Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - November 19, 2021

HOT

Cayo Capturing Caprio

Rhode Island artist Arthur Cayo is in the process of painting Judge Frank Caprio, who he calls “one of Rhode Island’s great treasures” — as a piece of public art in Narragansett.

The mural, which Cayo is putting up on the outside wall at Meldgie’s Diner in Point Judith, marks the latest recognition for Caprio since his “Caught in Providence” syndicated courtroom television show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2021. 

“I came up with the idea a while ago basically, I wrote a grant application called “honoring the community,” and I thought it would be a good idea to paint [Caprio] in Narragansett,” said Cayo, who received funding through the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. 

READ MORE

HOT

Hilal Minda is An Artist You Want to Know

GoLocal Art contributor Michael Rose has the write-up on Hilal Minda of New Moon Ceramics.

His article is a must read -- and find out more about a great place for a holiday gift that is local.

HOT

Beatrice Hotel

Will Morgan writes a raving review of the new Providence hotel.

The Beatrice Hotel is a jewel. The boutique hotel that opened in downtown Providence on September 1st is the kind of hostelry that our historic city deserves, but rarely gets. Realized in a restored 19th-century bank, the Beatrice is in triumphant contrast to the recent uninspiring new chain hotels, such as the Residence Inn, Aloft, and Homewood Suites.

Developer and former mayor Joseph Paolino, Jr. rescued and revitalized the Exchange Bank, a handsome, five-story commercial block. This hotel shows how we can create desirable business spaces that enrich the cultural landscape of the city.

Read more here.

HOT

Tech Jobs in Warwick

Bally’s Corporation Wednesday officially opened its new Interactive Tech Hub in approximately 10,000 square feet of office space on Kilvert Street in Warwick.

According to Adi Dhandhania, COO North America Interactive for Bally’s Corporation, the new office will become home to approximately 55 Bally’s employees dedicated to supporting the interactive needs of Bally’s properties across the country.

“Here, we will house team members focused on the interactive world which includes sports betting, igaming, free to play games, daily fantasy sports and viewer engagement technology,” said Dhandhania. “This was a particularly attractive location for us with its close proximity to the highway, train station and airport as many of our Interactive Tech Hub employees are coming in from multiple locations, including the U.K.”

HOT

Bill Belichick

No one does it better. This year he transformed a team with some strong defensive players into a possible Super Bowl team.

Hmmm...when have we heard this before.

HOT

Abdur-Rahman Muhammad

On Wednesday, New York prosecutors announced that they were moving to exonerate two of the men found guilty of the assassination of Malcolm X.

Their convictions are expected to be thrown out on Thursday.

The man perhaps most responsible for righting the wrong is Providence native Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, who has spent decades uncovering the wrongful conviction and identifying the killers.

“One of the most important of these civilians was Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, who hosted a Netflix documentary series early last year, 'Who Killed Malcolm X?,' that again assembled the case for the two men’s innocence — and others’ guilt. Upon the release of the series, Mr. Vance announced that he would take up the case,” wrote the New York Times.

NOT

Seth Magaziner

The ambitious candidate for governor has a lot to say about just about everything, but he continues to refuse to disclose where he received the $800,000 he lent his campaign.

The refusal raises questions about who gave him the money. Was it family -- or a special interest who had an interest in who would be managing the state's $10 billion pension fund? 

Transparency for you but not for me.

Magaziner has called on the other candidates running for office to be transparent and disclose their five previous years' taxes. 

Magaziner made the demand for the release of tax returns. Magaziner is one of five prominent Democrats running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022.

“Rhode Islanders deserve to have trust in their elected officials and we earn that trust by being transparent,” said Magaziner -- in talking about taxes.  “Candidates in Rhode Island should follow the long-accepted custom that President Trump broke when he refused to release his tax returns.  No one should ever have to guess who their elected officials are working for.”

NOT

RIDOH's Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott

Rhode Island Department of Health's Director Nicole Alexander-Scott refuses to move forward with regulations for vaccinations for school children. 

Disney Cruise Line has mandated ages 5+ be vaccinated to take a cruise, but not RI's Health Director.

Corporate Leadership: 1

Public Health Leadership: 0

NOT

CVS

CVS Health said Thursday it will close 900 stores over the next three years, nearly 10% of its U.S. store locations.

In a statement, CVS said, "The company has been evaluating changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs to ensure it has the right kinds of stores in the right locations for consumers and for the business. As part of this initiative, CVS Health will reduce store density in certain locations and close approximately 300 stores a year for the next three years. The company is committed to offering impacted colleagues roles in other locations or different opportunities as part of its overall workforce strategy. These changes will begin in the spring of 2022."