1937, Leningrad, . . .
1937, Leningrad, Before the Snow
She looks like Rita Hayworth,
Eyes wide open, the colour of Swiss lakes.
Caught, with a wrinkled collar, her blond hair escaping its bun,
She inclines toward her calm yet dispossessed husband,
Half of her arriving, half of her fleeing,
She feels what is days away.
Her face frozen in the moment,
This is the one image that survives.
“Lenochka, let us make a photograph.” He knows too.
He pulls her into the studio and assumes
The stylized pose of redundant gentry.
He leans protectively toward his wife.
1937, Leningrad, before the snows come, this day an outing,
Fur coats, felt boots: “Let me buy you silk under-things, stockings,
Perhaps a little something for Nanny.”
“You old fool,” she says. “We have no money.”
They stare at the black draped box and
The instant approaches that will haunt forever.
The Rita Hayworth eyes flinch as the light and the lens point.
So close. So precise. On target. Her lips are parted.
“We have to go. We have to leave now.” She smells gunpowder.
There is a reflection in those open grey eyes, not of flashbulb,
But of men and big black cars in the dark of night,
The calm of her husband, the stillness of death.
He lies on a dirt floor, one of millions who no longer look ahead.
But she will never hear of this, even though she feels something.
She must look into the camera and not him. If they look into each other,
They will recognize terror, and it will thwart their last outing.
Hands held tight and silk stockings purchased,
He smooths the unruliness of her collar. She straightens his tie.
For Yevgenia Fredrichovna Kaminowa
Nadezhda Petrovic
Posted at 12:30 PM | The Arts | Comments (6)
A Red Sox Story
DATELINE: RedSox Nation, September 28, 2005
by Jen Bakios
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A Night in the Life of the Littlest Red Sox Fan: A Heartwarming Tale of Childhood Generosity
Big Papi at bat
One morning several weeks ago, my six year old daughter and I were listening to the radio while driving. A Boston radio station was soliciting donations for the American Red Cross for the Hurricane Katrina victims in return for song requests and my daughter asked if she could call so that they would play her favorite song. I explained what they were trying to do, that you needed to donate money, and she asked if she could give her $2 weekly allowance. I dialed the cell phone for her and handed it over, thinking she wouldn't get through and that was the going to be the end of it. When I heard her trying to spell her name and address, I knew this was going to be trouble.
After many repeated, loud attempts to tell the poor woman her address, my daughter finally asked her if she thought her mom could help and handed the phone over to me. Laughing, I explained what she had wanted to do, gave her our information and, when I found out a credit card was required decided to contribute a bit more than the $2. We reached our destination and, although she never heard her song, she felt good about donating her allowance to charity.
That evening, as we were driving home, my cell phone rang. It was the DJ from the radio station, telling me that he had heard my daughter wanted to donate her allowance. I went through the whole story on-air for him and he thanked us and played her song. She was absolutely thrilled and called everyone we knew to tell them she was famous. We thought it ended there...
My cell phone rang at 7:00 am the next morning. It was the DJ from the radio station again, telling me that we were finalists for Red Sox tickets. Red Sox tickets??? I figured it must have been a mistake. Apparently, and somehow we missed this, they chose people who had participated in the radio-a-thon at random to receive Red Sox tickets. The phone rang fifteen minutes later, confirming that we did, indeed, win the tickets. I hadn't told my daughter about the possibility, but when the delay caught up to the radio in the kitchen and she, who was eating breakfast before her first day of school, heard what had happened she became hysterical until all you could hear on the air was high-pitched, girly squeals, my laughing, a dog barking, and the beeping of the bark collar. Have I told you that she is a bigger Red Sox fan than I?
Fast forward to September 27: My daughter's first game at Fenway. Before even entering the park, she could barely contain her excitement. When we entered the gate and showed the ushers our tickets, we kept repeatedly being told "Go down", "Go down." When we finally entered our section, just above the Red Sox dugout, we were in absolute awe to find out our seats were two rows behind the team.
The team applauds as Johnny Pesky is introduced on his 84th
birthday
Although the Sox lost, in a painful disintegration of their pitching, the game was fantastic. She cheered her little heart out until she lost her voice and was rewarded by a wave from Trot Nixon, David Ortiz, Terry Francona, and Theo Epstein. Kevin Millar threw her a ball
Kevin Millar and Edgar Renteria warm up
and Manny, being Manny, aimed a trademark double-fingered point in her direction. Even her hero, Johnny Damon, known for not paying attention to the fans during games couldn't help but smile at her as she cheered for his every move (including standing in the outfield!). As I tucked her in bed late, late last night,clutching a laminated photo of Johnny Damon and a game ball, cracker jack crumbs stuck to her cheek, waiting for the tooth fairy, she said, "This is the best day of my life." That's pretty hard to disagree with.
Posted at 04:11 PM | The Arts | Comments (2)
Signs, Symbols & Words
Encouraging Words
I find great encouragement in small successes. I love the way the Mt. Hope community and GCCC members stepped up and took the bull by the horns in some small local matters. If “all politics is local”, then we are all local politicians, and we can all advocate for our community. The proof is in the puddin’. I just can’t resist a good cliché.
Our shared success with Jen’s Feral Cat Rescue Project and the Graffiti Removal Project proves that when a motivated community of like minded people acts together, in a coordinated effort, things get accomplished.
Thanks to Jessica for being the first to act on the graffiti, and of course to Ellen, who is always there and ready, and to Nada, and to Irene. Just four people? It felt like an army!
And thanks to Jen and Shab for writing some great posts and making great, positive contributions to our Website. You two set a good example for us all.
John Twomey
Posted at 03:48 PM | Community | Comments (0)
The Cat Rescue Caper
Update on the Feral Cat Rescue Project
My first two weeks working on decreasing the feral cat population have proven to be very successful. Last week, two of the six month old kittens, Papi and Johnny Damon, were neutered and spayed respectively.
A success story: Papi eating breakfast outside
They recovered very well and are now back out on the streets. They seem to be doing very well. They are cute, super friendly kittens and would make a perfect indoor/outdoor pet. They will soon be put up for adoption and hopefully have a happy ending to their story.
A recuperating Tessie eating breakfast
Yesterday I brought in two more cats. The third kitten from the Red Sox litter, Tessie, and a large feral cat, Lenny, that I caught in the trap generously provided by Uri and Ellen. Unfortunately, the cat was FIV positive and had to be euthanized, but Tessie is home recuperating in my basement and with luck will be released early next week.
More to go: (L to R) Mousy, Midnight, and Ted
Many thanks to all those Mt Hopeans who have shown an interest and helped out: Barb, Naama, Shab, Uri and Ellen. I am still looking for additional traps so I can catch more cats at a time. At last count, there appears to be about 7 or 8 more feral cats and at least one litter of young kittens, but hopefully I will be able to catch them and spay/neuter them before the cold weather hits.
Jen
Ps. Uri, in appreciation of your lending me the trap, I would be happy to name the next cat after your favorite Cubby ;>)
Posted at 12:31 PM | Community | Comments (0)
!!!!!Graffiti Gone!!!!!
Or at least a pale shadow of itself!
Here's some good news. The graffiti on and beneath the Cypress Street Overpass has been erased by power washing. Just faint traces of it are left. Victory is ours!
I just drove by there and did a double-take. I assume that the City Graffiti Removal crew did the deed.
