I was taken aback when I received a letter from Santa! There in black and white was his Christmas list of Rhode Island leaders who have been either naughty or nice. One politician dominated the naughty list. Santa asked me to let you know who is on each list. Who am I to disregard his request?
In Rhode Island, we believe that every child should get off to the right start in life. One prepares them to succeed in our schools and to soc… Read more
On Oct. 21, my mom fell at home. She was already using a walker and the next month would prove to be a difficult one for all of my family. Read more
The news about the Omicron variant ironically broke last Friday, the day after normalcy returned for many American families. If you didn’t hav… Read more
Air travel has become one of the most-used forms of transportation across the globe. However, in the last two decades there have been a few occasions when it screeched to a halt, most notably after Sept. 11 and most recently during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Both of these important events… More
Last week I met a man on Radcliffe Avenue in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence whose house had been bought by a real estate developer that rents almost exclusively to students, The 02908 Club. He told me that the new owners had nearly doubled the rent he and his wife were paying, from … More
To our Mayor Charles Lombardi: More
If my memory serves me correctly, it was about 15 years ago when I was an invited guest speaker at a dinner for professional engineers at Kirkbrae Country Club. Being that my late father was an accomplished executive in the banking security and semiconductor sectors, and an electrical engine… More
Greenville’s Vincent “Vin” Cimini is to Rhode Island ice hockey what Ken Jennings is to “Jeopardy,” a walking encyclopedia. More
Cities and towns need to be creative when it comes to hiring snow plow contractors. I’ve heard it over and over that the high cost of liability insurance keeps many away from working for cities and towns. More
I’ll admit, I don’t “embrace change.” I’m slow at that. More
Dear North Smithfield, More
I have served on the North Smithfield School Committee for six years. Our meeting in August became infamous based on the behavior of a small collection of people who tried to cajole the committee – and other audience members – into ignoring science and the safety of our students. More
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” More
I see we have another $3.2 million for a new football field. I also see we have another $2 million (I may be wrong on the actual amount) to build a new playground. I see we have $800,000 to build a new animal shelter, which was promised to start six months ago by our loyal, compassionate May… More
The men’s homeless shelter at Harvest Community Church would like to thank our friends at WNRI radio and Tommy Brien for organizing and hosting our 8th annual coffee drive on Oct. 23. We were once again overwhelmed and blessed by the support of our community as we raised over $1,100 and stoc… More
The October broadcast of “48 Hours” was billed as “The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who’s to blame for the disaster that killed 100.” Regrettably, it didn’t fully answer either question. It fit the very definition of a “puff piece” which had to be salt in the many wounds of the … More
“Type of people” comment re: MacIntosh/Chopmist hill development (Valley Breeze & Observer article, Oct. 28 edition.) More
We have lived in Cumberland for over 30 years and this year, for the first time, moss is growing on our roof. We’ve had another wet summer but I guess we shouldn’t complain as we’ve been free of the wildfires, floods, drought and excessive temperatures that other parts of our country have be… More
I’ve written about this before but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. The subject has to do with fast drivers. I live on Sun Valley Drive and every morning at about 8:45 the “The Community School Caravan” begins. You can set your clock by it. More
I’ve been in an ongoing struggle with the Woonsocket Education Department. That started over administrators of Globe Park Elementary sharing children’s photos online without permission back in September of 2020. This is the situation that led to the revision of the Social Media Policy in Mar… More
November is truly one of the nicest months of the year. And, although beautifully colored leaves are falling from trees, nights are getting colder, and winter is on the horizon, it is a month to be thankful for many things. More
On Oct. 21, Dan Yorke felt the need to weigh in on the comments and performance of Dr. Alexander-Scott, a physician and public health practitioner. As someone familiar with public health, I took issue with some of the misconceptions presented in the article about her role and responsibility … More
This is a decisive moment in history when America can make a critical choice to save the planet with a simple, commonsense proposition – carbon pricing. With carbon pricing, also known as a carbon tax, companies are taxed on the carbon content they emit, and the revenue is then distributed a… More
The scene that played out last week at the North Kingstown School Committee meeting is certainly something to behold and one that could be repeated in the near future, similar to the “critical race theory” aggressive open mic protests that have popped up throughout the state and nation. More
Pause a moment to appreciate those who volunteer for public service. It’s easy to criticize, but could we do better? Could we shape a bill as thoughtful as the Save Our Futures Act introduced by Sen. Whitehouse and cosponsored by Sen. Reed a few months ago? More
Child care in Woonsocket and across Rhode Island is in crisis. This reality is impacting families who need reliable, affordable, quality child care to get back to work and it is impacting our businesses who need employees. More
America’s leadership has “gone down the drain,” and the Swamp Creatures are leading our country into, not only a soul-destroying direction, but into a full-blown governmental destruction! More
