Primaries for the Midterms (and other state races) are September 9th.

Early voting for those primaries starts August 20th.

These are all of the statewide races that aren't uncontested, at least per Activote (an app I use) and Ballotpedia.

Senate

• Jack Reed (Incumbent)
• Connor Burbridge
• Luis Daniel Muñoz

Governor

• Democratic (Debate VOD)
  • Dan McKee (Incumbent)
  • Helena Foulkes
• Republican
  • Aaron Guckian
  • Elaine Pelino

Lieutenant Govenor

• Sabina Matos (Incumbent)
• Susan R. Anderbois
• Cynthia Armour Coyne
• Xaykham Khamsyvoravong
• Ross McCurdy

Attorney General (Debate)

• Kim Ahern
• Keith Hoffmann
• Jason Knight
• Joseph Solomon Jr.

Up to you all if you vote or not (If you're eligible, remember to check your registration), but just leaving this here so you can make an informed decision if you do.

I don't know who is in charge of putting up traffic signs in Riverside, specifically Willet Ave, but they have absolutely zero brain cells. They recently added a yield sign to the rotary near the Dunkin and now both lanes that merge have yield signs! Who puts a yield on every option at the same intersection! So stupid.

Also changing Willet Ave to go down to one lane was so stupid. I have yet to see a person using the bike lane they put it, AND it doesn't even connect to the bike path. You will still have to cycle into the worst rotary intersection before going down to the path.

A follow up to an interest post I made about a week ago. The gist is in the title.

I saw a post in reddit about the value of book clubs, and between wanting to try and be more social and wanting to read more, I wanted to see who would be interested in a book club.

I am primarily thinking of people in their 20s and 30s. Community is one of my big hopes, and while loneliness is hitting everyone, I am going to focus on people on the younger side who might have a harder time trying to make friends in adulthood.

Fantasy as a genre is the main focus.

There is no set date for a first meeting at the moment. I mainly want to see who would even be interested in this, both to get an idea of which of the two local libraries would have space to accommodate everyone, and so that whoever is interested can try to iron out a time together, instead of me just picking something and hoping people are able to make it.

I am imagining that early September would be when an inaugural meeting is able to take place, after giving time for people to express interest, figuring out a time, and then me actually trying to book said time.

As for whether or not picking a first book would happen before or during this meeting, only time will tell.

The Live Nation venue at Bold Point Park is going to end Mayor DaSilva's legacy.

The traffic and noise is going to destroy the neighborhood and parkway.

I'm a Big Bob fan. He has worked tirelessly to help turn this city around. 10 years ago EP was embarrassing. The boomers ran this city into the ground.

But that venue is going to be the end of him.

Sure, Bob is egotistical. Sure, he takes credit for things he had nothing to do with (new high school). But has cleaned up all of our parks, paved new roads, managed city hall, put in tons of splash pads for kids and has listened to most residents. He pretty much solved the bridge crisis (McKee was doing nothing to get traffic moving). The guy works 80 hours a week.

I hope the people connected to him read this post.

Live Venue must be stopped at all costs. It's going to be worse than Metacomet.

PS - I'm not a big fan of the Flock cameras or new community center (no pool? what's the point?). But, Bob cares. And beware the old school names who ran the city into the ground (Rossi, Coogan, Rose, etc.)

My letter to the East Providence City Council re: ALPR/Flock cameras.

>CC: Ms. Skipworth; I ask that my letter be included as correspondence for the next council meeting.

>Dear Mayor DaSilva, President Rodericks, and Members of the Council:

>I am writing to ask you to cancel the city’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) contracts and remove the cameras from East Providence.

>I know the Council voted unanimously to deploy these cameras, and I believe you did so with the best interests of residents in mind. My concern is not with your intent. It is with the technology itself, whether the vendor is Flock Safety, Axon, or any competitor.

>ALPR systems record the plate, location, and travel patterns of every driver who passes them. These are the good and decent people of East Providence, on their way to work, to school, and to support RI businesses. The result is a searchable database of where our neighbors go, one that outside agencies can query with no warrant and no meaningful oversight. Once that data exists, the city cannot control how it is used.

>These systems also make mistakes. Misread plates and stale alerts have led police in other states to stop and handcuff innocent people. A false alert creates a dangerous encounter for both residents and officers. The perceived benefits of these cameras are not worth these risks.

>In recent weeks, town councils in Glocester, Narragansett, and South Kingstown all voted to cancel their ALPR contracts after hearing from residents. Communities across the state have reviewed this technology and stepped back. East Providence can show the same judgment and prioritize the best interests of our neighbors.

>I ask you to cancel the contracts, take down the cameras, and require public review before any surveillance technology of this kind is adopted in the future.

>Thank you for your service to the city. I would welcome a response.

>Sincerely,

>Joshua Wright