September 29, 2008

Providence Mayor David Cicilline is a member of the 2009 Selection Committee for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence that recognizes innovative quality design in urban environments. Cicilline will also be a keynote speaker at the upcoming annual conference of the Responsible Hospitality Institute, which promotes sociable, safe and vibrant cities being held November 12-15 in San Francisco.

USA Today, in a September 15 issue, profiled Fitchburg (MA) in one of a series of articles highlighting various states and cities as the nation approaches the November 4 election.

While the article focuses on local economic anxiety in the current national downturn, it also mentions the work of the city’s 28-year old Chinese American woman who is the new mayor since last November: Lisa Wong. In that race, Wong campaigned on a platform of reforming city finances and revitalizing an aging downtown, one that would bring in art galleries and restaurants, see historic buildings converted to condos and even build a whitewater kayak course.

The full-page article documents not only Wong’s plans for progress, but also local problems she inherited when she took office in January of this year. Wong came to the city as a consultant, hired to help redevelopment of a General Electric steam turbine plant that had closed and now houses several tech and start-up companies. Wong, who got her bachelors and masters degrees at Boston University in three years, even has a slogan for the city. To wit: A fit and fun and funky Fitchburg.

Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker recently unveiled a Newark Port Career and Business Development Center for the New Jersey city. The center will serve as a satellite agency for the creation of jobs in the city’s port district. In addition to job placement and training, a key initiative will be to help facilitate jobs for ex-offenders.