New Listing! $155,000
New Listing! $329,900
New Listing! $259,000
Wonderfully convenient to Brown, Downtown. Totally updated with large cook’s kitchen, hardwoods, A/C, laundry in unit, porch, two-car parking, storage. Owner occupied association.
Distinctive 2nd floor condo in historic College Hill building. High ceilings, beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows, 2 fireplaces, garage parking. Walk to Brown, Thayer Street, Wayland Square.
Spacious 3rd floor condo in beautiful turn of the century Victorian. 2 bed w/laundry, A/C, hardwoods. Walking distance to Thayer Street, Brown, Downtown & train station.
Chris Healy
Sue Erkkinen
Myra Braverman
New Listing! $625,000
Mid-century 3 bed, 2½ bath brick Colonial East of Blackstone Blvd. Custom kitchen, 2 fireplaces, central air, hardwoods, family room, 2 car garage.
Sue Erkkinen
New Listing! $275,000
New Listing! $449,000
Lovely Colonial with many terrific updates in prime Oak Hill location. Gourmet cherry/stainless/ granite kitchen, 3 large bedrooms plus office/den. A beautifully maintained home!
Linda Mittleman
Lise Holst
New Listing! $184,900
Sunny Townhouse condo overlooking peaceful green space courtyard. New kitchen, exposed brick, elevator, waterfront location - blocks to Brown, Downtown, hospitals, restaurants, shops. Professionally managed.
Luca Sawada
New Listing! $1,025,000
Walk into this elegant foyer to view period details in this 10 room brick Colonial. Double stairway, spacious rooms enhances the beauty. Private grounds for entertaining.
Federal Hill. Legal 2 unit! Close to everything the Capitol City has to offer. Offers maintenance free exterior, replacement windows, hardwoods, 2 car garage. Estate Sale.
Thom Hammond
New Listing! $431,000
Move-in condition, built 1988. Open floor plan, spacious rooms, natural light. Granite/stainless kitchen opens to dining room, big bedrooms. Two-car garage, fenced garden, patio, in-ground pool.
Luca Sawada
COLEMANREALTORS.COM Providence 401.274.3636
barrington 401.245.3050
east greenwich 401.884.5522
corPorate relocation 401.277.0570
watch hill 401.596.2390
Contents March 2013
This Month 11 Big Happenings at RISD An inside look at up and coming changes at a Providence gem
16 Spring Arts Preview What to look forward to all season long
18 The New Bed and Breakfast How technology has changed where to stay
21 Juggling Life A life coach’s fresh perspective on a way to build confidence
23 Preserving Providence
RISD Museum Director John Smith
41 Education
29 Movies
Two films showcase criminal intent
The Preservation Society’s new pick for their 2013 Winter Bash
Photography: Corey Grayhorse
11
What are standardized tests really testing?
32 On the Menu
All the info on March happenings
34 Dining Guide
50 East of Elmgrove
Every Month
Your resource for eating out
4 Other Side
The ease of buying good art online
5 Letters/Editorial
38 Finance
7 Community News
43 Calendar
Expanding our fabulous farmers markets
How clamming is the perfect winter time activity for the family
37 Art
Taking affordability college planning
into
account
On the cover
for
RISD Museum Director John Smith photographed by Corey Grayhorse
FAmily owned And operAted For over 50 yeArs FEATURED PROPERTY
Aleen WeissH Jon WeissHF Karen MillerH Claire Sennott
Recently Reduced! 6 Josephine Drive, Smithfield This 2008 custom built Colonial with a wrap around farmer’s porch has tons of classic charm with all the new amenities. The open floor plan is great for entertaining with the action centering around a huge granite topped kitchen island. Enjoy a refreshing drink on the screen porch or a good book in the reading den off the master suite. No space was left unused! There is potential for future expansion with a walk up attic and lower levels that are just “screaming” to be finished. Close to RI 295 and Rt. 146. For private appointment call us today! $629,000 Listed by Lauren Sickel
Assisting Buyers, sellers And renters
Howard Weiss Lauren Sickel
HAlso licensed in MA FLicensed RI Environmental Lead Inspector 0065
785 Hope street, providence, ri 4 01-272-6161 • spitzweiss.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
3
Other Side by Barry Fain
Retail Monopoly Several Thayer Street locations change hands Continuing to Shuffle the Deck on Thayer Street
While Gilbane and the City remain locked over tax and apprenticeship issues, putting the apartment/dormitory project in a holding pattern, several major retail deals on the street promise more immediate changes that are coming to the street regardless. Gourmet Heaven, the boutique food market on Weybosset Street downtown, has hired Site Specific to renovate the old Via Via pizza location on Meeting Street and hopes to open soon. Meanwhile Brown recently bought the City Sports store on Thayer. Before you yell “foul,” Brown is doing the right thing and made the purchase through its Fairview Realty division, which does pay full taxes to the City. And finally Steve Lewinstein, the major property owner on the street, recently bought the old Store 24 building. Rumors are he will be adding two stories and is considering a drug store with apartments above. Long time East Siders may wistfully recall the genteel EP Anthony Apothecary with its wonderful chocolate department. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Suffice it to say, things are changing on Thayer.
Ten Stories With Views
The other hot rumor is that a huge ten-story apartment complex is about to be proposed for the empty parking lots bounded by Canal, North Main and Steeple Streets. Projects have been presented for this space before but this one has legs, we’re told. The market would be for downtown living rather than students. And of course there is the old Superman building now vacant which has some 20 plus floors and even better views, and is obviously in play. It doesn’t have much in the way of parking though. It’s going to take
4
East Side Monthly March 2013
a superhero to help advance this important piece of Providence forward, but hopefully it can be done.
Director James Hall to Leave PPS
The Providence Preservation Society (PPS) will be losing its charismatic executive director in a move that seemingly has caught everyone by surprise. The popular and energetic Hall will be heading down south, West Palm Beach to be precise, to help head the well-regarded Norton Museum of Art. Interestingly he will be reuniting with former RISD Museum director Hope Alswang. Hall had worked for years in administration at RISD before taking over his recent position at PPS. The good news for James is that he can travel light; leaving behind all the snow gear he needed to make it through our recent blizzard. We wish him good luck in his new position. The shoes, snow boots or otherwise, he leaves behind are big ones to fill indeed.
Temple Beth-El Offers a March Jewish Film Festival
The sisterhood of Temple Beth-el will be holding a three-film movie festival during the first three Sundays in March. On the third, they’ll be screening Jewish Soldiers in the Blue and Gray. It will be followed the next Sunday by the film Two who Dared: The Sharps’ War. Finally, A Journal of Spirit will be shown on the 17th. All films will be shown at the Temple on Orchard Avenue and will begin at 2pm. Visit www.templebeth-el.org to sign up and learn more about the event.
R.I.P., H.P.
March 15 has special meaning for the devoted cadre of followers who view horror genre master H.P. Lovecraft with almost cult like devotion. The writer, who was born and lived his
Lovecraft’s grave at Swan Point Cemetery
whole life in Providence, wandered the streets of the city spinning his eerie tales, including an ancient race of people who lived in a parallel universe below the surface. He also wrote of haunted houses on the East Side that still exist. Several of his tales, most notably the “Shuttered Room” have even made it to the silver screen. Lovecraft is buried in Swan Point Cemetery and often on the day of his death, March 15, it is not unusual to have dozens of loyalists appear at his grave, many in appropriate garb, to read from his works or in some cases recite original poems in his honor. As we go to press we’re not sure what’s on for this year. We do know that in conjunction with Gallery Night Providence, the RI Historical Society is presenting a free lecture by Neil S. Hobbs, a local marine biologist and an organizer of NecronomiCon-Providence, titled H.P. Lovecraft’s Gods: Atheism and the Cthulhu Mythos. The Rhode Island Historical Society is also hosting a special literary walking tour based
on sites and events from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and many letters written by the author planned in his honor set for March 23. Check out www.rihs.org for details. And if we get more specifics on graveside events, we’ll post them on our website www.EastSideMonthly.com.
Another First FirstWorks
Rate
Fresh off their sold out Veterans Memorial Auditorium performance of jazz master Wynton Marsalis in January, FirstWorks goes for the gold again this month when it brings in the legendary Joffrey Ballet to PPAC on March 19. But this is not just any ordinary ballet performance. It will be a specially staged event that celebrates the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky iconic The Rite of Spring. It promises for another “can’t miss” event. Call 421-ARTS or check out www.ppac.org for ticket details and specifics on what should be a truly special evening.
1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 tel: 305-3391 | fax: 305-3392 esm@providenceonline.com www.eastsidemonthly.com
Editorial
Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell
Take the Broadest View of Thayer Street One of the positive outgrowths of what we still regard as an unfortunate decision to rush through the rezoning of Thayer Street to allow the construction of the Gilbane apartments/ dormitory, was the creation of a working committee to provide a more systemic overview of the entire area up to Lloyd Avenue. The committee represents most of the major stakeholders: Mike McCormick from Brown University, Allison Spooner from the College Hill Neighborhood Associate, James Hall, head of PPS, Gary Esposito from Wheeler School and Robin Remy representing the Thayer Street DMA. The process will be led by Bonnie Nickerson, Director of Long-Range Planning for the City who has already launched
an RFP for a facilitating partner to help with coordination. While consensus is unlikely, the establishment of priorities and concerns should prove useful to avoid the most recent modus operandi, one might call it “spot zoning,” where a single project was allowed to dictate what, because of its size, will initiate a series of ripples that will clearly affect the entire Thayer Street area. While we applaud the willingness of the participants coming together, we would modestly suggest that there needs to be a mechanism to also include someone dedicated to representing the immediate abutting residents who will be geographically most effected by any projects along the
corridor. Many of them bought into the neighborhood expecting one kind of Thayer Street, a mixed use, quirky amalgam of small student occupied houses, institutional properties and retail but now will be confronted with several dormitories, a possible hotel and heaven knows what else. Plus, how will these decisions effect the precious green space that will remain when the new projects go up both on Thayer and Brook? This is not to say the abutting residents should have a say any more legitimate than anyone else. But they certainly should at least have a seat at the table. We wish the group luck as they begin this important community exercise.
Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre Managing Editor Barry Fain City Editor Steve Triedman Executive Editor Julie Tremaine Special Projects Manager John Taraborelli Art Director Karli Hendrickson Associate Editor Grace Lentini Assistant Art Director Meghan H. Follett Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas Graphic Designers Veatsna Sok Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich, Ann Gallagher, Nicole Greenspun, Dan Schwartz, Elizabeth Riel, Chelsea Sherman, Sharon Sylvester, Kimberly Tingle, Jessica Webb
Letters A Heartfelt Goodbye To the Editor: This week my family and I said goodbye to the burger restaurant Ugly American on Ives Street, a local business that was not only nourishing our bodies with great food made with passion from the owner, Gary, but also our souls. This place was committed to goodness in so many ways: it was an unpretentious, anti-commercial, non-flashy, down to earth little mom and pop restaurant providing wholesome yummy food made from scratch, as well as smiles and giggles (the drawings on the walls were drawn by Gary’s children and friends). For example, one late morning I went in to get a Cheese (signature burger) before venturing out to a heavily scheduled day and I saw Gary, busily cooking a huge breakfast meal. He said calmly, “Just
Classified Advertising Sue Howarth
a moment please and I’ll be right with you.” Five minutes later I saw that this huge meal was prepared for his kitchen staff, and I realized that he was an employer who had some people with disabilities working for him. Well, that just struck me as amazing, and I realized the beauty and benevolence of this little business that did so much for the community. Since then our family enjoyed the super yummy hand-cut fries with potatoes sourced from Quonset View Farms, the fresh patties made from the Meat Market on Gano street, the fresh rolls from Silver Star Bakery on Ives, and the beautiful decorations outside the restaurant. There were opportunities for some creative play for our son and his friends, who left animated characters on the black boards. The list goes on and on: a list of good memories, good deeds, as well as good food. We’ll
miss Gary and Ugly American, and we’re sorry they lost their lease. Anna Amiradaki
Farewell from my Family To the Editor: I’ve been new to the neighborhood for a couple of months now, and Ugly American always made me feel welcome. My four-year-old and I cannot get enough of the burgers there. I still remember ordering a cheeseburger and getting this humongous plate with crispy-melted cheese oozing all over the paper. It was bliss. I was so thrilled to find a place that served quality food at affordable prices. Plus Thom always enjoys writing on the wall too. Ugly American had better fries than 5 Guys Burgers and better burgers than Harry’s or Luxe. I will miss the food but most of all I will miss the service. Hope the landlord sees the light. Cat
Contributing Writers Bob Cipriano, Mary K. Connor, Jill Davidson, Mike Fink, Don Fowler, David Goldstein, Betsey Purinton, Dale Rappaneau, Elizabeth Rau, Dan Schwartz, Erin Swanson Interns Brianna Blank, Nick Cantor, Caley MacDonald, Courtney Melo, Lauren Tait, Tiouba Parris, Alex Palumbo, Nile Schley Contributing Photographers EG Photo, Stacey Doyle, Corey Grayhorse Contributing Illustrators Ashley MacLure, Maret Paetznick, Jessica Pollak, Christina Song 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 ©2013 by East Side Monthly. All rights reserved. Printed by TCI. March 2013 East Side Monthly
5
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: 489-7078 Website: www.SummitNeighbors.org Email: sna@sna.providence.ri.us Mailing Address: SNA, PO Box 41092, Providence, RI 02940 Annual Meeting Elects Bigger Board, Discusses Future of Neighborhood As of this writing, the members of SNA were to meet February 25 to elect a new, expanded board of directors, bringing the total to just over 20. In addition, a panel of prominent neighborhood residents, activists and experts was to lead a round-table discussion of what lies ahead for Summit in particular and Providence as a whole. Various elected and administrative officials were to be on hand to meet with anyone who had specific questions about local events or policies. For a thorough report on the proceedings, see the web site. Park Upgrade, Gardens Moving Ahead City Parks Director Bob McMahon has indicated to the SNA board that planned improvements to the Summit Avenue “Tot Lot” are in the works, whether or not the introduction of community gardens there is approved. However, he also urged the SNA to move ahead with plans to raise the neighborhood’s $15,000 share of the needed $60,000 to implement the garden program, as he fully supports the proposal, In response, the board voted at its regular meeting January 21 to request a $2,500 legislative grant to be used for the community gardens. Board member Anthony Arrigo is to write the application, which will be brought to the attention of newly elected Sen. Gayle Goldin. The board is also exploring seeking funds from Miriam Hospital and other possible sources. In other park news, board member Dan MacLellan is investigating how SNA can facilitate the introduction of recycling
containers in Lippitt Park. There appears to be the possibility that the city might be able to incorporate the handling of the recycled material if the appropriate bins or cans can be provided. In addition, board member Tom Schmeling is to ask the parks department about its plans to put up the benches that SNA was instrumental in purchasing for Lippitt. Volunteers Helping To Clear The Snow With snow season fully under way, the SNA’s program to help elderly or disabled residents clear their walks is going well, reports project coordinators Thomas Schmeling and Britt Page. They said there were four people requesting aid and eight volunteers to provide it. Schmeling and Page are asking for more people to step forward so the assistance program can accommodate everyone in need. Please email SNASnow@gmail.com if you can help. Other Projects and Activities • Planning continues for a spring Easter Egg Hunt. • The North Main Street Merchants Association, in cooperation with The Miriam Hospital, is discussing a music festival in September at the parking lot for the former arena and may include a free document-shredding opportunity. See our web site, www.SummitNeighbors.org, for information on all of the above. Residents Invited To Directors Meetings The board convenes 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.
Wayland Square by David Kolsky Neighborhood Discussion Group at Books on the Square Website: groups.yahoo.com/group/ waylandsquare Monthly meetings Wednesday, February 27 and Wednesday, March 27, at 7pm, Books on the
Square, 471 Angell Street at Elmgrove, next to CVS. Free and open to all. Ugly American The only particular local news concerns the Ugly American hamburger and sandwich bar on Ives Street near Power. (This corner can either be considered, as it was 60 to 80 years ago, to be the heart of Fox Point, or else the meetingpoint of Fox Point, Wayland Square and College Hill.) The Ugly American’s owners lost the lease to their premises as of the end of January, when I write this, and there was a petition and movement from many upset customers and neighbors asking the landlord to reconsider. More Local News Check our Yahoo! Group’s public message board (above) to stay abreast of current local events and issues. Or join the group to receive regular announcements by e-mail, including select notices of neighborhood meetings, improvement projects, city business, college activities and artistic displays.
