This Just In: The man behind Providence's iconic restaurant signs

Michael McDermott, The Providence Journal
·3 min read
The Olyneyville New York System sign that went up in 1953. Restaurant owner Greg Stevens said the sign is important to the whole neighborhood so it had to be right.

Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. For all the Patriots fans out there who are still smarting from Saturday, today is the 20th anniversary of the Tuck Rule game – one of those nights when every local sports fan remembers just where they were.

I love restaurant signs. Especially the ones that carry a sense of nostalgia – like the neon sign outside the Old Canteen on Federal Hill or the one outside Olneyville New York System. Painted signs and murals help provide character to neighborhoods in addition to drawing in customers. If you've seen an eye-catching restaurant sign in Rhode Island, there's a very good chance it's the work of Shawn Gilheeney, a locally trained artist who started painting signs when he worked on the West Coast. Find out how he brings a unique approach to every job he does in the city.

The new president of the University of Rhode Island, Marc Parlange, is calling on the board of trustees to revoke the honorary degrees handed out to Michael Flynn and Rudy Giuliani, saying that the men “no longer represent the highest level of our values and standards that were evident when we first bestowed the degree.”

Coronavirus has become the dominant issue facing Gov. Dan McKee at the start of this year, and in his State of the State address last night he laid out a pandemic recovery plan. His initiatives to help small business include permanently enabling restaurants to offer to-go cocktails. He's also proposing a Higher Education Academy to help more adults, especially those from poorer communities, enroll in college or technical school. (Today, McKee said that his budget request would include $150 million for programs to fight climate change.)

Meanwhile, in the Republican response to McKee, House Minority Leader Blake Filippi described the state as "stagnant." He criticized the continuing COVID-related executive orders and also called on the administration and Attorney General Peter Neronha to block the Lifespan-Care New England merger.

The Rhode Island Department of Health today reported 15 more coronavirus-related deaths and 3,273 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 18,359 negative tests, for a 15.1% positive rate. There were 547 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, up from 520 reported yesterday, with 42 in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 4,283 new cases a day over the last seven days, down 20% from a week ago and up 15% from two weeks ago.

COVID infections at the Adult Correctional Institutions more than doubled in just a week, according to figures the Department of Corrections released yesterday.

The Rhode Island Republican Party is accusing the state redistricting commission of repeatedly violating the Open Meetings Act on its path to approving new General Assembly and Congressional maps.

It looks like we're in for another messy morning commute tomorrow. Rain is supposed to turn to snow, with 1 to 3 inches expected across the Ocean State before noon. Expectations have fizzled for a larger storm to hit this weekend, but you should definitely not pack away your winter coat.

Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please encourage a friend to sign up.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: This Just In: The man behind Providence's iconic restaurant signs