Helen Fairbrother Moroney Family Library Tribute

       Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Prior to today's Trustees meeting, the five surviving Moroney nieces and nephew of the late Board of Trustees President Helen Fairbrother Moroney presented the library with a chair in memory of their aunt. Kathan Moroney Lambert and James Moroney delivered the chair on behalf of the family. Unable to attend were Susan Moroney Taylor, Kathleen Moroney Neely and Mary Moroney. (Niece Mary Moroney St. Jean died in 1991.)

Source Facebook Share and Photos

Projo’s Editorial “R.I. Must Change” is Pure Hypocrisy

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

In the past two years, the Providence Journal has hired one of the state's top lobbyists to kill a provision that would have saved taxpayers millions. The newspaper also wrote editorials supporting historic tax credit legislation all the while the company was submitting an application to the state looking for millions in tax credits.  At no time did the Providence Journal disclose their economic interest in the legislation. Their actions are in complete conflict with their own writing.

The Providence Journal, owned by out-of-state interests, hired big-time lobbyist Joe Walsh in both the 2014 and 2015 legislative sessions and paid him a reported $60,000 to do their bidding and preserve the provision that wastes an estimated million dollars a year propping up the finances of the Providence Journal at taxpayers expense.
The Providence Journal wrote in an editorial Sunday, “For too long, Rhode Island’s government has tended to be corrupt and inefficient, because elected officials have served special interests at the cost of the common good. Encouragingly, Rhode Island’s new leaders have promised to turn this around at long last. That is why some recent activity in the General Assembly is so disappointing.”
The Providence Journal should love the leadership of Speaker Gordon Fox and Nick Mattiello as both of their leadership teams removed the budget provisions submitted by then-Governor Lincoln Chafee and present Governor Gina Raimondo that would remove the antiquated provision that requires the state to spend millions on legal notices in the Providence Journal.
Today, the Providence Journal is just one of many news outlets in the state, and the most important stories are more often broken by WPRI, WJAR and GoLocalProv. The Providence Journal is most likely to run a generic Associated Press story. Moreover, it is clear by independent research sources ranging from Pew Research to iMarketer, that newspapers' reach is being depleted and the industry only controls about 4% of the consumers news consumption.

  The idea of legal notices still being published in a newspaper in the year 2015 is absurd.
“Rhode Island desperately needs to change its ways if it is to avoid a financial meltdown and turn around its economy. The state’s outlook will be shrouded in gloom unless its legislators can begin to let go of special-interest politics and allow local communities to run at least efficiently enough to stave off bankruptcy,” wrote the Providence Journal editorial.
As GoLocal reported in December of 2013:
Common Cause, Rhode Island's leading public disclosure organization, raised questions about the Providence Journal's activities. "I think it raises a legitimate question, which is, "Did the editorial board know what the business side was doing? I don't know. But it begs the question," said John Marion, Executive Director of Common Cause. We support the words of the Providence Journal editorial about the need for positive reform and change, but sadly their words are empty. Maybe the words would ring truer if you fired your lobbyist, returned the taxpayer subsidy and disclosed the conflicts for your efforts to secure millions in tax credits.
Source: Editorial by Golocalprov.com

DEM, HEALTH CONFIRM RABIES IN FERAL CAT FROM WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND

                 Posted by Wayne G. Barber

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Department of Health (HEALTH) are advising people who live in the Rathbun Street area of Woonsocket that a feral cat in the area tested positive for rabies. The cat was a thin, male, brown tabby, and lived in a feral colony.  The cat was caught approximately three-quarters of a mile from the intersection of Rathbun Street and Social Street , between 268 and 290 Rathbun Street . (The cat was caught by a volunteer so the cat could be neutered and get medical care.) While the cat was at the veterinarian, it exhibited symptoms consistent with rabies. The cat was euthanized and has since tested positive for rabies.

  Anyone who may have had any physical contact with this cat or any feral cats in the Rathbun Street area of Woonsocket should call HEALTH immediately (401-222-2577, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; 401-272-5952 after hours).  Anyone who has a pet that may have had contact with this cat or any feral cat in this area should contact Woonsocket Animal Control at 401-766-6571 during normal business hours or the Woonsocket Police Department at 401-766-1212 after hours. 

