FROM THE PUBLISHER
Local, Local, Local
“ I am no believer in this‘ hard work, perseverance, and taking advantage of your opportunities’ that these Magazines are so fond of writing some fellow up in. The successful don’ t work any harder than the failures. They get what is called in baseball the breaks.”— Will Rogers
FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS, we have published a Best of Rhode Island issue. It is intended as an homage, a love letter, to this quirky, unique place we call home.
It’ s not something we do on our own: We reach out to the hundreds of thousands who interact with us online, in print and via our social media channels, and invite you to share the best aspects of living in our state. Thankfully, tens of thousands respond every year.
In addition, we do what I believe we do well: sharing discoveries of new people, places and things we have uncovered along the way. It is a process that has no beginning and no end— it is continuous.
Why do we do it well?
A Local knowledge.
A Local journalists( in many cases, homegrown).
A Local, independent ownership.
Our team— not just the journalists, but the entire staff— is constantly on the lookout, sharing tips and information with urgency and pride due to our unique position as chroniclers of life in Rhode Island.
Furthermore, we continually benefit from the stories you share. That means knowing where to look, who to contact and how to dig deep.
Former Providence Journal reporter Elliot Jaspin is credited with saying that Rhode Island is“ an amusement park for journalists.”
He was poking fun at the endless parade of corruption and crime that graced the front pages of the ProJo at the time. In a place that is so close-knit, so fiercely proud despite its diminutive geography, that quote still holds true today.
Lastly, local ownership of any small business in Rhode Island is not for the faint of heart. Every day is like the Flume ride at Rocky Point: Like the Best of Rhode Island discovery process, it has no on-and-off switch— the cycle is continuous.
In a world where the next technological wonder complicates information overload( dare I mention AI?), making sure the home team is in the game— no matter how daunting and in the face of much larger competition— is one of my top priorities. As a small business owner, I take solace in no longer receiving“ Dear Colleague” letters extolling the merits of shareholder value in the stratosphere of corporate bureaucracy. Shareholder value— that’ s me, and I go with my gut. In this issue, we offer you our annual gift: a respite from politics, failing infrastructure, financial turmoil, ideological division and more.
Celebrate the 459 winners we present in this issue. Visit them, support them, congratulate them. They are local success stories due to their hard work, perseverance and taking advantage of opportunities.
In the meantime, we’ ll continue to do what we’ ve been doing for the past thirtyeight years: pronouncing Pawtucket correctly and knowing the correct spelling and location of Quonochontaug.
To the Rhode ahead.— J. J. P.
ILLUSTRATION: CHERYL CHALMERS.
14 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I AUGUST 2025