Motif

Category: News

  • Solar Aurora Possible Mon Night: May see G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm

    Solar Aurora Possible Mon Night: May see G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm

    At Providence, solar aurora may be visible overnight Mon into Tue and, to a lesser extent, Tue into Wed. Aurora is unusual at latitudes this far south, but it typically happens a few times every year.

    Weather at Providence during the potential aurora will be partly cloudy increasing from 25% cloud cover Mon sunset to 5% overcast Tue sunrise, temperature low 9°F and near-zero chance of rain; then mostly cloudy from 66% cloud cover Tue sunset to 90% overcast Wed early morning, temperature about 30°F and 40% chance of rain.

    Geomagnetic storms are usually imperceptible to humans, but, in addition to visible aurora, they may cause disruptions of radio communications and systems that rely on orbiting satellites, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), and in rare cases can affect the electrical power grid.

    The atmosphere usually shields earth from harmful biological effects. Travelers in high-altitude aircraft may be exposed to slightly higher than normal radiation.

  • Significant Nor’easter Brings Heavy Rain to RI Tue: Winter Storm Warning for snow 6 – 12 inches in central-western MA

    Significant Nor’easter Brings Heavy Rain to RI Tue: Winter Storm Warning for snow 6 – 12 inches in central-western MA

    At Providence, a significant nor’easter Tue is expected to bring almost entirely rain, heavy at times, with perhaps a sighting of the first snowflakes of this winter season but negligible accumulation. Early uncertainty in the forecast has resolved strongly toward an all-rain event, but minor changes to the predicted storm track, slightly northward or southward, could have major effects in terms of practical results.

    Current probability in the metropolitan area is of at least 0.1in 15% and 1in near 0%. The most likely scenario is that trace amounts of snow may fall beginning Tue 9am before changing to rain, then trace amounts of snow ending 2am; temperatures Tue afternoon will be far too warm to allow accumulation, reaching 41°F.

    After the snow and rain moves out early Wed, temperatures will plummet to lows of 11°F Thu night and 21°F Fri night. The next chance of snow will be Sat.

    A Winter Storm Warning is in effect Tue 7am – Wed 7am for areas well to the northwest of RI, including Worcester and Springfield, where 6 – 12 inches is likely.

  • Motif Santa Stroll 2025!

    Motif Santa Stroll 2025!

    Join us for Motif’s 4th Annual Santa Stroll, led once again by the always amazing Providence Drum Troupe!

    This year we’ll be strolling through four stops downtown: Track 15 → Reiner’s → G Pub → Medici. Each stop along the way will feature things like holiday games, crafts, activities, caroling, tarot reading, festive bevs, and other assorted mischief!

    December 19 from 5:30pm

    • 5:30 – Track 15
    • 7:00 – Reiner’s
    • 8:00 – G Pub
    • 9:00 – Medici

    (Stick around for Motif’s holiday afterparty at Medici til close!)

    Get your tickets here.

    21+

    Thank you to our sponsors: CMS Gardens, Uptown Theatre, Thea Plant Co., Rising Tides Apothecary!

  • Warming Centers Save Lives: Local facilities open for protection during extreme cold

    Warming Centers Save Lives: Local facilities open for protection during extreme cold

    Even normal winter conditions can be life-threatening to anyone without proper hats, clothes, and footwear, but extreme conditions are life-threatening for anyone outside of heated shelter.

    According to the RI Department of Environmental Management, the interior of the state (that is, not along the immediate coast) each year averages five days with a minimum temperature of 0°F, 30 – 40 days with a maximum temperature of 32°F, and January to February the average daily temperature is 19 – 20°F. Between 1980 and 2014, 14 winter storms each accounted for at least $1 billion in damage, and 42.4% of all “billion-dollar” weather disasters in RI, beating out tropical storms (24.2%) and other storms (21.2%). Motif has reported record-setting cold weather emergencies, such as wind chill dropping below -20°F and even reaching -30°F in Feb 2023.

