East Side Monthly July 2012

July 2012

Curbed Enthusiasm An Ice Cream Challenge at the Square pg 27

Pre-Sorted Standard US POSTAGE PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 34

The East Side prepares for overnight parking

Summer Activities for the Kids pg 23

New Listing! $329,000

New Listing! $669,000

New Listing! $329,900

Huge Townhouse condo just steps to Brown, RISD. 5 beds, 2 full baths. New kitchen, washer/dryer in unit.

Ideal for students and investors.

Fabulous city views from restored antique Colonial.

Original details include 6 fireplaces, wide pine floors, great moldings. Charming updated kitchen, renovated bathrooms. Legal garden apartment.

Top-quality renovation in this 3 bed, 2 bath College Hill condo. Granite, Corian counters, cherry cabinets, vaulted ceilings, skylights, washer-dryer, a/c, hardwoods.

Meticulously maintained owner-occupied building.

Chris Healy

Helen Macdonald

Sue Erkkinen

New Listing! $219,000

New Listing! $739,000

Second floor, two-bedroom Fox Point condo. Newly renovated. Cook’s kitchen, granite countertops, central A/C, private deck. Close to Brown, Wayland Square, hospitals. Easy highway access.

Classic brick Georgian! Elegant dining room, formal living room. Granite/stainless steel kitchen. Family room, 5 beds, finished basement. Central A/C, in ground sprinklers, slate roof.

Luca Sawada

Myra Braverman

New Listings! $250,000

New Listing! $620,000

New Listing! $310,000

Oak Hill. Many extras in this 2 bed, 2 bath Ranch. 4 zone heat, vaulted ceilings, large deck, 2-car garage.

Mature plantings with private surroundings.

Linda Mittleman

New Listing! $269,000

Two 1-bedroom units in historic Tully Bowen. Amenities include kitchen with granite and stainless steel appliances, gas fireplace, hardwoods, central A/C, parking.

College Hill gem on historic street. Updated kitchen, baths join with traditional East Side luxury - high ceilings, decorator colors, hand-hewn woods. Private city garden.

Sweet Dutch Colonial. Large, sunny fireplaced living room, large master bedroom. 2nd floor office or BR. Screened porch overlooks fenced yard. New roof, exterior paint.

Betsy Walsh

Thom Hammond

Sue Erkkinen

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Contents July 2012

This Month 15 Park It A look at how the City’s overnight parking initiative will affect East Siders

19 What’s a Parishioner to Do? One cash-strapped Episcopalian church is forced to shut its doors

23 No Boredom Allowed A collection of fun activities to do with your kids this summer

35 On the Menu

43 Finance

27 We All Cheer

Enjoy two weeks of delicious deals

Hot days call for cold ice cream

36 Dining Guide

Women group together to discuss retirement plans

Every Month Photography: Mike Braca

15 49 Calendar

Your resource for eating out

All the info on July’s happenings

39 Art

5 Letters/Editorial 6 Other Side 11 Community News

A beautiful collaboration between a gallery and a university

31 Movies

School’s out for summer

54 East of Elmgrove On the joys of motherhood

40 Education On the Cover Photography by Mike Braca

Bernie and For Greater Glory

Family owned and operated For over 50 years W NE

ICE PR

STROLL THE BOULEVARD FROM YOUR FRONT DOOR 30 Blackstone Blvd, #301 Luxury Living...Outstanding, spacious penthouse unit, MOVE IN CONDITION, steps from Beautiful Blackstone Blvd and Wayland Sq..2 large beds, including master suite, cozy den with built-ins, granite kitchen..ELEVATOR access.

Heated underground parking. $495,000 Listed by Aleen Weiss 272-6161 x16

Assisting Buyers, sellers And renters

Aleen WeissH Jon WeissHF Howard Weiss Karen MillerH

Claire Sennott Jenny WietingH Paul Levitt Judi BlauH

HAlso licensed in MA FLicensed RI Environmental Lead Inspector 0065

785 Hope street, providence, ri 4 01-272-6161 • spitzweiss.com July 2012 East Side Monthly

3

T hE N Ew FaCE oF R Eal ES TaT E

Two more FREE summer evenings.

Too much fun.

William Raveis

New eNglaNd's largest Boutique real estate CompaNy

53 Messer, Providence/Armory 1500 sqft 4 beds, 2 baths historic cottage w/ garage, wide pine floors, exceptional millwork, new exterior paint. $195,000. Judy Croyle

24 Sherwood, North Providence executive style raised ranch w/ 3 beds, 1.5 baths, 2110 sq ft on a 9300 sq ft lot.

Hardwoods, granite kitchen, central aC. $269,900. rita Braude

1 Trenton, East Side Fox point 3-fam @ corner trenton & governor. always leased, close to wickenden, Brown, risd, downtown. low expenses. $285,000. Chris wall

18 Riverside, East Providence waterFroNt 2 bed 1 bath Cape on the terrace! 15,000 sqft lot. Hardwoods, full basement, screened porch, central aC. $399,000. ted Ngo

DESIGN THE NIGHT

Enjoy live music, films, and more. risdmuseum.org 306 Elmgrove, East Side early 1900s dutch Colonial w/ 2400 sqft, finished basement, 4 beds, 2.5 baths, fireplace, professional landscaping, 2-car garage. $459,000. Nelson taylor

15 Circle, East Providence Free standing 9000 sqft office building off Newport ave. 3 separate meters, Cat 5/Cat 3, 26,000 sqft lot w/ parking. $599,000. Jim Conway

Representing Buyers and Sellers of Residential, Commercial & Investment Property in the Greater Providence Metroplex. Give us a Call to Experience the Raveis Difference.

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4

East Side Monthly July 2012

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am–5 pm; until 9 pm every Thursday.

224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI

TEXT

JUL 19 | Thu 5–9 pm

TRENDS

AUG 16 | Thu 5–10 pm

1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 tel: 305-3391 | fax: 305-3392 esm@providenceonline.com www.eastsidemonthly.com

Editorial It Comes But Once Every Two Years The Studio 38 debacle,

which obviously is going to cost our state dearly, is just the latest example of how broken the political system is here in the Ocean State. We effectively have a one-party political system and special interests, most notably the labor unions and connected insiders, take it from there. But every two years, a window opens briefly and occasionally a glimmer of hope is able to filter in. It’s a unique opportunity for anyone who thinks he or she has the energy and integrity to make things better to step forward and run for office. That window will close on June 29, the last

day one can register to start collecting signatures to qualify to run in this year’s elections.

Our state desperately needs some new thinking and some new vision on how to address the cronyism and narrow-mindedness that continues to cripple us. Be you Democrat, Republican or Independent, now is the time to seize the initiative and take the plunge. At the very least, you can influence the nature of the discussion about what needs to be done to move the state forward.

Most of what is needed, we would humbly suggest, boils down to three things: possessing good common sense, the

ability to think independently and the willingness to bring some aggressive new thinking to the process.

The East Side is home to some very clear thinkers with good values and the ability to see the big picture. Need proof? Look at our very successful new State Treasurer Gina Raimondo, an East Side resident who was a first-timer less than two short years ago.

So we encourage you to at least think about dipping your toe into the political waters before June 29. We’re not saying the temperature will be toasty warm. But we sure could use some new people who are willing to make waves.

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre Managing Editor Barry Fain City Editor Steve Triedman Executive Editor Julie Tremaine Special Projects Manager John Taraborelli Art Director Alli Coate Assistant Editor Erin Swanson Assisant Art Director Karli Hendrickson

Letters The Parking Debate Continues To the editor: Your last editorial [“No Free Lunch, But Valet Parking,” June, 2012] erroneously attributed upwards of $50 million in savings to Brown. According to Sam Zurier (Ward 2 City Councilman), none of the parking spaces in question are metered. Even if they had been, it is odd to argue that Brown would recognize this “savings,” given the university does not pay meters, nor parking tickets. East Siders like myself pay meters and parking tickets when utilizing parking for numerous attractions not affiliated with Brown in the immediate vicinity. I value your publication, but the slanted bias in editorials and reporting regarding Brown has been considerable and unfortunate.

Mark Tracy Editor’s Note: While we playfully admitted our computations were speculative at best, we did in fact ask Leo Perrotta, the parking administrator for Providence, how much it would cost to install a new meter. He said about $1,000 a meter. Keep in mind one meter can cover quite a few spaces. So the number, spread over the 20 years of the deal, even assuming several re-

Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas Graphic Designer Meghan H. Follett

placements, isn’t a big one in relative terms. Also keep in mind, we didn’t even assign a value of the City giving away four streets for nothing. Our point was less the actual numbers, but more the notion that institutions typically, to their credit, take the long view while politicians and officials generally opt for more of a “take the money and run” position. This we still believe.

Food Truckin’ On To the editor: In the current issue of East Side Monthly, an article by Grace Lentini [“A New Kind of Fast Food,” June 2012] claims that Mario Molliere of Plouf Plouf Gastronomie has a “beyond stellar resume, including time at a three Michelinstarred restaurant.”

I am curious: was this claim fact checked? If so, could you please let me know the name and location of the restaurant as well as the position that Mr. Molliere held?

I have heard variations on this claim made by several local blogs, and some writers have gone so far as to say that Mr. Molliere was the chef at a three star Michelin restaurant, a claim that would seem to be incredible at its face.

Rashid

Editor’s Note: We indeed did a fact check and came across an article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, based in Fort Lauderdale, referencing the same fact. The restaurant being reviewed was called Apicius and it’s in Lantana, Florida.

How Safe Are the Trucks?

To the editor: I very much enjoyed your last month’s cover story on all those wonderful food trucks that have come to the East Side [“A New Kind of Fast Food,” June 2012]. I have tried the food at several of them and have enjoyed the experience, but I do have two questions. Are the trucks ever inspected by the Department of Health? And do they have to have a badge or a special pin that says they’re legit? Just asking.

Eleanor Whitehead Editor’s Note: We called the R.I. Department of Health. According to the woman we spoke to, all food trucks in our state must undergo and pass an initial operational inspection. Whether or not they are required to wear badge varies based on town; in Providence, ID badges are required.

Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich, Ann Gallagher, Nicole Greenspun, Dan Schwartz, Elizabeth Riel, Sharon Sylvester, Kimberly Tingle, Jessica Webb Classified Advertising Sue Howarth Contributing Writers Bob Cipriano, Mary K. Connor, Jill Davidson, Renee Doucette, Don Fowler, Bob Mariani, Betsey Purinton, Elizabeth Rau Interns Amy Beaudoin, Samantha Leach, Ellen Merritt, Emily Payne, Donald Previe, Dale Rappaneau, Adam Toobin Contributing Photographers Mike Braca, Dan Schwartz Contributing Illustrators Ashley MacLure, Jessica Pollak

Calendar announcements and news releases should be submitted by the 1st of the preceding month. We reserve the right to omit and edit items. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters without exceptional circumstances. East Side Monthly is not responsible for typographical errors. Corrections will be run at discretion of editor.

Copyright ©2012 by East Side Monthly.

All rights reserved. Printed by TCI. July 2012 East Side Monthly

5

Other Side by Barry Fain

Happy Birthday, Dear Bethany Funny, You Don’t Look a Day Over 119

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that one of the East Side’s oldest members is turning a youthful 120 years old this month. The retirement/ rehabilitation center Bethany Home at 111 Angell Street will be holding assorted events in July to celebrate this exciting milestone. The home has been supplying skilled nursing for restorative, hospice and respite care in their quiet but very professional fashion for over a century and we’re all fortunate to have them as a neighbor.

Happy B-Day, Bethany.

Thayer Street Project Update

Remember the old Superman intro, “Faster than a Speeding Bullet?”

Well that is how hard the developers and several neighborhood groups are working to determine whether the Gilbane project planned for 357 Thayer Street is going to move forward.

Gilbane is redesigning the project to respond to objections from both the Providence Preservation Society and the College Hill Neighborhood Association as to size, scale and design.

Don’t expect many changes in the former, but the building has progressed in terms of looking less institutional. A steering committee made up of representatives from the two community groups (and who represent differing points of view within the groups) are being led by PPS director James Hall, who is managing the process. At the center of all this sits City Councilman Sam Zurier who has publicly stated he is unwilling to support the project until he is convinced it is in the best interest of the neighborhood. Since the project is in his ward, the City Council traditionally will take its lead from him

6

East Side Monthly July 2012

on the building. Time clearly is a key factor here since the Gilbane people refuse to budge on the early September start date they say they need to move forward. Many design and meeting hurdles still need to be dealt with.

We’ll keep you informed.

Ice Cream Throw Down at Wayland Square

Could there be anything better than an ice cream challenge in July? Well, how about one that also includes a sidewalk sale and tons of fun things for the kids to do? Calling it “Cirque du Square,” the good folks at Wayland Square will be holding this imaginative sidewalk event from July 20-22. The centerpiece is on Saturday, July 21 when a group called R.I. Food Fights will be holding an onsite “Ice Cream Throw Down” (with non-stop tastings to go with it of course). In addition, there will also be sidewalk science demonstrations, face painting, pet adoption opportunities, stroller washings; you name it, and it’ll probably be happening at the square. What a delightful way to enjoy the summer right in our own backyard.

Thumpin’ Thursdays in the City

Always one of our favorite things to do in July on the East Side, the R.I. Historical Society’s “Concerts Under the Elms” series begins this month with three Thursday performances embracing a variety of musical styles. On July 12, they get spicy with the Carlos de Leon Latin Jazz Band. The next week, on July 19, it’s jazz and blues with the legendary Duke Robillard Band. And finally on July 26 comes longtime favorite, Magnolia who brings their brand of country to the city. All concerts are held on the gorgeous expansive lawns of the historic John Brown House (ac-

Barry Fain, one of the publishers and a former Little League coach himself, with one of the players from the team we’re proud to sponsor in the Fox Point-East Side Little League tually under real elms as it turns out) and begin at 6:30pm. Attendees are invited to bring chairs, blankets or whatever plus food and wine and just chill out. Or if you prefer, RIHS will have food and drink for sale as well. As a spot to spend a Thursday evening, it doesn’t get much better than this. Call 331-8575 or email www.rihs.org with any questions.

