Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 9, 2021

HOT

Warwick Police & Fire Chiefs Comfort Little Girl on 4th of July - With Special RI Teddy Bear

The Warwick Police and Fire Departments saved the day on the 4th of July for one family -- in a big way.

Don Cote said he was taking his kids to see fireworks at Oakland Beach, when his daughter tripped and fell -- and "scraped her knee pretty good."

About Incident

"She was crying hysterically and I didn’t have any bandaids on me, so I asked a police officer. The officer told me to hang tight and he’ll be right over, he came back with a firefighter," said Cote. "They had some bandaids, an ice pack, and a Bear Forces of America teddy bear!"

And it wasn't just any teddy bear. Bear Forces of America is a Providence-based company that produced its first  "Green Bearet" in 1987 and today features over 50 designs covering virtually all the uniformed services.

"They talked and joked with her for a little bit before going on their way. I never caught their names, but the actions of those two men made her day," he added. "Prior to them helping us, I debated on turning around and heading home to clean and put some bandaids on the cut. But instead we were able to stay and eat Iggy’s and watch the beautiful firework display. We ended up having a great night even though it started off a bit rocky."

"I wanted to take a minute to give a huge thank you to the Warwick police officer and the Warwick firefighter who helped my little girl out! We cleaned her knee good when she got home and she fell asleep with her new bear by her side. Your actions were beyond appreciated by my family and I, and for that we thank you!" said Cote.

According to Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi -- the policeman was the Chief of Police, Colonel Brad Connor and the fireman he got to assist was Fire Chief Peter McMichael. 

HOT

Cutler in the Park

Rhode Island singer-songwriter Mark Cutler is hosting a “Healing Arts in the Parks” series in Providence this July.

“Soul Freedom is how Roger Williams described a healthy spirit and strong community,” said Cutler, a Rhode Island Music Hall of Famer and Director of The Same Thing Project. 

“Join us for a collaborative songwriting project — it will be fun, creative, and good for the soul. Bring your friends and family for a great evening with the arts," he added. 

“The workshops bring people together from all walks of life to express themselves and tell their stories,” Cutler continued. “You will create songs that are moving, inspiring, catchy, and rocking!”

GoLocal featured Cutler - and Rhode Island's music scene -- as "21 to Watch in 2021."

The free, in-person music-making series will be held at Roger Williams National Memorial at 282 North Main Street on Thursdays — July 8, July 15, July 22, and July 29. 

To register, email sparkly_bryant@nps.gov. 

HOT

Get Ready to Eat -- YUM

Providence Restaurant Weeks begin this weekend on July 11 and runs until July 24.

There are nearly 40 participating restaurants —  featuring special offers for lunch, dinner, or other limited-time deals.

“Providence Restaurant Weeks is always an exciting time of year because it showcases dozens of nationally-recognized restaurants throughout the state while making their best dishes extremely accessible,” said Kristen Adamo, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB).

“As leisure travel continues to pick up momentum and locals continue to support small businesses, this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to get a taste of the region’s world-class dining scene,” Adamo adds.

A comprehensive list of all participating restaurants, along with their Restaurant Weeks menus, may be found at ProvidenceRestaurantWeeks.com. 

Additionally, PopUp Rhody's Downtown Saturday Market will feature rotating pop-up vendors within the Visitor Center each Saturday beginning July 17. Participating vendors will be announced on the @PopUpRhody and @GoProvidence Instagram accounts.

Guests are encouraged to share photos of their dishes on social media with #PVDEats.

NOT

INVESTIGATION: Unknown Number of Emailed Ballots Counted by RI Board of Elections

Many believed that it was illegal for the Rhode Island Board of Election to accept and count ballots sent to the state by email in the 2020 election.

The Board’s Executive Director Robert Rapoza and Miguel Nunez, Deputy Director of Elections, have confirmed to GoLocal that a significant number of ballots were accepted from overseas and military personnel from unsecure emails and those ballots were counted in the final tally.

The acceptance of the ballots seems to have caught Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, as well as the former vice-chair of the Board of Elections and the top election watchdog in Rhode Island, off-guard. 

The number of ballots sent out was 3,072 and 2,732 were returned by overseas voters and members of the U.S. military.  

According to multiple sources, Gorbea, who has repeatedly raised concerns about non-secure email ballots was unaware that the Board of Elections accepted and counted email ballots in the 2020 election.

In a letter to Representative Evan Shanley, chair of House Committee on State Government & Elections from Gorbea about legislation relating to disabled Rhode Islanders, she wrote, "My office currently transmits ballots to military and overseas voters. However, the current law implies that electronic transmission means faxing. In practice, faxed ballots rarely make it to voters because fax machines are rare and outdated. This bill would allow my office to establish updated methods of electronically transmitting ballots."

"In 2020, my office implemented an improved process for the electronic transmission of ballots to disabled residents. This allowed for many residents to vote by mail, independently. Still, voters could only receive their ballots this way. Ballots could only be returned by mail, or placement in a dropbox," stated Gorbea in the letter.

