Mt. Hope· Providence, Rhode Island

Nuisance Again?

In 2005, GCCC formed a "Local Nuisance Task Force" with the District 8 police, the State's Attorney's Office, and Providence Code Enforcement to address specific "Nuisance Properties" in Mt. Hope, specifically, properties that were functioning as a locus for drug dealing in Mt.Hope. One of those locations was at the corner of Camp and Grand View.

Check out our archives where this was first posted on March 28th and March 31st.

http://www.mthope-eastside.com/blog/archives/2005_03.html

Camp & Grand View

Now, again it seems that the corner of Camp and Grand View is again becoming a "Nuisance Property". The property is at, I believe 206 Camp, but I'm not sure of the number address, but it's a brown stucco house that has been under construction for many years and has had many code violations. Recently a lot of suspicious activity has reappeared on that corner and on the porch of that house. This week I had to stop my car on Camp as so many youths had gathered in front of that house, loitering in the street, that I had to stop and ask them to clear the way so I could drive past. It was intimidating to say the least. Cars were pulled up in front of the house and people were leaning into the windows conducting what looked to me as business. I drive Camp Street many times daily in the line of duty and I've observed this activity many times in the last few weeks. I can only imagine the impact this activity has on the residents who live nearby especially those who have children.

Complaints centered on the activity on the porch and in and around the garage on Grand View behind the house where people were often seen urinating in the street and selling and using drugs.

Back in 2005 GCCC answered the request of a number of members who lived on Camp Street and on Grand View to address this problem. To address this problem we formed the Local Nuisance Task Force that I previously mentioned. It proved to be quite effective.

GCCC will not be initiating any action this time around unless it receives specific requests from residents impacted by this activity. If requests are received we would consider reactivating the Local Nuisance Task Force.

Still, residents who are concerned with this issue should contact the District 8 Police and their City Councilman, Kevin Jackson.

I urge all Mt. Hope residents to keep an eye on this location and remember, they could set up shop next to you next.

Posted at 11:37 PM | Community | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Trend Lines

Dramatic increase in the Mt. Hope community website usage in the last three months.

Month - - - - - - Jan 2007 - Feb 2007 - Mar 2007
Unique visitors - - - 58 - - - 134 - - - - - 214
Number of visits - - 110 - - - 225 - - - - - 751
Pages - - - - - - - - - - 255 - - - 751 - - - - 1552
Hits - - - - - - - - - - - 694 - - - 3401 - - - - 8093

Since Janurary visits to our website have tripled!

If anyone wishes to contribute a post to the website click on this link, Blog Entry, and submit your entry.

The comments tab is always open: don't be afraid.

Posted at 11:35 PM | Website | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

First Drug Dealers of Spring

As sure as the croci (crocus) peek out of the warming earth each spring, the recent warm spring day drew forth the first drug dealers from out of the woodwork to celebrate the Mt. Hope spring.

I spied the dealers at several locations along Camp Street, and yes, with my experience in Mt. Hope, I am able to tell the difference between "kids hanging out" and drug dealers plying their illicit trade.

The knuckleheads who spoil the quality of life for peaceful, law-abiding citizens also descended on Billy Taylor Park, opening their car doors and blasting profane rap music so loud my windows shook almost a block and a half away. I had to call the police.

And so spring brought my first pleasant encounter with one of Providence's finest (well, wannabe finest) Dispatcher # 22. I told her there was a disturbance up at the corner of Camp & Cypress and asked her to send a patrol car there. She asked what kind of disturbance, and I told her someone was blasting their car stereo at incredible volume. Dispatcher # 22, said, "That's not a disturbance." I said, "Well, it's a disturbance to me, it's disturbing the peace and is in violation of the noise ordinance." Dispatcher # 22: "We don't call that a disturbance, we call a fight a disturbance." I said, "I didn't call to argue with you about what to call it, call it a noise disturbance if you want, just send an officer up there, will you." Dispatcher #22: "OK, it's a noise disturbance, we'll send someone up there."

Of course I watched for an hour and I don't believe they ever sent anyone.

Question: Where do they find these people -- and they start them off at $27.00 per hour of our tax dollars.

Ah, spring time in Mt. Hope, I can feel my blood pressure already rising.

