Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - January 3, 2020
Analysis
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - January 3, 2020
Every Friday, GoLocalProv takes a look at who is rising and who is falling in Rhode Island politics, business, culture, and sports.
Now, we are expanding the list, the political perspectives, and we are going to a GoLocal team approach while encouraging readers to suggest nominees for who is "HOT" and who is "NOT."
Email GoLocal by midday on Thursday about anyone you think should be tapped as "HOT" or "NOT." Email us HERE.
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HOT
Brown Hoops -- RI State Champs
URI looked like they were the class of RI D-I basketball, but then they went to play on Providence's East Side.
On Thursday night, the Rams got outplayed, outcoached and, even, outrebounded by the Ivy League Bears.
URI beat Providence College and the Friars won't play the Bears.
Brown opened the season with a win over a very good Bryant team.
The Brown Bears are the 2019-2020 Rhode Island State Champions.
HOT
Evan Granoff
Evan Granoff spent $8 million to rehab and save the once-derelict Arcade in downtown Providence.
He transformed the building into a combination of micro-lofts and commercial space. It was a high-risk move and faced many doubters.
It was brilliant. It saved the building.
Now, he is taking the building condo, in a move that will likely create long-term economic stability. After all, the building turns 200 years old in 2028.
HOT
Whiskey Republic -- New Owners
The Whiskey Republic in Providence is being sold, GoLocal first reported on Thursday.
Business partners Garry Williams and Frank Manfredi, Jr. -- who presently own The Strand in Providence along with the nearby Rosendale downtown -- have purchased the waterfront establishment.
Williams said that the previous bar at the location -- The Fish Co. -- had particular meaning to him.
"It wasn't so long ago the name wasn't Whiskey Republic but none other than The Fish Co. I worked in this venue for seven years where I learned a lot about the nightlife industry and a lot about life," said Williams. "I worked from the bottom and stayed humble the whole time (even when asked to pick up cigarette butts on the deck on my first day) to learn as much as possible knowing one day I would use what I learned as a tool in this industry.
"Well, fast forward 21 years later, and the world comes full circle and I'm beyond happy to announce I have purchased the same venue that I began this journey in," he added.
Williams and Manfredi purchased The Strand from Rich Lupo which currently operates as a music venue; The Rosendale several blocks over downtown is a bar and restaurant.
HOT
Smoking -- Must Be 21 Now to Purchas
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised the legal age to buy tobacco products in the U.S. from 18 to 21.
This comes after President Donald Trump signed legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act last week.
“It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product – including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes – to anyone under 21. FDA will provide additional details on this issue as they become available,” writes the FDA on their website.
The move applies to all tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vaping cartridges.
HOT
Bernie Sanders -- Crushed It
Just a few months ago he had a heart attack and questions were being raised if could he continue in the race.
This week, Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign said it raised more than $34.5 million in the fourth quarter.
In contrast, Pete Buttigieg raised $24 million and Joe Biden just $22 million.
Questions answered.
NOT
Seth Yurdin -- I Quit
The Providence City Councilman who rarely responded to constituent calls is quitting. Yurdin's explanation is that he has other things to do with his life.
Don't let the public service door hit you on the way out of City Hall.
NOT
Pawtucket Politics -- Bad Behavior
A Pawtucket City Councilwoman is accusing a fellow Council member of "sexist and racist" behavior at a recent holiday party.
As GoLocal reported last Saturday, Pawtucket City Councilwoman Elena Vasquez said Councilman Mark Wildenhain "threw two $1 bills at my face and told me to 'take a bus back to Colombia'" at the recent City Council holiday party.
"We were in a social setting where we had been bantering back and forth, just as we do nearly every time we’ve been together," said Wildenhain.
"But that is no excuse. I absolutely stepped over a line and I regretted it almost immediately. In fact, I called Elena the very next morning and left a voicemail apologizing for my actions," he added. "I followed that up with two sincere apologies by e-mails, both of which I copied to all council members."
NOT
Rhode Island Could Lose Clout
The Wall Street Journal is predicting Rhode Island is one of the states that will lose a congressional seat in the upcoming redistricting.
This would potentially force Democrats David Cicilline and Jim Langevin to face each other in a primary.
According to the WSJ, states that are likely to lose one seat are Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and California.
For California, it would be the first time the state has ever lost congressional seat since statehood in 1850.
Kimball Brace, President of the bipartisan political consulting firm Election Data Services(EDS), said he expects the changes will benefit the Republican Party.
"‘The big states that are very much Democratic are in a loss situation,’ he said, citing California, Illinois and New York, while traditionally Republican states like Texas and Arizona are poised to gain power," writes the WSJ.
"Rhode Island is also a state with an extremely close margin. For most of the decade our studies have projected that Rhode Island would lose their second seat by the end of the decade and the new numbers confirm that projection. But their margin has gotten tighter with the new data. For the past several years we saw that Rhode Island would lose that second seat by more than 25,000 people. But this new data shows the state missing the seat by only 14,539 residents," said EDS in a press release on Monday.
The Census Bureau on Monday released state population estimates for the year which ends July 1, 2020.
Congressional seats and electoral votes are allocated to states based on a census conducted every 10 years.
The 2019 estimates come less than a year before the next decennial census.
