SNA

Sarah Helen Power Whitman, a poet and romance of Edgar Allen Poe, recounts her life.

Ghosts walked amid the gravestones along North Main Street two days before Halloween as re-enactors talked about their characters’ lives – and deaths.

It was part of a continuing project by the Friends of the North Burial Ground and Randall Park, in collaboration with Rhode Island College to raise awareness of the historical and recreational aspects of the area.

RIC students and professors led nearly 100 people around the grounds to meet with, among others, Sarah Helen Power Whitman, a poet and girlfriend of Edgar Allan Poe, and Samuel Whipple, who may have been murdered so his land could be taken and ultimately become the cemetery.

Providence Journal reporter Tom Mooney wrote that Francis Leazes, a professor of political science and public policy at RIC, said “The people who are interred here can tell the story of the state since its founding. But like all historic cemeteries, it needs the care and attention before the stories disappear, literally.”

Mooney continued that Leazes and some of his colleagues such as Erik Christiansen (an SNA board member), Michelle Valletta and Cathy Hurst, started the Friends group that sponsored its first round of tours in June, featuring a Civil War enactment with stops at some of the historic graves that include early governors, leaders of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, barons from the Industrial Revolution and men such as John Brown, a rich merchant, slave trader and co-founder of Brown University.

For more information, go to /www.facebook.com/northburialground/.

Adults and children in costumes contributed to the festivities.

The Miriam Hospital invites all its neighbors to its annual community meeting to hear about what good things they are doing now and what they are planning for the future. It is to be held at 6:30 p.m., Nov.10 in the Hurvitz Board Room. Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with one of the major stakeholders in the area. For more information, contact Monica Anderson at TMHneighbors@lifespan.org.

In a Halloween near-emulation of the three witches of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the SNA’s sixth annual cook-off met again in rain, although without the lightning and thunder.

But the traditional foul weather (one year there was a hurricane, one year snow) did not deter about 45 people from gathering Oct. 27 in Seven Stars bakery on Hope Street to sample 15 dishes made by neighborhood residents using pumpkin as a common ingredient.

And in keeping with the holiday spirit, there was also a parade of children in costumes ranging from a hotdog to a suffragette, although some of the smaller participants seemed more interested in chasing the balloons provided by Hope Street merchant Kim Clark of Rhody Craft than marching.

After being welcomed by SNA President Dean Weinberg and tasting the various pumpkin offerings plus a sampling of fine oils from Olive del Mondo, another Hope Street merchant, participants voted for their favorite dishes. The results were counted by SNA board member Emily Spitzman and organization member Sandy Kohring, who collaborated in organizing the event. The winners were:

1^st prize, a $30 gift certificate to Seven Stars, went to Jasper Summers for pumpkin tiramisu;

2^nd prize, a $20 gift certificate to Rhody Craft, went to Sri Mitta for pumpkin curry;

3^rd prize was a tie, with $15 gift certificates to Olive del Mondo going to Ethan Itkin for cinnamon pumpkin rolls with cream cheese frosting and Gailia Rutan for pumpkin cake roll.

The recipes for the winning dishes will be posted here as they become available. Some of the chefs experimented and are trying to remember what they did.

However, their example of inventiveness bodes well for the delicacies expected in next year’s competition.

Jasper Summers

Sri Mitta

Ethan Itkin and Gailia Rutan

Cinnamon Pumpkin Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Dough:

2 teaspoons dry active yeast

1 tablespoon warm water

1 cup warm whole milk

4½ cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

All-purpose flour for the work surface

Pumpkin cubes:

4 cups pumpkin, cleaned, seeded and diced

2 teaspoons salt

1 ¼ cup butter, melted

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Roasted seeds:

1 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Cinnamon sugar goo:

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream cheese frosting:

3 ounces (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1½ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions 

