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The Good, The Bad & The Ugly…in Rhode Island…this week
A week it was…
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly…in Rhode Island…this week
The Good
Arts in Pawtucket
The recent Pawtucket Arts Festival is only part of what is happening on a grander scale in Pawtucket. The visual arts are enjoying the welcome mat put down by the city – from the return of Don Gerola and his stunning whirligigs (apologies, Don!), to a 90 year old sculptor being feted at City Hall. More to come, and with issues of safety in downtown Providence, Pawtucket can open its arms and perhaps reinvent its struggling Main Street.
Pat Cruz
A thumbs up for Pat Cruz and her Networking events that she has diligently held for over 10 years – helping business people meet each other and form lasting relationships. We wish her well on her 10th anniversary – and don’t go anywhere, Pat, the business community, young and older, still needs your talents.
Pawtucket School Traffic Mascots
Well. We’re not sure about this one. But the sight of a panda and a bear and a police officer urging people to figure out how to drive 20 mph, before the traffic penalties turn from warnings to heavy fines, are, well, creative!
The Bad
The Big E
What could go wrong? Insulting Rhode Island’s oldest manufacturing company, Kenyon’s Grist Mill by not being invited to the fair is one thing. Replacing them with another competing business is another. Giving them late notice is yet another. So late that even MassLive was reporting the best thing about the Rhode Island booth was – Kenyon’s Grist Mill.
What else could go wrong? Having a 50-something elephant working by giving rides to children, then getting sick and dying, is another. Being covered by a tarp, and extracted by a back hoe just breaks your heart. It’s time large animals were not used for our amusement. Big E has some soul-searching to do before next year.
EEE
The weather this weekend will delight us, but it means the mosquitos are thriving for a little while longer. Be safe. At dusk, don’t take the risk. Stay inside. And watch the children.
The Ugly
Providence Schools – again
The US Department of Justice 18 page response to the RI ACLU and RI Legal Services complaint about English language learning not being done in Providence schools. What will be the impact of this study? The lack of teacher training, the lack of “seats in the classroom” for students in need of services. While the task has been put down for Providence schools there is no question that this is a generation of children at risk, following another generation of two who have lacked proper education. This will put, cumulatively, many adults in our state who will struggle to put their lives productively together.