The Wurst Kitchen, located within Chez Pascal, is now offering their renowned hot dogs and sausages for sale. Past sausage selections have included Cheddarwurst (smoked jalapeño and cheddar cheese), Knackwurst (smoked coriander and black pepper), Chorizo (smoked sausage, pork loin, spanish pimenton and paprika) and Beer Bratwurst (unsmoked, with caraway, oregano and Bucket Pail Ale beer). Selections change weekly. $10 per pack of 6 hot dogs. $8 per pack of 4 sausages. 960 Hope Street. 421-4422.
History of Blackstone Boulevard and Park: Collection of photographs, documents and oral histories
The Conservancy is hoping the community can assist us with creating a memoir of the boulevard and park. We’re looking for old photographs of both areas, including those of the trolley when it ran along the boulevard, old documents, including letters referencing the areas (which we could copy and return to you) and personal remembrances. Our ultimate goal is to print the collection for our members and friends. Please call Gale Aronson at 383-0060 or email at aronson.gale530.com.
Volunteer Recruitment
Winter program to recruit volunteers. We are in great need of volunteers who could help us maintain the gardens on the Boulevard and work on a variety of projects in the conservation district along the river. Please contact the Conservancy through our website: www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org. Thank you.
Blackstone Boulevard
2011 was an exciting and productive year on the boulevard. We’ve completed a number of projects and have several on the drawing board. The northern end at the turn-around has been substantially improved to include a lovely surround for the tree and a new platform for the award plaque honoring Peggy Sharpe for her contributions to the tree canopy in the City of Providence. The pruning of the north section is about 90% complete; the finished project will include the removal of yews and the pruning of the traffic triangle, which has become a hazard for both drivers and pedestrians. More trees have been planted, with more to come in the spring. By the time you read this, we hope there will be a new roof on the small shelter at the intersection of Brookway St. This will complement the lovely new garden that was installed earlier this summer. We’ve begun work on the south garden to create a border and enhance the overall beauty that is getting lost in weeds and over-growth and the garden at the Witherby Statue has been … More
Are you looking for something that speaks a little more to your soul than what you’ve been seeing on local television? PBS of Rhode Island is getting set to launch the new talk show Say You Got Soul, which is produced and hosted by Tatia Lopez, a graduate of URI and a freelance writer. The idea for the production was born after a family friend, who had been gone from Providence for some time, returned for a visit and felt that in some aspects the city had been frozen in time. In their eyes the sights of young men loitering the corners and young mothers pushing their babies in strollers were the same as what they had become accustomed to seeing years ago.
The show will cover such topics as health issues, raising children, education, socio-economics and culture. The hope is to empower viewers and provide people of color in Rhode Island a positive source that they can identify with. If you’re looking for something that will provide an evocative ground level view on important issues in the city we call home then this is the show for you. Say You Got Soul will air following the July taping on PBS of Rhode Island and you can tweet Tatia for specific air dates at @LopezTatia. While this will hopefully inspire the very people the creator saw that day, it will educate all of us, so tune in. More
Graffiti
In November, CHNA met with representatives from the Providence Police Department, the Brown University Police, RISD Public Safety, the Office of Neighborhood Services and the Graffiti Task Force to help re-establish the CHNA graffiti abatement initiative. If you are a resident or a business that has been tagged, your first step should be to take a photo of the tag and send it to chna@collegehillna.com. Photos will be sent to the Providence Police and entered into a tag ‘bank’ that aids in prosecution. Step two is immediate removal of the tag. Graffiti remover can be purchased at Adlers; they have three options ranging from natural orange-based remover to the more caustic. In the meantime, CHNA is developing the strategy for overall abatement in College Hill. We are investigating graffiti barrier products for specific surfaces and are working directly with the Graffiti Task Force to regularly schedule graffiti-removal dates for Thayer Street and additional consistently targeted spots throughout the neighborhood.
Crime Awareness
CHNA implores residents to take simple steps to ensure higher standards of safety in your home and your car. Lock your doors and do not leave valuables in plain sight including computers, GPSs and any electronic equipment. Get to know your neighbors and have them pick up your newspaper and packages and even park in your driveway if you are out of town. Also, to address crime issues, Sam Zurier is planning to hold a community forum with Lt. John Ryan on Monday, January 23rd. Please visit his website www.samzurier.com for further details or read the CHNA email group to receive notification.
