Rhode Island Feeds

Slater Mill 2010 Gallery Series highlights work in fiber arts and fine craft continuing the mission of the Mill's Jencks Education Center and Community Guild Studios and the Slater Mill collection. The Slater Mill Gallery is located at the Visitor Center, downtown Pawtucket.

Location: Pawtucket, RI

Celebrate French Canada culture with music and dance, puppet show, arts and crafts, open air marketplace, historic tours of nearby Downtown and Apple Pie Contest. Event at River Island Park, Market Square. Marketeer's Recpetion at 5:30 pm location TBA.

Location: Woonsocket, RI

Enjoy live music concerts fron locally and ragionally known folk music artists. Visit website for weekly performances and tickets. Concerts at St. Paul's Church, 50 Park Place.

Location: Pawtucket, RI

Beginning and seasoned gardeners will enjoy workshops on gardens and herbs. Call for workshop details. Hi-On-A-Hill, 836 Old Smithfield Road, North Smithfield, RI

Location: North smithfield, RI

Various artistic films, various locations in Pawtucket. Tickets $10.00

Location: Pawtucket, RI

Scathingly funny, with a thrilling who-dunit at its core, Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama exposes a dog-eat-dog world in which small-time real-estate brokers vie for the hot leads at a Chicago firm selling shoddy properties.

Location: Pawtucket, RI

Conductor Keith Lockhart with special guest Kenny Loggins. Ticket prices start at $39.00. McCoy Stadium, Columbus Avenue

Location: Pawtucket, RI

A special evening to celebrate Lincoln's historic Hearthside mansion's 200th anniversary. Wine and food tastings from 16 area restaurants. Live and silent auction, raffle, live music. Held at St. Basil Event Center, Lincoln. Tickets $25 purchased through www.hearthsidehouse.org or call 726-0597.

Location: Lincoln, RI

Scathingly funny, with a thrilling who-dunit at its core, Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama exposes a dog-eat-dog world in which small-time real-estate brokers vie for the hot leads at a Chicago firm selling shoddy properties.

Location: Pawtucket, RI

Slater Mill 2010 Gallery Series highlights work in fiber arts and fine craft continuing the mission of the Mill's Jencks Education Center and Community Guild Studios and the Slater Mill collection. The Slater Mill Gallery is located at the Visitor Center, downtown Pawtucket.

Location: Pawtucket, RI

projo: Reddick, Kalish, and Anderson give Sox a spark, just like they'd always dreamed http://bit.ly/a5onQr

projo: Wakefield becomes oldest Red Sox winner http://bit.ly/ckepH3

In the midst of a spirited forum at the WBNA Tuesday night, Councilwoman Josephine DiRuzzo accuses Sabina Matos of stealing a mail-in ballot..

Although the evening clearly could have used a few bouncers from Lupo's (particularly one DiRuzzo supporter who needed to be removed), Sabina Matos finally received a chance to respond:  The ballot is sitting at the Board of Electors, who have pursued no claims of theft or fraud.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHwFVIgj94k]

DiRuzzo played a pretty bad hand.  She also told a local crowd how she is helping people all over "the state," which may not curry many votes in a district which has one of the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in Rhode Island.  After 35 years of working in seemingly every department in the state, and considering the current state of affairs, one could argue DiRuzzo has created more problems than solved.  Nobody has the magic potion, but it is time for someone else to give it a try in Silver Lake and Olneyville.

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Plus, the Stone Soup Folk Fest
Hit the Box on North Main Street for a good one FRIDAY (the 10th), led by THE JESSE MINUTE and SIX STAR GENERAL , plus THE MOOD , and NEW IDEA SOCIETY ; $5 at the door, call 401.331.8545.

Wedded blisters
Edward Albee’s brilliant, savage first full-length play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , needs to be done marvelously or not at all. So, thank goodness this Perishable Theatre production is a marvel indeed.

Edward Albee’s brilliant, savage first full-length play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, needs to be done marvelously or not at all. At more than 3-1/2 hours, including two intermissions, anything less than riveting performances will have us smashing our watches under our heels.

But thank goodness. An independent production at Perishable Theatre (through September 12), directed by Jimmy Calitri and co-produced with Josh Short, is a marvel indeed.

The performances here will impress even those who know the play only through Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who skillfully snarled at each other through the 1966 film version, as George and Martha “entertained” a young couple in their living room one long, boozy night.

That wolf pack tone of the play is indicated by Albee’s titles for the three acts: “Fun and Games,” “Walpurgisnacht,” and “The Exorcism.”

Before I detail the savagery, let me draw attention to one of the descriptive words above. Fun — albeit wicked fun — is much of what we’re witnessing George and Martha have as they play emotional badminton, sometimes using their guests as shuttlecocks.

George (Jim O’Brien) is a 40something professor of history — oops, sorry: assistant professor — at a college where the father of his wife, Martha (Rae Mancini), is president. Their 3 am guests, invited over after a faculty party, consist of a handsome young addition to the biology department, Nick (Josh Short), and his bubble-headed wife Honey (Bonnie Griffin). He married her only because she had an hysterical pregnancy, as in psychosomatic.