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 Save the Date of Saturday, April 20 for our 7th Annual Earth Day Cleanup and Celebration with Joe’s Backyard Band from 1:30-4pm. Please check our website for updated times and activities. Brown Street Park is proud to be a part of the new Partnership for Providence Parks. The partnership is a new non-profit initiative of the Providence Parks and Recreation Department and many community partners to support the many volunteer groups that grow our parks. There are three new groups on the East Side: Friends of Paterson Park, Friends of Gladys Potter (Humbolt
St) Park and Friends of the Wild Place. To learn more about the Partnership and what these other groups are up to, check out www.providenceparks. org or www.facebook.com/PartnershipForProvidenceParks. If you are interested in starting or joining a park group, please email wendy@providenceparks.org 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
Blackstone Parks by Jane Peterson Blackstone Parks Phone Number: 270-3014 Website: www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org Mailing Address: P.O. Box 603141, Providence 02906 One Pond, Three Generations “Lumpy, cracks, soft around the edge, branches - that was part of the charm of the old Hockey Pond,” recalls Bill Twaddell, who grew up on Oriole Street. Best of all was playing with neighborhood kids plus a few from Fox Point - perhaps 30, “on a nice cold winter day,” in the 1940s and 1950s. Bill says even when he couldn’t skate, “I’d get out there in my shoes and slip and slide, which was fun too.” For Al Dahlberg, Jr., his three children and neighbors today, ice suitable for skating on the River Road pond just south of Angell Street in the Blackstone Park Conservation District is more rare than it used to be. When the pond does freeze, as it did twice in January, it is perhaps all the more exhilarating to get out there. On a Sunday morning in mid-January adults and children could be heard whooping and hollering as they chased the puck, heady with the delight of being, in Al’s words, “outside, surrounded by trees, in T-shirts. It was glorious! The freedom of outdoor skating is part of the lure as the pond lacks the rules March 2013 East Side Monthly
7
March Madness!
Fill your brackets and your belly. delivery thru www.ljsbbq.foodler.com
Community News
Lunch & Dinner Daily 11:30am - close
and Weekend Brunch 10:00am - 2:00pm
727 East Ave. Pawtucket 401.305.5255 • LJsBBQ.com
6 New AffordAble GREEN coNdomiNiums
Just steps to wayland square and all of the east side’s amenities. All units have full appliances including w/d in units, yard, parking. A must see in this price range! from $145,900.
Mark Greenbaum
Keller Williams East Bay 978-660-4292 mrkgrnbm@yahoo.com
i, CPT
Gail Ruggier
Bring the Gym to Your Home!
Specializing in Clients Over 40 Circuits (all levels) • TRX Pilates & Kettlebells (all ages)
374-7709 • LeanOnMeRI.com
8
East Side Monthly March 2013
and schedules that apply in an indoor rink. Then, too,” he adds, “there’s the beauty and the sense of community.” One of Bill’s favorite summer memories is of catching tadpoles and minnows with his brothers and friends and bringing them home to put in a big crock. But when Al Dahlberg’s kids aged 13, 11 and eight - have taken nets down to the pond the last few years, they’ve been disappointed, for water life is now sparse. Climate change explains dwindling ice, but what is causing the minnows’ decline? When the Dahlbergs visit a friend’s pond in Cumberland, they quickly fill their nets – so climate change may not be the answer. The pond is spring fed, so the runoff pollution that plagues stream-fed York Pond to the north is unlikely to be the cause. Like other unwelcome changes in habitat in the Blackstone Park Conservation District - invasive plant species and vandalism, for example - this one needs to be understood before it can be addressed. As co-steward with the Providence Parks Department of the Boulevard and the woodland overlooking the Seekonk River, the Blackstone Parks Conservancy tries to stimulate interest in such questions among established scientists and budding researchers as well. The Conservancy’s new education committee is reaching out to other middle schools and high schools and colleges to facilitate more exploration of the woods and ponds in the Blackstone Park Conservation District. More students need to ask the questions that might eventually lead to solutions to some of the puzzles. Eventually, the education committee intends to arrange various children’s activities focused on the pond. The Urban Naturalist after school program (sponsored by Audubon Society of RI and the Providence After School Alliance) that brings Nathan Bishop middle school students to what they call “our Park” every week is one wellestablished program. It serves as a model for how to expose young people to nature and science. One question that can’t be answered by research: Is it possible to recapture the old sense of freedom and joy of playing in the woods? What will the memories of their play be for today’s 12-year-olds? If our vision of Healthy
Urban Green Space For All is realized in Providence, their experience will be richer in a few years than it is now. Events and Activities • URI course on invasive plant removal for CRMC certification – March 14-15. Register online at www.uri.edu/ cels/ceoc/LR_IPMCP.html • Annual Meeting, April 2, 6 – 7:30pm. at Lippitt House • Earth Day April 20 Eastside Marketplace receipts needn’t add up to $4,000, as one recent gift did. We thank you for bundles of any amount. Please keep sending them to the P.O. Box above.
College Hill by Allison Spooner College Hill Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 633-5230 Website: www.collegehillna.com Email: chna@collegehillna.com Mailing Address: CHNA, P.O. Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906 CHNA February Social Event We welcome everyone to join us at Kartabar (284 Thayer Street) on Thursday, February 28 from 6 to 8pm for cocktails and delicious Mediterranean fare! A terrific opportunity to reconnect with neighbors, new and known, and also get updated on CHNA’s current work and new direction. Have a complimentary drink on CHNA for renewing your membership or becoming a new member! CHNA Board Takes a New CommunityFocused Direction The CHNA Board has been working diligently over the past several months to rebuild its foundation to move it in a more community-based direction. Yes, it may be a dry subject, but we have worked with General Counsel to also revise the bylaws to provide for a broader membership and focused purpose. The Board has preliminarily approved the new changes. The final vote will be taken on March 4 and we welcome all CHNA members to this meeting. In the meantime, the complete bylaw revisions are available at www.collegehillna.
com on the News and Updates page. Opening our membership also allows us to build a stronger Board to manage the issues of College Hill in a more productive and collaborative effort. If you are interested in becoming more involved in our community and considering a Board seat, you can simply email us at chna@collegehillna. com with your contact information and interests as a first step. Wheeler School Offers “Campus Project Updates” The Wheeler School welcomes CHNA members to attend a presentation on Monday, February 25 at 7pm, 211 Hope Street that details their new campus projects. The CHNA Board endorses the proposals based on them being positive development for the Wheeler School, visually cohesive and providing a new resource for the community. Dues are Due! A reminder to members to renew your CHNA membership this month – new members are welcome as well! Annual dues have changed slightly to $20 per year for an individual membership or $35 per year for a family. To join (or renew), visit our website, www.collegehillna.com and click “Join CHNA.” Checks may be made out to CHNA Attn: Treasurer, Box 2442, Providence, RI 02906. Be sure to include your email address. Why join or renew? Our charge is to advocate for our neighborhood, build community and preserve the quality of life and unique character of College Hill. Your membership offers the means for the College Hill Neighborhood Association to address issues and provide support to our community. As a member you will receive the CHNA enewsletter that brings you notification of city and community news, events and crime alerts as well as invitations to all CHNA special events and meetings. We will have special incentives for members this year, so be sure to join or renew now!
Fox Point by John Rousseau Fox Point Neighborhood Association Phone Number: 270-7121
Community News
Get Your Abs On! Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors
Celebrating 44 Years Website: www.fpna.net Email: fpna@cox.net Mailing Address: P.O. Box 603177, Providence, RI 02906 Events This Month FPNA will hold its Monthly Board Meeting March 11 in the Community Room at the Vartan Gregorian Bath House Library, 455 Wickenden Street. Friends of Cabral Park Forms A new Friends of Cabral Park has formed to advocate for more improvements to the multi-use children’s public park that is bordered by Vartan Gregorian Elementary School and the Boys and Girls Club on Wickenden Street. The community came together this past summer, which resulted in the construction ramp ways and other equipment that now allow for wheelchair accessibility to the playground structure at the park. It was a joint effort of the Parent Teachers Organization and the Providence Department of Parks under the guidance of Superintendent Robert McMahon. Funding was provided with block grant money from the City of Providence and contributions from over a dozen organizations, including FPNA. Since then, an all-inclusive kids event was held, called Playful Providence Celebration at Cabral Park. It featured music, an art mural project, a bubble station and of course the park’s new handicap accessible playground structure that was constructed in June. The celebration is being organized through the newly established Partnership for Providence Parks through the Providence Department of Parks to encourage families from around the city to visit new parks and try different ways of playing. The playground at Cabral Park, 515 Wickenden Street, becomes the city’s second wheelchair accessible playground; the other is the Hasbro Playground at Roger Williams Park. Besides the play equipment, the aging park also has a water park, baseball field and basketball courts. “We are guardians of the park,” says Jane Zogott, the new group’s leader, who wants to participate in clean ups, plan and execute improvements and work with community partners in planning educational and fun events. You can contact Jane at janezogott@gmail. com or by calling 450-9912.
Who Has Williams Landing Rock? According to Paul Campbell, an archivist with the City of Providence, rumors there are some East Siders who still have fragments of the famous rock. “When the City filled in the area around Gano Street they raised the grade considerably resulting in the slate rock at the bottom of a 20 foot deep depression,” Campbell explains. “Apparently they (the City) decided to use dynamite in an effort to dislodge the rock and elevate it but the rock fragmented.” You will be able to read more about the Slate Rock and the changing shoreline on an historical marker at Gano Park that FPNA has in production. Like Cabral Park, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association has worked closely with the Parks Department and Councilman Seth Yurdin’s Office. FPNA’s Seekonk Shoreline Initiative at Gano Park has generated an e-mail list of stakeholders in the park. It started in 2009 with shoreline clean ups, assisted by $1,500 Earth Day Grants from the Department of Environmental Management. The continuing flow of ideas also has resulted in recommendations from governmental officials on possible grant ideas from greenway groups and continuing assistance from the Parks Department. So far, FPNA, has received a $1,982 grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and an initial $2,500 from the Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Community Relations Fund to construct the historical marker. The historical signage also will direct visitors across Gano Street to the visible monument at Roger Williams Landing Park, which is considered Williams’ actual debarkation point. The target date for the construction of the marker and re-installation of the plaques on the Roger Williams Landing Park monument has been set for the spring of 2013. FPNA, assisted by the Mayor’s Office and the Parks Department, is planning a simultaneous dedication ceremony for the Gano Street Parks. Public relations events were a condition of the council’s grant award. Have an idea for an improvement in Fox Point and want to step up and join the board as a Committee Chair of that idea? Then, contact us at fpna@cox.net
We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models Toyota • Kia • Nissan • Chrysler Audi • Lexus • Infinity • Ford Volkswagen • Honda • BMW Chevy • Isuzu • Mercedes • Mini Prosche • Ford • General Motors Mazda • Saab • Volvo • Hyundai Saturn • Subaru • Mitsubishi
Pilates, Personal Training and TRX CLASSES! at the new
ASE Certified RI inspection and repair station #27b
Mind 2 Body Fit Studio
401-723-1111
www.mind2bodyfit.com 774-406-8222
729 East Avenue
The Plant, 60 Valley Street Providence, RI
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid
JJ’s
on Providence’s West Side
FLOOR
COVERING
OUTLET
FlooR CoveRing FoR All BudgetS
Never Pay Full Price Again! Free In Home estImates Professional installation • Carpet • Ceramic Tile • Wood
• Marble • Granite • Vinyl
30 Years In Business! Featuring Brands Like:
CARRying
Wool Carpeting & Stair Runners
• Glen eden • royal Dutch • antrim Carpets • Godfrey Hirst • stanton
Why Wool?
Stain Resistant • Durable Ages Gracefully
1874 Fall River Ave (Rt 6) • Seekonk, MA (508)336-4860 • www.jjsfloors.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
9
THE BEST OF ATLANTA’S NATiONAL HANDMADE rug SHOW HAS ArriVED iN PrOViDENCE
RUSTIGIAN RUGS One GOvernOr Street, PrOvidence
401-751-5100 Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5
rustigianrugs.com conveniently located at the corner of Governor and Wickenden Street on the east Side of Providence. Just up the street from Adler's Hardware
The ArT of CurATion RISD Museum Director John Smith on bringing fine art into the community
Photography: Corey Grayhorse
By Steven Triedman Photography by Corey Grayhorse
Recognized in museum circles around the world, the RISD Museum is a true treasure. Running it is a career-defining position that Director John Smith, a quick study, has embraced with high energy and enthusiasm, constantly operating on all cylinders in almost every aspect of the museum. He has subtly changed the
culture and breathed new excitement into his entire staff. A brief story offers insight into the new director. We are seated at a magnificent birthday dinner celebration in the Grand Gallery of the RISD Museum with John Smith when a prominent East Sider comes up behind him and says, “John, we are seated over there
and we had a question about the portrait right above our table.” She then asks an elaborate, multi-faceted question. Smith doesn’t even blink, looks up, pauses and says, “I’ll get back to you.” Our table finds his response refreshing as we muse about previous museum directors who would have left the table and offered a lengthy
dissertation on the portrait disrupting everyone’s dinner. Later in the evening I see Smith surveying the room with his hands clasped, and I say, “This must be killing you. All of these potential major donors in one room and you can’t pick their pockets!” He laughs, and says that he hopes that they see the March 2013 East Side Monthly
11
museum in a great light “so we can talk later!” John Smith arrived in Providence following an internal ‘train wreck’ that flowed into the outside community between the previous director, Hope Alswang, and RISD President John Maeda, which eventually ended in restructuring the museum so that it reports to its own board. “The past is history, I don’t look back and I have a wonderful working relationship with both my board and President Maeda,” tactfully explains Smith. (Alswang is now Director and CEO of the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida.) Smith arrived in Providence less than a year and a half ago and he hit the ground like Forrest Gump on his famous run. He hasn’t stopped and has barely slowed down and his imprint is both visibly and invisibly already being shown. A new identity for the RISD Museum is being rolled out with a distinctive, slightly edgy look that meshes tradition with modern. “I want to do things in art and design that speaks to people,” he explains, “and have a Museum that is available and accessible to the community.” The RISD Museum is part of the cultural fabric of the city, and some would argue is the crown jewel. Smith reopened the Museum in August, following several years when it was dark for budget reasons and targeted the tourist market along with the “pass-through” visitors headed north or to the Cape and Islands. The response was overwhelming and visitors from all 50 states and 50 foreign countries were tracked. The RISD Museum is daunting. The permanent collection exceeds 86,000 pieces and ranges from an Egyptian Mummy to a 12th Century wooden Buddha to extensive collections in both art and fashion. The digital age that we are in is causing great upheaval and change in the traditional museum landscape and John Smith has poised the Museum into position for this new world. The opportunity to lead a wellestablished art museum in the digital age is a complicated challenge and Smith is looking for a blend that will take this Museum into the new age. “New shows are an integral part of any museum. They generate big attendance bumps, but are taxing on staff and other parts of the Museum. While the web can’t replace the physical experience of our museum and exhibits, we can reach a much larger audience,” Smith notes. The RISD Museum sees around 100,000 visitors annually. “There are financial constraints
12
East Side Monthly March 2013
with major exhibitions, but we are able to create our own blockbuster shows,” Smith explains. “And, the talent pool of RISD’s alumni, faculty and students is incredibly diverse.” “The RISD Museum has the third largest collection of all of the college museums, behind Harvard and Yale. It is a truly remarkable collection and I want to keep underscoring the idea that it is very available and accessible to everyone,” adds Smith. The anxiously awaited new and expanded website will be unveiled later this month and promises to be very exciting with a new look, richer content, and complete collections. “Not only will it showcase the museum in a dramatically different light, I believe that it will have a noticeable effect on attendance as well,” explains Smith. The children’s programs and the Free Days will also be expanded as part of Smith’s goal to make the museum more inviting. “Everybody knows that we’re here, but we want everybody to come visit,” he adds. Dig the Museum sells out and Tours for Tots continues to be hot. A huge hit was Design the Night, a series of four evening programs complete with Food trucks drew over 1,000 people to connect with art, artists, art making and partying. Add in the 15-16,000 students who are led around the museum by a well-trained cadre of loyal docents and it’s a ‘happening place.’ There is still time to visit Mummy but Buddha will be taking a leave of absence starting in mid-November when the sixth floor galleries will be closed for a major renovation. The Buddha is made of wood so it’s not a facelift, but more like a visit to Geppetto. Parts of the collections will relocate to the first floor for the duration of the long overdue upgrade. Smith grew up in a small town in Illinois and majored in English and unsure of a career he ended up at the Art Institute of Chicago as an archivist. He headed to London for a year as the visiting archivist at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden before becoming the Chief Archivist. He then moved to Pittsburgh as the Director of the Archives Research Center at the Andy Warhol Museum, became the Assistant Director before serving as the Interim Director. Smith then moved to Washington, D.C. as the Director of the Smithsonian Institutions Archives of American Art where he oversaw a landmark acquisition, fundraised and led the major project to digitize the Archives 1,500,000 collection and a redesign of the website. He and his partner live on the East Side with their Brittany Spaniel.
inside The MuSEuM John smith’s Picks for Can’t-Miss Artwork
1
2
6
7
4
5
3
1. Joachim Antonisz Wtewael, The Marriage of Peleus and Thetis, 1610. Mary B. Jackson Fund. On view in the RISD Museum’s European Galleries. 2. Richard Ernst Artschwager, Chair/Table, 1980. Museum purchase with funds from the bequest of Lyra Brown Nickerson, by exchange, and Exclamation Point, 1980. Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund and Walter H. Kimball Fund. On view in the RISD Museum’s 20th-Century Galleries. 3. Egyptian, Coffin and mummy of Nesmin, 250 BCE. Museum Appropriation and Mary B. Jackson Funds. On view in the RISD Museum’s Waterman Gallery as of March 15, 2013, in Made for Eternity. 4. Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1954. Museum purchase in honor of Daniel Robbins: The Chace Fund, The Collectors’ Acquisition Fund, Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund, Mary B. Jackson Fund, Walter H. Kimball Fund, Jesse Metcalf Fund, Museum Gift Fund, and
gifts of Mrs. George Harding, Mrs. Lewis Madeira, Mrs. Malcolm Farmer, Mrs. Frank Mauran, George H. Waterman III, Mrs. Murray S. Danforth, Mrs. Russell Field, Mrs. Albert Pilavin, Mr. and Mrs. Bayard Ewing, Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. William Boardman, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Neuberger, Mrs. Lee Day Gillespie, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Haffenreffer, and Richard Brown Baker. On view in the RISD Museum’s 20th-Century Galleries. 5. Marsden Hartley, Gorges du Loup, Provence, 1926. Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund and Lippitt Acquisition Fund. On view in the RISD Museum’s 20th-Century Galleries. 6. Greek, Aphrodite, 2nd century BCE. Museum Appropriation Fund and Special Gift Fund. On view in the RISD Museum’s Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries. 7. John Goddard, Desk and Bookcase, 17601785. Bequest of Mr. Charles L. Pendleton. On view in the RISD Museum’s Pendleton House. March 2013 East Side Monthly
13
In Store Design Assistance
23 Years Of Personal Design Assistance And Custom Fabrication Window Treatments, Bedding, Upholstery Slipcovers, Woven Shades, Shutters , Duettes, Verticals First Quality Fabrics, Wallpapers, Trims In Stock and Samples
401-295-2760 606 Ten Rod Road, North Kingstown
Mon-Sat 10-5 Closed Thursday & Sunday
www.fabricgalleryri.com
A New York Style Deli?
