ReFocus Community Garden in Providence West End/ photo courtesy of ReFocus Staff
Turning the Focus On A Special Neighborhood Garden
by

You might find yourself doing a double-take at an urban garden. Never mind the buildings rising up around it, or the cars whizzing by; people stop to gaze at the brilliant shades of green, the flowery blossoms, maybe even vegetables.  Someone had the gumption to [...]

30
Oct
Issues on the Ballot
by

On Tuesday, November 5th, Providence residents will be voting on 6 issues, in addition to candidates for the Providence School Board (see 10/23/2024 PVD Eye for candidate statements) and other elections.  This is a Sample Providence Ballot and the following is a guide to the [...]

30
Oct
Providence 2024 School Board Elections
by

Since the 1960s, the Providence School Board had nine members, all appointed by the Mayor.  This year, however, on November fifth, for the first time, voters will line up at the polls to elect 5 members and the other 5 will be appointed by the [...]

23
Oct
The Fields Point turbines as seen from the East Bay Bike Path
The Future of Wind Energy in Providence
by

Whether approaching Providence on the I-95 northbound or braving traffic on the Washington Bridge, it’s hard not to notice six wind turbines as a key feature of our City’s waterfront–. Unlike the controversy surrounding offshore wind farms in Newport and Block Island, the land-based Providence [...]

23
Oct
Providence as seen from the port            photo courtesy of Save the Bay
The Comp Plan and Future Building
by

Providence is speeding towards approving a Comprehensive Plan that envisions the city’s coming decade.  Just reading the Department of Planning’s current draft is daunting. Nine key areas, over 173 pages, delineate aspirations and encouragements, covering issues of sustainability, the economy, the built environment, housing, transportation, [...]

16
Oct
Mallards on York Pond. Photo: Leslie Bostrom
Fall Birding in Providence Along the Seekonk River
by

In September, October, and November, birds move south at a leisurely pace. Breeding is over, and they are flying to areas where food is abundant. Some birds will pass through Rhode Island on the way to points south, and some will arrive here to spend [...]

16
Oct
CHOP – Great Food, Community, and Training All in One Innovative Space
by

CHOP (Culinary Hub of Providence) is now open for dinner. Located at the corner of Washington and Empire Streets inside the Providence Public Library, CHOP offers visitors a delicious, mission-driven dining experience in a stylish, welcoming space. High, open ceilings and dark gray concrete flooring [...]

16
Oct
With Sale Pending, Atlantic Mills Tenants Concerned about Future of Community Hub
by

Editor’s note: This story was published originally in the Providence Preservation Society’s October 6, 2024 newsletter. The tenants of Atlantic Mills — an Olneyville community staple which has hosted the Big Top Flea and other events for decades — are worried that with the pending sale of [...]

09
Oct
From left to right: Aly Stallman, Linda Miller, Mildred Nichols, Morris Nathanson, Phil West    photos: Michelle Le Brun
Leave Your Old Ideas About Aging at the Door
by

Mildred Nichols, founding member of the Rhode Island Women’s Political Caucus: “I’m an elderly woman, I guess, though I don’t feel elderly.” Linda Miller, the woman behind what is now the Providence non-profit Inspiring Minds: “When people call me ‘hon’ and ‘sweetie’, I just explain, [...]

09
Oct
CMW building exterior. Courtesy, Community Music Works, 2024. Photo: Rebecca Atwood
Community MusicWorks’ New Building in the West End Opens Its Doors Very VERY Wide
by

“We never really had a place where all the things happened together…. Now we do. Now, you literally see what’s going on in the performance space. There are windows on all four sides on two levels so there’s always permeability between this very special space [...]

02
Oct