Marion Davis

Latest Articles

A Providence non-profit loans out the future

Where Credit Is Due
Eva Jiménez came here from the Dominican Republic in September 2001.
By MARION DAVIS | May 12, 2010

It’s the rain and snow, stupid

Plus, hard times for the Blackstone
For those morons who say after a blizzard, “How’s that for global warming!” may we point out that one of the harbingers of climate change is the severity of storms that we experience.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | March 31, 2010

Looking for a new kind of mayor

Recruitment
Perhaps you've seen the ads ...
By MARION DAVIS | February 24, 2010

Rhode Island’s own stab at health reform

Get Healthy
Health care reform, if it survives the election of Republican Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy's old Senate seat, will make insurance accessible and provide a slew of new consumer protections for millions of Americans.
By MARION DAVIS | January 20, 2010

Hell on wheels

Providence roller derby — fast action, big fun, and grrrl power on skates
There are rules. No hands, no feet, no heads. No tripping, no hitting from the back — just thighs, hips, upper arms and torso, from the side or front.
By MARION DAVIS | October 14, 2009

Creative loafing

Where to get your geek on
Essential geek grounds
By MARION DAVIS | September 03, 2009

On the farm

Market Mobile supplies the demand for local food
The menus at Chez Pascal in Providence often feature local meats, fish, and produce, but on Mondays, owner-chef Matt Gennuso goes all out. A recent menu featured burgers from Aquidneck Farms; greens from Arcadian Fields; clams from Matunuck Oyster Farm; ricotta from Narragansett Creamery.
By MARION DAVIS | July 15, 2009

Artistic vision

Providence bets on creativity
The vision is grand and ambitious, both in the big picture and in the details.
By MARION DAVIS | July 02, 2009

Can 'solar as service' work in Rhode Island?

A bright idea
As Alteris Renewables sees it, this is the game-changer.
By MARION DAVIS | April 29, 2009

A bad development

Citywatch
The most telling thing about this week's report on the R.I. Economic Development Corporation may be how many people didn't want to talk about it
By MARION DAVIS | April 22, 2009

RISD takes to the streets to show 'What We Do'

Bursting the bubble
"What We Do," an unprecedented, student-run event on April 11 at the Rhode Island School of Design, aims to capture, in a frenzied six hours at six locations, the spirit of Providence's most creative and offbeat college.
By MARION DAVIS | April 08, 2009

Cutbacks loom as need for homeless assistance grows

Social crisis
They're not clustering on the streets, so you may not see them. But right now, Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, says Rhode Island has more homeless people than ever.
By MARION DAVIS | April 08, 2009

Pink Rides Providence, peddling a plan for a bike-sharing program

Alternate routes
Pink Rides Providence , a bike-sharing program born out of two RISD juniors' desire to share the joys of cycling with their fellow students, is scaling up.
By MARION DAVIS | March 25, 2009

Striving to build a 'sustainable' arts sector

Dire numbers from the Rhode Island State Council On the Arts
While some sectors, such as broadband technology and "green" energy, expect a big boost from the federal stimulus package, the arts got just $50 million — 1/100th as much as weatherization programs.
By MARION DAVIS | March 18, 2009

'Creative Providence' strives to rebrand the capital city

Public image
Perhaps you've seen the banners, with the big, stylized "P" and the tagline, "Providence: The Creative Capital."
By MARION DAVIS | March 04, 2009

It's getting easier to go green

THE ENVIRONMENT
In Rhode Island and across the US, economic troubles seem to be getting worse by the day. But green energy and conservation, several local advocates and entrepreneurs say, has a chance to flourish in the coming years.
By MARION DAVIS | February 25, 2009

Fest raises awareness, celebrates women

Come together
Maria Mendes found her voice last spring, at a gathering to prepare for a trip to New Orleans to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues . Standing before a group of women, she finally got the courage to talk about being abused, surviving, and fighting to protect other women.
By MARION DAVIS | February 18, 2009

Can the geeks save Rhode Island?

The tech sector offers promise for the economic future, but a small labor pool and other hurdles must be overcome
The tech sector offers promise for the economic future, but a small labor pool and other hurdles must be overcome
By MARION DAVIS | February 04, 2009

Housing First proves successful, especially with chronic cases

Homelessness
Take homeless people whose lives are a mess — even addicts, alcoholics, and schizophrenics who won't take their meds — and give them their own apartments, without requiring that they clean up first, get a job, or "behave."
By MARION DAVIS | December 17, 2008

A self-help guide for the uninsured

Where to turn if you need health-care and don't have coverage
For the vast majority of Rhode Islanders — the insured — health-care is something you get when you need it. Feeling sick? Call the doctor. Slip and fall? Go to the emergency room or an urgent-care center. Need surgery? It's not fun, but it's covered.
By MARION DAVIS | November 19, 2008

Fung and Fogarty vie to succeed Napolitano in Cranston

Outside Providence
Without Laffey, it’s just not as fun.
By MARION DAVIS | October 22, 2008

Political pedophilia

The legislative budget takes it out on the kids
Let's screw the kids!
By PHILLLIPE AND JORGE | June 20, 2007

Dave Howard rolls on

New country disc! New gig with Roomful of Blues!
For as long as we’ve known him, Dave Howard and his band the High Rollers have been exploring the fertile turf linking the blues and R&B, with forays into rock and roll.
By BOB GULLA | September 26, 2006