county or state. The exemption was expanded in 2001 to include nonowner occupied property up to five units, the thinking being that it would help produce more affordable housing for renters without completely crippling city finances. It also limited the exemption on larger projects. If you owned a 30-unit building, for example, you would only get the homestead on five units. This “interpretation” of the exemption is credited with keeping rents down and having a positive effect on housing investment throughout the city.

In 2003, the Cicilline Administration had the legislation amended again to raise the homestead exemption to “up to 50%” to help offset the revaluation that saw values skyrocket. Clearly, there has been some slippage over the years. There is a question of just how much exemption some of the larger projects have been receiving. Worse, when banks foreclose on property, they somehow have managed to maintain the homestead exemption on the properties they take back. Now the administration is making the argument that giving owners of non-owner occupied multi-family property a homestead exemption in the first place was a misapplication of the law, so all bets are off. The impact of the homestead rollback will certainly be significant to rental property owners and their tenants. But, say the experts, the real effect will be in the reduced investments that will be made in neighborhoods. Financing, which has been an enormous problem over the last two years, will become more difficult. Refinancing will be an even bigger problem. “Banks will look at the tax situation and the ‘cash flow’ change and will September 2010 East Side Monthly

want significantly more money down,” explains Ed Bishop, a prominent East Side property owner. “This will make a bad lending environment even worse.” Let’s look at some hard numbers and how they might affect the East Side. A three-family unit in Mt. Hope for example, assessed for $252,000, would likely have monthly payments of: mortgage, $1,800; taxes, $640; insurance, $200; and water/sewer, $100 for a total monthly cost of around $2,740 without factoring in vacancy and maintenance. That translates into a rent of $915 per unit just to break even – a tough number in today’s hard-pressed environment. A two-family off Blackstone Boulevard assessed for $700,000 with a mortgage of $350,000 would have payments of: mortgage, $2,240; taxes, $1,800; insurance, $300; and water/sewer, $100 for a monthly rent of $4,440 – again without figuring any vacancy and maintenance costs. Ouch! “This will have a chilling effect on people moving into the city,” explains former Mayor Joseph Paolino, an East Side resident himself and major Providence property owner. “Good landlords spend money. They make an investment in the city. The reality is that the returns on an annual basis are small, if any. Their investments are generally made for the appreciation. Values are down everywhere and what we need is for people to invest in our city. Now, with this change, it’s not going to happen.” “It’s too easy to jump on non-occupying owners,” explains David Schaeffer of the East Side-based Samson Realty, which represents many of these owners. “Many local businessmen work hard on their properties, often doing the work themselves and keeping them in good shape. This new tax situation hits them hardest. Many of these people are already struggling. This will be the difference between making money and losing a lot.” The exemption rollback will affect property in all sections of the city. With 1,500 foreclosures last year and over 1,000 boarded up houses, things are likely to get worse, especially in neighborhoods that most need the investment. According to the Greater Providence Board of Realtors, “Buyers made huge investment decisions based on tax laws that had been in place for years. Then, just when the Providence multi-family market is struggling to get back on its feet, the City is looking to change the rules of the game. This could drive the foreclosure market through the roof and that in turn will hurt the Providence rental market. The last thing we should be doing is driving people out of the city. We need the economic base they provide.”

How did this all happen? All that is 100% clear is that the homestead exemption for non-owner occupied property has been eliminated. Everyone involved seems to have a different view of what happened and how it happened. Let’s start with how the process is supposed to work. It begins with the Mayor’s Office, which prepares the budget each spring. It is a yearlong process that must be completed by April 30. The budget is then presented to the City Council Finance Committee. This year, the Mayor touted that the budget did not include a tax hike. It also maintained the homestead exemption when it was presented. However, discussions to eliminate the exemption had been taking place within the administration for several months. 22

East Side Monthly September 2010

Unfortunately, it was also an unfinished budget. The City did not know how much money they would receive from the State and the revaluation of all of the property had not been completed. Director of Administration Richard Kerbel acknowledged at the time that these issues were incomplete and that this represented a “placeholder budget.” City Council Finance Committee Chairman John Igliozzi goes a bit further and describes the original budget that was presented as “fictitious.” After weeks of negotiating and working with the administration, the committee, with the support of the administration, reported out a revised budget that included a $5.19/thousand tax increase, or 21.43%. The Council then added an additional $.91, or 3%, to balance the budget, as is required by law. “Then the administration removed the homestead exemption for non-owner occupied property. For eight years it was never an issue. All of a sudden, they withdraw it and argue that the City Solicitor’s Office says it was illegal, which didn’t leave the Council with any options,” maintains City Council Majority Leader Terry Hassett. The Mayor argues back that the City Council was irresponsible by waiting until the final days and backed him into a corner. Councilman Igliozzi doesn’t see it that way. “The Mayor played ‘chicken’ with the Council,” he notes, “and, now they’ll blame other people and try to bluff their way through.” Councilman John Lombardi, a candidate for mayor and former City Council president, concurs: “The Mayor sent a mess of a budget to the Council for us to fix. It was an assumption-laden budget – assuming that things will get better. Overtime has been exceeded in all departments and $1 million in police detail payments remains outstanding.”

Plus, things could get even worse Meanwhile, the budget is still in committee, while the Council and the Mayor struggle with closing a $21 million shortfall; a fire contract that contains 15% pay increases to non-union personnel, not to mention 3% compounded COLA’s; a school department budget with a $16 million deficit; a declining jobs market and several other issues. “The school department, which accounts for more than half of the city budget, has submitted a $329-million budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, that calls for a 5% increase in spending, but projects a $16-million shortfall,” explains John Igliozzi. “You just can’t make this up. It happens on a regular basis. They will sign contracts they can’t pay. We can’t just sign off anymore.” In the current budget year, the City must now come up with $11.7 million in revenue to cover an $8.3-million reduction in State aid, bringing the total budget gap to $19.5 million. For the budget year that started July 1, the city has to make up for a State aid cut of about $29 million – big numbers with crunch time approaching. At some point during the last ten days of July, people realized what was happening with the nonowner occupied homestead exemption and “all hell broke loose.” Unfortunately, the train had left the station and wasn’t stopping unless extreme measures were taken. The clock had already started ticking. The Levy Ordinance is actually a “lien” on all of the taxable property in the city and it is for one year. By state law, the levy must be in place by July 31. Without a

levy in place, the City would have put itself in a position of being taken over by the State Revenue Commissioner. A mayoral veto would have done the same thing. With the passing of the levy, the City can now send out tax bills. The residential rate will rise from $24.21 to $30.38 and the commercial rate will rise from $28.60 to $33.70. Single- and multi-family (up to five) units as well as mixed-use owner occupied receive a 50% homestead. Apartments over five units and mixed use are billed out at the commercial rate of $33.70. And obviously for nonoccupied commercial, the exemption is gone.

Was there a better way to handle the exemptions? We asked insiders, outsiders and a variety of experts, and most say yes. According to several sources, there were high-ranking outside influences already weighing in on Providence’s continued use of the homestead. State Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed was on a “tear” during the “funding” debate on Capitol Hill this spring. She was upset that Providence (unlike Newport) was giving homestead exemptions to non-owner occupied properties leaving “collectable tax dollars” on the table which would negatively affect all of the other cities and towns and was improperly giving away revenue that the City needed. “The Mayor or someone in his administration should have recognized the potential magnitude of the situation and gone to the Legislature during the last session to create a new tax classification to address the situation,” suggests one former City administration official. In 2003, Cranston asked that Legislature to remove the homestead exemption and implemented a property tax classification. The property tax classification system effectively reduces the tax rate to residential properties to the equivalent to the homestead exemption. “The administration could have also proposed to reduce the homestead exemption on owner-occupied residential property to somewhere between 40% and 45% and dropped the multi-family and non-owner occupied to 25%,” suggests another administration fiscal insider. “Then everyone would have shared in the increase without singling out the landlords.” Councilman John Lombardi offers another view: “The Cicilline Administration has been claiming that the non-owner occupied exemption is not allowed under state law. However, Chapter 44, Section 5 of the RI General Laws clearly grants the Providence City Council the power to ‘provide and adopt a tax rate on various classes as it deems appropriate.’ Nowhere in this section does it say that Providence is unable to grant this type of exemption. In fact, it has existed in our City Code of Ordinances for years without dispute. Eliminating the homestead exemption was nothing more than a clandestine way to increase taxes while pretending not to.” So what happens if the City Council can’t pass the budget, which remains in the hands of the Finance Committee? By law, it is level-funded to the prior year budget, meaning that all new contracts, new hires, raises, etc. would be put on hold.

Class war, not a class act A public hearing on July 14 was held on the new budget and only eight people showed up. This was the only opportunity for comment on the budget. Neither the notice of the hearing nor the Providence Journal story on July 12 mentioned the removal of the homestead exemption for non-owner occupied property. This was based on the understanding that it had been ”illegal” to give a homestead to a non-resident. The levy had to be in place by July 31, and reflects the amount of revenue required to cover the budget. If the levy was not passed, the City would not be able to collect taxes and the State Revenue Commissioner would have to step in. Mayor Cicilline and his senior staff had been telling people that even if the levy were passed, he would veto it. At the first City Council Meeting to address the levy, over 300 people showed up, many after receiving calls and emails from the Mayor’s Office, realtor associations

rolls effects you.” Almost all of the supporters of the levy mentioned Brown, knowing that they would get a good response from the audience. “However, due to the reality of revaluation, some neighborhoods will be paying more taxes than others,” the Councilman continued. “Three years ago Olneyville, Federal Hill, Silver Lake, South Providence, Elmwood and Smith Hill saw their property and taxes rise significantly. Those same neighborhoods are now seeing their property values go down.” Two days later at another crowded meeting, the levy was passed by 8-7 with Jackson and Luna joining the minority. Ten votes are required to override a mayoral veto. They weren’t there. Mayor Cicilline fired back issuing a statement declaring, “I will veto the levy, which is a blatant disregard for hardworking families who are already struggling to get by, and who rely on elected leaders to make responsible decisions.” Cicilline did not veto the levy, and the “spin” battle began. He issued a statement blaming the Council for the entire fiasco as his people worked the phones late into the evening spinning their side of the story. Igliozzi and the other supporters of the repeal launched a counterattack claiming it was the Mayor himself who initiated the exemption repeal.

There was some pushing and shoving by police officers escorting Council members into the chamber, a clear overreaction since the crowd was dressed more for an art club opening. and renters. Many arrived planning to testify as had been suggested, even though there was actually no opportunity for the public to speak. There was some pushing and shoving by police officers escorting Council members into the chamber, a clear overreaction since the crowd was dressed more for an art club opening. City Councilors were loudly booed or cheered as they explained their positions. Following a heated and emotional debate, the levy was passed by an 8-5 vote with two members not present. Arguing against the levy were Councilmen Seth Yurdin, Cliff Wood, Joe DeLuca, Luis Aponte and John Lombardi; they were joined in the second vote by Kevin Jackson and Miguel Luna to make the vote 8-7. Arguing in favor of the levy (and, in effect ending the non-owner occupied homestead exemption) were Councilpersons Nicholas Narducci, Michael Solomon, John Igliozzi, Leon Tejada, Balbina Young, Terry Hasset, Peter Mancini and Josephine DiRuzzo. What was particularly unpleasant and galling to many of the attendees was a vitriolic speech by Councilman John Igliozzi, who painted a picture of the “haves,” East Siders who didn’t complain when their taxes went down during the last revaluation, and the “have-nots,” the rest of the city who suffered with higher taxes. It was an ugly presentation. “We didn’t see any of you last time,” he righteously intoned following with a “sob” story about Silver Lake, and added, “Brown is where your blame and anger should be directed. They are still building and not paying taxes. Every property that they take off the tax

It can’t be that bad…can it?

It is, according to former RIPEC head Gary Sasse. “The situation is grave,” he stresses. “The City has been operating with a deficit that will be in the $70 to $80 million range next year. ($20 million last year, $30 million this year and around $34 million next year.) The pension system is a mess, with an unfunded liability approaching $1.2 billion, but with a current value of $250 million and annual contributions of $74 million that will increase to $200 million. And, there’s a $500 million unfunded health care liability. The one-time fixes being suggested will come back to hurt the City. The answer is overhead must be cut by 5-10% almost immediately.” The one-time fixes being used by the Cicilline Administration and approved by the Council will raise $48 million in new revenue to cover this year and next year’s deficits. The money will go to refinancing old debt, repairing fire stations and buying new fire equipment, with the balance going towards closing a budget deficit of about $19.5 million this year and an expected shortfall of more than $29 million next year, both of which are due, in part, to State aid cuts. City Internal Auditor James Lombardi III agreed with the refinancing of the debt to take advantage of lower interest rates (as the streetlights deal proposes), and to taking out bonds to repair city infrastructure, as the fire station bond proposes, but also has reservations with using any part of the new revenue to balance the budget. “The City should have aggressively cut expenses this year and implemented furlough days,” he explains. “The administration must take action because we are running out of things to sell and adding more and more debt.” Local realtor Ed Bishop offers another suggestion: “Maybe we need to go the route of Central Falls and just declare bankruptcy. Then at least we can finally address the systemic changes this city seems unwilling to make.” Bishop is part of a group that has also convened to seek legal advice as to the efficacy of suing the City for what they feel is an illegal changing of the homestead rules without proper notification. September 2010 East Side Monthly

City Council Ward 2 Democratic Primary Ted Trafton vs. Sam Zurier

By Barry Fain The decision of City Councilman Cliff Wood to not seek reelection certainly caught most of the East Side by surprise. How much of a surprise? At the Democratic Ward meeting just a few days before the filing deadlines, several delegates learned of Wood’s decision there for the very first time. Fortunately, two first-time candidates have stepped forward – with a strong independent candidate also waiting in the wings – to ensure the East Side’s voice will be heard loud and clear in a City Council known for its spirited and occasionally confrontational sessions. One candidate is a former School Board member, educational activist and attorney. The other is an energetic newcomer with a solid financial background. And both are committed to making changes in the way our city is run. Sam Zurier, 50, is perhaps best known on the East Side for his advocacy of public education, both as a former Providence School Board member and as one of the founders of the East Side Public Education Coalition. This is the group which led the battle to reopen Nathan Bishop after attempts to close the East Side’s only middle school. The successful rebuilding of Bishop as a model middle school has created a renewed interest in public education that bodes well for the East Side. He has also been a regular columnist on education issues in this paper for the past four years. Zurier himself is a lifelong East Sider who has been an attorney in Providence since 1990. He admits he initially was approached about running for council, but saw no need to challenge Cliff Wood, with whom he had worked on getting Bishop reopened. “But when I found out he wasn’t seeking reelection, I jumped at the opportunity to run myself,” says Zurier. “I know it’s more difficult to raise a family on the East Side because of the issues with the schools, so improving the process is important to me. I think my experience in this area will prove useful… especially in terms of the next target of opportunity, Hope High. It would be useful for both the East Side and the city as a whole, if Hope provided a second alternative for students going on to high school much as it used to years ago.” Despite his activism for East Side education, Zurier stresses the East Side must see itself as part of the city as a whole and “join other neighborhoods to solve common problems that affect us all.” Zurier also has some concerns about the City’s financial situation. “I remember listening to a speech in 2003 by then incoming Mayor Cicilline about the dire financial future facing the City if changes were not made,” he recalls. “He predicted the City might be bankrupt in ten years unless problems were addressed. Well, by my calculations it’s almost seven years later, which means we have only three more to go and I, like many other residents, am still very worried about the financial health of Providence.” Zurier’s response to the recent elimination of the homestead exemption for non-occupying landlords was one of concern. “I think the way it was handled in one fell swoop places too much of a tax increase on one particular group. There was a fairer way to handle this,” he stresses. He also feels elected officials need to lead by example, which is why if elected he will refuse to take a pension for his services. He also sees, despite the tightening of some ethics under the current Mayor, that even more needs to be done: “It’s great not to take campaign contributions 24

East Side Monthly September 2010

from City employees, but I’d expand it to include people appointed to public boards as well.” Zurier lives with his wife Lauren on Grotto Avenue. He has three children enrolled in Providence public schools, the oldest of whom just graduated Classical. He’s a graduate of Classical himself (as co-valedictorian), as well as Yale, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law School. Ted Trafton, 30, is also a first-time candidate who moved quickly into the race once he heard of Wood’s decision to step down. “I didn’t know Cliff and quite frankly never saw a lot of him,” he says. “But I’d been thinking about running for some time, so when the opportunity presented itself I was able to move quickly.” Although born in San Francisco, Trafton moved to Providence with his family as a child when his father was hired to teach at Brown. He was educated at Gordon School, Moses Brown, Tabor Academy and then Bates College. Since graduation, Trafton has returned to Providence and worked as a certified financial advisor in the brokerage business. It’s this financial background that Trafton feels would make him particularly useful as a City Councilman. “I’m young, energetic and have an unique skill set to help understand City finances,” he explains. “Excessive taxes and a recklessly underfunded pension system are threatening our city and someone needs to do something about it. I like to think I’d be that financial watchdog over our taxes and pensions.” He admits that he is less well known than his opponent and might have been better served running as an Independent to gain more name recognition. “I’m a Democrat, though. And I felt uncomfortable running as anything else having grown up in a Democratic household. I’ll just have to work harder as I go door to door,” Trafton says. Trafton is a firm believer in the importance of bringing people together to solve neighborhood problems. “I use Brown Street Park near me as an example. It evolved from a dog park to a true community park that is reflective of the neighborhood’s wishes,” he notes. “If elected, I’d convene regular quarterly meetings to discuss issues of importance to my constituents.” Trafton has been active with several local organizations, in particular Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education (RISE) and the Institute for Nonviolence, where he was one of the organizers of the group’s spring fundraiser at the Botanical Gardens. He also helped found a group called the Children’s Wish Group of RI: “It’s a Rhode Island-based group that raises money locally for kids and is especially close to my heart, since my sister received a wish from a similar organization when she needed it.” Trafton lives on Jenckes Street about 300 feet from where his father still lives. He is single and has two sisters. “One’s a teacher in Washington State, the other is environmental consultant in New York and both have helped me as I formulate positions on the issues,” he says. He admits he has a lot to learn in terms of specific city-wide issues, but feels his deliberative, thoughtful approach to analysis and his unique financial experience will serve him well in the Council. The winner of the primary will face Benefit Street resident Ron Dwight, a community activist, attorney and longtime member of the College Hill Neighborhood Association. Before that Dwight served in the Foreign Service in Poland and later in Iraq.