Good Work Everybody!
Thank you to everyone who contributed toward getting the job done.
Congratulations, Mt. Hope.
John Twomey
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Confirmed:
Rita Murphy, Director of the Office of Neighborhood Sevices confirmed that despite staff shortages the Graffiti Removal Crew was scheduled to get over to Mt. Hope to remove Graffiti on the Mt.Luther King School and the Cypress Street Overpass.
Because of staff shortages and the proliferation of Graffiti in the city Rita said it was not easy to move this to a high priority. But in the end it got done in quite a timely fashion. Quite an effective operation, I'd say.
Thanks to Rita Murphy, Councilman Jackson, Lt. Schiavulli, and the Graffiti Removal Crew.
Posted at 05:47 PM | Community | Comments (1)
I agree with you.
I agree with you. I remember when I first found the blog this winter and was reading some old posts about the "Open Air Drug Market" and was terrified. I wondered what I had done by moving here and pondered selling my condo before summer. Now that I've spent my first summer here, I can say that it was not bad at all (despite the intense heat and humidity!), and certainly not what I expected based on reading those posts. Has the neighborhood changed that much in a year? Perhaps. Most likely, the description of the drug trade in Mt. Hope caught my attention for the way it was described, and maybe exaggerated a bit, for we all know it does exist here.
It's a difficult issue, chronicling the crime that occurs here in Mt. Hope on the blog. It does serve a purpose, it highlights the fact crime still goes on all day, every day and there are people who live here that are not going to tolerate it. The blog gives them a voice, a way to participate, to fight back against the criminals. On the other hand, it may serve to deter people from moving here. It was an issue that came up surrounding Ellen's letter to ProJo. Is it better to shed light on the crime here, the everyday struggles we all face, or should we shut up and hope the real estate market turns the neighborhood around?
I'm certain everyone has their views on this. Personally, I would move into this neighborhood knowing there was petty crime here (which, I should note, I did not), but also knowing there were people here who are devoted to getting rid of it. That was the one thing that kept me going after my "Open Air Drug Market" discovery, knowing that I wasn't the only one here who wanted to see an end to it. I agree, we need like minded neighbors to move into this area, but we also need to look out for the ones that are already here.
That being said, I think the blog does have a slant toward highlighting crime and it would be great to see it more balanced. The key is to have people contribute in a positive manner as well, not just as a place to come to complain when they've been broken into.
-Jen
Posted at 01:31 PM | Website | Comments (1)
Food for thought...
As I was reading the recent postings to the blog regarding crime, I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who is visiting our website for the first time. And I felt that our postings would not make that person feel good about our neighborhood!
From those postings it is obvious how frustrated each of us are about the certain undesirable actions in our community and the safety of our homes. Yet there have been good things happening! Can we talk about it more?
There has been too little communication about the progress that has been made. Most of it is the result of the GCCC community members' actions by contacting the local authorities and by being vigilant against the crime.
I can't help but think that if we shifted our focus to the more positive aspects of living in Mt. Hope, and the good things that are being accomplished, then the desired positive outcomes will be attained faster. I also feel that by doing that, we would attract more like-minded people to our community,caring people who have foresight, vision and courage and would carry our efforts forward. At the moment, I can't imagine anyone wanting to move here if they read the blog before they make their decision.
I also would like to thank John and Irene for all they have done for the community and hope they will be willing to serve as mentors in the future and share their experience and knowledge with the rest of us who are new in this work.
Shab
Posted at 02:57 PM | Website | Comments (1)
Thanks & Ditto Me on that . .
Real estate info...
Thanks John and Rich for the info on the real estate. I was trying to find this info for myself and it was fragmented, so thanks a bunch for putting it together.
Ditto
Also, I wanted to ditto the post on the wine and cheese. The company was great, and it was nice to meet new members...
Shab
Posted at 02:04 PM | Community | Comments (0)
Mt. Hope Real Estate
Energy & Real Estate . . . and Hurricanes.
In conversing with numerous people this week, what seems to be on everyone’s mind, what everyone seems to want to talk about, is real estate and energy prices, and of course hurricanes.
I wish the Providence Journal could get its act together and publish the complete list of recent sales in the Saturday Real Estate Section as they used to. I always enjoyed reading about the House of the Week and then scanning the listings of what houses sold in my neighborhood. Lately, they've been dropping the ball with the sales listings, doing kind of a sloppy job.
“Where is the housing market?”, people are asking, “How high will prices go?” “Is there a bubble; will the market collapse and prices fall” “Has the real estate market in Mt. Hope peaked; are prices as high as they are going to get?”
What about condos, I hear people wonder, how do you make condos in a multi-family?
What about the rental market, is the rental market flat on the East Side, I’ve been asked. I don’t know. I looked and saw many 2 bedroom units advertised for rents as high as $1200 to $1600. I do think that with all the renovations that have been done that there may be a greater number of more attractive units available now.
Selling prices are high right now as far as I know. I know a single family house on Camp Street near Locust sold for around $439,000 and we all heard about the “Holy Cow! & Wow!” houses further north on Camp that went for a combined $850,000.
A very nice single family near Cypress and Camp just went on the market in the high 3’s.
I see a lot of renovation on Camp Street, just past Cypress, at least 3 multi-families undergoing extensive renovations. I have no idea what those houses were sold for or what plans are in store for them.
I’ve heard conflicting rumors about the brick apartment building on Camp & Cypress: one rumor has it being converted to condos, the other has it going all Section 8.
I see lots of condos for sale. I don’t know much about the condo market, what are condo prices like, are the units moving?
Everyone complains about gas prices; just driving your car has become another major expense. Reports say that fuel prices will stay high affecting different segments of our economy but all of our pocketbooks.
For instance, I’ve heard scary news reports saying brace yourself for record high heating bills whether you heat with gas, oil, or electric.
I’ve also read reports about insurance costs rising for home owners as a result of the big hit insurers took during this hurricane season: even people far from hurricane country may get hit with a 2 to 3% increase in the cost of their policy.
Blame it all on Katrina and Rita, at least that's what we’re being led to believe,
Real estate has become a national fascination and everyone has a story: what’s yours?
John Twomey
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Thanks for the link Rich: the comments feature does not allow clickable links so here it is: http://www.newenglandmoves.com
Posted at 05:06 PM | Issues | Comments (1)
Hurricane Rita
The eye of Hurricane Rita hit land at about 3:40 a.m. EST just east of Sabine Pass, Tex
Posted at 03:55 AM | Community | Comments (0)
Wine & Cheese Reception
The wine & cheese were good, but the company was even better!
Thanks to all our members who attended Thursday's GCCC meeting and our first ever Wine & Cheese Reception.
I really enjoyed meeting all our new members. It was refreshing to see so many new faces. Thanks to all members who have been out there recruiting.
Thanks, also, to all you who signed up for committee work.
And an especial "Thank You" to Lt. Schiavulli and his men for attending and for clearing up some controvisial topics and for filling us in with some deep background on the current troubles.
It was fun.
John Twomey
Posted at 09:06 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)
Knowles & Abbott Action
What are they doing in there?
Several users have entered our site using search engines inputting the following terms: Mt. Hope Land Trust and Knowles and Abbot Providence land Trust.
In driving by the corner in question I see much clearing and what looks like construction preparation.
