Rhode Island
As R.I.’s temperatures grow hotter, local groups working to cool down ‘heat islands’ – The Boston Globe
Rhode Island is the smallest, yet most urbanized state in the nation. The state contains 139 square miles of impervious surfaces, amounting to 13 percent of its land area, according to a 2022 study. These surfaces form an “intricate network of interactions and conditions such as elevated surface and air temperatures,” according to the study.
People living in these densely populated urban areas face higher temperatures than those in more leafy locations, and the phenomenon is exacerbated as the climate heats up. Scientists and advocates use the term “heat island” to describe an area that experiences many more days of extreme temperatures than those mere miles away.
Across Rhode Island, advocacy groups are planting trees, turning parking lots into community gardens, offering cooling centers like the one at Emmanuel House, and advocating for utility justice so everyone has air conditioning and running water during heat waves. Their efforts often focus on the state’s densely populated urban areas, including Providence’s Silver Lake, Elmwood, and West End neighborhoods with population densities of 14,987, 15,793, and 17,245 per square mile respectively. In comparison, the city’s Blackstone neighborhood has a density of just 4,986 people per square mile.
Advocates said that “greening” neighborhoods by pursuing both on-the-ground actions and policy change will help keep them cooler as the planet warms.
Often this literally means dirty work. “It’s very tangible,” said Amelia Rose, executive director of Groundwork RI, which creates community gardens, offers summer jobs to Providence youth, and advocates for compost initiatives statewide. The organization’s work is “not just advocacy or going to the State House and lobbying for a bill,” Rose said. Those actions are critical, too, she said, but getting plants into the ground allows residents to see visible, immediate results.
“Healthy Neighborhoods,” one of Groundwork’s initiatives in Providence, promotes greenspaces as a way to promote healthier communities. Rose’s projects have reclaimed parking lots and used the space to create community gardens. The organization now owns and cares for a total land area of about a half-acre throughout Providence, including two residential housing-size lots. Other endeavors included the launch of its urban farm and greenhouse in 2015. Groundwork is leading an effort to create a composting hub in the West End, and organizing tree plants in an effort to increase green infrastructure.
“It’s a community pride type of thing. It changes the way people view their neighborhood,” Rose said.
Not only are higher temperatures less comfortable, people’s health suffers. People living in heat islands are often impoverished, and as a result they tend to have higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. This makes them more vulnerable to heat stress than those living in greener, and therefore cooler, neighborhoods.
Marzullo said he has noticed that as temperatures rise, Emmanuel House residents experience visibly deteriorating health. “It’s very dangerous for some of my clients. The older clients, especially the clients that have breathing problems. … I see them coming in here, they’re beet red and purple,” he said.
Cassie Tharinger of the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program holds monthly tree-planting parties in Providence. The program focuses its efforts on the most vulnerable communities: densely built areas that experience eight to 10 days above 90 degrees every year. Elsewhere, near the coast, temperatures reach 90 degrees only about once a year, at the peak of summer heat, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
While some of this temperature difference stems from ocean breezes, urban heat islands endure disproportionately higher temperatures because of their built-up environments. Concrete and other common construction materials do not reflect light well; they absorb more heat and foster hot microclimates, according to a study in the International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis.
The Environmental Protection Agency defines heat islands as urbanized areas with structures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure which absorb more sun than natural landscapes. These surfaces re-emit that heat, increasing daytime temperatures so that these neighborhoods reach average temperatures that are about 1 to 7 degrees higher than those in outlying areas.
It’s important to employ a wide array of methods, said Jessica Wilson, design planner for the city of Lowell, Mass. Her office advocates for policies, plants trees, and designs parks for the city.
“Confronting environmental injustices means both on-the-ground work like planting trees, but also advocating for policy changes,” Wilson said.
“All the tree planting in the world, as much as that provides shade and a million benefits, on the hottest day of the year, that’s not enough,” she added.
High density means more buildings, more traffic, and more concrete. One area in Providence’s South Side has a 47 percent poverty rate and just a 6 percent canopy rate — the lowest percentage of canopy cover in all of Providence, according to the Tree Equity Score, which measures levels of tree canopy coverage in cities nationwide.
Neighborhoods with higher poverty rates and more people of color are also the neighborhoods with the least tree canopy. This lower income demographic is also at high-risk for health risks from extreme heat, according to the state Department of Health.
Environmental justice advocates, furious with the disproportionate impacts of urban heat islands on Rhode Island residents of color, pressed the state to protect residents from utility shut-offs during heat waves. In 2007, the state passed the nation’s first summer utility shut-off moratorium. When the state temperature average reaches 90 degrees, no households in the state can have their air conditioning, running water, or gas terminated by utilities.
