December 30, 1999

Dear Smithsonian Editor:

As Mayor of the City of Providence I feel compelled to respond to Donald Dale Jackson, the author of the article "Good-bye, Rhode Island," appearing in the January 2000 Smithsonian. Jackson's premise, tongue-in-cheek as it is, to launch a campaign to eliminate the State of Rhode Island and incorporate it as part of Connecticut, rallies this proud Rhode Island native to mount a defensive. One of the biggest hurdles, Jackson states, will be amassing enough cash to cover the cost of removing one star from all American flags. Before he begins his fundraising, I would caution him that he would be eliminating a state that is one of the pre-eminent stars of our nation.

By wishing to roll Rhode Island into his state of Connecticut, Jackson clearly suffers from a severe case of "Rhode Island envy", whether he'll admit it or not. We Rhode Islanders, whether by birth or choice, are proud of our identity, proud to be the first state founded as a haven for religious tolerance, a state that celebrates its rich history and, that has - in Providence- the largest district of authentic Federal and Colonial architecture in America. We are home to more artists, per capita, than any state in the union. In affirmation of our reverence for the arts, Providence passed the first legislation in America granting tax breaks to artists living or working within the borders of our downtown's award-winning Arts & Entertainment District. Within this District, we have our Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company, a newly expanded Providence Performing Arts Center thrilling crowds with big Broadway productions, and an amazing array of alternative arts organizations featuring original plays, music, dance, and poetry. (Providence even has its own Poet Laureate and a Poetry Slam team that won the nationals.) And in this District we are converting more and more historic buildings into lofts for artists and others desiring to live downtown.

Providence has one of the largest, and the newest, urban mall in America. Enough fine and diverse restaurants to give us the distinction as a restaurant capital of the world. An outdoor skating rink more than twice as large as Rockefeller Center's. We have unburied our rivers, on which authentic Venetian gondolas, water taxis and kayaks glide. They are framed by newly-constructed riverwalks and waterfront parks right in the heart of our city. Waterfire Providence, a multimedia display of fire on our rivers attracting hundreds of thousands, illuminates our capital city. One that inspired NBC's hit series Providence. (I keep looking every week, in vain, for the debut of the series Connecticut.) One selected as the first site of ESPN's X Games and NBC’s Gravity Games. We have our own Providence Film Commission and we're one of the few cities building museums.

Providence established the first specialized Gun Court in America, a national model. A city boasting one of the top 10 zoos in the United States and a glorious system of 141 urban parks within our 18 square miles, we've recently been recognized by the Trust for Public Land as a national model for using land conservation to shape growth, and for utilizing and protecting our public resources. Our internationally-recognized colleges and universities—Brown, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College and Johnson & Wales, for instance- enrich our city and state and enhance our remarkable cultural assets and intellectual pursuits. And our gleaming and highly accessible new airport, another regional star, is a popular alternative to Logan and is also the airport of choice—dare I say it?—of countless Connecticut residents. I could go on and on.

Beyond Providence lie extraordinarily beautiful pastoral and ocean vistas and 38 other vital cities and towns. Seaside magnets such as Newport, Narragansett, Watch Hill, Westerly, Little Compton. Rhode Island's changing landscape incorporates just about every natural feature save for a mountain range. But we do have rolling hills, some stretching to the sea, forests, farms, and fishing villages. The East Bay, the West Bay, Hope Valley and northern Rhode Island—all additional wonderful centers of history, green space, community, and progress.

And let's not forget that Providence was the site of America's Smithsonian's greatest success, breaking all attendance records when this terrific exhibit traveled to Providence in 1996, the only New England city selected by the Smithsonian to display the Institution’s treasures.

I am asked to visit Connecticut's urban centers regularly, to speak in cities inspired by Providence's renowned renaissance and advise those cities on how they, too, can achieve what we have. It’s ironic that Boston magazine in its January 2000 issue, includes a lengthy and glowing article on Rhode Island. That author states, "Rhode Island, buoyed by Providence’s makeover, is clearly on a roll."

Rather than suggest that Connecticut absorb Rhode Island, I would urge Mr. Donald Dale Jackson to advocate for a regional initiative to further enhance and publicize New England’s fine business climate, all of our amenities, and our enviable quality of living. I extend an invitation to Mr. Jackson to visit Providence, and Rhode Island, and me, to experience the "roll" we are on firsthand. Whereupon I will present him with a packet of articles—from the national and international press raving about various aspects of our city and state—so heavy that he will have a hard time leaving. But once here, why would he want to?

Sincerely,

VINCENT A. CIANCI, JR.

Mayor of Providence

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