Rumor has it that they are preparing the area for a subsidized housing develpoment.
I have no additional information.
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Note: This link was provided by Jenniffer in her comment: /sub_housing_files/membership_subpages/production/reach.pdf
I could not access the page referenced.
I could accesss the home page: http://www.housingnetworkri.org
Posted at 01:19 PM | Issues | Comments (4)
I am Jessica
Hello Mt. Hopers, bloggers, and GCCC'ers.
I am Jessica, and I have posted to some comments/issues on this blog and am very interested in learning more about/joining GCCC.
About me . . . I, like many other Mt. Hopers, have a crazy schedule, am taking three classes (working towards my MSW at RIC), working full time, am in a band, have a little kindergartener. . .life in the fast lane!
Somehow, in between all of that, I hang out with friends and family whenever I can. I like to make up songs with my daughter.
I look forward to meeting everyone, and putting faces to names. I was very happy to have met Ellen the other day who invited me to the meeting. Unfortunately I have a class tonight I cannot miss (it is my policy class, which I really don't know much about, so I think I need it), so I will not be able to be at the meeting.
However, if I get out early enough I may try and stop in for the last half hour or so to at least meet some people, pay dues, officially join, etc. I am not an official member yet, but I look forward to it. Take care everyone!
Jessica Klein
Posted at 04:21 PM | Community | Comments (1)
Poems Before Rita
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Robert Frost
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- -
The Book of Wisdom
I met a seer.
He held a book in his hands,
The book of wisdom.
“Sir,” I asked him,
“Let me read.”
“Child--” he began.
“Sir,” I said,
“Think not of me as a child,
For already I know much
Of that which you hold;
Aye, much.”
He smiled.
Then he opened the book
And held it before me.
Strange that I should have grown
So suddenly blind.
Stephan Crane
--
--
An Elegy Is Preparing Itself
There are pines that are tall enough
Already in the distance,
The whining of saws; and needles,
Silently slipping through the chosen cloth.
The stone, then as now, unfelt,
Perfectly weightless. And certain words,
That will come together to mourn,
Waiting, in their dark clothes, apart.
Donald Justice
Posted at 12:01 AM | The Arts | Comments (0)
Clutch Down the Stretch
A Season for the Ages
David Americo Aria Ortiz (Big Papi)
With those scurrilous Yankees breathing their bad Bronx breath down our Red Sox’ necks, our own Big Papi has been putting on a show for the ages. David Ortiz, proclaimed the “greatest clutch hitter ever” by many, including such luminaries as the Red Sox ownership trifecta, who, Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe claims, recently presented him with a wall hanging claiming such, bats cleanup for the Sox and is in the process of rewriting the Red Sox record book for power hitters and has already done so for clutch hitters.
In doing so, Big Papi has come up big when we needed him most. (He is so beautiful. . . to me.) In this crucial month of September, David Americo Aria Ortiz begets comparisons to another who once famously wore red sox, George Herman Ruth, The Babe.
The Patended Papi Flip
Papi has hit 10 home runs and driven in 22 runs in September, so far, and 8 of those home runs and 17 of those RBIs have come in the last nine games when many of his teammates were plagued by slumps or injuries.
Jimmy Foxx holds the record for most home runs in red sox, clubbing 50 in ‘38’.
Big Papi hit his 45th and 46th home runs last night, and the Red Sox have 11 games remaining on their regular season schedule.
David Ortiz is having a season for the ages and we are lucky to be here to witness it.
It may very well come down to those last three games of the season against the Bronx Bombers who at this moment are a paltry ½ game behind the first place Sox, for all practical purposes a statistical dead heat.
Stay tuned.
* Photos from Boston Globe.
John Twomey
Posted at 12:03 PM | Community | Comments (0)
Bullets Fly on Pleasant
Police to Add Uniforms to Street!
For the second time in two days a shooter fired gun shots on Pleasant Street. A window in an apartment in the Mt. Hope Court Apartments was shattered. A woman with 4 children, aged 15, 12, 4, & 2, who lives in the government subsidized apartment, said it was the second time a bullet had been fired into her apartment window.
No witnesses were reported. Does this mean that someone in Mt. Hope has a gun and is shooting it at people’s homes? Could it be that this person lives on or around Pleasant Street?
While speaking in person to a policeman on Sunday, in the early afternoon, Irene told me that she and the officer were interrupted by the officer receiving a call about shots fired on Pleasant Street. He responded urgently.
PPD’s Major Campbell was quoted as saying that additional police officers would be added to Pleasant Street . . .to deter any further violence.
Read complete ProJo article below.
Second bullet hits apartment; officers added to neighborhood
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
BY GREGORY SMITH and KAREN A. DAVIS
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE -- A bullet flew through a window in a Mount Hope apartment complex Monday night, and a mother says she is afraid for herself and her children.
Lisa Goddard, of the Mount Hope Court Apartments, 79 Pleasant St., said it was the second time that a bullet shattered a window in her apartment.
Both bullets probably were strays fired by troublemakers, she said yesterday.
Maj. Stephen Campbell, chief of the Police Department Investigative Division, said detectives are investigating the second incident, which occurred about 9:30 p.m. Monday. They will try to determine why the shot was fired and whether it was aimed at the building, he said.
"We are going to be placing additional officers on Pleasant Street, uniformed officers, an increased presence . . . to deter any further violence," he said.
Goddard said the bullet fired Monday broke a window, passed through a room where her two toddlers were sleeping, penetrated a wall and entered a second room. The bullet from the first shooting remains lodged in the wall where it struck.
The company that manages the complex covered the broken window with a plexiglass-like material, according to Goddard, but the company said it could not make a permanent repair for three weeks.
It is the only window in her children's bedroom, and the temporary cover will prevent air circulation, she complained.
Goddard, the mother of four children -- ages 15, 12, 4 and 2 -- has lived in the government-subsidized apartment for about 12 years. She said she would like to move but cannot afford to.
Posted at 12:00 PM | Community | Comments (0)
Graffiti Removal Project
A Late Addition
The Latest Edition
Some good work has begun on asking the city to remove the graffiti from the Cypress Street Overpass.
* Jessica Klein called the Graffiti Removal Hotline.
* Nada called Councilman Jackson and left a message.
* Irene spoke with Lt. Schiavulli about the graffiti removal and asked him to see what he can do.
* Irene e-mailed Dir. ONS Rita Murphy about helping with the project.
South Side Down Graffiti
That's a good, strong start.
Now we need to follow through on a weekly basis with follow up phone calls and e-mails.
On Street Level
I believe "Day One" of the Graffiti Removal Project was the day I posted the first picture, September 5, 2005, which makes this Day 15 of the Project.
Let's track the chronology and the time and effort of this project, from Sept. 5th, to the date of the graffitti's removal, along with each effort used to further the project.
Comment Here, for updates.
John Twomey
Posted at 03:57 PM | Community | Comments (2)
A Little Off the Top
Our Tree Got Trimmed
I do not know if anyone remembers, but the tree in front of our house was in desperate need of a trim. (See my post of May 15, 2005 Tree Trimming City, with John's stunning photograph.)
After over 3 months of calling the city I finally got the tree trimed!!!! The City sent someone out this week, and they trimmed the tree.
Actually, I called 3 times last week and the Parks Dept got fed up with me and finally just sent them.
Happy plugging everyone.
Ellen B.
