EAST PROVIDENCE — As the calendar again turns to a new year, it always fitting to look back on some of the top stories to come from the city the previous 12 months.

So, here’s “a few for 2022”…the year in review.

Crowley retires, Forand is hired

The most significant news item in East Providence at the start of 2022 came early in the spring when then Superintendent Kathryn Crowley announced her intention to step away from the position after nearly seven years on the job.

The School Committee then followed up at its April 12 meeting by formally hiring one of Crowley’s top aides, Dr. Sandra Forand, as the new superintendent of the district.

“Up until this point in my career I have always tried to make decisions based on what was in the best interest of children, and that will continue to be my focus going forward,” Forand said during her remarks at the April meeting. “When people ask me about working in East Providence, I always tell them the best part is the amazing people I get to work with each and every day.”

Forand continued then, “I know that Townie Pride is a real thing, but hard to explain…I am humbled and appreciative of the outpouring of support I have received and I will do my best to meet your expectations every day. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve the students, families and staff of East Providence. It is truly an honor and I look forward to working collaboratively to continue the work we’ve started here in the district.”

Crowley finished out the 2021-22 term in her role atop the administration then resigned in time to allow Forand to open the 2022-23 term in late August.

With some seven months remaining on her contract, Crowley remained in the district’s employ as the leader of the effort to have a $148 million school construction bond passed at the November 2022 election, similar to what she had done in 2018 in helping gain approval of the $189.5 million new high school bond.

At the same time, Crowley has been a liaison between the district, its architects and contractors and the Rhode Island Department of Education as it shapes plans to use the latest traunch of bond monies.

As part of her retirement announcement, Crowley said, “I cannot thank my team and their staff enough for their support and energy…I leave East Providence knowing there is still work to be done — always work to be done. However, I feel it is a good time for someone else to take the reins and to continue in the upward momentum of the district.”

Amore becomes SoS

Gregg Amore, a five-term incumbent Democratic State Rep who opted against a sixth term, was the far and away winner in his race with Republican and former Providence City Councilor Pat Cortellessa to become the next Secretary of State for Rhode Island.

The long-time East Providence School district teacher, coach and athletic administrator won by a tally of 59.5%-40.3% (208,981 votes-141,457).

First voted into elected office in November 2012, he ran unopposed and was re-elected to the District 65 seat, comprising Kent Heights and portions of Riverside, for a fifth team in 2020.

Amore became the first city native to win state-wide office since Paul Tavares was elected General Treasurer in 1998 and served to 2006.

“I am truly humbled and honored to have been chosen by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as our next Secretary of State. My passion for and experience in civic engagement and government, my heartfelt belief in public service, instilled in me by my parents, and a deep reverence for the protection of the most fundamental right in our democracy – the right to vote – is what inspired me to run for this office,” Amore said at the time of his election.

DaSilva is re-elected

The same November 8 evening, Roberto “Bob” DaSilva earned a second term to serve as East Providence’s mayor, four years after he was chosen as the city’s first duly elected chief executive in 2018.

DaSilva blasted challenger John Rossi 60.2%-39.1% (9,198-5,972) in a race that wasn’t remotely close and only served to emphasize DaSilva’s similarly one-side victory in the four-way primary two months earlier.

“We’re excited to see the results. I think it’s a testament to what we’ve been doing for the last four years,” DaSilva said on election night. “I think the residents of East Providence realize we’ve been moving the city in the right direction. I’m just proud of my entire team for all the work they did to help us get the result we did.

“I also want to thank the residents of East Providence. And hopefully we can see where those people who voted against us, where we’re not satisfying them, and see what we can do to find a happy medium.”

Tennis revival

James McShane’s two-set win at No. 2 singles provided the East Providence High School boys’ tennis team with the deciding point as the Townies won the Division III regular season title with a 4-2 win over Chariho in early June at Brown University in Providence.

McShane’s victory came after the No. 1 doubles tandem of Jaydon Amaral-Nathan Thurber earned East Providence’s first point of the day, followed a bit later by Miguel Flores’ win at third singles and Brayden Rouette’s triumph at first singles. Of note, each of the players to earn points in the championship match for the Townies are sophomores and nine of the 10 East Providence starters were in that class during the 2021-22 school year.

The championship marked the latest resurgence of the program which has seen some very high notes as well as a few low ones over its many years as a varsity sport. Seeded second in the playoffs, the title was the seventh all-time in school history for the Townies, their second in the D-III ranks to go along with another won in 1993 and first since head coach Paul Amaral guided the team to back-to-back D-II titles in 2001 and 2002. Amaral has since retired from his position as coach and a physical education teacher at EPHS.

“It wasn’t just me who won it. It was all my buddies who won it. I’m super proud of the team. I’m pretty happy right now,” McShane said, adding “I kind of understood at the end if I won this, we would win. I saw Brayden won. I figured Miguel won and I knew our first doubles would win. They always win, so I figured I would be the fourth point. I was kind of nervous. I didn’t know what was going on on the other side of the fence, but I figured we were winning.”

igus expansion

igus Inc., the German-owned multi-national plastics manufacturer, formally unveiled its vision for a significant expansion of its already impressive operation in city with an approximately $200 million phased update of its Ferris Avenue campus.

According to the master plan, igus proposes to more than double the size of its facilities at 257 Ferris Ave., the location which is familiar to most long-time residents of the city as the former Nyman Co. plant, once the largest manufacturer of paper and plastic disposable cups and tableware in the region.

igus’ concept calls for the development of approximately 707,000 square feet of “new manufacturing, shipping and warehouse space” at what is its North American headquarters and to do so in phases, the first of which is construction of a 148,975 square foot building for injection molding and what it termed “associated support spaces.”

Waterfront waves

City and state officials joined one of the region’s most noted entertainment luminaries gathered in late October to announce plans to construct a permanent outdoor concert complex on the waterfront off Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Through its local entity Rhode Island Waterfront Enterprises, LiveNation, owned in part by legendary New England events promoter Don Law, formally laid out its plans to invest upwards of $30 million on a bandstand and amenities associated with producing seasonal shows on the former UNOCAL parcel at the shore of the Providence River.

Two years ago, Waterfront Enterprises agreed the sum of $1.6 million to buy the “bow tie” land from UNOCAL where it intends to build the permanent venue to replace the temporary one at the nearby Bold Point Park LiveNation has used the past six years to put on shows and festivals. The expectation is for the series to spend at least one more season before moving into the new venue sometime in the next couple of years.

At the same time as the UNOCAL purchase, Waterfront Enterprises paid $5.5 million to buy the adjacent man-made parcel, originally intended to be cargo port for the Providence & Worcester Railroad, from Chevron/Gulf. There, the company is well on its way to building a construction hub for the local offshore wind industry.

Along with the “world class entertainment venue,” Law promised “public access” to the once privately-owned and restricted portion of the waterfront as well as “other outdoor amenities” associated with similar venues.

Law concluded, “I’m convinced the redevelopment of the waterfront will benefit the residents and businesses as well as have a transformative impact on the City of East Providence and Rhode Island, in general. I can’t tell you have how excited we are because this will be an exciting place to be around the next few years.”