East Providence News Briefs

The Clam Shack is Back!
It has taken four long years but for lovers of clam cakes and chowder, the Crescent Park “Clam Shack” is back in operation.  Since the last tenant moved out of the small concession stand near the Crescent Park carousel, those frequenting the park have bemoaned the loss of that waterfront staple – clam cakes and chowder.  Blount Seafood opted not to renew its lease with East Providence to continue operating a concession stand at the park.  Blount and many others didn’t see the arrangement to be profitable going forward, especially with the size of the existing small concession stand.  In the meantime, city officials contemplated building a bigger concession stand to accommodate a more modern kitchen, rest rooms and office space for park staff.  The plan caused a major stir among adjacent Terrace residents when one option had the concession stand moving across the street to the water side.  After a couple of neighborhood meetings and a reluctant City Council, Mayor Bob DaSilva decided on sticking to the original plan to build on the carousel side.  Council President Bob Rodericks and Riverside Ward 4 Councilman Rick Lawson acknowledge discussions with Mayor Bob DaSilva which considered many options, including a concession stand and bathroom facility on the Crescent Park water side.  In the end, everyone agreed with the original plan to keep all buildings on the carousel side of the site.  This was music to the ears of nearby Terrace residents who strongly objected to a facility on the waterfront parcel.

“I am pleased to announce that after much deliberation our administration is moving forward with the building of a new clam shack on the carousel side of Crescent Park. We will also be moving the event tent to that side of the park.  This decision comes after two community meetings where we listened to the residents’ concerns and modified the plan based on their input.  I want to thank the Carousel Advisory Council for hosting one of those meetings,” said DaSilva.  “We are up against a timeline that requires us to move quickly so we have directed the architectural team to move forward with the original plan,” added DaSilva.

The city put out a public bid request for vendors to apply to operate the current small concession stand until a better facility is built.  The City Council and many community members were very anxious to get a clam shack operating.  The winning bidder was Dune Brothers, LLC of Providence, RI.  Dune Brothers owner Chef Nicholas Gillespie and his wife Monica operate an operation that they refer to as “chef-driven, dock-to-dish approach customers.  Chef Nicholas Gillespie, a Cape Cod native with a passion for food and the culture of coastal New England, and his wife Monica are bringing their approach to East Providence.  Dune Brothers are bringing seafood staples to Crescent Park.  Gillespie, inspired by clam shacks he would visit as a child, opened his first location in Providence, Rhode Island in 2017 and has since amassed a following across all of New England.

“We have always loved East Providence and we are so grateful to be a part of one of the many great projects bringing new life into a city already so rich in culture,” Monica Gillespie said. “Throughout this process, we've learned more about Riverside's shell fishing community, and we are eager to reinvigorate that local economy, ideally sourcing directly from neighborhood harvesters who might not have had that demand or access to buyers in the past few decades as the fishing industry has grown. At the end of the day, we just want to serve up delicious food using the incredible natural resources Rhode Island provides us.  Our motto has always been "Pier to Plate," we pride ourselves on sourcing locally from small boat fishermen and providing customers with the opportunity to try dishes cooked with underutilized species that are as delicious as the classics (i.e. cod, haddock) but are more abundant and sustainable. We can't wait to get started,” Gillespie added.

The contract signed by the city and Dune Bros, LLC calls for Dune Bros to pay the city a monthly rent of $1,000 for 28 months until October 31, 2026. Additionally, the contract calls for the city to receive 4% of monthly gross sales beyond $100,000.  “This is a win-win for East Providence. The city is spending little to no dollars to get this interim clam shack operating while the vendor has spent thousands of dollars getting the shack up to health department codes and providing amenities like picnic tables, etc.,” said Council President Bob Rodericks.  “Everyone wanted a clam shack concession stand at the park and the business needs to make a profit to provide this.  We (city) will even realize a minimum of $28,000 revenue plus potentially much more.”    

The Gillespie’s bring years of restaurant experience, from renowned restaurants in Boston, Nantucket, and Portland, Oregon and have quickly been recognized as a rising star in the Rhode Island food scene over the past seven years.

Mayor DaSilva, council members, Senator Jack Reed and other elected officials joined with dozens of residents in a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the Clam Shack on August 22^nd.  “It was great to cut the ribbon on the Dune Brothers Seafood clam shack at Crescent Park Looff Carousel in Riverside, Rhode Island with the community. What a great addition to historic Crescent Park,” said DaSilva.

