East Side Monthly November 2013

November 2013

River Views Neighbors debate plans for River Road

Recalling the Gordon Gee Years at Brown pg 23

Donating Books to Help One Man’s Homeland pg 58

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Contents November 2013

This Month 17 Down By the River The debate over River Road

23 Scandal at the University A book review on the expectations of the university lifestyle

24 Holiday Fiction Life lessons, religion and family weave a tale

27 More than a Century Wheeler School celebrates 125 years

28 Brown’s Excalibur A once lost sword is finally returned to the institution

17

An autumn day by River Road

39 On the Menu

49 Calendar

40 Dining Guide

58 East of Elmgrove

A new dinner series at The Olive Tap

Photography: Jonathan Beller

Every Month 4 Letters/Editorial 6 Other Side 5 Community News

Your resource for dining out

43 Education

Capsule reviews on the latest cinematic openings

From the depths of war comes a social conscience

An interview with Hope High's new principal

44 Finance

Long-term planning roadblocks

37 Movies

All the info on November events

47 Art

Grotesquely beautiful sculptures

On the Cover:

River Road photographed

by Jonathan Beller.

FAmily owned And operAted For over 50 yeArs W G N ET I N S LI

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Here, Kitty Kitty A few years ago,

the abandoned Clarke Florist location at 398 Hope Street was the site of a major showdown between developers who wanted to put in a drive thru coffee shop and neighbors who wanted something less invasive to the community. The thought of cars wheeling in and out all day, given the site’s proximity to Hope High, as well as the fact that the site was surrounded by residential houses, was troubling to nearby neighbors. Soon a well-organized email campaign had galvanized the community and produced hundreds in opposition. When the dust finally settled, the neighbors won and blocked the project. The buildings were ultimately bought by Peter Scotti – a neighbor and realtor himself.

Since then, unfortunately, no one has stepped forward with a new proposal and the beautiful greenhouse and 1890 house that adjoins it have been

deteriorating. At long last, Cathy Lund, a well-respected cat veterinarian who runs the successful City Kitty in the Jewelry District, has stepped forward with an exciting new plan for the site. While she proposes demolishing the buildings, which most feel are now too expensive to restore, she promises to replace them with what she describes as “a beautiful building that respects the community by being residential in scale but distinctly urban in character.” The entranceway of the new structure would pay homage to the old greenhouse and given that both Lund and her architect Glen Fontecchio are members of the Historic District Commission, there’s every reason to believe the design should be tasteful and appropriate.

If approved, the new mixed-use project would house Lund’s cat veterinary business plus a smaller adjoining

rental space on the first floor and three apartments on the second floor.

It would blend in with the other existing residences that run up Hope Street both in terms of scale and appearance.

According to an article in ProJo, Kath Connolly, who led the battle against the initial drive-thru coffee house project and still manages a website that follows activity on the site, says Lund has already met with some of the neighbors and the first meetings have been positive.

While we remain preservationists at heart, it appears to us that the Lund plan is an appropriate one for the site given current economic realities and that blending it back into the residential neighborhood while paying homage visually to its distinctive past is the best possible outcome under the circumstances. We hope the project moves forward.

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre Managing Editor Barry Fain City Editor Steve Triedman Executive Editor Julie Tremaine Associate Editor Grace Lentini Editorial Assistant Dale Rappaneau Special Projects Manager John Taraborelli Digital Manager Samantha Pezza Art Director Karli Hendrickson

Letters

Assistant Art Director Meghan H. Follett Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

Make Things Right To the Editor: After suffering through a 45-minute smugfest of self-congratulatory celebration in the guise of a Providence “Community” Library board meeting on Monday September 9 at the Rochambeau Library, I found notably absent from the proud recap of recent accomplishments (NPR! Oh my!) any mention of how PCL Executive Director Laura Marlane managed to alienate the local community by firing muchbeloved Rochambeau Librarian Tom O’Donnell less than a year ago. It took the actual community to raise that point last evening, which we very much did at the end of the board meeting when comments were finally solicited from the public in attendance.

The first was a letter read to the PCL board by Friends of Rochambeau board member Elaine Dickstein expressing the lack of community confidence in the PCL Board in light of recent conduct and events, and calling for a review of PCL bylaws and practice. Community members in attendance went on to point out how a number of the very accomplishments PCL board members were oh-soready to bask in the success of were in fact achieved through the efforts of Tom O’Donnell, the very person they fired.

But what really did it for me was the

4

East Side Monthly November 2013

incredible revelation that the PCL Board has approved a $12,000/year raise for guess who? - Laura Marlane!

How PCL board members can slap each other on the back as they celebrate a year that included the unfair firing of a top-notch librarian, the loss of morale among staff and librarians, the further loss of two key Rochambeau staff librarians, two separate votes of no-confidence from Friends of Library groups (Fox Point and Rochambeau) and an overall loss of community trust, all capped off with a big salary reward for the very ineptitude which precipitated this chain of outrage (raising Marlane’s salary to $90,000/year) is simply beyond me.

In the end, PCL Board President Mark McKenney dismissed the numerous serious issues raised by the community with platitudes about “bumps in the road” and “moving forward.” Mr. McKenney, sometimes what you might like to think are just “bumps in the road” is actually something seriously wrong with the vehicle itself. And when you run people over with that vehicle, just “moving on” is actually called a “hit and run.” I think Laura Marlane should be dismissed, a review of PCL bylaws and employment practice should be initiated, and Librarian Tom O’Donnell should be returned to his former

position. But that would mean there is, in fact, justice, n’est ce pas?

Maurice Methot Associate Professor of Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College Member of the Board of the Friends of Rochambeau Library

For the Love of Writing To the Editor: I read Erin Swanson’s piece in East Side Monthly, [September 2013 “Back to School”] which I enjoyed. I’m from Providence, learned the craft here and live in Fox Point. Writing has always been a part of me. Without it, I doubt I could have managed so many hurdles as well as I did. Her piece suggested she loves the craft as well.

She and I both met a man on a plane.

Hers led to marriage; mine was the gist of a helluva novel about middle-age romance. Since I’m a published travel writer, I spun my tale throughout with “show, don’t tell” images of Spain, Portugal, New York and Little Rhody. The title is A Collector of Affections: Tales from a Woman’s Heart.

The best to her in Portugal with the love of her life. It’s a beautiful country and home to the best pasteis de nata outside of the Portuguese bakery on Ives Street.

Judith Glynn

Graphic Designer Veatsna Sok Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich, Ann Gallagher, Nicole Greenspun, Kristine Mangan, Dan Schwartz, Elizabeth Riel, Kimberly Tingle Classified Advertising Sue Howarth Contributing Writers Bob Cipriano, Michael Clark, Mary K. Connor, Jill Davidson, Mike Fink, Don Fowler, David Goldstein, Betsey Purinton, Elizabeth Rau, Dan Schwartz, Erin Swanson Interns Anita Baffoni, Courtney Melo, Alexa Pacheco, Paige Snyder, Victoria Spencer Contributing Photographers Amy Amerantes, Jonathan Beller, Mike Braca, Katie Poor Contributing Illustrators Maret Paetznick, Eloise Narrigan

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

Copyright ©2013 by East Side Monthly.

All rights reserved. Printed by TCI.

Op-Ed

by M. Teresa Paiva Weed and Gordon D. Fox

Rhode Island fast becoming a “State of the Arts” As the leaves begin

to turn their brilliant autumn colors, many Rhode Islanders’ thoughts will turn to the annual arts festivals that complement the visual splendor of the season. The Pawtucket Arts Festival has just been completed, a three-week extravaganza in a city which has enjoyed economic growth in part fueled by the creative sector. Communities from North Scituate to Wakefield will host festivals before the final leaves fall for the season.

The General Assembly continues to recognize and prioritize the critical impact that small businesses possess as powerful economic engines in building culturally vibrant communities for future generations. Within Rhode Island’s small business community is the rich and diverse creative sector that encompasses nationally distinguished organizations as well as hidden gems, with over 3,000 arts-related businesses employing more than 13,000 individuals statewide. From galleries to acclaimed performing arts establishments, the creative sector continues to grow and flourish in the Ocean State.

This past February, we worked together with Governor Lincoln Chafee to prioritize arts as part of the state’s economic focus. Alongside our partners at Fidelity Investments, the Rhode Island Foundation and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, we launched the inaugural “Rhode Island Arts Charrette,” with over 100 stakeholders representing the arts community, government and businesses at the Smithfield campus of Fidelity Investments. This charrette, or stakeholder planning process, was critical in the development of strategies to further the growth of the Rhode Island arts sector and enhance economic development in the state.

Artists and arts organizations contributed to a shared vision to distinguish Rhode Island as “The State of the Arts.”

In the 2013 legislative session, the General Assembly took several important steps to implement ideas discussed during the Arts Charrette. One of the most significant actions we took was the expansion of the statewide sales tax exemption for the purchase and sale of original works of art. As of December 1, this unique incentive will help to set Rhode Island apart as a

“State of the Arts.”

Since 1996, the state has established local arts districts to provide tax incentives for artists in nine targeted communities around Rhode Island. The statewide tax incentive enacted this year exempts from sales tax all original, one–of-a-kind, limited production creative works of art that were produced in Rhode Island.

We also this year established the “Made in Rhode Island Manufacturing Collaborative.” This collaborative will provide a locally designed “Made in Rhode Island” logo to appear on locally produced goods and services and bolster efforts to increase consumer demand for locally made products.

Another new law will provide Rhode Island museums that are fortunate to benefit from the generosity of individuals and organizations a legal process to follow when long-term items or collections that were donated are no longer needed for display. This new process will allow museums the ability to exhibit, conserve, transfer or dispose of items without risk of liability.

The General Assembly passed a resolution to establish the Rhode Island State of the Arts Planning Task Force, under the direction of the Governor, which will work to convene stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategic plan and to identify specific action steps that can be taken to attract, retain, support, expand and market the arts and associated creative industries in Rhode Island.

Legislation was also enacted to offer critical tax relief for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School, to assist with continued economic growth and prosperity.

We are all collective partners in these efforts – the Senate and House, Governor Chafee’s administration, the non-profit sector and the business community. With all of us working together, our vision for Rhode Island to become “The State of the Arts” will become a reality.

M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D – Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) is President of the Rhode Island Senate. Gordon D. Fox (D – Dist. 4, Providence) is Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

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Other Side by Barry Fain

The Cat Lady Cometh New plans presented for Clarke’s Florist Site City Kitty Looking Pretty

Cathy Lund, a cat veterinarian and owner of City Kitty in the Jewelry District, has presented a proposal to develop the former site of Clarke’s Florist on Hope Street near the high school.

The buildings were purchased by real estate agent Peter Scotti at auction but until recently had been tied up in court over title issues. The property had been abandoned since a plan for a drive-thru coffee shop was shot down in the face of significant neighborhood opposition. Lund’s plan would involve demolishing the existing buildings but replacing them with a two-story structure that would include a greenhouselike entranceway to pay homage to the building’s past. The first floor will house Lund’s business plus a second smaller retail space. Three apartments would occupy the second floor. Initial neighborhood response appears to be positive. Check our editorial in this issue for more specifics and our take on the project.

Sticker Shock

Given the disappointing results of its overnight parking permit plan to date – instead of the hoped for 10,000 permits at $100 apiece, only about 1,500 have been sold – the City is unveiling Plan B. The idea is to sell permits at $200 for out-of-state student vehicles.

Apparently state law permits students to avoid registering their cars, hence the new overnight sticker plan. Initial response from the City Council’s Ways & Means Committee has been less than enthusiastic. Neighborhood groups are expected to weigh in next. Somehow we naively believed the idea was to discourage student-owned cars parking on the East Side. Both Sam Zurier (representing College Hill) and Seth Yurdin (representing Fox Point) have voiced concern over the new initiative.

Dealing with Tunnel Vision

The recent tour of the long abandoned East Side railroad tunnel that runs underground from North Main

6

East Side Monthly November 2013

Street (near Mills Tavern) all the way to the ball fields at Gano Street has everyone excited. The tunnels come with a fair degree of urban myth that runs the gamut from slave running to Lovecraftian type speculation. True there were some classic RISD parties held there, but that was decades ago.

Ed Fitzpatrick of the ProJo reported how an architectural design class at Roger Williams, taught by Jonathan Bell, is studying the problem and has come up with some ideas. Among them: a tunnel bar modeled after ones in London and Northampton, MA; a pneumatic tube ride for kids; a museum to honor Lovecraft’s underground Cthulhu mythos perhaps.

More prosaic, but perhaps more practical ideas include connecting bike paths or underground parking for downtown workers. Councilmen Sam Zurier and Seth Yurdin, under whose wards the tunnel runs, wisely talk up the need for creativity and perhaps design competitions, though also stressing that there needs to be an economic reality check to all this as well. One interesting idea: Create a “Providence Low Line” to parallel the NYC High Line, the-one-and-ahalf mile park in Manhattan that has turned an abandoned elevated train line into a major international tourist site. (Stages one and two cost about $150 million to build we’re told, though they are gorgeous.) Given the state of our economy, we’d suggest we ought to scale our tunnel vision down to more practical size. Then again we are the city that moved rivers not too long ago…

CHNA Annual Meeting set for November 20

A new plan for Thayer Street? Increasing crime around Brown? Proposed changes in overnight parking? A fairer way to tax the East Side? These are just some of the questions facing College Hill residents that will be answered during the College Hill Neighborhood Association (CHNA) annual meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November

Architectural rendering for the proposed New City Kitty

20 from 6 to 8:30pm at the Lippitt House on the corner of Hope and Angell Streets. Appropriate city officials will be on hand to explain all.

Everyone is invited and there will be refreshments to complement the latest updates on what’s happening within our community. For the information on the event go to the group’s website at www.collegehillna.com. If nothing else, it’s a great way to meet your neighbors.

The Return of an Old Friend and the Arrival of a New One

Two interesting items in terms of the local business community. Joe DoVale, the former owner of East Side Eyewear, will be returning to Wayland Square as the new manager of Opt Eyewear. Meanwhile down on South Main Street, the popular Dave’s Coffee of Charlestown will be opening a new coffee shop in the space that formerly housed Soma and Sir Winston’s Cigar. Welcome to the neighborhood to them both.

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Start your Snow Blowers

Sure the weather has been downright pleasant lately, and we haven’t needed to hit the heat buttons at home too much... yet. But despite our attempts to deny it, winter is indeed right around the corner. Need proof? The Bank of America

skating rink downtown officially opens for business on November 21! The place remains a wonderful community resource and a great place for that cheap date. Call 331-5544 with any questions or access their website at www.kennedyplaza.org.

Support our Local Merchants

Usually Chanukah and Christmas both fall in December. But because the Jewish calendar is a lunar one, the Chanukah dates float and this year the timing is off. The first day of Chanukah actually begins the evening before Thanksgiving. As a result, we’re moving our annual plea to our readers to support our local merchants up a month this year.

East Side Monthly is a free publication but obviously wouldn’t be without the support of our advertisers. With their help, we continue to be the voice of community and a forum for the interchange of your ideas for almost 40 years now. Which is why we urge you, as you begin your holiday shopping, to support our local merchants. They for the most part are our neighbors, who often know us by name, who occasionally provide jobs for our kids and who realize that if we aren’t treated fairly, we’ll tell our friends. In these challenging economic times, they deserve our patronage. So go do the right thing.

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Fox Point

by John Rousseau Fox Point Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 270-7121 Website: www.fpna.net Email: fpna@cox.net Mailing Address: P.O. Box 603177, Providence, RI 02906 Events This Month FPNA Board Meeting, 7pm, Monday, November 12 in the Community Room at the Vartan Gregorian Bath House Library, 455 Wickenden Street.

Serious Crime up on the East Side Lt. John Ryan reports that his officers have arrested four individuals, two of whom could be listed as violent repeat offenders, in recent incidents on the East Side. Preemptively, the officers “grabbed an active gang member from Missouri,” in the Trenton-Ives Street area on a warrant, after noticing gangrelated markers in his appearance.

The other offender, who was arrested for carrying a gun on the street, is a new resident of Fox Point in the GovernorFremont Street area, Lt. Ryan said. “We don’t want to alarm people, but we want them to be aware,” Ryan added.

“It seems landlords are not doing duediligence before renting their units in the neighborhood recently.”

The surge of violence on the East Side was confirmed by Russell Carey, Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy at Brown University, at a recent Community Working Group that FPNA board members attended at the end of September. “There has been a steady decline in Brown-affiliated crime until 2011 and 2012,” Carey said, noting that there were 21 incidents in 2013, nine of which were violent crimes with “greater intensity.”

Brown has been steadily increasing their police force since 2006, when their police were allowed to carry guns, he points out. “In the last ten years, we have added 40 officers” in College Hill and the Jewelry District, an area that Brown is expanding, he added.

“We’re now working very closely with Providence Police on joint patrols in the

same cars,” he continued, noting that the City’s Robbery Squad is heavily involved. Additionally, Brown is expanding their shuttle program, while the Thayer Street Merchants’ Association is paying for patrols from 10pm to 3am, on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Many of these incidents are not listed on the City’s Crime map, www.providenceri.com/police/crime-map FPNA’s Board has been looking for a new board member interested in monitoring, reporting and working with Lt. Ryan on crime-related issues. If you would be interested in volunteering a few hours a month for your neighborhood and its association, contact us at 270-7121 or fpna@cox.net.

Lt. Ryan said that if you hear shots fired or see an imminent danger, call 911. For other calls, the precinct number is 243-6991.

City Expands Permit Parking to Students In early October, FPNA learned that the City has expanded its pilot resident permit parking program so that it now allows students with out-of-state licenses to purchase a permit for $200 a year.

