We were proud to support the Providence Community Library through the money raised at our annual 10 to Watch Party. With the help of the community we were able to donate $3000 to neighborhood libraries. Thanks to everyone involved! More
Crime Alert-Robbery
February 11, 2012
The Brown University Department of Public Safety would like to notify the Community of a robbery that occurred near the intersection of Brown Street and Creighton Street.
Incident:
On Saturday, February 11, 2012, at approximately 8:45 p.m. a male victim was walking north on Brown Street near the intersection of Creighton Street when he was approached from behind, assaulted, knocked to the ground and robbed of his personal belongings. The suspects were last seen fleeing the area heading north on Brown Street toward Olney Street on foot.
This incident is under investigation by the Providence Police Department and the Brown University Department of Public Safety.
Suspects:
The suspects were described as "two black males, approximately 5’8”- 5’9” 18-20 years of age with stocky builds."
Description:
Suspect #1 described as wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark baggy pants.
Suspect #2 described as wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark baggy pants.
Anyone with information pertaining to this crime is asked to contact the Brown University Department of Public Safety at 863-3322 or the Providence Police Department at 272-3121. Any information provided will be kept confidential. More
Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa spoke at Thursday's Conservative Political Action Conference and stirred the crowd with his fiery truth telling. Finally, someone had the courage and conviction to speak out against the communist menace of energy efficient lightbulbs. For too long these tiny flickers of anti-Americanism have been allowed to spark throughout our land, lighting the way for pinko commies, secret Muslims, tax-and-spend Democrats, liberal Nazis, vegetarians and other terrorist groups to wash away our God-given liberties using the slow, corrosive trickle of nanny state tyranny from their low-flow showerheards "I want my liberty back," King bravely declared.
According to TheHill.com:
King compared the Capitol Hill janitors who replaced the lightbulbs in his office with lower-energy bulbs to the East German communist secret police, describing them as "Nancy [Pelosi]'s Stasi troops," and complained of a water-saving showerhead in his shower.
It's about time someone spoke out on this peril to our liberty. Liberals argue that energy efficient lightbulbs like LED (Light Emitting Diode, or as I like to call it, Liberty Eroding Disaster) and CFL (Compact Flourescent Light, or more accurately, Commie Friggin' Losers) save money over time as compared to traditional incandescent bulbs (the mom, baseball and apple pie of home illumination) and are better for the environment. They've even gone so far as to mandate that incandescents (the same kind our Founding Fathers would have used) be 30% more efficient starting this year. This amounts to nothing less than a full-on War on Liberty, threatening not just our desk lamps, but our entire way of life. We wouldn't stand for it if Hitler said he just needed to conquer 30% of Europe would we? What if Obama bin President dictated that 30% of America be governed by Shariah Law? What if his fascist health care plan called for 30% of our senior citizens to be summarily executed by doctors?
Of course, Nancy … More
Last night was our Super Singles Party at Fete, our annual event in celebration of our Most Eligible Bachelors and Bachelorettes issue. We took the opportunity to survey unattached attendees on their experiences of being single in Providence. Here are the results. We've love to have your answers/feedback in the comment section below.
1. I have been single for…
45% One to six months.
35% A year or more.
10% Less than a month.
10% Six months to a year.
2. I am single because…
50% I’m too picky for my own good.
20% I’m not ready for a serious relationship.
15% I LOVE being single!
15% I have no idea. Being single sucks!
3. The best way to meet singles in Providence is…
40% Social events (parties, fundraisers, etc.).
40% It seems impossible here.
15% Going to bars (get em while they’re drunk)!
5% Online dating.
4. Sum up the PVD dating scene in one word…
50% Incestual
35% Mediocre
10% Non-existant
5% Ripe for the picking! (Oops, that was four.)