    The National Weather Service (NWS) states, “An Extreme Cold Warning is issued when extremely dangerous cold conditions or wind chill values are expected or occurring. If you are in an area with an Extreme Cold Warning, avoid going outside. If you have to go outside, dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and make sure at least one other person knows your whereabouts. Update them when you arrive safely at your destination.” The criteria for “extreme cold” vary by location and are defined by the local NWS office.

    According to the National Safety Council, exposure to cold can cause frostbite, which is the injurious freezing of layers of skin, even if covered by clothing, mainly on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Exposure to cold can also cause hypothermia, which is the lowering of core body temperature below 95°F, leading to organ failure and death.

    Nearly all municipalities in RI operate warning centers, usually public libraries and community centers during the day, and occasionally public safety complexes around-the-clock. The RI Emergency Management Agency keeps a list – riema.ri.gov/warming-centers – of such facilities along with their hours and telephone numbers. Those experiencing homelessness may need additional services – housing.ri.gov/resources/individuals-experiencing-homelessnes – beyond that provided by emergency warming centers. Anyone needing assistance can call the United Way by telephoning 2-1-1, a free and confidential service answered by trained professionals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

    The City of Providence publishes its own list of warming centers at providenceri.gov/pema/warming-centers, and explains, “Warming centers provide temporary relief from extreme cold temperatures in public spaces where community members already gather” and, “Warming centers are safe and secure places for individuals or families to stay warm. They are located in heated buildings that are open to the public and often have pre-existing programming.” However, the city warns, “A warming center is not a permanent shelter. There are no housing, medical, or behavioral health services. A warming center cannot accommodate pets. Only registered service animals are allowed. A warming center does not provide food.” Providence is the only city that lists 24-hour warming centers not at a public safety complex: Crossroads at 160 Broad St, and Providence Rescue Mission at 627 Cranston St.

    The American Red Cross offers free applications for Google Android and Apple iOS that can assist in identifying and treating cases of frostbite and hypothermia, as well as directing users to weather emergency resources more generally, including delivering severe weather alerts by location.

  • ICE-proofing Our Courthouses: Open letter advocating virtual court appearances

    ICE-proofing Our Courthouses: Open letter advocating virtual court appearances

    Over 30 Rhode Island organizations, court workers, and politicians, including the Providence City Council, penned an open letter calling on Governor Daniel McKee, Chief Justice Paul Suttell, and the RI Judiciary to immediately implement virtual court hearings in response to the brutal kidnappings of immigrants by ICE at RI courthouses.

    These organizations and individuals have joined nearly 2,200 individuals who signed the petition for virtual courts since it was launched in July.

    The full text of the letter and list of signatories can be found at steveahlquist.substack.com/p/30-organizations-court-workers-and

    In part it reads:

    “Every week, ICE vehicles wait outside RI courthouses to abduct our immigrant community members. Since the end of July, we have witnessed over 20 abductions outside the courts, and those are only the ones we have seen. These community members are trying to navigate a system that fails them — like the well-documented case of a woman who was a victim of domestic violence, was never charged with anything, but was still kidnapped while leaving court.

    We have had enough. With ICE agents acting as though they are above the law, obstructing people’s access to their legal proceedings, how are RI immigrants expected to pay their parking tickets, sue when their civil rights are violated, or appear for their court appearances? We are calling on Governor McKee, Chief Justice Sutell, and the Rhode Island Judiciary to expand access to virtual court dates for all people — to protect Rhode Island residents from ICE.”

    The technical challenges of virtual court dates were worked out – because they had to be – during COVID. We have the technology to make this a viable option if participants in the case request it. 

    Already, many judges will allow virtual court dates on a case-by-case basis and at the judge’s discretion, so there is no major procedural or technological hurdle. The challenges are:

    1. Any judge can currently deny such a request, although most do not.

    2. Participants in the process and their attorneys don’t know that they have this option, or don’t think to exercise it and actually make the request.

