Can't get to the polls this election year? Not to worry because Zipcar has the affordable solution for you and your fellow car-less concerned citizens. On November 6, if you are a Zipcar member and book a reservation from 5am-9pm you can enjoy a 50% discount on the hourly rate. With over 50 vehicles and 20 lots throughout the Greater Providence area, including downtown spots like Brown and RISD, there's no excuse not to get out to the polls.

Zipcar has emphasized their belief that "everyone should vote" by teaming up with Rock the Vote, an organization at the collision of pop-culture and politics that inspires young people to vote. You can join the movement by registering to vote at Zipcar's Facebook page. Visit their regional office at 65 Eddy Street in Providence, find them on the web, or call 401-234-1480 for more info.More

Halloween at the president’s house is a bright spot! RISD students, President Maeda and Board Chair Michael Spalter carved pumpkins and passed out candy to President John Maeda's East Side neighbors. Boo! Happy Halloween.More

A funny thing happened in Providence on Columbus Day. The fifth annual PRONK! Providence Honk Fest kicked off in India Point Park. It’s a daylong gathering of street and marching bands, a truly grassroots event that came to Providence after the original Honk Fest was founded in Boston. What struck me as funny was its simplicity: you just show up.

Granted, a substantial effort goes into organizing this thing – people volunteer their time, money is raised to cover transportation for bands from all over the county, visiting musicians are housed in guest rooms and on couches of local participants, organizations like the Providence Tourism Council and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts pitch in – but the experience for the end user, the person attending the festival, is refreshingly simple and low impact: you just show up. There’s no ticket to buy, no list to be on, no cover charge to pay. And when you do arrive, there are no food vendors charging pumped-up prices for mediocre food, no bar where you need to show ID or buy drink tickets, no merch vendors hawking t-shirts or posters. There are no lines to wait in, no rules to follow (other than the everyday rules of a civil society, of course), nothing to do except enjoy the music and have a good time. It sounds simple, but how many examples of that kind of streamlined, low impact fun can you bring to mind?

Another great example of this simplicity is Project Night Vision, something that I’ll call an after after school program. It’s an intramural sports and activity program for children and teens in underserved communities – basically, it’s a way to keep kids off the street who might not otherwise have somewhere to go and something to do. Again, a tremendous amount of (unpaid) time and effort on the part of dedicated volunteers led by founder Kobi Dennis goes into making Project Night Vision happen. But again, the beauty is the low bar to entry and thelow impact …More

Who: Cousins Amanda and Jesse Corey

What: Photographer and make-up artist, respectively

When: 5pm, Saturday, October 20

Where: Core Creations, 1320 Cranston Street, Cranston

Why: I wanted the Coreys to make me gory

This is what I first saw upon arriving at Jesse and Amanda Corey’s Cranston studio on Saturday, October 20. My beautiful friend Ellen was looking a gory mess in preparation of the 2012 Providence Zombie Pub Crawl, which was later that night. We took one look at each other and burst into hysterical laughter. Clearly, my decision to sign us both up for a horror makeover was the right one.

Jesse seemed super excited at the opportunity to gore us up, and encouraged our input as to shaping the “look” we wanted. We both told her, “Just do whatever you want.” Apparently that was Jesse’s green light to rocket us to hideous town. Ellen’s pre-made mold consisted of an eyeball that was hanging from its eyesocket, her face appearing to melt into itself. Awesome.

I soon discovered that I would be strutting my stuff around town with a circular saw protruding from my chest. “It’s a real blade,” Jesse said with a proud smile. “My boyfriend sanded the edges down, though, so you won’t injure anybody.” Um, he what?! Jesse held the mold up against my body, this way and that, searching for the perfect spot on which to affix it.

I had planned ahead and ordered a post-apocalyptic vest fashioned from bicycle tire inner tubes that exposed both my stomach and my chest, per my "slut-it-up-it’s-Halloween" tendencies. Jesse looked me up and down; her smile grew larger. “Your outfit is perfect!” With that, it was decided that the mold would be most noticeable nestled just above my cleavage. Lovely.

I was surprised at how quickly the time passed as I sat in Jesse’s chair being poked, prodded, dusted with liquid latex and dabbed with gobs of fake blood. She …More

The Boulevard

The parks are increasingly indebted to new volunteers. Sarah Gleason, a Providence resident for 44 years, is hunting in various archives for information about the history of both Blackstone parks. This month, Sarah, who enjoys researching and writing about local history, shares discoveries gleaned from the Swan Point Cemetery archive.

In their 1887 report, the directors of Swan Point Cemetery proposed closing the Swan Point Road in order to obtain “the seclusion which is so desirable for grounds dedicated to the last resting-place of the dead.” Swan Point Road was then the main road between Providence and Pawtucket. The directors suggested replacing it with another public thoroughfare to the west that would cut through the Perry farm.

