by Abigail Appel | Dec 17, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1
I am proud to serve all of my neighbors in Ward 1 on the Providence City Council. As a neighbor, friend, and ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I want to be absolutely clear that I will not accept any hateful language or behavior in any setting, and especially not in City Hall. As elected officials, our job is to represent, respect and empower all of our constituents. I stand firm in this commitment and I expect the same from my colleagues on the City Council.
Justice Gaines, a constituent whom I represent, has contributed greatly to our community by working as an advocate for transgender people. Justice deserves respect and acceptance as much as any other person; and this is something that should go without saying. I am deeply hurt and saddened that Justice has had to endure such hateful, repulsive and offensive remarks.
Recently, I introduced and was the lead sponsor on a resolution in observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance (November, 20), honoring the transgender people who have been lost to violence and bigotry around the world. The discrimination that so many transgender and non-binary people still face today is extremely unacceptable and disheartening. But it is moments like this, when we are forced to face bigotry head-on, that we have a duty to stand up for what is right and make clear that this behavior has absolutely no place in our community.
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are neighbors, leaders, business owners, professionals, children, friends, and family members in our City. They are a part of the mosaic that makes Providence an inclusive, opportunity-filled place to live. Justice Gaines is living proof of this fact. I stand by my LGBTQIA+ constituents and will continue to advocate for their best interests not only in my role as a City Councilor, but in my role as a neighbor.
John Goncalves
Councilman-Ward 1
Providence City Council
See International Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution here: https://bit.ly/3nwaWVB
by Abigail Appel | Dec 11, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-9
It is so upsetting that there was yet another deadly shooting in my neighborhood today. It is even more upsetting that it occurred at a time when students were getting out of school.
My heart is broken for the young man who lost his life, and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.
This matter is still under investigation, but if you know any details about this horrible crime please call the Providence Police department at 401-272-1111 or use their online citizens complaint form on the Providence Police Department’s Website: https://bit.ly/2X9J12N
If you see something, say something. We all have a role to play in stopping crime in our City.
Carmen Castillo
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 9
by Abigail Appel | Dec 11, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-6
Today, City Council President Pro Tempore and Ward 6 Councilman Michael Correia announced plans for safety improvements at Atwells Avenue and Manton Avenue’s intersection to be implemented in spring of 2021.
“The intersection at Atwells and Manton Avenues has seen several accidents over the years,” stated Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “After meeting with local business owners and community members and hearing their concerns, it became clear that we needed to take action to protect pedestrians and properties at this particular intersection.”
The new intersection improvements will include:
• Concrete round bollards at the plaza.
• Several cylindrical bollards in front of Sanchez Liquors – which has had multiple vehicle accidents that damaged their property.
Pro Tempore Correia continued, “I am thankful to the Department of Public Works for helping ensure that these important measures will be put in place this coming spring, and I look forward to safer travel through this corridor.”
As always, work being done on our city streets in the outdoors is weather permitting. Please be patient, and during the installation phase, you may consider taking other routes. When a date is set for the installation of the bollards, the City Council office will notify the community accordingly.
Funding for these projects comes from the Capital Improvement Plan and the Pro Tempore’s Neighborhood Infrastructure Funds.
by Abigail Appel | Dec 10, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-11, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9
Tonight, the City Council voted to approve the refunding of the City’s bond portfolio. The refunding of bonds is much like the refinancing of homes, providing efficiency and better interest rates, which yield savings.
“I want to thank the Committee on Finance, our Council finance team, and the City’s finance team for their dedication to ensuring that we are doing what we can, when we can, to help address our pension liability. It is not always easy but finding savings to help address our fiscal obligations is paramount,” stated Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15).
The 2010 bond’s refunding will realize more than $1.3 million in net savings for the City of Providence and will not extend the life of the bond, nor will it cause the City to incur an increase in its financial obligations.
“Refunding bonds at this time is an important cash management tool,” stated Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq. (Ward 7). “It is what you do with the savings that are realized from refunding that is important. The Committee has wisely and clearly stated that the funds should go toward the City’s pension fund. This will provide some relief to our more than billion-dollar unfunded pension liability. The Committee on Finance are stewards of the City’s finances, and it is mission-critical that we remain laser-focused on these long-term obligations.”
The City Council has directed the City’s Finance Director to ensure that any net savings from the refunding of the bonds will be used to pay a pension payment above one hundred percent of the Annual Required Contribution and cannot supplant any pension payment. Guaranteeing the additional $1.3 million in savings from the bond refunding go towards the City’s outstanding pension liability.