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September 2010 East Side Monthly

State Representative District 2 Democratic Primary Chris Blazejewski vs. Therese Caron

By Barry Fain Two energetic newcomers have stepped forward to seek the State Representative seat being vacated after four years by David Segal. The district encompasses Fox Point, a portion of downtown and a small section of East Providence. Segal, arguably, has been the most liberal member of the State legislature. A former Green Party member when he served in the City Council, Segal has always been at the forefront of the progressive wing of the Democratic party. Both of the Democrats seeking to replace him also wear their progressive liberal beliefs proudly, and in a pleasant contrast to national politics, actually admit to liking each other. Both Chris Blazejewski and Therese Caron are living, breathing examples of the American success story: the products of working class families who, through hard work and education, have become attorneys while retaining their commitment to the public service. The winner will face Richard Rodi, whose political philosophies are more difficult to pin down. Two years ago he ran as a Democrat against Segal. After a long flirtation with the Moderate Party, he will be running in November as an Independent. Chris Blazejewski, 30, is a relative newcomer to the East Side, though certainly no stranger to Rhode Island. Born in Cumberland, Blazejewski was brought up in a working class family – his father was a Teamster – but even as a child had a love affair with reading and education. It paid off, as he went on to Harvard, first as an undergraduate 26

East Side Monthly September 2010

and then a law student. “Obviously I inherited a strong work ethic from my father too,” he adds. We chatted as he prepared to catch an early morning train for his job up in Boston and despite his suit, tie and jacket, Chris conveyed the earnest, light-hearted intensity of a graduate student. But his passion is obvious. One of the founders of the political social group Drinking Liberally, Chris is committed to progressive causes and considers David Segal one of his political mentors. “I learned a lot from David both in terms of issues and especially in terms of organizing,” he explains. “But if I were defining myself, I would describe my strengths as being thoughtful and ethical.” The Williams Street resident is married to Ami Gada, a Brown graduate, who teaches at Johnston High School. After her parents emigrated from India, his wife grew up in North Providence and was valedictorian of her high school class. As lifelong Rhode Islanders, Chris feels he and his wife are totally engaged in “improving local education and remaining in Rhode Island for the long haul.” As to specific issues – the current tax plan before the City, for example – Chris admits he doesn’t have any set agenda on all issues at this point, though he promises his approach would always be to gather the pertinent data and then make a thoughtful decision. While an obvious advocate of public education, he did not agree with the

Central Falls commissioner’s decision to fire all the faculty at the school, suggesting collective bargaining would be his preferred course of action. As a Fox Point resident, he also believes in the importance of ensuring that India Point Park flourishes. “Every world-class city has a great waterfront, so it behooves us to make sure our park is in fact great public space,” he declares. Therese Caron, 51, shares both a similar background and political views of her opponent. The difference in her mind is experience and knowledge of the neighborhood. “I’ve lived here, shopped here, sent my kids to school here for 20 years in District Two and 29 years on the East Side,” she notes. “I know the area and our needs. I know the importance of strong neighborhood schools, of holding the line on taxes, on encouraging small businesses firsthand.” Caron was born in Pawtucket and educated at Rhode Island College before getting a law degree from New England School of Law. “I was the first college grad in my family and had to work my way through to support myself,” she explains. Her particular passion has always been social justice, as illustrated by her years as a public defender. She now runs a law firm that specializes in defense work for the indigent. “It has given me the opportunity to see how the system works firsthand,” she says. “Obviously something is wrong when we end up spending more money on our correctional system than our education

system.” One specific improvement in her mind would be to reduce the number of people incarcerated for minor offenses. If elected, Caron admits at least some of her focus would be on women’s issues, which she feels need to be addressed more fully. An admirer of Rhoda Perry, she feels issues like reproductive rights, privacy and childcare still need champions, and that she could be a better advocate for these issues because she “gets it.” She also considers herself fortunate in that she has been able to work with other talented defense attorneys like Robert Mann and David Cicilline. Caron admits that if David Segal had run for reelection she would not have been a candidate herself. She was troubled by what she perceives as an attempted pass-off of the seat to a handpicked successor. “The day after Segal announced he was leaving, Chris Blazejewski announced that he’d be a candidate to replace him. The day after that, Segal then endorsed him,” she complains. “Now, Segal is sending around fundraising notices touting his endorsement by the teacher’s union and quoting a teacher named Ami Gada, who – guess what? – is Chris’s wife. All these candidates talk about the importance of transparency except when it comes to their being transparent.” Caron lives on Patterson Street with her 16-year-old daughter, a student at Classical, and her husband Anthony Capraro, a district court judge. It is her first run for public office.

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Three Mayoral Democrats Head to a Showdown By Steve Triedman

The race for Mayor of Providence is coming down to the wire. Steven Costantino, John Lombardi and Angel Taveras are vying for the Democratic nomination on September 14 and the winner will be the odds-on favorite to take it all in November. Republican John Scott remains, and while he ran a reasonable campaign against Patrick Kennedy two years ago, he isn’t well known in the city where he lives. All three Democrats know something about the way things are done politically. Costantino and Lombardi both have day-to-day government experience and Taveras has been in the Judiciary and was a congressional candidate. The winner will have a great challenge. They all agree the city is facing perhaps its worse fiscal crisis ever, with an $80 million deficit, a $1.2 billion unfunded pension liability, an infrastructure that is crumbling, staggering foreclosures and boarded up houses, landlords and tenants who are terrified about impending rent increases, scandals in the police department and the licensing board, contracts and hirings that are out of control, and neighborhoods that are a mess. But they also talk of hope and opportunity. The three share similar visions for the city, visions that for now, they acknowledge, will take a back seat to resolving the bigger problems. Eighty percent of the budget goes toward personnel ($75 million in payments to the pension system alone and the hole is growing). They all have different thoughts on getting the financial house in order ranging from “draconian cuts” to consolidations to some forms of regionalization. All of the candidates are highly critical of the Planning Department and will all create a new department for economic development, separate from planning. Key issues? Tax structure, basic city services, customer service, public safety, schools, economic development and jobs. The lack of a Public Safety Commissioner and the concern over leadership in some of the City departments were also raised by all of the candidates. Another common theme was the appearance of the city. Lombardi mentioned the streets and the garbage; Costantino the potholes, the uncut grass and the trash; and Taveras pointed out that between campaigning and riding his bicycle he was amazed at the mess he’s seen. Money: the mother’s milk of politics. Judging by the August 2 filing of financial reports, Costantino ($387,000) is running a dairy, Taveras ($150,000) has a Newport Creamery and Lombardi ($19,000) has the neighborhood ice cream truck. Each candidate has more commitments lined up in the homestretch and no one has really spent too much money on traditional media yet. All three candidates are heavily vested in social media, sometimes at the expense of mainstream media. Last time we checked, most teenagers can’t vote. 28

East Side Monthly September 2010

Steven Costantino Steven Costantino knows finance. For the last four years as the Chairman of the House Finance Committee he has been consistently under siege, and because Providence is one of the largest recipients of State funding, he has gained an exhaustive knowledge of the City’s finances. “The City has a severe fiscal problem,” he explains, “and it’s going to take strong leadership and shared solutions to get things on track.” He is also quite vulnerable to those who question his performance at the State level, given the problems that confront Rhode Island as a whole. His response is to say he’s applying for a different job so his priorities will change. “We need to restructure how the City operates,” he maintains, “and that means that one-time fixes like mortgaging light fixtures and selling property have to end. The PILOT programs have to be renegotiated and it’s in the institution’s best interest as well as the cities. And we have to fill the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ that is a critical financial fail-safe that has been depleted.” “Mayor’s don’t create jobs,” emphasizes Costantino, “but we must assist and provide a guide… streamline the process. We need better customer service and a one-stop shopping setup so government moves business forward and not backward. Economic Development needs to be its own department, not part of Planning, and be able to offer a menu of city services including financing.” But Costantino acknowledges there are opportunities too: “The City needs to develop a plan for the 195 corridor development that incorporates several key points: complement the city’s character; ensure that federal, state, city and neighborhood groups work together; make the regulatory environment user-friendly; have a ‘green’ or sustainable energy standard; have an art component; create jobs; expand the tax base and have some controls on tax exempt institutions’ development in the area.” “The next mayor has to work with the legislature and be smart about their workings. The current administration would send up six bills and when someone asked them which was most important, the answer invariably was, ‘All of them,’ which is why their success record wasn’t great,” Costantino explains. On the current non-owner occupied homestead exemption rollback: “There were options. I would have looked at asking the legislature for a new tax status, or a new classification. We need to encourage, not thwart outside investment. And, we must keep Providence competitive. We could get up to the Hill and have some relief in place for the third and fourth quarters if we do it right.” Costantino worked in health care prior to joining Venda Ravioli as a manager, and served in the House of Representatives since 2004, where for the last four years he has chaired the powerful House Finance Committee. Biggest Plus: On the financial issues, he’s the most knowledgeable. He obviously knows his way around the legislature’s piggy bank and is close to the Speaker of the House. He has an excellent relationship with Frank Caprio, which will be a big factor should Caprio win the governorship. Costantino also knows city government well and might have been offered Director of Administration or Chief of Staff if Cicilline had run and won a third term. Biggest Negatives: He is part of political team that hasn’t done very much in addressing statewide budget issues, while also cutting local aid that has hurt Providence. He did at least help pass an education funding formula that helped Providence. Often, Costantino is too direct. He’s sharp as a tack but his answers are at times too razor sharp. He’s somewhat entrenched.

John Lombardi

Angel Taveras

John Lombardi knows city government better than any of the other candidates and moves easily and comfortably between a Latino fair on Broad Street and a reception on Blackstone Boulevard. His public persona is often direct, but realistic. “Communicate, collaborate and cooperate,” Lombardi animatedly exclaims in response to the question of what people could expect if he is elected. “We have to fix this economic mess, focus on economic development and streamline government to make it more efficient and easier for people to work with. “Take the schools: we have to really look at the whole system. I hear from parents, students and teachers all the time and they have some excellent ideas that we need to look at. We have to work with the Legislature to get more money and we really have to focus on competing for funding like the ‘Race to the Top.’” In terms of his management style, Lombardi explains, “The Mayor is the boss. He’s bears the responsibility, both good and bad. That’s what leadership is. This mess with the non-owner occupied properties could have and should have been avoided. It was a hastily made decision and a better resolution could have and should have been found, even if it was a gradual or incremental phase out.” Lombardi would likely make changes in almost every City department. John J. Lombardi briefly became the 35th mayor of the City of Providence on September 6, 2002 following the resignation of Mayor Vincent Cianci. He served for four months. He had been President of the City Council and has been a City Councilor for 26 years representing Federal Hill, West End, West Broadway, the Armory District and part of Downtown. Lombardi began his career in public service as a social studies teacher, and later served as director of the Providence Recreation Department. Lombardi has also spent time assisting the Rhode Island Senate and serving as legal counsel for both the Senate Labor Committee and for the Senate Corporations Committee. He is a lawyer. Biggest Plus: Experience. He knows more about city government than any of the other candidates and certainly knows where cuts can be made. During the fourmonth period that he was mayor, he made a lot of cuts and did not fill positions that he deemed unnecessary. He ran a very low budget, streamlined Mayor’s Office. Biggest Negative: Lombardi’s biggest plus can also be a negative. Is he too entrenched? Can he be really strong with the unions? His response: “Yes. The fact that I know all of the leadership well is an advantage. They know me and they know that my word is my bond. And, they respect me. We’re going to have to work together to come up with solutions and savings. The unions understand this. But, there has to be an underlying respect on both sides. Look, the reality is that if the City had agreed with the 2002 cuts in the firefighters’ contract, it would have saved almost $15 million.” Then there is the issue of money: can he raise enough to get through the election? “This election will be earned, not bought,” the candidate stresses. “This election is about leadership, experience and the ability to get things done, not studied. We’ll have enough money to make it to the finish line. We’ll have some TV and we’re also doing a lot of social media.” Lombardi has always had a reputation for old-time retail campaigning and has been going door-to-door more than any other candidate. “Whether they know me or they don’t, they’re so pleased to have someone knock on the door, listen to their concerns and ask for their vote,” he adds.

Angel Taveras is universally described as “a nice guy.” His affable personality and hardworking demeanor have been resonating well with the people that he meets on the campaign trail. His own personal story of success is one that plays well throughout the city. Taveras sees the city at a crossroad and he believes that he “can build upon the momentum already underway.” He has a true passion for the school system, of which he is a proud product, and is committed to seeing it improve. “I will be the mayor who transforms the Providence school district into the highest performing urban district in Rhode Island,” he declares. “When it comes to ensuring the highest educational achievement for our students, failure is not an option.” “We have a financial crisis in the city,” he acknowledges, “and I have a lot of ideas on ways to address it. Some of them may not look like big savings – like taking away cell phones and cars and increasing recycling – but when you add everything up, it’s real savings. But in the end, we have to get labor concessions.” His bottom line? “There isn’t going to be a single silver bullet that will solve the financial process. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of cuts and a lot of compromising,” he adds He thinks the recent handling of the City budget was unfortunate. “It was a bad idea to strip out the homestead from non-owner occupied properties. It will create a terrible negative impact,” he explains. In terms of the current state of the city, he says, “People are unhappy with city services and we need a focus in City Hall on customer service.” To deal with some of this, he wants to consolidate some City departments, like finance, personnel and HR, combining the massive school department operations with the City’s. He’s open to regionalization and wants to address pension reform and the PILOT payments and the lack of revenue from the water system. Taveras explains that he’s already met with Brown and Lifespan and believes that he will be able to negotiate better arrangements for PILOTs and for the 195 land. He points to his experience as a corporate lawyer as proof he can provide leadership in this area. Taveras is the son of Dominican immigrants who grew up in several neighborhoods and went from “Headstart to Harvard.” As a result, education is particularly important to him and will undoubtedly be a focus of his administration. In 1999, Tavares finished third in the four-way congressional primary for the Second Congressional seat. In 2007, Angel was appointed by Mayor Cicilline to serve as an Associate Judge on the Providence Housing Court. He is a litigator and a well-respected civic advocate – especially in the field of voter disenfranchisement. Biggest Plus: Taveras doesn’t have a lot of “City or State” baggage, except for some of his handlers. What he does have is life experience and an excellent work ethic – as well as the support of the powerful liberal establishment. Biggest Negatives: Would his administration be Cicilline 3? A lot of Taveras’ early support came from the perception that he is Cicilline’s chosen candidate. Taveras denies this, stressing, “I have my own agenda.” However, when asked about the non-owner occupied homestead fiasco during an interview at which he was accompanied by Councilman Cliff Wood, he started to give the administration’s stock answer that it was “entirely the Council’s fault.” When the process was explained to him, he smiled, and said, “Perhaps I’ve been drinking too much Kool Aid,” and proceeded to give a thoughtful answer as to what he would have done differently. Lack of experience: “I’ve heard that before – not just running for mayor. I didn’t get here by accident. I’ve been underestimated before,” he explains. “I may come across as naïve in many ways, but I have a clear understanding of the challenges that the city faces and I have a lot of ideas on how to address them.” He also may be suffering from “Frontrunneritis.” He is running cautiously, like he’s the frontrunner, and seems very reluctant to make any waves. This may not be the best approach, but we’ll all see on September 14. September 2010 East Side Monthly

Morning in America Eight Congressional candidates face off at Laurelmead By Barry Fain Say what you will about Patrick Kennedy: at least once he decided, for whatever reasons, not to seek reelection to Congress, he left plenty of time for anyone interested to throw his or her hat into the ring. As it turned out, eight candidates did just that and recently appeared together at a mini-debate at Laurelmead. What the event lacked in terms of well-thought-out specifics – eight candidates all crowded around one table doesn’t allow enough time for much of anything – it did provide some interesting moments for Laurelmead residents and their guests. In contrast to the recent televised debate among the four major Democratic candidates, Laurelmead decided to bring ‘em all in, including a Republican, two independents and another Republican candidate who’s running for both Congress and lieutenant governor. In many ways, the intimate debate represented the best and worst of participatory democracy – and t’was entertaining. Act One: a “meet and greet” in the lounge at Laurelmead. My guess is that there were almost as many campaign staffers and candidates in attendance as there were Laurelmead residents. But the Journal showed up. So too did Channel 12, with their cameras. Chris Young, the ever-volatile candidate for mayor, was there too in support his girlfriend Kara Russo, who is the Republican running for both this office and lieutenant governor. Fortunately, the pair arrived without the statue of the Virgin Mary that accompanied them to their last debate. Kara herself, an attractive, often articulate former marketing director of the URI Ryan Center, actually had occasional moments of effectiveness, unfortunately undermined by Chris Young’s loud, but solo applause. The two independent candidates were on the podium, and by the end of the session had reinforced the wisdom of omitting “fringe” candidates from these kinds of outings. One, Gregory Raposa, is a cab driver in Boston who has run for several offices in the past. Although he occasionally lost his train of thought, he at least got to articulate his two Big Ideas: a plan to add a value-added tax to everything Americans produce (like Europe) and another to allow the federal government to pay mothers to stay home and educate their children. Unfortunately, he continued to ramble on that some subjects, like history, no longer needed to be taught