    “Providence and RI already have legal measures in place to protect our immigrant neighbors from kidnappings,” the open letter goes on. These measures make police and court collaboration with ICE illegal, but they have done little to inhibit ICE’s activities. So far, at least 350 people have been detained by ICE in RI since Trump took office, many of them as a result of simply attending a court date. Courthouses are high-traffic sites for ICE kidnappings, both in RI and across the country,” the letter goes on to explain.

    Volunteers for the Deportation Defense Line (the hot line members of the public can call if they suspect ICE activity, with the goal of assembling witnesses to ICE abductions), have observed numerous cases where people leaving court appointments are seized by ICE as soon as they exit the building. 

    “ICE has even pulled over rideshare cars to seize our community members already on their way home,” the letter proceeds.

    “This leads us to ask: How can ICE keep kidnapping people in this way without knowing exactly when they are leaving the building? Our courthouses are not doing enough to stop the informants or plainclothes agents who stalk immigrants inside the courthouses.

    “Other courts across the country are already standing up to ICE. In Chicago, Cook County’s top judge declared that ICE detaining anyone near a courthouse is obstruction of justice. Under this order, ICE agents attempting to detain people at the courthouse could be arrested for contempt of court. In comparison, offering virtual court hearings is a bare minimum measure. After broad community organizing, the Providence City Council worked with the city courts to make virtual hearings universally available at the municipal and probate courts. The rest of Rhode Island must follow suit…

    “Every Rhode Islander must be able to access legal proceedings without going in person to a courthouse, without worrying about being able to go to work or school the next day. This is an issue of safe access to our legal system. If our elected officials and justices care about our immigrant communities, they must take decisive action.”

    Spreading awareness of this option, and making the option a standard disclosure for anyone who might need to log a court appearance, are simple steps that could be enacted immediately and could make a major difference in thwarting what has become perhaps ICE’s most aggressive tactic. The letter concludes, “We are not satisfied with empty promises; with every day that passes, more immigrant members of our community are being kidnapped at court. These are our fathers, mothers, classmates, neighbors, essential workers, taxpayers, and friends. Already, nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition for virtual court hearings. We call on the Governor, Chief Justice Sutell, and the RI Courts to protect our communities now by instituting virtual hearings immediately!”

    Signed,

    • Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR)
    • Olneyville Neighborhood Association
    • Party for Socialism and Liberation
    • Deportation Defense Network of Rhode Island
    • Providence City Council
    • David Morales, RI State Representative
    • Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island
    • Rhode Island State Council of Churches
    • National Lawyers Guild, RI Chapter
    • The Pro Bono Collaborative at Roger Williams University
    • RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence
    • Fuerza Laboral
    • Black Lives Matter RI
    • SISTA Fire
    • Refugee Dream Center
    • Providence Youth Student Movement
    • Reclaim RI
    • Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice
    • Brown University Alianza Pre-law organization
    • Brown University Dream Team
    • Providence Teachers Union, Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (PVD CORE)
    • Conexión Latina
    • Women’s Fund of Rhode Island
    • Carla Avelado, Attorney
    • Crystal Abreu, Attorney
    • Dena Paolino, Attorney
    • Gloria Peters, Community Integration Specialist working at Garrahy and Licht Courts
    • Grace Voll, Press Secretary for the RI Treasury
    • Jess Crane, Attorney with the Rhode Island Public Defender
    • Nasama Winters, Legal Intake Secretary
    • Sarnya KP, Social Worker

  • Kamala Harris: 107 Days Event in Medford MA Recap

    The atmosphere in the room is teemantalizing with excitement. People whisper to their seat neighbors as the lights dim. It’s 30 minutes after 2 pm, the scheduled time of the event’s start, and they’re *still* letting people in as the line curved around the block. I should know, I had to pass through it twice because there were problems with my ticket and Ticketmaster. In the end, I get in at what I think is the last minute, and hurry to my seat, way up high, almost the highest in the house, and worry I won’t be able to see her at all. But my view ends up being pretty good, for nosebleed seats!