Local Theatre That’s Really Local

Another often-overlooked East Side summertime treat is the Brown Summer Theatre at 77 Waterman Street.

The ticket prices are more than reasonable and the talent is superb. The plays are always pretty interesting and ably performed by the up and coming talent attracted here by the incomparable Trinity-Brown collaboration. This month you can choose from Principal Principle (July 11-14), Reunion (July 18-21) and Timeshare (July 25-28). All three plays will be reprised during the first week in August. For tickets and times call 8632838 or contact Boxoffice@brown. edu. The theatre’s tagline says it all: “Professional theatre for the price of a movie!” All tickets are just $10.

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Community News Community News is a space that East Side Monthly makes available to community organizations free of charge.

The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of this publication.

Summit

By Kerry Kohring Summit Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 272-6323 Website: www.SummitNeighbors.org Email: sna@sna.providence.ri.us Mailing Address: SNA, PO Box 41092, Providence RI 02940 Neighborhood-wide yard sale planned for September Contrary to last year’s multi-site event, this year’s Summit Neighborhood Association annual yard sale will be a massive centralized event.

Summit For Sale will be held from 10am to 2pm Sept. 29 at the Church of the Redeemer, 655 Hope St. For $15, you can rent a space from us and sell anything you like. For $20, we’ll even provide you with a table. (Tables are first-come, first-served, but if we run out, we’ll refund your extra $5.) You can price your items however you want, and any profits are yours to keep.

In addition, we’ll also be providing live music by talented local musicians plus unique and delicious fare from area food trucks, according to Jesse Polhemus, the board of directors member in charge of the planning.

Over the past few years, SNA has experimented with the format, trying to make the experience easier and more

fun – whether you’re a seller, a buyer or just someone who enjoys spending time with neighbors poking through long-forgotten treasures. Last year’s sale took place at about two dozen individual sites around the neighborhood. If yours was on the edges of the map, you may have felt like you had a hard time getting people to visit. We think we’ve fixed that.

By surrounding yourself with many other eager sellers, you’re increasing your chances of getting your items seen and sold as buyers will be attracted to one easily accessible location.

It’s not just a yard sale, it’s an event, so come join us! To participate, just fill out the form in the SNA newsletter, delivered free to neighborhood households or on the SNA website, and return it with a check to Summit Neighborhood Association, Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940.

Sewer construction update Representatives from the Narragansett Bay Commission and its contractors gave neighborhood residents a progress report on May 23 regarding the extensive sewer construction project.

Program manager Joe Pratt and other officials spoke to about 15 to 20 participants in an open forum arranged by SNA at the Rochambeau Library, which stayed open specifically for the 6pm meeting.

Pratt said that the Combined Sewer Overflow Program is in its second phase, which involves separating utilities such as gas and water lines from the sewer lines because of limited space beneath the street level. He further said that the surface would be repaved at the end of the project.

Several residents expressed concerns

about how long the resurfacing would be delayed and about the machinery noise, especially the backup warning beeping by moving equipment. Stirredup dust and leftover debris were also cited, according to participants.

The NBC officials, who apologized for the dirt and anything else they had done wrong, noted that the loud beeping is a legal requirement for all heavy equipment backing up and promised to sweep the streets more often. Jamie Sammons, the NBC public affairs representative, encouraged residents with questions to contact her at (401) 4618848, ext. 377 or jsamons@narrabay. com.

Coming Events: Music Festival: The annual blowout of bands, food and fun in Lippitt Park will be held from 1pm (after the farmers market closes) until 5pm Saturday, Aug. 18. For a list of the groups playing and other activities, go to www.SummitNeighbors.org.

Regular Meetings: The board meets at 7pm the third Monday of every month in the cafeteria of Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Ave. The meetings are open and neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend.

Blackstone Parks

By Jane Peterson Blackstone Parks Phone Number: 270-3014 Website: www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 603141, Providence, RI 02906

A Tale of Two Parks Ask people what draws them to the two Blackstone parks and you hear two answers. “Beauty” is one. Second: “It’s a way to escape the city and still be a part of it.”

One long tree-lined path punctuates cross streets and winds its way up the 1.6-mile-long Boulevard. The Trolley Shelter, refurbished by the Blackstone Parks Conservancy, provides a backdrop for popular summer concerts. Recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, this grassy park with its benches and gardens attracts thousands of walkers and runners of all ages.

The 45-acre conservation district beside the Seekonk River, on the other hand, is heavily wooded, with two ponds, many trails and a few small grassy areas. The presence of water adds a special element. Some run in this park, but many more walk. Here, the Providence Parks Department and the Conservancy believe in minimal intervention so that nature may flourish. It also serves as a kind of outdoor laboratory for lower school and university students and offers great potential for public education.

The Conservancy exists to support both parks, each with different needs.

Years of volunteer work - from fundraising and grant writing to planting, weeding, watering and pruning (for your safety as well as for the health of the trees) - have brought the Boulevard to a point where little remains but maintenance. This is no small matter, but at least it is clear what needs to be done and little contro-

Can’t Sell it? Rent it!

Call Us To Rent Out Your Property!

July 2012 East Side Monthly

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     





                              

It’s never too early to plan ahead Pre-arrangements are a thoughtful and prudent decision that may help to ease your loved one’s anxieties.

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401.331.4592 • 401.421.9887 230 WATERMAN AVE., WAYLAND SQUARE • PROVIDENCE WWW.MONAHANDRABBLESHERMAN.COM • EMAIL: MKDSFH@AOL.COM 12

East Side Monthly July 2012

Community News versy is involved. In the Conservation District, however, it’s a challenge to puzzle out how best to fix trails, combat invasive plant species and control erosion.

The Boulevard Judy Aaron, a recently retired librarian who has been running on the Boulevard nearly every morning for 25 years, can’t imagine life without this park. A transplanted New Yorker, she especially loves “the public nature of it... It’s very natural, tranquil and safe.”

Judy sees many communities of runners who recognize each other.

Long ago, when tree roots used to grow through the path, she would trip and go flying two or three times a year. And whenever she fell, four or five people would be there to help. In addition to all the individual runners, a number of school teams use the boulevard to train. The Conservancy is working closely with the Parks Department to figure out how best to improve drainage in sections compacted by thousands and thousands of pounding feet.

The Conservation District Sue Leeson, an artist who moved to Providence from New Jersey three years ago, goes to different parts of the Blackstone parks after work.

“I need to breathe,” she says, “and breathing is better out there than it is in my apartment.” She enjoys the sense of community in both parks.

Sue chooses her destination depending on her situation or mood.

“My husband likes the river – it’s a good place to have a partner or a friend,” says Sue. “When I go up the boulevard, I’m often by myself.” If she wants to really get away and be alone, she goes to the less-populated section south of Angell Street. “I’ve lived in a lot of places,” says Sue, “and Providence is unique. I love it that we’re in an urban universe and I can find a place to walk in the woods – that’s very special.”

Please Help. We need volunteers to help maintain the parks. Please consider joining a committee. And please keep those East Side Marketplace receipts coming.

Events: Concerts at the Trolley Shelter, 6:30pm.

July 11 and 25; and August 8 and 22.

Brown Street Park

by Wendy Nilsson Friends of Brown Street Park Phone Number: 454-8712 Website: www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org Email: wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org Mailing Address: 30 Pratt Street Providence, RI 02906 Events this Month: Fitness Classes started at BSP Please check our website for updates on the classes that start in June including YMCA Hybrid Training, Om Kids Yoga, 212 Health & Performance, Crossfit, Parkour, Meditation, Adult Yoga Strollerfit and more. Most classes are free.

2012 Celebrate Providence! Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative 5th Annual Summer Concert Series, Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30pm: July 18, Aug 1, Aug 15 and Aug 29 (acts TBA).

The “Celebrate Providence!” Neighborhood Performing Arts Series is presented and sponsored by the City of Providence, Mayor Angel Taveras, the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism and the Department of Parks & Recreation. Healthy snacks and beverages from our featured sponsor, Whole Foods University Heights, will be available for a small donation. The Food Truck from RISD, Rosie’s, will be curbside at all of our concerts this year. We are also grateful to Brown University.

Children’s Theater Presents Rapunzel Friday, July 27 1:00pm.

All Children’s Theater (ACT) will be touring an audience-participation play at Brown Street Park, Beauty & the Beast, appropriate for ages 5-12, the week of August 2. Please check the website for details of this free performance.

Sandbox Storyhours Wednesdays 4:00pm starting June 21.

Sand Box Stories and Sing-Along for Infants to preschool-aged children.

All events and classes except those highlighted are free, offer at least one free class or give back to the park. All fitness class participants must sign a

waiver with their instructor. Waivers are available from your instructor.

Please contact wendy@friendsofbrownstreetpark.org to find out how you can donate or get involved in Brown Street Park or visit www.friendsofbrownstreetpark.org. Check the website for cancellations and updates for classes and events.

College Hill

by Allison Spooner College Hill Neighborhood Association Phone Number: (401) 633-5230 Website: www.collegehillna.com Email: chna@collegehillna.com Mailing Address: CHNA, P.O. Box 2442 Providence, RI 02906 Overnight Parking Meeting CHNA held an informational meeting on the topic with City Parking Administrator Leo Perrotta on June 7 at the First Unitarian Church. Two additional meetings were held by the Wayland group and Summit Neighborhood Association in June. Ideally residents who had questions or were seeking information were able to attend one out of the three events. For additional information, please visit www.providenceri.com/ overnight-parking.

Steering Committee Created A Steering Committee has been formed as requested by Councilman Sam Zurier, to determine whether the proposal submitted by Gilbane Development would sufficiently meet the recommendations as requested by PPS and CHNA as it is being considered.

The committee is being facilitated by Providence Preservation Society (PPS) Executive Director, James Hall and is comprised of Sam Shamoon, advisor to Councilman Zurier, CHNA representatives Allison Spooner, Sara Bradford, Barry Fain and Josh Eisen, members of PPS and PPS’ Planning and Architectural Review (PAR) Committee, including Lucie Searle, Arria Bilodeau, Mack Woodward, Mark VanNoppen, Clark Schoettle, Warren Jagger and Mark Zarrillo, and a representative from the City Planning Department. At this time, the committee has viewed a redesign proposed by local architect firm, Union Studios, which provides for a building more fully integrated into the historic and unique fabric of the Thayer Street district. The committee has meetings

planned ongoing through the summer months. Please visit our website for additional updates and details.

Brown University Agreement As part of the agreement, Brown has agreed to increase payments to the city by $31.5 million over 11 years. The agreement also calls for Brown to lease approximately 250 parking spaces from the city for 20 years. The effective date for leasing would be July 1, 2013.

Permits for the spaces will be made available to Brown employees to ensure that permitted employees are able to park all day on select public streets (thus not contributing to ongoing traffic and congestion resulting from regular movement of cars). Permits may be used on the following streets: - Thayer Street between Waterman and Power Streets - Charlesfield Street between Brown and Hope Streets - Brook Street between Waterman and Charlesfield Streets - George Street between Magee and Brook Streets - Brown Street between Meeting and Waterman Streets - Benevolent Street between Brook and Thayer Streets The agreement also provides for Brown to acquire three streets that are abutted primarily by Brown-owned property.

Those street sections are: - Brown Street between George and Charlesfield Streets - Benevolent Streets between Brown and Magee Streets - Olive Street between Thayer and Brown Streets Councilman Sam Zurier Updates We encourage you to sign up to receive informative weekly letters from Ward 2 Councilman Sam Zurier. Visit his website, www.samzurier.com, to subscribe.

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For Boys & Girls 13-19 years old (Also open to Adults) No rowing experience necessary

More on the CHNA Website Visit www.collegehillna.com for additional updates on special use permits, crime activity, local resources, events and neighborhood activities.

Membership Dues are $20 per calendar year or $35 for two. To join (or renew), visit our website, www.collegehillna.com and click “Join CHNA,” or send a check made out to CHNA Attn: Treasurer, Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. Be sure to include your email address. Confirm your payment status at chna@collegehillna.com.

Sign up for an introductory rowing lesson at 9:00, 9:45, 10:30 and 11:15am for these Open HOuse dates JULY 21 & SEPTEMBER 1

For more information, including class schedule and rates, call or visit our website: Located on the East Side of Providence

www.RowNBC.org 401.272.1838 July 2012 East Side Monthly

13

The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau Presents

PROVIDENCE

Restaurant Weeks July 8-21, 2012

THREE COURSES LUNCH: $14.95 DINNER: $29.95

or look for 2-for-1 specials

For menus and more info visit

ProvidenceRestaurantWeeks.com or call 401.456.0200

Providence is one of the nation’s hottest culinary destinations. Find out what the fuss is all about during Providence Restaurant Weeks. Choose from mouthwatering menus at nearly 100 restaurants. With three-course lunches at $14.95 and three-course dinners at $29.95, you’ll fill your belly without emptying your wallet.

Online reservations are strongly suggested, and may be made after July 1, 2012.

American Express® Cardmembers may make their reservations two weeks prior to the general public, beginning June 17, 2012.

For menus & reservations visit ProvidenceRestaurantWeeks.com

oveRnight

PaRking arrives on the east side

Residents Remain divided as Roll-out begins by barry Fain // Photography by mike braca

It was 1929. Automobiles

back then were mostly Fords… and almost entirely one color. “Give the customer any color they want, as long as it’s black,” said Henry Ford famously. Here in Providence, an ordinance was passed that effectively outlawed overnight parking in the city.

And that’s the way it’s remained ever since – at least until this month.

Over the years, the primary arguments to maintaining the tradition came from public safety officials. It’d be easier to navigate the sometimes narrow neighborhood streets in the event of fire. It’d help late night crime enforcement if there were fewer cars to hide behind. In some areas of the city, (College Hill and Fox Point are two), there are streets that are indeed too narrow to facilitate parking and vehicles.

In other sections of the city, however, especially in areas without driveways or obvious parking areas, the overnight bans were met with frustration. Even worse, desperate (or frugal) homeown-

ers often chose to blacktop lawns to gain a place to park legally to avoid late night tickets.

