Let's be Fox Point citizen journalists

City of Providence development map, click to track developments.

The Providence Journal, where I worked for 32 years, made its mark with local news.

“We have local news bureaus from Woonsocket to Westerly,” The Journal liked to boast.

Those days are long gone. But in Providence, as in other markets, local websites and newsletters, some well financed, some not, have stepped in to fill the gap. 

The Fox Point Neighborhood Assn. can help with a mix of professional and citizen journalism along with a data center where we'll collect health and safety data and link to important public documents such as the development map above. .

As the new communications and operations director of FPNA, I’ll be the professional on the team. (In addition to being a former reporter and editor, I’ve taught journalism at URI for more than 10 years.)

I’ll go to meetings, study public documents and interview neighbors and city officials. I’ll also welcome reports and photos from other Fox Point residents.

We’ve already got a newsletter and a website (fpna.net) with a news feed. But, in my mind, a Fox Point data center is what will set us apart.

Concerned about our air and water? 

The Narragansett Bay Commission monitors and publishes data on water quality, but the data can be hard to read and therefore lacks impact. 

Worried about development?  

The city has a map of development projects in Fox Point. And as you'll see from all the dots, there’s a lot going on. Some of it might surprise you.

This association is committed to protecting Fox Point’s historic character.  In May, Ward 1 Councilman John Goncalves presented the planning commission with an ordinance to create a Fox Point Historical District that would adjoin the College Hill Historic District. 

The  list of about 300 properties is public. My house on Transit Street is included. Is yours?

Open the link, hit Control F and find out. You’ll notice that the pfoposal names 65 properties on Hope and 56 properties on Wickenden, but none on Governor.

Data like this is where good journalism starts. In Fox Point, I suspect the standoff between development and preservation will be the big story of the coming year. Data can help tell that story by creating a baseline for decision making.

So help me out. Become a citizen journalist, or a citizen coder. And see how journalism can make a difference in our neighborhood.