The program that was initiated in April 2012, lifted a ban on overnight parking by allowing the City’s residents with vehicles registered in Rhode Island to purchase a $100-a-year on-street parking permit. As the 18-month pilot project nears an end, the City has issued 1,250 permits – less than its projections, according to City Parking Administrator Leo Perrotta. Perrotta, who presented his report to the City Council’s Ways and Means Committee in early October, said Fox Point residents lead in the number of active permits at 894, significantly ahead of Federal Hill in second place.

“We’re continuing to see demand,” Perrotta said, indicating that the City has made roughly $130,000 from the program when the guest parking permits, which cost $25 and allow purchasers to park on the street a maximum of five times, are included. There has been no trouble with cars blocking snow removal because the City contacts permit owners through e-mail to remind them to move their cars, Perrotta said.

He pointed out that only students who live off-campus in apartments of five or less units qualify for a permit.

So far, they have sold 33 permits to students since September 9 (at publication deadline date of October 3.)

Perrotta points out that the project will discourage backyard paving and the growth of parking lots on

residential streets, which is important to eventually reduce storm-water runoff into the city’s waterways.

It is unclear how much revenue has been raised from issuing tickets to motorists who park on the street without a permit, he said. The City of Providence recently admitted that it has been unable to collect millions of dollars owed by people, who are not paying parking tickets in general.

Councilman Seth Yurdin expressed concerns that increased student parking would take away space for residents and provide less pressure for Brown University to provide parking for their students. The full council will decide the issue at a regular meeting.

Blackstone Parks

by Jane Peterson Blackstone Parks Phone Number: 270-3014 Website: www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org Mailing Address: P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906 Who Owns the Blackstone Parks?

These oddly paired oases in our urban landscape, the Boulevard and the Blackstone Park Conservation District, are owned by the City and tended by the Providence Parks Department. So when you are reveling in the sights and sounds or just the peacefulness of the Boulevard and the woodland and ponds beside the Seekonk River, remember: this beauty belongs to you.

But just what does owning the parks mean? The first thing that comes to mind is pleasure. Without pleasure, ownership can be just a headache.

The goal of enhancing pleasure and, it goes without saying, the sustainability of the parks is what motivates Blackstone Parks Conservancy (BPC) volunteers and other, often anonymous, people to help clean up the parks, to lend a hand in trail maintenance, planting and weeding or simply to keep an eye on things. The latter task is increasingly important. Whatever you do, helping to sustain these somewhat fragile parks is satisfying.

The parklands are heavily used – “loved to death,” as one forester described the woodland – with negative consequences for plants and wildlife.

Unless we intervene to mitigate the

impact of this affection, nature cannot rebound adequately.

Some damage is unwitting. Simply by not noticing the effects of their actions, people may worsen stormwater runoff and erosion. It may seem harmless for a runner to jump over the log edge into the woods in order to pass a group of walkers on the trail, for example, but trampling “weeds” without noticing the role they play in holding soil in place, or heedlessly packing down soil that then becomes impervious to water, speeds erosion of precious topsoil.

While the great majority of people respect the parks and see themselves as sharing these treasures with others, some don’t think of themselves as coowners but as sole owners entitled to do as they please.

A few individuals feel entitled to do harm in the woods. We encounter some who resent city and Conservancy efforts to keep people on the trails. One regular visitor complained about always being told to “Go here, don’t go there, do this, don’t do that… ” One or two may rip off a branch in defiance, or casually break a sapling in two. Or worse.

One visitor who claims to love the park routinely vandalizes the work of the trail-lining team that strives to protect the woods – the Parks Department, DEM and volunteers from the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), the BPC and Friends of Blackstone Woods. No small effort goes into trail lining, starting with BPC’s applying for a DEM matching grant to pay for the logs and stakes, finding and then managing volunteers and giving up a Saturday morning.

Of course, it’s fun being part of a team of people who enjoy working in the woods, and there is pride, too, so it’s a good trade-off. Unless you return Sunday or Monday to find that a vandal has deliberately broken off a number of the stakes that hold the logs in place and, where possible, rolled them down the hill. As the Conservancy takes on more and more work in the woodland, it will be a challenge for us all to keep our eyes open to see if any of this destruction can be prevented.

Happily, BPC and AMC volunteers are not easily discouraged. The word “all” in the Conservancy’s vision of Healthy Urban Green Space for All means not just everyone today, but tomorrow’s children as well, as we are ever mindful.

Education is a growing and especially enjoyable part of our work.

The Boulevard Thanks to grants from America the November 2013 East Side Monthly

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Community News Beautiful and Senator Donna Nestlebush paired with work done by the Parks Department, the Conservancy is installing eight new trees on the Boulevard. Half will replace old trees, and some will be planted near old trees that are not expected to last much longer. A small grove of magnolias will be planted at the intersection of Rochambeau to replace the two large old trees we lost in the tropical storm two years ago.

Events November 2 - AMC Trail Work Day, 9am-12pm.

Please keep sending your East Side Marketplace receipts to the address above. They add up and we thank you for your trouble!

Summit

by Kerry Kohring Summit Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 489-7078 Website: www.SummitNeighbors.org Email: sna@sna.providence.ri.us Mailing Address: SNA, PO Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940 Annual Yard Sale Attracts Throng The SNA-sponsored yard sale this year drew scores of people, with some participants showing up two hours before the opening bell.

The front and side yards of the Church of the Redeemer on Hope Street accommodated at least 24 registered sellers of everything from small household items to baby strollers, boat paddles and clothes. Dozens of buyers made their way through the tables, most of which were provided

by SNA for a $5 fee above the $15 space-reservation cost. A few sellers brought their own display platforms for the sale, which ran from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, September 21.

One participant said that although she had not yet counted up her total sales this year, she made about $600 last year. Satisfied buyers were seen lugging armloads of discoveries to waiting vehicles.

Father Patrick Campbell of the host church mingled with the crowd and a member of his congregation had set up a computer slideshow of events at the church over the last year. They both said they welcomed the opportunity to socialize with their neighbors.

Missing this year was any musical accompaniment, but organizers said they would make every effort to remedy that for next year.

Newsletters Distributed, More to Come The SNA September newsletter was hand-delivered by an army of volunteers to all households in the neighborhood and to many residents on the periphery of Summit. It is also available on the association’s website.

The four-page publication, printed on bright green paper, comes out in winter, spring and fall, so expect the next issue in January or February.

Residents Invited to Directors Meetings Although the September meeting was called off after a busy summer, the board convenes at 7pm on the third Monday of every month in the cafeteria of Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Ave. The meetings are open and neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend. Minutes of all board meetings are posted on the SNA web site under “Meetings and Agendas.”

Brown Street Park

by Wendy Nilsson Friends of Brown Street Park Phone Number: 454-8712 Website: www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org Email: wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org Mailing Address: 30 Pratt Street, Providence, RI 02906 7th annual Fiends of Brown Street Park Children’s Halloween Party and Parade Thursday, October 31, from 4–5:30pm.

Kids can join in on the ghoulish games, creepy crafts and demented decorating projects, while filling up on pizza and healthy snacks. At 5pm, jump in as What Cheer Brigade honks, blasts and bangs their way along a neighborhood parade route. Consider it a wholesome warm-up to the night’s main event. Please contact wendy@ friendsofbrownstreetpark if you have scary skills you’d like to volunteer.

Sponsored by “Fiends” of Brown Street Park, East Side/Mt Hope YMCA, CrossFit Providence and Whole Foods University Heights, The Wheeler

School Students, Southside Community Landtrust, The Gordon School, Music for Children and Providence Athenaeum.

Visit www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org for more details.

Free, but donations are always nice!

Join us for the 2nd Annual Winter Solstice Event. Singing, smores and more details TBA, December 21 from 6-7:30pm. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer to help or lead some singing!

Please contact wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org to find out how you can donate or get involved in Brown Street Park or visit www. friendsofbrownstreetpark.org. Check the website for cancellations and updates for classes and events. To find out what other parks in Providence are doing, check out www.providenceparks.org.

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by David Kolsky Neighborhood Discussion Group at Books on the Square Website: groups.yahoo.com/group/ waylandsquare Monthly Meetings 7 to 8:45pm Wednesday, October 23, Books on the Square, 471 Angell Street at Elmgrove, next to CVS. Free and open to all. At this writing, our November and December meetings had not yet been scheduled because of conflicts with the holidays, so check the schedule at our Yahoo! Group or in the bookstore’s window.

Local News The proposal for a large apartment block at 207 Waterman Street apparently became moot after the property was sold.

The former site of Clarke’s Flower Shop, not on Wayland Square but nearby on Hope above Olney (near Hope High School), may be on the Zoning Board of Review’s agenda in November. A local veterinarian would like to replace the current building with professional offices below a single floor of apartments. (More details, designs and developments at http:// www.preservehopestreet.org. ) An experimental closing to traffic of

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River Road (by the Seekonk) on the weekend of September 21-22 proved inconclusive after some drivers started to pass around the temporary road barriers. Perhaps the barriers’ purpose could be more clearly marked for any repeat demonstration.

Re: Zoning Providence In 2006, after many neighborhoods and preservationists protested what had become essentially “spot zoning” (build first, then fit the local zoning and city-wide plan to fit the building, rather than the other way around), the Mayor and city council started a new public planning process called “Providence Tomorrow.”

Providence Tomorrow began with over a dozen separate multi-day workshops (“charrettes”) in different neighborhoods and districts of the city. One covered Wayland Square, College Hill and Fox Point, and another the rest of the East Side (Summit, Mount Hope and Blackstone).

While participation was very far from an exact representative sample of Providence’s people, hundreds of residents, groups and businesses spoke or contributed to at least one workshop.

The City Plan Commission, appointed by the Mayor, then used the workshop reports, plus advice from the City’s Planning and Development department, to revise the city’s Comprehensive (or Master) Plan, which is supposed to govern the zoning for individual neighborhoods and business districts.

After the city council’s approval of the revised Comprehensive Plan, the process has finally reached the beginning of its last stage, rewriting the zoning ordinance to fit the plan.

The planning department and commission have hired an experienced Chicago consultant to start this stage (called “Re: Zoning Providence”) by visiting different neighborhoods, holding public meetings and soliciting local opinions on how best to rewrite zoning laws.

At the same time, the consultant is trying to consolidate related provisions and definitions, added to different sections of the zoning ordinance over the years, to make them easier to find. The consultant also wants to replace general, and thus vague, ends (such as less noise, asphalt or signage) with easierto-judge specifications (such as decibels, dimensions or percentages).

Commercial Notes After POW! Science’s retreat back to Wakefield, Comina is now leaving the

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East Side Monthly November 2013

opposite side of Wayland Avenue and Medway Street.

The furniture and home furnishings business has been on the same block of Wayland for 20 years, either near this corner or at Wayland & Angell (now Alex+Ani), and in the depths of the last slump was one of the few active businesses on the Square itself.

(Other Comina stores remain open in Massachusetts and Connecticut.)

Household furnishings are still available at Butterfield’s, the Runcible Spoon and Wendy Brown Linens.

On the positive side, Lim’s Asian restaurant has completed its expansion into the former site of Mod Mama maternity shop. The street level of South Angell Street’s northern side (facing Alex+Ani) is now a solid row completely devoted to food and drink, with l’Artisan bakery, Lim’s and Minerva’s pizza.

More Local News Check our Yahoo! Group’s public message board (above) to stay abreast of current local events and issues. Or join the group to receive regular announcements by e-mail, including select notices of neighborhood meetings, civic affairs and cultural events.

College Hill

by Allison Spooner College Hill Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 633-5230 Website: www.collegehillna.com Email: chna@collegehillna.com Mailing Address: CHNA, P.O. Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906 Save the Date for the CHNA Annual Meeting CHNA members and those curious about CHNA are welcome to attend the CHNA Annual Meeting set for Wednesday, November 20 from 6 to 8:30pm at the Governor Henry Lippitt House at 199 Hope Street in Providence. Enjoy drinks and refreshments while viewing the lush interior of the Lippitt House Museum at the start of the evening. Our formal presentation features Re:Zoning Providence, the comprehensive overhaul of the City of Providence Zoning Ordinance. This project serves to preserve, strengthen and protect the historic pattern of development and revitalize further development to accommodate additional economic growth.

Participation and discussion with the Director of Long-Range Planning from the Department of Planning and

Development is welcome! Have questions about local issues outside of zoning? Open discussion with CHNA Board members about updates, progress, and efforts will follow. Additional details will be provided on our website at www.collegehillna.com and in our newsletters.

We hope to see you then!

Tax Increase for the East Side The City Council has established a special commission to study tax revaluations. The Commission will review the revaluation standards and procedures that currently apply in Rhode Island and Providence, and to recommend possible reforms to state law and internal procedures. Councilman Sam Zurier asked the City Council to form this commission after this year’s revaluation, which resulted in tax increases in the East Side of up to 15%, even though the City’s overall tax increase was less than 6%. The Commission will review the dramatic swings in valuation over the last three cycles (2007, 2010 and 2013). Over the next three months, the Commission will complete its review and prepare a report, which is expected to contain proposed reforms to State law and internal procedures to better manage future revaluations. CHNA is strongly opposed to the disproportionate tax increase. We will have a representative attending all public meetings of the Commission and monitor the progress.

Thayer Street Planning Study Update November is now the target month for the next public meeting of the Thayer Street Planning Study. Details on the meeting day and time will be provided on the CHNA website and in our enewsletters. To review the Thayer Street Planning Study presentation, please visit www.providenceri.com/planning/ thayer-street-planning-study.

Email comments to planningcomments@ providenceri.com. Please participate by submitting comments and attending the upcoming public meeting.

Join CHNA To become a new CHNA member (or renew), for only $20 per year, visit our website, www.collegehillna.com and click “Join CHNA.” Checks may be made out to CHNA Attn: Treasurer, Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. Be sure to include your email and mailing address.

More on the CHNA Website Visit www.collegehillna.com for additional updates on special use permits, crime activity, local resources, events and neighborhood activities.

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Debating River Road's Future Some neighbors are suggesting the city should shut down car traffic on the street. But should we keep it the way it is?

Written by Michael clark PhotograPhed by Jonathan Beller

iver Road is a ribbon of asphalt that runs along the bank of the Seekonk River from Irving Avenue to Richmond Square.

The Blackstone Woods, an area laced with trails, marches up to the edge of the road from the west. On summer mornings, it is quite beautiful down there. The fog rises with the sun, revealing the broad, placid Seekonk River, its smooth surface cut only by the occasional gliding rower.

Visitors can easily sit in the meadow, the patch of grass across from the Narragansett Boat Club, and forget that there

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was bustling city just behind them and over the hill. The morning wears on; the rowers have packed up and gone so the river empties, but the road fills with commuters, many bypassing congestion on the boulevard.

At dusk, the rowers return to the river and cut straight lines in its surface. Latino fishermen and their families set up picnic dinners on the riverbank. They park their cars on the side of the road, spread out blankets, set up chairs, cast a few lines, eat dinner and have a few beers while the kids run off a little energy. It’s perfect for still-warm evenings: the air by the river has cooled, and the east-facing bank affords views unimpeded by sun glare

across the river. Evening commuters return, too. They occupy the lane that the fishermen have left open, and they often drive fast. The road and the river are busy.

But other things happen. Hands pass each other, making illicit exchanges. Cars, rendered suspicious-looking by their slow crawl, by the fact that they’ve now passed several times, roll in loops. And the driver, usually a man, with his hat pulled down and shades tight, scans the scene. Men exit parked cars and enter the woods and emerge again a few minutes later. Men sit in parked cars and wait.

While gay cruising is generally known to exist along River Road, a

compromise seems to exist between neighborhood residents and the gay community. Now however, a determined group of neighbors, at least two of which are members of the Blackstone Parks Conservancy, feel that a better use of the beautiful area would be to close off River Road to vehicular traffic and convert into a well-designed park that would encourage more usage by residents. To test their theory, they persuaded Councilman Sam Zurier to close off the road for a weekend test in September. Other neighbors aren’t so sure and speculate whether closing the road to cars might create more problems than it would solve.

November 2013 East Side Monthly

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recently took a walk along River Road. It was Saturday, September 21. A small group of concerned neighbors had convinced City Councilman Sam Zurier to support a temporary road closure to test their proposal to close River Road permanently to traffic. I parked on Irving Avenue, just up the hill from River Road. A few cars were parked next to mine. Each had a man sitting in it. I strode down the hill, past the temporary barricades, one of which appeared to have been tossed aside, and onto River Road.

I remember thinking how desolate it was when a man on a bike suddenly materialized at my shoulder. He asked the time, and I gave it to him: 1:05pm. He coasted along, turning what seemed like every few seconds to have a look at me, until he suddenly took a hard right turn, coasting into an access road at York Pond. He stopped 20 yards off the road and stood up, the bike between his legs, and craned his neck to watch me walk by, which I did with great gusto, desirous to make my destination seem far off.

I walked all the way to Richmond Square, a car passing me on the way. At the square, the blockades, cheap plastic affairs, had been cast aside. I made my way to South Angell and then to Paterson Street before stopping at Paterson Park to examine the bulletin board there, in the hopes that the group behind the River Road closure proposal would have posted something. And sure enough they did: a piece of white copy paper was posted, on the top of which was typed “Petition to Close River Road.” I sent an email to the address listed and my phone rang three minutes later. Ten minutes later I was face to face with the de facto leader of the Coalition for the Seekonk Riverside Reclamation, Rick Richards. ichards and I sat on a bench in Paterson Park and discussed the situation. Recently, he said, the road was closed for dredging at York Pond. The neighbors

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East Side Monthly November 2013

loved it. The road, free of cars, was a safe place to walk and to enjoy the scenery. Families were down there. The crime largely disappeared. When the road re-opened, he said, the conversation centered on how to keep the road permanently closed to traffic.