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Follow up, follow up, follow up, it's almost as good as location, location, location!
If that isn't a Yogi Berraism, then it sure sounds like one.
Congrats, Ellen, you just proved an old adage that I made up:
Perserverance Pays Off!
You can't get things done by making one phone call, wiping your hands, patting yoursef on the back, and saying to yourself, "Well, that's taken care of."
You need to follow up, follow through, and stay consistently on message! Like you did.
Good work.
John Twomey & Ellen Baver contributed to this post.
Posted at 03:41 PM | Issues | Comments (0)
The Feral Cat Population
Help Reduce the Feral Cat Population
Since moving here in November, I have been trying to figure out a humane way to decrease the feral cat colony that seems to have been included with the purchase of my home. I just recently got in touch with Volunteer Services for Animals, who have agree to work with me and my neighbors toward this goal by providing free FeLk testing, rabies shots, and spaying/neutering services for any cats we can bring them. They will also be ear marked to prevent them being identified as "stray" cats by the Providence Animal Control and subsequently euthanized. It will be a catch-and-release program; they will be returned to live in the neighborhood, providing they can stop reproducing.
As a first major step toward this goal, my beloved Red Sox litter (Tessie, Johnny D, and Papi) are going to be spayed and neutered this Tuesday. To continue in this manner, we need to catch some of the adult cats and this is where the problem lies. We need the use of a Have-A-Heart trap, which cost about $60 apiece to buy. VSA did not have any that they could lone us. I was wondering if anyone, I know landlords often own them, has one that we could borrow or has any suggestions of where we could appeal for a grant or something to help defray the costs? We have the vast majority of the costs covered by VSA, it would be a shame to lose this opportunity to do the right thing for these guys because we can't catch them. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
-Jen
Ps. I'll get some photos on the blog soon of the "kittens".
Posted at 02:47 PM | Community | Comments (3)
Hello neighbors...
Shab, checking in . . .
Hello to all GCCC neighbors. I thought I'd add my entry to the introductions. I moved here last December from Newport, with my teenage daughter, to eliminate the burden of commuting to Providence everyday. I admit I still have not gotten used to having to lock my door and car, and after a couple of break-in attempts to our building, I am not sure I made the right choice to move here.
But the thing I like the most about Mt. Hope is my neighbors . . . and this website!
I am a nursing student at RIC. I promise to be more vocal on this site, and I will soon post some pictures from my Lisbon trip last July (as soon as I get them developed!).
Till then, stay safe...
Shab (Shabnam Hashemi)
Posted at 07:25 PM | Community | Comments (1)
Graffiti Removal Project
A good start -- good work!
Some good work has begun on asking the city to remove the graffiti from the Cypress Street Overpass.
Jessica Klein called the Graffiti Removal Hotline.
Nada called Councilman Jackson and left a message.
Irene spoke with Lt. Schiavulli about the graffiti removal and asked him to see what he can do.
Comment Here, for updates.
Let’s use this entry to post any updates anyone has to the Graffiti Removal Project.
Just click on “Comments” on this post and I will upload all pertinent data regarding updates to this Graffiti Removal Project Clearinghous Entry.
John Twomey
Posted at 05:47 PM | Community | Comments (3)
VITAL CITY LINKS A Resource
Our Onsite Links -- Easy and effective -- Government & Media
Nada's decisive action on graffiti, calling Councilman Jackson, made me wonder if our sites visitors are aware of the direct links to city officials right here on the website, such as our Vital City Links.
Like, how easy it is from here to click on Office of Neighborhood Services to get them involved in Graffiti removal.
A phone call and an e-mail, mentioning gang graffiti and the East Side Boyz -- South Side feud, might spur quick action. It's worth a shot.
A two or three pronged approach would be the most effictive approach I think. Jess called the Graffiti Hotline, Nada's calling the Councilperson, and we need someone to call and send an effective e-mail to the ONS.
The ONS' Director has a directline to the Mayor and thus is important in keeping the Mayor's finger on the pulse of the city's neighborhoods. We should use the Office of Neighborhood Services often. It's a good way of keeping the City informed of our concerns.
Follow through and follow up and be persistant and relentless: it's the only way to succeed in this community work.
Explore Our Links
Click on our link Vital city Links found at the top left of the blog page or the top right of the Home page, and you will find useful information for contacting city officials without even leaving the website.
It is worth while to browse around the site to see what information is available. The Links we put onsite are useful and easy to access.
Vital city Links for instance connects you with contact info for the the Councilman, the Mayor, the Ofice of Neighborhood Services and Rity Murphy, its Director, the City Council President, and the Chief of Police.
Clicking on Government Websites give you three most useful websites, The City, The State, and Providence Plan.
Clicking on Providence City Hall opens ProvidenceRI.com. Our city has quite a good website. From it you can find contact info for almost any level of city government. This site is worth studying. Very useful and very informative.
Media Websites connects you to all the major media outlets.
Explore these resources and use them wisely.
The well written personal letter
Nothing is more effective than a peronal letter, an open letter to the mayor, the chief, the councilman, etc. etc. and a copy cc'd for publication to the Providnece Journal, the East side Monthly.
If we want to succeed we need to get our message out. And to get the message out to the people and institutions who matter and who can affect policy.
Posted at 12:46 PM | Politics | Comments (1)
From The Cure at Troy
Human beings suffer,
They torture one another,
They get hurt and get hard.
No poem or play or song
Can fully right a wrong
Inflicted and endured.
The innocent in gaols
Beat on their bars together.
A hunger-striker's father
Stands in the graveyard dumb.
The police widow in veils
Faints at the funeral home.
History says, don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.
So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that further shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracle
And cures and healing wells.
Call miracle self-healing:
The utter, self-revealing
Double-take of feeling.
If there's fire on the mountain
Or lightning and storm
And a god speaks from the sky
That means someone is hearing
The outcry and the birth-cry
Of new life at its term.
Seamus Heaney
From, The Cure at Troy
Posted at 12:01 AM | The Arts | Comments (0)
Touchy Ouchy Subject!
Check out this item from the Pro Jo today, right in line with the downtown news and the potential gang war E v S.
Teenager shot near Wanskuck housing project 01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, September 13, 2005
PROVIDENCE -- A 16-year-old girl was shot in the right buttock shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday near the Chad Brown housing project, according to the police.The girl and a 16-year-old, female friend said they had been at the Living Room nightclub earlier in the night, and that fights had occurred involving young people from the East Side.
An unidentified male companion said that "East Side kids" probably fired the shots, according to a police report.
Teenagers from the East Side and the South Side brawled in the streets at several locations in Providence last week, but the police said there does not appear to be any connection between those brawls and the shooting.
Sunday morning, the police went to the vicinity of June and Suffolk streets in Wanskuck, near the Chad Brown housing project, where they found three shell casings left behind.
Officers interviewed the 16-year-old victim, who was shot once, at Hasbro Children's Hospital. She said she had been shot while sitting in the male companion's car.
Shot in the BUTTOCKS, OUCH, but of course there is NO CONNECTION!!!!
Uri Baver
Posted at 09:17 PM | Issues | Comments (0)
I'm Outta here!
Is Mt. Hope a ghetto?
Jen mentioned that Mt. Hope is not an inner city ghetto. I disagree. What else would you call it? It will not improve, despite cosmetic improvements, such as that taking place on the Camp St. block between Cypress and Larch, until the area's undesirables are relocated.
