If you believe Nostradamus and/or the Mayans, the world will end this year. (Just ask any Spanish conquistador who set out in search of the mythical city of gold how reliable a source those Mayans are.) I neither believe such an Old Testament-style cataclysm is upon us, nor see the point in debating the supposed “evidence” to support such fire-and-brimstone predictions. The Apocalypse is unlikely to happen in 2012 – however, it may still prove to be defined by apocalypses.
As you may have learned by reading a newspaper, watching the news, perusing the internet or simply having ears, 2012 is an election year – a presidential election year – and that is sure to bring with it many apocalypses. As this went to press, the field of Republican candidates is rapidly narrowing, and the eventual nominee is all but official. This is sure to cause much gnashing of teeth and wailing to the heavens in many circles, as conservative Christians and hardcore Tea Partiers are left to choose between the Anti-Christ (Obama) and Christ, the Sequel (Romney), and liberals cower in terror at the prospect of a Romney presidency that will turn the country into a repressive, ultra-orthodox Mormon theocracy in which Democrats are outlawed, just like what happened to Massachusetts when he was governor (right?).
The point is that in the past decade-plus, we have lost the ability as a country to have a rational, civilized discourse about the pertinent issues of the day without it resulting in name-calling, finger-pointing, hysterical shrieking and Chicken Little-esque doomsday prophecies. Each talking point that doesn’t reinforce our particular world-view is regarded as heresy, and each turn of events that doesn’t further our agenda is heralded as the apocalypse.
We seemingly forget that the entire history and development of this country has been based on the constant negotiation of disagreements and compromises. Some are major, some minor, some … More
Reveling in both the new and the old, Mohegan Sun is celebrating the first anniversary of its VISTA Lounge with a mega throwback-themed bash of nostalgic proportions. On Friday, July 26 at 10pm, partygoers can expect to rave all the way down memory lane with special guests Rev Run and DJ Ruckus providing the musical swagger. However the reminiscing doesn’t just end there. Guests can expect to take it all the way back to high school, this time with a cocktail or two, while chatting up Bayside High School Principal “Mr.Belding”, Saved By the Bell’s Dennis Haskins.
The VISTA Lounge is a 450-person venue complete with dance floor, two fully stocked bars, a state of the art sound system, and two custom blackjack tables for rent, all under the transformative day/night dome of the Wombi Rock at Mohegan Sun. Come celebrate all this place has to offer while taking stock of the best of '90s pop culture. 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 1-888-226-7711. More
Enjoy over 100 varieties of craft beer at the second annual Sun Brewfest at Mohegan Sun this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For three days, attendees can enjoy tasting microbrews, imports and domestic beer from local and national vendors. Some of the beers on tap will include Goose Island, Newcastle, Redd’s Apple Ale, Long Trail, and Otter Creek.
Along with plenty of brews, food tastings will be available for only $1 per ticket. Mohegan Sun’s very own restaurants will be providing good eats including cooking the first BrewBrunch on Sunday, October 6 at the Sunburst Buffet. Goose Island Brewery is sponsoring the fun-filled brunch with ‘beer-mosas’ and creative Bloody Mary recipes that are sure to please. To celebrate the fall season, Mohegan Sun’s pastry chefs will be preparing Shock Top ice creams made with Honey Apple and Pumpkin Wheat beer varieties. It is never too early for ice cream!
There will be live entertainment beginning at 7pm each night along with interactive games such as ping-pong, air hockey and foosball. Tickets are $25 for each tasting and $75 for the BrewBrunch and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office or through Ticketmaster. A portion of brunch tickets sold will go towards a to-be-determined charity. All attendees must be 21 and older.
