For those of us that don’t live in the city, we’re not always able to stop at one of Providence’s great coffee spots for our lifeline.  Out of necessity, when our energy is low and cups are empty, we find ourselves at national coffee chains desperately trying to fill the void.

Seeing that I can’t stomach the choices available at one such locale, I tend to gravitate towards the uppity big-coffee-business to get my fill.  While waiting in line at one of their stores last week, I noticed as the customer in front of me ordered some kind of breakfast sandwich (you know - the ones that look like wax figurines in the glass case - staring you down as you wait to order).  As the barista “prepared” her order, I couldn’t help but notice as she grabbed the sandwich from the fridge, removed it from its plastic packaging (think snack cakes or frozen burritos) and tossed it into the microwave to get it nice and hot for the customer.  Although I completely understood that I was not shopping locally at that moment, I was genuinely shocked to have witnessed this process.  I think it’s reasonable to assume in such a “classy” establishment that the food offerings would be fresh or perhaps they would do a better job of hiding the process from the customers anxiously awaiting their caffeinated beverages with little more to do at the time than watch just what the baristas are doing back more »

Today a huge, enthusiastic crowd braved the cold to rally for the right to marry. Politicians and candidates, ministers and rabbis, Brown medical school and citizens gay and straight came to support justice and civil rights.

MERI Rally at the State House

Providence, the birthplace of the diner, will go nationwide Monday when the Liberty Elm is featured on the Food Network.  A viewing party is happening at Everyman Bistro.

Details, here–

http://kmareka.com/2010/02/20/party-at-everyman/

Lost your pet? You’re going to need to find the number for Providence’s Animal Control Center. Trash all around the neighborhood park? Look up the number for the Maintenance Division of the Parks Department. Need another recycling bin? You’ll need the number for the Department of Public Works.

There’s a better way. 3-1-1.

No, I’m not talking about that awful band that played in the background as you smoked your first joint and went to second base Sophomore year of high school.  I’m talking about the one-stop hotline for any and all non-emergency community concerns.

3-1-1 provides the public with quick & easy access to government services while increasing efficiency for service delivery. It allows the city to objectively measure the performance and efficiency of individual departments and, if implemented like Bloomberg’s bullpen, gives the Mayor a balcony-level view of citywide needs. Dozens of American cities use 3-1-1 as a way for residents to report service needs, check the status of ongoing requests and connect with city programs and events.  Bottom line: Providence needs a 3-1-1.

The city of Chicago’s 3-1-1 system won an award for innovation in government from Harvard University for their use of 3-1-1.  The system was so good that city managers were able to track complaint patterns and other user data to predict and prevent weather related disturbances and identify and fine negligent landlords. Every resident who dials the system even receives a follow-up letter, signed by the Mayor and the resident’s Alderman, soliciting feedback on city services.  Sounds good to me.

Walking With Dinosaurs

June 23 - 27, 2010

Wed - Fri 7pm | Sat 11am, 3 & 7pm | Sun 1 & 5pm

THE DUNKIN’ DONUTS CENTER WELCOMES WALKING WITH DINOSAURS TO PROVIDENCE!

Do not miss out on Walking With Dinosaurs, roaring into the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI, June 23-27, 2010.

The show originated in Australia, where after years of planning, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS came to life at Sydney’s Acer Arena in January 2007. The show proved itself such a sensation, that this North American tour was fast-tracked. It began a short three months after completing its sold out engagements in Australia.

$19.50 - $57.50

Dunkin’ Donuts Center

One LaSalle Square

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 331-6700

http://www.dunkindonutscenter.com/

Buy Tickets: http://www.newspaceentertainment.com/providence/walking-with-dinosaurs-providence/?utm_source=ProvDailyDose_ProvidenceWWD&utm_medium=Grassroots&utm_campaign=ProvidenceWWD

NO RI VeloSprints on Monday!

It’s President’s Day so, celebrate the great leaders who have helped us become and stay free (Washington, Lincoln…) and dismiss those who would - um - presume to tell you they know what’s better for you than you do.

Cheers!

- Durishin

WHEN? Saturday, March 6th 7:00-10pm

COST? FREE!!!

WHERE? Cantina di Marco Restaurant & Grill

405 Mendon Road

Cumberland, RI 02864

401-722-4170

Jesse’s CD “Father From a Man” is a labor of love for father and son.

Every young singer needs support, someone that they can trust as they literally find their voice. For 19-year-old Jesse Liam of Smithfield, R.I., finding that voice has been a family affair. Jesse’s 10-track debut Father From A Man, produced by dad Jack Gauthier, represents the culmination of a three-year journey spent finding that voice, blending it with his father’s rich harmonies and applying them to a wonderful new CD. With blues legend Duke Robillard guesting on two tracks and some of New England’s best musicians and songwriters providing the backdrop, this is no synth-pop bubble-gum throwaway. Jesse’s big, clear voice soars over a diverse set of songs that are both unique and memorable. The project was a labor of love for father and son, recorded over several sessions at Jack’s Lakewest Recording in West Greenwich, RI.

