Features
Dr. Leonard Mermel,
medical director
of the department of
epidemiology and
infection control at
Rhode Island Hospital,
helmed the hospital’s
response to COVID-19.
MAY/JUNE 2020
Contents
Departments
10 CONTRIBUTORS
12 FROM THE PUBLISHER
14 CHATTER
17 CityState
19 CURRENT
Ant species in Rhode Island; meet
Christine Chitnis; crafty creations.
24 STYLE
Highlight your ’do in classic blue.
27 OUT TAKES
Chifferobe’s New Year’s Eve
Bash; COAAST Gala.
31 REPORTER
Rhode Islanders get creative in
the face of coronavirus.
49
Top Docs 2020
Whether you have a fever or need major surgery, you want a doctor you can trust.
Here are Rhode Island’s top 235 physicians in fifty-three specialties, as chosen by
their peers. Edited by Samantha Labrecque
37 TO-DO LIST
Activities for social distancing.
103
97 YOUR TOWN
Explore the hidden treasures in
your town.
TOP DOCS AND THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE: ALEX GAGNE;
AT HOME: WOLF MATTHEWSON.
68
56 The Horse Whisperers
An unconventional type of psychotherapy is helping clients
recognize and overcome trauma. By Annie Sherman
60 Make Your Home a Healthy One
After being trapped in the house due to COVID-19, it’s time
to give your well-worn home a good ol’ rinse down. Do it
the safe way and detoxify your space to create a healthy
environment for the whole family. By Samantha Labrecque
68 The Way Things Used to Be
Eight resilient Rhode Islanders, between the ages of
eighty-three and 108, reflect on what brought them to little
Rhody, their own pasts and the way things were.
By Jamie Coelho and Samantha Labrecque
103 AT HOME
A secret garden in Newport.
108 DINING IN
Pizza proves our favorite takeout
comfort food is still a slice of
heaven.
152 SNAPSHOT
The Milky Way.
On the cover: The Rhode Island Angel of
Hope and Strength poster was designed
for the state by RISD alum Shepard Fairey.
It celebrates the courage and compassion
of health care workers and reminds us that
in facing difficult challenges, the outcomes
are better when we summon our better
angels. See page 16 for your own pull-out
copy of the poster or artwork is free to
download and share at riarts.org. Follow
us on the web at RIMonthly.com.
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY/JUNE 2020 9