Electronics Recycling Event in January
If you have electronics that need to go, CHNA is partnering with Metech Recycling to hold a recycling event in January. Additional details will be available through the CHNA enews and posted on the CHNA website home page at www. collegehillna.com.
Leap Year Party February … More
Who: Joseph Aaron Segal
What: Knitwear and apparel designer
Where: His studio, Harris Avenue, Providence
Why: I fricken-fracken love his kitty sweaters
When I contacted Joe a week or so prior to visiting his studio, I made sure to ask him to set aside a cat-eye ring for me – I just had to have one. And now I do. Joe is the brain behind Pretty Snake and the “crazy cat sweater.” If you haven’t glimpsed one of Joe’s innovative creations yet, you’re sure to soon. He’s already getting more orders than he can keep up with; after the holiday rush, he’d sold out of all of his cat sweaters and t-shirts. I’ve been coveting one for quite some time now and I was dying to see where and how they are manufactured.
Joe and his one employee, Hannah Abelow – who refers to herself as his “friendsistant” – met at RISD, where the fashion and textile designer received his MFA. (Joe currently teaches Machine Knitting and Industrial Knitting at RISD.) The pair work out of a loft housed inside a large artist-occupied warehouse, which boasts a run-down sensibility that any creative mind would extol. Half of the studio space is where all the knitting magic happens; the other is where the photo shoots go down.
It was as a grad student that Joe created his very first cat-focused garment – a knit sweater dress that he had never showed to anyone outside his RISD cohorts prior to our encounter. It’s stored in a giant plastic bin, amongst a multitude of experimental fabric swatches and projects that he worked on back in the day. (Joe sells his swatches at trade shows to companies such as Ralph Lauren Home.) “They want to see what’s possible,” Joe explains, “so I make them as crazy as possible.”
(The original "cat sweater" knit dress)
(One of Segal's experimental fabric swatches)
Fast forward a bit, to the day when Joe turned his grad … More
Orthodox Jewish reggae sensation (we never get tired of saying that) Matisyahu comes to Lupo's tonight in support of his most recent album, Spark Seeker, which came out yesterday. He arrives in town newly shorn, ditching the beard and yarmulke combo that was his signature, in favor of a new clean-shaven and pastel-wearing style, which tends to happen to people who relocate from Brooklyn to LA. He self-released the new record, which continues the evolution of his music in directions that are both more poppy and more experimental. Southern California reggae-rockers Dirty Heads, who began the day with a secret show at Whiskey Republic, will open. Doors open at 7pm and music begins at 8pm. More
Saúde!
The latest food truck to hit the streets is Portu-Galo. As the name implies, it serves “Portuguese sandwiches and small bites.” Proprietor and JWU alum Levi Bettencourt Medina is serving up classic Portuguese sandwiches on locally made bread, including Bifana (pork loin with garlic and spices), Prego No Pão (steak topped with a pan-fried egg) and spicy Piri Piri Chicken. Small bites include Iberian style Batatas Bravas (potatoes with garlic aioli and spicy bravas sauce) and Chouriço Empanadas. They’ve been making the usual East Side-centric rounds, but, as always, the best way to find them is to follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
Down On The Farm
Pasture to Plate is a new certified mobile kitchen offering dinners and food workshops at local farms. Director Margiana Peterson-Rockney has spent the past four years developing and managing Rosaharn Farm CSA in Rehoboth, an outgrowth of her family’s dairy goat farm of the same name. The first two events are coming up this month: On June 16, there will be a Father’s Day brunch at Rosaharn Farm, with seatings at 10am and noon; and on June 30 there will be a multicourse farm dinner at Little Compton’s Wishing Stone Farm, with seatings at 5:15 and 7pm.
