Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - June 9, 2023

HOT

World Class

Michael Rose's feature this week on RISD professor and accomplished printmaker Andrew Raftery unveils the remarkable talent of the local artist. 

Rose writes:

RISD Professor Andrew Raftery is one of the printmaking community’s most respected practitioners. An artist who is dedicated both to craft and to a deep study of the history of his medium, he makes intricately designed and carefully thought-out artworks. Many of these are conceived of and created in his studio in the heart of College Hill in Providence.

Raised in Maryland, Raftery attended Boston University for his undergraduate degree before matriculating to Yale, where he earned an MFA. He came to Rhode Island in 1991 to take a position at RISD and has been making art and teaching art in the state ever since. Raftery also has long-standing family connections here.

Speaking of how it feels to live and work in Rhode Island, he says, “My grandparents came here from Ireland at the start of the 20th century and my father was born in Olneyville in 1917. It is very grounding to be in a place they knew a century ago. I grew up in Maryland but have lived here since 1991. It is where I belong. When my images set in Rhode Island and Providence go out into the wider world, I think people recognize a distinctive place and find that compelling.”

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HOT

20-Year-Old Entrepenuer 

“Little Shop of Soups” is opening in one of the very unique — and very small — outside storefronts at the historic Arcade in the financial district of downtown, on the Westminster Street side of the building. 

GoLocal caught up with Emily Medizza, who will be running the establishment full-time, along with the help of her father, Giulio Medizza. 

“We’re just a local family business, and we love good, real food,” said Emily Medizza, who at the age of 20, has already amassed years of industry experience, including working at The Lobster Pot in Bristol.

As for dad Giulio Medizza — he brings four decades of culinary expertise to the table. 

Emily Medizza told GoLocal she is excited — and ready — to take the helm of “Little Shop of Soups.” 

“We will be starting off with three soups — a classic New England clam chowder, a chicken ‘not pie, and a vegan chipotle white bean,” said Emily Medizza, who noted that production is taking place at Hope & Main in Warren.

The soup flavors will rotate on a regular basis, she added. 

“We’re hoping every three weeks to have a different seafood, poultry, and vegan options,” she said.

About Family — And Soups 

“The smell of minestrone fills Emily’s memories of childhood summers outside of Milan. So when her father Giulio suggested opening ‘The Little Shop of Soups,' Emily leaped to share the nostalgia of traditional Italian flavors with their vibrant Providence, Rhode Island community. The father-daughter duo began working on their soup shop in 2022,” according to their website. 

“Giulio, an artisan chef from Italy, has over forty years of experience working internationally. From Tonga to St. Martin, the smallest corners of the world have had the pleasures of Giulio’s divine cooking. At 16 years old, Giulio seized the opportunity to start a life as a chef aboard a cruise ship departing from Venice, Italy. This adventure of culinary education and world travel shines through in Giulio’s cooking, providing expertise that benefits our taste buds. In addition, his global knowledge provides superb and unique cuisine! Giulio’s cooking has captured the hearts of many, including his wife Kimberley, who tasted his food in St. Martin and fell in love. She swept our world-traveling chef away to Rhode Island, where he, lucky for us, has settled.”

HOT

7 Honored By RI Smart Growth

The 12th Annual Rhode Island Smart Growth Awards "celebrate and honor the passionate, creative and resourceful people who continue leading the charge to strengthen Rhode Island through neighborhood revitalization, expanded housing and transportation choices, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity that benefits the many, not just the few."

The 2023 Honors go to: 

OUTSTANDING SMART GROWTH LEADERS

Carla DeStefano, Executive Director, SWAP 
Maria Rivera, Mayor, City of Central Falls
Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative

OUTSTANDING SMART GROWTH PROJECTS

Pawtucket Central Falls Transit Center
Southside Community Land Trust Headquarters
The Studley – Commercial-to-Residential Conversion
Westminster Street Revitalization

HOT

XO Is Back -- Mixing Old and New

GoLocal got a sneak peek at the so-called “soft” opening on Wednesday night at "XO Bar."

The bar is being launched by restauranteur Ben Lloyd and hospitality veteran Scott Champagne.

GoLocal news editor Kate Nagle was there for a look around one of the cool new spots opening in Providence.

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HOT

New Grocery Store is Opening in Rhode Island -- With a Twist

There is a new grocery store opening in Rhode Island, with a focus on specialty — and local — foods. 

“May’s Gluten Free Market” is slated to open in the Riverside section of East Providence in June, focusing not only on gluten-free products, but also vegan and allergen-friendly products — and local produce. 

