[Summit] East Side news -- Books on Sq. Sat., Blackstone Pk & Councillor La Fortune Weds., Fox Pt ass'n and Councillor Anthony

Sat Aug 29 01:08:00 UTC 2020

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| Come celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with us today (Saturday) 
We'll be open from 10am—5pm for you to browse and pick up exclusive Independent Bookstore Day items.

To see a list of national virtual events you can register for, visit ribookstores.com |

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| Visit Our Website for More Information |

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Blackstone Parks Conservancy
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Dear Members and Friends:
Attached you will find an invitation to a safe, socially distanced presentation hosted with the Providence Parks Department to discuss the revitalization of Blackstone Park. To see a concept drawing of proposed improvements for Blackstone Park click here.  Please join us if you're interested in taking part in the conversation. 

If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment on the concept drawing, we are happy to pass along your input. Please email your comment to us by Tuesday September 1st if possible. 

Thank you for making the park a priority.

Blackstone Parks Conservancy

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BlackstonePark_2020_rev.pdf

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| Copyright © 2017 Blackstone Parks Conservancy, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 603141 Providence, Rhode Island 02906 |

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| Dear Honorable Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune,
Please Join Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune for a community meeting on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at 6:00 pm to discuss neighborhood needs and concerns. Please register here to receive the ZOOM details for the meeting.  Councilwoman LaFortune will be joined by representatives from the City's Traffic Engineer Department, the Environmental Division of the Department of Public Works, and Providence Publics Schools to discuss the following topics:

   - traffic calming efforts in the Ward; 
   - street sweeping, trash pick-up and recycling,
   - the Providence Public School Department reopening plan.

We will also share information and resources pertaining to the upcoming election.
Wednesday, September 2 at 6:00 PM
We will be using Zoom. You have the option of calling in from any phone or joining online. Pre-registration is required, and you can do so by clicking the below link and filling out the registration form. |

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| Register Here |

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| If you have issues signing up, call 401-521-7477 or email bkepner at providenceri.gov.
We hope you can join us! |

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----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Fox Point Neighborhood Association <foxpointneighborhood at gmail.com>To:Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020, 11:29:41 AM EDTSubject: FPNA News: Petition, Brewery, Kayaks + more

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|  Image: PPS
FPNA NEWS The Fox Point Neighborhood AssociationAugust 27, 2020  |

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|  NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Smart Hotel Threatens Historic Homes. Early this summer, the City Plan Commission approved a zoning change that would allow developers to build a "smart hotel" on Angell Street—and in so doing demolish three 19th-century buildings (pictured in header, above). The decision has since been appealed by neighbors. Find updates from the Providence Preservation Society, here. Consider signing a petition, here. Find a lively critique by architect Will Morgan on this (and other) developments, here. Image, PPS, here. 

Brewery to Open in September in IPP. Last fall, Mark Hellendrung of Narragansett Beer met with neighbors at an FPNA meeting to share plans for a new brewhouse in India Point Park. As it turns out, those plans will soon come to fruition. Read about the September debut in RI Monthly, here. Check for updates on the opening on the company's Facebook page, here. Image, here. 

Restaurant Week is Happening! Are you hungry? And eager to support local businesses? Providence Restaurant Week is currently underway through September 12 and includes several Fox Point favorites. Find a list of participating eateries, here. Image, Persimmon, here. 

Looking for Fun on the East Side (During Covid)? Safe, distant outdoor activities abound, including kayaking the Providence River, eating outside at Louis, and visiting our very own 10,000 Suns. Find ideas in Providence Monthly, here.   |

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|  FPNA September Meeting
SAVE THE DATE

FPNA September Meeting
Monday, September 14, 2020, 7pm via Zoom

Agenda to follow
Check our website for updates.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!  |

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Questions?
Contact FPNA Executive Secretary Amy Mendillo at
foxpointneighborhood at gmail.com
or by replying to this message

For more information on
the Fox Point Neighborhood Association,
visit 
www.fpna.net 
 or follow us on
Facebook

Become a member!The Fox Point Neighborhood Association  |

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|  Copyright © 2020 Fox Point Neighborhood Association, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Fox Point Neighborhood AssociationPO Box 2315Providence, RI 02906
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Dear Neighbors, 

I hope this finds you well as we head towards the end of August. I appreciate all of the feedback I received on our last Ward Letter. Please encourage your neighbors to subscribe. Now more than ever communication is important.

Please call me at 401-489-2470, visit helenanthony.com or email me at helen at helenanthony.com with questions or comments. Stay safe.

Helen
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COVID

The city and state continue to monitor COVID-19 and adjust their response.

> You can get timely information online from the RI Department of Health, the City of Providence, and the Governor's office. 
> Providence has stepped up access to testing in our hardest hit neighborhoods.
> For the latest information on our schools please contact the RI Department of Education at ride.ri.gov or 401-222-4600. 
> The RI State Police  tip line to report large gatherings or other violations is 401-764-5554. 

Commerce RI reopened applications for its $50 million Restore Rhode Island program, and will consider up to 1,500 requests on a rolling basis. A second round of applications will be accepted at a future date. Good piece from the Globe's Dan McGowan on the program here. 

Please contact me at helen at helenanthony.com if you have concerns about our community’s safety.
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Providence City Council Meetings

Next City Council Meetings:  September 3 and 17 - please join us on Zoom. 

Stay up to date on meetings of the Council and its committees through the City of Providence Open Meetings Portal, where meetings, agendas, and minutes are posted. You can register for an account and receive notifications about the work of dozens of municipal groups (click here and see “register” in the upper right corner).
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Update: Smart Hotel

In June Ed Small, the developer of the Smart Hotel proposed for the corner of Angell and Brook, submitted a revised plan to the City Planning Commission (CPC) which was, despite vocal opposition, approved. Two parties appealed the CPC decision. 

