On an off day last week, during rush hour crawling through the Route 295 North Cranston caverns, I came upon a high-end black SUV with a single sticker neatly tucked into the bottom left of the back window.
During the first week of August, I attended a press conference at Providence City Hall to witness the announcement of the Immigration Legal As… Read more
On Monday I was shopping at Marshalls and noticed a woman with a medium-sized dog on a leash. For a quick second I wondered to myself why the … Read more
I was in St. Louis for an annual family reunion this last Fourth of July weekend. It was a grand time in every way possible. Four generations of my beautiful family gathered to laugh, hug, kiss new babi… More
Don Fox is playing show and tell. More
Editor’s note: The Breeze is having supporters of various candidates for governor write columns this summer. This is the latest in the series. More
In my full-time job, a big part of my work focuses on coalition building and advocacy for different issues impacting Rhode Islanders. For many like myself, July brings the work of a full legislative yea… More
At this time of year, public enthusiasm and the long-revered tradition of celebrating the nation’s founding combine to fill the local skies with fireworks. More
The most patriotic people I know are immigrants to the United States. Their appreciation for America is different from mine because they have personally experienced life without the freedom and opportun… More
For decades during my broadcast career I have avoided what I refer to as “shelf topics,” conversations that generate the same boring and predictable calls. More
Last month I wrote an article that was in part a reaction to the series of horrific mass shootings in New York, Oklahoma and Texas. I also wrote about a conversation I had with a young man who said, “It… More
There is a proposed bill in the R.I. Statehouse that would require, as of July 1, at least two police officers in each public school. More
About a month ago, news swirled that RIPTA would be suspending its express bus service to the beach. I felt a pain in my belly immediately, and a wave of nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. More
The cars were stopped and pedestrians were everywhere on Mendon Road last Friday night, as the Cumberland High School Class of 2022 spilled out with friends and family in tow. An officer worked the traf… More
When my good friend Elyse Major and I agreed to become co-presidents of the Rhode Island Press Association last year, we had a goal to help create a more vibrant organization that makes a significant di… More
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Editor’s note: With some open column slots this spring and summer, we’re asking supporters of various candidates for governor to give their perspective on those running. More
I’m sick to death of observing another moment of silence when children have been murdered, particularly in a school setting. Since 2018 there have been 119 school shootings. The most recent carnage at a… More
Editor's note: John Marion, of Common Cause Rhode Island, will have a rebuttal of this piece in the upcoming edition of The Breeze. More
Editor’s note: This column was written prior to the mass murder of children and teachers at a school in Texas. More
Editor’s note: With some open column slots this spring and summer, we’re asking supporters of various candidates for governor to give their perspective on those running. More
I am baffled. From 2009 to 2018, there were at a minimum 33 bridge suicides in Bristol and Newport County. I do not have anything for 2019 and most of 2020, but from November 2020 until today, I am awar… More
When the news broke last month that the online outlet Politico had a draft of a majority opinion written by Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito, a likely precursor to flipping Roe vs. Wade and … More
In the 2022 Rhode Island race for governor, Democrats challenging Dan McKee in the primary must be hoping that the self-financed Republican candidate can get her act together and become the foil. More
You probably know that women make up more than 50 percent of the population in our state and country. You may also be aware that women are more likely to be heads of households and caregivers for childr… More
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Growing up as a kid with multiple children in the family, and later as a teen when a bunch of my buddies were piling into the car, you had to remember to make the claim early to secure the front passenger seat in the car. Have a mental breakdown and someone else would call it, and you’d be s… More
Rhode Island’s latest education goal, as stated by the education commissioner and Department of Education, is to “reimagine high school.” While the turn of phrase is eye roll inducing, it is heartening to see an effort to align graduation requirements with eligibility prerequisites to attend… More
Improbably, the relatively small Providence Journal, not newspaper giants the New York Times or the Washington Post, had an out of proportion influence on America finally deciding to enter World War I. The fact that The Journal’s effort was spearheaded by a man who lived most of his adult li… More
Early on in the pandemic, our team here at The Breeze decided that we weren’t going to allow the difficult circumstances we were all experiencing lessen our support to the communities we cover, not only through our coverage, but in money, time, and organizing. More
This week, The Valley Breeze begins coverage in Central Falls, and I, for one, could not be more excited. This small and vibrant city has a very special place in my heart, and I hope that soon, it will make space in yours too. More