About 18 months ago, the City began a pilot resident sticker project on the West Side to test the waters on an alternative model to deal with the problem. And while the number of stickers sold is well below what the City had hoped for, there has been very little pushback from neighbors upset with the new initiative. Expect there to be much more resistance as the roll-out launches on the East Side.

The City is scheduled to continue its sticker program, which started for the East Side in June, into all sections of the East Side. Fueled largely by fear of sticker-abuse because of the large number of renters, particularly in Summit, College Hill and Fox Point, many homeowners worry that the curb space in front of their homes will be a thing of the past. Leo Perrotta was hired by then Mayor Cicilline in 2007 and has been the parking administrator of the city

since 2011. He’s convinced the program will work, though he admits there is still some tweaking to be done.

In an attempt to ensure the roll-out proceeds as smoothly as possible, Perrotta has been holding a series of public meetings with all of the neighborhood associations and while he acknowledges some residents have expressed concerns, he says the meetings so far have been productive and mostly non-confrontational. One interesting issue that has arisen is that the overnight expansion has not proceeded through traditional channels – from the finance and ordinance committees of the City Council and then to a full council vote – but rather directly through the mayor’s office. The ordinance stalled in the finance committee last fall, so the mayor’s office opted to just expand the pilot program on its own. This, to some residents, represents an unfortunate lack of transparency, which is troubling.

The program will be introduced on the basis of existing police districts. Precinct

9, which includes Fox Point, the Wayland area and a good chunk of College Hill, began mid-June. The Summit area, Blackstone and the balance of College Hill (Precinct 8) began the following week. The plan calls for the new sticker program to be set up as an 18-month test, after which it will be re-evaluated.

In addition, if 66% of the residents of a street choose to opt out of the program, the program will not go into effect in that area. At a neighborhood meeting, one East Sider asked what would happen if the program proved to be unsuccessful.

While Perrotta admitted that at present there really isn’t much of a plan B, he assured the questioner he was confident it would indeed work. Many attendees at the public meetings we attended clearly remain unconvinced.

All streets throughout the East Side (and throughout the city) will be divided into three categories: where overnight parking is permitted on both sides of the street (green), where it is allowed only on July 2012 East Side Monthly

15

one side (yellow), and where it remains prohibited on both sides (red). On the maps included here that illustrate the change, streets are drawn as green, yellow or red, depending on their status.

Sitting at his modest office on Ernest Street, just off Allens Avenue, Perrotta concedes that his job can be a frantic one, responding as he does to all manner of daily parking issues in addition to the new sticker roll-out he’s about to launch.

Since the neighborhood meetings generally are held at night, he has seen his workload expand this month but feels it’s an important part of what he has to do. He is prepared to deal with specific individual resident issues as they come up as well. He can be reached at 7814045 x573. The website for the overnight project, complete with forms, can be accessed by going to the City’s website, www.providenceri.com, and then following the prompts for overnight parking.

The most critical issue, of course, is how the program will work. Here are the basics: For $100, you can buy a year-long permit for any cars you have registered at your property. The limit is two per household/dwelling unit. Any apartment building with more than six units will not be eligible for the program unless, according to the current City guidelines, tenants can demonstrate a “significant hardship,” a total lack of any off-street parking options, for example. The Summit Avenue Neighborhood Association is raising some concerns over this issue in that they feel “the hardship bar” is set pretty low. Basically, any building that does not have enough parking spaces for its tenants can get two stickers per unit simply by declaring that it doesn’t have room to accommodate them.

In addition, permit holders can also purchase special guest passes for $25 that would allow five overnights per month. As with the regular stickers, the cars must be parked in a specified overnight area and must be consistent with

16

East Side Monthly July 2012

regular normal parking signage, hydrants, distance from corners and the like. The guest passes can only be bought by individuals who have signed up for the overnight sticker. So what happens to residents who don’t need an overnight sticker but have a guest who needs to stay on the streets for a night or two?

Perrotta suggests that homeowners buy a sticker and move their car to the street and, as a good host, allow the guest to occupy the driveway.

At a recent public meeting with Perrotta, convened by the College Hill Neighborhood Association, some residents expressed concern over possible abuse of the permits. One point that was made clear was that any resident, whether student or renter, would have to have their car registered in Providence to be eligible for the overnight sticker. “I want to be clear on that,” Perrotta explained. “The registration has to be for Providence, not just Rhode Island.”

A second area of concern was the possibility of a car with an overnight sticker being left on the street indefinitely. Perrotta assured attendees that after about 48 to 72 hours, tickets would be issued nightly to avoid long-term abuse of the regulation. The key, of course, will depend on the actual level of enforcement of the regulations, several neighbors were quick to point out. And the City’s record in this regard is spotty at best. “Cars rarely even get towed in snow emergencies,” growled one attendee, “so do you really think it’s going to happen now?”

Several of the local neighborhood organizations have taken the trouble to poll their memberships as to their thoughts on rescinding the overnight ban. Not surprisingly, reactions are split more or less down the middle. The most recent was by the Summit Avenue Association, in which 55% percent of their voting members were against lifting the overnight ban.

It would seem that on one side are students, landlords, renters and newer arrivals to the East Side, most of whom came from cities where overnight parking is the rule of the road. In recent months, an email campaign in support of overnight parking has also been making the rounds of some sections of Providence.

On the other side are residents who worry about safety concerns like walking to their cars at night, the dangers of clogged streets in case of late night emergency vehicle runs and the specter of losing control of the curb space in front of their homes as the number of parked cars expands. And then there are some that just don’t like the idea period. “One of the things I love about Providence,” said one relatively new resident to the East Side, “is the quirky uniqueness of our city. People who visit us are amazed, and enjoy the fact that our streets are relatively empty at night, almost suburban in feeling. To them, and to me, it’s what

Providence Residential Permit Parking Pilot Frequently asked Questions

Q: What is the Residential Permit Parking Pilot?

A: The Residential Permit Parking Pilot is a trial

program to allow overnight parking on selected residential streets. As the number of cars increases in the city, off-street parking is becoming harder to find, increasingly expensive and often results in excessive paving of yards. In addition to providing much-needed parking spaces, the overnight on-street parking pilot will have the added benefit of slowing traffic on residential streets.

Q: How does the program work?

A: If your car is registered with the RI DMV at a residence within the pilot area, you are eligible. A window sticker will be provided, and must be applied to the upper left hand corner of the rear window. Once the permit sticker is applied, you may leave your vehicle overnight on a street designated for such use by signs reading “No parking 2am to 5am except by resident permit.” Naturally, you will need to park your vehicle in a space that is otherwise legal (for example, you cannot park in front of a fire hydrant or within 25 feet of a corner). When a parking ban (such as a snow emergency) is declared, you must remove your car from the street for the duration of the ban. Vehicles parked on a designated street between 2am and 5am may receive a $20 citation.

Q: How many cars may be registered for overnight parking?

A: Up to two per household. Any more than that must be parked off-street overnight. Separate applications for each vehicle are required. They may be submitted at the same time, but the permits will be issued for the vehicles, not for the owner.

Q: If my spouse has a vehicle and I have a vehicle, do each of us have to apply for a permit for each individual vehicle?

A: You do not need to personally apply for a permit, but remember that the permit is issued for a specific vehicle based on the residency of a specific owner. Accordingly, each vehicle requires an individual permit.

Q: I have two roommates, both of whom have resident permits. Am I eligible to receive a permit too?

A: No. Only two permits per household may be issued. Arrangements must be made within households to allocate available resident permits.

Q: What is the cost?

A: The cost of a permit is $100 per car. Any unpaid tickets issued on the vehicle registration must be paid in order to obtain a parking permit.

Q: I have a guest coming to visit. Are they able to park on the street overnight?

A: If you are a permit holder, you may obtain a guest pass for an additional cost of $25. The pass is good for one year and may be used up to five times a month.

Q: How do I apply?

A: Simply come to Providence Municipal Court with a valid (original, no photocopies) RI registration that shows the address of a street in the pilot parking area. Municipal Court is located on the first floor of the City of Providence Public Safety Complex, 325 Washington Street, between Dean Street and I-95 Service Road #7. Applications can be made between 8:30am and 3:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Q: Must I come in person?

A: Someone else may complete a permit application for you; however, each permit is valid only for the registration presented. Remember, only two are allowed per household.

make us both attractive and special.”

A more tangible issue was raised at several of the meetings. Why can’t residents be allowed to “opt in” for overnight parking rather than forcing them into the more burdensome path of “opting out?” At the Summit Avenue meeting, several older residents were vocally upset with needing to find a younger participant to help them initiate the necessary door-to-door petition. In response, Perrotta felt there was a simplicity and efficiency to the process as now slated to go forward.

Another obvious issue that has arisen during neighborhood meetings is what happens in the event of special emergencies like snow removal, hurricanes and street sweeping. In all these cases, Perrotta says the City will communicate directly with the sticker-holders to have them move the cars as required.

He confirms that “all overnight sticker purchasers must supply a phone number or email address to facilitate these kinds of warnings.”

Perrotta also maintains that, based on the levels of sticker sales on the West End, the actual number of participants may be significantly lower than what residents fear. In the West End test area, the percentage of cars requesting stickers never rose above the 6 to 10% level.

Areas of high student density, like College Hill, Fox Point and Elmhurst (near PC) undoubtedly might have higher numbers, Perrotta conceded. A student apartment with four units, for example, would be eligible for eight parking stickers. The stickers, however, would only be for a specified Providence-registered vehicle and could not be passed around.

So after 83 years, the City of Providence is about to join the ranks of the majority of other cities around the country that allow overnight parking. To some, it’s a long overdue response to the way we live our lives in the 21st century. To others, especially here on the East Side, it’s just one more diminution to that illusive (and subjective) catchphrase, “one’s quality of life.”

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July 2012 East Side Monthly

17

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Behind the Stained Glass What’s next for the East Side Episcopalian churches?

By Emily Jones

The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John

Photos: Will Hart

“Go in peace to

love and serve the Lord.”

“Thanks be to God.” These words, or others like them, close every service in the Episcopal Church, every Sunday. But for the parishioners of the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John on North Main Street, they held special finality on April 22: the church was closing its doors, and when the congregation dispersed it might have been for the last time.

Acting Dean of the Cathedral, Right Reverend David B. Joslin, says of the final service, “We tried to make it upbeat, with the music and so forth.

And it was during the Easter season.”

Rt. Rev. Joslin says in his sermon that Sunday that he encouraged the congregation to “embody the spirit of the cathedral in their daily lives.”

And plenty were there to hear his message. Many who grew up attending service at the cathedral returned to say farewell at its final service some from across the border in Massachusetts or as far away as New Jersey.

Bishop of Rhode Island Geralyn Wolf says emotions that day were mixed. “Of course there were some tears, sadness,” she explains. “And of course there was some relief that a decision had been made and a burden had been lifted.”

The decision to close the cathedral indeed marked some resolution of a long period of financial hardship in the diocese. For nearly 15 years, the question of how to fund the Cathe-

dral’s operating budget has been of central importance. A decade ago, closure became “a serious topic,” according to Bishop Wolf. But then a parishioner left the cathedral $1 million, which paid to repair a roof truss and funded a few other key projects.

“That allowed some more time,” Bishop Wolf explains.

But that funding was only ever a stop-gap, and repairs to keep the building safe ate up a “significant percentage” of it. In 2005, cathedral leadership again began to consider what the building would need and whether the parish could afford it. Estimates for some basic repairs and updates came to $8 million. Fully bringing the 1793 cathedral into the 21st century, with an elevator and other changes to make it handicapped-accessible, would bring the cost closer to $14 million.

Could the congregation cover those expenses? A fundraising study conducted at the same time found the most the parish could raise fell short of $2 million, which “really wasn’t sufficient,” according to Bishop Wolf.

And that estimate, she notes, came before the 2008 economic crash.

More recently the cathedral’s finances worsened, and the parish increasingly had to draw on its dwindling endowment to pay the $400,000 it costs annually to maintain the building and staff. Finally, early this year, the cathedral’s governing board resolved to shut down its services and pastoral care. The Cathedral’s minis-

tries have moved to other churches in the city. Its weekly City Meal Site still runs on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30-6pm, now out of All Saints Memorial church on Westminster Street.

The congregation of St. John’s moved elsewhere as well, though many have yet to settle on a new parish. “They’re tire-kicking right now,” Bishop Joslin explains.

The Rectors of Providence’s other Episcopal churches confirm they’ve seen St. John’s parishioners at their services in recent weeks. Reverend Canon Jonathan Huyck of Grace Church says a number of former members have worshipped at his parish in the last month. Some have come every week and others just once or twice – in short, Rev. Huyck says, they are “shopping” for a new church. The East Side’s other Episcopal churches, St. Stephen’s on George Street under Rev. John Alexan-

der, Church of the Redeemer on Hope Street under Rev. Jo-Ann Drake, and All Saints Memorial on Westminster Street under Rev. David Ames, have seen former St. John’s members visit to test the waters as well.

Reverend Clare Fischer-Davies, Rector of St. Martin’s Church, agrees.

She says many St. John’s members are visiting her parish as they “deal with the grief of losing their congregation.” Both Rectors say their own parishes are in good health: church attendance remains high, and leaders are acting to keep financial worries at bay. Rev. Huyck says his parish is reducing the draw it takes on its endowment, a move to prevent the kind of struggle that forced the cathedral to close.

At St. Martin’s, Rev. Fischer-Davies says the plan is much the same. “We’re doing some very intentional work,” she

The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John

July 2012 East Side Monthly

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explains, “and trying to get out ahead of some of this.” And while managing finances is a constant concern, she says the closure of St. John’s Cathedral added some urgency. “I think all of us were kind of sobered by seeing a congregation just disappear,” she says. “It could happen to any of us.”

That sense of uncertainty is strong, according to Rev. Fischer-Davies, even as her own congregation thrives. She says she watched longtime Episcopalians experience “a lot of sadness and bewilderment over how the whole closure happened.” Many at St. Martin’s, she explains, saw the cathedral’s closing as a symptom of larger problems in the diocese.

Rev. Huyck says his congregation does not seem worried about the diocese as a whole, but it was still sad to watch the cathedral close. “It was, in a sense, sort of the heart of the diocese,” he explains. “And it no longer is now.”

