Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - August 23, 2024
Analysis
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - August 23, 2024
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? - August 23, 2024
HOT
Emerging Star
Michael Rose has the beat an artist who is an emerging star in Rhode Island and far beyond:
Figurative work is having a resurgence in contemporary painting, and for emerging artist Alina Jolie Puccio the figure is central to her production. Raw, well-painted bodies populate her creative space. A recent RISD graduate, Puccio has a new studio on North Main Street and is establishing her practice. A painter, printmaker, and poet, Puccio is a rising talent to watch.
With so many students departing the state for larger markets after graduation, it is always exciting to see gifted people stick around. Asked why she has decided to let her creative practice take root here, Puccio says, “I feel incredibly privileged to have a studio in Providence, especially so close to where I went to school. One of the main reasons I wanted to stay local was the strong relationships I built with my professors. Being able to have them visit my studio and engage in conversations is something I value greatly. I feel fortunate to be part of a close-knit arts community where I don’t feel lost in a crowd. Providence’s tight-knit environment is something I really appreciate.”
HOT
Meet Real Olympians
No endorsement contracts. No drama. Just the love of the sport.
Three Special Olympics Rhode Island athletes are among the more than 100 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners, along with 23 coaches, from across the country who have been selected to be part of the official Special Olympics USA delegation for Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.
Special Olympics Rhode Island (SORI) announced on Wednesday that the delegation will travel to Turin, Italy, to compete in more than eight sports March 8-16.
Kayla Edgar, Brianna Puglia, and Ian Shepherd, will compete as part of Special Olympics USA.
Read more about the athletes here.
HOT
Walz Channels Warren Zevon
One of the best lines of the Democratic Convention was delivered by "Coach" and Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz during his telling convention speech that Democrats need to work hard for the next 73 days, and as Walz said Wednesday night, "There will be time to sleep when you are dead."
The originator of that quote is not a famous football coach, but rocker Warren Zevon, as its origin was to endorse partying all night.
HOT
Rhode Island's Red Hot AAU Program
Kevin Stacon has an interesting take on an AAU program that is producing some top-tier talent.
As the name of this publication implies, there is an emphasis, in general, to highlight topics of local origins that might be of interest to the people of Providence and the environs of Rhode Island in general.
In the process of researching for previous articles on the recruiting of various players for Providence College, especially from the New England area, I was gradually introduced to a few key AAU programs that a lot of the better players from the region sprang from.
The most notable ones, each having a history of developing top talent for Division 1 and 2 college programs, include the Middlesex Magic, Expressions, Mass Rivals, and the longstanding BABC. All of these programs are based in different areas of Massachusetts - Middlesex, Braintree, the Lawrence area, and Boston, respectively.
HOT
A Worldwide Dining Phenomenon is Coming to Providence
Get ready, Providence — Le Diner en Blanc is coming this month.
The worldwide dining phenomenon, which began in Paris in 1988, has grown to over 85 cities around the globe.
The concept is that people dressed in white have a meal in a temporary dining setup in a public space; diners are required to provide their own food, tables, chairs and tablecloths.
In Providence, it is taking place on August 31.
The location of the event is kept secret from the majority of participants until minutes before the event, at which point all attendees generally converge in an iconic urban location.
According to hosts Ashley McGowan, Kaitlyn O’Connor and Kathy Lucas, Le Diner en Blanc Rhode Island “will be more than just a dinner party; it's a celebration of diversity and community."
"We are thrilled to bring Diner en Blanc to Rhode Island for the very first time," said the hosts. "Providence, with its rich history and vibrant community, is the perfect backdrop for the the inaugural event. We can't wait to see our guests come together to create a truly magical experience."
HOT
Critical Habitat Protect
The Nature Conservancy announced this week the permanent conservation of coastal properties on Block Island and in South Kingstown, totaling 11 acres of important wildlife habitat along the Rhode Island shoreline.
Protecting Clean Water
On Block Island, TNC purchased a five-acre property on Corn Neck Road, across from the Fred Benson Town Beach. Located on the northeast corner of Trim’s Pond and divided into 26 tiny lots, the land helps protect clean water in the immediate area, and also in the Great Salt Pond, which is connected to it by tidal flow.
