Reilly chosen as new chairman of city’s GOP

Ward 6 City Councilman Matthew Reilly has been chosen as the new chairman of the Cranston Republican City Committee.

“I am extremely honored and excited to take on the role of Chairman of the Cranston Republican Party,” Reilly, an attorney who is in his first term on the council, said in a statement. “Chris Buonanno served this party as Chairman with the utmost integrity and I intend to pick up where he left off. I am so pleased to have the opportunity to grow the party and move it forward by bringing back our dedicated, experienced senior members and recruiting new, eager members, who will bring fresh ideas and perspective. The tent is big enough for anyone who wants to work together in good faith to ensure we provide the taxpayers of Cranston with fiscally responsible leadership.”

Reilly was elected chairman during a virtual meeting of the committee on Jan. 28. Buonanno, the outgoing chairman, addressed the committee at the start of the proceedings, followed by Reilly’s nomination for chairman by Mayor Ken Hopkins.

Michael Favicchio, Reilly’s predecessor in the Ward 6 seat. Was elected as the committee’s vice chairman of operations. Paula Smith was chosen as secretary, Steven Agnoli as treasurer and Michael Lepizzera as legal counsel.

Republicans held their 5-4 majority on the council in November’s election. The mayor’s office also remained in GOP hands, with Hopkins elected to succeed Allan Fung.

Reilly adds in the release: “While supporting the current 5-member Republican caucus on City Council and the Mayor, we need to start building a bench of future candidates. It is not only important to focus on 2022, but to keep our eyes on 2024, 2026, and 2028.”

Old Navy coming to Garden City

A new clothing retailer is coming to Cranston’s Garden City Center this year.

Old Navy plans to open a store in a portion of the space that formerly housed Cohoes, the shopping center announced last week. The 13,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in late summer or early fall.

Old Navy is a subsidiary of Gap Inc., which includes several stores – Athleta, Banana Republic and Gap – with existing Garden City locations. According to a press release, Old Navy began in 1994 and “celebrates the democracy of style though on-trend, playfully optimistic, affordable and high quality products.”

“The addition of Old Navy to Garden City Center brings fun, fashion and value apparel for the entire family while representing an increased commitment by Gap, Inc. to our vision of a lifestyle center that provides a variety of apparel, home and dining options that our shoppers are seeking in one location,” Joe Koechel, general manager of Garden City Center, said in the release.

Magazine celebrates Eden Park’s ‘Pathfinder’ project

Eden Park Elementary School’s Pathfinder Project has been featured in a cover story for an international magazine.

Planning Learning Spaces Magazine, a publication of the nonprofit Association for Learning Environments, chose to highlight the Cranston project – which was completed in 2019 – in its latest issue under the headline “Rhode Island: The Little State with Big Ideas” – in one of its latest issues.

“The editorial board of PLS felt the innovations and breakthroughs at Eden Park warranted placement as the cover story in this quarter’s edition,” reads a press release from Fielding International, the consulting firm that has worked with Cranston Public Schools on the Pathfinder Project and other planned facilities upgrades. “The PLS magazine cover headline … speaks to Rhode Island’s history in evolution of modern school design and pedagogy. The editors at PLS saw the new Learning Community at Eden Park Elementary School as another turning point in this history.”

The Pathfinder Project transformed the intermediate wing at Eden Park, which was built in the 1950s, into a new “Learning Community.” Designed with input from educators and students, the new wing represents a departure from typical classroom settings and is meant to enable collaboration and mobility.

To see the magazine cover and story, visit www.planninglearningspaces.com.

Cranston’s wastewater treatment plants receives award

The city’s wastewater treatment plant has been recognized for its compliance record, according to a recent press release from Veolia North America.

The plant in Cranston has received the Rhode Island Clean Water Association’s 2020 Platinum Award “for maintaining a perfect record of compliance with its operating permit for three consecutive years or more,” the release states. The treatment plant in Smithfield received the same honor.

“The award is a recognition of the dedication and expertise that the Veolia North America team brings to the plants every day on behalf of the local community,” the release reads. “The Veolia teams will formally receive the award at a date to be determined later this year, depending on restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “

“I am extremely proud of the work our teams have done in Cranston and Smithfield, particularly in a challenging year like the one we’ve just had,” Keith Oldewurtel, Veolia North America’s executive vice president and COO for municipal water, said in the release. “Despite the heightened restrictions and protocols, they continued to deliver high-quality essential services in a safe, effective manner.”

Veolia has operated the Cranston plan since 1989.

-- Daniel Kittredge