While advocates have welcomed this step, the policy is “flawed,” said Camilo Viveiros, director of the George Wiley Center, a labor union that organizes for “utility justice.” Temperatures vary greatly statewide, and temperatures in urban heat islands are well above the 90 degree threshold even when the state average is well below it. Given the conditions of the policy and the varying conditions statewide, the moratorium rarely goes into effect.
Raffini, the youth program director for the Southside Community Land Trust, who only uses her first name, has lived in the South Side of Providence for most of her life, in a neighborhood that includes the most prominent heat islands in Providence.
Raffini said the ideal South Side neighborhood would provide safety, gardens, green space, and summer jobs for young people — including in community gardens. Central to the Southside Community Land Trust’s mission is integrating racial justice work with their hands-on gardening practices.
Any urban greening projects need to go hand-in-hand with education that links racial history with the importance of environmentalism. Not everyone is going to do this sort of work, Raffini said, but she encourages everyone to notice its value.
“I don’t want you to walk a mile in my shoes. I want you to stand in my garden,” she said.
Maya Kelly is a freshman at Brown University studying Urban Studies.
Since the pandemic, student absenteeism has skyrocketed across the country, sending education departments and school districts searching for solutions. It is a priority with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and every school district in the state. And, while results haven’t been dramatic, they are moving in the right direction.
Statewide, pre-pandemic absenteeism in Rhode Island schools was about 19 percent. It ballooned to more than 34 percent in 2021-22, dropping the following year to 28.9 percent, and in 2023-24 it was 24.7 percent.
The same pattern is reflected in Aquidneck Island area schools. The Rhode Island Department of Education publishes a daily report on absenteeism for the more than 270 Rhode Island public schools, and certain patterns are clear. Wealthier communities have fewer absences, and it appears that greater absenteeism occurs in high and middle schools.
Newport Schools superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain says students in poorer communities face challenges of family responsibilies, housing and transportation issues. All three are recognized as significant issues nationally by Panorama Education, which says some students from “low-income families may need to stay home to care for younger siblings or work to support their families.”
Chronic absenteeism national is defined as missing 10 percent of school days, or the equivalent of about two days. The consequences, says Panorama, range from health, dropout, social and behavioral, along with a negative impact on academics.
RIDE publishes a daily attendance tracker. Here’s a look at area schools, as reported in the November 25 attendance tracker, and listed by state rankings.
- Howard Hathaway Elementary School, Portsmouth, with 412 students, ranked 25 with projected chronic absences of 31 (7.5 percent), a reduction of 2.9 percent from last year.
- Melville Elementary School, Portsmouth, with 320 students, ranked 26 with projected chronic absences of 25 (7.8 percent), a reduction of 4.9 percent from last year.
- Jamestown Middle School, with 189 students, ranked 36 with projected chronic absences of 31 (7.5 percent), a reduction of 2.9 percent from last year.
- Portsmouth Middle School, with 607 students, ranked 42 with projected chronic absences of 58 (9.6 percent), a reduction of 2.9 percent from last year.
- Aquidneck Elementary School, Middletown, with 302 students, ranked 44 with projected chronic absences of 29 (9.6 percent), a reduction of .3 percent from last year.
- Wilbur and McMahon Elementary and Middle School, Little Compton, with 219 students, ranked 68 with projected chronic absences of 23 (10.5 percent), a reduction of 1.3 percent from last year.
- Portsmouth High School, with 787 students, ranked 114 with projected chronic absences of 105 (13.3 percent), a reduction of 1.3 percent from last year.
- Fort Barton Elementary School, Tiverton, with 133, students, ranked 98 with projected chronic absences of 16 (12 percent), an increase of .9 percent from last year.
- Forest Avenue Elementary School, Middletown, with 300 students, ranked 112 with projected chronic absences of 40 (13.3 percent), a reduction of 1.6 percent from last year.
- Tiverton High School, with 424 students, ranked 140 with projected chronic absences of 60 (14,2 percent), a reduction of 1.6 percent from last year.
- Pocasset Elementary School, Tiverton with 31 students, ranked 150 with projected chronic absences of 31 (14.7 percent), a reduction of .4 percent from last year.
- Gaudet Middle School, Middletown, with 434 students, ranked 181 with projected chronic absences of 31 (7.5 percent), an increase of .7 percent from last year.
- Middletown High School, with 521students, ranked 209 with projected chronic absences of 107 (20.5 percent), an increase of 1.5 percent from last year.
- Claiborne Pell Elementary School, Newport, with 662 students, ranked 221, with projected chronic absences of 147 (22.2 percent), a reduction of 2.4 percent from last year.
- Frank E. Thompson Middle School, Newport, with 495 students, ranked 225 with projected chronic absences of 115 (23.2 percent), an increase of .6 percent from last year.
- Tiverton Middle School, with 500 students, ranked 234 with projected chronic absences of 119 (23.8 percent), an increase of 11.3 percent from last year.
