Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - April 28, 2023

HOT

Raymond Two Hawks Watson

Community leader, family man, expert, GoLocal MINDSETTER™, and now a full-fledged attorney.

Congrats to Raymond Two Hawks Watson on passing the bar.

HOT

GoLocal Expands Again—Adds Dear Annie Advice Column

GoLocal is adding the Dear Annie advice column to the growing number of regular contributors.

Dear Annie is written by Annie Lane — who has become one of the top advice columnists in the country.

“We are excited to add Dear Annie. When we launched GoLocal in 2010, we had a wonderful column called Dear John written by John Simpson. The incorporation of Dear Annie in our regular lineup is just another great addition,” said Josh Fenton, CEO and co-founder of GoLocal.

The introduction of Dear Annie is the tenth addition to GoLocal in less than 24 months -- GoLocal has added features like People on the Move, The Ultimate Calendar and much more.

“Over the past two years, we have invested more and more in content. Great writers like Raymond Two Hawks Watson, art columnist Michael Rose, foreign policy and national defense expert Mackubin Owens, and columnist Froma Harrop to name a few,” said Fenton.

GoLocal is the most-read locally-owned news organization in Rhode Island.

Rick Newcombe, CEO of Creators, said that he founded the company in 1987 with only one columnist -- Ann Landers.

"What made the Ann Landers column unique was the quality of letters and the lively, no-nonsense answers that included seeking out experts," Newcombe said. "We have received hundreds of submissions of advice columns over the years, and Dear Annie is the best by a country mile."

HOT

Neon Marketplace Names Adi Dhandhania as Chief Executive Officer

Neon Marketplace announced the appointment of Adi Dhandhania as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Dhandhania will assume day-to-day leadership of the company, its growth strategy, and the continued evolution of the brand. He will also join Neon’s Board of Directors.

“The Board and I are confident that Adi is the right person to lead Neon at this exciting time in our growth to build valuable momentum as we scale up the business,” said Jim Procaccianti, President & Chief Executive Officer, Procaccianti Companies. “He is a driven leader with significant experience working in retail, technology and operating efficiently at scale. We are pleased to have him as our next CEO.”

Before joining Neon, Dhandhania served as COO for North America at Bally’s Interactive (NYSE: BALY), a leading global gaming and hospitality company where he led the company’s transition and expansion into interactive gaming. During his tenure there, Dhandhania held several senior leadership positions and was involved in numerous M&A transactions totaling $3.5BN+. Prior to Bally’s, Dhandhania held various strategy and operations leadership roles at Brightstar Corporation, a global wireless device services company backed by Softbank.

From 2010 to 2016, Dhandhania worked at GTECH (now IGT, NYSE: IGT) where he started as an engineer and later held several senior management roles in business operations and retail. At IGT, he led retail sales and operations for the company in New Jersey serving 7,000+ retailers while working alongside major convenience store and gas station chains and several independent locations. Dhandhania also has firsthand experience working in family-owned and operated convenience stores.

Dhandhania is a CFA charter holder and holds a BS in Electronics Engineering degree from Johnson & Wales University, an MBA degree from Bryant University and a MS in Technology Leadership degree from Brown University.

“As an early investor in Neon, I have long been a believer in the company’s vision to redefine the future of convenience. I am delighted to join the talented team at Neon and The Procaccianti Group in this exciting new venture,” said Adi Dhandhania, Chief Executive Officer, Neon Marketplace.

HOT

The District and Kevin Hart

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart — who has starred in such movies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Think Like a Man, and Little Fockers, was spotted in Providence on Saturday.

The popular restaurant “The District” in the city’s Jewelry District shared photos of Hart at the establishment on social media. 

Playing at the Amica Mutual Pavillion (AMP) on Saturday night, Hart currently has a multi-faceted comedy, live performance, and multi-media business platform, all of which are featured on his website, "Kevin Hart Nation."

“Thank you so much @kevinhart4real for coming and having lunch with us @thedistrictri! Good luck on tonight’s show,” The District posted on Saturday along with photos with Hart. 

The District’s expansive menu features everything from pizzas and crab cakes to burgers and tacos. 

HOT

There Is Cool, and Then There Is Ken Stetson Cool

Rhode Island's super bag designer Ken Stetson is on a roll and building a national reputation, but still remembers the locals -- the GoLocals.

Stetson is an overnight success; just 20 years to get the national recognition he deserves. Now, he is becoming a force with his creativity and cool bags.

READ MORE

HOT

Bally's Twin River 

Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort this week officially opened 40,000 square
feet of new gaming space in a landmark expansion of its casino.