Wooing the city for a parkway, the directors predicted that the people of Providence would one day be able to point “with pardonable pride” to “our fine boulevard, with its shaded drives, its cable road, and its winding paths” that “can be forever enjoyed by all classes of our citizens.” One could say they were just pitching an idea, but they were prescient. Today many thousands of people from all over the city and nearby come to the Boulevard to walk or run, or to enjoy the summer concerts.

After some disputes about how much the project would cost—the City claimed it would require four times as much as the Swan Point Corporation estimated--it was approved by the city council and work began in 1893 with provision for electric streetcars in mind.

Much remains to be learned about the design of the park completed by the noted landscape architect H.W. S. Cleveland in 1898, but we do know that he anticipated that the topography of the northern part would be the “most attractive portion of the avenue.” Biographers Nadenicek, Tishler, and Neckar claim that Cleveland believed that landscape architects should respect the landscape in which they worked. “He …More

Give a coat, get a coffee – it's that simple!

The 5th Annual Coats for Coffee drive to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence kicks off this Monday at all Seven Stars Bakery locations. Bring a gently used kids or adult coat to either Providence (820 Hope St. or 342 Broadway) or Rumford (20 Newman Ave.) Seven Stars between October 22-November 4 and you'll receive a free small coffee. To help kickstart things, on the first day only they will also throw in a free baked good. All coats will be cleaned by Courtesy Cleaners before donation. You can also drop your coats directly at one of their locations and receive a voucher for your free coffee. Over the past four years Coats for Coffee has donated hundreds of badly needed coats to children and families in need during the chilly winter months. Help us reach this year's goal of over 500 coats this year and you're guaranteed to feel warm all over.More

Shoppers on Thayer Street were surprised this week to learn that Tedeschi Food Shop, a fixture on the street for years, has lost their lease and will be closing at the end of October according to a sign posted on their door. Inventory is not being reordered in anticipation of the approaching closing. An official comment is expected from the store shortly to confirm the store’s departure and final dates of operation.

The real estate broker involved in putting the deal together, Peter Scotti and Associates, was unwilling to confirm the specifics of the transaction until the actual closing, which is anticipated “before the end of the year.” He did say the building will likely be part of a future development project, that it sold for a “big number” and that despite rumors to the contrary, Gilbane is not the purchaser. Bob Gilbane has proposed a large four-story apartment building that will encompass the adjoining block bounded by Thayer, Euclid, Brook and Meeting Streets to the north of Tedeschi.

We’ll share details with you as they become available.More

Neighbors and concerned citizens are invited to join Councilman Sam Zurier for a neighborhood meeting on Monday, October 15 from 6:30-8:30pm. Invited guest John Marion, Executive Director of Common Cause RI, will join in the discussion of governmental reform and community and city concerns. The event will be held at Nathan Bishop Middle School, 101 Sessions Street. Contact Phllip McKendall in the City Council Office at 521-7477 with any questions.More

From Officer John Ryan:

On Tuesday evening, police responded to the above location for a report of an armed robbery. The victim, a Keene Street resident, stated that he was approached by a muscular black male armed with a handgun and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. The suspect demanded that the victim hand over his briefcase, which he did. The suspect then fled on foot with the briefcase, which contained and i-Pad and other articles.

Numerous units proceeded into the area to search for the suspect. Sgt. Cassidy observed the suspect hiding in the bushes at the corner of Lloyd and Brown Streets. Other units responded to this location, and the suspect was placed under arrest. The suspect, identified as Frandin Cooley (DOB 7-2-90) was found to be in possession of a black plastic handgun, and the briefcase that had been taken from the victim. Cooley was positively identified by the victim as the suspect responsible for the robbery. All items stolen were recovered.More

If you haven’t seen the rosy-colored State House recently, then here’s a newsflash: it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in recognition of this, CORE: Center of Real Energy will be offering a series of Pilates for Pink classes. These one-week-only workouts begin on Monday, October 15 and run through Saturday, October 20. CORE is partnering with Shape magazine to raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization and one of the pioneers in breast cancer research. So, if the rainy autumn weather has you feeling blue, boost your spirits with a workout that will benefit your body and mind. All classes are $20, and some require pre-registration, which can be done right on their website. Won’t be able to make it to a class but still want to contribute? CORE will also be accepting check donations at their original studio on Angell Street in Wayland Square and their newly opened location on Governor Street. With 100% of the profits from these special classes going directly to breast cancer research, you can feel even better knowing that your ab-ripping Pilates workout contributed to women’s health everywhere.More