1. Whisk the yeast with the warm water and milk in a small bowl. Let it sit until foamy, 5 minutes or so.
2. Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, combine then add the eggs, butter and yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together as a thick, sticky mass. This should take about 6 minutes.
3. With a rubber spatula, remove the dough and, by hand, form it into a smooth ball. Transfer it, seam side down, to a greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot (a turned-off microwave will do). Let it rise for an hour until it’s doubled in size.
4. Prepare the pumpkin elements. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place diced pumpkin on a baking sheet, toss with melted butter, salt and thyme. Par bake for 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature and set aside. Place seeds on a separate baking sheet, toss with melted butter followed by salt. Roast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature and set aside.
5. Make the cinnamon goo. While the dough is rising, mix together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl and set it aside.
6. Punch it down the dough and put it onto a well-floured work surface. Using a rolling pin (or wine bottle), roll it into a 16-inch-by-16-inch square. Spread the cinnamon goo evenly over the surface, leaving a quarter-inch perimeter bare. Sprinkle the roasted pumpkin cubes on top. Roll the dough up into a big, tight tube, making sure to keep all the filling inside.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice the tube into 12 rounds, each about a 1⅓ inches thick. Arrange the rounds in a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish or two 10-inch pie pans, leaving 1-inch between each. Let them rise for another one to two hours, until they have doubled in size. (Alternately, you can make these buns the night before and let them rise, loosely covered, in the fridge overnight. Take them out in the morning, let them come to room temp for about half an hour and pop them in the oven.)
8. Make the cream-cheese frosting. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on high one minute, add remaining ingredients and paddle on low to combine, then whip up on high for two minutes, until the mixture is a pale white and fluffy. Put to the side.
9. Bake the buns for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are just starting to brown on the edges. Remove from oven. While they are still warm, spread the frosting generously over them. Sprinkle tops with roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Oven: 375 degrees

Need pan size 13”x 9 ½”

Grease pan, place foil on pan and grease foil.

Mix together: 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ cup flour.

Pour batter onto greased foil; bake 12-15 minutes.

Sift confectioner’s sugar onto a smooth dishtowel (not terrycloth) and when the cake is baked, put it onto the sugared towel while HOT. Roll up from long end, carefully! Let set for 2-2½ hours.

Meanwhile, unwrap 8 ounces cream cheese and soften 2 tablespoons butter. Mix softened cream cheese, butter, 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar and 1½ teaspoon vanilla.

Gently unroll the cake; but don’t try to flatten it. Spread the filling on the cake, being sure to get it into the rolled part. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, slice with a serrated knife and sift a little more confectioner’s sugar to make it look pretty.

This was the last Saturday for the farmers market in Lippitt Park. Next week it moves inside Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket.

A group of residents of Ward Three, which includes Summit, mobilized Oct. 20 to push their demand for the recall of indicted City Councilman Kevin Jackson.

About 15 people met in Rochambeau Library to share petition papers prepared by the city’s Board of Canvassers. The goal is to get the signatures of twenty percent of the ward’s voters to call for a vote on Jackson’s recall. The group has already filed the 300 signatures needed to begin the complicated process.

Jackson has been charged with two counts of unlawful appropriation, one count of embezzlement, one count of filing a false document with a government entity, and one count of personal use of campaign funds. He has resigned his leadership positions on the City Council, but not his seat.

However, the councilman has sued the Board of Canvassers and the two private citizens leading the effort, claiming that the initial signatures are flawed and the board has not properly promulgated any administrative rules of procedure. The recall group has hired a lawyer to respond to the suit and has filed a motion in Superior Court asking to be allowed to continue to collect signatures to remove him. Also, the board has decided allow a hearing on Jackson’s objections.

In the meantime, the petitioners have formed a web site and Facebook page – recallkevinjackson.org.

Recently the Board of Elections came by Summit Commons at 99 Hillside Ave. and approved the use of their rear entrance. Starting on election day Nov. 8 and going forward they will use the rear patio solarium entrance on election days. This will alleviate the congestion in the lobby and allow residents to pass. Parking will still be the same arrangement and there will be signs directing voters to the rear of building. The Board of Elections will be mailing out a notice to inform all the residents who vote at Summit Commons.

Ghost enthusiasts, cemetery enthusiasts, and those who love history will enjoy a free Ghost Walk through Providence’s North Burial Ground on Saturday, October 29. Sponsored by the Friends of the North Burial Ground, with support from the North Burial Ground Project at Rhode Island College, the theatrical and historical event will take place from 4-7 pm.

Dress in your Halloween finest, and come at 4 if you want to enter the costume contest. Halloween snacks will be served! Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a flashlight, since the cemetery gets quite dark after sunset.

Small group tours of approximately one hour in length will begin between 4:30 and 4:45, and will depart every 10 minutes or so, with the last tour leaving between 5:45 and 6 pm. Your tour guide will lead you by lantern light on a walk from grave to grave at dusk and you’ll listen to stories of the lives (some long, some short!) and deaths (some natural, some violent!) of a number of residents of the cemetery.

You’ll hear from costumed re-enactors about murder, lost love, and young men at war, far from home. The tour content and themes are aimed at an adult audience. Families, however, are welcome on the tour, using their own judgment as to whether the content and setting are appropriate for their children.

Rain date Oct. 30, 4-7pm.

Most participants set up in front of their own homes.

