Issue No. 269  l   December 4, 2008   l   Providence, Rhode Island

 

Mayor Cicilline Urges City Council to Take Swift Action on Proposed Pension Ordinances
Cicilline calls stalled ordinances “an insult” to taxpayers

Mayor David N. Cicilline today urged the Providence City Council take action on two proposed pension ordinances that have been pending before the Council for nearly two months.  “Every week they remain stalled is an insult to our residents and the dedicated City employees who work hard every day,” said the Mayor in a letter to City Council Members.

In early October, the Mayor submitted an amendment to Chapter 1999-45, Section 17-189.1 of the Providence City Ordinance that would automatically revoke the pension of any employee sentenced to serve one year or more in prison for a crime related to his or her employment in City government. 

The Mayor also submitted a resolution urging the City Council to join the administration in a legal challenge to the Retirement Board’s decision to award a pension to convicted felon Frank Corrente.  Corrente served time in federal prison for racketeering, conspiracy and attempted extortion.  Mayor Cicilline has retained attorney Kelly Sheridan to prosecute the case at the Superior Court on behalf of Providence residents.

“We simply cannot allow the message sent by the Providence Retirement Board – that a felon who served prison time for public corruption is entitled to a taxpayer-subsidized pension – to stand,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “I am calling on members of the Providence City Council to act on these ordinances immediately.”
 

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Providence's Relaxed Parking Program for the Holiday Season Gets Underway

A holiday tradition aimed at making it easier for people to enjoy the excitement of Providence is underway.  Mayor David N. Cicilline announced last week that the City’s Relaxed Parking program began on Friday, November 28 and will run through January 1, 2009.

No tickets for overtime violations will be issued at metered parking spaces or at parking spaces with time limitations in the following areas between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday:

- Downtown Providence (bounded by Steeple Street, west to route 95; 95 south to 195; 195 east to Point Street; Point Street to Wickenden Street; north on South Main to North Main Street at Steeple Street)

- South Main Street, from Wickenden Street to Packet Street

- North Main Street, from Thomas Street to Park Row

- Wayland Square

- Thayer Street

- Atwells Avenue from Bradford Street to Knight Street

- Broad Street from Public Street to Montgomery Street

Anyone parking on the streets listed above prior to 11 a.m. will be subject to normal parking restrictions.  Cars parked in illegally in prohibited areas including cross walks and tow zones, will be ticketed during this period. 

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New Emergency Alert System Keeps Residents Informed

Internet-based, on-screen alert system immediately gives residents critical information in the event of an emergency
 

Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Peter T. Gaynor today launched FLASHbrief, an online emergency notification system that provides residents with instant alerts on their computer screens in the event of an emergency. 

Residents and businesses may sign up for the new PEMA alert system by downloading the FLASHbrief program onto their personal or work computers, free of charge.  Once the software has been downloaded, PEMA will have to ability to send instant emergency alerts (tornado, hurricane or other natural or man-made disaster) and advisory alerts (street closures, parking bans, Amber Alerts, etc.) which will instantly appear on computer screens accompanied by a distinctive alert tone.

“This new tool will provide our emergency response team with the ability to reach thousands of residents incredibly fast, with the click of the mouse,” said Gaynor.  “FLASHbrief will be especially helpful to local businesses who must make important management decisions in the event of an emergency.”

To get connected, visit www.FLASHbrief.com and click on FLASHbrief for Government and Citizens: Get Connected Here.  Then enter “Rhode Island”, “Providence County” and “Providence” in the appropriate fields and click “download”.  A FLASHbrief icon will appear on the lower, right-hand corner of the computer screen.

FLASHbrief, LLC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida and is comprised of software and network security experts, former military and federal and local law enforcement officials throughout the nation.

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Mayor Cicilline Welcomes Nearly Century-Old Boston Canine Show to Providence
Prestigious American Kennel Club’s Bay Colony Dog Show Relocates to RI Convention Center in 2009
 

 

Mayor David Cicilline announced on Monday the arrival of one of the nation’s largest American Kennel Club (AKC) dog shows to Providence.  Members of the Providence-Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce joined the Mayor in welcoming the annual Bay Colony Dog Show, an annual holiday event dating back to 1911 that has been held most recently at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston.  The announcement marks the finalization of a two-year venue search for the Bay Colony Dog Show after its current space was no longer viable.

“I am pleased and honored that our community will host one of the largest American Kennel Club dog shows in America,” said the Mayor.  “The 2009 Bay Colony Dog Show promises something for every dog lover and interested spectator.  So mark this terrific event on your calendars for next year!”