  DEM and HEALTH remind all Rhode Islanders that rabies is a serious public health issue. Once symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in people and in animals. Rabies immune globulin is available for people who may have been exposed to rabies, but it must be started as soon as possible after exposure. All dogs, cats and ferrets are required by state law to have current vaccination against rabies. Vaccination of pets prevents them from contracting rabies and prevents people from becoming exposed to rabies through their pets.

HEALTH and DEM make the following recommendations:

·       Make sure all dogs, cats, and ferrets are up to date on rabies vaccination. (required by RI law)

·       Avoid all contact with and do not feed stray, wild or free-roaming domestic animals.

·       Do not feed stray domestic animals and do not feed your animals outdoors, as this will attract other animals. This is especially dangerous when feeding large numbers of free-roaming cats.

·       Protect your pets by always maintaining control; walk dogs on a leash or let them play in a fenced yard, and do not let pets wander unsupervised.

·       Report all animal bites to your city/town’s animal control officer.

·       Securely cover all garbage cans so wild animals cannot scavenge for food. 

 

For more information, visit http://www.health.ri.gov/diseases/rabies or http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/rabies.htm.

Love the Spring Weather? So Do Ticks

Love the Spring Weather? So Do Ticks : The Outdoor Wire

Click on Love the Spring, for the complete story.

Providence Parking Meter Wars

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Parking Cale Meters Revenues - 900% Increase

  State Representative John Lombardi and a host of residents and business owners in the Broadway and Federal Hill area are up in arms about Mayor Jorge Elorza’s plan to install parking meters along both Broadway and Atwells Avenues. These parking meters would replace posted parking - in many cases, the existing parking is signs dictating two hour limits.

“Placing parking meters on Federal HIll is anti-business, anti-consumer and anti-residential. I will not support the installation of the meters and I urge everyone who lives or does business in the area to please let the City know their feelings,” said Lombardi, the former City Council President and Interim Acting Mayor in a Facebook post that he reaffirmed to GoLocalProv.
Elorza in his budget plan line-itemed increased parking revenue to the City of Providence by $1.6 million over the revenue estimated to be generated in 2015.
The expansion of meters has hit numerous neighborhoods including the Thayer Street area and downtown Providence earlier this year.
Parking meter revenue for the CALE meters -- i.e. "pay and display" receipts from kiosks - just a few years ago was a tiny portion of the budget. In 2013, the city of Providence took in $188,848.  For the 2016 fiscal year, the Elorza administration has budgeted a $1,775,000, for a 900% increase in just four years.
“These small businesses (in the West End) need to draw customers from other shopping venues that have free parking. If the city decides to make their customers pay for the privilege of shopping on the West Side, some of those potential customers will choose other options. Since the profit margins for many of these businesses are thin, any threats to these businesses will result in closures,” said Ric Santurri, Providence Real Estate Developer.
Overall, the City of Providence has increased the budgeted amount of parking fees (which includes overnight parking permits and all forms of meters) from $2,056,439 to a 2016 budgeted number of $4,275,000.
These line items do not include the revenue the city realizes from parking tickets which is budgeted at $7 million.
"I do understand that there are studies out there that claim that parking meters actually help out neighboring businesses in the long run, since there is more parking space turnovers. Maybe the Mayor can hand one of these studies to a bankrupt business owner after these paid parking meters are the tipping point on whether that proprietor's business will stay open or fold," said Santurri.
Source GOLOCALPROV.COM   Kate Nagle

Ram Truck Owners Will Gather Today to Aid Flood-Stricken Residents in Central Texas

Ram Truck Owners Will Gather Today to Aid Flood-Stricken Residents in Central Texas 

Click on Ram Truck, for the complete story.

R.I.’s First Anaerobic Digester Expected by End of Year

R.I.’s First Anaerobic Digester Expected by End of Year — ecoRI News 

Click above R.I.'s, for the complete story.