    As the theatre finally fills up to the brim, the chatter stops instantly. The applause is thunderous, a standing ovation and she hasn’t even come out on stage yet. When she finally does, I think the whole neighborhood can hear the applause and cheers, which don’t stop for a good 10 minutes, until the moderator says, “‘OK everyone, we are here to hear her talk now!”’

    There she is. The moment, the legend, Kamala Harris! She instantly takes command of the room with grace and poise, handling the moderator’s questions as if it’s another debate she’s prepped months for, but this time with more personal anecdotes. First up, it’s the famous ‘fly’ incident with Mike Pence during their debate in 2020 for Vice President. Harris says, “We’re in our separate cubicles (because of COVID), and even after months of ‘debate camp,’ *nothing* can prepare you for that. I felt so bad for the guy, because how do you handle this fly around your head? ‘Debate camp’ drills you to the bone, but they don’t cover “that damn fly!’”

    After this answer, it’s clear that some Trump supporters have made their way in to the front row (which you know, all the more money to Harris, so good job, guys), and of course, start heckling and booing her, which is countered by the rest of the audience’s cheers after “So, as I was *saying…” Harris shifts the conversation back on track, because we can’t laugh about a fly on a Republican candidate’s face, I suppose. It happens a second time after ‘You know Who’ (Again, see previous articles) is mentioned, and the moderator cuts in, “You know, we might learn a lot from Kamala if we actually were quiet while she’s talking.”

    There are’s no more problems with hecklers after this, which is very satisfying. You bought the ticket, you listen to the lady, my dudes. Harris tells stories of when she met with “African kings, Latin American leaders, people from around the world,” said Harris. “To make sure our friendly relations with people from these countries and America have a good relationship in the future, especially now. What people from other countries see is down to each of us, individuals, and every one of us plays a part of that image.”

    Harris was then asked about the prep time it took for her to write her new book ‘107 Days,’ which we all received a complimentary copy of. (Shout out to the amazingly kind audience member who gave me her copy, as they already, “‘Hhad one to share!’”) Harris says, “It took about the same time and momentum force that I had running my campaign, which is why the book is named as it is: I only had 107 days to make my campaign off the ground running. It takes you

    from the start of my campaign until voting day, which we all know the ending of.” Harris has dedicated this book to her team, because, “They have been incredible, start to finish, and deserve the credit for a *lot* of hard trial and effort.”

    The talk soon switches to audience participation, and the first audience pick is a young boy about 18 years old, his friends thrilled for him as he stands. His question is if he should move to Washington D.C, as he wants, “To attend college there for political pursuits, but the atmosphere is ‘pretty scary’ right now, and should he still do it?” Thunderous applause before Harris’ answer. “What you heard just now, from our audience, I want you to remember that as you go forward. Go to school, get that degree. We need more good people in the world of politics today.”

    The show is sadly coming to an end, not before a final question, “How can we as individuals help the country be a better place to live in for our future?” ”Our future is now,” Harris replies to more applause. “Help your local polling center, sign up and volunteer to these incredible, overrun polling stations. Even one person showing up to help can make a huge difference. Another difference is not only the people who vote, but also those who don’t vote. One third of Americans didn’t vote in the last election. It all starts (and ends) with us.”

    One last bit of advice from Kamala before the event ends:, “What you have to remember is that there’s always a light in you, even during the dark times. I’ve been in that darkness, but you still have to find that light, and you *can* do it. You *proved* you can do it by showing up here, today. But once isn’t enough. You have to keep finding that light, and keep igniting yours and others’. That light isn’t just for today.”

    After walking to the nearest Dunkin in the freezing cold (I know, what a Massachusetts thing to do), I begin reading the book. It proves to be an insightful, intriguing read that will help bring the “‘light”’ not only to every audience member, but to others that we spread it to, not only to our communities, but around the world. And that is the true magic of Kamala Harris.

