Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - December 27, 2019

HOT

Providence Jobs

Providence will be one of the hottest job markets in the coming year -- according to ZipRecruiter.com.

The jobs-hiring website lists Providence as the fourth hottest job market in 2020.

“At a time when the fastest-growing sectors are education and healthcare, Providence is at an advantage, with its many major hospitals and universities. Providence boasts a wide variety of service-sector job opportunities and is also home to four Fortune 500 companies, which are major employers, including CVS Health,” writes ZipRecruiter.

The rankings come as the state of Rhode Island has added 10,700 jobs over the last year, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

To that end, ZipRecruiter identified the hottest job markets across the country, based on the growing number of job postings and median wage, among other criteria.

The Rankings

Top 10 hottest job markets in 2020

1. Fargo (North Dakota)

2. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy (Massachusetts)

3. Sioux Falls (South Dakota)

4. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)

5. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford (Maine)

HOT

Multiple Caprios

If you like Judge Frank Caprio in his courtroom series “Caught in Providence,” then you may love a gaggle of Caprios working to help folks who are down and out in their new series — “The Caprios of Providence.”

The new social series on Facebook works under the mantra of “helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for that one person."

“The Caprios of Providence" has launched the first five segments on Facebook over the past week-plus.  The new production includes Caprio’s three sons — former RI General Treasurer Frank, Jr., former State Representative David, and John, as well as the judge’s daughter Marissa.

The show is produced by the judge’s brother Joe Caprio who is the producer of “Caught in Providence” and also stars in the new show.

The show is shot at the Caprio’s home in Narragansett and at the senior Caprio's law office on Federal Hill in Providence.

In the premiere episode of "The Caprios of Providence," Judge Caprio and his family set out to help a former boxing star who is homeless, unemployed and lost all hope.

HOT

19 Who Made a Difference in 2019

GoLocal takes a look at the change-makers — those that made a difference in 2019.

These are the individuals who innovated, transformed, and even blundered a bit, making an impact along the way. 

SEE THE FULL LIST OF THE 19 WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE HERE

HOT

Good Chefs

No, really good chefs.

A group of local chefs from Xaco Taco, Bayberry Beer Hall and Bravo Bistro teamed up to cook dinner at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center for patients and their visiting family members, as well as, HopeHealth staff and volunteers.

John Martone, general manager of Xaco Taco, and Joe Martone, general manager of Bayberry Beer Hall, organized the event as a way to honor their mother Sandra’s memory.

“John and Joe Martone have been part of the HopeHealth family for five years. They do this as a beautiful way to honor their mother Sandra’s memory. We are so very grateful to John and Joe and all the chefs from Chow Fun Group for providing a special dinner at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center during the holidays for our patients, families, and staff,” said Suzanne Fortier, Vice President of Philanthropy at HopeHealth.

The dinner took place on Sunday, December 15. 

The Dinner

The Martone's, who are part of Chow Fun Food Group, connected with Chefs Dave Johnson from Bayberry Beer Hall, Chef Andy Pyle from Xaco Taco and Pastry Chef Teresa Nelson from Bravo Bistro.

The evening’s menu included Coq au vin with braised chicken meatballs and buttered noodles, bacon-wrapped roasted Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, braised cabbage, salad, and bread and a selection of desserts.

NOT

Is Rock and Roll Dead?

It is gone. The WHJJ/WHJY Broadcast Center was once the home for the biggest names in radio, when radio was big business in Rhode Island.

Now, it has been demolished.

For decades, the broadcast center in East Providence was one of the hubs of Rhode Island media. Then, it became an abandoned ghost building that became the backstage for viral videos.

In its prime, the broadcast center was home to everyone from AM talk radio icons Sherm Strickhauser, Buddy Cianci, and Arlene Violet. On the FM side, it was Paul and Al, Carolyn Fox, Rudy Cheeks and Janet “From Another Planet” Bates. 

Photo: GoLocalProv.com

NOT

Anything for a Buck?

Yikes!

Rhode Island native and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo is among a number of celebrities who attended the “MDL Beast” music festival in Saudi Arabia — and are now facing backlash in social media for going despite the country’s human rights record. 

The response to their visit comes as Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death over the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. 

“Turkish officials on Tuesday urged international media not to cease investigating the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi Consulate last October after the Saudi government sentenced five people in connection with the death, according to Reuters,” reported The Hill. 

Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah Tweeted the following regarding what she said were the “paid” festival attendees — which she said included Culpo (see full list below). 

Speaking of the Saudi regime trying to buy the appearance of progress —

Here are names of western celebs and influencers that the regime paid this weekend to post feel-good IG photos of concerts in Riyadh.  
@MDLBeast

All of this is blood money. #JamalKhashoggi

SEE LIST HERE

Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski Tweeted that she turned down attending with the following statement:

“I have always wanted to visit Saudi Arabia but when a recent opportunity came to me involving making and promoting an appearance there. I had to decline," she wrote. 

"It is very important to me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, freedom of expression, and the right to free press. I hope coming forward on this brings more attention to the injustices there," she added.

Culpo posted photos to her Instagram account about attending the event — but made no mention of the controversy. 

“So grateful to be in a country I’ve never experience before. Thank you for the warm welcome in Saudi! Heading to MDL Beast now,” she Tweeted. 

NOT

Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, WeWorks

It was supposed to be the year of the Unicorn companies, but the more and more that comes out, creeps you out.

A couple of weeks ago, Uber came clean that thousands of its customers were sexually assaulted.

Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting serious questions about Airbnb, "The company had suffered through a string of embarrassing safety problems, including prostitution, theft and voyeuristic hosts using cameras to watch guests."

NOT

New York Times

Brown University Professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon Wood is among a group of academics who are challenging the New York Times on their recent “1619 Project,” a program organized by the NYT in 2019 with the goal of re-examining the legacy of slavery in the United States. 

"Demonstrating the importance of slavery in the history of our country is essential and commendable," said Wood. "But that necessary and worthy goal will be seriously harmed if the facts in the project turn out to be wrong and the interpretations of events are deemed to be perverse and distorted."

Last week, the NYT published Wood’s — along with four other historians — letter online contesting the series with what the academics said were “strong reservations about important aspects” of the NYT project.

“On the American Revolution, pivotal to any account of our history, the project asserts that the founders declared the colonies’ independence of Britain ‘in order to ensure slavery would continue,’” the historians wrote. “This is not true. If supportable, the allegation would be astounding.”

After the NYT publically refused to issue any corrections, Wood provided GoLocalProv.com with his latest response -- in which he said he believes the project "will lose credibility."