John Twomey

Posted at 02:18 PM | Community | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Two Poems of Lucille Clifton

The Poem of the Week Feature

-

the message of crazy horse

i would sit in the center of the world,
the Black Hills hooped around me and
dream of my dancing horse. my wife

was Black Shawl who gave me the daughter
i called They Are Afraid Of Her.
i was afraid of nothing

except Black Buffalo Woman.
my love for her i wore
instead of feathers. i did not dance

i dreamed. i am dreaming now
across the worlds. my medicine is strong.
my medicine is strong in the Black basket
of these fingers. i come again through this

Black Buffalo woman. hear me;
the hoop of the world is breaking.
fire burns in the four directions.
the dreamers are running away from the hills.
i have seen it. i am crazy horse.

-

-

Poem in praise of menstruation


if there is a river
more beautiful than this
bright as the blood
red edge of the moon if
there is a river
more faithful than this
returning each month
to the same delta if there

is a river
braver than this
coming and coming in a surge
of passion, of pain if there is

a river
more ancient than this
daughter of eve
mother of cain and of abel if there is in

the universe such a river if
there is some where water
more powerful than this wild
water

pray that it flows also
through animals
beautiful and faithful and ancient
and female and brave

-

-

Lucille Clifton

Posted at 01:17 AM | The Arts | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Happy St. Patrick's Day: A Concert Review

I hope you didn’t have to drink any of that awful green beer or even get drunk on anything -- leave that to the professional Irishman or the pseudo Irishman or the wannabe Irishman or the ignorant Irishman.

Like many “Name-that-nationality/Americans” I am proud of my heritage, but I am proud of it every day, not just on March 17th, and no, I don’t get drunk on “St. Paddy’s” though in fact I’m drunk almost every other day: on Saint Patrick’s Day, I refrain from drinking, for I am a confirmed contrarian . Joke!

The Irish in me is blood deep and blood wild. It needs no call for celebration -- it is who I am. I need never set foot on Irish soil. I’m 100%. My people were driven out of Ireland by the English landlords who controlled the land and the harvest and in a time of famine and starvation exported all Irish crops to England to feed their own, leaving my people to starve and creating a situation where peasants, unable to pay their tithes on their meager landholdings, had their land confiscated and were themselves transported to America or Australia. My people came to America during the great Famine of the 1840’s, through New York, to Ohio, then Chicago.

To this day, the only English I like are the Beatles, the Stones and the Who! And oh, yeah, Princess Di.

My great, great Uncle, Seamus Twomey, invented the car bomb. But that is neither here nor there (at least not here).

Every American ethnicity has their story and I embrace them all. Each year I celebrate Cape Verdian independence with my neighbors, the Da Cruz’es. I embrace my Italian brothers, my Latin brothers, my African/American brothers, and my every, Slash/American brothers.

One of my best memories in the Mt. Hope community is being invited to Nada’s home for an ethnic celebration of her family’s Serbian heritage, St. George’s, a saint’s day important to her family. We sampled ethnic food and met her mother and her children, and I felt privileged to be welcomed into her home and into her culture. It was a blessing.

Low self-esteem is endemic to this country, an epidemic in the U.S. That is why so many of our countrymen are what I call Europhiles (and that is worse than being an Anglophile, in my opinion), where everything European is better than anything American, be it cars, cosmetics, or health-care systems. Bull-*ucking- *hit!

I lived in Europe for a number of years, and I love Europe and Europeans and their varied cultures. But they had neither heat nor hot water, drinkable water nor phone service for everyone, when I lived there.

They’d still be in the dark ages. Cowards, perverts, many of them, to be polite, if we hadn’t shown them the way. But I digress. And I don't mean to insult the many good hearted people I love there, just their politicians and their obstinate, socialistic, creativity suppressing ways. But I digress.

So Happy St. Patrick's Day.

To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day my wife and I went to a concert at the Blackstone River Theatre.

In my vision for this website I envisioned members of the community contributing reviews of the arts, movies, concerts, books, etc. to the website for other members of the community to enjoy, and for writers with the initiative to contribute, a forum.

Well, I’ve never written a review before, but we heard the Karan Casey Band perform at the Blackstone River Theater, Friday night, and this is my attempt at a review.

Karan Casey has perhaps, arguably, the best voice in Celtic music. And she is a sweetheart besides. She began her career as lead vocalist for the great new wave Irish trad band, Solas, lead by Irish/American multi-instrumentalist virtuoso, Seamus Eagan.

