Roller Derby, Live Music, Eclectic Food Usher in Greater Kennedy Plaza Summer Kick Off

Mayor Cicilline & community partners launch summer activities designed to create a lively, fun atmosphere in the Kennedy Plaza area

 

Skaters in full Roller Derby gear raced around the Banjotti fountain at Burnside Park setting the stage for a summer of fun-filled activities.  As drummers entertained the noontime crowd, Mayor David N. Cicilline joined several community partners to kick off the 2009 summer line-up for the Kennedy Plaza area.

“Thanks to the hard work and vision of our community partners, we have transformed the Kennedy Plaza area into a lively gathering space where visitors can enjoy live music, the work of local artists, farm-fresh vegetables, Providence Roller Derby warm-ups or browsing at the Market Bazaar,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Kennedy Plaza is our city’s “front door” and the synergy we create here helps fuel the economic, social and cultural success of our downtown.”

This is the second year of programming in the Kennedy Plaza area.  The effort grew out of the Greater Kennedy Plaza Working Group, a public/private partnership focused on coming up with innovative ways to transform the under utilized area into a lively public space, rich with activity. 

After announcing the summer lineup, Mayor Cicilline invited the public to the Greater Kennedy Plaza kick-off party Thursday evening from 5pm to 7pm featuring kids games, delicious food, a sample of weekly events, a beer garden hosted by Trinity Brewhouse and a free performance by the Latin jazz band Alebreke.  There will also be skateboarding for $3 in the Bank of America City Center and a free raffle with great prizes

Greater Kennedy Plaza weekly activities for the 2009 season are as follows:

 

Market Bazaar

Mondays 11am – 5pm

Vendors sell eclectic food, antiques, books, music, art and other merchandise along the Washington Street side of Burnside Park

 

Providence Roller Derby Practice

Monday & Wednesday 7pm – 10pm
Bank of America City Center

 

High School League Basketball

Monday & Wednesday 5pm – 9pm (July – August)

Bank of America City Center

 

Public Square Tuesday

Tuesday 11:30am – 1:30pm

Local community groups provide the public with information about their agencies present their missions

 

Noon Tunes

Wednesdays 12-1pm

Grab your lunch and listen to a variety of musical genres from jazz and highlife to Celtic and folk in Burnside Park 

Fit and Fun Thursdays

Thursdays 12:15 – pm

Free exercise classes featuring everything from yoga and power walking to boot camp hosted by Boston Sports Clubs

Burnside Park Music Series

Thursdays 5 – 7pm

Wind down after work with bands and DJs from all over New England and enjoy a beverage from the beer garden hosted by Trinity Brewhouse
 

Farmers Market

Friday’s 11am – 2pm

Shop for fresh, taste harvests from Rhode Island farms on the sidewalk along Burnside Park sponsored by Farm Fresh Rhode Island

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Mayor Cicilline, NE Patriots Join Community Partners to Celebrate New State-of-the-Art Athletic Field

 

Watch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN3Z6mHYYAE

 

 

Mayor David Cicilline, New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Patriots Hall of Famers Andre Tippett, Steve Grogan and Steve Nelson, along with Patriots cheerleaders and Pat the Patriot are joined kids and community leaders on Monday, June 1st to celebrate a new community athletic field in Providence.  The synthetic turf field will provide high-quality, safe recreational space for Providence children while helping to revitalize this Upper South Providence neighborhood. 

The newly refurbished field at Classical High School is the only public facility of its kind for miles around in this densely populated area.  It will now be home to football, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, walking groups and other community sporting activities, in addition to supporting athletics programs at the high school.  The space will also include five brand new tennis courts, which will be installed next month.

“There’s nothing more important than investing in the healthy development of our children,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Through the power of community partnership we are providing our kids with the state-of-the-art athletic space that they deserve,” said Mayor Cicilline.

Funding for this $1.3 million project comes from local and national sources led by the NFL Grassroots Program, a partnership of the NFL Youth Football Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).  Other funders include the City of Providence, the Champlin Foundation, Citizens Bank Foundation and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

Replacing the outdated and deteriorating field at Classical High is the first step in the broader renovation of the Classic High athletic complex.  It is part of a national effort on the part of the NFL and teams like the Patriots to bring quality, community athletic fields to low-income neighborhoods.  Both were instrumental in this effort.

"The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is proud to support projects such as this one, which bring communities together through athletics," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "This new field will provide opportunities for groups of all ages."

 

The new field is spearheaded by the Injury Prevention Center (IPC) at Rhode Island Hospital.The IPC is dedicated to preventing injuries among children through education, research and advocacy.  Part of that work includes providing safe places for inner city youth to play and participate in organized sports.

