March 29, 2024

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EP Human Resources Director Wins Latest Round - Gets Job Back:
As November turned into December, embattled former East Providence HR Director, Kathleen Waterbury has been reinstated to her position by independent hearing officer Christopher Blazejewski. Waterbury had accused city officials including former City Manager Paul Lemont of sexual harassment. Waterbury said she experienced "inappropriate sexual comments and a hostile work place." She said she brought her concerns to then City Manager Richard Kirby, who allegedly brushed them off, and retaliated against her by threatening to fire her, according to a complaint filed by Waterbury. Waterbury said she was given no reason for her firing.

Mayor Thomas Rose called for the termination of former City Manager Richard Kirby for serious wrongdoings including: "Failure to investigate allegations by a City employee of sexual harassment costing the City $150,000 in legal and investigation fees (so far) in relation to the sexual harassment complaint made by Kathleen Waterbury" and failure to respond to City Council member telephone calls and emails." Kirby was later fired in a 3-2 vote by the now lame duck city council. Kirby, once brought to the City Manager's job with State House influence, had now lost that same support.

The latest development has been an open secret around the city as Waterbury has been recently seen in City Hall and is expected to resume her HR duties immediately. Waterbury's court complaint against Lemont was indeed very edgy: "When I came to his office to speak about city business, he (Lemont) would ask me to twirl around so he could look me over. Paul Lemont also has made repeated comments about the Town Clerk’s physical attributes. From the time Mr. Lemont came on board in East Providence, his interactions with me have been highly inappropriate. In each instance when Mr. Lemont would see me, he would ask me if we could take a shower together," continued Waterbury's earlier public court complaint.

Joe Botelho, Brian Faria, Anna Sousa, Win Council Seats. Monteiro, Beauchaine hold SC Seats. Strong Mayor Wins:
East Providence voters have elected some new faces and have approved a move to elect a strong Mayor as the city's top executive. In a closely contested Ward 4 city council race, newcomer Brian Faria has bested incumbent Tim Conley. The final tally was 2347 to 2256. Before the election Faria had issued a statement which said in part, "The people can no longer feel powerless in our City government. The combination of your voices will conquer any "block of votes" they have in opposition to change in Riverside. The people of this ward are the real machine and your voices are much greater in number. To have change we must bring change," said Faria. Reached after the polls closed, Tim Conley stated that "I respect the will of the voters."

In the Ward 3 city council race left open by Tom Rose not seeking reelection, former Ward 3 councilman Joe Botelho held off three time candidate Candy Seel by a 1968 to 1710 margin. "Barring a massive amount of mail-in votes, it looks like another narrow loss for me," said Seel after the polls closed. "Congratulations to my opponent Joe Botelho. I wish all the newly elected and re-elected public officials all the best. Thank you to everyone who supported me in this and the two previous campaigns. A special thanks to the people of Riverside in Ward 3 who will always hold a special place in my heart," added Seel.

"Thanks to the people of Ward 3 for supporting my candidacy to the East Providence City Council. I look forward to working with members of the new council, and the people of our fine city to accomplish great things over the next two years," said Botelho. Together, we can make it happen.”

"I thank each and every one of you for your loyalty, dedication and time you put into my election and my years on the Council," said Mayor Tom Rose who did not seek reelection. "As I approach my final weeks on this Council as Mayor I would like to wish all the new incoming members of the Council the best of luck in the future."

In a Ward 2 city council race which saw former Mayor and councilman Bruce Rogers attempt a comeback, political novice Anna Sousa defeated Rogers. "A special thanks to my family, friends, and the residents of East Providence, especially those living in Ward 2 for supporting me throughout this campaign season. We live in a wonderful city and I am proud to represent Ward 2 as your new council woman. I look forward to working with the new council and community to improve our city," writes Sousa. Rogers campaigned hard but couldn't overtake Sousa's effort. Sousa won 1714 to 1442. "Ward 2 remains a difficult ward to get elected," said Rogers afterwards. "I'll continue to work to help people in the city," he added. Rogers is active in the Democratic party and may be interested in seeking the party chairmanship should current chairman John Faria step aside eventually.

The open council-at-large seat being vacated by Tracy Capobianco, went to another former Mayor and councilman, Jim Briden, who was unopposed and received 11,856 votes.

Ward 1 councilman Bob Britto was also unopposed and reelected with 3573 votes.

