Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - May 22, 2020

HOT

Nicole Romano

Rhode Island-based jeweler Nicole Romano is firmly now on the national scene — with appearances on HSN and a shop at The Plaza Hotel in New York — and her hard work and stellar designs have caught the eye of one big reality celebrity. 

Luann de Lesseps of Bravo's “Real Housewives of New York” is a huge Romano fan.

“I met the Countess while I had my Shop at The Plaza Hotel in NYC,” said Romano. “She wore many of my statement pieces in the show, on her first book cover, at her album launch party and on 'Watch What Happens Live' - one of my favorite moments because she gave me a shout out!”

Romano said she believes de Lesseps has “around a dozen” of her pieces. 

Read more about Romano and here Super Sale this week here.

Photo: Romano, Richard Bertone Photography; de Lesseps courtesy of Romano

HOT

Onne van der Wal, Photographer 

Award-winning nautical photographer Onne van der Wal can usually be found at his gallery on Bannister’s Wharf in Newport when he’s not traveling the world on assignment. 

Now during the coronavirus crisis, he can be spotted around town supporting local restaurants on the “Onne Newport Restaurant Tour,” dining on takeout with his family in the back of what was once a trailer for equipment.

Now, it is outfitted with candles and a white tablecloth — and adorned with his photography work -- as a "pop-up dining room."

And van der Wal is the first one not to take credit, saying the trailer concept was “all his wife’s idea.”

The family’s first “takeout” was at the Clarke Cooke House, and then they most recently set up shop outside of Bar ‘Cino and Stoneacre Brasserie.

“We parked in Washington Square and the light was just amazing,” said van der Wal - who knows light. 

READ MORE

HOT

Megan Ranney MD, MPH

Practicing emergency physician and researcher Megan Ranney MD, MPH with the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University has been a regular feature on national news during the COVID-19 crisis for her expertise — and front line work. 

And now Ranney — along with her children — has a new fan. 

“Big surprise for deserving doctor” was the feature segment on Good Morning America’s “Tell TJ,” after the program learned that Ranney and her children are big Katy Perry fans. 

On video, Ranney shared what it is like to be on the front lines

“We’ve got a gazillion ambulances waiting to greet me as I go into my critical care shift — hopefully saving some lives here tonight,” she told the camera. 

“I can take care of appendicitis, or a heart attack, or car crashes, you know, almost in my sleep — but with COVID-19, we don’t have the science yet. So there’s this anxiety about, ‘I’m not sure what the right thing to do is’ sometimes, and as a doctor that’s awfully uncomfortable,” she said. “I went into medicine to help people, and I’ve been taught not to shy away from even the difficult cases.”

Good Morning America decided to surprise the family.

Enter Katy Perry, via remote video, surprising Ranney and her children on the show. 

Read more here. 

HOT

Fatts Russell

He has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and is headed back to URI for his senior year - hopefully it will be played.

Russell is one of college basketball's most exciting players.

HOT

Restaurants Reopening

Let's all keep our fingers cross that outdoor eating helps local restaurants and does not force them to burn through capital and has an adverse impact.

See 15 spots that are opening up this week in Rhode Island.

HOT

Special Olympics Rhode Island 

This year, Special Olympics Rhode Island is creating the first-ever Virtual Summer Games on May 29 and May 30, due to COVID-19, as the organization had to significantly alter its State Summer Games.  

THE GROUP IS IN NEED OF SUPPORT - DONATE HERE

The 2020 Virtual Summer Games will be unlike any other competitions that SORI has ever hosted.  It will include opportunities for athletes to compete in a variety of events from the safety of their home.  It’s also an incredible opportunity to virtually bring together not only our athletes, but family members, coaches, volunteers and sponsors.

The Virtual Summer Games Schedule:

Friday, May 29th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm – Opening Ceremony will include pieces that you would traditionally see during an SORI Opening Ceremony, such as the Parade of Athletes, Guest Speakers, entertainment, Torch Run and much more!

Saturday, May 29th  from 9:00am – 10:00am – Sports Competition/Awards

Saturday, May 30th from 10:30am – 12:30pm – Olympic Village will include health tips from our Healthy Athlete Clinicians, Yoga, Zumba, fun activities and much more!

Saturday, May 30th from 7:00pm – 8:30pm – Athlete Dance/Closing Ceremony
 

NOT

Zero Leadership on Budget

Governor Gina Raimondo said Thursday that she is taking things "one week at a time." 

The Rhode Island House Finance Committee received more sobering news from House Fiscal Advisor Sharon Reynolds Ferland, who told the committee on Wednesday afternoon that the budget gap in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 has climbed significantly over the past couple of weeks and is now an $866 million shortfall.

"Now, it is closer to $900 million," said Reynolds Ferland, after reports last week following the May revenue estimating conference the number was around $800 million. 

And, nearly every week there is more bad news.

The CARES Act federal secured by Congress in April cannot be used to fill the budget hole.

Raimondo’s proposed cut of $58.5 million to Rhode Island’s hospitals is still in the budget and if lawmakers restore those funds, then the budget gap will far exceed $900 million.

The present fiscal year faces a $248.7 million shortfall with less than 45 days in the fiscal year. And, fiscal year 2021 is projected to see a $617.7 million deficit.

NOT

Restaurant Closings Hitting Rhode Island

Another popular Rhode Island restaurant has announced it is closing.

Warwick's Eleven Forty Nine announced it is closing as a result of the economic downturn tied to the coronavirus.

The restaurant joins Nick's on Westminster Street, Bravo, and others that have announced their permanent closure.

NOT

Second Wave 

In an interview with the Financial Times, Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, painted a potentially dark picture for the fall and warned that the United States would need to increase its "disease-tracking capabilities rapidly in the next few months to avoid another public health crisis as seasonal flu coincides with a second wave of Covid-19."

“We’ve seen evidence that the concerns it would go south in the southern hemisphere like flu [are coming true], and you’re seeing what’s happening in Brazil now,” Dr Redfield said. “And then when the southern hemisphere is over I suspect it will reground itself in the north.” 

“This simple respiratory viral pathogen has really brought my nation to its knees, and the reality is, it’s no one particular person’s fault,” Dr Redfield said. “This nation has been unprepared for that for decades.”

“I can’t guarantee; that’s kind of getting into the opinion mode, we have to be data-driven. What I can say is that we are committed to using the time that we have now to get this nation as overprepared as possible.”

He added: “If we have a [flu] season like we had the year I became CDC director [2018] — almost 80,000 people died — it’s going to put a lot of stress independently by itself on our health system . . . and then you add on coronavirus and you can see the stress on the health system.”

NOT

RI's Unemployment

Simply a disaster. Nearly 300,000 claims have been filed for unemployment insurance, gig economy benefits and temporary disability insurance in Rhode Island.