5. What is it like to be single in Providence?
“Both horrible and awesome.” “Too many guys, not enough girls.” “It’s what you make of it.” “It’s a great city to be in and there’s lots to do. I just wish I had someone to do it with.” “It’s better than being single in New Hampshire.” More
The American Hockey League, the NHL minor league in which the Providence Bruins play, announced today that its All-Star Classic will return to Providence in 2013. This will be the third time the event has been held in Providnece; the first dates all the way back to 1956 at the old Rhode Island Auditorium. The event returned to our city at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 1995 for the first AHL All-Star Game of the modern era. From January 25-28, the Dunk will host a variety of hot hockey action, kicking off with a P-Bruins home game on Friday, the 25th. The Providence Bruins Youth Hockey Festival will follow on Saturday. The All-Star Skills Competition and Hall of Fame Induction happen on Sunday, and finally, Monday brings the All-Star game itself. The weekend festivities are sure to bring a boost to Downtown in a typically slow month, and the AHL looks "forward to showcasing our brightest stars to capacity crowds at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and to an international television audience" -- possibly on "The Ocho"? More
Who: Michael “Mikey B” Brousseau
What: Tattoo artist (self-proclaimed “tattyjammer”)
When: 12pm, Sunday January 8
Where: Federal Hill Tattoo, Atwells Avenue, Providence
Why: He’s a nice guy who’s incredibly talented… and hysterical.
Mike with friend and client, Shoshanah
“The best tattoo I’ve done this week? It’s a toss up,” says Mike, looking up from his light box, pencil in hand. He reaches for a wooden box. “Want to see both?” Of course I do. As he fishes around inside the box – which is chock-full of used transfer paper – I realize the enormity of what I’m seeing. Mike, who has been working at Federal Hill Tattoo for eight years now (and works 50 hours per week), has kept every tattoo sketch he’s ever created. Yes, he’s had to empty that box… several times over.
He hands me a piece of paper. On it is a large cartoon bull, sporting an oversized septum ring and holding a plate of cake in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. The bull sits inside a semi-demolished building, the roof resting atop the animal’s head like a tiny, little hat. A sign that reads “china shop” lies on the ground off to the side. “I drew this one for a chef who everyone refers to as a bull in a china shop,” says Mike with a smile. While some tattoos (such as this one) are fun, others carry a much more somber tone. In fact, his other favorite piece was a tribute he designed for a man whose brother had recently passed away.
Mike resumes what he’d been working on; he’s drawing up a design for his friend Shoshanah who has decided to honor the birth of her only son with a tattoo of his name. While the clothing store owner had a general idea of what she wanted, Mike had to offer quite a bit of guidance. “I like the idea of a bird,” she said, simply. “Okay,” Mike replied, “and where … More
If you believe Nostradamus and/or the Mayans, the world will end this year. (Just ask any Spanish conquistador who set out in search of the mythical city of gold how reliable a source those Mayans are.) I neither believe such an Old Testament-style cataclysm is upon us, nor see the point in debating the supposed “evidence” to support such fire-and-brimstone predictions. The Apocalypse is unlikely to happen in 2012 – however, it may still prove to be defined by apocalypses.
As you may have learned by reading a newspaper, watching the news, perusing the internet or simply having ears, 2012 is an election year – a presidential election year – and that is sure to bring with it many apocalypses. As this went to press, the field of Republican candidates is rapidly narrowing, and the eventual nominee is all but official. This is sure to cause much gnashing of teeth and wailing to the heavens in many circles, as conservative Christians and hardcore Tea Partiers are left to choose between the Anti-Christ (Obama) and Christ, the Sequel (Romney), and liberals cower in terror at the prospect of a Romney presidency that will turn the country into a repressive, ultra-orthodox Mormon theocracy in which Democrats are outlawed, just like what happened to Massachusetts when he was governor (right?).
The point is that in the past decade-plus, we have lost the ability as a country to have a rational, civilized discourse about the pertinent issues of the day without it resulting in name-calling, finger-pointing, hysterical shrieking and Chicken Little-esque doomsday prophecies. Each talking point that doesn’t reinforce our particular world-view is regarded as heresy, and each turn of events that doesn’t further our agenda is heralded as the apocalypse.
We seemingly forget that the entire history and development of this country has been based on the constant negotiation of disagreements and compromises. Some are major, some minor, some … More
We’re happy to report that driving and parking Downtown is getting easier and more user-friendly. Spending time in the city center has typically required drivers to navigate an unnecessarily complex and inhospitable system of one-way streets, baffling parking regulations and maddening inconsistency in the placement and function of parking meters. (This multi-space meter doesn’t take credit cards? The one two blocks over does. I don’t have any coins.) Fortunately, that has been changing for the better.
