Russ Conway
High Stakes Testing: Not So Hot
Last week friend of the blog, Dan McGowan at GoLocal, asked: Everyone agree that “teaching to the test” is a bad idea, but it makes no sense to get rid of standardized tests that could determine whether a student is eligible to graduate… Why not continue to test, but also offer the right interventions that [...]
Occupy Providence and the Right’s Selective Support of the 1st Amendment
Occupy Providence has the fringe-right all in a tizzy over an incident in which condoms were dropped on a anti-choice rally at the State House, spawning not one but two diaries calling for criminal charges to protect the religious right from the inconvenience of being confronted with opposing views. Here’s Justin nearly hyperventilating over a [...]
Restore Roger Williams Park Ponds
One of the first things I did in Providence, even before the boxes were unpacked, was fish Roger Williams Park. People are sometimes surprised to hear how many fish there are in the ponds… largemouth bass, bluegill, crappy, white perch, and carp (considered invasive but real fun to catch). The ponds are truly a treasure [...]
Roger Williams Park Zoo Cuteness Index Up 20%
Good news for local bunnies: The Roger Williams Park Zoo has teamed up with biologists from around the state to help save the New England Cottontail Rabbit. Back in September [WPRI] reported that the bunny was bordering on extinction . Researchers could only find one in the entire state. Here’s the problem. Why would a [...]
Providence Geeks with StudyEgg – Tonight!
Wednesday, January 18th, 2011, 5:30 – 8pm AS220, 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI FREE (buy your own food and drink – it’s cheap) RSVP at Facebook Tonight, Providence based StudyEgg… With educational costs soaring and performance…ummm…not, e-learning is heating up to become what many believe will be a trillion (yes, with a T) dollar worldwide [...]
Save the Bay: “Grave Concerns” Over Polluting Waterfront Junkyard
EcoRI reported while we were gone that Save The Bay has delivered a letter to the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) about “persistent violations of the federal Clean Water Act by Rhode Island Recycled Metals.” “The scrap metals recycling industry is growing rapidly along the Providence waterfront — [...]
Progressive Education in Providence?
Good news via the mayor’s Web site: The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), founded 25 years ago by renowned educator Theodore R. Sizer, is moving into its new offices on 325 Public Street, co-located with Big Picture Learning at the Met School’s Public Street campus in South Providence. “The Coalition of Essential Schools is a [...]
Polluting Waterfront Limits Future Knowledge District Expansion
By now many will have noticed the growing pile of scrap metal (and who knows what else) in the hospital adjacent waterfront on Allens Avenue. The sale of Promet to the burgeoning junkyard leaves the city and the city’s taxpayers with even fewer options for development.“I think the energy [for rezoning] has left the room [...]
“Centrist” Economic Pap
Friend of the blog, Tom Sgouros expresses the following concern about protestors and supporters of Occupy Providence:I’ve enjoyed walking through Burnside Park on my way to and from work lately, and I find the activity and energy invigorating. One point that worries me, though, is represented in some conversations I’ve joined or overheard as I [...]
RI ACLU Supports Occupy Providence’s Right to Peaceably Assemble
RI ACLU executive director Steven Brown yesterday on the Occupy Providence protest:The ACLU fully supports the right of ‘Occupy Providence’ to engage in forms of peaceful protest at the park and elsewhere in the city in order to express their political views and promote their cause. We believe that some of the particular rules and [...]
Carmen Castillo Wins in Ward 9
Carmen Castillo has won the Democratic primary for City Council in Providence’s Ward 9. Castillo now faces Republican Christian Chirino, a Tea Party type libertarian, in the Nov. 29th general election. The winner steps into the seat formerly held by progressive champion, Miguel Luna.
The State’s New Economy Wrong Way Run
Disturbing hints this week from EDC director, Keith W. Stokes, that the state plans to continue it’s new economy wrong way run, even possibly eliminating financing of the Slater Technology Fund, this on the heels of the positive news of a $9 million federal grant. “The hope would be that we can continue to maintain [...]
Whose City? Our City!
We learn this week that the ostensibly progressive Mayor Taveras is seeking legal action to forcibly evict Occupy Providence protestors from Burnside Park “in next few days.” One has to wonder which constituency he’s serving in taking action (hmm, are their initials BOA?). For their part, the protestors have expressed their intent to continue to [...]
Nader/Paul 20012?
took the liberty of picking the lead on the ticket. Either way, among the most interesting dynamics in the Occupy Movement is the left-libertarian convergence[my emphasis]:
“We did not spend our way here — We were robbed.”
Friend of the blog, Tom Sgouros, has an excellent piece out on GoLocalProv, “Occupy Movement is on Right Track.” I attended the rally and march and think Tom best captured the spirit of the event and provided probably the most accurate count of the number in attendance.
Polluting Waterfront Poster Child Cashes Out
The poster child for the industry led effort to kill the $400 million redevelopment of the hospital adjacent area of Allens Avenue just cashed out, selling the firm to Sims Metal Management. Ship repair company Promet Marine Services Corporation Ltd., located at Allens Avenue in Providence, was acquired by a metal recycling company. Promet’s deep [...]
Liberals Love Profit Too
Lynn Neary of NPR recently interviewed Bill Frezza, a venture capitalist, about the business community’s responsibility for tackling unemployment. He bluntly said they didn’t have such a responsibility. Listen to the podcast here: http://gregmatos.com/blog/2011/10/liberals-love-profit-too
A Primary Challenge for Obama?
One can only hope progressive momentum builds around this idea: Worried the liberal voice is being drowned out in the presidential campaign, progressive leaders said Monday they want to field a slate of candidates against President Obama in the Democratic primaries to make him stake out liberal stances as he seeks re-election… “What we are [...]
Pragmatic and Progressive, Driver’s Licenses for All Residents
This week the Governor made the progressive case for issuing driver’s licenses or driving permits to state residents, regardless of their immigration status: Responding to questions about a vote by the Board of Governors for Higher Education to approve in-state rates for undocumented students, Chafee said being able to drive would help people who need [...]
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