Tasting Session 1: Friday, October 4th from 7:00pm - 11:00pm in the Uncas Ballroom. Tasting Session 2: Saturday, October 5th from 7:00pm - 11:00pm in the Uncas Ballroom. BrewBrunch: Sunday, October 6th from 11:00am - 2:00pm in the Sunbusrt Buffet. More
By now, most folks in the nonprofit circuitry of Rhode Island are aware of the work of James Monteiro and his inspiring mission. If you happen to be out of the loop, the Billy Taylor House is a youth haven complete with mentoring and community service outreach to enrich the lives of children and teens who need guidance. The atmosphere of positive reinforcement and encouragement makes this a solid foundation for youth in the community and, in recent months, the House has been rather active. In July they held a fundraiser and raffle at Snubs in which 100% of the proceeds went to their Jobs Program to help its kids seek gainful employment and a sense of self-worth. They are also holding a yard sale on August 2; anyone inside or outside of the Mount Hope neighborhood can donate items to the cause with proceeds benefiting the jobs program. The Billy Taylor House's mission to "Reinvent Mount Hope" demonstrates an attitude towards community that we can all stand behind. More
After attending school and living in Providence for the past three years, I had the opportunity to go on an Experience Rhode Island tour of our beautiful capital city. My very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide Jon Stricklin explained to me that he sometimes prefers giving tours to locals rather then visitors, since so many Rhode Islanders don’t realize how much history our state has to offer. Here’s my photographic account of my experience along the tour:
Our tour departed from Visitor’s Information center at the RI Convention Center located downtown. Jon began our tour with some interesting facts about the size of our state. Obviously, I knew Rhode Island was the smallest state in the country, but I didn’t know that King Ranch located in south Texas is about 1,800 square miles larger than our beloved Ocean State and Rhode Island is only about half the size of Delaware.
The tour continued on to Farm Hill or, to us 21st century folk, Federal Hill and proceeded through downtown.
We drove past the steps of City Hall where a pre-presidential John F. Kennedy once stood and gave a speech to the people of Providence – hence Kennedy Plaza.
We went down Westminster Street past Johnson and Wales University and found ourselves in India Point Park, once a crucial spot for maritime trade.
Our tour continued to Wayland Square, where we had the chance to stop at one of the most popular new cafes in Providence, Teas and Javas. I recommend the mixed berry gelato – delicious!
After our break we continued to Blackstone Boulevard and learned about the five Brown Brothers – who surprisingly didn’t start Brown University. Originally located in Warren, and called the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Brown University moved to its current spot on College Hill in 1770 and was renamed in 1804 after Nicholas Brown, one … More
“What do you do that no one else does?”
Food writer/TV personality Anthony Bourdain spoke at Johnson & Wales a couple years back, and that was his response when an eager young culinary student asked if and when he would be taping an episode of his foodie travelogue, No Reservations, in Providence. She had no good answer, and he dismissed her with a simple, “Maybe in season 14.”
Season 9, which is to be the final installment, is airing now. Still no episode in Providence.
It was a fair point on Bourdain’s part. The centerpiece of this month's print issue is our annual look at the local food scene, and this year, instead of telling you what we think of it, we’re letting chefs tell you, in their own words. This is because we thought you would be interested in what they have to say, but also because we’re interested too. We want to know where and what they like to eat and, perhaps more importantly, we want their perspective on the state of food and dining in Providence. We’re hoping that they can start to formulate an answer to Mr. Bourdain’s question.
It’s not as if we need to invent some radically new kind of dining in order to be worthy of a TV show – other food shows, including Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Man v. Food, have visited – but rather, if Providence is truly going to fulfill its potential as a national dining destination, we need to start to construct our own narrative. New Orleans has its Cajun and Creole cuisines. Memphis is a BBQ town. Chicago has established itself as one of America’s most forward-thinking food cities. Portland, Oregon, one of Providence’s closest analogues, has made a name for itself as a farm-to-table Mecca.
So what do we do that no one else does?
Providence, as a dining destination, is currently in that odd position of being both underrated and overrated at the same time. Sure, we get some national accolades – we … More
This year’s Rhode Island Comic Con features throwback reunions that will have the fan boy/girl in you giddy with excitement. Relive the 1960s caped crusader and crew escapades from the original Batman TV series as the Not-So-Dark Knight himself, Adam West, his trusty sidekick Robin (the once boyish Burt Ward), and the femme fetal powers of Yvonne Craig (Batgirl) and Julie Newmar (Catwoman) reunite for panel discussions and meet and greets. However, if you’re a '90s child like myself, you’ll be clicking your heals with nostalgic glee as actors from the beloved series of Power Rangers TV shows reunite for fans. Appearances include Jason Frank (Red, Green and White Ranger), Walter Jones (Black Ranger), David Yost (Blue Ranger), Catherine Sutherland (Pink Ranger), Robert Axelrod(Lord Zedd), Barbara Goodson (Mandilok), Kerrigan Mahan (Magna Defender), Paul Schier (“Bulk”) and Jason Narvy (“Skull”).