- Rogers High School, Newport, with 600 students, ranked 246 with projected chronic absences of 183 (30.5 percent), a reduction of 5.7 percent from last year.
North Kingstown, R.I. – A Rhode Island man is facing a disturbing charge.
According to police, on Friday at approximately 4:00 p.m., the North Kingstown Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an incident of indecent exposure. The caller, a 17-year-old, reported that a male subject drove up her on Prospect Avenue, asking for directions to the North Kingstown High School while completely naked. The suspect was driving a silver Subaru, registered in New Hampshire. The vehicle was last seen traveling towards Fairway Drive.
Officers immediately responded to the area from different directions to contain the vehicle and investigate the report. The vehicle was located and stopped on Lantern Lane. The driver/sole occupant was identified as David C. Palmer of East Providence. After further investigation, Palmer was taken into custody and charged with Disorderly Conduct – Indecent Exposure.
Palmer was later arraigned at the station before a Justice of the Peace and released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bail. He is scheduled for formal arraignment at the 3rd Division District Court on December 6th.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island FC falls 3-0 to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in USL Championship final – What's Up Newp
Rhode Island FC’s historic inaugural season came to an end in the USL Championship Final on Saturday when it fell 3-0 to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field. Becoming the first Eastern Conference team in league history to advance to the final match in its first season, the Ocean State club will return to Rhode Island proud after making the farthest run by an expansion side in eight years.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC had a golden chance to take the lead less than a minute into the match when Yosuke Hanya was on the receiving end of a central pass as he cut behind the Rhode Island FC defense. Sprinting into a one-on-one opportunity with Koke Vegas, the midfielder dragged his shot just wide of the right post.
Holding just 30 percent of possession throughout the first 15 minutes, RIFC got its first real chance of the match when it won a dangerous free kick at the corner of the 18-yard-box in the 14th minute. JJ Williams stepped up to take the free kick, and curled it narrowly over the bar as the match stayed scoreless.
Colorado Springs eventually broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Hanya broke free on the right wing, sending a cross into the six-yard box for Juan Tejada. Making a run into the open space, Tejada side-footed the ball into the back of the net from close range to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
In the 42nd minute, Colorado Springs doubled its lead with a powerful strike from the top of the box. It happened when Jairo Henriquez tore down the left flank, cut inside and took a shot that was blocked by RIFC. Unfortunately for the Ocean State club, the rebound fell kindly to Haneriquez, who made no mistake on his second effort and picked out the top-left corner to make it 2-0.
The Switchbacks nearly took complete control with a third goal in first-half stoppage time when Quenzi Huerman unleashed yet another shot from distance, but Vegas punched the effort over the bar and took care of the resulting corner to keep the match 2-0 at the break.
Nine minutes into the second half, RIFC nearly cut the deficit in half when Clay Holstad connected on a corner kick from the top of the box. Instead, Colorado Springs blocked the shot and quickly broke out on the counter-attack, where Roaldo Damus finished with a low, one-on-one effort to make it 3-0.
RIFC came within inches of getting one back in the 64th minute when Frank Nodarse headed a corner towards the bottom-right corner, but Colorado Springs goalkeeper Christian Herrera produced a sharp diving save to deny the Ocean State club. Minutes later, Jack Panayotou forced another save out of Herrera, and Morris Duggan couldn’t keep the close-range rebound on frame.
The opportunities were as close as RIFC could get to finding the back of the net in the match as the USL Championship Final ended 3-0.
After the match, the visitors walked over to thank the over 400 Rhode Island FC faithful who made the trip out west. The fanbase’s incredible support during the record-breaking inaugural season fueled the team to a memorable finish. The Ocean club will now look forward to its launch of season two from The Stadium at Tidewater Landing in downtown Pawtucket.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
COS – Juan Tejada (Youke Hanya), 22nd minute: Tejada connects with Hanya’s right-wing cross from inside the six-yard box. COS 1, RI 0
COS – Jairo Henriquez, 42nd minute: Henriquez picks out the top-left corner with a powerful strike from the top of the 18-yard box. COS 2, RI 0
COS – Ronaldo Damus (Matt Real), 53rd minute: Damus finishes a one-on-one counter-attack with a low finish into the bottom corner. COS 3, RI 0
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Saturday’s match was the first-ever USL Championship Final to air nationally on network television (CBS).
- The opening goal for Colorado Springs in the 22nd minute marked the first time RIFC trailed during the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs.
- The 2-0 halftime deficit marked the first time RIFC has trailed by multiple goals at halftime since April 26.
- RIFC will return to the Ocean State after making the furthest playoff run by any Eastern Conference expansion team in league history, and becoming the first expansion club in eight years to advance to the final.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Clay Holstad
Match stats and information available here.
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