Thursday, February 13, 2014

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THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 17

since 1891

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Taveras delivers annual State of the City address Continued improvement of education, public safety and economic progress receive top billing By EMMA JERZYK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Mayor Angel Taveras reviewed the progress of his 20-point economic development action plan, ‘Putting Providence Back to Work,’ and other city-wide initiatives focused on education, health and public safety in his State of the City address yesterday, emphasizing his prognosis — that “the state of our city is improving.” Some components of Taveras’

METRO

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

Taveras reflected on the progress of his economic plan and pressed for a 60 officer increase in Providence’s police force by the end of 2014.

plan include streamlining the building permit application process, revamping Kennedy Plaza and investing in construction across the city. Taveras also highlighted recent improvements to the city’s business environment, such as freezing Providence’s commercial tax rate, launching a regional center for EB-5 — a visa program to attract international investments — and providing low-interest loans to Providence businesses. Gun violence is a major public safety concern in Providence, Taveras said, adding that “it is far too easy for young people to get their hands on guns.” He cited the role of the Providence Police Department in keeping crime rates down despite reductions in the force’s size. The National Campaign for

Grade-Level Reading, an organization that focuses on boosting literacy and graduation rates, recognized Providence as a 2013 Community Pacesetter, Taveras said. The Carnegie Corporation selected Providence as one of the three cities invited to apply for a $3 million education grant, Taveras said. Taveras credited the city’s education accomplishments to its investments in adult education programs, and volunteers in elementary school classrooms as well as Providence Reads, a literacy program designed to “promote school readiness, improve school attendance and support summer learning,” he said. Investments in a city-wide recycling program, a new Healthy » See TAVERAS, page 4

Partnership New conductor orchestrates musical development passes baton to examines R.I. Orchestra David Wroe, temporary public safety replacement for Conductor Paul Phillips dispatch wants to match this standard while still helping orchestra members experience music in a new way.

By EMILY PASSARELLI

Taubman Center joins forces with R.I. commission, aiming for municipal cost reduction

STAFF WRITER

The Brown University Orchestra’s Conductor Paul Phillips’ sabbatical this semester marks the third time in the past 25 years the orchestra is under a temporary baton. Taking his place on stage as conductor this semester is David Wroe — current music director at both the New Jersey Westfield Symphony Orchestra and New York City Teatro Grattacielo and former assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. “Maestro Phillips has set a precedence of excellence which is hard to follow,” Wroe said, adding that he

By KATYA BARRETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Joint Municipal Shared Services Study Commission announced a new partnership with the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions Feb. 3. The goal of the partnership is to evaluate the current effectiveness of Rhode Island’s public safety dispatch, according to a General Assembly press release. The commission formed in 2012 to identify ways for towns and cities to save money by sharing certain services, such as public safety dispatch and tax collection, said Sen. Louis DiPalma, D-Little Compton, Middletown, Newport and Tiverton, co-chairman of the commission. Focusing on lower property taxes, the commission aims to design a shared services plan, he added “The objective of the partnership, therefore, is the analysis,” DiPalma said. The commission will share information about municipal expenditures on public safety dispatch with the Taubman Center, which will evaluate how the commission should proceed “to have a more cost efficient and cost effective approach in the future,” he said. This is the commission’s first partnership since beginning its » See PARTNERSHIP, page 4

Surprises and expectations Having only worked under the direction of Phillips, students in the orchestra were initially a little apprehensive that his replacement may not live up to him, said Hannah Mirman ’14, student president of the orchestra. “Paul is really inspired about what he does and connects well with the musicians,” she added. But when she and Rebecca Lichtin ’14, vice president of the group, met

with Wroe for coffee before this semester’s first rehearsal, her concerns vanished, she said. “It’s been so easy and so wonderful interacting with him.” Similarly, the caliber of the orchestra surprised Wroe, especially because its members are predominantly nonmusic majors. “I have been bulled over — and a number of other exclamatory phrases — by the high standards of Brown students and their high performance capabilities,” Wroe said. Brown students compare “very, very favorably,” to students of other groups he has conducted, he said. Nevertheless, a new baton “I am quite intense in the way I run rehearsal. My music-making is dramatic,” Wroe said. Conductors have the role of examining a piece of music and imparting their musical interpretations of it to the performers, » See ORCHESTRA, page 2

Panelists find concord during debate on national security Speakers address topics ranging from political divisions to Edward Snowden’s leaks By JOSEPH ZAPPA SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ALEXANDRA URBAN / HERALD

Panelists James Carafano and Timothy Edgar debated national security and the challenges of being an informed citizen during Wednesday’s event.

Metro

“I’m not here to debate,” said James Carafano, vice president of foreign defense policy studies at the Heritage Foundation, at a debate on national security in the internet age Wednesday night. “Debates are like sporting events,” and if audience members wanted to watch opposing sides score points, they could “go watch the Olympics,” he said. His metaphor set the tone for a dialogue with Timothy Edgar, a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, who served as the national security and immigration counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union and

Commentary

Providence Talks uses device to reduce word gap between lowand high-income children

The Fish Ladder Project along Ten Mile River has met delays due to site-specific complications

Isman ’15: America is not as accepting of cultural diversity as it could be

Powers ’15: Americans should ground beliefs in logic and underlying ethical principles

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weather

inside

METRO

Right in choosing Wroe “It was left up to me to find someone to fill in for me,” said Phillips, senior lecturer in music and director of orchestra and chamber music. Phillips searched for a replacement whose musical background was strong enough to support the growth of his students, and a professional colleague suggested Wroe. “In the end, David had the strongest professional credentials,” Phillips said, adding that Wroe possesses the organizational skills required for conducting the orchestra — a self-managed group. “There is a depth of understanding that students and professors achieve under a piece of music,” Wroe said, explaining the appeal of conducting Brown’s orchestra. Wroe, who has

experience conducting and directing orchestras in both the United States and Europe, said the pace of the professional field does not usually allow for the rewarding experience of interacting with students. This satisfaction makes Wroe’s occasionally lengthy commute — from his commitments in the tri-state area to campus — worth it, he said. “It is a pleasure to make it happen.”

as the first director of privacy and civil liberties for the Obama administration . The panelists covered political divisions on national security, Edward Snowden, the former national security contractor accused of leaking a trove of classified government information, and the challenges of becoming an informed citizen. Though the debate, sponsored by the Alexander Hamilton Society, featured a lecturer from a liberal university and a political scholar from a conservative think-tank, the two agreed on most of the subject matter. Not a left-and-right issue Few would have expected that James Carafano would “agree with 95 percent” of what Edgar said in his opening statement. But national security in a digital age is not a traditional left-right political debate, both speakers said, adding that » See DEBATE, page 3 t o d ay

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