When I hear people shouting in the middle of the night and I am awakened by that noise, I open my bedroom window wide and repeatedly yell: "Shut the ____ up!" That works. Try it sometime.
The convenience store at the corner of Camp and Cypress needs to be closed ASAP. It draws the wrong element.
I intend to put my condo on the market and get the ____ out of here ASAP. Worst decision of my life was buying here in June 2004.
Peter Cassels
Posted at 09:13 PM | Community | Comments (2)
I Sympathize with Unanimous on This!
Okay, I don't get to check this everyday, but the more I do the more chatty I am feeling.
Anyway, Jen, I don't think we have met, but I just want to say I am sorry about your bike for your and your daughter and about the rudeness you experienced trying to get answers/help. When we were broken into the police actually made us feel like it was our fault for not having a security system. But given how they came in, it wouldn't have even mattered if we did have one. They just would have been in and out so fast through the window. I remember just feeling like total crap. They took my daughter's peter rabbit musical jewelry box, it didn't have any jewelry in it, just some change, but the box itself was sentimental. It wasn't even worth anything, just a kid style jewelery box. But she got it when she was a baby. They took camera's, money, other stuff, but that actually got me the most, along with a sweet sixteen ring my grandmother gave me, again, not worth a ton a money, but just special.
It's more than just the material things that are taken, it's the memories that go along with them, and the sentiment behind them. And the fact that we are working our A@#@'s off to make a living, makes it even more frustrating to see our things just go "poof" into the hands of some junkie who pawns it off down the street for a quick fix. And then it is a pain in the A@# to replace these things, even if insurance did cover it, it's just more paperwork and frustration. It's also having to go to pawn shops to look for your stuff, which is not the most pleasant experience. I gave up looking for my stuff, which I regret, but it just made me relive the experience and go through the disappointment all over again each time I checked. They might call drug abuse/dealing a victimless crime, but it sure is not a victimless crime.
I don't think befriending these people is the answer. Befriending them is their way of working us I truly feel. Substance abuse treatment, jail, community intervention whatever that means, GETTING THE DEALERS OUT OF HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I have no idea what the answer is, but the theives here in Mt. Hope do not want to be our friends, they want to steal our stuff to get drugs/alcohol or money. It could be even the dealers breaking in, but I doubt it.
So, I hope you can find out who did it, and get your bike back. I have a bike if you ever want to borrow a bike. I hope that these types of crimes will stop in Mt. Hope, I know that is idealistic, but I still hope for it. What can we do to make all this stop?
Jessica K.
Posted at 09:10 PM | Issues | Comments (1)
Poor, Poor, Pitifull Me!
NADEZHDA'S ATTEMPT TO POST TO THE BLOG:
Try Number One: Open web site, settle down for a quick scan, phone rings, oldest daughter Aria, visiting from Seattle, "Mom, can you take me to the bus station, I'm going to Boston for the day."
Attempt Number Two: Type in Mthope- phone rings, "Nada, a reporter from the Journal is downstairs. Do you have that Media Release ready?"
Ok, Try Number Three: Open web site, read about East Side vs. South Side, now this is interesting. I just get to the post on Lack of Participation by Those of Us Who Visit the Web ¦ phone rings. "Nada, we have another truckload of stuff for Hurricane Relief, the garage is full. Where shall I tell them to put the 200 cases of baby formula, the 200 cases of adult diapers, the 500 lbs of dog food."
Try Number Four: I put my head on my cool mahogany desk, strewn with empty coffee cups, dollar store spectacles, countless bits of paper, and at least ten inkless pens, the phone rings, middle daughter, Kia, at Classical High School, "Mom, I don't feel very well. Can you pick me up? I'm really sorry."
I stop trying to post for a while and decide to eat some lunch; a greasy affair enjoyed in the company of other sweaty, dirty, exhausted volunteers sorting through boxes and bags and bundles of sheets, blankets, clothes, beanie babies, and wet wipes.
Attempt Number Five: Open web site and manage to dash off a response to Naama's potluck invitation. I am feeling quite proud of my accomplishment. I read Jen's Biographical Post and realize that the Web-Stakes have just been raised. Phone rings. "Nada, I think you should come downstairs right away, a client just rammed into your car."
Of course, the client speaks little English, doesn't have insurance, a driver's license, nor is she sure to whom the car belongs. My rear bumper is not so pretty anymore. So we wait, for a couple of hours, for the police: I get my police report, the other woman gets arrested.
Attempt Number Six: Open web site, notice that many Mt. Hope Web Voyeurs are beginning to contribute ¦ this is no longer a one-man blog. Now if only I could pull my thoughts together for a lucid, profound, insightful post on the social realities and the ethical superiority of urban vs. suburban living ¦ phone rings, it's my thirteen year old son, Andrei, "Mom, don't forget my saxophone when you come to pick me up, I have a lesson tonight."
Attempt Number Seven: I spell check my biographical list of errata, I open the web site, I "accidentally" disconnect my phone, close my office door, and POST TO THE MTHOPE-EASTSIDE.ORG WEB SITE!!!!!!!!!!
I ruefully congratulate myself. A web post is a small accomplishment on this day flecked with the stains of my many omissions: a lonely mother, I didn't call, a disheartened friend who's birthday I neglected, a disgruntled colleague I didn't have time to meet with, a class I had to miss, a dinner I should have made, a hug I am too tired to give.
Nada Petrovic
Posted at 09:09 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)
Graffiti Action!!!
Graffiti Action Udate
Just to give an update, I called the anti-graffit hotline, and spoke with a very helpful woman named Bernadette in the public property department. She filled out an official request, to remove graffiti while we were on the phone (I just gave her my name/number/locations of the graffiti), so at least one request is officially in. I will also follow up with an email as well.
I asked how long it would take for it to be removed, she could not give me an estimate. She informed me they are very backed up right now with requests, since most of the public schools have suffered from graffiti attacks over the summer and that the schools are priority now because of school starting. She also said that you can get some removal chemicals from Home Depot (she didn't know the name of it, but said it is put out by Williams). She also sounded frustrated by the fact as soon as they remove it goes up again in most places. Which makes me wonder about how we can prevent it as well as remove it.
I don't know anything about how these things work, but I can only imagine how many requests there must be. I plan to call again and continue to check on the status as well as a follow up email. It might mean continually putting in new requests so that ours does not get buried, or perhaps just multiple requests from different people. Of course schools are important, and should be graffiti free, but graffiti that perpetuates a gang against gang message, or useless "tagging", is unnacceptable as well. It is just as important that the community these kids live in are also free from this type of graffiti and negative message.
On the other hand, I am not opposed to murals (as long as they are positive). I don't know anything about how to organize community mural making, but that might be interesting to think about. It's probably harder to defame a whole mural than it is a blank cement wall, but I don't know much about the subject either.
I was also thinking that the recent fight that broke out between east side and south side kids might also be a reason to put the removal of graffiti in these neighborhoods a priority as well (and would be of interest to the city). I mean, it's getting out of hand when you have kids breaking out into fights at the bus station over "what side of the city" you live on.
Well, I just wanted to pass these thoughts along to everyone, I hope it helps somehow.