At Monday’s announcement, dog club members and judges brought along two purebred show dogs, Starr (a retired, 4-year old champion English Bulldog) and Charlie (a Portuguese Waterdog) who came sniffing out their new home stage at the RI Convention Center.  

The four-day event is expected to bring over 8,000 exhibitors and 20,000 dog lovers from all across the country into the city and state.  Venue coordinators estimate attendees of the dog show will book nearly 1,500 room nights throughout Providence and statewide. 

For more information, go to www.baycolonydogshow.com.  The 2008 Bay Colony Dog Show begins today, December 4th and runs through Sunday, December 7th at Boston’s Bayside Expo. 

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Dancing Cop Arrives for the 2008 Holiday Season

 

A holiday legend will return to the streets of Providence next week to entertain pedestrians and motorists alike with his unique traffic-directing antics. 

Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today that retired Providence Police Officer Tony Lapore, better known as the “Dancing Cop,” will direct traffic at the following intersections beginning Tuesday, December 9 between 12 pm and 1:30 pm:

- December 9th and 10th – Weybosset and Dorrance Streets
- December 11th and 12th – Broad and Sackett Streets
- December 15th & 16th – Thayer Street and Waterman Avenue
- December 17 & 18th – Smith Street and Academy Avenue
- December 19 & 22nd  – De Pasquale and Atwells Avenue
- December 23 & 24th Dorrance Streets and Westminster Streets (Lapore will exchange his uniform for a Santa Clause suit and pass out Candy Canes)

Tony Lapore first put on his dancing shoes in 1987; since then he’s appeared on stage at Trinity Rep and has also appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, CNN, and NBC Nightly News.

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Mayor, Lt. Governor & Biz Leaders Launch 2008 Buy Providence / Buy Art/ Buy RI Campaigns
Downcity merchants join in festive kick-off of holiday season

Mayor David N. Cicilline joined dozens of business leaders, cultural organizations, area merchants and Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts today in urging Rhode Islanders to shop local this holiday season.

Launching the city’s 4th annual “Buy Providence” campaign and first-ever “BUY ART” effort, and the State of Rhode Island’s inaugural “Buy RI” movement, the elected leaders asked area residents, workers and visitors to take advantage of the great array of high quality products, goods and services – offered in their own backyard, before they travel out-of-state or on the Web to do their shopping.

Standing at the busy Westminster Street downcity shopping district, the Mayor, Lt. Governor. representatives of the Small Business Administration, and other officials offered important reasons for ‘thinking local, acting global’ this holiday season.

“This year has been one of the most difficult times in the lives of our small business men and women,” Mayor Cicilline said.  “Our annual promotion draws important attention and critical sales to those who depend upon the holiday season to meet their bottom line, and who importantly support our families and our economy all year long,” he said. “Our merchants create jobs, build the quality of life of our neighborhoods and contribute directly to the overall strength of our city, state and nation.  We are proud to stand with them today.”

The City sponsors a website for area merchants that is live and interactive – www.providenceri.com/buyprovidence.   An estimated 135,000 visitors ‘hit’ the city’s home page daily, bringing potential shoppers to their site; merchants are also given free window signs to display during the holiday season, to remind shoppers to buy local.

Joining them today, were members of the arts community, who through the Mayor’s leadership and Department of Art Culture + Tourism, began a new program to spur sales among at our  art galleries, independent artist sales and retailers and all cultural organizations.  They are inviting them to sign up at www.buyartprovidence.com

The BUY ART initiative spotlights artful holiday shopping in Providence The Creative Capital, to heighten excitement around buying and giving original artwork.   Perhaps, the most visible part of the program will be BUY ART’s limited edition art buttons created in collaboration with Providence artists. Once the holiday season begins, retailers will give a button to shopper who buys art.  The buttons come in five art “flavors” with background imagery by Paul Clancy, Liz Collins, Ben Jones, Arley-Rose Torsone and Martina Windels.

Products from Providence restaurants, florist shops, wine merchants, artists and galleries, fine leather goods, clothing and toy stores will be displayed at the news event, and free samples provided.  The efforts are supported by the Mayor’s Office, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Merchants Association, the Providence / Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, Small Business Administration, Providence Foundation, ShopDownCity, Neighborhood Markets, Office of the Lt. Governor, and other merchants groups.

 

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Feature: My School
Builders of a Brighter Future

Last month, Mayor Cicilline joined Providence students, school officials, and hundreds of construction workers to mark a major milestone in the construction of the new state-of-the-art Providence Career & Technical Academy, located across from Central and Classical High Schools. 