State Rep. David Segal

East Side Monthly September 2010

in school anyway. The second independent candidate, Kenneth Capalbo, a correctional officer, also based his campaign on two major agenda items: a request to reopen an investigation into the Israeli navy’s attack on an American ship in 1967 in which U.S. sailors were killed and a pledge to ensure that no more Catholics or Jews are among the next justices selected for the Supreme Court, since there are now six of the former and three of the latter. “And I say this despite the fact I’m a Catholic myself,” growled Capalbo. At the far end of the table, wisely distancing himself from the two independents, Republican John Loughlin presented alternative views to the Democrats – he’s against a rapid disengagement from Afghanistan and firmly believes the best government is that which governs least – and concentrated instead of his 26 years of military background, his six years in the RI House as House minority whip (which he jokingly likened to being “the rear admiral of a canoe”) and his proven commitment to public service. He acquitted himself reasonably well. The real attention of course was directed toward the four

Mayor David Cicilline

major Democratic candidates, Mayor David Cicilline, former Democratic chairman Bill Lynch, businessman Anthony Gemma and State Representative David Segal. As was the case in their televised debate, the four candidates were pretty similar in their broad view of the issues. All opposed involvement in Afghanistan, for example. All supported a continuation of the federal stimulus, though Gemma was the least enthusiastic about it, given its ineffectiveness to date. All agreed Washington is broken and that they represented the best way to achieve a fix. And all four were clearly committed to wearing red ties. Not sure why – just reporting the facts. Here the Mayor clearly was the most articulate and forceful in his presentations. One could easily see him mixing it up, sharp elbows and all, with his fellow legislators in Washington. He also was the most prepared in terms of presenting the realities of what the federal government can and cannot do in terms of assisting cities and states. Bill Lynch, well dressed but a tad wooden, often times seemed bored, though always pleasant and polite. His presence wasn’t helped by the fact that his staffers seemed to have forgotten to bring

Anthony Gemma

very much in terms of handouts. Anthony Gemma projected a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sort of can-do idealism. Unfortunately, there was also a tendency to fall back on platitudes and mnemonics (like FOCUS) which seem oddly old-fashioned and out of synch with his commitment to high-tech ways to improve governmental oversight. He did provide some useful information though on how the $268 million worth of stimulus for RI has produced a grand total of 209 new jobs in the state. The “most staffers” award went to David Segal, the youngest candidate, who arrived with a phalanx of young – and in some cases very young – campaign workers who clearly compensated with enthusiasm for what they may have lacked in experience. He was most engaged when it came to environmental issues and attacking the fat cats. He was also the most vague on specifics, though he was the only candidate that even mentioned health and senior care. Earth to other candidates: we are speaking at a retirement facility, aren’t we? Perhaps the most interesting question came at the end when the moderator, Laurelmead’s director Craig Evans, asked each of the candidates what they would most like to be remembered for if they were to be our next Congressman. Segal said he’d like to be remembered as someone who stood up for ordinary Rhode Islanders. Lynch wanted to be known as the guy who worked hard for his state and delivered the goods. Gemma wanted to be remembered as someone who reinvigorated the concept of public service and, as he’d done with his Breast Cancer charity work, showed that one person can make a difference. Finally, Mayor Cicilline wanted to be part of a new group of elected officials in Washington who helped restore confidence in government. What was perhaps most surprising was the pleasant civility among all of the participants and the thoughtfulness of the questions that came from the audience. To the degree that there were winners in this kind of event, most of the people I spoke to afterwards were impressed with the Mayor. “The rest were lightweights,” growled one resident to the nods of several of his compatriots. Clearly, an unscientific sample, but nevertheless proof that the participatory political process is alive and well – at least for one morning session on the East Side.

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Wickford Destinations

Fun in Wickford All Day and Night

A Bit of the West • 83 Brown St, 294-1089, www.americanturquoiseofthewest.com Specializing in authentic Native American-made jewelry and craft, including silver jewelry with Turquoise, Onyx, Malichite, Opal, and Lapis stones. Bagelz of Wickford • 21 West Main St, 294-6366, www.bagelzri.com Enjoy New York-style bagels, sandwiches and fresh baked goods or relax over coffee with friends. Free wi-fi! Beach Rose Cafe • 85 Brown St, 295-2800, www.beachrosecafe.com Casual waterfront dining featuring seafood, salads, sandwiches and grilled items. Enjoy breakfast or lunch on the deck overlooking Wickford Harbor or sit inside to enjoy local artwork.

here’s a lot to love about September in Rhode Island. The weather is gorgeous: hot enough to hit the water during the day, warm enough in the evening to enjoy an al fresco dinner, and just chilly enough at night to justify cutting the tags off a new fall sweater. The best part is that the summer tourists have headed home, and for one blissful month locals can enjoy all of this with fewer people around to take the good tables and parking spaces. This September, head to Wickford to enjoy a perfect South County day. In the morning, hit the water for an adventure. The Kayak Center offers kayak rentals and guided tours, like the Wickford Harbour Tour that’s perfect for kayakers who are just getting their feet wet, so to speak. If you’d rather stay dry, visit nearby Smith’s Castle, Casey Farm (which hosts weekend farmer’s markets) or the Gilbert Stuart Museum for a bit of history. Or, to learn something, take a knitting class at The Mermaid’s Purl or an art class at Voila. After, get some lunch at Bagelz of Wickford for a sandwich on their freshly baked bagels, or the Beach Rose Café for creative light fare. In the afternoon, it’s time to go shopping. There’s the luxury beauty and body products at Beauty and the Bath, hardto-find designer clothing at Gossip and something for every woman at Green Ink. If you haven’t started adding in those new fall pieces to your wardrobe, this is the place to start. For your home, shop The Wickford Collection for beautiful home furnishings, Voila for an art piece or Blue Hydrangea for the finishing touches you didn’t know your décor was missing. For the perfect gift, browse the

Beauty and The Bath • 11 West Main St, 294-3576, www.beautyandthebath.com Visit for a wonderful array of bath and beauty products, including Thymes body products and candles, pajamas and robes and perfumes. Blue Hydrangea • 2 Main St, 295-2583, www.295blue.com Fun and fabulous gifts for you and your home, including festive seasonal décor, beautiful stationery and candles. Different Drummer • 7 West Main St, 294-4867, www.differentdrummerri.com Whimsical to sophisticated, offering American handcrafts, RI artists, fabulous cards, pottery, jewelry, and South County’s largest Trollbeads collection. Gardners Wharf Seafood • 170 Main St, 295-4600, www.gardnerswharfseafood.com Stop by for the area’s finest selection of fresh fish and quality seafood, bought directly from local fisherman in Wickford, Galilee and New Bedford. Gossip • 16 Main St, 294-7333, www.shopgossip.com Gossip fans flock to get the first pick at one-of-a-kind designer clothing, and accessories. Shop with us and find out why some don’t want to share this secret! Green Ink • 89 Brown St, 294-6266, www.greeninkboutique.com Green Ink is a women’s lifestyle boutique offering unique clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, gifts and more. Lullabells • 12 Main St, 667-7676, www.lullabellsgifts.com Distinctive gifts, stunning jewelry, fashion and home accessories. Featuring handcrafted art from local and North American artisans.

offerings at A Bit of the West, which sells Native American jewelry and crafts. Scrimshanders sells quintessentially New England items like Scrimshaw and Nantucket Baskets. Different Drummer is the kind of gift store you need when you don’t know what to get – their selection of jewelry, collectibles and gifts has something for everyone. After all of that, you’re going to be hungry. For dinner, enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean at Tavern by the Sea, which has a gorgeous deck over the water of the harbor. Or, if it’s time to head home, pick up some fresh seafood at Gardner’s Wharf and a bottle of wine from the Wickford Package Store to take home for a delicious evening in. The only tough part is waiting the 20 minutes it takes to get home.

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The Mermaids Purl • 1 Main St, 268-3899, www.themermaidspurl.com Featuring a great selection of specialty yarns and beads. Also offering classes on knitting and beading. Schrimshanders • 14 Main St, 294-2262, www.scrimshanders.com A unique selection Scrimshaw, Nantucket baskets, marine art, bird carvings, Sailor’s Valentines and much more. Tavern By The Sea • 16 West Main St, 294-5771, www.tavernbytheseari.com This romantic restaurant and tavern serves great food along with the great views. Alfresco dining overlooking the Harbor. Voila • 31 W. Main St, 667-5911, www.voila-art.com Voila is a fine art gallery, art supply store and community art center that offers top quality artists’ materials and classes to inspire both children and adults. Wickford Collection • 30 West Main St, 295-7222, www.thewickfordcollection.com Come and experience The Wickford Collection. Distinctive furnishings for the home and garden. Located at the most picturesque site in all of South County. Wickford Package Store • 41 West Main St, 294-4681 Knowledgeable and friendly staff at Wickord Package Store will assist you in finding the perfect wine, beer or spirit.

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Ashes, Ashes, Trees All Fall Down Two controversies over tree-cutting on the East Side By Amanda D’Ambra There is a plague spreading throughout Providence this summer. It is creeping up on the city’s residents, generating worry and outcry over what should be done to remedy the problem, and instigating resentment in people who think this “plague” should have been prevented in the first place. Unlike an outbreak of illness, however, this plague is affecting not just people, but a very different population: Providence’s trees seem to be in grave danger from the fall of a heavy axe. The last week of July brought about big changes for the tenants and neighbors of Riverview Place. Home to Eastside Marketplace and Boston Sports Club (BSC) gym, along with several local businesses, the shopping plaza is a busy center of the Pitman Street area. Six mature trees lining the driveway closest to the gym were cut down by KGI Properties, the firm that owns and manages the land. This change has prompted both angry outbursts and valid concerns over the legitimacy of the change from residents and business owners in and around the plaza. According to Bob Azar, Director of Current City Planning for Providence’s City Planning Commission (CPC), KGI needed to get approval to cut down the trees. Several years ago, with the expansion of the plaza to make room for BSC, KGI had to go to the CPC with their construction and landscaping plan. The plan, which was approved, included the six trees removed in July. “The landscaping plan explicitly stated that those six pear trees were to be retained,” says Azar. “This was a change to the approved plan, so KGI would have had to get approval for that change from the CPC.” Complaints from nearby residents such as Michael Tinnemeier have stirred up questions: Was KGI’s decision to cut down the trees allowed by the CPC? Was it right for the company to eliminate the trees without first consulting the owners of businesses in the plaza? “It seems like a counterproductive thing to do, when we are trying to ‘green’ our city, not ‘de-green’ it by cutting down trees,” says Tinnemeier, who has lived in the Pitman Street area for ten years. “As a resident of this area, one of my missions has been to get more trees planted. I have been able to work with different city groups to get several more trees planted on Pitman Street and some planted down at the Salvation Army. It’s frustrating that while I am working to get trees planted, someone is cutting others down.” In comments posted on an article on the Greater City: Providence blog on July 23, readers expressed their bitterness over the tree cutting. Comments ranged from mention of the negative environmental impact of removing trees to diminished aesthetic appeal in the

plaza as a result. “We are aware of the conversations happening on the blogs and we responded to the Webmaster for the GCPVD blogs,” says Azar, who posted a response to readers’ comments on the blog, assuring that the CPC is working with KGI to find a resolution to the issue. Azar says he notified Karen Bodell, KGI’s property manager for the plaza, of the problem. “As she came on as property manager after the initial plan was approved, Ms. Bodell was unaware of the approval that was needed to cut down the trees,” notes Azar. “She has indicated that she

wants to correct the problem, and is working with myself and the city forester to find the best solution after the fact.” Azar says that no plan has been decided on yet, but that it will involve tree replacement. KGI management was not returning requests for comment at press time. “We want to approach this from the perspective that KGI Properties made a mistake, but that we are now going to work with them to correct the mistake. I know that this issue has made some people upset, but we do not think that there is any need for people to vilify the owner of the property or the tenants of the property for what has happened,” stresses Azar. For now, the new plan for the plaza’s landscaping is being discussed, and the CPC expects to have something approved and trees planted in the early part of the fall. Now East Side

residents just need to cross their fingers and hope that the tree-diminishing plague won’t spread even further throughout our city. Disappearing Act Just a few weeks before the trees at Riverview Place were cut down, prompting upset in the Pitman Street area of the East Side, residents over in the Summit neighborhood were facing a similar problem. As a part of an ongoing restoration to the neighborhood’s Lippitt Memorial Park, several mature Norway maples were cut down to accommodate proposed renovations to the park’s 70-year-old fountain. The fountain was completed in 1940 as a tribute to Henry Bowen Anthony, a former U.S. senator, Rhode Island governor, and part owner of Providence Journal in the late 19th century. The City recently decided to work with the Summit Neighborhood Association (SNA) and Champlin Foundations to invest $180,000 to bring the fountain back to working condition; it has been out of use since 1982, when the City shut off its water source due to expense. As a part of the restoration, eight of the Norway maples planted around the fountain in the 1970s were removed to the dismay of some residents in the neighborhood. Though a public meeting was held before the eight were cut down, not many neighbors attended, according to SNA President George Schietinger. “People at the initial meeting were concerned about the removal. They asked a number of questions and the Parks Department seemed to answer to their satisfaction, so they went ahead with the original plan of removing some of the maples from around the fountain,” says Schietinger. “When those eight were removed, some neighbors – not those at the first public meeting – complained to the Mayor and the Parks Department.” In a second public meeting, the city and Parks Department agreed to cut no more than two additional trees from around the fountain, to allow installation of a new water building to run plumbing lines to the fountain. These trees have since been removed, and the controversy more or less subsided with the promise of replanting new trees in the near future. “Part of the reason the Parks Department is coming back with the new plan to replace trees that were removed is because of the sense that the first meeting wasn’t publicized enough,” offers Schietinger. “However, I think that most people at the second, larger public meeting were satisfied with the agreement to take down only two more.” September 2010 East Side Monthly

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Getting More Than You Expect for Your Automobile More than ever, it’s important to get the most value for your money, especially with major purchases like your automobile. Bob Moreau of Autowerks recognized that fact when he left the company he started and ran for 35 years. “With the huge overhead of our East Side location I just felt my business was all about paying the bills,” he says. “I wanted to find a way to personalize automobile sales and service, one that could help people make good financial decisions about owning a quality car. That’s my expertise, and I think my customers really appreciate it, especially now.” Autowerks appears to have a holistic approach that helps in two major ways. First is service, and by this, I mean real service on an unexpected level. Bob meets with you in person if you like, or by phone. You discuss your repairs and specific needs directly with the expert. Then, he picks up the car – free of charge – and transports it to their state of the art repair facility. This allows him time in the vehicle to make his own observations. After so many years in the business he is quick to notice things that you won’t. He and his technicians then discuss the best approach in terms of your goals for the car, and proceed with the fix. Finally, the car is cleaned and returned to your home, all the while Bob checks to be certain everything is up to his high standards. You then have the option to be billed and pay electronically by email. All very seamless. When you are facing a major repair he can help you evaluate if it’s time to repair or move on to something newer. And again, his expertise makes it easy for you to make the right choice. The second tier of this full service business is custom car sales. Autowerks doesn’t sell from an inventory of cars like most dealers. Each one is hand-selected and purchased specifically for the client. The price and specifics are agreed upon in advance, even things like color and options. Bob has access to a huge inventory of pre-owned vehicles and can present you with multiple prescreened options. He will then purchase the car, service it as needed and even register it for you. Purchasing a one or two year-old car, for example, saves thousands at every level. Sales tax, excise tax and insurance all add huge expense to a car purchase. Finding one that seems new with very low mileage and still under warranty is a perfect way to maximize value and beat depreciation. If you decide you do want new, Bob can act as a buyer’s agent, making certain you have an advocate at the dealership. He will actually help you determine the best car for you, rather than trying to put you in one that a dealer needs to sell. These times call for good sense spending. Bob will help you strategize in order to get the most for every dollar you spend on your vehicle. Because cars are a large depreciating asset, you might want to rethink the way you own it. Autowerks is one new business that can help in this way. It will give you one less big thing to worry about.

