“If you have any change, I’ll give you a tip,” said the homeless man in downtown Providence, as I emerged from my freshly parked car. “What’s that?” I asked. “Well — even though the sign says 9, they won’t give you a parking ticket after 6,” he offered, clearly hoping to catch me before I […]
Most people think of the beach when they think of summer, but not this city gal! Simply walking downtown on a sunny day puts me in a great mood. So it’s no surprise that I can’t wait for the Downtown Providence Parks and Conservancy (DPPC) summer series when it once again combines some of my favorite […]
“Bands, brands and fans,” says Lindsey Lerner with a practiced ease. During our conversation about her brainchild, Level Exchange, Lerner is quick to answer questions with well-rehearsed sound bites. This self-promotional acuity is not cynical or even overenthusiastic; Lerner is just that confident in what Level Exchange means to her and to the future of […]
The Embarrassment Quotient In a laughable incident of the pot calling the kettle black — that tops even the flatulent pathological liar and bride importer Donald Trump disparaging the utterly unctuous and downright creepy Ted Cruz — we saw House Speaker Nick Mattiello rear up on his hind legs to say he was “embarrassed” for […]
It is full steam ahead for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and by 2018 trucks entering the state can expect more than a dozen tolling gantries spread over five major highways across Rhode Island. The goal: to collect upward of $45 million a year and spend it on much-needed bridge repair. When the debate […]
Five years ago the Rhode Island Department of Transportation repaved part of Route 116 in Smithfield. The state told everyone living along Pleasant View Avenue — as it’s known locally — that the DOT would take down their mailboxes and the state would provide new ones, in part because new sidewalks were being laid. It […]
Political Roundup What is it about public office holders in Vo Dilun? This has always been a problem (as evidenced by a front-page story in The Providence Journal a few weeks back, reciting the roll call of the fallen). Whether “jammed up,” arrested or indicted, there appears to be a recent spate of public […]
It’s May and in the spirit of warm days to come, we often turn toward agave-based spirits. With the Motif Music Awards in mind, I think something a little more brooding, a little more boozy and stirred, rather than shaken, is appropriate. Grab a glass and swirl to your favorite song with this baby. What: […]
The future of Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket is still uncertain. Motif has been covering the debate around the obstetrics unit closure, and with Mother’s Day on the horizon had the opportunity to talk with Lisa Gendron and Kaeli Sutton of the Coalition to Save Memorial Hospital Birthing Center to discuss the future of Memorial and maternity care […]
You don’t have to be a news aficionado to appreciate National Public Radio’s Chicago-based “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” but the weekly comedy series, taped live every week for Saturday broadcast, is ostensibly a “news quiz.” One might be forgiven for forgetting the topical nature of the show, however, since WWDTM is fast-paced, funny and […]