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Gabe Amo

Rhode Island's Congressman-elect has smashed a significant barrier. He is Rhode Island's first member of Congress who is not white.

Now that the barrier is broken, the work begins.

We hope that he makes an even bigger name as a leader representing Rhode Islanders in Washington, D.C.

PHOTO: Campaign

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Netflix Star

A new Netflix series is the launching pad for a Rhode Islander.

Aria Mia Loberti, a University of Rhode Island graduate who is blind, plays Marie-Laure, the blind teenager at the heart of the story — the Pulitzer-prize-winning All The Light We Cannot See. Her character’s path collides with Werner, a German soldier, as they both try to survive the devastation of World War II in occupied France.

See the trailer here. 

PHOTO: Netflix

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She’s the Queen of Quince

Rhode Islander Barbara Ghazarian wants people to know how to cook quince — if they even know about the fruit, that is. 

“It’s a first cousin of an apple and pear — it’s a fall tree fruit,” said Ghazarian, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Quince." “The rootstock of quince has been used for pears from the 1500s. My grandmother had three quince trees in the yard.”

The author of Simply Quince, Ghazarian grew up in Connecticut but spent “every other weekend” in Whitinsville, Massachusetts with her Armenian grandparents, where quince was in abundance. 

A certified financial planning professional, Ghazarian became an expert on the fruit when she began cooking for her husband. 

“He’s the number one Armenian linguist in the world and he’s a real picky eater,” laughed Ghazarian, who summered in Watch Hill growing up — and always knew she would one day return. 

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A Food Hall for PVD

Marsella Development Corporation announced Wednesday that its proposed food hall, located within the capital city’s historic Union Station, will be named Track 15.

The food hall was first proposed in early 2021. Now, the project is scheduled to open in 2024.

In addition, the first merchants have been announced: a seafood and raw bar concept from Dune Brothers; regional Mexican cuisine from Chef Maria Meza and her family at Dolores; burgers and more from There There; and two Italian concepts from Kevin O’Donnell, chef and owner of Giusto and Mother Pizzeria in Newport.

“This is a pivotal point in the development of Track 15,” said Christopher J. Marsella, President of Marsella Development Corporation.  “After facing supply-chain issues and the hurdles that come with renovating a historic building, to be able to unveil the name, look and feel of the space and announce our merchant partners is a monumental occasion. The demolition of the interior of the building has been completed, and we look forward to forging ahead as we realize our team’s vision for this passion project.”

The overall development of the 18,000 square foot and developers say they are making a $22 million investment in the restoration and when completed, it will include a large central bar, a new home for seven Rhode Island-based restaurateurs, indoor and outdoor seating for over 300 patrons, an entertainment venue and a 10,000 square foot plaza which will provide outdoor seating and a home for special events.  

Read more here. 

RENDERING: Marsella

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Brown Women's Soccer NCAA Run

Brown women's soccer is set to host the First Round of the NCAA Tournament against Quinnipiac on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. at Stevenson-Pincince Field.

The Bears, who are a No. 3 seed in the tournament, finished the regular season at 11-1-2 and 7-0-0 in the Ivy League to win their fourth straight and 16th overall Ivy League title.

They lost in the first round of the Ivy tournament.

Brown holds a 2-0 record all-time against Quinnipiac.

The Bears are making their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 10th overall. Senior Brittany Raphino was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year for the third time, while Kia McNeill was named the Ivy Coach of the Year and seven other Bears were named All-Ivy.

PHOTO: Brown University

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Brilliant

GoLocal's art contributor Michael Rose has a great profile on star RI artist Sharon Cutts:

Some artists are extraordinarily productive, with minds always full of ideas and intentions. Sharon Cutts is one such individual, and from her Pawtucket studio is constantly producing inventive works that meld the fields of painting, mixed media, collage, sculpture, and canvas mosaics. She is an artist with a vision whose studio is a center of enthusiastic, creative production.