Yes!!!
House Smoked Pastrami, Turkey and Chicken House Cooked Corned Beef House Cured Bacon and Ham Salads, Soups & Specials – Vegetarian Options – Meats by the Pound Catering Too!
369-7633 146 Ives Street, Providence www.doksdeli.com
14
East Side Monthly March 2013
An innovative upcoming exhibit at the RISD Museum By Brianna Blank
In April, the Museum of Art at appearance at the Museum Associates the Rhode Island School of Design is ‘The Dandy’ Gala later that evening to bringing attention to one of the most celebrate the opening of the exhibiiconic symbols of men’s fashion: the tion with dinner, cocktails, music and dandy. Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of dancing. Tickets for the Gala are $500 Fashion is a unique exhibition, exploreach. On April 27, RISD Museum Meming the distinctive style and personality bers can preview the exhibition before it of these historical figures. In the 19th opens to the public. Later on, there will century, dandies were men who dressed and behaved as aristocrats, when they typically came from middle class upbringings. They defied the fashion standards set for them and embraced their creativity and individualism. The exhibition features some of the original dandies and their impact on male fashion. Artist/Rebel/Dandy begins with a four-part introduction. One part, titled “Beau Brummell,” focuses on one of the original dandies who was considered a fashion leader during the 19th century. The introduction also includes “Sketches and Definitions” which touches upon images and definitions of dandies; “Crafting the Dandy,” centering in on the details that made up the distinct style; and “Relics,” to display garments and accessories of dandies. The exhibition explores five themes: Historians, Sartorial Anarchy #5, 2012 by Iké Udé Connoisseurs, Revolutionaries, Romantics and Explorers. Artist/Rebel/Dandy examines be a Contemporary Dandy Discussion these themes through the original danamong accomplished designers, artists dies to modern day men’s fashion icons, and writers to speak on the significance such as Thom Browne, Waris Ahluwalia, of their personal style. The opening day W. E. B. Du Bois, Stephen Tennant and kicks off with a leisurely bicycle parade, Motofumi Kogi. The exhibition displays called the Tweed Ride, through downhow throughout time, men defied the town Providence. norm and lived his life creatively and distinctively in his own fashion. OtheR exhIbIts Of nOte: Artist/Rebel/Dandy will be open Starting March 15, the Museum of Art at from April 28 to August 18. On April RISD will host an exhibition titled Lists: 26, there will be a book signing with To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, CollectAndré Leon Talley, a Brown university ed Thoughts, and Other Artists’ Enugraduate, fashion icon and contributmerations from the Smithsonian’s Aring editor at Vogue. Talley will make an chives of American Art. This exhibition
focuses on around 80 lists, from grocery lists and packing lists to Pablo Picasso’s list of recommendations for his 1913 Armory show. Lists examines various ways that people organize their lives in various situations. Some current exhibitions at the museum include RISD Business: Sassy Signs and Sculptures by Alejandro Diaz, demonstrating art as a form of entertainment through witty and comical signs. RISD Business will be open until June 9. Double-and-Add: Angela Bulloch, Anthony McCall, Haroon Mirza features three artists who investigate the transmission of information through electricity, RGB-light and algorithms. Doubleand-Add is on view until June 30. The Festive City brings attention to some of the extravagant European festivals in the 16th to 18th centuries. The featured prints, many from the collection of Vincent Buonanno, display carnivals, religious celebrations and other festivities from that day. The Festive City can be viewed through July 14. Grisogorious Places: Edward Lear’s Travels contains various works by Edward Lear (1812-1888), a writer of children’s rhymes and a painter of landscapes. Some of his watercolor sketches are featured in the exhibit, displaying images of Europe, the Middle East, Egypt and the Mediterranean. Grisogorious Places: Edward Lear’s Travels is on view until May 19. The RISD Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm and 10am to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for college students, and $3 for youths ages 5-18. There is free admission every Sunday from 10am to 5pm and the third Thursday every month from 5pm to 9pm 454-6500. www.risdmuseum.org.
Photo: courtesy of Leila Heller Gallery and Iké udé
fabric gallery
high fAshion, high ArT
A Providence Original
10 Years In The Making...And We’re Just Getting Started
Enjoy the many flavors of Mill's... • $29.95 Three course Tavern Menu • Happy Hour Raw Bar • Chef's Table • Small Bites Menu • Private Dining Room • Complimentary Valet • Wine Flights For reservations visit:
millstavernrestaurant.com
401.272.3331 101 N. Main Street, Providence
There's a Method to Our (March) Madness There Are No Losers When You Dine At... Red Stripe Burger
Red Stripe Grilled Cheese
Brick Chicken
Grilled Salmon
Red Stripe Mussels
Steak Frites Red Stripe Mussels Red Stripe Burger
Steak Frites Red Stripe Grilled Cheese
Kitchen Sink Salad Red Stripe Burger
For reservations visit:
redstriperestaurants.com
Red Stripe Grilled Cheese Duck Confit
401.437.6950 465 Angell St. in Wayland Square, Providence Open Sunday, including Brunch from 10am - 3pm
Curtain Call An exciting spring for Rhode Island theatre by Don Fowler
hode Island ranks high in the nation in number of theatres per capita. It also rates high in the minds of both critics and audiences in the quality of theatre being produced both on a professional and amateur level. From our beloved Trinity Repertory Company to many of the newly formed companies, there is much to choose from on the local theatre scene.
Providence Performing Arts Center We have seen Blue Man Group (March 1-3) three times, and still have difficulty trying to describe it. They describe it as a combination of comedy, music and technology. I call it outrageous, uncontrollable, chaotic humor. You’ve got to experience it to appreciate it. And the kids will love it too. Sister Act (April 9-14) is Broadway’s musical comedy smash hit which tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier whose life takes a turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her out in a convent. Deloris, played by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie version,
organizes a choir, a vehicle for some great music and hilarious adventures. Beauty and the Beast replaces Peter Pan, May 31-June 2. 220 Weybosset Street. Call 421-ARTS for reservations. www.ppacri.com
2nd Story Theatre Dale Wasserman adapts Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (March 8-April 7). You may remember the movie about a man who serves his time in a mental institution rather than a prison, starring Jack Nicholson. It won the Tony for Best Revival back in 2001. March 8 - April 7. Another Tony winner, Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo, which director Ed Shea describes as, “a fairy tale for grownups,” will play April 26 - May 26. 28 Market Street, Warren. Call 247-4200 for reservations. www.2ndstorytheatre.com
Gamm Theatre Following a successful extended run of Anne Boleyn, Gamm Theatre will present Tom Stoppard’s multi award-
Ara Boghigian and Rae Mancini will star in Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo at 2nd Story Theatre
winning play, The Real Thing from March 14-April 14. Praised by critics and audiences in the United States and England, The Real Thing is loaded with Stoppard’s wit and wisdom with,
according to Artistic Director Tony Estrella, “brilliant wordplay with poignant insights about the nature and mystery of love, commitment and authenticity.” 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Call 723-4266 for reservations. www.gammtheatre.org
Ocean State Company
Sister Act on tour
16
East Side Monthly March 2013
Theatre
Artistic Director Amiee Turner takes on the challenge of Jonathan Larson’s ground-breaking musical, Rent. Rent ran 12 years on Broadway, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony for Best Musical and has played PPAC a couple of times from February 20 - March 10. Race, the provocative play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, is the story of three lawyers, two black and one white, who are confronted with the chance to defend a white man charged with a high-profile crime against a black woman. This is one intense play, running from March 27 - April 14. The final play of the season will be the popular musical The King and I, April 24May 19. 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick. Call 921-6800 for reservations.
Photo: (top) Richard W. Dionne Jr., (bottom) Joan Marcus
R
One Goal.... Two Locations!
CORE Fitness Studio
208 Govenor Street Providence • 273-CORE
469 Angell Street Providence, Wayland Square • 273-CORE
an Oi ak h
-Olney
Owner, Den ise
C
CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio
NO Membership Fee • Group Fitness Classes $12 COre’s Signature Services include: sports specific Training • Personal Training • C.O.r.e Body-Barre willPower infusion • state of the art keiser indoor Cycle Program • MVe Vinyasa and anusara yoga • strength Training • navy seal • Pilates Mat run Group • willPower & Grace • TrX-suspension Training • indo-row Barefoot Training • Functional Movement screening Core’s signature Core sweat Class • Foam rolling Classes
www.corefitprov.com
219 Waterman St, eaSt Side mLS# 966867
125 ProsPect st Unit# 10 MLs# 1031961
Large multi-family home currently being used as a 2 family. Zoned for Professional Office use. $275,000
Wonderful 1st flr College Hill Condo in beautifully renovated historic building. Featuring updated kitchen & baths, hardwoods, central air & bright spacious rooms! $299,000
130 Cypress st Unit# 6, east side MLs# 1021042
283 Benefit St Unit f – MLS# 1004897
257 Benefit St, eaSt Side MLS# 1024424
15-17 Whiting St, EaSt SidE MLS# 1028390
Fabulous 1 bed, 1 bath Condo in the heart of College Hill! Unit features granite & stainless eat in kitchen, beautiful cherry floors, high ceilings, period details, brick patio & deeded storage. Freshly painted interior! $219,500
Remarkable building meticulously renovated & maintained w/ impeccable taste & quality. High ceilings, period details, hardwoods, working fireplaces, granite kitchens, central air, new electric, plumbing & more! $1,900,000
Willard B Scott House circa 1854. Incredible city views from Bay windows. Hardwoods, central air, gas fireplace, laundry in unit, 2 car parking & more! $119,950
Great 3 family home off Hope St. Fully rented w/ 2 car garage, front porches & more. $295,000
RI’s #1 Real Estate Company Largest Relocation Company in the Country • Leader in Interactive Web Technology Serving Providence, East Bay & MA | 401-351-2017
| www.nemoves.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
17
The New Bar in Town
S H A R I N G T H E CO M FO R TS With more than 40 of the freshest Extra Virgin Olive Oils and finest Balsamic Vinegars in the world to taste, you may want to stay awhile! • 100% Extra Virgin & Flavor Infused Olive Oils • Authentic Aged Balsamic Vinegars from Modena, Italy • “Carry-out” & Custom Gift Baskets • Unique Host & Hostess Gifts • Your Source for Favorite Local Artisan Foods
Tell your friends and family to meet you at
272-8200 • Wayland Square 485 Angell Street, Providence facebook.com/TheOliveTapProvidence
Computer Consulting For Your Business or Home Expert Witness Web Design Repair Training Network Admin Home/Commercial
Richard Suls // 401.270.3785 richard@richardsuls.com www.richardsuls.com
18
East Side Monthly March 2013
by Erin Swanson
While vacationing in Barcelona, Spain during August of 2011, I met a friend who lived in a beautiful and spacious two-bedroom flat near the beach. I wondered how she afforded such a fabulous apartment on a waiter’s salary, but soon learned that she rented her spare room to travelers through a website called Airbnb. Upon returning to Providence, I decided that living alone in my East Side three-anda-half bedroom house was a luxury I was willing to relinquish – in exchange for extra pocket money and a little bit of excitement. Since I’d converted the half bed to a walk-in closet, I listed my two full bedrooms only, using nearby properties as guidelines when setting daily, weekly and monthly prices. The next matter of business was furnishing and decorating the rooms, which - for a shop-a-holic such as myself - was a joy. Once the new comforters were properly fluffed and the curtains steamed to my liking, I snapped a few snazzy Instagram photos and uploaded them to the site, hoping to attract some bites on the line. Almost instantly, I received an inquiry from two Brown grads, back in town to work on their startup company. On the same day that I accepted their month-to-month request, I received a phone call from a close female friend who desperately needed a place to crash. True to my nature, I couldn’t turn her away; in a heartbeat, I went from living alone to sleeping on a mattress on the floor of my walk-in closet while my three new roommates slumbered atop bedding from Pottery Barn. Life can be funny like that. My friend and I began lovingly referring to the young 20-something worker bees as “the boys.” Never have I seen two young males toil quite as laboriously; these guys had their eyes on the prize. After living with me for three months, they got
the news they’d been waiting for. They were accepted to Y Combinator, a California-based organization that funds and grooms digital entrepreneurs. “It’s like the Harvard for startups!” one roommate exclaimed while jumping around the living room like a hopped up kangaroo. When the boys moved to Silicon Valley to start the next chapter in their lives, I updated my availability calendar… and finally came out of the closet. One misconception with renting rooms out to strangers on the Internet (as creepy as it sounds) is that all the guests are young and broke. In fact, the majority of my houseguests were just the opposite. Next up was a gentleman in his 50s who wore suits to work and drove a Mercedes. Like the boys, he was renting a room on a monthly basis, although he only slept in it for a few days each week. He had taken a new job in Rhode Island, and was forced to leave his family behind as they attempted to sell their Florida home in
a down market. After exhausting his company’s relocation package - and his mental-capacity for living in a hotel - renting from me made sense. “Your place is so cozy!” he said. “I feel so comfortable here.” Eventually, both he and my friend moved on and moved out. Over the course of the next year-and-a-half, I housed guests from places including Los Angeles, Manhattan, Australia, Holland, South Africa, Ireland, Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia. Some stayed for a month, and others just for the night. I’d always offer them coffee or a beer, and we’d sit and talk for hours in the kitchen, sharing stories of our oddly similar lives. It’s amazing how much you can have in common with someone who lives halfway across the world. I learned something from each of them and have kept in touch with a few. In fact, I plan on staying with one former house guest in Berlin, Germany next month. I only hope he gives me as good of a daily rate as I gave to him. www.airbnb.com.