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East Side Monthly September 2010

7/21/10 2:51 PM

Eastside Marketplace Celebrates 29 Years

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Out to the Ballgame

The Pets’ Home Companion

By Elizabeth Rau | Illustration by Ashley MacLure

This time, we stayed. We stayed for the fly-outs, pop-ups, errors and lousy turns at bat, but it was worth it: there was a breeze and we got to see our first moon ball. Sure, we could’ve left when the Orioles were way ahead during that July 4 game at Fenway this summer, but we learned the hard way a few years ago that it’s not a good idea to make an early exit at a Red Sox game. Flashback to the summer of ’07: I’m sitting at Fenway with my husband and two sons, Peder and Henry, then 7 and 6. The boys are starting to fidget and for good reason: the game is duller than a curling match. Pitch, grounder, throw to first, out. The Sox can’t get on base. We try hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream. Even a quick trip to the money pit (the Red Sox Team Store) does not satisfy. And then the dreaded words pierce my ears: “I want to go home, mom,’’ says Peder. The Sox are down, 5-0, heading into the bottom of the eighth when we say so long to our precious seats – left field, second row, grandstand – and make that lonely trek back to the car. Just before we get on the Southeast Expressway to head back to Providence, my husband turns on the radio. “Unbelievable!’’ shouts the sportscaster, as the Sox make an amazing comeback, winning the game 6-5. “Bedlam at Fenway!’’ You might remember that game as the Mother’s Day Miracle. I think of it as the Mother of All Misses Day. I still get a knot in my stomach thinking how, in our haste, we missed that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience pure jubilation at Fenway. On this trip, we vowed to remain, no matter the score. It was a sweltering 90 degrees, but our seats were in the shade. Only one problem: there was a pole, not the pesky “Pesky Pole,’’ but a towering steel beam obstructing our view. Let me rephrase that: obstructing my view. Being the sacrificial mother and all, I took the seat where it was impossible to see home plate and the pitcher’s mound at the same time. Turned out that the other fans in section 11, right field, grandstand were a generous bunch. They took pity on us. A father and his young son moved over to two vacant seats, allowing us to sit in their seats, which were pretty good. We could see Kevin Youkilis’ shiny bald head. We could see the big hurler, John Lackey. We could see Brian Hall’s rose-tinted sunglasses. Everyone seemed in high spirits, down-

right chatty. “Hot day isn’t it?’’ the kid sitting next to me asked. “Nice breeze,’’ I said. “Plus we got some shade in this spot,’’ he said. “Peanut?’’ The game was going our way, with the O’s striking out or hitting ho-hum grounders easily scooped up by Sox infielders, who fired off beauties to Youk on first. But then Big Papi struck out and, in a huff, stomped his foot in the dirt – not in an angry way, but in more of a “Gosh darnit” way. “Hang in there, David,’’ I shouted. His next turn at bat, he struck out again. This was not a good sign. I was sipping my son’s warm lemonade when latecomers arrived and we had to go back to our old seats. I was disappointed, but not crestfallen. A ballpark beam was not going to spoil my day at Fenway. The Sox started to flounder in the third (maybe the fourth), and before you knew it, the score was something like four (maybe five) to zip. The Sox couldn’t get a hit against the O’s pitcher, Brian Somebody. My mind started to drift. I’m a peoplewatcher, an acceptable pastime at a Sox game. It’s encouraged. What else to do while Big Papi adjusts the Velcro straps on his batting gloves for the third time? I took an interest in the four guys and two girls sitting in front of us. It was obvious they weren’t from around here. They snapped a lot of photos of each other, with the dusty field as a backdrop, and dressed differently, as if they were on their way to a polo match instead of a grubby ballpark. I figured New York. As the game progressed, not in our favor, they left their seats more often than not for hotdogs and beer. They were tipsy, maybe drunk. Glassy-eyed and goofy, they belted out Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline’’ – sadly, the Sox’s unofficial anthem – as it blared on the loudspeaker. How did they know the lyrics? Of course: Diamond is from Brooklyn. Henry asked me if it was the top or bottom of the fifth. He was rooting for the sixth. He wanted to go home; I could tell. The beam was bugging him, but he

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decided to tough it out, like the time he pitched in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs. (The outcome was sweet: A victory pile-up on Schaefer as bedlam breaks out at McKennaFrutchey Field on Gano Street!) I looked at the filthy cement floor. It was covered with peanut shells and the empty beer cups from our New York friends. I wondered why Theo Epstein didn’t put out trashcans. I felt sorry for the poor guys responsible for cleaning up this mess. My boys yawned. “My head hurts,’’ said Peder. The breeze ceased. Everyone seemed to be getting cranky. A fan a few seats down nodded off. Others veered into other topics besides baseball. “Corn is a vegetable,’’ said a man behind us. The grumps started to leave after J.D. Drew made a horrible error in right field, losing an easy fly in the sun. “Can’t take it anymore,’’ a fellow mumbled and off he went with his lady friend in tow. We took their seats, the best in the house. Now we could see the entire field. And then Youkilis swaggered to the plate and raised his bat. He looked like a human corkscrew, with his arms held high and legs turned at funny angles. The pitch was fast and hard, and Youkilis took a swing. The ball disappeared into the sticky summer sky. In the end the Sox lost 6-1, but it was a beautiful day; we got to see what everyone hopes for. Thanks, Youk. Thanks for hitting it out of the ballpark. Elizabeth Rau is an East Side resident who can be reached at erau1@verizon.net.

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The Local Bounty Fresh foods and tasty events round out the summer recent years. From Providence to Newport, there are happenings and events that celebrate all things local, from the luscious tomatoes spilling out of our gardens to the shellfish being farmed along our coastline to some very respectable Rhode Island wines. I think my Italian grandparents would be shocked and delighted with the appreciation we now have for fresh, local products. They’re gone now, but they were growing tomatoes, digging for clams off Hog Island, and making their own wine long before this current trend. They had it right, and now we do too. For instance, take the new Farmer’s Market on Federal Hill. Every Saturday from 9am-1pm at St. John’s Park, this market will feature Federal Hill chefs cooking up some of their signature dishes. A different chef will be featured weekly, with a one-hour cooking demonstration and tastings. In addition, there will be local vendors with more coming on board in the coming weeks. Confreda Farms will offer fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants. Fresh flowers will be available from Chris Designs. Nancy’s Fancies plans to sell organic dog treats. Honey products will be on hand from Annie B’s Farm. For more info, contact Chris Chabot at 432-7783. One of the loveliest events now held in Rhode Island is the annual Feast in the Field at Greenvale Vineyards, scheduled this year for Friday, September 10. From 6-9pm, our farms and farmers will be celebrated with a backdrop of ripening grapes in the vineyard overlooking the Sakonnet River. On a late summer evening, this is hard to beat. As the season comes to an end, this culinary celebration in Portsmouth will benefit New England FarmWays, and it’s part of a new travel campaign: The Farm – Southern New England’s Next Great Destination. The feast consists of local wines and foods prepared by Chef Casey Riley and his team from the Newport Restaurant Group. To start, champagne and chilled wines will be served with hors d’oeuvres from land and sea. After a tour of the vineyard, a four-course dinner paired with local

wines will be served. The cost is $150 per person. To register, call 592-0209. Summer Tastings Under the Stars continues this month. Seven New England Cheddars will be paired with seven New England ciders on Sunday, September 12, thanks to Matt and Kate Jennings from Farmstead and La Laiterie at Wayland Square. The sharp cheddars and the unique ciders will be offered from 6-8pm on the roof of the Peerless Building in Downcity, a spectacular spot to watch the sun set over Providence. The cost is $50 per person. Reservations are a must. Call Kate at 274-7177. (By the way, the Jennings are just back from cooking an American Artisan Dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York. Our local cheesemongers created a menu that was inspired by the seasons as they can only be experienced in New England. The exquisite dinner included raw Rhode Island fluke, a Jamestown pork tasting, and Four Town Farm sweet corn ice cream paired with Sakonnet Vineyards Winterwine.) What more could you ask for? Celebrity chefs, wines from around the world and fabulous food from the region’s best restaurants – that’s a promise from this year’s Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival slated for September 24-26. Sponsored by Food & Wine Magazine, this event will take place at two mansions, Rosecliff and Marble House, in Newport. More than 500 wines will be available for tasting. Cooking demonstrations, a Sunday jazz brunch, live and silent auctions, and more than 20 New England restaurants and caterers will be featured. Festivities start at the Wine & Rosecliff Gala with a “Meet the Chefs” theme on Friday night. Guests will have the chance to meet and interact with the famous chefs participating in the event. The spectacular Grand Tasting is set for Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm at Marble House. All proceeds will benefit the Preservation Society of Newport County. For ticket information, call 847-1000, ext. 140, or visit www. NewportMansionsWineAndFood.org. Advance ticket pricing will be offered

until September 17. And to round out the month, Gasbarro’s Wines on Federal Hill will hold its eighth annual wine tasting on Tuesday, September 28, at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln. This is a benefit for the American Cancer Society. To purchase tickets, call 421-4170, or visit www.garsbarros.com. ISN’T THAT SOUPER Souper Bowls has opened at 45 Weybosset Street. As we head into fall, this is sure to be a hot spot. The menu offers at least 18 soups, with each one named for a national football team. I can’t wait to see what they’re serving for our beloved Patriots… New England clam chowder, perhaps? Sounds like a soup sports bar, but they prefer to call it an American regional-style soup café. Souper Bowls also provides lowfat, low-calorie, vegetarian and vegan choices. They are open at 11am, Monday through Friday. For details, call 272SOUP, or visit www.souper-bowls.com. OUTSIDE THE CITY DeWolf Tavern in Bristol has been recognized by Fodor’s Travel as a leader in its field for service, quality and value. The Fodor’s Choice 2010 Distinction is awarded to only the best restaurants and hotels around the world. Fodor’s, a big name in travel publishing, evaluates thousands of establishments, and only a handful are deemed worthy of this honor. As a recipient, DeWolf Tavern receives special recognition in the current Fodor’s guidebook to this region and on Fodors.com. DeWolf Tavern, located in a circa 1818 maritime warehouse on Bristol’s waterfront, is open daily for lunch and dinner with a late night bar menu. THIS MONTH’S HOT TIP Stop in at Gracie’s, 194 Washington Street, on Wednesday nights starting at 8 for a laid-back evening of soul and jazz. The Eric Bloom Trio performs, and the five-star cocktails are just $5. Got food news? Feed it to Linda at Lindab2720@aol.com.

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CAV 14 Imperial Place; 751-9164. The New York Times’ choice as one of Providence’s five best restaurants, CAV’s contemporary upscale cuisine is available al fresco for lunch and dinner daily. They also feature weekend brunch. LD $$-$$$

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HEMENWAY’S 121 South Main Street; 351-8570. A true Providence classic, Hemenway’s has been serving top-notch seafood for 20 years. Their oyster bar features everything from the famed Prince Edward Island variety to the local favorite Poppasquash Point. LD $$-$$$

MILLS TAVERN 101 North Main Street; 272-3331. The only restaurant in RI to receive the Mobile Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. LD $$-$$$

Wayland/Elmgrove HARUKI EAST 172 Wayland Avenue; 223-0332. The chefs behind this sushi bar provide a minimalist, upscale, comfortable dining experience. Try the toro ankimo – sauteed fatty tuna and monkfish liver pate with eggplant tempura, served with a black bean sauce. LD $-$$$

RED STRIPE 465 Angell Street; 437-6950. Red Stripe serves classic comfort food with a French influence. From their signature Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup to their ten different styles of Moules & Frites, their food is reasonably priced and made with passion. LD $$-$$$

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East Side Monthly September 2010

TWIST ON ANGELL 500 Angell Street; 831-4500. Get casual fine dining with a “twist” at the popular Wayland Square restaurant. With creative takes on classic comfort food and inventive appetizers and entrees, it’s a successful combination of food and flair. D $$

WATERMAN GRILLE 4 Richmond Square; 521-9229. With its covered outdoor seating overlooking the Seekonk River, Waterman Grille offers seasonally inspired New American fare in a comfortable setting, with a great variety of “Signature” and “Short & Share” plates. BrD $$-$$$

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Hope/Thayer CHEZ PASCAL 960 Hope Street; 421-4422. Chef Matt Gennuso’s East Side kitchen offers French food with a modern twist. Sample the Escargots a la Bourguignonne, or try the Bistro Menu (Tue-Thur), which features three courses for $30 per person. Delicieux! D $-$$$ GOURMET TAKE & BAKE PIZZA 357 Hope Street; 751-0355. Toppings like sirloin steak and shallots justify this pizza shop’s name. Also available are specialty entrees such as Tuscan Chicken Florentine with fresh mozarella, roasted red peppers, baby spinach, balsamic and olive oil. LD $$ NICE SLICE 267 Thayer Street; 453-6423. Hip and healthy are the best modifiers for this pizza joint. The whole wheat, New York style pizza satisfies with its crispy crust and zesty sauce, while toppings include vegan and vegetarian options. Open until 2am every night. LD $ RUE DE L’ESPOIR 99 Hope Street; 751-8890. In business for over 30 years, the Rue has only gotten better. Beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients, the innovative, constantly changing menu keeps diners on their toes. Superb brunch. BBrLD $$-$$$

THREE SISTERS 1074 Hope Street; 273-7230. Try their local, organic coffee, quick and filling breakfast sandwiches, fresh panini and famous homemade ice cream that’s simply to die for. BBrL $ TORTILLA FLATS 355 Hope Street; 751-6777. You can’t go wrong with the laid-back attitude and exceptional Mexican fare at Tortilla Flats. Sample a Margarita from the bar and the “Nawleens”-style Catfish to get the full experience.

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Wickenden NOODLES 102 102 Ives Street; 383-5004. A staple of the Asian diet, noodle dishes are a healthy, quick and inexpensive meal. Noodles 102 offers a variety of customizable noodle bowls, claypot baked rice and Asian appetizers. LD $

TASTE OF INDIA 230 Wickenden Street; 421-4355. Providence’s first Indian restaurant delivers on its promise of serving real (and really delicious) Indian cuisine, with seafood delicacies like Shrimp Masala and Tandoori specialties like broiled Chicken Tandoori, made with authentic Indian spices. LD $-$$

UNITED BBQ 146 Ives Street; 751-9000. Barbecue is an art form here. Feed the inner man with a classic rack of ribs (sold in half or whole racks) or make it light with a “Tofurkey” kielbasa sandwich from the menu’s Weird Stuff section. They deliver. LD $-$$

Outside Providence 1149 1149 Division Street, Warwick/East Greenwich line; 884-1149; 965 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk; 508-336-1149. Metropolitan chic comes to the suburbs at this super stylish restaurant with a raw bar, outstanding menu and some of the best cocktails around. LD $$-$$$

As your Representative, Richard will... JOBS — WORK to lower the unemployment rate and focus on advancement of new small business growth. TAXES — OPPOSE any legislation that entertains increasing taxes and ENDORSE cutting some of the current taxes. DEFICIT — CHAMPION an end to all needless spending and work to achieve a truly balanced budget. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — EMBRACE Quonset/Davisville as the leading port for container shipping and distribution. SCHOOLS — INCREASE charter schools and mayoral academies to prepare our youth for a successful, prosperous future!

Richard Rodi is a loyal and passionate, Providence native who raised a family here and has run a small construction business for 20+ years. Richard is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a degree in business. He plans to use his education and experience to re-ignite our state’s economy and academia to give Rhode Island the competitive edge we need to prosper. • Founder of the RODI FOUNDATION, a charitable organization • Organizer of the Rodi Senior Club House serving all of Providence • Founder and President of the Red Bridge Neighborhoods Association • Member of The Fox Point Boys Club Alumni Association • Active member of the Providence’s Jewelry District Association • 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus Fatima Council (Fox Point) • Active parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church • Volunteers time with Children’s Wishes of RI

Committed to the Community.

Support Richard Rodi (401) 497-0340 • 77 Pitman Street • Providence, RI 02896 Paid for by Friends of Richard Rodi

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787 Hope Street, Providence • 401-831-3400 • gourmethouseri.com Sun-Thurs 10am-9:30pm Fri-Sat 10am-10pm • New owner Kim Te of Apsara 46

East Side Monthly September 2010

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Voted best new yoga studio by RI Monthly Your Local, Family-Owned Liquor Store By Dan Schwartz “Our customers are very adventurous. They’ll try anything,” admits Diane Ascencao of Madeira Liquors. Her business – owned and operated alongside her sister Leslie and parents Justina and Jose – is a longstanding staple on Ives Street in Fox Point. This warm family has been in the business for 18 years, giving them the knowledge to recommend anything from a distinctive craft beer to the latest in flavored vodkas. But best of all, they listen and respond to their customers. If there is a beer that you try somewhere and really enjoy, Madeira will order it as long as it’s distributed in Rhode Island. “We feel that if you like it, other people are going to like it,” Diane says. Bring this article in or mention it and receive 10% off your next purchase (one time only). This family is always on the premise answering questions and offering friendly conversation. Their customers really become acquaintances. Their friend Sarah recently went to Salem Massachusetts and tried Moo Thunder from Butternuts Beer & Ale (NY) and loved it. They had it special ordered and now Madeira carries that along with Butternuts’ Porkslap Pale Ale. These high quality craft beers are a big hit because they come in cans and are inexpensive. Other popular brews being offered at Maderia are Southampton Keller Pils from the Southampton Publick House (NY), Drifter Pale Ale from Widmer Brothers (OR) and beer from Left Hand (CO) and Abita (LA). Explain to the good folk at Madeira your general taste and they can point you in the right direction. And of course they offer local products, like Trinity’s IPA and the full line of Newport Storm. If you want to be hip to the latest offerings at Maderia you can friend them on Facebook to hear about periodic tastings and read about the new lines they are carrying. Beyond craft beer the rage right now is flavored vodkas. Branching out used to mean citron; now you can get wild flavors like Pinnacle’s cotton candy and their soon-tobe-offered whip cream. Three Olives is a brand that is extremely hot right now, and a customer in the store gave his own personal testament: “I used to work at a restaurant in Providence, and I think that Three Olives is probably one of the most delicious flavored vodkas.” Leslie mentioned that sweet tea vodkas are also in right now, and they carry versions from Firefly and Burnett’s. Madeira Liquors is known for their extensive wine selection. They offer many labels below $12.99, with quality wine from Argentina, Chile and, of course, Portugal. Leslie says, “We have a huge selection of Portuguese wines, including the very inexpensive Capote Velho at $5.99.” Pinotage and Chenin Blanc from South Africa are very popular as well. The fall also brings seasonal flavors, like Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead Ale and Newport Vineyards Rhody Coyote Hard Apple Cider (made from Rhode Island grown apples). For cooler evenings you can pick up a bottle of single malt scotches or a distinct cordial. This family also gives back, donating wine to fund raisers at the Lincoln School and the JCC. So stop in, say hello, and receive some expert guidance on your next purchase for beer, wine or liquor.

