This Just in from the Ocean State
TV weatherman and radio guy
Most Rhode Islanders know R.J. Heim as the weekend meteorologist on WJAR TV-10. For 28 years, this Emmy Award winner has been forecasting the weather as well as filming stories as a reporter for the station.
Few, however, know the openly gay Heim for the radio station he operates out of his Providence home.
Called Music Through the Tunnel of Time, he broadcasts the music he loves, using his own equipment. The format is largely jazz, but not exclusively—he also has an affinity for disco and pop oldies. Listeners on a recent weekday were treated to selections from Santana, Savage Garden, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Kevin Spacey, to name a few.
On his website, Heim says that he loves radio more than television, but “in radio you can get fired too easy, and unless you’re a super-talent, there’s no money to be made.”
More: musicthroughthetunneloftime.com
Solidarity with LGBTQ Ghanaians
Organized to raise awareness about the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values” bill, which proposes serious jail time for queer people and their advocates, local Ghanaian-American Aba “A’Biggs” Armoo-Daniels and other artists staged a “Kill the Bill” concert to show solidarity through music and poetry on Sept. 18 at the Parlor in Providence.
The artists raised funds for LGBT Rights Ghana, an organization of queer Ghanaians and allies based in Accra, Ghana. The group’s opening of an LGBTQ community center there early this year sparked the outcry for anti-LGBTQ legislation by some religious leaders and politicians.
Big plans at Haus of Codec
With a mission to build community through arts and educational empowerment, Haus of Codec’s aim is to end homelessness among transition-aged youth in Providence. Originally formed in 2017 by principal Julio Berroa as a design firm (“codec” is a device or program to compresses data for audiovisual transmission), their vision involves the creation of safer and more accessible means to housing, care, and essential services for displaced youth ages 16–25.
The goal is to create housing for up to 40 individuals, some to be leased to low- or no-income residents, the rest on an emergency basis. To raise funds, they host a monthly LGBTQQIA+ arts and entertainment marketplaces and have a Go Fund Me account with $150,000 goal.
The plan is to open their doors on Nov. 1, and they’ve found a property and tenants and gotten approval of the landlord, they report on their website.
Haus of Codec is also partnering with existing human service providers such as House of Hope CDC, Sojourner House, AS220 and Project Weber/RENEW to ensure that the residents have access to services and care.
More: hausofcodec.org
Changes for Options
Options Magazine has seen many changes in its almost 40-year run, the latest of which is a transition away from a print magazine to an online presence. And its current editor-in-chief, Jen Stevens, has made plans to leave her post after serving as its sole employee for seven years.
An heir apparent hasn’t emerged yet, but numerous candidates are being vetted to take the helm of this nonprofit community resource. In the meantime, you can still find local news, resources and a calendar of Ocean State and southern New England events on the website.
More optionsri.org
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