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It often seems to me that the truly interesting parts of official reports come in the footnotes. That's where the authors of financial statements let you know where the accounts smelled funny, and it's often where the irregularities in methodology are recorded in scientific papers. So that's why I sometimes put interesting things in them, too.

But then someone points out that not everyone reads footnotes the same way I do, and so some important points I want to make get missed.

So to repeat, for those who might have wondered: I had nothing to do with the mystery "whatcheerprov" emails about John Lombardi and Steven Costantino that have been floating around lately. I appreciate the implicit compliment of the name and also that the most recent email was simply forwarding a post I wrote about Costantino last week.  But as I said in that footnote, anonymity isn't my style.

I'm not going to insult the mystery emailer because of a hidden identity.  There are plenty of decent reasons someone might want to be able to write or post things anonymously. (Of course, despite its popularity, the freedom to be gratuitously abusive isn't one of them.) A professional position or family situation might make it difficult for someone to speak their mind openly. And since after the election, many will have to make peace with the victors, the temptation always exists to hide one's identity when taking a stand against a candidate.

The whatcheerprov emails aren't really abusive or personal, and they mostly dwell on policy issues, which are what campaigns ought to be about. I'm not really sure what the point of the anonymity here, but that isn't the question I have been (repeatedly) asked.

So it's not me and that's that, but now that I have your attention, there are two points I'd like to add to this note. The first is that there is a candidate who stands out among the Mayoral choices, and who represents the best way forward for the city I love, and that's Angel Taveras.

There are other candidates who deserve mention. I've written about Steve Costantino, and though I think there would be a certain poetic justice in forcing him to deal with the municipal finance crisis he helped create, his misfortune would be ours, too. John Lombardi is, by all accounts, a decent man, and says a lot of the things you want a Mayor to say. But he has been part of the City Council for over two decades, and spent quite a lot of that time in a position of authority, as Council President. Like Costantino, he has been part of the political system that has created the current crisis, and I can't see how that recommends him to take the helm now. (Plus, he doesn't seem to believe in living wage legislation and other policies I think would have been good ideas.)

It's foolish to blame everyone in government for the state it's in. But the incumbents in question -- Costantino and Lombardi -- haven't been bystanders watching our crises unfold, or activists resisting them. They have actively participated in its creation, despite their good intentions. They will not be the ones to chart a new course out of these waters.

On the flip side, Angel Taveras has no vested interest in the status quo.  He doesn't have to defend his old decisions when changing circumstances suggest we do things differently.  Of course being new is not enough.  But there is more.  I've only had a few conversations with him, but in those conversations, I've been pleased at the combination of intellect and humility I see.  That's exactly what we need: someone smart enough to see what needs fixing, and humble enough to take suggestions from people beyond his inner circle, even if it means changing the way business has always been done. I have been delighted to be able to help his campaign, and I hope you can too.  Please join me in supporting Angel for Mayor, Providence's best chance for a better future.

I said two points I wanted to add. What's the second point? Just that I've got a book to sell and that it contains a lot of suggestions for ways to look at our crises through new eyes, and some ideas for getting out, too. Many of the suggestions are unconventional, but it was conventional thinking that brought us to where we are today, and are you happy with that?

As Final Debates Approach, Segal Urges Cicilline to Do His Best to Tell the Truth:
Cicilline's False Claim at Debate Fits “Disturbing Pattern of Dishonesty and Distortions”

At the critical moment when the voters of Rhode Island's First District are making up their minds in the Congressional race, David Segal today called on David Cicilline to put an end to his “disturbing pattern of dishonesty and distortions.” A recap of David Cicilline’s claims is attached. “If we can't trust Cicilline when he says he's signed a pledge about election reform, then how can we trust his claims to support the reforms that the pledge references." Segal said, "Cicilline's stock answer to any criticism has become, 'I cannot control how my opponents run their campaigns.' But surely he can control what comes out of his own mouth -- and stop trying to deceive the voters.”

A transcript of the exchange between David Segal and David Cicilline during last week's debate is included in the attachment.

“Corporations hand candidates large sums of money because they are investing in those candidates,” said Aaron Swartz, a prominent national advocate for electoral reform and a fellow at Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. “These are classic pay-to-play contributions that should make it clear to Rhode Island voters that David Cicilline is the candidate of big corporate interests – not ordinary Rhode Islanders.” Mr. Swartz was referencing Cicilline's long list of contributions from corporate PACs and principals at corporations; excerpts from that list are included in the attachment.

He continued, “We absolutely must break the connection between private money and politics: That's why I'm supporting David Segal. Not only has he already taken on clean election work at the state level but he's taken no corporate PAC money and has instead raised money in small donations from thousands of contributors.”

“David Cicilline is running his campaign on the work that David Segal has done,” said Dania Flores a community organizer and David Segal supporter. “From the environment, to issues of economic opportunity, to election reform there is only one candidate who has consistently fought for Rhode Islanders and fought for our progressive values- that's David Segal.”

