Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - October 11, 2019

Friday, October 11, 2019

Analysis

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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Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - October 11, 2019

HOT

The Beauty of Sports

Aaron Auslander, who coaches the club soccer team at St. Patrick’s High School in Providence, said that his goalie Gabriel Aofolajuwonlo allowed a player at Narragansett High School with special needs to score a goal at the end of a tied game — which ensured that Narragansett won.

Auslander is a seasoned soccer coach, who only just last year joined St. Patrick’s to help guide a newly formed club that did not often have enough players to field a team, practiced in a small field — not a soccer pitch — at a church adjacent to the school, and struggled to find teams willing to scrimmage them.

A Narragansett alumni - where he also previously coached, Auslander spoke with GoLocalProv about the scrimmage this week that had him telling the teachers and staff at St. Patrick’s that “they should be extremely proud.”

HOT

Rob McClanaghan - Shooting Coach to the Superstars

Rob McClanaghan is that Rhode Island story -- from CYO player growing up, to now coaching three of the top paid players in the NBA -- simultaneously.

His clients or "partners" are Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook -- the number #2, #3, and #4 highest-paid players in the NBA, according to Forbes.

He played at Hendricken and Syracuse University -- not a bad pedigree for a hoop player, but where he has made his mark is as the NBA's premier shooting coach.

His new book "Net Work" is a must-read for those trying to create a successful structure for their career.

HOT

Pawtucket Hall of Famers

The Pawtucket Hall of Fame has announced its 2019 list of inductees.

This year’s 2019 Pawtucket Hall of Fame Inductees are: (humanitarian/mentor) Dr. Joseph J.Box, D.D.S, (political strategist/veteran teacher) Joseph T. Fleming, (coach & mentor) Larry Holloway, (veteran educator/community volunteer) (the late) Thomas A. Holleran, (mentor/athletic director) Raymond McGee, (community organizer/volunteer) Arthur M. Plitt, (city librarian/community volunteer) Susan L. Reed, and (President and CEO of RI Foundation) Neil D. Steinberg.

Also, being recognized as “historical inductees” are Darius Goff and sons, Lyman B. Goff and Darius Goff, Jr.

In addition to these inductions, this year’s recipient of the traditional “Person of the Year Award” which is given to recognize the person the committee believes has made an outstanding contribution over this past year will be presented to (developer) Leslie Moore.

The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, November 1 at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, which is opened 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

HOT

Gary Sasse

Talk about taking a stand.

Gary Sasse, head of the Hassenfeld Institute at Bryant University and a top Republican in Rhode Island, is calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

The former top cabinet member to Republican Governor Donald Carcieri said during an interview on GoLocal LIVE’s Business Monday, “I have come to the point of view where I think it's time that we impeach this President. I think that he has been out of bounds. I think by soliciting interference in our domestic politics he is committed an illegal act."

“The Federal Election Commission -- it makes it very clear that's illegal for anybody to solicit [or] accept, receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with an American election - that was done,” said Sasse.

Sasse did not support Trump in the GOP primary in 2016. He was a supporter of Ohio Governor John Kasich and has been an advisor to Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.

“I think it's beyond the pale that any President or any American would go to the president of the head of another country and ask him to investigate an American citizen let alone a political opponent as a point of leveraging military aid when Ukraine in many ways is the poster child and the symbolical thing for our relationship with Russia," said Sasse.

HOT

Pedro Espinal

It wasn't pretty, but Pedro Espinal won the crowded Democratic primary for the vacant Ward 10 seat.

HOT

United Way Awards

Congratulations to the award winners:

Dante F. Mollo Labor Award - Maribeth Calabro

Corporate Partnership Award - BankNewport

John H. Chafee Award - Sharon Conard-Wells

Young Leaders SPARK! Award - Marcela Betancur

NOT

Sports Betting Bust

The Rhode Island Lottery’s sportsbook generated a total of $3 million in gross profit in Fiscal Year 2019 — after Governor Gina Raimondo’s administration had originally promised to deliver $23.5 million to the state coffers in its first year.

