The Good, The Bad & The Ugly – Week of December 1, 2019

by Nancy Thomas, opinion

THE GOOD

Christmas activities

We run a series called “Get Your Holiday(s) On! informing readers about specific curated events to make the holidays brighter and enjoyable. It seems as though we are always having to pick from multiple worthy events to highlight, and we miss many of them. We think that so many musical events, dance events, fairs and festivals help us keep the spirit in the season. And that’s a very good thing about Rhode Island.

Cleaning up

If Rhode Island is ever to attract new business and development, we have to clean up our infrastructure. Another thing we need to clean up are the “spas” and “gentlemen’s clubs” that are sprinkled around the state.  This week saw, almost absent in the media, except for the Valley Breeze, the arrest of 13 women and 4 men in a Pawtucket prostitution sting. The sting was conducted at Pleasant Street Massage Therapy on Pleasant Street, and Harmony Spa on Benefit Street.

Another action is in process at The Wild Zebra Gentlemen’s Club in the Allens Avenue area were drug dealing, and prostitution has long been suspected. Cleaning up these clubs will be a deterrence for others and we think that is a good thing.

THE BAD

Lifespan

A hospital group that struts profits for two years in a row – much like a peacock spreading its wings to attract a suitor – in this case, a hospital purchase from Boston – now has a devastating financial loss and will let go the CEO of RI Hospital/Hasbro Children’s. Unless an independent “forensic” look-back audit is done, no one will really know the financial picture of this mega-hospital group – and the state’s largest private employer. We hope there is no coal in the stockings waiting for hundreds of hospital employees this month.

Pamela Karlan

During the Impeachment hearings, four prestigious attorneys/law professors spoke on the constitutionality of moving forward with impeaching the president  One, Pamela Karlan, became more adamant and condemning as she spoke – until she took the moment to bring in the president’s 13 year old son, to make fun of his name.  Later yesterday her contribution record to Democratic candidates was revealed, and late last night a photo of Ms. Karlan, in a DC demonstration – wearing – a pink pussy hat – made the social media circuit. A powerful day of testimony gone – pfft – in a media-capturing moment. A career badly damaged in one sentence, and a dramatic demonstration of the hate filled “resistance” movement, which has been operating since day one.

Parking, Safety, Providence, Wexford, CIC

Invited to a networking event early evening, attempts to get anywhere near the much heralded new Wexford/CIC building were futile as the building was built with no parking provisions. There are a few spots on Dyer Street and the recommended South Street Landing Parking Garage is a five minute walk away. Walking at night, alone, in downtown Providence isn’t a viable option, in most people’s opinion. There may be a parking garage, eventually, (and we hope it is staffed) at Richmond and Dyer.

An email to CIC staff came back with a suggestion that we “ride share” next time. Or, maybe we could take a scooter – from Cranston.

The Providence Journal today has an editorial about the vacancies in the building. Could employee friendliness regarding parking be a concern for companies not jumping to rent space?

THE UGLY

A 17 year old young woman sat in her car in Woonsocket. Bullets flew by and she was shot. She tried to drive to get help, hitting several cars, severely injured. She later died at Landmark Medical Center. It was later determined that she had been shot by mistaken identity or by accident. Her name was NyAsia William-Thomas. And she mattered in this world. She mattered.