This year’s surprise guest is movie legend Danny Glover, star of such recent blockbusters as 2012 and classics like the Lethal Weapon series. And of course, fans can be sure to enjoy all ranges of fantasy and comic favorites, too. November 2-3; Saturday 10-7pm; Sunday 10-5pm. $15 kids day ticket, or $20 for weekend. $25 adult day ticket, $35 weekend. For tickets and information visit their website. More
Recently admitted to the National Register of Historical Places, the Providence Public Library has been the city’s center of reading, learning and discovery for more than one hundred years. If you’ve taken advantage of its family film series and reading performances this summer, now take some time to honor and explore the beautiful building itself through its guided historical and architectural tours, which will take place in the library’s spectacular grand entrance every first and third Tuesday of each month.
Established in March 1900, the Library was built in the lavish style that would later name the American Gilded Age, and yet its architectural roots can be traced back further still to the Italian Renaissance of the sixteenth century. Along with a vivid description of the library’s founding history, highlights of the tour include a visit to the quirky Ship Room, which hosts a dozen antique ship models; the Dubuque Mural, which was completed at the height of the Great Depression; and even a peak at its eclectic special collections department. It's ideal historical and cultural immersion for the library fans; custom-made tours are also available for larger groups of explorers. Inaugural tour on August 6, 10:30 am. 225 Washington Street, Providence. More
With their long-awaited decision on a replacement for former Police Chief Dean Esserman, Public Safety Commissioner Pare and Mayor Taveras have chosen to take the safe route. It’s a wise decision.
By allowing Acting Police Chief Hugh Clements to lop off the lead adjective, they have cast their lot with maintaining the force pretty much as it is. While many of us anticipated the new chief would come from outside the department, given last year’s
arrest of three local officers for drug dealing and a scary videotape of an overzealous officer on tape, the selection of the well-respected Clements will sit well with the rank and file.
The new chief has been with the force since 1985, beginning as a street cop, and he steadily rose through the ranks. As a longtime veteran, he won’t need a road map to navigate the city. And though his personality and demeanor are quite different from the more imperious predecessor, it appears he is as committed to community policing and top-down management as his former boss.
His selection comes at a troubling time for the city. There have been three gang-related killings in the past few weeks, against only 12 for all of last year. It’s a pattern that has even veteran cops concerned, we’re told. Promoting from within produces stability both within the force and the community. It’s exactly what’s called for during these challenging times. More
Did you know that May is National Bike Month? Whether you commute to work or school on your bike, or ride for distance and endurance, you should know the basics of bike maintenance: how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire and make other minor adjustments. Cranston REI is offering a free Bike Maintenance Basics class on Tuesday, May 22 from 6:30 to 7:30pm. It is open to all, but space is limited, so call ahead to reserve your place. 22 Chapel View Boulevard, Cranston. 275-5250, rei. com/cranston. (For more information about National Bike Month events in Rhode Island, go to ribike.org.)
Rhode Runner has moved to a bigger space and is now located at 657 North Main Street in Providence. The store is hosting yoga classes in its new community room on Mondays and Fridays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Improve your flexibility for running – or just in general – with instructor Jenn Vargas, who teaches poses focused mainly on stretching. The cost is $6/class or $20/ month. Reserve your spot by leaving a comment on Rhode Runner’s Facebook wall, calling the store or stopping by. 831-6346, rhoderunner.com. More
Back in 2012, in the wake of the 38 Studios meltdown, I used this very column to make a proposal to the RI Economic Development Corporation: $75 million to launch VagiTech, my company that would manufacture synthetic, on-demand vaginas. Predictably, the EDC did not respond. This past month, there was a major medical news story of four successful implantations of lab-grown vaginas. With that proven track record of success and business genius, I now submit to the State of Rhode Island, the City of Providence and any other interested party with a checkbook, my proposal for the Superman Building. I ask you to please refrain from “making it rain” until I’m finished speaking.
First up, there’s the matter of me acquiring 111 Westminster Street from the current owner, High Rock Development. The building is currently valued near $30 million. The most desirable option would be to simply win it outright in a high stakes horse race bet, but as that does not appear to be an option, I’ll take a little lesson from my business hero, Miami Marlins owner/former sheisty art dealer Jeffrey Loria. I will offer High Rock $5 million in cash (raised through a 99/1 public/private partnership with the City of Providence), outright ownership of the Providence Journal (which the State will seize on my behalf under eminent domain) and a lefty bullpen guy to be named later.