I was dismayed by the Breeze Oct. 21 issue’s column by Dan Yorke. I watched the press event that his article referred to and saw no indication of the “public defiance” that he implies. Not only did he miss the mark on that interpretation of events, he also misinformed your readers of the ter… More
I wanted to write in response to Ricardo Pitts-Wiley’s editorial in the Oct. 21-27 edition of The Breeze. Responses are limited to 500 words so I’m only addressing two sections of his editorial. In the third paragraph he states that people are “standing by while the center falls apart’.” My … More
I’d like to have this opportunity to respond to an editorial that appeared in last week’s Valley Breeze concerning the proposed police station in North Smithfield. I agree with the writer, Mr. John Carroll of Slatersville, whom I don’t know. The cost and size of a new police station is outra… More
I have this thing I do each holiday season where I try to buy the vast majority of my presents from local retailers. Sometimes I’m more successful than others, but the process is always rewarding, as I get to meet or get reacquainted with wonderful local merchants and often find fun items at… More
Mrs. Donahue was my school librarian at Hardy Elementary School. She was kind and patient as she helped me find books such as “Where the Red Fern Grows,” just the right book for a 5th-grader to read. And she knew how to shush us in that warm but strict way that told us she wasn’t mean. More
I would like to take note of the Lincoln Town Council’s unambiguous support of Second Amendment rights. More
Domenick Fabrizio’s letter about town noise (Valley Breeze Oct. 14) made some reasonable points. However, we think his assessment of the various sources of commotion on our street in Cumberland was incomplete. More
I’m sure we have all seen the television commercial where the elderly woman is crying out, “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” I always said that will never be me. Well, on the night of Sept. 2, that was me. More
A blatant disagreement on crucial COVID policy between Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Health and her boss, Gov. Dan McKee, occurred last week right in front of the comatose press and the tuned-in audience. More
Rhode Island is a popular place to visit in the summertime. It’s known for its beaches and city life. Tourists come in from many different backgrounds and when asked about their experience they say, “That place is home to potholes and rocky roads.” More
The Union has never been perfect for many people. It was full of flaws and loopholes that allowed the rich and thus powerful to stay rich and powerful. It supported the capitalist idea that a permanent underclass of people had to be maintained at all costs. While the Union was founded on Chr… More
It’s been a long and interesting 18 months since I’ve been on this page, and in that time, political conditions in our country have deteriorated. I’m pretty sure the two are not related. More
Dear Observer neighbors and concerned citizens, More
Something needs to be done about the R.I. health care system. The hospitals are terrible. The wait times are outrageous, and they give you minimal care. More
Regarding this flooding problem in Arnold Mills, I would suggest that the RIDOT might need to dig a bit deeper in their records beyond 1961. More
There was a time when living in Cumberland offered a pleasant and quiet way of life. Granted, an increase in population will always change the character of an area, but a small percentage of individuals can aggravate the situation to an abnormal level. Besides the well-documented speeding is… More
The proposed cost and size of a new North Smithfield police station is outrageous. At 22,214 square feet it would be larger than Woonsocket’s which has a police force three times larger. With a department of approximately 30 people each would have 740 square feet of workspace – the size of a… More
Memory is a mystery. No matter how old we are, there are moments from our young lives that are vivid. Things we saw, great moments we had, things that scared us. So profound, these slices of time and why the picture or scene sticks may make perfect sense to us. Some remain for reasons that w… More
Editor’s note: This week starts our new schedule of columnists in the slot that’s typically been filled by Arlene Violet. As a reminder, Arlene will now be writing once per month in her retirement, starting next month, and three other columnists will be writing on other weeks, including Marc… More
It is an honor to announce my endorsement of Marlena Martins Stachowiak for Pawtucket City Council District 6. The primary for the race will take place on Nov. 2. More
Albert Einstein said, “the important thing is not to stop questioning,” but something strange and unhealthy has unfolded before our eyes during the pandemic. It has become commonplace to see people shamed and even cast out of their social networks for simply asking questions about decisions … More
There’s a stretch of Mineral Spring Avenue in Pawtucket, measuring about two-tenths of a mile from San Antonio Way to Legion Drive, that’s an absolute dumping ground. More
I felt mixed emotions regarding the Town Council’s decision to delay an RFP to hire a diversity consultant. Members of the Smithfield Anti-Hate Coalition have engaged in a productive and thoughtful conversation around this news. Some have rightly pointed out that a delay could provide time f… More
As a small business owner, I have seen how hard it has been to recover from the significant economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Well-intentioned safety restrictions and other measures have put small businesses, like Santoro’s Pizza, at risk of shutting our doors for good. More
This is an open letter to the gaming executives at Bally’s/Twin River. I am writing as a poker player, town of Lincoln tax payer and new shareholder. Congratulations on finally breaking ground for your new expansion. The past year and a half has been extremely difficult on individuals and bu… More
To the Lincoln Planning Board: More
