Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - August 16, 2024

HOT

Artist and Gallerist Neal T. Walsh

GoLocal art columnist Michael Rose has the take on one of the most important people in the RI art community:

Neal T. Walsh is a name familiar to scores of local artists. As Gallery Director at AS220 for over twenty years, he has helped to shepherd numerous exhibitions to fruition at downtown’s core art space.

Walsh is also an accomplished artist in his own right, and is the subject of a current solo exhibition at Galerie le Domaine at 173 Waterman Street on the East Side. On view through September 10, the exhibition features the wonderfully nuanced paintings of a multi-talented arts worker.

Walsh, a University of Rhode Island alum, studied journalism and history in college. In the early days of his artistic development, he was involved in a performance group and explored other ways of making art before settling on painting as his primary medium.

Today, he works out of a home studio in rural Foster, where the colors of the nearby woods impact his earthy palette.

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HOT

Tim Walz

The vice presidential candidate for the Democratic party visited Rhode Island on Thursday, spoke for 20 minutes and spent maybe 90 total minutes in the state.

According to Democratic leaders, the Newport fundraiser raised over $600,000.

HOT

Providence College’s Greatest Guards

Kevin Stacom, GoLocal's sports analyst, breaks the greatest guards in Providence College basketball history - it is one heck of a list:

This is the third in a series of articles attempting to rank the top 5 players from Providence College at each position: center, forward, and guard. I’ve been careful to reiterate how subjective and reductive a process is because there are just too many players that you can make a case for that are close statistically and in terms of their impact on the development and success of the school’s overall program.              

I lead with that thought because trying to pick only five from the guard category, especially after the top three, is an almost impossible task. God just didn’t make that many people 6’8” and above with enough coordination, athletic ability, and acquired skill to make that population anywhere near as voluminous as the countless gym rats who became fascinated with bouncing a ball and launching it toward that suspended ring high above the ground beginning as a child. Like crabs trying to escape a bucket climbing over each other’s backs the competition is fierce to distinguish yourself enough and earn the right to be part of a team good enough to attain any notoriety. Obviously, big men have played crucial roles in the legacy of all the successful PC teams, but the bulk of the ship’s crews, in terms of sheer numbers, have been the guards. That is what makes reducing this list to 5 players through all those years so difficult. 

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NOT

Brutal Week for Restaurants in Rhode Island

GoLocal broke the news of some big shakeups in the restaurant industry this week. 

1) In Westerley, Two Little Fish has announced that this will be its last summer. 

The seafood restaurant, located at Atlantic Avenue in Misquamicut and known for its fish and chips, made the announcement this weekend:

"2024 will be the final season of Two Little Fish at Misquamicut Beach. Our building is on the market, and several prospective buyers have told us we are not in their plans. So, uncertainty regarding our long-term future has led us to say farewell.   

2) A Providence ice cream shop has announced its impending closure. 

Helado Taiyaki, which opened at its location on the edge of Federal Hill on Dean Street a block from Atwells Avenue during the pandemic, let its followers know this week. 

The business says it plans to open up operations in Miami, Florida. 

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of our shop here in Rhode Island. Your support from our opening during COVID through these unprecedented times has been incredible, and we are eternally grateful. While this chapter is ending, we believe it’s time to take a leap of faith and start anew in Miami."

3) A minority partner in Wes’ Rib House in Providence announced on Wednesday that his partners in the business — Crisp Restaurant Group — are selling. 

In January 2024, GoLocal was the first to report that the long-time Olneyville BBQ institution, located at Dike Street since 1983, was finally reopening after a long hiatus for renovations. 

Now, its future is uncertain, according to minority partner Aaron Jaehnig. 

NOT

Providence Crime

Providence Police had been withholding information on crime in the city from the public and the media. 

GoLocal filed an Access to Public Record Act request.

The data was daunting.

Between July 1 and 23. There were 119 assaults, 10 shootings, and 18 sexual assaults.

During this 23-day period, there were 11 assaults at Kennedy Plaza.

NOT

Data Can Be Amorphous. What Is Tangible Is An 81-Year-Old Woman Who Owns a Restaurant On Smith Street Was Punched in the Face in a Robbery. 

The 81-year-old owner of a restaurant was assaulted during a robbery at knifepoint at her restaurant in Providence on Wednesday. 

The female victim, who owns the bar and restaurant I Love Mexico Bar & Grille on Smith Street, sustained injuries when she tried to prevent the suspect from stealing her purse. 

She was punched in the face by the suspect. 

About Incident 

Shortly after 6 PM on Wednesday, police responded to the restaurant for a report of a robbery. 

Police said they met with the owner — as well as the cook, a male in his 30s — who described the suspect as a “tall, light-skinned Hispanic male.”

According to the cook, he had been taking the trash out behind the establishment when he was approached by a man who demanded money — and brandished a knife.

The cook reportedly screamed for help and called police; the suspect then reportedly entered the restaurant and confronted the owner. 

The owner told police the suspect went to steal her purse from under the register; she said she tried to pull it away from him, at which time he punched her in the face with closed fists.

The suspect reportedly grabbed cash from inside the purse and fled. 

Police said the victim could be seen with visible injuries. 

NOT

Dan McKee

It has been a rough week for the Governor.

As GoLocal first reported, McKee is being sued by a former staffer.

Then, GoLocal broke the story of one of the top Department of Corrections officials arrested for video voyeurism and child porn charges.

The suspect and high-level government employee - Seth Crosby - was appointed to Corrections by McKee.

Add in, Rhode Island's unemployment rate is up 66% year over year.

NOT

Newport Billionaire Worth $41 Billion's Firm Announced the Layoff of 205 Rhode Island Jobs

Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of Blackstone Group, is the head of the investment group that recently laid off 200 Rhode Islanders.

GoLocal reported exclusively that a fundraiser was being scheduled to be held at Schwarzman's Newport mansion.  But after the news leaked, a spokesperson for Schwarzman said no event was being planned.

Schwarzman’s firm owns Ennovi Advanced Mobility Solutions Rhode Island Inc., which announced just a few weeks ago the closure of its East Providence facility and the layoff of 205 employees.

According to Forbes, Schwarzman is worth $41 billion. According to his website, his firm manages a trillion dollars.

But this last year was a rough one for him.

Bloomberg reported in February, “Blackstone Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman took home $896.7 million last year, a 30% drop from a year earlier, yet still one of the biggest annual payouts on record in high finance. Schwarzman’s shareholdings and the dividends still cement him as one of the world’s richest people. His fortune is tied to the firm he co-founded. He has a net worth of $41.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.”

PHOTO: Schwarzman, Blackstone Promotional