When the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) announced their Grant Awards for 2011; a $5,000 grant was awarded to Southeastern Massachusetts Arts Collaborative (SMARTS) to support the script development phase of a documentary film, being directed by (former venerable Green Party political candidate) Jeff Toste, on the oldest operating American diner on wheels, downtown Providence’s Haven Brothers Diner.

www.havenbrothersmovie.com/

Haven Bros. Diner in Downtown Providence

 Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated the movie was being produced by David Bettencourt, which it isn’t. Also, an earlier version listed a fundraiser, which has been canceled.

Taveras fired Flanders yesterday because the retired Supreme Court justice, who was acting as an legal adviser to the Capital City in its quest to avoid going belly up, said he thought bankruptcy was inevitable.

“Judge Flanders’s recent comments concerning Providence’s fiscal crisis are unacceptable,” said Taveras in a statement. “Because of the harm his comments have done, effective today the City of Providence has severed its relationship with Judge Flanders.”

Somewhere between being named the receiver for Central Falls and being fired as a bankruptcy adviser to Providence, Flanders had become both obsessed and enamored with the idea of municipal restructuring. He penned pieces extolling bankruptcy’s benefits, and seemed to tell anyone who would listen what a boon Chapter 11 could be.

He even traveled to a bondholders conference in Philadelphia and, in trumpeting the virtues of coerced contract negotiations, according to the Huffington Post, said, “We could blow up any contract we liked.”

Turns out, however, that Providence didn’t mind blowing up his contract either.

Flanders had become an outspoken and often obnoxious force in the realm of municipal restructuring. He turned even ardent supports against him when he gave a poorly-received performance at the annual Follies, cracking wise about his job of stripping working class people of their agreed upon retirement plans. Dressed as an executioner, Flanders likened himself to Darth Vader and called himself the “lord of the pink slip.”

Prior to that, Gov. Chafee had to revoke Flanders decision to outlaw street parking in Central Falls after it became painfully evident that the decision was little more than a way to charge Central Falls residents for having cars (most homes in CF don’t have driveways, so parking on the road is the only option). He’s being sued by the ACLU for not properly adhering to the state’s rules for democracy in his role as Central Falls receiver.

While Flanders has done good work in getting Central Falls’ budget back in line, he proved disastrous at the public relations aspect of his role. He came across as arrogant and uncaring. He belittled the people he was supposed to be helping. He made Rhode Island seem like a state that didn’t care about its struggling communities, only their bottom lines.

Gov. Chafee would be wise to show the same kind of leadership that Taveras did and rebuke Flanders for giving municipal bankruptcy a bad name. But he shouldn’t be removed as Central Falls receiver; Chafee should simply slash Flanders exorbitant contract that pays him more than $360,000 a year.

Surely, Flanders would be amenable to taking less money to be the “lord of the pink slip” in Central Falls because, as we all know, a haircut is better than a beheading.

Sanford mayor, Jeff Triplett, against the urgings of his own police and local prosecutors, decided to release the 911 phone call tapes. Until now it was not known that the Sanford police dept. had advised the mayor in this regard.

Additionally, recently release video of George Zimmerman in temporary custody at the Sanford police headquarters 35 mins. after the shooting appears to challenge the veracity of his, and his family’s, claim that he was brutally assaulted by Trayvon Martin. On the video Zimmerman appeared to have no contusions or lacerations on the back of his head or to his nose, nor was there any observable blood stains on his clothing. Zimmerman has claimed that his nose was broken during a scuffle with Martin, and medical experts assert that a broken nose in this instance would have produce significant bleeding. Law enforcement expert, Lou Palumbo, after viewing the video noted that Zimmeran appeared “fully ambulatory.”

New witnesses continue to emerge with detailed accounts that also dispute Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense. One witness who wished to remain unidentified placed Zimmerman as situated on top of Trayvon.

…The larger man got off, then there was a boy that was now dead on the ground … He [Zimmerman] didn’t appear hurt…

Richard Kurtz, the funeral director who prepared the body of Trayvon, stated that he saw no irregularities to Trayvon’s body that would be consistent with the account of a physical struggle the likes of which Zimmerman testified to. Zimmerman’s “story just does not make sense,” said Kurtz.

Arguably the most crucial component to the entire case is a Sanford law which, according to Ken Padowitz, a former homicide prosecutor, states that because Zimmerman was handcuffed and taken to the police station by default means that he actually was officially under arrest, but was apparently never booked.

Somebody at that police department made a decision to not go through normal procedure.

Under Florida’s codes of criminal procedure unless George Zimmerman is charged within a 175 days of this apparent arrest he can never be charged for the murder of Trayvon Martin.