Richards and a group of people, including Jon Ford, developed a conceptual plan which, according to literature on the petition, addresses five main issues: access to the waterfront, crime prevention, safety for families and children, improved bike path and controlling stormwater runoff and pollution.

On the back of the petition was a depiction of the phased proposal.

Phase I extends from Angell Street to Irving Avenue and includes closing the road to traffic, except for a small section at the NBC boathouse to be used for parking, modifying the existing road to a multiuse bike path, planting trees along that bike path, implementing storm water management solutions – including riverbank restoration – and building public docks and plazas. Phase II extends south from Angell Street to Richmond Square and entails modifying the existing road to create a multiuse bike path, planting trees along the path and implementing storm water management measures including riverbank restoration. Ford, a local engineer, resident and coalition member, has lead the effort to design and render the conceptual plans for the proposal. He notes, “It is not a road closure, it is a transformation.”

Richards says that a major objective is to provide a usable waterfront park to bring people into the area and cut cars out, for the purpose of mitigating crime and environmental issues. Neighbors complain about men having sex in the woods and men soliciting other men for sex and drug dealing. Al Dahlberg, a local resident, says, “I’ve gone walking through the woods and seen men having sex. It’s an issue that’s been going on for decades.” According to Richards and Dahlberg, people don’t feel safe

bringing their families into the Blackstone Woods or down to River Road.

Stormwater is another major issue.

According to Ford, York Pond was designed as a sedimentation basin, but it is failing. It fills with sediment and on rain events burps plumes of sedimentladen water into the river. A 2012 annual storm water system report to the Department of Environmental Management states that the storm water system at York Pond, which consists of an energy dissipater and sediment forebay, the only structural Best Management Practice the city maintains, is “not maintained and ineffective.” Another issue is that storm water on the road currently discharges directly to the river via concrete spillways. Lack of storm water controls has also resulted in severe riverbank erosion. Areas of severe erosion are visible.

The coalition presented the plan to Zurier, who agreed to set up a public meeting to present the proposal. The meeting was held July 11 at Nathan Bishop, and about 50 people showed up. Zurier, a measured speaker, says, “There were strong views on both sides.” The proponents hail the environmental and crime mitigation benefits.

The opponents like to drive down the road to enjoy the scenery or use the road as a bypass to a congested boulevard and they point out that another similar car-free space already exists down there: Gulf Avenue.

Despite this opposition, Richards has set out an aggressive schedule. The goal is to permanently close the road by spring, something that will probably require a city council vote. I ask him how many people have signed the petition.

“Oh, I don’t know, ten or 15.” I ask him about the Blackstone Parks Conservancy, that plays a major role in managing the Blackstone Woods. “Though I sit on the BPC board, I do this work independently. They are an apolitical organization. I bet they won’t even comment on it.” Jane Peterson, the BPC president, confirms this. “The BPC is swamped with its mission-related work and though I personally see the potential for the area, the organization doesn’t have the capacity to take a position on the proposal. Though Jon and Rick sit on the BPC board, they act independently.” ay cruising, as it were, on River Road goes back awhile. Lt John K. Ryan, of the Providence Police Department’s 9th District, says, “the area has been a gay cruising area for a long time.” Dahlberg, a local resident, characterizes the crime issue as “pervasive,” and says, “I’ve lived there for 12 years and I’ve witnessed men having sex with men in the woods, and they give you this look like you’re the one invading their privacy.”

The debate over how to handle the crime issue, particularly dealing with

G

drug deals and illicit sex, has been ongoing for decades. Two 1996 Providence Journal articles describe what sounds like a particularly ugly episode.

In response to a spate of neighbor complaints, then City Councilwoman Rita Williams called a public meeting to discuss solutions. The result was a police crackdown, but there was blowback. In an article published July 9, 1996 with the headline “Police defend increased River Road vigilance,” one gay man, after being aggressively questioned while sunbathing, asserts, “I feel my civil rights have been heavily compromised.” A 1997 Providence Phoenix article on the crackdown notes that activists argued that gay sex, not public sex in general, “seemed to ignite the passions of nearby residents.”

Kate Monteiro, a long-time activist and former president of the RI Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, remembers those days. “It was a really bad time. Undercover policemen were pretending to be gay. They were arresting people doing legal things, like meeting to get a cup of coffee. It was harassment.” Lt Ryan confirmed that undercover stings were in fact carried out by the Providence Police in the late 1990’s as part of an effort to combat sex and drug crime in the area. Monteiro and other activists passed out flyers along the road, educating people of their rights. They met with the police and recommended ways to properly police the area, including mounted police patrols, something the police are doing now, albeit only once or twice a week, according to Ryan.

Monteiro doesn’t have a position on the proposal, but notes that the LGBT community supports any effort to combat illegal sex. However, she adds that the prevalence of the sex crime at River Road may be overblown. “People may make a report on an activity that actually isn’t happening.” She also notes that many men in the park have an expectation of privacy, a widely held legal test for defining the scope of privacy protections under the Fourth Amendment dealing with the locations and situations where people can reasonably expect privacy. When I mention this to Lt Ryan, he says, “Sex of any kind in a public park is illegal, regardless.” One resident who had been active back then is taking a decidedly more passive role this time around. In return for anonymity, he explained why. “Things have been fairly stable over the last few years, so I and many of my neighbors are willing to let things be. The boathouse functions well. Joggers come through all the time. It’s a very small group that has been lobbying hard for closing the park to traffic, less than a dozen I think.”

He continues, “I also don’t see that closing the park will really improve much of anything. The woods will still

be here. the bad element will just park on the streets in our neighborhood or at richmond Square and walk over. in some ways, not having cars driving through wouod make me feel less safe rather than more. We’d be better off keeping things the way they are and do programming to attract bigger crowds along the river which would be the best way to reduce crime.” things have changed. though police patrol the area routinely by car, horse and, most recently, park rangers, the so-called crackdown tactics are no more. “We are lean on manpower. the challenge is that you have to catch them in the act,” says ryan, a 22-year veteran of the Police force, “but a crackdown does not solve the problem.” Left said is the reality that forced out of one area, it’s likely they would just seek out somewhere else equally secluded but accessible. he police have said that more eyes would reduce the crime that’s been around for decades,” says Zurier. but it is a complex issue. both sides have strong views. Zurier knows this because he gets their emails. he agreed to the temporary road shut down to gauge how residents would respond, but it was marginally successful. “by the end of the day, the barricades had been tossed aside. neighbors would replace them, and they would be moved again.” in Zurier’s September 29 Ward Letter, he addressed the closure: I saw a family walking along the road.

By Sunday, however, people had cast aside the traffic barriers, and the experiment was brought to a premature end. It is unfortunate that people did not respect the barriers or the plan for the weekend. I will be meeting with the residents who planned last weekend, as well as the police to determine next steps. A number of you sent me emails with observations from last weekend and suggestions for improvement - if you have not yet done so, your feedback would be welcome.

T

“We need more data,” he says. “We need to know who uses the park, how much traffic goes through there.” despite the data gaps, he’s working with the coalition, the police, and other groups to schedule a second temporary road closure. the key will be to plan events to bring people to the area and to implement improved barricades to keep the cars out. “they need something like what’s at gulf road,” says Lt ryan, referring to the large planters that block traffic. ryan points out the planters on a recent ride-along. it was mid-afternoon on a weekday, but there were several cars parked in the area, each populated with one man. one older man climbed out of a van and walked into the woods. it’s clear that crime exists on river road and in the adjacent blackstone Woods, but it’s not clear how to deal with it. the police crackdowns of the ‘90s were met with stiff resistance from Lgbt groups claiming unfair targeting of homosexuals. al dahlberg, the coalition member and local resident, says that the police tread lightly as a result. and he may have a point: though mounted patrols have been dispatched, ryan indicated that they patrol the area only once or twice a week and that it’s been several months since the last arrest in the area. Monteiro disputes the suggestion that police use kid gloves when it comes to river road. the Coalition for the Seekonk riverside reclamation has developed a proposal that will they hope will address, among other things, the long-standing crime issue. they want to bring people into the area and solve some environmental issues. they’ve designed an ambitious proposal and set equally ambitious goals, but Zurier advises caution. “realizing this vision requires resources, an investment the City is probably not in a position to make.” and though he’s agreed to support a second temporary road closure, he notes, “there is not a consensus for the best use of river road.”

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Turbulent Years at Brown Recalled Gordon Gee’s wife tells her story

By Barry Fain

At Sayles Hall on the Brown campus, handsome oil paintings depicting most of the former presidents of the university look down benignly on today’s crop of current undergrads. Even Sheila Blumstein, who served briefly as an interim president, has earned a presence amidst her august peers. In fact, as it turns out, only one of Brown’s 19 presidents is conspicuously absent.

Gordon Gee, the university’s 17th president, arrived on campus in 1998 and after two short years did the unthinkable: he forsook Brown, despite its Ivy and centuries of history, for the southern charm (not to mention significantly bigger bucks) of Vanderbilt University, in Nashville. To the school, it was an unpardonable sin which explains why “he whose name can never be mentioned,” is now also “he whose portrait can never be painted.”

Among the explanations offered for Gee’s unexpected move at the time was that his wife Constance “never liked Brown and as a native North Carolinian had persuaded her husband to move south.” There were also mumblings that part of the problem involved her not receiving tenure. In her book published earlier this year, Ms. Gee, now Gordon’s ex-wife and a year-round resident of nearby Westport, MA, offers her take on what really happened behind the scenes here in Providence. She unequivocally disputes the tenure charges and her decision to ultimately return to our area certainly supports her claims that she had no great desire to leave Brown in the first place.

Her self-published book Higher Education: Marijuana at the Mansion is about a lot more than Brown, however. The tell-all tale about her life with Gordon at Ohio State, Brown and Vanderbilt is at once witty – fascinating at its glimpse into life at the top of major universities and often out-loud funny. While obviously presented from Ms. Gee’s irreverent point of view, Higher Education is almost painfully detailed as to the author’s own travails as her marriage crumbles under the pressure of a free spirit trying to fit in the rigid southern bureaucracy that controls schools like Vanderbilt. It also, at times in agonizing detail, documents the author’s long battle against Meniere’s disease and her decision to use medical marijuana as a bulwark against the debilitating pain she endured. It was a decision that ultimately did in her marriage.

While only a portion of the book deals with her two years in Providence, there are more than enough anecdotes to keep us locals entertained.

Her sharp eye captures life on College Hill and the fun she had with stuffy Brunonians who only seemed to care about “where I went to school.”

Her most unexpected barbs are aimed at her husband’s predecessor Vartan Gregorian who she accuses of French kissing her at a New York City fundraiser. Obviously there is plenty of tell in this tell-all! And for the record, Ms. Gee maintains that

she never wanted to flee Providence, especially as her Westport home, Chez Consuela she calls it, became an increasingly essential underpinning for her peace of mind.

Many of the book’s funniest moments come as she describes her return to life in the south. Here’s one of her takes on life above and below the MasonDixon line: “Nashville has two white-tie affairs every year – the Swan Ball in June and the Symphony Ball in December – and a black-tie event just about every week, sometimes twice a week, depending on the season.

These are ‘pay parties’ held in support of the arts, cultural or health service organizations, To name but a few black tie events, there’s the Ballet Ball, Opera Ball, Hunt Ball, Liberty Ball, Heart Ball and (I’m not making this up), Eye Ball… During our first year on the white and black-tie circuit, I asked a friend if she and her husband were going to the Heart Ball. She rolled her eyes and said, ‘No we just had to draw the line.

We don’t go to parties for individual organs!’”

As described by Ms. Gee, life at Braeburn, the chancellor’s mansion that housed she and her husband at Vanderbilt, was pretty much non-stop functions and fundraising. Sure, the Gee’s racked up some pretty lavish entertainment tabs, some $4.2 million over six

years, the Wall Street Journal reported in a 2006 cover story. But then again the school raked in some $1.25 billion for its endowment over that same period. Not a bad return on one’s investment, suggests Ms. Gee. Ms. Gee is brutal as she recounts the ups and downs of life as a university first lady. One can imagine the ripples her book must have produced amidst Nashville society. For the record locally, the author is particularly kind to the East Side’s Arty Joukowsky and his wife Martha but downright nasty towards Steve Robert, head of the Brown Corporation during Gordon’s brief tenure here, and of course president Gregorian. The latter two provide several of those “oh wow” moments in a book filled with them.

Much of the final part of the book describes the suffering she endured during her battle against the debilitating aspects of Meniere’s disease, an inner ear disease that can produce excruciatingly painful symptoms. Over time, Ms. Gee discovered that smoking pot could blunt some of the effects. But when word got out to the general community, it was clear the gentry at Vanderbilt were anything but pleased.

Her irreverent liberal ways – she lowered the flag at the president’s mansion to half-staff after George W. won re-election for example – had already made her something less than beloved among the university’s southern aristocracy. “I went from Vanderbilt’s first lady to its first persona non grata in a stunningly short time.”

To her credit, Ms. Gee is as tough on herself as she is with others. She shares with us her insecurities over her teaching abilities and as her marriage deteriorates how she was strong-armed into a divorce. In the end, she admits her relationship with Gordon has caused her to now become more empathetic to other women who subject themselves to men out of fear and dependency.

“There were times I feared Vanderbilt’s control of my husband and his power over me. I’d become dependent on Gordon for continued access to a prestigious lifestyle, for financial security and, most disturbingly, for my concept of who I was and what I was worth.”

Which leads into Gordon Gee’s role in the writing of the book. Ms. Gee readily admits that she still seeks his approval even now and that they had long discussions on portions of the book. As a result, the behind-the-scenes world of ofteninternecine university politics at the highest level is as fascinating as it is detailed.

As we suspected, life in the ivory tower is as cutthroat as any corporate boardroom. But the author’s irreverent, shoot-from-the-hip style infuses this message with unexpected wit, humor and poignancy. Though admittedly told from one point of view, Higher Education provides a not-often-seen view of academic life at the top.

Higher Education: Marijuana at the Mansion is available on Amazon.

November 2013 East Side Monthly

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East Side Monthly November 2013

is the first time in history that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving coincide. But, experts are usually wrong when the Brothers Schlemiel are involved…

Even though he was fresh off the boat from Ellis Island, Adam Schlemiel could understand Thanksgiving as an almost Jewish holiday: the English colonists came close to death, survived and everyone celebrates by eating a feast.

It was the American Dream that he couldn’t get. The whole “land of opportunity” and “new beginning” just wasn’t working for him.

A carpenter by trade, Adam Schlemiel crossed half the world only to discover that he hated the crowds and smells of New York City. He missed the fresh air of the countryside. He couldn’t stand his work at the furniture factory. He owned the only hammer with a claw end, so his job was to pull the nails out from other carpenter’s mistakes.

“I don’t make things,” he complained

to his twin brother, Abraham. “I unmake them. I have nothing to be thankful for.”

“We’re going to Great Uncle Shmuel’s chicken farm in Massachusetts,” Abraham said. “It’ll be fun.”

Adam sighed. It was well enough for Abraham to be happy. He was a famous cook, who worked at the oldest restaurant in New York City.

He had even invented a new way to prepare turkey.

“A bird accidentally got left in a barrel with the salted corned beef,” Abraham confided. “So delicious and tender!”

Thursday morning arrived, and the brothers left Brooklyn at the crack of dawn, lugging a huge barrel that contained the marinating turkey. They took subways and cabs and trains until they arrived late in the afternoon in Lowell, Massachusetts, where Great Uncle Shmuel Schlemiel himself met them with an old-fashioned horse cart.

“What’s in the barrel?” the old man asked.

“The turkey,” Abraham explained.

“For dinner.”

“I’m glad you brought it,” Uncle Shmuel said. “Aunt Sarah packed the stove with everything from potatoes and stuffing to bread and green beans. I was wondering how we were going to cook a turkey, too.”

As they rode, Uncle Shmuel told Adam of his unusually profitable greben business.

“One day Aunt Sarah ran out of cooking oil,” Shmuel said, “so we melted the chicken fat down to make schmaltz. We forgot that all the chicken skins were in the pot, too. They fried crisp and floated to the top. Fifty pounds of the crunchiest and tastiest chicken cracklings. I put it in paper bags, add some salt and sell it. I call it Gretel’s Greben.

People love it.”

“Who’s Gretel?” asked Adam.

“I don’t know,” shrugged Uncle Shmuel. “It sounded good.

As they drew nearer to Uncle Shmuel’s farm, Abraham became worried.

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“What did you say Aunt Sarah had in the oven?” he asked.

“Plenty,” Uncle Shmuel said. “All we need to do is carve the turkey.”

Abraham’s heart leaped into his throat.

His face went red. Nobody noticed.

The farm was beautiful: a rolling field covered with snow, the farmhouse, the barn, chicken pens. The edge of a frozen pond was visible behind the pens, and all around the farm were thick woods with tall trees.

“It’s like home,” Adam said, softly.

“Welcome to Chelmsford!” roared Uncle Schmuel. “We call it that because none of us can afford to go back to Chelm!”

Abraham ran into the kitchen and opened the oven.

“Where is the turkey going to go?” he asked Aunt Sarah.

“Go?” she said. “It’s not going anywhere. You brought it. It’s here. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes,” Abraham said. “But it’s not cooked yet.”

“What do you mean it’s not cooked?” Aunt Sara said, squinting at her distant nephew. “What kind of a Schlemiel would bring an uncooked turkey to a Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Me!” Abraham said, nearly shouting. “If I cooked it in New York City it would be rancid by the time we got here. Even if there was room in the oven, it still would take hours…”

Abraham was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, banging himself on the forehead, when Adam ran in.

“Abraham, you should see! There’s a conveyor belt moving raw chicken skins into a gigantic vat full of boiling oil, but the belt wasn’t high enough, so I took out my hammer and I built an addition. It’s the first time I’ve made something since I left Chelm.”