A major concern in both parishes is the fate of the building itself. Unlike many closed churches, the cathedral remains consecrated for religious use so that it can potentially reopen in the future. As Bishop Joslin explains, the governing board opted to preserve the building in order to “see what might emerge as a new vision for the cathedral.”

Until there is a plan for the cathedral, however, many are worried about it as a historic building. Rev. Huyck says it is an important concern in historic preservation, “even if you’re not Episcopalian or Christian. It’s a sad thing because we don’t know what’s going to happen to that building.” Rev. Fischer-Davies agrees that for many in her congregation, the historic nature of

6/1/12 4:49 PM

the building represents “another level of concern” on top of worries about the diocese itself.

Much, the Rectors agree, hinges on the new Bishop. Bishop Wolf is leaving the diocese, and in early June church representatives elected the Very Reverend Nicholas Knisely to follow her.

He will be consecrated to his new post November 17.

Rev. Huyck, who served on the search committee that chose the candidates for Bishop, says he hopes the new leader will “sit down and listen to all the voices in the diocese.” The diocese needs “someone who will not shrink from making some important decisions that need to be made,” Rev. Huyck says. “Front and center with that is what’s going to happen to this cathedral.”

Though he did not directly address the cathedral in his letter of introduction to the diocese, Rev. Knisely did allude to the challenges he will face, including the financial woes. “We’re not exactly sure what we’re to do as we move into a new era that many of us were not expecting,” he wrote.

“The basic models we’ve used to create church communities are financially strained… We seem to be living in a moment when a new paradigm for ministry and diocesan life is emerging.”

Walking through St. John’s Cathedral about a month after its last service, Bishop Joslin reflects on the building’s history and future. His eyes grow glassy as he considers what the next step might be. “A lot will depend on what kind of ideas the new Bishop has,” he says slowly, “and when the recession ends, and all those kinds of questions.”

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Get the most of the season for you and your children

By Dale Rappaneau Summer in Providence is the perfect season to be a parent. Green fields offer children a safe haven for socialization and play, leaving moms and dads to relax in the ocean’s breeze. Organizations all across Rhode Island offer entertaining summer opportunities for you and your child.

Photography: Jonathan Beller

For Newborns and Toddlers To enjoy the weather while working out, join Stroller Strides, a local group of parents that, as the name suggests, walks while pushing their children in strollers.

The group meets at 9am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and every other Saturday, gathering near Three Sisters on Hope Street. The cost is $15 for one single class, though membership packages do exist. www.strollerstrides.com Moms To Be & Moms Fitness Group offers an exercise program for new and expecting mothers. Operated by an LDRP/maternity RN, this group meets every Thursday at 9am at Brown Street Park. The events are free to attend, giving local moms a non-wallet denting opportunity to keep fit. All participants are encouraged to discuss the fitness program with their doctor before attending. www. friendsofbrownstreetpark.org Unfortunately, summer weather doesn’t always allow for outdoor enjoyment, be it too hot or too humid, which is when it’s time for an indoor activity. To give your baby a memorable adventure without stepping into the sun, head to Books on the Square on Angell Street. Every Monday at 10:30am the store holds a free story time for babies. www.booksq.com For more baby-oriented stories, every Tuesday at 11:45am the Providence Library hosts Lapsit Story Time.

Designed for newborns to 18-montholds, the event features stories, songs,

rhythm and rhyme. This is a great way to get kids started down the road to reading. For children ages one to three, the Providence Library’s Cradle to Crayons will keep the thrill of reading alive. Featuring two sessions every Tuesday from 9:45 to 11:45am, this event combines play with story time, including such activities as dance, song and finger plays. www.provlib.org

tour through the zoo, in addition to story time and a snack. Only 40 participants are allowed per tour, so register today to reserve your spot. If you and your child crave even more nighttime activities, the zoo offers a Family Overnight on July 21; it’s an exciting opportunity to experience the zoo after dark. Event includes dinner, a night tour, activities, animal encounters, a light breakfast and a morn-

Books on the Square

For Young Children Parents of young children know that sometimes kids just want to be kids – touching and playing to learn how the world works. Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum is hosting Project Cupcake: Cupcake Carnival on July 25. Geared towards children ages six to 12, the event teaches kids how to decorate themed cupcakes, including demonstrations, hands-on learning and delicious cupcakes to take home. Admission costs $12 per participant; seats fill up quickly. www. cupcake.org/events After your child is hopped up on sugar and ready to rock, head to the Roger Williams Park Zoo for their Sunset Safaris.

Happening July 11, 25 and August 15, this event offers an after-hours sunset guided

ing tour. From habitats to eating habits, these events promise a wealth of animal kingdom information. www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org Just next door to the zoo is the Roger Williams Park Community Garden, where your child can join the Eco-Exploration Summer Camp. Sign up for one of the three separate week-long sessions running on Tuesdays and Thursdays from August 2 to 17. Each day, starting at 9:30am, your child will play naturethemed games, make arts and crafts projects, draw in a nature journal and collect material for their nature box. Weekly sessions are $25 per child and price includes lunch. www.providenceri.com/ botanical-center To keep the love of nature going, join the Museum of Natural History and

Planetarium for their Butterfly Nature Walk, taking place on July 7. Starting at 10am, a museum naturalist will guide families through sun-drenched meadows looking for butterflies. Admission is $5 per family and children under the age of four are not permitted. www. providenceri.com/museum

For Older Children Inquisitive children do well within Providence’s historically rich foundation; there is always something new just around the corner. For example, the Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum on North Main Street hosts Victorian Times: A Kids Tour, an interactive journey appropriate for children ages 10 to 14. The tour helps children discover architecture, decorative finishes, Victorian culture and the Lippitt family’s history. Tours happen at 10am and 2pm on July 11 and August 15. Tickets are $6 for children; accompanying adults are free. Space is limited and registration is required. www.preserveri.org As for the paranormal experiences said to have taken place within the context of Providence’s history, the Slater Mill Ghost Tour on July 5 at 10pm is an ideal way to scare up entertainment for both parent and tween. The tour explores three historic buildings - Slater Mill, Wilkinson Mill and Sylvanus Brown House – and is recommended for ages 10 and up. Tour admission is $20 and registration is required. www.slatermill. org/eventdescriptions/ghosttours To raise kids who appreciate classic rock, attend the Knight Memorial Library’s Summer Classic Film Series, which offers outdoor screenings of documentaries focused on bands that changed the genre. Films are screened on July 21, July 28 and August 2. These films are loud, so if your kid doesn’t enjoy the kicking sound of electric guitar, stay clear of this event. www.provcomlib.org July 2012 East Side Monthly

23

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For All Ages On July 2, 3 and 7, McCoy Stadium brings back its annual Post-Game Fireworks Display, celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. Games begin at 6:15pm, followed immediately by fireworks. Whether you go inside the stadium, or join the crowd outside, these fireworks offer an affordable means of enjoying the start of summer. www.pawsox.com If you want an event that combines stunning visuals with exercise, head to WaterFire on July 21 and August 18.

These events take place along Memorial Boulevard, featuring over eighty braziers burning bright until just past midnight.

Lighting begins about 20 minutes after sunset. www.waterfire.org Want to exercise your child’s mind and body? Kidinfo Providence Story Time, located at Kennedy Plaza’s Burnside Park, hosts a weekly one-hour

you should take a trip to the Providence Children’s Museum, where every Wednesday at 10am your child can join the Wheels at Work program. From a bobcat front loader to a police cruiser, the event allows children to climb behind the wheel of a work vehicle, educating them on how the vehicle helps society function. The Children’s Museum also hosts Get Out! Weaving Wonders every Tuesday at 1pm. This event encourages children to play in the Museum’s garden while exploring the art of weaving with natural and recycled materials. www.childrenmuseum.org Even more fun can be had at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Concerts Under the Elms musical series at the John Brown House Museum. Concerts begin at 6:30pm every Thursday from July 12 to August 9, featuring such musical genres as traditional Latin jazz, patriotic, Cajun dance, classic blues

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East Side Monthly July 2012

WaterFire

story every Thursday at 10:30am. And don’t worry – all of your child’s rested energy can be spent at the After Storytime Fun activities that take place immediately after the read aloud. These activities encourage mental and physical stimulation, both for you and your child. www.kennedyplaza.org When baking in the sun sounds more like a nightmare than a fun-filled afternoon, head to Books on the Square for their weekly story time events on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30am and Saturdays at 11am. These stories cater to children of all age groups, allowing for mental stimulation and opportunities of socialization. www.booksq.com If you really want to get your child reading, take part in the Providence Library’s Summer Reading Program.

Open to all children over the preschool age, this program encourages children to read, offering coupons and prizes as they finish books. The program ends August 11 at 10:30am, so register today and start tracking your child’s reading progress. www.provlib.org If your children love all things motor,

and Celtic-inspired. Concert admission is $10 for adults and free for Historical Society members and children under 12. www.rihs.org Lastly, let’s discuss Providence’s artistic culture: from now until October 21 the RISD Museum is proud to present Dan Walsh: UnCommon Ground, an exhibit featuring Walsh’s large-scale abstract works. By using hand-drawn lines and luminous colors, Walsh creates subtle inflections of light and color, a display sure to wow adult or child. If you prefer contemporary over abstract, the museum is hosting The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Rhode Island from July 20 to December 2. Children under five are always free, while adult admission is $10. (On the last Saturday of the month admission is free for all, while all Sundays are pay-what-you-wish.) www.risdmuseum.org With all the available parent-child bonding opportunities this summer, now is the time to create memorable, lasting moments with your little one. Time flies faster than you realize, and tomorrow is only a sunset away.

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Dr. Camilla Moore and Dr. Ellen McNally An inside look at the new generation of chiropractic care.

A conversation with Dr. Ellen McNally, founder of Chiropractic Performance Center Q. I hear your practice is growing?

Q. What are these techniques?

Q. So you don’t just work with the spine?

A. Yes! Dr. Camilla Moore has joined the practice as a partner and I’m thrilled to have her expertise on board. We are both staff chiropractors for The Acushnet Company (owners of Titleist and FootJoy) wellness program, and are excited to bring our empowering approach to Providence area residents. I’m also certified through Titleist Performance Institute (TPI).

A. We hold advanced certifications in Active Release Technique (ART), Kinesio Taping, TRX Sports Medicine rehab, and Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). We also use the Graston Technique to break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions. What it all means is that we can treat many things.

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A whole new way to enjoy ice cream this month

Photography: Dan Schwartz

By Dale Rappaneau

There’s a new kind of food fight in town – and this one you do want to be in the middle of. In March, RI Food Fights hosted The Great Cupcake Championship, a dessert extravaganza celebrating local cupcake creators from all across Rhode Island. Held at The Spot Underground, the first Food Fight event featured over 4,500 cupcakes, all available for public consumption with the purchase of event admission. Over thirteen local bakeries participated, including The Duck & Bunny, City Girl Cupcakes, Mi-Mi’s Sweet Shoppe and The Cupcake Contessas.

In addition to the cupcake consumption, a panel of judges awarded participating bakeries with prize titles such as “Best Cupcake in Rhode Island,” which went to The Duck & Bunny for their Bunny Carrot cupcake. Attendants could also vote for which bakery won the “People’s Choice” award, which went to The Cupcake Contessas for their Spice cupcake.

But cupcakes and summer humidity go together like water and cement – not too pleasant on a hot day – which is why RI Food Fights’ next event celebrates a softer, creamier dessert: ice cream.

On July 21, RI Food Fights is hosting its first annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown, pitting local ice cream shops against each other in a head-tohead battle for similar titles as those featured in the previous cupcake extravaganza. The event takes place in Wayland Square from 5-8pm, with tickets priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children under the age of five.

Admission to the event entitles you to sample all the ice cream you can stomach. Since all attendants can cast a vote for their favorite participating ice cream flavor, take your time and savor the experience. Go back for a second, third or fourth taste. We won’t tell anyone.

If ice cream is not your thing, the event also features local food and coffee trucks, soda, cookies and other such treats. This may be the most delicious event of the summer.

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Mattie Volkswagen Audi David Dadekian, infamous Rhode Island foodie and writer for our sister magazine The Bay, is expected to join the event’s panel of judges, while our own John Taraborelli will rock the microphone as emcee. Ahlers Designs, located in Pawtucket, is creating the awards that will be handed out to all winning ice cream shops.

Since the RI Food Fights cupcake extravaganza sold out three weeks before the event occurred, it’s best to order your tickets now. The last thing you want is to be left outside in the heat while others enjoy the seductive sensation of ice cream on a hot summer day.

Of course, if your sweet tooth is too much to control, you could satiate your hunger for sugar right now at some of the East Side’s local ice cream shops.

Ben & Jerry’s, located on Meeting Street, understands that ice cream is all about having fun, and no one has more fun with their ice cream than them. From Phish Food to Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream, this entertaining ice cream shop has a flavor for every occasion.

But if you’d rather have your ice cream self-served from a spigot, head to Thayer for a cup of delicious frozen yogurt from FroyoWorld. Pick from the ever-changing selection of low calorie flavors and then top it all off with

a scoop of fruit or candy. You pay by the weight, so take as much or as little as you please.

Also on Thayer is Juniper Frozen Yogurt, an adorable little shop that offers a mom-and-pop frozen yogurt experience. Servers prepare the frozen yogurt for you, with options for fresh fruit toppings, and the outside seating offers ideal people watching opportunities.

For a hometown ice cream shop experience, head to East Side Creamery on Ives Street. In addition to their 24 flavors of soft serve and hard ice cream, they offer fruit smoothies, pretzels, hot dogs and more. Stop in for lunch or escape the summer heat at the bottom of an ice cream dish.

Want a truly unique ice cream flavor? Three Sisters on Hope Street has the ice cream fix for you, featuring such flavors as green tea, Max’s Mudpie, ginger and Kulfi. Of course, they also serve traditional flavors for the less adventurous ice cream eater, but where’s the fun in that?

So, instead of sweating away the summer like Curt Schilling at a city council meeting, head to Wayland Square and enjoy the refreshing thrill of the Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown, or go right now to a local ice cream shop and get a jump on judging the competition. www. facebook.com/RIFoodFights.

