by Billy Kepner | Mar 13, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10
Providence City Council President Luis Aponte today issued the following statement regarding the March 13 special meeting to schedule the recall election for Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Jackson:
“In compliance with the Providence City Charter, this matter was already on the docket for our regularly scheduled Council Meeting this Thursday, March 16th,” said Aponte. “The confusion around whether a special meeting was needed prior to that is a direct result of a conflict in state election laws and those laid out in the City Charter: state law requires a recall date to be set within 50 days of the signatures being certified, and the city charter provides for 60.” Aponte continued: “While I do question the somewhat harried intervention by the state while we were acting within the parameters of our Home Rule Charter to schedule this election, I certainly respect the process.”
by Billy Kepner | Feb 16, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-11
Fifteen students from Central High School surprised City Hall visitors and staff on Thursday with a flash mob performance during the Providence City Council’s Black History Month celebration. The students interrupted the speaking agenda to perform “We Shall Overcome,” which was followed by a spoken word performance and African dance. The flash mob was followed by storytelling performances from Valerie Tutson and Joe Wilson, Jr.
Behind-the-scenes plans for the flash mob began when Council President Luis Aponte first met the high school students during a holiday performance at Latino Public Radio in December. Impressed with the students’ talent, Aponte asked Central High School music teacher Joyce Bernau-Enriquez to help the students arrange a flash mob performance at City Hall. According to Bernau-Enriquez, the students spent upwards of 20 hours after school in preparation for the event. The students choreographed their own African dance routine and adopted a poem written by a fellow student for the spoken word performance.
The stunning performance kicked off the Council’s second annual Black History Month celebration, which features an archives exhibit that chronicles the black suffrage movement in Providence from 1785-1885. At the students’ request, dozens of elected officials, staff members, nd visitors joined them in singing a resounding chorus of “We Shall Overcome” in unison.
Storyteller Valerie Tutson also performed as Elleanor Eldridge (1785-1865), who left home at age ten for employment and later became a successful entrepreneur and Providence landlord. Joe Wilson Jr. of Trinity Repertory Company was the final act, performing as Alexander Crummell (1819-1898), an influential scholar, college professor, preacher, and education advocate for people of color.
“We are quite honored to have so much history in our archives department, right here in City Hall,” said Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who urged attendees to return to the exhibit with friends and family. She is also working with the Providence City Archives Department to develop a program for groups to come to City Hall and learn about the black suffrage movement in Providence. “Education is empowerment,” said Harris. “I want to bring my constituents to City Hall and share this history with them.”
The archives exhibit will be displayed on the third floor of City Hall through the end of March. To schedule a group tour, interested parties should contact Deputy Archivist Caleb Horton at (401) 680-5315.
by Billy Kepner | Jan 19, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-7
The City Council tonight approved a tax stabilization to advance the revitalization of 225 Weybosset Street, an abandoned historic property in Providence’s downtown theater district. Once complete, the property will feature 6 commercial/retail spaces on the ground floor and 10 apartments on the upper floors, which have been vacant for over twenty years.
“Historic buildings are challenging to renovate, and those with empty storefronts make for the kinds of projects where tax stabilizations matter most,” said Council President Luis Aponte. “This investment will transform a historic building that’s been abandoned and overlooked for far too long. These kinds of projects enliven our business districts and bring new housing stock to our vibrant city.”
225 Weybosset Street marks the third redevelopment project in Providence by ASH NYC, which is led by principal Ari Heckman. Heckman’s most notable local investment was the conversion of the former Sportsman’s Inn on Fountain Street into the Dean Hotel. Following that success, the developer reinvested tax savings into the rehabilitation of 32 Custom House Street in the city’s Financial District.
“We love Providence, and we look forward to restoring another building in the heart of a city we’re so passionate about,” said Heckman. “We’re grateful for the support from the City Council that makes this project possible.”
“This developer’s previous projects have been a rousing success for the City of Providence,” noted Finance Committee Chairman John Igliozzi. “Small-scale projects like these can often have the biggest long-term, positive impact on the city.”
by Billy Kepner | Jan 10, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10
The Providence City Council has commissioned a Providence-based artist to design a municipal medal to recognize public servants’ extraordinary acts of bravery. The medal is slated for production in late February 2017.
In October, the City Council approved an amendment to update the terms of the original municipal medal ordinance from 1915. The change was inspired by a team of firefighters who resuscitated a seven-month-old baby in August. “Since then, we’ve seen even more acts of heroism that deserve recognition,” said Council President Luis Aponte, who plans to award one of the first medals to Providence Fire Lt. Robert McCullough. In late December, McCullough was off-duty when he rescued a man from a burning building. The fire lieutenant was driving on Hawkins Street when he noticed flames and pulled over; without equipment, he entered the burning building and rescued a man trapped inside.
Olneyville artist Kiki Sciullo has been commissioned to create a new “seal of honor and heroism” and oversee production. “This is an exciting project and I’m thankful for the opportunity to develop a medal that honors and celebrates Providence’s bravest public servants,” said Sciullo. The design was inspired by historic Rhode Island seals and the 1638 land deed between Roger Williams and the Narragansett sachems, who signed with a bow and arrow symbol. Sciullo incorporated the symbol with an anchor to signify hope and strength. A laurel wreath serves as a nod to the medal’s original specifications and its hand-tooled style represents the period in which Providence was founded.
Sciullo is collaborating with Providence artists for production, including jeweler Heather Guidero and woodworkers Laura and Gordon Moss of Functional Aesthetic Design Build. Once complete, the medals will be 2.5 inches in diameter and presented to recipients in sustainable maple boxes designed to reflect the history of American craftsmanship and the colonial period.