“Congratulations,” Abraham mumbled. Then he looked up. “Wait! Did you say there is a gigantic vat full of boiling oil? Quick, follow me.”

A light snow was falling as the friends and relatives watched the Schlemiel brothers lug the barrel next to the fire. Abraham borrowed a hook and yanked the turkey from its brining marinade. He patted it dry with a few towels.

“Wait,” Adam said. “You’re not going to drop the turkey into the oil?”

“Of course!” Abraham said. “We fry chicken in the restaurant all the time. It’s quick and tastes good.”

“But,” Adam said, “it’s going to cook us too.”

Adam found a long pole and threaded it through the hook’s handle.

Together, the Brothers Schlemiel lifted the suspended turkey, and then slowly lowered it into the vat of boiling oil.

Everyone else stepped back.

Bit by bit the turkey sank into the bubbling fat, until just the hook was sticking up.

They slid the pole out, climbed down from the platform, and shook hands.

Just then, the oil bubbled over the top of the vat and, “Whoosh!” a pillar of fire shot up to the sky.

With a gasp of astonishment, everyone jumped back.

The flames engulfed the platform, which burned in an instant.

When the smoke cleared, all that was left was the burning fire and the vat of boiling oil. The top of the hook was still protruding from the bubbling fat.

“What are we going to do for Thanksgiving dinner?” moaned Aunt Sarah.

“Trust us,” Abraham said.

Adam was already busy with his saw and hammer, directing everyone to gather lumber.

Just over an hour later, the Brothers Schlemiel mounted the newly reconstructed platform. Everyone else stayed far away, but getting the turkey out was easier than putting it in.

They threaded the pole through the hook and lifted a perfectly browned turkey from the vat.

It was dark by then. The long table was set, and everyone gathered as candles were lit.

No one knew who started it, but with the snow on the ground, boiling oil, candles and the smell of fried food… the Schlemiels and the gathered emigrants from Chelm began to chant the Chanukah blessings over the candles.

The turkey was tender and delicious, and when the meal was done, Aunt Sarah got out some dreidels so the children could play.

Adam smiled at his brother. “Now I know why they call America ‘The Melting Pot.’” Abraham laughed, and then chased his brother out into the snow.

Mark Binder’s latest books are Cinderella Spinderella and The Brothers Schlemiel. They are available in book and ebook form through Amazon, Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Google Play for Android and iPad

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East Side Monthly November 2013

A SmArT AnniverSAry The Wheeler School celebrates 125 years of spirit

By Jennifer Smith Braga

T

here is a palpable hum on the campus of The Wheeler School, a sensation that embodies the Wheeler spirit, present since the school’s beginning in 1889 and still felt today.

Now celebrating its 125th anniversary academic year, or quasquicentennial, Wheeler provides a progressive education to a diverse student body in a unique environment that values creativity and individuality along with academic innovation and excellence.

The school motto – The Spirit Giveth Life – was suggested in 1933 by Mary Helena Dey, Wheeler’s second head of school, who wrote, “In the classes there was continual emphasis laid on the truth that the spirit in which we seek knowledge and share our findings gives life to our learning.” That spirit surely moved Mary Colman Wheeler, a math and Latin teacher who grew up on a farm in Concord, MA, who knew Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Alcott, to move to Providence in 1868 to teach. In 1884, she began offering painting classes to young women and children plus evening lectures on Greek literature and American history.

Soon, she added college preparatory classes and in 1889, ten girls enrolled as boarders of the Mary C. Wheeler School, rechristened The Wheeler School in 1975 when the entire school became a coeducational day school.

Dan Miller, Wheeler’s seventh head of school, experiences the Wheeler spirit everyday and attributes it to the “vibrant, joyous environment of a school that values diversity, intellectual curiosity, academic creativity combined with rigor and excellence, and that is dedicated to meeting the individual talents and needs of every kid in an embracing, warm social environment.” The warmth and acceptance of that environment is plainly evident. Miller recalls looking out his window one day to see a senior basketball star high-fiving a four-yearold, and standing in the pouring rain as the girls soccer team rushed to surround their goalie, not after a big win but when she let in the winning goal in a heart-breaking loss. Senior Honor Davis, a Wheeler student since second grade, says, “I think that every class, from 50 years ago or 50 years from now, has at least one thing in common, and that’s the Wheeler spirit.”

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Etienne Mechrefe ‘95, President of the Wheeler Alumni Association and parent of three Wheeler students, agrees that while the face of the school may evolve, the tenets of a Wheeler education – spirit, community, individuality, excellence – endure. On Wheeler’s history and future, she points out, “We are a community producing confident, caring, driven individuals, and we will continue to grow that community for the next 125 years.”

Community engagement was integral to a Wheeler education from its founding, marking a break from a traditional girls boarding school education, which, at the time, was typically sheltered. Mary C. Wheeler’s curriculum included required courses in art, a focus on modern languages, and an advanced certificate course taught by Brown University professors. She also offered a summer arts program at her home in Giverny, France, neighboring Claude Monet’s own house. Her belief in exposing students to the educational, artistic and cultural offerings of Providence, France and beyond began the school’s lasting commitment to mutually benefit community partnerships, evidenced today through programs like Breakthrough Providence, the Brown-Wheeler Master of Arts in Teaching, the 125 Club for Upper School Community Service, the Public Art Initiative and WELH-FM at 88.1.

Of course, a school’s reputation is built primarily on educational excellence, and Wheeler has a history, and a

Make your appointment today future, as a progressive institution with rigorous and innovative academics. In 1914, Mary Helena Dey reshaped the school according to the theories of John Dewey, making it a pioneer in education.

In 1912, the school offered Kindergarten classes and became one of the first schools in the U.S. to use the Montessori model. The school’s many distinguished alumni also reflect the quality and rigor of a Wheeler education. They include Stephanie Chafee ’76, Adrienne Gagnon ’93, the late Susan Farmer ’60 and the late Hope Goddard ’32.

Opened in 1988, The Hamilton School at Wheeler, celebrating its 25th anniversary, augments the school’s excellence and innovation. The National Association of Independent Schools awarded Hamilton its Leading Edge Award for Curriculum Innovation. This “school within a school” for students with learning disabilities is a model for other schools throughout the world.

As Wheeler moves into its next phase of history, including the current Campaign 125 that will involve the completion of a 400+ seat auditorium, it is sure to continue innovating around educational excellence, fostering community and creativity, and improving its campus. But regardless of what hightech gadgets may be used in the classroom or what the buildings will look like, one thing will remain the same: the hum, the spirit that comes from the joyous pursuit of knowledge in a warm, embracing environment. This spirit will always give life to Wheeler.

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An Epic Duel

Brown finally reclaims a priceless, long-missing sword

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East Side Monthly November 2013

On November 7, Brown University will hold a special ceremony at the Annmary Brown Memorial, on Brown Street, to commemorate the return of a priceless Tiffany sword that went missing from the memorial in the mid-1970s.

The sword will be displayed and Brown’s General Counsel, Beverly Ledbetter and Civil War historian, Dennis Schurr, will ruminate on the sword’s historical significance and the extraordinary 36 year effort to retrieve it. It concluded in June when a Virginia court ordered Donald Tharpe, a prominent Civil War artifacts collector, to return it to Brown.

The memorial, a brooding, windowless granite affair of classical extraction, was founded in 1907 by Rush C Hawkins in honor of his wife, Annmary Brown, the granddaughter of Nicholas Brown, the school’s namesake. Hawkins, a Civil War colonel who commanded the Ninth New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, widely known as Hawkins Zouaves, set up a non-profit corporation to operate the memorial, which would be open to the public and house his and Annmary’s remains, as well as his extensive, quixotic collection of art, Civil War artifacts and incunabula – exceedingly rare books printed prior to 1501.

The memorial operated independently until 1948, when Brown took over through a decree from the Rhode Island Superior Court.

Budgets, as they do, tightened, forcing Brown to close the memorial from 1975 to 1977.

According to court records, John Stanley, an administrative assistant at John Hay Library, noticed that two swords, the Tiffany sword and another, known as the Roanoke Island sword, were omitted from a celebratory showcase display of the memorial’s artifacts.

He called Sam Hough, the memorial curator at the time, to inquire about the omission. But Hough, according to Stanley, knew nothing about the

swords. Stanley testified that he then went to the memorial, took Hough into a storage room in the basement where they made the discovery: the two swords, along with several other artifacts, were missing, though their cases remained. (The Roanoke Island sword was recovered in 1994, when Brown sued a collector in Maine trying to sell it.)

The Tiffany sword, as detailed by court documents, then made its way into the hands of several collectors.

Dennis Schurr, the historian, saw the Tiffany sword on display at Lee Hall Mansion, in Newport News, VA. He snapped pictures and sent them off to Brown, who duly filed suit against the museum who, in turn, duly turned over the name of the donor: Donald Tharpe.

Recently, I paid a visit to the memorial, which is open to the public weekdays from 1-5pm. A blonde woman sat in an office near the front door.

I asked to speak to the curator or to someone who could talk about the artifacts. She directed me to another woman. I called this woman, who referred me to Peter Harrington, the curator of the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. He told me that the Tiffany sword is in a vault in Beverly Ledbetter’s office and that the Roanoke Island sword is in a vault at Rockefeller Library. According to Harrington, on the day of the ceremony, November 7, the swords will be removed from their respective vaults, put on display and then retired again to said vaults where they will remain for the foreseeable future due to security concerns.

It would seem that the ceremony will be a rare chance to glimpse these priceless, one–of–a–kind swords, and there will be no shortage of takers.

Reached by phone, Ledbetter said, “I can’t tell you how many people have called about this.”

Photography: Jonathan Beller

This priceless Tiffany sword went missing from Brown in the mid 1970s

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Golden Crest Nursing Centre Complete Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies Private Rooms • Joint Commission Accreditation

brian@smallhallstudios.com

Christopher Durang Nov. 21 – Dec. 22

(401) 351-4242 • trinityrep.com 201 Washington St., Providence season sponsored by

trinity repertory company THE STATE THEATER OF RHODE ISLAND

November 2013 East Side Monthly

29

Family owned and operated For over 50 yearS ILY

AM EF

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125 Butler Avenue Spacious legal 3 family building close to all conveniences.

Investors take notice! Recently updated with new fire code alarm system, plenty of parking and very nice large units drawing tops rents. $375,000 Aleen Weiss

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84-86 EIGHTH STREET Fully rented 3 unit in great location close to Miriam Hospital and walking distance to Hope Street shops and restaurants. 2nd and 3rd floors are renovateed w/ new kitchen and baths plus gleaming hardwoods and newer heating systems. $299,000 Karen Miller

ILY

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121 Butler Avenue Perfect for investors!

Great rental history with this 3 unit multi-family home right on the bus line a walking distance to all conveniences. Recently updated with new fire code alarm system and plenty of off-street parking. $325,000 Aleen Weiss

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49 MEDWAY STREET Bright Victorian in busy Wayland Square-great opportunity to have your office in your home (zoned RP). Lots of light with original details, hardwoods. Come see the potential $379,888 Claire Sennott and Gail Jenard

LD

SO

SO

169 CoNGDoN STREET Stunning (c1854 ) Mansard Victorian located on the sought after college hill. Tastefully restored, staying with the charm of days gone by. State of the art kitchen, 6 beds, 2.5baths, wide plank floors & fenced yard. Taxes do not reflect homestead. $534,900 Aleen Weiss

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IN

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30 KIMBALL STREET Two family in good condition, new mechanicals, fireplace, two car garage, great starter home. Some minor repairs needed. Property being sold “as is.” $109,000 Karen Miller

22 LINDA STREET Stunning 13 year young oversized cape located in sought after Lonsdale.

Ready to move in! 3 beds, master on first, 2 full 2 half baths. Generous rooms, skylights, above ground pool in park like setting. Fenced yard, beautiful deck off kitchen, full basement. $398,500 Aleen Weiss

LD

SO

954 HoPE STREET Great little bungalow right across from Lippett Park. Perfect starter home with new gas heating system, 6 y/o roof, all new windows, fireplace and mother-in-law apt on 2nd floor. Just needs updating to make it your own. Property is being sold “as is.” $230,000 Listed by Karen Miller

Assisting Buyers, sellers And renters Aleen WeissH Jon WeissHF Howard Weiss H Karen Miller Claire Sennott Lauren Sickel Gail Jenard HAlso licensed in MA

FLicensed RI Environmental Lead Inspector 0065

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

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East Side Monthly November 2013

Extra

SEnSory ChildrEn A mother-turned-author educates parents on how to live with and love a sensory child

Who says condos aren’t selling?

Looking to buy or sell your condo?

Please call us today!

LD

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EAST SIDE 106 Williams St #1

EAST SIDE 163 Arlington Ave #2

LD

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EAST SIDE 30 Blackstone Blvd #302

ARMORY 42 Hammond

LD

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EAST SIDE 399 Lloyd Ave #2

EAST SIDE 77 South Angel St #102

LD

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EDGEWOOD 1180 Narragansett Blvd H-1

PAWTUCKET 10 Exchange Ct #615

by Lauren Jordan Serving Providence’s East Side & West Side, Elmhurst, Edgewood and Oak Hill As parents, we all search for that perfect manual, the book that will not only help us become better parents but help our kids lead a happier life.

When Carolyn Dalgliesh’s son was just two years old, she started searching for that perfect manual to help her.

Her son began showing signs of sensory challenges – difficulties in the way he processed information from his senses. Seemingly easy tasks such as getting ready to leave the house, sitting to have dinner or attending a play date became difficult. As he was an otherwise highfunctioning child and not eligible for many services, Carolyn soon realized that it would be her responsibility to make their daily home life work. “I was stuck in a place between how I had always thought parenting would be and what it really was for me and my child,” she says.

After years of developing strategies to organize her own home, Carolyn began Systems for Sensory Kids, LLC, an organizing model for parents of sensory children. She started her in-home organizing business helping other families with rigid, anxious and distracted kids, to use structure and organizing tools to make their daily life less challenging.

From these in-home experiences, Carolyn created a roadmap, a

necessary manual, for parents to use on their own. The goal of her book, The Sensory Child Gets Organized, was to fill that void for many parents with sensory kids.

A former resident of the East Side, she spoke at her book launch party recently held at the University Club: “I was inspired out of my own experience with my sensory child. I wanted to help others by bridging the gap between essential clinical support and practical in-home solutions.”

The outline of her book came from a formalized plan she used in her own home – tools and tips that she had implemented for her son and saw great results. “Once I understood the core tools for sensory organization, I could apply them everywhere. The book shares these tools with other parents who can then implement them in their own home.”

Providing that support and clear roadmap for others has been the most rewarding part of this experience for Carolyn. “When I saw a review [of my book] from the editor of the SPD Blogger Network that said, ‘Once in a while a book comes along that changes your life,’ that was powerful.” For more information about Carolyn Dalgliesh’s book or her organization, please visit www. systemsforsensorykids.com.

Sensory Event Trinity Rep presents a sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol.

This modified show is geared towards both adults and children with sensitivities and fits the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other cognitive and physical disabilites. November 9 at 2pm. 201 Washington Street, Providence. 351-4242, www.trinityrep.com

Platinum Producer M A+ R D KPlus H M AR K H A M e RA EM N+ T I DS e R E N T I S Greater Providence Board of Realtors® associates associates Markham + DeRentis Associates - Residential Properties Ltd. Jim DeRentis | Nancy Markham | Office: 401.553.6383 www.jimandnancysold.com

Bishop hendricken high school

Catholic Values Fostering A Tradition of Excellence Bishop Hendricken has a rich tradition of Catholic education, attracting gifted scholars, artists and athletes who become men of character and compassion.

OPEN HOUSE

november 17, 2013 noon – 3:00pm

ENTRANCE EXAM

For 9th & 10th grade applicants Saturday, December 7, 2013 8:15 am – 12:15 pm

Visit us to learn more!

Call 401.739.3450, ext. 162 for more information or to register. www.hendricken.com November 2013 East Side Monthly

31

Dr. Dennis Karambelas The finest luxury sportswear and Bespoke Clothing for today’s stylish man. Tuesday–Friday 10-6.

Saturday 10-4. theclubchair.com

Would you like to see better?

We are the premier practice for contact lenses...With a smashing optical boutique!

200 South Main Street 453-0025 marcalleninc.com

295 South Main Street 831-2015 Facebook/DrDennisKarambelas

Strolling SoMa DISTRICT SOUTH MAIN STREET

Fashion & Lifestyle Boutique

32

Mile & A Quarter

Fashion + Lifestyle Boutique on S. Main in Providence. We carry perfectly curated fashion finds and unique gifts for the rest of life.

Upscale casual dining on the riverfront.

Book your office holiday party today.

Mile High Lounge opening soon.

253 South Main Street 274-7467 shoppepioneer.com

334 South Water Street 331-1500 mileandaquarterri.com

East Side Monthly November 2013

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

WallFlys Fun removable graphics kids love

special advertising section

Graphic Innovations

Large Format Color Printing

Imagine • Impress • Impact Posters • Banners • Wall Murals • Floor Graphics • Backlit Displays • Vehicle Graphics Window Graphics • Tradeshow Graphics • Laminating & Mounting • Long-term Outdoor Signage 380 Jefferson Blvd. Unit C, WarWiCk, ri • 401-751-5333 •

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159 Ives Street, Providence 401-270-2449 • lazulisalonri.com

Membership...It’s more than just fitness!

There are a few select gifts that will light up the eyes of a child and make them excited. WallFlys, created by Jim Larkin of Graphic Innovations, is just that type of present. Say you have a digital photo of a grandchild playing a sport; WallFlys will take that image and put it onto a removable wall graphic of any size that can be applied to a surface in your house. These images range in height from one foot to life size, and when removed, they don’t leave any marks on the wall. The entire process can be done on their website. Upload the photo, arrange the layout, purchase the WallFly and they will deliver it to your home. The final step will be watching the thrilled look of your gift recipient.