GoLocal spoke with store owner Celeste King Bremer, who along with her brother Brenden, decided there could just be a market for families and individuals seeking out what can be hard-to-find products — all in one place. 

“It might be risky, but I don’t know of anything like it anywhere around here,” said Bremer, of the market located at 7 Forbes Street. “What I do know is that when you’re shopping for gluten-free food, you’re willing to go the distance.”

For Bremer, whose daughter has Celiac Disease and whose son is also on a gluten-free diet, it was her personal experience that led her to open the store. 

“I am tired of shopping in five different grocery stores,” said Bremer. "As an adult, you can figure it out, but it’s not fun to do that either. You go to one store and they’re out of one item, and then another store, and they’re out.”

HOT

Teacher of the Year 

Aimee Couto is the Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. 

Couto began her career in education teaching preschool through second grade before joining the East Providence School Department. She has taught fourth and first grade for the past twelve years.  

“Congratulations to Aimee and the entire East Providence community on this distinguished honor,” said Governor Dan McKee. “As Rhode Island’s Teacher of the Year, you are a proven leader, educational advocate, and inspiration for the next generation. Thank you, Aimee, for your outstanding contribution to Rhode Island. We wish you great success in the year ahead!”

PHOTO: Governor's Office

HOT

PPAC Square: Paris in Providence

Architecture critic Will Morgan's take on PPAC Square is a must-read.

It is a reminder of how many special places there are in Providence and Rhode Island to enjoy.

READ HERE

NOT

Folks Who Want Tens of Millions in Public Funds -- But Refuse to Disclose to Tax-Paying Public Who Is Behind Deal 

GoLocal has secured copies of confidential investment documents being used by Brett Johnson to raise capital to fund the proposed minor league soccer stadium in Pawtucket. 

The documents show that one of the three members of the management team was a controversial supporter of Donald Trump in the 2020 election and is now an ultra-conservative Republican candidate for State Senate in North Carolina.

While Johnson is the public face of Tidewater Stadium LLC in Rhode Island, there are two other members of the management team, according to the documents being presented to targeted investors. The documents GoLocal secured have not been disclosed to state officials, nor were they provided to members of the board of RI Commerce. 

Besides Johnson, the other two members of the management team are Dan Kroeber, director of development for the company, who has been involved in the negotiations with Pawtucket and the state of Rhode Island, and GOP activist and real estate consultant Jill Homan.

Homan has been a major booster for Trump, served as a National Republican Committeewoman, and is now a GOP candidate for the North Carolina State Senate. Her involvement as one of the three managers on the Tidewater management team is tied to her expertise as a consultant on opportunity zone projects. 

The opportunity zone program offers wealthy investors unmatched tax savings for investing in "low-income" areas. The program was created by legislation authored by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), who is now a GOP presidential candidate. The program was strongly supported by Trump as President, and the Pawtucket soccer stadium's financial viability is tied to its opportunity zone designation.

Last year, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-OR), demanded information from several billionaire developers to determine whether they are abusing the Trump tax break that was supposed to benefit poor communities.

The refusal to disclose Homan's involvement is just the latest development for the company seeking tens of millions of dollars in public funding. A GoLocal investigation published in May found that a number of claims by Johnson were false.

A vote by the Commerce board in July approved the Tidewater minor league project to receive:

a. The award provides for net bond proceeds of $27,000,000;
b. $10,000,000 of net proceeds realized from the previously-authorized Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit award; and
c. $10,000,000 net proceeds from the City

The Tidewater project is also receiving tens of millions in state-funded infrastructure improvements.

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NOT

Chirs Licht

Chris Licht has been fired.

“The former television producer who oversaw a brief and chaotic tenure as the chairman of CNN, is out at the network, according to a person briefed on the decision. Mr. Licht’s short tenure at CNN was marked by one controversy after another, culminating in his exit on Wednesday. He got off to a bumpy start even before his first day when he shuttered the CNN+ streaming service at the request of its network’s new owners, who were concerned it was losing too much money. The cuts resulted in scores of layoffs, which didn’t endear staffers to the new boss,” reports the New York Times.

He is the focus of a major profile in The Atlantic this past week, which unveiled his restructuring of the cable news network to be chaotic.

NOT

PGA Tour and LIV Golf Agree to Merger

This week, the PGA announced it has merged with LIV Golf.

LIV is directly funded by the Saudi Royal Family -- who are directly tied to the 9/11 attack on the United States and the murder of a Washington Post writer. 

Who is the source of uncovering those direct ties? U.S. intelligence agencies.

NOT

Donald Trump - Indicted by Federal Government

The former President is the first former president ever to be indicted.