Welcome To Town
Mile & a Quarter has a new chef. Executive Chef Jose Franco moved to Rhode Island from his home in Los Angeles (his wife is a native Rhode Islander) to take over the riverfront restaurant. Before this, he ran several restaurants in and around LA, where he cooked for a number of celebs, including catering the wedding of Jack Nicholson’s daughter. Look for him to begin revising the menu at Mile & a Quarter over the summer, incorporating more local and seasonal foods. More
Discover the new voices of independent film this month as the annual Rhode Island International Film Festival (RI- IFF) returns to the Ocean State. The 2013 RIIFF will feature over 200 film screenings plus filmmaking workshops and meet and greets at locations throughout the state. During the mornings of the 8-10, screenings for the KidsEye International Film Festival, films made by young people all over the world, and participants in the 15th Annual KidsEye Summer Filmmaking Camp (featured on August 10 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium) will commence. The festival is organized by the non-profit Flickers. August 6-11. 861-4445 More
Who: Rich Abbruzzese (aka Juan Deuce)
What: Rhyme slayer and controller of the mic
When: 9:20pm, Tuesday, April 24
Where: The Met, 1007 Main Street, Pawtucket
Why: He lives at 1 Happy Place… in his mind, at least.''
When Juan Deuce opened up for GZA at Firehouse 13 on March 24, a crowd of fired-up fans waved cardboard caricature masks of his likeness in the air. With his flat-brimmed black hat, thick eyebrows and wide smile, the masks were unmistakably him. “The masks at the last show went over really well,” he says, sipping a bottled water and watching the room fill. It’s an hour to show time.
Juan Deuce, left, stands with DJ Emoh Betta
Tonight the MC is opening for Schoolboy Q. As he waits, various people come up to give a handshake and a well-wish. He’s appreciative of the support. “The fan base is very loyal and growing by the day,” he says. “I’m doing what I aspired to do, only on a smaller scale. The more I continue to work hard, the larger the scale will become.” He smiles. “The goal is to become the Dos Equis Man.”
He’s taller than he appears to be in his videos and up on stage. And with his hood pulled up and strapped with a black backpack full of essentials – such as EPs and white towels – he appears younger, too. I ask about the origins of his stage name. “[It's] a street name that Redman would shout out on his albums,” he says. “I flipped it a little bit.” Indeed, he’s created his own unique persona.
Juan Deuce doesn’t drink or smoke prior to a performance. He’s someone who takes his craft seriously, which can be a rarity in the ego-driven world of artists who let the game get the best of them. The minutes tick by; finally, it’s showtime. He’s joined on stage by Falside, a local producer and beatsmith, and DJ Emoh Betta, who’s been manipulating vinyl since 1998.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned by attending hundreds of shows over the years, it’s that hip-hop fans can … More
Sarah Schumann doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a commercial fisher: she's a woman, first off, with a master’s degree in Environmental Policy. As she explains in this month's So Rhode Island cover story, her goal is to make the ecosystem a more stable and sustainable environment for people and fish to exist co-dependently.
Schumann now has the opportunity to spread her message even further than her base here in Rhode Island, now that she's earned a TogetherGreen Fellowship award from Toyota and the National Audubon Society. The Fellowship was launched in 2008 to encourage diverse environmental leadership and fund innovative conservation projects and ideas. The TogetherGreen Fellowship gives 40 local leaders $10,000 to help engage a wider audience in environmental conservation, which works well with Schuman’s mission to involve and educate fisherman and their customers about the ecosystems from which their seafood is sourced.
Her project, Eating With the Ecosystem, is a culinary tour of the native species from the fishing areas around New England, with a marine scientist and local fisherman explaining the ecological context behind each item on the plate. The next part of this dinner series will take place at Cook & Brown Public House in Providence on September 10, with a focus on the seafood native to Southern New England. Buy tickets here. More
Our General Assembly can be accused of many things – corruption, inefficiency, nepotism, cronyism, shortsightedness, pigheadedness, blind partisanship... shall I go on? But one thing it cannot be accused of is laziness. Whether they’re saving us taxpayers the cost of paying a full-time legislature by supplementing their income with a few bucks from CVS, staying late to pass bothersome legislation at an hour when it’s unlikely to disturb the rest of us trying to sleep, or working hard to spare us the confusing and unwieldy choice between two distinct political parties, our dutiful legislators don’t lack hustle.