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Living Life At Laurelmead Eastside Providence Retirement Community residents eat well to stay well.

Well balanced, nutritious meals are critical for healthy aging and longevity.

Residents of Laurelmead Cooperative, a senior retirement community on the eastside of Providence, have a culinary team similar to those found in some of the area’s finest restaurants. It’s no wonder people seem to add years to their lives after they choose to live there.

Designed by Executive Chef Jim Reynolds, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America possessing nearly 40 years of experience at some of New England’s fine dining establishments, Laurelmead’s dinner menu offers nearly 20 different entrees to choose from. Lunch offerings in the Café are just as numerous as well.

Service of these meals is provided by an experienced wait staff under the direction of Ron Bruno, a graduate of Johnson & Wales. In addition to the variety of entrees available at Laurelmead, residents and guests look forward to the atmosphere created by Mr. Bruno and his staff.

The residents of Laurelmead have significant input into the food and services

30

East Side Monthly July 2012

provided by these two gentlemen. The resident Dining Service Committee, composed of residents and led by a Chairperson selected by the committee members, assists the Chef closely on menu planning. Martha Sherman, the Dining Services Committee Chairperson, has this to say about dining at Laurelmead: “It has been wonderful working with Jim and Ron; they do everything they can to please all of us and this is no easy task”.

During the month of July, anyone interested in enjoying the same dining experiences of Laurelmead residents should schedule a visit for a tour of Laurelmead.

After the tour, all visitors will receive a certificate for dinner for 4. If this is for you or someone you know, just call Diane Lamontagne at Laurelmead, 401-273-9550, to make your reservation. Don’t wait; there are a limited number of appointments!

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Movies

by Bob Cipriano

Bernie and For Greater Glory Surprising summer treats

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Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine in Bernie

Amid the reduced and

predictable product churned out of Hollywood this summer for safe and reliable consumption by moviegoers, there are still a few surprises. Bernie, especially, and For Greater Glory, in large part, are two of them.

Small towns in Texas have provided stages for all kinds of murder, mayhem and comedy. But there’s never been anything quite like Carthage, the real-life setting of the excellent Bernie, a morbidly comic gem that re-teams director/co-writer Richard Linklater and the occasionally brilliant (as he is here) Jack Black. (They previously teamed in School of Rock.)

Everybody in Carthage loved Bernie (Black), a mild-mannered, relentlessly cheerful man-child who came to Carthage with a mortuary degree and a song. The film opens with Black standing in front of a corpse and a group of mortuary students, demonstrating techniques for making the dead look good. Having set his morbidly comic tone immediately, director Linklater begins to spin Bernie’s story through a series of progressive set pieces with Black on center stage (often literally, as he sings and dances

with the local theater group).

But Linklater breaks up these pieces with lots of brief, droll interviews with Carthage townspeople, the vast majority of whom speak fervently of their love for Bernie, always in the past tense. These interviews could severely restrict the pace of the film, but in fact they provide it with a unique rhythm. Jack Black is a charismatic, demanding presence who can and often does dominate individual scenes and entire films. When the film is bad, as so many of his are, he is charismatically bad, and a bad enough movie gets worse. A character like Bernie, with his outfits (loud), manner (fussy), and showmanship (he sings the gospel like it’s a Broadway musical), could quickly become too much of a good thing.

The run of ‘Bernie testimonials’ provides relief from Bernie himself, and makes Jack Black a lot easier to take.

Half the time you flinch over whatever he’s doing - selling expensive funeral caskets, releasing symbolic doves at gravesites or playing up to elderly widows - but then somebody looks straight at you and explains again what an absolute peach of a fellow

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Bernie was. So, it’s all good, probably.

And then, Shirley MacLaine, the meanest gal in town, becomes one of those elderly widows of his. As much as everyone loves Bernie, that’s how much they hate Mrs. Nugent (MacLaine). And she hates them right back, along with every member of her widely-dispersed family. But Bernie wheedles his way into her home and her heart. (MacLaine is a thoroughly despicable old woman, nevertheless fragile enough to be susceptible to the blatant charms of this fussy little man.)

A whirlwind of concerts, firstclass plane rides and resort vacations follow, scatter-shot onscreen in clips and photos. MacLaine then removes her family from her will and puts Bernie in their place.

But she continues to chew every morsel of food 25 times, fire nice people for no reason and insist that Bernie go part-time at the funeral parlor and full-time as her on-demand manservant. And it begins to occur to you that the only person in those testimonials who has anything bad to say about Bernie is Matthew McConaughey, Carthage’s District Attorney.

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Well-structured and paced, wellwritten and performed, Bernie is seriously good fun. Unpredictable, uncomfortable and therefore unsafe, it sneaks up on you and makes you laugh, even as it throws you off-kilter and keeps you there, until it all starts to feel natural. Too unusual to hold out for long in the summer cinema sweepstakes, Bernie is not to be missed.

For Greater Glory is a very old fashioned, Robin Hood-flavored epic about the Cristero War, an actual civilian uprising against a Mexican government violently opposed to the Catholic Church in the 1920s. The grandiose, effectively mounted production fails to connect its plot’s logical dots and shortchanges several key characters of their development.

It shamelessly employs wartime clichés to generate emotional responses. But director Dean Wright, the visual effects specialist behind Lord of the Rings, is quite good at manipulative filmmaking; while not everything works in For Greater Glory, enough does to ensure this heavily themed story never collapses under its own weight, and touches you when it’s supposed to.

Rag-tag revolutionaries, stirred to action by government-sanctioned murders of clergy, somehow manage to mount an armed insurrection against government troops. Lacking a general to lead them, they turn to Andy Garcia, a retired general and brilliant strategist who was operating a soap factory at that time. A nonbeliever who nonetheless champions

religious freedom, he confidently organizes and leads the revolutionaries in a series of effective ambushes.

The battle scenes are rousing and well filmed. Garcia, a genuine movie star aging gracefully into character roles, is in fine form as a proud, cigarchomping leader of men. Of equal stature and importance to the film is Mauricio Kuri, a young boy who first bonds with aged priest Peter O’Toole, then commits to the revolution when O’Toole is murdered. (It’s a rare pleasure to see the legendary O’Toole in anything, but his presence is squandered here.) Kuri leaves home to join Garcia, becoming his surrogate son in a series of tender scenes that lead directly to the boy’s capture and persecution (he was eventually canonized by the Vatican).

There are side stories of American intervention as ambassador Bruce Greenwood attempts to broker peace while protecting American oil interests, and good performances by Ruben Blades as the sadistic President Calles, Santiago Cabrera as a priestturned-soldier and Catalina Sandino Moreno as a young woman conquering her fears to aid the cause.

But it is Garcia and Kuri, once they are linked in their mission as man and boy to fight against oppression, who bridge the gaps in the production, and ably represent the triumph and tragedy at the heart of the film. After the rather abrupt ending, you will recall their characters and actions, with the splendidly shot battles providing ample depth in the background.

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East Side Monthly July 2012

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On the Menu

by John Taraborelli

That Time of Year The return of Restaurant Weeks means summer is in full swing There are certain sure

signs of summer in the city that we can count on year after year: WaterFire lighting up the rivers, air conditioners dotting the windows of homes and apartment buildings, a full deck at Hot Club on Friday afternoon, the line at East Side Pockets only reaching halfway out the door instead of all the way. Now we can add another indicator to that list: the return of Providence Restaurant Weeks (July 8-21). For the better part of a decade, the event has grown bigger and more popular, showcasing the best dining the city has to offer. It now runs for two full weeks twice a year (the other installment is in January) and includes 50 restaurants; the summer edition remains the flagship, with eateries throughout the city packed during a time when diners might otherwise be looking towards South County or Newport for a night out.

The concept remains as simple as it is enticing: some of the city’s best and, in many cases, priciest restaurants offer three-course prix fixe lunches and dinners for $14.95 and $29.95 respectively. Restaurants for whom those price points are already above average often opt for a two-for-one deal instead. It’s a great opportunity to treat yourself to a night of fine dining without breaking the bank, or break out of your routine and try something new without much commitment. Some of the most buzzed about restaurants in and around Providence, as well as some old standbys, are participating. East Side favorites on this summer’s roster include Chez Pascal, Cook and Brown Public House, Duck and Bunny and Rue De L’Espoir. Menus haven’t yet been announced, but check www.providencerestaurantweeks.com as the date approaches for updates and more information.

ETHIOPIAN AMBASSADOR Abyssinia opened on Wickenden Street last year as the first Ethiopian restaurant in Providence. Despite its popularity elsewhere in New England, particularly in Boston, the East African cuisine hadn’t yet taken hold here – and despite Abyssinia’s popularity, for many people it still hasn’t. (African food in general

Restaurant Weeks

is sadly scarce in the Providence area.

Elea’s in South Providence is a popular neighborhood spot for Liberian food.

Village provides some Nigerian specialties in Pawtucket, and the excellent Senegalese restaurant Dakar was unfortunately short lived in Central Falls.) That’s why Ben Thorp, one of the proprietors of Abyssinia, is launching the restaurant’s food cart this month. It’s expanding on the business’ twofold mission: to help popularize the cuisines of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea in Providence, and to cultivate what Thorp calls a “social entrepreneur business,” which employs refugees and immigrants to use and share the culinary skills developed in their home countries. The modified hot dog cart will make many of the usual food truck rounds – special events, College Hill, farmer’s markets – serving a variety of Ethiopian specialties, with a focus on the wats, or stews, for which the cuisine is best known. The restaurant already has a loyal fan base, and the ability to go mobile will allow Abyssinia to bring what is arguably one of the world’s most underrated food cultures to more people in more places. It’s the first step in what Thorp envisions as a fleet of mobile eateries, all employing refugees to share the foods of their home countries, and he’s trying to secure nonprofit funding to establish training programs. Be on the lookout for it this summer, because if you’re one of the unfortunate souls who still hasn’t tried Ethiopian food, now’s the time to change that. Check www.

abyssnia-restaurant.com and menus.

for

updates

A COOL, REFRESHING (AND HEALTHY) TREAT With last summer’s opening of Pinkberry in Garden City qualifying as Probably the Best Thing to Happen in Cranston Ever, the popularity of urban/Asian-style frozen yogurt shops continues to rise.

There are already Juniper and Froyo World on Thayer Street, and now the north side of town is getting in on the action with the opening of Hot & Cold at 895 Smith Street, a combination coffee and frozen yogurt shop (hence the name). Open since the spring, Hot & Cold maintains the tradition established by operations like Pinkberry of offering healthier, more thoughtfully sourced treats. In addition to high quality frozen yogurt, a more waistline-friendly alternative to ice cream, they feature fresh fruit toppings that are replenished throughout the day, as well as organic coffee. Co-owners Vicky Fernandez and her brother were inspired by their time living in New York and California respectively, and their goal is to bring a product that is better for you and better for the environment to the neighborhood – which, considering the shop’s proximity to LaSalle Academy and its popularity with the students, qualifies as both a smart plan and an admirable one.

Got food news? Send it to John at onthemenu@providenceonline.com.

July 2012 East Side Monthly

35

special advertising section

Dining Guide

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the mood for delicious Cambodian and Southeast Asian cuisine, spicy curries and noodle dishes. The tamarind duck is a must. LD $-$$ kArtABAr 284 Thayer Street; 3318111. This European-style restaurant and lounge offers a full menu of unique dishes with Mediterranean flair and eclectic flavors. They also offer a top-notch wine list and martini menu. LD $-$$

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Downtown CAV 14 Imperial Place; 751-9164. The New York Times’ choice as one of Providence’s five best restaurants, CAV’s award-winning cuisine is available for lunch and dinner daily. They also feature Saturday/Sunday brunch. LD $$-$$$

WWW.HARUKISUSHI.COM HEMENWAY’S 121 South Main Street; 351-8570. A true Providence classic, Hemenway’s has been serving top-notch seafood for 20 years. Their oyster bar features everything from the famed Prince Edward Island varieties to the local favorite Poppasquash Point. LD $$$$$ JACkY’S WAtErpLACE 200 Exchange Street; 383-5000. Experience sushi, Chinese and Japanese food, noodles and much more in a stunning atmosphere, right in the heart of Waterplace Park. Sip an exotic drink while taking in the spectacular view. LD $-$$$

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East Side Monthly July 2012

MILLS tAVErN 101 North Main Street; 272-3331. The only restaurant in RI to receive the Mobil Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. D $$-$$$

Wayland/Elmgrove HArUkI EASt 172 Wayland Avenue; 223-0332. The chefs behind this sushi bar provide a minimalist, upscale, comfortable dining experience. Try the toro ankimo – fatty tuna and monkfish liver

pate with eggplant tempura, served with a black bean sauce. LD $-$$$ LIM’S 18 Angell Street; 401-383-8830.

Dive into the unique combination of Lim’s fine Thai cuisine and sushi served in an intimate and modern setting. LD $$ rED StrIpE 465 Angell Street; 4376950. Red Stripe serves classic comfort food with a French influence. Their food is reasonably priced and made with passion. LD $$-$$$ WAtErMAN GrILLE 4 Richmond Square; 521-9229. With its covered outdoor seating overlooking the Seekonk River, Waterman Grille offers seasonally inspired New American fare in a comfortable setting. BrD $$-$$$

Hope/Thayer BEttEr BUrGEr COMpANY 217 Thayer Street; 228-7373. With angus beef burgers that are juicy and tasty, this casual spot is a no brainer for anyone looking for a quick, delicious and affordable meal. Serving wholesome veggie, falafel and salmon burgers too. LD $ CHEZ pASCAL 960 Hope Street; 4214422. Chef Matt Gennuso’s East Side kitchen offers French food with a modern twist. Try the Bistro Menu (Tue-Thur), which features three courses for $30 per person. Delicieux! D $-$$$ GOUrMEt HOUSE 787 Hope Street; 8313400. Beautiful murals and décor set

rUE DE L’ESpOIr 99 Hope Street; 7518890. In business for over 30 years, the Rue has only gotten better. Beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients, the innovative, constantly changing menu keeps diners on their toes. Superb brunch. BBrLD $$-$$$ tOrtILLA FLAtS 355 Hope Street; 7516777. A fixture on the Providence restaurant and bar scene, this spot serves up fresh Mexican, Cajun and Southwestern food, along with top-notch margaritas and ice-cold cervezas. LD $-$$

Wickenden ABYSSINIA 333 Wickenden Street; 4541412. Enjoy Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, using your fingers (and Ethiopia’s famed flatbread) to sample richly spiced meat, fish and vegetable dishes. (Forks are available, but less fun.) LD $-$$

Jewelry District/Waterfront rUE BIS 95 South Street; 490-9966.