Karan Casey

She soon struck out on her own and to this point has three superb albums to her credit.

The line up of her band at this concert consisted of a well known guitarist, Rob Iverson, Kevin Vialilly, on keyboards, and a cellist. With Guitar, cello, piano, and vocals the sound of this band was stately, almost classical in nature, with wide ranging, subtle dynamics. Karen’s voice is an instrument in and of itself – pitch pure and full of a vast range of sounds and emotion and nuance. This was apparent in the several songs she performed unaccompanied in the Gaelic language. She lead off the concert with a stunning version of the old traditional song “She Moved Through the Fair” and ended the concert with a song she wrote, “Bright Winter’s Day”.

At the Blackstone, there is no separation between artist and audience and between sets, when my wife, Irene, complimented Karen on her gifts and on her giving of her talent, Karen kissed her on the cheek and said, “Thank you., so much.” I bought Irene, Karan’s latest album CD, and being shy myself, I asked Irene to have Karen autograph it for me -- Karan wrote, “Thank you, Karen Casey.”

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.

John Michael Kevin (Shay-McGuiness – P’McGuiness) Twomey

Posted at 01:04 PM | Community | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mayor Asleep at Wheel (An Un-ploughed-y Day)

Lord, they tell me of an un-ploughed-y day . . .

I left home around 8 am, this morning and the snow was falling, and when I came home this afternoon around 4:30, pm, the snow was still falling, and the streets of Mt. Hope remained unploughed.

I climbed up Cypress Street in my pick-up, which has 4 wheel drive, and I passed, probably, 6 vehicles stuck in the unploughed snow on that steep hill, which was nigh impossible to navigate without 4 wheel drive. When I arrived at the steep hill that I live on I was not surprised to find that it too had not been ploughed.

This late winter storm had been well forecast, and I can't understand why our Mayor did not have our City well prepared. There is no excuse for such poor city services.

Steep hills unploughed and unsanded? Citizens stranded in their cars on their way home from work? Shame, shame, shame.

You can tell Mayor Cicilline what you think via email, just click on his name.

Or tell the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services Director, Rita Murphy what you think by clicking on that link.

But best of all you can tell the man directly responsible for cleaning our streets, DPW's John Nickelson, Director, 700 Allens Avenue, Providence, RI 02905, Phone: (401) 467-7950. Ironically, we cannot contact the DPW through the City's website. How 'bout that!

An old gospel song came to mind today, An Uncloudy Day, but morphed in my mind to An Un-ploughed-y Day. Good Lord!

Posted at 03:04 PM | Politics | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

"I got in the end zone!" *

Rah Rah Sis-Boom-Bah

We all probably thrill, we members of the Mt. Hope contingent of Patriot Nation, when our New England Patriots compete each year for a chance to go to the Super Bowl and become champions. The flip side of that coin reveals the price some former football players must pay for their time in the game and the paltry way the league looks after their own. Early onset dementia, caused by repeated head trauma, plagues many former football players.

A riveting story in the Times tells of two such men, one a Hall of Famer, the other a journeyman, who were once teammates, yet do not even recognize each other.

Hopefully the following link works or simply Google the title. Wives Burdened by Ex-NFL Player's Dementia, by Alan Swarz

The NFL, a billion dollar a year industry (is that without all the dollars gambled each week?) and the Player's Union both refuse to recognize this medical problem as football related, yet they have finally agreed to contribute approximately $88,000 a year toward these disabled veterans health care.

You may have read recently of former Patriot standout Ted Johnson who basically accused Bill Belichick and his staff of forcing him to play after receiving back to back concussions the same week. He has subsequently lost everything, his money, his marriage, and his ability to work, and Johnson is only in his early thirties. Johnson documents his story in the Jackie MacMullen article in the Boston Globe, I don't want anyone to end up like me!

Click the link and read about these two men and their wives's battle to get the NFL and the Players Union to recognize the devastating and lingering effects of head trauma. Then read Ted Johnson's sad tale.

It should change the way you view the game and the high regard some hold for these so called genius coaches.

* "I got in the end zone!" -- John Mackey, NFL Hall of Famer and victim of dementia.

