Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot & Who’s Not? - March 10, 2017

HOT

Matt Fecteau

The former Democratic Congressional Candidate and outspoken, frequent GoLocalprov contributor has been accepted into the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Fecteau is also considering University of California Berkeley and King’s College in London for Graduate School. Fecteau is also a Military Veteran who is still currently serving in our armed forces in the Middle East at the moment. You may not always agree with Fecteau (I certainly don’t), but that shouldn’t preclude us from admiring his accomplishments and Military service. 

HOT

Robert E. Johnson

The Becker College President has been named the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth by a unanimous vote of the Mass Board of Trustees. 

He will be the first African-American to lead UMass Dartmouth. Johnson brings a track record of success to the position, which includes Becker College being named one of “best institutions for undergraduate education” by The Princeton Review for five consecutive years. This is a good get for UMass.

HOT

Johnny Gates

The Rhode Island native has been selected to compete on NBC’s The Voice this season, competing for “Team Gwen”, under the tutelage of rock star Gwen Stefani . Gates has a very unique voice and will bring a rock n’ roll edginess to the show. Let’s hope he can represent Rhode Island well, just like Sarah Potenza did last year. Best of Luck to Gates!

HOT

United Way of RI

The Rhode Island nonprofit is hosting a new series of brainstorming sessions titled the Learning Circle, which will meet on the second Friday of each month and consist of 11 sessions, each held at UWRI’s headquarters in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood. The 11 leaders of local nonprofits will discuss strategy development and implementation, comprehensive fund development, staffing and alignment, among other topics, all in an attempt to come up with new ideas to better serve Rhode Islanders. 

HOT

Ed Cooley

Cooley is cementing himself among the greatest coaches in Providence College's history with his recent success. The team is poised to go to its fourth NCAA tournament in as many years--a feat that most didn't think possible at the school given its geographic and financial limitations. As this last month has shown, Cooley is a master motivator who knows how to get the most out of his players. Don't be surprised when big-time programs start calling Cooley begging for him to fill their openings. 

HOT

Kyron Cartwright

The superstar point guard for the Providence Friars was named Big East Most Improved Player of the Year. The award was well-deserved. Cartwright filled the leadership gap this year left by the high-profile departures of Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil. When the team was on a losing streak, Cartwright righted the ship not only with his stellar on court play, but also by keeping the team’s attitude positive. Kudos to Cartwright. 

NOT

Roy Bolden

The Chairman of the Providence Republican Party, who has close ties to the state party’s leadership, was arraigned on Wednesday by Providence Police on charges of first-degree and second-degree child molestation, and third-degree sexual assault. He is being held without bail at the ACI. This is a serious black mark on not only the city Republican Party, but also the state party. 

NOT

Kenneth Dulgarian

The owner of the building that currently houses Paper Nautilus, a used bookstore on Providence’s East Side, has declined to renew the lease of the tenant who has been there for 20 years. Dulgarian said that he has found another use for the building. That’s a big loss for the community as Paper Nautilus was a really cool place to browse for books. This is another step in the long march to a time when there will be no more bookstores. 

NOT

Marijuana Legalization

Opponents of Marijuana legalization apparently have the momentum in Rhode Island, as there doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite from legislative leadership to legalize the substance as Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and other community leaders held a press conference to point out its potential dangers. Meanwhile, during an interview with GoLocal on Wednesday, former Congressman Patrick Kennedy made a very valid point, namely that legalization stands to benefit big Wall Street tycoons and other financial firms. 

NOT

Jorge Elorza

The Mayor’s constant pandering to the left wing of the political spectrum continues at an unabated pace. On Wednesday of this week, the mayor allowed city workers to take the day off in order to go out and protest on the so-called “Day Without Women” protest. That forced the city to shut down municipal court, and presumably slow down other city services as a result. That’s not fair to the taxpayers who support this city and rely on it for services. No private sector company would allow workers to take a day off to protest, but then again, business owners aren’t in the business of pandering for votes either. 

NOT

Peter Kilmartin

GoLocal reports this week that Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from public officials that have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to significant financial corruption charges, including former House Speaker Gordon Fox and former Finance Chairman Ray Gallison. It might be a good idea for Kilmartin to donate those dollars to his favorite charity. 

NOT

Antisemitism

For some inexplicable reason, antisemitism is on the rise--not only on a nationwide level, but also here in Rhode Island. On Tuesday, a threatening phone call was placed to Jewish Community Day School in Providence, prompting a response from the police department. Fortunately, the threat was not credible, but this disgusting hatred and cowardice has no place in our community.