4 City & State
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Cones make way for pita pockets Loughlin, Doherty pose threat to Cicilline ’83
By Inni Youh Staff Writer
Like a star shooting across the night sky of low-priced dining options, pizza cone purveyor Toledo had a brilliant but short-lived run. Thayer Pita Pockets, the eatery that has quietly replaced Toledo, offers a combination of gyros, falafel, deli wraps, New York style pizza and pizza cones. Thayer Pita Pockets is a joint venture between Mark Joia, who owned Toledo, and his cousin Mike Najab. “I wanted to give the street something a little different,” Najab said. “Toledo used to be only cones, but we wanted to serve people well and noticed that pockets were very popular.” The new eatery is similar to East Side Pockets, but it will use the owners’ unique homemade Middle Eastern recipes, he said. The manager of East Side Pockets, Paul Boutros, said he was unaware of the change. But “competition is good because people can have a variety to choose from,” he said. “Many copied the concept, but with the economy not everyone can survive,” Boutros said, adding that he has been in business since 1997. “We even had a falafel place right next door that closed,” he said. While students said they appreciate the diversity of options on Thayer Street, they had mixed reactions to Thayer Pita Pocket’s debut. “I don’t really think we need to have pizzas in a cone. I definitely am loyal to East Side. I’m in no
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Tom Sullivan / Herald
Vince Biagiotti ’14 samples fare from Thayer Pita Pockets, which offers a mixed bag of wrapped foods.
way upset about Toledo going,” said Isabel Harvey ’12, who lives across from Thayer Pita Pockets. “I think on College Hill there is a great demand for quick sandwiches with fresh ingredients. So it depends on the ingredients and the people in charge,” said Tom Deighton ’13. Grace Wu ’13 does not eat at either pita pocket venue, but said her attitude is “the more the merrier.” Thayer Pita Pockets should keep its pizza cones, said Chris
Shikaso, a Providence local who visited the restaurant with a friend for dinner. “I don’t know anywhere else you can find it in the area.” Many added that the new eatery should introduce more sandwich deli menus or a salad option. Thayer Pita Pockets is also serving menu specials with fountain drinks for $5 to $6. “I want to give the students a little break,” Najab said of the deal. He is planning a grand opening for the new eatery in the near future, he added.
his candidacy in January. Brendan Doherty, who announced his bid to challenge Cicilline in May, resigned as commissioner of the Rhode Island department of public safety this April. Doherty’s spokesman declined requests for comment. Cicilline’s high negatives are an advantage for his opponents, said Michael Napolitano, Loughlin’s campaign spokesman. Loughlin was “the first to bring attention to the financial situation in Providence in regards to how Cicilline was covering it up,” he added. Last spring, Cicilline fended off accusations that he concealed Providence’s financial troubles. According to a March 14 Providence Journal article, Providence’s rainy day fund, which reserves money for financial emergencies, decreased dramatically during Cicilline’s tenure as mayor. The Herald reported March 17 that the current treasurer of Providence, James Lombardi, accused Cicilline of raiding the fund without notifying the City Council, an action that violates the city’s charter. “At the time, the media did not go after Cicilline,” Napolitano said. Loughlin turned public attention to Cicilline by introducing the issue in debates. “The Republicans will do everything they can do to make issues about things that are not happening in Washington D.C.,” Nicole Kayner, Cicilline’s campaign spokeswoman, said. “Rhode
Islanders want someone who will protect Medicare, Social Security and the environment,” she said. “These are pretty clear lines, and Republican candidates will not want to have conversations about these issues,” Kayner said. In the race for campaign funds, Cicilline has a clear advantage. He raised roughly $202,000 for his reelection bid in the most recent round of fundraising. Doherty raised more than $130,000, while Loughlin raised $23,377 in the same quarter. Nap olit ano att r ibute d Doherty’s cash advantage to the fact that Loughlin has been in Iraq. “Doherty raised six figures, but he is out there booking different events in different locations where you need to pay lots of money to go,” Napolitano added. “Although money is important in a race, it’s not everything.” There are two sides to every story, said Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science. Republicans accused Cicilline of concealing the city’s budget shortfall, but Cicilline denied these claims and argued that he was clear about the impending budget problems. Rhode Island is a blue state with a legislature dominated by Democrats, but this does not mean Cicilline’s district is out of reach for Republicans, Schiller said. “The district he represents is half liberal and half moderate conservative Democrats with some Republicans mixed in,” she said. Due to the district’s stark ideological divide, Cicilline must successfully appeal to his liberal base, she added.
Gay marriage advocates blast civil unions loophole continued from page 1 tion to follow federal definitions with regards to taxes — including the definition of marriage created by the federal Defense of Marriage Act — gay couples do not qualify for the estate tax exemption or joint income tax filing. “There’s nothing we can do on our end,” said Neil Downing, the division’s chief revenue agent, adding that it is the role of legislators and the governor to change the law. “We simply implement the provisions of any law that comes out of the General Assembly.” The Division of Taxation’s interpretation of the law is wrong, said state Rep. Peter Petrarca, D-Lincoln, who sponsored the
Herald file photo
Cones wear different hats at Thayer Pita Pockets, serving as containers for pizza toppings and receptacles for salads.
original civil union bill. “The only thing in the federal tax system we’re taking is the number we start with,” he said, referring to the federal adjusted gross income calculation. Legislators expressed uncertainty about how they would move forward to remedy the situation. The confusion arising from the civil unions legislation reflects the need for full marriage equality, said Ray Sullivan, campaign director for Marriage Equality Rhode Island. “There are approximately 400 rights, benefits, associations, obligations associated with the word ‘marriage,’” he said. “We see this as another issue of, if not social, economic discrimination.”