“My heart is bursting with joy seeing Crescent Park with clam cakes and chowder again. Great crowd for opening day. The concert was well attended. The RI Folk Festival was great and more concerts and events are scheduled. God, I love The Riverside,” said Ward 4 Councilman Rick Lawson, a long-time proponent of a revitalized Crescent Park Clam Shack.  "I'm over the moon that clam cakes and chowder are coming back to Crescent Park. The Shore Dinner Hall was such a part of the fabric of Riverside and East Providence as a whole and maintaining that tradition means so much to me. I look forward to working with the administration to get a new concession building built with public input to ensure another generation of Townies can enjoy some seafood at the gorgeous Crescent Park," added an obviously excited Lawson.

EP Fire Department first in RI to go PFAS-free
The East Providence City Council voted 3-2 last month to authorize Mayor Bob DaSilva to purchase new turnout gear to protect the health and wellness of the city's fire personnel. The East Providence Fire Department will now become the first in the state to wear fire equipment eliminating the use of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS, which are often referred to as “forever chemicals”, are linked to numerous adverse health effects. According to the National Cancer Institute, as of 2023 PFAS are classified as a human carcinogen. During the August 7, 2024 Council meeting, Fire Chief Michael Carey first thanked the Council for passing the resolution, quickly adding, “We need to get it off our people as fast as we can.”  “Our Administration is committed to ensuring we provide the best public safety services available while at the same time protecting those men and women who deliver these services for our residents,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “I want to thank Council President Bob Rodericks, Councilman Frank Fogerty and Councilwoman Anna Sousa for supporting this very important purchase.” The cost of replacement gear for members of the fire department will be a total of $658,000 and will be paid for through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. In recent weeks, both the Massachusetts House and Senate approved bill, SB2902, which would completely prohibit the sale of firefighting gear containing PFAS by the year 2027. “Up until recently, there were no alternatives for firefighting gear that were free from PFAS that could be found in the market,” Chief Carey said. “Upon availability, we initiated discussions with the manufacturer to determine the most suitable PFAS-free alternative for our personnel, aiming to replace all current gear containing PFAS compounds as quickly as possible for the protection of our personnel. “Following a thorough presentation and extensive discussion of this project with Mayor DaSilva, he promptly acknowledged the necessity of this transition and expeditiously located funding to accomplish this objective,” Carey added. Beginning immediately, fire crews will undergo being fitted for their new gear. Once all fittings are complete, an order will be submitted, and it is our expectation that all gear will be manufactured, delivered, and put into service within a span of less than 90 days.  Council members Frank Rego and Rick Lawson cited their support of the safety gear need but were not satisfied with an administration explanation of ARPA funding availability and wanted more specifics on the funding.

EPFD Nationally Recognized for Heart Attack and Stroke Care
The Fire Department has received the American Heart Association’s Heart Attack Honor Roll achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives. Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive, up to an hour sooner than if someone goes to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.  Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment, starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination between the individual prehospital providers and healthcare systems. “Arguably the most important link in the chains of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies is emergency medical services and pre-hospital professionals,” said Edward Jauch, M.D., MS, MBA, chair of the department of research at the University of North Carolina Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Center. “Early condition identification, stabilization and prehospital interventions, and initiation of actions within the regional systems of care provide patients with the best chance for receiving expedient definitive therapies leading to optimal outcomes and maximized quality of life. “The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS awards are an important way to recognize the crucial roles and performances of EMS personnel in stroke and cardiac patients’ care.” The Mission: Lifeline EMS achievement award focuses on agencies’ on-scene care, bringing to the forefront the collaboration and contributions to patient care for prehospital providers.

“The East Providence Fire Department is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Director of Emergency Medical Services Capt. John Potvin “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, so patients have the best possible chance of survival.” The East Providence Fire Department is also recognized on the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline System of Care Target Heart Attack Honor Roll achievement award, focused on the system of care for patients. This award highlights the collaboration and contributions of both prehospital and hospital providers. This time-critical award level is limited to those agencies that provide patient transport to STEMI-receiving and STEMI-referring centers. About Mission: Lifeline Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes prehospital emergency agencies for their quality of care for heart attack and stroke patients. The recognition program focuses on transforming care quality by connecting all heart attack and stroke care components into a seamlessly integrated care system. Key tenets of these systems of care reinforce evidence-based guidelines and measure performance, identify gaps, and engage in quality improvement.

City Planning Job Fair for Workers of Facility Closing
The City is working to assist employees of Ennovi Advanced Mobility Solutions after it announced the closure of its East Providence facility due to a “strategic realignment and consolidation of Ennovi’s North American manufacturing sites” through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter (WARN), resulting in layoffs.