On August 20, the Providence Zoning Board of Review heard the two appeals. The hearing was long, and the votes were confusing. Minutes from the meeting have yet to be posted. I’m not sure anyone will have clarity until the Zoning Board issues its written decision. It would appear that the matter will be referred back to the CPC. 

Procedurally, the Petition to Rezone has to be approved by City Council and cannot be heard by the Council's Ordinance Committee until there is a final decision from the CPC. 

The Providence Preservation Society maintains a page about this project here. 
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Update: Brown Reopening

Brown University has continued to post updates about students returning to campus. Some students have remained in Providence since the spring, others have permission to return to campus this weekend, and still others have rented off campus apartments and returned on their own timetable with many off campus leases having begun on August 1.

Brown administrators held an informative webinar on August 20 -- this was the first presentation Brown has made to neighbors about plans to reopen. I appreciate the hard work Brown has done to make its reopening as safe as possible and manage the many challenges they face this academic year. Brown currently plans to hold classes virtually at least until October 9. 

Administrators shared that 500 enrolled students will live on campus and 2000 enrolled students will live off campus -- they did not respond to a question about how this decision was made. Students are required to attend an on-line education module and to sign a letter of commitment to abide by public health guidelines. It remains unclear how Brown will enforce compliance, particularly with regard to the 2000 off-campus students and other Brown students who have chosen not to enroll for the semester but have returned to Providence.

Brown asked community members to report any public health violations to http://brown.ethicspoint.com or call 877-318-9184. EthicsPoint, Inc. is a third-party provider that will forward reports to Brown for action.

I believe this system is insufficient to address urgent issues such as gatherings greater than 15 people, etc. While Brown does have its own police force, they say that off-campus behavior is the jurisdiction of the Providence Police, who I think should not have to police student public health guidelines. At minimum Brown should set up its own hotline and offer free COVID testing to any member of the Brown student body in Providence, regardless of whether or not they have taken a leave of absence.

I have reached out to Brown to share my view that neighbors should be more proactively informed, particularly since the majority of returning Brown students are not living on campus. On the webinar Brown administrators pledged to share further information with neighbors, but it remains unclear the plan for that communication. They have not posted the recording of the webinar publicly. 

As you may know, Brown has a Government and Community Relations Office charged with partnering with the local community, and I encourage you to reach out to them directly as well. 
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Update: Kennedy Plaza Bus Hub Plan

On July 23 the RI Department of Transportation presented its plan for the Providence Multi-Hub Bus System to the City Council.

The initial concept for the plan was proposed by Governor Raimondo, Mayor Elorza, RIDOT, RIPTA and Joseph Paolino, Jr. of Paolino Properties, and seeks to relocate the Kennedy Plaza central bus hub and make the plaza into a park. The final plan, made with little or no community input, was made public at the end of July. The plan breaks up the central bus hub at Kennedy Plaza into three hubs -- one at the train station, one on the outskirts of Kennedy Plaza, and one – that would serve most passengers -- on Dyer Street about a half a mile from Kennedy Plaza. The Dyer Street location is currently owned by National Grid and is located adjacent to the Waterfront Park.  

My concern with the plan is that it does not adequately serve riders. Moving most bus activity from Kennedy Plaza to a much less desirable location on Dyer Street adds more transfers for the people who rely on the bus to get to work. The spacing of the bus stops makes it difficult for the elderly and those with physical challenges to get to their destinations. Organizations that have worked diligently to improve our transit system have sent letters of opposition to the Governor - see a letter from the Rhode Island Transit Riders and another letter from GrowSmart RI opposing the project.

I believe the Governor should direct RIDOT to invite more public input on the proposal and modify the plan. A strong transit system is essential to the health of our city and state, and we need a transit plan that is equitable, just, and serves all communities. In collaboration with Councillors John Goncalves and Nirva LaFortune, I am submitting a resolution in opposition to the plan as it stands at next week’s City Council meeting.
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Voting

RI Primary Election: September 8
Ward 2 candidates have no primary challengers, so Ward 2 residents do not need to vote on September 8 or apply for mail ballots.  The state's new "I VOTED" sticker was designed by East Sider Isaiah Suchman!
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RI General Election Calendar

   - October 4: Deadline to register to vote
   - To vote by mail download a mail ballot application today. Even if you voted by mail before, you must request one again for the General Election
   - October 13 by 4pm: Deadline to submit application for a mail ballot 
   - October 14 - November 2: In-person voting available at Providence City Hall
   - Tuesday, November 3: Election Day
More information available from RI Secretary of State and Providence Board of Canvassers.  |

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Human Relations Commission Public Forums

The City of Providence Human Relations Commission is hosting a series of public forums:

   - Conversations on the city's budget process. Sign up here. 
   - Conversations on police use of force and the law enforcement officers' bill of rights in partnership with the African American Police Advisory Subgroup
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Census 2020

If you have not filled out a Census form, you can do so here. Census data influences federal funding to our state and our representation in Congress. Deadline: September 30. 
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A Bright Light
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So many neighbors in Ward 2 are spending more time in their gardens this summer (Wondering what the boundaries of Ward 2 are? Click here). Six-year-old Gabby waters her front porch garden on College Hill twice a day, every day. “I like watering the plants because it makes them happy,” she says. Gabby grows herbs and lettuces that she and her parents use in meals. What does Gabby like most about her trough garden? “I like eating the plants while I water them!”
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Our mailing address is:
Providence City Council Ward 2654 Angell StProvidence, RI 02906-5552
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