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McShortagee’s Market is Opening in East Providence

This week, GoLocal was first to report that a new deli and market is coming to a familiar location in East Providence. 

“McShortagee’s Market” is slated to open next month on Willett Avenue, where Schroder's Deli used to be. 

And yes, the “g” is hard. 

“It’s a short Irish-Portuguese person, which is what I am,” laughed owner William Hurley. “There’s a lot of us in Riverside.”

For Hurley, who grew up in the area and calls himself “Joe Riverside,” the market and deli combination is the fruition of a long-time dream, and it truly took a village. 

“People said you’re not even a cook — you’re going into the restaurant deli business? Yeah, well Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t know how to mix cement,” said Hurley, whose background is in telecommunications. "My plan is putting the right people in the right place.”

From Vision to Reality

“Growing up in Riverside — and I love Riverside — I’d always looked at this plaza and thought of this as 'Arnold’s' on Happy Days. I always thought it would be cool to have a car hop there…as a kid, I thought, 'What better place to work than Arnolds.' I always thought I’d be a teenager for the rest of my life,” said Hurley. 

“With Schroder’s closing, it really left a vacuum,” said Hurley. “Originally, I was looking across the street, where there’s a gas station that’s been abandoned for about 5 years.”

But Hurley said his idea for a deli and fish market at that location fell through. 

“So my father said go across the street to where Schroder’s was and talk to Paolino,” said Hurley, of landlord Paolino Properties. 

For Hurley, he thought the old Schroder’s property — which was actually three separate suites, including a commercial kitchen — was too big. 

“They told me I could take two out of the three [suites]; I said OK, I’ll hold off on the kitchen — for now,” said Hurley. "So we came up with a plan, and on January 8 I grabbed the spot.”

So for Hurley, along with his father, that started with replacing the entire floor — and assembling his team. 

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House Speaker Mike Johnson

He stood up to the crazies in his own party and pushed through legislation that will help defend democracies from dictators and terrorists.

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Providence College Upgrade 

Kevin Stacom, sports analyst for GoLocal, breaks down the four new Friars.

Stacom, a 30-year NBA scout, has a brilliant analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of the portal transfers joining the Friars.

READ HERE

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Art League Celebrates Work by High School Students

Michael Rose has a wonderful look at some of Rhode Island's most talented high school artists.

The importance of encouraging artists at a young age cannot be overstated. Young individuals who receive the support of family, friends, teachers, and peers in their art-making will tend to find more opportunities to fulfill their artistic aspirations as life goes on. At Art League Rhode Island, a current group exhibition highlights the achievements of student artists at three area high schools, showing off a wide range of remarkable artists on the rise.

On view through April 27 at Art League Rhode Island’s gallery at 80 Fountain Street in Pawtucket, the organization’s Annual Student Exhibition includes work in diverse media and styles by young artists who are currently studying at the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing & Visual Arts in Pawtucket, Lasalle Academy in Providence, and Rocky Hill Country Day School in East Greenwich. The show also includes pieces by Amelie Archambault, the 2024 recipient of the Art League’s Iona Blake Dobbins Scholarship.

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Earth Day Love

This year, the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) awarded $10,700 in grants to 16 local organizations and municipalities for Earth Day Clean-Ups:

Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy

The Squantum Association

City of Central Falls

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council

Save the Bay

Waterman Street Dog Park Association

Lincoln Conservation Commission

Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association

City of East Providence

Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council

Town of Smithfield

RI Clean Water Association

Partnership for Providence Parks

Blackstone River Watershed Council

Friends of the Moshassuck

The Empowerment Factory 

The grant money comes from fines paid to NBC by companies that are out of compliance with NBC regulations.

The program, the Chairman’s River Restoration Program, was the brainchild of (you guessed it) Chairman Vin Mesolella in 2003.

 PHOTO: Lincoln Clean Up, Provided by NBC

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WWII “Trailblazer” Avelino “Chappy” Rose’s 100th Birthday

Avelino "Chappy" Rose has seen it all.

He was born in East Providence a century ago -- and just celebrated his 100th birthday.

Chappy was born on March 21, 1924, in the City of East Providence. He was the oldest child of Jose DaRosa of the Cape Verdean island of Fogo and Annie Brito Rose of the Cape Verdean island of Brava. As the oldest of 4 children, Chappy's father passed when he was just 12 years old, forcing him to drop out of school eventually in the 9th grade to work various odd jobs to help support his family. 

