HOT

Blackie's Is Back

Blackie’s in Smithfield is reopening this month. 

After announcing during the pandemic the Smithfield restaurant was closing down, the owners also left open the possibility of a return. 

“We’re not accepting reservations at this time but we are happy to welcome you back on March 17 beginning at 4 PM,” Blackie's wrote. 

HOT

Clean Water Champ

The Rhode Island Clean Water Association has honored State Rep. Arthur Handy as its 2021 Legislator of the Year.

The award recognizes outstanding legislative contributions to ensuring clean water for Rhode Island. Representative Handy was recognized for his sponsorship of and strong advocacy for the Resilient Rhode Island Act, which coordinated the state’s efforts to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while advancing the public’s understanding of changes in sea level, severe weather events and critical infrastructure vulnerability.

“The Rhode Island Clean Water Association created the Clean Water Legislator of the Year Award to recognize all the hard work involved in getting substantial, effective legislation enacted in support of the water environment. The 2021 award was given to Representative Arthur Handy as the architect of the Resilient Rhode Island Act to address climate change, which is having a major impact on our clean water facilities,” said RICWA President Peter J. Connell.

HOT

Food Innovation

Move over, trendy donuts, cupcakes, and hot chocolate bombs. 

“Meringue floaters are the next food trend,” says Rhode Island baker Katrin Schnippering, posting a video of whimsical animals floating atop a beverage. “Mark my words.”

Schnippering knows what’s popular — and knows her baked goods, as a grand-prize winner of the national King Arthur Cooking Decorating Contest.

Schnippering shared with GoLocal her inspiration.

“Aren’t they cute? There are so many options,” said Schnippering. “Now it’s how to narrow down what I want to do. What I posted, those are bunny heads. There will be bunny butts — they float and then they dissolve." 

HOT

Andrew Fonts

For four years, a kid from Portsmouth sat on the bench for the PC Friars. He hustled in practice and once in a while in a blowout win or loss he got a minute or so of play. 

But Thursday, the highlight of the Friars' game was when PC was trailing 18-10 in the first half, a disgruntled Coach Ed Cooley inserted senior Andrew Fonts. He led a PC comeback that seemed to wake up the docile Friars and drive them into a 36-35 half-time lead. Fonts was a 1,000 point scorer at Portsmouth Abbey.

Big East announcer Bill Rafferty immediately became a Fonts fan calling out his hustle.

The ultimate outcome was a disappointment, but the Fonts factor is what is right about college sports. 

HOT

Smart Merger

Henry Barnard School (HBS) -- one of Rhode Island’s most storied elementary schools -- is merging with Providence Country Day.

HBS will remain in its school building/current location for a minimum of two more years and says it anticipates a new elementary school building will be constructed on the campus of PCD in the coming years.

"HBS will be the lower school of PCD but remain in name and program as Henry Barnard School. It essentially marries the two schools," said Rebecca Bromberg, a parent and a spokesperson for HBS. 

"HBS is in the process of hiring a head of school which will essentially be the head of lower school, operating under Kevin Folan, head of school at PCD," she added.

HBS' name will continue as will its curriculum, collaborative approach and education philosophy. HBS and PCD leadership shared this news with existing families and teachers of both schools last night and had "lots of positive feedback."

NOT

Joe Biden

Kicking your old dog and your rescue dog out of your house is not nice.

President Joe Biden’s dogs — Major and Champ — had a short stint at the White House. 

According to reports, the two German Shepards were returned to the Biden family home in Delaware last week after “aggressive behavior."

“Major, who was adopted by Biden in November 2018 from a Delaware animal shelter, had what one of the people described as a 'biting incident' with a member of White House security,” reported CNN. 

“The exact condition of the victim is unknown, however, the episode was serious enough that the dogs were subsequently moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where they remain,” CNN continued.

Their arrival had been heralded as being the first rescue dogs in the White House. 

"I have two German shepherds. One thinks he's Secret Service and he is," Biden said of 12-year-old Champ in an ABC article in January. 

"And the other one is a puppy," he said while campaigning in Iowa last year. "My vet said, 'your shepherd's 12-years-old. He's getting slow. The best thing to keep him going is get another little puppy.'"

NOT

Elorza's Amazing Alternate Reality 

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said on Thursday he "does not want to legalize" currently illegal ATV and dirt bike use on city streets. 

His statement, however, is a direct contradiction from what his office has said -- which is that he is looking at ways to require riders to have licenses and insurance, and ensure they make "necessary modifications" to the vehicles -- so that they can be legal for street use. 

Speaking to the "illegal and dangerous ATVs" at a press conference with public safety officials on Thursday, Elorza said, "They continue to create a dangerous situation for the public. They cannot and will not be tolerated."

"It’s been suggested we want to legalize this dangerous activity. Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. 

On February 25, however, Elorza said the following. 

"As currently operated, ATVs and other illegal vehicles pose a danger to those who operate them as well as other drivers and residents. I am interested in exploring enabling legislation that would allow cities and towns to require owners who operate these vehicles to register them, purchase insurance, and make necessary modifications such as turn signals, side mirrors and mufflers to make them safer and quieter. All traffic laws and other regulations would of course still apply to these vehicles and those who drive them in our City."

NOT

Lack of Environmental Enforcement

Providence City Councilman Pedro Espinal is criticizing the ongoing contamination of South Providence after a fire erupted at the Rhode Island Recycled Metals site on the waterfront on Tuesday, sending black smoke into the air.

The site where the fire took place has operated under the claim that it is cutting up a sunken Russian submarine that was located in Providence more than a decade ago to serve as a museum. The sub was once used in a Harrison Ford movie -- "K-19: The Widowmaker.” The site is covered with debris — appliances, metal scrap, and garbage unrelated to the submarine.

“The scrap yards along Allens Avenue are continually polluting our neighborhoods, and we were lucky that what occurred today was quickly contained. What would happen if it was an oil tanker? It would have been a disaster,” said Espinal who represents Ward 10.

NOT

Unhappy

Providence, Rhode Island is the least happy city in New England according to a new study  

And, it's not a regional thing. 182 cities across the country were ranked, and those that are located in New England look to be pretty happy except Providence.

South Burlington, Vermont ranks 6 in the U.S. and Burlington is #15. Up in Maine, Portland is ranked #23 in the United States.

Even New Haven, CT tops Providence — the city comes in at #144.

Providence, according to the study, is the 145th happiest city.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the average person’s stress level to increase significantly for the first time since 2007. Therefore, it’s vital for people to boost their happiness however they can, whether through family, friends, activities, entertainment, or work. What people might not realize is that where they live may also determine how happy they are,” writes WalletHub.

Other New England cities ranked:

Nashua, NH #50

Boston, MA #61

Manchester, NH #69

Lewiston, ME #88

Bridgeport, CT #113

Warwick, #116

New Haven, CT #144

Providence ranks all the way down at #145.