With that simple matter sorted out, my efforts will turn to redevelopment. My vision is for an innovative, mixed-use urban community, which is just my nice way of saying “dystopian hellscape of every bad idea in urban development.” The occupants will run the gamut of commercial, office, food service, residential, light industrial, hazardous chemicals, infectious disease laboratories, methadone clinics, those weird storefront churches and, of course, an Alex and Ani store. The first floor lobby will contain a combination frozen yogurt/hookah lounge, just one of my many … More
The West Side's new community grocery, Fertile Underground, celebrates its "Soft-Boiled Opening Celebration" this Friday, January 6. The event marks the start of regular store hours and the unveiling of a new mural.
The store was established at 1577 Westminster Street as a worker cooperative that will run a traditional grocery store and cafe, both with a focus on local, healthy, sustainable foods. Fertile Underground was established by a group of artists concerned about access to healthy food in urban communities and connection to nature.
One of the founding artists, Dauna Jean Noble, painted the mural in the store's interior, which depicts the growth of agriculture in Providence and pays tribute to the Kickstarter supporters who helped Fertile Underground raise the money necessary to open the store.
The grocery and cafe, which had previously both been open limited hours, will now operate seven days a week: 8am-7pm, Monday through Friday and 8am-3pm on Sunday. A larger grand opening celebration is being planned for February. More
Surely, many people can reminisce on the pen pals they had in their early school days, but what ever happened to this now lost art?
With the help from Val Khislavsky, formerly the owner of PVD Pudding Pops, she is bringing back the beloved interaction with complete strangers. Just like you remember in middle school, the PVD Pen Pals are connecting the Providence community through a monthly pen pal organization. A quick sign up form is required, then you will receive an email with a PVD Pen Pal’s information and voila! This isn’t limited to Providence residents: anyone is welcome to join. The cool thing is, you will be writing to someone while a different person will be writing you. This is a way to broaden the pen pals throughout the city, and even the state. All matches are generated by a computer program, so the possibilities are endless. However, if you want to continue writing to the same pal, that is perfectly fine. Don’t know what to write about? A theme every month will help stir up interesting conversation, but you don’t necessarily have to stick to it. It’s all about a friendly connection with your neighbors. More
This week, Roger Williams Park Zoo debuted a new program: animal feedings. Small groups can actually go inside the giraffe paddock to get up close and personal with the Zoo’s three giraffes: Sukari, Amber and Jaffa Prince. Our executive editor, Julie Tremaine, was the first non-employee to try out the program (and to get drooled on by a giraffe). More
The India Street detour will take drivers coming from India Street directly to the south of Al Forno Restaurant (see above map). The closure area is in red, detour in blue, and will not affect the entrance to the Al Forno parking lot. It is scheduled for mid-September and will last 8-12 months. Because of the nature of the work (which also includes repairing an existing sewer), it will be open-cut, not micro-tunneled, which necessitates closing the road. The detour in blue is also the detour the Rock & Roll half-marathon runners will use. More
Today is a somber day for many Rhode Islanders: the tenth anniversary of the Station Fire, which took the lives of 100 people. It also marks the beginning of a documentary web series that will tell some of the stories of the lives affected by the tragedy. Episodes of The Station Web Series will run weekly on the project's YoutTube channel. Various installments will include interviews with survivors, family members of the victims, first responders and medical personnel, lawmakers and fire safety professionals. The project is the work of Paul Lonardo, Gina Russo and David Bettencourt, and is based in part on From the Ashes, a book that Londardo and Russo co-authored about the fire. Russo is also the current president of the Station Memorial Foundation. Check out the first episode below:
It hasn't been April Fool's for Providence Mayor Angel Taveras – in fact, only two days in the month has already been kind to him. First, there was some major national press from the Washington Post (by way of the AP) highlighting his accomplishments thus far. The article spotlights his efforts to "walk Rhode Island capital back from the brink of bankruptcy," citing his aggressive approach to the $110 million deficit he inherited, his spending cuts, his negotiations with the nonprofits, and his dealings with unions. It's sure to fuel further speculation about his potential run for governor next year.
In more good news, Providence will receive a sculpture from famed artist Olafur Eliasson (see below), a bonus that comes along with last month's grand prize win in Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge. The artwork will be on display at RISD – more details to come.