The Director of Elections for Gorbea, Rob Rock, when asked if it was legal for the state to accept votes by email, Rock said, “You will have to ask the Board of Elections."

Read more here.

NOT

Ugly Incident of Anti-Semitism

Over the past few weeks, there has been much discussion about U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s association with exclusive private clubs in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Whitehouse has admitted to belonging to four clubs with exclusionary histories, two of which he and his family continue to have membership in — Bailey’s Beach Club and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.  He has refused to resign from the two clubs. And, there are two that he is no longer a member of — The Newport Reading Room and the Clambake Club.

GoLocal has unearthed a much-forgotten story of an incident of anti-semitism at one of the clubs.

The story briefly made national news in the early 1970s.

The core of the story relayed to GoLocal was that the late Democratic Senator Claiborne Pell had invited Republican Senator Jacob Javits and his wife to Newport for a weekend sometime in the early 1970s and that Javits had been refused access at one of the private clubs due to his religion. Javits was one of the most prominent Jewish politicians in America at the time.

The actual facts are disturbing and after tracking down and untangling the documentation, what is unveiled is an ugly picture of anti-semitism. 

Initially, searches online by GoLocal found no traces of the incident. Ultimately, GoLocal contacted the son of Senator Javits. The Senator’s son Joshua Javits, a noted legal mediator, told GoLocal he had not heard the story, but directed GoLocal to contact Stony Brook University on Long Island. The University is the keeper of Javits’ papers, and the curator of the collection found a letter and newspaper reports of the incident that took place in the summer of 1974.

Javits was a top leader in the United States Senate.

The New York Times wrote about Javits at the time of his death in 1986, “Jacob K. Javits, who began life in a Lower East Side tenement and, as a United States Senator for 24 years, became one of the most respected and influential political figures in the nation. Mr. Javits was instrumental in composing and helping to enact legislation on foreign affairs, urban redevelopment, civil rights, organized labor and big business.” 

And, while Javits had earned national and international respect, he received no such respect in Newport.

Read more here. 

NOT

Unions Denounce “Hostile” and “Harmful” Tactics by Execs at Boston Globe

You've got to love a greedy billionaire.

Workers from three different labor organizations at the Boston Globe issued a joint statement last Friday morning decrying working conditions and “harmful tactics” by John Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry’s executive team. Together, the three groups represent hundreds of workers in nearly every department throughout The Boston Globe’s operations, including truck drivers, reporters, photographers, and other workers at the newspaper.

The Boston Newspaper Guild has been in a two-year fight with the owners of the Globe.

The unions write in their statement, "After drawing heat for engaging former President Donald J. Trump campaign’s law firm of choice to handle labor negotiations, which prompted a 'scathing rebuke' from Globe journalists about ethical concerns presented by the anti-worker firm’s hiring, Henry and Pizzuti Henry now face increasing criticism from beyond just the Guild union that represents newsroom staff."

The Globe's management has repeatedly refused to respond to questions from GoLocal about the ongoing labor dispute.

Earlier this year, the union launched a website titled, "The Boston Globe is in Crisis."

Leaders from the Teamsters union and the International Association of Machinists have now joined with members in the Boston Newspaper Guild in calling the treatment of workers “dismissive” and “disrespectful” in a joint letter sent to top Globe brass on Thursday, including Henry and Pizzuti Henry.

Read more here.

NOT

ATV Hell

GoLocal has obtained video on Wednesday of illegal ATVs and off-road vehicles breaking the law and blowing through a traffic light in Providence. 

The footage, provided by Providence resident Anthony Sionni, was taken on Broad Street heading downtown, just after 6 PM. 

SEE VIDEO HERE

A rider at the front of the bike gang can be seen flagging riders behind him to drive through a red light; a truck can be seen managing to cross the traffic -- as the light allowed -- before more off-road vehicles follow.

“I see this on a regular basis throughout the city.  My fear is that someone is going to get killed,” said Sionni. “Is it so difficult to catch someone driving an ATV?  You have about 20 of them here driving down Broad Street in pure daylight with no fear of the law. Mayor Elorza is obviously not interested in putting a stop to this.”

Every night in Providence, off-road vehicles can be seen -- and heard -- operating on city roads, putting motorists and pedestrians in danger. 

NOT

Providence Ranks #253 for Best Places for 1st Time Homebuyers

Providence ranks near the bottom of 300 cities for the best places for first-time homebuyers, according to a new report.

Rhode Island is experiencing a non-stop spike in the median price home price — in May Rhode Island saw the median sales price of single-family homes rose to $365,000, an 18 percent gain since May 2020.

Overall, Providence ranks 253rd of the 300 cities tracked.

In Providence, the median price in the city is  $260,000 for all of the neighborhoods outside of the East Side -- the median price in May on the East Side is $807,500.

Across Rhode Island, transactions also increased by 19.1% year-over-year, though many closings in the spring of 2020 were curtailed by the pandemic. Compared to May of 2019, last month’s closing activity was down 17.8%.

Why Providence ranks so poorly for first-time homebuyers is more than a story of affordability according to the study.

Read more here.