Solomon, McAllister look to re-open Buttonwoods Community Center
Mayor Joseph Solomon and Ward 7 Councilman Stephen McAllister announced Wednesday that they will be working cooperatively to examine possible reuses for the Buttonwoods Community Center, including the potential for leasing, city department occupancy and
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Mayor Joseph Solomon and Ward 7 Councilman Stephen McAllister announced Wednesday that they will be working cooperatively to examine possible reuses for the Buttonwoods Community Center, including the potential for leasing, city department occupancy and retaining access to the community room for local residents’ use.
The original building was constructed in 1915 and was used as a schoolhouse for decades. A later addition expanded the structure’s footprint to 16,436 square feet. For many years, it served as one of the city’s senior centers and was a longtime polling location. The facility most recently functioned as a community center for activities such as card leagues and housed human services staff, and a portion of the building was leased to local non-profit agencies Comprehensive Community Action Program and West Bay Community Action.
In January 2017, the prior administration announced plans to close the building effective that March 1, displacing those who had used the facility, and the facility as a polling location.
Solomon said that repairs would have to be made to the building before it could be reopened, but proposed a multi-faceted approach to make the rehabilitation cost-effective.
“Working together with some type of public/private partnership, which could also involve trade associations, would be mutually beneficial, allow us to improve the building and would allow us to once again have the facility as a tremendous community asset,” Mayor Solomon noted.
And, if a portion of the property were eventually to be leased, the mayor said he believes utilizing those funds for regular maintenance of the facility and perhaps programs for the larger community would be prudent and practical.
“I heard from so many residents, especially those from Ward 7, but also across the entire city, who were upset that the center was closing,” McAllister said. “For many seniors, Buttonwoods offered a convenient, welcoming place to spend a few hours of the day enjoying various activities and the company of friends. I’m aware that for some people, the time at the center was the only interaction they may have had with others in the course of a day. Having a portion of the center available to them again as a gathering place will surely help to enhance their quality of life, help us to expand the services we offer to our residents and put the building back into productive use.”
Comments
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richardcorrente
Congratulations Councilman Steve McAllister for never giving up on the Buttonwoods Community Center, even when Mayor Avedisian did. Together with the help of acting Mayor Joe Solomon, there has to be a plan to save it. I'm confident the two of you will find it. If repairs are asked for I'll bet there will be ready volunteers from all over Warwick to help. Make it a Warwick-citizen-volunteer project and put my name in as a volunteer. My contractor talent is extremely limited but I'll commit to 50 hours of labor if that will help our seniors.
Again, congratulations for keeping the cause alive.
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Thursday, June 21, 2018 Report this
Justanidiot
moore servaces and less texas. master flaxlayered mayer certainly has a kean grasp on economonics.
Thursday, June 21, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Justanidiot,
Although I must admit I have no idea what a "master flaxlayered mayer" is, I do like the idea of volunteers coming to the rescue of the Buttonwoods Community Center. The cost to the taxpayers would be zero and the pride of accomplishment might even cause a reduction of taxpayers from moving out of Warwick.
Let's do this!
Happy "Save The Senior Center"! at Buttonwoods. (we need a sign! I will pay for it.)
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Friday, June 22, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Yet Rick, you recommend raising beach fees on every driving resident, instead of taking the volunteer approach with our beaches. Another example of short-sighted thinking on your part.
Friday, June 22, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Scal1024,
The above article has NOTHING to do with beach fees. And given only 2 choices; taxpayer-funded beach clean-up or user-funded beach clean-up I strongly support the user-funded option. Just like Joe Solomon did in December before he flip-flopped on the issue.
Your suggestion of the volunteer approach hasn't ever worked. I know because on two separate occasions over the last year, one with the "Friends of Warwick Ponds" and the other with "Save-The-Bay", I helped pick up trash (over 20 bags in total each time!) at Oakland Beach. We could have used LOTS more volunteers but there were only a handful of us. I didn't notice YOU there but then again you are a faceless, anonymous coward. How would I recognize you? Hey Scal. When are you going to face me like an adult? Do you even vote? Why don't you volunteer to help repair the Buttonwoods Center like I did? I committed 50 hours of labor. Care to match me or are you too much of a hypocrite?