  • La Niña Makes Warmer Winter Likely: Precipitation forecast complicated, but overall average expected

    La Niña Makes Warmer Winter Likely: Precipitation forecast complicated, but overall average expected

    Scientific models forecasting the upcoming winter season are driven mostly by observations of such factors as Pacific Ocean temperature, since weather moves from west to east across the continental United States. It has been known for more than a century that worldwide seasonal phenomena were correlated with trade winds and ocean water temperature, controlling the energy available in the atmosphere: decreased trade winds are associated with waters cooler in the Western Pacific than the Eastern Pacific, a condition named “El Niño” by seafarers; increased trade winds are associated with waters warmer in the Western Pacific than the Eastern Pacific, a condition named “La Niña.” The swing between these two states is called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with the normal state between them called “ENSO-neutral.”

    In October, the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) in College Park, Maryland, issued a notice that the world had entered La Niña: “The expectations are for a relatively weak and short lived event through winter 2025–2026 before easing back to ENSO-neutral by early Spring.” Combined with other factors, that puts RI at about a 35% probability of a warmer than average winter with average precipitation.

    Although there is considerable uncertainty and debate among meteorological researchers, the wider variation in the jet stream over North America associated with La Niña is generally understood to subject southern New England to less frequent but stronger storms. The extent of this effect, and even whether it really exists at all, is unclear. Because the most severe winter storms affecting Southern New England tend to track and redevelop offshore along the coast, and because the overall trend of the resulting jet stream variation from La Niña is to pull such storms toward the northwest, they may drop more rain than snow.

    The increased variability in the jet stream from La Niña can lead to significant excursions from normal, allowing the polar vortex, which is a normal circulation of extremely cold air near the North Pole, to expand briefly southward, exposing regions to air temperatures tens of degrees below normal for days at a time. When this happens, interaction with a storm system can result in very heavy snow.

    On Nov 21, NWS CPC updated an advisory predicting a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event likely to allow polar vortex air to dip southward into the continental US, making colder than normal temperatures 50 – 60% likely in RI during Nov 27 – Dec 1 and 33 – 40% likely the following week. Temperatures lowered by 10 – 15°F for several days due to an SSW can take a few weeks to revert back to normal.

    Climatological predictions for as long as an entire season are probabilistic with reasonably high confidence, but are necessarily focused on averages. ENSO excursions toward either extreme will induce wide variation from these averages, and the actual effect can be a warmer winter that still has severe cold snaps and a rainy winter that still has a few big snowstorms. Put more simply, El Niña introduces more forecasting uncertainty than usual.

  • THE RI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD: A ROCK SYMPHONY

    THE RI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD: A ROCK SYMPHONY

    Sponsored Content

    AT THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2025


    Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra (RIPO) performs THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 7P. Tickets for THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD go on sale on Friday, June 20 at 10A at the PPAC Box Office, by phone at 401.421.ARTS (2787) and online at ppacri.org. The Box Office is located at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI 02903. Current Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10A to 3P and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on performance days. Ticket prices are inclusive of all applicable fees and are subject to change without notice.

    Amplified by a full rock band and accompanied by singer Randy Jackson’s fabulous vocals, creator Brent Havens guest conducts the Orchestra as they capture Pink Floyd’s ethereal flow of music and effects while churning out new musical colors. The two-hour plus concert’s program includes The Dark Side of The Moon, performed in its entirety, plus Pink Floyd’s greatest hits, including “Money,” “Learning to Fly,” “Comfortably Numb” and selections from “The Wall.”


    “My concept for THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what the original group had done,” says Havens. “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon. The band is reproducing what Pink Floyd did on the albums, as closely as possible, and then having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of depth.”


    Delivering vocals out front, singer Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), acts as a window between the audience and reworked material. “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson more than captures the spirit of the original singers,” says Havens.


    The symphonic rock hybrid has met with approval on both sides of the podium.  


    “When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause,” says Havens. “Then we hit the first note, and they realized it was a rock show.”


    Classical musicians also enjoy the change of pace.  “This is music that these musicians grew up with just as we did,” says Havens.  “I see them singing along with a number of the songs as we’re playing them.” 

