Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 28, 2023
Analysis
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 28, 2023
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."
Over the past 12-plus years, more than 6,000 have been tagged as HOT or NOT.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTEmail 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? - July 28, 2023
HOT
Back-to-School LOVE
More than 100 members of CVS Heath’s Front Store Merchandising team gathered Tuesday at CVS Health’s Mason Street distribution center in Woonsocket to assemble and donate more than 850 backpacks with back-to-school items to A Better Chance.
The backpacks, which are filled with back-to-school essentials, will be distributed to students across the country before the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
This is the third year the two organizations have joined together.
PHOTO: CVS Health.
HOT
Providence City Council
The Council is taking on the mayor and one of the city's most powerful developers to potentially recapture tens of millions in tax dollars.
HOT
Artist Alicia Renadette
GoLocal art columnist Michael Rose explores the work of one of Rhode Island's top artists:
For many artists, curatorial work comes as second nature. Alicia Renadette is one Rhode Islander whose career spans both the making of art and the shaping of exhibitions.
From a cozy studio in the basement of her home in Smith Hill, Renadette constructs collages and sculptural work that are full of details and intimacy. From August 2 - September 10, she will share some of her exciting recent work alongside her friend Maggie Nowinski in the exhibition “Exquisite Variants” at Overlap Gallery in Newport, where the multitalented Renadette also serves as Gallery Director.
Originally from upstate New York, Renadette first came to New England as an undergraduate student at the Hartford Art School in Connecticut, where she earned a BFA in Experimental Studio Art and Sculpture. She went on to head west and received her MFA in Sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her educational focus in three-dimensional making comes across acutely in everything she does, whether it is on a panel or meant to be seen in the round.
HOT
Wow
Providence artists Michelle Perez and Marius Keo Marjolin have painted a “wow” mural in downtown Providence.
The mural was created in partnership with The Avenue Concept, Rhode Island’s leading public art organization.
Michelle Perez and Marius Keo Marjolin created a tremendous artistic addition to the city.
HOT
Work by Understaffed Providence Police
The Providence Police are understaffed by 20%.
This week they made arrests in two murder cases.
Now, if city leaders will step up to properly fund the department the number of violent crimes might decline.
Having an overworked Department leads to exhaustion and potential errors.
NOT
Matos' Friday Night Self-Inflicted Massacre
Sabina Mato's press conference last Friday night was ugly. Cringeworthy.
Everyone in politics understands mistakes happen but Matos' campaign is piling up the faux pas.
A candidate can restore confidence by taking responsibility and owning the errors. That did not happen.
NOT
High Spending, Weak School System
A new report ranks Massachusetts as having the best K-12 schools in America.
All of the New England states made the top 25, but one — Rhode Island.
The new report issued by WalletHub paints a dire picture of Rhode Island’s public school’s performance in contrast to its peer states.
Rhode Island is identified as a "High Spending, Weak School System" state. READ MORE
NOT
Ron DeSantis
The Florida Governor had an opportunity to differentiate and claim that he has been highly successful at growing the Sunshine State's economy.
Nope, he decided to fight the woke, fight with Disney and launch a new education curriculum that, in part, claims that Blacks got some good skills out of slavery.
Vox has published the best headline:
Ron DeSantis is really bad at running for president
NOT
The Providence "P"
A GoLocal editorial calls for the removal of the Providence "P" logo.
GoLocal writes:
It is time. Actually, way past time to kill the orange “P” logo designed not by a brilliant artist from the “Creative Capital."
Before there was “Cooler and Warmer,” there was the creation of the Providence “P,” an equally silly tapping of an out-of-state company.
The orange “P” was created by North Star Destination Strategies, a Nashville company that has done branding for upwards of 100 government entities — cities, counties, you name it. Nothing against North Star, but they are not Providence.
Think puppy mills for communities’ "authentic" branding.
The Tennessee company has done slews of P cities — Peoria, Petersburg (Alaska, not to be confused with St. Petersburg in Russia), and Placer (county in California). READ MORE