That is what was done at the time.

In 1942, Chappy,  at the age of 18, enlisted in the military during WWII. As a corporal, he served in the 1883rd Company Aviation Engineers, attached to the 10th Air Force in China-Burma-India. According to historians, these soldiers were called the "Trailblazers," and they cut roads in one of the most complex theaters of WWII. Chappy served in the segregated "colored" unit and fought for America in far-off lands, including Burma and India. 

Read more here. 

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It Is Official

Teatro ECAS is officially open.

GoLocal’s Richard McCaffrey was there for the official ribbon cutting for the new home on Valley Street in Providence.

A small group led, in part, by Francis Parra has realized the theatre dedicated to Hispanics' work.

She is an educator and “champion of the arts her entire life.”

See the photos HERE. 

NOT

Providence Place Mall's Future

As GoLocal was first to report, one of the country's top real estate data companies is reporting that the loan supporting Providence Place Mall is in distress.

According to Trepp, a “Rhode Island Mall Loan Sent to Special Servicing. The $254.9 million #CMBS loan was transferred due to imminent maturity default. The collateral contains 980,711 square feet of retail space in a Providence, RI mall.”

A CMBS loan is a “Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities." 

Trepp, in an email to GoLocal, confirmed the mall in question is Providence Place Mall.

Functionally, this means that a loan on Providence Place is nearing its maturity date, but the borrower is unable to pay off the full outstanding balance at that time. As a result, the loan is transferred from the primary servicer to a special servicer, who will work with the borrower to try to resolve the impending default, such as by modifying the loan terms or finding a new lender. 

According to the mall’s owners, the property features 140 shopping and retail locations; 26 dining options and 4 full-service restaurants in the center of Downtown Providence, and is connected by "The Skybridge" to the Omni Hotel and RI Convention Center.

Trepp, the firm flagging the distress of the loan, “is a leading provider of information, analytics, and services to the Structured Finance, CRE, and Banking markets.”

Providence Place is owned by Brookfield Properties who “operates and develops real estate investments on behalf of Brookfield Asset Management — one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world.”

At the time of publication Brookfield had not responded to questions.

In the short term, there should be no impact on the operation of the Providence Place Mall.

NOT

Failure of Plant City CEO to Speak Out

The celebrated vegan messiah who announced the launch of Plant City in Providence in 2019 is now being accused of racist and sexist behavior, according to the New York Times.

Matt Kenney has previously been the subject of high-profile investigations by the Miami Herald and the Los Angeles Times. Those stories primarily focused on Kenney’s alleged financial malfeasance.

Kenney has been the face of the plant-based food industry and a key player in not only the creation of Plant City but also the related chain of stores called Plant City X.

The Rhode Island-based restaurants are now owned solely by Kim Anderson. In January, after allegations of Kenney’s financial issues were unveiled, Anderson defended Kenney.

“He’s a brilliant chef and good man,” said Anderson in an email to GoLocal at the time.

Monday, the New York Times unveiled dozens of new charges against Kenney. The Times reported that it interviewed more than 60 individuals for its story.

The New York Times article is titled, "Behind a Vegan Chef’s Holistic Empire, an Ugly Reality — Matthew Kenney, one of the most famous names in plant-based cuisine, has left a trail of burned investors, bounced paychecks and graphic text messages."

In a text exchange by GoLocal with Anderson on Monday, she refused to condemn Kenney or address the allegations of racist comments and sexist actions.

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NOT

30,000 in RI Applied for 2,500 Charter School Seats - Not So Fair

Tens of thousands of students are seeking to attend Rhode Island’s public charter schools. There is just one problem: less than 1 in 10 were able to secure a seat for the next academic year, 2024-25.

On Tuesday, the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools that a record number of applications to attend charter schools in 2024.

“A record number of families want to attend charter public schools. Over 30,000 applications were submitted to the lottery in Rhode Island for the 2024-2025 school year. Unfortunately, with only about 2,500 seats available, many families looking for an alternative option for their child were not selected,” announced the League.

"While the lottery is an exciting time for some families, many are left disappointed, especially those from the urban core looking for a public school that fits the unique need of their child,” said Chiara Deltito-Sharrott, Executive Director of the League. “I applaud Rhode Island's charter school leaders for assisting thousands of families with their search and navigating them through the process."

The vast majority of the applicants are minority families from the state’s urban corridor.