Illustration: Maret Paetznick
Stop by The Olive Tap and get comfortable
of Home
Join us
View complete list of events at www.ric.edu/pfa T I C K E T S W W W. R I C . E D U / P FA O R ( 4 0 1 ) 45 6 - 8 1 4 4 www.facebook.com/PerformingArtsSeries.RIC
Wednesday, March 6 7:30 P.M. | THE AUDITORIUM IN ROBERTS HALL
Trisha Brown Dance Company Family owned and operated For over 50 yearS RS
G
IN
TO
S VE
D EN
P
IN
121 Butler Avenue Perfect for investors! Great rental history with this 3 unit multi-family home right on the bus line a walking distance to all conveniences. Recently updated with new fire code alarm system and plenty of off-street parking. $325,000 Aleen Weiss
G
S VE
P
72 MAnning Street Truly spectacular in every sense of the word! Live in luxury in this two bed two and a half bath condo. Nothing left to do but move in! Beautiful architectural details surround you from the kitchen, baths, lighting and detailed moldings. Amazing! $549,500 Aleen Weiss
IN
415 Angell Street Totally rebuilt condo in 2005! Pristine! Location! Seconds from Wayland Sq, Brown University, RISD, Hospitals and Downtown. Modern, spacious, sunny 1st floor unit featuring hardwood floors, granite counters, stainless appliances and so much more including special HEPA air/heat system in place. Incredible! $215,000 Aleen Weiss
ICE
W NE
125 Butler Avenue Spacious legal 3 family building close to all conveniences. Investors take notice! Recently updated with new fire code alarm system, plenty of parking and very nice large units drawing tops rents. $375,000 Aleen Weiss
LD
PR
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. $395,000 Aleen Weiss
RS
TO
IN
D EN
SO
89 ninth Street The house with the wishing well, make your dreams come true! Adorable, spacious three bedroom, one and half bath ranch style home with working fireplace, spacious kitchen and family room, plus a partially finished basement. Perfectly located right across from the Ninth Street Playground. Why rent when you can own?! $220,000 Aleen Weiss
11 gArDner Avenue, n. ProviDence Expansive four bedroom colonial on double (possible buildable) lot in the Fruit Hill area of North Providence. First floor features two fireplaces, formal dining room, spacious family room and half bath. 2nd floor features 4 bedrooms and full bath. Large yard all on a private cul-de-sac. $299,888 Claire Sennott
96 eDgehill roAD Sweet three bedroom single family home within walking distance to Hope Stree. Features beautiful oak hardwood floors throughout, one and a half bathrooms, large living area with working fireplace, dining room and separate den/ office with sliders to a back yard. Also includes a one car garage and full basement. $209,000 Karen Miller
Assisting Buyers, sellers And renters Aleen WeissH Jon WeissHF Karen MillerH Claire Sennott HAlso licensed in MA
Howard Weiss Lauren Sickel
FLicensed RI Environmental Lead Inspector 0065
785 Hope Street, providence, ri • 401-272-6161 • SpitzweiSS.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
19
ic01 East Side Monthly March-2013_Layout 1 1/29/13 7:19 PM Page 1
SUMMER RENTAL Providence, RI - New Listing - East Side Light filled, classic colonial close to the Boulevard. Fireplace, hardwoods and built-ins. Updated kitchen. 3rd floor play room. Sun room. Lovely backyard. Two car garage. $495,000
274-1644 D ETAILS @L ILA D ELMAN . COM
Narragansett, RI - Steps to the beach, this charming bungalow has been recently renovated. Large private yard, screenedin ocean facing porch, back deck for sunning, enclosed outdoor shower and central air conditioning. $3,100/wk
789-0666 D ETAILS @L ILA D ELMAN . COM
Local Legacy... International Reach™ NEWPORT NARRAGANSETT PROVIDENCE JAMESTOWN WATCH HILL BLOCK ISLAND
LILADELMAN .COM Lincoln, RI - Extraordinary white brick colonial. Stunning marble inlaid double staircases, imported Italian hardwood. Master suite with bath with a Jacuzzi tub and ample closet space, and balcony. Media room. Cabana/guest house, inground pool. $1,690,000
274-1644 D ETAILS @L ILA D ELMAN . COM
Providence, RI - East Side Exceptional quality and architectural detail. 3 fireplaces, hardwoods, professional kitchen. Private yard, three decks, two car garage. Steps from Wayland Square. Legal apartment on 3rd floor. $549,000
274-1644 D ETAILS @L ILA D ELMAN . COM
A Providence Original Since the 1800’s Custom Framing • Ready Made Frames • Original Works of Art
P R OV I D E N C E PICTURE Rte. 95, Exit 24, Branch Ave. (Next to Benny’s) Mon-Sat 8:30-6:30
www.providencepictureframe.com 20
East Side Monthly March 2013
FRAME
D RY D E N GALLERY
On the Up and Up An East Sider’s unique life philosophy involves… juggling? By Nick Cantor
Harry Fish’s philosophy is simple: If you can toss a single ball from one hand to the other, then there is a likely possibility that you can learn to juggle. His website www.80calendars.com invites anyone curious about the art of juggling to give it a try. I was one of those people, not two months ago, where I set up a meeting with him in the gymnasium at the JCC on Elmgrove Avenue. Fish says he prefers to teach juggling to adolescents because they are the ones for whom it can leave the biggest impact on their lives. Many of his students are at that impressionable stage in their lives, unsure of what the future holds and still willing to entertain new possibilities. Juggling, in his eyes, could help unveil that mystery so many of us struggle with. “I like to teach middle school students. In addition to teaching juggling as a solo activity, as soon as a student can juggle three balls competently, I open the door to group juggling,” he says. “This affords an opportunity to enhance socialization skills between students who may not normally interact.” Additionally, he is a firm believer in the ability juggling has to help kids with attention and learning disorders, most notably ADHD. For many, traditional
sports help to deal with issues of focus and concentration, but not everyone is drawn to play basketball, football or lacrosse. Juggling, for some, can be that hidden talent they never knew they had, which can in turn help them in other areas, such as in the classroom. To take your eyes off of a single ball for just a split second can cause everything to fall apart. Concentration and body control is a must in juggling. At the same time, going along with another one of life’s valuable philosophies, it is important not to get ahead of oneself or to try to rush things. That too can cause everything to collapse. Juggling is all about being in the moment, focusing on the task at hand, aware of what is to come in the future, but not getting ahead of oneself. As we juggled, Fish began to tell me about his life and how juggling came to be an integral part of it. He has been a juggler for over 35 years, having discovered its mystique and therapeutic powers as an adult when he just happened to meet a juggler and got a quick lesson. There was no Internet at the time to teach him how to juggle, so he relied on books and hours of practice. He listens to music as he juggles because as he says, “juggling is like tap dancing with your
Photography: EG Photo
caption
Harry Fish
design • site plans • consulting installation • planting • hand pruning
hands.” He constructs all of the balls himself, using balloons stuffed with rice. A Chicago native, he grew up playing all of the traditional youth sports, but a shoulder operation forced him out of team sports. Juggling became a lifelong athletic challenge. He taught me all sorts of juggling terms and vocabulary, practically a language in itself and gave me a list of sites to look at online that can help anyone looking to improve their juggling skills. “It’s always nice to have a creative hobby,” he says. In addition to being a juggling instructor, Fish is also a life coach working with adolescents and young adults, which is where his website’s name www.80calendars.com derives from. He explained to me that the “80 calendars” refers to the 80 years the average person has on the planet. Viewing life through this lens can force people to reflect on all they’ve accomplished so far, while thinking about all they still want to do in the years to come. Most of his coaching clients still have many “calendars” left to live but reframing it in such a concrete fashion is a useful reality check. There doesn’t exist that immediate need to “grow up” when you are an adolescent, and the world is still yours to take but a little perspective is helpful. For Harry Fish, the infinite possibilities of juggling are what make it so appealing. One can never “finish” becoming a juggler. There is always a more challenging task to be mastered, whether it’s adding more objects, or switching from balls, to clubs to anything else. “It’s up to you how good of a juggler you want to become,” he says. In the four sessions I have had with him, I have gone from tossing a single ball from hand to hand, to juggling a “three ball cascade” to passing (or at least attempting to) balls back and forth with Harry as we juggled together. At the end of our last session, he introduced me to the art of juggling clubs, but that’s something for another time. While I may be a decade older than most of his students, and have issues far greater than science projects and book reports staring me in the face, Harry Fish has given me something to pursue that will make me feel young at heart for the rest of my life and for that I will always be thankful. www.80calendars.com
401-742-1895
r o b e r t a l a n m a t t h e w 1s . c1/29/11 om sh_ad_2011_v3.1:Layout
DEL IV E R S
SMALL LUNCH • BIG LUNCH
401-272-2590 1253 N M A I N S T R E E T • P ROVI DE NC E • RI
W W W. T H E S A N D W I C H H U T. C O M
No secret ingredients. Just the love. Invest in you...
Counseling & Life Coaching
“It really works. Try it!” Steven M. Kane, Ph.D. Providence, RI • 401.454.5700 kanesmk@verizon.net Inquiries invited
Textile Wonders Please join us for the opening on
Gallery Night Thursday March 21 5-9pm
The Peaceable Kingdom 351-3472 • 116 Ives Street, Providence March 2013 East Side Monthly
21
6:17
Firstworks presents
The Joffrey Ballet Photo by Herbert Migdoll
Power. Precision. Passion.
Raveis
From Our Hearts to Your Homes, We At William Raveis Want to Thank You For An Incredible First Year in Providence Real Estate Kristi Agniel • Michelle Baer • Rita Braude • Bethany Calitri Jim Conway • Judy Croyle • Lisa Cutropia • Lana Drew Heather Dumaine • Paul Gagnon • Sam Glicksman • David Gower • John Gower • Ron Hirschauer • Robin Lake Lenore Leach • Lesley Lora • David MacFarlane • James Merida Ted Ngo • Victoria Rogers • Joe Sekac • Nelson Taylor Hope Trowbridge • Chris Wall • Jenny Weiting Denise Wilder • Kim Winslow
156-58 Prospect Street, Providence
47 Transit Street #1, Providence RI.
Exceptional light filled 2 bedroom condominium on College Hill with designer Kitchen, double Living room with fireplace and built-in bookshelves, dining room with hutch and wonderful moldings, 1 car garage and walk to BROWN/Downtown/RISD
Last unit in this luxury, water view condominium development in the heart of Providences most active & pedestrian friendly East Side district. Garden level – 1000 sq ft, 1 bed 1.5 baths, $259,000.
David Gower MLS#1032072
“Danced with heart-stopping brilliance!” — Chicago Sun-Times Explore exquisite music and timeless themes. Three beautiful ballets, three brilliant composers. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ballet that caused a riot— Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
March 19, 7:30pm Providence Performing Arts Center
Get tickets at
first-works.org or 401-421-ARTS
Taylor & Company MLS#1009161
2970 Mendon Road, Cumberland, RI
2 Main Street, Lincoln, RI
One level living in this extra large garden style end unit condo. Lots of sunshine entering through all the windows. Full basement has 2 finished rooms a full bath and a walkout to the back yard. Florida design, new roof & extra wide garage
Spacious almost new condo in charming Albion Village. Handicap ready/accessable, central air, laundry in unit, easy highway access and near bike path. Condo fee includes gas for heat, cooking & hot water.
Paul Gagnon MLS#1030048
Kim Winslow MLS#1031442
51 Kenwood Avenue, South Kingstown
22 Halsey Street, Providence
Charming and cozy barn restoration. Located in a secluded area and still short distance to downtown wakefield shopping area and short drive to beaches. Great dettached garage with ample storage capability and a good size lot. May need minor cosmetics.
Charming and uniquely beautiful condo overlooking downtown Providence in College Hill neighborhood, just off of Benefit Street. Exposed beams, stainedglass, pine floors, custom features. State House views/private deck! Walk to Whole Foods. Parking.
James Merida MLS#1030152
Chris Wall MLS #1029900
Home
William Raveis
Bristol • East Greenwich • Little Compton Newport • Providence
401-751-8100 • www.wrrealty.com 22
East Side Monthly March 2013
Prom Season The PPS Winter Bash is back
Certified Public Accountants & Business Consultants Auditing, Accounting & Tax Services Forensic Examinations Business Valuations
Financial & Estate Planning Business Succession Planning Wealth Preservation Litigation Support
By Julie Tremaine
Call us for a Free Consultation 27 Dryden Lane, Providence | 273-1800 yksmcpa.com | Visit our Website for Free Newsletters
PArty PACk
SPeCiAL
PiCk uP or DeLivery
• 2 Large Cheese Pizzas • Large Wings • 2 Liter Soda
$31.80
Last year’s Mardi Gras Bash at Fete
Photo: Cat Laine - Painted Foot Photography
East Siders in the
know know that the party of the year is the Providence Preservation Society’s Winter Bash. While it usually happens in February (and this year’s bash is technically happening in the spring, but we won’t hold that against them), the notto-be-missed event is happening this month, on March 23. Every year, PPS takes a historic building and turns it into a fabulously decorated space for 500 or more revelers to raise their glasses and dance the night away. Past years have seen a Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil theme at 100 Weybosset, an ‘80s party in Davol Square and a Mardi Gras Bash at Fete Music. This year’s Bash theme is Second Chances: Prom Night – and the party is especially exciting because it’s happening at Providence G, the new development in the former Providence Gas Company on Dorrance Street. Attendees of the Bash will be the first to see the beautiful renovations of the long-neglected building. Partygoers are encouraged to wear prom attire as they explore the new space. Prom photos, corsages, fabulously kitschy prom decorations and a signature Spiked Punch will all be available. Music is being provided by DJ John Richard. “The PPS Winter Bash is always a great party, but this year is exciting because we get to go back to the ideals that spark this event and make it special,” says Bash co-chair Michael Gazdacko. “We are once again showcasing a newly repurposed historic structure in Providence,
and everyone will get a sneak peek at a new mixed-use development in the heart of our historic Downtown.” All of the proceeds of the Winter Bash benefit the Providence Preservation Society, which does invaluable work to rescue and restore some of the city’s most valued historic landmarks. They also have quite a lot of public programming, including their walking tours of Benefit Street’s Mile of History. “Who can resist the temptation to don formalwear, buy their date a corsage, and dance the night away under the balloons while sneaking sips of spiked punch... all to benefit a great cause?” says co-chair Jen Shimkus. The Bash will also be special because it will be PPS Executive Director James Hall’s last event before moving to his new position at the Norton Art Museum in Palm Beach. Christopher Marsella and Cristen Ciresi are the other two co-chairs for this huge event. “Everyone knows the Winter Bash as one of the signature parties of the year, which is great, but it’s easy to forget that this is really about raising crucial money for historic preservation in the city,” she says. “The fact that people don’t think of it first and foremost as a fundraiser is just a testament to the event’s success.” Marsella continues, “This is the party of the year for a reason. We take a historic building that’s now being rediscovered under the careful eye of a developer and we reintroduce it to the community. The project is unfinished. The space is unique. Add 700 awesome people? Bash.” Buy tickets at www.ppsri.org.
Call 272-2279 20 South Angell Street, Providence Wayland Square • www.minervapizza.com
March 2013 East Side Monthly
23
Spotlight
by Dan Schwartz
special advertising section
Beautiful Pre-Owned Jewelry
Empire Loan Huge sale on musical instruments and gear
437-8421 • 1271 North Main Street, Providence 273-7050 • 358 Broad Street, Providence Indoor Pool | Fitness Center | Basketball Gym Group Exercise & Yoga Classes | Spin | ZUMBATM Early Childhood Center | Afterschool Programs Summer Camp | Art Gallery | Computer Lab Creativity Center | Educator Resources Community Events and so much more!
ALL ARE WELCOME!
401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 401.421.4111 | www.shalomri.org
Tired of Living with Pain? “After a week of treatment, all the pain was gone... I recommend Dr. Tom to everyone I know.” – J.T.
Northeast Chiropractic Dr. ThomaS moriSon, ChiropraCTiC phySiCian
401-861-1300 • 187 Waterman Street • www.wickedgoodposture.com PRIVATE SESSIONS | SUPPORT GROUPS | EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Lift
Depression Now
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 the leading disability in women worldwide will be depression. Let’s prove them wrong! GAIL GLANVILLE
LiftDepressionNow.com | 401.654.1565 | Absolutely confidential
SAvINg Up TO 70% Off ReTAIl pRICe
East Side Monthly Ad.indd 1
New, Refurbished and Scratch & Dent Appliances
7/31/12 7:48 PM
Stainless Refrigerators Ranges • Washers & Dryers Built-In Refrigeration Cooktops & Wall Ovens Dishwashers 416 Roosevelt Avenue, Central falls • 401.723.0500 • www.kitchenguys.com 24
East Side Monthly March 2013
Empire Guitar, the adjoining sister business to Empire Loan, is hosting an official big February parts/project clearance sale. This warehouse sale encompasses all their odds-and-ends, project guitars, scratch-and-dent amps and more. Business co-owner Jeff Keithline says, “We run specials on everything; it’s like a giant flea market.” This event lasts the entire month, so come on in and check out the merchandise for yourself. Empire Guitars has one of the best selections of vintage guitars and boutique guitar pedals in New England. Jeff himself is heavily into music, having been in bands for over 40 years as well as currently serving on the board for the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. The 2013 induction ceremony – of which Empire Guitars is a sponsor – will be held at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket on April 28 to honor The Cowsills, Steve Smith & The Nakeds, Paul Geremia, Sissiereta Jones, Bobby Hackett, Bill Flanagan, Eddie Zack and the Hayloft Jamboree, Jimmie Crane and George M. Cohan. Visit www.rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com for event details, and check Empire Guitar’s recently updated website www.empireguitarsri.com to see their vast selection of instruments and accessories. Jeff’s core business still remains with Empire Loan, offering people shortterm loans in a quick and easy process. “Pawn broking is an option for personal finance that is always there if the need should arise,” he says. They can facilitate loans in amounts from $50 to $5,000 and beyond. In an age where it’s challenging to secure a loan from a bank, this is a convenient service. In the off-chance you can’t repay the loan, the merchandise used as collateral is forfeited and there aren’t any penalties or adjustments to your credit score. Empire Loan is still paying top dollar for your gold if you have unwanted jewelry laying around. In their merchandise area they have display cases full of new and used jewelry and watches. Drop by Empire Loan and Empire Guitar today, whether you are looking to secure a short-term loan or want to browse their February sale on guitars, drums and accessories. Jeff is also an active member of the North Main Street Merchants Association.
Empire Loan Empire Guitars / 383-0880 Empire Loan 271 Main Street, Providence / 437-8421 and 358 Broad Street, Providence / 273-7050 www.empireloan.com / www.empireguitarsri.com
Spotlight
by Dan Schwartz
special advertising section
Marc Allen
We Understand Your Desires
The spring colors have arrived
Tuesday - Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4.
fine clothiers
Add theclubchair.com
200 South Main St. Providence 401.453.0025 • www.marcalleninc.com • theclubchair.com Tuesday–Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-4 • Mondays by appt.