###

BACKGROUND
1. The Move On Pledge: At last week's debate, broadcast on ABC6 and WRNI, Segal asked Cicilline a direct yes-no question twice about signing onto a pledge that MoveOn has put forth about election reform, to which the Mayor replied by asserting a lie. Below is a transcript of the exchange:
Segal: “Will you sign the pledge that MoveOn has put forth that asks candidates to assert that they will support the Fair Elections Now Act and reform the Citizens United [court case]?”

Cicilline: “I've already done that.”

Segal: “You’ve already signed the pledge?”

Cicilline: “Yes.”
MoveOn and local media outlets have since confirmed that Cicilline has not signed, and has actively refused to sign, the pledge in question.2. Cicilline claims to want to break the connection between money and politics. Earlier in the same debate, Cicilline claimed that he'd taken no money from corporations, because to do so directly would be in clear violation of the law. But he has taken tens of thousands of dollars from PACs representing corporate interests and the principals of corporations. Cicilline claims to want to “break the connection between money and politics,” yet has a long-standing habit of taking money from all comers, including businesses with interests before the city of Providence, and entities that have fought against legislation that would benefit the people of Rhode Island. These include, but are by no means limited to:
• $2500 from Aramark, which has a lucrative school-lunch contract extension pending before the city;
• Repeated contributions from Bank of America and Citizens Bank during his tenure as Mayor;
• $1000 from the Dominion Resources PAC, the PAC for a coal and nuclear energy operation based in Virginia;
• At least $6800 from the principles of the Procaccianti Group – owners of the Westin, Hilton, and Radisson Hotels in Providence, who enacted sweeping pay and benefit cuts for their workers, and are fighting a city ordinance that would restrict their ability to outsource work;
• $5,000 from the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, which opposed the public insurance option during the health care reform fight – and even fought provisions limiting the amount of health insurance premiums that go to administrative costs and corporate profit.
3. Providence Jobs Program, First Source
At the first televised debate in July, Cicilline attacked Segal for “eating cake” at a mock birthday party intended to draw attention to the fact that the Cicilline was actively refusing to enforce the 20 year-old First Source jobs ordinance. Segal and others ultimately sued Cicilline in Superior Court to force him to implement the program. Cicilline later tried to take credit for First Source in his “Jobs Now” television commercial, which cites an article about the program, even though he only implemented the program after ordered to do so by a judge.4. “3 billion in new investment” Cicilline has falsely claimed to have “ushered in $3 billion in new investment” to Providence, where he claimed credit for projects that began years before his term as Mayor. The Providence Journal's Politifact has declared the Mayor's claims to be simply “false.”5. Claiming credit for work done by City Council without his assistance
In a recent op-ed in Motif Magazine, Cicilline claimed credit for renewable energy legislation that Segal and other Council members passed without the Mayor's assistance. The ordinance created a Renewable Energy Task Force, to which Cicilline made appointments only after repeated requests by the Council and the environmentalist community – leaving the Task Force dysfunctional for months after passage of the law.6. Misleading Position on the War in Afghanistan
David Cicilline has often publicly stated he is opposed to the war in Afghanistan, and yet has pledged to continue to vote for war funding. David Segal has pledged that the only appropriations bill he will support is the one that brings our troops home safely.
Segal will confront Cicilline about his pattern of dishonesty and misleading claims at the debate Thursday night at the Woonsocket High School auditorium, which will take place from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.

The Mayor is launching a design competition for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge on Friday afternoon. The RFP will reportedly be up on the Planning Department’s website by Friday. I will be at the press conference on Friday and will be reporting back the salient details.

In the meantime, check out this thread from January when we last discussed this bridge proposal.

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Hoopleville
Hipster Tip #27: Always be painfully literal.

Taking the stuffing out of stuff we have to look at
Long-term public art has a greater responsibility to the community, to the public, than regular gallery art.

Long-term public art has a greater responsibility to the community, to the public, than regular gallery art. Gallery art can afford to be crazier, more acid, more painful, more anti-social, and more just plain bad, because our experience of it is temporary. But long-term public art, like architecture, is something we have to live with. And usually we, the public, have no say over what public art or architecture that is. I do not mean that we want public art or architecture with no teeth. (Bland, saccharine, toothless stuff is one of the major failings of public art.) Only that it should be a companionable beast.

A key aspect of public art that’s often left out is the public. Usually, the public is not involved in choosing public art; that decision is given to small committees or individuals or private businesses. Individuals or small groups are often best for selecting great art, so I’m not trying to change the selection process.

That said, public art — even works we hate — should be given a chance. Years. Sometimes it takes a while for something to grow on you. Sometimes it takes a while just to figure something out. Sometimes something that looked cool at first becomes trite.

But after giving public art a fair shot, the public has the right to impeach bad public art. I don’t mean for bad public art to be destroyed. Just removed. Perhaps some other community would benefit from some quality time with it. And new public art should take its place.

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