The clock of justice is ticking… literally.

Below is a list of local actions taking place in support of justice for Trayvon and his family:

• April 3rd — This Tuesday Rhode Island College’s Unity Center is holding a campus and community forum from 4-6pm. All are welcome.
• April 8th — This coming Sunday at 6pm the Providence Africana Reading Collective (PARC) will reconvene to focused on isolating our actionable interest in the TRAYVON MARTIN case. PARC meets a Tea in Sahara which is located on 69 Governor St. All community members are encouraged to come.

• April 11th –  Roots Café is hosting a community forum and action planning session on justice for Trayvon Martin and his family. Key community leaders will be in attendance. Additionally, Roots Café is hoping to have a representative from the RI State Attorney’s office to provide a brief contextual description of Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law. Roots Café invites you to join your voice and action oriented ideas with other community members in a push for justice.

Once considered the Mecca of the jewelery manufacturing and design business worldwide, it’s nice to see the Jewelry District come alive again with biotech, tech and design businesses and, now, this farmer’s market!

The new market starts Tuesday and will be held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April at the Ship Street Square.

More here:

On Tuesdays starting April 3^rd, Farm Fresh Rhode Island is partnering with Brown University to bring a farmers market to Ship Street Square in the Jewelry District. Stop by the Ship Street Farmers Market from 11am-2pm and find: fruits and veggies from local farms including Schartner Farms and Hill Orchards; lunch from the Mama Kim’s food truck; a mid-day pick-me-up from The Coffee Guy; or a treat from Olga’s Cup & Saucer. The market will run 5 Tuesdays from April 3^rdthrough May 1^st.

Customers may use cash, credit, debit, EBT cards, and WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks at this market. Those wanting to use a credit, debit or EBT card can purchase Fresh Bucks – farmers’ market tokens – at the Farm Fresh RI table. If you have questions about the market please contactsarah@farmfreshri.org.

Ship Street Square is public park located on the corners of Ship Street and Richmond Street. The space is managed and maintained by Brown University and the University welcomes community-oriented programming. If you would like more information or would like to apply for space for events, performances, celebrations, etc, contact Jennifer_Braga@brown.edu.

Here’s more:

“Get Made Monthly!” Drinks and demos meet-up for Rhode Island Makers who design and build for fun or profit.

Monday, April 2nd
7pm-10pm
Lucie Way, Providence RI
Free!

Featured demo from local open hardware manufacturer, kippkitts, LLC “Making Disco Lights for the Superman building!” using Arduino & xBee, plus Q&A from 7:30pm-8:00pm

The Providence School Board is taking some heat after they unanimously voted to give a $5 million contract to a consultant to help turn around three low performing schools in Providence.

Jeffrey Hernandez, the CEO of National Academic Education Partners Inc., has been hired to help improve three Providence High Schools but reports indicate that he was highly criticized by teachers and parents for his work in a Florida school district.

School Board President Keith Oliveira is defending the hire. According to Oliveira, Hernandez was hired to implement a curriculum in Florida schools and his role in Providence will be different.

Image Palm Beach Post

That’s right, teachers, there’s no money for your pension, our school buildings are crumbling, but there’s plenty of money for corporate proponents of high-stakes testing (update below). And “highly criticized” is an understatement. The Palm Beach Post called Hernandez “the most despised person in the Palm Beach County school system.” But, hey, this time will be different!

It’s not clear how a change of role will make a difference. Hernandez was criticized for his “dictatorial” style, “one-size-fits-all” academic initiatives, and “Orwellian control over classrooms”:

The switch to “centralized” control, with Hernandez calling the shots, backfired because Hernandez was unable to gain the respect of most administrators and educators.

School Board members heard reports that Hernandez was condescending and annoyed principals by wasting their time in lengthy meetings where Hernandez refused feedback.

A so-called reformer who won’t listen, eh? Sounds a bit familiar. But more to the point, test zealots like Hernandez are what progressive like me have been warning about, especially for inner city schools (Projo link no longer available).

“At worst, schools have become little more than test-prep factories,” says Robert Schaeffer, executive director of the National Centerfor Fair and Open Testing, a group critical of standardized tests. “Entire curriculums are wrapped around test prep, narrowing the curriculum.”

And, he says, the children who most need a rich education — those who are poor, urban or English language learners — often get little more than “a thin gruel” of test preparation in their classes, a far cry from the intellectually stimulating coursework offered by private schools, which do very little standardized testing.

