Saturday, May 4, 2013
What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this month.
RAVE: Now that the same sex marriage has been legalized in Rhode Island, may I (I am trying to use correct grammar because I am about to talk about an English teacher) take a moment to say how surprised (in a good way) I was to read Karen Izzo’s commentary on the issue on this site the other day? In these divisive times, where those in public positions like teachers, religious leaders, town employees, sports figures and celebrities are lambasted for speaking their minds on even the most mild subject – like a preference for peanut versus chocolate M&Ms – it was refreshing to read Ms. Izzo’s remarks. Let me hasten to say that I would write the same words even if Ms. Izzo’s POV did not happen to coincide with my own. (Which is why, even …
Saturday, April 6, 2013
What to love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this month.
RANT: Why did the chicken cross the road? The answer is, it didn’t, at least on Main Street in East Greenwich. I can’t believe anyone is really shocked that a pedestrian was hit in broad daylight by a car while crossing one of the walkways on Main Street last month. That’s like being surprised that the $1.99 you paid for a bag of frozen meatballs might have fillers like intestines, gizzards, skin or – apparently even more disgusting – horse in it. I have written in this column how my kids have waited upwards of 15 minutes to cross at times, more than once in pouring rain. It doesn’t matter if they are wearing bright orange vests, waving their arms or even jumping up and down. My son said that he counts the cars who drive by while he is …
Saturday, March 2, 2013
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this month.
RANT: The recent hoopla over whether certain businesses should receive liquor licenses has left me scratching my head. A coffee shop is ok, but a dessert store isn’t? (In case you are thinking that it makes immense sense as those who over-imbibe at the coffee shop can quickly sober up with a few shots of high octane joe, studies published in Scientific American show that combining large amounts of alcohol and caffeine simultaneously can actually be lethal. So there.) OK, I don’t live with my head in a can. I get that laws can change attitudes and oftentimes, they can be the first step towards a change in mentality and our society’s values. The reality of this hit me on the noggin just last week when my kids and I were on vacation in Las …
Saturday, February 2, 2013
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this month.
RANT: OK, am I the only one who is confused re the dead deal between our fire department and Warwick? Here is what I am not getting: Apparently, around $162,000 was spent on equipment for both towns but the only town opening up its wallet was East Greenwich. Despite this, only $15,000 of the $162,000 was used to update our fire department’s infrastructure. Huh? Why did Warwick get a $147,000 free ride? This wasn’t like taking a car out for a test drive before borrowing it. This was like taking the car home, using it and not even sending a thank-you note (since apparently, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian didn’t even bother to return Fire Chief Henrickson’s follow-up calls). And another thing – when can we have the equipment back? To …
Saturday, January 19, 2013
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RANT: Two of these things are not like the others, two of these things don’t belong: Senator Dawson Hodgson Former Fox new hosts Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly Clint Eastwood Senator Leo Raptakis New York Ranger Sean Avery Former basketball player Charles Barkely Former VP Dick Chaney State representative Anthony Giarrusso C’mon. Mssrs Giarusso and Raptakis. Wake up and smell the spiced chai. You are fighting a losing battle on the gay marriage thing. But do what you have to do. As for me, I don’t care who a person marries ... as long as it’s another person. Seriously. The other day, I googled “pet marriage legal” and one of the concerns that popped up early in the search was whether it is legal to marry your dog (it seems cats and …
Saturday, January 12, 2013
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RANT: My life is all about negotiation right now. I live with a teen and a pre-teen. ‘Nuff said. So I get that the teachers' union and School Committee are about to enter so tough discussions. One suggestion though – we try and do the Oprah and Dr Phil talk: “I feel that when teacher appointments are based on seniority and not performance that you are limiting principals’ and administrators’ control over who gets placed in their schools and that makes me feel powerless.” “When seniority is not considered as a criteria for teacher appointment, you don’t appreciate my expertise and experience and that makes me feel bad and scared.” I am not sure if it helps us solve anything more quickly, but it does make us feel like Charlie Sheen might …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RAVE: My family is one of the crazy groups who did the Frozen Clam Plunge to welcome the New Year on January 1, 2013. We are actually Plunge hoppers, testing the waters at different local beaches for the past five years. We have Polar Bear Plunged at North Kingstown Beach and Penguin Plunged at Narragansett Beach. There were definite advantages to using a home-front beach. The first being that we actually were close to home so it was a quick hop back to hot showers and cocoa (although the downside is that the car engine never really had a chance to warm up so it was also a cold ride). Also on the plus side are the logistics of Goddard Beach, which has a short span for both sprinting and for reaching deeper water, making head plunging (…
Sunday, December 30, 2012
What we love, love, love about living in East Greenwich this week.
A bright shiny new year is about to begin. 2012 is no more. It is has ceased to be. It is bereft of life. It rests in peace. Summing up the last few months, one is tempted to say good riddance. Well, I am, anyway. But there were some positive moments. So rather than do my usual routine of looking ahead and list collective community resolutions (and really, what is the point, since we all know we’re going to renege by Valentine’s anyway), I’m going to take a reflective route and summon some of the happier moments of living in East Greenwich this past year. (Warning: If this sounds a bit too Pollyannish for you, then you’re really going to hate this next sentence.) I read somewhere (probably Oprah!) that the attitude we have is our own …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RAVE: It turns out that I needed to be at several of our public schools just days after the Newtown shooting massacre. What struck me almost immediately was that it was mostly business as usual. Obviously, the administrators and teachers were taking more stringent precautions, but in a way that did not make school – which is, after all, the place that our children spend most of their time, a place to fear or hate (at least no more than usual). In the midst of our fear and sadness, the ramped up safety drills and increased security measures, the moments of silence and the anxiety, it is easy to lose sight of the environment all parents ... all adults want to create for children: not just a world where you can go to school, to the mall, to …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
What to love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RAVE: I am going to admit this upfront: I have Wickford envy. It hits me every time I walk up Brown Street (they’re too swank to call it Main Street like the rest of us poor schlubs). The town is just so darn quaint. Well, I’m over it now. Walking in Scalloptown Park the other day, my husband, in a rare expansive mood, swept his arms wide and declaimed, “Where else can you get such a pristine view? No billboards or traffic noise and we’re right in the heart of downtown East Greenwich.” The fact that the Acela blew past at that moment sort of ruined the moment, but I understood his point. However, still under the thrall of Wickford, I answered just that: “Wickford. It has Wilson Park and,” I slyly added, “no train.” “Wickford!” snorted my …
Jeff Cianciolo
7:53 am on Saturday, May 4, 2013
The letter was not ignored. The Town Manager went to Wakefield to look at the flags in use. DPW continues to look at this and other alternatives to improve crosswalk safety on Main Street. This has received attention in Patch and (I believe) the Pendulum. I do not respond to every e-mail and letter that I receive but I do read them all and forward them to the Town Manager when appropriate. The … more ›