Jessica Klein
Posted at 09:01 PM | Community | Comments (2)
Specific Displeasure with Police -- Jen
I will voice my specific comments about my displeasure with the police after my most recent break-in. I was out of town when the break-in happened, and was contacted by my alarm service. I called my upstairs neighbor, who had just arrived at the residence, only to find that the police were there investigating an alarm going off in our basement. After the premises was cleared, the police went through the basement with my neighbor to make sure nothing was missing. There was no sign of forced entry.
I spoke with the police, and they were very cordial and helpful, explaining the situation. I have to say, they responded very promptly, and if they were in the mindset that it was actually a crime, rather than a false alarm, they may have actually caught the person(s) responsible. They told me when they arrived that both my motion lights were on. They only stay on, without movement, for about five minutes.
In talking further with my neighbor after the police had left, we discovered that my bike had been stolen. I called Providence Police, trying to explain the situation, and was transfered to so many different people and was treated so rudely I was nearly in tears. Finally, the last person I talked to understood the situation and was willing to help me out. I did not get his name, but I thanked him profusely for his time, respect, and understanding.
So what did I want? I wanted them to come out and issue a report and I wanted them to finger print the basement door. My neighbor told me that there had been an open house at our residence that day. The door that was used to steal my bike was *never* used by either one of us and had been locked. I wanted them to investigate. I wanted them to DO something. It never happened. They came and issued the report. They refused to fingerprint, saying there would be too many other fingerprints to rule out. The police officers'? Perhaps my neighbor's and mine? I was disgusted.
The thing that gets me is that I went to a MNC meeting this summer to hear Dean Esserman speak. He said one thing that really struck a chord with me. Nearly all of the property crimes committed here are committed by your neighbors, by people on your street. And he said (and I feel pretty confident that I can quote him), "I can guarantee you two things, we have caught them before and we will catch them again." So who do you think stole my bike? I don't know, but I'm willing to bet two things: it's one of the known petty thiefs around my neck of the woods and their fingerprints are on file. Somebody knew that bike was there, and that person knew we weren't home. I wanted them caught.
I know, it's only a bike. I know that's how the police see it. It wasn't a violent crime. Hell, it wasn't even a "break-in"; it was a "larceny." You can call it what you want, but someone CAME IN MY HOME and took something from me. Sure, I have insurance. Does it cover a bike? Absolutely not, it's under the deductible. You know what that bike was to me? It was spending time with my daughter. It was saving a little money on gas, helping out the environment, and getting exercise. It was feeling like a kid again. And it's gone. And yes, I'm mad about it.
-Jen
Posted at 10:46 AM | Issues | Comments (0)
A Thinking About Mt. Hope Rant
I was thinking about life in Mt. Hope.
I am in agreement that Mt. Hope would be completly diffrent if Col. Esserman had bought a house here- but why would've he? You think he wants to worry about his house being broken into? Drug dealers working his street where his kids must walk past them? No way!
I think, city officials like having Mt. Hope around because they know where the crimes will be, and they can at least contain it to a few blocks. What they do not understand, and we have to MAKE them understand, is that this is not an inner city ghetto, deteroiating, neglected, and ruled by gangs, but on the contrary, it is a vital, growing community under renovation, and becomming more positive with a rapidily changing dempgraphic, and that people who buy and live here care. They want the the officials to recognize this and change the way they govern Mt. Hope,
The people who bought here and live here, they do not like screaming late at night around their houses or people asking for a bucket of water. YEAH!
People, we can not be afraid of the criminals!!! We have to make them afraid of us. Do not befriend them because you are afraid your house is next.
I am very sorry everyone has to go thru this. I feel for those who are victimized, but let us not continued to be victimized. We need to stop bitching and start acting. I want to call the police everyday and ask them why we have to put up with this crap all the time.
Can you tell, I am a little frusterated and have very little faith in our system?
Ellen Baver
Posted at 10:30 AM | Community | Comments (0)
RE: Woodbine Break-in
Very Interesting Response Reported From District 8
I find Rich's comment on the Woodbine break-in very interesting.
I called the substation in regard to the break in on 69/71 Woodbine St. [A policeman] called me back and told me "It's an issue for a detective to work out, we just take reports". I could not get his ear to what was going on around here; he did not want to hear it. This is the 2nd time for us.Very frustrated with the police.
Editors note: The above quote reflects the opinion and viewpoint of the writer, (Rich) not the opinion of the Mt. Hope Community Website or of the GCCC organization. It should not be taken as fact.
Blogs, generally, are the site of emotional and heated expressions of opinion and invite heated and argumentative debate.
What Rich did not tell us is this: what specific complaints does he have about the police. This is very important. Exquisite detail is needed here. It is very frustrating to be the victim of a crime. The way the police respond should not exacerbate that frustration.
Criminals ply Mt. Hope: that is why we wish to change the culture of Mt. Hope and change the way the City Administration thinks of Mt. Hope.
For one, I'm surprised that Rich claims that the police were not more helpfull. Isn't it the function of the District 8 police to oversee all the police functions going on in District 8? Don't they do that?
If the Detective unit is handling the case it is the duty of our District 8 Police to act as the liasion between that unit and the victim. Is that not correct?
That is how I understand the duty of community police as explained by Col. Esserman and Mayor Cicilline. The District 8 Police function as the Local Police Czar to the citizens of the district.
I know that our District 8 Police take their responsibility very seriously, and I would urge you to speak with them again and voice your displeasure with the police response as specificly as you can.
If you get no satisfaction, call Maj. Fitzgerald, the head of the Uniform Division at 243-6102, he is the boss, and if he doesn't help you out, call Col. Esserman, the Chief, at 243-6109 or 243-6110.
Believe me, these guys are accessible, they want to do a good job, it gets overwhelming to them at times, but once they know that you are serious, they will respond to you.
But remember this, it is not the police's fault that you were the victim of a crime, nor is it your fault for living in Mt. Hope.
If you are angry express your anger by writing to Mayor David Cicilline about what is going on in Mt. Hope. When only a few express their anger, they are easily marginalized as crazy, ner-do-well mal-contents, but when a neighborhood rises up en masse to express their displeasure with the city's handling of affairs, the politicians listen.
You see, they want to get re-elected, and they don't want to be embaraassed.
That is why writing hard copy in conjunction with this website is so important. Write to the mayor and write to ProJo and the ESM.
Get the facts out there, because the facts are embarassing.
We are in a fight. Anyone who wants to win will join the battle. It's either that or move to a neighborhood where these punks, thugs and scumbags won't try to ply their trade because the City Administration will not allow it in certain neighborhoods.
When Col. Esserman took the job as Police chief, he bought a house on the East Side. How different would Mt. Hope be today if he had bought a house in Mt. Hope?
I think very different.
Don't tell me we have to live like this. Don't lie to me.
John Twomey
Posted at 11:27 PM | Issues | Comments (0)
Welcome New GCCC Members, Blog Readers: Anyone for a Round of Introductions?
I have been thinking about the participation on the blog recently
and wondering what we could do to encourage people to become more involved. I was wondering if part of the problem could stem from there being so many new members in such a short time; it's hard to know just who is out there in cyberspace, and that may be intimidating to some. I thought it might be helpful (and fun!) for us to introduce ourselves. I'll start:
My name is Jen. I moved to Mt. Hope in November with my daughter, who just turned six, and my Jack Russell Terror. Any terrier owners will get the joke ;>) I came here from just over the border in Attleboro. I've moved around a lot: RI, MA, CT, and most notably PA, where I spent much of my youth.
