Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

For Providence, Another Era Of Greatness?, Chester Smolski

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"Providence has come a long way from just 20 years ago when a visitor coming into the city by rail would find sprayed across the walls of the nearly empty Union Station such epithets as 'Providence is the pits' and 'Welcome to dead city.' And it was. I know because I lived there."

Early Observations On The 2000 Census, Chester Smolski

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"The 281.4 million residents of our country counted in 2000 exceeded census estimates of 274.5 by nearly seven million and 13.2 percent, was the largest numeric gain for a decade in the history of census taking, dating back to 1790 when the first one was taken. Swelled by immigrant numbers and holding a steady birth rate, this increase topped the previously highest increase of 28 million of the baby boom years of the 1950s."

Revised Census Gives Mayors Worry And Hope, Chester Smolski

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"The numbers are in. They were a surprise for the Census Bureau, the nation and the state of Rhode Island. They year 2000 22nd decennial census whose numbers were first revealed to the President by the December 31, 2000 deadline and then to the public, fooled many observers by coming in considerably higher than that previously estimated. this was true for both the nation and the state of Rhode Island."

Where Did They All Go? R.I. Population Still Shrinking, Chester Smolski

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"Just how accurate are the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the population, done every year between the actual count of population done every ten years? Well, we should soon be able to make comparisons of the recently released estimates for 1999 and the actual state totals when they are released at the end of this years, and when city and town figures are released April 1, 2001, exactly one year after the census of 2000."

A Tale Of Two Cities, Similar, But Also Quite Different, Chester Smolski

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"Five years ago I wrote a column for this paper about a visit to Worcester, especially to explore the newly opened Worcester Fashion Common OUtlets. When I told my daughter who works in the area that I was going for a weekend in Worcester, she asked 'Why?' The report that I wrote was not a positive one."

Charting The Census Count On The Way To Our Woodsian Future, Chester Smolski

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"Our country is a wonderful example of the world in miniature. because of our generous immigration policy which allows approximately one million persons to enter the country each year and to come from almost any country in the world, it is not necessary to go out in search of different people and cultures for almost all are to be found here. Whether one talks of the Hispanics and Native Americans of the Southwest, the AfroAmericans of the South, the Asians of Hawaii, the whites of the North or the more than 120 national groups found in the Elmhurst neighborhood of …

Congratulations On City's Renaissance, Chester Smolski

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"The excellent and comprehensive front-page story on the Providence Renaissance by Bill Van Sicen in Sunday's Providence Journal of May 21, 2000, nicely brought together all of the exciting development from the recent past, the present, the planned future and the vision of what the long-term future might be for the capital city's center. And the map, which depicted the location of these 18 development sites, was impressive in the sense that so much of the downtown and nearby areas have been and will be affected by this development. Oh, how different from the recent past."

Tiger Woods, A Herald For The Blending Of The Races In U.S., Chester Smolski

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"Tiger Woods, perennial winner of gold tournaments, has a unique way of describing his ancestry. When asked his background, e claims to be a "Caublasin," i.e., Caucasoid, Black, Asian and Indian. But, in reality, the Tiger may not be unique in a country that is now moving toward becoming a blended multiracial society."

Sprawl Is The Enemy; Victory Might Need A March In Reverse, Chester Smolski

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"SPRAWL--the word even sounds ugly Webster's definition is "to spread out carelessly or awkwardly," and it might have added inefficiently and expensively. And that is exactly what is happening as development takes place in the suburbs of Rhode Island and throughout the country."

There's Good News From The Nation's Classrooms, Chester Smolski

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"Last May at the finals of the National Geographic Bee held in Washington, DC, Alex Trebeck was getting concerned because he thought that he would be running out of questions for the ten finalists who came from throughout the country. Well, he did have enough, although it was close.

In the previous year it took just 80 questions to determine a winner of the Bee, an annual event sponsored by the National Geographic Society in which over five million kids nationwide from grades four through eight compete. In 1999, however, it took 140 questions before a winner was determined. In …

Only In Ri: Housing Booms, Population Sags, Shifts, Chester Smolski

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"House sales in the state are at an all-time high. Some towns have imposed housing impact fees and caps on building permits to slow population growth that exceeds 20 percent. Communities are trying to save open space because 26,000 acres of raw land has gone into new development over the last 20 years. And all of this taking place in one of only two states to have lost population in the last seven years!"

Time To Trade In Our Island Mentality For A World View, Chester Smolski

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"The 836 residents of New Shoreham (Block Island) don't leave that island very often because of the expense and inconvenience. And some say that there is no need to leave that 10 square miles of beauty because they have everything there, so they are happy to stay.

That type of mentality, of feeling isolated and different from other places, may also be true of the state which, coincidentally, has the name "island" in its name. The reluctance to leave or move across the minuscule box of orders that define this smallest of states means that we turn inward and don't …

Before The Census 2000 Is In, The Flak Begins, Chester Smolski

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"They're getting ready for the 22nd decennial count of the people of this country, which takes place in just two years. Right now the U.S. Census Bureau is running field tests in three areas on which method is to be used to accurately determine the number of residents in the year 2000."

Retaining The Charm Of Rhode Island, Chester Smolski

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"The town of Exeter in Washington County is an unusual place--it is classified as one of the few remaining rural communities in the state. With 86 percent of Rhode Island considered urban by the Census Bureau, rural designation is something special in this second most densely settled state in the union."

Without Jobs, R.I.'S Place On Livability Lists Is Weak, Chester Smolski

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"All of us like to know and be part of the best places, whether this be restaurants, hospitals, colleges, golf courses, or whatever, so we rank them. These range from the international, where we rank levels of corruption by countries, to the local, where we rate the best clam shacks. And though we may not agree with some of the rankings, we find most of them useful in terms of making connections with places we know."