“Jesse is truly my best friend,” Gauthier said. ““It’s wonderful performing with him, watching him grow. But it’s the process of putting it together, choosing the songs, practicing together that’s so great. It just connects on every level. It’s indescribable.”

“Everyone loves our harmonies,” says Jesse. “Family genes, I guess.”
The duo has appeared live as “Jesse Jack’son” on stages across New England, and Jesse has fared extremely well on his own. At 16, he made it through an initial cut during American Idol auditions, and recently earned “the Star of the Day” for winning his round in the Community Auditions competition.

“I just love performing,” says Jesse. “When I’m on stage … I know it’s a cliché, but I just feel freer. You’re a whole different person.”

“The thing that everybody says about Jesse is that he seems to connect on an emotional level with the audience he has,” Jack says of his protégé/son/band-mate/best bud. “There’s a naturalness and likeability that’s instinctive.”

Jesse is a sophomore at Rhode Island College and recently won their Idol contest. Jack is a longtime producer and engineer having worked closely with Duke Robillard, Dispatch and countless others over a successful 25 year career in the business.

The CD is available through Itunes, Amazon and CD Baby.

The Langston Hughes Community Poetry reading had its fifteenth anniversary Sunday, February 7th at the RISD Museum.  If all you know of Hughes is his poem, ‘A Dream Deferred’ you’ve only heard one note of the passionate blues he wove around his soul, his home in Harlem, NYC and his country– Land of the Free.

See a review here, and look out for the sixteenth in February, 2011.

RI VeloSprints happens again tonight @ McFadden’s in Providence.

This crazy, indoor bike race is this cold winter’s hot new sports/social event for cyclists and non-cyclists alike!

Two racers sprint for 500 metres

Come on down to McFadden’s!  Hop on a bike for 500 metres and help Rhode Island’s leading pro-health, pro-green non-profit continue to make a positive impact on the health of every Rhode Island kid - no matter their age.

We’ll begin at 6:30 with open class racing – everybody wants one race under their belt before the..,intra-category racing begins at 7:30-ish. In between the two sessions, we’ll award prizes to last week’s fastest riders in each category. Grudge races begin at 8:30-ish (depending on the number of races we run to accommodate all racers.

While the individual competition has been going on for a couple of sessions, teams are just beginning to form now so bring friends.  ”Walk-on” racers are always welcome to join in the fun!

Half-priced McFadden’s Appetizers and cold Harpoons as well.

See you tonight @ McFadden’s in Providence!

Bring friends and leave your lycra at home.

It’s great to see local companies getting national acclaim! Local design company,  Nail, gets a mention on Brand New, a very popular blog about corporate and brand identity work. All I could think of when reading this article is that the last name Rock is right next to the word Lobster.

Nail has won lots of awards for their design work. Their website, Nail.cc, is even well designed. That plumber’s sink sure doesn’t leak. Actually, you’ve probably already heard of them or seen their work. They’re the mastermind’s behind branding Polartec, the 903, and King Arthur brand flour.

Lobster.com ships lobster, shellfish, bisque, and bakes to the continental U.S. They’re a Providence company too.  Except, they sell Maine lobsters. Can someone explain that to me?

Note: I don’t even work for this company.

Sarah T and Maureen D Bring it All for 500 Meters!

Hey, everyone!

I hope you had a good week off from the 2010 RI VeloSprints Winter Series!

We’re back tomorrow (Monday) at McFadden’s!

Music starts at 6:00 and open-class sprints begin at 6:30. Intra-category match-ups start at 7:30-ish and Grudge Races will begin when those are done.

The next issue of our e-newsletter has been sent this morning. You can access it here. In this new issue, we’re announcing our Grand Prizes for the mens’ categories and they are pretty fantastic.

So, see you Monday night. Come ready to race, come thirsty and bring a friend!

Cheers!

Dick

Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig to be Read

A perfect day of ballet fun for the budding dancers and story lovers in your family will be held on Wednesday, December 16^th at 6 PM when the Festival Ballet Providence brings its ballerinas to perform and read at the Warwick, Barnes & Noble. Inspired by their favorite childhood stories, the dancers of FBP will bring one of literature’s most beloved children’s characters to life, Pippi Longstocking. A dancer dressed as Pippi Longstocking will be present in the store and special events, including a full range of dance activities based on the Pippi Longstocking books, will take place from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. As an added treat, at 7 PM a dancer will read a brand new children’s story, Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig by David Ira Rottenberg with illustrations by Lesley Anderson. Mr. Rottenberg will be on hand to answer questions and sign copies of his book.

Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig tells the tale of two friends, Gwendolyn and Omar, who have big dreams. Gwendolyn longs to dance ballet, and Omar wants to join the football team. There is just one problem— they’re both pigs!