“The health and safety of local children is a priority for the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital,” said Timothy J. Babineau, MD, president and chief executive officer of Rhode Island Hospital. “We see thousands of preventable injuries in our emergency department each year, and we know that this new athletic field will offer a safe and welcoming environment to families in Providence, where they can be healthy, active and involved.”

Community organizations and local institutions view the new field as an important stimulus for ongoing economic development, in addition to its value as a recreational facility.

“Citizens Bank believes deeply in investing in our communities, and we're pleased to play an important role in this project through our $100,000 gift from the Citizens Bank Foundation," said Joseph J. MarcAurele, president, Citizens Bank, Rhode Island.  "This field will serve as an important economic development tool for the city and more importantly, will bring together the community in celebration, cheering on their favorite team at this beautiful, safe community space."

Community organizations have already made significant investments that have eliminated blight in this area and raised the standard of living for local residents, noted Barbara Fields, executive director of Rhode Island Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).  “This new field is a significant boost to that ongoing effort,” Fields said.  “It is an important part of our Building Sustainable Communities work to help disinvested neighborhoods become good places to live, work, do business and raise families,” she added.

Schools are fundamental to that effort, she noted.  The new Classical High field ensures that students and community residents have access to a high-quality facility where they can enjoy and compete in various athletic activities.

“Providence student-athletes will benefit from the use of this top-notch playing field for years to come,” said Providence Schools Superintendent Thomas M. Brady. “The support of the city and the community in developing first-rate academic and recreational facilities for our students is vital. Athletics and recreation can play an important role in the overall development of a child, and we owe it to our students to let them know we value their well-being by providing them with quality facilities.”

About NFL Youth Football: Established in 1998 by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the NFL Youth Football Fund seeks to use football as a catalyst to promote positive youth development, support youth and high school football needs nationwide and also ensure the health of grassroots football in future generations. Through the YFF’s youth football initiatives and support programs, youngsters are provided with opportunities to learn the game of football, get physically fit and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors.
 

About NEPCF: The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation’s primary goal is to support programs that aid the youth and families of the New England region by assisting programs that foster cultural diversity, education, family and health. The Foundation has taken a special interest in youth programs that encourage education, creativity, development of character and fitness.

About LISC: LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has invested more than $9 billion to build or rehab more than 244,000 affordable homes and develop 36 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide.  LISC support has leveraged nearly $28 billion in total development activity nationwide.  In Rhode Island, LISC has invested more than $250 million since 1991. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

About the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital: The Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital has a mission to reduce injuries in Rhode Island through community outreach, research and education. The IPC recognizes that providing safe places for recreation decreases injury rates by providing a safe environment and a healthy alternative to activities that could result in injuries. The Classical High School athletic field is the third recreational infrastructure partnership that the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital has had with the City of Providence, building a playground in 2004 and another in 2006. As the major trauma center for Rhode Island, Rhode Island Hospital is dedicated to the care of acutely injured patients, as well as the prevention of future injury occurrence.

 

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Mayor Cicilline Launches Summer Jobs Program for Providence Youth 

Operation Opportunity initiative utilizes federal stimulus dollars to create jobs while strengthening neighborhood organizations

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xYiuLEe95s  

Surrounded by children at the Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, Mayor David N. Cicilline yesterday announced another “check mark” for Operation Opportunity: 800 summer job opportunities for Providence’s neediest youth.  The summer jobs initiative is among the goals of Operation Opportunity, the Mayor’s 18-month comprehensive economic action plan designed to put Providence residents back to work.

“This is about using federal stimulus dollars wisely to provide unique and exciting job opportunities for youth.  At the same time, we’re investing in our community partners by giving them the tools they need to fuel our economy,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “My administration remains totally focused on doing everything in its power to create economic opportunities for our residents during these challenging times.”

The summer jobs initiative is funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and Providence/Cranston Workforce Investment Board.  The jobs are geared towards Providence families hit hardest by record unemployment and the downturn in the economy.  

“The Governor's Workforce Board and the local workforce investment boards are critical to the success of the federal stimulus program, because they understand Rhode Island's workforce needs and are adept at matching those needs with real workforce solutions,” said Sandra M. Powell, director of the RI Department of Labor and Training.
 
The City of Providence has partnered with nearly 30 local agencies to offer a wide range of unique job opportunities for youth including employment at the Everett Dance Theatre, Groundwork Providence, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Providence Housing Authority, Urban League of Rhode Island, Steelyard, Boys and Girls Club and Young Voices.  
 

The jobs will give young people in Providence the opportunity to do everything from producing a video and learning about green technology to planting trees and teaching residents about recycling.

The summer jobs program will begin in July and all applicants must be between the ages of 14 to 24 and meet strict income guidelines established by the federal government.  Applications are available at all Providence Public Schools and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services at Providence City Hall.  Completed applications must be returned to Network RI, One Reservoir Avenue, no later than June 26th.  For more information about the program, contact Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston at 861-0800 x115.