Identifying Differences Is A Problem, Chester Smolski

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"Her mother is black and Native American; her father is Mexican and Italian; so with what racial and ethnic group does she identify? On her college entrance application she wrote "African-American." This topnotch student, with demonstrated ability in scholarship, athletics, music, leadership and community involvement, is exactly the type of student Harvard wants, sos he has been invited to be in its entering class this fall. No small feat since nine of 10 applicants are rejected.

Ethnicity and race are two of the 10 criteria used at Harvard in making selections for admission, for diversity is the key word today, …

James Rouse--A Man For All Seasons, Chester Smolski

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"Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said it best: he 'did more to revitalize American cities than anyone this century.' Recognition of this fact came last September when President Clinton awarded him our nation's highest civilian honor--the Presidential Medal of Freedom. James W. Rouse, died at the age of 81, just 17 short days before his 82nd birthday on April 26--a long life with long-lasting achievements by a humanist and an urbanist, a man often referred to as a 'real Christian' and an 'urban visionary.' Where does one begin?"

City Ratings Need Closer Scrutiny, Chester Smolski

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"The September issue of Money magazine has just come out with its ninth annual ranking of the best "places" in the country in which to live. Somewhat of a surprise, five of the top ten are in Florida, with Gainsville garnering the number one position, and Jacksonville, Ocala, Fort Lauderdale and Naples in positions 3, 5, 6 and 10 respectively."

Cincinnati: From Porkopolis To No. One City, Chester Smolski

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"It was 152 years after the settlement at Providence n 1636 that this Midwestern present-day metropolis was established. Its location on what was to become the country's most industrialized river, the Ohio, provided its accessibility, starting with the first visit by a steamboat in 1811. In 1819, one of the largest city universities in the nation today, with 35,000 students, was founded And by 1850, with its location next to the rich farming areas of the country, it ranked as fifth largest city in te country and had earned the title of Porkopolis because of its status as the world's …

Preservation Society Is A National Leader, Chester Smolski

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"In the summer of 1977, I was impressed to hear of the good works performed by the Providence Preservation Society at a meeting of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which preserves and restores historic buildings and sites of that world city."

Which Is 2nd Safest? City Or Area?, Chester Smolski

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"Buried in a recent two-column story in the national Parade Magazine section of the Sunday newspapers and obscured by the advertisements that took up most of the two pages, John Tepper Marlin's headlined story, 'The Safest Places To Live,' was designed to grab one's attention. And that it did, especially if your city ranked second in the nation."

What Determines Our 'Best' Cities?, Chester Smolski

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"A friend of mine and I grew up in the same small town, and both of us still have fond memories of that typical small New England community. The military, then college, marriage and family took us away, although we still maintain contacts there. But now we have a different attitude toward the town."

Coping With Car Congestion, Chester Smolski

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"Ah, the joy of the automobile! Driving with the windows closed to eliminate outside noise and to get the full effect of the four-speaker stereo while listening to Sibelius, Brooks or Franklin, depending on one's taste; sitting in seats more comfortable than those in the living room at home; and taking in the colorful foliage along this country road in the rural wester part of the state where we are the only car on the road--how could life be any better??

Let's Get Excited About Our City, Chester Smolski

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"Suppose that you wanted to introduce a group of students to Providence, where would you take them? To the East Side? To the Brown campus and the RISD Museum? To the constantly changing Capital Center and waterfront? to the entertainment and artistic performances found in the downtown? And would these visits give a fair appraisal of the city's character?"

What's In Store For Social Security?, Chester Smolski

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"Health-care costs are commanding considerable attention these days. From Washing, D.C., to Providence and state capitals across the nation, the burning questions are, "How much?" and "Who pays?""

Planning For People And Beauty, Chester Smolski

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"Tourists who return from England frequently say the same thing: "What a beautiful country!" True enough, but it did not just happen. A naturally occurring rolling landscape and a climate to keep it green helped, to be sure. But strict government-imposed planning accounts for much of beauty [sic] of present-day England, too."

That Precious 'Ambience', Chester Smolski

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"Colette Peters, former Rhode Island School of Design student, renowned cake baker and author of Colette's Cakes, was recently asked about her food memories of Providence. This current resident of New York said, 'Haven Brothers! We'd go to Haven Brothers for hot dogs when I was a student at RISD. It was what we could afford.'"

Bringing It Together, Downtown, Chester Smolski

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"They came, they saw, they discussed, they analyzed, and they made their ideas known to the populace. Now they wait for further comments from the citizenry before they provide their final written report in January."

Census Numbers Show R.I.'S Soul, Chester Smolski

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"More numbers have been released by the government from the 1990 census on population and housing. The results tell us something of the uniqueness of this smallest state.

It is useful to determine trends from the past and the present in order to plan for the future, a common method of analysis. But it is also helpful to realize that we are part of a region and a country, and much can be learned by making comparisons between ourselves and others for the same period of time."

Census: To Recount Or Not To Recount?, Chester Smolski

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"Whether to adjust or not to adjust, that is the critical question facing the US Census Bureau in the next six weeks, when it decides if it is necessary to make some type of accommodation in the figures form the April 1, 1990, census count.

Deemed "not the best census ever" by the New York Times, the count, as detailed by an embarrassed Census Bureau, missed between four and six million of the country's residents, an undercount even greater than that of 1980. Sadly, more than one half of the undercount included blacks or Hispanics, a population that needs to …