Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - June 21, 2024

HOT

Kevin Stacom on Devin Carter and Next Week's NBA Draft

Stacom writes:

With the NBA draft only a little more than a week away (they are now making it a 2-day affair on June 26 and June 27), I thought it might be timely to give an update on a more specific approximation of where Devin Carter has positioned himself for this all-important day in his life.          

Back on April 16th, I closed my evaluation of Devin’s draft prospects with:             

“A lot can happen between now and the draft on June 26 and 27th. The general consensus is that this is a weak draft…. Still, my best guess is that Carter’s draft range is between mid-teens and the mid-twenties in the 1st round-NBA body, NBA athlete, improving offensive skills, instant defensive factor.”                

Well, I guess a lot has happened since April 16th. The most important thing was the recent pre-draft camp in Chicago, which took place May 12-19th. 78 players were invited. Not all chose to participate in the scrimmages, but all attendees are required to undergo medical and athletic testing evaluations, along with a certain number of individual interviews with prospective teams.             

Since Carter was, I believe, unjustly denied the further exposure of participating in the NCAA tournament, where many top players can solidify their status as NBA prospects, this combine was a crucial exhibition for him to make an impression on just about every General Manager, scout, and coach in the league.

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HOT

Joe Mazzulla & Boston Celtics

Kudos to coach Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics - the NBA's most accomplished franchise.

HOT

Cakelicious Coming to Providence 

Signs are in the window announcing “Cakelicious Bakery and Cafe,” a stone’s throw from DePasquale Square on the 200 block of Atwells Avenue in Providence. 

It marks the second location for the business, which describes itself as a “local from-scratch bakery at the center of the scenic town of Peace Dale, Rhode Island, right off the Wakefield bike path.”

“Our mission is to provide you with delicious baked goods, lunch items and coffee made with care from the very best ingredients,” according to their website. 

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HOT

Jazz Master

Leland Baker is a preeminent jazz saxophonist and he recently played The Bally's Lounge at GoLocal.

The Bally's Lounge is an ongoing partnership between Bally's and GoLocal to highlight Rhode Island's music talent.

Baker is also an educator for the Newport Festivals Foundation, the keepers of the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals, and the Music Education Manager.

And, Baker is known as a composer and the leader of the Baker Trio.

"I’m at Courtland Club every Sunday — we do two sets me and my trio — a 6 PM set and an 8:30 set. If you want to follow me, I put all of my business out on my Instagram and my website is LelandBaker.com," said Baker.

Baker, a Pawtucket native, has extensive experience as an educator for various Rhode Island institutions, including TAPA: Trinity Academy of Performing Arts, The MET, Beacon Charter School of the Arts, and more.

He also developed “Bridging Gaps," a collaboration between interdisciplinary artistic mediums that addresses improvisation and its role in various art forms (e.g. jazz, hip hop, dance, etc.) which has been presented at various schools across the state including Blackstone Academy of Performing Arts, RISD and Brown University.

NOT

If You Say a Lie Enough Times

“Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth" is a law of propaganda sometimes attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels and other times linked to Russian Totalitarian Vladimir Lenin. In either case, it is not a good look.

Brett Smiley has repeatedly stated that Providence is the best-run city in the country.

Aspiring to be the best is wonderful, but Providence is not close. 

This week, it was ranked 60th for "Best Run Cities."

Warwick ranked higher. 

Maybe time to be quiet and do the work.

NOT

Ugly Stories Coming Out of Warwick

A former City of Warwick employee has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was sexually harassed during her time at the Warwick Water Division — and that, despite reporting the incidents, she was subject to continued harassment. 

Plaintiff Bree Boulais, who is being represented by attorney Paige Munro-Delotto, filed the 50-page complaint in U.S. District Court last Friday, naming the City of Warwick, the Warwick Water Division, and Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi as defendants. 

She says that she began working for the Warwick Water Department as a Water Project Supervisor in April 2021 and that, for the first year, she “did her job well, and there were no offensive events.” 

“However, it was apparent that the leadership of the Water Department seemed to foster an environment of sexism and inappropriateness; to [Boulais] it felt like a ‘boys club’ based on how the men talked about women openly,” according to the lawsuit.  “By the spring of 2022, the environment started to become hostile for [Boulais] because of her sex.” 

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NOT

Cranston Police

Cranston Police have historically been transparent and have released body camera footage of incidents regarding the public and even elected officials.

Body camera footage of Major Todd Patalano going to the home of State Senator Josh Miller was released nearly immediately. Miller, a Democrat, vandalized a parked car at Garden City.

Similarly, body camera footage of former Cranston City Councilor Matthew Reilly passed out in a vehicle was released nearly immediately. Reilly, a Republican, has subsequently been charged with first-degree child molestation, second-degree child molestation, and enticement of a person under 16.

In both cases, the transparency ended rumors and showed that there was no special treatment by the police.

But, when it comes to an incident involving a Cranston Police officer the rules change. The slow walk has started and the claim that it is “under investigation” has been rolled out.

Fast forward to Sunday. According to what is known is that two individuals allegedly were involved in a shoplifting incident at the lululemon store at Garden City. A Cranston Police officer responding pulled over a vehicle believed to be involved in Providence and the police officer discharged a weapon.

That is it. Drip, drip, drip of information by the police.

Cranston Police have refused to release the body camera footage, claiming that the incident is under investigation.

Chief Michael Winquist wrote in an email to GoLocal, "The reason these videos are not released until all witnesses and the Officer are interviewed is to protect the integrity of the investigative process. If the video was released first, witness statements could be tailored to or potentially influenced.”

Winquist rejected the idea that it was comparable to the Miller or Reilly or other videos.

With all due respect to the Colonel, the need for transparency is much more paramount in this incident. It is imperative that the public sees it. Now.

The brutal murder of George Floyd came to light because a young woman passerby videotapped the incident for all to see.

In places like Georgia and Tennessee, videos of officer-involved shootings are released in hours to avoid the appearance of a cover-up.

In the Newport wedding melee last summer, Newport Police immediately released videos of the incident. It was in the best interest as others were distributing videos of the incident that were edited and did not show critical elements of the disturbance.

The public deserves the right to see the video, and the Cranston standard has been to release videos promptly.

It is what it is.

NOT

Something Smells in Cumberland

A town planner in Rhode Island gets an outside contract from a company right after that company's project is approved in that town. 

Huh?

Mayor Jeffrey Mutter is neither outraged nor seems to even care.

Hmm.

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