It remains to be seen what Hernandez will propose for these Providence schools, but his record in Florida of “testing students every three weeks” doesn’t bode well. And given this guy’s record, one can only hope he meets the same opposition here that he met in Florida.

Update:  4/2/2012 Note that because these funds are federal, the question is only of the Hobson’s choice faced by districts with struggling schools of buckets of cash for “testing on steriods” or none. This isn’t an issue directly affecting city budgets.

We will discuss/plan how we might involve ourselves in action which will help pressure the powers-that-be to expedite a just resolution to this matter.

I’ve spoken with the Florida State NAACP President, Adora Obi Nweze, and the national communications director, Derrick Turner. They’ve detailed specific actions the NAACP is either organizing or coordinating with other Civil Rights and Black organizations on, both in Florida and nationally. I will report back this info to the community here in Providence this Sunday evening at the Providence Africana Reading Collective’s gathering.

I am also in conversation with other activist and community leaders here in Providence about the prospect of holding a Million Hoodie Protest March here in the city in solidarity and justice for Trayvon Martin and his family. This idea will be explored further at the PARC community forum.

Please come and bring your thoughts and voice!

Where: Tea in Sahara, 69 Governor St.

When:  This Sunday (March 25)

Time: 6pm

Other: To augment the gathering we will read Thomas C. Holt’s essay: “Racial Identity and the Project of Modernity.” Those interested in reading the text may email me at marco.mcwilliams@gmail.com

The students took over Brown’s University Hall for a short period of time, filling the building with the chant, “Brown needs to pay its fair share!” The petition, which in just two weeks gathered signatures from over 10% of the student population, called on the University to “contribute an amount no less than that which was originally agreed to by President Simmons and the Mayor,” about $4 million more per year.

Moreover, students urged the University to “open a space for dialogue to reexamine, restructure, and rebuild the relationship between Brown and Providence.”  The petition delivery follows the resumption of negotiations between Simmons and Taveras and also comes on the heels of an agreement by Johnson and Wales University to triple and possibly quadruple their contributions to Providence.

“Based on conversations with my fellow students in the past two weeks, it is clear that the Brown student body wants the University to step up and provide greater support for the city.  From their experiences as volunteers in the city, many students recognize that children, public employees, and others have already sacrificed tremendously in the last few years.  Now, they want to Brown to do their part,” said Benjamin Wofford ‘14.5.

During the rally, Rebecca Rast ‘13.5 reminded her fellow students that many in the community echo these sentiments and support a broad-based conversation about the larger relationship between Brown and Providence.  “It’s time that we talk not just among ourselves but with those who live and work in Providence about ways that the city and the University can support one another.  After all, the well-being of the city and Brown are closely linked.  We have a responsibility and an opportunity as students to make sure that our entire community at Brown recognizes this.”

Xiong, Alvarado, and Choi are among community members, law enforcement officials and members of the legislature who will gather today at the State House for a meeting of the House Committee on Judiciary; the Comprehensive Racial Profiling Prevention Act of 2012  (H-7256) is one of the bills to be discussed.

All of tonight’s agenda items deal with “Motor and Other Vehicles,” and most are about motorists driving under the influence.  A couple other bills that might be of interest to RI Future readers include H-7222, which “would authorize a bail commissioner to order that a person’s license be suspended immediately upon the report of a law enforcement officer that the person has refused a chemical test for driving while under the influence of alcohol” and H-7203 which, if passed, would ”bar checkpoints as a means to detect motorists under the influence.”

For more information about today’s hearing, click here.  To read more about my interview with Xiong, Alvarado, and Choi, click here.

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Hear Sonic Watermelons live every Wednesday
6-8 PM (EST) on www.bsrlive.com.

Tom Sgouros, in his ongoing series dissecting the state budget, reports this morning that in 2008 the capital city was expecting $65 million in state aid from the General Assembly. But over the next two budget cycles Carcieri cut so much from aid to cities and towns that he effectively striped Providence of 10 percent of its annual operating capital.

Libby Kimzey, a frequent contributor to RI Future who is running for a seat in the State House to represent Federal Hill and Olneyville, put it pretty bluntly a few weeks back when giving a presentation about state budget cuts to Providence:

“Right now the State of Rhode Island is being a jerk to Providence,” she said, noting that the state cut some $28 million to the capital city over the past three years. Interestingly, that’s more than the city would need to be back in the black financially. “If you think about it, that is really in the same ballpark as that $22.5 million that is in the papers right now.”

“That is money that the city was counting on from the state,” she said. “Those are decision that state lawmakers have made that put the city in the position of closing schools and we’re having this whole conversation about cutting retirees benefits and it just gets me really worked up.”