Vice-Chair of the Committee on Finance and City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) shared, “With the current low interest rate environment, the City is wise to be proactive in its bond management strategy. Directing the realized savings towards our pressing long-term fiscal obligations makes good sense. The Committee on Finance has an obligation to our taxpayers to be fiscally responsible and prudent with these funds. Ensuring that savings are put towards the City’s pension is an important step in that direction.”
The resolution was passed tonight by the City Council and will allow for the City to refund the bonds before the end of the calendar year.
by Abigail Appel | Dec 8, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-7
Located on the western side of Providence, Silver Lake is home to strong cultural identities in both Italian and Hispanic backgrounds. Silver Lake is a hub for Central American restaurants, bars and markets and is also the site of the annual Feast of Saint Bartholomew; a 3 day celebration in August. The 73 acre Neutaconkanut Park provides residents with public access to nature trails, skate parks, swimming pools and baseball fields.
A Brief History of Silver Lake- Courtesy of the Providence City Archives
In 1710, the Silver Lake/Harford neighborhood — bordered by Johnston and Cranston to the west – came to fruition after constructing the Plainfield Road, which allowed traffic and trade to move freely between Plainfield, Connecticut, and Providence. The neighborhood was demographically rural and populated by a community of farmers, many of whom did not feel Providence, with its growing urban sprawl, represented their agricultural interests. In 1759, with the establishment of the Town of Johnston, Silver Lake was swiftly annexed by the rural town.
Silver Lake earned its namesake from a picturesque body of water that once bordered Murry, Sybil, Mercy, and Plainfield Streets – at the foot of Neutaconkanut Hill, and at one time was a source of recreation. A particular spectacle of note occurred in 1859 when many spectators came to see tightrope walkers take a high-wire stroll over the lake as pictured below:
(courtesy of the Providence City Archives)
By the mid-20th century, the lake was eventually dredged and filled over time to accommodate neighborhood development.
By 1898, Providence annexed back portions of the neighborhood. In 1882, the community’s identity drastically changed from rural to urban with the Plainfield Street Trolley line’s extension. The electric trolley made it possible for factory workers to move to and throw Providence. Soon, farmland turned into triple-decker house lots. European immigrants, specifically Italians, accounted for much of the Silver Lakes’ new demographic. By 1919 Silver Lake became fully incorporated into the City of Providence.
By the end of the nineteenth century, nearly three hundred Italians settled in the areas of Laurel and Neutakonkanut Hill. With them came the establishment of St. Bartholomew’s Church in 1907 on Moorefield Street. A shrine of the church remains in the form of a bell tower named Scalabrini Piazza dedicated to the memory of Bishop John Baptist Scalabrini, responsible for the establishment of “Saint Raphael Association,” dedicated to the care of Italian migrants. 1969 marked the construction of a new church on Laurel Hill Ave. to accommodate the growing number of the neighborhood’s practitioners.
During the decade of the 1990s, 43 percent of Silver Lake comprised of Italian Americans. By the year 2000, beginning a decade prior, Hispanics established a vibrant community in Silver Lake, comprising roughly 42 percent of current day Ward 7’s population. That number has grown exponentially in the last 20 years. The neighborhood also includes a growing Haitian community.
by Abigail Appel | Dec 4, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
As many have learned, there was a deadly shooting in the Olneyville neighborhood late this morning. I am saddened and disturbed by the senseless act of violence.
This is the second fatal shooting in our City this week, which is two too many. It seems that although crime is down, violent crime continues to rise. These random acts of violence – are never random; and I know that our detectives and dedicated police officers are working to find answers to why and how this happened.
The Providence I know is a City of neighborhoods, a city where families are raised, and new opportunities are around every corner. It is a place where we care for our neighbors, work hard, and support one another. Our residents deserve better.
In light of these most recent violent events, I am more committed than ever to working with our law enforcement agencies, the City Administration, and my colleagues in local and state government to find solutions to the systemic and complex issues facing our City.
As I learn more about today’s incident, I am committed to keeping the public updated, In the meantime, I would like to ask for the public’s support, as the crime is being investigated. If you know, or witnessed or learn anything regarding this tragic shooting, please call the Providence Police Department at 401-272-1111.
Remember, if you see something – say something.
Sabina Matos, President
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 15
Councilwoman Sabina Matos
