Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - June 12, 2015

HOT

Keith Olivera

The President of the Providence School Board is on a quest to bring light to the fact that males of color in the Providence school system are suspended from school at higher rates than white students, and achieve lower levels of academic success than their white and female peers. It's encouraging to see Olivera isn't afraid to address this issue and will make sure that there isn't any racial profiling taking place in the school district.
 

HOT

Providence

This week, GQ Magazine called Providence "the coolest city in the United States,"  citing smart college students, chic hotels, and cool bars and restaurants as the primary reasons. It's a strange phenomena that outsiders often give our capital city (and state) tons of love, while us natives come off so negative. Here's a hypothesis: outsiders don't have to deal with our government; we do.
 

HOT

Patricia Serpa

The state representative who represents portions of West Warwick, Coventry, and Warwick was recently named to the National Humane Legislators Council. Serpa has built a reputation as a staunch advocate for animal rights and her advocacy for animals has made her a credit to the state legislature.
 

HOT

Providence Police Department

In less than a 1 week span, the Providence Police Department seized 11 illegal guns from (alleged) criminals. Yes, it is frightening that there are so many firearms terrorizing the streets of our capital city. But the police department is showing some much-needed aggressiveness in combating the problem.
 

HOT

International Arts Festival

The inaugural Providence International Arts Festival takes place this weekend on Kennedy Plaza and Washington Street in downtown Providence. There will be foods, music, art and spectacles from around the world, and a parade on Kennedy Plaza on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m., so get to the capital this weekend to expand your cultural horizons and have a good time.
 

HOT

American Pharoah

Despite all the talking points of the skeptics--horses are no longer bred for distance, American Pharoah isn't bred to go long, his times in the Preakness and Derby were too slow--the beautiful Bay colt won the Belmont Stakes and thus the Triple Crown in dominating fashion. It's a great story; but now the bigger question remains. Will all the positive press help revive a dying sport?

Photo courtesy of "American Pharoah" by Maryland GovPics

NOT

Projo Editorial Board

Nobody wants the status quo in Rhode Island--backroom deals, special interest pandering, misspending of taxpayer money--changed more than me. But the Providence Journal, which hired the uber-connected lobbyist Joe Walsh to kill a provision in the state budget (numerous times) that would repeal an arcane law that forces municipalities to pay to advertise meetings in newspapers (when everyone in Rhode Island has internet access) is not the organization to lead the 'reform Rhode Island's insider culture charge'. "Do as we say, not as we do", is a hypocritical message.
 

NOT

Christine Ferguson

The former Director of Healthsource RI and the RI Department of Health and Human Services was arrested by Jamestown Police for violating the state's "social host law", which means she is accused of providing a minor with alcohol. Like everyone else, Ferguson should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, however; she did not have a good week in the news.
 

NOT

Ann Canole Twomey

The Chairwoman of the Newport Miantonomi Memorial Park Commission recently left a City Councilman John Florez a disgusting voicemail that implies he's "not a real Newporter" and a "carpetbagger from Colombia". Ms. Twomey may have lived in Newport a long time, but she made herself look small and foolish with such ignorant comments. We've all said things we didn't mean when angry, so here's hoping she makes this right by apologizing and resigning her post. 
 

NOT

Pawtucket Red Sox Move

More than 10,000 Rhode Islanders have signed a petition opposing the plan to move the team to a new stadium in Providence. That should show lawmakers and Governor Raimondo that Rhode Islanders are certainly in no mood to subsidize the wealthy team owners in this business venture of theirs.
 

NOT

Nathan Bishop Middle School

The school backtracked on the decision, but initially announced it had cancelled graduation ceremonies this year reportedly due to the fact that about a third of the class would have been excluded due to behavioral issues. If that's the case, it's not fair to the other two-thirds.
 

NOT

Gordon Fox

On Thursday Federal Judge Mary Lisi accepted the plea bargain between the US Attorney's office and the former RI House Speaker. It's another chapter in the sad story of a once reform-minded politician who fell victim to the corrupting temptations of power and the greed that so often accompanies it. Hopefully, this sad story will be a lesson for politicians who envision serving their own interests as opposed to the people they're elected to serve..