City News: Mayor Cicilline, RIDOT Kick Off Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition

Mayor Cicilline, RIDOT Kick Off Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition
Officials stress tight deadline for proposals as they encourage local firms to take part in shaping the future of Providence's newest neighborhood

Mayor David N. Cicilline and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Michael P. Lewis announced a Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition and invited firms to submit their vision for creating an important new landmark for the region. The new bridge will play a vital role in linking pedestrians and cyclists from Fox Point and College Hill to the City's new waterfront parks, the Knowledge District and downtown.

"This is a great opportunity to design a pedestrian bridge that will stand as a magnificent symbol of our great city and serve as a gateway to our emerging jobs center - the Knowledge District," said Mayor Cicilline. "We have some of the most talented architects and civil engineers in New England and I'm certain this competition will result in a distinctive design that will span generations."

"The Department is committed to working with the City of Providence and the community on this design effort," RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. "We're pleased to be able to use funds originally allocated for demolition to help build this new bridge and provide a crucial link for pedestrians and cyclists in Providence We look forward to."

RIDOT will use the winning design to construct a pedestrian bridge on the granite piers of the old I-195 bridge dismantled as part of the highway relocation project.

Request for Qualifications
As part of the first phase of the design selection process, the City has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Interested parties are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, firm profile, a relevant and current project portfolio and appropriate references for review by the Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition Selection Committee. The informational package should be limited to 10 pages.

Submission deadline
The qualifications package should be submitted electronically via email to planning @providenceri.com by September 17 at 4pm EST. Email submittals must have "Providence River Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition" in the subject line. Firms may also mail or hand deliver a CD to the Department of Planning and Development at 400 Westminster Street, Providence.

Upon review, the Selection Committee, comprised of local architects, neighborhood residents, representatives from local universities, business owners and RIDOT and City staff, will invite up to 10 finalists to submit bridge designs. The finalists selected to participate in the competition will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• Design philosophy and approach to design
• Experience of key personnel
• Prior design experience with pedestrian bridge projects of similar scale and complexity
• Articulated understanding of the functional and operational needs of the proposed bridge
• Commitment to developing a proposed bridge design within the timeframes and constraints outlined in the RFQ

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Providence Police Department Wins National Public Safety Award
Providence Police and Family Service honored for the 4th time in five years for groundbreaking public safety partnerships

(Photo by Ron Pino, PPD)

The Providence Police Department and Family Service of Rhode Island have been honored with the prestigious MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award. The national award recognizes unique local partnerships that improve public safety and strengthen community-police relations.

"The Providence Police Department has worked hard to build strong and lasting relationships with the community recognizing that community partnerships are essential to creating safe neighborhoods," said Mayor Cicilline. "The partnership between Family Services and Providence Police is helping to save lives and strengthen families."

The award, sponsored by MetLife Foundation and administered by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), recognizes partnerships between community organizations and local police departments that have reduced crime and spurred positive development in low-income communities. The "On the Beat Multilingual Police Liaison Program"--which is a joint effort between Family Service and the PPD--was selected for the award from more than 700 applicants nationwide.

The PPD and Family Service were presented with a $15,000 check by MetLife at an awards ceremony in Providence earlier this week.

"Collaboration between community-based groups and police departments can reduce crime, stimulate housing and other development, and improve quality of life in low-income neighborhoods, " said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "The partnership between Family Service of Rhode Island and the Providence Police Department is an exemplary model for groups nationwide facing similar challenges and opportunities. We are pleased to join LISC in recognizing and sharing their impressive work."

"Building trust between citizens and police officers is at the heart of Providence's community policing model," said Chief Dean Esserman. The On the Beat program does that by pairing bilingual social workers with officers responding to calls, helping officers and community members to communicate and resolve crisis situations before they escalate. Family Service and PPD also work together to strengthen neighborhoods through educational activities and support services.

Since On the Beat was first implemented, it has received much national acclaim. Neighborhoods such as Chad Brown have seen a decline in gun and other violent crimes. The program has enabled families to access critical services. Perhaps most importantly, residents have come to see police as allies and even friends.

"This exceptional partnership between the Providence Police and Family Service of Rhode Island sets the bar for collaborations which support families and children with multiple needs," explained Susan Erstling, senior vice president of Family Service. "By offering linguistic and culturally relevant programs, true community spirit develops and then continues to grow."

Barbara Fields, who runs the Rhode Island LISC operation, noted that this is the fifth MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award earned in Rhode Island since 2004.

