Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 30, 2021

HOT

Paula Martiesian

Michael Rose writes:

The Rhode Island art community is made up of many individuals who labor quietly to make art, mount exhibitions, and bring artworks to audiences. One person whose art practice bridges all of these areas is artist and arts advocate Paula Martiesian. A RISD alumna, Martiesian co-founded Gallery Night Providence, curates art exhibitions, and has been a positive force on the state’s art scene for decades. The foundation of all of her creative work, though, is her own practice as a painter of fantastically colorful images inspired by nature.

Born in Providence and raised in Pawtucket, Martiesian credits a supportive community for enabling her to begin her life as an artist in the state, saying, “I liked Rhode Island, liked the fact the RISD was planted in the center of our capital city and that many of the people I knew worked in the design arts industry that surrounded us. Jewelry and Textiles were big and employed a huge swath of people. The people who worked in these industries did not think being an artist was odd, they understood the calling and recognized it in me, even as a young girl. That meant a great deal to me growing up and still does.”

READ MORE

PHOTO: Scott Lapham

HOT

Cross-Town Collaboration to Recognize Veterans

Folks in two of Rhode Island’s biggest cities have teamed up to honor our state’s veterans.

According to Warwick resident Danny Hall, Cranston City Council President Chris Paplauskas helped install a new flag line at the Veteran Memorial on the corner of Warwick Avenue and West Shore Road in Warwick.  

“He’s truly a top-notch guy…he came by with his bucket truck from Bori Graphix,” said Hall. “I’ve never seen a flag hanging at that memorial and been trying to find a bucket truck for some time.”

 

HOT

Newport Folk

Newport Folk Festival 2021 was a success, following a year with no festival -- the crowd is a bit smaller due to some limitations, but the music was at an all-time level.

The Newport Folk Festival is one of the most important annual musical events in America and it was captured by award-winning music photographer Richard McCaffrey.

HOT

Cheer Hall of Famer

Rhode Island native and long-time New England Patriots cheerleader director Tracy Sormanti has been selected for posthumous induction into the team Hall of Fame as a contributor, team owner Robert Kraft announced this week.

Sormanti is the first woman to garner induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. She will also be just the third contributor -- joining Patriots founder Billy Sullivan (2009) and radio broadcaster Gil Santos (2013) -- selected by the Kraft family for enshrinement.

Sormanti passed away on Dec. 4, 2020, after a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma. She was with the Patriots for 32 seasons.

"Tracy Sormanti was one of my first hires after I bought the team and, for the past 27 seasons, she was one of our greatest ambassadors," Kraft said in a statement. "No one was more passionate about the Patriots and committed to using our brand to connect with fans than Tracy. She loved preparing her teams for their performances, both on and off the field, and did so with great compassion and conviction. Her countless contributions spanning the past three decades have entertained and positively impacted the lives of so many in our communities. It is an honor to select Tracy as a Patriots Hall of Famer and to know that her legacy will be preserved for generations to come."

Sormanti began her days with the Patriots in 1983 as a cheerleader and was a member of the cheerleading squad from 1983-84 and 1991-93, finishing her cheerleading career by representing the Patriots at the 1993 Pro Bowl. Sormanti was named Patriots cheerleading director not long after Kraft purchased the team in 1994. Over 27 seasons, Sormanti's squads took part in 10 Super Bowls, made "tens of thousands of community appearances and visited more than 30 countries on dozens of military USO tours to entertain our troops at military bases around the world, serving as Patriots ambassadors on patriotic missions," per the team statement.

HOT

Best Burger

A new national ranking is out — and one preeminent culinary publication has deemed what they believe is the best burger in Rhode Island. 

Food and Wine Magazine this week dubbed Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers as tops in its roundup of “The Best Burger in Every State.”

“This list is packed with classic, straight-shooting burgers and the old-school institutions still making them,” writes David Landsel for Food and Wine. READ MORE

HOT

More Good News at RI International Airport

Rhode Island International Airport welcomes two new Breeze Airways routes this week. The first non-stop flights arriving from Norfolk, VA, and Pittsburgh, PA were greeted with a water cannon salute provided by the airport fire department while departing and arriving passengers at the gate were treated to refreshments and giveaways to mark the expansion of service by the newly launched Breeze Airways.

NOT

Why Do Taxpayers Need to Pay for Dorms for Brown?

With great fanfare, former Rhode Island Gina Raimondo opened the "River House" apartments in June of 2019. It was sold as an example of how public subsidies could spark for-profit investment in Providence, but now just two years later Brown University has purchased the property.

The River House property next to the Point Street Bridge received a total of $9.2 million in state subsidies.

According to Commerce Corporation records, the cost of the project was $62 million and coupled with the "$8,354,910 in Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credits and use tax reimbursement of $700,000 for eligible construction and build out costs," the actual investment by the developer was just $52,945,090.

How much did Brown pay?  -- a reported $75 million. 

Thus, the developer realized a windfall of more than $22 million in just two years.

The developer? Wexford Science & Technology, LLC -- the same group that developed the Innovation Center, also known as the District. That building cost $88 million and as much of it as $40 million was taxpayer-funded.

Wexford also owns, according to their portfolio in Providence --  "SOUTH STREET LANDING, POINT 225, 2/3 DAVOL, PARKING GARAGE, AND RIVER HOUSE (IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GMH)."  These projects have received more than $100 million in public subsidies and tax breaks.

NOT

Not Good

An East Providence restaurant has closed, citing a shortage of labor — leading to an “unsustainable situation.”

Paquette’s Family Restaurant, located at 315 Waterman Avenue, announced that while the restaurant has closed, the catering business will continue. 

Paquette’s let customers know of the development on Monday.

“With the heaviest of hearts, we regret to announce that we are permanently closing 'The Paquette Family Restaurant' as of Saturday, July 24th,” they announced. “This will not affect our catering business which will continue as usual. We will honor our outstanding gift certificates at our new location, Schroder’s Deli in Johnston, the new home of ‘Heaven on Earth Catering.’”

“Although the hospitality industry has taken one hit after another during the pandemic, nothing could compare with the massive worker shortage that has been crippling the restaurant industry, forcing restaurants to reduce hours, [and] place heavy burdens of responsibilities on their current staff due to lack of workers,” they continued. “Our employees were working longer and longer hours, leading to an unsustainable situation amid this labor shortage.”

NOT

The Pugilist

Jorge Elorza's behavior this week was an embarrassment.

Was the flyweight mayor really going to physically confront the 70-year-old Governor Dan McKee?

Lucky he did not try that with Bruce Sundlun.

NOT

Gorbea Can't Answer Questions

A GoLocal Editorial last week read as follows:

Nellie Gorbea has never been shy about media coverage.

She has never met a microphone or a camera she did not love until now.

If a reporter were to stop short she would be sure to crash into the back of them.

At her request and at GoLocal’s, Gorbea has been a regular on GoLocal LIVE over the years.  

But a GoLocal investigation into the 2020 election has found that hundreds or more of out-of-the-country and military ballots were cast via non-secure email.

READ THE FULL EDITORIAL HERE