Last month, Empire and Weybosset Streets were opened to two-way traffic after some repair and improvement work. This will free up the flow of traffic in and around Downtown, and no longer require circumnavigating the entire neighborhood to, say, double back to AS220 if you miss a parking spot on the first pass, or get to PPAC if you’re already on Dorrance.
Of course, the biggest problem most of us have Downtown is parking: where to find it, how to know if it’s legal and how to pay for it. The City and the Downtown Improvement District (you know, the folks responsible for those yellow-jacketed workers watering the flowers and cleaning up the sidewalks) are working on an initiative to provide visitors with better information and options. The aptly named Park Downtown Providence effort involves new parking-directional signs and green stickers placed on meters to clarify enforcement hours, but its most effective improvement is the accompanying website. It boasts features like an interactive map that will allow you to select your destination, then highlight nearby parking options that can be filtered by criteria like “credit cards accepted,” “indoor garages” and “open 24 hours.” Visitors can also find information about the locations and rules of on-street parking, a list of parking specials and directions to popular locations. While it won’t entirely solve the parking puzzle, it definitely puts a … More
Core: Center of Real Energy on the East Side has expanded. Owner Denise Chakoian-Olney recently opened the Mind/Body Pilates Studio just down the road from Core’s main location in Wayland Square. In addition to private Pilates sessions, the new studio offers small group Pilates Reformer classes.
Caster’s Bicycles & Fitness offers free indoor training classes each Monday at its Providence location. Participants are asked to bring their own bikes and indoor trainers, as well as a towel and water bottle. If you don’t have a trainer, you can rent one at Caster’s for $3 per class. More
Karen Sabag opened Thursday night’s StyleWeek with a touch of formality. Her stunning evening gowns, which utilized interesting textures like feathers and cut crystal, were red carpet ready. It was easy to imagine these polished gowns on Hollywood starlets at the Oscars. Sabag finished her collection with an unbelievably beautiful confection of a wedding gown that had the crowd cheering.
Candice Wu’s “Esoteric” line brought some drama to the evening. The striking silhouettes of her military-inspired separates were at once edgy and feminine. Wu’s juxtaposition of softer elements like fur and chiffon were an unexpected counterpart to the pure rock and roll of her structured leather pieces.
Toni Lyn Spaziano closed the night with her Chances R collection, which benefits a disabled boy named Chance. Her lovely dresses were at once buttoned-up and playful. There were even a few surprise appearances by kids who modeled matching outfits with adults. Spaziano closed her show with a pair of beautiful, graceful mermaid-style evening gowns finished with feathers. More
The second show of Wednesday evening was by Boston-based designer Marcel Plante. His innovative, totally exciting “Doll Boys” collection blurred fashion rules and gender lines: male and female models were all dressed in drag, making it impossible (in a good way) to tell the difference between the men’s and women’s fashion. The show had everyone buzzing during and after. More
XO Café (125 North Main Street) is in the mood for love. Visit the restaurant’s website, www.xocafe.com, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/xocaferi, and submit your most romantic story in 500 words or less. The staff will choose their favorite (best advice: go for the waterworks) and the winner receives dinner for two on Valentine’s Day. Entries are due by Monday, February 6, so start putting those finishing touches on your tale (and please lose that running-through-the-airport scene in the third act). More
Who: Joseph Aaron Segal
What: Knitwear and apparel designer
Where: His studio, Harris Avenue, Providence
Why: I fricken-fracken love his kitty sweaters
When I contacted Joe a week or so prior to visiting his studio, I made sure to ask him to set aside a cat-eye ring for me – I just had to have one. And now I do. Joe is the brain behind Pretty Snake and the “crazy cat sweater.” If you haven’t glimpsed one of Joe’s innovative creations yet, you’re sure to soon. He’s already getting more orders than he can keep up with; after the holiday rush, he’d sold out of all of his cat sweaters and t-shirts. I’ve been coveting one for quite some time now and I was dying to see where and how they are manufactured.
Joe and his one employee, Hannah Abelow – who refers to herself as his “friendsistant” – met at RISD, where the fashion and textile designer received his MFA. (Joe currently teaches Machine Knitting and Industrial Knitting at RISD.) The pair work out of a loft housed inside a large artist-occupied warehouse, which boasts a run-down sensibility that any creative mind would extol. Half of the studio space is where all the knitting magic happens; the other is where the photo shoots go down.
