More reinventing, the final 2012 Publick Occurrences

I was back at Rhode Island College last evening for the third and final Publick Occurrences of 2012. All three have been devoted to the Rhode Island economy -- and all have explored themes The Providence Journal has been examining in depth every week, all year, in our Reinvent Rhode Island series, which will continue right through the very last Sunday in December.

I was a panelist, Tweeter and blogger last evening from Rhode Island College; I wrote the story for the previous Publick Occurrences.

Speaking of reinvention, on a lunch-hour stroll today, I walked past Waterplace Park, in the shadow of the R.I. Statehouse, center of this photo. When I first came to the city many years ago, this was a dark, scary, trash-strewn dead zone, a sad example of decay with a foul caricature of a river running through it. I can remember thinking if I ever fell in, I would have to be quarantined by public-health authorities. And rightly so.

As you can see today, it is a jewel -- the home of WaterFire and a wonderful place to visit as the fall leaves turn, as the birds here would certainly agree!