Cicilline Provides Video Web Update on Efforts to Steer Federal Stimulus Dollars to Nation's Cities
Infrastructure investment survey part of United States Conference of Mayors’ “Ready to Go” report presented to congressional leaders in Washington

Just back from the nation’s capitol and a meeting with the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and congressional leadership, Mayor David N. Cicilline this week released a video web update on efforts to steer federal stimulus dollars to America’s metropolitan areas.

Mayor Cicilline joined the leadership of USCM at a press conference in Washington on Monday to urge action on MainStreet Economic Recovery legislation pending before Congress.  Following the news conference, the mayors also met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel to make their case for America’s cities. 

The mayors presented the USCM “Ready to Go,” report detailing infrastructure projects in cities across the country that could be started immediately if emergency funds were made available and completed within two years.  The “Ready to Go” report also contains over $570 million worth of infrastructure improvement projects slated for the Providence metropolitan area that would stimulate the local economy and has the potential to create more than 6,600 jobs.
 

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Mayor Cicilline Joins Officials in Welcoming Moran Shipping Headquarters Back to Providence
Historic site is being transformed into one of RI’s “greenest office buildings”

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline and Moran Shipping Agencies CEO James A. Black joined scores of city and business officials this week in announcing the move of the world headquarters of Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. back to Providence, where it was founded 70-years ago. He made that announcement at the site of the former Rhode Island Medical Society, between the RI State House and Providence Place Mall.

The move - which means 45 jobs in Providence, including 12 newly created positions - represents a dramatic transformation of one of this city’s vacant, historic properties into one of the state’s greenest office buildings, and the positioning of another thriving business anchor to the downtown.

“This move is an important statement about the economic vitality of Providence, and about the technological innovation and historic preservation that can be achieved, when the public and private sector works closely together,” said Mayor Cicilline. “From pioneering geothermal heating-cooling systems, to employing historic tax credits for the preservation of this property, to using low-emitting, non-toxic paints and bike racks for workers, Moran has gone to the limit to protect its employees, our community and our environment.  And we are proud to welcome them home,” the Mayor said.

“As a maritime company, we are particularly proud that on our 70th anniversary we made the commitment to move and expand our business to Providence, a city with such a rich maritime heritage.  As a family owned and operated company, traditional values remain essential to us. Our loyalty to this city and this region serves as a testament to this legacy. Moran Shipping Agencies has been very impressed with the pro-business, collaborative approach demonstrated by the City throughout our project and encourages others in the private sector to consider all that Providence has to offer the business community,” James A. Black, CEO, Moran Shipping Agencies. 

The Mayor noted that the city has a rich inventory of historic structures, and the state’s Historic Tax Credit, which has been eliminated but is now under reconsideration, provided an essential funding tool for this smart growth development. “Structures such as the RI Medical Office site are extremely valuable to our city and to our economy,” he said.

He commended the city’s Planning staff for facilitating the project through its permitting stages, including the zoning and Capital Center Commission processes; and applauded the obvious environmental commitment of Moran’s leadership, in working towards one of the first Silver LEED certifications in a commercial application in Rhode Island. 

“This environmental certification was especially challenging, given the historic nature of the building and their effort to comply with the rigorous standards of historic preservation,” he said.

Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. is a family owned business that began in RI in 1937, and has grown to the largest privately owned steamship agency in the United States.  A world leader in the maritime industry, and ISO 9001: 2000 certified company, it is a steamship agency and maritime consulting firm to many of the world’s most prominent ship owners, operators, and charterers. Presently, Moran has 150 full time employees in 22 offices in the United States and Europe, and provides assistance at more than 100 ports along the East, Gulf and West Coasts for all types/ sizes of vessels. 

Moran's internationally renowned vessel attendance policies ensure the fast, accurate handling of all details for ships including expediting ship arrivals and departures, loading and unloading, and all ship operations in port such as ship repair, medical needs, and cargo disposition. Moran employees are uniquely experienced in all U.S. Customs, Immigration, Coast Guard, Homeland Security and other government regulations that affect ships, crews, cargoes, and port security. 

The Mayor noted that Moran will be moving its corporate headquarters, with its financial, accounting, IT, and administrative operations, to the Francis Street location by April 2009. 

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Feature: My Business

La Salle Bakery Whips Up Some Local Holiday Favorites

What would the holidays be like without the hypnotic scents of freshly baked, sugary sweet treats? The sights of festive gingerbread houses and colorful trays of cookies never fail to delight our holiday senses and fill us with warm memories of family and childhood.  For the last seventy years, La Salle Bakery has provided many neighbors and loyal customers with the best baked-goods Providence has to offer.  Their array of rich pastries has drawn in generations of families to their store – and not only during the holidays, but all year round.

Previously owned by Genarro DiMaria, the bakery changed hands over 30 years ago when current owners Cheryl and Michael Manni took it over.  They were only in their twenties when this popular neighborhood bakery became their bread-and-butter, and still three decades later, their business – now with two locations - continues to sweeten up the holidays. 

City News caught up with Cheryl Manni to talk about what’s in the oven for the holidays at La Salle Bakery.

How long has La Salle Bakery been in business, and how did it get its start?
La Salle Bakery has been in business for a really long time.  My husband, Michael, and I have owned it for 32 years.  The gentleman, Mr. Gennaro DiMaria, who we bought it from owned it for about 35 years and I believe it was a small bakery before he bought it. 

