[Summit] Crossroads R.I., Kennedy Plaza buses + other news & notices from our S. Prov. neighbors

David Kolsky davidjkolsky at yahoo.com
Tue Apr 20 18:37:49 UTC 2021 

 

   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: South Providence Neighorhood Assn <southprovneighbors at gmail.com>To: South Providence Neighorhood Assn <southprovneighbors at gmail.com>Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 09:57:34 AM EDTSubject: SPNA - UPDATES & ACTIVITIES (4/20/2021)
 
Good morning neighbors,





Thank you all who joined the South Providence Neighborhood Association (SPNA) in attending last week the virtual Public Hearing of the Ordinance Committee of the City Council, our in-person community meeting with Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School, & the Kennedy Plaza Rally opposing the harmful multi-hub plan. Our neighbors are satisfied with the outcome of the Ordinance Hearing in which the amended proposed zoning changes to the St. Joseph's Complex were approved (the amended version incorporated feedback that neighbors provided during the multiple community meetings about Broad Street held back in 2017). For those who were unable to attend the in-person meeting with Nuestro Mundo, attached is information about enrolling students & applying to work at the work - Nuestro Mundo wants to have a staff that represents the community it is to be based in, & welcomes residents to apply for their open positions. We will hold a virtual meeting (see below) to ensure additional opportunity is provided for neighbors to ask questions & provide feedback on this topic.





Before Saturday's Kennedy Plaza Rally, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) did respond back to the Title VI Complaint filed jointly between Grow Smart RI & SPNA back on MLK Day. Attached is a copy of RIDOT'S response, along with a joint statement from Grow Smart RI & SPNA as a response to RIDOT's response. We call on all of our neighbors & supporters to call the Governor's office at (401) 222-2080 to let them know of your concerns & opposition to the proposed multi-hub plan. As SPNA adheres to guidelines provided by our government agencies on in-person gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we will continue to host virtual meetings while at the same time pursue options for neighbors to meet safely in person. Listed below are updates on issues & events impacting our neighborhood:








VIRTUAL MEETING - CROSSROADS - 4/21

Crossroads RI, who has presented to SPNA in the past & attended our meetings, has been welcomed back to meet with SPNA to provide updates on their process for a new proposal about their services. Crossroads provided information about that proposal at an SPNA virtual meeting back in September of 2020. This virtual meeting will be held tomorrow, April 21st starting at 6pm. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com) by 3pm tomorrow! We encourage our neighbors in SPNA's footprint of the Southside to attend this meeting!




VIRTUAL MEETING - GROUNDWORK RI - 4/29
Groundwork RI, a community-based environmental organization dedicated to creating healthier & more resilient urban communities throughout Rhode Island, has accepted SPNA's invitation to meet our neighbors virtually so that we may learn more about their efforts & resources available to neighbors so that our children may live in safe, lead-free homes. This virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, April 29th starting at 6pm. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com). We encourage our neighbors in SPNA's footprint of the Southside to attend this meeting.
VIRTUAL MEETING - NUESTRO MUNDO - 5/6 As an alternative for neighbors not attending the in-person meeting on the Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School back on April 14th, SPNA will host a virtual meeting as a follow-up on Thursday, May 6th starting at 5:30pm. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com). Attached is a flyer that we ask you to share with other neighbors. We encourage our neighbors who could not attend the in-person meeting to attend this virtual meeting. 
VIRTUAL MEETING - 02905 HEALTH EQUITY ZONE (HEZ) - 5/10As SPNA is a supporting organization of the 02907 Health Equity Zone (HEZ) with the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation (WEHDC), we're very excited to learn about the efforts of Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI) to design & establish a Health Equity Zone for zip code 02905, which is the largest part of SPNA's footprint in the Southside - FSRI is an organization who also has an office in the Southside. FSRI has accepted SPNA's invitation to neighbors to learn more during a virtual meeting on Monday, May 10th starting at 6pm. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com). We encourage our neighbors who could not attend the in-person meeting to attend this virtual meeting.
VIRTUAL MEETING - RILA DOCUMENTARY - 5/18
Marta V. Martínez, Executive Director of Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA), & RILA's LatinxCine Team will be creating a series of videos focusing on the first Latinos who settled on Broad Street in South Providence, their contributions as hard-working citizens & neighborhood residents to the economic growth of Rhode Island, as role models & a source of empowerment to future entrepreneurs in their neighborhood/community. RILA has asked & SPNA welcomes them to share information about their project with our neighbors at a virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 18th starting at 5:30pm. This will be an opportunity for neighbors to learn how they may participate in this project with the LatinxCine Team by providing historical content and/or connecting them with other neighbors to join SPNA in its support of this project. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com). RILA is a supporting organization of Neighbors For Revitalization (N4R) along with SPNA; & Marta was a panelist for the virtual session organized by SPNA at the 2020 Power of the Place Summit entitled EmphasizingGrassroots Community Engagement: The Best Path to Effective, InclusiveCommunity Development.
VIRTUAL MEETING - COVID RELIEF AID FUND (PROVIDENCE) - 5/25Many residents are aware of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (AKA the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan) passed by Congress last month, which provided stimulus payments to individuals depending on income level. What is not as well known is that this $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill is that it will also provide funds directly to states & municipalities - in particular, the City of Providence has/will receive $131 million of that package as a COVID Relief Aid Fund! With confirmation of the receipt of these funds, Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3) has been collecting feedback with her own constituents as well as residents from other neighborhoods (including the Southside) in Providence as to how our city should spend these funds & what issues should our city focus on in directing that relief. Councilwoman LaFortune would like to capture more in-depth insight from residents in SPNA's footprint of the Southside as to what we think should be the City's priorities for the COVID Relief Aid Fund. In the spirit of being good neighbors, Councilwoman LaFortune has accepted SPNA's invitation to discuss her efforts at a virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 25th starting at 6pm. Please RSVP to attend this meeting by replying back to this communication or sending a separate email to SPNA's email address (southprovneighbors at gmail.com). We strongly encourage our neighbors in SPNA's footprint of the Southside to attend this meeting.