Madeira Liquors 174 Ives Street, Providence 272-5911

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doorway of the centuries-old Ardeonaig Hotel in the tiny Scottish Highland village of Perthshire, twilight dew was settling on the mossy slate roofs. The only sound was the steady whisper of the rapids that run alongside the inn and down into Loch Tay a few hundred yards behind the Inn. It’s just about an hour-and-a-half’s drive north from Edinburgh, but you’d have to have known about the Ardeonaig Hotel and Restaurant because its location is not exactly on any main tourist routes. The hotel was built back in 1649 as a stopover for drovers herding their cattle to market across the Highlands. Its present owner, South African-born Peter Gottgens, took it over with the aim of creating his own perfect version of a welcoming and unpretentious country inn and restaurant. Without compromising the antique feel of the hotel, Gottgens has added numerous updates, including five South African style “huts” behind the main building on the way down to the Loch. Each hut is a spacious, octagon-shaped habitat with deep bathtubs, romantic lighting and luxurious radiant heating beneath the floors. Chef Gottgens’ energy and enthusiasm is almost palpable. He has found here in Perthshire what he describes as “a chef’s paradise.” Why? “Because we’re surrounded by farms where I can secure the very freshest local foods,” Gottgens exclaims. “I can put vegetables and produce that were in the ground this morning on the table this afternoon. We’re just an hour from either coast for seafood and I not only know every one of my fishermen by their first name, I even know what

kind of car they drive!” Completely self-taught, Gottgens has cooked around in South Africa and in London for several years, but perhaps his most distinctive credential is his seven-year stint as personal chef for the president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. One story Gottgens tells is about a

his country’s starving population had to eat each day. Needless to say, it was a memorable meal for all concerned. In sharp contrast, the meal Gottgens prepared for us at his Ardeonaig Hotel was an amazing compilation of local foods. There was a thick but modest size cut of local salmon, which Gottgens described as “escapee salmon” from the Atlantic, just over an hour away. It had a pure flavor with a hint of peat smoke, and very little fat. Gottens’s version of seared Orkney Island scallops paired with a tiny dollop of whipped sweet potato and garnished with a marvelous vanilla butter broth was a whole new take on this classic seafood dish. There was also a game dish featuring leg of local estate-raised hare matched with a rich wild mushroom duxelle, and another entrée that featured a shoulder of lamb from the hotel’s own herd. The meat had been steeped in South African tea, which brought out its subtle sweetness in a new and very interesting way. The dessert was a chocolate pudding Gottgens had developed several years ago especially for Queen Elizabeth’s visit with Nelson Mandela, and while the pudding delivered every dark nuance one expects from good chocolate, it was neither heavy nor overly sweet. It would be hard to imagine that Her Majesty was anything less than “terribly pleased.” That’s it this month from the Highlands. Good morning.

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East Side Monthly September 2010

lation of local foods. banquet Mandela asked him to create for a huge list of global leaders and diplomats at a conference on World Hunger. Under Mandela’s instructions, the first course was to be brought out on covered plates. When the signal was given, the wait staff removed the covers to reveal a tiny portion of wilted vegetables and a meager spoonful of rice. As the usually pampered audience’s jaws dropped, Mandela announced that this is about what three-quarters of South Africa’s underprivileged population have to eat each day. The next course was similarly presented but when the covers were removed this time, the plates were empty. The president then explained that this was what the other quarter of

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September 2010 East Side Monthly

GOveRNOR StReet PRiMaRy CaRe University Medicine is pleased to welcome Bryna J. Mcconarty, Md to its medical staff. dr Mcconarty is an internal Medicine specialist and will be joining Governor street Primary care this August. dr Mcconarty is originally from Fitchburg, MA., attended University of Massachusetts Medical school, Worcester, MA and completed her residency in internal Medicine at BrOWn Alpert Medical school and rhode island Hospital in Providence, ri. dr Mcconarty is now accepting new patients, age 18 and older into the practice and she will be on staff teaching and caring for patients at rhode island Hospital. Governor street Primary care is a ncQA accredited Patient-centered Medical Home comprising six internal Medicine physicians, a nurse Practitioner, multiple on-site medical and behavioral specialists, a diagnostics lab, and Physical therapy suite, committed to providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary coordination of care and management of chronic diseases. Tom Bledsoe, MD Francis Basile, MD Michael Johnson, MD

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Dream Weavers and Dreamboats Inception and Salt reviewed Summer action movies with oneword titles imply no-nonsense heroes, villains, femme fatales, fast cars and explosions at the very least, with star power thrown in if you’re lucky. Both of these entries qualify. One has artistic aspirations woven into its high adventure, while the other has a simple B-movie action mentality. Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is all about the evil infiltration of dreams. Obviously, we’ve all been through this with Freddy Krueger, who can kill you in a dream and make it stick in real life. That began back in 1984. The year before, Dennis Quaid saved the world by getting into the president’s scary dreams, as well as another sick subconscious or two, just to keep things moving in the entertainingly stupid Dreamscape. Things have changed, though, with the corporate takeover of the world as we know it. 2010’s Dream Infiltration Mission Statement is to get the CEO’s secrets, and, maybe, if you’re brave enough, influence corporate decisionmaking through subconscious invasion. Honestly, that’s the plot of Inception:

gaining competitive advantage. The challenge for writer/director Christopher Nolan, besides getting his audience to care about what happens, is to make the science fiction elements credible while adhering to the no-nonsense implications of summer action with an array of heroes, villains, etc. While director Nolan is clearly up to all the challenges, writer Nolan gets lost in his own proceedings and compromises and impairs his hero – a hero with star power, mind you. Inception chronicles a team of infiltrators who try to compromise corporate head Ken Watanabe, a savvy CEO who not only knows a thing or two about infiltrated dreams, but also knows when he’s in one. Nolan covers the needed clarification of his preposterous concept very cleverly as DiCaprio and company (an ensemble that includes the very fine Joseph Gordon-Levitt as DiCaprio’s right-hand man and voice of reason) go head-tohead with Watanabe’s crew. In the process we learn how to operate while in a dream, and, more importantly, how to differentiate between what’s real and

what’s not on screen. (Is that a real staircase, or something the mind infiltration team dreamed up to escape from the sleeping victims, who have become aware they’re dreaming and want their formula back before they wake up and it’s too late?) Characters are established, and if they’re not exactly sympathetic, they’re at least smart, and they’re all we’ve got. The action is fast, loud, very impressive, and in the context of a summer action movie, quite credible. Cut to the chase: it turns out you can go deeper than getting the CEO to let you read the secret formula in a dream. You can dig down into somebody’s subconscious, all the way to the beginning of an idea – an idea that you can plant – but it’s very dangerous, which is good for this movie. See, in “regular” dream infiltration, pain isn’t real, and if you get killed all you do is wake up, Freddy Kruger notwithstanding. But if you dig down deep enough into someone’s subconscious to the inception of an idea – well, screw up down there, where time gets stretched out, and you could end up in a kind of limbo from which there

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Salt

is no escape. DiCaprio needs to plant an idea into Cillian Murphy’s subconscious that will make a lot of money for his competitor. The slightly mysterious DiCaprio has delved into this territory before, it turns out, with his wife, Marion Cotillard. She resides in his own subconscious and is pissed off (never mind why), regularly turning up in many of his dream escapades as a “projection” to antagonize him and generally muck up the works. Enter Ellen Page as a kind of grown up “Juno” to rationally deal with DiCaprio’s subconscious and make the mission work, while also keeping the audience on the right page. It’s way too much. By the time they’re all so deep into Murphy’s consciousness that the staircase metaphors have become avalanches falling on members of the team, the film has reached its saturation point. The necessary suspension of disbelief falls victim to the dubious gravity on screen and there is really no reason to care anymore. Nolan seems to be aware of his problem, which is compounded by the essential greed of most of the protagonists. (Who are we rooting for here and why are they worth it?) He crassly heaves two children into the plot to rationalize DiCaprio’s motives (he’s doing it for his kids!), but they don’t work any better than the avalanches. The unimportance and transparency of all the characters and their actions can’t sustain the complexity of the concepts on screen. There’s no central vision here, just a string of exciting set pieces. At almost two-and-a-half hours, Inception is much ado about nothing. The film is well shot, bolstered by strong performances, and has some intriguing science fiction notions – like the limbo that awaits a botched inception – but it’s not the stuff that dreams are made of. As awkward as this may sound, during the last set of dreams you may find it hard to stay awake. Salt, on the other hand, is without pretense. The plot: Just how much trouble can one leggy CIA operative get into (essentially every human being associated with every government agency in America and Russia, from clerks

to presidents, wants to kill her), and get out of (lots of fighting, shooting, some stabbing, reckless driving, and even more reckless jumping). The complexity: is this woman good or bad? Is she a killer schooled in the Soviet Union as a child and planted in America to eventually wreak not only havoc, but doom? Or a patriot schooled in the Soviet Union as a child and planted in America to wreak havoc and doom, now turning the tables on her Russian manipulators? It’s mind-boggling, but hardly Rubik’s Cube. Salt is one of those movies you can simply and comfortably relax to (as long as death and destruction on a wide screen produce meditative highs for you). You can try to catch the hints and watch as cast members get eliminated in ascending order of marquee value, eventually providing complete plot clarification. (The good guys will be left standing at the end.) Director Phillip Noyce maintains a frenzied pace that effectively masks the more preposterous shenanigans, and Kurt Wimmer’s screenplay does an exceptional job creating a fairly involving mystery about motivations and morality within all the mayhem. Mostly, though, Salt has Angelina Jolie, once again an undeniable force of nature to be reckoned with, running on all cylinders, playing it utterly straight as a professional operative with enough experience and talent to hide whatever emotions are driving her to complete her mission, whatever it is. Straight is the only way to play the whacked out plot twists that include assassinations of foreign dignitaries in heavily secured churches and breaches of unbreachable presidential sanctuaries. Jolie refuses to wink or smirk or in any way suggest that she’s above the material – and that makes it hold together, no matter how stretched. The only possible drawback to enjoying this frantic but vacant movie is that too much of such fun, at this point, may suggest to you that summer movies have had their run, and it’s time to close up the lemonade stand and get serious. When do the Helen Mirren movies arrive?

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Investment Advice that Spans Generations My grandfather, who passed away at the very end of the Great Depression, believed that investors needed to use far more of their intelligence to hang onto what they had than to try to make money. He knew from experience. His great uncle had started a very successful family owned and operated business – a distillery created on farmland – back in 1858. Being a family member meant that you received private stock. This included my grandfather and his two elderly aunts for whom he was responsible. When the company was sold in 1926, the family exchanged their stock for cash. At the time my grandfather thought he would be better off if he turned over the cash to someone else to manage, as he was looking to ensure the safety of his principal. Grandfather sought the assistance of a couple of trust companies (similar to today’s investment advisory firms) and instructed them to use bonds to create a stream of income for himself and his aunts. The trust companies proceeded to buy mortgages, but neglected to maintain due diligence over the holdings. And, not unlike what happened in the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2008, grandfather’s mortgages subsequently either failed or lost considerable value during the Great Depression. Boom to bust. Generations of work went into the family business to create a company of value, and yet it vanished in a fraction of the time it took to make. My grandfather’s extreme distress was not unlike those we see today. Baby boomers in particular, prior to the fall of 2007, built up a lifetime of savings in their retirement accounts, only to see a sizeable portion of it disappear in the recent market crash. Many of today’s investors have retreated to cash to preserve what they have left. But, as grandfather knew, cash alone may not give you the income and growth you need to outlive your investments. As a result of the loss of his money, in 1936 grandfather wrote down a practical guide to investing for his two young daughters. By then, he had taken it upon himself to learn about investing cash. He wanted my mother and my aunt to “study the problems of investing,” so when they grew up they could potentially have an income stream that did not involve a lot of risk. He also wanted them to be knowledgeable enough to keep an eye on anyone to whom they might entrust their money. The guide was a “how to” manual, punctuated with basic information about stocks and bonds, instructions on tracking holdings and an explanation of business cycles. But there were also timeless pieces of advice on what my mother and aunt could do to hang onto any money they were fortunate enough to make. What follows are a few choice pieces of Grandfather’s wisdom. ––– “I don’t expect you will become expert investors, but if you become above average investors you will go through life very comfortably.” This quote should give us all comfort. You don’t need to be a genius to invest. You simply need to be right more often than you are wrong. In order to do that, you need to put time and effort into understanding what it means to invest. ––– “Securities are usually good when bought. They go sour in one’s

portfolio.” Hanging onto to what you have means watching over what you own. Lots of people are good at buying stocks and bonds, but far fewer people bother to put a plan together on what and when they are going to sell. ––– “You can learn a lot about investing by reading and studying, but it takes experience and learning through mistakes to be fairly adept at the game.” This piece of advice picks up where the last one left off. Mistakes only happen if you have experience. Better to start young when your portfolios are small and have a chance to rebound, should your skills be underdeveloped. At the same time, wisdom accrues with experience. Being a better investor when you are ready for retirement can give you the confidence you need to help keep your portfolios on track. ––– “By being logical, you win nine times and lose once.” Take the emotion out of investing! Investors can be their own worst enemies when they make decisions based on how they feel rather than how they think. ––– “…The first step for the individual really trying to secure or preserve capital is to detach himself from the crowd.” This one takes a little more finesse. Investing with the herd can make investing decisions easier, but it doesn’t always make them right. My grandfather might have been thinking here about the mortgages that his investment advisor chose for him. In the 1920s real estate and mortgages were popular investments. (Sound familiar? Think: mortgage backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, as well as homes and commercial real estate during the last decade.) When the Great Depression hit, those owning real estate and debt tied to property weren’t able to pay their obligations. This is not very different from the recent Great Recession and its aftermath that we are currently living through. ––– “Intangibles are politics and the psychology of the masses.” Very fitting for an election year and a global economy. Grandfather acknowledged that no matter how intelligent and well educated an investor became, recognizing and understanding what one can’t control is just as important as being an expert on business cycles and economic indicators. ––– In the long term, hanging onto what you have involves learning how to invest and paying attention to your portfolios. My grandfather learned this lesson the hard way, but he left a legacy for his children and grandchildren. We don’t have to start over with each new generation. History does repeat itself when it comes to good advice.

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My $37 Cup of Coffee Misadventures in Providenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parking regulations By Mary C. Connor We moved to Providence eight years ago from a small farming-townturned-quasi-suburb in Central Massachusetts for a variety of reasons: last child off to college, easier access to activities not youth-soccer related, no more lawn to mow. Not least among our reasons was to get me out of what was turning into a life sentence of community involvement. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop myself. Volunteer this and that, several stints in elected positions, and, finally, covering public meetings for the local newspaper. That was a killer. The thing was, I liked it. I liked being in the know, being outraged by political shenanigans, feeling other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pain. I was a junkie. I had to stop the madness. Trading the small town for the big city was like heaven. There was not a thing I did not like about Providence. Slightly higher real estate tax bill? A small price to pay for freedom and anonymity. Outrageously higher excise tax bills? Look at the upside: restaurants and theaters we could walk to. No overnight parking? The fence was easily moved back a few feet to accommodate our sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car (lucky us). The impracticality of the LILO (Last In, Last Out) method of driveway hierarchy? Merrily shuffling cars every morning became routine. Less than perfect snow removal? So what? It snows a lot less down here, south of the border. We missed the Buddy years entirely and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know a single person who worked in City Hall. There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a blessed thing to get outraged about. Then came my $37 cup of coffee. You guessed it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a parking ticket. That is all it took. A quick stop to get my morning fix and next thing I knew, I was completely and unabashedly outraged. Just like the old days. The thing was, there were plenty of other parking spots on this part of Hope Street near Seven Stars Bakery. This was the first one I happened upon and it was fine. I mean, I have a college degree and all, and I had carefully studied, albeit without benefit of caffeine, the three very confusing signs, one on top of the other. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Parking Here To Corner,â&#x20AC;? (red arrow, right). Check, I said to myself. I am not parking â&#x20AC;&#x153;here,â&#x20AC;? I am parking â&#x20AC;&#x153;there,â&#x20AC;? in that space, behind that little red car. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Parking, Student Drop Off, 3pm-6pm, Mon-Fri,â&#x20AC;? (red arrow, left). Check. It is eight oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the morning.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;2 HR Parking, 8am-3pm,â&#x20AC;? (green arrow, left). Check. This will take five minutes, tops. So confident was I that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even notice the bright orange envelope stuck under my windshield wiper until I was back in the traffic lane. I could not believe my eyes! This cannot be! I needed to recheck those signs, pronto. I turned into a lot clearly marked â&#x20AC;&#x153;Authorized Vehicles Only â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Violators Will Be Towedâ&#x20AC;? and double-parked behind an authorized vehicle. For some reason, I went into the lobby of Festival Ballet, as if they would have an answer for me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, that happens all the time,â&#x20AC;? the woman behind the desk said in complete sympathy, as she followed me outside, to the scene of the non-crime. We examined the signs together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If your bumper is one inch past this arrow, boom, you get a ticket!â&#x20AC;? She agreed it was confusing. Then she said exactly what no one should have said to

me: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should fight it.â&#x20AC;? Yeah, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, I thought. I should fight it. Definitely. My Providence-IsBliss attitude was out the window. Outrage was back. I ignored my own common sense â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was a day in court worth saving $30? Of course not! But, that is exactly what â&#x20AC;&#x153;theyâ&#x20AC;? count on. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the principle of the thing. So what if, perhaps, just perhaps, my bumper did encroach, ever so slightly, into the supposed no parking zone? Those signs were needlessly confusing and an affront to all of Providence! I took a picture of them with my phone, to show the judge. Previously suppressed outrages roiled my brain. I remembered the charming Providence Parking Enforcement officer, writing out a ticket to put on one of our cars, which was idling in the street, as my husband was moving his out of the driveway. She pointed to the sign: â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Parking, 8am-10am.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just moving the cars,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is no driver in that car. Look at the sign.â&#x20AC;? (I suppose, technically, it would have been possible to earn two tickets that day, had my husband been caught flat-footed between idling cars.) Yeah, I thought, and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with that mysterious number you call, but only after 11pm, to beg an overnight parking ban reprieve for your 83-year-old visiting mother-in-law? Our neighbors gave the number to us when we moved in, kind of on the Q-T, like an unofficial welcome wagon gift. I also remembered the time the person on the other end of the line said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, there is no reprieve tonight.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why not?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a privilege, not a right. Plus, it was in the paper.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What paper, Pravda?â&#x20AC;? Maybe, just maybe, if I protested my ticket in Providence Municipal Court I could learn exactly why it is that fire trucks that are perfectly able to maneuver streets full of parked cars at 3pm are unable to do the same at 3am. Maybe I could ask the judge, in person, face-toface, if it is true, as my friend purports, that the overnight parking ban is really a ploy to get money into the hands of connected people who own off-street parking spots. I knew I would never really say anything like this, but that is what happens when my brain starts a-roiling. Oh yeah, baby, I was looking forward to my day in court.