Tom’s Tree Care Ornamental and Shade Tree Specialists fine hand pruning • tree preservation hazard tree removal • tree evaluation & diagnosis shade and specimen tree planting 401-331-8527 • www.tomstreecare.net
Winter Riding Camp
Enjoy climate controlled indoor riding Step into Marc Allen Fine Clothiers and you will be greeted by the knowledgeable fashion team of owner Marc Streisand and his chief of staff Jim Fortier. The store simply carries the best of what’s current. “Spring is all about color,” Marc explains. “Lots of pastels and bright colors. Pretty much the entire fruit category: watermelon, cherry, banana, orange, lemon and lime.” While the colors have some flash, they are not ostentatious. Jim adds, “It’s everything from sports coats to shirts to trousers and accessories, like belts and shoes.” White is also big for this upcoming season. In March there will be a sale to make room for spring and summer lines, so check their website or call for dates. Enzyme washes are getting popular, where you get the benefits of a new article of clothing with a broken in feel. “We’ve designed our own jeans and it’s like that favorite pair you had from 15 years ago,” Marc says. “The enzyme wash breaks down the fiber while maintaining the color palette and integrity. It makes it unbelievably soft.” These enzyme washes are used on some pants and shirts, sports jackets and even cashmere jackets. The store has been highlighting some interesting outerwear, combining technical fabrics with comfort. For example, there is a cashmere jacket that is also waterproof. Marc and Jim have been working on a ballistic nylon jacket, which has a sharp urban look with an inner fleece lining for warmth and comfort. One of the most luxurious articles that the store carries is a Loro Piana lambskin motorcycle jacket. It has a rich beautiful color with a special Windmate inside liner to block the breeze. Jim explains, “It’s about technology, comfort and luxury – we try to marry these three things in the shop.” Marc Allen is a lead sponsor of the upcoming Artist/Rebel/Dandy exhibition on male fashion at RISD (see cover story), and Marc and Jim will both be giving presentations. Keep in mind they also perform in home visits for wardrobe assessments. Stop into Marc Allen for an array of terrific clothing, perfect for today’s bon vivant.
March Vacation Camp 11th - 22nd April Vacation Camp 15th - 19th
Year round lessons, boarding, vacation camps and horsemanship parties
Palmer river equestrian Center
173 Pine Street, Rehoboth, MA 02769 • 508-252-6347 • www.palmerriver.com
Experienced and Trusted Let me help guide you through the buying or selling process
401-714-1644 • 144 Wayland Avenue, Providence Marian Luke | mluke@kw.com
Marc Allen Fine Clothiers 200 South Main Street, Providence / 453-0025 marcalleninc.com / theclubchair.com
March 2013 East Side Monthly
25
Spotlight Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors
by Dan Schwartz
We service and repair ALL foreign and domestic models • ASE Certified • RI inspection and repair station #27b
Tip of the Month In low temperatures allow your vehicle to warm up for at least 10 minutes before starting off on your commute.
special advertising section
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
729 East Avenue • 401-723-1111
Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors Keeping your car happy
(Top of the East Side, next door to Rite Aid)
MARKETING DESIGN • PRINT
P R O V I D E N C E
102 Waterman Street • Providence, RI p:401.421.5160 f:401.272.0686 allegraprovidence.com
Advocacy and Caregiving To Enrich The Lives Of Seniors
Creating personalized care plans to help maintain daily routine and lifestyle
401.641.0991 Serving All Of Ri And Southeastern MA
Graphic Innovations
Large Format Color Printing
Imagine • Impress • Impact Posters • Banners • Wall Murals • Floor Graphics • Backlit Displays • Vehicle Graphics Window Graphics • Tradeshow Graphics • Laminating & Mounting • Long-term Outdoor Signage 380 Jefferson Blvd. Unit C, WarWiCk, ri • 401-751-5333 •
WWW.graphin.Com
Servicing versus replacement – that is the decision vehicle owners make when they do not routinely bring their cars in for oil changes. Make sure when you’re getting an inexpensive oil change that you’re also getting a mini-service with that price. When you pay slightly more at a reputable business, like Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors, your car also gets a quick checkup to verify everything is looking good. Business co-owner Susan explains, “It’s well worth it because that’s when preventative things are caught.” Most often your car will be fine, but when you rely on trusted car experts they can alert you to when certain parts need to be administered to. Jason, a technician, says, “It’s cheaper to maintain it now than to fix it down the road.” Some little things that keep your car performing well involve rotating your tires at least every other oil change. This costs around $10, but it will extend the lifetime of your tires – as the front ones wear out twice as fast as the back – and it improves both fuel mileage and road handling. Checking tire pressure at least once a month with an inexpensive pressure gauge (they are around $1 at a place like Pep Boys) will also help save you money on fuel consumption. “Tires are big,” Jon, another technician, says. “The two most important things on the car are the tires and brakes.” Unfortunately there are businesses that give car maintenance a bad name. Once you have a place you like, where you are happy with the service, it is good to stick with them. “When there are too many hands under the hood, it’s not always a good thing,” Susan mentions. “Once we get to know the history of the ‘patient,’ we know what was done before.” And if you are looking to buy a new used car, always protect yourself with a pre-purchase check from a trusted auto technician, as you don’t want to acquire somebody else’s problem. Contact Swedish Motors today, and let them assist you in maintaining a well running car that’s going to last.
Tomasso Auto Swedish Motors 729 East Avenue, Pawtucket (just over the line) 723-1111 / www.swedishmotorsri.com 26
East Side Monthly March 2013
101 Orange Street Providence, RI 401.808.6777 www.studio101ri.com
Studio 101 launched by Jason Dolan is the newest salon to hit Providence. Jason didn’t become one of New York City’s most sought after colorists by accident. The RI-native and 15-year veteran of the world-class color team at Bergdorf Goodman’s John Barrett Salon has built an impeccable reputation over the course of his career, most recently gaining critical acclaim for his work in cutting-edge color techniques such as ombre and ballyage. Since entering the New York City scene Jason has worked diligently to build his enviable client roster, which includes a who’s who of actors and actresses, models, fashion editors
and media personalities. His talents have brought him from the runways of New York City’s Fashion Week and America’s Next Top Model to the pages of Allure Magazine, and everywhere in between. Several years ago, after closely evaluating the current style landscape in his hometown, Jason made the decision to begin making bi-monthly appearances at a downtown Providence salon. The idea was to bring a bit of New York City flavor to the folks back home. It didn’t take long for the news to spread and Jason began booking weeks and months in advance and made the choice to up his visits to every four weeks. As much as he loved making these appearances, the desire to create something
of his own in the town where he was born and raised intensified. Fast-forward two years and Studio 101 is born -- the preeminent hair salon experience located in the heart of downtown Providence. It only takes one step inside the space to evoke a visceral feeling of chic New York City décor and modern luxury. Offering an array of style and color services, Studio 101 brings an entirely new element to the flourishing downtown scene. Jason and his expert team of stylists and colorists (including several of his New York City peers), look forward to serving you and becoming your new trusted source for all things beauty in Rhode Island.
March 2013 East Side Monthly
27
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Us!
Sunday, March 17th Enjoy live entertainment all day while having a pint of Guinness and a corned beef reuben – what’s better than that and no cover!
OPen CAmPUs: Wed., march 20
Tuesdays & Saturdays 8-11pm Live Music Wednesdays 9pm Trivia Night
OpEN 7 days fOr LuNch aNd diNNEr complimentary parking in Wayland square lot
220 University Ave. | Providence, RI 02906 | (401) 331-2497
Wayland Square - 161 Wayland Ave. Providence, Rhode Ireland • 751-3000 www.mcbrides-pub.com
www.school-one.org
We are pleased to have assisted our clients with the purchase or sale of these fine homes. The spring market is right around the corner.
follow us on twitter find us on facebook!
McBride’s Pub
Medway Place
Call us today, we’ll get you get you moving! LD
LD
SO
SO
EAST SIDE 56 Cooke St $1,200,000
EAST SIDE 37 Cushing St $670,000
LD
LD
SO
SO
EDGEWOOD 180 Wentworth Ave $390,000
EDGEWOOD 205 Wentworth Ave $375,000
LD
SO
EAST SIDE 74 Paterson St $650,000
LD
SO
G
IN
ND
PE
EAST SIDE 57 Stimson Ave $849,000
WEST SIDE 61 Chapin Ave $154,000
G
IN
ND
PE
WEST SIDE 50 Harris St $229,000
Serving Providence’s East Side & West Side, Elmhurst, Edgewood and Oak Hill M A+ R D KH MARKHAM e RA EMN + T I DS e R E N T I S
Platinum Plus Producer associates a s s o c i a t e s Board Greater Providence of Realtors® Markham + DeRentis Associates - Residential Properties Ltd. Jim DeRentis | Nancy Markham | Office: 401.553.6383 www.jimandnancysold.com 28
East Side Monthly March 2013
Independent Living at its best in the historic East Side 1,500 sq. ft. units, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fireplace and porch/patio; garage parking; walking distance to Brown University, great shops and restaurants. Low $300,000’s. 55+ community.
•
229 Medway St. Providence, RI For more information or a tour, call 401-751-3582 or visit our website at www.medwayplaceofri.org
Movies
by Bob Cipriano
Standup Guys and Parker Criminal modes and criminal codes
Stand Up Guys
There’s nothing like movie crime. Really. Cops and robbers, elaborate heists, film noir, private detectives, the mob, kidnappings, shootouts, betrayals, double-crosses, blackmail, the fall guy, the mark, the dame (the one with the heart of gold and the one that will poison your drink), the moll, the hustler, the hit man, the stool pigeon, the con man and the criminal code. Some of this resides in Standup Guys, lots in Parker. What isn’t there very easily could be. The dark, strangely comfortable mood hovers. You can feel it. Standup Guys and its concept of geezers gone wild has been around a long time. Grumpy Old Men, The Bucket List and lots of others showcase elderly stars acting out, often
to the exclusion of plot complexities and character depth. Standup Guys fits the mold well; using the standard recipe that’s heavy on comedy (occasionally heavy-handed), light on sentiment (except to showcase the talent), adding a key honor-among-thieves element to spice up the plot. The film’s edge, like its predecessors, is the charm of its cast, all of whom hold special places in the collective cinematic memory bank. Al Pacino just got out of jail, having spent 28 years there for his role in a shootout. He never dishonored the code that says don’t rat out your friends and has some reasonable expectations about his future on the outside. His best friend, Christopher Walken, with whom he will stay,
reintroduces him to society. (Cue the brothel scene, the comic holdup scene and the one where they rescue their old pal, Alan Arkin, from a nursing home.) The movie is really about how well the three stars play off each other, but its central plot device is the order given to Walken to kill Pacino within 24 hours of his release from prison. The honor-among-thieves element looms large as we all try to figure out whether business or friendship will triumph. Outside of the performances, the best part of these old guy movies is the question of who’s going to die. Old men in movies usually play some variation of Obi Wan Kenobi, their deaths inevitable. But all bets are off when all the principals are old coots.
Maybe they’ll all live. But then again, maybe they’ll all die. The undeniable charisma of these three classic actors is heightened because crime is in the air and death is on the line. And so, do the slender charms of this harmless little movie make you an offer you’re able to refuse? Fuhgeddaboutit. Parker is an expertly concocted action thriller that offers an uncomplicated diversion from the consideration of all the impeccable Oscar nominees still knocking around local theaters. Besides that, it is a good Jason Statham movie, a true rarity. Besides that, it is based on a Donald E. Westlake novel, one of a series of Parker novels written under the pseudonym Richard Stark. Westlake’s work lay behind such splendid fare as The Grifters, The March 2013 East Side Monthly
29
Movies
continued...
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
It's Rental Time! It's that time of year for Rentals and we have the Tools
277-9700
Call us today to rent your property! Cityside
350 South Main Street, Providence, RI Armistead: 545-1760 • Keith: 519-6651 JulieLongtin.com
Since 1919
Old Cabinets New Paint Job Cool Knobs yes!
+ 173 WICKENDEN PROVIDENCE 401 421-5157 M-F 7:30-6PM SAT 8-5PM www.adlersri.com 30
East Side Monthly March 2013
Parker
Stepfather (the original version), The Hot Rock and Point Blank, with Lee Marvin playing Parker under a different set of circumstances. Besides that, it features the welcome return of Jennifer Lopez to the screen in a good role as a West Palm Beach real estate agent with bills on the table and larceny in her heart. Veteran director Taylor Hackford shoots the action with virtually no digital aids and limits his explosives to the non-apocalyptic neighborhood variety that befits the crimes at hand. These are good things in an age of cinematic pretentiousness. Hackford is often good, as he is here, in an inyour-face way (Officer And a Gentleman, Delores Claiborne, Proof of Life, Ray) and just as often bad in the same way (Love Ranch, Against All Odds). But watch the opening scene in Parker as five guys disguised as three clowns, a firefighter and a priest rob the Ohio State Fair. It’s a prime example of how to effectively shoot a mix of chaotic action, plot devices and characterization in one heady set piece. (Hackford almost tops himself later, as far as chaotic action goes, when Parker and a would-be assassin go at it ferociously in a Palm Beach condo.) As solid as the action is, there is a characteristically good Westlake
plot, neatly adapted from the novel Flashfire by John J. McLaughlin, which is just complex enough to register as both intelligent and clever. It involves Parker’s righteous criminal code of honor, the betrayal that moves him to revengeful action, a plan to steal several millions of dollars of jewels, Parker’s engaging search to find his betrayers and the energetic teaming of Statham and Lopez, who must work together to achieve individual goals (and who play off each other surprisingly well). Statham plays a slight variation of the guy he always plays, except with better dialogue this time. Lopez credibly plays a woman in desperate financial circumstances with a pipe dream mentality. But she’s sharp enough to see through the deception around her and cut herself in on the action. Add some strong support from Nick Nolte as an old friend with connections, Michael Chiklis as the principle villain and Patti Lupone as Lopez’s soap opera-addicted Mom, and you have an action film offering several levels of enjoyment. It’s all good. You’ve seen it before, but given recent insults like the dreadful Jack Reacher, it’s heartening to find real talent at work in a genre too often tricked out, fluffed up or dumbed down.
Alliance JCC Membership Special registration fee*
$
get healthy | stay fit | live better
Pay
the
Day
February 1st = you pay $1 registration fee 2nd = $2 3rd = $3 4th = $4... *Offer expires February 28, 2013. Some restrictions apply. Contact the Alliance JCC Business Office for terms and conditions at 401.421.4111 or BusinessOffice@shalomri.org.
401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 | 401.421.4111
Prepare now for the spring market
Kevin Fox
kfox@residentialproperties.com Cell: (401) 688-5556
ResidentialProperties.com
The Alliance JCC is a division of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
Come discover the flavor of Newport… Prepare your taste buds for mouthwatering menus this spring! Enjoy special events including cooking classes, culinary walking tours, and affordable palate pleasing lodging packages. Here’s a great way to experience a new restaurant or visit an old favorite, and with these prices, it’s easy on the wallet!
April 5-14, 2013 DiscoverNewportrestaurantWeek.org March 2013 East Side Monthly
31
the
ENJOY experience
On the Menu
by John Taraborelli
Freshly Grown The state’s biggest farm-to-table supplier continues to expand
EXOTIC DRINKS & GREAT MUSIC IN AN UPSCALE ATMOSPHERE WITH DOWN TO EARTH PRICES.
PHILIPPE’S ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS
LUNCH & DINNER
DAILY
NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR ST PATRICKS DAY
32
East Side Monthly March 2013
With the Market Mobile program, you’ve created a distribution system that a lot of people in the industry thought was impossible. How did you make it work? Sheri: The program’s foundations are based on some quirky skills of Noah’s and mine. Noah is a fantastic coder and made this amazing software that runs online ordering system. I grew up in a citrus farming family in Florida and my father designed and managed commercial citrus packinghouses; he and I worked together on the design for Farm Fresh’s packhouse in Hope Artiste Village. Noah: Every week Market Mobile helps 50 farmers sell to nearly 100 customers from Westerly to Boston. It all started here in Providence with restaurants like New Rivers and Gracie’s and larger cafeterias like RISD and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Many of the farmers we work with never grew for wholesale customers before and few grew year round, but Market Mobile has opened new doors.
Sheri and Noah of Farm Fresh
Most really successful local food scenes have a big public market like Pike Place in Seattle or Ferry Plaza in San Francisco. Could that happen in Providence? Noah: The Wintertime Market was a big change in paradigm; normalizing the idea that RI could produce its own food the year round. In many ways, that is just a stepping stone towards rethinking the way we connect food with the city. We’ve been inspired by trips to other mid-sized cities like Cleveland and Grand Rapids. Both have bustling public markets that have anchored neighborhoods and spurred new classes of local food businesses. A public market enhances community, vibrancy and livability, and ultimately makes the city a place people want to live. Boston has realized this too and is spending $10 million on a new public market site for farmers near South Station. I think we’re more than ready for a Providence public market too. What’s on Farm Fresh’s wish list for 2013?
