Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - October 21, 2022

HOT

The More Los Andes the Better

The owners of Providence’s popular Los Andes restaurant have something brewing in the works. 

According to owner Cesin Curi, “Brasa & Chifa” is coming to Admiral Street in the city in 2023. 

He gave GoLocal a preview of what to expect. 

Read more here. 

HOT

The Story of Regis' Hair

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli's story of how his mother barged into an examining room to tell him how his hair should look more like Regis Philbin's is brilliant storytelling.

"There should be a welcome break from the formality so often present in a doctor’s office. I could think of none other than my mother who might instigate such a break, invade that formality, and help us take ourselves less seriously.

Picture the scene. My elderly aunt called one day because she was not well (she had mild flu and was nervous). We gave her an immediate appointment. It was no surprise that she came with an entourage."

Read more here. 

HOT

Artist Allison Bianco

GoLocal's Michael Rose has a tremendous feature this week of one Rhode Island's top artists and her NY commission:

Allison Bianco is one of Rhode Island’s most accomplished printmakers. With artworks owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, RISD Museum, Yale University Art Gallery and others, Bianco has established herself as a highly sought after and collectible artist. In her latest project, Bianco has completed her first-ever public art commission, a tile mural for Public School 958 in Brooklyn, NY. Titled Curious Tide, this special installation is bringing Bianco’s vision to new audiences beyond her home state.

Bianco has spent her life in Rhode Island and continues to make her home and studio here. Represented by Providence’s Cade Tompkins Projects, Bianco earned her BA from Mount Holyoke College and her MFA from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. In addition to maintaining her own studio practice, she has served as a visiting artist at a number of schools and universities throughout New England and beyond and has taught at a number of institutions.

Speaking of the role her home state has played in her artmaking, Bianco says, “Being a lifelong Rhode Islander, I have an affinity for our little state, the diversity of our landscape and the richness of the artist community that resides here. Most of my work creates a visual history of Rhode Island and includes oceanscapes. I'm interested in the ways that the space between water and land can change slowly over time, or drastically with the onset of huge storms, and how the physical changes can cause a shift in our remembrance of those places.”

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HOT

RI Ranked 3rd Hottest State in U.S. for Weddings

A new study reports that 2022 is the biggest year ever for weddings. An unprecedented 2.5 million weddings are set to take place this year, a boom not seen since 1984.

And, the report ranks Rhode Island as the No. 3 hottest state for the wedding industry.

The study entitled, Where the Wedding Industry is Booming, was released on Tuesday and was developed after analyzing Bureau of Labor Statistics data on annual pay and employment for five occupations central to the industry – event planners, jewelers, florists, photographers, and bakers.

Rhode Island has a history of high-profile weddings, including Jackie and Jack Kennedy and the more recent Jennifer Lawrence.

"The most famous of initials, Jackie O. and J.F.K., married in Newport, Rhode Island, in front of 800 people. Four hundred more of their closest friends and family joined for the reception, where the new Mrs. Kennedy, in a gown by Ann Lowe, and the future president shared their first dance," wrote Allure Magazine.

In addition, Rhode Island has three major draws -- Newport, Block Island, and Providence are all hot spots.

Key Findings in Rhode Island contributing to its No. 3 ranking:

·        Event planners: Earn $56,320 and there are 91 event planners per 100,000 jobs

·        Jewelers: Earn $45,120 and there are 120 jewelers per 100,000 jobs

·        Florists: Earn $34,600 and there are 20 florists per 100,000 jobs

·        Photographers: Earn $47,630 and there are 37 photographers per 100,000 jobs

·        Bakers: Earn $34,400 and there are 249 bakers per 100,000 jobs.

10 Hottest States: 1) New York, 2) Washington, 3) Rhode Island, 4) Massachusetts, 5) Hawaii, 6) Connecticut, 7) California, 8) Colorado, 9) Vermont, 10) New Jersey.

10 Worst States: 1) West Virginia, 2) Mississippi, 3) Kentucky, 4) Alabama, 5) New Mexico, 6) Louisiana, 7) South Carolina, 8) Arkansas, 9) Kansas, 10) Wyoming.

In February, Newport travel experts told GoLocal that the $50 million industry was back after the COVID hit.

“It is back one hundred percent-plus. There is more demand than we have dates available,” said Beverly Ware of Newport Preservation Society -- the owners and operators of The Breakers, Rosecliff. and eight other historic properties.

Evan Smith, the President and CEO of Discover Newport says the industry is nearly completely recovered.

"In terms of the total number of weddings, I think we are over 90% of the way there. COVID and all the challenges it brought have caused a small percentage of brides to rethink the size, shape and scope of how they wish to celebrate their unions," said Smith.

HOT

Getting the Flu Shot and COVID Booster at the Same Time

Leaders from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)  officially kicked off Rhode Island’s 2022-2023 flu vaccination campaign.

