I was under the same impression. The language of the legislation makes it sound like they are trying to prevent breweries from starting or owning their own distribution companies. It comes across more like they are trying to block breweries from self distributing rather than taking away an existing right. Admittedly it's early and I haven't had my coffee yet so maybe there's something I'm missing.

To be clear, I'm opposed to this legislation either way (the Three Tier System is a relic that hurts consumers and small businesses and needs to be done away with), but some additional clarity would be helpful.

Wow. Putting a giant tank of flammable gas next to a hospital...that's a choice.

What is that huge domed building by the hospital?!

Not at all. The lot is massive and you could easily practice without coming within 100 yards of another vehicle. Not to mention CCRI security is mostly retired Warwick cops who would rather not trudge out into the snow just to tell someone to move along.

This was the very first place that came to mind when I saw the question. I have no clue why the parking lot is so big, even on a busy day it's only ever half full (if that). I swear I've seen stadiums with smaller lots.

Say no more.

Congrats! JWU is a good school. Providence has a great food scene thanks (in part) to their grads.

My condolences. What brings you to the Rhode Island sub?

That's just it though, so many of the people in Idaho who have the "fuck off we're full" stickers aren't locals. They moved there from California ten years ago and are bitching about how all the Californians are ruining Idaho. It's honestly really sad. My father-in-law's family moved to Boise in the 70s from Southern California, and the city ended up being turned into a little piece of southern California (with an In-And-Out and everything).

Idaho, or RI?

Except that's not what is happening. Look up the American Redoubt. Lots of wing-nut conservatives moving to Idaho to build bunkers for when the black UN helicopters arrive.

Idaho's population has grown so much over the past 30 years that most of the people with those stickers moved to Idaho themselves. It's a classic case of "fuck you I've got mine".

I appreciate your response, but it's difficult to really articulate just how impressive the parks in Boise really are. It's not just about the number of parks, but their size and quality as well. Similar to Boston's Emerald Necklace, Boise has a string of parks along the Boise River. The difference is that these parks are connected by a series of bike paths, called the Green Belt, which also follow the river. On the Green Belt it's possible to go from the eastern edge of the city all the way to the neighboring communities to the west (about 25 miles total). For comparison, the East Bay Bike Path (which is probably the closest thing the state has to the Green Belt) is about 14 miles. However, while the EBBP mostly travels through suburban communities, the Green Belt travels through the most densely populated parts of the city including Boise State campus and downtown. Imagine being able to bike from Pawtucket to Garden City on dedicated bike paths without having to cross a single street, and having the path take you through Brown campus and downtown Providence. It's an incredible piece of infrastructure.

However, that's only the half of it. Starting with Julia Davis Park (Boise's version of Rodger Williams Park), Boise has had this tradition of wealthy local men building parks in honor of their wives and daughters...and in true rich white guy fashion each new park seeks to out do the ones that came before it. The newest park, Esther Simplot, has a swimming pond (which is actively filtered and treated) and two white water chutes. But even the older parks see lots of investment from the city new amenities are added regularly, and the grounds are generally in excellent condition. Imagine a Washington DC level of investment with a fraction of the population...that's maybe a bit hyperbolic, but they really are amazing parks.

Obviously Boise has some significant advantages. The city itself is a little over 150 years old, and as a result it doesn't have the density that Boston or Providence have. For much of its history the Boise River was a dumping ground, so there's lots of unused space for building big fancy parks. The city has also seen a tremendous amount of growth over the past 30+ years (which is a big reason why the "we're full" stickers are so popular). However, like it or not, all that growth has resulted in a lot of money for maintaining the parks and the Green Belt that connects them. At the same time, Boise is still a relatively small, young, and predominantly white city that doesn't have to deal with crumbling infrastructure, intergenerational poverty, crime, and institutional debt the way that Providence and Boston do. Simply put, Boise is an adolescent city with space and resources to spare. In time Boise will have to deal with the same "grown up" city issues as Providence and Boston and I suspect the parks will lose some of their luster (and in some ways this is already happening).

However, even with all of that I would still rather be here than there because at the end of the day Boise is in Idaho which means living in a state where Ammon Bundy received over 101k votes for Governor (just 20k less than the Dem candidate), and the sitting Governor had to stop telling anyone when he left the state because the Lieutenant Governor kept doing crazy shit like banning all mask requirements everywhere (including operating rooms).

That being said, I would love it if RI could have a "Blue Belt" where bike infrastructure (like the East Bay Bike Path) connects with public spaces in an intentional and well maintained way. With climate models showing an increased risk to coastal property and infrastructure there has been a movement among urban planners to see at-risk property turned into public space. It allows people to still enjoy the space while minimizing property damage due to storms and rising water. I'm doubtful that RI's leadership could ever be that forward thinking, but it's a nice dream anyway.

This guy Idahos.

Having lived in Idaho I can honestly say that RI should go out of it's way to be as little like Idaho as possible. I've literally spent the last three years incredibly grateful to be living here and not there. Having said that, if Providence/Rhode Island could have parks like Boise I'd be ecstatic...but honestly it's not worth all the other stuff that comes with it.

This. 100% This.

I had solar installed this summer, but I didn't see any change in my first two bills. At the time I thought that I was just paying for my previous usage before the panels were installed (I have found that my bill is a month or so behind my actual consumption). But then I got a bill that completely overlapped with after the panels were installed and it was so far off that I called RI Energy.

They said the bill was based on an estimate and that they'd send someone to read the meter. Come to find out I had overpaid the bast two bills by several hundred dollars! Between the credit and the solar panels I haven't had to pay my electric bill in months, but it's super shitty that they would have happily kept taking my money unless I had said something.

tl;dr - Read the fine print on your bill. If it says "estimated" give RI Energy a call. They may be ripping you off.

I'm also someone from out of state who lived here for about a decade, left, and then came back. I don't know if I can say that I love RI...but it's a hell of a lot better than a lot of other places.

Absolutely! The question is how?

Full disclosure, I am a gringo from the northeast so my palette isn't very refined, but there's a little mom and pop place down in Riverside called Taconando that feels very authentic, has good food and absurd portions.