The new gaming area includes 355 slot machines, 57 table games, 27 stadium-style games, and a first-class, high-limit gaming area. 

A new food hall provides seating for 150 guests, including an exclusive private dining area with exterior views. 

Finally, adjacent to the new 16-seat casino bar is ‘Plume & Proof,” a cigar lounge with access to an outdoor smoking patio.

The old Twin River is now officially big time. 

NOT

Pawtucket Soccer Stadium President’s UK Team Lost $17 Million, According to Club Audit

Brett Johnson — the man behind the proposed minor league soccer team and stadium in Pawtucket — is also the Director of the Ipswich Town soccer club in the United Kingdom, and that team is losing millions.

He often promotes the "wins" that he and his team have had since taking over the ownership of the Ipswich club.

Johnson takes to social media to tout the ownership group's achievements, and his public relations team has said that the Ipswich team is a success on and off the pitch.

But, recently released audited financials for the Ipswich club shows that the team lost $14.3£ million [about $17 million U.S.] in the past year.

The loss under Johnson and his team’s management grew from 7.7£ million in losses to 14.3£ million in losses in one year — an 85% increase.

The investment group Gamechanger 20 owns around 90% of the Ipswich club. Of that, Johnson and two other individuals (Mark Detmer and Berke Bakay) own a combined 5% of the team between the three of them. Johnson, according to records, owns less than 1% of the team.

He refuses to answer questions about his ownership percentage. The bulk of the funding (and the vast majority of the ownership) is tied to an Arizona pension fund. 

The disclosure of the mounting losses is another issue for Johnson.

In Rhode Island, the City of Pawtucket refused to issue $27 million in bonds, leaving a new funding gap for the project first proposed — one of many challenges the Pawtucket project is facing.

READ MORE

NOT

Something Is Wrong With the TV

The exodus continues.

Many of the best-known and respected on the local TV news are exiting.

They are not leaving for TV stations in Boston; they are simply quitting the industry.

This week WJAR's Joe Kayata announced he was quitting. He joins WPRI's Danielle North, WJAR's Katie Davis, WPRI's Michaela Johnson, and ABC6's Chelsea Priest, who have quit their respective stations in recent weeks.

NOT

Trash

It seems ridiculous that the mayor of Providence won't sit down and meet with city residents who are concerned about trash in the city. 

As news editor Kate Nagle wrote this week, a new group has formed, and Mayor Brett Smiley has yet to meet with them himself. 

The group wants the city to clean up trash — and has produced a video documenting what they say is the persistent problem across all neighborhoods.

See the video -- and read the story -- here. 

NOT

Dollar Tree Stores in RI Fined $770K by U.S. Dept. of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday it has fined Dollar Tree Stores $770,000 for failure to provide safe work conditions at two Rhode Island stores. Specifically for violations of the agency's Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards by exposing employees to serious risks and injuries.

The discount retail giant faces penalties for hazards related to obstructed exits, unsafe storage of materials, fire and other hazards at its East Providence and Pawtucket locations.

OSHA inspectors responded to complaints about unsafe conditions at the two stores and found employees exposed to these hazards:

- Blocked exits: Large piles of materials blocked access to emergency exits. Inspectors found access to an emergency exit completely blocked at the Pawtucket store.
- Unsafe storage of materials: Boxed merchandise stacked up to 7 feet high at both locations.
- Fire extinguishers: Storage room materials completely blocked access to fire extinguishers at the Pawtucket store.
- Compressed gas storage: Inspectors found helium compressed gas cylinders stored and labeled improperly in East Providence. The cylinders also lacked caps for valve protection.

OSHA cited the East Providence store for three repeat violations, with $319,220 in proposed fines, and the Pawtucket location for four repeat violations, with $450,916 in proposed fines.

OSHA cited Dollar Tree previously for similar hazards at locations in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin.

“Providing employees with clearly recognized and legally required safeguards, such as unimpeded exit access, properly stored materials and readily available fire extinguishers, must be a priority for any employer and should not be ignored,” explained OSHA Area Director Robert Sestito in Providence, Rhode Island.

Since 2017, federal and state OSHA programs identified more than 300 violations in more than 500 inspections at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores operated by Dollar Tree Inc., based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

One of the nation’s largest retail discount chains, Dollar Tree Inc. operates more than 16,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar locations in 48 states and five Canadian provinces. The company also has a nationwide logistics network and has more than 193,000 employees. The publicly traded company reported a gross profit of $7.7 billion in 2021.

Dollar Tree Stores Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.