Noah: We’re working right now to get the word out about a bill in the General Assembly to legalize local wine and beer at RI farmer’s markets. Similar legislation in Massachusetts boosted about a dozen local vineyards and brewers’ sales by 66%. There are also exciting possibilities with the new RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative. Being the Ocean State, we have a great harvest, but most of it immediately leaves Rhode Island after it’s landed. We’re trying to apply some of the farm-to-table magic to seafood by opening up more opportunities to sell locally. Look for a new “RI Seafood” branding campaign starting in April. Sheri: We are hoping to break $2 million in sales on Market Mobile in 2013. In order to do so, we are expanding cold storage in our pack house. The Rhode Island Farm to School Project is looking towards seeing local veggies served in all of RI’s public school cafeterias! For an extended version of this interview, go to eastsidemonthly.com.
Photography: Stacey Doyle
AMAZING FOOD SELECTION,
The past decade has been a great one for local food, due in large part to the tireless work of Farm Fresh RI, which was founded in 2004. Most people know the organization, if not by name, then at least by the many farmer’s markets it operates around the state. But there is much more to Farm Fresh than just that: its Market Mobile program delivers local foods directly from farms to restaurants, cafeterias and other wholesale customers; its Harvest Kitchen puts youth in the justice system to work in food processing; its annual Local Food Forum brings together a whole spectrum of food industry professionals to network and compare notes; and there are still many more plans on the way. We caught up with Executive Director Noah Fulmer and Program Director Sheri Griffin to talk about their progress. What follows are some highlights from our converstaion. Go to eastsidemonthly.com to read the full version.
William Raveis ExCEpTiONaL pROpERTiEs
The Largest Family-Owned Real Estate Company in the Northeast an award-Winning Team
Announcing
TAylor & compAny @ WilliAm rAveis
&
TAYLOR Company
RESIDENTIAL SALES + RENTALS + INVESTMENTS
Nelson Taylor president
Bethany Calitri sales & Leasing specialist
Victoria Rogers sales Director
Robin Lake Client Care Coordinator
203 south Main street (across From the Cable Car) providence, Ri 401-270-7909 • TandC@Raveis.com
www.taylorandcompanyri.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
33
special advertising section Br brunch B breakfast L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10-20 $$$ 20+
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 $$-$$$
Tortilla Flats
355 Hope Street; 751-6777. 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 $-$
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 $$-$$$ HEMENWAY’S 121 South Main Street; 351-8570. A true Providence classic, Hemenway’s has been serving topnotch 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 $-$$$ MILLS tAVErN 101 North Main Street; 272-3331. The only restaurant
34
East Side Monthly March 2013
in RI to receive the Mobil Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. D $$-$$$ MILE & A QUArtEr rEStAUrANt 375 South Main St, 331-1500. With new ownership, Mile & a Quarter boasts a sophisticated menu, fresh cocktails and excellent service in the elegantly renovated Barnsider Building on the riverfront. D$-$$
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 $-$$$ LIM’S 18 S. Angell Street; 401-383-8830. Dive into the unique combination of Lim’s fine Thai cuisine and sushi served in an intimate and modern setting. LD $$
menu keeps diners on their toes. Check out their superb brunch. BBrLD $$-$$$
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 $$-$$$
WUrSt kItCHEN At CHEZ pASCAL. 960 Hope Street, 421-4422. Come have lunch or dinner at the Wurst Kitchen, a small open kitchen located in Chez Pascal, featuring house made sausages, cured meats and more. Lunch is served Tuesday thru Saturday, 11:30am2:30pm and dinner also Tuesday thru Saturday, 5:30-9:30pm. LD $-$$
Hope/Thayer
Wickenden
BEttEr BUrGEr COMpANY 217 Thayer Street; 228-7373. With Angus beef burgers that are juicy and tasty, this casual spot is a no brainer for anyone looking for a quick, delicious and affordable meal. They serve wholesome veggie, falafel and salmon burgers too. LD $
ABYSSINIA 333 Wickenden Street; 454-1412. Enjoy Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, using your fingers (and Ethiopia’s famed flatbread) to sample richly spiced meat, fish and vegetable dishes. (Forks are available, but less fun.) LD $-$$
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 $35 per person. Delicieux! D $-$$$
DOk’S DELI 146 Ives St, 369-7633. Providence’s only New York-style deli lives up to a high gastronomic standard by using fresh, local ingredients and housesmoked meats. Meats, sides and housemade pickles all sold retail, too. LD $
GOUrMEt HOUSE 787 Hope Street; 8313400. Beautiful murals and décor set the mood for delicious Cambodian and Southeast Asian cuisine, spicy curries and noodle dishes. The tamarind duck is a must. LD $-$$
SAkUrA 231 Wickenden Street; 3316861. Enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine, fresh sushi and sashimi in this casual, unpretentious neighborhood spot. Choose a comfortable booth or take your shoes off and have a seat in the tatami room. LD $-$$
kArtABAr 284 Thayer Street; 3318111. This European-style restaurant and lounge offers a full menu of unique dishes with Mediterranean flair and eclectic flavors. They also offer a top-notch wine list and martini menu. LD $-$$ kItCHEN BAr 771 Hope Street; 3314100. Offering contemporary comfort cuisine in an elegant setting, Kitchen Bar features daily specials and take-out. Acclaimed Chef Jaime D’Oliveira has been brought on to consult, so expect exciting new options and flavors. LD $-$$ NICE SLICE 267 Thayer Street; 4536423. Hip and healthy are the best descriptions of this pizza place. It’s whole wheat, New York-style pizza with plenty of choices for toppings, including vegan and vegetarian options. LD $ rUE DE L’ESpOIr 99 Hope Street; 7518890. In business for over 30 years, the Rue has only gotten better. Beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients, the innovative, constantly changing
Jewelry District/Waterfront rUE BIS 95 South Street; 490-9966. This intimate eatery provides breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood bistro atmosphere – all with the gourmet pedigree of Hope Street dining staple Rue De L’Espoir behind it. BBrL $ BAkEr StrEEt rUE 75 Baker Street; 490-5025. The Rue De L’Espoir empire expands with this comfortable neighborhood café serving “upscale diner food.” BBrL$
Outside Providence LJ’S BBQ 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket; 305-5255. LJ’s features ribs, pork, chicken and beef cooked low and slow in their customized pit, made with recipes from co-owner Bernie Watson’s grandmother, Miss Leola Jean. It’s great food at a great value. LD $-$$
Photography: Dan Schwarz
Dining Guide
Learn something new or accelerate your degree with our diverse summer offerings
RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE
Summer 2013 www.ric.edu/summersessions
Dracula Culture
RIC With Save The Bay: The Impacts of Global Change on Narragansett Bay
• General Education • Graduate Studies • On Campus or Online • Sustainability Studies • Enrichment Courses • Summer Youth Camps
Photo courtesy of Save The Bay
Sports in America
Ellie's
Hotel Providence
Local 121
Homestyle
Gracie's
Small Point Cafe
Westminster Lofts
Eddy Bar
Noon Designs
Modern Love
Salon Bar
Tazza Caffe
craftland
Gourmet Heaven
Eno
Queen of Hearts
Symposium Books
Clover
Civil
Complete listing and information
www.ric.edu/summersessions
Save The Bay’s Bay Institute
Aspire
TWO SIX-WEEK SESSIONS Session I: May 20 – June 28 Session II: July 1 – Aug. 9 Registration begins Feb. 25
Providence Optical
Sura
Gracie's
Wharf
zipcar
March 2013 East Side Monthly
35
Everything you need for your Holiday Celebration We offer freshly prepared holiday foods, delicious storemade breads and desserts, fresh produce, flowers and seasonal plants
165 Pitman Street, Providence 401-831-7771 www.eastsidemarket.com
Be Sure To EAT
Creativity, Style‌
for more info visit juliansprovidence.com
4 Frank Avenue, West Kingston, RI • (401) 792-9799
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S-L-Y
36
Innovation,
East Side Monthly March 2013
davittdesignbuild.com
Art
"A landmark known for quality and creativity of its constantly evolving menu . . . One of Rhode Island's very own fine dining places." Bob Mariani, Find RI.com
by Erin Swanson
"The favorite Sunday brunch spot." Glamour Magazine “Relaxed . . . A charming bistro.” Food & Wine “An authentic café that could have been lifted from the streets of Paris.” The Best of Daytripping & Dining
Do Good, Buy Art
Rue De L’Espoir American Bistro Cooking
This digital gallery donates part of its proceeds to charity
open daily breakfast, lunch, dinner 99 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906 info/reservations 751-8890 www.therue.com
Need a career change? Become a Pilates instructor!
Sign Up Now For March Teacher Certification Classes ■
Fully equipped Pilates studio: private & group sessions
■
Mind/Body nutritional counseling
■
Power Pilates teacher training center
Call or Email for Schedule
w: providencepilatescenter.com | e: provpilates@aol.com
t: 401-480-0193 | 5 Lincoln Avenue, Providence
Anne Siems piece Fox Plant available at www.tinyshowcase.com
Shea’la Finch and Jon Buonaccorsi know good art. The two established Tiny Showcase on the East Side of Providence in 2004. “We were always amazed by the amount of art being created around us, yet appalled by the lack of access to that art,” Finch says. “If the gallery didn’t want to show it, then no one would see it. And if it was shown, many people [we knew] didn’t feel comfortable going to the galleries. Tiny Showcase was founded on the principles of making art accessible and affordable.” The internet and museum-quality archival printing methods have created a new forum for both artists and art enthusiasts. Each week, the curators of this digital gallery choose a piece of art and create a limited edition of reproductions. Those prints are released for sale online at 7:30pm every Tuesday. “We feature at least one artist per week, sometimes two. At this point, going on year nine, we’ve worked with hundreds of artists,” Finch says. “We feature both locals and those from around the world, providing them with publicity and financial opportunities.” Most of the pieces are priced between $20-25. Every week, $250
from each edition is donated to the charity of the artist’s choice. “At this point, I would say the fastest seller is Josh Keyes, with whom we’ve raised over tens of thousands of dollars for organizations like Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders,” she says. “People are enthusiastic to begin collecting art and also to be giving back. We often receive very warm emails from people after they make their first purchase.” In terms of artist selection, it’s as simple as Finch and Buonaccorsi choosing ones that they both like. “Normally this translates to a highly skilled artist who makes interesting work that’s accessible to a diverse audience,” Finch explains. “We offer affordable high-quality art in a digital environment for even the most remote art enthusiasts. In this way we hope to encourage people to see art as an everyday experience.” Tiny Showcase has lots of great new editions in a wide array of mediums lined up for the New Year. In addition to traditional prints, they sometimes offer t-shirts, coloring books and pieces that are framed and matted, making for the perfect no-fuss gift. www. tinyshowcase.com
“Killer comedy!” –ToroNTo sTAr
“A comedy empire!” –NY Times
Don’t miss it! At Trinity Rep • March 20–23 only • Call for tickets!
tickets $35 • (401) 351-4242 • trinityrep.com • 201 WASHinGton St. • proViDence • ri •
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 • March 2013 East Side Monthly
37
Hot & Fresh Calzones!
Finance by Betsey Purinton
Rethinking College Planning Enjoy in-house or delivered to your door 401-228-8455 288 Thayer Street, Providence MikesCalzones.com
Dental Center
• Veneers • Crowns • Dentures • Family Dentistry • Tooth Whitening Come in and Schedule an appointment today!
Where you’ll always find the brightest SMILES! Your DownCity General and Cosmetic Specialist 66 Kennedy Plaza Providence www.dentplus.net | 401-454-3000 VOLKSWAGEN
MINI
At German Motors we’re geared for performance. We are all about intelligent overall performance. Not only does this make sense, it also makes being behind the wheel more enjoyable. For honest and expert repairs call, email or stop by today to book your appointment. Your car will run better. Courtesy drop-off to downtown.
G
E R M A N
Sales &
MO
T O R S
INC
Service
879 North Main Street, Providence, RI 0290 401-272-4266 Email us at: germanmotorshelp@gmail.com MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI PORSCHE
BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE VOLKSWAGEN MINI COOPER
MERCEDES BENZ
38
BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE VOLKSWAGEN MINI COOPER
AUDI
Providence Media Spot ads: 2.125" x 2.875" January 7, 2013 East Side Monthly March 2013
from college this June. When we make the last payment this spring, my husband and I will have put three children through one public and two private colleges. I won’t even mention how much the costs totaled – more than most parents want to hear. We’re lucky; we are done. Some friends and a number of my clients are facing future tuitions. What has looked like a big bill to us could be dwarfed by college costs which expand annually at more than the rate of inflation – 2.4% above inflation for private colleges; 5.2% above inflation for public colleges over the last decade (College Board). At what point does a parent say, “This college is just too expensive?” Many factors go into choosing a college: programs, prestige, proximity, peers (to represent just one letter of the alphabet) and pricing often gets pushed down the list of priorities. I have talked to many clients who say, “We’ll just make it work,” regardless of the price tag. Parents are well intentioned. They want the best for their children, and a college degree is a proven ticket to higher employment rates and better salaries for many graduates. But do parents really understand future college costs? I often find that parents are unrealistic about financial aid. They believe that colleges will take into account their existing debt and give them a break on their financial aid. (Not true.) They also believe that there is a magic number (formally known as “The Expected Family Contribution”) that guarantees them a certain amount of assistance. Colleges aren’t required to give a student any aid. The schools try to be fair – spreading around the limited financial resources as best as possible –but the assistance pool is only so large, and it is hardly ever enough to meet the needs families believe they deserve. In addition, most aid is not meritbased (scholarships that don’t have to be paid back). Much of financial aid comprises student loans and work study. The loans are amounts the students or parents will eventually cover, not the colleges. Parents can also be unrealistic about
their college savings. They dutifully open up a 529 plan (a tax-advantaged college savings vehicle offered in all states) and plop down $200 a month into the plan for their child. When added onto mortgage, car and credit card payments, the $200 debit feels like a meaningful payment. But if they save $2400 a year from the time the child is born until college enrollment, the parents will cover approximately one year of tuition, room and board that currently costs $28,000 (the $28,000 is a planning number and is not meant to represent averages for four year private colleges, four year public colleges nor any particular college). And then you have to add in the emotionality factor. The student is often seeking “best fit,” while the parents want “best reputation” or vice versa. Neither is thinking as much about expenses as they should. So how do you avoid that disappointment, or conversely, sidestep the pitfalls of taking on too much debt if you opt to “make it work?” Ideally, you start with financial planning early on, when the kids are young. Determine how much of college you plan to pay for: Out of income, out of savings, with gifts and from loans. Then: • Target the savings for each child or collectively for your children and start funding 529 plans when the kids are young.
• Look at your own career path. What percentage of college costs do you expect to fund out of current income? • Don’t be afraid to ask the grandparents if they will be willing to help out. • Have a frank discussion on student loans; not all couples agree on whether loans are good or bad and at what level. Decide on an amount that works for both parents. • Set expectations with your children early. “There are limits to how much we will be willing to pay.” • Establish an affordability factor for each college on the application list and make it a priority. • Don’t neglect your own retirement planning. You want to make sure you are not going to have to ask your kids for loans in your old age. There are many good colleges that your child can thrive at, some less expensive than others. When the college acceptances roll in this spring, make sure fit, program and affordability are all part of the enrollment decision. 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.
Illustration: Ashley MacLure
Our youngest child graduates
DentPlus
BMW
Taking into account the affordability factor
Someone to count on … Concord Companion Services helps seniors enjoy the comfort of living at home by offering a helping hand with daily tasks. Whether you could use some help just hours a week or an in-home companion 24-hours a day, Concord Companions can be available anywhere in Rhode Island with just two hours notice. Our accredited services are fully bonded and insured.
Visit our website to see a full list of services. private duty companion care • light housekeeping errands & appointments • laundry • home health aide shopping • overnight care • meal planning medication management
www.ConcordHomeCare.com
401-725-8400
cordially invites you
Our Heroes Annual Survivor Fashion Show “Planting The Seeds of Hope” Saturday, May 11, 2013 | Doors Open At 5pm Rhodes On The Pawtuxet, Cranston, RI
Great Shopping-Great Show-Great Cause! For Tickets And More Information, Call 401-861-Hero (4376) www.GloriaGemma.org
March 2013 East Side Monthly
39
HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED
Providing Foster Care? The Groden Center is looking for individuals and couples interested in becoming licensed foster parents for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and behavior disorders. WHAT WE OFFER:
✓ GENEROUS SUPPORT ✓ PAID RESPITE ✓ TAX-FREE STIPEND ✓ REFERRAL BONUS ✓ WRAPAROUND SUPPORT 24/7 ✓ MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR EVERY CHILD ✓ ON-GOING TRAINING FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL ANDREA AT 401-274-6310 x 1259.
ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor
The Right Choice for Assisted Living on The East Side : tion rma m o f in n.co ore r m allkee o f h har har@ ous s e H • vhou i r e l a 9 5 V 2 45 tact Con 01) 65 4 (
DEDICATION...
