Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - March 14, 2025
GoLocalProv
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - March 14, 2025
We have expanded the list, and we are going to a GoLocal team approach while encouraging readers to suggest nominees for who is "HOT" and who is "NOT."
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Over the past 14-plus years, more than 7,000 have been tagged as HOT or NOT.
Email GoLocal by midday on Thursday about anyone you think should be tapped as "HOT" or "NOT." Email us HERE.
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - March 14, 2025
HOT
RI’s Next Generation: Fighting to Preserve Her Family’s Jewelry Legacy
Stefanie Casinelli Taylor comes from a Rhode Island jewelry family.
For generations, the Casinellis ran Gennaro Inc. in Cranston, and recently, Stefanie Casinelli Taylor launched her own line, Zaxie by Stefanie Taylor.
Then, the pandemic hit the business hard. And during that time, Casinelli Taylor lost her father.
While that would be enough to make anyone fold, Casinelli Taylor doubled down.
“This is sort of rebirth,” said Casinelli Taylor, of her newest jewelry endeavor, "Zaxie Strong," which honors her father, and the interconnectedness of family and friends.
“My dad was a boxer, and he taught me how to box,” said Casinelli Taylor. “So the ‘never stop fighting’ in ‘Zaxie Strong’ has even more meaning."
HOT
Hemenway’s Reopens in Providence
Yum has returned.
Providence seafood stalwart Hemenway’s, located at 121 South Main Street, has officially reopened after undergoing renovations
“Hemenway’s is an institution, and as such, it was important to us that we preserved much of its iconic look,” said Nicole Christie, Regional Manager, Newport Restaurant Group. “While minor updates have been made through the restaurant, what’s most impressive is the gorgeous new raw bar area. We hope our new and loyal guests will be wowed by the refresh and our exciting new menu offerings.”
A top downtown destination in Rhode Island for 40 years, Hemenway's reopened on March 5 with a refreshed raw bar, new lobster tanks; enhanced views of the city throughout; and a brand-new, and an updated bar area with three high-top bar booths.
HOT
Brilliant - Illustrator Conor Nolan
Michael Rose, GoLocal's art columnist, has a great review of the brilliant work of Providence-based Conor Nolan.
Pen and ink are foundational tools for many artists to shape their work. For Providence-based illustrator Conor Nolan, they are also some of the implements he uses to craft masterful drawings that describe space, narrative, and unique characters. He is currently the subject of an exhibition titled Sapling, on view in the Main Gallery at AS220 in downtown Providence through March 29. A talented maker whose work recalls the golden age of illustration, Conor Nolan is an artist to know.
Nolan utilizes both time-tested and contemporary techniques to create his exceptional drawings. In his home studio on the East Side, a jar filled with specially procured Japanese brush pens stands at the ready alongside a tablet that allows him to create and refine images digitally. He has a flat-file packed to the brim with works on paper that show off his inventive and curious mind. There are monographs on artists who inspired him, ranging from Norman Rockwell to Frank Frazetta. This is the space where he created the work featured in his current show at AS220.
HOT
PC Hockey Ranked #6 in U.S.
The Friars finished 5th overall in the Hockey East standings, thereby getting a bye in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
They will now face the fourth-place UConn Huskies in a quarterfinal game on Friday at Storrs, CT.
HOT
Porchfest in Back
In only its third year, it has become one of the city’s most popular events - and Providence Porchfest is now on the calendar for 2025.
The event that “brings friends, neighbors, and community together around music. Any kind of music. On any kind of porch.” is scheduled for June 7.
Currently, Porchfest organizers are looking to connect musicians who want to play - and residents who want to host them.
NOT
Layoffs in Rhode Island
Job losses are starting to mount in Rhode Island, and these numbers do not include the impact of federal jobs that may be impacted by the Trump administration's DOGE cuts.
Leading employers have been cutting and appear to be continuing to slash jobs.
CVS over the last year has announced thousands of layoffs across the country and hundreds have hit here in Rhode Island. Since October, CVS has notified the Rhode Island Department of Labor of more than 1,500 layoffs.
Then, the cutting at Hasbro has been non-stop and on their most recent investor call, the company said it is still looking for $250 million more in cost savings.
At the Providence Journal, more than 130 will lose their jobs this month with the closure of the printing press in Providence and the shift of the newspaper’s printing to New Jersey. With the cuts, the paper, who once claimed upwards of 1,000 employees, now employs just a few dozen in Rhode Island.
UNFI, the supermarket supply company headquartered in Rhode Island, laid off more than 120 in November.
And, more than 200 Rhode Islanders who worked in East Providence for Ennovi Advanced Mobility Solutions, a company owned by Blackstone were laid off last summer. Blackstone’s CEO is billionaire Newport summer resident Stephen Schwarzman. Those are just the numbers that are publicly reported.
This week, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island announced massive loses and the layoff of 30 employees.
PHOTO: Jason Richard, Unsplash
NOT
Insulting
A GoLocal editorial this week takes the 195 Commission to task for yet another terrible decision:
If you love Harry Potter and have always wanted to visit Hogwarts, you will love the design that the 195 Commission approved on Wednesday night for Parcel 5.
GoLocal has no dog in the fight other than being tired of watching the 195 Commission's endless bungling. We recommended the design brought forward by the Rhode Island team.
Instead, the 195 Commission selected the design put forth by one of the teams comprised of out-of-state interests. The winner is Boston-based Ionic Development Corporation, which partnered with JLL Partners and others. It is called the Art & Design Center, featuring 30,000 square feet of retail and an apartment complex with 150 units.
Why the 195 Commission thinks Providence needs more retail is beyond confusing. There is vacant retail space in Providence Place Mall (in receivership), throughout downtown, in the Arcade, Wayland Square, Federal Hill, Thayer Street, on South Main Street, and in nearly every retail area of the city.
Remember, the state and federal government (aka taxpayers) spent nearly $1 billion to move 195 and clear the land that was intended to be a hub for the modernization of the Rhode Island economy.
To date, 195 District's development has produced a lot of apartments and a Trader’s Joe, a local pizza chain and a liquor store.
NOT
Trouble for Brown on College Hill
Brown University is facing the potential of losing hundreds of millions in federal funds.
The Trump administration announced last week that it was canceling $400,000 in federal grants to Columbia University.
Columbia and other schools are being targeted for allowing anti-semitism on campus.
Monday, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent letters to 60 institutions of higher education warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities. The letters are addressed to all U.S. universities that are presently under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege, and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Further complicating the decision by the Trump administration is the Department of Education's announcement on Tuesday afternoon that it is laying off thousands of the agency's workers.
Brown, in February, in a letter to the “Brown Community,” wrote, “Brown received more than $250 million in federal funding in Fiscal Year 2024 from these agencies [NIH, but also the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, NASA and other federal agencies].”
Brown has faced criticism for its management of anti-Israeli protests by donors and members of the Brown Corporation.
NOT
Brown, PC, and URI Hoops
It has been a tough year for the locals. URI had a brutal end to the season, losing to the last-ranked team in the Atlantic-10 conference tournament in the opening game.
PC's season turned into a nightmare, and Coach Kim English called the season "pitiful." Not a good look.
Brown was expected to make the Ivy Madness, the top four team playoff in the league, and a chance to play for a bid to the NCAA. But Brown, who is hosting the tournament, finished 6th and will be watching, rather than playing.
Bryant is the last hope. They host Maine on Saturday for an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