In a surprise eleventh hour decision, former school committee and city council member Chrissy Rossi re-entered the school committee-at-large race against incumbent Joel Monteiro. Rossi had withdrawn from the race due to family illness but did so too late to have her name removed from the ballot. However after family health matters improved, Rossi put out the word that she was running officially. Her announcement came just a day or two before the election. After the election Rossi said, "I am grateful for your support and humbled by the sheer volume of votes. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. I wish Mr. Monteiro and the rest of the committee a positive new term filled with smiling children, happy employees and the spirit of cooperation to elevate our district to great heights. Best wishes in your next term Mr. Monteiro. Monteiro was reelected by a count of 7690 to 7144 over Rossi.

In a spirited Ward 4 school committee race, incumbent Jessica Beauchaine defeated newcomer Chris Dias by a 2485 to 2156. Beauchaine carried all ward districts. "Tonight we bow out gracefully," posted Dias after the election. "It didn't end in a win for us, but thank you for everything. Congrats Jessica Beauchaine and good luck in the future," Dias said. "I appreciate everyone's support," said Beauchaine after the election. "I congratulate my opponent and all who ran for office today. Let's move ahead in the best interest of our schools and students."

Incumbent Ward 1 school committee member and Chairman Charles Tsonos was unopposed and received 3356 votes.

Incumbent Ward 2 school committee member Tony Ferreira was unopposed and received 2495 votes.

Incumbent Ward 3 school committee member Nathan Cahoon was unopposed and received 2748 votes.

The school committee chemistry has seen an alignment of members Joel Monteiro and Nathan Cahoon politically, with Ward 4 incumbent Jessica Beauchaine, Ward 2 member Tony Ferreira and Ward 1 member, Chairman Charles Tsonos aligning at times.
Incumbent Representative Katherine S. Kazarian (DEM) in District 63, defeated Christopher J. Holland (REP) 3818 to 2047.

Incumbent District 65 State Representative Gregg Amore (DEM) was unopposed and received 4398 votes. Incumbent District 66 Representative Joy S. Hearn (DEM) was unopposed and received 1504 votes.
Cynthia Armour Coyne (DEM) District 32 defeated James A. Kazounis (REP) by a 1040 to 766 count.

Senator Daniel Da Ponte (DEM) District 14 was unopposed as was Senator William Conley (DEM) District 18.
Soon to be former Ward 2 city councilman Helder J. Cunha (DEM) was unopposed in his Representative District 64 bid receiving 3142 votes.

Incumbent District 65 State Representative Gregg Amore (DEM) was unopposed and received 4398 votes. Incumbent District 66 Representative Joy S. Hearn (DEM) was unopposed and received 1504 votes.

Strong Mayor Coming to EP? Maybe:
Although almost 75% of East Providence voters approved a major change in government, there is no guarantee it will happen. Could a Buddy Cianci type government be in EP soon? However, lawyers may have the last say, not the voters. City officials are not quick to comment on the matter. Acting City Manager and city solicitor Tim Chapman would not comment directly on the subject because he will be asked to advise the incoming council on the matter. New Ward 3 councilman Joe Botelho has long favored the strong Mayor and some on the council agree that the hiring and firing of 6 recent city managers may influence this outcome.

Precedence has been established in squashing the will of the voters before. Twice voters in East Providence have strongly approved the construction of a new recreation center. Voters wanted to replace the ancient center which housed the old Riverside Junior High on Bullocks Point Avenue in Riverside. That overwhelming mandate was stopped by former councilman and Mayor Joe Larisa who twice, refused to let the matter go forward procedurally.

Recently voters also approved a measure to switch council terms from 2 to 4 years. That vote was also not honored by city and state officials. Incoming at-large councilman and former ceremonial Mayor Jim Briden, has spoken out against the strong mayor form of government. Briden based his opposition on the lack of a charter commission to make recommendations to voters in this regard. Ward 1 councilman Robert Britto has supported the strong Mayor and was the sponsor to place the matter on the 2016 ballot. Should the voters mandate be followed, the changeover will take place in 2018.

Sources also indicate that state leaders - some elected and some behind the scenes - will be involved in this process. Some observers point out that General Assembly involvement will be needed to decide the eventual outcome. So even though an overwhelming majority of EP voters in November said they want a strong Mayor form of government, it may not happen. Some say that the charter calls for 75% plurality to change and the actual margin was 73%. Others state the lack of a charter commission is a problem. Cities in Rhode Island with strong Mayors are Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Cumberland while smaller towns like Barrington, Narragansett, South Kingstown, and Westerly have appointed managers. Stay tuned.