EQUITY & INCLUSION
 SPNA extends a special thank you to our neighbors &fellow neighborhood groups who joined us in committing our focus to championingracial equity & ensuring our neighborhoods are welcoming to all residents,especially our neighbors who are Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC).As we move forward with specific programs for these goals SPNA will announce thoseactivities as they occur plus invite you to participate. Listed below are some areasthat we’re currently moving forward in support of SPNA’s goals for racialequity:   
   - COMPLETED: Community Engagement session at Grow Smart RI's 2020 Power of the Place Summit
   - IN PROGRESS: Participatory Budgeting
   - ON-GOING: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee of the RI Chapter of the American Planning Association   

   - ON-GOING: Reform of Zoning/Urban Planning Laws, Policies & Protocols   

   - IN PROGRESS: Port of Providence (in collaboration with the Washington Park Association)
   - IN PROGRESS: Food Insecurity & Food Deserts
   - ON-GOING: Participation in the Providence Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (PCNA)   

   - ON-GOING: Barbara Jordan II Redevelopment
   - ON-GOING: Anti-Racism Committee of the Providence Human Relations Commission (PHRC)   

   - ON-GOING: Kennedy Plaza Bus Hub & Transit Equity   

   - IN PROGRESS: Racial disparities in Historic Preservation with Providence Preservation Society (PPS)   

   - ON-GOING: PPSD Re-Opening of Schools & Turnaround Plan
   - ON-GOING: Fix the 6/10 Coalition
   - COMPLETED: Proposed Source of Income (SOI) for the City of Providence   

   - COMPLETED: Proposed 2020 Statewide Housing & Infrastructure Bonds
   - ON-GOING: Civil Rights Team with the Office of the Attorney General of RI   

   - COMPLETED: 2020 Census
   - ON-GOING: Participation in HomesRI coalition (preventing evictions plus home/rent affordability)
   - ON-GOING: Participation the 02907 Health Equity Zone (HEZ) coalition
   - ON-GOING: Residential Property Taxes & related tax impacts (home & rent affordability)
   - CANCELLED: Community Forum on the City of Providence's Budget focusing on Policing
   - IN PROGRESS: Participation in the potential 02905 Health Equity Zone coalition   

   - COMPLETED: Promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Local Decision Making workshop at the 2021 Annual Convention of the Rhode Island League of Cities & Towns, as part of the EDI Committee of APA, RI Chapter.   


The items in bold above are areasthat SPNA was already initiating and/or involved with before the impacts ofCOVID-19 & the racial reckoning of 2020 into the present. This list belowis subject to change & is not encompassing of all SPNA activities. Pleasecontact us if you have any additional questions or would like to learn moreabout (or sign up to participate/lead on behalf of SPNA) these topics. 





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SPNA will provide details on new developments involving House of Hope in our footprint as we learn more, & we plan to hold a virtual community meeting (at neighbors' request) on the increased illegal dumping in our neighborhood in early June. Please feel free tocontact us by phone at (401) 369-1334 or by email if you have any additionalquestions. You may also follow SPNA through our social media group on Facebook to get our latest updates! You may also invite and share this communication with otherneighbors interested in these activities and/or want to learn more about SPNA.




Best Regards,







Dwayne Keys

South ProvidenceNeighborhood Association (SPNA)



  
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