My husband lived behind the bakery as a boy and he started in the bakery as a pan washer.  They needed a kid in the neighborhood and he went in looking for a job and the rest is history! He actually went to school to be a schoolteacher and while he was doing that, he also worked for the bakery part-time.  We were both 20 years old right around the time Mr. DiMaria fell ill and he’d been telling us, ‘Why don’t you take this bakery? Why don’t you buy it?’  We were just kids when did it! It was a lot of hard work. 

What did you do before you took over the business?
I worked for the city in the Public Works Department, straight out of high school, for about 8 years.  I started the bakery when I turned 24. 

So the original location was on Smith Street?
Originally, it was located a little up the block from where the Smith Street shop is now.  At one time, the store on Smith Street used to be five stores.  That whole block was full of stores.  We were able to purchase the building after 10 years of being in the business.  As the rentals started to move out, we just kept expanding our store.  

You have two locations within a mile from each other, both in the residential parts of the Elmhurst and Wanskuck neighborhoods.  What’s the key to being a successful neighborhood bakery/business?
I would definitely say customer service and quality, making sure everything is good.  Being in the neighborhood means that we know our customers very well.  People come in here and we know them by their first names.  I’ve seen people who’ve gotten married, had children, and then I do their children’s wedding!  I’m sure in big cities, people come and go and you don’t get them to see them that often.  But here, everything has to be right because you’re gonna’ see those people again. 

Does the bakery do anything festive for the holidays? What do most of your customers like to order during this time of the year?
We do gingerbread houses for the holidays and a lot of people like to give them out as gifts.  We get a lot of pharmaceutical reps that like to buy those and bring them to their customers. I have car dealers that order them too.  I mean, yes, you can give someone a nice bottle of liquor (which is a nice gift) but if they want to do something different, gingerbread houses are the way to go.  You can give it to a family with children to put on the table and the kids have fun with it. 
 
As far as pastries, we just started doing a red velvet cake, which is red chocolate.  So it’s very festive – when you cut in to it, it’s red! A holiday cake we do is zuppa englese, it’s a yellow cake with yellow and chocolate cream, with rum flavoring and ladyfingers all around.  That’s a big holiday cake.  Tiramisu is very popular at Christmastime too.  And, cookie trays are another big gift that people buy to feed a lot of people – for family gatherings, Christmas parties, office parties. 

December 24th is our big day and we’re closed on Christmas.  But the 23rd and 24th are pretty busy.  People will always call and say, ‘when’s the best time to come in when it’s not busy?’ And I always say, that’s like asking me what’s the winning lottery numbers gonna’ be tomorrow?! So, who knows – it gets crazy all day.  But it’s fun.  We play Christmas music all day.  This Sunday in fact, I’m having Santa over here.  He comes to visit every year for two hours.  The neighbors and our staff get to see their kids hang out with Santa. 

So how did your gingerbread houses come to be?
We’ve been doing those for a lot of years.  Over the years, it’s become a little bit fancier. 

Do you make them yourself?
No, we have 5 bakers in the back doing them.  People don’t realize that it takes 3 days to make them.  You have to make the gingerbread and then it has to sit for a couple of days to harden.  Then you have to boil icing to build it together.  Then that has to harden, which takes another day.  Then you get all the candies and the cookies to decorate it with, which then take another day to dry.  Then you wrap them up and that’s when they’re ready to go.  It’s quite a long ordeal. 

Are they all the same?
No, you got 5, 6 people in the kitchen making them, putting their own creativity in it, so they’re all different.

How many gingerbread houses would you say you sell every holiday?
I’d say close to a hundred.  These are something you should preorder because it takes so many days to make them. 

How much do they cost?
They go for $65.

Are there other holidays and seasons that get busy for you?
Oh yes! The big one is St. Joseph’s.  Zeppole  Day is our second biggest holiday after Christmas.  That’s a lot of fun – it’s crazy too but all you make are zeppolas! For almost a week leading into the day of St. Joseph’s we make and sell tons of them! We make chocolate ones, hazelnut, Irish whiskey – people love those!

Do you make zeppole for Christmas too?
No, no! Because then you won’t look forward to them in March!

 

The art of baking is truly a science.  For example it takes the right amount of ingredients to perfect dough.  Is there a method that you’ve always used when you bake? Do you follow recipes, or do you create your own?
I don’t bake – but I watch all the bakers here.  Baking is definitely scientific.  It’s not like cooking where you can just add a little of this and a little of that if the flavors aren’t right.  You can’t do that with baking.  You have to follow a recipe right to the penny.  It’s the same thing with the mixing and the baking times.  You can’t do it over or under. 

Many of the recipes we have are handed down to us.  The Italian Torrone candy, for example, that we make at Christmastime also, was handed down from a long time ago.  My husband has given the recipe out to other bakers but everyone makes it a little different.  Sometimes, I’ll look at a recipe and the paper that it was written on looks like it would disintegrate ‘cause they’re so old! The fruitcake – which always gets a bad wrap but it’s so delicious – was handed down to us by a baker in Texas.  

What do you like most about the holidays?
The excitement – it’s a lot of work.  I enjoy my customers and seeing everybody, but it’s a lot of work.  It’s a tough business – you get tired, you get stressed out – and I can’t wait for it to be over! I like the normal business days.

What words of wisdom would you like to share to all the aspiring bakers out there who might want to dabble in some holiday baking of their own?
Go to our bakery and buy it! It’s a lot easier!

For more on what’s on the menu, go to www.lasallebakery.net or visit one of their stores at 993 Smith Street or 685 Admiral Street.

 

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