This intimate eatery provides breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood bistro atmosphere – all with the gourmet pedigree of Hope Street dining staple Rue De L’Espoir behind it. BBrL $ BAkEr StrEEt rUE 75 Baker Street; 490-5025. The Rue De L’Espoir empire expands with this comfortable neighborhood café serving “upscale diner food.”

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Outside Providence LJ’S BBQ 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket; 305-5255. LJ’s features ribs, pork, chicken and beef cooked low and slow in their customized pit, made with recipes from co-owner Bernie Watson’s grandmother, Miss Leola Jean. It’s great food at a great value. LD $-$$

Photography: Dan Schwartz

A Style for Every Man

NICE SLICE 267 Thayer Street; 4536423. Hip and healthy are the best descriptions of this pizza place. It’s whole wheat, New York style pizza with plenty of choices for toppings, including vegan and vegetarian options. LD $

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Art

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Walking into the Bert Gallery simulates what it might feel like to walk around in a time capsule. Cathy Bert, the gallery’s owner, has created another interesting exhibition that combines beauty, history and the role of archives for public consumption. In “Up and Coming in the 1940s,” we gaze at work submitted for an annual juried exhibition held at the RISD Museum in the 1940s. Even though the work is over half a century old, there is a sense of timelessness captured by these artists, and despite never being formally addressed, this exhibit also shows us what was happening in Rhode Island while the rest of the world was faced with war and reconstruction.

Bert worked with the archives department at RISD to get information about the juried shows sponsored by the museum during the ‘40s since one of Bert’s own artist, Louise Marianetti, submitted work for several of these exhibitions. The programs from 1940 to 1943 do not mention individual works by artists; instead they just list of all participants in the show. By the end of the decade, these programs evolved into listings of titles of works, artist names and prices. Without this information, the exhibition at Bert Gallery would not have happened. The value of archives, though sometimes underestimated, is undoubtedly priceless.

There are no examples of abstract expressionism, which was pioneered by artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning during the 1940s.

Cathy noted that this exhibition is a snapshot of these artists’ careers and soon some of these painters’ would start to move towards abstraction.

This exhibition also brings attention to the role that RISD has had in bringing in out-of-town jurors, allowing participating artists to have their work seen by those more experienced in the art world.

There are influences of surrealism, photo-realism and modernism in the exhibit. These different elements show that Providence was not completely isolated from the rest of the art community during this time.

A standout in this show is a street scene of downtown Providence from 1944 by Hope Smith. This is the only piece representing that year or our city.

Smith’s style captures a sense of emptiness in the city that may represent not just a time of day in Providence, but what the city must have felt like during World War II. Another highlight of the exhibition is the work by the woman who inspired the research for this show: Louise Marianetti. Her realistic still lifes stand out from the rest of the show due to her subject matter and skill. She was also one of the younger artists participating in the exhibit; she was 25 during her first show in 1941.

Bringing recognizable people from New England’s art community to Rhode Island to select work to hang in this annual show is still a stressful point for artists. We tend to overlook how brave one must be in order to have strangers judge his or her work, but risks to an artist’s ego must be taken in order to reap the great reward of professional exposure.

This gallery show may not be full of contemporary artists, but it does give proof to the fact that great talent has always resided in this state.

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Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid 40

East Side Monthly July 2012

For most of us who parent and teach school-aged kids, July stands alone – pristine summer perfection, entirely unsullied by formal schooling. Kids are happily enjoying not doing homework and not worrying about grades – and parents share that pleasure. It’s lovely to say, “Hey kid, what’s shaking?” in greeting to my children rather that barking, “Have you done your homework?” (That had become my rote greeting for most of the school year.) I do not miss that at all. Likewise, teachers are appreciating freedom from homework grading, lesson planning and the relentless focus on their students’ intellectual development. For many teachers, July is a time to engage in intensive professional development and to savor the unique pleasure of thinking uninterrupted thoughts.

Some argue that a summer break is an obsolete hangover from a mainly agrarian society. We don’t need to keep our kids’ days free to work on the farm.

Indeed, a long break from school during the summer does not make much sense nowadays. Viewed through the lens of the well-documented phenomenon of summer learning loss, our current extended school summer vacations jeopardize academic achievement, particularly among struggling students and English language learners. In response to the threat posed by so many weeks away from formal learning, many summer programs feature some core area subject support, and families are encouraged to make sure that children read and practice math skills. Some kids will come home with a folder of worksheets meant for keeping their heads in the school game and most will have a summer reading list for optional or mandatory summertime consumption.

Oh, those summer reading lists languishing on our kitchen bulletin board, now obscured by camp schedules and Iggy’s Doughboys coupons. My kids disdain those summer reading lists. Those books, thoughtfully and lovingly chosen by librarians and teachers, are roundly ignored. The cleverest thing I could do, really, is to hide the damn lists and artfully leave the books in our home’s lounging and leisure spots. (Note to self: you could still do this; it’s not as if the

kids have actually looked at the lists.)

Then my children may well read some of those books because reading per se is not a problem. They read plenty, sometimes even voraciously. They are easy readers, these kids. What they are not, in the summer, is the least bit interested in being told what to read.

These children are generally compliant and often enthusiastic students during the academic year. But when summer vacation starts, they are wildly resistant to the intrusion of anything with the whiff of formal education.

Instead, they are learning all kinds of things in ways that the frantically paced school year doesn’t permit. In camp, they learn archery and art. At home, they read when and what they want to.

They learn to skateboard. They take piano lessons, with enough time and space in the day to get into a good routine of practicing without a lot of other competing demands. They work on their fantasy baseball teams and play plenty of real baseball games. They are planning a backyard party for their friends that will be, I hear, epic. They are allowing their minds to settle where they may, which, at least for a few weeks of the year, seems right.

Chats with friends – all full-time working parents like us with elementary and middle school aged kids – have yielded fairly similar responses. All of us agree that a little bit goes a long way during the summer. Some kids actually love the summer reading lists and rip through them, often encouraged by programs

that provided prizes and recognition for the most prolific readers. Many parents spoke highly of regular library visits and the Providence Public Library Summer Reading Program; its theme this year is “Dream Big, Read!” which sounds excellent. You can visit a library branch or the Providence Public Library website for more. Others are experimenting with online learning. We’re doing that. With our kids, we have been having fun with math learning on the Khan Academy website.

And of course, what’s right in the summer is different for every family and every child. One friend mentioned that her kid, who has ADHD, needs a little more structure, which she provides by saying, “Let’s get half-an-hour of reading done before you watch television today.” Another friend has kids in a dual-language elementary school and wants to keep the parts of their brains engaged in Spanish language learning up to speed, so she plans to work on that.

What all of us are looking forward to the most is time to hang out with our kids. An unrushed (except perhaps by the need to evade mosquitoes) picnic dinner in the backyard, with s’mores made in a firepit; this cannot be beat, and cannot be had with any regularity during the rush of the school year.

We’re making memories, and I think that counts for a lot.

Jill Davidson can be reached at whathappenedatschool@gmail.com or her blog, providenceschools.blogspot.com

Illustration: Jessica Pollak

Steven M. Kane, Ph.D. Providence, RI • 401-454-5700 kanesmk@verizon.net Inquiries invited

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East Side Monthly July 2012

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It’s not too early to plan for the next school year!

Women’s circles help share advice on retirement

Illustration: Ashley MacLure

Fourteen women gathered recently at my office to attend a eomen’s circle focused on the topic of retirement.

Women’s circles are different from seminars. Circles focus on sharing experiences. Everyone is encouraged (but not required) to speak. Contributions are valued because they present different ways of looking at the same issue from real life perspectives. At the same time, participants can see that the concerns they struggle with are shared by other women, even though their lives may have taken very different routes.

Most of the women came to the circle with similar questions: “How can I tie up loose ends and retire as soon as possible?” “When can I retire and have a decent standard of living?” “How do I get on the right path to retirement?” ‘When’ and ‘how’ were the most common questions, but their views on retirement varied.

For some, retirement was continuing what they do today with modest changes. “I want to keep doing parts of the job I like and cut back on the onerous parts.” Or, “I want more flexibility with time and how many hours I work.”

Others liked the pace of working, but wanted to substitute different activities into their daily lives.

“Retirement should look like a full time job. I get more stuff done if I have other stuff to do.” “I will need structure for my volunteer work, my physical work and time with my family.” Not everyone was clinging to an image of a retirement tied closely to how they lived their lives today. “I want every day to be Saturday,” offered one woman who was counting the days until retirement was possible.

Money worries surfaced often during the discussion. The biggest concern was how big the nest egg needed to be. It’s a question that is specific to each person and involves a process of measuring what you have, how much you are saving, how you are invested and how much you need to spend. Spending

levels are the key. If your retirement lifestyle can be more humble than how you live today, retiring earlier or saving less can become viable options. But how do you know if you can really be happy living a simpler lifestyle?

The attendees really liked one woman’s response. She plans to retire in 18 months. When she retires, she wants to have completed some necessary work on her house. Those renovations

need to come out of cash flow, so she is practicing her retirement lifestyle today. “It isn’t onerous,” she said. But clearly she has carefully planned what she is willing to sacrifice. She never drives over 60 miles an hour, saving on gas money. She doesn’t go grocery shopping until her refrigerator is bare, cutting way back on waste. She rarely looks for new work clothes and always travels with a companion to share expenses. A little savings here and there not only provides money for the house but also assures that her retirement lifestyle can be comfortable.

Practicing retirement today usually means giving up something now for later. The trick is not to forsake too much in the present to the point where resentment steps in. Like aggressive dieting, it

., Our sitters are prescreened, CPR/First Aid certified, with background checks. will never work. But there are prudent choices you can make today that will increase your flexibility.

The discussion switched to mortgages. Is it a good idea to pay off mortgages by the beginning of retirement? More tradeoffs. Prepayments can come out of income (less spending now) or out of savings (smaller nest egg but lower budgetary need). If out of income, mortgage prepayments become one more way of practicing retirement today.

One woman is preparing to sell her home. Instead of plowing money into her current property now and downsizing later, she is thinking of selling in the near future and moving to a less expensive home today. But she is struggling with this option. The home, for everyone, is an emotion-laden possession, often inspiring deep attachment or complications that make this type of decision hard.

Another woman plans to take Social Security benefits at full retirement age while she continues to work and to save her benefits for something she needs or wants in retirement. This could be for travel, health care needs or an extra emergency reserve.

The unexpected – especially health care costs – looms large for a number of women. Having an extra untouchable bucket can offer peace of mind.

The ideas flowed throughout the evening. Women were: “Eager but apprehensive;” “Excited but afraid;” “Anxious but hopeful.” As the evening came to a close, the women reflected on the gathering and share something they learned that they can practice today, bringing them closer to answering, “When can I retire?”

Betsey Purinton, CFP® is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at StrategicPoint Investment Advisors in Providence and East Greenwich.

You can e-mail her at bpurinton@ strategicpoint.com.

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East Side Monthly July 2012

Spotlight

by Dan Schwartz

Abyssinia

special advertising section

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Abyssinia restaurant has been serving up tasty Ethiopian/Eritrean food for over a year on Wickenden Street, but many people don’t realize that there is also a noble mission involved. Because of their limited literacy and education, Ethiopian refugees coming into this country have limited work opportunities beyond warehouse and commercial laundry operations. Abyssinia expands those possibilities by providing extensive on-the-job training for new refugees, allowing them to share their culinary and cultural gifts with their new neighbors here in Rhode Island. In order to expand this model of social entrepreneurship, owner Ben Thorp has teamed up with Keith Cooper of the Providence Granola Project in founding a new non-profit, Beautiful Day, whose mission will be to assist refugees of all nationalities by training them for meaningful employment, with the ultimate goal of helping them start independent micro-businesses.

Adugna Tolosa and his wife Mekdes Kinfe are new partners at Abyssinia, and with their Ethiopian background they are both very excited to bring new ideas to the restaurant. Mekdes is planning on drawing on her extensive cooking experience by adding a number of creative dishes and specials to the menu.

For those who have never tried Ethiopian cuisine, you are truly missing out on one of the most unique dining experiences in the state. The spices are like nothing else, and the bread the stews are served on, called injera, has a wonderful texture with a light sourdough flavor. It is traditional (and fun) to eat with your hands, where you use the bread as a utensil, tearing off pieces to scoop up the stewed vegetables and meats.

For meat-eaters, Abyssinia offers beef, chicken and lamb dishes, in the form of spicy stews and subtler dishes. For vegetarians and vegans there are plenty of legume and vegetable dishes, including combination options so you can try it all. Through Farm Fresh, Abyssinia has recently begun introducing locallysourced dairy, produce and eggs. Abyssinia is hoping to launch a food cart in early July, so keep an eye out at fairs, festivals, farmers markets and near the Brown campus this fall. They deliver free to all of Providence and can also provide catering. Expand your palate with something completely new.

Caster’s 3480 Post Road, Warwick • 739-0393 • www.bikeRI.com Caster's on 4th 212 4th Street, Providence • 274-5300

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45

Spotlight

By Dan Schwartz

special advertising section

The Alliance JCC Engaging and fun summer camps open to all

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401-861-1300 • 187 Waterman Street • www.wickedgoodposture.com 46

East Side Monthly July 2012

The Alliance JCC has an abundance of weeklong summer programs for kids beginning June 25 and running through August 24. For the budding engineer, how about three different robotics camps? Athletes looking to hone their skills can take on basketball, soccer, baseball or football. A young adventurers camp and a two-week long theatre camp are just a couple of the many enjoyable experiences your kids can have at the Alliance JCC. Shannon Boucher, Director of Children’s Programs, will be working with an Israeli summer camp counselor this year who will be leading the counselors-in-training to develop team games for the campers. The summer programs are open to everyone and there is an emphasis on Jewish values. The overall mission for the camp centers on collaboration, where the kids work together to accomplish goals while doing joint activities.