One area in which they truly excel is in generating a nice, steady stream of bills. With their combination of wisdom and pluck, the members of the General Assembly really aim to keep things humming by focusing on quantity over quality, generating an impressive array of bills for a part-time body. They recognize that this is a numbers game – not every piece of paper that passes through the State House is going to be a winner, but if you generate enough of them, one or two are bound to hit. Think of our laws as a lot like scratch tickets: most of them are a waste of time, but the creation of them keeps a lot of Rhode Islanders employed. Oh, and you can easily purchase them from track-suited men in gas stations.
Two great examples of our legislature’s admirable work ethic made news in the past month. The first was a bill to declare Rhode Island-style calamari as the official state appetizer, introduced by the Right Honorable Rep. Joseph McNamara (D-Warwick, Cranston). While this might seem frivolous at first glance, it’s actually a marvel of legislative efficiency, solving, as it does, two problems at the same time: it finally settles the contentious issue of whether to order the calamari, the clam cakes or – dark horse – the fried ravioli, while at the same time enshrining into law the belief of all … More
Vintage shopping and local indie designers are a big part of the Providence fashion scene. Now a collective of young style entrepreneurs on a mission to, and we quote, "have the most fun possible while selling you our favorite things in this world." The Boho Bazaar is an evening of fun, fashion, shopping and drinks featuring local designers, vintage retailers, menswear, jewelry, clothing swaps, a DJ and more. The first such event is March 15 from 7-10pm at The Salon downtown. Featured designers and retailers include Shoppe Pioneer, Gypsy Vintage, Wanderluxe Jewelry, AMC Men's Vintage Americana and Workwear, Libby Hodgkins Jewelry and Nicole Lebreux Original Apparel. Music will be provided by DJ Baby Panda Logic and the feature cocktail will be the $5 Boho Bellini. Those looking to swap clothing are welcome to bring any six pieces to trade for another six. Check out their Facebook page for updates on future event.s More
Federal Hill is on the rise this spring: new restaurants and boutiques have opened up in quick succession over the last month. While Blush Wine Bar has closed, Nami, a new sushi and hibachi restaurant, has opened in the space once occupied by Federal Hill Pizza at 198 Atwells. Nuit, a women’s clothing and accessory boutique, has opened at 415 Atwells. Owner Julia Sullivan makes some of the clothing herself, and the rest is vintage finds and apparel made by local designers. L’Eleganza, at 256 Atwells, is a new bridal and formalwear shop offering custom designed veils and shoes. The store features designs by owner Donn Edward, and will also do wedding cakes.
There’s a new app that’s making Providence an even more bike-friendly city. The VHB Bikeways app allows you to track and plan your routes. Just start recording when you start a route, hit stop when you get to your destination, and enter a description of where you were headed. The data recorded goes towards researching and addressing the needs of cyclists in town. More
The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs will present two plays in rotation repertory this month at the Pell Chafee Performance Center: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, directed by Aubrey Snowden (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs ’13) and Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Ryan Guzzo Purcell (Brown/Trinity Rep Programs ’13). The plays will alternate taking the stage throughout their March 1-18 run.
Waiting for Godot has been considered one of the most important theatrical works of the 20th century. The play focuses on two men, Vladimir and Estragon, and their efforts to “hold that terrible silence at bay” while they continuously wait on the side of a road for a man named Godot to arrive. The men’s comical and desperate attempts to pass the time spans two acts and explores the notion of time and existence.
Suzan-Lori Parks’ Venus, on the other hand, is based on the true story of Saarjie Baartman, a member of the Khoi-San tribe of South Africa, who was transported to London in 1810 under the false pretense of opportunity. Upon her arrival, Baartman , nearly nude, is put on public display and dubbed “The Venus Hottentot.” This tale of exploitation will examine the treatment of women and minorities, and will demand that its' audience come to terms with history in order to move beyond it. $10. $5 students. The Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire Street, Providence. 401-351-4242. More
The Reduced Shakespeare Company, a three-man comedy cast that takes long, serious subjects and shortens them down to sharp comedies, will be performing The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the historic Park Theatre in Cranston. The show is scheduled for Sunday, March 4 and will reduce every sport ever played on every continent in the entire history of the world while also showcasing the trio’s manically paced collection of one-liners.