I went to Washington, D.C., last week and saw the White House in real life for the first time, and it was striking how much smaller the place looks in real life than on TV and in movies. One reason for my trip was to attend an event for a woman running as a Democrat for New York’s 12th Congr… More
There is no end to my disappointment in policy around production of energy in the United States. For all Americans, the price of gas has exploded higher. For those in our area, heating oil costs have soared too, making for colder homes and more difficulty for those least able to afford it. More
Many think it’s a “payoff” to the unions for their vote in the fall. More
For the past few years, we have seen an increase in “diverse” panels or presentations across sectors including business, government and nonprofits. I myself have been part of quite a few of those panels. For a while, I felt grateful to be part of such discussions and be able to share some of… More
It hits you like a ton of bricks when at the beginning of the weekend, “3” is the first number on the gas signs, and come the end of the weekend, it’s a substantial “4.” More
It seems to be the only reason the western world looked on and correctly predicted an invasion as Russia built its military position on its borders, and now only watches every day as the two countries battle it out inside the sovereign Ukraine. It’s an all too real tragic drama playing out l… More
Editor's note: This column was submitted prior to Vladimir Putin's full-scale attack on Ukraine. More
I’m glad there are parents such as Brendon Hall of Pawtucket, who intervened last month at the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts to stop a 9th-grade performance of the play “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.” If you look it up, you’ll see “Fun Home” was performed for… More
The first time I witnessed my mom voting I was about 8 years old while we lived in Colombia. At the time, I did not really understand what she was doing, what impact it had, or why it was all that adults talked about. More
Aside from my career as an actor, director, playwright, and composer, I love my career work as a teacher. I teach at universities and colleges, public and private high schools, as well as offering private acting lessons. More
Is it really too much to ask that an iced coffee at the drive-thru come with a straw? The answer to that seemingly absurd question if you live in Rhode Island is yes, yes it is too much to ask. In the state of Rhode Island we have outdone ourselves when it comes to messed up priorities and a… More
It’s getting harder to write a newspaper column. Unlike social media lords, I can’t write two columns for the two Americas, and have exactly the correct people from the correct information silos pick up each version. Social media companies can do that, though, and they’re ruining society. More
On Thursday mornings, I’ll often find Rhea Bouchard Powers at Walnut Hill Bowl in Woonsocket, waiting for The Valley Breeze to arrive so she can see how her column looks in print. More
Have you read the revised Rhode Island guidance on COVID school protocols issued for this week? Give it a quick read, then close your eyes and repeat what it says. More
Almost every sports fan in America will tell you all the reasons why Antonio Brown should never play another down in the National Football League. His stellar career is tainted with legal matters and team disciplinary challenges including the latest this season when he was suspended for faki… More
The COVID pandemic has made planning difficult for just about everyone from multinational corporations to families trying to make daily schedules. It is quite common to hear people say, “We’re making a plan, but COVID is driving the bus and we’re not sure where we are going.” More
They’re getting it right in Pawtucket. More
While growing up, the idea of grief was foreign to me. It was something I saw others endure on television or heard my family members mention. However, I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t understand how the absence of someone or something could create such a deep feeling. More
- Arlene Violet
- 4
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? More
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that people are more disconnected than ever despite the greatest ease of communication we’ve seen at any time in human history. More
The news about the Omicron variant ironically broke last Friday, the day after normalcy returned for many American families. If you didn’t have indigestion from overindulging on your turkey dinner and desserts, there was, for some, the stock market drop to seal the deal. More
In 1987, while I was the artist-in-residence at the University of Rhode Island, I wrote, along with my co-composer Robert Schleeter, a musical title “The Spirit Warrior’s Dream.” It was a play about a charismatic leader (The Dreamkiller) who rose to power by taking away the people’s will to … More
After hearing NEA Director Bob Walsh’s comments about stay-at-home moms on a recent episode of PBS’s “A Lively Experiment,” one has to wonder if it is the official position of his union that stay-at-home moms can’t also be education advocates. 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
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
“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
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
- Ethan Shorey
- 0
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
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
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
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
Gov. Dan McKee is down eight approval points on COVID from his high-water mark this spring. It should not be a surprise. More
- By ERIKA SANZI
- 26
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