On Politics

Governor Lincoln Chafee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras are scheduled on Thursday to announce major changes to Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence with an event at the Providence Biltmore Hotel on Thursday evening.

Few days are anticipated in New England like the unofficial first day of real spring, Patriots Day. It marks the annual commemoration of  the  battles at Lexington and Concord, the shots heard around the world that were the first battles of the Revolutionary War.  It is these iconic events of American freedom that we celebrate.

In Massachusetts, it is a mélange of civic holiday and the biggest street party anywhere. Workers have the day off. Schools are out. America’s college town kids party and join the locals lining the streets to watch the marathon.

Is there really any serious opposition to Brown University’s decision to expand its engineering school on College Hill rather than in the old Jewelry District?

The Providence Journal’s story and headline on Thursday had a curious headline and lede, focusing on the location of  the engineering school rather than the impressive news that our state’s lone Ivy League college is getting into technology education in a major way.

Happy Friday and welcome back. Your tips and thoughts are always appreciated in my inbox at idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org. Let's dive in.

In what Providence Mayor Angel Taveras calls a historic day, Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter gave final approval Friday for a deal that will reduce the capital city's $900 million+ unfunded pension liability by $178 million. The agreement followed negotiations between the city and police and fire unions and municipal retirees.

"Today is the end of a long, long road that we've traveled," Taveras said in an interview. "I feel a lot of relief and gratitude to all the employees and retirees especially who have agreed to help the city."