The “Bad Boys of Abridgement” have created seven stage shows, two television specials, and numerous radio pieces which have all been performed, seen, and heard all over the world. The company’s first three shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) ran for nine years at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus, and were London’s longest-running comedies. 4:00 pm. $20, $25, and $30. 401-467-7275 More
The 4th Annual SENE Film, Music and Arts Festival kicked off last night at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center in Pawtucket. Our assistant editor, Erin Swanson, was there as artists, filmmakers, actors and musicians mixed and mingled, enjoying complimentary beer and wine, live music and film screenings. Highlights included harp music by Sarah Ann McGinnis and the documentary Sweetlife, which told the story of three college students who founded Sweetgreen, an organic salad and frozen yogurt company, right from their dorm room. If that weren't impressive enough, they went on to organize Sweetlife Food & Music Festival, the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Bonnaroo, watch out. Sweetlife 2012 will feature Zola Jesus, Delta Spirit, The Shins and Kid Cudi (amongst many others). Check out the trailer here:
Hope Street was feeling the holiday spirit on Thursday with their annual Winter Stroll. Children told Santa what they wanted for Christmas, shops competed in a Best Window Display contest (with Mayor Taveras announcing Frog and Toad as the winner) and food trucks provided gourmet street food to the many families who came out. High notes for J. Marcel broadcasting A Christmas Story in their window and for Kreatelier offering visitors a potent – and delicious – Swedish Glogg. More
Who: Cousins Amanda and Jesse Corey
What: Photographer and make-up artist, respectively
When: 5pm, Saturday, October 20
Where: Core Creations, 1320 Cranston Street, Cranston
Why: I wanted the Coreys to make me gory
This is what I first saw upon arriving at Jesse and Amanda Corey’s Cranston studio on Saturday, October 20. My beautiful friend Ellen was looking a gory mess in preparation of the 2012 Providence Zombie Pub Crawl, which was later that night. We took one look at each other and burst into hysterical laughter. Clearly, my decision to sign us both up for a horror makeover was the right one.
Jesse seemed super excited at the opportunity to gore us up, and encouraged our input as to shaping the “look” we wanted. We both told her, “Just do whatever you want.” Apparently that was Jesse’s green light to rocket us to hideous town. Ellen’s pre-made mold consisted of an eyeball that was hanging from its eyesocket, her face appearing to melt into itself. Awesome.
I soon discovered that I would be strutting my stuff around town with a circular saw protruding from my chest. “It’s a real blade,” Jesse said with a proud smile. “My boyfriend sanded the edges down, though, so you won’t injure anybody.” Um, he what?! Jesse held the mold up against my body, this way and that, searching for the perfect spot on which to affix it.
I had planned ahead and ordered a post-apocalyptic vest fashioned from bicycle tire inner tubes that exposed both my stomach and my chest, per my "slut-it-up-it’s-Halloween" tendencies. Jesse looked me up and down; her smile grew larger. “Your outfit is perfect!” With that, it was decided that the mold would be most noticeable nestled just above my cleavage. Lovely.
I was surprised at how quickly the time passed as I sat in Jesse’s chair being poked, prodded, dusted with liquid latex and dabbed with gobs of fake blood. She … More
College students understand the limitless possibilities of store-bought, just-add-water ramen. You can cook it as directed, eat it dry with peanut butter (a personal favorite) or even add veggies to create an illusion of nutritional benefits. But if you’re running out of ideas on how to prepare the noodles, or simply want to eat ramen the way it’s supposed to taste, Ken’s Ramen (51 Washington St, Unit D) welcomes you to enjoy their professionally crafted ramen dishes. Their paitan (whole chicken broth) is “simmered for over 30 hours for maximum richness and savoriness” - something no salt packet could ever recreate – and combined with “customized thin hakata ramen noodles.” Call for hours of operation.
It’s back and it’s bigger and better than before. Come one, come all to Wooly Town at The Steelyard. Its last one-day incarnation, Wooly Fair 2011, proved so popular that the organizers decided to expand its length and change its name. At this new-and-improved version of the already-awesome art carnival, you’ll hear great music, meet cool people and stuff your face with delicious food and drink. Best of all, you can help power Wooly Town with body movement. You’ll have to see this for yourself. August 16-18. 27 Sims Avenue. 273-7101 More