When finished, the new 296,000-square-foot educational complex will provide nine vocational career laboratories: carpentry; automotive; electrical; graphic communication; culinary arts; plumbing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; general construction trades and cosmetology. The learning centers will also include hands-on training facilities such as a student-run restaurant, automotive service garage, broadcast studio and cosmetology salon.

For many involved in the project, the school symbolizes a newer, brighter future for young students in Providence, helping guide them toward career or college paths that obtain good paying jobs.  And if there is one group that’s got a good handle on this idea, it’s the graduates of Building Futures, an innovative program designed to prepare Providence residents for apprenticeships in the building trades.  City News caught up with two of those individuals who are now working on the Providence Career & Technical Academy site to talk about what the project means to them. 

Are you from Providence?
Varsana Siavhong: Yes, born and raised here. 

Tim Sanders: Yes, not born but raised here.

Did you attend Providence schools?
Varsana: I went to Mount Pleasant High School but I graduated from Ocean Tides, which is a school for troubled youth that’s headquartered in Narragansett. 

Tim: I went to Central but didn’t graduate.  I ended up getting my GED. 

How did you find out about the Building Futures (BF) Program?
Varsana: A friend of mine from Youthbuild, Pisith Long, introduced me to Andrew (Cortes, Executive Director of Building Futures) and from there, I started classes. 

Tim: I found about it through Youthbuild.  I went through Youthbuild before and then I went through Building Futures to get in the union. 

What did you do before you joined the program?
Varsana: I was installing signs with my brother down in Fort Smith, Arkansas. 

Tim: I wasn’t doing anything.  But I wanted to work, so they helped me meet the right people. 

What got you interested in pursuing this career path in the construction trade?
Varsana: It’s a career opportunity.  I was working a dead-end job. 

Tim: I always wanted to.  I just felt like that was what I was going to do.  So I just tried to get into the right companies and the union is the best way. 

Tell us about the training process at BF.
Varsana: I took a couple of courses.  We had to do 40 hours of labor course.  We studied labor union history and financial literacy.

Tim: At Youthbuild, it was a full time commitment between school and construction training.  At BF, I was already working but they were helping me get my foot into the union door.  They helped me just get what I needed to get to get in. 

If you hadn’t gone through the BF program, what do you think you’d be doing right now?
Varsana: I don’t even know – probably still working installing signs. 

How do you feel about being a part of building a new vocational school for Providence students?
Varsana: It’s just a great opportunity to be involved in this project. Like I said, I went to Mount Pleasant High first before I went to Ocean Tides.  So it feels great to be a part of this.  It’s like building history. It was really nice to see the kids’ faces (during the topping-off ceremony on November, 21st).  I think there are just so many opportunities that young students have now.  We didn’t have those kinds of opportunities that they do. 

Tim: This is good.  My first job in the union is doing this.  To me, I’m looking at it like it’s gonna’ give back to the other kids who will have a better school to go to.  If this school was here, I would’ve gone to it when I was in high school. 

What did you help build in this project?
Varsana: I’m in the carpentry field and right now we’re doing the exterior wall.  I’ve been working on the west side of the building, installing studs and beams and framing so that we can put up the exterior wall.  We just came in about six weeks ago – me and my partner Mike. 

Tim: I’m doing all the earthwork – foundation, the digging out for the electrics, and plumbing, and site work. 

Would you recommend the Building Futures program to other young people who might be in the situation you were in when you were their age?
Varsana: Definitely.  This is a great opportunity especially if they want to pursue a construction career.  Youthbuild is a good program too.  My little cousin just graduated from Youthbuild and he’s now in the carpentry union and is working at Blue Cross Blue Shield right now through the same company I work for, H. Carr & Sons. 

Tim: I tell people about Building Futures all the time! If I meet somebody who’s trying to work, I tell them about it.  They actually do try to help you get in there, they just don’t talk about it.  

What do you plan to do with what you’ve learned through this program and where do you want to take your career moving forward?
Varsana: I see myself getting involved in the kinds of stuff that Building Futures does.  That’s what I want to pursue really – in the nonprofit area.  It’s a good learning experience, you know.  I’m 27 and I gotta’ find a career to be doing. 

Building Futures is a joint effort of the Providence Plan, Build RI and YouthBuild Providence.  The program is funded through proceeds from Governor’s Workforce Board RI, United Way of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Department of Education and Making Connections Providence.  For more information on Building Futures, contact Andrew Cortés at (401) 919-5919. 

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