“Rhode Island is a national leader for COVID-19 vaccination. Now it’s time for us to be national leaders with our flu vaccination rate,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Getting a flu shot is your best protection against serious illness from the flu, and it’s also the best way to protect the people you love. If you’re like me and plan to get together with family and friends for the holidays over the coming weeks and months, the time to get vaccinated is now.”

“For the past two flu seasons, our flu rates have been at historic lows because of masking, social distancing, and other measures related to COVID-19. As things get back to normal, we could see a severe flu season,” said Dr. Phil Chan. “This makes it that much more important to get your flu shot and to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. You can get your flu shot and your COVID-19 booster at the same time. Both the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine help decrease the severity and duration of illness if you do get sick, and they help keep you out of the hospital.”

NOT

It Is All About the Money, Money, Money

When the Providence Journal Company was sold in 1997 for $1.5 billion, the Metcalf family was a massive financial winner.

The family was a major shareholder in the media company. Patriarchs of the family led the company for decades.

Fast forward 25 years, and now the three children of the late publisher Michael Metcalf are suing their mother Charlotte’s lawyers for allegedly violating the tenets of a group of trusts that control significant portions of the family's wealth.

The lawsuit filed in Providence Superior Court states as background that the “Plaintiffs are the children of Michael Pierce Metcalf (“Michael”). Born into a prominent Rhode Island family, Michael made many significant contributions to the state including as publisher of the Providence Journal and CEO and Chairman of the Providence Journal Company. Michael died in September 1987, when Hannah, Jesse, and Lucy, were 14, 12, and 10 years old, respectively. During his life, Michael established a number of trusts for the benefit of his wife Charlotte and his children.”

This lawsuit is the latest in a decade of legal maneuvering over the control of the trust and the massive fortune.

Metcalf’s Death and Investigation

Metcalf died in Westport, Massachusetts, early on a September Sunday morning in 1987 of a head injury while biking. Some at the Providence Journal believed Michael Metcalf was murdered.

His father before him was the publisher of the Providence Journal, and his great-grandmother founded the Rhode Island School of Design. As a family, they made their wealth as leading industrialists, publishers, and investors. Family members were U.S. senators, and others were governors. 

FBI files link Bevilacqua and Patriarca for years, including the Judge writing a letter of support for the mob boss to the parole board.

“Metcalf was found about 8 a.m., Sept. 13, unconscious and bleeding from the head, along a road through a wooded area in Westport. He suffered a fractured skull and brain damage and died after a week in a coma,” reported UPI.

Some thought Melcalf’s death was somehow linked to the Providence Journal's reporting over the years about the Patriarca Crime Family. In the early 1960s, Raymond Patriarca became so incensed with the newspaper's reporting he took out an ad criticizing the paper's journalism.

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NOT

Hope Jerome Powell Has This Right

If a year ago you borrowed $400,000 with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at the then standard interest rate of 3.05%, then your monthly payment was $1,696.

Now, that same $400,000, 30-year fixed has an average interest rate of 6.92% and a monthly payment of $2,640. The rates are according to mortgage company Freddie Mac.

That is especially bad news in Rhode Island, where home prices continue to be at record levels — for September, the Rhode Island Association of Realtors reported last week that the median price of a single-family home was $416,000.

This turbulence is providing no let-up for Rhode Island buyers. 

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NOT

Groceries Could Be Getting Even More Expensive in RI

If you thought groceries were expensive, they may be getting a lot more costly — especially if you shop at Shaw’s and Star Market.

Shaw’s operates 150 stores throughout New England, and it is owned by Albertsons.

Last Friday, Kroger Co. said it is buying rival Albertsons in a mega-deal for $24.6 billion.

It is one of the biggest deals in the history of the U.S. grocery industry. The deal is expected to face a rigorous review by the Federal Trade Commission.

The combination would give Kroger and Albertsons—the largest and second-largest U.S. supermarket operators—greater scale and increased leverage in negotiations with vendors.

The deal would also bolster the grocers’ market share and technology to compete better with Walmart, the top grocery seller by sales, and Amazon.com which has been expanding its food operations.  

According to the announcement by the companies, "Together, Albertsons Cos. and Kroger currently employ more than 710,000 associates and operate a total of 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 3,972 pharmacies and 2,015 fuel centers. The combination creates a premier seamless ecosystem across 48 states and the District of Columbia, providing customers with a best-in-class shopping experience across both stores and digital channels."

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NOT

The Chaos of Downing Street

If you thought we were having trouble in the U.S. governing, try the Brits. 

Liz Truss lasted just six weeks, 

Now, they are talking about the potential of bringing Boris Johnson back.

But social media might be most abuzz about how Larry the Cat outlasted 4 PMs.