For any adult or child who wishes to learn how Natasha Levertov, “the greatest teacher of dance in ze vorld,” helps make Gwendolyn’s and Omar’s dreams come true and see Pippi Longstocking through the magic lens of dance, as well as meet real ballerinas and a children story author, it is only necessary to come to the Warwick Barnes & Noble. Be sure to bring your cameras!

Barnes & Noble is hosting this wonderful event in its continuing efforts to help sustain and grow the Providence arts community. As part of its commitment, Barnes & Noble is contributing a percentage of every sale made by customers with special bookfair vouchers, or who simply identify themselves as supporters of the Festival Ballet Providence.

Barnes and Noble is particularly pleased to support The Festival Ballet Providence which is one the country’s top regional ballet companies, performing both modern and classical ballets, including the perennial Christmas favorite, the Nutcracker. The Festival Ballet Providence also serves as a vital center for dance education for both children and adults. Through its Educational Outreach program the company provides a series of ballets specifically for children. As part of this years 2009/2010 season, the FBP is performing a ballet based on Pippi Longstocking at the intimate FBP Black BOX Theater in March. Its December production of the Nutcracker will be held at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

For more information on this free Barnes & Noble event contact: The Festival Ballet Providence, 825 Hope St, Providence, RI | 401-353-1129

When: Wednesday, December 16^th beginning at 6 PM.

Where: Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 1350 Bald Hill Rd, Warwick, RI 02886-4263, (401) 826-8885

“a student, a congressman, a professor and a dean

speak to health care reform”

On
Monday November 30 The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University will
host a roundtable discussion “Health Care Reform: What are the
Politics?” from 3-4:30 at Andrews Hall. Part of the 2009-2010 Paul
Levinger Health Care Reform Roundtable Series, this edition has a panel with
potential for interesting debate on health care reform.

Participants
include the Hon. Patrick Kennedy Cong. 1^st district, Edward Wing,
MD, Dean of the Warren Alpert Medical School, Professor of Community Health
Vincent Mor and Medical Student Erin Kelly ’11. Moderated by the Dean the
panel has a mix of the Past, Present and Future, with a dash of government,
academia and practicing doctors. This event also provides an opportunity for
the audience to engage the panelists as they express their views.

This
event is free and open to the public, for more info: http://med.brown.edu/news/levinger/

Roger Williams National Memorial is at a very important point in its development and we NEED your input, advice, guidance, and great ideas. Working with the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, we have just completed the final draft of a Cultural Landscape Report for the site. The Cultural Landscape Report includes a comprehensive site history, from Native American presence through the urban renewal period of the 60s that created the park right up to the park as we know it today. The report also includes an evaluation and analysis of the site and treatment recommendations. Although I am sure many of you will read and appreciate the first two sections, it is the final section, treatment recommendations, that we are seeking your input on. Should we expand our visitor facilities? Should there be a memorial commissioned to recognize Roger Williams and his beliefs or is the memorial landscape representative of him and his ideas simply by its designation as a National Memorial? Should we consider redesigning the landscape to better reflect its original planned intent/design? How can we enhance the landscape to increase visibility? What kinds of partnerships/programs should we develop in an effort to create more awareness of the site and its significance? These are just a few of the questions that we are looking for your input on.

There is no question that Roger Williams National Memorial is a well taken care of, beautifully manicured, urban greenspace in the center of the vibrant city of Providence. Ask most users of the park, however, who manages the site and what its significance is and only a few will be able to answer “National Park Service and the first settlement in America based on freedom of religion and liberty of conscience”. With your help, we have an opportunity to develop a guiding document for the site that outlines strategies to increase visibility and awareness for this landscape and celebrates the basic freedoms outlined in our country’s constitution.

The final draft of the Cultural Landscape Report can be found on our park website at
http://www.nps.gov/rowi/parkmgmt/publicinvolvement.htm

We also have a limited number of hard copies of the draft report available at the park visitor center located at 282 North Main Street.

We welcome your written comments either by email to me or by mail the address below by December 11, 2009. We are also holding a public meeting Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the Old State House (entrance on 150 Benefit Street) to allow you the opportunity to share your comments and ideas with park staff, the project team, and other interested parties. Please join us!

This is your opportunity to help us think boldly and broadly about the landscape and its interpretation. Please take some time to read through the report and send us your thoughts or, better yet, come out on December 9th to share them with everyone. We welcome and appreciate all of your ideas! Thanks, Jen Gonsalves, Site Manager

TONIGHT
7:30 pm, Swearer Center, 25 George St

Join Ken Galdston, Brown alum and local organizer, to hear about his path to organizing, as well as to discuss what drives us to be interested in community organizing, how different approaches to it help us express our passions for this work, and how to fit organizing into our lives now and in the future.

Ken Galdston is the director of the InterValley Project, a network of regional organizers working for community economic empowerment.