Originally from Wisconsin, Cutts first began making art at around thirteen years old when she would use her mother’s oil paints to create images on manilla folders. She studied at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she concentrated on ceramics, and went on to teach ceramics and create ceramic-based sculptures. She then relocated to the Chicago area and found a new purpose as a painter, gaining gallery representation in the process and sending her work into private collections in the area. Since 2006, Cutts has been based in the Ocean State and, from her Rhode Island studio, has been creating works that blur boundaries and raise questions about topics that interest her, like science and ecology.

READ MORE

PHOTO: Michael Rose

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PC Men's Hockey - Ranked 5th in America

Bob McMahon, GoLocalProv sports contributor, has a great take on the high-flying Friars:

This week's first games of the local college basketball season have dominated local sports media, particularly with the Providence College basketball team featuring new coach Kim English. Flying under the local media radar, however, has been the PC hockey team. The Friars’ sextet began their 2023-2024 season a month ago and are already nine games into the regular season. READ MORE

PHOTO: PC

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Cicilline and Democrats Cancel Fundraiser After GoLocal Report

A GoLocal report published on Monday unveiled that former Democratic Congressman David Cicilline, now the CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, was headlining a Democratic fundraiser.

Now, the event has been canceled.

The Rhode Island Democratic Party announced the cancellation in a statement.

"Unfortunately, we are postponing the True Blue Celebration, scheduled for this Friday, to a later date. Former Congressman Cicilline will not be able to attend, due to the limitations of his new position."

"Tickets will be refunded upon request, or can be applied to a future event."

The cancelation was first reported by the Providence Journal.

Cicilline and Politics

In February, Cicilline announced that he was stepping down from his seat in Congress to take over the position as the head of the Rhode Island Foundation and collect a salary of $650,000 for the group dedicated to supporting those in need. Cicilline officially resigned his office on June 1.

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Big Loss for Rhode Island

Newport is getting hit with a big blow. It is losing its ATP 250 tournament at the Hall of Fame.

The final year for the Hall of Fame Open will take place in Newport as scheduled from July 14-21, 2024.

Newport lost the event due to changes in investments from other global powers. In August, tennis podcast host Craig Shapiro announced that sources have told him the WTA Finals will be moved to Saudi Arabia and that ATP Newport would lose its tournament.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund that has invested heavily in numerous professional sports, including soccer, golf, Formula One, boxing, and cricket, is now moving into tennis.

This summer John McEnroe warned about the potential growing influence of Saudi money on the sport. McEnroe said tennis does not need Saudi Arabia: “I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think our sport needs it. I don’t think it would benefit from it, and I don’t think we should do it. But as Chris Evert said, it’s not up to us. Someone else is going to make that decision. They’re talking about Next Gen Finals going there. This is just something that I don’t understand why we’re going in that direction.”

The Tennis Hall of Fame is now scrambling to replace the ATP tour event.

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“Offshore Wind in U.S. Is Fundamentally Broken,” Says Top Industry Leader

BP's top renewables executive said last week that the U.S. offshore wind industry is "fundamentally broken.” The offshore wind industry is supposed to be an economic engine for Rhode Island's economy of the future.

At the beginning of the year, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey had planned more than 17 gigawatts of offshore wind projects under contract; now, about two-thirds of that production has been canceled, according to reports.

In Rhode Island, the smaller of two significant offshore wind projects moved forward last week. At least for now, the Revolution Wind project is still in development. In July, Pennsylvania-owned Rhode Island Energy (RIE) rejected the bid by Ørsted and Eversource to build a larger offshore wind project off the coast that would have generated 884-MW.

REI is owned by Pennsylvania, Power and Light (PPL). That now failed project -- named Revolution Wind 2 -- is now dead.

And now, there is a long way still to go to realize any additional projects.

The big question is the overall viability of the industry.  Just two years ago, the offshore wind project looked to be an environmental, energy, and economic powerhouse to serve as a climate change solution and economic engine.