I am a graduate student at Rhode Island College in a MAT program for elementary education. Currently, I am taking my last two classes before student teaching in the spring. When I graduate, I hope to teach the wonderful children of Providence. In a former life, I worked in research for a biopharmaceutical company in Cambridge, MA trying (alas, in vain) to come up with a vaccine for gastric ulcers.
Outside of going to school, teaching, being a mom, and studying, I love to rollerblade on the Boulevard (you can recognize me 'cause I usually have the crazy terrior in tow!) and spending time near the ocean, often in Stonington, CT. I also love alternative music and am a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation.
I hope that by getting to know a little bit about each other, maybe some of you will feel more comfortable posting here.
-Jen Bakios
Posted at 08:30 PM | Website | Comments (2)
Big PotLuck Saturday
Try your Potluck you PostModerns
We're having a potluck this Saturday starting at 4pm. It will be going on also after sundown if you'd like to stop by . . . hope you can make it.
Next GCCC meeting
How about having the next GCCC meeting on Thursday September 29th?
Naama Gidron
Posted at 07:23 PM | Community | Comments (4)
August Break-in on Woodbine
Dismayed and Disbelievin'
I was dismayed to find out that there was a break in 3 WEEKS ago at 69/71 Woodbine St. The break in took place in the early morning hours while residents were asleep. The basement was broken into and bikes, tools, musical instruments were taken.
The owners did file a police report and expressed frustration with the police. They actually found one of their bikes at the pawn shop on North Main St but were having problems negotiating its return . . .
Naama Gidron
Posted at 07:19 PM | Issues | Comments (3)
99 & 1/2 Just Won't Do
I busked down in New Orleans as a young musician playing blues and old time country, songs like Are You From Dixie, Got My Mojo Working, Frankie & Johnnie and I used to stop ( Was it Rampart Street) and listen to Blind Marie and her two sisters -- all in quaint rags and in their sixties, but with their black, weathered faces shining with youth and with soul -- and every time it was an old gospel tune that sounded like blues to me, 99 & 1/2 Just Won’t Do: just one chord and that was played on an old box guitar that had never been in tune. And two tambourines. But the eerie, dissonant harmonies they sang and drawled, shouted, chimed, and chanted, in their strange, powerful rendition of that number never failed to send chills down my spine. I’m lucky I been to New Orleans when New Orleans was still New Orleans.
99 ½ % of the entries to this blog have been made by one person and that was never the intent of this website. This is a community blog and it will take a community effort to keep it going.
Over 80 paid-in-full members belong to GCCC, and most have internet access. Somewhere between 60 to 90 people visit the website daily.
We have as readers and members, doctors, laborers, artists, carpenters, electricians, teachers, students, scholars, landscapers, retirees, yogis, rebbies, etc., etc, in other words we have quite an extensive talent pool on which to draw.
I don’t think we are ready for 80 contributors to the blog, but what if we had just 5 to 10 members, besides myself, who would contribute to the blog on a weekly basis?
5 to 10 contributors. If each one contributed one blog entry and one comment on another’s entry, 5 members would give us 10 contributions per week, and 10 would give us twenty different blog contributions.
If readers and members need to learn how to use the blog, I have a few suggestions.
Some people ask, “What can I write about?
Anything. That is the answer. Mt. Hope is part of the global village and everything is interconnected. A butterfly flaps its wings in China and a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast. Chaos theory. The tipping point. Everything matters. Everything affects us.
Do you have some news of the neighborhood?
A comment on a local news article?
Do you have an opinion you’d like to share.
Have you read something you’d like to comment on?
Have you heard some music you’d like to recommend or review?
Do you wish to comment on politics?
On sociology? Psychology? Philosophy?
Have you read a book you could review?
Seen a movie you liked and would recommend?
Have you written a poem you’d like to share?
Could you write a profile of a neighbor?
Could you interview someone you know with some knowledge that would interest us?
Do you have a digital camera and photos to share?
Do you travel,and could you share your travels with us in a travellogue, written or visual?
All is grist for the Mt. Hope Mill.
Don’t be shy, don’t be lazy, be confidant, take the time.
Any questions?
99 ½ Just Won’t Do
John Twomey
Posted at 11:29 PM | Website | Comments (0)
$$ Seeking Contributions $$
“No, you fool, not money; your time and energy”.
It was so nice to hear positive feedback from Neighbor Klein. Sometimes it feels like I’m sending words into a black hole when I post to the blog. I know from the website stats how much activity we generate and how many people use the website, but it’s nice to hear that the effort matters from someone who appreciates it. Thanks, Klein.
Klein said: “ It does mean being proactive, and also learning how to be proactive.” That could jar me awake. I contribute to the blog so much it’s become second nature to me. I learned how to be effective in lobbying for Mt. Hope with city officials. I learned. I learned by doing, making many mistakes in the process. The key word there, though, is doing.
If you want to learn to be proactive you must learn by doing. Listening to theory will only take you so far. You must learn by doing.
Please someone, pick up the phone and call the Graffiti Hotline and e-mail the Office of Neighborhood Services. I outlined how to do it in my Graffiti post of last week. Then post what you did on the blog so we can support you.
I saw today that new graffiti had appeared on the front wall of the underpass to compliment the stuff on the side wall that I had photographed.
It’s best to act quickly to get this vandalism removed. It frustrates the vandals.
I’ve had a white picket fence of mine vandalized many times, almost twenty times, and my policy is to always repair it the next day, so that the next time the perp walks by he will not be able to gloat and to admire his dirty work. I find it most effective and rewarding. Over the years the fence has been vandalized fewer and fewer times, so that I have not repaired it for over a year and a half.
Action sends a message.
Actions speak louder than words.
John Twomey
Posted at 10:09 PM | Community | Comments (3)
Another Happy Camper
No Longer Numb
I am so happy I found out about this website and weblog. I hope to get to know more people and become more involved and help make Mt. Hope a better place. It does mean being proactive and also learning how to be proactive.
After many a break in, I have to admit part of me did become numb and overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness and apathy. But at the same time, I do believe that Mt. Hope is a great place that deserves a chance to change (and deserves attention).
Learning about this website and reading the recent letter in the ESM by Ellen Baver and all of John's posts, and everyone elses posts, have been inspiring. It feels good to know that there are a lot of people that feel the same way I do.
I would love to help take the initiative to help remove the graffiti.
Moreover, I think we could replace it with art that reflects hope, positivity, and unity. I look forward to attending my first meeting. Thanks to everyone who has posted on here and the people who created it.
J. Klein
Posted at 04:40 PM | Community | Comments (1)
I am Unanimous With You in That
And in Total Agreement
I totally agree with you. I read the blog almost every day and post in spurts, until I get frustrated by the lack of interaction. Maybe this will be a reminder to those who post infrequently that the blog is supposed to be "interactive", not just a source of information about the neighborhood.
Jen Bakios
Posted at 10:07 PM | Community | Comments (0)
Thinking out Loud
For Crying Out Loud
Thinking about our website lately -- I go on at least once a day -- I am sure a lot of us go on often as well, I noticed that not many readers post comments to the blog about what others have to say. How come? Why is that? I take my time to share my thoughts with everyone, and I do not get a response. What's the deal? I am very busy, just like everyone else. I make the effort and the time to write or express my opinion and no one cares to contribute theirs. That is a little frustrating, to say the least.