This new form of gambling has been bungled from day one. At least it is consistent.

According to the yearly report released by the Office of the Auditor General on Monday, the Rhode Island Lottery paid $397.3 million to the State’s General Fund for the year ended June 30, 2019, an increase of $32.3 million over the prior year.

However, the gross profit to the state from the sportsbook totaled $3.0 million, after commissions, payouts and marketing expenses — more than $20 million off what the Administration had touted.

In November, the state had even downgraded its expected take, saying that it would realize $11 million.

Total revenue for the program in fiscal year 2019 was just $6,867,769 or 29 percent of what was promised.

NOT

Boston Globe Plans to Lay Off More Than 100 Union Workers

Union officials rallied against the Boston Globe’s plan to lay-off a reported 77 full-time and 44 part-time positions at the printing facility on Monday.

“TEAMSTERS LOCAL 1 RALLIES AGAINST BOSTON GLOBE OUTSOURCIING SCHEME -- Members of Teamsters Local 1 were joined by Local 25 Globe drivers, Mike Vartabedian of the Machinists and Steve Sullivan President of GCC IBT Local 3 to protest a plan to outsource Teamster work. Local 1 President Mary White addressed the crowd and promised to fight Globe owner John Henry's most recent attempt to undermine good middle-class jobs in New England,” said Teamsters Local 10 in a Facebook post.

The Boston Globe is owned by John Henry, the billionaire owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League.

The rally by the Teamsters was just three days after the Boston Newspaper Guild — the group representing the reporters in the Globe newsroom -- took their own action on Friday in Boston. They have been battling with Globe ownership for the past year over a new contract.

“Dedication is having about 25 BNG members and supporters show up on a rainy night to hand out fliers outside Globe Docs. That’s how much we want a fair contract from The Boston Globe. Thanks to our supporters from WBUR’s guild, CWA Local 1400 (WGBH employees), and the Teamsters representing the Globe’s drivers, pressmen, and mailers for joining us,” posted the Guild.

The cuts are part of a plan first reported by the Boston Business Journal last month, in which Boston Globe Media Partners LLC was said to be planning to move the mailroom work for its Globe Direct marketing service — which for decades has been performed by Globe employees affiliated with Teamsters Local 1, the Boston Mailers Union — out of Taunton.

In Rhode Island, the Globe employs three reporters and they are not members of the Guild.

NOT

Kick-Off Clash

Prominent Providence College graduate Vincent Marzullo -- who is President of the AARP Rhode Island -- raised concerns about the college's kickoff to the basketball season. He ran for the Rhode Island General Assembly in 2018.

He wrote in a letter to Providence College President Brian Shanley, "On Saturday my wife, Josie, and I attended the Late Night Madness that PC sponsored at The Dunk in downtown Providence. This event was highly publicized to the PC community – encouraging alumni, family, & friends to participate in the planned student hoopla."

The Late Night Madness event, which featured artist John Legend, was touted by PC as being private -- but "open to season ticket holders, students, alumni, and families only."

"At no time did any of the communications indicate that aspects of the evening program would include foul, explicit, disrespectful, racist language/content," Marzullo continued. "The 'A Boogie wit da Hoodie Concert' portion was extremely offensive & disturbing to my wife, myself and many other individuals. The 'F' & 'N' words were used repeatedly - it was shocking!"

The college issued a public apology, but never reached out to Marzullo.

PHOTO: Curtis Huynh

NOT

The Mailer That Won't Die

A mailer in the 2016 race between Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello and Republican challenger Steve Frias is now reportedly the subject of a grand jury convened by RI Attorney General Peter Neronha.

The mailer that had a shelf-life of about ten seconds and was probably read over a garbage can, may now threaten the future of Rhode Island's most powerful politician -- Nick Mattiello.