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September 12, 2007 5:51:07 PM

TWO SIDES OF THE PROJO: The Providence Journal’s traditionally strong commitment to the public’s right to know has been on display with its prominent coverage of the Rhode Island Department of Correction’s misguided proposal to restrict media access to inmates. Not coincidentally, the DOC now seems intent on making some serious revisions. Yet the way in which it took the ProJo four days to report the death of Angelo DeLucia, the founder of Del’s Lemonade, who died September 6, speaks to how the paper is slower on the uptake than it once was. Be that as it may, Benjamin Gedan’s story on the Del’s icon was freighted with some great details, like how DeLucia’s family used to stockpile snow in caves back in Italy, before mixing it for sale in the summer with lemon and sugar.

READING THE TEA LEAVES: At www.rifuture.org, Matt Jerzyk (a Phoenix contributor) considered the implications of Darrell West’s latest poll results for the 2010 gubernatorial race. As he noted, the approval rating of Providence Mayor David Cicilline (64 percent) was considerably higher than those of possible fellow candidates Patrick Lynch (48 percent), Elizabeth Roberts (37 percent), and Frank Caprio (37 percent), although there clearly remains a long time to go.

CHAFEE’S NEXT MOVE: You didn’t have to be a genius to realize that the publication of Steve Laffey’s new book would mark his formal reemergence on Rhode Island’s political stage. So, not surprisingly, he turned up September 6 on RIPBS’ A Lively Experiment and was the subject of two pieces that week in the Sunday ProJo. He was also slated to talk this week to the South Kingstown Republican Town Committee. With Laffey shaping up as a likely gubernatorial candidate in 2010, the big question remains: What’s next for Linc Chafee? Does he remain at Brown, run for office in Providence, or butt heads with Cranston’s former maximum leader in a rematch of their 2006 Senate battle? Being less of a telegrapher than Laffey, the answer to this question will likely be known later, rather than sooner.

PROJO.COM LOVES THE LADIES: From a job listing on the Web site of the Florida-based Poynter Institute (my emphasis): “Projo.Com, the award winning web site of the Providence Journal, seeks an Assistant Managing Editor/Online to lead and guide its new content strategies serving women and other essential audiences. This is a key management role demanding an enthusiasm for innovation, new technologies and social networks. The successful candidate will have leadership skills and online journalism experience. Expertise in popular culture and lifestyle news is preferred.”

WHAT’S UP WITH DICE-K? Asked about the possibility of fatigue by the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, Daisuke Matsuzaka replied, “I personally don’t think it’s a problem.” Yet as the Sox hold a five-game lead over the Yankees as we go to press, and with the Japanese hurler slated to start against New York on Friday, his string of sub-par recent performances remains a concern as we head toward the post-season.

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