“Our administration has received a WARN letter from Ennovi Advanced Mobility Solutions informing us that their longstanding business within our community will be closing its doors, impacting 200 plus jobs,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “The City of East Providence is currently collaborating with local manufacturers and the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association (RIMA) to host a job fair for the impacted employees.”

Igus Inc., Chief Executive Officer and President Felix Brockmeyer, has graciously agreed to host a job fair on-site at one of its Rumford offices.  “East Providence has been home to Igus for many years, we appreciate the people and support we have enjoyed,” CEO Felix Brockmeyer said. “Seeing one of the organizations decide to leave is sad but we will do what we can to provide job opportunities and connections for those that are impacted.” 

The DaSilva Administration has also been in contact with RIMA Executive Director Dave Chenevert to assist those impacted by the layoffs.  “RIMA’s job is to promote the manufacturing sector, and we will try to work with employees to find them a job within the manufacturing sector,” Chenevert said.

Mayor Bob DaSilva has been in touch with the State of Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Director Matt Weldon and his office to assist with mobilizing the RI DLT’s rapid response help. The City is working with Ennovi representatives who are excited to work with the city and local manufacturers to provide job placement for their employees.  The date, time and location of the planned job fair will be announced at a later time.

Closed Oldham School Building Proposals Survey
The City of East Providence is conducting a feasibility study to explore the redevelopment of the former Oldham Elementary School, located at 640 Bullocks Point Ave, into a multi-use business incubator and community space. The City is assessing the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the food, arts, trades, and blue economy sectors to evaluate the ideal space, programs, and services the facility could offer. The facility will aim to complement existing efforts and programs in East Providence and the surrounding region. By taking a wide lens in this feasibility study, the project team aims to identify gaps and community needs to determine the best use of the site.

The incubator could provide different physical spaces, such as a shared kitchen, food manufacturing space, art studios, workshop or co-working spaces, lab or office space, and community-focused spaces for the public. The facility could also support programs and services focused on wraparound small business support, education, and training, such as business planning, networking, food safety education, workforce development programming, and business acceleration.

This survey is intended for regional small food businesses, artists, tradespeople, makers, blue economy businesses, and aspiring entrepreneurs in these sectors.  This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your time and input. At the end of the survey, you will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win one of five $50 VISA gift cards.  Link for survey: https://newventureadvisors.qualtrics.com/.../SV... 

RI Energy Road Work in City
Rhode Island Energy (formerly National Grid) has been doing major road work in East Providence.  Company and city officials said that this work is part of a 3-year Rhode Island Energy plan to get rid of a low-pressure system and connect two high pressure systems.  Some of the roads where the work is being performed had recently been paved by the city and by the Bristol County Water Authority (BCWA) after BCWA disturbed the roads to connect a water main to our water tower in Kent Heights.  It should be noted that RI Energy will be paving the impacted roads curb to curb once the installation of the high pressure line is complete.  “We thank the residents for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this infrastructure improvement project may cause to you. It should also be noted that before we pave roads we check with utilities for any upcoming infrastructure work on the road being paved. These roads had been cleared for paving prior to paving by the city and BCWA. In the end we will have a safer gas distribution system and we will have new repaved roads,” said the officials involved.

Red Tail African-American Veteran Pilot Honored
Howard Carter was honored at an August ceremony at Hunt’s Mills which welcomed Onna Moniz John’s Black American Artifact Collection.  Carter was part of the second, post-war wave of black aviators. He enlisted in 1946-a year after the war ended, and soon after he graduated from high school in Boston. He was a member of the all-African American Tuskegee Airmen pilots of World War II known as the Red Tails. The Red Tails were the first African American pilots in the Armed Forces during the latter stages of World War II, from May 1943 to June 1945. The Airmen faced many challenges and Jim Crow discrimination at a time when the U.S. military was still segregated. Steven Spielberg’s film “Red Tails,” dramatized the Tuskegee Airman’s challenges and heroics escorting American bombers.  Carter piloted cargo planes in the Pacific after he got his training at the Tuskegee airfield in Alabama. He flew several missions to Japan, the Philippines, and Guam. Carter retired from the military in the late 1960s as a master sergeant.

Earn some extra cash.  Local poll workers needed
The City of East Providence is in need of poll workers for the primary election on September 10, 2024. Must be available to work all day from 6am to 9pm. Must also attend a training class held by the Board of Elections. This is a one-time paid position and workers must be at least 16 years old to qualify. Contact the Board of Canvassers at 401-435-7502.