Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - Nov. 27

HOT

Green Airport

Rhode Island's mid-size, but highly convenient airport, has been named the 3rd best airport in the country by the 28th annual Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice survey, and that speaks volumes about the strong leadership of Fredericks, the organization's President and CEO. The airport can be frustrating for Warwick residents who live close by, because, well, it's an airport. But it remains an economic engine in Rhode Island that provides convenient travel and excellent customer service and is crucial to the state's economic development efforts.  

HOT

Shopping Local

Providence has been ranked the nation's 11th best city for shopping local by Yelp, the website that allows users to review their experiences as consumers. Maybe instead of standing in line for several hours outside of some big box store today, Rhode Islanders would be better off patronizing some of our hardworking locally owned businesses?
 

HOT

Vincent "Buddy" Cianci

It was a scary moment at the unveiling of his mayoral portrait last week when the former mayor felt light-headed and unsteady on his feet and had to be transported in an ambulance to the hospital. But just like every other time the former mayor has stumbled throughout his life, he was right back on his feet in seemingly no time at all, leaving the hospital and attending post event celebrations within an hour. Despite the scare, it was still a nice evening for the former mayor, his family, and friends. 
 

HOT

Dollars For Scholars

The local charity aimed at raising money for Hope High school's standout students is in full gear, and the holiday season is their make or break time.  Last year, Dollars for Scholars was able to award scholarships to some extraordinary students from extremely difficult backgrounds, and they're looking to do it again this Spring. So if you're looking for a worthy cause, head over to www.hopehigh.dollarsforscholars.org to make donation.
 

HOT

Boston Bruins

It's been a very good week for the Boston Bruins. Going into Wednesday, the team had won three straight games, and found itself rising quickly in the standings. And Golocalprov reported on Tuesday that the team currently ranks as the 5th most valuable franchise in the NHL according to a Forbes Magazine analysis--topping off a week of all postive news.
 

HOT

Thanksgiving

Hopefully, everybody had a wonderful feast yesterday and a great time enjoying the holiday with my personal holy trinity: friends, family, and football. But let's do our best to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving all year, not just in November. Let's be grateful and celebrate the friends and famiy still here with us, the things we can do, and the things we do have--at all times--not just in late November.
 

NOT

Jorge Elorza

The mayor's decision to demote interim fire chief Scott Mello and hire former chief George Farrell as a consultant to help manage the fire department is, at best,  a confusing decision.  Given the fact that there's a huge level of animosity between Farrell and the firefighters union, it makes a settlement between the administration and union over the platoon realignment more difficult.
 

NOT

Tony Lepore

At first blush, it looks a lot like poetic justice. Tony Lepore, AKA "The Dancing Cop", was fired by the Elorza administration from his dancing and directing traffic act due to public outcry calling for  his ouster after he organized a rally against Dunkin Donuts after one of their workers wrote "Black Lives Matter" on an officer's cup. While it would be easy snicker at what looks a lot like karma (Tony loses his gig after calling for someone else to lose theirs), it still seems like yet another over-reaction, this time by the administration. Let's face it, The Dancing Cop is a Rhode Island icon--a unique part of our culture--so it's hard to see why he should be fired over the exercise of his free speech. The answer to injustice is not more injustice.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Nickerson

NOT

Ben Nascenzi

The Johnston Building Inspector referenced a church pastor's race inappropriately during a taped phone call (unbeknownst to Nascenzi), that was laced with profanity, between himself and a contractor. He referred to the Reverend Dr. Chris Abhulime,  the church pastor, as "that fucking black owner". Both adjectives were inappropriate and irrelevant to the matter at hand. A person should be defined by their character, not their skin pigmentation.
 

NOT

Steven Pare

The Providence Commissioner of public safety made has made some highly questionable decisions over the last week. First, he demoted the city's interim fire chief Scott Mello and cited circumstances outside of Mello's control (firefighters becoming sick or injured) as his reasoning. Then he fired Rhode Island icon Tony Lepore, AKA The Dancing Cop, telling him he's no longer to carry on his dancing and directing traffic routine. Yes, Lepore's behavior last month was obnoxious (organizing a rally to call for a 17-year-old girl's firing from Dunkin Donuts for writing a slogan on a cup), but it's hard to see why it merited his firing.
 

NOT

Thanksgiving Shopping

Believe it or not, and this may shock many Americans, but there are things more important than consumerism. Therefore, I hope you'll join me in boycotting retail stores that open up on Thanksgiving and deny their employees of time that should be spent with their friends and families. There's no reason why the hustle, crowds, and general misery that accompanies holiday shopping can't wait until (at least) Black Friday. (Don't expect to see me waiting in Black Friday lines either, I'll be buying nothing, and instead donating a coat to the Winter Coat Exchange I hope you'll join me.)
 

NOT

NFL Refereeing

The refs did all they could to make themselves the story in the Patriots vs. Bills game this week. First, they blew the whistle for no reason whatsoever, arguably costing New England a touchdown. Then the robbed the Bills of one final play when they failed to rule that a receiver got out of bounds before time expired. Here's the real problem: Monday night's gaffes by the referees were just the the latest example of blown calls and mistakes by league referees. If the refs were replacement refs, like they were several years ago, there would be far more scrutiny on the referees and their mistake would have been much more of a national story.