Telling a story about Councilwoman Castillo
This is the beginning of an ongoing blog about making Councilwoman Castillo – The Film. Why make this film in the first place? It’s not just that Carmen Castillo is an inspiration to me. Of course she is. She is the salt of the earth. Committed beyond 100% to her community and her family. She [...]
PVD Councilwoman Carmen Castillo: the movie
“In a day and age when most politicians are lawyers or businessmen, Councilwoman Carmen Castillo made history when she became the first hotel housekeeper to hold public office,” writes independent filmmaker Margo Guerney, who is making a documentary about the groundbreaking Providence city councilor. Castillo, who was elected in 2012, has worked as a room [...]
If Superman goes housing, make it mixed income
With the fate of the Superman building unknown, downtown Providence could look very different in a few years. I’m relatively new to Rhode Island, but don’t want the state’s most well-known building to be housing only for the uppercrust. Such redevelopment could not only gentrify downtown and push low income residents further out of Downcity [...]
Downcity gentrification vs. big picture masterplan
The Superman building is certainly one of – if not the – most iconic architectural structures in the Ocean State. We don’t want to lose that. But what’s happening with the inside the building is a pretty iconic example of the current economy. We do want to lose that. 111 Westminster began its existence as [...]
GCPVD on Prov. project: ‘A greater Kennedy Plaza’
This is what Kennedy Plaza could look like. Click here or on the image to read @GCPVD‘s post on the plan, who calls it a “A Greater Kennedy Plaza.” Alisha Pina of the Providence Journal also has a good story here. She writes: Plans will officially be New vision emerges revealed Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in [...]
Citizen Diplomacy: Cutler Unites Copenhagen, Providence
Andy Cutler from Cutler and Company has started a unique citizen diplomacy project called Smaller Cities Unite! The premise is actually quite simple, and pretty awesome. He is creating a new model for connecting cool, smaller cities (those with less than 1.5 million population) across the world. Smaller Cities Unite! seeks to form mutually beneficial [...]
Join The Movement: Marijuana Strategy Session
The strategy for developing effective and safe marijuana reform is now underway. And we need your help. The Coalition for Marijuana Regulation will be holding two important strategy meetings this week to help supporters develop effective testimonies for the upcoming bill hearing and plan actions to build support for the bill. The first meeting will [...]
Providence Is Recovering
Governor, Mr. President, honorable members of the Providence City Council, distinguished guests, and my fellow residents of our great Capital City – One year ago I stood before you in this Chamber with an urgent message for our City and the entire State of Rhode Island. Providence was in peril. Despite many difficult decisions and [...]
Drinking Liberally Hosts “Sock It to Homelessness”
In a fitting follow up to Bob Plain’s five part series “Homeless Like Me,” Drinking Liberally Providence will showcase the important work of the RI Coalition for the Homeless tomorrow night, Wednesday November 28 from 7pm – 9pm at Wild Colonial Tavern. Participants are encouraged to bring new pairs or packages of socks to donate [...]
Broadway’s Columbus Theatre to Reopen
For years the marquee on the iconic Columbus Theatre on Broadway has read “Opening Soon” and now finally it’s true. The famed theater that has hosted everything from opera to porn reopens on November 17 with a show headlined by The Low Anthem, a local indie folk band that has made a name of itself [...]
Rethinking the Proper Role for the State Politician
There’s a “What can you do for me?” mentality about politics that I doubt anyone in Rhode Island will dispute. People say over and over again, “The legislature stinks, but my guy is ok.” And then they vote for the incumbent. Sitting legislators have the power of the budget to fund and disburse. Line items [...]
The Public Education / Transportation Challenge
I’ve found a way for the Providence Public School System to save more than $400,000 annually in transportation costs. Every month, the School Department buys thousands of RIPTA bus passes, which it distributes to high school students from low income families or who live more than three miles from their school. In May of 2012, [...]
Gilding the Ghetto: George Romney Knew Better
Nationally, black and Hispanic/Latino public school students are now more segregated from whites than at any point in the last four decades. Most policymakers and activists on all sides accept the fact that our metropolitan areas are segregated by race as well as class, and work within its confines. In this age of greatly diminished expectations [...]
Occupy Providence Returns
Occupy Providence is back in Burnside Park. But there are a couple of things different about this incarnation of the local 99 Percent movement. One difference is they aren’t camping this time around. Not yet, anyways. But they have been meeting daily in what activists call the People’s Park for a little over a week [...]
Taveras Impresses Even Conservative EG Rotary
At first blush one might guess the East Greenwich Rotary Club wouldn’t be the easiest audience for a progressive mayor of Providence to impress. But this, remember, is Angel Taveras, and I’ve honestly never known a politician with such a gift to win over various constituencies and to influence positive outcomes. Angel inherited a cash-strapped [...]
ONA Says Business Stole Rather Than Wired Money
Saying the owner of a local money-wiring business stole thousands of dollars from them, a group of Olneyville residents who frequently send money to family members in other countries will hold a rally at near the corner of Chalkstone Boulevard and Academy Avenue Saturday at 2pm. “I work two jobs- usually 16 hours a day- [...]
Progressive vs. Old School
Bob Plain asked me to keep the focus of this blog on the progressive aspects of my campaign. (And thanks, Bob, for standing up for the rights of the free press — particularly in an election.) I’ll do my best, but the writer in me also thinks that the strange things you need to do as [...]
Are Non-Christians Not Welcome in Providence?
Peter Montequila, the owner of Finest Car Wash has stated a variety of reasons for having erected a cross on a publicly owned median strip on Pleasant Valley Parkway in Providence. According to one story the cross was built because the Fourth of July (or Memorial Day) was coming up. Montequila also claims he placed [...]
A Cross on Public Land; This Time in Providence
In Rhode Island, there’s a cross on public land. It’s not the one in Woonsocket, it’s the one in Providence, on a city owned median strip located at about 14 Pleasant Valley Parkway near the Coca-Cola plant. The Humanists of Rhode Island sent a letter to Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, asking that the cross be [...]
Pension Lawsuit Primer
On Friday, the long-anticipated lawsuits against the 2011 Rhode Island Retirement Security Act (the pension changes passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly and signed by Governor Chafee last fall) were filed on behalf of those impacted by the changes. We believe that the State of Rhode Island has a legal and a moral obligation [...]
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