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I arrived at the appointed hour – 08:00 on Monday, July 12 – and stood in line with about 120 or so other protestors. I Traditional Italian Baking made friends with a woman from Cransfor more than 70 years ton who had been caught on camera runPastries • Mini Pastries ning a red light. She shared with me the Zuppa Inglese Cakes • Decorated Cakes letter she had written, directly to Chief Homestyle Pies • Pizza • Calzones Spinach Pies • Italian Cookies Justice Caprio, explaining that she had to run the red light. Trust me, it was a very Delivery Service Available compelling argument, having to do with 1251 Chalkstone Ave. Providence some pressing intestinal distress. 401-351-5826 My turn to check in came. I handed over my summons. The clerk looked at it, once, twice, three times, verifying someLucia Dias-Hoﬀ, MD, MS thing on her computer screen each time, Family Medicine before finally looking at me, with pity – or maybe it was contempt. “You pleaded guilty,” she said. “I did not,” I retorted. I was there to protest, to have my day in court, to rail against The Man. “But, you paid,” the clerk said. “That means,” and here she paused for dramatic affect, “that you pleaded guilty.” I started to argue. The summons stated, “You may avoid NEW PATIENTS WELCOME referral to a collection agency by remitWe speak Spanish & Portuguese ting payment to the Providence Municipal Court, 325 Washington Street. Please 401-654-4480 send payment before Summons Date.” I 1 Randall Square, Suite 410, Providence, RI thought it was odd to pay upfront, but I 508-235-0487 did it because the summons told me to. I 829 South Main Street, Fall River, MA looked at all the other people in line and realized what a fool I was. I deserved the h t i Y o W u p r $30 ticket after all, just for being an idiot. l G e arde dH n? I decided to go into court anyway. Nee Why waste perfectly good outrage? I stayed almost two hours. I loved it. I could have stayed all day. I scared myself. For the first half-hour, there was mostly silence: 120 people just sitting, waiting, looking straight ahead at nothing. Then a police officer came in, Angela Deller arranged some papers, and addressed the R.I. Licensed Arborist #120 Monday morning crowd. About 80% R.I. Certiﬁed Horticulturist of the people in the room were there because they had been caught on camProfessional Landscape Gardening era running a red light, he said. It was very rare to have one of these cases 212- 0669 TasteofIndia_PM_0207_spot 4/16/08 9:4 dismissed. He himself was the very one angela.gardencare@cox.net who went over each violation caught on camera, before deciding if a ticket was warranted. Of course it is your choice, he suggested, but you could save yourself some time and trouble by paying now – no harm, no foul, no extra fees. He was very genial. He set his computer up to show how the system works, and we were mesmerized, watching images on the wall, car after car going through a “Where The Taste Says It All” red light, as a digital counter, taken to one-hundredths of a second, showed just 230 Wickenden Street how long the light was red before the car Providence, RI ever entered the intersection. He asked Tel: 401-421-4355 if anyone wanted to see their own case 401-453-2288 shown on the wall, as that is exactly Everyday Lunch Buffet what would happen when you stepped www.tasteofindiaRI.com before the judge. Someone shouted out a license plate number. “That you?” the

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genial officer asked, as a car was shown approaching an intersection. “Yeah, that’s me.” “Okay, there is the yellow light. See it? Now it turns red.” It is amazing how long a second is. “Oh, and there you are now, just entering the intersection.” It was funny. Everyone laughed. The guilty party laughed too. And then he left, to go pay his ticket. Ten or 15 others joined him. The judge came in. People were called forward in groups of about 20, and waited in line for their turn to state their case before the judge. The officer had been right. No one with a red light violation got an outright dismissal. Several, however, used a provision in state law called the “Good Driver Exemption” to have their ticket dismissed. The judge asked each one if they understood that this exemption could not be used again for three years. He reiterated to each person that camera-caught red light violations are not considered moving violations. “Save your exemption for when you really screw up,” he seemed to be saying. No one took that bet. I guess good drivers don’t expect to screw up any time soon, and 60 bucks is 60 bucks. I have to say that the entire process struck me as respectful and, most of all, incredibly efficient. I couldn’t decide if that made me feel good or bad. I stayed through about four groups. Unfortunately, my new friend, the one with the great story of intestinal fortitude, had not had her day in court by the time I left. I do regret not seeing that one through to its conclusion. The only thing approaching outrageous, from my perspective, was that every single person who was there to protest a parking ticket had their ticket dismissed. Oh well, next time, I thought. On my way out of Municipal Court, something came over me. I can’t explain it. Why not, I thought, while I am here, in Providence’s Public Safety Complex, at least try to get an answer to the one question that has been nagging at me for eight years. I went to the clerk’s window and asked, brightly, “How would I go about getting a copy of Providence’s Traffic Rules and Regulations?” She had no idea what my problem was. “You know,” I said, “if I wanted to know, just for example, exactly when the overnight parking ban is in effect, how would I know that? The rules must be written down somewhere.” She directed me to the information counter. That woman also had no idea what my problem was, but, in an effort to be helpful – or get rid of me – she buzzed me through the door into the Traffic Enforcement department. I went to that information counter. That woman also had no idea what my problem was. “I just want to know how people are

supposed to know the rules when they move here,” I said. “They must be written down somewhere. Like the overnight parking ban, as an example?” She told me there was no overnight parking. I said I knew that, but I just wanted a copy of the regulations. She asked me how long I had lived in Providence. “Eight years,” I said. I knew that didn’t sound right. I was starting to feel like a smart-ass, but the woman was so genuine, and she went to get her supervisor, who was – tada! – a Parking Enforcement Officer, probably the very one who gave me the ticket. She did not like me right off the bat and she didn’t understand my problem either. She went to get her supervisor. After about ten minutes, the two of them came out of a back office. He was clearly skeptical of my motives. I was questioning my own sanity. The officer told me I could get the regulations online. I thought I recognized his voice as the one on the other end of line after 11pm, but I was probably being paranoid. “By the way, why can’t you call before 11?” I asked. “We go to bed at about nine.” I should make it the responsibility of my overnight guest to call, he said, in a strict-father way. Plus, he said, that is when the shifts change. “Can’t you leave a note?” I asked. I was being polite, but he didn’t get my humor. He asked me why people thought it was the responsibility of the City to worry about parking spaces. If people buy houses with inadequate off-street parking that is not the police department’s problem. I couldn’t really argue with that logic. Finally, he said he would make a copy of the Traffic Regulations for me, which he did. Standing by the copy machine, I heard myself, incredibly, asking if there was a quota on parking tickets. “No, Ma’am. Quotas are illegal.” I pushed my luck. “How about bonuses? Are bonuses offered?” “No, Ma’am, that would be an incentive. Incentives are illegal.” Other questions came to my mind – what an opportunity I had here. Wisely, I stopped with the questions. I glanced at the regulations as I was leaving, looking for the exact hours of the overnight parking ban. He looked them over as well, Section 26 specifically. “Actually, this is the old regulation,” he said, just a tiny bit chagrined. “You will have to go online to get the current regulation.” I paid the $5 parking fee at the garage, and left the Public Safety Complex for the safety of my own home, where I hoped to seriously consider the lessons learned from my $37 cup of coffee. But I know myself too well. I’m hooked. [Note: I did go online, but that is an entirely different story!]

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East Side Monthly September 2010

providence flash fiction Starting this month we are experimenting with a new column for East Side Monthly. Called “Providence Flash Fiction,” we hope it will create some excitement and discussion among our readers. Our goal is to publish locally-written fiction set in contemporary Providence; a great city deserves great fiction about itself. Our Fiction Editor is Andrew Rock, who has been editing and pub-

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By Phelps Clark in the morning sun. I stop and look at the lovely curved-top stones of their Civil War dead. The light seems trapped in the luminous white marble. The lettering is almost gone with a hundred and fifty winters, so the lichen seems as significant as the weathered chisel gauges. “They are shipped back by train already embalmed. The mortuaries followed the union army in wagons.” She floats next to me and waits for me to get tired of talking. She knows enough to let me have that much. I read the family motto, “La Terre Gaste,” and figure how happy they must be that it applies to this little bit of Providence they remain masters of. “Oh! I didn’t tell you yet! Stinky likes my bother’s house so much. I sleep on the sun porch and she loves to stalk the birds in the trees. She crawls around like a little panther. It’s adorable.” Cats were her idea. I think they were supposed to act like glue. But the smell of the cat box alone is enough to nullify any positive effect. We go nearer the cliff. The air is moving better and smells nice. A single line of graves runs along the far edge of the path. A little more erosion and their coffins will be sticking out the side. Victorian mostly. A huge obelisk for the original putter-up of the money, the rest with diminutive headstoneettes. The vanity is sickening and funny. I look over at her gleaming ruddy hair and end up inside the front of the shirt. I recognize the bra as my favorite: thin and simple. Her pale flesh makes a startling contrast with the black. I grab my belt with the hand not holding the bike. “My parents really miss you! They say stuff to me like, ‘Can’t he still be our friend?’ It is crazy. I’m their daughter and they seem more concerned about you….” “I always liked them.” Down in the margin of woods at the base of the cliff, a car drifts along slowly as if seeking a place to rest. “They blame me I think!” A trail goes down to the water at our right. I look at the way it is cut into the hillside. It makes me too tired to think of going down there. Yet I would like to go. But it is impossible to explain this to her. She is caught up in other things. I want to speak but there is nothing in my throat. “Also. I was wondering if you would pay for my bicycle chain? I took it to the place and they said it was ruined from when in winter you snow-blowed so much snow on it, remember?” Like having my hand dipped in ice water, I was grateful for the clarity of the pain. “You remember that huge storm?” Suddenly the river seemed to be blowing itself into little dark blue peaks of energy. It felt good to be angry. It made the dead seem less sadly dead and the living seem less sadly alive. I felt myself smiling unpleasantly – a gunfighter figuring odds. Suddenly it was all simple again. Suddenly I just wanted to ride down to the river and hear only the wind.

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I stand at the end of the long avenue of graves and spot her grey Subaru turning into the lot. I decide not to go and meet her – I can’t lay down my bicycle and I can’t wave or shout. The etiquette of death will not allow it. She comes onto the path and walks with the fine wind in her hair. She has a luxurious, shambling, female ex-basketball gait. The first time I saw her I loved that walk and smile before I knew anything. The energy of hope and youth flows through her. I try not to think of the pleasure I have taken with her as I watch that lanky wriggle. I concentrate on the task at hand. But there is nothing else to look at besides the swing of her hip and the way her lower legs kick out happily to the side. Always sneakers or flip-flops – she does not need the height. She never over-did dressing. The tomboy in her never needed to. It is her energy that carries the heart away always. She smiles incongruously but a flicker of regret makes it okay. Cemeteries are lovely places to shed pain, especially if they are stretched out beside a torpid Seekonk River seen just through trees. And in September, the right amount of regret in the changing air makes the pain crisp enough to snap – not like in August when things cling wetly. “Hi there!” she calls. You would think we were in some sort of grimly cheerful commercial – maybe for dentures or making you finally regular again. “Hello.” “This was a good idea!” “You think so?” The eyes she uses to check my face are curious and gentle but not to the same degree. They lack patience. I feel water gathering in my eyes and look at the sun above the far stone gate. I can feel her watching me. “So how are you doing?” I begin to breathe heavy and take the chance to distract myself with the phony business of turning my bicycle around so we can go the other way. It is better walking side-by-side so she can only glance at me. I can smell her. There is no specific registering scent. But I know I am smelling her. I think it is that way with people you really love: their smell is so perfectly a part of you it is un-smellable because it feels like you. I realize I have not answered her and decide that kind of breach is perfectly fine. What difference does it make? The feeling of sickness and weakness seems to enforce my sense of such behavior being okay. My knees seem in danger of folding from weakness. I listen to the scrape of brake on my untrue bicycle wheels and think its plaintive rasp delightful. It speaks for me and seems to dare her to try and go on being cheery. “What an incredible day it is going to be!” I look into the Gaste family plot, its edges jealously guarded with little six-inch granite walls punctuated by cannon balls. The Gaste men don’t have to meet beautiful women and walk

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East Side Monthly September 2010

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In April of this year, I submitted a 2011 budget proposal to the City Council that would continue to meet the service needs of the residents of this city without raising taxes. More than three months later, on Wednesday, July 28, led by the leadership of the Finance Committee, eight members of the City Council chose to disregard the financial impact on the people of the City of Providence and passed a budget levy that imposes an unnecessary tax increase on Providence residents and repeals the non-owner occupied property tax exemption. I explored every possible way to stop the Council from passing a tax increase onto Providence residents. But after conferring the City Solicitor and the staff of the Law Department, Bond Counsel for the City, even outside counsel, it was clear that the City has a legal obligation to set the levy by July 31. Failing to do so, according to the City Solicitor, would have prevented the City from collecting tax revenue and would put City finances in jeopardy because we would be prohibited from sending out tax bills and delivering essential services to Providence families. I am opposed to a tax increase, this repeal and this budget levy, and I did not sign it. With the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country, Rhode Islanders have suffered more than most other Americans as a result of the severe recession that continues to burden this state. This is not the time to punish people who are already struggling to make ends meet with an additional tax burden. Instead, the people of the City of Providence have been punished by a bare majority of the City Council, which has voted to raise their taxes and to repeal a property tax exemption that will raise the cost of rent for the people of this city who can least afford it. East Side City Councilmen Kevin Jackson, Seth Yurdin and Cliff Wood joined me in opposition to this tax

increase and Councilman Jackson led an effort on the floor of the Council to block its passage. Yet eight members of the City Council chose instead to put the City’s good standing in peril by pushing the budget levy approval process to the very brink of its legal deadline, preventing the full Council the opportunity to thoroughly consider the dangerous consequences of this action and precluding me from vetoing this measure without putting critical city services in jeopardy. It is unclear why members of the City Council would vote to impose a tax increase on residents when they haven’t even deliberated or passed the appropriations side of the budget. In other words, they’ve raised our taxes without having any idea how they’re going to spend it! In the face of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the City of Providence has managed to balance property tax burden, service delivery and long-term fiscal security for the residents and businesses of Providence, even with the added challenge of large state cuts in expected revenue and onerous legacy costs in the form of generous pensions, exorbitant cost-of-living allowances, and full health insurance for former City employees. After seven years of strong management practices, the City is on solid financial footing, garnering “A” credit ratings from top credit rating agencies and national recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association. The 2011 budget I proposed would have managed the city’s debt obligations well, continued important capital improvement projects, rejected pressure to impose a new car tax, reduced operational expenses and above all, protected residents from any property tax increase. Instead, eight members of the Providence City Council turned their backs on their obligation to protect the interests, safety, and future of the residents of this city.

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Open Mon-Sun • Open Late Pickup • Delivery • Take-and-Bake 357 Hope Street, Providence • 751-0355 • www.thepizzagourmet.net

Karen Lee of Breathing Time Yoga explains to me that the human body functions on a scale between two states of being: fight-or-flight and the lesser known rest-and-digest. With continuing pressures like the shaky economy, the war and environmental issues, our stress response keeps our bodies in the fight-or-flight mode. The more stress we experience, the greater effect on our health – blood pressure and heart rate go up, digestion becomes irregular, inflammation increases and we get sick more easily. Yoga is one method where you can regain control to calm the body down to its restorative phase and improve your health. “People tell me that they will take a class on Monday and then say they felt good all day on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Karen explains. It is not only because you feel recharged overall, but it directly effects the body for relieving inflammation, increasing immune response, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, increasing digestive efficiency and improving clarity of mind. In addition to working with movement and breath, yoga works with the mind. By learning how to witness without judgment – as a conscious witness – we can avoid knee-jerk reactions that usually increase stress. “We are trying to develop a state of mind known as equanimity,” Karen says. “This is the ability to be present to whatever is happening without reacting automatically.” If you are ready to find out how yoga can beat stress and you’ve never done it before try Yoga for Brand New Beginners. These smaller groups meet for six-week sessions, and they help teach you the basics so you can jump into different class offerings. In addition to over 20 ongoing weekly yoga classes Breathing Time Yoga offers special yoga workshops such as Yoga for Back Care, Yoga for Runners, LifeForce Yoga for Managing your Mood, and Yoga- Nidra for Deep Sleep. Now that the summer is drawing to a close it is a great time to focus on yourself. For expecting mothers there are Prenatal Yoga classes, where the exercises are specifically focused on preparing for birth. Not only are there exercise components working on pelvic strength and proper breathing, but you are joining a supportive group where friendships develop. “I teach them breathing techniques to help them keep calm,” Karen explains. “This is extremely important in delivery.” This class is so beneficial that some women have taken the class all the way up to the day of delivery. There is also Dancing for Birth, which focuses on joyful movement and gathering strength in the hips. When you purchase the 20-class card, the sessions drop to an affordable $10 per class. Take a look at their website, breathingtimeyoga.com, to see all the different classes available. There are even morning classes with childcare services, so you can take relax with Yoga and know your child is happily occupied. Experience this sanctuary and learn to create an inner peace for yourself. Karen says, “Yoga really helps people be a little more at ease in the world.”

