Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - October 3, 2025

HOT

The Good Side of Sports - My Friend Bert

Kevin Stacom has a wonderful take this week. A touching story:

A number of years ago, my brother-in-law, Tom Caduto, introduced me to a long-time boyhood friend of his, Peter Conti. Since that time, Peter has also become a good friend of mine.

Peter is a published writer and author who collaborated with Tom on the original draft of the screenplay for the movie “Bleed for This,” starring Miles Teller as local boxing legend and World Champ, Vinny Pazienza, highlighting his amazing comeback from an almost paralyzing severe car accident to capture the Middleweight World Title in 1993 vs. Dan Sherry. That screenplay became the basis of Tom Caduto’s biography on Vinny Paz, “Fight or Die,” published in 2009. Tom currently teaches at Cranston West HS.

Peter Conti also has to his credit, among others, an Amazon #1 bestseller, “Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive,” published in 2020.

He was raised in the Manton Avenue section of Providence, along with his three brothers, Bert, Chris, and David, by their single Mom, Cindy. Due to his writing career, he splits the majority of his time between LA and New York, but is based primarily in Los Angeles.

Besides his wife, Florencia, and his career, the main focus of Peter’s life has always been his younger brother Bert. At the early developmental age of about 18 months, the family and doctors detected some ambulatory anomalies in Bert’s movements that were the early signs of what was to become an increasingly debilitating case of cerebral palsy. The disease progressed severely enough that by the age of 10, Bert was confined to a wheelchair.

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HOT

3 Rhode Island Schools Receive Blue Ribbon Recognition From U.S. Department of Education

Three schools in Rhode Island received Blue Ribbon Schools Awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

The three schools that were 2025 awardees: Melville Elementary School in Portsmouth, Pocasset Elementary School in Tiverton, and Robert L. Bailey, IV Elementary School in Providence.

In late August, the Federal Department of Education (ED) abruptly ended the longstanding National Blue Ribbon program, which was established by President Reagan in 1982. Using long-established federal criteria, Melville Elementary was selected as an Exemplary High-Performing School. Both Pocasset Elementary and Bailey Elementary were selected as Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.

The three Rhode Island schools recognized on Wednesday had been nominated for the national Blue Ribbon award earlier this year and were awaiting ED’s official announcement recognizing their achievement.

HOT

Rhode Island's Own - Part-Time

The Life of a Showgirl is the twelfth studio album by part-time Rhode Island resident Taylor Swift. It was released on today, through Republic Records. 

It is another step in her career of music superstardom.

HOT

Bad Bunny

It's official - Bad Bunny is going to be performing at the Super Bowl. 

The Puerto Rican musician and producer spoke to his roots in the announcement this weekend. 

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown…this is for my people, my culture, and our history,” he said in an NFL statement regarding the halftime show.

Born and raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny - born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio - reportedly "got his stage moniker from the time he was forced as a child to wear a bunny rabbit costume," according to NPR. "He was pretty angry about it, but the name stuck."

The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Bad Bunny PHOTO: CC:4.0 Glenn Francis http://www.PacificProDigital.com

NOT

The Cool Moose Was Right

In 2010, Robert Healey Jr., the self-proclaimed Cool Moose Party leader, ran for the Lt. Governor's office, promising to eliminate the office. He received 40% of the vote. He was right.

On October 1, sitting Lt. Governor Sabina Matos sent out her monthly update of the work in her office. It goes to reinforce that the office is a colossal waste of money. She actually wasn't sure of what month it was. Here is what she featured.

SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER

HAPPY OCTOBER, RHODE ISLAND!

¡FELIZ OCTUBRE!

It's hard to believe how quickly the summer passed us by! As the leaves start to change color, our young ones get back to school, and the temperature starts to dip, our office is gearing up for a great finish to this year's work.

With 2026 right around the corner, we are hard at work building coalitions, meeting with advocates, and preparing for an exciting legislative session where we will continue our fight to lower the cost of groceries and save Rhode Island's businesses from closing. This is important work, but we can't do it without you. Please continue to keep engaged, contact us, and let us know what more we can be doing to support you and your community. It is a privilege to serve as your Lt. Governor, an honor I remind myself of every single day.

NOT

Rep. Robert Craven

Despite having a well-known history of domestic abuse, State Representative Craven announced he was running for Attorney General.

The campaign lasted four days. Four days too long.

NOT

Door Is Wide Open

Neither Governor Dan McKee nor Helena Foulkes performed very well in the recently released UNH poll.

Just 15% believe that McKee serves another term.

“Sixteen percent of Rhode Island residents have a favorable opinion of Foulkes, 22% have an unfavorable opinion of her, 27% are neutral, and 36% don't know enough about her to say. Foulkes' net favorability (the percentage who have a favorable opinion minus the percentage who have an unfavorable opinion) is -6. Twenty-four percent of Democrats have a favorable opinion of Foulkes but only 8% of Independents and 6% of Republicans feel that way,” finds UNH.

"Mediocrity" Is Becoming the State's Motto

Forget "HOPE." 

"Mediocrity" is the new word.

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) on Thursday released the 2025 Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) scores - and English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, six years later. 

As proficiency is defined as students “meeting or exceeding expectations,” two out of three students in Rhode Island are not meeting expectations. 

The annual assessment tests Rhode Island students in grades 3-8. For 2025, ELA proficiency was 33.7%. In 2018-2019, ELA proficiency was 38.5%. 

The percent decrease - by change - is 12%. 

In math, RIDE reported proficiency was 31.4% in 2025, up from 29.8% in 2018-19.

“Rhode Island students have experienced consistent academic growth over the past three years due to the hard work of our educators, families, and partners,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “We are seeing real momentum in our classrooms, and we’re especially proud that results for most student groups, regardless of background, showed growth this year. RIDE has prioritized strengthening our supports for students and teachers alike and promoting excellence in teaching and learning. We know that there is more to do. Our state has momentum and our progress will continue.”