The Operation Opportunity summer job partners are as follows:
 
West Elmwood Housing and Development Corporation
Providence Downtown Improvement District  
Design for America/RISD
Harken Productions 
Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council  
Groundwork Providence
Providence Parks Department 
Providence Recreation Department
Providence Department of Art, Culture & Tourism 
Providence Department of Public Works Recycling Office
AS220 
Steelyard
New Urban Arts 
Community Works Rhode Island
Everett Dance Theatre 
Project 20/20/Brown University
Federal Hill House 
Living History
Urban League 
Rhode Island Indian Council
The Met 
CHISPA
ProCAP 
Boys and Girls Club
Rhode Island Hospital 
The Blessing Way
Rhode Island Foster Parents 
Institute for Labor Studies
South Providence Neighborhood Ministries 
Whitmarsh House
Young Voices 
Providence Housing Authority
VIPS 
Mount Hope Neighborhood Association
DaVinci Center

 

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Feature: My City

A Local Geeky Bunch Fills in a Digital Gap

  

The digital divide won’t close by itself.  Filling in the gap between people with and without access to technology requires the know-how and drive of those like the members of the newly formed nonprofit, Free Geek Providence.  Armed with a simple slogan borrowed from a Portland group, Free Geek Providence founder and native Nathan Hutnak is setting out to “help the needy get nerdy.”

Whenever donations of old computers arrive at their doorstep, Free Geek and their growing number of volunteers will recycle them, fix them up, and redistribute them back to the community. In the process, volunteers also learn the basics of building a computer from scratch, using more affordable, oftentimes free, Open Source systems like Linux and xUbuntu.  

Less than a year in action, Free Geek has already distributed 150 refurbished computers to over three-dozen nonprofits in Providence and around the state.  There’s also a waiting list of volunteers eager to lend a hand.  The Free Geeks also started a series of conferences called NewBCamp where participants learn about technology from each other. 

City News caught up with Hutnak to learn more about this new, promising collective of local geeks setting out to give the most needy nerds access to digital resources. 

The Free Geek motto, which originated in Portland, Oregon, carries a simple message, “We help the needy get nerdy.”  Tell us how you do that.
Helping the needy get nerdy is a very simple idea.  When somebody comes in to Free Geek, basically what he or she is looking for is access to technology that they wouldn’t normally have access to.   What we do is we take computers that are donated to our organization and then we try to find homes for those computers with non-profit organizations, charities, and individuals who volunteer with us.  We try to make it available to them for really cheap or for free. 

So they can come in, volunteer for a small amount of time, and go home with a full computer system once a year.  You put six computers together and after your sixth one, you can take one home.  It can take you a day, a week, or a month – it doesn’t matter.  Then every year, they can bring their old computer system back to get upgraded.  The advantage of that is that typically one would upgrade their computer every three or four years if they can afford it.  You can actually get a free upgrade every year if you volunteer with us.  We teach you everything there is about building computers.

Why did you want to start this organization in Providence?
Starting Free Geeks here in Providence began as a very personal mission.  I was born in Providence and I’ve lived here all my life.  I was born on Hershel Street on Manton.  I live on the East Side now and will be moving to the North Side in a couple of weeks.  This is home.  My family and friends are here.  My organization is here. 

I’ve had problems with my computer too.  When I saw the slogan, ‘we help the needy get nerdy,’ I thought to myself, ‘well hey I’m nerdy and I’m needy! It’s a perfect fit!’ I was probably one of the most needy people I knew at that point in time when I needed help desperately with my computer.  So what I did was reach out to my friends in town.  I told them that I had a computer that someone gave me that’s really, really good but that I didn’t have a hard drive and I needed RAM, etc.  So I asked them if they had any parts to spare.  And about a week later, I had a living room full of computer parts! I mean they were all so willing to donate to me.  I started this because I saw the outpouring of stuff that people wanted to get rid of.

I also saw right away that this could be a fun endeavor, putting together old computers as a group.  Then reading up on the Free Geeks in Portland, reading up on e-waste, and learning about all the different techie stuff going on in Providence, and in Rhode Island, I mean -- there’s a really good niche here.  We can take stuff that nobody really wanted anymore, fix it up, make it work, and give it to someone who needed it.  When I started putting the business plan together, realizing that most of my friends work in the nonprofit world, I started talking to folks and asking how they thought we could make this happen.  I started researching in July of last year and Free Geek (Portland) seemed to be in line with what I was envisioning for this organization.  I definitely didn’t come up with the idea per se, but I adopted their model.  I reached out to people on Craigslist, RINexus, and Providence Geeks to try to find people who wanted to take part in Free Geek Providence.  For two hours a week, we’ve been meeting at a café ever since and now we’re just really busy. 
 