  • ecoRI News Roundup: November 2025

    Compiled by Bonnie Phillips/ecoRI News

    McKee, Region’s Governors Seek Environmental Impact Assessment Reforms

    PROVIDENCE — Is it time to reform how the federal government assesses the environmental impact of energy projects? Gov. Dan McKee apparently thinks so. 

    The National Governors Association recently released a letter sent to Congress outlining a package of desired permitting reforms aimed at speeding up the development process of “critical energy infrastructure projects.” 

    The letter includes proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act, reforms to nuclear energy regulation, and it seeks to beef up the permitting offices of federal agencies. 

    McKee was one of 13 signatories to the letter, a number which includes both Democrat and Republican governors. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont also signed the letter, which is the result of an energy permitting working group formed by the governors in February, of which McKee was part. 

    “As a group we believe it is critical that federal permitting be administered in a technology-neutral and apolitical manner that allows energy projects of all types to move forward,” the governors wrote in the letter. “Given the current demands on the grid, ensuring reliability and keeping costs low for consumers requires that a diverse mix of energy types be permitted and brought online to help meet our resource needs.” 

    A statement from the 13 governors notes that each governor doesn’t necessarily endorse each specific reform, but are “in broad agreement on the need to improve federal energy permitting.” A spokesperson for McKee’s office didn’t respond to requests for further details. 

    Changes to how federal and local governments perform their environmental assessments and permitting has been a longstanding goal of reform advocates on both sides of the aisle. Environmental impact statements, while valuable to understanding the impact of energy projects on the environment and public health, take years to study, draft, and publish. 

    For Rhode Island, NEPA’s processes often come in the form of public comment on highway projects proposed by the state Department of Transportation. The National Resources Defense Council, for example, in 2015, pointed to the Route 403 expansion and relocation in North Kingstown as a local project where public input resulted in reduced damage to wetlands. 

    Most recently, the Revolution Wind and SouthCoast Wind projects issued environmental impact assessments, detailing the changes wind turbines and cables would bring to the ocean and fisheries. 

    The Trump administration has been keen to roll back much of the environmental oversight provisions to NEPA, citing permitting delays, and accusing the law of “holding back” growth. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act passed this summer allows companies going through the NEPA process to fast-track their projects so long as they pay a fee. The legislation also shortens the timeline for environmental impact statements to be issued, to within six months. 

    The reforms backed by the governors are comparatively modest. They want more permitting staff, to speed up decision-making; the adoption of digital interagency systems; and electronic permitting. 

    They also want the category of projects which are considered to have no environmental impact to be expanded to include storage facilities, grid-enhancing technologies, repowering existing or recently retired nuclear generation facilities, carbon capture, and geothermal power plants. 

    Survey Finds that Most RIPTA Riders are People of Color

    PROVIDENCE — Most Rhode Island bus riders are people of color, dependent on transit, and come from households with incomes well below the poverty line, according to a rider survey presented by the RI Transit Authority. 

    The 25-question survey of nearly 5,500 riders took place during a month-long period last fall. The Federal Transit Authority requires RIPTA to conduct onboard surveys for rider demographics, as well as fare usage and travel pattern information. 

    About a month into extensive service cuts, board members and staff said the survey results will also be a useful tool in improving service and advocating for the agency into the future. 

    About 57% of the riders surveyed have a household income less than $25,000, about one-third of the state median income, which is nearly $85,000. The survey found that 62% of respondents were people of color. 

    Just over half of riders also don’t have a license or access to a car. A third more did have a license but not a vehicle. That points to the fact that most riders have no alternative but to take transit, said Sarah Ingle, RIPTA’s executive director of planning. 

    In addition to providing information about who the riders are, the survey also showed how and why they take public transit. 

    The survey showed that most riders from Providence are traveling to work and then home. The business district around City Hall, Brown University, and Providence Place were the most common origins and destinations for trips. 