"History has shown that collaboration between community developers and police can yield tremendous results in neighborhoods," said Fields. "We are thrilled to once again be joining MetLife Foundation in recognizing the Providence Police Department's leadership in community policing, as well as the creative work of Family Service of Rhode Island. Our city is a better place to live and work because of the outstanding efforts of these two organizations."

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Mayor Cicilline Hosts His Last Mayor's Day in the Park on Saturday, September 11th
Annual old-fashioned barbeque treats 100's of seniors to a day of live music & fun activities

Mayor David N. Cicilline will host his final Mayor's Seniors Day in the Park on Saturday, September 11th from 10:30am until 2pm at Roger Williams Park. The City-sponsored event attracts seniors from all over the city for a day of live music, sizzling barbeque and fun activities.

"It's been a joy to host this fun-filled event and to watch it grow year after year," said Mayor Cicilline. "Working hard to improve the quality of life for our seniors has been one of the highlights of my administration."

Mayor Cicilline created the City's first Office of Senior Services in 2003 to advocate for seniors and focus on issues impacting their lives. Other senior initiatives include financial literacy programs, Medicare and Medicaid information programs, Mayor's Winter Concert Series, holiday parties at senior centers and high rises and Camp Cronin - a summer day camp for seniors. The Office of Senior Services also works closely with federal and state agencies to coordinate and monitor the delivery of services to Providence seniors.

Mayor's Seniors Day in the Park is made possible through the generous support of several corporate partners including Whole Foods, Dunkin Donuts and Walgreens, the largest contributor to date with a $15,000 donation.

Mayor's Seniors Day in the Park will be held at the Botanical Center in Roger Williams Park and will feature live entertainment, a free barbeque lunch, free raffle and fun giveaways.

Free roundtrip transportation will be provided from all of the city's senior centers and high rises. For more information on Mayor's Seniors Day in the Park, contact the Office of Senior Services at (401) 421-2489 ext.741 or visit the City's website at www.providenceri.com.

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Mayor Cicilline & Community Leaders Kick Off 2010 Rhode Island Latino Community Celebration
Month-long cultural celebration to include art exhibits, films, poetry readings, arts & crafts festivals and children's workshops

Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Department of Art Culture + Tourism, the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts are preparing to kick off the 2010 Rhode Island Latino CommUNITY Celebration. The month-long festival is part of the national observation of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15th.

"The Rhode Island Latino CommUNITY Celebration offers something for everyone and is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich and lasting cultural contributions of the Latino community to our city, our state and our nation," said Mayor Cicilline.

The celebration is a collaboration between the City's Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, the Rhode Island Latino CommUNITY Celebration planning team and over 40 arts and cultural organizations. The month-long celebration includes art exhibits, Latino arts and crafts festivals, book and poetry readings, Latin films, theater and children's workshops offering a variety of fun activities including a session on how to make a Piñata.

Rhode Island Latino CommUNITY Celebration Kick-off
The kick-off celebration on September 15th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at AS220 will feature live music from the AS220 Criss Cross Orchestra. The event is free and open to the public.

Visit www.hispanicheritageri.org for more information on the festival as well as a continuously updated schedule of events.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of Latino heritage and the contributions Hispanic Americans to the United States. The national observation started in 1968 as a weeklong event under President Lyndon Johnson. September 15, the official beginning of the celebration, marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

The 2010 Rhode Island Latino CommUNITY Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month is presented by the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and is sponsored by the Providence Phoenix, Poder 1110, Providence En Espanol and Tony Aguilar.

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My City

Your Vote Matters! Primary Day is September 14th.

Next Tuesday, September 14th, over 83,000 registered Providence voters are expected to head to their polls and elect their chosen party candidates on Primary Day. You've seen the ads, received the mailings, attended public debates, and even volunteered for your candidates of choice. Finally, next week, the voting begins.

Primary Day is an important milestone for all the candidates vying for public support as the results will carry the victors through the General Elections on November 2nd. It's a very important day, too, for voters as we exercise our most important American civic duty.

At the Providence Board of Canvassers, Kathy Placencia, the city's Administrator of Elections, has been hard at work this busy election year making sure local candidates have filed correctly, voters have been registered properly, and that her team is ready to roll out another successful Election Day in the Creative Capital. As polls throughout the city are open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Election Day, Placencia and the Board of Canvassers are on deck monitoring the elections, making sure polls are open on time, properly staffed, and operations are runnning smoothly. So before next Tuesday's Primary, City News paid a visit to Placencia this week to get some important information that all voters should know about.

How long have you worked for the Board of Canvassers?
It will be five years on November 14th.