Posted at 01:04 PM | Issues | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Winter's Almost gone

February Snow

Who's going to miss this strangely weird winter. Rhetorical question requiring no answer. Well, the end is in sight what with the weatherman calling for a wintry blast this coming weekend, hopefully our last cold blast till next December.

We only received several snowfalls of no great significance and quite short lived, a memorable ice storm in which walking was more dangerous than driving, in Providence a real switch-er-ro, and several cold snaps with wind chills well below zero. Still, we got off easy compared with other parts of the country.

It was not a beautiful winter by any measure.

But when we finally did have a fresh, light snowfall that temporarily blanketed the tree branches, I hotfooted it out to the backyard and took a few pictures of the only pretty snowfall that fell this winter.

Posted at 05:21 PM | Community | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Down in the Summit

Is the Summit Up or Down?

Reading the Summit Neighborhood Association blog I saw our neighbors to the North embroiled in a brouhaha over a proposed sign on the Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public library. Seems like they got their panties all in a bunch over a sign recognizing a donor who made a sizable financial contribution to the branch. The sign measures 14' by 18'', and I guess it offends some of the delicate sensibilities over there in Hope, oops, I mean Summit. I guess for the arbiters of taste there, the sign signifies poor taste. Woe be the donor (Does no good deed go unpunished?).

Click on the Summit link above and you can read all about the brouhaha. I especially enjoyed reading Maurice (Madd Dogg) Methot's comment. (I LOVE MO-REESE!, just as Boston Celtic for life Tommy Heinsohn used to exclaim "I LOVE WALTAH". And to paraphrase the Globe's Bob Ryan, "Why can't Mt. Hope get citizens like that!")

I mean no disrespect, for Mr. Methot makes a nuanced, well thought out, articulate argument for his concern and addresses and provides a thorough analysis of the subtext beneath the SNA's actions. I believe his comments are right on the money, as usual, and though it may take some effort to read and digest all he offers, it is worth the effort.

Find also of interest the District 8 Crime Report courtesy of District 8's Lt. Commander, Lt. Sciavulli.

Reading the report and the comments, you will find that blaming the victim is big in the Summit. Instead of bemoaning the fact of rampant crime, criminal behavior, and lax law enforcement, victims in the Summit are stupid or careless and actually victims of their own naivety for forgetting where they live. Even the victims blame themselves.

What's wrong with this picture?

It is great that the Summit finally has a working blog and some give and take among the residents and the organization. I applaud.

But what the Summit really needs is more subsidized housing, more poor people. Like Mt. Hope. Then they will have more to worry about than signage and ridiculous "bump outs". Ah, the liberal gentry: don't you just love 'em.

Not in my backyard!

John Twomey

Posted at 05:27 PM | Community | Comments (0)

A Death in the Global Village

Jean Baudrillard

Philosopher Jean Baudrillard died Tuesday. A Frenchman, Baudrillard, wrote many books, among them Simulacra and Simulation.

As a thinker, he pioneered the concepts of "hyperreality" and "simulation." a change in our post modern culture where simulated experiences and feelings replace authentic feeling and experience.
The Matrix series of movies were partially based on a flawed understanding of Baudrillard's thought and contained references to his philosophy.

In recent work Baudrillard dealt with terrorism: from the New York Times obituary:

“The Spirit of Terrorism: And Requiem for the Twin Towers” was published just a year after 9/11. In it, he argued that Islamic fundamentalists tried to create their own reality; the resulting media spectacle would give the impression that the West was constantly under threat of terrorist attack.

The current American invasion of Iraq is an effort to “put the rest of the world into simulation, so all the world becomes total artifice and then we are all-powerful,” he told The Times. “It’s a game.”

Posted at 05:21 PM | The Arts | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

International Women's Day

In Celebration of Every Woman

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MHNA Checks In

The announcement, appearing below, Mt. Hope Neighborhood News appeared in the Community News section of the East Side Monthly.

Nothing but luck and best wishes to the new leadership at the MHNA, but if they characterize "gentrification" as "Bad" and "Affordable Housing" as in "Subsidized" as "Good" well, there is a need for dialogue about these characterizations.

I hope the MHNA is willing to also address the very real problems of drug dealing, loitering, littering, and gang violence, including the ongoing feud between youth factions of Mt. Hope and South Providence which have lead to many "Shots Fired" in our lovely and much improving Mt. Hope neighborhood.

