I'm going to be on tour for the next couple of weeks, so this blog is going to go on hiatus for a little while. Should be back early February. In the meantime, if you have an idea about what should be on this blog, send me an email

Rhode Island's Meals On Wheels

Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, Inc. is a private-nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting nutritional and other emergency needs of people who have no one to help them. Their clients are primarily the growing population of frail elderly.

In 1969, Meals On Wheels was serving 17 meals a day. Today they serve nearly 3000.

To learn more about Meals on Wheels programs, to volunteer, or to donate money or food to them, visit their website.

You can also give them a call at 401-351-6700, visit their office at 70 Bath Street in Providence, or send them an email

BLOOD FROM A TURNIP: Late Night Puppet Salon

Friday, January 17 at 10 pm

Blood From A Turnip is a late-night puppetry salon at Perishable Theatre that features cutting edge puppetry for adults. Many of the pieces are new, or in progress, and relatively short (5-15 minutes).
At $5, how can you go wrong?

WHERE: Perishable Theatre, 115 Empire Street, Providence
WHEN: Friday, January 17 at 10 pm
COST: $5 (no reservations accepted)
FOR MORE INFO: 331-2695 or see website

Sonny The Horse Finds A New Home

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the Mignacca family can't keep their miniature horse Sonny at their home in Ridgewood estates in Cranston. This reversed a lower court ruling.

In the meantime, the Mignacca's figured out another way to get their way. They bought a farm down the street from their house . (They had been housing Sonny at the farm) That means they now have 9 horses!
They are going to tear down the house on the farm they bought and build a new one, including another small apartment for the previous owners of the farm.

Sonny weighs approximately 120 lbs, is approximately 33 inches tall, and is smaller in stature and weight than a Great Dane (which would be allowed) The Mignacci's had gotten Sonny for their son Christian as an aid to get over bacterial meningitis.


The Homeowner's Association complained that Sonny was livestock, and therefore not allowed. The Mignacci's had gotten a Zoning exemption, saying that Sonny was a pet, not livestock. The Supreme Court Judge (the late Victoria Lederberg, who authored the decision before she died, but hadn't had a chance to proclaim it.) ruled that the restrictions from the deed of the land superceded the Zoning Board decision.


Read the Lower Court's Decision(HTML)


Read the Supreme Court's Decision (PDF)

URI's Graduate School of Oceanography

The Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) of the University of Rhode Island offers instruction leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography as well as in interdisciplinary and related areas such as atmospheric chemistry. GSO now offers a non-thesis degree, the Master of Oceanography (MO).

GSO is one of the largest and most widely known graduate schools of oceanography in the United States, with approximately 100 students currently enrolled and more than 600 alumni. It is the cornerstone of an array of marine programs at the University, providing the opportunity for students in several other graduate programs to conduct research in marine-related areas.

Research at the Bay Campus is conducted on approximately 200 research programs which have a combined budget of approximately $23 million in federal funds. This research ranges from the dynamics of present-day ocean circulation to the nature of ocean circulation 100 million years ago, and from the role of bacteria in carbon cycles to the communication of whales and dolphins. The research activities at GSO require an extensive and specialized array of scientific and technical equipment and services. Many of the laboratories and instrument facilities are state-of-the-art and unique to GSO.

Find out more about the Graduate School of Oceanography

Cumberland Hill Fire Department

Click the fire extinguisher above to visit the USFA (United States Fire Administration) Website for Kids. It's got lots of fun learning tools !

The Cumberland Hill Fire Department is one of four fire districts in Cumberland, RI located 10 miles north of Providence. The department provides emergency services to the 34,000+ citizens of Cumberland. They are a combination department with 14 career firefighters and 11  call/part-time firefighters. The station is manned on a continuous basis with 3 firefighters on duty at all times. The Cumberland Hill FD responds to an average 1,100 calls per year. Chief Richard A. Susi has headed the department since January of 2001.  Visit the Cumberland Hill FD online

The Children of Herakles

While we are talking about theatre, there's an interesting and important radio program on the Connection today. (1290 AM on your radio dial) Peter Sellars,amazing theatrical director, talks about his show currently playing at the American Repertory Theatre. He talks about war, and art, and the new and the old., and the power of theatre to change people's lives. It's great!

I listened to it this morning, and one of the best things on it is when Peter Sellars says "CNN will show a woman crying from the horrors of War in the background all the time, but what they won't do is give her a microphone. Euripides, in effect, gives the woman a microphone."

It will be on again at 10 pm or you can listen to it online.

Find out about the play (and see it, see it!) by visiting the A.R.T. website It plays January 4-24 and it's good stuff.

COPENHAGEN HELD OVER !