The beauty of the Alliance JCC summer program is the large variety available, so your child can try one type of activity one week and then switch to something completely different the next. “Each week I offer a brain specialty camp, an active specialty camp and a creative specialty camp,” Shannon explains. “The kids in our regular J camp go on a field trip every Thursday and all the kids in camp get to swim every day.” The campers and CITs intermingle in the beginning of each day, at lunch and during swim. “It really enforces the sense of community,” Shannon says. Parents should note that there are sibling discounts available.

Kids can enroll starting at age five and are eligible to become a CIT once they are heading into 8th grade. From there they can graduate to junior counselor and eventually become a regular counselor. There is also a summer camp program in the Early Childhood Center for kids ages three to five. Shannon has watched campers go through the entire experience to become counselors.

“It’s nice to see that continuation,” she says. Jump online to get the full camp lineup and plan for your child to have an enriching and fun experience at the Alliance JCC. It’s time to play!

The Alliance JCC 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence 421-4111 / www.jccri.org

Spotlight

special advertising section

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“I can often infer the quality of a business from its signage.” says Ted Stein, owner of Allegra Design/Print/Marketing on the East Side of Providence. “Signage is a critical marketing piece of the puzzle,” says Stein, as 50% of a company’s business can be attributed to its signage, according to the United States Small Business Administration.

How long has it been since you looked at your signage – inside and out – with a critical eye? Day-to-day exposure can make it easy to overlook frayed corners and dull finishes. It might be time to step back, make a more objective appraisal and determine if your signage reads as “tired and worn” or “vibrant and successful.”

A wide range of substrates have created a lot of flexibility for indoor or outdoor use. Papers, plastics, fabrics, vinyl, glass and stone are just a few of the surfaces that can help you to: • Increase exposure. Create an attention-getting exhibit. Budget-sensitive table top and pop-up displays lend professionalism, while banner stands and custom modular units make a bolder, memorable impression.

• Sell a product. Point-of-purchase displays, menu boards and kiosks can Tuesday - Friday 10-6, transform a selling environment.

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• Convey an idea. Conventions and employee meetings are the backdrop for delivering inspiration. Don’t overlook signs and banners for one-time use that Add theclubchair.com can help you express your company vision.

• Teach a concept. Sales meetings and training seminars are ripe for instructional posters and directional signs.

• Direct traffic. Floor graphics and way-finding signage at a special event or in and around your office or facility are both practical and necessary.

If you rely on walk-up or drive-by traffic, your “brand experience” begins at your front door. Does it present your business in the best possible light and invite people in? At minimum, have a high-quality company sign that’s easily seen from the street. Windows are a blank canvas for graphic “clings” that let you deliver additional sales messages. Stop by or call to discuss all your signage, printing and marketing needs. Open M-F, 9-5.

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20 Newman Avenue, Rumford, RI (401) 434-4304 • rumforddental.com info@rumforddental.com • July 2012 East Side Monthly

47

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Calendar

by Samantha Leach

July

music | performance | social happenings | galleries | learn | sports

DON’T MISS THIS MONTH: 10 events at the top of our list WBRU Free Summer Concert Series presents The Rice Cakes. July 20 at Waterplace Park, www.wbru.com

1

Movies on the Block: Jaws. July 5 at Grant’s Block, www.shopdowncity. com/news/

2

RI Food Fights Ice Cream Throwdown! July 21 at Wayland Square, www. rifoodfights.com

3

The Rice Cakes

MUSIC arena & club | classical

Photography: Tim Siekiera

AReNA & ClUB MOHEGAN SUN July 5: The Midwest Rock ‘N’ Roll Express featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent. July 6: The Spinners. July 8: Warrant. July 9: Scorpions with special guest Tesla.

July 12: Stevie Nicks. July 21: Candlebox. July 26: Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez. July 29: Everclear, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Lit and Marcy Playground. 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 800-7453000, www.mohegansun.com.

BURNSIDE PARK Thursdays: Burnside Park Beer Garden Music Series. Performances by Tig & Bean, Javelin, Chanteuse and Nomo. 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5544, www.kennedyplaza.org.

CHAN’S July 6: Bruce Marshall Group. July 7: Steve Smith. July 13: Randy Oxford Band. July 16-17: Ana Popovic. 267 Main Street, Woonsocket. 765-1900, www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com.

FOXWOODS July 7: Sarah McLachlan. July 11: Seal.

July 20: Boston. 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT. 800-2002882, www.foxwoods.com.

LUPO’S July 11: Bush. July 18: Matisyahu. July 27: Ingrid Michaelson. 79 Washington Street. 331-5876, www.lupos.com.

WATERPLACE PARK Fridays: 95.5 WBRU Summer Concert Series. July 6: Group Love. July 13: Walk the Moon. July 20: The Rice Cakes. Waterplace Park. 272-9555, www.wbru.com THE MET July 12: EI-P, Killer Mike and Despot.

July 13: John Mayall. July 14: NRBQ and Mark Cutler & The Men of Great Courage. July 18: The Company We Keep, Wind in Sails, Safari and Dallas Higgins. July 21: Andrew Bird, Patrick Wilson. July 28: 2nd Annual Church of Love & Ruin. Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 7291005, www.themetri.com.

ROOTS CAFÉ Every Sunday: Jam/Blues Jam. Every Tuesday: Strictly Jazz Jam. Every

Thursday: Thursday Night Groove.

Every Friday: Lunas Ladies Night. 276 Westminster Street. 272-7422, www. rootscafeprovidence.com.

TWIN RIVER July 6: Felix Brown. July 7: D5 & After Effect. July 13: World Premier Band.

July 20: The Bernadettes. July 21: Fleetwood Maxx- A Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band. July 28: M-80. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. 475-8346, www. twinriver.com.

ClASSICAl & SUCH OPERA PROVIDENCE Every Sunday: Summer Concerts at Hopkins Park. 91 Admiral Street. 3316060, www.operaprovidence.org.

ROGER WILLIAMS NATIONAL MEMORIAL July 21: Downtown Sundown Series: Katherine Quinn, Kayla Ringelhiem, Ed McGuirl and Joanne Lurgio. 282 North Main Street. 521-7266, www. nps.gov/rowi/index.html.

THE BILTMORE Thursdays: Thursdays on the Terrace.

Live jazz. 11 Dorrance Street. 4210700, www.providencebiltmore.com

Ancient and Horribles Parade July 4 at Route 44, www.glocesterri.org

4

Independent Jazz Friday July 6 at Temple-Downtown The Renaissance Hotel, www.temple-downtown.com

5

Campbell’s Tennis Hall of Fame Tennis Championships July 9-15 at International Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tennisfame.com

6

Tribute to Nat King Cole & Teddy Pendgrass July 29 at Pearl, www.pearlrestaurantri.com

7

Storytime at Burnside Park July 12 at 2 Kennedy Plaza, www.kennedyplaza.org

8

Waterfire July 21 at Memorial Park, www. waterfire.org

9

The 50th Wickford Arts Festival July 7-8 at Main & Brown Streets, www.wickfordart.org

10

July 2012 East Side Monthly

49

Calendar

continued...

RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER July 1-5: Headliners National Dance Championships. 1 Sabin Street. 4586000, www.riconvention.com.

THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY & PRACTICE OF NONVIOLENCE July 6: Open Mic Nights: Spoken Word Poetry. 7pm-9pm. Come out and showcase your spoken word talents. Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, 265 Oxford Street. 401-785-2320, www.nonviolenceinstitute.org.

ANNUAL EAST PROVIDENCE HERITAGE FESTIVAL July 19-22: 32nd East Providence Heritage Festival. 201 Mercer Street, East Providence. 435-7511 www.epheritagedays.com Wickford Art Festival

RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY July 12: Concert Under the Elms: Carlos de Leon Latin Jazz Band. July 19: Concert Under the Elms: Duke Robillard Band. July 26: Concert Under the Elms: Magnolia. 52 Power Street. 3318575, www.rihs.org. .

PERFORMANCE comedy | dance | theatre CoMedy COMEDY CONNECTION July 6-7: Cal Verduchi. July 13-14: Pete Costello. July 20-21: Bob Dibuono. July 27-28: Tom Dustin. Every Friday: Hardcore Comedy. Every Sunday: Comedy Showcase. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 438-8383, www.ricomedyconnection.com.

KNOCK DOWN STAND UP July 10: Ben Hague. Spot Underground, 15 Elbow Street. 383-7133, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/219140 THeATRe 95 EMPIRE BLACK BOX Every Thursday; The IJ Apprentice Team.

Every Saturday: Improv Jones. 115 Empire Street. 831-9327, www.as220.org.

2ND STORY THEATRE July 6-8, 11-15, 18-22: Rebecca. 28 Market Street in Warren. 247-4200, www. secondstorytheatre.com.

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East Side Monthly July 2012

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY July 1: Motherhood the Musical. July 1: When Mahalia Sings. 201 Washington Street. 351-4242, www.trinityrep. com.

COURTHOUSE CENTER FOR THE ARTS July 1-14: Titanic: The Musical. 3481 Kingstown Road, West Kingston. www. courthousearts.org.

SOCIAL HAPPENINGS expos | fundraisers | seasonal FoR FoodIeS BOTTLES FINE WINE & CRAFT BEER Fridays and Saturdays: Come enjoy a selection of fine wines and cheeses at this free weekly event. 141 Pitman Street. 372-2030, www.bottlesfinewine.com.

FARMERS MARKET Wednesdays and Saturdays at Lippitt Park. 1059 Hope Street. www.farmfresh. org/food/farmersmarkets.

FeSTIvAlS MCCOY STADIUM July 5: Pawtucket Arts Festival Summer Concert with “Further.” Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. 724-7300. www.pawsox.com

WICKFORD ART FESTIVAL July 7-8: 50th Wickford Art Festival.

Main & Brown Streets, Wickford Village. www.wickfordart.org SeASoNAl BLACKSTONE VALLEY TOURISM COUNCIL July 15, 22, 29: Sunday Evening City Hall Concert Series. www.tourblackstone.com.

WATERFIRE July 21: Fire, music, food and merriment. 273-1155, www.waterfire.org.

GALLERIES GALLERY Z July 5-28: Shari and Christian Rubeck.

July 19 & 26: Opening Receptions for Selections from the Z Collection. 259 Atwells Avenue. 454-8844, www.galleryzprov.com.

GALLERY NIGHT July 19: Visit over 24 galleries, museums and historic sites. 490-2042, www.gallerynight.info.

PROVIDENCE ART CLUB July 1-20: Peter C. Aldrich and Alice Benvie Gebhart: Scenes with Feeling, Libby Manchester Gilpatric and Nancy Hart: The View From Here. July 1: Opening Receptions for Selections from the Providence Art Club. 11 Thomas Street. 331-1114. www.providenceartclub.org.

kIDS + FAMILy BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Saturdays: Children’s Story Time, cozy up in the children’s book section every weekend for a reading adventure. 11am.

244 Thayer Street. 863-3168, www. bookstore.brown.edu.

IN DOWN CITY Thursdays: Movies on the Block. July 5: Jaws. July 12: Caddyshack. Grant’s Block 260 Westminster Street. www. shopdowncity.com/news/ PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Every Saturday and Sunday: Imagination Playground. Mondays: No Time to Waste. July 5-8: Light and Color. July 19-22: Block Builders. 100 South Street.

273-5437, www.childrenmuseum.org.

BURNSIDE PARK Thursdays: Storytime at Burnside Park followed by Art in the Park. 2 Kennedy Plaza. 331-5588, www.kennedyplaza.org.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY July 21: Pam Santos Capture the Beauty of the Night with Watercolors (10 & Up). July 28: Moira Richardson presents Nocturnal Painting (6 & Up). 150 Empire Street. 455-8000, www.provlib.org.

ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO July 9 & 16: Animal Birthday Party Club.

July 11: Sunset Safari features a themed tour at twilight, s’mores and story time.

July 21: Family Overnights, “Creatures of the Night” themed. 1000 Elmwood Avenue. 785-3510, www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org.

HOPE ARTISTE VILLAGE Saturdays: Family Yoga. 10-10:45am and noon-1pm. $15. OM Kids Yoga Center, 999 Main Street, Suite 702, Pawtucket.

305-3667, www.omkidsyogacenter.com.

LEARN discussion | instruction | tour dISCUSSIoN RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY July 21: RiverWalk: Before the Fires are Lit. $10. Departs from John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street. 2737507, www.rihs.org.

Calendar

continued...

Nominated Best Erotic Boutique in U.S., AVN Awards 2012

Mister Sister Erotica More Toys than the Devil has Sinners

Mon 12pm-8pm, Tue-Thur 11-9 Fri-Sat 11-10, Sun 11-5 268 Wickenden Street, Providence • 421- 6969 • Pawtucket Red Sox Baseball

ROGER WILLIAMS NATIONAL MEMORIAL July 21: Sarah Dyer Brittain: On the Death by Hanging of her Sister-in-Law Rebel Quaker Mary Dyer by historic re-enactor Jessa Piaia. 282 North Main Street. 521-7266, www.nps.gov/rowi/ index.html.

BLACKSTONE RIVER Sundays: Blackstone Riverboat Tours; take a 45 minute narrated tour along the Blackstone River. $8-$10. Central Falls Landing at Broad Street & Madeira Avenue, Central Falls. 724-2200, www.rivertourblackstone.com.

INSTRUCTIoN AUDUBON SOCIETY July 7: Rhode Island Butterfly Count.

July 21: Bird-banding Demonstrations.

Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge.

12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 9495454, www.asri.org.

COMMUNITY BOATING CENTER July 7 & 21: River Romp Family Paddling. Community Boating Center, India Point Park, 109 India Street. 4547245, www.communityboating.com.

RISD MUSEUM OF ART July 19: Design the Night: Texts. 5-9pm.