Breathing Time Yoga 541 Pawtucket Ave, Pawtucket / 421-9876 www.breathingtimeyoga.com

East Side Monthly September 2010

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The Brown University Faculty Club is now open to non-members for dinner, events, and catering pick up! Non-members are invited to dine at the Club on Thursday evenings in the summer starting Thursday, July 29th (for surf & turf from 5:00 - 7:30 pm) and Friday evenings during the academic year (full menu). Reservations are required 24 hours in advance and can be placed by calling the Club at (401) 863-3023. All are now welcome to book events and order take-away party platters and bakery goods! For more information, directions, and order forms, please visit the Faculty Club website: http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/Faculty_Club/

Also, be on the lookout for more upcoming community-related events at Brown, including: • Summer Skate

September 12 – 3:00-5:45 pm Meehan Auditorium • Brown vs. Harvard Football Game: Under the Lights September 25 – kickoff at 6:00 pm

September 2010 East Side Monthly

calendar

DANCE PERISHABLE THEATRE Wednesdays: Modern Dance with Nikki Carrara. Thursdays: Hop to the Beat hip-hop dance classes. Fridays: Dance Dance Party Party. Sundays: Improvisational Tribal Belly Dance, and Rush Hour Ballet class. 95 Empire Street. 331-2695, www.perishable.org. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Sep 25: Pilobolus Dance Theatre. 220 Weybosset Street. 421-ARTS, www. ppacri.org. THE SPOT Every Wednesday: Belly Dance Classes. Every Thursday: Salsa “On 1” Dance Classes. 286 Thayer Street. 383-7133, www.thespotonthayer.com.

Bert Gallery

GALLERIES & ART EVENTS CONCERTS BEER GARDEN MUSIC SERIES Sep 2: Johnny Lingo. Burnside Park, 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5544, www.kennedyplaza.org. BOSTON POPS CONCERT Sep 4: The Boston Pops, featuring Keith Lockhart and the orchestra, perform at McCoy Stadium. 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. 724-7300, www. pawtucketartsfestival.org. CHOPIN BICENTENNIAL CONCERT: CHOPIN CLUB Sep 23:Benefit for Scholarship Fund. Barbara Speer on piano. 2pm. Music Mansion, 88 Meeting Street. www. chopinclub.org. CLUB HELL Sep 10: The Beautiful Girls. Sep 25: Valient Thorr. 73 Richmond Street. www.lupos.com. FOXWOODS Sep 3: Donna Summer. Sep 5: Trey Songz and Monica. Sep 10: John Foger66

East Side Monthly September 2010

ty. Sep 25: Sheryl Crow with Brandi Carlile. 39 Norwich-Westerly Road, Ledyard, CT. 800-200-2882, www.foxwoods.com.

NOON TUNES WEDNESDAY Thru Sep 29: Free noontime concerts at Burnside Park, 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5544, www.kennedyplaza.org.

LUPO’S Sep 1: Nas and Damian Marley. Sep 8: Thirty Seconds to Mars and Violent Soho. Sep 24: They Might Be Giants. 79 Washington Street. 331-LUPO, www.lupos.com. MET CAFÉ Sep 4-5: Tabanka Jazz. Sep 10: Ryan Montbleau Band. Sep 11: Joe Louis Walker. Sep 17: Jenny and Johnny. Sep 19: Street Dogs. Sep 24: Santa Mamba. Sep 25: Fungus Amungus. See website for additional concerts. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.lupos.com.

RHYTHM & ROOTS FESTIVAL Sep 3-5: 13th annual music fest with swing, blues, New Orleans, R&B, Cajun, and Zydeco. Four music stages, dance lessons, food, family activities, and more! Ninigret Park, Charlestown. (888) 855-6940, www.rhythmandroots. com.

MOHEGAN SUN ARENA Sep 4: Aerosmith, with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Sep 17: Shakira. Sep 20: Alice in Chains. Sep 28: Nickelback, with Three Days Grace and Buckcherry. Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 800-477-6849, www. mohegansun.com.

TWIN RIVER Sep 10: Blondie. Sep 23: Rockin’ for Hunger Tour with Winger, Steelheart, Danger Danger, and Beyond Blonde. Partial proceeds to help fight hunger in RI. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 331-2211, www.twinriver.com.

STADIUM THEATRE Sep 24: Ziggy Returns: A Tribute to David Bowie. Sep 25: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. 762-4545, www.stadiumtheatre.com.

BELL GALLERY AT BROWN Thru Oct 31: John Hay Library Centennial Exhibition, and works by Alison Owen. List Art Center, 64 College Street. 863-2932, www.brown.edu. BERT GALLERY Thru Sep 24: Divine Providence and its Arts Destiny. 540 South Water Street. 751-2628, www.bertgallery.com. FOXWOODS MGM GRAND THEATER Thru Oct 3: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. 39 Norwich-Westerly Road, Ledyard, CT. 800-200-2882, www.foxwoods.com. GALLERY NIGHT Sep 16: Featuring 23 galleries, live music, refreshments, celebrity guides, and free Art Buses. Central Art Bus depot and info booth at One Regency Plaza. www.gallerynight.info. GALLERY Z Sep 1-Oct 2: New Works by Astrid. 259 Atwells Avenue. www.galleryz-

WWW.MORINS.COM | 888 552 7822

The Christian Community of Saint Joseph presents:

Deirdre Sings for The Year of Evangelization Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 pm Find answers in the good news of our Catholic faith as cantor/soloist Deirdre Donovan performs music from the Church year as well as other spiritual song selections. Reception to follow. Admission is free; donations accepted. Please RSVP at 421-9137

92 Hope St., Providence • 401-421-9137 • www.CatholicsComeHome.org

Roger Williams Park Zoo

prov.com. PAWTUCKET ARTS COLLABORATIVE Thru Sep 17: Members/Non Members Annual Open Juried Exhibit. Sep 19-Oct 22: Photography Show with Aaron Usher & Friends. 175 Main Street, Pawtucket. 724-2200, www. pawtucketartscollaborative.org. PROVIDENCE ART CLUB Sep 12-8: Edward Bannister and George Whitaker retrospective at Dodge House Gallery; and works by Reenie Barrow and Penelope Manzella at Maxwell Mays Gallery. 11 Thomas Street. 331-1114, www.providenceartclub.org. RISD MUSEUM Thru Oct 10: Siebren Versteeg: In Advance of Another Thing. Thru Oct 24: Tristin Lowe: Under the Influence. Thru Oct 31: Odyssey: The Photographs of Linda Connor. Thru Nov 14: Designing Traditions Biennial: Student Explorations in the Asian Textile Collection.

224 Benefit Street. 454-6500, www. risdmuseum.org. RI WATERCOLOR SOCIETY Thru Sep 17: Open Juried Show: New England. Slater Memorial Park, Armistice Boulevard, Pawtucket. 726-1876, www.riws.org.

KIDS & FAMILY DISNEY ON ICE Sep 16-19: Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3. Dunkin’ Donuts Center, One Lasalle Square. www.dunkindonutscenter. com. ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO Sep 12: Day of Honor, saluting the men and women who serve our nation and communities. Veterans, members of the armed forces, active and retired police, fire and ambulance personnel, and emergency responders will enjoy free admission. Sep 18: Teacher Appreciation Day. Teachers receive free admission, and three of their guests will receive half-priced admission. September 2010 East Side Monthly

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1000 Elmwood Avenue. 785-3510, www.rwpzoo.org. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Sep 28: Yo Gabba Gabba! Live. 220 Weybosset Street. 421-ARTS, www. ppacri.org.

SPORTS

Nurturing Care and Attention for your Little Angel An extraordinary place for small hands to discover imagine see feel smell tumble stack build sort paint interact sing dance learn with confidence.

Open House Saturday, October 23, 10am-12:30pm Programs for Ages 2-5 years IMS • AMS • IMC • DCYF

www.AngelCareMontessori.com Tel: 401.273.5151 150 Waterman Street, Providence

BROWN FOOTBALL Sep 18: Stony Brook Seawolves. Sep 25: Harvard. Brown Stadium, 400 Elmgrove Avenue. PAWSOX Sep 1-2: Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Sep 5-6: Syracuse SkyChiefs. 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. www.pawsox.com.

THEATER & COMEDY SHOWS CARRIAGE HOUSE STAGE Fridays: Friday Night Live improv troupe. 9 Duncan Avenue. 831-9479, www.everettdancetheatre.org. COMMUNITY PLAYERS Sep 10-12, 17-19: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Musical. Jenks Auditorium, Division Street, Pawtucket. www.thecommunityplayers.org. FOXWOODS Thru Sep 1: Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy. 39 Norwich-Westerly Road, Ledyard, CT. 800-200-2882, www.foxwoods.com.

Call Me For All Your Real Estate Needs Kevin Fox Kevin Fox: Cell: (401) 688-5556 • (401) 553-6388 ResidentialProperties.com • 401.274.6740

Rhode Island’s Real estate Company® Barrington • Cumberland • East Greenwich • Narragansett • Providence

GAMM THEATRE Sep 2-Oct 3: Glengarry Glen Ross. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 7234266, www.gammtheatre.org. PERISHABLE THEATRE Sep 3: Live Bait: True Stories From Real People, where people can share their stories on a monthly theme. 95 Empire Street. 331-2695, www.perishable.org. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Sep 10: A Night with Captain Sig and the Hillstrand Brothers from Deadliest Catch. Sep 30: An Evening with Dr. Maya Angelou. 220 Weybosset Street. 421-ARTS, www.ppacri.org. STADIUM THEATRE Sep 11: Lenny & Friends, the Comedy Event of the Year featuring Lenny Clarke, Ken Rogerson and Tony V. Sep 17: The Vagina Monologues presented by the Encore Repertory Company. Sep 18: The Edwards Twins impersonators. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. 762-4545, www.stadiumtheatre.com.

East Side Monthly September 2010

TRINITY REP Sep 10-Oct 10: Camelot. 201 Washington Street. 351-4242, www.trinityrep. com.

MISC. EVENTS AUDUBON SOCIETY Sep 11-12: Raptor Weekend. Owls, hawks, falcons and other birds of prey will be on view. 1401 Hope Street, Bristol. 245-7500, www.asri.org. BLITHEWOLD GARDEN SOIREE Sep 1: Bring a picnic and blanket, and enjoy wine, cheese, and a performance by the Nate Mott & Jaime Poyant Duet. 101 Ferry Road, Bristol. 2532707, www.blithewold.org. DOWNTOWN FARMER’S MARKET Fridays thru Oct 29: Variety of fresh foods from local growers. Burnside Park, 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5544. GASBARRO’S WINE TASTING Sep 28: Sample hundreds of wine varietals. Also features a silent auction, benefiting the American Cancer Society. Kirkbrae Country Club, Lincoln. 243-2648. MONTHLY MARKET BAZAAR Thru Oct 5: An eclectic mix of food, antiques, books, records, art, and fun! First Tuesday of the month from 11am5pm. Burnside Park, 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5544, www.kennedyplaza.org. MOVIES ON THE BLOCK Sep 2: The Usual Suspects. Sep 9: Airplane! Sep 16: Kill Bill Vol. 1. Sep 23: Bonnie & Clyde. Sep 30: The Outsiders. Free admission, starting at dusk at Tazza, corner of Westminster and Union Streets. 421-0254, www. indowncity.com/news. MS AFTER DARK WINE TASTING Sep 2: More than 200 wines, food stations, and more, all to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, RI Chapter. At the Providence Biltmore. 738-8383, www.msafterdark.com. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW Sep 16-19: One of the largest in-water boat shows in the country, featuring more than 700 boats and 850 exhibitors. Newport Yachting Center, 4 Commercial Wharf, Newport. 8461115, www.newportboatshow.com. NEWPORT MANSIONS WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Sep 24-26: A grand tasting, seminars, restaurant wine dinners, and auctions

Celebrate Chopin’s Bicentennial! Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010, 2pm The Music Mansion 88 Meeting St, Providence

All-Chopin Benefit Concert for The Chopin Club: Scholarship Fund for Young Musicians

Barbara Speer, piano

Featuring Chopin’s Four Ballades & other works “Compelling playing, excellent taste, poetic understanding” –The New York Times Contribution (tax-deductible): $25; f/t Students at door with ID: $10 Tickets/Information: www.chopinclub.org

Sunday, September 26th

Pawtucket:

Slater Memorial Park 3 miles Starting at Field near Carousel Registration 9am and Walk 10am

Newport:

Salve Regina University 3 miles starting at the O’Hare Academic Center Registration: 3pm and Walk 4pm

www.alz.org/ri or call 401-421-0008

781-8280

Kitchens & Baths Painting & Paperhanging House Painting Roofing & Gutters Windows & Doors Vinyl Siding Shingles & Clapboards Insulation Additions & Dormers Cabinet Fronts Lead Abatement

Newport International Boat Show

bring together food and wine experts from around the world. Bellevue Avenue, Newport. 846-1600, www.newportmansions.org. NEWPORT WATERFRONT IRISH FESTIVAL Sep 4-6: Family event with live entertainment and authentic Irish cuisine. Newport Yachting Center, America’s Cup Avenue, Newport. 846-1600, www.newportfestivals.com. PAWTUCKET ARTS FESTIVAL Sep 4: Boston Pops perform with Kenny Loggins; at McCoy Stadium. Sep 11-12: Arts Fest and Stone Soup Folk Festival, at Slater Park. Sep 11: Day for Kids Festival at Boys & Girls Club; and RI Philharmonic performance at Slater Park. Sep 25: Rocktucket ’10, featuring live music, workshops, and art galleries; on Main Street. Sep 25-26: Open Studios: Pawtucket, featuring tours of artist studios. Many other events, including performances by the Community Players and the Pawtucket Film Festival, taking place

citywide in Pawtucket; visit website for more info. www.pawtucketartsfestival.org. RI LIGHTHOUSE CRUISES Thru Oct 30: Sightseeing cruise past 10 lighthouses in Narragansett Bay, 10 islands, the Newport and Jamestown Bridges, and more. Departs at 1347 Roger Williams Way, Quonset Point, North Kingstown. 295-4040, www. rhodeislandbaycruises.com.

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS)

1704 Broad St Cranston, RI 02905

www.wartesani.com

CLASSES, SEMINARS & LECTURES BRIDGE CLUB OF RI Offers daily games to all levels of bridge players. Calart Tower, 400 Reservoir Avenue. 621-0323, www. bridgeclubri.com. INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF RI Offers ongoing classes in English as a second language, from beginner to advanced, every month. Also offers foreign language classes in Spanish, Italian, and French Salon de Conver September 2010 East Side Monthly

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September

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East Side Monthly September 2010

sation. Open to non-members. 8 Stimson Avenue. 421-7181, www.members.cox. net/internationalhouse. KATE’S STUDIOS Offers open figure drawing classes every Wednesday evening from 7-10pm. 109 Summer Street. 440-5997.

gastric band, gastric bypass, etc. Second Wednesday of the month. Kay Auditorium, Roger Williams Medical Center. 521-6310, www.rwmc.org/bariatric_surgery.cfm.

COMMUNITY GROUPS/ PROGRAMS/SERVICES

RI HISTORICAL SOCIETY Thru Oct 15 (Tue-Sat): Benefit Street: A Mile of History walking tours. John Brown House, 52 Power Street. 331-8575 x 45, www.rihs.org.

ADOPTION OPTIONS Free informational meetings for those exploring adoption held every third Thursday of the month at the Adoption Options office, 959 North Main Street. 331-5437.

UNITED CHURCH OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCE AND NEW THOUGHT Offers classes and workshops in meditation and affirmative prayer. Spiritual counseling also available. 292 West Shore Road, Warwick. 732-1552.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY “Man to Man” support group meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Spouses are encouraged to attend. Free admission and parking. 222 Richmond Street. Contact Susan Garland at 444-6735.

VEDANTA SOCIETY OF PROVIDENCE Sundays at 5pm: varied lectures on Vedanta. Tuesdays at 7:15pm: “Gospel of Ramakrishna.” Fridays at 7:15pm: “Bhagavad-Gita.” 227 Angell Street. 421-3960, www.vedantaprov.org.

CANCER INFORMATION SERVICE Cancer prevention is a key focus of the Cancer Information Service. Smokers are counseled, lifestyle risks assessed, and diet guidelines are provided. 1-800-4-CANCER.

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SEMINAR Monthly seminar on weight loss surgery,

CARITAS Outpatient substance abuse program. Offers services including the Intensive Outpatient

Program, treating young people with substance addictions and helping families to cope with the effects of substance abuse. Call ahead for assessment. 166 Pawtucket Avenue, Pawtucket. 722-4644 x 303, www. caritasri.org. EAST SIDE MT. HOPE YMCA Offers a variety of programs available for all ages including fitness classes, martial arts, yoga, senior fitness, play group, ballet, after school and before school child care, and more. 438 Hope Street, Providence. 521-0155. HAMILTON HOUSE Center offers program for active adults 55+, including Kundalini Yoga (Wednesdays), Tai Chi, Non-impact Aerobics (Thursdays), art classes, Shakespeare studies, creative writing, computer lessons, knitting, and more. 276 Angell Street. 831-1800, www.historichamilton.com. NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS (NAMI) Offers support group for family members of people with mental illness. Also offers NAMI Connection Support Groups that meet weekly for people living with mental illness. For times and locations, call 3313060. PROVIDENCE PFLAG Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meets 6:45-8:45pm on the first Wednesday of each month at the Met School, 325 Public St. Non-sectarian volunteer organization to share knowledge and support about our gay relatives. 751-7571, www.pflagprovidence.org. PROVIDENCE OUTDOORS GLBT Social group for local GLBT community. Activities include hiking, walks, day trips, picnics, and more. http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/priog/. RI DEPT. OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES Informational meeting on becoming a Foster Parent held on different times throughout the year. RI Foster Parents Association, 55 South Brow St, East Providence. 4383900. YOUTH PRIDE Offers free support to young persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. 421-5626, www. youthpride-ri.org.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION Volunteers needed to assist with a variety of fundraising activities throughout the year. There is also a need for office assistance.