Trinity Rep has added four performances of the Tony Award-winning Copenhagen in response to the overwhelming popularity of this spellbinding drama. Trinity Rep's box office now has tickets through January 25th.

Winner of three 2000 Tony Awards, including Best Play, Copenhagen is based on real events. In the middle of World War II, two scientists went for a walk. Old friends and colleagues, but enemies now, they held in their grasp the secrets of the atom and the fate of humanity.

Copenhagen is directed by Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and features resident company members Timothy Crowe, Anne Scurria and Stephen Thorne.

If you haven't seen it, definitely do. It's fantastic.

Copenhagen runs through January 25th in Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater at 201 Washington Street. The new performances are forCopenhagen are Wednesday, January 22nd at 8pm; Thursday, January 23rd at 8pm; Saturday, January 24th at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets are available at the Trinity Rep box office, (401) 351-4242 and online. Copenhagen is sponsored by Citizens Bank.

RI Macintosh Users Group

The Rhode Island Macintosh User Group (RIMUG) was organized in 1988 as a club of Macintosh computer enthusiasts with a common interest in the ownership, operation, education and application of Apple Macintosh personal computers. They hold meetings (usually on the second Thursday of each month. They present topics about Macintoshes, previews of software and hardware, help on adding memory, etc. RIMUG has a membership of over 350 persons from primarily Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Membership is open to everyone.


The next meeting is January 9 at 7:30 pm. Meetings are held at the Davies School, Jenckes Hill Road (Route 123 off Route 146) Lincoln - only 5 minutes from Providence.

For directions, more information, or to join RIMUG , visit their website


There is also a free email discussion group that you can join.

David's Inaugural Ball(s)

The first act of David Cicilline's seems like the right move. Rather than having a fancy ball as an inauguration, Cicciline is sponsoring 3 reception block parties in different parts of the city.

The receptions, which take place from 6 to 8 p.m., will include local musicians, school bands, entertainers, food and decor that reflects the city's divcerse cultures, Brooks said.

Tonight, January 6, the reception is at Hope High School.

January 7, it's at Mount Pleasant High School. And on January 8, the party is at the Liston Campus of CCRI (on Hilton Street).

Hopefully, the fancy ball people aren't upset!


Read a ProJo article about the inauguration.

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), which was once known as the Ocean State Performing Arts Center, began its architectural life as a Loew's Movie Palace on October 6, 1928. It was designed by George and C.W. Rapp of Chicago, brothers who became renowned as one of the finest teams of theatre architects in America. The Loew's philosophy was to sell tickets to theatres - not movies; this was the inspiration for building this opulent theatre which cost $2.5 million upon completion. On opening day, more than 14,000 people came to see Joe Stoves on the $90,000 Morgan organ and the film "Excess Baggage". Most people came just to see the magnificence of the interior, sparkling with gilding on intricate plasterwork, columns of imported marble, and huge crystal chandeliers.

      Over the years, the theatre has survived many changes - during the 1970's it showed Kung Fu films and then was nearly demolished. (During the 1980's, I worked there as an usher!) Now the building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a successful rental house, where touring Broadway shows, large concerts, and other events take place. In 1998, the Grand Lobby and Arcade were painstakingly restored to their 1928 splendor. In place of the Morgan is a rare, five-manual Mighty Wurlitzer organ; the 28' by 51' movie screen again shines brightly with current and classic films.

Visit their website in order to find out what great events are coming up. January 7-12 is the Touring production of Miss Saigon. They often have Free Wurlitzer concerts during lunchtime (although that schedule has not been determined as of yet.)

Governor-elect Carcieri Inauguration "Block Party"

January 7 from 5:30-9pm

Governor-elect Don Carcieri has chosen RIC as the site of his post Inauguration "Block Party," celebrating the 39 cities and towns of Rhode Island. The actual Inauguration will take place at noon at the State House on Jan. 7. The public is invited. In addition, the public is invited to attend the festivities from 5:30-9 p.m. at RIC. The Inauguration party will be held in the Athletic Complex. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet the new Governor and celebrate what is uniquely Rhode Island. There is no cost to the public. Light refreshments will be served, and an evening of wonderful entertainment is planned. (What the entertainment is, what the refreshments are, I have no idea!)

Polar Bear Plunge

Two Icebathing exercises today! Start the new year right by dipping into the Atlantic Ocean. Brrrrrrrrr.....

New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge 12-noon. Club race to dip into icy waters at Easton Beach in Newport for charity. • 401-274-1728

Jamestown Penguin Plunge 12-noon. Tuxedo clad swimmers take the frozen plunge for charity. • 401-823-7411 • GoNewport.com

I believe there are also Polar Plunges in Narragansett and Charlestown.