    Most trips listed in the survey required a transfer, meaning that one bus often wasn’t enough to get riders to their destinations. 

    Woonasquatucket River Greenway Gets New Outdoor Classroom, Native Plants

    JOHNSTON, R.I. — Frequent users of the section of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway that runs through town will notice much has changed in the area of the greenway near the fish ladder. 

    Where there was once unkempt overgrowth of nonnative plants there is now a pollinator garden of native plants, a new Manton Outdoor Classroom with Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible terraced log seats, and gathering and parking areas for both bicycles and vehicles for school trips and community programs. The seating area for the classroom overlooks the Manton fishway, which supports the return of herring and shad in the spring for reproduction. 

    The project included stabilizing the bank of the Woonasquatucket River in that area and adding bioswales to slow stormwater, filter pollutants, and improve water quality. The planting of 5,000 native plants in the area will also help reduce flooding and restore wildlife habitat. 

    Christopher Dalpe, communications manager for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, said the organization and its partners have spent more than $5 million since 2005 on improvements to Johnston’s 1.25-mile section of the greenway, a 7-mile, multiuse recreational path that winds through Providence and Johnston along the banks of the river. 

    The funding comes through partnerships with the WRWC and federal and state agencies and a variety of state and federal grants, including funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the RI Department of Environmental Management, the Coastal Resources Management Council, and the RI Department of Transportation. 

    For more details on these stories, and to get more of the latest environmental news, visit ecoRI.org. Subscribe to ecoRI News’ free weekly e-newsletter at ecoRI.org/subscribe.

  • No Kings Day

    Reporting by Steve Ahlquist and Sabrina Ruiz

    On October 18, at least 15,000 people gathered outside the Rhode Island State House in Providence, joining countless other cities and towns across the United States to condemn President Trump’s fascist overreach and to declare that America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.

    Here are all the speakers at the event. Direct links to each speaker are indexed in the description:

    The march was so long that the beginning of the march met the end of the march when it looped back towards the State House.

    A rule called the 3.5% Rule developed by political scientist Erica Chenoweth suggests that if a peaceful protest can sustain participation by 3.5% of a population (or more), it has a real chance of influencing policy and politics. 39,000 people would be 3.5% of RI. If the numerous geographic protests of October 18 are added together, we are close but not quite there yet with something like 20 – 25,000 total. Nationally, about 7 million people took part, with a mathematical goal of about 12 million. Considering the first round of No Kings protests, June 14, attracted around 10,000 in RI between multiple sites (4 – 5 million nationally), we seem to be accelerating rapidly. The 3.5% is meant as an indicator, not a magic number, where protesters represent a level of broader dissatisfaction among those not inclined to protest. But if this movement can continue growing at this pace, it could represent real change – so keep an eye out for the next No Kings rally near you. Most of the notifications come out through social media from local activists, but you can also keep an eye on nokings.org

    Speakers at the October event included emcee Alisha Pina, PVD Mayoral candidate David Morales, and RI state senator Tiara Mack.

    Emcee Pina declared, “This is what we deserve — peaceful treatment, human kindness … Right now we don’t need a king. We don’t need a fascist. We don’t need dictators. We don’t need tyranny. And we sure don’t need hate … We’re going to help when ICE comes. We’re going to help our neighbors because that’s what they are. They are not others, they are our neighbors. They’re Rhode Islanders.”

    “Say it loud and say it clear! Immigrants are welcomed here!” Morales told an enthusiastically receptive crowd, “And for that reason, we are here today to reject all forms of fascism, including ICE, because ICE is not welcome in Rhode Island! … Together we’re going to demonstrate that Rhode Island is a home for everyone, especially our immigrant brothers, sisters, and nonbinary friends.”

    Tiara Mack added, “I am here to remind you that love and solidarity are more important than what they try to do to divide us … No action of solidarity is too small … It is our duty to fight for our freedom.”

    With some attendees dancing around in inflatable or over-the-top outfits, and a calm police presence watching over events, the demonstrations were entirely, inspiringly non-violent.