GO WITH THE FLO
After a pleasant walk on First Beach in Newport this weekend, P+J entered Flo's Clam Shack for a refreshing beverage to find the place packed, as the Food Network was airing a feature on our favorite place for seafood in the Biggest Little. With the lovely Lisa as always running service and crowd control, the show made clear what your superior correspondents already know: it is the best place for fried clams, fish and chips, stone crab claws, and anything else aquatic and edible in the state.
TIME FOR TOM
One of the more intriguing candidates competing in statewide elections this year is Tom Sgouros, who is running as a Democrat for general treasurer. While what P+J have read about Gina Raimondo, another Democratic candidate for treasurer, certainly indicates that she has some very strong credentials, we know Tom a bit better, primarily through his Rhode Island Policy Reporter, a knowledgeable and thoughtful analysis of public policy issues that he has been publishing since 2003.
Tom also recently published a book, Ten Things You Don't Know About Rhode Island: A Skeptical Look at Government, Economics, and Recent History In One Lively Little State. In short, this is a quality candidate who counts among his core supporters an astonishing number of people P+J consider among the Biggest Little's best and brightest.
If you want to find out for yourself if Mr. Sgouros is a guy you want to see at the State House, we encourage you to consider attending his campaign kickoff fundraiser. It's taking place at one of the Biggest Little's most comfortable night spots, the Hi-Hat in Davol Square, on Thursday, March 18. Details are at tomfortreasurer.com.
KUDOS + CONGRATS . . .
. . . to the community activists and volunteers of the Providence Community Library who, through their dedication, hard work, and foresight, have helped restructure the Providence library system in a way that is designed to save the vital neighborhood branches. Philip Marcelo's front-page story in Wednesday's BeloJo gives you an idea of the enormity (and importance) of the challenge of saving our libraries. The Community Library folks have a big fundraiser planned for the end of the month at South Providence's Knight Library. P+J were truly honored to have been placed on an honorary committee of writers (there are all of these wonderful and accomplished writers . . . and Phillipe + Jorge!). Bless these people who understand that libraries are the heart and soul of every community, a center of art and culture without which we are tragically diminished.
. . . to the Lincster, former senator and independent gubernatorial candidate, Lincoln Chafee. He was scheduled to take the media on a tour of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (aka "the dump") on March 10 as we went to press. Your superior correspondents are not surprised to find that Chafee seems to be embarking on a campaign that is more creative and edgy than that of the usual candidate. That might just be because, despite his lineage and past experience, Linc Chafee is not the usual candidate for governor — and that's a good thing.
Send more daylight and Pulitzer-grade tips to p&j@phx.com.