So how’s it going so far?
Well it’s crunch time and we’re looking for space. There are all these projects we want to do to be able to get people back to work, doing something that’s technical-related and paying them. It’s not going to be a job that pays as much as the private sector but at least being able to have a staff that’s passionate about this work, and having the capital to be able to do that, will be a next step for us.  So we’re trying to develop as best we can. 

Who benefits from these free computers and training?
Everybody benefits.  All ages. If you’re needy and you want to get nerdy, we’ll help you.  The ideal person would be someone who wants to learn about open source software, or wants to learn about what’s inside the computer.   We try to demystify how this works and also try to step away from proprietary software and really push people towards open source software.

Why open source?
A lot of open source software is free and you really get a good grasp of what you’re doing.  You also don’t have to worry about licensing or forced upgrades.  It’s also easy to migrate into other businesses.  You can set up a system anywhere with open source software.  It’s generally better, free, and nowadays people who are familiar with using open source operating systems like Linux tend to get better jobs.

Are your users learning more or less about technology when they use free, open source, maybe not so widely popular brands of software applications and operating systems? In other words, are you cutting corners by using these less expensive pieces of technology?
Absolutely not, that’s because proprietary software is not always cutting-edge. This is about leveling the playing field. What happens with mainstream software is you’re dealing with a corporate structure where big budgets dictate the production of the software, which means that consumers end up paying for it.  With open source software, you’ve got thousands of people around the world adding components to the software collectively.  Today, open source has become so far advanced that migrating from, say, Windows to Linux has become easier.  I think it’s just the opposite of cutting corners.  I think it’s really about pushing the envelope and going more cutting-edge when you opt to use open source.  Of course there are certain exceptions – like I don’t think you could ever really build a better Photoshop - but I think for the most part general users can function just fine using open source. 

What kind of impact do you believe Free Geek can have on the development of IT jobs, or a new workforce, in a city like Providence?
I think a very positive impact.  Although our focus is on Providence, the whole state is becoming a hub for technology.  A lot of companies are moving in under the radar.  It’s a beautiful city – every thing is right here where you need it.  We have Boston, Hartford, Worcester – all these big cities – and Providence is right here in the middle of it all.  So it’s the perfect location for technology to really, really grow.  Just in the last six months or so, I’ve seen lots of activity compared to a year ago. 

The reality is that we’re not here to train people so that they can go and get an engineering degree.  We’re not training you to build airplanes.  What we’re trying to do is open up people’s eyes to the fact that technology and computers are not as mystifying as they seem.  We have volunteers now who are learning basic skill sets in how to work a computer.  It’s real easy, it’s fun, and it teaches people how to get total control of their computers.  We can’t teach them everything about technology, but to get folks excited about it and to show them that it’s more easily accessible and inexpensive than they thought, is a good start.  I think we have a good model for an organization so far and the people who have benefited are learning a lot. 

Once we have a centralized location where we can really build and do all the things we want to do, you’re going to see a lot of people coming out of Free Geek.  We hope than when one of our participants goes to a job interview someday and says they’ve gone through Free Geek, that a potential employer will say to them, ‘I would love to have you on my team because you think differently and you understand the basics of technology. You are willing to learn.’ It’s very important to me that we build a structure that allows that kind of culture to happen. 

On top of this, you have a green component to your organization as well.  Tell us about your recycling efforts.
We do a lot of fun things but the most important aspect of Free Geek is that we intercept e-waste from going into the Johnston landfill, to prison labor, or to third world countries.  We take those resources and we recycle, redistribute and reuse them.  We fix them up and give them back to the community.  A lot of big companies upgrade their computers every three to four years and instead of throwing them out, or paying large sums of money to recycle them, they can give them to us, we’ll fix them, and give them out to the community. 

Keep in mind that we only meet two hours a week in a café and we’ve already been able in the last two months give away 150 computers to 37 nonprofit organizations in our state – to organizations like the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in Providence, Central Falls High School, RiverzEdge in Woonsocket and a whole list of others.  We have 175 people on the list waiting to volunteer and for the doors to open.  To me, 150 computers distributed are barely scratching the surface. 

Where do you see Free Geek Providence over the next few years?
I see the digital divide getting smaller and smaller.  If we do our job really well, then you’ll see a lot more people in Providence, in Rhode Island, having access to technology and being able to get better jobs because of it.  Hopefully that will help stimulate the economy indirectly and will help move technology in our state to a better, more level playing field.

For more info, go to www.freegeekpvd.org. Free Geek Providence and the New England Institute for Technology are holding their first recycling day together on Saturday, July 25th, 2009. All businesses, individuals, schools and charities are welcome to come and bring their computer equipment for recycling. There will be a $10.00 fee for recycling CRT monitors, but all other computer related equipment is free.

 

  
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