In South Kingstown, TNC recently protected six beachfront acres in the Green Hill community, next to the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, through the donation of a conservation easement.
HOT
Vice President Kamala Harris
She has had as good a four weeks as any politician has ever had in a high-profile campaign.
Just over a month ago, Biden was toast, and it was Donald Trump's campaign to lose.
Democrats are on a roll, but as we have seen, things can change quickly in this election soil.
NOT
Firm Sued for Washington Bridge Failure Wins 3 RIDOT Contracts for $210M - Highest Bidder on Each
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has awarded more than $210 million in contracts in the past four months to one of the construction companies that the state is suing.
The company — Aetna Bridge — is one of the defendants in the lawsuit that the State of Rhode Island alleges is responsible for the failure of the Washington Bridge.
The Washington Bridge has been closed since December 11, 2023.
Its failure has been tied to financial losses, business closures, job losses and a near-endless decline in productivity for commuters.
But during the time of the closure, one of the companies that attorneys for the State of Rhode Island say helped cause the damage has won three major RIDOT contracts.
In each contract award, Aetna Bridge was the high bidder.
The politically connected firm's executives have donated tens of thousands to top Rhode Island politicians, including Governor Dan McKee, former Governor Gina Raimondo, Speaker Joe Shekarchi, and Democratic candidate Helena Foulkes.
Aetna Bridge is actually named twice in the state’s lawsuit — individually and for its role in a joint venture.
The state claims the company is guilty of negligence and breach of contract.
When McKee was asked about why the state was continuing to award contracts to a company that the state was alleging was responsible in part for the failure of the bridge, he refused to answer the question.
McKee's office said in an email to GoLocal on Wednesday, "While litigation is pending, we are referring all questions about the lawsuit and the accompanying investigation to the attorneys."
GoLocal followed up that the issue was not a legal issue but a policy issue.
McKee's office refused to respond.
NOT
RI Nursing Home Administrator Suspended for “Gross Unprofessional Conduct”
The Rhode Island Department of Health’s (RIDOH) disciplinary committee has suspended Kristine Pacheco. According to RIDOH records, she was last the administrator at Elderwood of Scallop Shell at Wakefield. But RIDOH's records are not up to date.
“[Pacheco] had engaged in behavior that constituted "gross unprofessional conduct" against her Nursing Home Administrator license,” stated RIDOH in its action.
RIDOH licensing database lists Pacheco at Elderwood. A receptionist at Edlerwood told GoLocal that Pacheco is no longer at the nursing home. The company's website continues to list Pacheco as the administrator under her married name Pacheco-Cardozo; her license with the State of Rhode Island is under the last name Pacheco and lists Scallop Shell as the address.
GoLocal has learned that she was suspended for her actions at Pawtucket Falls Healthcare Center, which went into receivership in 2023.
Pawtucket Falls is one of the most fined nursing home facilities in Rhode Island.
Pacheco previously ran “Bayview Rehabilitation at Scalabrini, North Kingstown’s leading skilled nursing facility with a 50-year tradition of providing the finest in short-term rehab & long-term care.”
In less than two years she has been an administrator at three different nursing homes in Rhode Island.
NOT
Firms Sued by RI for Washington Bridge Failure Made Big Donations to RI Politicians
The State of Rhode Island claims that 13 construction, engineering, and consulting firms were negligent and guilty of breach of contract, and those very firms have a rich history of their executives pumping nearly $120,000 into Rhode Island politicians' campaign accounts.
Many of the donations were made around the period in which contracts were being awarded.
And a number of the companies have kept the money taps open with a constant flow of contributions to the most powerful in Rhode Island.
The big winners in the donation game were former Governor Gina Raimondo and now-Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi. Ramondo received more than $50,000.
Today, Raimondo is the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Joe Biden.
Shekarchi was a double winner as thousands of dollars in donations flowed to both his personal campaign account and thousands more to Shekarchi’s “Rhode Island Good Government PAC.”
Shekarchi created the PAC in 2010 and presently has a balance of $386,929.46.
His candidate campaign account has a balance of $ 2,826,301.91. Both balances are as of July 31, 2024.