Now Open
‘Reflections’ Dementia and Memory Care Apartments Are Now Available
...is a word that is both used and abused these days. But I want you to know that I really am dedicated to my customers and to my profession. If a real estate transaction is in your future, let’s talk. Then you can decide for yourself if you really believe that I am... ...DEDICATED... to serving YOU! Call me today!
ELISE PENN PANSEY The Pet Friendly Realtor
Unmatched in Service, Location and Value
Butterman & Kryston, Inc.
101 Highland Avenue | Providence, Rhode Island 02906 | (401) 654-5259 For a virtual tour, photos, and more information, visit us at www.HighlandsRI.com
749 East Ave. Pawtucket, RI @ Blackstone Blvd
40
East Side Monthly March 2013
401.455.1625 www.elisepennpansey.com 401.521.9490 x22
At School Today by Jill Davidson
$5 Happy Hour Appetizers
More than a Test Score
Weekdays between 3-6pm (Wayland Square location only)
How standardized tests may be more harmful than helpful
Illustration: Jessica Pollak
The more things change,
the more they stay the same. There’s some truth there, but I recommend that we not apply that adage to most aspects of formal education. Generally speaking, schools have changed a great deal. Following my own advice, I try to ignore personal experiences as a student when I think about the learning experiences of young people today (there is no way to write that sentence without feeling old). Of course, I am comparatively old, more than a generation removed from today’s high school students. During the intervening decades, the structures, practices and environments in schools themselves have changed significantly. However, even with the plus ça change caveat, when I think about the experiences of today’s high school students, I’m glad that I remember how it feels to get wound up about highstakes standardized tests – not exams and other assessments associated with coursework. I’m talking about fill-in-the-bubble tests that compare you with nameless multitudes similarly confronted with a number two pencil and a test booklet. I distinctly remember my internal monologue just before I took the SATs. Even though I was anxious, I knew that the test in and of itself would not keep me from my life’s goals and thus was able to get through the SATs mostly unencumbered by panic. During the past decade, federal and state policies have dramatically expanded the significance of high-stakes standardized tests, not just for students preparing for four-year colleges but for all students as they head toward high school graduation. Here in Rhode Island, high school graduation will soon depend, in part, on Partially Proficient (or better) on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) mathematics and reading tests. Current Rhode Island Department of Education plans stipulate that this will concern the class of 2014 and beyond, meaning that this year’s 11th graders will be the first class affected by the implementation of the graduation requirements that include NECAP proficiency. According to the Rhode Island
Featuring the Red Dragon Roll HARUKI EAST
1725 Wayland Ave Providence / 223-0332 HARUKI EXPRESS 112 Waterman St Providence / 421-0754
HARUKI CRANSTON 1210 Oaklawn Ave Cranston / 463-8338
WWW.HARUKISUSHI.COM
American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes the new graduation requirements, this will have a deleterious effect on the number of graduates statewide, putting over 40 percent at risk of not receiving a high school diploma. In Providence, over two-thirds of students may not graduate. Students of color, English Language Learners and special education students face even worse odds. Many of these students struggle with the NECAPs while demonstrating proficiency in their coursework. These are successful students who will be barred from high school graduation. What good does this serve? The latest data indicates that 66 percent of Providence’s public high school students graduate within four years. What will happen when we add an arbitrary restriction such as the NECAPs other than complicating an already difficult situation? The effect on our economy as a whole, as well of the welfare of thousands of individual students, will be disastrous. Students should graduate from high school when they have demonstrated that they have met high standards. The argument for incorporating the NECAP into the Rhode Island high school graduation requirements – which include successful completion of class requirements, comprehensive course assessments and a Senior Exhibition project – is that NE-
CAP proficiency indicates minimum levels of literacy and numeracy. Indeed, high school graduation should be meaningful. But it should get that meaning from what matters: classes, courses, assessments and rigorous projects. There’s no evidence that the addition of the NECAP requirement adds meaning to a high school education. The current dominance of highstakes standardized tests is having a chilling effect on students’ ability to pursue knowledge in any real depth. Approaches such as interdisciplinary project-based learning, which we know effectively prepares students for success as lifelong learners, are limited or nonexistent. Excessive focus on the tests has caused the curriculum to narrow, inquiry to be stilted and opportunities for struggling students to gain proficiency in the skills they will need throughout their lives to be squandered. While systemic, lasting school improvement demands much more than reducing the emphasis on high-stakes standardized tests, we’re unlikely to get to where we need to go unless we commit to stop limiting the future of our young people, who are so much more than a test score. Jill Davidson can be reached at whathappenedatschool@gmail.com or her blog, providenceschools.blogspot.com
Century 21 Rentals Smarter, Bolder, Faster Results
B utterman & K ryston , I nc .
Don't Lose Another Month's Rent Call our Agents at 401-521-9490 Century21RIRentals.com March 2013 East Side Monthly
41
East Side Primary Care welcomes
Dr. Christoph Sahar, David Ramos, NP & Jason Xynellis, PA to our practice
DSC_8096.JPG
• Colds & Flu • Minor Trauma • Sprains & Strains • X-Ray/Labs Available
• Workman’s Comp Exams • Immunization • DOT, School, and Sports Physicals
Same Day And Evening Appointments Available Monday-Friday: 9am to 8pm Saturdays & Sundays: 9am to 4pm
DSC_8097.jpg
East sidE UrgEnt CarE The Right Care, Right Now
wayland sq | providence
chapel view | cranston
w w w . t e a sa nd j a v a s. c o m | brought to you by Alex and Ani, LLC
1195 North Main Street, Providence • 401.861.3782
Moving from imagining to reality takes trust. From design collaboration through seamless installation, RIKB is your partner... every step of the way.
It’s Elementary... A strong foundation that lasts a lifetime Preschool through 6th Grade Limited openings in Wee Threes classroom
139 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI 401.463.1550 • www.RIKB.com 42
East Side Monthly March 2013
100 Grove Avenue, East Providence, RI 401.434.6913 www.oceanstatemontessori.org
Calendar
by Dale Rappeneau
March
music | performance | social happenings | galleries | learn | sports
DON’T MISS THIS MONTH: 10 events at the top of our list
Blue Man Group. March 1-3 at Providence Performing Arts Center. www. ppacri.org.
1
Lady Gaga. Mohegan Sun on March 3 at 8pm. www. mohegansun.com.
2
Wine Face-off. March 27 at Hamilton House at 5pm. Hamiltonhouse276@ hotmail.com.
3
Festival Ballet’s Agon & Orchis. March 8-10 at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium. www.vmari.com.
4
Gasbarro’s Wine Tastings. March 7 & 21 at 361 Atwells Ave. www.gasbarros. com.
5 Blue Man Group
MUSIC arena & club | classical AreNA & CLuB MOHEGAN SUN March 2: Eddie Money. March 3: Lady Gaga with special guests Zedd & Lady Starlight. March 8: Matchbox Twenty. March 10: Kat Edmonson. March 23: Foghat. March 27: P!nk. 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, CT. 888-226-7711, www.mohegansun.com. CHAN’S March 1: Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. March 8: Brian Maes. March 15: Killer Kane and the Jewel City Blues. March 22: Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood. March 29: Jesse Dee. March 30: Duke Robillard Band. 267 Main St, Woonsocket. 765-1900, www. chanseggrollsandjazz.com.
FOXWOODS March 10: Gianni Morandi. March 17 & 18: Paris By Night 108. 350 Trolley Line Blvd, Mashantucket, CT. 800-2002882, www.foxwoods.com. LUPO’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL March 1: Hinder. March 3: Tenacious D. March 8: Drive By Truckers. March 15” Circa Survive and Minus The Bear. 79 Washington St. 331-5876, www.lupos.com. THE MET March 8: Rolling Thunder Revival. March 9: The Wonder Years. March 14: Keller Williams. March 16: Aztec Two Step. March 21: The Expendables. March 22: Little Green Cars. March 23: Lucero. March 28: A Loss For Words. March 30: The Schemers. 1005 Main St. Pawtucket, 729-1005, www.themetri.com.
ROOTS CULTURAL CENTER Every Friday: Lunas Ladies Night. Every Sunday: Who Dat Jam. Every Tuesday: Strictly Jazz Jam. March 28: Peace Work “All About Folk.” 276 Westminster St. 272-7422, www.rootsprovidence.com. TWIN RIVER March 1: Felix Brown. March 2: Bon Jersey. March 8: Steve Anthony & Persuasion. March 9: Great Escape. March 15: Santa Mamba. March 22: Amish Outlaws. March 23: Bobby Justin. March 29: World Premier Band. March 31: John Badessa Big Band. 100 Twin River Rd, Lincoln. 877-827-4837, www.twinriver.com. CLASSICAL RICCO March 16: Music of Pärt and Schubert. Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, 30 Fenner St, 521-5670, www.ricco.org.
The Second City: Laughing Matters. March 20-23 at Trinity Rep. www.trinityrep.org
6
Temple Beth-el’s Film Festival. March 3, 10, 17. www.temple-beth-el.org.
7
NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. East Regional, Division I. Dunkin Donuts Center. www.dunkindonutscenter.com.
8
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. March 8-31 at 2nd Story Theatre. www.2ndstorytheatre.com.
9
Brown Bag Concert Series. March 14 at Sayles Hall, Brown University at 12pm. Free. www.brown.edu.
10
March 2013 East Side Monthly
43
Come see what the buzz is about!
ROWING & SCULLING CLASSES
For Adults & Kids (13-19 Years Old) No rowing experience necessary
Sign up for an introductory rowing lesson at 9:00, 9:45, 10:30 and 11:15am for these
Kataifi wrapped sea scallops
Open HOuse dates
Mile & A Quarter Sophisticated dining on the riverfront 375 South Main Street, Providence • 401-331-1500
Prepare and Train Offering the most comprehensive evaluation & advanced treatment therapies for biomechanical injuries
Now Offering Functional Movement Screens (FMS) FMS is a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function. This system can be applied at any fitness level, simplifying corrective strategies of a wide array of movement issues. Dr. Ellen McNally
Visit chiropracticperformance.com for full details
144 Waterman Street, Providence | Suite 2 • 401-396-2010
www.chiropracticperformance.com
44
East Side Monthly March 2013
MAR 16 • APR 20 • JUN 15 • JULY 27 • SEP 7
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
Calendar
continued...
LIFE COACH
adolescents & young adults
Harry Fish MA, BCC 80 Calendars, LLC 401-465-5491 80calendars.com
PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER March 1-3: Blue Man Group. March 15: WPMS: The Musical at the Vets. March 22: Celtic Woman. 220 Weybosset St. 421-2787, www.ppacri.org.
Juggling Instructor
BROWN UNIVERSITY March 1-2: Brown University Orchestra Tour Sendoff Concerts. March 8: 26th Annual Eric Adam Brudner ‘84 Memorial Concert. March 14: Brown Bag Concert. March 15: Brown University Wind Symphony Concert. March 19: Brown University Jazz Combos Concert. 863-3234, www.brown.edu/music/events.
Fine Horticulture Maintenance, Design & Installation
PARK THEATRE March 9: Glenn Miller Orchestra. March 16: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. March 17: Celtic Nights – Journey of Hope. 848 Park Ave, Cranston. 467-7275, www. parktheatreri.com.
PERFORMANCE
www.CityEstateGardener.com
401.935.2312 Company dancers Vilia Putrius and Mindaugas Bauzys in Agon. © The George Balanchine Trust
comedy | dance | theatre CoMedy EVERETT Every Friday: Friday Night Live. 9 Duncan Ave. 831-9479, www.everettri.org. 95 EMPIRE BLACK BOX Every Saturday: Improv Jones. 95 Empire St. 831-9327, www.improvjones.com.
Photo: Thomas Nola-Rion
COMEDY CONNECTION Every Friday: Hardcore Comedy. Every Sunday: Comedy Showcase. March 1-2: Ray Harrington featuring Pat Oates. March 7: Sinbad. March 14: John Valby. March 15-16: John Moses. March 2930: Ira Proctor featuring Mike Murray. 39 Warren Ave, East Providence. 4388383, www.ricomedyconnection.com. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER March 8: Station Fire Memorial Foundation Comedy Show. March 9: Bill Cosby. March 24: Lewis Black: The Rant Is Due. 220 Weybosset St. 4212787, www.ppacri.org. TRINITY REP March 20-23: The Second City: Laughing
Matters. 201 Washington St. 351-4242, www.trinityrep.com. THeATre TRINITY REP March 14-31: Social Creatures. 201 Washington St. 351-4242, www.trinityrep.com. GAMM THEATRE March 14-31: The Real Thing. 172 Exchange St. 723-4266, www.gamm theatre.org. 2ND STORY THEATRE March 8-31: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. 28 Market St, Warren. 2474200, www.2ndstorytheatre.com. OCEAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY March 1-10: Rent. March 27-31: Race. 1245 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick. 9216800, www.oceanstatetheatre.org. dANCe VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM March 8-10: Festival Ballet presents Agon & Orchis. 1 Avenue of the Arts. 421-2787, www.vmari.com. PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
March 19: Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 100th anniversary celebration of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. 220 Weybosset St. 421-2787, www. ppacri.org.
Mediation Services Divorce with Dignity
PROVIDENCE BALLET March 15-16: Hansel & Gretel. 600 Mount Pleasant Ave. 456-8144, www. providenceballet.org. STATE BALLET March 22-23: Giselle. 600 Mount Pleasant Ave. 334-2560, www.stateballet.com.
SOCIAL HAPPENINGS expos | fundraisers | seasonal For FoodIeS BOTTLES FINE WINE & CRAFT BEER Every Friday: Beer Tastings. Every Saturday: Wine Tastings. 141 Pitman St. 372-2030, www.bottlesfinewine.com. GASBARRO’S WINES March 7 & 21: Wine Tastings. 361 Atwells Ave. 421-4170, www.gasbarros.com.
Karen Silver Lovett, Esq. Experienced Mediator
Divorce, Separation, Parenting Private – Affordable
401-621-6000
KLovett@lovettlovett.com
March 2013 East Side Monthly
45
2nd Story Theatre Presents
One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest
Calendar
continued...
By Dale Wasserman Previews:
20 Regular Shows: $ March 14 – April 7 25
March 8 – March 10
$
247-4200 • 2ndstorytheatre.com • 28 Market Street, Warren, RI
Now AcceptiNg New pAtieNts Welcomes Elizabeth Cappelletti, MD to our practice!
From birth control to pregnancy, from menopause to disease management, seeing you through all the stages of your life is our privilege. 297 Promenade Street :: Providence :: (401) 490.6464 www.center-obgyn.com
21 Rose Court
85 Capwell
Lovely Colonial featuring 6 bedrooms, 5 full baths, 2 half baths, NEW granite & stainless kitchen, NEW lavette, hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces,central air, lovely grounds & more located on a quiet street off Freeman Parkway. $759,000.00
Oak Hill: 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath Colonial with hardwood floors throughout, living room w/fireplace, central air, 4 year old roof & more! $309,900.00
Debbie Gold
401-640-0403 • 225 Wayland Ave, East Side Of Providence Deborah.Gold@NEMoves.com Coldwell Banker International Diamond Society award. 2011 Greater Providence Board of Realtors Gold Award. Relocation & Previews Property Specialist
© 2012 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Owned and operated by NRT, Incorporated. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Housing Opportunity
Introducing The Wurst Kitchen at Chez Pascal Small open kitchen featuring hotdogs, house made sausages and sandwiches for lunch. For dinner enjoy sausages (served outside the bun) and small plates of delicious ideas.
Wurst Days
Tues-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm
Wurst Nights
Tues-Sat 5:30pm-9:30pm
960 Hope Street, Providence 421-4422 • chez-pascal.com
46
East Side Monthly March 2013
FeSTIvALS TEMPLE BETH-EL’S SISTERHOOD FILM FESTIVAL March 3: Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray. March 10: Two Who Dared: The Sharps’ War. March 17: A Journey of Spirit. 70 Orchard Ave. 331-6070, www.templebeth-el.org.
GALLERIES PEREGRINE GALLERY Now through March 1: Transformation: 20 Years in the Making of a Man Named Mac. 150 Waterman Street. 654-4618. www.peregrinegallery.com GALLERY Z Now through March 9: Estate Show: Living and Non-Living Artists Represented and Exhibited with Gallery Z in the Past. 259 Atwells Avenue. 4548844. www.galleryzprov.com. PROVIDENCE CITY HALL Now through March 15: Cape Verdean Exhibit: Masters of the Craft; A Gallery of Memories. 25 Dorrance Street, 2nd Floor. www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism. PROVIDENCE ART CLUB Now through March 15: Maxwell Mays Gallery: Jim Bush, Vincent Castaldi and S. Chandler Kissell: Of Three Minds. Dodge House Gallery: Nancy Godfrey and Brian Larkin: Color & Contrast. 11 Thomas Street. 331-1114. www.providenceartclub.org. RISD MUSEUM OF ART Now through March 31: The Festive City; RISD Business: Sassy Signs and Sculptures by Alejandro Diaz; DoubleAnd-Add by Angela Bulloch, Anthony McCall, Haroon Mirza; Grisogorious Places: Edward Lear’s Travels; Subject to Change: Art and Design in the Twentieth Century. March 1-17: 2013 RISD Faculty Biennial. March 15-31: Made for Eternity. 224 Benefit St. 4546500, www.risdmuseum.org. CHAZAN GALLERY March 7-31: Drawing Matters. 228 Angell Street. 421-9230. www.chazangallery.org
kIDS + FAMILy BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Every Saturday: Children’s Story Time. 244 Thayer St. 863-3168, www.bookstore.brown.edu. PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY March 10: Celebrating Ireland in Story and Song. March 11: Author Presentation: The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns. March 26: Brown Bag Book Club: The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibbs. 150 Empire St. 455-8000, www.provlib.org. CITY OF PROVIDENCE, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS March 16: “Ready, Set, Recycle!” EcoDepot Collection. A free general admission ticket to the RWP Zoo will be given to each driver who submits waste for recycling. 700 Allens Ave. 942-1430, www.ecodepotri.org. ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO March 16-31: Be a Frogwatcher! March 16: Ready, Set, Recycle! March 23-24: Visits with the Easter Bunny. March 24: Egg Scavenger Hunt. 1000 Elmwood Ave. 941-4998, www. rwpzoo.org.