The process of uploading the picture is a snap. The site will let you know if the photo file size is large enough based on the size graphic you are looking to purchase. You then have the ability to crop it, if you’d like to isolate the image, or leave instructions to have a body traced so the image will be cut out perfectly [see the hockey player in above photo].

Gift ideas are photos of children, vacation memories and family portraits. “It’s a really fun gift,” Jim says. “I’ve got some pictures of my kids laughing on the stairs, and I cut a few of the photos out and gave them to my mother, my wife’s mother and my wife’s sister.” There are sports silhouettes available; plus, this service is great for pet images too.

If you don’t want to process the work online or you only have hard copies of the photo you’d like to use, you can stop into the Graphic Innovations office in Warwick for friendly service and have the image scanned. WallFlys only utilizes eco-friendly ink and the graphic doesn’t have any solvent like smell. Children really get a kick out of it, and you will too. Visit their website and start putting together a wonderful and unique gift which they’ll love every time they see it!

WallFlys

(part of Graphic Innovations) 380 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick 751-5333 / www.wallflys.com

It’s an open door to a variety of outstanding social, cultural, and educational activities that celebrate family, foster health and well-being, embrace tradition, and expand cultural horizons.

We welcome all ages, faiths & backgrounds 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 401.421.4111 | www.jewishallianceri.org

Now offering the Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method “After a week of treatment, all the pain was gone...

I recommend Dr. Tom to everyone I know.” – J.T.

Northeast Chiropractic Dr. ThomaS moriSon, ChiropraCTiC phySiCian

401-861-1300 • 187 Waterman Street • www.wickedgoodposture.com

Your Friendly Neighborhood Pub! Casual fun atmosphere Private parties w/ DJ & catering services available (graduations/birthdays)

Round The Corner 12 Governor St., Providence

FP

621-9207

Mon-Wed 6pm-1am • Thurs-Fri 3pm-1am Sat-Sun 12pm-1am

November 2013 East Side Monthly

33

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

special advertising section

We Understand Your Desires

Marc Allen Sporting a new look

day 10-6, 4.

fine clothiers

hair.com

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

&

TAYLOR Company

RESIDENTIAL SALES + RENTALS + INVESTMENTS

Real Estate • Sales Leasing • Investments

401-270-7909 • 203 South Main Street Providence • TandC@Raveis.com

www.WRRealty.com

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

The Top Producing Real Estate Team of William Raveis Rhode Island

T.F. Morra Tree Care, Inc.

Ornamental and Shade Tree Specialists

• fine hand pruning • tree preservation • hazard tree removal • tree evaluation & diagnosis • shade and specimen tree planting 401-331-8527 • www.TFMorra.com Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors

Tip of the Month Heading into cooler weather means you should consider checking your tires, hoses, belts, wiper blades, anti-freeze and car battery.

We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models • ASE Certified • RI inspection and repair station #27b Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

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

34

East Side Monthly November 2013

The doors have flung open after a monthlong renovation at Marc Allen Fine Clothiers and now clients get to experience the reimagined vision of owner Marc Streisand. Style perfectly meets function: “The custom made shelving system is pretty complex – we have galvanized steel shaped and formed to racks, so we can move and place clothing in a more efficient way for people to see and touch,” Marc explains. The copper used in the center display area was tempered with a blow torch, giving it a modern look with the added benefit of never tarnishing. And in the client meeting room there is a table built by an artist made from an airplane wing. Very cool.

Speaking of new looks, the store’s recently introduced made-to-measure line – M2M by MA – has really taken off. These sports jackets, suits, trousers and shirts contain all the high quality you want, but are at a lower price point than traditional bespoke tailoring. They also take less time to build. “This line is for the aspiring guy who wants both great value and a great product,” Marc says. There are 1,000 different fabrics to choose from, and suit prices range from $895 to $2,000.

As we approach holiday time, keep in mind that Marc Allen has some very special gifts. They offer French cologne by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, including their standout fragrance Oud. Loro Piana has granted Marc Allen as one of seven stores in the country to offer their exclusive line of baby cashmere.

You’ll find sweaters, some scarves and one super luxurious coat: “It feels like a gigantic sweater, but it’s an outerwear coat. It’s spectacular.” The store has also brought in some tasteful bracelets made from intriguing materials like polished onyx, parachute cord and another made from ingots of silver. They are not ostentatious and can be worn with a fine suit or casual jeans. For watches, the store carries the House of Horoglogy line, and closer to the holidays they’ll be offering Officina Del Tempo. Come check out the new Marc Allen today and see how you can upgrade your look and find great gifts.

Marc Allen Fine Clothiers 200 South Main Street, Providence 453-0025 / marcalleninc.com / theclubchair.com

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

Advocare Health Group Loving companionship for seniors

special advertising section

Advocacy and Caregiving To Enrich The Lives Of Seniors

Creating personalized care plans to help maintain daily routine and lifestyle

401.641.0991 Serving All Of Ri And Southeastern MA

Over 300 Fresh Seafood Items!

A complete line of fresh seafood, shellfish, live lobsters, appetizers & entrees: no preservatives ever

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1702 Mineral Spring Ave, North Providence 401-353-6350

Celebrating over 30 years in business!

1 Centerville Rd, Warwick 401-738-6762

captainscatchseafood.com

Beautiful Pre-Owned Jewelry Kathie Frattarelli, owner of Advocare Health Group, knows firsthand about the needs of seniors and those suffering from physical ailments. Her mother, Nancy Ryan, was diagnosed with MS when Kathie was young and saw how poor the quality of help was from the aides her family hired. This created Kathie’s desire to start Advocare, whose mission it is to provide warm professional companionship care. Their expert staff of 30 offer all levels of assistance, ranging from three hours of service to full 24/7 care. Advocare is a non-medical organization and CNAs can be arranged if needed.

One primary challenge for people at any age is to decide upon meals for the week. Advocare will send over a companion to assist in the planning from discussing what type of food they’d like to preparing their meals. Their service includes organizing a meal plan, going shopping at the grocery store, making the meals on a nightly basis or cooking them all at once to be frozen for eating later in the week.

Many seniors want to remain in their homes, and are able to do so, with the help of a business like Advocare. The companions are there to hold hands, go for walks and help out with simple home maintenance projects – like straightening up or gardening. Kathie’s staff have rich backgrounds and each person has passed her strict guidelines. “It’s about relationships,” Kathie says. “We employ very professional people who have life experience and really understand people.” Companions are matched with clients based on personalities and common interests.

End of life care is a difficult situation because families want to be present as much as possible, but oftentimes 24/7 family attention is not an options and can even be unhealthy. The Advocare companions provide that extra degree of support and comfort. “It’s just such a personal level of care,” Kathie explains. Advocare’s reputation is so good that they receive frequent referrals from Hospice.

Contact Advocare Health Group today for loving companionship; serving all of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Advocare Health Group 401-641-0991 / www.advocarehg.com

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

LARGE FORMAT PRINTING

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$

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Signs • Posters • Banners 102 Waterman Street • Providence, RI p:401.421.5160 f:401.272.0686 allegraprovidence.com Offer expires 11/30/13.

November 2013 East Side Monthly

35

November 1-10, 2013

Prepare your taste buds... for mouthwatering menus this season!

Enjoy cooking classes, seasonal tastings, and affordable lodging packages.

Choose from more than 50 restaurants offering 3-course $16 lunches and $30 dinners throughout Newport & Bristol County

A Program of

DiscoverNewportRestaurantWeek.org

Life is a quilt...a tapestry of family, faces and places.

Life doesn’t end when memories fade.

AT THE HIGHLANDS, we weave the thread to sustain

. .. . . . . . . . .

Avoid .

Winter Worries! *. . Bonus.Savings . for . Fall . .

Move-Ins . .

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.

.

.

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*on 1 & 2-bed Assisted Living apartments

36

East Side Monthly November 2013

life’s quilt...connecting your loved one to the precious memories of their personal story. We honor them.

We celebrate their successes. We help them maintain their abilities and pursue their passions in the most gracious and cheerful surroundings.

Learn more about how you can bring dignity, meaning and joy to your loved one’s days. Call 401-654-5259 for a private tour.

Assisted Living – Memory Care High Standards. Higher Hopes.

101 Highland Avenue (Near Miriam Hospital), Providence | HighlandsRI.com | HK|HallKeen

Movies

by Bob Cipriano

Gravity, Don Jon and Enough Said Lost and found variations There are lots of

ways to get lost in movies. This month there’s lost in outer space, lost in Internet porn and lost amid social conventions. You decide which one is the most taxing.

Gravity: A woman alone in outer space in a contraption too small for a monkey to occupy with any ease has happened before, memorably. The challenge for Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity’s director and co-writer (with his son Jonás) was to bring some originality to the situation.

No problem. Relying on a simple help-I’ve-fallen-up-and-I-can’t-getdown narrative, Cuarón uses complex digital technique to create a totally engrossing fight for survival movie without the usual aliens or allegories. His outer space setting is a dynamic backdrop for survival questions like, how do you maneuver around an onslaught of space debris? How about launching a landing module without fuel?

Astronauts Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are interrupted in their routine spacewalk by an accidental explosion of a communications satellite and its resulting storm of debris.

Their spacecraft is smashed to pieces.

The fun of anti-gravity maneuvers becomes a desperate ordeal across large stretches of space as oxygen dwindles.

Cuarón’s visuals are the thrust of his stunning film. He punctuates the action and suspense with glimpses of the earth that the talkative Clooney describes as dazzlingly beautiful. But Bullock, on her first mission, sees things as an individual stranded in space, and that planet over there may be gorgeous, but mainly it’s far, far away.

Gravity makes the most of the chill and thrill of weightlessness, but finding the way home is at its heart. The ordeal finally becomes secondary to the grit and desire to get back to where the notion of gravity not only defines a situation, but keeps you on the ground.

Don Jon: A lost young man’s moral education has been the subject of many movies, many times over. Don Jon fits the mold, but this energetic

movie about a man hooked on pornography who can’t deal with his real life sexual conquests comes at you from a whole different angle.

Jon, a New Jersey bartender and a regular at a club filled with dance beats and hot bodies, is played with great bluster by the movie’s writer and director, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is thoroughly charming, in spite of being about a guy who is as much a walking, talking caricature as the sexual illusions he worships. That’s possibly because, in addition to his one night stands, his buddies and his all-consuming obsession with pornography is also devoted to the traditions of his church and family.

His scenes in the confessional, as he reports weekly to his priest about his sexual activities, and his dinners with his adoring Mom (Glenne Headley) and foul-mouthed Dad (Tony Danza) contrast and soften the guy.

That guy’s world view begins to change when he first sees a sizzling red dress filled with Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) at the club.

In no time at all, he shifts from predator to prey.

Enter Julianne Moore as Esther, who presents Gordon-Levitt with a 1970s Danish porn film directed by a woman, and offers him, through her own experience, a shot at real, as opposed to clichéd, liberation.

If Gordon-Levitt isn’t quite successful bringing the more philosophical aspects of his movie completely together, it’s probably because the thinking parts contrast so sharply with colors, beats and bodies on screen. But he makes his points amid a lot of laughs and a few moments of genuine tenderness.

Enough Said: A middle-aged moral education is the subject of Nicole Holofcener’s latest sharp observation of the manners and morals of California’s smugly cosmopolitan middle class.

As always, from Walking and Talking (1996) through Lovely and Amazing (2002), Friends With Money (2006) and Please Give (2010), Holofcener casts a merciless eye on the petty conceits and pretenses of her characters

Don Jon

and still manages to make everybody likable as well as credible.

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is the Los Angeles massage therapist whose midlife struggles are the center of this small masterpiece. The divorced Eva is a good sport, welcome in private homes both as a masseuse to oblivious yuppies and guest at friends’ cocktail parties, always capable of using her sense of humor to help her get by.

The designated joker at the table, she floats through her post-divorce life with one good friend (Toni Collette) and a college-bound daughter (Tracey Fairaway).

She meets and starts dating James Gandolfini, a divorced guy who seems willing and able to get past her oneliners, all the way to her actual self. Holofcener observes Louis-Dreyfus’s challenges as lover, mother and friend from practical and ethical perspectives.

One: she has acquired a new client and friend: Marianne (Catherine Keener), a poet with taste, talent and an aura of California glamour. She’s also Gandolfini’s former wife.

Two: Louis-Dreyfus’s married friends (Toni Collette and Ben Falcone), whom she relies on for kindness and advice, live in a state of edgy tolerance of each other that seems to be on the verge of

raw contempt.

Three: her daughter’s best friend (Tavi Gevinson) comes to rely on Eva’s nurturing more than the friendship of her daughter, seemingly ready to take her daughter’s place in her home.

Holofcener takes these circumstances and makes them both funny and insightful. To Louis-Dreyfus, Gandolfini is a genial, sexy slob, but Keener remembers him as a drag and a loser, clumsy in the sack and around the house. Dazzled by Keener’s friendship (a commercial success who hangs out with Joni Mitchell), Louis-Dreyfus begins to see Gandolfini from Keener’s perspective and tries to correct his non-existent faults to disastrous results.

Holofcener outlines a world where rules shift and roles are mysterious. Parental authority is open to interpretation, marriage vows can be invalidated and social boundaries are blurred.

But the essential values of right and wrong, along with compassion, honesty and honor still apply. Watching Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini apply those human traits to the messes they find themselves in, hoping to find a way back to the safety of love, isn’t all that different from finding a way out of the loneliness of cyber or outer space. It’s all a matter of perspective.

November 2013 East Side Monthly

37

Fall Sale

ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor

in Progress

15-50% off room size & scatter rugs DEDICATION... ...is a word that is both used and abused these days. But I want you to know that I really am dedicated to my customers and to my profession.

If a real estate transaction is in your future, let’s talk. Then you can decide for yourself if you really believe that I am... ...DEDICATED... to serving YOU! Call me today!

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

401.455.1625 www.elisepennpansey.com 401.521.9490 x22

(some exceptions apply) No further discounts on goods already on clearance

Area Rugs New, Old & Antique Featuring: Crisp Contemporary Designs Asian Motifs Nubbly Textures Contemporary Traditional Modern Geometric Floral Textural Thick Thin Flatwoven

GORDON SCHOOL open house

AcAdemic

Saturday, November 2, 10am Thursday, January 23, 9am

RAciAlly diveRse

www.gordonschool.org Nursery to eighth grade East Providence, RI 401-434-3833

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East Side Monthly November 2013

child-centeRed

ONe GOveRNOR StReet iN PROvideNce

401-751-5100 Mon-Fri 10-5:30 • Sat 10-5

rustigianrugs.com

Conveniently located at the corner of Governor and Wickenden St. on the East Side of Providence Just up the street from Adler's Hardware

On the Menu

by Dale Rappaneau

Tapping Into Greatness A new chef-inspired experience in Wayland Square

Photography: Mike Braca

Hidden Square’s

among

Wayland

shopping bastion is The Olive Tap, an inconspicuous food haven that’s far from a newcomer to the Rhode Island scene. However, many an onlooker believes the exceptionally clean store to be nothing more than an upscale shop for specialty oils, when in fact Greg Holtkamp, the store’s coowner, has slowly been transforming it into one of the most intimate of dining destinations on the East Side.

Less than a year ago, Holtkamp befriended Rhode Island’s culinary genius/madman Jaime D’Oliveira, the acclaimed four-star chef of Red Stripe and Mill’s Tavern fame. The two were introduced by a friend and D’Oliveira came to appreciate Holtkamp’s fine oils and food knowledge, often popping into the store just to say hello.

“Then one day Jaime said, ‘Do you think there’s an opportunity to do something together?’ To me, that’s like I have an AAU basketball team and Michael Jordan asks, ‘Can we do something together?’ It’s a no-brainer.”

To start, the two created a weekly themed tasting event, in which D’Oliveira created “dishes incorporating our oils, vinegars, maple syrups, mayonnaise, any number of things we carry, to show people ways to use them other than in a salad,” says Holtkamp.

But then something changed. “A couple weeks ago, Jaime stopped in to have a beer with me. He said, ‘As a general manager of a restaurant, I don’t get to cook.’ That’s his passion, so he asked me what we could do about it.” The two of them examined the tasting events and found people often stayed from start to finish, going so far as to make an event out of it. “So I said, if you want to cook, let’s turn the tastings into something more, and we started a weekly culinary series with Jaime.”

And what a culinary series it is.

While the tastings still take place every Friday night, The Olive Tap now offers weekly multi-course themed dinners prepared by Jaime D’Oliveira and only D’Oliveira. Holtkamp sets up an upscale eating environment (linens,

Chef Jaime D’Oliveira now cooks for the weekly culinary series at The Olive Tap

candles, music, the whole works) in the back of the store, while D’Oliveira jams to Bob Marley in the basement and lets loose his culinary abilities.

“It’s amazing to watch him work,” says Holtkamp. “The first dinner, we had 20 people and he did six courses by himself. We were running as fast as we could to serve and clear, and he still found time to come upstairs and talk about each dish, what inspired him to make it, what’s in it. And at any point, if you went down to the prep area to see him, it’s spotless, not a dirty dish in the sink. He’s a machine.”

Each dinner is as much about the food prepared by D’Oliveira as it is about D’Oliveira himself. For example, the second event of the series was dedicated to D’Oliveira’s grandfather, and the tales he told about each dish involved his grandparents and their influence on his cooking. Where else can one enjoy a four-star chef’s six- or seven-course meal, all prepared only by that chef, and listen to his charismatic banter about why he chose to serve each dish? There’s no other way to describe it than intimate. “He’s as close to a genius in the kitchen as anyone I’ve ever met,” says Holtkamp.