It was as a grad student that Joe created his very first cat-focused garment – a knit sweater dress that he had never showed to anyone outside his RISD cohorts prior to our encounter. It’s stored in a giant plastic bin, amongst a multitude of experimental fabric swatches and projects that he worked on back in the day. (Joe sells his swatches at trade shows to companies such as Ralph Lauren Home.) “They want to see what’s possible,” Joe explains, “so I make them as crazy as possible.”
(The original "cat sweater" knit dress)
(One of Segal's experimental fabric swatches)
Fast forward a bit, to the day when Joe turned his grad … More
Providence Monthly is proud to once again be a sponsor of StyleWeek Providence, which returns to Downtown from January 22-28. The twice-yearly event provides a showcase for local, regional and national designers, and puts the spotlight on our fair city as an innovative place for fashion. This installment returns to the grand Biltmore Hotel and we'll be there all week to see what our designers have come up with this year. Check back for updates and blog posts throughout the week, but for now, take a look back at the August 2011 StyleWeek.
Quick Look: Behind the Scenes at Style Week Providence from Ryan Hughes on Vimeo. More
Great news for foodies: Providence is finally getting a clam shack. After wasting years lagging far behind pretty much all of South County, most of the East Bay, and Warwick in the area of fried seafood technology, the city welcomes the venerable Blount Fine Foods to the space that formerly housed the second (and unfortunately short-lived) Stanley's Burgers. This addresses a gaping hole in the Providence food scene. As a port city and the capital of the Ocean State, we offered precious little in the way of classic New England seafood. Sure, there is Hemenway's, but that's much more of a fine dining experience. Beyond that and neighborhood institution Carrie's on the North Providence border, there wasn't much. When Blount opens in the spring, we will, at long last, be able to get a decent plate of fried clams without having to hit 95 South. More
StyleWeek Providence Autumn/Winter 2012 begins this Sunday, January 22 at the Providence Biltmore. As always, Providence Monthly will be in the mix at all the shows and after parties. In anticipation of the main event, however, StyleWeek paid us a little visit to chat about the local fashion scene with our Executive Editor, Julie Tremaine.
Part of what gives Providence its creative cutting edge is the presence of the colleges and universities. Every year, thousands of young, motivated students are hard at work in our city, and they can be a powerful resource for new ideas. (For evidence, see the student-run A Better World By Design conference at Brown and RISD.) Now StyleWeek Providence is trying to leverage that resource to find the future of fashion through SEED, a new student design competition.
Fifteen designs were chosen from hundreds submitted by students in local and regional schools like University of Rhode Island, Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, School of Fashion Design in Boston and Massachusetts College of Art. On January 24, those designs will grace the StyleWeek stage at the Providence Biltmore in a competition judged by five industry professionals. Judges include Bob Grant of event sponsor Swarovski Crystal; Lisa Pierpoint, founder of Boston lifestyle website Boldfacers.com; designer Daniela Corte; Good Morning Providence anchor Doreen Scanlon; Paul Brooks, Chairman of the Providence Tourism Council; and Boston television journalist Elizabeth Hopkins (formerly of Fox Providence's Rhode Show).
The winning designer will receive a $500 cash prize, along with an installation at StyleWeek Spring/Summer 2013, and two months of marketing/PR representation from StyleWeek. Buy tickets and learn more at StyleWeek's website. More
CRIME ALERT
January 11, 2012
Sent by Amy Battisti, School Counselor of the Nathan Bishop Middle School
There have been reports of a boy walking around the Nathan Bishop neighborhood, knocking on doors, saying he is an 8th grader at Bishop named Dante Johnson and has a brother dying of leukemia and is collecting cash for help with medical bills…the problem is that we have no 8th grader or anyone by that name at Bishop. The police have been notified. Please call them if this boy comes to your door and please do not give him any money.
Providence Police Department
Phone: 401.272.3121
For Emergencies: Dial 911 More
For the second month in a row, Vogue magazine has shot a cool, blonde, Oscar-winning Hollywood A-lister along the equally cool Rhode Island coastline for its cover. In December, it was Charlize Theron, shot in Newport...
This month, Meryl Streep kicks off the New Year Charlestown...
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