City Council Organizing for Dec. 5th Swearing-In?:
Back in the day, city council and school committee-elects would gather informally to decide on Mayor, Assistant Mayor, Chairman, etc. Several sought after jobs were up for grabs, namely city solicitors, municipal judges, city clerk and lesser known posts like sealer of weights and measures. The council Mayor is mostly ceremonial but it is a charter provided position and does carry significance. The Mayor presides over and can ostensibly direct a council agenda and meeting. Certain commission appointments are made by the Mayor and assuming a Mayor had at least three votes, he/she can influence other appointments like a City Manager. Behind the scenes a Mayor and supporters can even influence police and fire chief selections, although this is tenuous legal territory. Police Chief - council relationships can be traced back to the early days of East Providence politics involving names like "Pappy" Lamb, "Pinky" Lester, Earl Sandquist and more.

Some councilman coveted the Mayor's seat so much that they would give up all appointments in order to be the Mayor. Former Mayor and councilman Rolland Grant enjoyed being Mayor but at the cost of deferring most appointments to others. Former Ward 2 councilman Tony Almeida was the consummate behind-the-scenes council member who could make one a Mayor but get all the solicitor, clerk and judicial appointments in return. The current position of Mayor does carry some weight and authority above that of a regular council member and is still a sought after post election plum.

The onset of the state's open meetings act may now prohibit newly elected officials to meet in private until they are officially sworn in. Returning Ward 3 councilman Joe Botelho doesn't think the city council can discuss these appointments until they are sworn in on December 5th. He has evidently asked the state Attorney General for an advisory opinion on the matter before inauguration, but that may not happen. The AG has referred the matter back to the local city solicitor's office. Tim Chapman is currently the Interim Manager and solicitor. The job of Mayor may be ceremonial but it certainly remains a coveted one.

University Orthopedics first to Break Ground at Kettle Point:
"A very exciting day for University Orthopedics. We were honored to have the Governor join us for this special occasion. We will continue to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal care to the people of Southern New England from our new East Providence location at Kettle Point," said the University Orthopedics press release last month. A groundbreaking for the 90,000-square-foot building at Kettle Point, which is located off Veterans Memorial Parkway, and bordered by the East Bay Bike Path and the Providence River was held in November.

Kettle Point is part of a revitalization of East Providence's waterfront area which has been long neglected. It will provide a new Luxury residential community in East Providence overlooking Narragansett Bay and Downtown Providence. The latest development will be combined with residential units, apartments, townhouses and will allow public access to the famed bike path and waterfront.

“University Orthopedics is excited to be a part of the economic growth and development in the City of East Providence," said Edward Akelman, M.D., the president of University Orthopedics. "This state-of the art facility enables us to provide the highest quality orthopedic care, comparable to the best care available anywhere in the country."

East Providence Police Explorer Post 750 Assist Hope & Faith Drive:
The East Providence Police Explorers and the Hope & Faith Drive are teaming up this holiday season to host a Toy Drive to benefit the families of East Providence. The toys will go directly to the Hope & Faith Drive and will be distributed to the families in time for Christmas. The Toy Drive will run to Monday December 19th, 2016. You can find donation boxes at Weaver Library, Riverside library, Riverside Middle School, EP High School, and the Police Station. "We are asking for New unwrapped toys for children between the ages of three months and 18 years old. We would greatly appreciate anything donated so that together we can give everyone a great Christmas," said event organizers.

Willett Avenue Repairs - Detour Plan:
If you travel on Willett Avenue in Riverside often, prepare for a detour during the first week or so in December. The City will be repairing the Willett Avenue sewer pipe between Elinora Street and Harvey Avenue beginning on Monday November 28, 2016. Willett Avenue will be closed during the repair. North bound Willett Avenue traffic will detour onto Meadowcrest Drive and turn left onto Burnside, then right onto Willett Avenue. South bound traffic will detour left onto Burnside, turn right onto Rhodes Avenue and then left onto Willett Avenue.

Houses located on Willett Avenue between Pearce Avenue and Harvey Avenue should park on the side streets during the time of construction. The hours of work will be between 7 am and 4 pm. "It is hopeful that the work will take approximately one (1) week to complete but may take up to two weeks, depending on the extent of the repairs," said City officials. "Police will be located at specified intersections and should be consulted to gain access into the Charlotte Street, Elinora Street, Harvey Avenue and Fenner Avenue neighborhood. It is required that all cars be parked off-street in the area of the detour. Temporary no parking signs will be set up on Woodbine Street, Burnside Avenue and Rhodes Avenue. "We thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience during this time of inconvenience. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Erik Skadberg at 401-435-7703 extension 1."

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