“We’re very, very, very fortunate to have him.” 485 Angell Street. 272-

8200, www.theolivetapri.com.

Food NeWS Speed-RuN The corner of Hope and Wickenden is now home to Willy’s Local Foods, a grocery store focused on providing - you guessed it - local foods to local communities. Previously, Fox Point residents had to venture to Whole Foods for anything organic, but Willy’s homegrown goods offer an accessible alternative. 394 Wickenden St. 454-1888, www.willyslocalfoods.com.

Over in the Renaissance Providence, public Kitchen & Bar has now been open for a little more than a month, wowing customers with their American cuisine. While it’s a hotel restaurant, especially with its proximity to the State House, Public says it’s appropriate for “hipsters and Senators alike.” 120 Francis St. 919-5050, www.publickitchenprovidence.com.

Finally, October’s seasonal pumpkin flavor lingers on with the release of Newport Storm’s Rhode Island pumpkin (RIP). Replacing the draft versions of their Oktoberfest Marzen Lager and Winter Porter, RIP is based on the same recipe as their Cyclone Gloria beer. RIP is available only as a draft and will be sold throughout Rhode Island until December 30.

November 2013 East Side Monthly

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special advertising section

Dining Guide flavors and dishes while serving local favorites. Try their Spicy Steamed Mussels followed by Lamb Chop Kabobs for a well-rounded experience. 1060 Hope Street; 421-2600. Indiarestaurant.com BrLD $-$$ KARTABAR This European-style restaurant and lounge offers a full menu of unique dishes with Mediterranean flair and eclectic flavors. They also offer a top-notch wine list and martini menu.

284 Thayer Street; 331-8111. kartabar. com LD $-$$

HEMENWAY’S

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 varieties to the local favorite Poppasquash Point. 121 South Main Street; 351-8570. hemenwaysrestaurant.com LD $$-$$$

Downtown CAV The New York Times’ choice as one of Providence’s five best restaurants, CAV’s award-winning cuisine is available for lunch and dinner daily. They also feature Saturday/Sunday brunch. 14 Imperial Place; 751-9164. cavrestaurant.com BrLD $$-$$$

Wayland/Elmgrove HARUKI EAST The chefs behind this sushi bar provide a minimalist, upscale, comfortable dining experience. Try the toro ankimo – fatty tuna and monkfish liver paté with eggplant tempura, served with a black bean sauce. 172 Wayland Avenue; 223-0332. harukisushi.com LD $-$$$ MILLS TAVERN The only restaurant in RI to receive the Mobil Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. 101 North Main Street; 272-3331. millstavernrestaurant. com D $$-$$$ RED STRIPE Red Stripe serves classic comfort food with a French influence.

Their food is reasonably priced and made with passion. 465 Angell Street; 437-6950. redstriperestaurants.com BrLD $$-$$$

WATERMAN GRILLE With its covered outdoor seating overlooking the Seekonk River, Waterman Grille offers seasonally inspired new American fare in a comfortable setting. 4 Richmond Square; 521-9229. watermangrille.com BrD $$-$$$

Hope/Thayer BLAZE Since 2005, this fun and friendly establishment plays host to a unique bistro style of cuisine. There’s a variety of foods including Portobello Penne Pink Vodka or the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. 776 Hope Street; 277-2529. blazerestaurants.com LD $-$$ CHEZ PASCAL Chef Matt Gennuso’s East Side kitchen offers French food with a modern twist. Try the Bistro Menu (Tue-Thur), which features three courses for $35 per person. Delicieux! 960 Hope Street; 421-4422. chez-pascal.com D $-$$$ GOURMET HOUSE Beautiful murals and décor set the mood for delicious Cambodian and Southeast Asian cuisine, spicy curries and noodle dishes.

The tamarind duck is a must. 787 Hope Street; 831-3400. gourmethouseri.com LD $-$$ INDIA India maintains its traditional

Key

BYOB

40

Outdoor Seating

East Side Monthly November 2013

KITCHEN BAR Offering contemporary comfort cuisine in an elegant setting, Kitchen Bar features daily specials and take-out. Try their Clams Zuppa or Coriander Encrusted Flat Iron Steak or have the kids order from the kid’s menu. 771 Hope Street; 331-4100. LD $-$$ THE MEETING STREET CAfé This casual cafe offers not only delicious lunch from how-you-want-it sandwiches to lasagna, but their hearty sandwiches come with a bonus: all fresh veggie toppings are free.

220 Meeting Street; 273-1066. meetingstreetcafe.com. BL $-$$

homemade ice cream, gelato and warm homemade waffle cones. Stop in to visit the Lanni family for a delicious experience! 270 Wickenden Street; 944-0707.

LD $ EAST SIDE CREAMERY & DINER Bring the family and indulge in 24 flavors of soft serve and hard ice cream as well as other classic diner treats. 170 Ives Street; 865-6088. BLD $

Jewelry District/Waterfront RUE BIS This intimate eatery provides breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood bistro atmosphere – all with the gourmet pedigree of Hope Street dining staple Rue De L’Espoir behind it. 95 South Street; 490-9966. therue.com BBrL $ BAKER STREET RUE The Rue De L’Espoir empire expands with this comfortable neighborhood café serving “upscale diner food.” 75 Baker Street; 4905025. BBrLD $-$$

Broadway

RUE DE L’ESPOIR 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. Check out their superb brunch.

99 Hope Street; 751-8890. therue.com BBrLD $$-$$$

JULIAN’S Captivating Providence’s hip and artsy culture, Julian’s is always packed with regulars looking for great food. Enjoy the freshest ingredients in their Cinnamon Orange Vegan French Toast or the House Smoked Salmon Platter. 318 Broadway; 861-1770. juliansprovidence.com BBrLD $-$$

THREE SISTERS This highly acclaimed creamery features traditional Vanilla Bean along with new award-winning flavors such as Kulfi (cardimum, cinnamon, pistachio). Don’t miss it’s well-crafted breakfast omelets and lunchtime paninis. 1074 Hope St; 273-7230, threesistersri. com. BBRL $

Ives

WURST KITCHEN AT CHEZ PASCAL Come have lunch or dinner at the Wurst Kitchen, a small open kitchen located in Chez Pascal, featuring house– made sausages, cured meats and more.

Lunch and dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday, 960 Hope Street; 4214422. chez-pascal.com LD $-$$$

Wickenden DOLCE GELATERIA This little treat shop will satisfy your sweet tooth with its

BEE’S THAI CUISINE Using the freshest ingredients to serve up such offerings as Mango Rolls, Pumpkin with Red Curry and Pineapple Fried Rce, Bee’s is a welcome addition to Providence’s culinary scene. With generous portions and friendly staff, bee’s will keep you coming back for more. 167 Ives Street; 273-2727. LD $$

Outside Providence LJ’S BBQ LJ’s features ribs, pork, chicken and beef cooked low and slow in their customized pit, made with recipes from co-owner Bernie Watson’s grandmother, Miss Leola Jean. It’s great food at a great value. 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket; 3055255. ljsbbq.com BrLD $-$$

B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+ Late-night Dining Parking Lot Valet Parking Family Friendly Find a review on eastsidemonthly.com

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Great Investment Property. Large 3 Family off Hope Street. 3 bed units, living rooms, dining rooms, hardwoods, tile kitchens and baths, replacement windows, coin-op laundry, separate gas utilities, parking for 7 cars. Walk to Brown and Whole Foods.

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Great location just blocks away from Blackstone Boulevard, Hope Street shops & restaurants, Lippitt Park & Summer farmer’s market. Features 3 beds, 2 full baths, fireplace, central air, one car garage and screened front porch.

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Sam Glicksman 401-480-0852 $259,900 MLS # 1037646

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Spectacular 1st floor condo/1 car garage/ new heating system/lovely porch/large bedroom/ full updated bath/ updated kitchen/high ceilings/living room with working fireplace/all within walking distance to Wayland Square.

Lana Drew 401-578-1851 $199,000 MLS # 1046682

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Armory/West Side, green construction, condo, radiant concrete floors with an open floor plan. Loft like space, walking distance to Nicks on Broadway & Seven Stars Bakery. 2 car garage and storage!

Hatley of Newport Asian Caravan Satori Newport Sunglass Shop Tourist Trap Army Navy Surplus PS Gear Division Souvenir Stop Smokey Topaz Bermuda Bay Pleasant Surprise Ireland Calls Shambala Treasures Groovy Gator Sole Desire Old Harbor Outfitters Bedazzled Dance Expressions Sushi Go! Portobello Awakenings Del Sol House of Windsor Ritrex Camera

John Risica 401-439-3634 $224,900 MLS # 1052511

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41

Handel’s

Messiah

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 AT 7:30 PM Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul 30 Fenner Street • Providence, RI SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 AT 3:00 PM St. Joseph’s Church 5 Mann Avenue • Newport, RI

Dana Schnitzer, Soprano Megan Roth, Mezzo-soprano Michael-Paul Krubitzer, Tenor Aaron Engebreth, Baritone For ticket or more information, contact the RICCO office at 401-521-5670, info@ricco.org or visit our web site at www.ricco.org.

Edward Markward, Music Director

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East Side Monthly November 2013

At School Today by Jill Davidson

Invest in you...

Counseling & Life Coaching

Great Expectations Hope High School’s new principal sets a creative bar Founded in 1898, Hope

Photography: Amy Amerantes

Passport Acceptance Facility at the Pawtucket Public Library Monday–Thursday 4-9pm Photos Available

Why is autonomy important?

It’s important that the teachers feel empowered. When they influence what happens in their academies, when they come to school to do more than teach, their experience changes. This is a culture shift for the school. It’s all about

What’s your message to the community?

We want people to come inside. Come walk the halls with us and feel what it’s like to be a Blue Waver. It’s also our job to make sure that the Hope spirit goes out. Students have to do individual community service projects and a grade-level service-learning project, and those will be meaningful. We’ll be out there representing Hope with pride and making an impact. Most importantly, as we’re going through this transformation, we want the community to sit at the table. We want people who are planning to send their kids to Hope to join us as we plan for the future.

I love these students. I have never worked with such a diverse population of students who want the best for themselves. I believe that high school can be one of the best times of your life as you prepare for adulthood, and I am grateful and proud to be part of their world.

Jill Davidson can be reached at whathappenedatschool@gmail.com or her blog, providenceschools.blogspot.com

is the Dog Walker n n e D

th nis

e Do g W al

is

08

student achievement and support, and the students buying into it. They understand that it’s important to be here, that Hope is their school, that they take ownership and pride – that they have hope.

They are not coming late to school, and daily attendance is up 10%. We’re seeing some immediate benefits.

Mur

37

Tell me about the approach you took with Hope, considering its dramatic history of change.

I spent the first half of last year observing and learning. I met with all of the teachers and asked them to tell me about their experience of Hope High School, the good, the bad and the ugly.

I learned that they valued the small learning communities that Hope had, so during the second half of the year, we asked ourselves, “How can we make this work with our new redesign?” We now have four learning communities divided by grade level: a freshman academy with two houses of 192 students each, and then sophomore, junior and senior houses. The freshmen are together in one centralized area and have their own lunch, teachers, electives and everything else. Our focus with them is on personalization, time management and honing skills. We thought a lot about how we would support our students to stay on track, knowing that if they are successful in ninth grade, they will be more likely to graduate. Those teachers in each freshman academy house have autonomy, the ownership of running their academy.

So far, I think it is going extremely well.

13 Summer Street, Pawtucket 401-725-3714 X 212 pawtucketlibrary.org

Den

Tamara Sterling brings a fresh perspective to a unique set of challenges

Pawtucket Public Library

n

What did you notice when you first arrived?

I noticed immediately that while the data told a story, that Providence is one of the lowest-performing districts in the state, there was a desire for adults to do more for children and for children to do more for themselves.

No one was sitting back. Everyone was asking themselves what can we do to make this work? Of course, I also noticed that our dropout rate was more than 20%. I have not ever worked at a school that lost kids in double digits.

That’s nearly a whole grade. Where did they go? Why is the graduation rate so low?

Providence, RI • 401.454.5700 kanesmk@verizon.net Inquiries invited

Den

What brought you to Providence?

Tamara Sterling: I became interested in Providence in 2011, when the teacher layoffs here became national news. I wanted to come to Providence because as a transformational leader, Providence felt like a place where I could make a difference. I am now in my second year here. Before moving to Providence, I had worked in Houston, which is where I am from, and Chicago, moving from teacher to principal.

Steven M. Kane, Ph.D.

r ke

High School is the oldest public school on the East Side. Recent reforms intended to raise graduation rates and other indicators of student achievement – particularly the most recent major state-initiated restructuring in which the school was divided into three small schools – have shown promise but were interrupted before they could show lasting results. Hope is now reconsolidated into one school with 915 students.

This year, 74% of Hope High School’s students are economically challenged, as indicated by their eligibility for free and reduced lunch. Twenty-six percent receive special education services, and 15% are English language learners. In 2012, Hope’s graduation rate was 73% – not the lowest in Providence, but not nearly where it needs to be, says Hope High School’s recently appointed principal Tamara Sterling.

I recently chatted with Ms. Sterling to get her take on what’s next for Hope High School.

Comfort, consolation, and direction for the “empty nester.”

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44

East Side Monthly November 2013

Finance by Betsey Purinton | illustration by Maret Paetznick

Planning Priorities Why it’s necessary to create a financial plan for life-long success Financial planning involves a number of issues: some are addressed enthusiastically while others are deferred or avoided. Over the years I have found that the same issues fall into easy vs. hard to-do buckets.

Take mortgages. I rarely meet with a client who doesn’t want to pay down a mortgage as fast as possible. Usually I am a fan of extra payments. Lower mortgage balances leave open the possibility that the next home can be debt-free or that a nicer home can be purchased without constraining the budget.

Still, making extra payments doesn’t always make sense, especially for those who are financed at low interest rates and with very reasonable payments. Such terms don’t take away the desire to pay down the mortgage, however, which is based on the view that a mortgage is a big – and therefore bad – debt. Mix in the fear that the house could be lost if the mortgage suddenly became unaffordable and it is easy to see why many people pay down the mortgage.

Also consider life insurance. Since we are all going to pass away, we understand that our loved ones may need help after we are gone, if we have provided them with financial support. I am a huge fan of term life insurance, where you have enough coverage to pay off debt, fund college education costs and ensure survivor income and savings until the coverage is no longer needed – often retirement. Because the coverage can be relatively affordable, making its purchase is a top priority for many people.

Retirement savings is another component of the easy-to-do bucket that is embraced enthusiastically by most people. But like college savings, it is often funded insufficiently early on. Intentions are good, but an understanding of the necessary hard numbers can be lacking. Wishful thinking also plays a role: “I may get help from the markets.” Or “I hope my kid gets financial aid,” is what I sometimes hear.

But estate planning – which also involves what happens after death – is not

as readily embraced. While individuals will shell out $1,500-$3,500 year after year for life insurance, they are reluctant to pay a one-time fee of the same amount to get their estate plans in order (wills, healthcare proxies, living wills, powers of attorney and possibly trusts).

I often make strong recommendations for clients to do their estate planning and provide them with names of reputable attorneys, only to find myself repeating the same recommendation at the next meeting. Sometimes the issue is complexity: Who should be the guardian? Shall we divide the assets equally amongst the kids? But most of the time I hear, “We know we need to do this; we just didn’t get around to it.”

Other deferred needs on the financial planning bucket list include long-term care planning and disability insurance.

Some experts claim that people want to avoid the unpleasant thoughts of nursing homes and poor health. I find, however, that as long as clients are in good health, they are more than willing to talk about a time when they might not be.

The issue is more that long-term planning lacks immediacy and can be coupled with the presumptive belief that “I may not need this.”

Financial planning involves tradeoffs and choices. Most people can’t do everything they want or should do. So the easy issues – those that are readily understood – are completed first. The longer term, complex or more expensive concerns are often placed on a back burner. Unless revisited regularly, some pressing needs can remain unaddressed.

Betsey Purinton, CFP® is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at StrategicPoint Investment Advisors in Providence and East Greenwich.

You can e-mail her at bpurinton@ strategicpoint.com. The information contained in this report is not intended as investment, tax or legal advice.

StrategicPoint Investment Advisors assumes no responsibility for any action or inaction resulting from the contents herein.

Providence Art club 109th AnnuAl

little Pictures show 2013 OPen CAmPUs: Wed., nov. 6

Original Art $250 or less, cash & carry paintings, prints, glass, mixed media and more Opening Reception: Sunday, November 17, 12-4pm Exhibition Dates: November 17-December 23

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Monday-Wednesday & Friday 12-5pm Thursday12-6pm • Weekends 12-4pm 11 Thomas St., Providence, R.I. 02903 • 401.331.1114 • www.providenceartclub.org

Join Us View a complete list of events and buy tickets at w w w.ric.edu/pfa or call (401) 456-8144

Call Clean Air Today. for Clean Air Tomorrow!

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Hungarian State Folk Ensemble Thursday, November 14

Dirty air ducts are much less efficient then clean air ducts and can reduce your home’s cool airflow and increase energy rates. Dust, dead skin, and dust mites are just some of the debris that can build up and burden your HVAC system. Clean air ducts can also help to protect your family from air born pathogens that can aggravate allergies and create health issues. Advanced technology allows our certified technicians to thoroughly clean and disinfect your home’s air ducts conveniently, safely, and effectively. Visit our website for more information or call 401-274-4444 for a free, no-obligation estimate.

