Citywide Conversation on City Services and Education 3/31

Citywide Conversation on City Services and Education tomorow, Tuesday, March 31st from 6-8 pm. The conversation will be held at the Silver Lake Community Center at 529 Plainfield Street, and it will be the first of many opportunities to share your ideas at different venues across the City.

Providence facing school budget crunch

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Several members of the Providence School Board are calling on the Elorza administration to increase the city’s contribution to the school department for the first time in five years, as officials scramble to close a projected budget shortfall.

School officials told the mayoral-appointed school board Monday that they’ve narrowed a $34.7-million gap in the budget that takes effect July 1 down to between $6 million and $10 million, but the cuts identified could harm students and teachers across the city, according to board member Keith Oliveira.

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Pension settlement

Providence Journal
R.I. municipalities holding emergency council meetings on pension settlement
By Katherine Gregg  Posted Mar. 25, 2015 @ 3:39 pm

Table showing the potential added cost to Rhode Island cities and towns of a proposed settlement in the lawsuit over the state's pension overhaul.

Reminder: “Technology and Community Engagement.” - 3/26

Thursday, March 26, 6:30 pm
“Technology and Community Engagement.”
Speakers: Andy Cutler, Founder of Achievery
Sue Ellen Kroll, Director of Grants and Strategic Partnerships, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Facilitator: Joan Retsinas, LWV member

An informal reception will follow.
Where: The Lippitt House Museum, 199 Hope St, Providence
(Parking is available at the lot across the street).
Note: Attendees with limited mobility can park in the drive at the entrance off Angell Street.  That entrance has 6 steps with handrails. Once inside, the doorways are wide enough to accommodate wheel chairs. If you need to park in the drive, please notify the Museum in advance (453-0688).

Secretary of State's Transition Committee Report

Nellie Gorbea's 12 member Transition Committee worked with her to outline important areas to address over the next four years. Their report entitled Restarting Rhode Island is now available. The report’s recommendations have a common goal: develop a stronger connection between Rhode Islanders and their government.  Click here to read more.

Providence Parent Academy

Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the Paul Cuffee School, is launching the Providence Parent Academy, a community-driven initiative designed to provide families with the tools and resources they need to become more meaningfully engaged in their children’s education.

For more information or to register by phone, please call (401) 456-0686 or (401) 453-2626. To register online, visit: http://pvdparentacademy.eventbrite.com

Addresses of convenience

By Will Collette on March 16, 2015
RI Future

One of the nice things about owning several properties is that when it comes to politics, you have lots of choices about where you can say you live. I’m not talking about the formal definition of legal residence, but “addresses of convenience.”

Having an address of convenience gives you the choice of where to vote or where to run for office. You can shop around to find the most advantageous choice. Not necessarily a legal choice, but one that is rarely ever challenged.

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