Museum Galleries + Chace Center Plaza. 20 North Main Street. 454-6500, www.risdmuseum.org.

SMITHFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY July 28: Crafts & Tours. Create a Victorian Thaumatrope. Smith-Appleby House Museum. 220 Stillwater Road, Smithfield. 231-7363. www.smithapplebyhouse.org

SPORTS PAWTUCKET RED SOX BASEBALL July 2-3: Home vs. Rochester Red Wings. July 7-8: Home vs. Syracuse Chiefs. July 12-15: Home vs. Buffalo Bisons. July 16-19: Home vs. Syracuse Chiefs. July 28-29: Home vs.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. McCoy Stadium, 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. 724-7300, www.pawsox. com.

To have your listing included in the East Side Monthly Calendar, please send press releases or event information to esm@providenceonline. com. Please send submissions at least one month prior to event date.

Leader’s in Eye Care Since 1927 Dr. David A. Vito Dr. John D. Corrow Dr. Carl D. Corrow Dr. J. Lawrence Norton • Emergencies Seen Immediately • Same Day Appointments Often Available • Evening and Weekend Hours Available • Glaucoma • Macular Degeneration • Cataract • Diabetic Eye Disease • Designer Glasses • Specialty Contact Lenses

331-2020 • www.AdvancedEyeCareRI.com 780 North Main Street, Providence Official Eye Care Provider of the Providence Bruins

July 2012 East Side Monthly

51

Classifieds

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.

dorothy’s CleanIng We clean your home as our own!

References & free estimates. Call 401-274-7871 or 401-524-7453.

east sIde handyman 34 years. Repairs, upgrades & renovations. References. Insured. Reg. #3052. Call 270-3682.

amIsh heIrlooms Dining room sets, TV stands, cedar chests, bedroom & more. 3494313. carriagelanefurniture.com antIques High quality Chinese antiques and folk art products sold by appointment in Bristol. 401-243-4511, www.oldechinatrader.com. antIques Buying 1 item or entire estates of antiques & collectibles; call Stillwater Antiques, 949-4999. applIanCes Shop at Gil’s for the best prices, brands, selection and service. 401253-9789, www.gilsappliances.com audIo/VIdeo help If you need some help with your TV, home theater or stereo, call me at 401-383-4102. Jon Bell, Simply Sight & Sound. Reasonable rates.

25 years of experience.

CeIlIng repaIrs Repairing water damaged, cracked, peeling ceilings & walls. Located on the East Side. Over 100 satisfied local customers. Malin Painting, RI Reg. #19226. Call 226-8332.

CeIlIng WorK, dryWall Plaster (hang, tape & paint). Water damage repair. All phases of carpentry. Reg. #24022. Fully insured.

Steven, E. Prov., 401-641-2452.

Custom CabInetry Fox Kitchen will help create a custom kitchen, bath, bedroom, living room, entertainment center or any interior living space. 1080 Fall River Ave, Seekonk MA, (508) 336-3111.

eleCtrICal serVICes All types. New circuits. Generator systems installed. RI #A3338. MA #16083A. Insured. Call Larry 5292087. Also, small handyman jobs.

Custom WIndoW treatments and more. In-home consultation.

30 years experience. 401-949-1587.

FenCIng and more For railings, gates & fencing, welding, and window guards. Call R. Falco Iron Works at 231-3550. 8 Garibaldi Street, N. Providence.

dog WalKer/pet sItter Trained to administer medications.

Reliable, bonded, references available. Home visits. Call Susan 5273914. Loves animals. dolls & KIds atelIer 18� doll, American Girl doll clothing & accessories, 18� doll furniture, girl’s clothing, personalized gifts, headbands for dolls & girls, handbags & second hand American Girl doll. 324 B Taunton Ave., East Providence. 401-339-5108

JOBS BY JIM Garages & Attics Cleaned

Unwanteds Removed Small Demolitions - Garages, Sheds, etc.

Free Metal Pick-up Appliances & Lawn Mowers â?–Motors â?–Machines â?–Batteries â?–Etc.

Call 401-232-5650 Cell 401-742-7258 52

East Side Monthly July 2012

elder Care aVaIlable Compassionate, intelligent, mature woman seeks sleepover position with elderly person. 20 years experience. Impeccable references. Please call 781-3392 or 497-3392.

Reg. #4614

garage For rent Lloyd Ave., long-term storage, $125/mo. Congdon St., $125 garage, $100 outdoors. Call Roger, 339-4068. rogernc@mac.com

houseCleaner available Crystal Clean, a quality housecleaning service. We don’t cut corners.

Weekly or bi-weekly. We use environmentally friendly products.

Bethany 265-0960.

HOUSE CLEANING

If you need a house cleaner who is organized and with good prices & excellent references, call 401-475-3283 house CleanIng Experienced. Local references. Free estimates. Call Lilly, 401-419-2933.

I buy booKs Old, used and almost new. Also buying photography, art, etc. Call 401-421-2628. jcvp@cox.net

InsulatIon For a free home energy audit & estimate for insulation to save you hundreds every year on heating & cooling costs call AA Insulation, 401-421-3782. Reg. #660

KInd Care ~ senIors Appointments, errands, shopping, cleaning & maint. Refs. Safety bars installed. Reg #3052. 270-3682.

l.a.d. masonry serVICes Free estimates. Cement, brick, stone, patio, walks, driveways, chimneys, fireplaces. Repairs. Bobcat services. Insured. Lic. #29611. www. ladservicesllc.com 401-487-5118

All Concrete Services Specializing in all Masonry Repairs Decorative Stamp Concrete No Job Too Small

Chimney Repair

Reg. # 12299

Classifieds

To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.

MEDINA Painting & Remodeling Co., Inc. For ALL Your Painting & Carpentry Needs

We Specialize in Water Problems (Roofs, Gutters, Basements) Certified Lead Renovated LRM #0514 Fully Insured

Call Al Medina landsCapIng and rototIllIng Lawns and garden maintenance.

Call 523-6649 or 333-9741. laundry Self-serve laundry, pick up/delivery, wash dry fold, and dry cleaning.

Laundry Club, 140 Medway St, Wayland Square. 272-2520 malIn paIntIng Most ceiling & wall repairs, wallpaper removal, oil-based and latex finishes, staining, varnishing. Fully insured, many local references. Safe, secure, fast service. Call 226-8332.

Reg. #19226. master eleCtrICIan Install, service, repair. Expert troubleshooting. Free detailed computerized estimate. Deal direct with owner. Lic. #AC 004110 & insured. Small jobs done promptly.

All work guaranteed. Save $$$.

Family owned & operated. Local resident. Calls returned immediately. 401-258-4793, John.

R.I. Reg. #7320

stone mason 30 yrs. exp. Stone, brick, veneers, walls, fireplaces, patios, chimneys.

Design work. Reg. #7445. Call 6410362. lousstonework.com

proaCtIVe Computer services Home or office. Computer repairs, data recovery. WIFI Solutions.

Fully equipped mobile service. Service calls $40/hr. Call 401-6477702. www.pcsllcri.com

sCreen prIntIng & Embroidery. T-shirts & Sweatshirts.

Max Formal Co., 1164 North Main St., Providence. 421-3268.

property manager aVaIlable 24/7 on call. Rent collection. Rentals, evictions. Call 421-0092.

superb housepaIntIng High end workmanship. Small jobs a specialty. Call Ron 751-3242.

Reg. #18128.

401.438.8771 m & m ConstruCtIon & remodelIng Specializing in drop ceilings, painting, kitchen & bath remodeling, basement finishing. Free estimates.

Reg. #34629. Call 461-2848 or 545-6220. oFFICe For rent Wayland Square, Providence. Small, quiet. Good for psychologist, etc.

Call 944-7555.

plumbIng & heatIng Alpha Mechanical services all of your plumbing, heating and HVAC needs with quality and expertise.

Contact Ryan at 434-4504 or sales@alphamechanical.com.

Lic. #1401 preserVe your memorIes Documents, photos, slides, films saved to CD or DVD. Photos of slides and film contents are available. Your memories will always be fresh. Reasonable rates. Comen Co., 401-230-2524. Email: hcomen@cox.net

rooFIng & ConstruCtIon Dome Construction & Roofing Co. handles residential & commercial roof repair. 401-723-2877.

Lic. #11R, 2241

used musIC Wanted!

Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid.

Call 351-6292.

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

Vinny’s Landscaping

& BOBCAT SERVICES

Spring Cleanups

Spring & Fall Cleanups Bushes Trimmed â?Š Tree Removal Pine Bark Mulch

Lawns Cut -Weekly or Bi-Weekly

Power Raking

Landscape Construction Parking Lot Cleaning

Seed & Sod â—? Fertilizing â—? Planting Rototilling â—? Small Loads Delivered

Handyman â?Š 26 Years Experience

MG Landscaping 743-6015 â?Š 831-5109

Free Estimates

â—?Loam â—?Sand â—?Stone â—?Etc. â—?

497-1461 â—? 231-1851

Willard Roofing & Restoration All Types of Roofing & Exterior Repairs RESIDENTIAL

Siding

â—? COMMERCIAL â—?

Insulation

â—?

Windows

Call Now for a Free Estimate

949-4440

Insured

Discover

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Reg. #14074

MasterCard Accepted

July 2012 East Side Monthly

53

East of Elmgrove

by Elizabeth Rau

Thanks Mom I had a great

Mother’s Day. I know: it’s a market-driven, hypedup holiday that happened long ago on a Sunday in May. Much worse, it’s offensive to the millions of women who have made a choice not to have kids. And, even worse than that, there’s nothing more boring than a parent gushing about their children.

But, please, let me indulge.

Just. This. Once.

Mother’s Day is my favorite holiday. I like it better than Valentine’s Day (too forced), Christmas (rampant consumerism), Gaspee Day (too far away in Warwick), and even Halloween (a Poe drizzle). The sun usually bursts through the clouds on Mother’s Day, and we know who has a hand in that. It’s a day to kick back and let your kids dote on you.

I’ve had a dozen Mother’s Days.

The early ones were fairly uneventful. I got a fistful of wildflowers and a onesie and then went back to changing diapers. As my two boys got older, I got more sophisticated presents: feathery bookmarks, sculptures of penguins, cards with their mug shots. Still, after the offerings, I went back to supervisory roles. The little guys were simply too young to, say, plan dinner.

That’s all changed. They’re 11 and 12 now; practically grown men. They can mop the kitchen floor, whip up an omelet, wash their Little League uniforms, and, yes, even plan a Mother’s Day during which everyone hustles but the broad.

My great day started when my son Henry tapped my shoulder at dawn and whispered in my ear, “Happy Mother’s Day.’’ He asked me what I wanted for breakfast. I said, “Coffee and buttered toast.’’ He said, “Dark coffee?’’

I heard dishes clattering in the kitchen, and a few minutes later Henry appeared at my bedside holding a

54

East Side Monthly July 2012

tray, with my black coffee and a special treat: a mise en place bowl filled with orange marmalade. As I ate my toast, he serenaded me with his uke, playing a little ditty he made up as he went along.

“Bravo,’’ I said, when he plucked his last string.

Presents followed: white tulips, a book for worriers titled Anxious Gardening, and a poem penned by Henry that I’m not at liberty to divulge in full, but let’s just say the eyes welled with the words “loving heart,’’ “peanut butter sandwich,’’ and “napkin in my lap.’’

Henry and his older brother, Peder, asked me where I wanted to go next and I said the shower. After that, we hopped in the car and drove to Seven Arrows Farm in Attleboro. If a nursery exists in heaven (cross fingers), I hope it looks like Seven Arrows, an oasis of serenity.

Magic is at every turn – the climbing hydrangea hugging the oak, the rows of hosta sprouting like green fountains, the bamboo bending in the breeze. For that alone, it’s worth the trip, only a 15-minute drive from the East Side. I bought pots of Thai and Red Rubin basil for my herb garden.

Back home, I ate a turkey sandwich, carried home from the deli for this special day. I made the mistake of reading the paper. Never read the paper on Mother’s Day. Editors like running anti-mother stories. What can I say?

I read a review of a book written by a woman novelist who hates being a mother. One of her kids is a “tyrant,” the other a “Dracula.” As if that weren’t bad enough, the reviewer was a big whiner too, which was obvious from this sourpuss remark: “What is interesting is that despite the mind-numbing boredom that constitutes 95 percent of child-rearing, we continue to have them.”

Them? No one forces you to have kids. Why is it always the writertypes who are miserable parents?

Maybe they need material. Self-sacrifice is part of the package, and what a relief not to think about yourself 24/7. I tossed the review aside and took a sip of my lemonade.

A friend stopped by and asked the boys if they wanted to play baseball.

They said it was Mother’s Day and that they would have to check with the lady of the house. We’re big on baseball in our family, so I said, “Heck yes.” I told them I’d see them after a few homers, and off they went.

Earlier that day, I had made two Mother’s Day requests: clean the bathroom (accomplished promptly) and sweep up the helicopters from the backyard. We have two enormous maple trees that unload millions of annoying seeds every spring.

It’s a pain to get rid of them.

I secured a broom and leaf bag and got to work. My husband took pity on me and helped out. When the boys got back from the ballfield, they also pitched in. Later, the boys and their dad went to the grocery

store. I knew things were going my way when Henry called to ask if I wanted triple-crème brie.

I had requested a meat-free dinner and that’s what I got: oysters, shrimp and smoked bluefish, with my husband’s secret dip. The homemade clam chowder soothed the soul.

Mango sorbet for dessert. I didn’t have to clear the table or rinse the dishes or scrub a pot. Henry wiped down the dining-room table. Peder took out the trash.

“Are you happy, Mom?” Peder said.

“Yep,” I said.

“Did you have a good Mother’s Day?” “Yep,” I said.

“Good,” he said.

I curled up on the sofa and summoned the boys to the room.

“Thanks for being my sons,” I said, sounding all mushy.

“Aw Mom,” said Peder.

Thumbs-up signs all around.

Elizabeth Rau is an East Side resident who can be reached at erau1@ verizon.net and who blogs at eastofelmgrove.wordpress.com.

Illustration: Jessica Pollak

Appreciating the lady who deserves it most

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July 2012 East Side Monthly

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