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November 2013 East Side Monthly

45

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East Side Monthly November 2013

Art

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of a living thing – for instance, Jesse’s BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI foot – into a 3D representation of the body part. The finished product is so accurate it even picks up small details such as wrinkles and hairs. This technique reflects his multivalent style that captures ambiguity beyond clear-cut dichotomies between traditional oppoWhy get caught off guard with a problem? sitions like beautiful/ugly and animate/ Schedule regular maintenance and inanimate. avoid costly surprises. For quick, honest and expert service call, email or stop by In Dress-Up, Thompson decided to today to book your appointment. let the life cast dry without finishing it Your car will run better. as an artist typically would. The result is Courtesy drop-off to downtown. a life-sized replication of a human foot G E R M A N M O T O R S INC that looks decayed. In his sculptures, the Run better. child gazes at the limb with a wide-eyed 879 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904 innocence. “I don’t like to be didactic 401-272-4266 about my work. It’s easy to make the Email us at: germanmotorshelp@gmail.com connection of being weathered by life or brand new to life. It’s sort of like, the child has something they don’t understand, something with so much power and what happens when you start to Providence Media For Delivery Call 441-5277 wield that much power.”

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It’s the 6, 2013 Providence Monthly, Decemb November relationship with the animate and inaniOctober 2, 2013 East Side Monthly, November mate that Thompson’s most interested October 8, 2013 Bay Magazine, November Is in now: “Life casting happens, but sculpLunch & Dinner Daily ture is made,” says Thompson.

11:30am - close Thompson graduated with a MFA and Weekend Brunch from RISD in 2007, and now teaches 10:00am - 2:00pm at RISD and at Bristol Community 727 East Ave. Pawtucket College. He’s won numerous awards, 401.305.5255 • LJsBBQ.com including this year’s RISCA fellowship

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and lovely. There I am, nine-years-old, buying this sadistic love story told in collage painting,” Thompson recounts.

Moreover, his comic book experience initiated an appreciation for the creative potential of narrative storytelling, a major theme in his art today.

Then there were those Walt Disney illustrations. “My friends were probably looking at cartoon characters and Donald Duck. I was drawn to the background image, the lighting and details.” Long before he began sculpting, Thompson was busy analyzing compositional elements with an eye for creative artwork.

Thompson’s childhood life has had an obvious impact on his art. In his most recent work, Dress-Up, he creates sculptures of overly cute children trying on life-casted adult limbs. Life casting is a process that involves making a mold out

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Imagine growing up in a town created to be the ultimate tourist attraction for families visiting the Jersey Shore.

There’s ample opportunity to chillax seaside, head down in your favorite comic book, or lazily leaf through pages of Walt Disney illustrations.

Sounds about as idyllic as a Norman Rockwell cover for the Saturday Evening Post. This was Jesse John Thompson’s childhood. Though similar to his art, which he describes as multivalent, there’s more than one interpretation of his childhood.

Thompson grew up in Asbury Park, the New Jersey coastal resort town made familiar to many through Bruce Springsteen’s music. But he wasn’t living in a Rockwell painting and didn’t perceive his world as a sweet slice of idyllic America. He had an for the creative, different, disturbing and even ugly aspects of reality. Given his surroundings, perhaps he was simply conceiving reality in its full complexity, beyond the immediate appearances available to him. This aesthetic sensibility towards ambiguity, experienced in his childhood, also defines his art.

For example, unlike many of his peers, he wasn’t drawn to juvenile comics like Archie. One of Thompson’s most influential – and revealing – childhood moments was when he bought the comic Daredevil Love & War, by Frank Miller with illustrations by Bill Sienkiewicz, instead of Todd McFarlane’s Superman #1.

“For whatever reason I have this affinity for the weird, ugly and uncomfortable, and a sort of distaste for the beautiful

Hectic Day?

Photography: Katie Poor

DASHED

Work by Thompson

November 2013 East Side Monthly

47

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Weight Gain? Low Energy?

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East Side Monthly November 2013

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Calendar

edited by Erin Swanson

November music | performance | social happenings | galleries | learn | sports

DON’T MISS

MUSIC

THIS MONTH:

arena & club | classical ARENA & CLUB ARTISTS’ EXCHANGE November 29: Don White. 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, www.artists-exchange.org.

10 events at the top of our list Elton John: All the Hits. November 9 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. www. dunkindonutscenter.com

1

AS220 November 1: Rich Ferri and the Wealth on the Water. November 3: Thomas Nola and the Black Hole. November 15: Black Heat Shujaa (LA). November 17: Mike DeAngelis and Kwesi K. November 23: Tor Johnson Records Presents: Little Big League, Steve Layman and more.

115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.as220.org.

COLUMBUS THEATRE November 1: Tallahassee with Smith and Weeden. November 2: Snake Wagon with Dr. Gasp. November 5: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside with Mount Moriah.

270 Broadway, Providence. 621-9660, www.columbustheatre.com.

DUNKIN’ DONUTS CENTER November 9: Elton John. 1 LaSalle Square, Providence. 331-6700, www. dunkindonutscenter.com.

FETE MUSIC November 1: Aaron Freeman. November 2: Junior Prom. November 3: David Ramirez. November 6: Future Islands.

November 7: A Loss for Words. November 8: East Coast Armageddon. November 14: Gringo Star. November 15: L.O.V.E. L.I.F.E. Benefit. November 23: Suicide Girls: Blackheart Burlesque. 103 Dike Street, Providence. 383-1112, www.fetemusic.com.

FOXWOODS November 1: Nas. November 8: Liza Minnelli. November 15: Cheap Trick. November 16: Rick Ross. 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT. 800200-2882, www.foxwoods.com.

LUPO’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL November 1: Creatures of the Night.

November 8: Reel Big Fish. November 13: Young the Giant. November 14: Grouplove. November 15: Manchester

Proustfest 2013. November 14-16 at the Providence Athenaeum in Providence. www. providenceathenaeum.org

2

Cirque Eloize: Cirkopolis.

November 1-2 at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence. www.ppacri.org

3

Chris Cornell. November 19 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. www. vmari.com

4 FirstWorks kicks off its season at PPAC with Cirque Eloize: Circkopolis on November 1-2

Orchestra. November 16: Michael Franti & Spearhead. November 26: Hoodie Allen. November 27: Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime. 79 Washington Street, Providence. 331-5876, www.lupos.com.

THE MET November 1: Mike Stud. November 2: Papadosio. November 4: Lee DeWyze.

November 6: Built to Spill. November 8: Tim Kasher. November 12: Talib Kweli. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 7291005, www.themetri.com.

MOHEGAN SUN November 10: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. November 15: Keith Urban. November 17: Port Chuck. November 17: Paramore. November 30: Celtic Woman.

1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 888-226-7711, www.mohegansun.com.

ROOTS CULTURAL CENTER Tuesdays: Jazz Jam. Fridays: Ladies Night. Sundays: Sweet P and the Who Dat Band. 276 Westminster Street, Providence.

272-7422, www.rootsprovidence.com.

THE SPOT UNDERGROUND Mondays: 990WBOB’s Mondays on Blast. Tuesdays: Creation Tuesday.

Wednesdays: Free Funk Wednesday.

15 Elbow Street, Providence. 383-7133, www.thespotprovidence.com.

Kronos Quartet. November 8 at RISD Auditorium in Providence. www.first-works.org

5

Urban Vintage Bazaar. November 9 at Brown University’s Faunce Hall in Providence. www.facebook.com/urbanvintagebazaar

6

Mill and Mysteries Ghost Tours. November 1 at Slater Mill in Pawtucket. www.slatermill. org

TWIN RIVER November 23: Pauly D. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 723-3200, www. twinriver.com.

7

VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM November 17: Aaron Lewis. November 19: Chris Cornell. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 221-1467, www.vmari.com.

8

Antiques and Collectibles Auction. November 2 at Central Congregational Church in Providence. www.auctioncentralri.com

CLASSICAL BILTMORE Thursdays: Live jazz on the terrace. 11 Dorrance Street, Providence. 421-0700, www.providencebiltmore.com.

9

BROWN UNIVERSITY November 1: New York Festival Of Song: Ned is Ninety. 154 Angell Street between Thayer and Brown Streets. November 15 & 16: Brown University Orchestra

10

Providence Bruins vs.

Bridgeport. November 22 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. www.providencebruins.com Good People. November 7-30 at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket. www.gammtheatre.org November 2013 East Side Monthly

49

Are you the voice of the East Side?

We’re looking for new writers who are passionate and knowledgeable about the East Side. Freelance assignments may include news, politics, community issues, education, the arts and more.

Send your resume and sample work to: julie@providenceonline.com

Someone to count on …

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Visit our website to see a full list of services. private duty companion care • light housekeeping errands & appointments • laundry • home health aide shopping • overnight care • meal planning medication management

www.ConcordHomeCare.com

50

East Side Monthly November 2013

401-725-8400

Calendar

continued...

WWW.HARUKISUSHI.COM

Concerts. November 22: Wind Symphony Concert. On the Main Green accessible by Waterman and George Streets at Brown Street. 863-3234, www.brown. edu/music/events.

LIPPITT HOUSE November 8: Hunter Music Series Concert: Robert Abelson & Carol Toscano.

199 Hope Street, Providence. 453-0688, www.preserveri.com.

PARK THEATRE November 1: Lee Greenwood. November 7: Ani DiFranco. November 15: Johnny Lang. November 22: Anoushka Shankar.

November 23: Lisa Marie Presley. 848 Park Avenue, Cranston. 467-7275, www. parktheatreri.com.

RISD AUDITORIUM November 8: Kronos Quartet World Premiere. 7 Canal Walk, Providence. 4546500, www.first-works.org.

FOXWOODS November 1-2: Steve Byrne. November 7-9: Eddie Pepitone. November 8: Filthy Friday. November 9: Kathy Griffin. November 14-16: Sebastian Maniscalco. November 23: Tracy Morgan. November 23: Nasty Show. November 29-30: Michael Che. 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT. 800-200-2882, www.foxwoods.com.

November 1-2: Cirque Eloize: Cirkopolis. November 27-30: The Phantom of the Opera. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org.

95 EMPIRE BLACK BOX Saturday Nights: Improv Jones. 95 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.improvjones.com.

VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM November 1: SPANK: The Fifty Shades Parody. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 221-1467, www.vmari.com.

DANCE ANGELL BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SMITH CENTER FOR THE ARTS November 15-16: Blackfriars Dance Concert. One Cunningham Square, Providence. 865-1000. www.providence.edu/theatre.

2ND STORY THEATRE November 1-24: Sons of the Prophet. November 8-30: Golda’s Balcony. November 15-30: Saint Joan.

28 Market Street, Warren. 247-4200, www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

comedy | dance | theatre

AS220 Tuesdays: Jazz/Hip Hop Fusion. Sundays: Beginner and Intermediate Ballet. 95 Empire Street, Providence. 8319327, www.as220.org.

COMEDY ARTISTS EXCHANGE Fridays: Bring Your Own Improv. 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, www.artists-exchange.org.

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER November 22-24: Irish Dance Regional Competition. Sabin Street, Providence.

458-6000, www.riconvention.com.

AS220 November 6: LuLz! Comedy Night hosted by Randy Bush. Saturdays: Improv Jones. November 3: The Empire Revue: sketch comedy, improv, music, burlesque and magic. 115 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www. as220.org.

THEATRE ANGELL BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SMITH CENTER FOR THE ARTS November 1-3: The Good Doctor. One Cunningham Square, Providence. 8651000, www.providence.edu/theatre.

PERFORMANCE

COMEDY CONNECTION Fridays: Hardcore Comedy. Sundays: Comedy Showcase. November 1-2: April Macie. November 7: John Valby.

November 8-9: Mike Hanley. November 14: Chaunte Wayans. November 15-16: Pete Correale. November 21: Chris Kattan. November 22-23: Kyle Kinane. November 29-30: Jon Rineman. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 438-8383, www.ricomedyconnection.com.

DUNKIN’ DONUTS CENTER November 23: Jeff Dunham. 1 LaSalle Square, Providence. 331-6700, www. dunkindonutscenter.com.

EVERETT Every Friday: Friday Night Live. 9 Duncan Avenue, Providence. 831-9479, www.everettri.org.

ARTISTS EXCHANGE November 15-23: Brighton Beach Memoirs. The Black Box Theatre, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, www.artists-exchange.org.

AS220 November 14-17 & 21-24: Counter-Productions Theatre Company presents Nico Was a Fashion Model. 95 Empire Street, Providence. 831-9327, www.as220.org.

GAMM THEATRE November 7-30: Good People. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 723-4266, www.gammtheatre.org.

OCEAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY November 6-24: Lombardi. 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. 921-6800, www.oceanstatetheatre.org.

PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

TRINITY REP November 21-30: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. 201 Washington Street, Providence. 351-4242, www.trinityrep.com.

SOCIAL HAPPENINGS expos | fundraisers | seasonal FESTIVALS BROWN UNIVERSITY November 9: Urban Vintage Bazaar featuring 16 vintage dealers. Faunce Hall, 75 Waterman Street, Providence. www. facebook.com/urbanvintagebazaar.

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER November 2-3: Rhode Island Comic Con. November 9: Fall Beer Show. November 9-10: The 5th Annual Providence Home Show. Sabin Street, Providence. 4586000, www.riconvention.com.

Gift cards available HARUKI EAST

172 Wayland Ave Providence / 223-0332 HARUKI EXPRESS 112 Waterman St Providence / 421-0754

HARUKI CRANSTON 1210 Oaklawn Ave Cranston / 463-8338

Let us cater your holiday party!

Century 21 Rentals smarter, Bolder, Faster Results

FOR FOODIES BOTTLES Fridays: Beer Tasting. Saturdays: Wine Tasting. 141 Pitman Street, Providence.

372-2030, www.bottlesfinewine.com.

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND Wednesdays and Saturdays: Wintertime Farmers’ Market. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. www.farmfreshri.org.

OTHER CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH November 2: Antiques and Collectibles Auction. 296 Angell Street, Providence.

331-1960, www.auctioncentral.com.

THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY & PRACTICE OF NONVIOLENCE First Friday of every month: Open

Call our agents at 401-521-9490 Century21RIRentals.com November 2013 East Side Monthly

51

Bring your child to college to major in playology, the science of fun!

At Whe ele

r — 4 6:1 s tudent teacher 4 Extra ra ordinar y facult tio 4 $3.1 y & curr million icu in annu al need lum -based finan

cial aid

Kid Think at Providence College explores how and why children play, think, learn, and develop Find out what opportunies are available for your family!

Learn more or register at www.kidthink.org 401.865.2342 • pckidthink@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Open House

Saturday, November 23, 9 a.m. - noon Meet our Head of School, teachers, students & parents!

Nursery - Gr. 12 | Coeducational | College-preparatory | Independent Founded in 1889 in the heart of College Hill 216 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906 ‒2246 401.421.8100 | www.wheelerschool.org

52

East Side Monthly November 2013

Calendar

continued...

Mic Spoken Word Poetry. 265 Oxford Street, Providence. 785-2320, www. nonviolenceinstitute.org.

SLATER MILL November 1: Mill and Mysteries Ghost Tours. 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket.

725-8638, www.slatermill.org.

TRINITY BREWHOUSE Tuesdays: Stump Trivia. 186 Fountain Street, Providence. 453-2337, www. stumptrivia.com.

WILDFLOUR November 24: Free tarot card readings, 4-6pm. 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket. 475-4718, www.wildflourveganbakerycafe.com.

GALLERIES DAVID WINTON BELL GALLERY November 1-30: The Strangest Fruit.

64 College Street, Providence. 8632932, www.brown.edu/campus-life/ arts/bell-gallery.

GALLERY NIGHT PROVIDENCE November 21: Ride the art bus to 25 of the city’s best art spots. One Regency Plaza, Providence. 490-2042, www. gallerynight.info.

MUSEUM OF WORK AND CULTURE November 11-30: The Ghost Army of WWII – Artists of December. 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket. 769-9675, www.rihs.org.

PEREGRINE GALLERY November 4: New Photos by Zev Jonas and Willa Mamet. 150 Waterman Street, Providence. 654-4618, www. peregrinegallery.com.

RISD MUSEUM OF ART November 1: Office Hours: Rebecca Siemering on the Refined Benefits of Paper. November 1-30: Made for Eternity. November 1-30: Locally Made.

224 Benefit Street, Providence. 4546500, www.risdmuseum.org.

SMITH CENTER FOR THE ARTS November 1-30: Distorting: (a messiah project -11c). Providence College, One Cunningham Square, Providence. 8652401, providence.edu.

FRENCH-AMERICAN SCHOOL OF RHODE ISLAND

and turkey craft. 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 949-5454, www.asri.org.

learning through languages

OPEN HOUSE

BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Every Saturday: Children’s Story Time.

244 Thayer Street, Providence. 8633168, bookstore.brown.edu.

HOPE ARTISTE VILLAGE November 10: CRAFTOPIA. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 626-1833. www. rhodycraft100.blogspot.com.

KENNEDY PLAZA November 21-30: Public Ice Skating.

Bank of America City Center, 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence. 331-5544, www. kennedyplaza.org.

PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER November 1-2: Cirque Eloize: Cirkopolis. November 23 & 24: Disney Jr. Live: Pirate & Princess Adventure. 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org.

RISD MUSEUM OF ART November 2: Tours for Tots: Time Machine. November 7: Art & Design Lab for High School Students. November 10: Family See & Sketch: Gilbert Stuart Portrait of George Washington. November 12: Tours for Tots: Creative Contrast.

November 17: Family Open Studios: Making It Together. 224 Benefit Street, Providence. 454-6500, www.risdmuseum.org.

10am to 1pm Saturday, November 2, 2013

BOOK FAIR TOO! We welcome non French-speaking children up to and including Kindergarten.

75 John Street, Providence, RI 02906

PArty PACk

•

www.fasri.org

PiCk uP or DeLivery

SPeCiAL • 2 Large Cheese Pizzas • Large Wings • 2 Liter Soda

$31.80

Call 272-2279

20 South Angell Street, Providence Wayland Square • www.minervapizza.com

Thanksgiving Dinner Deserves the Best!