Some sellers used the Citizens Bank lot on Hope Street, where SNA handed out maps of the other locations.

The Summit neighborhood gave a community-wide yard sale on Sunday – and everybody came.

“From my vantage point at my house,” one participant said, “I could visibly see neighbors out and about, talking to each other, sharing stories and getting to know one another.  And we brought a lot of people in from other areas too, so they could see what a fun and useful event it was.”

That “useful event” was centered on the parking lot of Citizens Bank on Hope Street, where the SNA distributed maps showing the 48 locations where residents had set up their own sale tables. Added to that were about 10 people who brought their valued items to the core location, according to Britt Page, the SNA board member who organized the event.

Topping off the day were seven merchants along Hope who had special sales to coordinate with the yard sales, plus a truck from Indie Cycle parked in the CVS lot across the street to accept unused or unwanted electronics so they could be disposed of in a responsible manner.

“I can tell you that my store was busier than usual that day,” said Kim T. Clark, owner of Rhody Craft, a shop at 780 Hope that specializes in products made my local craftspeople, “and there was a lot of fun, festive energy all over the neighborhood because I was roaming around.”

The yard sale is an annual event that SNA sponsors, but in previous years it had been at the Church of the Redeemer at 655 Hope. This year it involved the entire neighborhood. “We’re building community, not just in Summit, but potentially in areas beyond our reach,” said Dean Weinberg, SNA president.

“Great event,” said Clark, an SNA board member. “I think we should definitely do it like that every year!”

Moderator Gayle Gifford introduces panel members, from left. Jeffery Dana, Linda Katz, Rabbi Alan Flam and Diana Burdett.

Rep. Aaron Regenburg, left, and Cliff Wood spoke from the floor.

The recent surge in panhandling in Providence is directly caused by a rise in poverty, a panel of experts said Wednesday, but is also linked to the publicized curbs on the city’s ordnance against it.

Appearing before almost 40 people at a public forum at Summit Commons, 99 Hillside Ave., sponsored by SNA, the speakers were: Jeffrey Dana, Providence city solicitor; Linda Katz, policy director of the Economic Progress Institute; Rabbi Alan Flam, executive director of the Helen Hudson Foundation for Homeless America; and Diana Burdett, executive director of PICA, a charitable nonprofit that runs the state’s largest food pantry. They were joined by Cliff Wood of the Downtown Parks Conservancy. The session was organized and moderated by Gayle Gifford, president of Cause & Effect Inc., an advisor to nonprofits, and assisted by R.I. Rep. Aaron Regunberg.

Flam summed up the cause of panhandling, which is the act of seeking handouts from passersby, by saying it is a problem of poverty. “People don’t have enough money to live,” he said, adding that it’s “not a question of homelessness, it’s poverty.”

Katz supported that assessment, pointing out that 27.9 percent of the people in Providence live at or below the poverty level, which for a family of one parent and two children is $20,000. She cited the shift away from manufacturing jobs at which a high-school graduate could still make a living, but now the pay from available jobs is “not enough to support a family,” even with available benefits.

Getting those benefits, Burdett said, is often difficult, with children and the elderly being the most affected. “Many people wouldn’t be able to eat if they couldn’t access food pantries,” she asserted, adding that many also can’t access the health-care system so they self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. “It’s a full-time job being homeless,” she said, and that makes them vulnerable.

In answer to a question about who seems to be organizing the panhandlers, Wood echoed Burdett’s theme by saying the victims of poverty are targets of predators who steal what little help is given. He had said earlier that the city’s decision to not enforce the law against panhandling “opened the floodgates for petty criminal activity” downtown, prompting an increase in police presence. He said there was absolutely no criminalization of panhandling, but there is no city tolerance for petty crime, He said the downtown activity “has nothing to do with the homeless situation.”

Dana added that the city is working to get more housing and shelters available during the day and is cooperating with other agencies to develop jobs for the homeless. He stated that many anti-panhandling laws have been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as infringements on the First Amendment and that “enforcing an anti-panhandling law is clearly not legal.” But, he added, “just because panhandling is OK, that doesn’t mean crime is OK.” He said “we’re not going to arrest our way to a solution of poverty.”

Flam gave this guidance to residents who “clearly want to help people in distress.” Don’t give money to the panhandler, he said. “It’s not about giving to the individual on the corner – give to the organizations that are working on the problem.”

Panel members and the two moderators wrapped up by urging residents to, a Flam put it, “turn attention and outrage toward public officials who don’t address” the underlying causes. “Citizens have not demanded solutions, have not participated in the public square,” he said.