Hours are flexible. 421-6487. BEACON HOSPICE Volunteers needed to care for hospice patients on the East Side. Volunteers bring compassion, comfort, and assistance to hospice patients at home and in nursing homes. Volunteers also help with grief support groups. Call to register for a free training course. 438-0008. BOOKS BEYOND Volunteers needed for program, which gives prison inmates the opportunity to choose and read books onto audiotape for their own children to receive and keep. Volunteers assist inmates in selecting books and conducting the tapings. Call Sarah Schneider at 401-474-6923 or email slbs02804@yahoo.com.

Expires 9.30.2010

Imagine the Possibilities We deliver decorative concrete solutions to commercial and residential clients • Exposed Aggregate • Colored & Stamped • Sandscape Textures • Pervious Concrete • Custom Floor Finishes

BUTLER HOSPITAL Volunteer help needed in many departments. 345 Blackstone Boulevard. Call the Volunteer Department at 455-6245. COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES Volunteers needed to speak on behalf of abused and neglected children who are involved in the RI Child Welfare and Family Court systems. 458-3330. DORCAS PLACE Literary volunteers needed to tutor adult learners, with basic reading and writing skills as well as GED preparation and ESL. Volunteers also needed to work at the Learning Resource Center, Monday through Friday from 9am and 4pm. 220 Elmwood Avenue. Call Steve Stycos at 273-8866 x 155. EVERETT’S CARRIAGE HOUSE SCHOOL Volunteers needed for after-school performing arts program, and tutors needed to provide homework help to middle and high school students. Volunteers also needed for grant writing, marketing, publicity and graphic design. 831-9479, www.chouseschool.org. FAMILIES FIRST Volunteer one hour a week - visit a new mom in her home to provide emotional support and guidance. Share your hard-earned wisdom in raising a family. 3839933. HOME AND HOSPICE CARE OF RI Volunteers needed to provide comfort and support to those nearing the end of life and to their families. Volunteers can help by providing transportation to patients and their family members, running errands, staying with patients while family members take a needed break or make an appointment, and

“Building green with concrete”

36 Pershing St., East Providence 434-4005 • modern-concrete@comcast.net

Leader’s in Eye Care Since 1927 Dr. David A. Vito Dr. John D. Corrow Dr. Carl D. Corrow • Emergencies Seen Immediately • Same Day Appointments Often Available • Evening and Weekend Hours Available • Glaucoma • Macular Degeneration • Cataract • Diabetic Eye Disease • Designer Glasses • Specialty Contact Lenses

331-2020 • www.AdvancedEyeCareRI.com 780 North Main Street, Providence Ofﬁcial Eye Care Provider of the Providence Bruins

Compass Medical, P.C. Welcomes

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Compass Medical Family Medicine 21 Bristol Drive, Suite 101 Easton, MA 02375

Call 508.565.7300 or visit www.compassmedical.net for more information Dr. Klein also sees patients in the Urgent Care Center

September 2010 East Side Monthly

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providing office support. 727-7070. HOSPICE OF NURSING PLACEMENT Looking for office volunteers to help with administrative duties, as well as patient care volunteers to provide relief to care givers of hospice patients. Opportunities may be in the patient’s home or in the nursing home. You can help by reading to patients, writing letters for them, taking a walk, or just providing companionship. Call Charlie Daniels at 728-6500. LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF RI Volunteers are needed to tutor adult students in either reading or conversational English. Workshops now forming throughout the state. Volunteers will be trained and then matched with a learner to work on a one-to-one basis at a time and place of mutual convenience. 861-0815. MEALS ON WHEELS Needs volunteers to help its great number of elderly residents in the community. Call Valerie Pauley, volunteer coordinator at 351-6700. ODYSSEY HEALTHCARE Hospice provider needs volunteers to enhance quality of life for patients and their families during a terminal illness. Training provided. 827-0011 x 208. OPEN DOORS’ SECOND CHANCE MENTORING PROGRAM Volunteers are needed for this mentoring program, offering support to formerly incarcerated individuals. 781-5808 x 124, www. mgrisi@opendoorsiri.org. PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Volunteers needed to serve as Exhibit Educators and Membership Assistants. Call Megan at 273-5437 x 133. PROVIDENCE RESCUE MISSION Immediate need for volunteers to help develop creative fundraising programs,

• Fine Custom Upholstery and Slip Covers • Custom Window Treatments • Blinds and Shades • Area Rugs and Wall To Wall Carpeting • Paint Selection and Wallpaper • Decorative Consultation 231-1660

2179 Mineral Spring Ave, No. Providence

www.bobfrances.com 72

East Side Monthly September 2010

such as live and silent auctions, develop business directory, and contacting potential supporters. Call Matt at 646-6849. PROVIDENCE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE Volunteers needed for the day-to-day operations of the house, which provides temporary housing for families of hospitalized children. Duties may include light cleaning, cooking, office work, household and garden maintenance, or interacting with families. Shifts available on weekdays and weekends. 45 Gay Street. 274-4447, www.prmh.org. RESEARCH STUDY FOR CAREGIVERS If you are a caregiver for a person with Dementia, you may be eligible to participate in a new study. You will receive resource materials and telephone support calls at no cost. Call Kristi at 444-4528 or email kemerson@lifespan.org. RI BLOOD CENTER RIBC is seeking two volunteers in the greater Providence area to assist with blood pick-up from their mobile donor coach drives. Volunteers use their own vehicles and will receive mileage compensation. For more information, call Christopher Macri at 453-8378 or christopher.macri@ ribc.org. RI COMMUNITY FOOD BANK Food bank welcomes food and monetary donations year round. 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence. 942-MEAL, www.rifoodbank.org. RI HOSPITAL Are you a caregiver for a person with dementia? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a new study for individuals caring for someone with dementia. You will receive resource materials and telephone support calls at no cost. For more information, call Kristi at 444-4528 or

email kemerson@lifespan.org. RI TUTORIAL & EDUCATIONAL SERVICES RITES seeks volunteers for grant writing, marketing and publicity for its services, which provide after-school and summer programming for children with learning differences. 334 East Avenue, Pawtucket. 723-4459, www.ritutorial.org. RHODE ISLANDERS SPONSORING EDUCATION RISE pairs adult mentors with children of incarcerated parents. Mentors spend 1 hour per week with a child at a determined location where they participate in 1:1 activities like board games, arts and crafts, and more. Contact Erica at RISE at 401-421-2010 or ebrown@riseonline. org for more information. THE SAMARITANS OF RHODE ISLAND Volunteers needed to help with The Samaritans of Rhode Island suicide prevention hotline. To learn more, visit www. samaritansri.org or call the business office at 408-272-4243. SINGLES IN M’OCEAN Singles in M’Ocean, a volunteer group for singles, is accepting new members. 8610001, www.singlesinmocean.org. SOUTH PROVIDENCE NEIGHBORHOOD MINISTRIES Volunteers needed for inner-city youth day camp, after-school youth tutoring, adult ESL training, data entry duties, and unloading food trucks. Call Nancy at 4617509. SOUTH PROVIDENCE TUTORIAL Accepting applications for its tutoring program. Tutoring is offered Monday thru Thursday, 2:30-5pm. Also seeking high school and college students to serve as volunteer tutors. 785-2126.

STATE LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM Program is looking for volunteers to train and advocate for residents of long term care facilities, acting in cases of abuse, quality of care or life, or other issues. Call Paula at 785-3340 or email paula@alliancebltc.org. UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY OF RI UCP Rhode Island has many volunteer opportunities available in a variety of departments that are flexible to most schedules. 728-1800 x 107. VOLUNTEER CENTER OF RI VCRI connects people who are looking for volunteer opportunities to agencies throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts that are in need of volunteers. To search for opportunities, or if you are an agency who would like to list opportunities, visit www.vcri.org. 421-6547. VOLUNTEERS IN PROVIDENCE SCHOOLS Volunteers needed to mentor and tutor elementary students during the school day, and tutor high school students after school in its Technology Center. 274-3240, www. vips4kids.org. WOMEN’S CENTER OF RI Seeking volunteers to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in its shelter and on its confidential hotline. There is also a need for child advocates, community outreach, court advocacy and development. 861-2760. YOUTH FOR UNDERSTANDING Welcome an international exchange student into your family for a year or a semester. Call Sarah at 335-3287. www.yfu.org. To have your listing included in the East Side Monthly Calendar, please send press releases or event information to Christina Evon at esm@providenceonline.com. Please send submissions at least one month prior to event date.

classifieds AFFORDABLE MOVERS

â&#x2014;?

1 Piece To Everything Pianos Moved! Apartments â&#x2014;? Homes â&#x2014;? Office Local Movers 7 days/week Student Specials! NY City/Boston Express

Call 331-2112

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100, the deadline for the November issue is September 1, 2010

EAST SIDE HANDYMAN 30 years of remodeling, painting, repairs & prop. maintenance. Refs. Insured. Reg. #3052. 270-3682.

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

A+ INTERIOR PAINTING Fine interiors. 20+ yrs. experience. Highest quality work. Many references. Fully insured. Based on the East Side. (RI Reg. #19226). Call Patrick, 226-8332.

ELECTRICAL SERVICES All types. New circuits. RI #A3338. MA #16083A. Insured. Larry 5292087. Also, small handyman jobs. ETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICE Cleaning homes & offices. Over 15 years experience. Insured. Free estimates. Call 272-0334.

BOOKKEEPER TO GO Professional, experienced bookkeeper for individuals and small business. Louise Zuckerman 742-5420. bookeepertogo@cox.net

Outside & Inside Painting Clean Cellars, Yards & Gargages Install Fences

We also Clean Apartments & Houses Specializing in Removing Boilers and Oil Tanks Bennie Woods Office 438-5708 â&#x2014;? Cell 286-6338 Reg. #6515

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

(401) 831-8693 www.chrislamprepair.com

AUDIO/VIDEO HELP If you need some help with your TV, home theater or stereo, call me at 401-383-4102. Jon Bell, Simply Sight & Sound. Reasonable rates. 25 years of experience.

BUYING OLD PHOTOGRAPHY Also art, fine books, collectibles, etc. Call 401-421-2628. jcvp@cox.net

CHRISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LAMP REPAIR

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

Fall Cleanups Lawns Installed & Restored Aerating For a Healthy & Stronger Lawn Seed & Sod â&#x2014;? Fertilizing â&#x2014;? Planting â&#x2014;? Small Loads Delivered

Free Estimates 497-1461 â&#x2014;? 231-1851

GOOD CRUISE DEALS Call 1-800-827-7779, ext. 4644 or go to bobstravel.cruisebrothers.com

CLEANING BY T.L.C. Fair pricing, quality work & excellence. References. Call Tammy Leite @ 524-2828. COMPUTER SERVICES MAC & PC expert. Consulting/ troubleshooting. Reasonable hourly rates. I make house calls. Call Gabriel at 401-714-1356 or email gabe2004@gmail.com.

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE Spring & Fall Cleanups Bushes Trimmed â?&#x160; Tree Removal Pine Bark Mulch

Landscape Construction Parking Lot Cleaning Handyman â?&#x160; 26 Years Experience

DISASTER RESTORATION Water & flood damage. Smoke, soot & fire damage. Mold, mildew & deodorizing. Security board-ups. 24 hr. service. Insured. Reg. #32914. Call 270-3682. DOG WALKER/PET SITTER Trained to administer medications. Reliable, bonded, references available. Home visits. Call Susan 5273914. Loves animals. DOROTHYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLEANING We clean your home as our own! References & free estimates. Call 401-274-7871 or 401-524-7453.

MG Landscaping 644-7417 â?&#x160; 831-5109

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

TAKE-IT-AWAY-TOM at 401-434-8156 Mobile 401-316-2273 GET IT DONE! CALL TODAY!

FREE CANDLES! Love scented jar candles but hate to pay for them? Earn them free by hosting a candle party! Visit www. DropsofSunshine.net for details or call 401-723-2241. HOUSECLEANER Available Crystal Clean, a quality housecleaning service. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cut corners. Weekly or bi-weekly. We use environmentally friendly products. Bethany 265-0960. HOUSE CLEANING Experienced. Local references. Free estimates. Call Lilly, 401-419-2933. September 2010 East Side Monthly

classifieds

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100, the deadline for the November issue is September 1, 2010

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

All Concrete Services Specializing in all Masonry Repairs Decorative Stamp Concrete No Job Too Small

Chimney Repair

Reg. # 12299

T & T PAINTING

Fanatics in Surface Preparation Interior & Exterior Specialist â&#x153;ś Lead

â&#x153;ś Meticulous Workmanship Certified All Painters have 14+ years experience â&#x153;ś FALL SPECIALS!! â&#x153;ś FREE Written Estimates â&#x153;ś Clean, Neat, Organized â&#x153;ś Huge Senior Citizen Discounts! â&#x153;ś FREE 1 Year Warranty â&#x153;ś BIG or small- We do it all!

No Deposit Required â&#x153;ś Satisfaction Guaranteed â&#x153;ś 20yrs. in Business

944-0336

East Side Monthly September 2010

Reg. #3469

MASTER ELECTRICIAN Install, service, repair. Expert troubleshooting. Free detailed computerized estimate. Deal direct with owner. Lic. #AC 00391 & insured. Small jobs done promptly. All work guaranteed. Save $$$. Family owned & operated. Local resident. Calls returned immediately. 401258-4793, John.

PART-TIME CRUISE SALES Sell cruises, earn money & free cruises. Email cruising experience, name and contact number to: cruisingfree@cox.net

PRESERVE YOUR MEMORIES Photos, slides and papers saved to CD or DVD. Comen Co., 7516200. Email: hcomen@cox.net

PROPERTY MANAGER AVAILABLE 24/7 on call. Rent collection. Rentals, evictions. Call 421-0092. STONE MASON 30 years experience. Design & build, patios, walls, steps, fireplaces. Restoration. Reg. #7445. 641-0362. SUPERB HOUSEPAINTING High end workmanship. Small jobs a specialty. Call Ron 751-3242. Reg. #18128. USED MUSIC WANTED! Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid. Call 351-6292.

Visit

ProVidenceonline.com

WINDOWS - BIG SALE!!! Roofing, chimneys, vinyl & wood siding, sunporch & patios. 18 yrs. exp. Lic. & insured. Refs. Reg. #331222. NECS, Inc. 769-5901.

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Warwick - Gaspee Plateau Impeccable Colonial offers 4 beds, recent updates make this move in! Walk to water $279,900.00

East Side Beautiful fully renovated 2 bed condominium! Mortgage can be held by the seller. $189,900.00

Wayland Square Ofﬁce overlooks the Square. Owner can subdivide to suit needs. $485 to $1200.00/month.

East Side Providence · 9 Wayland Square · Providence · RI 02906 · Phone 273-2050 Providence@engelvoelkers.com · www.engelvoelkers.com/providence · Realtor

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05.08.2010 19:01:57

September 2010 East Side Monthly

E a s t

s i d E

P r o P E r t i E s

President. Spectacular Custom Built Colonial with contemporary decor and fabulous design throughout. Dramatic twostory foyer. Gorgeous designer Kitchen/ Family Room. Spacious Master Suite, 3 additional Bedrooms with baths. Integral 2 car garage and Carriage House. $1,499,000.

Pratt. Outstanding Townhouse w/great city views! Completely redone from the studs! Dramatic living on 3 levels w/elevator. Exceptional new kitchen & baths. Every amenity. Central air. 2 fireplaces. Deck plus private patio. 2 car garage. Walk to city & train! $1,150,000.

Thomas. Live in style in the heart of the city! Stunning views! Spacious open layout flooded in sunlight. Gorgeous details, fireplace, hardwoods, gourmet kitchen. Elevator & garage pkg. Minutes to train/universities. $919,900.

Hazard. Colonial in Freeman Plat- 3 beds and 3 baths. Amenities include elevator, new windows, A/C, eat-in-kitchen with granite, baths with 2 whirlpools and steam shower, family room, hardwoods, sunroom, deck and 1 car garage. $789,000.

Arlington. Gracious, sunny center hall Colonial on premier East Side street. Best of old and new with charming details, updated kitchen, baths, mechanicals. 5 beds, 3.5 baths, 2 car garage, corner lot. Steps to Moses Brown. $700,000’s.

Slater. Much admired elegant and gracious 1920’s hip roof Colonial on oversized lot. Home is ready for extensive updating but well worth the time and effort. Well-proportioned rooms have lots of built-ins plus lovely woodwork detail throughout. $599,000.

Woodbury. Outstanding 1930 Colonial in pristine condition! Pretty details, French doors, oak floors, fireplace. Updated kitchen w/breakfast nook. Private Master bath. Finished lower level with bedroom, full bath, rec room. Garage, large deck, beautiful landscaping. $565,000.

Maxcy. Beautifully maintained single level home in great location! Shingle and brick front Ranch with gorgeous hardwoods, large updated kitchen with granite counters and newer appliances, central air, laundry room, private yard and patio. $480,000.

Prospect. 5 quality Condos in signature brick mansion. Elegant historic details combined with modern amenities. Choose from 1-2 bed units or the spectacular penthouse that occupies the entire top 2 floors. Starting in the high $300’s.

401.274.6740 • ResidentialProperties.com

BARRINGTON CUMBERLAND EAST GREENWICH NARRAGANSETT PROVIDENCE RELOCATION