Your neighborhood market has everything you need to prepare a delicious Holiday meal!

Or pick up already prepared dishes!

ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO November 1-3: Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. November 16: Rock-a-Baby.

November 30: Visits with Santa. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 7853510, www.rwpzoo.org.

LEARN

Tel 401.274 3325

•

Also Serving All Your Needs For Hanukkah!

165 Pitman Street, Providence • 831-7771 www.eastsidemarket.com

discussion | instruction | tour AUDUBON SOCIETY November 21: Owl Prowl at Fort Refuge.

1443 Providence Pike, North Smithfield. www.asri.org.

kIDS + FAMILy

BROWN UNIVERSITY November 4: How to Have a Difficult Conversation. November 14: A Collage: The Multiple Roles of the Arts in Foreign Language Acquisition. November 20: Finding the Mentoring You Need. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.

96 Waterman Street, Providence. 8631000, www.brown.edu.

AUDUBON SOCIETY November 6: Owls of New England. November 23: Turkey Tales: turkey story

FREQUENCY November 2: Breaking the Form: a

152 Elmgrove Avenue

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Great 4 bed, 2.5 bath Townhouse with granite & stainless kit, hardwoods throughout, central air, deck, new heating system & more! $235,000.

Debbie Gold

401-640-0403 • 225 Wayland Ave, East Side Of Providence Deborah.Gold@NEMoves.com Coldwell Banker International Diamond Society award.

2012 Greater Providence Board of Realtors Gold Award.

Relocation & Previews Property Specialist © 2012 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Owned and operated by NRT, Incorporated. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Housing Opportunity

November 2013 East Side Monthly

53

Photo by highSail Media

Help is Just Around tHe Corner!

• • • • • •

Two Convenient Locations

Aquatic Therapy (Cranston) Chronic Pain Conditions Orthopedic & Neurological Conditions Post-Surgical Care Sports Injuries Rehabilitation of the Spine

100 Highland Avenue // Suite 305 Providence // Summit Medical Bldg.

865-6940 1528 Cranston Street Cranston // Spine Tech Bldg.

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ookin’ Just Lik C h c t a r e Sc T d e o s M U a ke!

Mom Meeting Street Café Breakfast All Day

Gourmet Sandwiches Homemade Soups Delicious Entrées World Famous Cookies

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The Best Noodle Soup in Town

50 Ann Mary Street, Pawtucket (off N. Main) In former Shaw’s Plaza 365-6278 • phohorns.com Mon-Thur 11am-10pm • Fri-Sat 11am-11pm Sun 11am-9pm

(temporarily stopping delivery service)

Holiday Craft Fair To benefit the East Providence Scout House

November 2Nd 9-4pm Featuring

Christmas Ornaments • Hand Painted Bags Clothing • Candles • Jellies Quilting • Painted Wood Stained Glass Jewelry • Chocolates Bake Table, and much more!

All Professional Crafters Held at

East Providence High School 2000 Pawtucket Avenue

54

East Side Monthly November 2013

Calendar one-day writer’s studio class. 186 Carpenter Street, Providence. frequencyprovidence.com.

November 30: vs. Central Conn. St. 235 Lloyd Avenue, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com.

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE November 27: Book Club. Mondays: Moms’ and Children’s Play Group. Fridays: Knitting Group. Fridays: Tai Chi Class. Fridays: Pranayama Yoga Class.

8 Stimson Avenue, Providence. 4217181, www.internationalhouseofri.org.

BROWN MEN’S HOCKEY November 1: Clarkson. November 2: St. Lawrence. 235 Lloyd Avenue, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com.

LADD OBSERVATORY Tuesdays: Telescope Observing Night.

210 Doyle Avenue, Providence. 8632323, www.brown.edu.

PROVIDENCE ATHENAEUM November 14-16: Proustfest 2013. Fridays: Drop in from 5-7pm for the free weekly Salon Series. 251 Benefit Street, Providence.

421-6970, www.providenceathenaeum.org.

RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY November 5: All Our Little Victories and Glories Have Turned Into Parking Lots. November 9: RiverWalk: Before the Fires Are Lit. November 13: Rhode Island Historical Society Annual Meeting. 110 Benevolent Street, Providence.

331-8575, www.rihs.org.

BROWN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL November 10: Lafayette. 235 Lloyd Avenue, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com.

BROWN WOMEN’S HOCKEY November 8: vs. Quinnipiac. November 9: vs. Princeton. November 19: vs. Connecticut. November 26: vs. Vermont. 235 Lloyd Avenue, Providence. 863-2773, www.brownbears.com.

PROVIDENCE BRUINS HOCKEY November 1: vs. Manchester. November 10: vs. Hartford. November 15: vs. Norfolk. November 17: vs. Portland. November 22: vs. Bridgeport. November 24: vs.

Springfield. 1 LaSalle Square, Providence.

273-5000, www.providencebruins.com.

SARAH DOYLE WOMEN’S CENTER Mondays: Girls Night Out. Snacks and informal discussions for self-identified queer women. 26 Benevolent Street, Providence. events.brown.edu.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS MEN’S BASKETBALL November 2: vs. Rhode Island College.

November 8: vs. Boston College. November 13: vs. Brown University. November 16: vs. Marist. November 18: vs.

Vermont. November 29: vs. Fairfield. 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 865-4672, www.friars.com.

STADIUM THEATRE November 7: The Ghost Army. This documentary tells the tale of the American soldiers who duped Hitler’s army during WWII with carefully crafted illusions. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. 7624545, www.stadiumtheatre.com.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS MEN’S HOCKEY November 2: vs. Boston University. November 9: vs. Merrimack. November 2223: vs. New Hampshire. November 30: vs.

Brown. Schneider Arena, Huxley Avenue, Providence. 865-4672, www.friars.com.

THE STEEL YARD November 6: Free Public Tour. Sundays: Open Studios. 27 Sims Avenue, Providence. 273-7101, www.thesteelyard.org.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS WOMEN’S HOCKEY November 1: vs. Boston College. November 23-24: vs. Maine. November 30: vs.

Brown. Schneider Arena, Huxley Avenue, Providence. 865-4672, www.friars.com.

WATSON INSTITUTE November 4: Stephen Kinzer. November 5-6: Ram Guha. November 6: Johanna Bockman. November 14: Jonathan Zeitlin. November 18: Vanda Felbab-Brown.

November 20: Jean Comaroff. 111 Thayer Street, Providence. 863-2809, www.watsoninstitute.org.

SPORTS BROWN MEN’S BASKETBALL November 10: vs.

Binghamton.

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER November 9: Roller Derby: Old Money Honeys vs. Sakonnet River Roller Rats.

Championship: Double Header with Mob Squad vs. TBD. Sabin Street, Providence.

458-6000, www.riconvention.com.

VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM November 9: WBFF New England Fitness & Fashion Weekend. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 221-1467, www. vmari.com.

Revive the Beauty of Your Fine Oriental Rugs!

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401.331.4592 • 401.421.9887 230 WATERMAN AVE., WAYLAND SQUARE • PROVIDENCE WWW.MONAHANDRABBLESHERMAN.COM • EMAIL: MKDSFH@AOL.COM November 2013 East Side Monthly

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Classifieds

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.

EAST SIDE HANDYMAN 34 years. Repairs, upgrades & renovations. References. Insured. Reg. #3052. Call 524-6421.

(401) 441-7303

CLEANING SERVICE BY ZELIA Residential & commercial. Over 20 years experience. Licensed & insured.

No job too big or too small. Free estimates. Call anytime, 401-439-9926.

CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS and more. In-home consultation. 30 years experience. 401-949-1587.

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.

BEST FRIENDS PET SERVICE N- More. Are you prepared for the Holidays? Petsitting & overnights, your home or mine. Dog & cat first aid certified. References. Call Nikki at 831-6187 or 301-1806.

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

CEILING WORK, DRYWALL Plaster (hang, tape & paint). Water damage repair. All phases of carpentry.

Reg. #24022. Fully insured. Steven, E. Prov., 401-641-2452.

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

CHARLIE’S KNIFE Sharpening Henckles, Wusthof, Victorinox-Forchner and serrated knifes, just to name a few. Local pickup & delivery, East Side. 831-6187

Gutter Cleaning

CHRIS’ LAMP REPAIR

GROUND FLORA

We Make House Calls!!!

Professional Lawn Care

âœŻ Repairing all types of Lamps âœŻ Vintage Lighting Specialist âœŻ Chandelier Repairs âœŻ Serving the East Side for over 15 years âœŻ Fully Insured

✎

✎

Spring/Fall Clean Ups

Painting Interior/Exterior

Lead Certified Chimney Pointing Reg. #19031

Insured

(401) 831-8693

248-5248 davidokenpainting.com

www.chrislamprepair.com

JOBS BY JIM

CHEMISTRY TUTOR

Garages & Attics Cleaned Unwanteds Removed Small Demolitions - Garages, Sheds, etc.

Appliances & Lawn Mowers â?–Motors â?–Machines â?–Batteries â?–Etc.

Cell 401-742-7258 Reg. #4614

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East Side Monthly November 2013

Supervised a State Chemistry Laboratory 20+ years Tutoring Students 10+ years

John 401-741-1478 ProvidenceChemistryTutor@gmail.com

DOG WALKER/PET SITTER Trained to administer medications.

Reliable, bonded, references available.

Home visits. Call Susan 527-3914.

Loves animals.

DOROTHY’S CLEANING We clean your home as our own! References & free estimates. Call 401274-7871 or 401-524-7453.

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

Full Service

401-331-1332

ELDER CARE AVAILABLE Very kind, patient, mature woman seeks position with elderly person.

Intelligent, cheerful, reliable, with 20 years experience, including several longterm positions. Impeccable references.

Please call 781-3392 or 497-3392.

HOUSECLEANER Available Crystal Clean, a quality housecleaning service. We don’t cut corners. Weekly or bi-weekly. We use environmentally friendly products. Bethany 2650960.

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

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

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

Call 351-6292.

HOUSE CLEANING

If you need a house cleaner who is organized and with good prices & excellent references, call 401-475-3283

Classifieds

KIND CARE ~ SENIORS Appointments, errands, shopping, cleaning & maint. Refs. Safety bars installed. Reg #3052. 559-0848.

MASTER ELECTRICIAN Install, service, repair. Expert troubleshooting. Free detailed computerized estimate. Deal direct with owner. Lic. #AC 004110 & insured. Small jobs done promptly. All work guaranteed.

Save $$$. Family owned & operated.

Local resident. Calls returned immediately. 401-258-4793, John.

PARKING/STORAGE Congdon St., $125 covered carport.

Benefit St. (north end), $115/mo. Call Roger, 339-4068. rogernc@mac.com

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT AVAILABLE Only when you need one. Too busy to pickup the dry cleaning, shop, wait for a delivery, take the dog to the groomer? I can run your errands for you.

Hire for a day or by the hour. References. Call 270-1120.

PROPERTY MANAGER AVAILABLE 24/7 on call. Rent collection. Rentals, evictions. Call 421-0092.

Vinny’s Landscaping

& BOBCAT SERVICES FALL CLEANUPS

Bushes Trimmed â?Š Tree Removal Pine Bark Mulch

Commercial & Residential FIREWOOD: Seasoned Hardwood, Cut & Split, $225/cord. â—?Free Estimates

â?Š

26 Years Experience

MG Landscaping 743-6015 â?Š 831-5109

497-1461 â—? 231-1851

www.savingphotomemories.com memories.kmccann@gmail.com

632-0073

majorrlm@earthlink.net

Executive Director Wanted International House of R.I. is seeking a full-time Executive Director. Apply at:

internationalhouseofri.wordpress.com

classified advertising Order fOrm r $2.50 each additional line (includes headline) r $2.00 additional — Boxed Ad

Your Dog’s New Best Friend!

name:

Over 40 years experience.

Great references.

Flexible scheduling.

______________________________________

phone:

_____________________________________

address:

401-484-3708

MEDINA Painting & Remodeling Co., Inc. For ALL Your Painting & Carpentry Needs

We Specialize in Water Problems Roofs âœŻGutters âœŻCement Resurfacing of Basement Walls Certified Lead Renovated LRM #0514

âœŻ

Call Al Medina

Chair Caning

r 4 lines /$10

Dennis the Dog Walker

Organizing photos. Scanning photos, old albums, slides, negatives, and movies. Creating photo books, slide shows. Storage solutions for your photo collection.

401-601-0141

Snow Plowing

Handyman

T.J. DANUSIS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS, INC. Complete electrical services. Lic. #AC160. Insured. 401-499-1255.

Photo Organizer

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

Spring & Fall Cleanups Landscape Construction Parking Lot Cleaning

PAWS-N-CLAWS, LLC Dog walking/pet sitting. Professional, reliable pet care. Insured & bonded. Call 499-7714 or www.pawsnclawsri.com

401.438.8771

city:

___________________________________

_______________

state:

____

zip:

_________

amount enclosed: __________________________ Visa/mastercard #: _________________________

Please complete form and fax to 732-3110 or phone in your ad to sue at 732-3100 or email sueH@rhodybeat.com mail Payment in full tO: East Side Monthly, c/o Beacon Communications Classifieds, 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 November 2013 East Side Monthly

57

East of Elmgrove

by Elizabeth Rau | illustration by Eloise Narrigan

What an Idea A Liberian refugee accepts donated books to help his home country With Thanksgiving a few weeks away, Emmanuel Logan is thankful for textbooks. He is grateful for used textbooks, the ones he collected over three years from his college friends and shipped a few months ago to students in his homeland of Liberia, where it’s common for dozens of students to share one book. And those are the lucky ones. The country is so poor after a bloody civil war that many classes have no books, only blackboards.

Emmanuel is the founder of a group called Initiatives for the Development of Educational Advancement, or IDEA, a soon-to-be nonprofit that wants to improve a broken educational system in Liberia by starting with something many of us take for granted in this country of plenty: textbooks and school supplies.

“I have dreams of building libraries in Liberia,” says Emmanuel, a friendly and soft-spoken 32-year-old who lives on Providence’s South Side with his wife and children. “The civil war destroyed our country. But we can change it if we try. I want to try.”

IDEA is a wonderful new organization that might interest East Siders who send their kids to private schools. Books are free in public schools. That’s not the case in private schools, where students have to pay for most of their books.

Some private schools offer buy-back programs, but if you miss the deadline you’re stuck with a stack of textbooks that will probably never be read again.

Don’t drop them off at Salvation Army. Don’t toss them out. Don’t put them in a box on the curb. Emmanuel will take them. “We accept everything,” he says. “Liberians have nothing.”

He’ll accept books from kindergarten through college, including dog-eared paperbacks with notations scrawled in the margins. English is the official language of Liberia.

College textbooks are especially needed in accounting, business, economics, math, science and history.

School supplies would be appreciated, too: pencils, pens, copy paper, spiral notebooks, binders, folders, calculators, old laptops and printers. Surely East Siders have a few three-ring binders stuffed in a closet. Maybe a private school on 58

East Side Monthly November 2013

the East Side would like to host a book drive for Emmanuel as part of a community service project. “We are open to generosity,” he says.

With $450 of his own money, Emmanuel shipped 350 books in August and is collecting more, possibly to send in the spring. He stores the books in his living room. Many of his books were donated by his fellow college students.

Now Emmanuel is reaching out to the East Side and beyond to increase donations. “I’ve had so many opportunities in this country,” he says. “This is my chance to give back.”

The education system in Liberia is a mess, says Emmanuel. The entire prospective freshman class of 25,000 applying to the University of Liberia for the fall flunked the entrance exam. Emmanuel says those dismal scores are alarming, but not too surprising, considering that his West African country has been ravaged by war and political strife.

Years ago Emmanuel didn’t know if he would live to see another sunrise. He didn’t know if he would die of starvation or get his head slashed open by a rebel swinging a machete. Those gruesome images are still vivid enough to make him cry, which he does when he thinks

too long about a childhood that was cut short by chaos and violence.

One spring day, back in those awful times, rebels stormed the house he shared with his parents and siblings and dragged his mother away, kicking and screaming. Emmanuel, only a teenager then, yelled for them to let her go. “They showed no mercy,” he says. In her dank prison cell, Sarah Logan was raped and murdered. Her body was never returned.

Even now, he doesn’t know where, or if, she was buried.

Her crime? Speaking out against the brutal regime of warlord Charles Taylor for recruiting boys to rape and kill.

Emmanuel’s mother was one of the more than 250,000 people who died in the 14-year-old civil war, a reign of terror with torture, kidnappings, child slavery and horrific killings before ending in 2003. “My country was destroyed, like Syria is being destroyed today,” says Emmanuel.

After his mother’s murder, Emmanuel became a youth minister but felt his life threatened and fled to neighboring Ghana. He lived in hiding in the house of a friend, who brought him food at night. In 2007, he arrived in Providence on a temporary visa and applied for

political asylum, granted a year later.

Six years later, he graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in business.

But he worked full-time as he studied - no small feat. He worked as an aide in a group home, feeding and bathing residents and helping them with daily chores so they could lead dignified lives.

He’s still there, now as assistant program manager. Not long ago, he won a big award at work for his dedication to the job. “My mother would like what I’m doing,” he says. “I do this for her.”

His life is all about gratitude and forgiveness and experiencing the sheer sensation of being alive. On Thanksgiving he will gather with family and give thanks for three things: the courage of Sarah Logan; achieving the American dream; and, of course, old textbooks. He wants to fill up his living room – again.

If you’d like to donate, please contact Emmanuel at springlr@yahoo.com or eelogan32@gmail.com. Two friends are also helping: Zeus Carter at zcarter69@ yahoo.com and Ronald Bickham II at rbickham12@gmail.com.

Elizabeth Rau can be reached at erau1@verizon.net

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