I think, if we all want a good, clean, and safe neighborhood, we need to work together and do things as a whole rather than one person here or there contributing and the rest watching. The website is a good way to get involved. It's easy and everyone has the time to write a little something pro or con about what's going on in Mt. Hope.
That graffiti is unacceptable!! How come no one has come up and said they want to take care of it? I have four kids and I still find the time to do things for the community.
Please, do not think of this as a criticism just a request for a little help around town, more involvement from other members and readers.
This website has some pull. I don't know if everyone realizes this but, the patrolmen got their bikes because of this website. They showed it to the higher ups and when we talked about getting the bikes to them, they did. Everyone needs to understand that this is something that is very important.
This is our tool to help the neighborhood. Come on everyone get on the wagon!!
Ellen Baver
Posted at 06:26 PM | Community | Comments (1)
East Side -- South Side Riot
Down at Kennedy Plaza, in front of City Hall
An item of interest to Mt. Hope residents appeared in the Providence Journal today detailing a brawl between East Side students and South Side students at Kennedy Plaza, yesterday, September 7th.
It sounds like a serious incident is being downplayed by our press.
Our East Side police have been on alert to prevent gang shootings between East Side thugs and South Side thugs (see blog entries for August 18, 19), and this incident underscores how deep this dangerous behavior reaches into our community.
The article was titled, “Scores of students brawl after school at bus hub
The police are concerned about more trouble today.”
ProJo buried this small article on page C3 of today’s Metro Edition. If students had rioted at Government Center in downtown Boston, I think we would have read about it on the front page of the Boston Globe, but here in Providence, they can riot in front of City Hall and the Providence Journal treats it as a non-story and really, it appears, tries to bury it. Is the Journal an arm of City Hall or is their main object to function as a civic booster? Look at the stories they lead with in Metro and look at how they treat this story.
In the article, Borg describes how, "At one point, a crowd of 200 to 300 students swarmed up College Hill toward Benefit Street and some students picked up bricks and bottles.”
She also states: “The Providence police arrested at least eight students. Some were charged with disorderly conduct and some with resisting arrest. The authorities didn't know if any particular incident sparked the fighting, which involved as many as 75 students, but said the rivalry has existed for years.”
Ms. Borg closes the article with this puzzling paragraph: “One of Hope's three principals,[Hope High School] Wayne Montague, said yesterday that a police officer had called him at home Tuesday night to warn him that one of his students was making trouble at Kennedy Plaza. Montague, accompanied by a police officer, went to the plaza yesterday to speak to the student and was there when the fighting occurred. He said he didn't see any Hope students involved in the brawl.”
Mr. Mayor?
David Cicilline, as our Mayor, needs to get behind efforts to understand, quash, and eliminate this type of behavior that festers in our schools and leads to violence on our streets. What kind of education are Providence kids getting if this type of behavoir presents itself soon after schools open for the fall sememster? The troubles of Mt. Hope High, on the East Side, in Providence have been well documented and now is the time to further address these problems before they lead to further tragedy. Hate and ignorance continue to present problems, and no better time exists than the present to address these issues.
It is great to have an Arts & Entertainment District in Providence, with facilities like the Steel Yard, in the West Side Arts district. The Mayor held a news conference yesterday to announce the expansion of the Arts & Entertainment district.
I would like to see Mayor Cicilline hold a press conference to tell the city about the proactive steps he plans to take to protect the citizens of Providence from crime and violence. The Mayor needs to go on the record as to how he plans to address the juvenile, but deadly, blood feud between East Side youth and South Side youth.
I don’t want to be caught in the cross fire: do you?
John Twomey
Read the entire ProJo article, below.
Scores of students brawl after school at bus hub The police are concerned about more trouble today.01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 8, 2005
BY LINDA BORG
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE -- A melee broke out in Kennedy Plaza yesterday afternoon with students from the city's East Side clashing with others from the South Side.The Providence police arrested at least eight students. Some were charged with disorderly conduct and some with resisting arrest. The authorities didn't know if any particular incident sparked the fighting, which involved as many as 75 students, but said the rivalry has existed for years.
Yesterday was the second day in a row that a brawl broke out around 3:30 p.m., when hundreds of high school students converge at the RIPTA bus stop downtown. The police said they were expecting more trouble this afternoon.
At one point, a crowd of 200 to 300 students swarmed up College Hill toward Benefit Street and some students picked up bricks and bottles. The police moved quickly to disperse the crowd before anyone was seriously injured.
Maria Tocco, a school department spokeswoman, said additional administrators would be sent to Hope High School today in case trouble surfaced at the beginning or end of school.
One of Hope's three principals, Wayne Montague, said yesterday that a police officer had called him at home Tuesday night to warn him that one of his students was making trouble at Kennedy Plaza. Montague, accompanied by a police officer, went to the plaza yesterday to speak to the student and was there when the fighting occurred. He said he didn't see any Hope students involved in the brawl.
Posted at 12:31 PM | Issues | Comments (3)
A Refusal to Mourn . . .
A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London
Never until the mankind making
Bird beast and flower
Fathering and all humbling darkness
Tells with silence the last light breaking
And the still hour
Is come of the sea tumbling in harness
And I must enter again the round
Zion of the water bead
And the synagogue of the ear of corn
Shall I let pray the shadow of a sound
Or sow my salt seed
In the least valley of sackcloth to mourn
The majesty and burning of the child's death.
I shall not murder
The mankind of her going with a grave truth
Nor blaspheme down the stations of the breath
With any further
Elegy of innocence and youth.
Deep with the first dead lies London's daughter,
Robed in the long friends,
The grains beyond age, the dark veins of her mother,
Secret by the unmourning water
Of the riding Thames.
After the first death, there is no other.
Dylan Thomas
Posted at 11:39 PM | The Arts | Comments (0)
Hurricane Relief
Local Hurricane Relief Efforts
For those of us anxious to help our neighbors in desperate need in the hurricane-ravaged south, donations are being accepted at Providence Community Action, 518 Hartford Avenue, Providence.
Law & Order - American Style - Disaster Relief
American Woman -- AP Photo - N.O. LA
We will be open through the Holiday weekend to accept donations of bedding (new, only please,) baby formula and baby diapers, personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, tooth brushes, soap, etc., and cleaning supplies.
Hours for drop off are Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (September 3rd, 4th, and 5th) from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Please call us at 273-2000 for directions and further information.
Cash donations are always needed. Checks should be made out to Providence Community Action/Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort.
We are planning on trucking a shipment of these essential supplies to the effected areas by Tuesday of next week.
Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.
Nadezhda
Posted at 07:54 PM | Community | Comments (0)
Random Shooting in BTP
Random Shooting in Billy Taylor Park
I regret to inform that last night, 9/1/05 there was a random shooting.
I bumped into an individual with minor flesh wound on the leg, claiming that while walking through the park heard gun shots, looking down at a grazed leg. Harmless wound.
Is this the truth of the matter? I don't know but shots were definitely fired. The wound was clearly evidence of this.
What can we do to curtail illegal guns? Perhaps a buy back program? Who would fund it? How can we get guns off the street? I'm completely stumped.
P.S. When is the next GCCC meeting?
Kevin Kazlauskas
Posted at 07:52 PM | Issues | Comments (0)