None of the above issues were addressed in the MHNA announcement. I hope these issues are not on their back burner but rather front and center.

The new leadership at the MHNA seems eminently qualified to lead the organization in a new direction, which will help Mt. Hope reach its true potential as a neighborhood in harmony, not only with its diverse population, but with the environment, and to help Mt. Hope taxpayers get their money's worth in city services, including street cleaning, park maintenance, and law enforcement.

From the East Side Monthly.

Mt. Hope Neighborhood News By Michelle Wilson

New Leadership at Mt. Hope Neighborhood Association

Chris D. Lopes has been elected as new Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mount Hope Neighborhood Association (MHNA). Lopes is a lifelong resident of the East Side with third generational ties to the Mount Hope community. A graduate of Hope High School, Lopes attended the University of Rhode Island (URI) and where he received a bachelor's degree in Economics and Communications. While at URI, Lopes was President of Uhuru Sa Sa, a minority student organization, and was instrumental in moving the organization in a positive direction. Over the years, Lopes has held progressively responsible positions as a software engineer for the State of Rhode Island, Lifespan (RI Hospital), and Atlantic Data Services. He also served in management positions for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Citizens Bank. Currently, Lopes is employed at Fidelity Investments in Boston.

In 1986, while serving as Campaign Manager for Councilman Donald J. "Danny" Lopes, Lopes developed a passion for public service. In his role as Board Chair, Lopes believes MHNA is at a cross roads were the organization is favorably positioned to align itself not only with the needs of the community but also with the residents it represents. He plans to refocus the centers efforts by strengthening organizational capacity, expanding the mission of MHNA, and restoring the Association's commitment to community empowerment. States Lopes, "We will create a business model, goals and bench marks that will help guide MHNA's efforts as we work to introduce new, effective programs that fit the needs of the community." Additional priorities include streamlining costs and establishing more effective communication channels to the community.

Raymond L. Watson also joins MHNA as the newly hired Executive Director. Watson is one of the community's own. Raised in the Mt. Hope area until the age of thirteen, Watson also has strong generational ties to this historic East Side community. A graduate of Classical High School, Watson received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Union College in Schenectady, NY. He continued his studies at the University of Rhode Island where he graduated with a master's degree in Community Planning.

Watson has ambitious goals for MHNA. He sees the task of rebuilding and strengthening those services that address the needs of residents as key to the agencies growth and sustainability. Watson notes that "as Executive Director, I describe my vision for MHNA with the phrase "Hope and Pride." "I hope not only to continue to build the neighborhood's confidence in the Center but also share my sense of pride and excitement for the organization with residents of this community."

Moving forward, there are several social/community issues Watson intends to address. His focus will include expansion of employment and training opportunities for youth, increasing the availability of elderly services, the development of a community needs assessment, and a major study on how gentrification has impacted this neighborhood. "Although Mt. Hope has managed to survive, unless immediate steps are taken to address the affordable housing needs of the neighborhood, we may see what happened to the Benefit Street section of Providence occur here in Mt. Hope - that would be a grave travesty as Mt. Hope has deep roots in the history of the city of Providence."

"This is a very exciting time for MHNAÓ says Watson. MHNA is currently in the process of restructuring and refocusing its energy and resources to ensure that we are serving Mt. Hope in the best way possible. I think that I jumped on board at an excellent time."
Residents of the Mt Hope are invited to meet Lopes, Watson and members of the Board of Directors at the Association's upcoming community open house scheduled for Saturday, March 3rd from 10:00 am - 12:00 p.m. For more information or to R.S.V.P, please call 521-8830.

Posted by: John Twomey

Posted at 11:01 AM | Community | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

X marks the Spot -- Search Hits

Recently some interesting searches were used to access this website, and they are listed below.

The most common search engine used seems to be, of course, Google followed by Msn and Yahoo. Other refering sites include our neighboring community websites www.wbna.org/ the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, and the SNA, the Summit Neighborhood Association.

Connections from the Providence Journal (ProJo) and the East Side Monthly also occur.

We've had visitors recently from Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, Japan, the Ukraine, Israel, China, Germany, and Great Britan, among others.

Search Terms

rochambeau rhode island neighborhood organizations
greater camp concerned maurice methot
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