What does the Board of Canvassers do?
We mostly handle voter registration but our office also handles filings for local candidates running for office, for example nomination papers and declaration papers. Anything that has to do with elections, election years, and voting, we handle that.

When someone wants to run for office, what are the things they have to do through your office?
What are the eligibility requirements, for example? To be local a candidate running for Mayor or City Council, all you have to be is a registered voter (age 18 and over). To be Mayor, a candidate would have to live in the City of Providence. For City Council, a candidate has to have been registered to vote for at least 30 days in the district in which they plan to run.

What should voters know about Primary Day?
Next Tuesday, September 14th, registered voters in Providence will be voting for their party's Congressperson, Mayor, City Council, City Ward Committees and the Providence General Assembly delegation (State Senators, State Representatives, as well as Senate and Representative Committee Members). So if you're a registered Republican, you're voting for your Republican candidate. All the candidates listed on your ballot will be Republican. If you're a registered Democrat, you're voting for your Democratic candidate. All the candidates listed on your ballot will be Democrat.

If you're an unaffiliated voter, you have the option to choose which party you want to vote in during the primaries but just remember if you don't want to be associated with a particular party you should fill out a disaffiliation form at your poll before you leave on primary day. The deadline to disaffiliate in order to vote in the Primary was June 16th. Voters only need to disaffiliate for the Party Primary Elections, and not for the November General Election.

How many voters registered in Providence for the primaries?
There are just over 83,000 eligible voters registered in the City of Providence.

So what happens on Primary Day?
Our staff is here at our office at City Hall at the crack of dawn! The Board and I have to make sure that the polling places are open on time. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

There are 89 polling places in Providence. Voters can call our office at 421-0495 or 421-7740 and ask for extensions 203, 204, or 211 to find their polling place or ask any questions about Election Day. The Secretary of State's Office also has a complete statewide listing of all polling places on their "Rhode Island Voter Information Center" page online at http://sos.ri.gov/vic/. You can enter your first and last name and date of birth, and it will bring up all your voter information, including a sample ballot.

Every vote is confidential. When a ballot goes into the voting machine, that information is recorded into a memory pack. The memory packs, which are sealed, are collected and brought to us at end of the night and we transfer it to the State board of elections computer system. The State tallies the results. We don't count ballots.

What should voters bring with them on election days?
Voters are notified ahead of time if they have to bring in identification. We send out a mailing to those voters letting them know that they have to bring some ID with them. So IDs are not required unless you were notified by mail in advance. Other than that, just go to your polls and vote!

We know why candidates want people to vote, but from the perspective of someone who works inside the election process, what do you tell people about the importance of voting?
If you care about the future of Providence, of your cities and towns, it is so important that you vote. Before I started working here, I didn't realize the importance of voting. When we elect candidates to office, we are putting the public trust into those officials to make important policy decisions that impact our lives. That's why everyone's vote matters. It's our responsibility as voters to help shape our own future.

What's it like for you to meet a first-time voter, or a first-time candidate?
It's exciting to meet a first-time voter, someone who wants to participate in the political process. As far as candidates are concerned, all I can say is that it's always very interesting to meet them!

What are you most looking forward to this upcoming election season?
I'm very excited about it. There are new candidates coming in and important seats to fill. It's a big election for the city and the state as a whole. It's going to be interesting.

So after the primaries, what happens next?
Voters who didn't register or missed the deadline to register for the primaries can register to vote on the general election by October 2nd. The general election is on November 2nd. If you're already registered, all you have to do is make sure you keep your voter registration information up-to-date before the October 2nd deadline. So if you move, you should change your address with your local board of canvassers. You should do that anyway every time you move. Always keep up-to-date with your voter registration. It's important because if you do move and you end up living in a different voting district, you want to be able to vote for the candidates in your new district.

For the general election, you can vote any party. You don't have to affiliate for the general election because all the parties' candidates - including everyone who will win in next week's primaries - as well as any candidates from the Independent and Moderate parties, will be on one ballot.

When do you and your staff get to vote?
We (Staff and Board Members) vote by mail ballot in our office.

What's the best part of your job?
The teamwork in our office is excellent. It's extremely busy here. We have a great staff and we put a lot of hard work and lot of hours to make sure it all happens well and have successful election days!

To find your polling place on Primary Day, and download a sample ballot for your voting district, visit the "Rhode Island Voter Information Center" page through the Secretary of State's Office at http://sos.ri.gov/vic/. The Providence Board of Canvassers Office is located in Room 102 at City Hall. Visit them at www.providenceri.com/board-of-canvassers.

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