Happy Summer Scal1024.
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Saturday, June 23, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
So we don't have the volunteers to pick up debris on our beaches, but you're assuming we'll have more than enough volunteers to do construction on a senior center? Again, you can't have it both ways Rick. Volunteer programs either work, or they don't. Its a pretty simple concept- You have the volunteers, or you don't. You attack me for not attending beach cleanups? One thing I would never do is pander and join local organizations while I'm running for office to pretend to care as you have over the last 2 years. Then again, I'm not a tax delinquent as I pay my taxes on time...so there's not much in common there at all.
Its hilarious you attack Joe Solomon as a "flip flopper" when YOU SUPPORTED HIM UP UNTIL HE DECLARED FOR MAYOR just a couple months ago. Supporting someone in office over the YEARS and then turning on them for your own political gain...you know what that would be called Rick? FLIP FLOPPING. Then of course, there is Rick Corrente's endorsement of Stacia Huyler (Petri) for Mayor back in 2014. How is it Rick you backed a far right candidate in the 2014 REPUBLICAN Primary, yet you ran as a Democrat in 2016 and are running as a Democrat again in 2018. Safe to say you FLIP FLOPPED on which political party you belong to?
Once again, Rick Corrente goes back to his favorite sleazy tactic= attack the messenger. This is done because he doesn't have ANY answers to fix Warwicks problems. Just pull his string and watch him repeat the same lines and lies over and over again.
Me being anonymous doesn't change the fact that Rick Corrente is a tax delinquent. It doesn't change the fact he can't tell you what spending he'll cut, or how he'll reduce taxes. It doesn't explain how his voluntary pension buyout will work. It doesn't tell voters the truth- that someone else paid over $12,000 in back taxes for him. One last time Rick I'M NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE. I haven't declared for public office. If I did...I would understand every word, sentence, paragraph, idea or BUSINESS DEALING I have EVER HAD would be scrutinized. When your campaign headquarters sits rent free, with a landlord who conveniently paid $13,000 in back taxes for you in 2014 and 2015 (WITH NO EXPLANATION!!!) it deserves to be scrutinized. If you don't understand that as a candidate for mayor, that says alot more about you than it does me.
I would ask voters to think to themselves: why is it this candidate for Mayor, after 4 years of running, hasn't been able to articulate to voters how he'll cut spending? Or how he'll pay for his expensive ideas and how much those expensive ideas will cost? If he had any idea...he would've told us already. Warwick can't afford on the job training with Rick Corrente. We can't afford to lose City Hall to tax sale under Rick Corrente. I won't be lectured on public service by a candidate who couldn't bother paying his own taxes on time. Rick Corrente calls me a coward? I'd say the guy running around talking about the tax burden, while someone else paid their taxes in 2014 and 2015...that person (Rick Corrente) is the coward.
Saturday, June 23, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
You said it, Scal. If there's one thing that honest, taxpaying voters are better at identifying than dishonesty, it's hypocrisy -- and the make-believe mayor is absolutely intent on proving both about himself.
As you rightly point out, he expects volunteers to fix the former senior center, and then in the very next comment says "[T]he volunteer approach hasn't ever worked."
That's a perfect example of hypocrisy -- when it's his idea to recruit volunteers, it will work, but when someone else suggests the exact same thing, it won't work.
And that's in addition to the many examples of dishonestly he has willingly provided through his comments on this site -- about his tax delinquency, the impact of his losing 2016 campaign, his political affiliations, and his fake statistics about changes in school enrollment, businesses, and population in Warwick.
You're also 100% correct that the make-believe mayor spends his time attacking commenters on this site as a direct result of his utter lack of any qualification to win elected office. He can not and will not admit to his many lies and defects as a candidate, and so he attempts to bash others.
But he will -- as he has so often before -- fail to achieve anything with his behavior. You and I and thousands of honest, taxpaying voters will overwhelmingly defeat his candidacy again this year.
Monday, June 25, 2018 Report this