LEARN discussion | instruction | tour BROWN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE March 7: Vladimir Alexandrov, The Black Russian. 244 Thayer St. 8633168, www.bookstore.brown.edu. WATSON INSTITUTE March 12: Mark Blyth, Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea. 111 Thayer St. 863-2809, www.watsoninstitute.org. RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY March 23: H.P. Lovecraft: A Literary Walk. March 27: “Endearing Ties:” Black Family Life in Early New England, 331-8575, www.rihs.org. BROWN UNIVERSITY March 8: Piano Workshop in Grand
Calendar
continued...
A New Season.
A New Lifestyle.
Did the senior in your life spend the winter months cooped up? Was your free time spent cooking, cleaning or doing home maintenance for them?
Spring is the perfect time for an enriching, new lifestyle! Assisted Living on Blackstone Boulevard
353 Blackstone Blvd. • Providence, RI
401-273-6565
www.EPOCHBlackstoneAL.com
Assisted Living on the East Side
One Butler Ave. • Providence, RI
401-275-0682
www.EPOCHEastSide.com
(Mass Relay - 711)
Assisted Living . Memory Care . Respite . Fitness Center
It’s never too early to plan ahead Six Figures by Susan Lichtman on display at Chazan Gallery March 7-31
Recital Hall. Hope at Young Orchard. 8633234, www.brown.edu/music/events.
SPORTS PROVIDENCE BRUINS HOCKEY March 1: Providence Bruins vs. Worcester Sharks. March 3: Providence Bruins vs. Portland Pirates. March 8: Providence Bruins vs. Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins. March 10: Providence Bruins vs. Connecticut Whale. March 15: Providence Bruins vs. Springfield Falcons. March 17: Providence Bruins vs. Manchester Monarchs. March 22: Providence Bruins vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 1 LaSalle Square. www.dunkindonutscenter.com. NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION March 30-31: NCAA Division 1 Men’s Ice Hockey Championship - East Regional. Dunkin’ Donuts Center, LaSalle Square. www.dunkindonutscenter.com.
BROWN MEN’S HOCKEY March 1: Brown vs. Cornell. March 2: Brown vs. Colgate. Meehan Auditorium, Hope and Lloyd. www.brownbears.com. BROWN WOMEN’S HOCKEY February 15: Brown vs. Union. February 16: Brown vs. Rennselaer. February 22: Brown vs. Princeton. February 23: Brown vs. Quinnipiac. Meehan Auditorium, Hope and Lloyd. www. brownbears.com.
Pre-arrangements are a thoughtful and prudent decision that may help to ease your loved one’s anxieties. • Accommodations for all faiths, traditions and wishes. • All-in-one options for calling hours, service and reception. • Newly remodeled throughout
• Reception room • Easy access from I-195 • Ample free parking • Over 125 years of reputation for excellence
BROWN MEN’S TENNIS March 9: Brown vs. Buffalo & Brown vs. UCONN. March 19: Brown vs. St. John’s. March 30: Brown vs. Bryant & Brown vs. Boston University. Paul Bailey Pizzitola Memorial Sports Center, Hope and Lloyd. www.brownbears.com BROWN WOMEN’S TENNIS March 2: Brown vs. Boston University. March 9: Brown vs. Stony Brook. March 21: Brown vs. Maryland. Paul Bailey Pizzitola Memorial Sports Center, Hope and Lloyd. www. brownbears.com
401.331.4592 • 401.421.9887 230 WATERMAN AVE., WAYLAND SQUARE • PROVIDENCE WWW.MONAHANDRABBLESHERMAN.COM • EMAIL: MKDSFH@AOL.COM March 2013 East Side Monthly
47
Classifieds
To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.
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.
(401) 441-7303
ELDER CARE - Providence area Compassionate, insightful, articulate woman available as P-T companion/ homemaker/organizer w/focus on positive aging. Experienced. References. Call 401.274.1211 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 WORK, DRYWALL Plaster (hang, tape & paint). Water damage repair. All phases of carpentry. Reg. #24022. Fully insured. Steven, E. Prov., 401-641-2452.
CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS and more. In-home consultation. 30 years experience. 401-949-1587.
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.
COLD? NOISE? SAVE! Removable glass (from inside), Low/E, compression fit inserts for homes, historical, churches, condos, hotels, business. Also roofing, siding, patios, additions. Low prices. You/we install. Award Contr. Reg. #21077 & insured. 401-365-9194.
CHRIS’ LAMP REPAIR We Make House Calls!!! ✯ Repairing all types of Lamps ✯ Vintage Lighting Specialist ✯ Chandelier Repairs ✯ Serving the East Side for over 15 years ✯ Fully Insured
(401) 831-8693 www.chrislamprepair.com
HOUSE CLEANING
If you need a house cleaner who is organized and with good prices & excellent references, call 401-475-3283 48
East Side Monthly March 2013
COOK/CLEANER AVAILABLE Experienced European woman, legal resident. References available. Call 243-4483. DOG WALKER/PET SITTER Trained to administer medications. Reliable, bonded, references available. Home visits. Call Susan 5273914. Loves animals. 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.
JOBS BY JIM Garages & Attics Cleaned
Unwanteds Removed Small Demolitions - Garages, Sheds, etc.
Free Metal Pick-up Appliances & Lawn Mowers ❖Motors ❖Machines ❖Batteries ❖Etc.
Call 401-232-5650 Cell 401-742-7258
Reg. #4614
HOUSE CLEANER 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 Experienced. Local references. Free estimates. Call Lilly, 401-419-2933. GOT PUG? Specialty pug walking, check ins, day care, overnight care. Rachel @ 401-378-0567. KIND CARE ~ SENIORS Appointments, errands, shopping, cleaning & maint. Refs. Safety bars installed. Reg #3052. 559-0848. I BUY BOOKS Old, used and almost new. Also buying photography, art, etc. Call 401-421-2628. jcvp@cox.net ELECTRICAL SERVICES All types. New circuits. RI #A3338. MA #16083A. Insured. Call Larry 529-2087. Also, small handyman jobs.
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. NICK QUICK PERSONAL ASSISTANT Chauffeur to appointments, shopping, errands, personal decorating & catering. Call 508-431-7443. PIANO PLAYER AVAILABLE For house parties, functions, weddings, etc. (Sweet, adorable and well brought up.) Reasonable rates. 919333-5926. jonathannewel.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
USED MUSIC WANTED! Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid. Call 351-6292.
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE Spring & Fall Cleanups Bushes Trimmed ❊ Tree Removal Pine Bark Mulch
Landscape Construction Parking Lot Cleaning Handyman
❊
26 Years Experience
MG Landscaping 743-6015 ❊ 831-5109
Classifieds
To place your classified ad, please call 732-3100.
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.
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
Vinyl
â—?
Fabric
and Painting
Commercial
â—?
r $2.50 each additional line (includes headline)
Residential
Reg. #17297 â—? North Providence â—? Insured
A1wallcove@aol.com
r $2.00 additional — Boxed Ad
Willard
name:
Roofing & Restoration All Types of Roofing & Exterior Repairs
“Leaf Relief� Gutter Guard System Gutters Cleaned, Repaired & Replaced Insured
COMMERCIAL
Discover
â—?
â—?
Call Now For a Free Estimate
949-4440 Visa MasterCard Accepted
Reg. #14074
â—?
Painting & Remodeling Co., Inc. For ALL Your Painting & Carpentry Needs
We Specialize in Water Problems (Roofs, Gutters, Basements) Certified Lead Renovated LRM #0514
Call Al Medina
_____________________________________
address: city:
___________________________________
_______________ state: ____ zip: _________
amount enclosed: __________________________
MEDINA
Fully Insured
______________________________________
phone:
Siding â—? Insulation â—? Windows â—?
497-1461 â—? 231-1851
r 4 lines /$10
Jerry Giroux
401-724-1166
RESIDENTIAL
Vinny’s Landscaping
& BOBCAT SERVICES
classified advertising Order fOrm
Professional Paperhanging â—?
Residential/Commercial Free Estimates FIREWOOD: Seasoned Hardwood, Cut & Split, $225/cord.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE Beautiful, spacious, Wayland Sq. area. 1-3 days/wk. Handicapped access. Wait area & rest room. Call 323-7273.
Wallcovering Express Inc.
SUPERB HOUSE PAINTING High end workmanship. Small jobs a specialty. Call Ron 751-3242. Reg. #18128.
SNOW PLOWING
T.J. DANUSIS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS, INC. Complete electrical services. Lic. #AC160. Insured. 401-499-1255.
PARKING/STORAGE Lloyd Ave., garage long-term storage, $115/mo. Congdon St., $125 covered, $100 outdoors. Benefit St. (north end), $120/mo. Call Roger, 339-4068. rogernc@mac.com
Paper
SCREEN PRINTING & Embroidery. T-shirts & Sweatshirts. Max Formal Co., 1164 North Main St., Providence. 421-3268.
R.I. Reg. #7320
401.438.8771
Visa/mastercard #: _________________________
Please complete form and fax to 732-3110 or phone in your ad to sue at 732-3100 or email sueH@rhodybeat.com mail Payment in full tO: East Side Monthly, c/o Beacon Communications Classifieds, 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 March 2013 East Side Monthly
49
East of Elmgrove
by Elizabeth Rau | Illustration by Christina Song
Clamming Year Round How true New Englanders forage for their dinners I don’t know about you, but I’m going clamming. Baby, it’s cold outside. The water is like a tub of ice cubes and the wind is whip-sharp against my cheeks, but my kids are out there in the ocean blue, so I’m going. My son Peder is trudging along in the muck in his snow boots, armed with the household hoe, a rusty Uncle Harry relic that sowed a few corn kernels back in the day and is now doing duty as a clam rake. If you don’t know what a clam rake is, then you are from Iowa. No, wait: Missouri. My firstborn is happy. What more can a mother ask for? We are a family of clammers. It started with my husband the sailor, who learned how to clam from his father, Walter the sailor, whose idea of a good meal was eating something fresh from the sea. My husband first took Peder, 12, and our other son, Henry, 11, clamming when they were toddlers. “It was just so unique and adventurous,’’ recalls Peder. “It was so cool to be catching your own dinner. I couldn’t believe that the food I could eat was right under my own feet.’’ In no time, we were digging up mollusks on a regular basis. Most of our clamming occurred during the summer at low tide. Why then? Let’s ask the expert. “For clams to survive they must be submerged in the water for a majority of the time,’’ says Peder. “But during low tide, for a few hours, they can be exposed to air without dying off. This is the time to strike.’’ Clams – quahogs, little necks and cherrystones – soon lead to other discoveries: oysters, mussels and crabs. I still remember the mussels we pulled from the reeds off Prudence Island back in ’07, tender morsels with the flavor of celery. And how can I forget that oyster retrieved from the Bay on a sun-dappled day two years ago. I slurped it down instantly. We are fearless. Our clamming spot is top secret. Don’t be offended. True clammers never reveal their locations. What could be more disappointing than discovering that your flat has run dry, thanks to loose-lipped Larry who had one too many at the local watering hole? I will say this: we clam at a tidal flat in the East Bay, not far from a potato field. 50
East Side Monthly March 2013
That’s as far as I’m going, lest I incur the wrath of my beloved. If you’re about to write a letter asserting that we are breaking the law, put that pen down and walk the dog. I have been assured by my lawyer that it is legal for Rhode Islanders to clam in Rhode Island. Mr. Smith, attorneyat-law, cites Article 1, Section 17, of the Rhode Island Constitution: “The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery and the privileges of the shore, to which they were heretofore entitled.’’ Translation: go to the muck and pluck! People from out of state, bless their hearts, need a license to dig clams here. You can’t go hog wild and take home every clam that you find. There are size restrictions. The hinge – you know what I’m talking about – has to be one inch wide. We know this because one day we were clamming at our secret site and an enforcement officer with the department of Environmental Management approached us. He had a walkietalkie. He explained the rules and showed us a device that measures the hinge. He
suggested we get the contraption. We did. Hello, Lucky’s Bait & Tackle. Clam digging is for people who don’t get pedicures. Roll up your pants. Grab a bucket. Wade out into the water and probe the bottom with your foot until you feel something solid. If it’s a rock, throw it back. If it’s a clam, reach down with your hand and pull it up. If it’s legal, put it in the bucket. Another clamming method is to kneel on the shoreline and dig down with a garden tool, such as a hoe, a pronged trowel or a kitchen fork. Drag the trowel through the muck, pulling out any clams that surface. If you also find a gold doubloon, keep that too. Sand and mud might accumulate under your fingernails. So what. Grit is good. If you see blood, it’s probably from a toe cut. “I’ve had plenty of wounds,’’ says my husband. “It goes with the job.’’ The salty ocean promotes healing. Back home, apply an antibiotic ointment, cover with a Band-Aid and brag about your wound to co-workers and neighbors. Clamming is a great winter sport and it’s cheaper than skiing. My husband
came up with the idea. I thought he was being, well, a guy, but he was quite professional. After a successful dig in Arctic temperatures, we celebrated with a dinner of clams and mussels steamed in a garlic and white wine broth. Raw oysters were served on crushed ice. “On this cold clamming adventure I forgot to bring my hat,’’ says Uncle Henry. “This resulted in an unhappy Henry. Right when I tasted the first clam at the dinner table I knew the trip was worth it. A clam by itself doesn’t satisfy my tongue. But if you slather on my dad’s special sauce, it’s the best thing in mankind.’’ Sadly, one thing we’ve never found during our digs is the elusive scallop. “I am constantly researching where they might be in Rhode Island,’’ says Peder. “I’ve never come up with an answer. I’m always turning shells over, hoping it’s a live scallop. It never is. If anyone knows where I can find these mysterious bivalves, please let me know.” I promise, he won’t tell. Elizabeth Rau (and Peder) can be reached at erau1@verizon.net.
Residential PRoPeRties ltd.
HAZARD Totally renovated and admired signature home. Custom finishes throughout, barreled living room with 14ft. ceiling. Two 1st floor master suites plus another master suite on the 2nd. This home is waiting for a very special buyer. $2,150,000
BLACKSTONE BLVD Gracious Tudor Revival. Completely renovated. Elegant details and craftsmanship with impressive modern flair. Bright interior, tall ceilings, over sized windows, gourmet kitchen, designer baths, and central air. Every amenity. Private corner lot. $1,495,000
LORING Outstanding 5 bed brick Georgian overlooking river & woods. Elegant period details, spacious open layout, hardwoods, 4 fireplaces. Recent kitchen open to family room. Upgraded mechanicals. Attached garage. Exceptional landscaped yard w/brick patio. $965,000
COLE Handsome four bed 3.2 bath home with elegant details throughout. Graciously scaled rooms, stunning new kitchen, hardwood floors, family room, finished lower level, on beautifully landscaped, large corner lot. $874,000
BLACKSTONE BLVD Magnificent renovation of 1898 Colonial! Wonderful period details, high ceilings, beautiful floors, fireplace. Spectacular new dream kitchen. All new luxury baths. Fabulous master suite. Garage. $865,000
FREEMAN PKWY Lovely 1920’s brick Georgian w/ exquisite details. 5 beds, 3.5 baths. Sunny family room overlooks large landscaped yard. Freshly painted interior & hardwoods redone! Updated mechanicals. Central air. Garage. $799,000
FREEMAN PKWY Classic 1930 brick Georgian with beautiful period details. 5 beds, 3.5 baths. Lots of recent updates. All new: kitchen, lavette, master bath, rec room, paint, boiler, garage door, patio, fence, landscaping, more. $759,000
PRESIDENT Prize on President. Gracious central hall colonial in desirable neighborhood. Maple hardwood floors, sun room, deck, garage, private landscaped yard, large dining room, and a spacious master suite! $725,000
CUSHING College Hill three story colonial features a living room with fireplace, updated kitchen and baths, luxurious master suite, grand entrance, private deck and partially finished lower level. Elegant design throughout. $629,000
140 Wickenden Street Providence 401.274.6740
Rhode Island’s Real Estate Company®
ResidentialProperties.com